Summary of August 20, 1864 Cavalry Battle
The cavalry charge at Nash Farm has been pin-pointed by the many Civil War cavalry artifacts that have been recovered by the Lamar Institute Archaeological survey in March 2007 and by many other relic hunters in the past 40 years. This battlefield area in this community has not been some type of secret hidden secret but has instead been known for a long time by many local families who have lived in this community for over 8 generations. This area is also well known by the many relic hunters, (armed with metal detectors) who have on a yearly basis unearthed artifacts in this area for the last 4 decades. (Source) - Conversations with many people who live in the community of Nash Farm - Communication and close acquaintances of many well known/respected relic hunters who have collected artifacts from the Lovejoy area.
Two large private artifact collections recovered at Nash Farm were also used to help determine the direction of Kilpatrick's saber charge and to piece together a much larger picture of the battle itself. Each collection was consistent to what each collector had found and both collections were consistent to what ammunition was issued and used by Kilpatrick's cavalry command It is also noteworthy that both collections were similar in the same type of artifacts unearthed by the Lamar Institute Archaeological survey team at Nash Farm. The pattern of Battlefield artifacts recovered at Nash Farm and in the vicinity of this community has played an absolutely vital role in understanding the battles that took place in the Lovejoy area on August 20, 1864.
One relic hunter recovered many cavalry artifacts at Nash Farm, most notable were (Six 1860 model, U.S. cavalry sword handles) excavated in the area where Kilpatrick's cavalry slammed into Ross' Texas cavalry, (between the Clayton/Henry County line and the Nash farm house. Ironically another cavalry sword handle was recovered in the exact same area during the archaeological dig in March 2007. Another relic hunter unearthed 2 CSA belt buckles in the same general area over 20 years ago. One large artifact collection was mostly recovered near the SW pond and the high ridge located in the proximity of the power lines. Some of this collector's most notable finds included a U.S. and a CSA belt buckle. Both of these collections also housed many fired and spent bullets which prove official record sources of the infantry engagement which took place on the Confederate "Right Flank" from September 2 - 6, 1864. Numerous campsite artifacts were also discovered in several areas in the back fields of the Nash Farm property. The name "Nash Farm" does not appear in any official records. It was but one of many farms in the area and the Cavalry battle of August 20th became known by other names.
The cavalry battle at "Browns Mill" to the southwest at Newnan, was just like Nash Farm, (not recorded in the official records), but historians and the local community alike knows it took place there. The same can be said of many other important landmarks that were not mentioned in the official records. Cobb's Mill near Atlanta was also one of those places who name was eventually lost in records and time. Cobb's Mill, (located south of Atlanta), was the last resting spot for many southern soldiers before they moved out to the battlefields of Atlanta and their commander, (General H.T. Walker), was mortally wounded at Terry's Mill Pond.
