During the Civil War, General George Steone Jr, sent Kenner Garrid's Division to the Flat Rock area in order to protect the Union rear during the Atlanta Campaign. Garrard's Raid to South River, Georgia, included the 7th Penn. Cavalry heading to Flat Rock Bridge, Georgia, July 28, 1864. Union foraging parties also searched the area for supplies to bring back to the Union army while they occupied Atlanta. There was a skirmish between the Union and Confederate armies, on November 16, 1864, after Sherman's armies successfully defeated the Southern Confederate armies in the Battle of Atlanta, the March to the Sea, which included about 26,000 Union soldiers heading East traveled through the Flat Rock area where they crossed Snow Finger Creek and continued through Lithonia and Conyers. Some Union soldiers described what they witnessed as they traveled the countryside in Sherman's March to the Sea which included the following: the area was peppered with freed slaves, venturing out of their cabins and plantations to meet the singing soldiers to celebrate what seemed to former slaves as the day of the Jubilee. Some freed souls claimed that Sherman was the Great Deliver, as one man claimed he had been waiting for this "Angel of the Lord since he was knee high", as he had come and freed them all. So many freed peoples overwhelmed the soldiers as they recalled seeing every type of person imaginable from old to young, mulatto to black, males and females. The soldiers wrote about seeing toothless aunties, old souls with gray heads, woman carrying their babies in their arms wearing old torn clothing and all running to thank the soldiers and embrace the flags which were flown by the many regiments and companies. The newly freed slaves, which seemed like thousands to the Union soldiers, ran after the troops to join the Army of the Lord to freedom. At every crossroad and plantation more freed people joined the crowds signing with the bands playing their instruments.