USA > Georgia > Chatham County > Savannah > A history of Savannah and South Georgia, Volume I > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62
" 'The King's most Excellent Majesty in Council.
" 'Whereas by the late Act of Uniformity which established the Liturgy, and enacts. That no Form or Order of Common Prayers be openly used in and by the said Book, it is notwithstanding, provided that in all those Prayers, Litanies and Collects which do anywise relate to the King, Queen or Royal Progeny, the Names be altered and changed from time to time and fitted to the present occasion according to the Direction of lawfull Authority. His Majesty was pleased this Day in Council to declare his royal Will and Pleasure that in all the Prayers, Liturgies and Colleets for the Royal Family instead of the words [ their Royal Highnesses. George Prince of Wales, the Princess Dowager of Wales, the Duke, the Princesses and all the Royal Family] be inserted [Her Royal Highness, the Princess Dowager of Wales and all the Royal Family]. And his Majesty doth strictly charge and command that no Edition of the Common Prayer be from henceforth printed but with this Amendment, and that in the meantime till copies of such Edition
141
SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
may be had, all Parsons, Viears and Curates within this Realm do (for the preventing of Mistakes) with the Pen correet and amend all such Prayers in their Church Books according to the aforegoing Direction; and for the better Notice hereof that this Order be forthwith printed and published and sent to the several Parishes and that the Right Reverend, the Bishops do take care that Obedience be paid to the same accordingly. ".F. VERNON.'
"A copy of the Proclamation for continuing the Officers in his Majesty's Plantations as follows, vizt. :
""By the King. " 'A Proclamation.
" 'Declaring his Majesty's Pleasure for continuing the Officers in his Majesty's Plantations till his Majesty's Pleasure shall be further signified.
" 'George R.
" 'Whereas by an Act of Parliament made in the Sixth Year of the late Queen Ann of blessed Memory, "intituled an Act for the security of her Majesty's Person and Government and of the succession of the Crown of Great Britain in the Protestant Line," it was enacted (amongst other things) that no Office Place or Employment, Civil or Military, within any of her said late Majesty's Plantations should become void by Reason of the Demise or Death of her said late Majesty, her Heirs or Successors, Kings or Queens of this Reahn; but that the Person and Persons in any of the Offices, Places or Employments aforesaid should continue in their respective Offices, Places and Employments for the Space of six Months next after such Death or Demise unless sooner removed and discharged by the next in Succession to whom the Crown of this Realm should come, remain and be according to the several Acts of Parliament for limiting and settling the Snecession of the Crown as by the said recited Aet may appear; and in Regard it may happen that our Pleasure may not within the said Time be declared touching the said Offices, Places and Employments in our foreign Plantations which will at the End of the said six Months become void; We for preventing the Inconvenience that may happen thereby in our Princely Wisdom and Care of the State (reserving to our Judgment hereafter the Refor- mation and Redress of any Abuses in the Execution of any such Offices, Places and Employments upon due Knowledge and Examination thereof). Have thought fit with the Advice of our Privy Council to issue this our Royal Proclamation, And do hereby order, signify and declare That all persons that at the Time of the Deeease of our Royal Grand- father, King George the Second of glorious Memory were duly and lawfully possessed of or invested in any Office, Place or Employment, civil or military, in any of our Plantations and which have not been since removed from such, their Offices, Places or Employments shall be and shall hold themselves continued in the said Offices, Places and Em- ployments as formerly they held and enjoyed the same until our Pleasure be further known, or other Provisions be made pursuant to the Com- missions and Instructions of our said late Royal Grandfather to his Governors and Officers of their Plantations aforesaid: And that in the mean Time for the Preservation of the Peace and necessary Proceedings
-
142
SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
in Matters of Justice and for the Safety and Service of the State, all the said Persons of whatever Degree or Condition do not fail everyone severally according to his Place, Office or Charge to proceed in the Per- formance and Execution of all Duties thereunto belonging as' formerly appertained unto them during the Life of our late said Royal Grand- father; And further we do hereby will and command all and singular our Subjects in the said Plantations of what estate or Degree they or any of them be to be aiding, helping and assisting at the Commandment of the said Officers in the Performance and Execution of the said Offiees and Places as they tender our Displeasure and will answer the Contrary at their utmost Perils.
