USA > Georgia > Colonial Records of the State of Georgia, Volume 23 > Part 12
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The Geo- graphical part of the Colony.
CORRESPONDENCE
189
Mr. Stephens to the Trustees.
scarcely to be parell'd [sic] in the known World. The South part of it from Ogeechy I humbly conceive will be represented to you from Gen- eral Oglethorpe, who has that more immediately under his Eye. The genuine Product of the Land, has been so fully laid before your Hon- ours already, that I must imagine it need less to recapitulate so great Variety : 'Tis sufficient to say, that I hardly know any one Sort of 'Seed or Grain put into the Earth with due Cultiva- tion, but is return'd to the Planter with good Increase, proportionable to the Nature of the Soil: European Grain such as Wheat, Barley &c, have been often tried; & even now this pres- ent Year, many Experiments are making, by different Planters, what is the most proper Sea- son of sowing such Grain; which seems to be yet not fully learnt : the Thing sought for is, how to manage it, so as to have it ripen fully before the hot Months come on; for those Heats coming upon it, before the Ear is well fill'd, are apt to occasion the Corn shrinking, & not producing it with such Substance, as 'tis to be hoped will be found in Time. Pease of many Kinds grow almost every where, & come to good Perfection. But here we must expect such will step in as are Advocates for the Use of Negroes, who will insist on it that without 'em tis impos- sible to clear Land : On which Occasion so much has been formerly said that I shall but offer a few Words. The continual Danger those Pro- vinces are under, where they abound, is so mani- fest, that it cannot be denied: At New York
The prod. uct of the land.
The use of negroes.
190
COLONIAL RECORDS
Mr. Stephens to the Trustees.
A conspir- acy to set fire to city in Carolina.
Dangerous to walk the streets of Charles Town late at night.
Neighbors at Purys. burgh con. sist of two sorts of people.
this last Year great Numbers of them have been put to Death, to get to the Bottom of a Con- spiracy form'd & divers Times attempted, to set Fire to that City: in Carolina, they are so con- tinually apprehensive of their Rising, that upon all the Festivals, such as Easter, Whitsuntide, & Christmas, when by Custom they are allow'd some Cessation from Labour ; Patroles of Horse are always travelling to & fro', to prevent their Assembling in Numbers; & at Charles Town it- self, 'tis so dangerous to walk the Streets late at Night, that tis customary with such People at such a Season to walk armed, for fear of being insulted by the Negroes: if so (which is Matter of Fact) what might be expected from 'em in this Province less than a Desertion to the Spaniards, where they are immediately free, & add Strength to our Enemies? nay, even the regular Forces under the General, could they be supposed employ'd principally to guard against it, perhaps would not be able wholly to prevent it; so many Opportunities would be found to steal Boats, & make their Passage by Water so short a Way. If 'tis argued never theless that our People of low Rank, would be contented with one or two only, to help them in carrying on Plantations, & those they can secure ; I must ask how few such are (or is there one) able to pay for such Negroes; without which, our Neighbours at Purysburgh are a wofull Instance of the Consequence: they con- sist of two Sorts of People there, most Germans or French: One Sort at their first sitting down,
191
CORRESPONDENCE
Mr. Stephens to the Trustees.
presently began with Negroes, easily finding Credit; the other Sort fell to work heartily themselves : now see the Difference : the Time is come when the Merchant calls for his Money & several Years Interest at 10 ? Cent; the Buyer can't make Payment; & the Seller in a legal Way siezes House, Land, Negroes, & all: the poor Man is utterly undone: whilst the other Sort of People before mentiond; by following their Business closely have attain'd good Sub- stance in live Stock &c. Not to dwell longer on an Affair, which has been so frequently dis- enss'd; several of the Subscribers of that Re- monstrance have own'd to me; that they doubted whether or not it might be at this Time, seasonable to have it granted : & those among us of the best Understanding, are in no wise fond of having Slaves at any time, provided any means can be found of supplying the Colony with white Servants, such as are born, & bred to labour, to be hired at reasonable Wages from Year to Year as in England. 'Tis past Dispute that Negroes are as incapable of working in the Winter as white Men in the Summer; the for- mer shrinking in the Cold, when one able Labourer of the latter, will do as much Work in a Day, as half a Dozen of t'other: but in plain Truth, 'tis apparent, that without Servants can be had in some Shape or other, the clearing & cultivating of Land will be found hardly practi- cable, in any such Degree as 'tis to be wish'd it might: for the Encrease of Planting must chief- ly arise from such Landholders as have a con-
White servants.
