The Legend of Abner Clayton Haney
My family legend is that Abner Clayton Haney served on General Tecumseh Sherman’s March to the Sea. He was with the troops that went through Georgia and Atlanta. Family stories have also indicated that he was involved in the “Battle Above the Clouds’ in Look Out Mountain, Tennessee. One story alleges that he was coming up the mountain when he encountered his own cousin, who was wounded seriously, was being taken down the mountain. Abner didn’t find out if his cousin had survived until the end of the war, which was rumored that he had..
Another family story passed down concerning Abner happens during a retreat that the Union Army was involved in somewhere in Georgia.
Abner was running out of the low lands when he encountered a Union Army Captain. The Captain who was desperately trying not to give ground to the confederates, said “son, I want to you to take your pistol and shoot every man running out of that swamp. We are not cowards and we are going to hold that line”. The captain quickly left and Abner was somehow able to carry out his orders, survive, and connect with the rest of his unit where they took on other battles.
I’d to share with the world the story of his courage and let others who may be related to him hear these legends