The Capture of Covington

The Capture of Covington is a Georgia historical marker in Newton County, dedicated 2002.

On Washington Street, between Lee and Brown Streets in Covington.

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On July 22, 1864, Union Cavalry from Wilder's and Minty's Brigades, armed with Spencer repeating rifles, entered Covington under orders of General Keener Garrard. As the Battle of Atlanta raged to the west, Covington was unprotected by Confederate troops. Covington citizen Presley Jones fired at the soldiers and was shot for killing two Union men. Troops also executed George Daniel, a furloughed Confederate soldier suspected of resistance. The Federal cavalrymen then destroyed or took with them anything useful to the Confederate war effort before riding on to Oxford.

TodayHistorical map

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1856 · Georgia. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1864 · Colton's Georgia (1864) (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1866 · Georgia. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1869 · Georgia. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1896 · Monroe, Georgia (USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection)

Georgia, 1866, covering the location of The Capture of Covington, with a pin at the marker's coordinates — Georgia, 1866, covering this location. David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries. The pin is ours, placed from the marker's coordinates.

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This historical marker is part of the Georgia Historical Marker Program and was erected by the Georgia Historical Commission or the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Marker texts and locations come from the Society's own marker database.

More markers nearby

Newton Countyunder 1 mi
Confederate Dead and Hospitals (Newton County)under 1 mi
Garrard's Cavalry Raid (Newton County)under 1 mi
The Stoneman Raid, Newton Countyunder 1 mi