USA > Georgia > Chatham County > Savannah > A history of Savannah and South Georgia, Volume I > Part 13
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This memorial was answered favorably, and the minutes of October 5, 1737, open with a list of the Trustees present at that time in which Oglethorpe's name appears with the title of eolonel prefixed to it, the reason for it being diselosed in the journal of the common couneil of that body of the same date, in these words: "Mr. Oglethorpe acquainted the common council that in pursuance of the Trustees' memorial to his Majesty, dated August 10, 1737, setting forth the state of the Colony of Georgia and the inability of the Trustees to protect his Majesty's subjects settled there against the dangers which they are apprehensive of from the late increase of Spanish forces at Havanna and St. Augustine, and pray- ing that his Majesty will order a necessary supply of forces for the pro- teetion of the province; that his Majesty had ordered a regiment of six hundred effective men to be raised for the defence of the Colony and to be sent thither. and that his Majesty had appointed him Colonel, James Cochran, Esq., Lieutenant-Colonel, and William Cook. Esq., Major of the said Regiment." The title of colonel was soon changed for that of a higher rank, and in a short time he received a commission as "General and Commander-in-Chief of all and singular the forces employed and to be employed in the provinees of South Carolina and Georgia in America."
It is to be presumed that a description of the uniform worn by the officers of Oglethorpe's regiment will be acceptable to some readers who take an interest in even the smallest particulars relating to the affairs of that good man. If the uniform has ever been heretofore described this writer has not had the good fortune to see it in print, and he takes . pleasure in giving it here as written in a letter to the late Bishop William
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Bacon Stevens from Professor William Mackenzie of the University of Edinburgh, dated 15th September, 1845, in which the writer said it was a "description of the uniform of Oglethorpe's regiment, taken from a painting of a soldier of that regiment, in a MS. volume in the library of the deceased Duke of York : Hat, old style three cornered, low roofed ; coat red and of ample dimensions, wide in the skirts-facings green, with a narrow stripe of white between and the body of the dress."
The rank of general was probably conferred about the 7th of June, 1738, as he is there mentioned with that title in the minutes of both the trustees and the common council.
CAUSTON'S FINANCES GO WRONG
Added to the suspicions of the trustees that the finances of the colony, as shown by Causton's aeeounts. were improperly managed, and that the increase in the number of certified accounts was not warranted, came complaints from certain persons of his overbearing spirit as well as representations of the grand jury of Savannah charging him with all sorts of misdeeds. Awakened to the faet that something was wrong, an investigation was made by a committee, and at a meeting held May 1, 1738, the following record was made in the minutes of the common council : "Read a report from the committee on accounts to the follow- ing purport : That they had examined several accounts lately received from Georgia whereby they find that large credit has been given to sev- eral persons by Mr. Causton for which no orders had been sent from the Trustees, and were of opinion that he must be called upon to give an account to the Trustees why such credits were given."
At a meeting of the Trustees, held on the 7th of June following, a copy of a letter written by order of that body to General Oglethorpe by Harmon Verelst, accountant, was inserted in the minutes. It begins with this statement: "The Trustees being greatly alarmed at the great number of certified accounts, amounting to one thousand four hundred and one pounds thirteen shillings and two penec brought for payment since Tuesday last, immediately met to concert the most proper measures to secure their effects in Georgia and Mr. Causton's person to answer for his conduct." To this letter Oglethorpe replied. "I have the Trustees' order for making an immediate seizure on Causton, his books and papers, and shall see them immediately executed. This must be kept with the greatest seerecy, for if he should know the orders before they are executed the effect will perhaps be prevented.
I have not trusted even my clerk. On the same day the common council met and recorded this action which was communicated to Oglethorpe: "The Common Couneil have this day sealed the removal of Mr. Thomas Causton from the office of first Baliff and the appointment of Mr. Henry Parker in his room which they desire you to use or not according to the Trustees' letter of the 2d instant; and Mr. Holland and Mr. Henry Archer being of opinion that after the arresting of Mr. Causton, which must be done at all events. but. if so, legal process to justify the apprehending and detaining him, after- wards it is the most proper the securing his books and papers. allowing him the use of his books and papers to make out his accounts from
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Lady Day, 1734, and taking the possession of the Trustees' effects. You should be desired only to continue him in custody, or on sufficient secur- ity, until his accounts are examined into."