"'Given at our Court in Saville House the twenty-seventh Day of October, one thousand seven and sixty in the first Year of our Reign. "''God Save the King.'
"Whereupon it was proposed by his Honour in Council that seventy- seven Minute Guns be fired on Monday, the ninth Day of this Instant February, at Savannah between the Hours of nine and twelve in the Forenoon and that the High and mighty Prince George Prinee of Wales be proclaimed throughout the Province our lawful and right- ful Liege Lord George the third by the Graee of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith Supreme Lord of this his Province of Georgia and all other his late Majesty's Territories and Dominions in America: at the Town of Savannah on Tuesday the tenth Day of this instant February; and also at Sunbury, Frederiea, and Augusta, in the said Province under a triple Discharge of the Can- non and Musquetry; and that the same be done in the Words and aceording to the Form transmitted hither by the Lords of his Majesty's most honourable privy Couneil, herein before inserted.
"Also that his Majesty's Proclamation for continuing all Offieers in his Plantations in their several Places and Employments until his Majesty's Pleasure shall be further signified, be published at the said several Places at the same Time.
"And also that his Majesty's Instructions for an Alteration to be made in the Prayers for the Royal Family be likewise published and duly observed in the several Parish Churches and other Places of Divine Worship throughout the Provinee."
At the next sitting of the council, Saturday, 7th February, it was stated in the Journal that "The several Matters proposed on Thursday, the fifth of this Instant February, were at this Board read over, ap- proved, and ordered to be carried into Execution."
On Tuesday the 10th of February, 1761, "His Honour the Governor and the Council being assembled and a Proelamation in the Words and Form transmitted hither by the Lords of his Majesty's most honourable privy Couneil having been prepared fair, wrote on a large Sheet of Paper the same was subscribed by his Honour and the Council As also by Numbers of the Principal Inhabitants and Planters of the Prov- ince who attended for that Purpose, and is as follows, viz. :
"Whereas it hath pleased Ahnighty God to call to his Merey our late Sovereign Lord King George the Second of blessed and glorious Memory, by whose Decease the imperial Crown of Great Britain France
143
SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
and Ireland, as also the supreme Dominion and sovereign Right of the Province of Georgia and all other his late Majesty's Dominions in America are solely and rightfully come to the high and Mighty Prince, George Prince of Wales; We therefore, the Lieutenant Governor and Council with Numbers of the Principal Inhabitants and Planters of this Province do now hereby with one full Voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart publish and proelaim that the High and Mighty Prince George, Prince of Wales is now by the Death of our late Sovereign of happy and glorious Memory become our only lawfull and Rightfull Liege Lord, George the Third by the Graee of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland. Defender of the Faith, Supreme Lord of the said Province of Georgia and all other his late Majesty's Territories and Dominions in America; to whom We do acknowledge all Faith and constant Obedience with all hearty and humble Affection; beseeehing God by whom Kings and Queens do reign to bless the Royal King George the third with long and happy years to reign over Us. Given at the Couneil Chamber in Savannah the tenth Day of February in the year of our Lord, one seven hundred and sixty-one.
"God Save the King.
"Signed-Phil Delegal, William Francis, James De Veaux. Inigo Jones, Henry Parker, John Morel. William Ewen, William Dews. Joseph Summers, James Mossman. Jno. Simpson, James Parker, Benja Gold- wire, Pickering Robinson. William Handley, Charles Watson, Matt Roche, W. G. D. Brahm, Grey Elliott, John Milledge, James Read, Ed- mund Tannalt, David Montaigue, Thos. Hooper, Benjamin Farley, Lewis Johnson, Clemt Martin, James Wright, Patrick Houstonn, James Haber- sham, N. Jones, Francis Harris, James Edward Powell, William Knox, William Clifton.
PUBLIC CEREMONIES PROCLAIMING NEW SOVEREIGN
"Then the Regulars and Militia. being under Arms, and drawn up by their respective Officers before the Council Chamber and the Win- dows thrown open the Clerk of the Council, by order of his Honour the Governour, did publish the said Proclamation audibly and distinetly under a discharge of twenty-one Pieces of Cannon: After which the said Proclamation being delivered to the Provost Marshal, His Honour and the Council accompanied by the principal Inhabitants and attended by the Regulars and Militia proceeded to the Market Place where the Pro- vost Marshal published the said Proclamation under a like Diseharge of Cannon; Then the Procession moved to the Fort in Savannah called Hallifax Fort where the Provost Marshal did again publish the same under a like Discharge of the Cannon and a Triple Discharge of the Musquetry ; And his Majesty's Proclamation for continuing all Officers, &c., was then published."
