2020-06-04: More Geocaching Through the Backroads of Georgia Counties and a Confederate P.O.W. Camp

So on this second day of our roadtrip through the backroads of Georgia, on our way to North Carolina, we still didn't get very far. After nine hours we've barely gone 200 miles from where we started this morning. Also, we only managed to find 6 geocaches located in 4 new geocaching counties. However we did find a 20 year old geocache that was hidden way back in June 2000! There were a lot of cool historical sites on the agenda today. Let's go for a drive and do some sightseeing...

Our first stop was a virtual geocache (GCGMJY) in Andersonville, Georgia. The Andersonville National Historic Site began as a stockade built about 18 months before the end of the Civil War to hold Union Army prisoners captured by Confederate soldiers. This location became the deadliest ground of the Civil War. Nearly 13,000 men died on these grounds.

Located deep behind Confederate lines, the 26.5-acre Camp Sumter (named for the south Georgia county it occupied) was designed for a maximum of 10,000 prisoners. At its most crowded, it held more than 32,000 men, many of them wounded and starving, in horrific conditions with rampant disease, contaminated water, and only minimal shelter from the blazing sun and the chilling winter rain. In the prison's 14 months of existence, some 52,000 Union prisoners arrived here; of those, 12,920 died and were buried in a cemetery created just outside the prison walls. Conditions were so bad here that the residents of the town of Americus, 10 miles to the south, often complained of the smell blowing in their direction.

The stockade was designed in this location with the theory that a small creek passing through the middle would provide fresh drinking water upstream as it entered at the higher elevation. The lower elevation would be used as a latrine downstream and flush sewage out as the water flow exited the camp. Inadvertently, the prison was designed for death. Stockade posts slowed the drainage, and during dry spells the creek was more of a stagnant swamp than flowing stream. Dysentery swept through the camp. Overcrowding soon fouled the water, and the sluggish current failed to wash sewage out of the prison. The stream's bacteria quickly became lethal.

Today, Andersonville National Historic Site comprises three distinct components: the former site of Camp Sumter military prison; the Andersonville National Cemetery, where veterans continue to be buried today; and the National Prisoner of War Museum, which opened in 1998, and serves as a memorial to all American prisoners of war.

The cemetery site serving Camp Sumter was established as Andersonville National Cemetery on July 26, 1865. By 1868, the cemetery held the remains of more than 13,800 Union soldiers whose bodies had been retrieved after their deaths in hospitals, battles, or prison camps throughout the region. Andersonville National Cemetery has been used continuously since its founding and currently averages over 150 burials a year. The cemetery and associated prison site became a unit of the National Park System in 1970.

These six graves were deliberately set apart among the others. These six prisoners were buried with dishonor. Only enlisted soldiers were held at Andersonville. With no Union officers to maintain order, life in the pen became anarchy. A gang known as the Raiders roamed the prison yard, bullying, robbing, and even murdering other prisoners. Eventually, with the blessing of Commandant Wirz, the prisoners formed a police squad called the Regulators and arrested the Raiders. Before their execution, the six Raider leaders were court-martialed by their peers. Confederates provided lumber for the gallows, which was erected near the prison's South Gate. The remaining Raiders were forced to run a gauntlet formed by their fellow prisoners.

After nearly 2 hours of wandering the grounds, looking at all the large state monuments and memorials, the stockade walls, displays and information boards, and just taking it all in, it was time to get back on the road.

From there we went to another historical virtual geocache (GCGVRY). The town of Americus, Georgia plays a part in aviation history. From the statue and historical marker at the Jimmy Carter Regional Airport: "The "Lone Eagle" first flew solo in early May, 1923 from Souther Field. Charles Lindbergh had come to Americus to purchase a surplus aircraft from the World War I training center. He chose a Curtiss JN4 "Jenny." He got the plane with a brand new OX-5 engine, a fresh coat of olive drab dope, and an extra 20 gallon fuel tank for $500. Lindbergh had less than 20 hours of instruction when he soloed. He practiced take-offs and landings for a week; then having filled up with 40 gallons of gas, he set course for Montgomery, Alabama, to start his barnstorming career. Four years later Lindbergh flew alone in "The Spirit of St Louis" from New York to Paris and into aviation history."

