Sherman shipped workers north?

[JerryD]

Based on a comment from someone here that Roswell Georgia had some interesting Civil War history, I looked up Roswell, Ga. on Wiki and saw that Roswell had a large cotton mill during the war. According to Wiki (and I realize how much faith I should put into that, thus the question here), Sherman had the mill burned and then forcefully transported the mill workers north in order to prevent them rebuilding and working the mill again. Wiki went on to say shipping workers north was a common tactic of Sherman in order to disrupt the Southern economy.

I have never heard of this before, and it raises a lot of questions in my mind. Where were they shipped? Were they able to bring wives and children along? Were they just dumped somewhere with no ability to support themselves? Or were they treated as prisoners of war and locked up?

Or is this one of those BS Wiki entries?

 

[Scott1967]

Workers or Slaves? , Sounds iffy to me , Many Slaves were skilled craftsmen like Carpenters and Blacksmiths but considering Sherman virtually refused to feed the Slaves following him in Georgia I doubt he would make time to ship any North including white mill workers.

 

[JerryD]

Workers or Slaves? , Sounds iffy to me , Many Slaves were skilled craftsmen like Carpenters and Blacksmiths but considering Sherman virtually refused to feed the Slaves following him in Georgia I doubt he would make time to ship any North including white mill workers.

It says the mill employed over 400 people, mostly women, and they were of Irish Scotch descent. I missed the fact they were mostly women. This makes the claim even more suspicious. Sherman was forcefully relocating a lot of women? Seems very iffy to me.

 

[JerryD]

Ok, a little more internet searching found this. http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ga/county/macon/CivilWar/roswell.htm

This site confirms that the women were charged with treason and were shipped to Louisville and Indiana, and left to fend for themselves. It also states the Sherman's actions were treated as an outrage in the North.

Very interesting story.

 

[uaskme]

There are a few good threads on this. Couple of books have been written.

 

[Pollaco]

There are a few good threads on this. Couple of books have been written.

I've read part of that story before and I think all or most were women.

 

[uaskme]

I've read part of that story before and I think all or most were women.

Young women.

Sherman and others had some thoughts of depopulating the South. Textile workers were making goods that supported the Confederacy. Reason he Charged them with Treason.

Later the deal is spun to cast Sherman as an act of chivalry trying to protect these poor souls. Giggle fit.

It is a tragic story. Good people ended up trying to help them. Some made it back home. Many didn't.

 

[Pollaco]

Some didn't even make all the way north. They died in transit.Plus many never made it back home to Georgia,they married locals and stayed in Indiana.

 

[JerryD]

There are a few good threads on this. Couple of books have been written.

I will have to look them up. Given Victorian concepts of women, I can see how this would have been viewed at that time (and quite frankly, today) as an outrage. Surprised more wasnt made of this and I have never heard of this story before. Do you know if he did this with any other factories? Wiki said it was a common practice of his, but I know you can't really trust Wiki.

 

[Tanglewood]

There is a very well researched book on the subject, North Across the River by Ruth Beaumont Cook, Crane Hill Press, 2000. The author was born and educated in Ohio, and later moved to Birmingham, Alabama. My reading of the book is that it is a balanced treatment, based on facts. Those removed were not only the women working in the cotton mill in Roswell, but also from the mill in New Manchester, then in Campbell County, now changed to Douglas County, west of Atlanta near I-20. The site is now New Manchester State Park. The factory ruins are magnificent, beside a tumbling cascade on Sweetwater Creek, which is as wide as most of the rivers in farther north Georgia. It is a very beautiful place.

If I recall correctly, the proprietor of the mill in Roswell flew a French flag as the Union troops approached, in a futile attempt to appear neutral and save the mill. Sherman became so enraged that he threatened to hang the man, but relented. His anger is thought to have been a factor in his decision to send take the women away from their homes and send them north. Not his finest hour, in my opinion.

 

[JerryD]

There is a very well researched book on the subject, North Across the River by Ruth Beaumont Cook, Crane Hill Press, 2000. The author was born and educated in Ohio, and later moved to Birmingham, Alabama. My reading of the book is that it is a balanced treatment, based on facts. Those removed were not only the women working in the cotton mill in Roswell, but also from the mill in New Manchester, then in Campbell County, now changed to Douglas County, west of Atlanta near I-20. The site is now New Manchester State Park. The factory ruins are magnificent, beside a tumbling cascade on Sweetwater Creek, which is as wide as most of the rivers in farther north Georgia. It is a very beautiful place.

If I recall correctly, the proprietor of the mill in Roswell flew a French flag as the Union troops approached, in a futile attempt to appear neutral and save the mill. Sherman became so enraged that he threatened to hang the man, but relented. His anger is thought to have been a factor in his decision to send take the women away from their homes and send them north. Not his finest hour, in my opinion.

Thanks for the reference! I just found it on Ebay for $4, with free shipping. Looking forward to reading more about this.

I used to be in Roswell all the time. My In-laws lived there in the 90's. Sorry I didnt know about this back then. Would have loved to check out the mill site. It seems the cascade is what remains of the dam that drove the mill.

 

[Copperhead-mi]

Some didn't even make all the way north. They died in transit.Plus many never made it back home to Georgia,they married locals and stayed in Indiana.

Local Roswell author, Michael D. Hitt, in his book Charged With Treason: Ordeal of 400 mill workers during military operations in Roswell Georgia, 1864-1865 lists one woman, Mary Ann Sumner, who died during the trip to Louisville, KY. and another woman, Margarette Wood, who died after reaching Louisville during 1864. Margarette's daughter, who was also banished to Louisville then sent on to Smithfield, KY., got married there during 1866 then moved back to Louisvlle, then to Effingham, IL. until 1886, when she moved back to Cartersville, GA.