A Civil War Adventure
by Louise Eady
Col. Ellison Capers of the Confederate Army had a sister named Susan Stone, who lived in the sleepy little town of Oxford, Georgia. During the war, Col. Capers became concerned about the safety of his pregnant wife, Charlotte and their toddler son, who were living in Columbia, South Carolina. Thinking they would be safer in Oxford, he sent his wife and child to his sister’s house. The Stone family, in the meantime, had moved from their house in town to their farm north of Oxford for the duration of the war. Professor George Stone was a teacher at Emory College, which was closed because of the war, and there was no overseer at the farm. Charlotte Capers was not concerned about being alone in the Stone’s house in town because there were neighbors and friends to look out for her well-being.
Col. Capers was fighting with General Johnston, Commander of the Army of Tennessee, and in 1864 found himself retreating from the mountains of North Georgia to trenches around the besieged city of Atlanta. At that point, he realized that portions of General Sherman’s army were heading east and his family was in danger. He obtained leave for a few days to move them, if possible, back to South Carolina, which appeared now to be safer than Oxford. Charlotte had a week earlier given birth to a baby girl and was still confined to her bed. She had her nurse, Maria, and two young servants with her, along with her two small children. As she lay in bed, a friend rushed in shouting “Mrs. Capers, the town is full of Yankees!”
Vivid pictures of the cruelty to which so many other women and children had been subjected rose to her mind. She was terrified. Then she prayed for strength and calmly tried to think of what she needed to do. “I needed to save the huge flag of my husband’s regiment,” she later told her family, “and I got the nurse to tear it from the staff and she hid the staff under the house. I then folded it up and wrapped it around a little pillow, sewed one case over it and slipped it into another in the usual way, and put the little pillow under my baby’s head. I then concealed about my person some pictures and little articles I valued. The nurse saved the silver.”
The soldiers arrived and ran throughout the house rummaging through trunks and drawers and stealing whatever they found of value. Fortunately for the Stone family, access to the upstairs room where they had left their valuables was gained by a staircase that was hidden, so their precious things were not found. Charlotte Capers lay in her bed shivering with fear while the Yankee soldiers raided the house, but they didn’t harm her or the children.
After the soldiers left the house, the Rev. Walter Branham, a Methodist minister who lived across the street, insisted that she be brought to his house for safety. She was put into an easy chair and carried across the street. Maria brought the baby and the flag pillow. Suddenly, Charlotte remembered her little boy Frank and wondered where he was. In the haste of moving, she had lost sight of him. “He was only three years old and he might be trampled by the horses of the soldiers who were then making a great uproar in the streets,” she thought. “At this moment the door opened and my little son came rushing in, his face beaming with intense excitement, and exclaimed, ‘Mother, you know Father is come!’ How could he escape capture or death? He must be the only Confederate soldier in town. These thoughts were revolving in hurried succession in my mind when the door opened again and my husband entered the room.”
Ellison Capers explained that the soldiers had cut the railroad and torn up the track for miles, but the troops in town were only stragglers from Stoneman’s command. To prevent capture he and his faithful servant, Ben, had left the railroad cars, walked more than forty miles since the night before, and had been dodging Yankees all night.
All of a sudden, some soldiers approached the front door and Ellison quickly disappeared. He hid in the woods behind the Branham house and spent four days in intense anxiety, seeing his wife and children for only a few moments each day. He told Charlotte that he must either risk her removal or return to his regiment. Ben picked up an old broken horse and took their belongings to Madison where he waited for them. Then Ellison, Charlotte, the children, and servants took a carriage they had borrowed and rode nine miles to the home of Mr. Graves. Charlotte was too weak to go on to Madison, so they spent a few days at the Graves Plantation with Federal troops passing close by. They learned that the railroad cars were coming within 5 miles of them so they hitched up some pitiful horses to the carriage and traveled through the rain to reach the railroad. They arrived just in time to get aboard the train headed for Augusta. At Madison the train stopped for Ben, who had been robbed of all his money and food by raiders.
Finally, after all the anxiety, they arrived safely at the home of Charlotte’s aunt and uncle, who lived near Augusta. At that point, Ellison knew his family would be safe from the marauding union soldiers. He told them goodbye and he and Ben returned to his regiment.
