Georgia's landmarks, memorials and legends, Volume II, Part 8

Author: Knight, Lucian Lamar, 1868-1933
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Atlanta, Ga. : Byrd Printing Co.
Number of Pages: 1274

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All the expenses of the investigation just concluded have been defrayed by the Rhode Island Society of the Cincinnati from the interest on its permanent fund, to which General Greene contributed his month's pay in

GEORGIA'S LANDMARKS, MEMORIALS AND LEGENDS

1783. At the last annual meeting of the Society, before his decease, he officiated as President. Upon his last trip South, he still retained his residence at Newport. In any final determination as to where his remains shall be deposited, his descendants and the State of Georgia, as well as Rhode Island, should all be consulted.

To the foregoing account by Dr. Gardiner, a few facts may be added relative to the re-interment of Gen- eral Greene's body in Savannah. Most of the descend- ants of the illustrious soldier, when canvassed in regard to the matter, preferred that his ashes should continue to rest in the beautiful home of his adoption. To this list there were only three exceptions, whose preference was for Guildford, N. C., the scene of one of his greatest battles. It was therefore decided to re-inter the remains under the Greene monu- ment, on Bull Street, in Savannah. The date fixed for this solemn ceremonial was November 14, 1902; and at this time there assembled in Savannah, a vast concourse of people, including relatives of the distinguished soldier, official members of the Rhode Island Society of the Cin- cinnati, his excellency, Hon. Charles D. Kimball, Gov- ernor of Rhode Island, and numerous invited guests.

First among the day's impressive events was the unveiling of a bronze tablet on the Graham vault, in Co- lonial Park, where the remains of General Greene were first discovered. Right Reverend C. K. Nelson, Bishop of Georgia, offered the prayer of invocation, after which in a brief speech, Hon. Walter G. Charlton, of Savannah, on behalf of the descendants of General Greene, made a formal presentation of the tablet to the city authorities. At the conclusion of Judge Charlton's address, young George Washington Greene Carpenter, of Manton, R. I., then unveiled the tablet, which Alderman Robert L. Cold- ing, in the absence of the Mayor, formally accepted. The inscription on the tablet reads as follows :

TO COMMEMORATE THE REINTERMENT OF THE REMAINS OF

MAJOR GENERAL NATHANAEL GREENE BENEATH THIS SHAFT ON NOVEMBER 14 1902

THIS TABLET WAS ERECTED BY THE SAVANNAH CHAPTER DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

BRONZE TABLET ON THE GREENE MONUMENT, SAVANNAH, GA.

LOST FOR 114 YEARS

THE GRAHAM VAULT

Here rested for 114 years the remains of MAJOR- GENERAL NATHANAEL GREENE. Born in Rhode Island, August 7, 1742. Died at Mulberry Grove, June 19, 1786.

His remains and those of his eldest son, GEORGE WASHINGTON GREENE, now lie under the monu- ment in Johnson Square.

From Colonial Park the scene next shifted to the Greene monument on Bull Street; and, as the impressive pageant moved slowly toward this point a profound si- lence fell upon the vast multitudes. The Chatham Ar- tillery, under the command of Capt. George P. Walker, acted as a special escort to the remains; but all the mili- tary, patriotic and civic organizations of Savannah took part in the long parade, while twenty carriages were filled with invited guests. The formal exercises of re- interment began with a prayer by Bishop Nelson. Then the remains were placed in a chamber specially prepared for them underneath the flag-stones on the south side of the monument. The artillerymen, acting as pall-bear- ers, brought up the receptacle and workmen lowered it into the vault.

At the conclusion of this part of the ceremony, Mrs. Edward Karow, Regent of Savannah Chapter, D. A. R., unveiled on behalf of the Chapter, a handsome bronze tablet, embedded in the monument just above the vault containing General Greene's remains. The design of this tablet is a wreath of laurel, tied at the top with rib- bon; and in this wreath is the insignia of the D. A. R., the wheel and the distaff, while underneath is this in- scription :

To commemorate the reinterment of the remains of MAJOR-GENERAL NATHANAEL GREENE, beneath this shaft, on November 14, 1902. This tablet was erected by the Savannah Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. .

