"The Battle of Chickamauga was the bloodiest two days of fighting in American history. The battle cost the Federals 1,657 dead, 9,756 wounded, and 4,757 missing for a total of 16,170 casualties out of 58,000 troops. The Confederate losses were 2,312 dead, 14,674 wounded and 1,468 for a total of 18,545 out of 66,000 troops," explained the tour guide.
"Union troops were led by Brigadier General William Roscrans. General Braxton Bragg was in charge of the Confederate troops. The fighting had been so intense that President Lincoln sent General Ulysses S. Grant to re-establish command. In fact, Lincoln's brother-in-law, Confederate Brigadier General Benjamin Hardin Helms was mortally wounded in the Battle. Federal Generals McDowell, Crittenden, and McCook were relieved of duty and order to Indianapolis to face a court of inquiry because of the way the Battle was handled.
"Following the Battle, Union troops retreated to Chattanooga to regroup and get supplies. However, food and supplies were nowhere to be found. Cutting federal supply lines was the first thing General Bragg and his men did. So, the Union troops were literally starving.
"When Grant arrived, he relieved Roscrans of his command and put General George Thomas in charge. Grant ordered Thomas to hold Chattanooga at all costs, but they knew that their men were too weak to put up much of a fight. The next day, Grant and Thomas took Army engineer, General William "Baldy" Smith to Brown's Ferry to try and figure out a way to sneak supplies to their men. Smith chose William Hazen and a couple of his men to scout the area. The plan was to load flat-bottom boats with food and supplies and move them quietly down the river under a blanket of fog right past the Confederate lookouts.
"One of Hazen's scouts, Tom Thrasher, came here to Rosemont Plantation on a cold October 25th night. The manor house where we are standing had been deserted by most of the family, but Laura Rosemont stayed behind to take care of her Grandfather, Beau Rosemont, who was dying and was too sick to move.
"According to records that were later excavated, Thrasher broke into the house looking for food and was confronted by Ms. Rosemont. A painting of her hangs here over the fireplace," explained the tour guide.
"Wow! She beautiful," Kate exclaimed. "Look at her eyes."
"Yeah," Jenny agreed. "You know, you could be her sister. You look just like her."
"You're crazy! I wish I looked like her," Kate said as she stared at the painting, unable to turn away.
"Thrasher seems to have been a typical low-life enlisted man, and when he saw Laura, he reportedly threatened to kill her grandfather if she didn't take care of his carnal needs," the guide said.
"Gross!" Kate said to Jenny.
"As the story goes, Laura led Thrasher to a back bedroom, and the repulsive man ordered her to take off her clothes in front of him while he ate bread and cheese he stole from the Rosemont's cupboard. Laura was determined not to cry or show fear in front of Thrasher. Her hands were trembling as she began slowly removing her outer garments. When she got to her undergarments, Thrasher told her to stop and said that he liked to open his own Christmas presents. He took out his hunting knife and walked toward her. Laura closed her eyes and stiffened, awaiting the assault.
"Instead of feeling filthy hands or cold steel against her throat, she practically jumped out of her skin at the sound of a gunshot. Laura opened her eyes, and a young Confederate Lieutenant, named Jerrod Price, was standing over Thrasher's prone body holding a spent pistol. Price kicked Thrasher to make sure he was dead and spit on him to emphasize his disgust. Laura was shaking from head to toe. Price turned to the young woman, took off his coat, and wrapped it around her. He looked at her with gentle blue eyes and asked her if she had been hurt. She shook her head 'no.' He then escorted her into the kitchen and built a fire in the stove to make her a cup of tea.
"When Laura had calmed down enough to think, she looked at the thin young man in her kitchen and figured he was no more than 22. His hands and face were stained with a combination of dirt, blood, and gunpowder. She looked down at his shirt and saw a growing blood stain. He smiled at her and told her not to worry. He had been stabbed in hand-to-hand combat, but it was just a flesh wound. Laura insisted on removing Jerrod's shirt. She cleaned and dressed the wound, and she filled a large bowl with hot water to allow him to clean himself.
"Laura started to leave to give the man some privacy, but he said that the shoulder injury she had just cleaned wouldn't allow him to reach the parts of his body that needed cleaning. He explained that he was a little embarrassed but asked if she could wash him. She looked into the kindly, shy eyes and consented," the guide continued.
"Excuse me," Kate interrupted. "You seem to have a lot of detail about this private encounter. How do you know all of this?"
The guide answered, "When we were renovating the plantation with the help of the Rockefeller Foundation grant, one of the items we unearthed was Laura Rosemont's diary. The section about her encounter with the lieutenant was quite detailed," the guide explained with a smile.
"Laura then cleaned and fed Price. According to the diary, they shared a bed that night in the main bedroom at the top of the stairs. Laura described the evening as the most intensely romantic and erotic experience of her life. The next day, the soldier got ready to rejoin his unit. But, before he left, he promised Laura that he would return for her."
"So, did they live happily ever after?" Kate asked.
"I'm sad to report that Price was killed in the Battle of the Little Tennessee Valley. Laura waited for him to return until after the war. Finally, she married a doctor from Atlanta and went on to have three children with him. He was reportedly an honorable and decent man, and she loved him. But, she never again felt the passion she experienced in the arms of her soldier savior.
"Though I have never seen or experienced anything personally, there have been several reported sightings of a man who bears a striking resemblance to the description of Jerrod Price that Laura included in her diary. Many believe that Jerrod Price returns to the manor to try and make good on his promise to find Laura," the guide explained.
"That's so sad," Kate said to Jenny. "Imagine having only one night with the man of your dreams and losing him forever. I can't imagine anything more tragic."
"I totally agree, but wouldn't this place be perfect for our Halloween fund raiser? Do you think they would allow it?" Jenny said.
"I don't know how you can think about parties after hearing that story, but, go and ask," Kate said. While Jenny was gone, Kate looked at the furnishings in the family room and moved closer to get a better look at Laura's portrait. Her eyes seemed sad, Kate thought. "Maybe I'm imagining things."
She caught up with Jenny, who was peppering the guide with questions about renting the facility for a night. Afterwards, Kate asked him about the diary.
"Actually, you can read it yourself. The Foundation reproduced it in book form, and it's available in the gift shop," he answered.
"I'll come by tomorrow to give you a deposit and make arrangements," Jenny said to the guide, who turned out to be Mr. Bryant, caretaker of the property.
"Thanks. It should be a great atmosphere for your fund raising event," he replied.
Kate and Jenny were part of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Benton College, and the sorority had adopted the local chapter of the Children's Defense League as the focus of their fund raising efforts for the year. The Halloween Ball would be the first major event, and they were hoping to raise $10,000 through corporate sponsorships and alumni connections.
Jenny was going to the Ball with Brad Keller. Kate had broken up with her boyfriend over the summer, so she didn't have a date.
"Katie, with those long legs and that killer body, I can fix you up with pretty much any man on campus," Jenny offered.
"Thanks, but we'll need worker bees for the event, and I'd rather work than have a blind date." Kate replied.
