Did you know that Covington, Georgia had a Civil War battle in it? Of course the entire country was affected by the Civil War during the 1860’s, but some places fell as extreme victims to the war – Covington, Georgia was one of those places.
The quiet, quaint town of Covington, Georgia was one of the targets of General William Sherman in 1864. If, like me, it’s been awhile since you’ve heard anything about General Sherman’s attack on Georgia, I’ll refresh your memory. General Sherman marched from north Georgia until he hit the coast at Savannah during the Civil War. Along with 60,000 Union soldiers, General Sherman marched 285 miles until he hit the coast, burning down most everything in his path. Sadly, Covington was in his path.
Covington was home to several women, children and injured soldiers during the Civil War, making it a very easy target. General Sherman ordered General Garrard, another Union General, to take troops to Covington to burn down storehouses and strategic locations. Like the other locations where General Sherman had Civil War battle, Covington succumbed to the attack.
General Garrard, under General Sherman’s orders, destroyed three bridges, two supply depots and an overwhelming amount of army supplies. This great attack is now known as The Capture of Covington. A historic marker for The Capture of Covington can be found in front of the Newton Chamber of Commerce, check it out sometime to learn even more about Covington’s history during the Civil War.