GEORGIA'S LANDMARKS, MEMORIALS AND LEGENDS

Alderman Robert L. Colding, representing the mu- nicipality, accepted the tablet, after which Governor Kim- ball, of Rhode Island, advanced to the front and placed the tribute of General Greene's native State upon the monument. This was a large wreath of bronze galex, crossed with sycus palms, and tied with purple ribbons, on which were embossed in gold the arms of Rhode Is- land. Standing upon a tripod, the wreath occupied a place at the base of the monument throughout the cere- monies. Next, the orator of the occasion, Hon. Asa Bird Gardiner, L. L. D., President of the Rhode Island Society of the Cincinnati, was introduced to the assemblage and, in a speech replete with eloquence, paid a magnificent tribute to the illustrious soldier. Bishop Nelson then pronounced the benediction.

CHAPTER IV

Georgia's Great Seals

S INCE the granting of Georgia's Colonial Charter, in 1732, by George II, of England, for whom this State was named, there have been four Great Seals by which the stamp of her authority has been affixed to her most important official transactions: first, the Co- lonial Seal, or Seal of the Trustees; second, the Pro- vincial Seal, or Seal of the Royal Governors; third, the Great Seal of 1777; and, fourth, the Great Seal of 1799. The earliest of these seals was used for a period of twenty-one years, covering the administration of Geor- gia's Colonial affairs by the official Board of Trustees. Both the Provincial Seal and the Great Seal of 1777 were likewise used for approximately the same length of time. But the Great Seal of 1799 is still in vogue, linking the Georgia of to-day with the Georgia of the Eighteenth Century, and putting us in touch with the closing scenes of the American Revolution.

The Colonial Seal of Georgia, on its reverse side, bore the famous motto adopted by the Trustees-"Non Sibi Sed Aliis," the meaning of which is, "Not for ourselves but for others." It also pictured silk worms in the va- rious stages of labor. Efforts to find a clear print of this side of Georgia's first Seal have been fruitless. How- ever, there are numerous impressions of the obverse side, which represents two figures resting upon urns; while

GEORGIA'S LANDMARKS, MEMORIALS AND' LEGENDS

out of these urns proceed streams typifying the rivers which then formed the Colony's upper and lower bounda- ries, viz., the Savannah and the Altamaha. In the hands of each figure is a spade, suggesting agriculture as the chief employment of the settlers. Further in the background is seated the Genius of the Colony, with her left hand resting upon a cornucopia, a spear in her right hand and a liberty cap on her head. Behind this figure rises a tree above which is inscribed the legend : "Colonia Georgia Augeat"-"May the Colony of Georgia Wax Strong." This face of the Seal-or the Great Seal prop- er-was used in attesting legislative acts, deeds, and com- missions, while the opposite face formed the common seal, used in attesting order, certificates, and ordinary con- veyances of land .* The original Seal of the Trustees is still preserved in the British Museum in London.

When Georgia became a Province, the old Seal of the Trustees was superceded by the new Seal of the Province, approved by his majesty on June 21, 1754. The design was as follows: On one face a figure repre- senting the Genius of the Colony offering a skein of silk to his majesty, with the motto, "Hinc Laudem Sperate Coloni," and this inscription around the circumference : "Segillium Provinciae Nostrae Georgiae in America." On the other side appeared his majesty's arms, together with his crown, garter, and supporters, and this inscrip- tion : "Georgius II, Dei Gratia, Magnae Britanniae, Fran- ciae et Hibernia Rex, Fidei Defensor, Brunswici et Lun- eburgi Dux, Sacri Romani Imperii Archi Thesaurius et Princeps Elector."*

But this emblem of authority was likewise discarded when Georgia became a State. Following the separation

*Jones, Vol. I, p. 97, History of Georgia.

*Jones, Vol. I, p. 462, History of Georgia.

GEORGIA'S GREAT SEALS

of the Province from the Crown of England, a convention to be held in Savannah on the first Tuesday in October 1776 was called by the General Congress over which Arch- ibald Bulloch presided. For nearly four months this august body remained almost constantly in session; and, on February 5, 1777, Georgia's first State Constitution was adopted, known as the Constitution of 1777. The Great Seal of the State adopted by this convention is thus described : "On one side a scroll whereon shall be engraved 'The Constitution of the State of Georgia' and the motto 'Pro Bono Publico'; on the other side an ele- gant house and other buildings, fields of corn, and mead- ows covered with sheep and cattle; a river running through the same, with a ship under full sail; and the motto, 'Deus Nobis Haec Otia Fecit.' "*

It will be observed that in the foregoing description there is no reference whatever to the silk industry, which entered so largely into the dreams of the great founder of the Province and which the Trustees of Georgia did so much to encourage, but without success. The cultiva- tion of mulberry trees was at first quite general. It seemed that every one in the Colony was eager for the experiment. But the soil of the Georgia lowlands was ill- adapted to the raising of silk-worms, out of which it was hoped that millions of pounds sterling might event- ually be realized. Before many years elapsed, the faith- ful Salzburgers in the neighborhood of Ebenezer were the only ones who still persevered in a fruitless effort to place the industry upon a remunerative basis. Due to the frugality of these German settlers, they succeeded for a while in making the culture of silk-worms pay, but eventually they too became discouraged; and thus ended in failure the Utopian project of the Trustees to clothe the nobility of England with American silk.