Next door at the South Georgia Technical College was our next cache (GC17V02). The land on which the college now sits was once a training facility for WWI and WWII pilots. This is also the where Charles Lindbergh trained and had his first solo flight. It was converted to a college in the late 1940's. This was one of the airplanes located on the campus grounds.

Over in Crawford County in the town of Knoxville, Georgia more history was to be found. My next two geocaches were located by the old courthouse (GC6C5C, GC3DFJG). Crawford County was created by Acts of the Legislature on Dec 9 & 23, 1822, and is named for William H. Crawford, a Georgia statesman. This building served as the county courthouse from 1823 until a new one was constructed in 2001.

Most everyone has heard of Route 66, the Lincoln Highway, and many other historic highways which played a role in the expansion of this country. US-80/GA-22 passing through town was once known as the Federal Wire Road. This highway, created by an Act of Congress in 1810, entered the state at Augusta, passing through Warrenton, Sparta, Milledgeville, Macon and Knoxville to Coweta Town (now called Columbus). It was formally known as the Stage Coach Road. A telegraph line, the first that connected New Orleans with Washington D.C., was erected in 1848. The wires paralleled this road between Columbus and Macon giving to this section of the old highway the name of the Federal Wire Road. This telegraph line was also the first one to be erected in the state of Georgia.

Knoxville also played a role in Texas history. It was here that Joanne Troutman gave to a company of Georgia soldiers commanded by Col. William Ward on their way to fight for the Independence of Texas, a Lone Star Flag. It was carried to Goliad where James Fannin Jr raised it as the Texas National Flag.

One more that I want to mention... Alexis de Tocqueville, the 25 year old French aristocrat and author of Democracy in America, visited this area during his 1831-1832 tour of America.

Over in Jones County we stop at a park for short hike to our next geocache (GC229DF). The first iron foundry in Georgia was established here by Samuel Griswold, who came from Connecticut, settling in Clinton in 1820. He also manufactured about 1,000 cotton gins a year and ran a steam sawmill and grist mill. Moving to Griswoldville in 1849 to be on the railroad his mansion and factories were burned by Sherman in 1864 when he was making pistols and ammunition for the Confederacy. He died in 1867. Daniel Pratt of Temple, NH, later designer of the Alabama capitol, was at one time Griswold's partner.

Moving right along we made a quick roadside stop for a quick cache in Jasper County (GC5RKVD).

Looping around Atlanta to the northeast side, we arrive at our final geocache of the day. This is one that has been on my bucket list for a long time. Beaver Cache (GC1D) was hidden way back in June 2000 and is the 8th oldest active geocache in the world. I had been close to it many times before, but either didn't have the time or just forgot all about it. That completes one more of my Year 2000 calendar. All that's left now is July and August.

So that was Day 2 of our Florida to North Carolina roadtrip. Like I said at the beginning, we saw a lot but didn't get very far.

On Day 3 it was just driving straight through the rest of the way where we reached our destination at the Lake Norman Motorcoach Resort. For the next few months here working at this project, this will be home:

Come back soon as we will be exploring the backroads of North Carolina and completing the last 7 NC Counties while we're here.

To follow along on our travels and keep up with my latest blogs, you may do so here of course. But also by using you favorite of these social media platforms: Facebook, MeWe, Gab, Reddit, Parlor, Twitter, RVillage, GETTR and Instagram. These all link directly to my profile. Again, please feel free to comment and / or share.

2020-06-03: Another Geocaching Roadtrip Through the Backroads of Georgia

Well our time in Florida is done and it's off to a new project in North Carolina. According to Google it's just a simple 8 hour day trip drive to get there. But where's the fun in that! In reality, it actually took us 2 1/2 days to get there! We try to avoid the Interstate Highways and take the backroads, sightseeing and geocaching along the way.

On this first day of our roadtrip through Georgia, we visited several old cemeteries, old churches, and some other historical places. Finding 14 geocaches, we picked up 11 new caching counties in the process! So come onboard, ride along and see what and who we've found today...

Our first stop after leaving Florida was a geocache in the Howell Cemetery (GC2FPY3) for Echols County, Georgia. The cemetery has about 130 interments, most dating from 1916 through the present. But there is one burial listed on the Find-A-Grave website dated 1839. The small community of Howell once had a post office established in 1899 which remained until 1957. A township was incorporated in 1905, but it was eventually dissolved in 1995.

