Rome, founded shortly after the Land Lottery of 1832, is at the convergence of the Etowah and Oostanaula rivers and the headwater of the Coosa River. Like its European namesake, it is surrounded by seven hills. A prime site for water-powered manufacturing, it supplied military goods, such as cannons, munitions, and haversacks, to the Confederacy. Because of this, Rome was the target of two Federal initiatives during the War Between the States.
In late April and early May 1863, Federal raider Colonel Abel D. Streight, in command of 1700 men and 700 mules, set out on a raid across northern Alabama, intending to destroy the industrial capacity of Rome. Riding through the frontier wilderness of north Alabama, Streight and his men held a five-day running battle with Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest and his cavalry, beginning at the western Alabama border and ending near the Georgia border. After an almost superhuman contest of endurance, Streight and his superior force were driven to complete exhaustion and finally surrendered to Forrest and his battalion of less than 500 soldiers. Forrest used to fool Streight into thinking he was outnumbered. The chase ended at the Lawrence Plantation between Gadsden, Alabama, and Rome, Georgia, saving Rome from capture and destruction. Forrest received a hero’s welcome when he arrived in Rome on May 3, 1863, while Streight was sent to Richmond, Virginia’s infamous Libby Prison.
Even though it failed, Streight’s raid brought the reality of the perils of war to the people of Rome. The city appropriated $3000 to construct a line of fortification on three of the seven hills around the town, using slave labor for the project. On August 21, 1863, the Rome Weekly Courier wrote, “The fort in Desoto shall be known as Fort Attaway. The fort in Hillsboro (now Myrtle Hill) shall be known as Fort Stovall. The fort between Rome and Woodville shall be known as Fort Norton on Jackson Hill.”
On May 15, 1864, Federal Brigadier General Jefferson C. Davis’s division, which was detached from the main army, marched on Rome. Before reaching the city limits, Davis’ soldiers were met by Major General Samuel G. French’s Confederate division arrayed in line of battle and ready to defend their ground. Fighting ensued, and on May 17, 1864, Davis drove French into Rome but was halted after sharp skirmishing by the guns of Fort Attaway. Entrenched on the opposing Shorter Hill, Davis constructed battery positions within range of the Coosa River and fired on Confederate supply ships. The Confederates began evacuating Rome at 3 a.m. on May 18, 1864. By dusk on May 19, 1864, only the local militia remained to guard the city. Davis quickly took the city’s forts, and shortly thereafter, Rome fell. Federal troops garrisoned the town until November 10, 1864, when the war industries were burned as the Union army moved south as a prelude to the March to the Sea.