Georgia's present Great Seal was authorized by the Constitutional Convention of 1798, but was not adopted

*Jones, Vol. II, p. 258, History of Georgia.

GEORGIA'S LANDMARKS, MEMORIALS AND LEGENDS

until February 8, 1799, and, except for a brief period during the days of Reconstruction, it has been constantly in use for more than a hundred years. On account of its extreme age, it now makes a very indistinct impres- sion and needs to be retouched by the skillful hand of the engraver. It consists of two solid plates of silver, each of which is a quarter of an inch thick by two inches and a quarter in diameter. The Great Seal is kept by authority of law in the office of Secretary of State. Ac- cording to the records, it was first used on July 4, 1799. The following description of the Great Seal is taken ver- batim from the Code of Georgia .*

"The device, on one side, is a view of the seashore, with a ship bearing the flag of the United States riding at anchor near a wharf, receiving on board hogsheads of tobacco and bales of cotton, emblematic of the exports of this State; at a small distance a boat, landing from the interior of the State, with hogsheads, etc., on board, representing the internal traffic, in the back part of the same side a man in the act of plowing, and at a small distance a flock of sheep in different pastures, shaded by a flourishing tree; the motto thereon: 'Agriculture and Commerce, 1799.' "'

"The device on the other side is three pillars, sup- porting an arch, with the word "Constitution" engraven within the same, emblematic of the Constitution, sup- ported by the three departments of government, viz., legislative, judicial and executive-the first pillar hav- ing engraven on it "Wisdom," the second "Justice," the third "Moderation;" on the right of the last pillar a man standing with a drawn sword, representing the aid of the military in defence of the Constitution; the motto, 'State of Georgia, 1799.' "

When the present Great Seal of the State was adop- ted, in 1799, tobacco furnished the chief agricultural crop of the State and there were numerous warehouses erected

*Code of 1895, Vol. I, p. 66.

GEORGIA'S GREAT SEALS

for the inspection of the plant, but with the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney, cotton gradually gained the ascendancy over tobacco, until the cultivation of the latter was finally discontinued.

To use the Great Seal, wax is rolled out into thin wafers. Gilt paper, cut circular in form, the exact size of the die, with serrated edges, is next laid upon each side of the wax wafer; and, at the same time, ribbons are inserted between the wafer and the paper discs. This done, the wafer is then placed between the plates of the die and stamped tightly, leaving the devices imprinted on either side of the soft wax and revealed, like an en- graving, on the gilded paper, which is attached by nar- row ribbons to the document of state, forming what is known as a wax pendant.

The custom of attaching seals of this character to official documents is extremely ancient, dating back to the earliest manuscripts of record in the oldest States of the Union. Since then a method of stamping which cuts an impression in the paper to be attested has come into general vogue, and the use of the wax wafer by means of ribbons, in the manner above described, has become obsolete. Georgia is the only State which still adheres to this antiquated custom, and the unwillingness of our law- makers to adopt the new method is only an expression of the conservative spirit which has always character- ized the typical Georgian. The influence of patriotic or- ganizations throughout the State is also a tremendous factor in keeping the Great Seal in use. But Capt. B. F. Johnson, the veteran chief-clerk of the State Depart- ment, is not controlled entirely by sentiment on this subject. It takes him on an average of twenty minutes to attach the Great Seal to each document which he at- tests; and though he venerates the old heirloom which for years past has been his peculiar charge he neverthe- less belongs to the vanguard of progress and is a stout

GEORGIA'S LANDMARKS, MEMORIALS AND LEGENDS

apostle of reform. He favors placing the Great Seal on the retired list, but wishes to see it safeguarded and pre- served in a manner worthy of its historic associations.

As to the purposes for which the Great Seal is used, there is a lack of correct information even on the part of some who are supposed to be well informed. It is not used on all papers, issuing from the Secretary of State's office, but only on documents of an extraordinary character, such as charters, land-grants, and commissions to public servants, including Governors, State House offi- cials, Judges of the Superior Court and Solicitors Gen- eral. It is also used in attesting all interstate and in- ternational documents. Every paper going out of the State, for which Georgia's official attestation is required, must carry the Great Seal; but for ordinary official trans- actions what is known as the seal of the Secretary of State is employed.

