Forgotten no more: Robert Smalls seized a Confederate ship and led people to freedom. Now, South Carolina will build a monument to the civil rights champion

Gov. Henry McMaster signs Robert Smalls legislation (S.C. governor's office)

As speakers pointed out Thursday at a South Carolina State House bill-signing ceremony, Robert Small’s legacy was not contained to a single act of bravery during the Civil War.

The African-American, born a slave, in March 1862 commandeered a Confederate ship in Charleston Harbor, sailed people to freedom and became a hero to the Union cause. In the 50 years following, he accomplished even more by helping to advance civil rights.

Now the state that was the first to secede from the United States, and was ruled for generations by white supremacists, will place its first monument to a single African-American individual on the Capitol grounds. Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill setting up a commission that will come up with a design, location and private funding for the Smalls memorial.

 “A monument to honor Robert Smalls would represent the remarkable contributions, achievements, and accomplishments of this forgotten son of South Carolina and would serve as an overdue tribute to the many slaves who sacrificed alongside him,” asserts the legislation.

Smalls’ contributions to the Palmetto State are incalculable.

A Harper's Weekly article on Smalls' daring escape in Charleston (Library of Congress)

At the start of the Civil War, Smalls, 23, was a pilot on the steamship CSS Planter. On the morning of May 13, 1862, Smalls led the takeover of the ship by its slave crew, sailed past the harbor's formidable defenses and surrendered the vessel to the Union blockade fleet. His wife and children were among those on board who gained freedom.

Smalls met with President Abraham Lincoln and lobbied him to recruit black men to serve in the Union army. The former slave served as a pilot on the ship USS Crusader.

Smalls returned to his hometown Beaufort and bought his former master’s home. After the war, he served in South Carolina’s Legislature, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served several terms.

The congressman fought against the disenfranchisement of black voters across the South, according to the American Battlefield Trust. He also fought against segregation within the military, advocated for compulsory education in South Carolina, opened a school for black children and published a newspaper, among other accomplishments.

“My race needs no special defense for the past history of them and this country,” Smalls said. “It proves them to be equal of any people anywhere. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life.”

After serving as collector of customs duties, he died in his Beaufort home at age 75 in 1915.

Smalls purchased this Beaufort home that belonged to his enslaver (NPS)

The legislative committee has a few months to make key decisions about the monument. It met for the first time on Wednesday.

As the Post and Courier newspaper pointed out, the monument will be on a 22-acre property in Columbia dominated by Confederate memorials.

“A towering obelisk to veterans of the Confederate army sits directly in front of the Statehouse steps. J. Marion Sims, a pioneer of gynecology who experimented on enslaved women without anesthesia, has a statue in a quiet corner of the grounds,” said the newspaper.

“Confederate Gen. Wade Hampton, who enslaved people, has a statue, as does Benjamin Tillman, the former governor and white supremacist whose brother George used violence and intimidation to rob Smalls of his seat in Congress before his colleagues eventually removed him from office.”

Speakers at Thursday’s ceremony talked about how South Carolina has changed, through racial reconciliation and, in the case of the Small bills, bipartisanship. State Sen. Gerald Malloy said the effort showed progress by citizens “building a more just and equitable society.”

Smalls has gained national stature in recent years, with buildings and a US Army vessel named for him.

State Sen. Chip Campsen said Smalls fought in three different arenas as a slave, pilot and statesman.

“His life was best described as a fight for freedom. And he knew that his freedom would only endure through law,” Campsen said, according to The State newspaper.

City all aboard for restoration: Civil War-era depot made famous by 'Great Locomotive Chase' is on track to becoming a philanthropy center in NW Georgia

Rendering of changes to the exterior to better match original appearance (Montgomery & Peeples, Dalton)

A long-closed Western & Atlantic railroad depot that played a part in the Civil War’s “Great Locomotive Chase” is being reborn in a way that reaffirms its importance as a community gathering place in Dalton, Ga.

A philanthropic organization and developer are nearly midway through the restoration of the oldest commercial structure in the northwest Georgia city best known for its carpet industry. The goal is to have a unique setting where ideas and dreams for the public good can gain steam.

The Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia and Barrett Properties have partnered for the project, with the foundation planning to relocate its offices to a portion of the depot later this year or in early 2025.

