William Little House

William Little House. General John Bell Hood, CSA. William Little (1801-1884) was born in Union County, South Carolina, and married Elizabeth "Betsy" Young (1815-1884) in 1835. With Betsey's parents, James Marion Young and Sarah Ann Foster Young, the families moved around 1836 to the West Armuchee Valley in Walker County from Spartanburg, South Carolina, becoming some of the earliest settlers in the valley. They built a home and raised their large family Their first son James V. Little, born in 1837, was one of the first white children born in West Armuchee Valley., Another son, Francis Hamilton Little (1839-1868), was elected Colonel of the 11th Georgia Infantry Regiment, Longstreet's Corps, Anderson's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. General Robert E. Lee ordered General James Longstreet to move his Corp south from Virginia to Northwest Georgia by rail to reinforce General Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee during the Chattanooga Campaign, which resulted in the Battle of Chickamauga. Colonel Little survived the war and returned to Walker County, where he was elected to U.S. Congress in 1867 but was not seated. He died on May 17 1868, at his father's home. The United Confederate Veteran's Camp, Georgia Division in Lafayette, GA, was named "Camp Little" from 1893 to 1895. Then the camp became a part of the state and national movement and was renamed "Camp Chickamauga." Colonel Little, along with his brother Robert who was killed at the Battle of Chickamauga, is buried in the Young Family Cemetery, located on his grandfather Young's old home place., General John Bell Hood at Chickamauga, The lead Division of Longstreet's Corps, commanded by General Hood, arrived at Catoosa Platform near Ringgold on the afternoon of September 17, 1863. On the 19th they engaged the Federals at the Vinard Farm; the fighting was brutal. At dusk, the fighting ceased, and neither army had gained an advantage meaning the action ended in a stalemate., Around noon on the 20th, General Longstreet's Corp attacked the center of the Federal lines in the woods behind the Brotherton House. Army of the Cumberland Commander William Starks Rosecrans had ordered General Thomas Wood to close on General Joseph Reynold's troops., This created a gap in the lines in which Longstreet's troops advanced, rolling up the Federal Army's right-wing, which resulted in a disorganized retreat towards Chattanooga., General George Ho. Thomas organized a rear-guard action on Snodgrass Hill to cover the retreating troops, including General Rosecrans. General Hood's men began attacking the Federal position. He rod up and down the Confederate line with his arm in a sling due to a would received at Gettysburg, urging the men to press on when a Federal rifle ball crushed his right leg just below the hip. He was eased to the ground with the help of a few soldiers and was transported to a field hospital located at the Clisby Austin House at Tunnel Hill. Dr. John T. Darby reported Hood's leg was amputated around 4 pm., At the urging of Colonel Little, Hood was transported to Little's father's home a few days later, some thirty miles south, to recover from the amputation. Hood remained under Dr. Darby's care., Daughter of John Randolph Little, Dixie Little sent a letter to Wilbur Kurtz on September 3, 1946, where she stated: "General Hood stayed at my grandfather's home several weeks and hearing the Yankees had heard of his whereabouts and were getting nearer all the time it was decided that he should move further away to be safe from capture., I have heard my father tell many times (he was 17 at the time) about taking twelve slaves and carrying General Hood on a litter to Tunnel Hill, GA, to catch a train. Father was the only white person along beside some of General Hood's Staff. General Hood had these slaves to sing Corn Dawgs all the way.", In another letter to Mr. Kurtz, Ms. Little stated: "Did anyone tell you that a night or two after General Hood was moved from there, that a bunch of Yankees came to grandfather Little's look for General Hood, and they got pretty rough, and one of the Little boys shot and killed a Yankee and buried him there close to the house.", William Pell Blackwell purchased the Little house in 1899. He enlarged the house by adding two rooms on the first floor and a second story. In 1969 the home was purchased by Robert E. McWilliams. The present owners are Mike and Ann Jones.