Sam Street and the Fight at the John Lowe Place

Sam Street was killed while on scouting duty, near Marietta, GA...
From Fayette County, Texas ... buried in Forsyty County, Georgia...

"This grave is commonly known in this country and is a remembrance to all of us of those who came from far away to water the Liberty Tree."

Probably the most spectacular and exciting episode in Sheltonville history occurred in 1864, when a group of Federal soldiers came through Sheltonville and this community. These soldiers were a band of raiders from General Sherman's army which were fighting the Confederate army around Marietta and Kennesaw. These raiders came down the McGinnis Ferry Road and went as far as the Tommy Little place.

When these Yankees came down the road, up at the John Lowe place, six or eight Confederate soldiers were a hundred or a little more yards down the road to Mt. Zion Church at an old gin eating dinner, and letting their horses eat. These Confederate soldiers were members of the 8th Texas Rangers. When the Federal raiders saw and recognized them, they began to shoot. The Texans jumped up from their meal trying to get their horses so they could get away. Two of them were hit. One named Sam Street, was killed. The other, named Zempleman was severely wounded, being shot through the chest. Mr. Street was buried in the Shady Grove Church Cemetery. Years later, Mr John Lowe of Duluth, Georgia, put a tombstone at this grave. The wounded man, Mr. Zempleman, was taken to the home of Henry and Louisa Rogers. After weeks of constant care and skilled nursing, Mr. Zimpleman recovered from his wound. When he became fully able to travel, he bade his benefactor a grateful and fond farewell, and departed for Texas and home, presumably forever out of the Roger's lives. But this was not quite the case.

At the time this Texan lay wounded in the Roger's home, among the other Rogers children was a six or eight year old daughter named Kinney. Years later, Mrs. Louisa Rogers died and not too long after her death, Henry Rogers and the members of his family who were still at home moved to the Indian Territory, which is now part of the state of Oklahoma.

This daughter, Kinney, moved with her father to their new home and soon married. Still years later, when she became quite elderly herself, she went down to Texas to a Confederate reunion. She said there were numerous old veterans at this reunion and that in talking with them, and moving about and among them, she noticed one old fellow who watched her constantly and listened at her talk with close attention. Finally, this old veteran asked, "Who are you?" She told him giving her married name. He then asked, "Who were you before you married?" She told him that she was a Rogers from Georgia. He then asked, "Are you the daughter of Henry and Louisa Rogers of Sheltonville, Georgia?" She replied that she was their daughter, Kinny. The old man jumped up and hugged and kissed her and wept for joy on her shoulder, and told her that he was the wounded man that they nursed back to health and that as a little girl she had brought him food and water, and had helped make him comfortable. He told her that he had recognized the resemblance of her mother and father in her, and that is what had attracted his attention. This is related merely to show how an unhappy and unfortunate incident in Sheltonville history had brought about a joyous meeting more than fifty years later, and a thousand miles away.

Sam Street is also remembered by Woody Bell's family. You can read the note he sent to me here.