History of Greene County, Georgia, 1786-1886, Part 3

Author: Rice, Thaddeus Brockett
Publication date: 1961
Publisher: Macon, Ga., J.W. Burke Co.
Number of Pages: 690


USA > Georgia > Greene County > History of Greene County, Georgia, 1786-1886 > Part 3


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


This convinced the Wilkes county Tories that it was no longer healthy for them to reside in that section, so many of them sought fellowship among the Indians who had been their allies throughout the Revolution. The territory that is now Greene county lay too close to Wilkes to be a safe refuge for them, as they knew the prowess of Elijah Clark, Micajah Wil- liamsom, and other noted patriots of that section. So many of them cast their lot among the Creek Indians south of the Oconee river.


These Tories were among the first settlers who came pouring into the new territory that was opened up for settle- ment by the Treaty that was signed at Augusta in 1773. This territory was known as "the Ceded Lands North of the Oge- chee river" and includes all of what was originally Wilkes county. That part of Greene that lies North of the Ogeechee river, was a part of Wilkes. The Athens branch of the Georgia Railroad from Union Point to Bairdstown pretty well defines that part of the original Wilkes county line, and the little branch that runs just back of the stores at Union Point and winds its way down to the Taliaferro county line just below old Bethany church marks that portion of the original line between Greene and Wilkes. Some of the Wilkes county Tories had bought land in that part of Wilkes that was added to Greene by an Act of the Georgia Legislature dated December 1, 1802.


The hostility of these Tories toward the victorious Ameri- cans was intensified by the contempt in which they were held after the close of the Revolution. The feeling against them is clearly shown by the trial of some of their number during Wilkes county's first Court. And as their titles to the land they had acquired, came through the "Court of Land Com- missioners" who had been appointed by Colonial Governor James Wright, who was himself a Loyalist to the British


8


HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY


Crown, it was an easy matter to declare their title worthless. The time honored custom that, "to the victor belongs the spoils" enabled the good old County of Wilkes to rid herself of all the Tories she could not hang legally. Some of them had married into the families of the sons of Liberty and were not so rampant in their views, and took no part in the guerilla war-fare that was carried on by the renegades and Indians. This class probably had a "change of heart" after Cornwallis surrendered, and were tolerated on account of their marriage and outward appearance. But the fact that they were Tories, and did not cast their lot with those who fought and died for American Independence, has made it impossible for their des- cendents to join the D.A.R.'s.


Those who had taken an active part in the cowardly at- tacts on the defenseless, knew that the hangman's noose await- ed, and fled among the Creek Indians who were the most numerous and hostile to the white settlers. These are the white men whom the Creeks promised to expel from their na- tion under the Shoulderbone Treaty. And there is but little doubt as to their being responsible for many of the Indian raids in the new County of Greene, two of which were describ- ed in Governor Mathews letters to Congress in 1787.


I will try to show what effect Governor Mathews order to send 3,000 troops had on the "perfidious" Creeks.


BEFORE THE TERRITORY NOW KNOWN AS GREENE COUNTY WAS SET APART.


When the counties of Franklin and Washington were created by an Act of the Georgia Legislature at Savannah, Ga., on the twenty-fifth day of Feb., 1784, all of that territory that lies north of the Oconee river and its branches, had been sur- rendered to the State of Georgia under Treaty duly signed by the Chiefs of the Cherokee and Creek Indians at Augusta, and the Indians agreed to vacate the territory ceded under Treaty.


This opened up a rich and vast territory for white set- tlers. And in order to make it safe, it was necessary to estab- lish some form of local government and law enforcement,


9


HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY


therefore, the counties of Franklin and Washington were creat- ed to include all of the Ceded territory.


Washington county orginally included all of what is now Greene, and a large part of what is now Oconee county. Frank- lin included all of the Ceded territory north and northwest of Washington, and included the northwest corner of South Caro- lina. This infringment on South Carolina's territory was due to an error in establishing the boundary north of where the Tuga- lo and Keowee (Seneca) form the Savannah river. The survey- ors followed the Keowee instead of the Tugalo thinking it was the larger of the two streams. This brought on a dispute be- tween Georgia and South Carolina, and the matter was not settled until 1797, when it was amicably adjusted by what is known as the Treaty of Beaufort.


