Nash Family & Farm History
HISTORICAL CONTEXT FOR THE NASH FARM
The Nash Farm is located in far western Henry County on its line
with Clayton County, about 21 miles south of Atlanta. The
204-acre Nash Farm Property, defined as the land acquired by
Henry County, is all within Henry County and includes nearly all
of land lot 122 in the Sixth Land District.
The War Between the States was the defining historical period for Sherman's Atlanta Campaign, in which many battles were fought. These battles included portions of Clayton and Henry County and were massive in scale, certainly much larger than the 204 acres contained within the Nash Farm. The battles called "Lovejoy" or "Lovejoy's Station" once covered many square miles of land; but that land is now mostly covered up by every kind of development. Sadly Lovejoy's former battlefields and earthworks have been completely engulfed by strip malls, sub-divisions since the early 1990's.
There were at least four military engagements in the Lovejoy vicinity over the period from July through November 1864. These include:
During the second half of 1864, the Nash Farm was the scene of considerable military activity, including Kilpatrick's Raid, infantry battles/skirmishes that marked the end of the Atlanta Campaign, as well as the campsites belonging to Confederate General Stephen Dill Lee's Army Corps.
The railroad and the depot at Lovejoy Station were pivotal in these events, as the Union Army sought to wrest control of the Confederate supply line to force the surrender of Atlanta. Prior to the War Between the States, the farm was occupied as early as the 1840's until 1941 by members of the Nash family. The activities that took place there are representative of the nineteenth of early twentieth century agricultural practice and rural life.
The evidence of the military actions from the War Between the States at Nash Farm are found in Official Reports, historical books, diaries, letters, and recollections of the participants, which describe in accurate detail the fields, roads, and woods in which the conflicts took place, as well as the thousands of artifacts representing both Union and Confederate military materiel found on the property by Archeologists and relic hunters, including weapon parts, ammunition, clothing, horse hardware, camp accoutrements, and personal items. The Lamar Institute archaeological investigation recovered over 1,300 Civil War military artifacts as well as agricultural artifacts which prove activities took place before and after those events. The following chapter represents historical information about the Nash Farm and its residents, as context for the findings of the archaeological investigations.
The War Between the States was the defining historical period for Sherman's Atlanta Campaign, in which many battles were fought. These battles included portions of Clayton and Henry County and were massive in scale, certainly much larger than the 204 acres contained within the Nash Farm. The battles called "Lovejoy" or "Lovejoy's Station" once covered many square miles of land; but that land is now mostly covered up by every kind of development. Sadly Lovejoy's former battlefields and earthworks have been completely engulfed by strip malls, sub-divisions since the early 1990's.
There were at least four military engagements in the Lovejoy vicinity over the period from July through November 1864. These include:
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During the second half of 1864, the Nash Farm was the scene of considerable military activity, including Kilpatrick's Raid, infantry battles/skirmishes that marked the end of the Atlanta Campaign, as well as the campsites belonging to Confederate General Stephen Dill Lee's Army Corps.
The railroad and the depot at Lovejoy Station were pivotal in these events, as the Union Army sought to wrest control of the Confederate supply line to force the surrender of Atlanta. Prior to the War Between the States, the farm was occupied as early as the 1840's until 1941 by members of the Nash family. The activities that took place there are representative of the nineteenth of early twentieth century agricultural practice and rural life.
The evidence of the military actions from the War Between the States at Nash Farm are found in Official Reports, historical books, diaries, letters, and recollections of the participants, which describe in accurate detail the fields, roads, and woods in which the conflicts took place, as well as the thousands of artifacts representing both Union and Confederate military materiel found on the property by Archeologists and relic hunters, including weapon parts, ammunition, clothing, horse hardware, camp accoutrements, and personal items. The Lamar Institute archaeological investigation recovered over 1,300 Civil War military artifacts as well as agricultural artifacts which prove activities took place before and after those events. The following chapter represents historical information about the Nash Farm and its residents, as context for the findings of the archaeological investigations.