David Aft, foundation president, told the Picket the reopened 1852 depot also will buttress revitalization in downtown Dalton. Officials want locals to spend their dollars there rather than nearby Chattanooga, Tenn., and to enjoy the Burr Performing Arts Park, among other venues.

Glass-walled conference room, the old freight scale and floor work showing old timbers
 (Montgomery & Peeples rendering and David Aft photos)

“Working to renovate a building mothballed for 10 years is part of that, to bring life into old facilities.” The depot, he said, was the hub for commercial growth and the point of origination for surveys and maps in the 19^th century.

The resilient depot has had some hard times since its heyday. A 1977 nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places said Dalton citizens were aware of its value but “concerned about the deterioration of the building.” At that time, it was being leased to a railroad.

The depot housed a tavern for about 25 years, but officials closed the building in late 2015, citing conditions that “posed potential health hazards to the public,” including mold, according to the Daily Citizen-News newspaper.

The Western & Atlantic depot back when it was boarded up (Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation)

The brick building sat empty for nearly a decade. Now, workers are on site, making repairs and modernizing the space to create an open, welcoming environment.

“I’m excited to see downtown Dalton continue to blossom, and to see the Dalton Depot once again be a hub in downtown Dalton,” said Mayor Annalee Sams.

Andrews Raiders plowed through Dalton

The Western and Atlantic Railroad line from Atlanta to Chattanooga was completed in the early 1850s and the Dalton depot opened in 1852 to provide passenger and freight service.

The building had its moment of fame on April 12, 1862, when Northern raiders who had commandeered the locomotive General in Big Shanty, above Atlanta, were chugging toward Chattanooga, intent on destroying parts of the railroad.

Union raiders on the General set a fire at a river crossing in Georgia (Wikipedia)

The pursuing locomotive Texas picked up a 17-year-old telegraph operator who rushed to the Dalton depot and wired Confederate troops ahead in Chattanooga.

Although not all his message got through, Edward Henderson’s alarm sent troops toward the track. The Andrews Raiders were captured near Ringgold when the General ran out of steam. They had accomplished little.

According to the National Registration nomination form, “the depot might have been partially destroyed when Union troops entered Dalton and set fire to several buildings in 1862. It appears that the essential structure of the depot was not damaged and the restoration was confined to roof and interior repair. Since the ornamental brackets are stylistically later than the date of the rest of the building, it is likely that they replaced others lost in the destruction.”

The 12,100-square-foot brick building is “a pretty high-style example of Georgia depot architecture” and has Greek Revival features. It features stone lintels, brick pilasters and door entablatures.

The old ticket counter is among the surviving features (Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation) 

Safeguarding depot's historic features a priority

A February news release on the project said “Barrett Properties will be giving careful consideration to the preservation of historical elements that pay homage to an era’s character while innovative additions will infuse a modern and dynamic flair.”

The city years ago contracted with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation to market the building. Officials wanted $500,000, but eventually sold it to Barrett Properties in 2018 for $300,000. At that time, Barrett said the area would be suitable for another restaurant/bar and perhaps a small museum.

The city required bidders to submit a written preservation plan and abide by a signed rehabilitation agreement.

Work crews have been on the site since spring (David Aft photo)

The trust's primary goal was seeing that historic features in the building are saved. The depot’s southern end retains features interior ticket windows, a freight scale and other rail service features.

The foundation has a 20-year lease with Barrett Properties, said Aft, who answered Picket questions on behalf of his group and the developer.

What the foundation does with charitable gifts

The five employees of the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, working with charitable givers, provide grants and funding for organizations in the area. Some of the endeavors involve mental health programs, historic preservation, neighborhood revitalization and other civic projects.

Undated photo and another from 1922 (Courtesy of the Bandy Heritage Center for Northwest Georgia)

Some grants come in the form of endowments, financial funds and scholarships to nonprofit groups or individuals. The organization oversees more than $90 million in charitable assets, said Aft.

The main economic engine for Dalton and Whitfield County is the carpet industry, while diversification has yielded a solar panel factory and supply chains for auto manufacturing.

“We are one of the country’s last bastions of manufacturing,” said Aft.

The area’s Latino population has grown considerably. Housing affordability is a big issue, compounded by the dearth of available land because of mountainous terrain, said Aft, indicating nearby counties have made strides. The Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce is working toward increasing residential units, including hundreds of apartments, he added.

Depot and other downtown buildings in 1932 (Courtesy of the Bandy Heritage Center for Northwest Georgia)

The foundation currently works from the top floor of a building about a mile from the depot.

