USA > Georgia > Georgia's landmarks, memorials and legends, Volume I > Part 20
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How a Duel on At Bull Town Swamp, in Liberty County, Horseback was Colonel Baker was severely wounded. Prevented. On recovering, he again put his life in jeopardy by a resort to the field of honor.
As the result of a personal disagreement he was on the eve of fighting a duel on horse-back with Major John Jones; but unexpectedly when the hour for com- bat arrived General Screven appeared upon the
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scene. Knowing the high spirit of these men and dreading the result, he begged them to desist, pleading the country's sore need and reminding the combatants that it was no time for brother officers to fight each other when the cause of liberty was imperiled. This appeal was effective. The spirit of patriotism prevailed over the desire for personal redress, and there was no shed- ding of blood. Subsequent to the Revolution, Colonel Baker fought against the Indians under General James Jackson. He died at his home in Liberty County, Ga., on June 3, 1792, and was interred in the old burial ground at Sunbury, but the exact spot of his interment cannot at the present time be identified. Hon. William Harden, who for more than thirty years has been the Librarian of the Georgia Historical Society, of Savan- nah, is among the descendants of this distinguished soldier.
The Battle of One of the hardest fought battles Chickasawhachee. of the Creek Indian War occurred in this county, in 1836, the battle of Chickasawhachee, so called from a creek of this name. It seems that, after the burning of Roanoke, in Stewart County, the red skins, to the number of three hundred, penetrated into the depths of Chickasawhachee Swamp, where they took possession of an island in the midst of the dense tanglewood. Two small companies of militia followed the trail of these Indians to the south, finding that a number of murders had been committed by them upon helpless women and children. Later they were re-inforced by the arrival of other troops; and, while some of them penetrated into the swamp, others re- mained along the edges in order to guard the narrow passage ways and to prevent the escape of the savages. In the engagement which followed, on July 3, 1836, there was some terrific fighting. It lasted for half an hour, at close range; but the Indians were dispersed, and most
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of them were either captured or killed before reaching Florida. There were only twelve or fourteen of the Georgia troops wounded in this engagement and only one man killed. Says White :* "The consequences of this action were very important, as it prevented the junction of a band of brave and experienced warriors with the Seminoles, who were then giving the general government much trouble in Florida. Although the troops engaged in it were militia, without experience or discipline, they behaved with great coolness and bravery."
Original Settlers. As given by White, the pioneer settlers of Baker included the Tinslys, the Howards, the Halls, the Hobbys, the Wheelers and the Jarnigans.
To the foregoing list may be added the names of the first Grand Jurors, empanelled in 1827, as follows : John S. Porter, John Kell, Stephen Johnson, Curtis Nellums, John Kelly, William Kemp, John Dennard, Berrajah Joyner, Robert Kelly, Benjamin Keaton, Henry Smith, Nathan Griffin, John L. W. Spears, Asa Foscue, Thomas Howard, Hillary Hooks, John Gillion, Patrick Sessum, Charles S. Miller, James J. Goodwin, Joseph Hollaway.
Hon. Moses Fort was the presiding Judge and Thomas F. Whittington the Clerk. On account of the orderly condition of the county there were no grievances to present, whereupon the court adjourned.
Gov. Alfred H. Colquitt was for many years a resi- dent of Baker where he owned an extensive plantation.
* Historical Collections of Georgia, Baker County, Savannah, 1854.
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Nelson Tift, the founder of Albany, purchased large tracts of pine land in what was then Baker and became the foremost pioneer citizen in this section of Georgia. He also represented the State in Congress.
Archibald Odom, a soldier of the Revolution, died in Baker, at the age of 84. Here also lived Young Allen, a man of some note in the early days. He represented Baker in the famous Tariff Convention at Milledgeville in 1833.