Also in Echols County is the Wayfare Primitive Baptist Church and Cemetery, previously known as the Cow Creek Baptist Church and Cemetery (GC3F0E8). The church was established in 1847 and the first meeting held in September. The cemetery has nearly 1800 interments and the oldest headstone dates back to 1845. 

At the end of the entry road, there is another historical marker describing an Indian skirmish at Cow Creek. "New here, on August 27, 1836, Georgia Militia companies commanded by Col. Henry Blair, Captain Lindsay, and Capt. Levi J. Knight, fought a skirmish with Creek Indians and routed them, killing two and taking several prisoners. During this summer the Indians had committed many raids and massacres as they traversed the border counties on their way to Florida to join the Seminoles. Georgia troops had been following them for weeks, and overtook this band in the cypress swamp, on the edge of Cow Creek."

Driving over to Lakeland, GA in Lanier County, I stopped by Camp Patten for my next geocache (GCT6ZP). Camp Patten was donated by Mr. Lawson Leo Patten (1896-1983) to the South Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts of America in 1965 to further promote the ideals and methods of the Scouting movement.

A half-mile up the road was the Burnt Church and Haunted Cemetery (GC121CF). One of the first churches constituted in the area was Union Baptist Church. It was organized on October 21, 1825 on the banks of the Alapaha River at Carter's Meeting House. Captain Jesse Carter settled the land earlier in 1925 to provide more room for his family, slaves, and hundreds of cattle. In 1836 as a band of Creek Indians passed on their way to join the Seminoles at Noochee, near present day Fargo, they set fire to the Union Church. It was later called the Burnt Church. (Note: I've found conflicting dates for the fire. Some websites have it as 1836 and others 1854. It's possible that there were two fires or that the church was rebuilt in 1854. The church also was subject to a restoration in 1998.)

It is said that the church and cemetery grounds are haunted. A teacher and several of her students, who were using the church as a school, perished in the flames. She and the children were buried along side one another, but time and weather has wiped away all traces of their graves. Stories are told though that loud, unintelligible voices of children can be heard and apparitions known locally as "walkers" can be seen among the many tombstones.

Perhaps one of those "walkers" is this unknown man who hasn't found his eternal rest:

Moving right along, a quick stop for a geocache in Berrien County (GC8CZCH). And a quick roadside cemetery geocache for Atkinson County (GC6NNX5). Continuing to check counties off the list, two quick geocaches for Coffee County (GC617BC, GC6047Y), including this obvious container hidden in plain site.

Moving right along into Irwin County, there was a quick park and grab in the town of Ocilla (GC5JPDC). Followed by a short woodsy walk in Paulk Park in Fitzgerald for Ben Hill County (GC507M3).

And then there's the Wild Hog Express (GC1FZ6C). Located in Wilcox County, the town of Abbeville is said to be the wild hog capital of Georgia.

Then when I got to Eastman in Dodge County, I had originally set to find a cache at the Eastman House in town. But there were some renovations being done outside making it too difficult approach and find the cache. So I quickly look up and find a cemetery cache outside of town.

I'm so glad that was the case because you know I like cemeteries, especially with an old church, and then toss in some history too! (GC1CX07) President Jefferson Davis, his wife and children arrived at this site on May 8, 1865. He had rejoined his wife 20 miles south of Dublin. Traveling with them were the Davis’ four children, Varina, Maggie, Jefferson, Jr. and Joseph. Traveling with President Davis was John Regan, Postmaster General of the Confederacy, Captain Gevin Campbell and Lt. Barnwell. Personal aides John Wood, Preston Johnson, son of General Albert Sidney Johnson, Francis Lubbock, the former Governor of Texas, and Colonel Charles E. Thornburn, a secret agent for the Confederate Government. Traveling with Mrs. Davis and her children were Mrs. Davis’ sister Margaret Howell, Mrs. Burton Harrison, the President’s private secretary, a seven-man mounted military escort, and some of the President’s personal servants.

The following morning the president’s party crossed the present Highway 341 at approximately where Friendship Baptist Road is now. They followed this route to what is referred to as 5 points. Further along Friendship Baptist Road they would come to Levi (Tiger Bill) Harrell’s farm where they stopped for the noon meal. Turning south, they passed through what is now Rhine and then west to the river.

Mrs. Davis was to remain behind and follow the next day. Fearing the roads would become impassable due to the heavy rains that had started to fall would heighten the chances of Mrs. Davis’ capture, Preston Johnson returned to the campsite to inform Mrs. Davis to leave immediately and join her husband in Abbeyville.

