Trenton in Dade County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

The O'Neal House

Chickamauga Campaign Heritage Trail

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, February 27, 2021

1. The O'Neal House Marker

Inscription.

The O'Neal House. Chickamauga Campaign Heritage Trail. The Zachariah O'Neal House is a rectangular single-pen log structure having corner timbering, and constructed with hewn logs. At one end there is a brick chimney. There is some weathering on the north end of the structure, but there is a new roof and the overall condition of the house is reasonably good. During the war, this was a working farm and there would have been, in addition to the house, a barn, cribs and other farm out buildings. While there is no record of war time camps in the area, such features could be present. The fact that the site is located some distance from the railroad and was not a part of the wartime Trenton, saved it from being burned when General Ewing was in the area., This is one of the few war time structures still standing in much its original form in Dade County, and is the only such structure in the city of Trenton. It was the home of the Zachariah O'Neal family. In 1860, Zachariah O'Neal was a prosperous farmer, 56 years old, living with his 46-year-old wife. They had come to the area about fifteen years earlier from South Carolina. In the O'Neal household there was a 21 year old son who was a carpenter, an 18 year old son who was a farm laborer, and four daughters, ages 16, 14, 10 and 7. The two youngest of the girls attended school in Trenton., The sons, Thomas J. and James A. O'Neal served as privates in Company E of the 10th Regiment, 3rd Brigade of the Georgia State Troops from mid-1861 to May 1862. They then enlisted as privates in Company F of the 34th Georgia Infantry Regiment of the Confederate Army. This was the company commanded by Captain William E. Brock, and most of the men were from Trenton. Both boys served in the difficult Jackson and Vicksburg campaign., The boys also had three cousins who served in the same company. They were all captured by the Federal Army at the surrender of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. They were paroled and instructed to return to their units. Thomas and the two cousins were unable to do so. It is known that some members of the company attempted to visit their homes in Dade County, not knowing that it was under Federal occupation. One of these, a known friend of the O'Neal family, found himself cut off from the Confederate positions and went up to Marion County, Tennessee and hid out for the rest of the war., James A. O'Neal rejoined his unit and was captured at Tunnel Hill, Georgia on May 13, 1864. He spent the rest of the war in prison and was released at Camp Morton, Indiana on May 22, 1865., J. W. O'Neal also rejoined his unit and was promoted to Second Lieutenant. He remained with the army and was present at the general surrender in Greensboro, North Carolina on April 26, 1865., Captions (left to right): , . Grave of James O'Neal , . From the map of Col. William E. Merrill, Chief Engineer, Army of the Cumberland , . Confederate honors ceremony for James O'Neal

The Zachariah O'Neal House is a rectangular single-pen log structure having corner timbering, and constructed with hewn logs. At one end there is a brick chimney. There is some weathering on the north end of the structure, but there is a new roof and the overall condition of the house is reasonably good. During the war, this was a working farm and there would have been, in addition to the house, a barn, cribs and other farm out buildings. While there is no record of war time camps in the area, such features could be present. The fact that the site is located some distance from the railroad and was not a part of the wartime Trenton, saved it from being burned when General Ewing was in the area.

This is one of the few war time structures still standing in much its original form in Dade County, and is the only such structure in the city of Trenton. It was the home of the Zachariah O'Neal family. In 1860, Zachariah O'Neal was a prosperous farmer, 56 years old, living with his 46-year-old wife. They had come to the area about fifteen years earlier from South Carolina. In the O'Neal household there was a 21 year old son who was a carpenter, an 18 year old son who was a farm laborer, and four daughters, ages 16, 14, 10 and 7. The two youngest of the girls attended school in Trenton.

The sons, Thomas J. and James A. O'Neal served

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as privates in Company E of the 10th Regiment, 3rd Brigade of the Georgia State Troops from mid-1861 to May 1862. They then enlisted as privates in Company F of the 34th Georgia Infantry Regiment of the Confederate Army. This was the company commanded by Captain William E. Brock, and most of the men were from Trenton. Both boys served in the difficult Jackson and Vicksburg campaign.

The boys also had three cousins who served in the same company. They were all captured by the Federal Army at the surrender of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. They were paroled and instructed to return to their units. Thomas and the two cousins were unable to do so. It is known that some members of the company attempted to visit their homes in Dade County, not knowing that it was under Federal occupation. One of these, a known friend of the O'Neal family, found himself cut off from the Confederate positions and went up to Marion County, Tennessee and hid out for the rest of the war.

James A. O'Neal rejoined his unit and was captured at Tunnel Hill, Georgia on May 13, 1864. He spent the rest of the war in prison and was released at Camp Morton, Indiana on May 22, 1865.

J. W. O'Neal also rejoined his unit and was promoted to Second Lieutenant. He remained with the army and was present at the general surrender in Greensboro, North Carolina on April 26, 1865.

Captions

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, February 27, 2021

2. The O'Neal House Marker

(left to right):
• Grave of James O'Neal
• From the map of Col. William E. Merrill, Chief Engineer, Army of the Cumberland
• Confederate honors ceremony for James O'Neal

Erected by Chickamauga Campaign Heritage Trail.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Chickamauga Campaign Heritage Trail series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 26, 1865.

Location. 34° 53.361′ N, 85° 30.261′ W. Marker is in Trenton, Georgia, in Dade County. It is on Lake Hills Lane west of Memorial Lane, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 153 Lake Hills Ln, Trenton GA 30752, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Mountains. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Macon Iron Works (approx. 0.4 miles away); Trenton (approx. 1.2 miles away); Dade County (approx. 1.2 miles away); Union School (approx. 1.8 miles away); White Oak Gap (approx. 2.1 miles away); Payne's (Sitton's) Mill (approx. 2.2 miles away); Cole Plantation and Academy (approx. 3 miles away); Cole Plantation and Bethlehem Cemetery (approx. 3.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Trenton.

Regarding The O'Neal House. The structure is

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about 300 feet south of the marker. The cabin is on private property but is faintly visible from the road.

Also see . . . Dade County's oldest dwelling target of restoration. By Ben Benton of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Originally posted on Sept. 11, 2016. (Submitted on February 28, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 28, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,373 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 28, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.