The Sacking of Athens, Alabama
Thomas V. Ress will speak on "The Sacking of Athens, Alabama" on Thursday, August 12th, for the Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table. The presentation will examine how the reactions of the northern populace changed with time to the scandalous and brutal sacking of the city by Union forces in May of 1862. The commander of the Union forces, Colonel John Basil Turchin, was court martialed for his actions, found guilty, granted clemency and then promoted to Brigadier General. These actions were indicative of the changing attitude as the sacking of Athens came to be regarded as justified retribution for the pain the secessionists had inflicted on the nation. Thomas Ress is a resident of Athens , Alabama and a prolific free lance writer with recently published articles on the American Civil War. Mr. Ress will speak at the Elks Lodge, 725 Franklin SE, North entrance, 6:30 pm., free to the public, visitors welcome, chicken dinner buffet available at 5:30 pm for $7.95. Call 890-0890 for more information.
More Information on the Topic
In the four years of turmoil that surrounded the Civil War, the sorry affair that took place in Athens in the first week of May of 1862 stood out as a particularly scandalous incident. Union soldiers sacked the town, an action that seems tame by today’s standards but in the 1860’s the actions of the Union soldiers were shocking to the general populace.
The citizens of Athens were undoubtedly stunned to look out their windows on April 29th and discover soldiers in blue uniforms in their streets. The Athenians grudgingly accepted the presence of the Union soldiers, keeping their southern sympathies buried. The Union forces, by all accounts, quietly settled into Athens . The situation lasted less than two days. The Confederates counterattacked and retook the town. Athens citizens let their true feelings surface and joined with the Confederate units in harassing and attacking the fleeing Union troops.
The Confederate victory was short lived however. The Union retreated to Huntsville where General Mitchel ordered Colonel John Basil Turchin, to retake Athens . The people of Athens barely had time to savor their reclaimed freedom before the Union forces reappeared in the town.
The treachery of the citizens of Athens who turned on Union troops during their retreat infuriated Colonel Turchin and he wanted to teach Athens a lesson. Some citizens claimed that as his forces retook the town, Turchin gathered his troops around the town square and shouted, "I shut my eyes for two hours." Soldiers fanned out around the town, taking their anger and frustration out on the town and its citizens, breaking down shop doors, shooting into stores and looting businesses and homes.
The most revealing outcome of the incident was the ensuing public reaction. Outrage over the sacking was muted and temporary. The country was dealing with a traumatic war and the public was in no mood for listening to the complaints of a bunch of southern rebels who felt they had been mistreated. The initial negative reaction to Turchin’s actions changed almost overnight and the sacking of Athens was soon embraced by many as justified retribution for the pain the secessionists had inflicted on the nation.
The reactions of the general public signaled a significant shift in the public’s perception of the conflict. Passions were running high on both sides and the feeling that the South had to pay for their rebellion was becoming more prevalent in the North. The sacking of Athens brought those feelings to a boil. Athens was one of the first southern towns to experience the deliberate wholesale destruction of property and attacks on civilians that would be utilized so flagrantly two and a half years later during General Sherman’s notorious March to the Sea.
Thomas V. Ress Biography
Thomas V. Ress resides in Athens , AL . He is a freelance writer and has been writing for 17 years. He has had over one hundred articles published in numerous magazines, newspapers, and websites including SKI, Backpacker, Blue Ridge Country and others. He has had two articles on the Civil War published in Alabama Heritage magazine. His article “Five Hours at Sulphur Trestle Fort” appeared in the Spring 2008 issue and “The Sacking of Athens” in 2009. Ress grew up in southern Indiana and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Evansville and his MBA from Eastern Kentucky University . He currently does consulting work for the federal government. He travels extensively and has set foot in 29 countries and five continents.