Ellison Capers, the son of Bishop William Capers (who dedicated Old Church), was made a Brigadier General of the Confederate Army. After returning to civilian life he became a priest in the Episcopal Church and eventually rose to the position of Bishop. Most of the information in this story was found in the book The Soldier-Bishop: Ellison Capers, written by his son Walter B. Capers. The story was also recounted by George W. W. Stone, Jr. in one of his letters concerning events that occurred during the Civil War.
Col. Capers was fighting with General Johnston, Commander of the Army of Tennessee, and in 1864 found himself retreating from the mountains of North Georgia to trenches around the besieged city of Atlanta. At that point, he realized that portions of General Sherman’s army were heading east and his family was in danger. He obtained leave for a few days to move them, if possible, back to South Carolina, which appeared now to be safer than Oxford. Charlotte had a week earlier given birth to a baby girl and was still confined to her bed. She had her nurse, Maria, and two young servants with her, along with her two small children. As she lay in bed, a friend rushed in shouting “Mrs. Capers, the town is full of Yankees!”
Vivid pictures of the cruelty to which so many other women and children had been subjected rose to her mind. She was terrified. Then she prayed for strength and calmly tried to think of what she needed to do. “I needed to save the huge flag of my husband’s regiment,” she later told her family, “and I got the nurse to tear it from the staff and she hid the staff under the house. I then folded it up and wrapped it around a little pillow, sewed one case over it and slipped it into another in the usual way, and put the little pillow under my baby’s head. I then concealed about my person some pictures and little articles I valued. The nurse saved the silver.”
The soldiers arrived and ran throughout the house rummaging through trunks and drawers and stealing whatever they found of value. Fortunately for the Stone family, access to the upstairs room where they had left their valuables was gained by a staircase that was hidden, so their precious things were not found. Charlotte Capers lay in her bed shivering with fear while the Yankee soldiers raided the house, but they didn’t harm her or the children.
After the soldiers left the house, the Rev. Walter Branham, a Methodist minister who lived across the street, insisted that she be brought to his house for safety. She was put into an easy chair and carried across the street. Maria brought the baby and the flag pillow. Suddenly, Charlotte remembered her little boy Frank and wondered where he was. In the haste of moving, she had lost sight of him. “He was only three years old and he might be trampled by the horses of the soldiers who were then making a great uproar in the streets,” she thought. “At this moment the door opened and my little son came rushing in, his face beaming with intense excitement, and exclaimed, ‘Mother, you know Father is come!’ How could he escape capture or death? He must be the only Confederate soldier in town. These thoughts were revolving in hurried succession in my mind when the door opened again and my husband entered the room.”
Ellison Capers explained that the soldiers had cut the railroad and torn up the track for miles, but the troops in town were only stragglers from Stoneman’s command. To prevent capture he and his faithful servant, Ben, had left the railroad cars, walked more than forty miles since the night before, and had been dodging Yankees all night.
All of a sudden, some soldiers approached the front door and Ellison quickly disappeared. He hid in the woods behind the Branham house and spent four days in intense anxiety, seeing his wife and children for only a few moments each day. He told Charlotte that he must either risk her removal or return to his regiment. Ben picked up an old broken horse and took their belongings to Madison where he waited for them. Then Ellison, Charlotte, the children, and servants took a carriage they had borrowed and rode nine miles to the home of Mr. Graves. Charlotte was too weak to go on to Madison, so they spent a few days at the Graves Plantation with Federal troops passing close by. They learned that the railroad cars were coming within 5 miles of them so they hitched up some pitiful horses to the carriage and traveled through the rain to reach the railroad. They arrived just in time to get aboard the train headed for Augusta. At Madison the train stopped for Ben, who had been robbed of all his money and food by raiders.
Finally, after all the anxiety, they arrived safely at the home of Charlotte’s aunt and uncle, who lived near Augusta. At that point, Ellison knew his family would be safe from the marauding union soldiers. He told them goodbye and he and Ben returned to his regiment.
Ellison Capers, the son of Bishop William Capers (who dedicated Old Church), was made a Brigadier General of the Confederate Army. After returning to civilian life he became a priest in the Episcopal Church and eventually rose to the position of Bishop. Most of the information in this story was found in the book The Soldier-Bishop: Ellison Capers, written by his son Walter B. Capers. The story was also recounted by George W. W. Stone, Jr. in one of his letters concerning events that occurred during the Civil War.