New Additions and Event Information (Updated June 2007)

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Located near Courtland, Alabama, Pond Spring was home to Joseph Wheeler, former Major General of Cavalry of the great Confederate western army, The Army of Tennessee.  Wheeler was also a long-time U.S. Congressman following the Civil War, and  yet again became a Major General during the Spanish-American War (U.S. Army this time).   A man with a well-earned name, "Fightin' Joe" Wheeler became a national symbol for reunification and reconciliation following the Civil War and throughout the latter half of the 19th Century.  As the U.S. Congressman, he largely contributed toward the progressive economic direction the northern section of Alabama would pursue during the 20th Century.

History runs deep at Pond Spring and Wheeler.  The stories of the families and events surrounding the locale continue to draw the interest of all who choose to explore its depths.  Pond Spring and Wheeler Home history archived within this website is frequently updated to reflect our most recent discoveries.

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[Regarding the namesake owner of Pond Spring... One of the best known biographers of Joseph Wheeler, John P. Dyer, begins his book, "From Shiloh to San Juan," with the following description of the author's attempts to explore elements of the General's personality through interviews with people who knew him.  Dyer writes: ]

   " Tell me about General 'Fightin' Joe' Wheeler.  What was he like?"

     " I have put that request to scores of people in all walks of life - to old soldiers at reunions, to politicians, to grizzled farmers on porches of their dog-run houses in Alabama, to retired army officers puttering about in their gardens.  And almost invariably the reply has been the same, so much the same that one might suspect collusion.  They all express the same estimate as that given by a North Alabama farmer who had been the General's neighbor for years.  "I'll tell you," he said, "Joe Wheeler was the gamest little banty I ever seen.  He warn't afraid of nuthin' or nobody."

     They all smile when they remember Wheeler.  "

 - from the book "From Shiloh to San Juan," by John Percy Dyer, Louisiana State University Press.

Pond Spring, the Gen. Joe Wheeler Home is currently undergoing restoration and preservation work, this managed by the Alabama Historical Commission.  To facilitate this important work, it was necessary to close the Home to tours on 1 January 2000.

The grounds, cemeteries, and three of the outbuildings at Pond Spring, The General Joe Wheeler Home, are open by appointment for group tours.  Group (10+ people) admission rates are $4 for adults, $3 for Seniors, college students, military, $2 for children 6-18, and Free for children under 6 years old.

Please call the Site Director at 256-637-8513 to make an appointment for your group to visit Pond Spring. The Wheeler House is undergoing extensive restoration and remains closed to visitors.

Thank you for your interest, and hopefully, this new restoration effort will only be the beginning of many great things to come!

Where's Wheeler?

(Contact Information and Map to Pond Spring, the Home of General Joseph Wheeler)

Friends of the General Joe Wheeler Foundation Mission Statement

The purpose of the Friends of the General Joe Wheeler Foundation is to educate the public concerning the value of the General Joe Wheeler home, raise funds for the restoration of the structures involved, and preserve all the complex’s history for the benefit of the public and future generations.