The next meeting of council was held on Wednesday, February 11, when-
"His Honour the Governour and the Gentlemen of the Council present did this Day severally take the State Oaths and declare and subscribe the Teste on the Occasion of his Majesty, King George the
144
SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
third being proclaimed; as at the same Time did also the Clerk of the Council.
"Then his Honour proposed to the Board that an Address of Con- dolence and Congratulation to his Majesty should be drawn up and transmitted Home on this interesting and important Occasion which was joyfully and unanimously assented to and drawn up accordingly in the Words following, vizt. :
"'To the King's most Exeellent Majesty the humble Address of the Lieutenant Governor and Council of the Province of Georgia.
" 'Most gracious Sovereign :
" 'We, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lieuten- ant Governor and Council of your Majesty's Province of Georgia, though by our Distance prevented the Happiness of Approaching your Saered Person, yet deeply affected with the most unfeigned Coneern, humbly beg Leave to Condole with your Majesty on the Death of your Royal Grandfather, our late most grations Sovereign, whose Justice and Merey, were equal to the Lustre of his Arms and Dignity of his Crown; So sensible a Loss could only be alleviated by your Majesty's immediate and happy Accession to the Throne, as from a Prinec so eminently pos- sessed of every royal virtue. We promise our Selves a continuance of the greatest Blessings.
"'Permit Us therefore most gratious Sovereign to mingle our very sincere and affectionate Congratulations with those of Your Majesty's other faithful Subjects on this great and important Event; and also to assure your Majesty that the Inhabitants of this Provinee are zealous and united in their Attachment to your Majesty's Royal Person and Goverment. It is their earnest Prayer that your Majesty may long continue to reign over a grateful and happy People: That you may long continue the Arbiter of Europe, and the sure Refuge of oppressed Nations; and that your People to their latest Posterity may be ever blessed with a Prince of your illustrious House endowed with your Majesty's most amiable Virtues and Accomplishments.
" 'In the Council Chamber, Savannah in Georgia, the 11th February, 1761.'
"Then the said Address being read over and approved was signed by his Honour the Governour and the President of the Couneil in Order to be forwarded for England."
At the next following meeting :
"His Honour the Governor put the Question 'Whether it was at this Time necessary that a new Assembly should be ealled ?'
"The Board were unanimous in Opinion that it was extremely nee- essarv.
"Ordered, That the Secretary of this Provinee do prepare writs for electing Members to represent the Different Parishes and Places of this Province in general Assembly."
1
CHAPTER XV
GEORGIA'S LAST ROYAL GOVERNOR
WRIGHT'S GOOD TRAITS-RISING DISCONTENT AGAINST ROYALTY-PROS- PEROUS CONDITION OF COLONY-SUNBURY-SPIRIT OF SEDITION IN GEORGIA-GOVERNOR WRIGHT'S DILEMMA-REPEAL OF THE STAMP ACT ACKNOWLEDGED-FRANKLIN, GEORGIA'S BRITISH AGENT-RENEWED PROTESTS AGAINST BRITISH ACTS-HOUSE RESENTS WRIGHT'S INTER- FERENCE.
The last royal governor of Georgia was James Wright, who succeeded Henry Ellis in 1760, and of whom brief mention has been made. His appointment was dated May 13th, of that year, but he did not reach Savannah until October. His long administration was without doubt the most important as well as the most eventful since the time of Ogle- thorpe, as the seven years' war between Great Britain and the thirteen colonies, resulting in the independence of the latter, was embraced within that period.