Negroes incapable of working in winter.
192
COLONIAL RECORDS
Mr. Stephens to the Trustees.
Mulberry Orchards and Vineyards.
Fee Simple.
siderable Tract of Land to occupy upon; & they are the Men, who generally are best able & best enelin'd to go on, if they could; whereas they who live in Town, turn their Thoughts mostly how to carry on some Trade, either as Arti- ficers, Shop Keepers, &c, & but few of 'em shew a Disposition to improve their Lotts within this Township of Savannah, whilst they find a more certain Profit in a different Way: tho' it must in Justice be said, that some there are, who are not so out of Love with their Lotts as to shew no Regard to 'em; but have resum'd a laudable Spirit of Emulation in propagating Vines, & Mulberry Trees; so that in a short time (as they go on) we may expect to see a pretty many of the neighbouring five Aere Lots converted into Mulberry Orchards & Vineyards; which will both of 'em he attended with very little Ex- pence, comporatively with a Plantation to be form'd out of new uncultivated Land. These I cannot look on as bad Colony Men, whilst they apply themselves to something that tends to the publick Good, quocunque modo. Mulberry Plants I am confident will have an Encrease of some Thousands this Season : & Vines improve daily ; whereof I have herewith sent a Specimen. The Enlargement of Tenure granted by your Honours to those who held any Land; is now so extensive, that I hear of no more Complaint on that Head: except from such only, as will be satisfied with nothing less than Fee Simple ; for no other Reason but in order to sell what they have; & unless all those extravagant Demands
CORRESPONDENCE
193
Wm. Stephens to the Trustees.
which are comprehended in those ever memor- able six Articles that we find in their Remon- strance are complied with; they tell us then- selves they cannot live in the Colony: where- fore their Demand of the Trust in Reality is, that they will enable 'em to make a good Bar- gain in disposing of what they have; & then turn their Back Sides.
It has been with great Grief, that I have for so long time past been obliged in Duty to lay be- fore your Honours the mad Behaviour of a turbulent Sett of People among us, who for Reasons best known to themselves (tho' pretty plainly understood by others) have shew'd their avow'd Design was, to overturn the present Constitution of this Colony; which has been carried on by them with such uncommon Warmth, that it has produced lamentable Dis- tractions in this Place; & Party Rage has pointed itself personally against those who have the Honour of bearing any Share of Authority under the Trust, & who will not fail to shew it, in Support of such Instructions as they receive from them. These Things have occasion'd too often my falling into much Prolixity in repre- senting the Practices of all, who have been con- tinually labouring to keep up Divisions among the People, to such a Degree, that the Spaniards themselves could not easily find out better means to accomplish their own Purposes, than setting us at Variance in order to destroy one another. What hideous Work was undertaken this Summer, under the Conduct of St. Richd:
The mad behaviour of a turbu- lent set of people.
194
COLONIAL RECORDS
Wm. Stephens to the Trustees.
Hideous work under. taken by Sr. Richrd. Everard and Mr. Hector De Beau- faine to ruin the Colony.
An attempt made to bribe first bayliff.
