Heritage Sandy Springs Extends Civil War Exhibit

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Due to popular demand, Heritage Sandy Springs has decided to extend its exhibit on the Civil War.

The Civil War in Sandy Springs will now run through Saturday, Aug. 1. The exhibition, which shares the previously untold story of the war in Sandy Springs, was originally scheduled to close April 1.

“We are so pleased by the overwhelmingly positive response from our visitors to this exhibition,” said Melissa Swindell, director of historic resources and education programs at Heritage Sandy Springs. ”The Civil War in Sandy Springs has given us the opportunity to share the important role the Sandy Springs community played during the turbulent summer of 1864, and our hope is that anyone who has not yet viewed the exhibition will have the chance to with this extended run.”

In the summer of 1864, the Union Army occupied the small farming community of Sandy Springs. Those weeks changed the lives of every family that lived through them. The Civil War in Sandy Springs exhibit at the Heritage Sandy Springs Museum explores their story.

From never before published diaries and newly discovered letters, the firsthand accounts and struggles of local people can be understood for the first time. Family heirlooms and artifacts treasured for 150 years are on display along with the actual guns and cannon shells that terrorized the community during the long summer of occupation.

Highlights from the exhibition include:

• The never-before published letters of Nellie Jett, wife of Confederate soldier Richard Burch Jett. Nellie and Richard seemed to correspond with one another throughout the war, yet only Nellie’s letters to Richard have survived. Her letters, woven through the exhibit, give an insight into a survivor’s view of military occupation. She describes in desperate terms what she has to do to keep her family alive while living in a war zone. Her letters are a testament to the strength and courage women were not credited with possessing in the nineteenth century.
• A housewife sewing kit carried throughout the Civil War by Corporal John Stackhouse of Company K, Unit 116 of the Illinois Infantry. Along with 100,000 other members of the Federal Army, Stackhouse occupied Sandy Springs in July 1864. Unlike guns or swords, these small sewing kits were not considered valuable by soldiers or civilians and therefore after the war were either discarded or used until they were worn out. As a result, housewives are some of the rarest artifacts from the Civil War.
• A mystery rifle, found in the deserted Union camp in Sandy Springs after the occupation of July 1864. Although hallmarks indicate it is a Confederate rifle, it bears Federal repairs which raises the question – was it a Union or Confederate soldier who possessed the rifle?

The exhibit features new original research being presented for the first time in exhibit format. Much is known about the federal troops at the Battle of Kennesaw, and documentation of the troops moving to Peachtree Creek. However, the story of the crossing of the Chattahoochee River in Sandy Springs and its subsequent invasion in July 1864 has remained undocumented until now.

The Civil War in Sandy Springs is organized and curated by Heritage Sandy Springs Museum. The exhibition is made possible by the Frances and Beverly Dubose Foundation.

Heritage Sandy Springs’ Museum is at 6075 Sandy Springs Circle. The museum is currently open by appointment and visits can be scheduled by email at curator@heritagesandysprings.org or by calling 404-851-9111, ext. 2. Admission is free thanks to the support of the Frances and Beverly Dubose Foundation.

Photo credit: Heritage Sandy Springs