“We have kind of outgrown our space,” said Aft, indicating the foundation needs a larger facility in which to meet with donors and working groups and to conduct strategy sessions. “When you have 20 people in for a workshop, we don’t have great bathrooms.”

New office will mix the old and the new

Aft touts the new space as ideal for meetings -- by mixing the depot’s historic architectural features and modern office design.

“The most significant feature is a room built within that space. It will have an ability to open its glass side walls into a bigger convening space,” he said. The office includes other meeting areas and work nooks. (Rendering at left by Montgomery & Peeples)

The foundation is moving into what once was a nightclub area of the depot. “There was a lot of live music. People used it for event space.” The other half was a restaurant.

Photos from the current work show wear and tear, including some graffiti on the walls.

“The entirety of the super structure and brick work is original. Much of the underpinning foundation is original,” said Aft, adding the current budget for the work is below $1 million.

(Barrett Properties is still marketing the other half of the building, perhaps for offices, event space or a restaurant.)

While the interior is receiving an overhaul and plumbing and heating and air are being modernized, work has not yet began on the exterior, which will have a few modifications to provide its original look.

Barrett Properties sent out samples of the brick mortar to use the right type while fixing damage created by wear and passing trains. Much of the brick has been repointed.

Three cornices need to be rebuilt. “It will look more like from the photographs of 50 years ago then now,” said Aft. (See collection of depot photos here)

The finished product will pay homage to the “Great Locomotive Chase” in some form, perhaps through markers.

“We understand the valuable piece of real estate we are part of,” said Aft.

(At right, David Aft photo of foundation, including old timber)

From sodium carbonate to dental picks, here's what they use to conserve cannonballs, canister shot and bullets found in Columbia, S.C., river cleanup

Iron canister balls, 12-pounder solid shot and iron points used for defenses (James Legg, SCIAA)

Laboratories in South Carolina and Georgia are using electrical currents and soda ash to clean and conserve hundreds of Civil War iron artifacts that were recovered during a cleanup of the Congaree River in Columbia, S.C.

Some of the captured weapons and ammunition that Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s troops dumped into the river in the last months of the Civil War reemerged in 2022 and 2023 as crews removed century-old coal tar along the shoreline.

About 2.5 tons of debris – including trash, tires and scrap metal – were carted off, with the project concluding 10 months ago.

The Civil War-related artifacts include 6-pounder, 12-pounder and 10-inch projectiles, a large number of canister and grape shot balls, canister plates, a wagon wheel remnant, small arms ammunition and a Confederate sword blade. Only the lead bullets do not require conservation. The wheel is believed to be from that era and is in a large tank while experts research its age.

In February 1865, Sherman’s men threw Confederate war materiel into the river after they took what they wanted before marching to North Carolina. Much of the South Carolina capital went up in flames, from a variety of sources, after its surrender. (Left, artifacts shown to the media last year, SCIAA)

The Picket has stayed in touch with Sean Norris, program archaeologist for TRC Companies, a subcontractor for Dominion Energy, and Jim Legg, public archaeologist for the South Carolina Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA).

TRC and SCIAA are dividing the conservation, with the aim of tendering the artifacts to the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum in Columbia for an eventual exhibit.

The Picket asked the pair for an update on the conservation, with the following responses sent by Norris. Some have been edited for brevity or context.

Q. How many Civil War artifacts are currently under conservation treatment? How many have been completed, roughly?

A. More than 500 Civil War related artifacts were recovered during the project. All of the iron artifacts are currently undergoing electrolysis. This is a long process and they will be in electrolysis tanks for a few months.

Electrolysis tanks treating Congaree River dumped Civil War ordnance(James Legg, SCIAA)

Q. Can you tell me a little more about the electrolysis? How large are the tanks, what is the process?

A. Electrolytic reduction (electrolysis) is undertaken on iron artifacts with two important goals, including (1) the removal of soil/iron product concretion and substantially mineralized iron, and (2) the electrolytic removal of chlorides and other contaminants from porous surfaces on and within the objects.

Electrolysis tanks use sheet stainless steel anodes in a mild solution of sodium carbonate (soda ash) as electrolyte. Ordinary manual battery chargers or modulated power supplies provide the current for what is essentially a wet cell battery. Tanks of varying in size from a gallon to 20 gallons are used.