BALDWIN
Created by Legislative Act, May 11, 1803. Named for Hon. Abraham Baldwin, a distinguished United States Senator from Georgia, a member of the Continental Congress, and author of the bill to establish the first State University in America. At the close of the long-protracted Oconee War, Georgia acquired from the Creek Indians, by the treaty of 1802, at Fort Wilkinson, extensive tracts of land, which were soon thereafter divided into three large counties: Baldwin, Wayne and Wilkinson, from each of which smaller ones were subsequently formed. Baldwin when first organized, in 1803, included Jasper, Jones, Morgan, Putnam and a small part of Twiggs. Milledgeville, the county-seat of Baldwin, was for more than sixty years the State capital of Georgia. Named for Hon. John Milledge, a patriot of the Revolution, who became Governor of the State, a member of Congress, a Senator of the United States, and a generous friend and patron of educa- tion. He was a native of Savannah and a descendant of John Milledge, who came to America with Oglethorpe in 1733. Governor Milledge deeded to the State University, then known as Franklin College, a large tract of land, on which the greater part of the city of Athens is today built.
Abraham Baldwin was born at Guildford, Conn., November 6, 1754 and died in Washington, D. C., March 4, 1807, while occupying a seat in the Senate of the United States. He came to Georgia, in 1784, on the ad- vice of General Nathanael Greene, to practice law. Be- fore removing to the South, he had been a tutor at Yale, a student of divinity, and a Chaplain in the Continental Army. His prestige as a scholar brought him at once into prominence; and he was elected to the State Legis- lature within three months after his arrival. Says Dr. G. R. Glenn :* "When he took his seat in the Legislature the providence of his coming to Georgia began to be
* Men of Mark in Georgia, Edited by Ex-Governor Wm. J. Northen, Vol. I, p. 8, Atlanta, Ga., 1906.
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revealed. His dream of a great commonwealth was one of educated constituents. He drew a charter for a com- plete system of State education, with a great University at the head and common schools at the base, to be sup- ported by State taxation. The charter, born in the brain of this militant educationalist and adopted by the State before the Federal Constitution had been ratified, has come down to us practically unaltered. His provis- ions, one after another, have been put into execution by successive legislation until now the system, as outlined by Baldwin in 1784 is well nigh complete. Only one pro- vision indeed remains to be added, viz: the provision for secondary schools in each county of the State." Mr. Baldwin thus became the founder of the first State University in America ; and he served as the official head of this institution for fourteen years, when he was succeeded by one of his former-co-laborers at Yale, Professor Josiah Meigs, who was chosen upon his recom- mendation. In 1785, Mr. Baldwin was chosen by the Legislature to represent Georgia in the Continental Con- gress; and he remained thereafter continuously in the public service until his death. With Wm. Few, in 1787, he signed the Federal Constitution for Georgia, and in the debates of the Continental Congress he largely helped to mold the conservative sentiment which re- sulted in the creation of the upper legislative branch of the government. He lacked only two years of completing his second term as United States Senator when his bril- liant carcer of usefulness came to an end; and he was buried near his old friend and colleague, General James Jackson, in the Congressional Cemetery, on the banks of the Potomac.
Ante-Bellum Days To accommodate the members of Recalled. the Legislature and the hundreds of visitors who were drawn to Milledgeville, several substantial hotels were built. The most pretentious of these was Lafayette Hall, a structure
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of brick fronting Jefferson and Hancock streets. It con- tained thirty-one rooms and cost $25,000, an enormous sum for this early period. Eagle Tavern, on Wayne street, was another famous inn which stood in the center of the business district. Jackson Hall, to the east of the State House, was long a favorite gathering place of the notables. There was also the Planter's Hotel, to which not a few of the wealthy nabobs resorted; the Mansion House, which was named for the Governor's place of residence, and scores of smaller establishments.
The first building erected in Milledgeville stood on Franklin street and was constructed of logs in 1804. The first frame house was built by General Scott-for whom Scottsboro was named-on the corner of Franklin and Elbert streets, where it stood for more than seventy- five years.
Some time before the war the county Court House was destroyed by fire, involving the loss of many impor- tant documents, but fortunately the records of the Court of Ordinary were preserved. These throw a num- ber of interesting side-lights upon the early life of Milledgeville. According to Dr. Smith,* the first Methodist church was built in 1807. It occupied a lot granted by the State, on the capitol square. In 1827 it was superseded by the present handsome structure. Other denominations were likewise given lots on the public square, including the Presbyterians, the Episco- palians, and the Baptists; but when the building which belonged to the last named flock burned to the ground the congregation rebuilt on Wayne street. The Roman Catholics erected a neat brick structure on Jefferson street.
But notwithstanding the religious tone thus given to the town, there was much dissipation, due to the none too abstemious example set by some of the foremost public men of Georgia at this time.