Everard, & M. Hector De Beaufaine (two Gentlemen who are no Ways concern'd in the Affairs of the Colony) in conjunction with a few more of our angry Madcaps, your Honours have been duly inform'd of; when all the Craft was made Use of, that they could exert, to ruin us effectually, by rendering the Civil Power use- less & contemptible ; offering to teach the Magis- trates on the Bench, such a Lesson as is no where to be found in the Law Books; & when they saw 'twas in vain to harangue them openly any longer, they took another Course in the Dark, most daringly attempting to corrupt the first Bayliff with large Sums of Money to come into their Scheme, & approve of what they in- tended to do, during the Time of the Court being holden, which was then sitting: but he had Virtue enough to scorn it (I wish he had also laid hold on the Offender & made a proper Ex- ample of him in Court) & the next Day finding dangerous Work in hand, which in all Likeli- hood would promote Confusion, & embroil us more and more, He sent for the Grand Jury, who were notoriously under the Guidance of the Knight & Esquire aforesaid; & after having receiv'd what Presentments they had ready, by Authority of the Court he discharg'd them honestly & with a becoming Resolution. Mat- ters of so criminal a Nature, I should scarcely be perswaded to make Report of; were I not very well assured that it can be fully testified.
What Effect these Negotiations of Sir Richd: Everard & Mons': De Beaufaine may have had;
195
CORRESPONDENCE
Capt. Kent to Gen. Oglethorpe.
is beyond my Power to imagine: but very sure I am, that no partial Determination can happen, by giving too great Credit to one Side, without hearing the other. In like Manner, what has been since (lately) framed here; by a certain Person who came from England purposely to promote it, under the Character of an Agent, I must commit to the common Heap of Rubbish, without setting a Value on such Performances as I never would read, of one whom 'twas un- natural to expect it from-pudet hoec.
Such a Multiplicity of Riff Raff I look on, as I would on Sheeps Excrements, which are numerous & much of a Size. Least that should be retorted on the Writer of this, he thinks it Time for the present to stop here.
Honourable Gentlemen
Your most obedient humble Servant
(Signed) Will: Stephens Coppy
To
The Honble. the Trustees.
(From B. P. R. O., B. of T., Georgia, Vol. 22.)
CAPTAIN KENT'S LETTER TO GENL. OGLETHORPE 31 DECR. 1741
May it Please your Excellency
Mr. Holmes informs me, that in the month of March last, Cap. Samuel Brown, (by you"
Multiplicity of Riff Raff.
196
COLONIAL RECORDS
Capt. Kent to Gen. Oglethorpe.
Head men
of the Cherokees appointed to a meet- ing to choose the White. Men's King.
Skla Gunsta of Keowee.
orders as He said) appointed the Herd Men of all the Cherrokees to a meeting, To make Choice of The white Men's King, in the Room of Moy-Toy Emperor deceased. It was agreed upon both by the Indians, and Such white Men. as were then present, that Skia Gunsta of Keowee, (who was formerly down with M': Holmes & attended your Excelleney on the Florida Shoar) should be the person chose; at the same time Capt. Brown desired him, (as he said by your orders) to go to Frederica to have the same confirmed by you- He answered, as allsoe the rest of the head Men, that they could not leave the Nation at that time, neither could he cross the salt water as he was an old man, but if your Excellency wou'd please to meet him here, he wou'd be glad to receive such orders. & Commissions as you wou'd be pleased to give him-M': Holmes was present at the said meet- ing, & talk, & he does not doubt M' Brown has allready informed you of the Same, although he says he has receivd no Answer from your Ex- cellency- Mr. Holmes being on some bussiness toward the Nation, met with the said Skia Gun- sta now made King. (as he says) by your Ex- celleney's orders, wth : more of the beloved Men, where he desired M' Holmes to Advise me that He wou'd be at Augusta in the last quarter of this Moon, which will be in January, & He de- . sired that your Excellency might be here; Or please to give me Orders, how, and in what man- ner to use him, He expects great pressents, and a grand reception- I begg your Excellency's
197
CORRESPONDENCE
Mr. Stephens to Mr. Verelst.
particular commands in what manner to behave to him & his Gang & further begg your Excel- lency's speedy answer; in the mean time I begg leave to remain with the utmost regard.
Your Excellency's-Most Dutifull and most obliged H Serv:
Richª Kent.
Fort Angusta the 31st: December 1741
(From B. P. R. O., B. of T., Georgia, Vol. 22.)