OGLETHORPE'S SELF-SACRIFICE
Oglethorpe's reply to the Trustees is recorded in a long letter, written at Savannah, October 19, 1738, and from that letter the following extracts are taken : "I rec'd a copy of Mr. Verelst's letter dated the 4th Angust, and in answer to it am very glad that the prudent measures you took to stop all credit here has had an effect (as you mentioned) suitable to your intentions. * * * Upon my arrival I sent Mr. Jones from Fred- erica and have taken possession of the books and effects in ye store. Mr. Jones will receive them as soon as they can be delivered him regularly. I demanded an inventory of the stores which Mr. Causton has delivered (but Mr. Jones thinks 'tis imperfect). I send it herewith. *
* I am very sorry to send you such trifling papers, but they are the only
accounts I can yet get. * * I cannot as yet find that Causton has been guilty of getting for himself, tho' he has unaccountably trifled away the public money; one of the follies that has brought this ruine on is the trusting people that importuned him with goods and provisions of all kinds and let them discharge the debts by day labour in trifling works; whilst money was thus squandered, the real necessary charges of the Colony were not defrayed. The scout boatmen, rangers and others who defended the Province are not paid, and starving whilst the Trustees owe them money, and yet they were not only contented to stay till my arrival, but when I told them the Trustees' circumstances their affec- tion was so great that they offered to serve on until the Trustees' affairs mended. I thanked them, but reduced the Rangers, since I could not feed them with hopes of what I could not make good. The scout boats I have for this month paid out of my own money, since they are abso- lutely necessary, and I will not charge the Trustees with new debts. * # I can see nothing but destruction to the Colony unless some assistance be immediately sent us; I support things for awhile by some money I have in my hands and is the balance of my account with the Trustees, and the rest I supply with my own money, for I will not incur debts nor draw bills upon you ; and if the effects here go to pay the cer- tified accounts they will not near pay them, for they will not amount to half the sum of the debts incurred here that are not certified. If this (I know not what name to give it) had not happened, the Colony had overcome all its difficulties and had been in a flourishing condition. * I have already expended a great deal, and as far as the income of my estate and employments for this year will go, I shall sooner lay it ont in supporting the Colony (till I can hear from you) than in any other diversion. * *
* Another thing may lead you into a mistake in believing that there is money due to the store here, from the account Mr. Canston sent yon of goods issned from ye store to sundry persons ( a copy whereof you sent ine) whereas most of those people were creditors who were paid what was due to them from the store by giving them credit with the sloop owners. The short state of your affairs is, that this
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unhappy man Causton hath contracted a debt at home and abroad far beyond what the Trust is possessed of, therefore nothing ean be issued from the store except in payment of debt, since all belongs to the ered- itors. * **
* With respect to Causton's behaviour here, I have already mentioned. I examined him to know what could be the meaning that he dare exceed so excessively your orders and thereby plunging the Colony into its present difficulties. He answered that he made no ex- penses but what necessity foreed him to, and that he could prove that necessity. * * He did not pretend to justify himself in not send- ing over the balance of his accounts. His negligence to bring his ae- eounts to a balanee half yearly, or every year at least, has been the oeeasion of the melancholy situation he has put us in. Some things he alleged that had weight. * * He said further that he had not been guilty of any fraud, nor converted any of the Trustees' money to his own use. He at first seemed pretty stubborn, but upon a second exam- ination he was more submissive. When I was about to commit him, he pleaded that it was not usual here to commit freeholders for any but capital erimes; that Watson, who was aceused of killing a man, and had been found guilty by a jury, was bailed upon his own reeognizanee. That he submitted to the Trustees, and that all he had aequired in his six years' service and all that he had in the world was laid out in his lot in the Colony, and that he would give all as seenrity to abide and justify his aecounts. He has accordingly given seeurity. He has de- livered the stores, books, ete., unto Mr. Jones, according to your appoint- ment. *
* * I desire to know in what manner you would have me proceed in Causton's affair."
