Farm Life Fifth Graders Welcome Mr. Loyd Back

Just before Thanksgiving break and again

during the first week of December, I was

privileged to do readings of Mystery at the

Loyd Homeplace with all fifth graders at my

dear old school -- Sandhills Farm Life.

What an enthusiastic and sharp bunch of

scholars this is!  Every one of them qualifies

to be a Junior Historian, as my brother Buddy

and I are referred to in the book.

The students listened with rapt attention as

many revelations unfolded over the two-day

reading.  Such findings as:

• The Mystery House  is still standing after more than 150 years.
• There's an old marble that was trapped in Mama Loyd's porch floor.
• An old skeleton key gave entry to the old house, the focus of the mystery.
• Ken's Great-grandma Loyd was a "Civil War baby," born in 1863.
• Five children, ages 2 to 11, lived in the house when the Civil War broke out in 1861.
• There were important reasons why General Sherman felt he must burn Atlanta.
• An old pocket knife given to Buddy by Papa Loyd became a valuable tool.
• It wasn't cows that lived in the old barn.  It was . . . well, I can't give away all the secrets!

Students continually impressed me with

their understanding of the history, interaction

of characters, subtle details, and hidden humor.

They helped me in a vigorous rendition of the

song "The Circuit-Riding Preacher," then gave

themselves well-earned applause.  

I had students ask me all kinds of questions

about my childhood adventures.  As I joined 

them for lunch each day I was peppered with

perceptive questions and comments, which I

gladly answered.  One student told me he wanted

to buy one book for himself and another for his

cousin, who homeschools.  And the next day, he

did just that!  Students can still order the latest 

edition of the book for $10.00, and several said

they hope to.  At this writing, 32 out of about 100

fifth graders have already purchased a copy.  That

percentage really astounded me!

This years' readers learned that there was 

truly a second Loyd mystery-- but they are 

the first ones to hear the solution.  I will soon

be writing a detailed blog post about this for

anyone who is interested, but in short:

I finally have proof that James Loyd, a pioneer

citizen of Atlanta, was actually my great-great-

great-grandfather.  I had the joy of revealing 

that to my 98 year-old father just days before

he would pass away.

Thanks to a brief passage in the Franklin Garrett's book
Atlanta and Environs, I have located James Loyd's
grave site in the Loyd - Collins cemetery overlooking
the Chattahoochee River on Atlanta's northwest side.

I was most pleased that students showed

a healthy respect for and understanding of

the importance of history, including their

own family history.  And I was pleased that

students haven't changed so much as some

people believe.  They are still seeking fun in 

learning, adventure, and new experiences.

They seemed to believe me when I said that

the treasure of what Buddy and I learned from

Mama Loyd was just as valuable, or more,

than the actual treasure we sought.

And I certainly meant it!

After packing up all my displays, I was

delighted to join a large number of students

for their first game ever of a very old game:

ROCK SCHOOL!

These are the steps where Buddy, Ken, and Caryn
played Rock School more than half a century ago
at Mama and Papa Loyd's house.

Thank you to the fifth grade teachers for

allowing me to share with your students.

Thank you students for your attention,

encouragement, and enthusiasm.

More will continually be added to this 

website, so I invite you to visit from time

to time.  Anyone interested in purchasing

a book (current price: $10.00) may simply

ask your teacher to e-mail me and I will

deliver an autographed copy inscribed to

you-- a Junior Historian!

Junior Historians abound at Greater Atlanta Christian

At the end of October, I was privileged to

share a long-awaited presentation at Greater

Atlanta Christian School.  This was the first

time I had the opportunity to tell the story

of the Loyd Homeplace and the accompanying

stories of the Civil War and Atlanta to a group

of students who actually lived near the historical

setting of the book.

This mural about reading was an appropriate

welcome to the school.  Their emphasis on

reading and language arts is readily apparent.

The welcome by the students was even

better.  130 fifth graders, primed for today's

event by their own study of the Civil War,

quietly filled the media center.

Many gasped when I told them that the

headwaters of Peachtree Creek began just

a couple of miles from their school, and could

be followed all the way to the Loyd Homeplace

in neighboring DeKalb County.  I  told them that

in just two years, Atlantans will mark the 150th

anniversary of both the Battle of Peachtree Creek

and the Battle of Atlanta.