* Story of Georgia and the Georgia People, by Rev. George G. Smith, p. 258, Atlanta, 1900.
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Both the game of poker and the code duello were liberally patronized by the votaries of politics. Heated discussions often occurred in the lobbies of the hotels. where debates ending in blows were of frequent occur- rence; but with the old-time gentry the final court of ap- peals was the field of honor. These were the times when the State was divided into feudal camps between Clarke and Troup; when the atmosphere was inflamed by the omnipresent tariff wrangle of the Jackson administra- tion; and when strong men ordinarily sedate and calm were swept into a frenzy of passion by the oncoming storm of the Civil War.
Original Settlers. As gathered from various sources, the most prominent of the early settlers of Baldwin were as follows: Colonel Seaborn Jones, General John Scott, General W. S. San- ford, Colonel Zachariah Lamar, John Rutherford, Robert Rutherford, James Barrow, Dr. Tomlinson Fort, Seaton Grantland, Fleming Grantland, Miller Grieve, Goodwin Myrick, Daniel Tucker, Harper Tucker, Dr. Samuel White, Dr. Samuel Boykin, William Sanford, A. Green, Thomas Napier, William Napier, Peter Fair, James Hay- good, Charles Wright, William Williamson, Walton Har- ris, Augustin Harris, W. D. Jarrett, Daniel Fluker, Green Jordan, Matthew Butts, Arthur Butts, William Deve- reaux, Leroy Greene, and Elijah Moore.
The Banquet to General La Fayette. Volume II.
The Great Anti- Tariff Convention : Forsyth and Berrien Wrestle in Debate for Three days. Volume II.
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Famous Newspapers of Milledgeville.
It is doubtful if newspapers have ever wielded a more powerful in- fluence in State politics than during the days when the Southern Recorder and the Federal Union dominated the field of Georgia journalism. They were brilliantly edited by men who were strangers to the word fear; who were as skillful in handling sword or pistol as in wielding the pen; and who literally made and unmade public men. The times were controversial. Feeling ran high; and the diction of the editorial page, though cast in the purest of English molds, fairly bristled like the bayonets of Cromwell's Ironsides. The earliest of the newspapers of Milledgeville was the Journal. It was founded in 1809 by Seaton Grantland, in association with his brother, Fleming; and for ten years it proved a most effective agent in shaping public opinion. The bitter feud between Clarke and Crawford, which made the State a daily battle-ground, was then at its height, affecting for weal or for woe the destiny of every man in politics. The sympathies of the Grantlands were with William H. Crawford, since they were both native Virginians.
In 1819 Fleming Grantland died. Grieved by the loss of his brother, Seaton Grantland sold the paper which they had jointly founded; but during the year he formed a partnership with Richard McAllister Orme and founded the famous Southern Recorder, which almost from the start developed the powers of a king-maker. The first popular election for Governor of Georgia took place in 1825 and the triumph of the Troup ticket at the ballot box was credited to the dominant influence of this sheet. Seaton Grantland remained at the editorial helm until 1833 when he relinquished his interest to Miller Grieve, a kinsman by marriage, the latter having wedded his niece. From the editorial chair of the Southern Recorder, Seaton Grantland was sent to Congress, a proof of the powerful sway which he exercised over the affections of men in his district.
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But the paper lost nothing in the way of prestige under Miller Grieve. He wielded a trenchant and vigor- ous pen, and was moreover a man of strong character. He remained at the editorial helm for twenty years, and throughout this entire time was associated with Richard McAllister Orme, much of whose time was given to the business affairs of the paper, but who wrote an occasional leader with powerful effect. The Southern Recorder was styled the Supreme Court of the Whig party in Georgia and the second election of George R. Gilmer to the Gov- ernorship was undoubtedly won in the editorial sanctum of this great newspaper. The Federal Union was founded some time after the Southern Recorder and was edited from 1830 to 1835 by the accomplished Jolin A. Cuthbert. When the State capital was removed to Atlanta, the political ascendancy of Milledgeville was lost and the two papers were afterwards united, forming the Union- Recorder, which is still published at Milledgeville, where it divides the local field with the News, a paper owned and edited by the McAuliffes.
Georgia's Greatest Assemblage of Intel- lects : The Secession Convention. Volume II.