THE FALL OF CAUSTON
This matter of Causton's defaleation, added to other troubles in the colony, worried Oglethorpe probably more than he was willing to admit, and he tried, in his correspondenee at that particular time, to show a spirit of unconcern, and even to take a humorous view of his situation, as shown in this bit of pleasantry used in a letter to Alderman Heath- cote (whom he addressed as "dear George") on the 20th of November; "I am here in one of the most delightful situations as any man eould wish to be : a great number of debts, empty magazines, no money to sup- ply them, a number of people to be fed, mutinons soldiers to command, a Spanish elaim and a large body of their troops not far from us. But, as we are of the same kind of spirit, these difficulties have the same effeet upon me as those you met with in the city had upon you. They rather animate than dauut me." He several times more referred to the Causton affair, as in a letter to Mr. H. Verelst on the 22d of November ; "I cannot yet get Mr. Causton's balance of accounts, nor can I be sure on the debts due in Georgia;" to the Trustees, March 9, 1739: "The store hath received a second advice from you that you have sent back an account certified by Mr. Causton of $772.4.7 due to Mr. Symonds for goods delivered to the stores here, and that you have ordered it to be paid here;" to the same March 12th: "Mr. Jones hath acted with steadiness and courage ; he desired mne not to coutiri a certificate sigued
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by Mr. Causton in favour of Mr. Williams for the reasons in his letter. Mr. Williams is very angry. * A worse affair hath happened upon the civil letter wrote by the Trustees to Mr. Causton to furnish Colonel Cochran with what he wanted for the Regiment and paying for the same, a eredit hath been given to his order to ye amount of £935.13.3 and Mr. Causton hath taken from Colonel Cochran 198 in wines. This debt cannot be demanded of the Regiment, for regiments have nothing but the pay of each individual officer and man." There is very little more about this matter in the records of that period ; and so fell Thomas Caus- ton, the persecutor of John Wesley:
CHIAPTER XI
RELIGION, COMMERCE AND DEFENCE
COMING OF WHITEFIELD, WESLEY'S SUCCESSOR-JAMES HABERSHAM, HIS SUCCESSOR-FRANKLIN AND OGLETHORPE ON THE ORPHAN HOME- HARRIS AND HABERSHAM, MERCHANTS-PIONEERS, BUT NOT THE FIRST -IN DEFENSE OF THE COLONY-SECURING THE FRIENDSHIP OF THIE CREEKS-THE DEATH OF TOMO-CHI-CHI.
The Rev. George Whitefield, friend of John and Charles Wesley, moved by the spirit in which the elder of those two brothers put the matter before him, offered his services to the Trustees and was given the position in which he fully expected to aet only as a colaborer with his friend. In the month of December. 1737, he sailed from England in the Whitaker, of which Captain Whiting was the master, and with him also sailed James Habersham who became associated with him in the noble work of establishing and sustaining the orphan house, at Bethesda, about nine miles from Savannah, and who was a man of mueh import- anee in the Province of Georgia.
They had a long passage, and did not land at Savannah until the 7tli of May in the following year. Whitefield was welcomed by Mr. Dela- motte, Wesley's assistant, in the parsonage house, and the next day he read prayers and preached in the courthouse, after which he called - upon the magistrates. His labors did not really begin at onee, for he was attacked with fever and ague and was compelled to keep within doors for a week. Naturally, he made it his business to seek out Tomochichi. as he expected to minister to the Indians, and as soon as he was able he paid a visit to the chief, whom he found extremely ill. This illness was the beginning of the breakdown of the physical being of that good old man, who did not survive many months thereafter.
COMING OF WINTEFIELD, WESLEY'S SUCCESSOR
The appointment of Mr. Whitefield was made by the Trustees on the 21st of December, 1737, when it was "ordered that a license be made out for the Rev'd Mr. George Whitefield to perform ecclesiastieal offices in Georgia as a Deacon of the Church of England," and following this, on the 30th it was "ordered that the seal of the corporation be affix'd to an authority for the Rev'd Mr. George Whitefield to perform ecclesiastical offices at Frederica in Georgia as a Deacon of the Church of England."
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In some way Whitefield learned, before his arrival at Savannah, of the end having come to John Wesley's usefulness as a minister of the Gospel in Georgia, as shown by the following record in the journal of the Trustees, May 10, 1738: " Read a letter from the Rev. George White- field, dated at Gibraltar, February 20th, 1737-8, intimating that since his departure from England he hears that Rev'd Mr. John Wesley is returned to England, and is therefore desirous if the Trustees think proper for him to alter his measures they would send their orders to hin. Ordered that a letter be sent to the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield permitting him to perform ecclesiastical orders as a Deacon of the Church of England in Savannah, as well as Frederica, until another minister is provided for the town of Savannah."
