ADOLPHUS ADAMS, THORNTON ADAMS, ALFRED ADAMS, WILLIAM ADAMS, GEORGE ADAMS, JOHN ADAMS, JAMES ADAMS, NATHANIEL ADAMS, FRANCIS ADAMS, RUFUS ADAMS, WILLIAM F. ADAMS, BLARE MAIZE ADAMS
The above brothers and cousins served for the Confederacy during the War Between the States. Adolphus, Thornton and Alfred were sons of George GB and Elizabeth Forester Adams of Adamsville, GA, now known as Ranger, GA (see map). William Adams, one of their cousins, was the son of Osborn Adams who lived in the settlement and operated the tanyard.
George, John, James, Nathaniel, Francis, Rufus, William F. and Blare Maize Adams, all cousins of Adolphus, Thornton, Alfred and William, were the sons of Rev. James Adams who organized and pastored the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Gordon Co, GA.
These Adams men are the most honored ancestors of Don Adams, a member of The Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 469 in Rome, GA., with Thornton Adams being his greatgrandfather.
Adolphus Adams, Thornton Adams, Alfred Adams and William Adams served throughout the Mississippi to Georgia campaign.
On October 18, 1861, 25 year old Adolphus, 23 year old Thornton Adams and 16 year old Alfred left Adamsville with their cousin William and enlisted in Co. E. 8th Georgia Battalion in Calhoun, GA. This infantry Company was known as " Freeman Volunteers" and was attached to the Brigade of the Harvard educated South Carolina General States Rights Gist.
They were then shipped out to Savannah and Camp Jackson where they stood guard until August 19, 1862 when they were transferred to Secessionville, South Carolina. The battalion spent part of the time at Battery Haig and Fort Lamar guarding the important defenses of the Georgia and South Carolina Coasts. In the spring of 1863 General Grant crossed the Mississippi below Vicksburg in an effort to capture this most important Confederate stronghold. The 8th Georgia Battalion, attached to Gen. W.H.T. Walker's Division was rushed west to intercept the Union forces. The battalion reached Jackson on May 13th and engaged the enemy the following day 4 miles west of the city. The fight continued from Canton to Yazoo City, where Captain John Hopper, commanding the company, was killed. The battalion was in the battle and siege of Jackson, Miss. until July 16, 1863 when they abandoned the city and pulled back to Tyner's Station, Tennessee where they arrived on August 24. This move was to assist in the defense of Middle Tennessee and North Georgia. At this point Gist's Brigade became part of Bragg's Army of Tennessee.
From Gettysburg to Vicksburg it had been a summer of disaster for the Confederate cause, and now the Union Army of the Cumberland was advancing relentlessly toward Chattanooga. The Yankee commander William Rosecrans probably thought his enemy was in demoralized flight when they abandoned Chattanooga and fell back into North Georgia, but these Southern boys were not through. Besides the divisions of Walker and Breckinridge from Mississippi, General Lee was sending General James Longstreet's corps of 15000 from the Army of Northern Virginia to support Bragg's forces. The Confederate Army of Tennessee had a surprise waiting for Gen Rosecrans. Gist posted his brigade at Rome, Georgia on September 7th in support of the cavalry on that flank. On September 17th General Bragg instructed Gist to bring his forces at Rome up to Ringgold. The 8th Georgia along with the 24th South Carolina and 4 companies of the 46th Georgia boarded rail cars and started toward Catoosa Station. At Kingston they were shunted onto the sidetrack to wait while General Longstreet and his long trains of Gettysburg Veterans made their way toward the battlefield where they would play such an important part. Because of this delay, Gist's Brigade did not reach Chickamauga until after the first full day of fighting on September 19th. Gist's Brigade was called up to attack a well prepared Yankee position that had just repulsed a brigade led by Confederate General Benjamin Hardin Helm, who was Mary Todd Lincoln's brother-in-law. General Helm was killed in this action and his brigade suffered severe losses. The 8th Georgia Battalion now numbered about 250 men and their front was only 45 feet wide. They were supported by the 24th South Carolina and the 46th Georgia. The brigade was devastated by enemy bullets, but stood its ground and returned fire for nearly one half hour. In less than 30 minutes the brigade suffered over 34% casualties in killed and wounded. It was during this action that Thornton Adams received the painful leg wound that caused him to walk with a limp for the rest of his life. When the day was done Union forces ran from the field in a wild retreat back to Chattanooga. Chickamauga was a total Southern victory.
Company Muster Rolls for October and November, 1863 show Thornton Adams absent-wounded, but he was present for muster in December when the army pulled back to Dalton to go into winter camp until the spring of 1864. When the spring rains subsided both armies began to move. Greatly outnumbered, Southern forces began to retreat along the route of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. This retreat consisted of a running fight at almost every crossroad along the way. At Fairmount, not 4 miles from Adamsville and home, youngest brother Alfred was taken prisoner on May 17th and sent to a military prison at Rock Island, Illinois. The only details are that he was carrying an Austrian rifle.