Many have pondered why the Davis’ didn’t stay in the Parkerson Church located just across the swamp. The Parkerson Church is the one of the oldest churches in Dodge County having been built in June 1831. (Dodge County being Pulaski and Telfair Counties at that time.) The original building was a log house built by Jacob Parkerson, a Revolutionary War Veteran who donated the land and the first to be buried here in 1843.

The second burial here is Private William Hannibal Weekes who died in the Civil War at the young age of 28. There are less than 300 total interments at this cemetery.

Next on the list was some more history at the Orange Hill Cemetery (GC8N95D) in Hawkinsville for Pulaski County. There are more than 3000 interments here dating as far back as 1833. There are many large and elaborate monuments here.

One broken headstone I'd like to tell you about belongs to 30 year old Tom Woolfolk. He was convicted of killing nine family members with a short handled axe in Macon on the night of August 6, 1887. He was tried several times in Bibb and then Perry, Georgia and was publicly hung on October 28, 1890. Up until the last minute he proclaimed his innocence. He was one of the last people to be hung before they did away with public hangings.

"The Shadow Chasers" by Carolyn DeLoach, (Woolfolk revisited), is a book about this case. The author uncovered much undiscovered evidence and was able to conclude that the actual murderer was Simon Cooper, a hired hand of the family. After Cooper's death, a diary was found that he had written, notating the Woolfolk murders just as Tom had stated. He had also written a statement, "Tom Woolfolk was mighty slick, but I fixed him. I would have killed him with the rest of the damn family, but he was not at home."

The victims are buried in Macon's Rose Hill cemetery. Its reported that thousands of people also came to Macon for the funeral. That they lined the streets of what is now Spring St. and Riverside Dr. as the horse drawn hearses went by. There weren't enough hearses in Macon/Bibb County to accommodate all the victims and many had to be borrowed from surrounding areas. The victims were Richard F. Woolfolk, father, then aged 54; his wife Mattie H (Tom's stepmother), aged 41; their six children, Richard F. Jr., 20; Pearl, 17; Annie, 10; Rosebud, 7; Charlie, 5; baby Mattie, 18 months old; and 84-year old Temperance West, a relative of Mrs. Woolfolk.

Tom is buried beside one of his sisters from his Father's first marriage to Susan M. Woolfolk. He was the youngest of 3 siblings from the first marriage. His mother passed away shortly after his birth at the age of 24. The sisters from the first marriage were not living with their father at the time of the murders.

One final quick roadside geocache (GC40DP0) in Twiggs County before calling it a day.

We found a total of 14 geocaches today and managed to pick up 11 new counties for our geocaching map. I hope you enjoyed the ride-a-long. Another big day tomorrow as we continue making our way through Georgia on our way to North Carolina.

To follow along on our travels and keep up with my latest blogs, you may do so here of course. But also by using you favorite of these social media platforms: Facebook, MeWe, Gab, Reddit, Parlor, Twitter, RVillage, GETTR and Instagram. These all link directly to my profile. Again, please feel free to comment and / or share.

2020-03-30: Roadtrip Day 4: Driving Through Alabama and Arriving in Georgia

Today was the fourth and final day of our Texas to Georgia roadtrip. This has been a great drive so far on the backroads and byways, seeing the sites, geocaching and picking up new counties along the way. For today we found some Civil War history, old cemeteries, a bird-dog champion and more. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Hop on in the GeoJeep and let's get rolling... 

Leaving out of Montgomery, Alabama, our first stop was southeast of town for a geocache at the Carter Hill Cemetery (GC2VFET). With just over 300 interments, the Carter Hill Cemetery dates back to 1844 with the burial of Andrew Allen. Along with his wife and two sons, they are the first four burials in this cemetery.

And then one more quick roadside geocache (GC2R7Y8) before leaving the county.

Continuing eastbound into Bullock County, we arrive in Union Springs and the Bird Dog Field Trial Capital of the World (GC56NF0). On February 21, 1996, the City of Union Springs and the Tourism Council of Bullock county dedicated this life-size bronze statue of an English Pointer. Sculpted by Bob Wehle, the monument pays tribute to the 11 men honored by the Bird Dog Field Trial Hall of Fame, to Bullock County’s unexcelled upland game country and bird dogs, and to the men and women who participate in the sport of field trialing.