The children's attention was commendable

as I sought to interweave the themes of

Family, Christian Faith, and Atlanta's Civil 

War legacy.

Early on, we sang together the song

"The Circuit-Riding Preacher."  I referenced

the fact that my own Loyd ancestors set

aside a special room in their home for such

traveling preachers to reside during their

stop-overs at Prospect Methodist Church 

in Chamblee, Georgia.

I showed them on maps how the Loyd

family had lived in the area since the first

Georgia Land Lottery of 1821.  I pointed

out present-day locations of their school,

the Loyd Homeplace, Civil War railroads, 

and modern Atlanta.

The focused gazes of these students affirmed

for me, yet again, that the study of history is

a highly motivating means of leading students

to apply all their learning skills.

While there was not sufficient time to read

the book in its entirety, I chose a couple of

passages to share.  Including the one where

my grandmother, Mama Loyd, casually 

mentioned the family story of Civil War treasure!

I told about my 98 year-old father, who in

his own time had become custodian of a

wealth of history about Atlanta and our

family, just as his mother did until her

death at age 96.  I encourage students to

interview their oldest relatives about "the

way things were" and see history come alive.

And finally, we came to the mystery!

Was there really a Loyd treasure?

Was it ever found?

Why would those who hid it not retrieve it 

 once the danger of an invading army was past?

The suspense builds . . .  what secrets can

a 150 year-old house hold?

And then, the treasure!

Was the treasure silver and gold, or a 

few bills of Confederate money?

The letter from Jabez Loyd and his three

sons explains.  These sons were all just

children at the time of the Civil War.

They trusted the Lord to bring them 

through the coming tribulation --

the invasion of Atlanta, and their homeland.

But a major theme of my book is that there

 are other forms of treasure, even more precious.

...and if you look for it as for silver and search

for it as for hidden treasure, the you will 

understand the fear of the Lord and

find the knowledge of God.    Proverbs 2: 4-5

Several students purchased their own copies

of my book.  In each one I inscribed this blessing:

May your search for treasure

lead you to Life's True Riches.

Perhaps the most gratifying moment of the

day was when an exuberant young lady came

forward to tell me of her own pursuit of learning

her family's heritage and where it was leading.

These fine young students received the 

multiple messages of my book enthusiastically.

My story may be of only fleeting interest to

them.  But if it sparks a burning desire to seek out

 their own family story, and perhaps someday to

 write it out for others, my purpose will be fulfilled.

Greater Atlanta Christian School, I thank you.

I hope to make this an annual event!

GACS Welcomes "Mystery at the Loyd Homeplace"

This Thursday afternoon I will have a long-

awaited opportunity to share a presentation

about "Mystery at the Loyd Homeplace" with

over 100 fifth graders at Greater Atlanta Christian

School.  I am so excited about this event, partly

because they will be the first school group I have

shared with who live in the vicinity where all the

action of the book took place.  In fact, the school

is located just a few miles from the headwaters of

 famed Peachtree Creek, which enters into my tale.

This photo is a black-and-white of the Loyd

Homeplace as it still appears.  I will narrate

a slideshow that details not only the Loyd

mystery, but local history pre-dating and

including the Civil War.  My emphasis will

be on the triple themes of family, faith, and

history.  I hope all students come to realize

that they, too, have a story to tell.  And I

hope someday they'll tell it, perhaps to their

own children and grandchildren.

More about Railroads in Atlanta's Civil War Story

The story of Atlanta was intertwined with

the growth of railroads from the very

beginning.  The establishment of the

zero milepost of the Atlantic and Western

Railroad assured that commerce would one

day thrive in that location.  Of course, it wasn't

known as Atlanta then.  It was Marthasville.

And the original settlers set up shop around

seven streets and the railroad tracks.  One of

those seven streets was Loyd Street, now

known as Central Avenue.

In 1862, Atlantans got their first taste of wartime

drama when a band of Union soldiers disguised as

civilians stole the locomotive General.  Click on

the page below to read the exciting tale.  It was

later retold in the Buster Keaton silent film,

"The General," which was historically accurate

for the most part.