A range of bullets and shot pulled from the river muck (Sean Norris, TRC Companies)

Q. Do some artifacts take a longer electrolysis time than others? Can you briefly describe a scenario like that?

A. Smaller iron objects from relatively uncontaminated terrestrial sites can be considered conserved in as little as 15-20 days. Large objects and complex shapes might run as long as two months. Normally, a tank of several terrestrial iron objects can run for an extended period with its initial setup and solution, with as few as one tank change at some point in the process. The artifacts are also manually cleaned several times, using steel wire brushes and dental picks.

This manual process is repeated in the course of tank changes as well as between changes. This lengthy treatment serves to loosen the iron product material that had replaced varying depths of metallic iron on the objects, and to expel contaminants dwelling primarily at the iron/iron products transition.

Alfred R. Waud's illustration of Columbia on fire in February 1862 (Library of Congress)

Q. What can you tell me about the iron spikes that were found?

A. We believe that the iron spikes are the tip ends to a chevaux-de-frise (made of timber) that was likely placed in the water or around the roads and bridges of Columbia as defensive obstacles.

Q. Is electrolysis the final stage for most of these items? Or do some receive other treatments? 

A. The next step is intensive, repeated boiling, with the goal of removing any contaminants still present. This involves boiling artifacts in a mildly basic solution, typically about a teaspoon of sodium carbonate in a two-gallon stainless steel pot. After about an hour of vigorous boiling, the artifacts are rinsed in cold water for several minutes, and then returned to boiling in a fresh basic solution. This cycle is repeated several times for each batch of artifacts. For the final boil, the solution is nearly neutral, so as flush excess sodium carbonate from porous surfaces. Additional rinsing follows, in hot and cold tap water. (If sodium carbonate is not thoroughly rinsed from an artifact, white crystals may eventually appear on the surface). Heat drying follows the boiling phase. This is accomplished on an ordinary electric stove burner on low to medium heat. Immersion in microcrystalline wax is the next step, one undertaken primarily to cover the surface and fill the porous elements of the iron object to exclude air and moisture. I submerge the objects, several at a time, in a pan of molten microcrystalline wax to seal the artifacts.

Canister ball (left) undergoing treatment, 10-inch shells awaiting their turn (James Legg, SCIAA)

Q. I assume this stage will continue into 2025?

A. The conservation phase will take several months for all the artifacts.

Q. Are the river iron points, canister, 6- and 12-pound shells, along with bullets, all Confederate? Any idea what the 10-inch shells were fired by?

A. We believe all are Confederate. None were actually fired. They were all removed from the various armories around Columbia. Most of the artillery rounds are solid shot. The 10-inch balls were shells with open fuse holes but did not contain any black powder.

Q. The stirrup under conservation -- Federal or Confederate? Is the type of saddle known? 

A. We are now leaning toward a non-military stirrup (right). 

Q. Anything particularly interesting on location, context, etc, for the artifacts?

A. In general, these artifacts were in a dynamic, constantly changing environment since (the) time they were discarded in the river. After first being thrown into the river, their positions were shifted around by the current, past recovery attempts and flood events. Their depositional context would be considered disturbed, meaning that we really can’t interpret much information from their location. The majority of the artifacts were recovered close to the riverbank (as was expected) with only a few recovered closer to the middle of the river channel.

Stone Mountain Park tears down fire-ravaged home built for Confederate colonel, moved from south Georgia to be part of what is now called Historic Square

The Davis-Dickey home was torn down to its foundation in June (Photo courtesy John Rosemeyer)

It went down with no fanfare or media coverage, for that matter.

Stone Mountain Park’s Davis-Dickey home, which was formerly owned by a Confederate colonel, was demolished in early June after officials decided it was damaged beyond repair by an accidental fire in November 2023.

I don’t normally report something that occurred two months ago, but I only became aware of the demolition last week. I had checked on the fate of the structure previously and was last on site in early April. A blue tarp placed over the roof after the blaze was in pieces then, leaving sections of the roof open to the elements.

Park spokesman John Bankhead on Tuesday forwarded me a press release that was sent out ahead of the work, but I did not receive at the time. He said no photos of the demolition were available and no news outlets covered the story. I did see a photo on Flickr.

The Stone Mountain Memorial Association, which oversees the state venue, said structural engineers made an assessment and historic preservationists were consulted before the decision was made.