Also located in Union Springs was this Log Cabin Museum. From the historical marker: "Early settlers of this area cleared land and built their first homes of logs in the 1830's. This cabin was built by Rueben Rice Kirkland (1829 - 1915) about 1850. He and his first wife had ten children while living in the log home.

"At one time an additional bedroom and chimney were on the right side, and the back porch was closed in for cooking and eating. A small log kitchen stood a few feet from the back and was later converted to a smoke house. The milk house beside the well was on stilts to protect butter and milk from animals.

"In 1981 the Bullock County Historical Society moved the cabin into Union Springs from its original site at Stills Cross Roads in Southern Bullock County and restored it as a museum."

If you look at the very first photo at the top of the blog, you can see that this new location of the cabin is off to the side of the Old City Cemetery, also known as The Confederate Cemetery. The historical marker reads: "Micajah Norfleet Eley donated land in 1849 for the Baptist Church and an adjoining public cemetery. The oldest cemetery in Union Springs, it served the city for 36 years. The Confederate Monument at the center (seen in the top photo) was unveiled at the intersection of Prairie and Hardaway Streets on March 29, 1895 by the Ladies Memorial Association. In 1973 it was moved to its present location.

"Locally known as the Confederate Cemetery, it includes the tombstones of some twenty-two Confederate soldiers. Below the Confederate soldiers' grave sites is a marker which reads: "Union Prisoners of War, 1861-1865, Victims of Plague."

US-82 eastbound over into Barbour County, the next geocache (GC2MY21) was a quick roadside stop at another historical marker. There wasn't anything to see there. Just the historical marker for the Election Riot of 1874 which read: "Near here is Old Spring Hill, the site of one of the polling places for the November 3, 1874 local, state, and national elections. Elias M. Keils, scalawag and judge of the city court of Eufaula, was United States supervisor at the Spring Hill ballot box. William, his 16-year-old son, was with him. After the polls closed, a mob broke into the building, extinguished the lights, destroyed the poll box and began shooting. During the riot, Willie Keils was mortally wounded. The resulting congressional investigation received national attention. This bloody episode marked the end of Republican domination in Barbour County."

Crossing the state line into Quitman County, Georgia, I quickly exit the bridge and turn back towards the reservoir for my next geocache (GC8M6AW). To the right just outside the photo below is the US-82 bridge which crosses over the lake. This little path heading down to the water is what remains of the old road that you used to drive between Alabama and Georgia before the Walter F. George Lock and Dam was built in 1962. Now it sits underwater.

Our last two geocaches were in Randolph County. The first was a quick roadside park and grab just east of the town of Cuthbert (GC7EV1G). The second was in the town of Shellman, Georgia (GC887JW). Originally called Ward Station, Shellman was established in 1883 and named after Major W. F. Shellman, who was the traffic manager for the Central Georgia Railroad. This was the Shellman Railroad Depot.

There's also these muraled silos in Shellman that portray the history and scenes of Shellman's past.

The next county over is Terrell and that's where we'll be staying and working. Time to settle in and relax after a long road trip. I hope you have enjoyed these last four days traveling along the rural backroads and byways of this great country of ours. And if I have inspired you to get off the Interstates and onto the scenic roadways, leave me a comment and let me know.

To follow along on our travels and keep up with my latest blogs, you may do so here of course. But also by using you favorite of these social media platforms: Facebook, MeWe, Gab, Reddit, Parlor, Twitter, and Instagram. These all link directly to my profile. Again, please feel free to comment and / or share.

2019-06-30: Geocaching My Way to Munday, Texas via a Couple Cemeteries and a Ghost Town

Hello friends, travelers, geocachers and visitors. Welcome to another one of AwayWeGo's Geocaching Adventure roadtrip blog posts. Today's story is another one of my Sunday drives from Killeen, Texas to my work home of Munday, Texas. Along the way, I'll be finding some geocaches and some history to share with you along the Texas backroads. As always, the passenger seat is open in the GeoJeep. Saddle up, grab you cowboy hat and gun (this is Texas), and let's go!

My first stop wasn't very far down the road. Just a quick roadside geocache (GC1G339) in Kempner to start the day off. Nothing here to see, just one for the numbers.