WRIGHT'S GOOD TRAITS
Wright was, in some respects, well fitted for the position to which he was appointed. and his acts met with the general approval of the government in England. Of the many incidents connected with his residence in Savannah and the provinec of Georgia the details will be found in the following pages as they come before us in regular chrono- logical sequence. The journal of the governor and council of Friday, October 31, 1760, gives an account of his inauguration which, with the exception of the insertion in full of his commission and the several oaths taken on the occasion, is remarkably brief. It states that "James Wright, Esq., being introduced, laid before the Board his most sacred. Majesty's Commission appointing him Lieutenant Governor of the Province, which commission was read by the Clerk and ordered to be entered." After quoting the commission in full it proceeds: "Then the said James Wright. Esq .. took all the state oaths appointed by law and declared and subscribed the Tests and took the oaths for administering the Government and for seenring the Act of Trade and Navigation." He found here a colony whose population amounted to no more than ninety-five hundred and seventy-eight. of whom there were thirty-five hundred and seventy-eight negro slaves, while, for the protection of the Vol. 1-10
145
- 1
146
SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
people against invasion. the military foree numbered about one thousand and twenty-five, ineluded in which were two companies of rangers, inde- pendent companies known as " Independent Companies in his Majesty's serviee," and militia. The principal town, Savannah. had at that time between three and four hundred small frame houses, with a few public buildings of more imposing appearance, as mentioned by De Brahm, whom we have already quoted.
Wright adopted many plans for the welfare of the people and the progress of the colony in the matters of agriculture and commeree, and, like his predecessors, one of the first steps taken by him was to secure the friendship of the Indians, and to assure them of his desire to look after their interests. He was firm in the stand he took in respect to what he considered intrusion upon the rights of his dominion, and protested against certain aets of Governor Boone, of South Carolina, in 1763, whereby that official endeavored to retard the progress of Georgia by issuing grants to a large portion of territory south of the Altamaha. Protesting against such proceedings. and meeting with no success from that method of acting. Wright laid the matter before the Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, and that body put a stop to the issuing of grants.
He had another trouble with the chief justice of the province, Will- iam Grover, who proved to be anything than honorable in the performance of his duties, and who, when confronted with the charge of being unjust and with using his office for advancing his personal interests, retorted by publishing a libel upon the governor. filled with vituperation and defamatory epithets which only served to bring the writer into disgrace and to cause his suspension from office.
RISING DISCONTENT AGAINST ROYALTY
Until the news of the passage of the stamp act, in 1765. was received in Georgia, everything was cahn and restful under the conservative poliey of the man who represented the British government in that nation's far-away dependeney, but then the time had eome when his life was to be spent with a continual feeling that he eould no longer carry out the will of his sovereign and at the same time please the ma- jority of the people who had theretofore looked upon him as a friend. During the years to follow he had around him many who continued loyally to obey the laws of the mother country while a vast number saw in the measures adopted by parliament nothing but oppression and tyranny. The time was not far distant when he should find his task so arduous as to foree him to deelare, as he did in a letter to the Earl of Dartmouth, secretary of state. dated July 10, 1775. "It being impossible, my Lord. for me to submit to these daily insults, I must again request his Majesty will be graciously pleased to give me leave to return to England." and a little further on, "I begin to think a King's Governor has little or no business here;" and only a week later to make this utterance. apparently in anguish of mind: "I am humbly to request that his Majesty will be graciously pleased to give me leave to return to England in order to resign the Goverment." He reeon-
147
SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
sidered the matter, however, and remained in office until the inde- pendence of the colonies was established, and England had no further need of a royal governor in any of the thirteen provinces which had unitedly succeeded in winning the liberty which they stubbornly con- tended for during a disastrous war of seven years.
The first aet on the part of Georgia's patriots to eause his disap- pointment was the adoption of a resolution by the general assembly in regard to William Knox, agent of the province in England, who wrote a letter to an American friend in defense of the stamp act. On learning this the assembly promptly, on the 15th of November. 1765, "resolved to give instructions to the Committee of Correspondenee to aequaint Mr. Knox, agent of this Provinee, that the Province has no
7
COLQUITT COUNTY COURT HOUSE, MOULTRIE
further oceasion for his services." The assembly then appointed Mr. Charles Garth in the place of Knox, to which action Governor Wright objeeted and requested the appointment of another person; but the assembly not only insisted upon the eonfirmation of their action by the council but asked that body to conenr in fixing the salary of Mr. Garth at £100. On the ground that the appointee was the agent of South Carolina and could not represent another province, couneil declined to concur, but expressed a willingness to ratify the appoint- ment of any other suitable person. The assembly still insisted upon the confirmation of Garth, and resolved that in the event of a continued disagreement they would appoint him themselves, and they did so on the 26th of March, 1767. This so angered Governor Wright that he wrote to Secretary Conway: "The nomination of a provincial agent by the Assembly alone is a thing. I believe, never before attempted in any provinee on the Continent of America, unless very lately, when
148
SAVANNAHI AND SOUTH GEORGIA
they have been seized with their strange enthusiastic ideas of Liberty and power," and again asserted in another letter of about the same date, "A large proportion of the people of Georgia are sons of liberty, and the same spirit of sedition which first appeared in Boston has reached Georgia."
