Editing Rome, Georgia (section)

=== Civil war period ===
[[File:Rome, Georgia, in 1864.jpg|thumb|Rome in 1864, during the occupation by [[Union Army|Union forces]]]]

Rome's iron works were an important manufacturing center during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], supplying many cannons and other armaments to the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] effort. In April 1863, the city was defended by Confederate General [[Nathan Bedford Forrest]] against Union Colonel [[Abel Streight]]'s "lightning mule" raid from the area east of modern-day [[Cedar Bluff, Alabama]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://ngeorgia.com/history/lightningmule.html |title=The Lightning Mule Brigade – Attack on Rome, Georgia |first=Robert L.  |last=Willett |work=About North Georgia |year=2011 |publisher= Golden Ink|access-date=March 8, 2011}}</ref> General Forrest tricked Colonel Streight into surrendering just a few miles shy of Rome. Realizing their vulnerability, Rome's city council had allocated $3,000 to build three fortifications. Although these became operational by October 1863, efforts to strengthen the forts continued as the war progressed. These forts were named after Romans who had been killed in action: Fort Attaway was on the western bank of the Oostanaula River, Fort Norton was on the eastern bank of the Oostanaula, and [[Myrtle Hill Cemetery#Fort Stovall|Fort Stovall]] was on the southern bank of the Etowah River. The Confederates later built at least one other fort on the northern side of the Coosa River.<ref>[http://www.romegeorgia.com/fortnortonjackson.html RomeGeorgia.com]: Article on the history of Rome's forts. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120123119/http://www.romegeorgia.com/fortnortonjackson.html |date=November 20, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://roadsidegeorgia.com/site/ftnorton.html |title=Fort Norton, Rome, Georgia |work=Roadside Georgia |access-date=March 8, 2011 |archive-date=December 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171221211158/http://roadsidegeorgia.com/site/ftnorton.html |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

[[File:thornwood.jpg|thumb|Thornwood mansion was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War. The house is now part of the [[Shorter University|Shorter College]].]]
[[File:Sherman and his Officers in Rome, Georgia.jpg|thumb|right|Vandever and his officers in Rome (1864, on East 4th Avenue)]]

In May 1864, Union General [[Jefferson C. Davis]], under the command of [[Major General]] [[William Tecumseh Sherman]], attacked and captured Rome when the outflanked Confederate defenders retreated under command of Major General [[Samuel Gibbs French]].<ref>Charles A. Dana and J. H. Wilson, ''The Life of Ulysses S. Grant,'' Gurdon Bill & Company, 1868, p. 275</ref> Union General [[William Vandever]] was stationed in Rome and is shown with his staff in a photograph taken there.<ref>Eicher & Eicher, ''Civil War High Commands'', p. 542.</ref> Due to Rome's forts and iron works, which included the manufacture of [[cannon]]s, Rome was a significant target during Sherman's march through Georgia to take and destroy Confederate resources.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scvcamp469-nbf.com/noblebrothers.htm|title=Noble Brothers Foundry|work=Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 469|access-date=March 8, 2011|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716022936/http://www.scvcamp469-nbf.com/noblebrothers.htm|archive-date=July 16, 2011}}</ref> Davis' forces occupied Rome for several months,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Slay|first1=David|title=Playing a Sinking Piano: The Struggle for Position in Occupied Rome, Georgia|journal=Georgia Historical Quarterly|year=2006|volume=90|issue=4|pages=483–504|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=23695960&site=eds-live&scope=site|access-date=February 15, 2018}}</ref> making repairs to use the damaged forts and briefly quartering General Sherman. On November 11, 1864, in accordance with [[Sherman's Special Field Orders, No. 120]], Union forces destroyed Rome's forts, iron works, the rail line to Kingston, and any other materiel that could be useful to the South's war effort as they withdrew from Rome to participate in [[Sherman's March to the Sea]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.fortattaway.com/|title= Welcome|work= Fort Attaway Preservation Society|publisher= Fort Attaway Preservation Society, Inc.|year= 2009|access-date= March 8, 2011|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110711020437/http://www.fortattaway.com/|archive-date= July 11, 2011|df= mdy-all}}</ref>