Sparta became the seat of justice for Hancock County in 1795 and a chartered town on Dec. 3, 1803. Located at an Indian trading post and in constant danger of border trouble, it was named Sparta to reflect the bravery of its pioneer citizens. In 1864, when Gen. Sherman neared Sparta on his march to the sea, Capt. Harry Culver, C.S.A., home on leave, gathered whatever men he could find and, by shouting orders as if an army stood behind him, met the Federal outpost and caused the troops to turn toward Sandersville at Kennedy’s Store beyond Devereux, leaving Sparta unmolested.