COPY OF A LETTER FROM MR. STEPHENS TO MR. VERELST JANY 2D : 1741% 29 CAPT HARRAMOND RECP 2 SEPTR. 1743
Savannah January 2ª: 1741/2
Sir
Since my last of the 29th Oct":, 2ª Nov": &c, which M' Hopton wrote me went ~ the Two Brothers Cap": Beach (one of the first bound for England this Season) ; I have recd yours of the 22ª July & 2ª Augt (both on the 4th Noy" as Journal of that Day). On the Arrival of Cap" Lemon in the Loyal Judith on the 2ª Dec" :, I reed your next of the 17th. Sepr & 20th Ditto; Next follow'd three more from you, all of the 3ª Oct :, which were deld me ? Cap" Wadham in the Europa, on the 4th Dec' :. On the 19th Dec" Yours of the 20th Aug': being Cover to a
198
COLONIAL RECORDS
Mr. Stephens to Mr. Verelst.
Coppy of your Letter of the 7th Augt: was de- liver'd me; which M' Hopton wrote me came ? Cap" Swaine in the Charming Betty then newly arrived, after so many Months on her Passage. And some time then about, Antonio Sallice brought me yours of the 25th October.
'Twas in my Intention to close My Packett with Answers to all these: but indeed after so much Time & Pains bestow'd on what I have now sent, I am unable to attempt it immediately. so as to do it with Satisfaction to the Trust or myself; but I hope in a few Days more, I shall leave nothing untouch'd which requires my tak- ing Notice of, & that 'twill come to your Hands very soon. In the mean while some Things may possibly be met with in my Journal, that are not wholly unworthy the Consideration of the Honble : Trustees ; & I must entreat their Pardon, if at present I single out only two or three Articles, which I have at Heart preferable to most others.
And first of all in Relation to the Silk Manu- facture- Whereof frequent Mention will be found in my Journal. I humbly conceive 'twill be of the utmost Consequence for the Security and effectual carrying on of so valuable a Branch of the Product of this Colony; that their Honours take it into Consideration, & come to some Resolution as soon as conveniently may be therein. From the many Instances I have found from Time to Time, for a good while past, of Mrs. Camuses Behaviour (as they have been
In relation to the silk manu- facture.
Mrs. Ca. muse dis- satisfied.
CORRESPONDENCE
199
Mr. Stephens to Mr. Verelst.
partly noted by me) it has been too apparent, that she is to be satisfied with nothing we can do for her here; & now I think she has made it fully evident, by those Proposals lately deld in by her Husband to the President and Assis- tants, which are herewith enclosed, & were made in pursuance of the Trust's Order in their Letter of the 16th Sep': last. If Circumstances without Matter of Fact proved, were sufficient to convict; there would be little Doubt of Guilt being imputed to some of our mischievous Parri- cides, who among their many other good Deeds have taught this Woman to set a Value on her- self, sine Qua non: in the same manner as I formerly noted a certain Servant, upon getting into an Indian Saddle was perswaded to think himself a great Man; & unless he was humour'd lo the Philistines would be upon us ; surely such Advisers have given up the Interest of Britain, in Exchange for the Spanish; & may be look'd on as the worst Enemies of the Two. I observe what Directions the Trust are pleasd to send me relating to the future carrying on that Manu- facture, & read it with Pleasure, being exactly agreeable to my Way of thinking: whereof I shall write you fully in my next, with the Rea- son why we did what was done : & in Time com- ing it shall be otherwise. In the mean while I hope the Chest of Silk came safe which I sent, & with it a small Packett enclosing the Key, to- gether with an attested Acco': of what was put into that Chest, dated the 10th Sep": last.
Mrs. Ca- muse taught to set a value on herself.
200
COLONIAL RECORDS
Mr. Stephens to Mr. Verelst.
Accounts sent the Trustees.