More damage is evident on the other side of the house (Stone Mtn Park Dept. of Public Safety)

The blaze was concentrated in the center and upper portions of the home; its wings were not as damaged. But the damage was extensive. 

The Georgia fire marshal’s office determined that an electrical fault in conduit near the entrance to the home was the cause. Since then, the house was surrounded by a fence, awaiting its fate.

“Reconstructing the home to 1840’s era construction standards would be next to impossible and incredibly expensive,” the association said in the release. “In addition, with it now being part of a state park, the building would need to be reconstructed as ADA compliant with additional points of entry, most likely an interior elevator and ramps added for access and egress."

The Davis-Dickey manor residence was the centerpiece of a recreated antebellum plantation at the park. Other relocated buildings in Historic Square (left) are open to the public, Bankhead said.

All items, mostly period furniture and antiques, not lost to the fire are in storage, Bankhead said.

The Davis-Dickey home  was built in the community of Dickey, west of Albany, Ga., for the family of slaveholder Charles Milton Davis, who left Aiken, S.C., in 1850.

The home was completed in about 1856. Davis, a cotton planter, was the third-largest slaveholder in Calhoun County with 78 enslaved persons. He owned about 3,500 acres, according to census records. Charles and his wife Agnes lived there with seven children.

Davis served as a colonel in the Calhoun County cavalry. Other websites indicated he served as well in the 12^th Battalion Georgia Cavalry and the 10^th Georgia State Troops. All of the units appeared to be stationed in Georgia.

The 6,250-square-foot home was broken into quarters and moved in 1961 to the park for reconstruction. The house faced the park's famous Confederate memorial carving of Lee, Jackson and Jefferson.

The fire ravaged-home before its demolition (Photo courtesy John Rosemeyer)

After it was restored and filled with original and period furnishings, the residence opened to Stone Mountain Park visitors in 1963 as a largely privately operated venture. It was considered the "big house" at the complex, which includes other homes, outbuildings and two slave dwellings.

Now it's gone, with no apparent replacement in sight.

Memorial association CEO Bill Stephens said: "We take historic preservation seriously at Stone Mountain Park, and though the Dickey/Davis House was the centerpiece of the Historic Square, none of these buildings are original to the region, each were transferred and reconstructed here from other parts of the state.

“The costs of restoration are prohibitive, and there is currently no funding source available for complete restoration. The building also cannot be secured in its current state, potentially making it a target for vandalism or potential injury by a park visitor."

Confederate carving and lawn at Stone Mountain Park (Chris Yunker, Wikimedia)

Stone Mountain Park in recent years has been under pressure to remove features, street names or exhibits that depict what critics and scholars call symbols of the Confederacy, Lost Cause and white supremacy.

Architectural historian Lydia Mattice Brandt and associate professor of history Philip Mills Herrington, writing in the March 2022 Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, detailed the history, timeline and goals of the antebellum plantation now known as Historic Square.

They write that the plantation complex buttressed Georgia’s resistance to desegregation in the late 1950s and early 1960s and is a mixture of fact and fantasy. The authors suggest a reinterpretation of the square is critically important.

Stone Mountain rises behind the home before the fire (Jason Armstrong, HMdb.org)

The Stone Mountain Memorial Association has pledged to make changes, but some say the pace has been too slow. The park has relocated four Confederate flags that were next to a popular trail.

A planned museum at Memorial Hall will cover the site's entire past.

For decades, Gordon Jones has bridged Civil War scholarship and the public. Emerging Civil War has honored Atlanta History Center curator for his efforts

Gordon Jones has been an historian and storyteller for decades (Picket and AHC photos)

Affable and engaging, Gordon L. Jones, the senior military historian and curator at the Atlanta History Center, has for decades been instrumental in telling the story of the Civil War and its impact on place, people and memory.

Whether it has been through talks or artifacts he has researched and curated, Jones is considered the consummate public historian, according to Emerging Civil War.

He led the relocation and restoration of “The Battle of Atlanta,” the breathtaking cyclorama painting depicting the July 1864 battle, and has overseen “Turning Point: The American Civil War,” the AHC’s permanent Civil War exhibit that soon will be overhauled. Another project was the restoration of the locomotive Texas, famous for its role in the 1862 "Great Locomotive Chase."

Emerging Civil War, a collaboration of about 30 historians, recently bestowed its 2024 Award for Service in Civil War Public History to Jones at its annual meeting in Spotsylvania County, Va., saying he has had a significant impact on the field of public history by helping connect everyday people to America’s defining event.