When Georgia gave her allegiance to the Confeder- ate States of America in 1861, she continued to use the Great Seal, but adopted a slight modification of the Seal of Secretary of State, inserting the date "1861" imme- diately under the arch of the Constitution, while the date "1776" was retained underneath the pillars. This Seal is still used in the State Department. There is only one plate to the Seal of Secretary of State; that of three pillars supporting the Constitutional arch, each bearing its appropriate motto, "Wisdom," "Justice" and "Moderation."

In an old issue of the Louisville Gazette, dated Feb- ruary 26, 1799, Governor Joseph M. Brown, during his second term of office, found an executive order, signed by Thomas Johnson, Secretary to Governor James Jack- son. It calls upon artists throughout the world to sub- mit drawings for the proposed new Great Seal of the

GEORGIA'S GREAT SEALS

State, an outline sketch of which was furnished, in terms of the Act approved February 8, 1799; and to supply an adequate incentive to genius, the sum of $30 was offered as a premium. It was further stipulated that the draw- ings were to be lodged in the Executive office at Louis- ville, on or before the 20th of April, 1799. At the same time, it was ordered that proposals be submitted by the same date for making and engraving the device; and July 3, 1799, was fixed as a limit within which to com- plete the contract.

Governor Brown was fortunate enough to procure copies of the Louisville Gazette for subsequent dates ; and, in an issue of the paper, dated March 7, 1799, he found this paragraph, the statement contained in which throws an important side-light upon the history of the Great Seal. The paragraph reads as follows:

"We understand that the device approved of by the Governor for the Great Seal of this State was drawn by Mr. Sturges, the state sur- veyor-general. The most elegant drawing sent to the Executive De- partment was performed by Mr. Charles Frazer, of South Carolina, and which we are assured would have obtained the premium had he not through mistake placed all the figures on one side instead of making a reverse. This young artist we are informed is but sixteen years of age-his genius is great, and deserves encouragement. Several other handsome performances were sent to the Executive.

In a still later issue of the same paper, Governor Brown completed his quest for information in regard to the Great Seal by discovering the full name and title of the designer, in a card announcing his business-Dan- iel Sturges, Surveyor-General. It is late in the day to bestow upon the designer of the Great Seal of Georgia the honor to which he is undeniably entitled. But justice often lags. The historic page is full of tardy recogni- tions; and, after the lapse of more than a century, Geor- gia, with the help of an honored Governor, removes the dust which has long rested upon one of her brightest names. Hereafter let no one forget to honor this pio- neer Georgian to whose artistic genius is due the Great Seal of the Commonwealth.

GEORGIA'S LANDMARKS, MEMORIALS AND LEGENDS

Contrary to the general impression which prevails in Georgia, the Great Seal of the State has never been carried beyond the State limits. Historians have erred in attributing to Governor Charles J. Jenkins, a rescue of Georgia's precious heir-loom from the hands of mil- itary usurpers. The episode in which Governor Jenkins figured is not underrated. It constitutes one of the most dramatic chapters in the history of a troubled era. But the instrument of office which Governor Jenkins bore into exile was not the Great Seal of Georgia, but the Seal of the Executive Department; and it was a facsimile of this Seal, executed in gold, with the inscription, "In Arduis Fidelis," which the Legislature of the State awarded to the noble old Roman for his fidelity in safe- guarding Georgia's honor.

The Great Seal of the State remained in the custody of Hon. Nathan C. Barnett throughout the entire period known as the Carpet Bag regime. To prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemies of Georgia, Col. Barnett secretly removed it from the State Capitol to his home in Milledgeville, where he buried it under the honse at dead of night. He shared the secret with no one except his wife, whom he took into his confidence so that in the event of his death it might be restored to the State when the proper time arrived.

As soon as General Sherman reached Milledgeville, which was then the seat of government, he cansed the Secretary of State to be arrested and ordered him to sur- render the Great Seal. But Col. Barnett refused to do so, stating that if death were the only alternative, he chose rather to forfeit his life than to betray his trust. He was put into prison; but the efforts of his tormentors to extort from him any information concerning the hiding place of the revered relic were fruitless. He remained obdurate. There was no attempt at actual torture to force him into submission, though he was equal even to this test.

