"Aunt Millie Henderson"

Millie Henderson was an enslaved African woman. Her owner was John S. Henderson, the son of a Scottish
immigrant, came to the local area from Tennessee with his brother William and Millie. He bought land that included
the old farm of Jesse Lane, where the stage stopped, another property that was called the Hawkins place, the Dr. A.
Q. Simmons place, and 180 acres of woodlands that made a total of 720 acres. His house was situated on the east side
of the LaFayette Road with cedar trees in the yard. He also brought boxwood from his home in Tennessee. The
Henderson Plantation prospered.
The grave of "Aunt" Millie Henderson.
At the time of the 1860 census, John S. Henderson was 52 years old, and had $12,800 in real estate and $12,385 in
personal assets. Along with his 42 year-old wife, Henderson's household consisted of five sons and a daughter. Two
of the sons were eager to join the Confederate Army at the start of the war. Millie managed much of the day to day
work on the plantation. The Henderson children were taught to call her "Aunt" Millie.
Her position on the plantation was demonstrated in the spring of 1863, when the Confederate and Federal armies
began moving toward Walker County. The people in the local area realized that the war was coming to their home
area. Some of them decided to become refugees from the war by moving further south. Others decided to take
different precautions. John S. Henderson felt that it was time to hide his gold. He trusted Millie, the Black woman he
had brought with him from Tennessee, more than anyone else in his household. "He took Aunt Millie and went over
in the woods east of the house," his grandson J. Frank Henderson later wrote, "and buried a lot of gold. He would let
no one see him bury the gold except Aunt Millie, because he knew that she would die before she would tell where his
gold was. He gave Aunt Millie a certain amount of gold to use in case of emergency. She tied it around her waist and
carried it in that manner all through the war."
During the weeks that led up to the Battle of Chickamauga, numerous Confederate military units passed on the road
by the Henderson Plantation. Millie frequently had food for the passing soldiers and was always ready to draw fresh
water from the well to fill their canteens. The men were grateful and in thanking her many asked her name.
On September 18, 1863, Confederate forces moved back up the road in preparation for the battle. General Thomas
Hindman's Division was one of the first to reach the John S. Henderson plantation on the LaFayette Road. General
Leonidas Polk, the corps commander, was also present, and established his headquarters in the Henderson house. The
men of Hindman's unit were glad to be back on the Henderson plantation. They remembered Millie and when they
again needed water many of them greeted her by name.
The Federals of Crittenden's Corps occupied the area around Lee and Gordon's Mills on the opposite side of the
creek. Through the afternoon there was sharp skirmishing and a brisk artillery duel between the opposing forces.
Because of the undulating nature of the terrain on the eastern side of West Chickamauga Creek, the Federal artillery
shells did little damage to the Confederates. Many of the Federal shells, one Confederate officer, observed, passed
over the heads of the prone infantrymen and burst in the rear. One ball, however, did strike the rear of Clarissa Hunt's
house, piercing the wall, going through an inner wall, and through another door before fragmenting. At the
Henderson plantation the faithful Millie Henderson was drawing water for the soldiers when bullets and shell
fragments began flying through the air. Millie showed no fear. "Lie down, Millie. Lie down," the concerned soldiers
called to her. She carefully placed the bucket on the ground and hid behind the well.
Following the Battle of Chickamauga, a Confederate hospital was established at the Henderson house. Millie worked
constantly with the wounded, and her gentle hands were the last touch many knew before they died. Those who
recovered never forgot the care she took of them.
Following the Confederate defeat at Missionaray Ridge, the northern portion of Walker County became a part of the
area under military occupation. This status was extended over the entire county when the Confederate Army was
pushed south after the battle of Resaca. Under occupation, the civilian court system and law enforcement personnel
ceased to exist. The only form of law was that exercised from the Federal military headquarters at Chattanooga.
The Federal Army at Chattanooga conducted periodic official patrols into Walker County for the purpose of forage
or reconnaissance. These visits were conducted, more or less, in accordance to regulations. Horses, mules, and food
were requisitioned and all firearms confiscated. While there was some looting, this was usually discouraged by the
officers. There were no such limitations, however, on off duty soldiers, usually cavalrymen, who made private trips
into the area looking for adventure or something to steal. "The Yankees had a Provost Marshall's Office at Lee and
Gordon's Mill," J. Frank Henderson stated. "They had it in the old Jim Gordon house. It stood on the top of the hill
about where the Shields' house is now. The citizens have to go down there ever so often and give an account of their
conduct. They made old Aunt Millie go down there one day and give an account of herself. She was somewhat
impudent to a Yankee."
"Grandma fared very well," Henderson continued, "until after the Battle of Missionary Ridge ... [The area then
became what] we would call today No Man's Land ... At this time the food situation became very serious with
Grandma and everyone else that were not behind the Confederate lines. The Confederates had scoured the country
for food and forage for their animals and now they had the Yankees to contend with. They pilfered the country all the
time and there was nothing much left in the country. The Yankees always moved along with good sized patrols from
a Platoon to a full Company. On one occasion, a soldier went in Grandma's house and carried out the last sack of
meal that they had and Aunt Millie stepped up behind him and caught the sack by each corner and jerked him flat of
his back. He jumped up and was going to shoot her, but an officer stopped him."
After the war, John Henderson returned and used the money that Millie had kept safe for him to rebuild the
plantation. Millie never accepted emancipation. She spent the rest of her life on the plantation living as she had
always lived. The family buried her and her daughter Mary on a portion of the property. This little cemetery has been
restored and is maintained by Pvt. John Engraham Camp 1977 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
(Info from Chickamauga Campaign Heritage Trail)