'History of Brooklyn, Alabama' tells of area's Civil War experiences

Pinckney D. Bowles

(In 1982, The Evergreen Courant newspaper published a six-part series called "A History of Brooklyn," which was originally written by the late R.G. (Bob) Kendall Jr. The fourth installment in the series, which you'll find reprinted below, was originally published in the April 22, 1982 edition of The Courant. Other installments of the article can be found in the April 1, April 8, April 15, April 29 and May 6 editions of The Courant from 1982. I plan to post those installments on this blog in the coming weeks, so if you enjoy reading Part IV, keep you eyes open for the other installments in the near future. Without further ado, here's Part IV.)

“A History of Brooklyn: Part IV” by the late R.G. (Bob) Kendall Jr.

One of the area’s early and interesting small industries was a leather tanyard built in the Pea Ridge area by Julius G. Robinson, son of Edwin, the founder of Brooklyn, in the late 1850s. Robinson constructed 24 small wooden vats, as well as a number of larger ones, all served by branch water. By 1860, this operation had become substantial with some 30 employees working at the tanyard and factory that was added to make boots and shoes. A contract to supply the Confederate Army was in effect during the Civil War.

During the years immediately prior to the Civil War, Brooklyn along with the remainder of Conecuh County was engrossed in two public questions, the sectional conflict over slavery and the desire for a railroad to serve an area that was starved for transportation. Brooklyn did her part in both endeavors. Many of her sons perished in the great conflict that began in 1861, incidentally, the year that the Montgomery and Pensacola Railroad began service through the county.

Brooklyn citizens took an interest in the project and Asa Johnston, Caleb Johnston and Wilson Ashley were among the early large subscribers to the project. The story is told that the railroad was constructed simultaneously from both ends, but final completion was held up by an extensive cut necessary in the Garland area at Dilly Hill and a shortage of funds for the work. The final work on the cut was said to have been done by farmers who donated their own efforts in order to finally get a reliable way to market. Brooklyn community doubtless did its part.

With the coming of the Civil War, the Brooklyn area gave of its blood and its treasure, along with most of the rest of the South. For reasons not understood today looking back over 105 years, the Convention called in Conecuh to elect and instruct a delegate to the Alabama Secession Convention reversed its earlier vote in which Wilson Ashley, who favored immediate secession, was elected, and chose instead John Greene of Burnt Corn, a highly respected citizen who was a cooperationist. This implied that all efforts toward conciliation should be exhausted before secession was resorted to. As a result, Conecuh was the only South Alabama county not voting for secession.

Once the die was cast, however, the county was in the forefront of the action, and the Brooklyn area supplied many men for the Confederate forces. Among the Conecuh units were:

Co. E, 4th Alabama Infantry Regiment (The Conecuh Guards commanded by Col. Pinckney D. Bowles, long time Probate Judge, who commanded a brigade at war’s end.

Co. D, 16th Alabama Infantry Regiment.

Co. D, 23rd Alabama Infantry Regiment (Cary Rifles).

 C. H, 23rd Alabama Infantry Regiment.

Co. I, 29th Alabama Infantry Regiment.

Co. E, 38th Alabama Infantry Regiment (Miller Guards).

Co. E, 42nd Alabama Infantry Regiment (The McCullach Avengers).

Co. F, 65th Alabama Infantry Regiment (Conecuh Reserves).

Co. F, 23rd Battalion Alabama Sharpshooters.

Co. F, First Battalion Hilliard’s Legions.

Although no cavalry units were formed in Conecuh, a number of county men served in units raised in other counties.

The war did not bring an actual Federal incursion into the Brooklyn area until March 21-26, 1865, in the closing days of the conflict, Col. Andrew B. Spurling advanced at the head of a regiment of cavalry from Milton, Fla. to Andalusia, Ala., using a line of march slightly to the east of Brooklyn. He then moved westward to Gravella, now Owassa, just north of Evergreen, captured a train and cut the railroad. Advancing southward through Evergreen to Sparta, the depot at Sparta Station and the jail at Sparta were burned.

Spurling’s movements from Sparta on his way southward are not well documented. However, it is well established from the stories told by those living at the time that a portion of Spurling’s command went into the Brooklyn area by way of the Wilson Ashley plantation, now owned by the Horton family. My grandfather told me of the cavalry raid in the Johnstonville area just west of Brooklyn when the Federals raided the cribs and the smokehouses and drove off the stock that had not been hidden in time.

An interesting anecdote of the war years concerns Amanda Floyd who married Alexander Travis Henderson at Brooklyn in the early days of the Civil War conflict. She was notified shortly after her husband’s death on Dec. 17, 1863 that he had been killed in action near Claiborne, Ala. She immediately set out for Claiborne with her infant daughter, Mary, with her trusted slaves by wagon drawn by two mules and taking with her several shovels.

Upon arriving in Claiborne she inquired of the burial place of the soldiers who were killed in the battle. It is said that “she dug until she discovered his body,” then brought his body back to Brooklyn for burial. Later, Mrs. Amanda Floyd Henderson married William T. Sills and ran a boarding house at Brooklyn, which was famous for its good meals.

All the drummers and traveling men would endeavor to get to Brooklyn late in the afternoon, so that they could have supper and breakfast at The Sills Hotel. After Mrs. Sills’ death, her daughter, Mrs. Tom (Mary) Liles operated the hotel, and after her Mrs. Bessie Cary, all of who were always careful to maintain the reputation established by Mrs. Sills.

(To be continued)

(If you’d  like to go back and read Part I, Part II and Part III of Kendall’s “History of Brooklyn,” visit http://leepeacock2010.blogspot.com/2014/04/part-i-of-rg-bob-kendall-jrs-history-of.html,  http://leepeacock2010.blogspot.com/2014/04/part-ii-of-kendalls-history-of-brooklyn.html and http://leepeacock2010.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-history-of-brooklyn-describes-sinking.html.)