Up next though was a cemetery geocache down a very rural county road. This one hadn't been found in nearly three years. Center Cemetery (GC1HECB) is located east of Lometa and was established in 1866. C.C. Carter was a Private in the Lampasas County Minute Men Confederate States Army. He survived the war but was killed by Indians a year later. I made it harder than it was because of the previous DNF's, but the cache was there and I found it after all this time.

And then there's the Ivy Family. Imagine this family showing up on Family Feud! Only one guy smiling, top row center. Life was rough back then!

Two more nearby, very rural, very lonely geocaches which hadn't been found in nearly five years. I gave them a shot, but they were indeed gone. (GC1CKQ5, GC19407)

Moving right along and passing plenty until I get to the northside of I-20, I finally make a stop for another geocache off US-183 between the towns of Cisco and Eastland. The Bedford Cemetery (GC1K7YT), according to the Find-A-Grave website contains just 19 burials dating from 1897 to 1966. This is an old forgotten very rural cemetery that most of the time goes unmaintained. That was the condition in which I found it. Many of the headstones barely stuck out above the weeds.

Next up just a little further north were three of my favorite things in a geocache: a cemetery, and old church, and some history. Oh and add in a really cool name too! Gunsight Community (GC1KEEY) had all these. From the historical marker: "Records indicate that Gunsight existed on a wagon road from Fort Griffin to Stephenville in 1858. Settlement of the town, however, did not occur until the 1870's. The first recorded burial here was that of Lewis McCleskey in 1877. Gunsight developed as a stage stop and by 1880 contained a post office, school, two churches, grist mill, general store, and a cotton gin. The local economy, sustained by cotton farming and ranching, was boosted by an area oil boom in the 1920's. The town began a steady decline after World War II and today consists of a few houses, a few buildings, and this cemetery."

Gunsight Church Buildings

You can see from the top of the page that I had to get out my black cowboy hat for a photo at the Gunsight Cemetery sign. Unfortunately my selfies were too goofy to include here so you get to see the TB logo on the GeoJeep. One of the interesting graves at the cemetery was this one of several made from stacked stones. Only this one has a tree growing out of it. Hopefully from the foot of the grave and not the head!

Next up was actually a surprise. In the town of Breckenridge, Texas was the Garden Club Park. Within the park were all these birdhouses of various sizes, shapes, and colors. One of them contained a recently hidden geocache (GC86QB9). It had been there for nearly two months with only one unsuccessful attempt. I can tell you it was a little difficult, but I think I just made it more difficult than it should have been. But I DID find the correct birdhouse and stamped the nice clean logsheet for the FTF!! So excited for being FTF, I forgot to take a photo of some birdhouses. Maybe next time...

Then there was the Woodson Cemetery geocache in Woodson, Texas (GC38N75). Now normally I might give you some history about the cemetery. But in this case it's about the history the cache hider has given us in the geocache description. We all know about the Japanese bombing at Pearl Harbor in World War II. But did you also know that Japan managed to bomb to places on the United States mainland? Woodson, Texas was one of those places and the other not too far away also in Texas. It happened on March 24 & 25, 1945. A very interesting and kinda funny story actually. So I urge you to click the GC# link in this paragraph which will take you to the cache page to read "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to say.

And that was it for this Sunday's little road trip geocaching adventure. I hope you enjoyed it and I look forward to any comments you have here or on my social media posts. That lets me know you're out there. See you again next week...

2019-05-19: Caching Counties in North Carolina and Visiting Civil War History

Welcome back to another one of AwayWeGo's Geocaching Adventure stories. After working all week here in North Carolina, on this Sunday day off it's time to go geocaching and pick up some new counties to add to my geocaching county map. So as I look down this trail into what may be ahead, are you ready to go along for the ride? Are you just as curious? The GeoJeep passenger seat is open. Let's go on a roadtrip and see what awaits us.

 

Starting out with breakfast at Hardies in Washington, NC, I drive north on US-17 up to Old Ford on the way towards my first geocache. Before I get to the geocache, I see this old church building to my right across the street from the Old Ford Church of Christ on my left. I quickly pull over and take a few dozen photos. 

Now I can't just leave it at that and keep you interested. So I start doing some research. Not much on the web via normal searches. But I did find an old newspaper article from November 11, 1928 which describes a centennial celebration. The Old Ford Church was at first a Calvinistic Baptist Church founded by Joseph D. Biggs and Jeremiah Leggett in October 1828 with 20 members. Between 1831 to 1833, Pastor Leggett swayed them towards the Church of Christ. As the membership grew over the years, they outgrew this building.

