Roger Brothers
Re: Burning of Guntersville
Thu Jul 12 18:45:35 2001


Cory,

I don't know where you can find a copy of the newspaper article but I do have a local history book called GUNTERSVILLE REMEMBERED that relates the incident. It gives the "Democrat Souvenir Edition" as the reference.

According to the article Confederate General Hugh Lyons and about 100 troops were surprised by a union force under a Col Lyons (no relation). Gen. Lyons was asleep in the house (of Thomas Nobles) and when confronted by the Yankees he shot and mortally wounded Col. Lyons. This action infuriated the yankees so much that they burned several houses in the community and dispatched 40 Marines to burn Guntersville it's self. Only seven buildings were left standing in the town.

An interesting footnote: Willis M Hatch of Pennsylvania, one of the Marines that took part in the arson visited Guntersville in 1889 and 1891. He wrote an apology to the people of Guntersville for the crime and this was published in the Dec. 1891 DEMOCRATE. The article that the apology appeared in suggested that free copies of the paper be sent to all the 400 ex federal soldiers who took part in the burning in hopes that they would move to Guntersville! Talk about a shameless promotion! If you know Matt Arnold who is Guntersville’s present Chamber of Commerce director tell him he ain’t got nothin on his predecessors!