The next Thing I must take Notice of just now, is relating to the Accots: herewith sent, which are carried on for one Year ending at Mich'.mas last, in the same Manner as those sent for the Year preceding: but for the Current Year commencing at Mich1.mas last, they are to be made up Monthly in the manner the Trust direct, so farr as I can enforce it; & I make little Doubt but I shall, tho' I could not prevail for the two first Months Oct" & Novr to get it comply'd with so punctually as I would: but the last for the Month of Dee" :. I think has been exactly conformable to the Orders recd, which I will stick to. Those three last Months I hope to obtain Pardon for withholding 'till my next; which I will hasten after this ; when I shall write largely of these Matters; & tell my Thoughts freely concerning divers Incidents that have fallen within my Observation; & given me some Uneasiness. 'Till then I must wish you to respite your Judgment a little; which probably may be better formed, after what you'll read farther.
Every Thing relating to the two Ships, Passenger & Cargoe, I have been so particular in thro' my Journal, that I can easily perswade my self I shall find pardon, 'till I answer your Letters paragraphically. But the sense I am under, of the Confidence the Honble Trustees re- pose in me, & their generous Benevolence of Salary, together with such a Conjunction of Assistants to support me, in a due Execution of their Orders as they have been pleas'd to ap-
201
CORRESPONDENCE
. Wm. Stephens to Harman Verelst.
point; ought, now, & always to shew itself; (as by the Help of God it shall) in something more worth, than bare Thank Ye. With the usual Complement of wishing a happy New Year to all Friends, allow me at present to conclude. Sir
Your very humble Servant Signed. Will Stephens.
To M' Harman Verelst
Coppy.
(From B. P. R. O., B. of T., Georgia, Vol. 22.)
LETTER FROM WM. STEPHENS TO HARMAN VERELST ESQR. 4 FEBRUARY 1741 RECD 25, MAY 1742.
Savannah 4 Febry 17416.
S'.
Having in my last of the 2ª of Jan': (which went " Cap': Harramond) enumerated the several Letters I had recd from you, & which I had not yet specifically answer'd; I now pro- ceed to take them in order of Date under due Consideration, as they'll stand in the Margin.
22nd. July: Unless some unhappy Accident interposed; I hope the Arrival of the Chest of Silk, which went ? the 2 Brothers Capt: Beach; will be deem'd a full Answer to the honourable Trustees Commands in this Letter relating to the Silk Manufacture so far: & what farther
Chest of silk sent the Trustees.
202
COLONIAL RECORDS
Wm. Stephens to Harman Verelst.
Col. Steph- ens' son's attitude towards the
Colony.
Directions they were then pleas'd to send relat- ing thereto; shall punctually be observ'd .- If I err'd, in shewing a fond Disposition to believe those Vines that were sent last year, were of my Sons procuring; from what he had before wrote me; I hope 'tis pardonable: but you open'd my Eyes, & shew'd me my Mistake; so that I am utterly at a Loss (& have been too long) to impute any good Action to him regard- ing the good of this Colony; as my writing, for a great while past, has shewn .- The Noble Lord who was so good to send us this Aid, I hope will excuse my taking so many to my own Share as I did (400) imagining them to be my own Pro- perty; & the rest I disposed of, to those who I knew were fondest of putting 'em to a right Use. Tho' 'twas so late in the Year as the 7th May when I planted 'em, 300 of the 400 took Root; & I am now transplanting them, with several Hundreds more to Bewlie, where I am forming a Vineyard.
Col. Steph- ens plant- ing a vine- yard at Bewlie.
The prohi- bition of silk balls from Carolina.
7" Aug'. What the Trustees are pleas'd to direct, relating to a Prohibition of Silk Balls from Carolina, is certainly very just, & ought by no means to be allow'd of. 'Twas always my own Opinion; nor could I have dared to do it, had not express Orders been given therein. This Letter came not to my Hands, till the 4th of Now': as ~ Journal of that Day: I communi- cated it immediately to M' Jones, letting him know what a wrong Course had hitherto been taken in our Acco's: & that the Trust (I fear'd) were offended at it : but the whole Years Acco':
203
CORRESPONDENCE
Wm. Stephens to Harman Vereist.
