the style of an Italian villa. It had mantels of black and white marble imported from Italy and also had "unheard of conveniences, such as hot and cold running water." Barnsley had his house built on an acorn-shaped hill. An old American Indian, who worked with Barnsley, warned him not to build on that piece of property. He explained that the site was sacred to the Cherokee and that anyone who tried to live on it would be cursed. Barnsley ignored the Indian's advice and started construction anyway. Tragedy Barnsley was with his father-in-law in New York City when the latter died on June 11, 1838, aged 62. Barnsley's own fortune soon changed after moving into his mansion. His infant son died and, in the summer of 1845, Julia died of tuberculosis. Barnsley still continued to build the mansion after Julia's death because he felt her presence at the site. He toured Europe in search of "elegant furnishings" to decorate his estate. In 1850, Barnsley's oldest daughter, Anna, got married and moved to England. Adelaide, Barnsley's second daughter, died in the mansion in 1858. Civil War When the American Civil War started, the cotton Barnsley brokered was no longer sellable and wound up rotting in warehouses in New Orleans. During the war, Barnsley moved back and forth from Woodlands to New Orleans. Two of Barnsley's sons, George and Lucien, joined the Confederacy, and in 1862, Howard, Barnsley's oldest son, was killed by Chinese pirates while searching in the Orient for "exotic shrubbery" to add to the mansion. On May 18, 1864, Colonel Robert G. Earle, who was part of the Second Alabama Light Cavalry and a friend of Barnsley, rode to Barnsley's house to warn him that Sherman's troops were approaching. He instead was shot down within sight of the mansion. Earle's body was buried at Woodlands. When Union troops did arrive at the site, Federal General McPherson ordered his men not to destroy Barnsley's estate, but his orders were ignored. Italian statuary was smashed in hopes of finding hidden gold. Wine and food were stolen. What could not be stolen was smashed, including windows and China. Leaving Woodlands By the end of the war, Barnsley moved to New Orleans to try to regain his lost fortune. He left Woodlands to be managed by James Peter Baltzelle, a Confederate army captain, who had married his daughter Julia. Baltzelle made a