Ile left nothing nudone to keep the province from taking part with the other English dependencies in protesting against the acts of the mother country which so incensed the people who had in a more sub- stantial and trying manner felt the effects of measures deemed by then as attacks upon their constitutional liberties. His efforts to keep this part of the country from overt acts of resistance were continued as long as possible, and his failure to convince the people that they were wrong in opposing the policy of the royal council was galling to his feelings and was shown in all his communications addressed to the Earl of Dartmouth as long as the war lasted, as well as in his dealings with the people of Georgia, directly or through his supporters in the council and assembly. Many scenes of violence and of opposition to his measures for "checking the spirit of rebellion," as he termed it, were enacted in Savannah, and these we will mention in their proper order.
PROSPEROUS CONDITION OF COLONY
Lieutenant-Governor James Wright was a man who not only planned for the upbuilding of the country over. which he had been appointed leader and in whose interests he had taken an oath to "well and truly perform all matters and things which by the statutes" he was required to do "for the encouraging and increasing of shipping and navigation" as well as "for the encouragement of trade" and "for preventing of frauds and regulating abuses in the plantation trade;" but he saw to it that his plans were executed in a proper manner. Consequently, just before the beginning of the troubles caused by the passing of the stamp act, Georgia was in that happy condition described so well by Hugh McCall in his "History of Savannah":" "No province on the continent felt the liappy effects of this public security sooner than Georgia, which had long struggled under many difficulties arising from the want of credit from friends, and the frequent molestations of enemies. During the late war the goverment had been given to a man who wanted neither wisdom to discern nor resolution to pursue the most effectual means for its improvement. While he proved a father to the people and governed the province with equity and justice, he discovered at the same time the excellence of its low lands and river swamps, by the proper management and diligent cultivation of which he acquired in a few years a plentiful fortune. His example and success gave vigor to industry and promoted a spirit of emulation among the planters for improvement. The rich lands were sought for with zeal and cleared with that ardor which the prospeet of riches naturally inspired. The British merchants, observing the province safe and advancing to a hopeful and promising state, were no longer backward in extending credit to it, but supplied it with
* Vol. I, p. 288. Savannah, 1811.
149
SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
negroes, and goods of British manufacture with equal freedom as other provinces on the continent. The planters no sooner got the strength of Africa to assist them than they labored with success, and the lands every year yielded greater and greater increase. The trade of the province kept pace with its progress in cultivation. The rich swamps attracted the attention not only of strangers, but even with the planters of Car- olina who had been accustomed to treat their poor neighbors with the utmost contempt ; several of whom sold their estates in that colony and removed with their families and effects to Georgia. Many settlements were made by the Carolinians about Sunbury and upon the Alatamaha. The price of produce at Savannah increased as the quality improved, a circumstance which contributed much to the prosperity of the country. The planters situated on the opposite side of Savannah River found in the capital of Georgia a convenient and excellent market for their staple commodities. In short, from this period the rice, indigo, and naval stores arrived in the markets in Europe of equal excellence and perfec- tion and, in proportion to its strength, in equal quantities with those of its most powerful and opulent neighbors."
SUNBURY
The allusion in the above extract to the influx of planters from Car- olina, especially to the territory lying adjacent to the Midway river, caused the population of that section to increase so rapidly that the town of Sunbury, which was settled in 1758, had grown so rapidly that in September, 1762, it was raised to the dignity of a port of entry with Thomas Carr as its first collector, John Martin naval officer, and Francis Lee searcher. At the date of Governor Wright's report the collector of customs was James Kitchen, whose salary was £65 per annum, and his fees amounted to £90, and he was "appointed as Col- lector at Savannah," that is to say by the Lords of the Treasury and Commissioners of the Customs. The collector at Savannah at that time was Alexander Thompson, and his salary, according to Wright, was £60 per annum, being five pounds less than that of Sunbury's col- lector, but his fees amounted to £298 a year.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.