William Stephens, secretary of the Trustees, thus wrote in his " Pro- ceedings" of the arrival of Whitefield at Savannah :
"Sunday, May 7, 1738 .- In the evening I was informed that a ship's boat was come up with divers people on it; among whom it was said there was a clergyman, which I thought good news, if his abode was to be at Savannah, too well knowing the want of a good and discreet pastor among ns.
"Monday, S .- He (Canston) went with me to make a visit to Mr. Whitefield, the minister, whom I congratulated on the oeeasion of his coming, and his safe arrival, promising myself great pleasure in his future aequaintanee."
The importance of the advent of Whitefield centers chiefly in his founding of the orphan house in Georgia which is still in existence, said (though this fact is doubted by some) to be the oldest institution of the kind in America and with which his name will always be inseparably connected. Let us take his own words in explanation of the founding of his home, as given in a letter to a friend :
"Romans xii, 17. 'Provide things honest in the sight of all men.'
"BETHESDA, in Georgia, March 21, 1745-6-Some have thought that the erecting such a building was only the produce of my own brain; but they are much mistaken; for it was first proposed to me by my dear friend, the Rev. Mr. Charles Wesley, who, with his excellency, General Oglethorpe, had concerted a scheme for carrying on such a design before I had any thoughts of going abroad myself. It was natural to think that as the Government intended this Province for the refuge and snp- port of many of our poor countrymen, that numbers of such adventurers must necessarily be taken off, by being exposed to the hardships which unavoidably attend a new settlement. I thought it, therefore, a noble design in the General to ereet a house for fatherless children: and he- lieving such a provision for orphans would be some inducement with inany to come over, I fell in with the design, when mentioned to me by my friend, and was resolved, in the strength of God, to prosecute it with all my might. This was mentioned to the honorable the Trustees. They took it kindly at my hands, and as I then began to be pretty popular at Bristol and elsewhere, they wrote to the Bishop of Bath and Wells for leave for me to preach a charity sermon on this occasion in the Abbey Church. This was granted, and I accordingly began immediately to compose a suitable discourse. But knowing my first stay at Georgia
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would necessarily be short, on aeeount of my returning again to take Priest's orders, I thought it most prudent to go and see for myself, and before prosecuting the scheme till I come home. ** * When I came to Georgia, I found many poor orphans who, though taken notice of by the honourable Trustees, yet, through the neglect of persons that aeted under them, were in miserable circumstances. For want of a house to breed them up in, the poor little ones were tabled out here and there; others were at hard service, and likely to have no education at all.
"Upon seeing this, and finding that his Majesty and Parliament had the interest of the Colony at heart, I thought I could not better show my regard to God and my country than by getting a house and land for these children, where they might learn to labour, read and write, and at the same time be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Accordingly, at my return to England, in the year 1738, to take Priest's orders, I applied to the honourable Society for a grant of five hundred acres of land, and laid myself under an obligation to build a house upon it, and to receive from time to time as many orphans as the land and stock would maintain. As I had always acted like a elergyman of the Church of England. having preached in a good part of the London churches, and but a few months before collected near a thousand pounds sterling for the children belonging to the Charity Schools in London and Westminster, it was natural to think that I might now have the use at least of some of these churches to preach in for the orphans hereafter more immediately to be committed to my care. But by that time I had · taken Priest's orders, the spirit of the clergy began to be much embit- tered. Churches were gradually denied mne-and I must let this good design drop, and thousands (and I might add ten thousands) go without hearing the word of God, or preach in the fields. Indeed, two churches, one in London, viz., Spitalfields. and one in Bristol, viz., St. Philip's and Jaeob, were lent me upon this occasion, but those were all. I col- lected for the Orphan House in Moorfields two and fifty pounds one Sab- bath day morning, twenty-two pounds of which were in eopper. In the afternoon I collected again at Kensington Common, and continued to do so at most of the places where I preached. Besides this, two or three of the Bishops and several persons of distinction contributed, until at length, having gotten about a thousand and ten pounds, I gave over collecting, and went with what I had to Georgia. At that time multitudes offered to accompany me; but I chose to take over only a surgeon and a few more of both sexes that I thought would be useful in carrying on my design. My dear fellow traveler, William Seward, Esq., also joined with them. Our first voyage was to Philadelphia, where I was willing to go for the sake of laying in provision. I laid ont in London a good part of the thousand pounds for goods, and got as much by them in Philadel- phia as nearly defrayed the family's expense of coming over. IIere God blessed my ministry daily * *
