Influenced by the Roswell Mill 30 miles to the east, Col. James Rogers and Charles McDonald, a former Georgia governor, built a cotton mill in 1845 on a tract of land that would later become a village called New Manchester, Georgia. They built the mill on Sweetwater Creek, which runs southward and flows into the Chattahoochee River just south of the area. The land originally belonged to the Cherokee, but after their removal, the state of Georgia divided the land into 40-acre land lots following the discovery of gold in North Georgia.

The mill quickly became known for its exceptional products after its completion in 1849. Mill production in 1860 required roughly 700 pounds of cotton per day. Cotton and wool producers travelled from all over to have their products made into thread and yarn. With no extraordinary homes, plantations, churches, or academies around, the New Manchester mill took most of its workers from nearby farms or cottages near the mill.

The New Manchester Factory was contracted during the war to make uniforms for the Confederate Army, which was done until July 9, 1864. On this day Union soldiers raided the mill under the command of General Garrard who was ordered by Sherman to arrest the mill workers. The workers consisted mainly of women and children, as most men had gone to war. “I repeat my orders,” Sherman raged at General Garrard, “that you arrest all people, male and female, connected with those factories, no matter what the clamor, and let them foot it, under guard, to Marietta where I will send them by cars to the North.” After taking the women and children from the factory, the soldiers stripped, burned, and flooded the factory leaving little behind. The women from the factory were shipped off to Indiana with nothing but the clothes on their back. After the war, nearly none of them returned to Georgia, instead starting their new lives in Indiana.

Since the war, many efforts have been made to preserve the sight. As of 1974, it has been purchased by the state, and become a national park complete with trails, creeks, and ruins, which are still partially intact. Today the mill is located in Sweetwater Creek State Park where hiking, fishing, canoeing and much more is available at what was once known as the town of New Manchester and its long lost mill.

Credits and Sources:

Researched and written by Sumter Fiveash, John Richardson, and Drew Smith, students at the Westminster Schools.

Champlin, Eric. New Manchester Mill. Photograph. Atlantatrails. Accessed January 19, 2016. 

Jackson, Scott. "New Manchester Manufacturing Company." civilwaralbum. Accessed January 19, 2016. 

Jacobs, Jimmy. "Destroyed by War: The Lost Town of New Manchester, Georgia." Atlanta Outdoor Travel Examiner. Last modified July 25, 2012. Accessed January 17, 2016.

King, Monroe M. Destruction of New Manchester, Georgia: the story behind the ruins at Sweetwater Creek State Park.Douglasville, GA: Monroe M. King, 1982.

"More War upon the Women." The Confederate Union, July 23, 1864.

New Manchester Mill. Photograph. Atlantaoutdoorclub. Accessed January 19, 2016.

New York Tribune (New York, NY). "The Passage of the Chattahoochee- Details of Operation (Correspondence of The Cincinnati Commercial)." July 21, 1864.

Peterson, Lesli. New Manchester Mill. Photograph. Accessatlanta. Accessed January 20, 2016.

Petite, Mary Deborah. The Women Will Howl. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2008.

"The Louisville Democrat." Madison Daily Evening Courier, July 22, 1864.