Further down NC-171, I also spot this old 1956 GMC Pickup Truck just rusting away in somebody's yard. That would be so cool to restore or turn into a radical resto-mod. If I only had the time or money. Well mostly the money to be able to do such a thing.

Now I finally stop for a quick roadside cache (GC42NQV) down a country road before arriving at my target geocache for Washington County. The Roanoke River Lighthouse (GC10RGW) in Plymouth is actually a replica of the lighthouse that used to be at the mouth of the Roanoke River in the Albemarle Sound in 1866.

There's also a boat museum next door with a few old wooden boats used on the river.

Continuing down the river front in Plymouth, I arrive at the next geocache and Civil War history. The C.S.S. Albemarle (GC5NEHF) was contracted by the Confederate Navy in 1863. Gilbert Elliot, a 19-year-old engineer, constructed an ironclad gunboat designed by John L. Porter, the navy's chief architect. Elliot built the vessel at Edwards Ferry on the Roanoke River, 60 miles upstream from Plymouth, where his "shipyard" was Peter Smith's cornfield. It took more than a year to construct the C.S.S. Albemarle , which was 158 feet long and 35 feet wide, and topped with a 60 foot long casemate sheathed with two layers of two inch thick iron plates. Inside the casemate, two large Brooke Rifled cannons could fire hundred pound shells. An 18-foot long white oak ram, also sheathed with iron plates, extended from Albemarle's bow to puncture the sides of wooden vessels and sink them.

Albemarle saw first action on April 19, 1864, during the Battle of Plymouth, when it rammed and sank U.S.S. Southfield. It also indirectly caused the death of the Federal Fleet's Commander, Charles W. Flusser. A shell fired from Flusser's ship, U.S.S. Miami, at Albemarle bounced off the iron plating back onto the Miami and exploded, killing Flusser, who was standing next to the cannon that had fired the shell.

On May 5th, in an engagement in Albemarle Sound, the Albemarle engaged seven US gunboats. Despite being outgunned 60 cannons to two, outshelled 557 to 27, and rammed, the Albemarle escaped destruction. The ironclad was finally torpedoed (blown up with a mine on the end of a wooden spar) on October 27, by a motor launch commanded by Lt William B Cushing, and sank. The Federals recaptured Plymouth on October 31st.

Outside the Port O' Plymouth museum sits a replica of the 6.4 inch Brooke Rifled Cannon. Developed by Commander John Mercer Brooke (CSA), who served as Chief, Department of Ordnance and Hydrography. While closely resembling the Parrot Gun used by the Union, the Brooke Rifle is considered to be the finest cannon on both sides of the war. The fact that the bore had rifling, or spiraled grooves in the barrel to spin the projectile, made it extremely accurate. While the two original cannons from the Albemarle are on display at the Norfolk Navy Base, inside the Plymouth museum are some of the original shells fired from the Albemarle.

Entering into Bertie County, I drive over to the north side of the Cashie River to catch a ride on the Sans Souci Ferry. There was a virtual geocache halfway across. But the ferry was closed and I wasn't able to get the find. But there was a recently placed traditional cache (GC85629) on the north bank of the river and I was able to retrieve and sign the log for it.

Continuing may way around to the north side of Albemarle Sound, I make my next stop at the Beaver Hill Cemetery (GC84AZ7) in Chowan County. The geocache highlighted the sadness and struggles of the Littlejohn Family living in the late 1700's. According to the Find-A-Grave website, the cemetery dates back to 1778 and Catherine Littlejohn who lived only 6 days. Only four of the twelve Littlejohn children lived beyond age 20. And Catherine was just one of four Littlejohn children who didn't even make it to see their first birthday.

There are now more than 6000 permanent residents in the Beaver Hill Cemetery. This angel statue was located within the cemetery and looks over those here.

Across the creek from the southeast corner of the Beaver Hill Cemetery, is the Providence Burial Ground (GC84E7C). From the plaque: "Established in the late 18th century, this African-American cemetery is the final resting place for free blacks, slaves, and emancipated people buried here through the late 19th century. Among those interred here are several family members of Thomas Barnswell, a free black property owner; Molly Horniblow, a free black businesswoman and grandmother of author and abolitionist Harriet Jacobs; and Jonathan Overton, a free black veteran of the Revolutionary War, a Private in the 10th NC Regiment of the Continental Line." (2001) There wasn't much to see here anymore. Just an empty lot with a couple headstones remaining and a few place markers.