"January following, 1739, I met my family at Georgia, and being unwilling to lose any time I hired a large house and took in all the or- phans I could find in the colony. A great many, also, of the town's children eame to school gratis, and many poor people that could not . maintain their children upon application had leave given them to send
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their little ones, for a month or two, or more as they could spare them, till at length my family consisted of between sixty and seventy. Most of the orphans were in poor case; and three or four almost eat up with lice. I likewise erected an infirmary, in which many siek people were enred and taken care of gratis. I have now with me a list of upwards of a hundred and thirty patients which were under the surgeon's hands, exclusive of my own private family. About March I began the great house, having only about one hundred and fifty pounds in cash. I called it Bethesda, because I hoped it would be a home of mercy to many souls. Many boys have been put out to trades, and many girls put out to service. I had the pleasure the other day of seeing three boys work at the house in which they were bred, one of them out of his time, a journeyman, and the others serving under their masters. One that I brought from New England is handsomely settled in Carolina; and another from Philadelphia is married, and lives very comfortably in Savannah. We have lately begun to use the plough; and next year I hope to have many acres of good oats and barley. We have near twenty sheep and lambs, fifty head of cattle, and seven horses. We hope to kill a thousand weight of pork this season. Our garden is very beautiful, and furnishes us with all sorts of greens, etc., etc. We have plenty of milk, eggs, poultry, and make a good deal of butter weekly. A good quantity of wool and cotton have been given me, and we hope to have sufficient spun and wove for the next winter's clothing. If the vines live, we may expect two or three hogshead of wine ont of the vineyard. The family now consists of twenty-six persons. Two of the orphan boys are blind, one is little better than an idiot. I have two women to take care of the household work, and three men and two boys employed about the plantation and cattle. A set of Dutch servants has been lately sent over. The magistrates were pleased to give me two; and I took in a poor widow, aged near seventy, whom nobody else cared to have. A valuable young man from New England is my schoolmaster, and in my absence performs duty in the family. On Sabbaths the grown people attend in public worship at Savannah, or at White Bluff, a village near Bethesda, where a Dutch minister officiates. The house is a noble, com- modious building, and everything sweetly adapted for bringing up youth. Georgia is very healthy; not above one, and that a little child, has died out of our family since it removed to Bethesda."
JAMES HABERSHAM, HIS ASSOCIATE
Whitefield had the most hearty cooperation of the Hon. James Habersham in that good work. This gentleman was born at Beverly, in Yorkshire, England, in the year 1712, and of his early life we know scarcely anything. In some way he found Mr. Whitefield and greatly liked him. We are informed that when Mr. Habersham proposed to accompany his friend to Georgia his family demurred; but young Habersham had a will of his own and he followed his own judgment- that the step he proposed to take was the right one. His interest in the Bethesda scheme was intense, and he was at the head of that institution whenever Whitefield was absent. He attended to the removal of the
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orphans to the new building erected at Bethesda in 1741, and was made the president of the home. The position he held until 1744, when he resigned and entered into business with Mr. Franeis Harris, and that is supposed to have been the first commercial house established in Georgia. It built up a great business, and was of great assistance to the colony. Mr. Habersham was the founder of the illustrious family which has always stood for what is honorable, just and patriotic in the public affairs of Georgia and of Savannah in partienlar. He earried on an extensive correspondence, and a large portion of his letters on publie matters have been recently published by the Georgia Historieal Society. He was appointed one of the assistants to the President of the province of Georgia when a change in the form of government was made. Dur- ing the administration of Governor John Reynolds, in 1754, he was ap- pointed Secretary of the province and one of the Couneillors, and in 1767, he was President of the upper house of assembly. While Sir James Wright was Governor he requested leave of absence and begged that Mr. Habersham be appointed to till his place. The request was granted and that gentleman was really the Governor all the time that Wright was in England. He went to New Brunswick, New Jersey, in the summer of 1775, hoping that the trip would benefit his health, which was not good, but he died there on the 28th of August. The Georgia Gazette, printed in Savannah, in noticing his death said of him:
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