Baldwin in the Eight miles from Milledgeville, in
Revolution. a grove of forest oaks, is the grave of an old Revolutionary patriot- Major Jacob Gumm. He was an officer not only in the first but also in the second war with England, and accord- ing to the records acquitted himself with credit in both struggles. The place of his burial has been marked by the Nancy Hart Chapter of the D. A. R. with a handsome stone, furnished by the U. S. War Department. The stone is an excellent specimen of white marble, four feet in height, and is set upon a granite base, the latter a gift of the Chapter.
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On August 18, 1911, the exercises of unveiling took place in the presence of several hundred spectators. The day was an ideal one. In addition to the specially invited guests conveyed to the place in automobiles, there were also a number of people gathered from the countryside, eager to witness the impressive ceremonies.
Mrs. Mary Howell Scott sketched in brief words the story of the movement to obtain the marker from the United States government. Miss Cora Gumm, a great- granddaughter read a paper on the life of her distin- guished ancestor; President M. M. Parks, of the Georgia Normal and Industrial College, made an eloquent talk on patriotism; and Mrs. Walter G. Charlton, of Savannah, followed with an earnest plea for the preservation of his- toric shrines. Ten descendants of the old Revolutionary soldier were present. It was to be regretted, however, that his son, Jacob Gumm, Jr., was prevented by the infirmities of extreme old age from attending the exer- cises. He lacked only two years of the century mark ; and, while his bent figure might have added something to the impressiveness of the occasion, it was nevertheless an event of great solemnity, and one long to be remembered.
James Barrow, a native of North Carolina and a soldier of the Revolution, who served at Valley Forge, Germantown, Brandywine and Savannah, settled in Baldwin soon after the new county was opened. He died in Milledgeville at the age of 73. His wife was Patience Crenshaw, a lady of Virginia parentage. One of his grandsons, Hon. Pope Barrow, became a United States Senator. Another, Dr. David Crenshaw Barrow, was called in 1906 to the Chancellorship of the University of Georgia.
It is perhaps known to a few only that within a short distance of Milledgeville, at Beckom's Mount. on the
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edge of what is called the "Big Gulley" lies buried an officer of the Revolutionary War, Maj. Samuel Beckom. During the dark days of the struggle, when added to the outrages perpetrated by Tarleton were the atrocities of Indian warfare, he not only stood bravely in the breach fighting for the independence of the Colonies, but guarded with sleepless vigilance the few white settlers in this part of the State from the Indians. The following item of history has come to the knowledge of the Nancy Hart Chapter of the D. A. R., concerning Major Beckom. Sometime previous to the treaty made with the Indians at Fort Wilkinson, Major Beckom was in charge of the fort, on this side of the river. Word came one day of a proposed raid of the Indians and Major Beckom, taking a few men with him, went out to warn the settlers and to obtain reinforcements. He left what he supposed to be a sufficient garrison to protect the fort until his return. But either he was mis-informed of the time of the attack, or the Indians learning of his absence rushed the attack on the fort. At any rate Major Beckom returned to find the garrison in ruins and all massacred, including his young wife, with three little children, the youngest, an infant of seven months. At first he was prostrated with grief but like the brave man he was, he eventually resumed his duties and continued to guard the settlers from Indian assaults until relieved of his command a number of years later. For his services to the country he was granted an estate near Milledgeville which he named "Beckom's Mount," where he died an old man. The Legislature erected a monument over his grave as a mark of the State's appreciation of his gallant record as an officer. Major Beckom married a second time late in life ; and of his second marriage there were several children. Due to the fact that the Big Gully is said to be caving toward the grave of the old patriot, it is the desire of the Nancy Hart Chapter to remove the ashes of Major Beckom to the cemetery at Milledgeville; and steps in this direction have already been taken.
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James Thomas, a soldier of the Revolution, died near Milledgeville, in 1844, well advanced in years. For meritorious conduct on the field he received a sword from General Nathanael Greene, his superior officer. He was the grandfather of the Confederate Brigadier-General, Bryan M. Thomas. The roll of patriots of '76 includes also William Anderson and Samuel Slaughter, both of whom are buried in Baldwin. Abner Hammond, a Revo- lutionary patriot died at Milledgeville and Wm. A. Ten- nille was granted a Federal pension while a resident of Baldwin, in 1814.
Incidents of Sher- man's Visit. Volume II.