Continuing on US-17 east, the next county over was Perquimans County. Located in the town of Hertford along the banks of the Perquimans River is a virtual geocache at a historical house (GC4740). The 1730 Newbold-White House is one of North Carolina's oldest examples of colonial architecture. The house served as an important meeting place for the state's Quaker congregations as well as a center for governmental courts and assemblies.

A land grant from the Lords Proprietors to Joseph Scott for 640 acres included this tract of land and house site. Personal journals of Quaker missionary George Fox describe a meeting with Joseph Scott and his neighbors at his home in 1672. Later Scott, along with his family and neighbors, established their own Quaker congregation. Following the death of his first wife, Scott married Mary Hudson in 1683. Until her death in 1692, Mary Hudson Scott opened her home as a meeting place for Quaker congregations.

James Coles and his wife, Mary, bought the land in 1703. The property was sold at auction in 1726 and was bought by Abraham Saunders, a Quaker and planter. Saunders most likely built the one-and-one-half-story brick dwelling that later came to be known as the Newbold-White House. The name Newbold-White derived from its last two private owners, Jim Woodward White and John Henry Newbold. The Perquimans County Restoration Association, Inc., purchased the house in 1973 with the intention of preserving it as a historic site.

One more northeast county to go and I wasn't going to pass up without it. I did that back in Texas and had to take a weekend to go all the way back to the north corner to finish the state. Turned out on US-158 east into Currituck County. There were two caches on my target and was looking forward to going after them cause they were on a 4x4 Jeep trail. (GC51Q5F, GC51Q0T) Well I got as far as I could go in the GeoJeep. The rest was bushwhacking through tall weeds and brush in humid 95 degree temperatures. Naw, I'm not up for that right now. Back out to the Hwy and a few more miles for a quick roadside cache (GC7Q131).

Working my way back westbound now, I drive across the top of North Carolina on US-158 into Gates County. I stopped for a quick cache (GC3D5JG) down in Gatesville, NC in a little park at Bennett Creek. No bushwhacking required here.

Taking a different route back, I enter once again into Hertford County. I stopped for a quick roadside geocache (GC5NECT) near a historical marker. The marker reads: "A detachment of United States troops burned Winton on February 20, 1862. The first town to be burned in North Carolina during the Civil War."

Re-entering the westside of Bertie County, I make a quick stop for a cache at the Hoggard Cemetery (GC1NV7W). There's just over 300 interments in this cemetery with the oldest dating back to 1908.

A few more miles down the road from the cemetery, I passed by this huge abandoned house now being overtaken by nature. Looks like it was once a majestic plantation home. I wonder what happened. Who lived here? Why was it abandoned? Sure would be cool to go exploring inside and see what stories I could find.

Now in Martin County I had several geocaching stops. The first was a geocache at the Oak City Cemetery (GC1NV7B) which dates back to 1905. Then gas and a cache in Oak City (GC1NV79).

A quick scenic geocache stop at Conoho Creek (GC5FNJ5).

Finally, I arrive at the scene of the first photo at the top of this page. The Fort Branch Confederate Earthen Fort Civil War site (GC5DDC, GC56HZ7, GC5NEF2) is located two miles below Hamilton, North Carolina and 60 miles upriver of the town of Plymouth. Sitting 70 feet above a bend in the Roanoke River, this Confederate earthen fort provided a safe and clear view of Union gunboats approaching from down river.

Eleven cannon offered significant protection for the railway bridge over the river at Weldon, a weak link in the "Lifeline of the Confederacy" between Wilmington, NC and Richmond, VA. The fort also protected the nearby construction site of the ironclad ram C.S.S. Albemarle which later helped regain control of the lower Roanoke River and Albemarle Sound by sinking wooden Union ships. Citizens of the entire Upper Roanoke Valley benefited from the fort, as well.

Well that's it for today. I picked up some new counties today to fill in my North Carolina map. Next weekend is a 3-day holiday weekend. Gotta plan a weekend roadtrip to get the western counties and hopefully complete the state. Please leave your comments on my blog, good or bad. I look forward to hearing from you. See you soon...