Rome Area History Museum volunteer Dennis Nordeman is compiling notable local news items related to the Civil War in commemoration of the war's sesquicentennial to be shared each week:

To explore further see scanned pdf documents of Rome's Tri Weekly Courier.

Week ending date Saturday, July 26, 1862

The highs and lows of camp life was underlined in a letter from the Cothran Dragoons at Camp Randolph. “Our camp has been visited on several occasions by bevies of lovely and fascinating ladies….At the present time our camp is dull enough to satisfy the most fastidious tastes….Wagons from surrounding counties are constantly coming in laden with pies, cakes, and buxom lasses…” [ref]

Capt. J. L. Kerr, Lieut. W. H. Hutchings, and several privates from Col. J. J. Morrisons’s Regiment, returned to Rome as they had been wounded in the battle of Murfreesboro on July 13. A description of the battle was published. [ref]

An account of the Battle of Murfreesboro and the exploits of Capt. Haney was published as it was written in the Knoxville Register. After promising a little girl he would bring her father back , who was being held prisoner by the Federal troops, he succeeded in doing just that and capturing a whole company of Yankees in the process. [ref]

Week ending date Saturday, July 19, 1862

The ladies of the town had been collecting money to build a gun ship but were requested to meet at City Hall to discuss using their money in providing for sick and wounded soldiers. [ref]

Citizens were encouraged to dry their fruit harvested in what was expected to be a large crop. “The value of it …for our brave and worthy soldiers in the field” cannot be overstated. [ref]

The Rome Female College closed it’s sixth year of operation. In the opinion of the trustees the “institution has never been in a more prosperous condition.” The expense of board and tuition and board for the next session was announced to be “70 to 80 dollars, exclusive of lights and towels.” [ref]

Correspondence from the 8^th Regiment described quiet but uncomfortable conditions. “ It has been intolerably hot…the men worn out with fatigue and want of sleep.” “The men in our brigade have not had an opportunity to change their clothes in now nearly two weeks, and their looks and feelings can probably be better imagined than described.” [ref]

 Major Yeiser’s Battalion of Artillery (3^rd Ga. Battalion, 42^nd Ga. Regiment were now in eastern Tennessee near Bean’s Station. [ref]

Week ending date Saturday, July 12, 1862

Mr. John P. Bradford, a machinist with the Amory, was killed in a horse and buggy accident in Rome when the horse bolted and ran the buggy into a tree throwing him out “with great violence and fractured his skull.” [ref]

Capt. J.G. Yeiser was successful in forming an artillery battalion. He was elected Major. [ref]

First hand details of the 8^th Ga. Regiment’s actions in the battle near Woodstock, Va. was published describing the “disastrous day to the ‘bloody eighth’.” [ref] “We had been under shells and all sorts of cannon shot over three hours. The cannonading, in amount, far exceeding anything ever heard in this vicinity.” [ref]

Week ending date Saturday, July 5, 1862

From Richmond comes word that the 8th Regiment engaged the enemy with a loss of 75 soldiers. Specifically Col. Lamar was wounded and is a prisoner; Lieut. Col. Towers prisoner; Major Magruder painfully wounded.

Of the Light Guards Stafford-killed; J.T.S. Johnson and W. S. Hutchings, severely wounded; Booton and Payne, slightly wounded; DeJournette and McKay, Missing.

Miller Rifles—Killed — J. M. Martin, S. D. Asbury, W. A. Hardin and S. B. Wimpee. Se-verely wounded — Lieut. Montgomery, Emmet, L.F.M. Reynolds and J.A. Frix. Slightly —J.W. Robinson, T.C. Ellis and C.P. Whitehead. Prisoner - Lieut. Chas. Harper. Missing — H. L. Ware, Frank Quarles and W.H. May.

Floyd Infantry - none killed. Wounded— A. Hicks, J.R. Manning, G.W. Pinson and J.M. Greer. [ref]

In another report from the 22nd Georgia Regiment, casualties from a May 31 battle were listed . Among the Fireside Defenders; Killed —James Blackwood ; Mortally wounded— John B. Burkhalter, Hickory H. Blackwell; Severely wounded— Joseph Sharp, W. P. Whitlock, J. Cassion, John Smith, David Watson; Missing — John Cornutt, Samuel Stewart. [ref]Click here to read 150 years ago in June 1862: The Civil War years.