Battle of the Narrows

There is a beautiful painting of the "Battle of the Narrows" which shows so beautifully this site on Post Oak Road.  The artist includes a description of the battle along with the print.  The print may be obtained at The Saturday Shop, Clarkesville GA,  706-754-9200 (copies are limited).

The description follows and a photo of the print can be viewed by clicking below:

Click here to see a photo of the print.

Battle of the Narrows – 1864

This battle was fought Oct. 12, 1864, between Confederate troops and Union cavalry in the nearby mountain pass. A confederate victory saved Habersham County from pillaging by Union troops and camp followers and also saved grain fields for Confederate troops. There was a drill field near the site of the battle. Some histor4ians have called this the “Battle of Currahee” because it was fought in the site of Currahee Mountains. Casualties were small and the wounded were cared for by neighbors.

By the Georgia Historical Commission

There seems to be no record of any further details of this encounter, nor is there any source for the material quoted on the marker. After much research, including visiting the site of the battle which is still intact as part of the Lake Russell Wildlife Management Area, I am only able to make the following assumptions.

The Union cavalry in Northeast Georgia at that time was under the command of Kenner Garrard. In October 1864, his force numbered 166 officers and 2911 enlisted men. These were divided into small raiding parties which swept the countryside destroying property and supplies that might be of use to the South. There was much ruthless pillaging involved in spite of orders to the contrary.

The Georgia State Militia had been sent home after the fall of Atlanta to harvest the crops to feed the local families and troops. They were furloughed and allowed 30 days. By October the Governor was calling for all able-bodied men to come back to defend the state against Sherman’s army. A letter from the Adjutant General’s office dated October 11 refers to the Militia of Banks County as still being at home. It is reasonable to assume that these men or others in the Clarkesville area were the Confederates who fought in the narrow.

The site of the conflict is a small steep-sided gap between two mountains. It is conceivable that the Confederates could have occupied the high ground on one ridge and driven back the cavalry as they came into the Narrows. With no place to maneuver, the horsemen would have been caught in the open under direct fire from above. Doubtless, the Confederates would have had few horses at this stage of the war. Even so, in this situation, they could have won the day and driven the Union forces backward and prevented any further pillaging of the countryside.

I realize that much of this is personal assumption on my part, but having studied the site, I have presumed to recreate my version of the scene.

John Kollah

Comments

[Steve Tilley]

I am curious! Technically I believe at the time the Battle of the Narrows was fought in Habersham County. However, topo maps may show that the actual location of the Battle may now be in Stephens County. Since Stephens County was created in 1893, it is hard to know how to describe the battles location. Any ideas or clarification?
Steve Tilley

[Jim Winsness]

Hi Steve,

Good question! But Banks County was created from Franklin and Habersham County on Dec. 11, 1858 and the location I have on GPS is in Banks County. Actually, on the topo map, it is just north of Kelley Mountain - under the second "H" of CHATTAHOOCHEE.