The counties of Franklin and Washington were opened up to settlers in 1784. The language of the Act creating these new counties reads as follows : And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that every citizen of this State, who shall come with an intent to settle and form an actual residence in this State, shall be entitled to a warrant of survey for any quantity of unlocated lands within the aforesaid counties in manner afore-mentioned, so as the same shall not exceed one thousand acres to any one person whatsoever: Provided that such person has not already taken up his, her, or their rights, agreeable to an act for opening the land office, passed the seventeenth of February, one thousand seven hundred and eigh- ty-three : And shall pay the fees of office at the time of apply- ing for such warrant or warrants." (Watkin's Digest, page 291).


Item VI. same Act reads: "And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That he, she, or they so applying shall pay for each and every acre granted as aforesaid, the sum of three shillings in gold or silver, that is to say Mexican or Span- ish milled dollars at four shillings and eight-pence each, and half Johannes's at thirty-seven shillings and four-pence each, and all other coins at the same rate in proportion, the one moiety to be paid in two years from the date of the warrant, and the other moiety at the expiration of three years," etc.


10


HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY


Item XI. same Act reads : "And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all the lands between the north and south fork of the Oconee up to the present temporary line be reserved the term of twelve months for the officers, seamen and soldiers who are entitled to land in this State by any re- solve of Congress or act or resolve of this State; refugees and other military excepted: And that the same lands according to the proportion allowed to such officers, seamen, or soldiers and entitled to the same, be fully, freely, and absolutely grant- ed to them, and their heirs and assigns forever, on application for that purpose without any restriction or incumberance (office fees exempted) or necessary qualification in regard to cultiva- tion, any thing therein contained to the contrary notwithstand- ing: Provided such officers, soldiers or seamen shall not by virtue of this bounty take the land in any other part of the aforesaid counties."


Item XI. Has no special reference to Greene county, as the lands reserved for officers, seamen and soldiers were locat- ed above Athens in Franklin county.


The opening up of the land of Franklin and Washington counties, brought an influx of people from the Carolinas and Virginia. The first settlement in what is now Greene county, was in the Bethany neighborhood. As early as 1784 we find emigrants from North Carolina settled around Bethany, which lies in the fork of the Ogeechee river. These early settlers were Presbyterians and of Scotch-Irish descent. The Rev. Jones Edmonds from Charleston was the first Presbyterian minister who preached in the new settlement. There was no house of wor- ship and the services were held in the house of Thomas Baldwin, about one mile east of the present church building.


The Rev. Daniel Thatcher from North Carolina and a member of the Presbytery of Orange, came to Georgia as a missionary in 1785 and settled in the Bethany neighborhood. The next year 1786, he organized Bethany church and preach- ed for two years, twice a month.


Note : I am indebted to the late Professor W. E. Reynolds for this bit of information about Bethany. Professor Reynolds


11


HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY


was reared in that neighborhood, and was a member of Beth- any church for many years. He wrote a history of Bethany church for its Centenniel in 1886 and read it to the hosts that had gathered for the occasion.


CHAPTER II GREENE COUNTY ORGANIZED


Here in northeast Georgia on Feb. 3, 1786 the county of Greene was organized after being cut from Washington County.


The county was named for that illustrious Revolutionary General, Nathaniel Greene, who lived only a few months after this honor was given him. In the same act the legislature located the county seat and named it Greensboro for General Greene. It was incorporated in 1803. The county is 22 miles long, 17 miles wide and contains 374 square miles.


The rivers are the Ogeechee, Apalachee and Oconee. The smaller streams are Beaver Dam, Towns, Richland and Shoul- derbone which rises in Greene Co.


White's Statistics of Ga. mentions early settlers as : Jonas Fauche, Wm. Heard, S. M. Devereaux, Isaac Stocks, Joseph Heard, John Pinkerd, John Harrison, Samuel B. Harris, John Young, Josiah McDonald, Charles Watts, Joseph White, George Reid, Major Porter and others.


Settlers came in from Virginia, the Carolinas, a few from the northeast and Europe seeking fortunes and getting these fertile lands. There was little sophistication among these pio- neers but most were sturdy, virile and easy to anger. For the first few weeks no order had been established and each man had to protect himself and his family. They were not only menaced hy the Indians and the Tories but by outlaws and criminals who had escaped justice and were seeking refuge.


As soon as an act was passed naming Justices, they met and marked out militia districts and nominated two Justices for each one. A date was set for the first election, where the voting would take place, and same was advertised. After this the first jurors and grand jurors were drawn from a box, by the Sheriff and the Clerk.