Oglethorpe Univer- sity: Where Lanier was Educated. Volume II.
Near the site of Oglethorpe University was established in 1837 the Georgia State Sanitarium, an institution, which, under the fostering care of the State, has become one of the largest and best equipped plants of this character in the South. Forty acres of land were pur- chased on which to erect the original structure, and in 1842 the building was formally opened for the reception of patients. Medical services were at first rendered by the trustees who resided in the immediate neighborhood, among which number was Dr. Tomlinson Fort, Dr. B. A. White, and Dr. George D. Case; but on account of the increased demands upon the time of these busy men the office of resident physician was created, and Dr. David Cooper was chosen to fill this position. He remained in charge until 1846, when Dr. Thomas F. Green succeeded him; and it was under this splendid organizer that the institution passed the experimental stage and began to develop upon broad lines. Dr. Green was an exceptional
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man. His father was an Irish exile, who, having joined the ill-fated rebellion of 1798, betook himself for safety to America, on the final collapse of the patriotic uprising which brought the noted Robert Emmet to the scaffold. The refugee was a man of culture who became a professor in the State University at Athens and bequeathed to his son a rich inheritance both of intellect and of patriotism. Dr. Green remained continuously in charge of the asylum as resident physician and superintendent until the time of his death, in 1879; after an unbroken tenure of more than thirty years. Upon the walls of the main hallway, at the entrance to the sanitarium has been placed a tablet of marble which bears the following testimony to his virtues :
In memory of Thomas Fitzgerald Green, M. D., born December 25, 1804, died February 13, 1879. Thirty-three years of his life, devoted with a supreme affection, unwearied zeal, and arduous labor, as resident physician and superintendent of this institu- tion, Georgia's greatest charity, bear witness to his Christian character as a physician and philanthropist. Science mourns his loss, humanity reveres his name, religion embalms his memory. Erected by order of the board of trustees, 1879."
In 1803, a penitentiary was established at Milledge- ville; but, on the removal of the State Capital to Atlanta, it was superseded by the notorious convict lease system. The latter in turn was finally abolished, in 1908, as the result of sensational investigations; and since then the convicts of the State have been put to work upon the public highways. In 1897, the Prison Commission of Georgia was created by an act of the Legislature, with a view to the betterment of existing conditions, and one of the first acts of this board was the establishment near Milledgeville of a State Farm, embodying certain refor- matory features.
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Scottsboro, a town four miles to the south of Milledge- ville, was named for General John Scott, an officer of the State militia.
Fort Wilkinson. Scarcely a vestige remains of this famous stronghold which stood on the east bank of the Oconee River, three miles to the south of Milledgeville. It was the scene of the important treaty of 1802. At this time, an extensive area of land embraced between the Oconee and the Ocmulgee Rivers was ceded to the State by the Creek Indians, also a tract south of the Altamaha. The treaty was negotiated by the Federal government through the following commis- sioners: James Wilkinson, Andrew Pickens, and Benjamin Hawkins. It was signed by forty chiefs and warriors, on June 16, 1802, and ratified by the United States Senate, on January 11, 1803. The lands acquired by the State under this compact were organized into three parent counties : Baldwin Wayne and Wilkinson.
Near the court house square, an artistic monument to the Confederate dead was unveiled with appropriate ceremonies in 1912, under the auspices of the local Chapter of the U. D. C.
Two Noted Schools Under an act of the General As- of Milledgeville. sembly, approved October 14, 1879, the old State Capitol building at Milledgeville-the most historic structure in the State- became the property of the Middle Georgia Military and Agricultural College and entered upon a new career of service to the commonwealth. The name of the institu- tion, by reason of certain organic changes, became in
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1901 the Georgia Military College, a title by which it is still known. The presidents of the institution have been as follows: Dr. H. S. Dudley, 1880-1882; D. M. Cone, acting, 1882-1883; Dr. W. F. Cook, 1883-1885; D. M. Cone, acting, 1885-1886; General D. H. Hill, 1886-1889; Major J. Colton Lines 1889-1892; Colonel J. C. Wood- ward, 1892-1896; William E. Reynolds, 1896 to 1912; and O. R. Horton, 1912 to date. The Georgia Military College is one of the best educational plants in the State. The discipline is strict, the standard of scholarship high, and the moral tone unsurpassed.
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