of Expences, being then preparing, to Mich' .- mas; he said he knew not well how to rectify what was past in the manner prescribed; & for the future it should be observ'd. I was not insensible how great Confidence the Honble: Trust had placed in me; & must therefore be well aware, of being call'd on to shew how the Receipts & Issues of their Sola Bills agreed. There has always been an Acco': carried on be- twixt the General & M' Jones, who receiv'd Bills of Exchange often from his Excellence, which he easily turn'd into Cash: & by that means being entrusted to make divers Payments to the Garrisons, Rangers, Scout & Guard Boats, &c; it grew to be so blended & entangled, that 'twas beyond my Capacity to get a clear Understanding in what manner to seperate one from t'other, thro' a Multitude of broken Pay- ments; nor did I know what Sums he charg'd himself with, that he had so receiv'd. The Acco': of Expences I took Care to look into care- fully as sent to the Trust, that they were well vouched as far as possible : & for my own Sec- urity. I never deliver'd out any Sola Bills to him, but what he gave me his Receipt, & made himself accountable for. M. Parker, who was joyn'd with us in the Inspection of those Accots; by reason of a Difference there was betwixt him & M' Jones, seldome or never gave himself any Trouble about it; but (as I soon after learnt) made a Complaint to the Trust, protesting against the Proceedings in acting without his Privity : wherein tho' he does not point directly
An account between Mr. Jones and Gen. Ogle- thorpe.
Mr. Parker helping with inspection of accounts.
204
COLONIAL RECORDS
Wm. Stephens to Harman Verelst.
In no wise equal to Mr. Jones in carrying on weighty affairs.
The debit side of accts. ne- glected by Mr. Jones.
at me, yet I apprehend it must in some Measure affect me: which puts me under a Necessity (iu my own Vindication) of asserting it in the most solemn Manner; that what ever Reason he might otherwise have for absenting himself from so necessary a part of his Duty ; he was so far from being discountenanc'd by me, that I often & often sollicited him with my most earn- est Entreaties to take his part in it, & give his Assistance; knowing my self in no wise equal to Mr Jones in carrying on such a weighty Affair : nevertheless he was not prevail'd on, till some time after the opening that Commission, con- stituting a President & Assistants to act in so extensive a Manner : since which, his Hand will be found equally with others, in signing what Aceo's: have been sent to the Trust & endors- ing Sola Bills for the current Service, &c: for which purpose none have since been given out by me, but in such Sums, & at such times as have been judg'd needfull; as will appear by the Minutes taken at our several Meetings : whereas before, I had no other Rule to guide me, than M' Jones's Demand, whenever he represented the Uses in general 'twas design'd for: & then (as before said) I took his Receipt for what he had, as the only Security I could come at; & took care frequently to look into the Expences; which I hope will be found just : but tho' I often press'd Mr Jones for a Year & more past, to make out the Debet Side of the Acco':, yet he deferr'd it: alledging the Impracticability of it. 'till he had adjusted with the General; where he
CORRESPONDENCE
205
Wm. Stephens to Harman Verelst.
had spent 4 Months about a Year since; & done little or nothing in it; & now went hence the Beginning of Jan": on the same Occasion; being required so to do by the General. At his going hence he left a Paper for me, the Substance of which follows, signifying "That the General "having order'd several Payments to be made "untill Mich1.mas last, some of which Expences "(he says) must be defray'd by the Trust; He " (Mr. Jones) was 4 Months the last Year with "his Excellence, but could not obtain the Sett- "ling of that, or any other Acco': but that now "the General promises to finish the same assoon "as he (Jones) goes to Frederica, whither he "is gone for that purpose, & was oblig'd, to "take with him all the Receipts & Vouchers for "Payments untill the End of Novr: which has "been the only Reason that he could not send "the Cash Acco': Vouchers to that time: but "from thence forward he should take particular "Care to have a monthly Accot: in the manner "of that now sent for the Month of Dec" :. " Which Monthly Acco'. I saw perfected to my own liking after much adoe, & have follow'd the same Method for Jan' :, intending not to vary from it hereafter without Directions that may require it. From hence I am willing to hope, that upon Mr. Jones's Return to us, we shall see that effectually done, which he has promised ; & which the Want of, has given me no small Un- easiness : tho' I never yet discover'd any Marks of Fraud. When the next Monthly Acco's: for Feby : & March are made out, & sent as intended
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