Focal point of the Atlanta Cyclorama shows a brief Rebel breakthrough (Picket photo)

Those who know Jones say the historian richly deserves the recognition by making the history center one of the best Civil War museums in the country. He’s been on the staff since 1991. 

“Gordon's knowledge of the history, the material culture and both the history of and the practice of interpretation has meant that the museum and its exhibits haven't just been a bunch of ‘old stuff on display’ but a place of history, education, context and provocation -- the muse in museum,” Jim Ogden, historian at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, told the Civil War Picket in an email.

“So much of Atlanta's, the Civil War's story wouldn't be accessible today if it weren't for Gordon's hard and thoughtful work,” said Ogden.

Chris Mackowski, editor in chief of Emerging Civil War, said Jones has ensured the AHC tells “a full, balanced, and remarkably rich story.”

Over the years, Jones has ensured people hear different perspectives, including those that may challenge long-held beliefs.

Jackson McQuigg and Jones in North Carolina for a 2017 talk about restored Texas (AHC)

“This means a lot to me because it comes from colleagues who are involved in the same kinds of work,” Jones said of the honor in an email Friday.

“Scholarship is essential, but so is engaging the wider public. We stand on the shoulders of giants – all those collectors, scholars, teachers, reenactors, friends and comrades who came before. I've learned so much from them over the years, and that's the greatest blessing of all,” he wrote.

Jones holds a master of arts in public history from the University of South Carolina and a Ph.D. from the Institute for the Liberal Arts at Emory University.

The curator has been a fixture at Civil War shows, AHC events and the Atlanta Civil War Roundtable, which he joined in 2001 and served as president in 2016-2017. His interest in the conflict grew as he took part in reenactments as a young man.

“At a high level, Gordon’s transformational work at the Atlanta History Center has elevated their Civil War exhibitions to world-class heights, and his leadership here at the Atlanta Civil War Round Table has connected our group to original research and opened doors to other leading authorities in the field,” said Sam Moses, president of the organization, which meets monthly at the AHC.

The dark-lit "Turning Point" exhibit is a longtime Atlanta History Center fixture

“But the thing that makes Gordon a truly one-of-a-kind educator is his unique ability to bring even the most casual observer into direct contact with history,” Moses said. “Gordon leverages artifacts -- often rare (and sometimes seemingly trivial) -- to weave a thread of importance that connects through time to the present day. Without leaning on over-dramatization, his presentation style builds steadily on fundamental themes, using good humor and carefully curated objects to help audiences relate to the people of the past, and even share in their experiences so many years afterward.”

A current priority for Jones is remaking the AHC’s “Turning Point,” its core but somewhat dated Civil War exhibit. Space for exhibits will jump from 9,200 square feet to 15,400 feet.

“Among (others) things, that allows us to exhibit collections acquired since ‘Turning Point opened in 1996, including the George Wray Collection and the rest of our U.S. Colored Troops artifacts," said Jones. "All this is due for opening in 2026. Yes, much still to do.”

Flag of the 127th USCT is in the AHC collection (Photo: Morphy Auctions)

The AHC’s collection of USCT items includes a regimental flag, knapsack, swords, soldier badges and a soldier manual. The Wray collection provides a fascinating look at Confederate weapons, some well-made, and some not so much.

Jackson McQuigg, vice president of properties for the AHC, has worked with Jones for three decades, notably on the Cyclorama and Texas projects.

“One thing I've noticed is that Gordon's deep knowledge of Civil War and military history is always accompanied by a desire to learn more. Not one to rest on his existing knowledge base, Gordon remains genuinely interested in historical research, especially if it will make him a better storyteller.”

“Further, Gordon is accessible -- always. His outgoing, friendly demeanor is genuine, real and available to all. He's never met a stranger. These are qualities which make him a joy to work with and a worthy recipient of this honor.”

The Picket, which has spoken with Jones about numerous topics over 15 years, reached out to other historians and Civil War experts for their reaction to the honor:

Jones in 2021 with a rare Whitworth sniper rifle used by the South (Picket photo)

Charlie Crawford, president emeritus of the Georgia Battlefields Association

“Gordon deserves every public history award there is.”

Michael Shaffer, author of “Day by Day Through the Civil War in Georgia

“Very well-deserved. Gordon is always eager to share his wealth of knowledge with others, and remains a trusted member of the Civil War community.”

