In 1864, State Representative, Elias Allred felt a conflict of conscience. As Sherman's army pushed into Georgia, he faced a dire decision that might cost him his honor, his freedom, even his life. As a partisan mountain war raged, Elias saw neighbors against neighbor. Vicious rebel gangs like the Jordan-Hanie bunch waged cruel raids on unionist folks. Undaunted, Allred formed a small party of trusted men who rode in search of union-lines and salvation. With caution to the wind, it'd be the hellish ride of their lives. His wife Martha, feared she'll never see her husband again as she was sent north for her protection. What ensues puts Elias in an irreversible web of deceit, mistrust and a treacherous path to disloyalty. Soon he's entangled in an unholy alliance with a mysterious master spy named, James G. Brown chief scout to Major General George Thomas. Caught between loyalties, Elias Allred is an ardent unionist who wants his County citizens to defend themselves with guns supplied by the Yankees. He's also sworn to his oath of office. All that changed when a murderous event at the hand of the Jordan-Hanie gang forces him into an act of treason. Wanting revenge, the once reluctant Elias, agrees to spy for Brown, who has his own plan; create a shadow government and a new state. It will be called, North Georgia. Arrested, Elias is imprisoned. When Governor Joseph E. Brown summons him to his office. Elias is handed his sentence, but it sure wasn't what he expected. Here, tells a remarkable, gritty, and forgotten story. Largely inspired on the accounts of Elias W. Allred of Pickens County, Georgia who defied the Southern Confederacy. His audacious deed stands as a measure of ones courage and conviction.
