Dade County History Book

THE MOORES AND ECHOLS

Sometimes before the Civil War, John and Martha Bradford settled near the bluff on Lookout Mountain in Georgia, over looking the valleys to the south in Georgia and Alabama. From here a panoramic view of Quinn Springs, Johnson Crook, and Rising Fawn was, and still is, breath taking. During the Civil War thousands of Union troops in several divisions moved through the crook, and the bluffs toward Stephen’s Gap and Chickamauga. Unfortunately their troops found it necessary to forage for provision as a means of survival.

As a precaution against ppilfering by the approaching Federal troops in 1863, the Moores and the mountain neighbors hid much of their possessions and goods, or drove their stock deeper into the mountains to save what they could. John and his sons hid their horses under a large rock shelter just east of what is now Plum Nelly. While the women hid salt, canned goods, plates, sups, silverware, beneath and behind the many sandstone outcroppings along the bluffs. One day, Alec, the 13 year old son of John and Martha, heard a loud ruckus on the backside of a field near the homestead. He hurried to investigate, running quitely along the rocky outcrops and though the brush he discovered several Federal troops beginning to butcher one of the families’ hogs. Any thoughts of protest was forgotten when he was discovered hiding nearby, they sharply questioned, “What are you looking for boy?”, the startled boy answered “nothin”, the troops told him “well, now you’ve found it, now take it back home with you.” The frightened youngster scurried away.

The Moores survived the war but soon after, one of the brothers, Payne, left for Memphis with his son on foot, driving his cows before him.

Alec grew up without further involvement in the war although many youths his age had fought. Several years later Alec married Margaret Echols of Rising Fawn, who came from Indiana with her family. Her father and brother were among the Union troops passing through the crook during the war the war.

Captain George Washington Echols, Margaret’s father and her brother, fought at Chickamauga, a battle that roared like low thunder to the mountain people. Captain Echols son lost his arm at Chickamauga but both survived the war and the Captain eventually found Dade County promising because he returned to Rising Fawn after the war and worked as a shoe repairman at the Rising Fawn furnace. He later taught school

He was buried at Union Chapel near Rising Fawn, Georgia.(Used by permission HISTORY OF DADE C OUNTY GEORGIA by Retired Volunteer Program, 1981.).