W. Todd Groce, president and CEO of the Georgia Historical Society

“This award is a well-deserved recognition of all that Gordon has accomplished over a long and productive career. He is a skillful public historian who knows how to effectively make scholarly history relevant and accessible to wide audience. I’m proud to be his friend.”

Past recipients of the ECW public history award include Civil War Trails, American Battlefield Trust; historian and author Gary Gallagher; Dave Ruth, former superintendent at Richmond National Battlefield; and the late D. P. Newton, founder of the White Oak Civil War Museum.

Emerging Civil War also honored Patrick Young, author of the Reconstruction Era blog, with the Stevenson Award for outstanding service to the organization.

At Nashville's renovated Sunnyside mansion, you can look through windows at Civil War battle damage, view artifacts found in rifle pit and click to cool 3D images

Augmented reality view of Sunnyside and reveal windows showing battle and bullet damage (MNHC)

Visitors to Nashville’s Sunnyside mansion, which was struck by bullets from a Federal assault during the Civil War, now have a variety of ways – including the use of augmented reality – to experience the site’s rich history.

Built in 1852 in what is now Sevier Park, Sunnyside and a connected log cabin have undergone an extensive rehabilitation since 2022. While visitors can see the outside of the home and peer through windows to see the cabin logs and bullet damage, offices of the Metro Nashville Historical Commission open to the public Aug. 19.

Sunnyside’s main room now has architectural and historical displays; interpretive markers outside cover its early history, enslaved people, the Battle of Nashville, later owners and the 20-acre Sevier Park, near the 12South neighborhood.

“It is truly exciting to see how much history we were able to recover and to provide to the public,” said Adam Fracchia, an archaeologist with the commission. “The aim is to tell a wider story.”

Bottom floor of extension (ell) has five small windows showing bullet damage (MNHS)

I first spoke with Fracchia last year about a project involving Nashville police and archaeologists. The team has been analyzing the trajectory and proximity of gunfire from a Union attack from the north and west during the Dec. 15-16, 1864, battle. They wanted to solve the mystery regarding embedded bullets and holes discovered last year in the cabin walls. 

It has long been known that dozens of bullets, including Minie balls, were left on the porch door and columns on the big house at Sunnyside, which was occupied by Confederates. They were eventually forced to retreat.

A rifle pit was found during the renovation, along with evidence of a trench. A new display case in the commission’s main room has artifacts from the battle, including percussion caps, melted lead and burned iron nails found in the rifle pit.

A ribbon cutting and open house was held in mid-July (MNHC photo)

The commission, working with partners, has created Nashville Sites, which provides overviews of city fixtures, with text, audio and virtual tour options. “We want them to get an understanding of what the building looked like,” Fracchia said of Sunnyside

The tour menu includes civil rights, a Civil War driving program, downtown Nashville and certain neighborhoods. The tour on Sunnyside covers its history since indigenous dwellers.

“Recovered artifacts from the pit, like burned nails and charcoal, suggest that soldiers made fires to stay warm using wooden planks from the side of the house or outbuildings After the battle, Sunnyside was used as a field hospital for wounded soldiers.”

I called Fracchia (left) this spring and we have since communicated via email about the renovation. His responses to my questions have been edited for brevity:

Q. What is your overall impression of the work and how it adds to the story of the site? You told me the new exhibits/upgrades will tell a wider story.

A. The renovations at Sunnyside attempt to preserve as much of the building as possible while making the mansion a usable office space for the Metro Historical Commission.  Along with the renovations, we have added several features to the site to allow interpretation of the long history of the property.

We have added six interpretative panels telling the history of the site from its Indigenous inhabitants to the Civil War to the modern urban park. One of the panels also discusses the details we know about the peoples enslaved at Sunnyside. With three of these panels we have added augmented reality views of the building to allow visitors to use their phones to see what the building may have looked like at different points at time. The tour is also available digitally as a Nashville Sites tour.

(Clockwise, top) Bullets, artillery fragment, wrought iron nails, melted led and percussion caps

We were able to add Plexiglass windows to the log cabin façade to show some of the damage to the cabin from the battle. One of the log outbuildings will receive additional interpretative panels and a glass window in the floor so that a pier and a log sill plate will be visible.