One of the most hotly contested fights was at Kennesaw Mountain. On July 3rd, 1864 it was here that older brother Adolphus was captured and sent to Camp Morton near Indianapolis, Indiana. On February 1, 1865, after seven months as a prisoner of war, Adolphus died. The cause of death was given as inflammation of the lungs. He is buried near Indianapolis at Green Lawn Cemetery in grave #1348.
General Johnson used every man in his depleted force in the defense of Atlanta. However, because of his superior numbers, General Sherman was able to maneuver his army to use flanking movements to spread Johnson's force thinner and thinner. On July 27th, 1864 near Lawrenceville, the war ended for Thornton Adams and cousin William. Both men were taken prisoner and sent up the line to Camp Chase, Ohio. They were both held as prisoners of war until May of 1865.
The 8th Georgia Battalion fought bravely through the rest of the war, taking severe losses at Nashville and Franklin TN., where General Gist was one of five General officers killed in battle. The Battalion was ultimately surrendered to General Sherman on April 26, 1865. Thornton and cousin William came home to North Georgia the following month.
In the meantime, Rev. James Adams’ eight sons John, James, George, Nathaniel, Francis, Rufus, William F. and Blare Maize Adams were serving with General Robert E. Lee in all the major battles in the East:
John R. Adams, born about 1829, enlisted July 3, 1861, Co. C 11th Regt., GVI (Georgia Volunteer Infantry), Army of Northern Virginia, "Murray Rifle Company". He sustained wounds at the 2nd Battle of Manassas Aug. 31, 1862 and died from the wounds on Sept. 2, 1862.
James Jr., born about 1830, enlisted March 10, 1862, Co. A. 39th Regt., GVI, Army of Tennessee. He was captured at Vicksburg, MS July 4, 1863, paroled July 18, 1863 and promptly returned to fighting. He was then shot in the breast and hospitalized April 22, 1864, and surrendered at Greensboro, NC. April 1865. He died in 1902 in Murray County, Ga.
George G., born about 1833, enlisted July 3, 1861. He fought at Gettysburg, was captured, then exchanged at James River, VA. on Feb. 20, 1865. He died in 1898 in Murray Co, GA.
Nathaniel Lafayette, born Jan. 1836, enlisted March 1, 1862 and served in the infantry until he was wounded at Fredricksburg and subsequently transferred to baggage duty. He surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse April 9, 1865 and died Nov 18, 1909 in Grady Co., OK. He is buried in Smith Co., Texas.
Francis Marion, born Jan. 1838, enlisted March 4, 1862, Co. E, 40th Regt., GVI, Army of Tennessee, "Gordon Infantry". He was captured Aug. 13, 1864 at Atlanta and released at Point Lookout, MD. June 22, 1865. He died Dec. 13, 1917 in Bosque Co., Texas.
Rufus Barker, born April 1839, enlisted July 31, 1861, Co C, 11th Regt. GVI and surrendered with his unit at Appomattox Courthouse April 9, 1865. He died March 19, 1910 in Smith Co. Texas.
William F., born about 1842, enlisted May 5, 1864 in Co. G, 21st Regt., GVI, Army of Northern Virginia, "Dabney Rifles". He was present for roll call 31 Aug. 1864, then missing in action. There are no further records of him.
Blair Maize, born Jan. 1843, enlisted Nov. 1862, Co. E, 4th Georgia Cavalry, and surrendered at Greenville, SC, May 1865. He died May 30, 1916 in Murray Co., GA.
By May of 1865 Thornton had returned to the family farm to get on with spring planting, William, his cousin, returned to his father's tanyard and went back to making saddles, and another cousin, George, came home from Virginia. By year’s end the 3 cousins had married the three daughters of John and Frances Smith: George to Amanda, William to Mary Caroline and Thornton to Camilla.
Sometime in 1888, after living in and around Gordon County 47 years, William and Mary Caroline decided to join other family members in Smith County, Texas hoping the warmer weather would help his rheumatism which he blamed on the cold damp conditions in that "damnyankee" prison. William spent the last 16 years of his life in a wheelchair. He died Aug 19, 1899.
George and Amanda moved to Murray County, GA to raise their family. George died in 1898.
Thornton and Camilla lived in Gordon and Bartow Counties. They had 6 daughters and 5 sons. Their lives revolved around their large family and their church. Camilla died in 1897 at the age of 54 and is buried at Connesena Baptist Church near Kingston, GA. Thornton then lived with his sons and daughters for the rest of his life. In 1904 Thornton applied for an indigent soldier's pension. In his application he stated that he suffered from the effects of the leg wound he received in the Battle of Chickamauga 41 years earlier. He also stated that he suffered from heart disease. On April 21, 1913 Thornton Adams suffered a fatal stroke. He was 74 years old. He is laid to rest next to his wife in the family plot at Connesena Baptist Church Cemetery.