During the last days of the Civil War Union troops battled Confederate troops in Baldwin County at Blakely and Spanish Fort. Simultaneously the US Army dispatched troops up the Old Federal Road in order to cut off an expected Confederate retreat from Mobile to Montgomery. Their arrival continued a long tradition of military forays along the route.
The Old Federal Road began as a horse path for postal riders in 1806. The original road stretched from Georgia to South Alabama. In 1810 the US Army surveyed the road and carved roman numerals into trees along the path to serve as mile markers. By July 11, 1811 the US government authorized the construction of three federal roads through Creek Indian territory for the purpose of facilitating military transport and to aid the settlement of Alabama which was part of the Mississippi Territory.
Construction of the road began at Ft. Stoddart which was located at Mt. Vernon Landing on the Mobile River. The road ended at Ft. Wilkinson, Georgia. The Old Federal Road transported thousands of settlers to the Old Southwest during the "Alabama Fever" era of the early 1800s.
The road improved dramatically during the Creek Indian War period when General Andrew Jackson's forces traveled the span. The troops were required to expand the road's width in order to move Jackson's artillery along the narrow roadway. Thousands of settlers moved into Southwest Alabama by way of the road. Brothers Isham and James McKinley served in the US Army in Alabama during the Creek Indian War. Following the war, the two brothers drove a herd of cattle from Georgia to Monroe County along the Old Federal Road. Isham settled for a time at Burnt Corn and later moved to Franklin, AL. James McKinley moved on to Clarke County.
Other settlers such as Dr. John Watkins moved into the Monroe County/Conecuh County area by way of the road. After moving from the Ft. Mims area Dr. Watkins opened his doctor's office along the route. Being strategically placed along the busy road was to the benefit of the doctor/politician from South Carolina.
By the 1820s the road had become a major transportation artery in the area with numerous stops for overnight lodging. Stables, inns, and other infrastructure served travelers along the route. The road had become a well traveled stage route through South Alabama by this time.
With the advent of the Civil War, the road became more important than ever. Agricultural products were transported along the road to feed a desperate Southern army spread out on distant battlefields. Various Confederate units traveled the road as well.
As much as the road was a vital lifeline for the Confederate government it was also used by the Union. Lucas' Raiders used portions of the road to raid Monroe County in the closing days of the war. Departing from the Federal Road, Union troops spread across the county. Claiborne was raided and the courthouse left in disarray. A Union colonel seized the battle flag of the Claiborne militia unit and took the flag as a souvenir. Years later he returned the flag shortly before his death.
Folklore and legend has created a certain mystique about the old road. One such story involves a Confederate soldier who walked home after the war. He is said to have left Virginia after the war with Mobile as his destination. As the soldier walked the 800 miles between the two states he became sick. As the story goes, he lay down for a rest beneath a bridge along the Old Federal Road in Monroe County. The soldier is said to have died from the illness but it is said that his ghost roams the area around the road as if he is still walking towards Mobile.
Today the road is the county line between Monroe and Conecuh Counties in our area. Locally, the area is marked by historic markers along the route and makes for an interesting afternoon drive. Much of the road's modern name is Old Stage Road but it also transgresses several highways and other county roads in the Monroe/Conecuh County area.
Shadows and Dust Volume III: Legacies is available for purchase in the amount of $30.00+$5.00 shipping and handling to PO Box 579 Atmore, AL 36502 or visit Lulu Publishing.com; Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles.com OR at the Monroe County Heritage Museum in Monroeville, Alabama or by calling 251 294 0293.