It has been suggested that his majestic bearing and resolute spirit overawed his inquisitors, for mentally and

GEORGIA'S GREAT SEALS

physically he was one of nature's noblemen, a giant both in statue and in strength. Like the heroic old Scotch re- former, no fear of death ever made him quail before the face of mortal man. When Georgia resumed her right- ful place in a Union of equal sovereignties, Col. Barnett. restored the Great Seal. For a period of nearly four de cades, he held the office of Secretary of State, beloved by every one who knew him and at each successive elec- tion he was practically without opposition at the polls. When eighty years whitened the locks of Col. Barnett, his towering figure was still unbent. It was like his robust character. Peace to his ashes !

With the advent of Reconstruction, when the Carpet Bag element sought to reorganize Georgia, a second ef- fort was made to unearth the Great Seal. Some pre- tence of legal form was needed to give authority to fraud- ulent transactions. But failing in this repeated attempt to obtain the emblem of Georgia's sovereignty, resort was made to subterfuge and an imitation seal was sub- stituted for the original instrument. The utmost skill was employed in an effort to counterfeit the Great Seal. No expense was spared by the Bullock administration. But when the contrivance was finished, it bore upon its reverse side the bar sinister. At first the difference was not detected; but this wonderful likeness was planned by an avenging Nemesis. In the course of time, the fraudulent character of the Seal was brought to light, for the soldier standing between the pillars, "Justice" and "Moderation," held his sword in his left hand, whereas, in the original, he held it in his right hand. Thus, with laughing irony, fate exposed the artful deception and, in a measure at least, thwarted the nefarious de- signs of the Reconstructionists.

So much for the history of Georgia's Great Seal. It was probably cast in Charleston, S. C. There is nothing

GEORGIA'S LANDMARKS, MEMORIALS AND LEGENDS

in the records to warrant a positive statement upon this point, but the present Secretary of State, Hon. Philip Cook, is strongly of the opinion that it came from the Pal- metto metropolis. In 1868 a resolution was passed by the General Assembly, authorizing the Secretary of State to have the Great Seal re-engraved, but doubtless at the time there were no funds in the Treasury available for this purpose. Be this as it may, the resolution was not carried into effect, and to this day it remains a dead letter upon the statute book. Mr. Cook has recently called executive attention to this unfulfilled duty on the part of the State, and perhaps in the near future our lawmakers will do themselves the honor and Georgia the justice of restoring the Great Seal.

CHAPTER V

Georgia Issues the First Patent for a Steamboat

O N February 1, 1788, an act was passed by the General Assembly at Augusta conferring upon two inventors, Isaac Briggs and William Long- street, exclusive patent rights for a term of fourteen years, to a steam engine, constructed by them for pur- poses of navigation. There are certain things, in regard to this legislative act, which give it a peculiar interest to students of American history. In the first place, it constitutes the only patent ever issued by the State of Georgia. At this time, the Articles of Confederation were still in vogue, but within a few months a new cen- tral government was organized, under the Federal Con- stitution of 1787, after which the right to issue patents became a special prerogative of the United States.

We must furthermore observe that the date of this patent is anterior, by nearly two full decades, to the suc- cessful experiments made by Robert Fulton on the Hud- son River, in 1807. It was also the first patent for a steamboat ever granted. Just what part Isaac Briggs took in the construction of this pioneer steamboat is unknown; but tradition credits William Longstreet with a series of experiments on the Savannah River, extend- ing over a period of twenty years. The proposition at first excited only ridicule. As an indication of this popular attitude, the musty old volume in which the pat- ent is recorded in the Secretary of State's office contains this entry, on the first page of the index: "Briggs and Longstreet: Steam Nothing, 245." On the page thus

100

GEORGIA'S LANDMARKS, MEMORIALS AND LEGENDS

indicated in Book "C," Bills of Sale and Deeds of Gift, this earliest patent for a steamboat is recorded as fol- lows :

AN ACCOUNT OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND PRINCIPLES OF BRIGGS' AND LONGSTREET'S STEAM ENGINE; FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF WHICH A PRIVILEGE WAS GRANTED TO THE INVENTORS, FOR FOURTEEN YEARS, BY AN ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE PASSED AT AUGUSTA, THE FIRST DAY OF FEBRUARY, 1788.

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Georgia's landmarks, memorials and legends, Volume II, Part 8

Author: Knight, Lucian Lamar, 1868-1933 Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Atlanta, Ga. : Byrd Printing Co. Number of Pages: 1274

Author: Knight, Lucian Lamar, 1868-1933
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Atlanta, Ga. : Byrd Printing Co.
Number of Pages: 1274