Emma Sansom Memorial - Gadsden, AL
Posted by: 
Thorny1
N 34° 00.669 W 085° 59.978
16S E 592371 N 3763843
In memory of the Gadsden, AL heroine, Emma Sansom, who pointed the way to General Forrest.
Waymark Code: WM432E
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 06/29/2008
Views: 71
In May of 1863, Confederate Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest was pursuing Union Colonel Abel Streight through north Alabama. Forrest hoped to stop Streight's Vandals before they destroyed the Confederate armory at Rome, Georgia and cut the Confederate railroad south of Chattanooga. This rail line was supplying the campaign of General Braxton Bragg.
John Wisdom, the Paul Revere of the South, left Gadsden on horseback riding to Rome to warn the countryside that Streight's troops were coming. During the ride, more than twice as long as Revere's, Wisdom rode five horses to death but reached Rome and alerted the garrison.
Meanwhile, Streight reached Gadsden several hours before Forrest and realized that if he could destroy the bridge across Black Creek, Forrest would be unable to continue his pursuit. At the time it was impossible to cross the water since the creek was swollen out of its banks following a series of spring storms. Streight went to a nearby farmhouse belonging to the Sansom family and demanded a coal with which he burned the bridge across the creek. A few hours later, General Forrest went to the same farmhouse and was informed by Emma, the Sansoms' 15-year-old daughter that there was a place where the creek could be forded about a mile away. Emma climbed on the horse behind General Forrest and showed him where the ford was located while under fire from Streight's troops on the other side. After returning Emma to her mother, Forrest pursued Streight, catching up with him just outside of Rome and taking 1700 of his 3000 men prisoner. The civil war memorial in Gadsden is a statue of Emma Sansom pointing towards the creek.
A True Heroine
[from the Jacksonville Republican, 9 May 1863]
"An incident connected with the recent Yankee raid is worthy of record. When Gen. [Nathan B.] Forrest arrived at Black Creek, 3 miles from Gadsden [AL], in hot pursuit of the Vandals [Col. Abel D. Streight's Raid, 11 April-3 May 1863, through northern AL], he found his progress checked by a swollen stream and a demolished bridge, while a detachment of the enemy lingered behind to dispute his passage to the opposite side. Ignorant of the ford, if indeed there were any, Gen. Forrest himself rode back in quest of the necessary information. At the first house he made the inquiry whether there was any person who could pilot his command across the stream, to which a young lady made reply -- no male person being present -- that she knew the ford, and that if she had a horse she would accompany and direct him. There being no time for ceremony, Gen. Forrest proposed that she should get up behind him to which, with no maiden coyness, but actuated only by the herioic impulse to serve her country, she at once consented. Her mother, however, overhearing the suggestion, and sensitively alive to her daughter's safety and honor, interposed the objection. "Sir, my child cannot thus accompany a stranger." "Madam," respectfully urged the far-famed chieftain, "my name is Forrest, and I will be responsible for this young lady's safety." "Oh," rejoined the good woman, "if you are Gen. Forrest she can go with you!"
Mounted behind the General, she piloted him across the stream, exposed to the whistling bullets of the enemy; nor did she retire from her post of danger until the last man had safely crossed, and the column seen in continuance of its rapid pursuit, accompanied by her earnest prayers for success.
The name of this heroine is Miss [Emma] Sansom, who deserves to be long and gratefully remembered, not only by Gen. Forrest and his gallant men but by every lover of the cause to which she rendered such gallant and timely aid. The General wrote a note of thanks, and sent it back to the heroic girl."
There are several different versions to the story. I enjoyed reading all of them and will leave that up to you.
URL of the statue: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
You must have visited the site in person, not online.