Additionally, in the office, we have added an exhibit case of the artifacts excavated in the last 1.5 years ahead of the renovation and a wall of historic architectural pieces from Nashville. We hope that another exhibit case could be used as a floating exhibit in other locations.

Q. How many static exhibits are in the renovated office? Can you tell me the range of topics they cover?

A. The display case has artifacts from 3,000 to 5,000 years ago to the mid-20th century and is meant to cover the history of the site. This includes artifacts from the Civil War. The architectural wall has several different architectural elements that were salvaged or donated from around Nashville.

Civil War Williams Cleaner bullets and iron nails found last year in rifle pit (MNHC)

Q. What specifically from the Civil War-era/the battle are now on display, and in what context?

A. On display, we have artifacts recovered from the battle such as bullets as well as melted lead, burnt nails and percussion caps from the rifle pit. We recently found more artifacts during the removal of the roadbed in front of the mansion. We recovered fragments of a cannonball, top of a tent stake, a gun tool and bullets.

Q. Are any of the interpretive displays outside, or they all inside, or a mix? You mentioned there might be five-six panels. Does one pertain to the Battle of Nashville?

A. All artifacts are inside the building but we have the five panels on the north face of the log cabin that show bullet damage and projectile damage. People can also see the construction of the log building including different chinking material and Roman numerals used to match the logs.

Q. You said three of the panels might have QR codes and viewers will be able to use their phones to move. Can you describe, please?

A. One of the AR (augmented reality) images shows the building in 1864 with lines representing the bullet trajectories. These AR images are now accessible and were built in collaboration with the MHC and the Vanderbilt Institute for Spatial Research.

Q. Do any of the new features tell the story of a specific person/people related to Sunnyside’s history before, during or shortly after the battle?

A. We tried to focus on the enslaved persons and later owners with the panels, specifically, Granville Sevier and Dr. L. G. Noel.  

Q. Can you tell me about the two cabins that were at Sunnyside during the Civil War?

A. The historic building had a historic ell (perpendicular building extension) that had fallen into disrepair. Inside the ell, there were two log cabins, one of which had to be partially deconstructed. The other log structure was incorporated into the new building that is connected via a glass connector and serves as a conference/meeting room.

One of six interpretive markers surrounding the mansion and buildings (MNHC)

Q. Anything recent on the police and forensic examination and analysis of the bullet trajectories?

A. We are trying to find more information on the battle at Sunnyside and determine the distance at which the Union firing lines were at. We hope we can find information from a metal detection survey in the fall.  We received a grant from the Tennessee Historical Commission to conduct a systematic and metal detector survey with the public.

Q. Anything new on the dendrochronology of the timbers used in the cabins? You told me at least one building had wood felled from the winter of 1823-1824.

A. We have not received any update on the dendrochronology yet. 

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Postscript: Work at Sunnyside will continue into the fall. One area is what was believed to be the original smokehouse but, instead, is a domestic structure from the 19^th century. “When we test below the floor we found evidence of earlier piers for another building,” said Fracchia, adding there were household artifacts and a trash pit. An investigation of that area will continue, as well as the reconstruction of a summer house near the well, the city says.

The commission also had this tidbit in its August "History Gram":

"The removal of the gravel roadbed around Sunnyside has exposed more history of the park. Artifacts from the Civil War were recovered just below the gravel, including cannon ball fragments, a bullet, tent hardware, and a gun tool (right). These artifacts were uncovered directly in front of the mansion along with charcoal stains in the soil which indicate the location of a Federal or Confederate encampment likely associated with the Battle of Nashville."

The items will be treated and eventually displayed.

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Guidelines for visiting Sunnyside mansion

“When you visit the park, start at the pedestrian entrance near 12th Ave. S/ Granny White Pike and read the historical marker, then follow the path around the house to see all six interpretive panels, as well as the viewing windows to the original cabins (now in the rear ell of the building) and the interpretation in the log outbuilding (formerly called the Smokehouse).

You can scan the QR codes on the panels to learn more about each era of Sunnyside’s history through the Nashville Sites walking tour; some of the panels also have 3-D augmented reality (AR) models so you can picture yourself in the past.

“Feel free to enter the office lobby Monday-Friday from 7:30 am-4 pm. Additional photos, artifact  and brochures are available there. The rest of the house is not open to the public or available for tours. Public restrooms are available behind the house in the white building between the log outbuilding and the Carriage House café."

Architectural features and cabin door at Sunnyside (Photos MNHC)