Jan 2013 Annual Business Meeting and "Dahlonega Occupied, January 1863"

Post date: Dec 28, 2012 4:21:2 PM

The business portion of this meeting has been moved to February. All else remains the same. (1/7/13)

The annual meeting of the Lumpkin County Historical Society will take place on Thursday, January 10th, at 7pm in the Dahlonega Community House. Election of officers, review of the budget and annual expenses will be discussed. A short program (see below) will be presented after the annual business is completed. Refreshments and light snacks will be served.

All members are reminded to renew their membership and pay their annual dues at the January meeting.

The Jan. 2013 program will be presented by Chris Worick: "Dahlonega Occupied, January 1863"

One hundred fifty years ago this month, Dahlonega became the scene of an armed occupation by a force of over 500 State "Home Guards" and Partisan Cavalry. An increasing number of deserters and men wishing to avoid the Confederate Conscription Act were hiding in the North Georgia mountains. Responding to a request for assistance from local officials, Governor Joseph Brown dispatched a force of Home Guard Infantry under the command of Lt. Col. G.W. Lee to Dahlonega. Additionally, Gov. Brown asked the Confederate Secretary of War for a mounted unit to assist Col. Lee's men unit. The 150 men calvary of the 16th Georgia Battalion Partisan Rangers were ordered to Dahlonega to aid Col. Lee's expedition. This would be the first but not the last occupation of Dahlonega by a military force during the Civil War.

Chris Worick will discuss the events leading up to Col. Lee's expedition and what followed in the weeks after.