150 Years After the Battle of Atlanta, SFL Fifth Graders Relive the Story

Fifth graders in Mrs. McFadyen and Mrs. Cioccolanti's classes continued a Farm Life tradition with a two oral reading of Mystery at the Loyd Homeplace by Ken Loyd, the author.  The students listened with unswerving attention to learn of Buddy and Ken's adventures at Mama Loyd's house on an Easter vacation week fifty years ago.

Three other classes are scheduled to hear the book before Christmas holidays. This year's reading is particularly meaningful, because in the summer of 2014, the sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the Battle of Peachtree Creek and the Battle of Atlanta will be observed.

Mrs. McFadyen introduced me to the classes as a "real author."  I'm happy to say that any student who wishes can claim that same title, simply by writing!  I was 53 years old before the idea for this book began to form in my mind.  But I had been a writer long before that, with my interest being sparked by elementary teachers who put great emphasis on this skill.  I hope students will not only be inspired to write about something important to them, but perhaps also to investigate their own family history.

An important new bit of information could finally be confirmed for this class.  A bit of unknown Loyd history has been, "Who was Jabez Loyd's father?"  One year ago, a chance visit to the DeKalb Historical Society gave me a glimpse of a county map a scholar had put together showing who owned all the land lots in 1860.  Just as I had theorized, the Loyd Homeplace in 1860 was not in the name of Jabez Loyd, but in the name of his father-- James Loyd.  James Loyd was likely the one who built the house on the hill, then a few years later left it to his son Jabez, and moved to Atlanta (though in 1844 it was still "Marthasville"). There he ran a store for several years, and then the Washington Hall Hotel.  He is mentioned many times in an 1800's book Pioneer Citizens of Atlanta.  One of the original seven streets of Atlanta was named for him:  Loyd Street.  

I am delighted that my father lived long enough to know all these facts, and even to visit the gravesite of James Loyd, overlooking the Chattahoochee River.  This grave is within sight of the railroad bridge that General Sherman's men had to rebuild after Confederate soldiers burned it, seeking to slow his invasion.  Since James Loyd died in 1862, he was peacefully at rest in his grave when a large Union army marched past just two years later.  He would never know that Sherman's army would burn his hotel and much of the rest of Atlanta.

These unmarked graves in the Loyd-Collins Cemetery
overlooking the Chattahoochee may be the graves of
James Loyd and his wife, or possibly his friend James
Collins, who died in the same year-- 1862.

The Western and Atlantic railroad bridge is within
sight of James Loyd's grave overlooking the
Chattahoochee River.

This is the only photograph I have been able
to locate which pictures old Loyd Street in Atlanta.

Loyd Street on this map is misspelled-- "Lloyd."
The map was made by General Sherman's staff,
which wouldn't have realized their mistake.  The
map also shows the three important railroads which
converged on the city, thus making it a crucial
military target.

This photo of the burning of Atlanta looks quite real,
but it is from a scene from the classic Civil War movie
Gone With the Wind.  They tried to get every detail
correct.  Some of the railroad cars are correctly marked
W & A, for Western and Atlantic Railroad.  Others are
marked A & W, which was a shortline railroad operating
near Sanford, North Carolina.

About a third of all the students who attended the

reading of the book purchased a copy for their own.

But all students are invited to explore the bonus

features on this website, and more will be added

all the time.  Go to it, Junior Historians!