The following two maps show how

three important railroads intersected in

the heart of Atlanta at the time of the

Civil War.  They were the Atlantic and

Western, The Macon and Western, and

the Georgia Railroad, which passed near

Stone Mountain.

Because of these railroads, Atlanta was the

central artery for transportation of southern

war materials.  This also made it a strategic

target for General Sherman's assault.

The hustle and bustle of pre-war Atlanta's

train depot and area.

This photo was actually taken after the war,

when the trains were back in operation.  The

roundhouse on which they are positioned had

been destroyed by Sherman's army.

If you are familiar with modern Atlanta, you

may recognize some street names or other

landmarks on this map.

No, that's not a Civil War era locomotive below.

It's a modern diesel CSX engine.  I include it

here because in my book I refer to the love

my brother Buddy and I have always had

for trains.  After church at Prospect Methodist,

we could cross the road and watch the big

engines switching boxcars and flatcars on the

side tracks.  And I'm happy to say that everywhere

I've lived in my life I could hear the happy sound

of a train whistle at night.

A closing note about trains.  I was delighted

to find in the town of Sanford, North Carolina,

less than 30 miles from my home, an old steam

locomotive on display.

Imagine my amazement when I saw that it

was an Atlantic and Western locomotive!

I want to learn more about the history of

this old steam engine and how it ended up

in Sanford, North Carolina.

This dear old relic reminded me once again

how the history of railroads is tightly interwoven

with the story of our whole nation, not

just Atlanta.

The Civil War in "Mystery at the Loyd Homeplace"

In one chapter of "Mystery at the Loyd

 Homeplace" I have Professor Paul Hudson

 illustrating the march of General Sherman's army 

from Chattanooga to Atlanta in the spring and

summer of 1864.  Dr. Hudson is a real and

respected historian in Atlanta, and has written

extensively on Atlanta history.  In writing my

book I utilized other detailed local histories,

including those pictured below.

This guide to Atlanta's Cyclorama is
from the 1950's.  It portrays with both
paintings and large action figures the
drama of major occurrences in the
crucial Atlanta campaign.

This booket is filled with detailed articles
which helped me visualize the realities
of the attack on Atlanta for the residents
as well as for military strategists.

This decades-old magazine about Stone
Mountain tells all about the historic
confederate memorial carving.  The
mountain was a valued observation point
and strategic because of the nearby
Georgia Railroad.

This 1950's era magazine is about the
Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, one of the few
 southern victories during the Atlanta campaign.

This photo demonstrates a method by which both
northern and southern soldiers sought to disrupt
railroad shipments.  They would rip up rails, pile
the pine ties underneath and build a fire hot enough
to heat the iron rails until they could be twisted.
Both armies became equally efficient at repairing
damaged sections, often within a day or two.

An old lithograph of the Georgia Railroad stop
at Stone Mountain.

Long before Stone Mountain was developed as
a state park, it looked like this, with dirt roads
and no mammoth carving on its sides.  But it
was just as imposing a sight as it had been
for many centuries to all who beheld it.

Click on the map to try to identify towns,
rivers, or other geographical locations
you may have heard of.  Sherman's invasion
route roughly follows the path of modern
Interstate 75 from Atlanta to Chattanooga.

This scene from the Cyclorama depicts the destruction
of the Georgia railroad from Stone Mountain to
Decatur, with the mountain in the background.

This representation of Atlanta as it appeared in 1864
before Sherman's attack shows the city as a thriving
hub of economic activity.  Loyd Street, ending in the
area of the train depot, is one of the streets shown.

This railroad bridge over the Etowah River was a
major resource for the south, therefore, a major
target for the north.  General Sherman was familiar
with the area, called Allatoona pass, where he had
passed through years before as a young soldier.
He knew this pass would an unfavorable place to do
 battle with the rebels, and was determined to avoid it.

A black and white photo of two surviving bridge
supports have a lonely and haunting look.

The same scene viewed in color in springtime
seems to offer the hope that there is life after
war, while serving as a grim reminder of the
sacrifices of war.

Future blog posts will offer more documentation
of the destruction of Atlanta and the role of
railroads in the story.