The same act that created Greene County authorized the building of the "Union Academy" and the "Union Meeting


12


13


HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY


House". These were built on the hill near the cemetery and served the religious and educational purposes of the new county for several years. A huge tract of land had been set aside for a State University, and most of this was in Greene County, the Richland Survey, Shoulderbone, Falling Creek and Fishing Creek. The first Commissioners of the county were: David Gresham, William Greer, Thomas Harris, William Fitzpatrick, and Robert Greer.


Greene County is bounded by these counties; on the north, by Clark and Oglethorpe, east by Taliferro, south by Hancock and Putnam and east by Morgan and Oconee.


The illimitable possibilities for the development of these fertile lands were enough to inspire the imagination of all ad- venturous spirits, besides those who came to amass fortunes. For those who desired adventure, there were the Creeks across the Oconee River or the Spaniards in Florida.


Many Revolutionary soldiers drew "head rights" grants here. They were tax free for ten years and contained 250 acres while taxable grants called for 2871/2 acres. These warrants were issued upon application at the Land Office and the holder could select any land in the county, provided it had not already been entered by someone else. It was surveyed and a plat made of it, which was recorded in a plat book by the Surveyor, show- ing the owners name, creek or river on which it bordered and the name of the adjoining land owner. This was signed by the Surveyor and became a permanent record in the office of the Clerk of the Superior Court. Many Revolutionary soldiers set- tled here and made good citizens and there are many descend- ants of theirs still here.


The Virginians who came in were more interested in educa- tion than the native Georgians and Carolinians, and they became the leaders in the county.


In 1845 there were 4,515 whites and 7,458 blacks in Greene County. This county has cradled many illustrous men, among them : U. S. Senators, Cobb and Dawson, eight members of Con- gress : Early, Cobb, Nisbet, Dawson, Haraldson, Alford,


14


HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY


Thomas and Nathaniel Foster, two Bishops; Pierce and Andrew. Judges of the Supreme Court, Nisbet and Lewis, Gov. Pete: Early, Augustus B. Longstreet, Thomas Cobb, Hiram Cone, Wm. Crosby Dawson, Phillip B. Robinson, John Collier Hart, Hugh G. Lewis, James B. Park, and Samuel Sibley.


NATHANIEL GREENE


Greene County was named for Gen. Nathaniel Greene of Revolutionary fame while General Greene was still living at Mulberry Grove. The county was formed in 1786 and Gen. Greene died in 1786. (four months later)


Gen. Greene was born at Warwick, N. J. on May 27, 1742 the son of a Quaker preacher. He died June 19, 1786. His an- cestors came from England to America when Charles was King.


He grew up and studied Latin, Mathematics and other metaphysics and became commander of the local troops. In 1774 he married beautiful Catherine Littlefield, and 1775 at 33 years old he joined the regular army at Cambridge and there he met General George Washington and they became lifelong friends. In Dec. 1776 Greene crossed the Delaware and commanded the left wing at Trenton and Princeton. He fought valiantly at Brandywine and Germantown, and at Monmouth he turned de- feat into victory. He had the sad duty of hanging the spy Gen. Andre for negotiating with Benedict Arnold.


When Gates was defeated at Camden, S. C. Gen. Washing- ton sent Gen. Greene south and he put new life into the forces. He had brilliant Marion, Sumter, and Pickens to help him de- feat the British.


Georgia honored him by giving him a plantation at Mul- berry Grove near Savannah, so named for the mulberry trees planted there to provide food for the silkworms when the 13th colony tried to grow silk. Now it was a rice plantation.


Gen. Anthony Wayne lived farther up the river at Rich- mond at Kew plantation, which Georgia gave him for valiant


15


HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY


services. The rumor got around that Mad Anthony Wayne was in love with General Greene's wife, the lovely, high-spirited Catherine Littlefield Greene of Block Island.


It is said that Wayne became a frequent visitor to Mul- berry Grove and his attentions to Catherine became so apparent that Gen. Greene was going to the Anthony home on June 12, 1786 to see Gen. Wayne. While he was at the plantation of a friend, William Gibbons he suffered a fatal stroke. He was only 44 years old. He was buried with high military honors in Savan- nah's old Colonial cemetery. One hundred years later his re- mains were removed to Johnson Square where they lie beneath the imposing mounment in his honor.


Mad Anthony Wayne was sent by Gen. George Washing- ton to the far northwest, on some mission.


Gen. Greene left five children who were being tutored by a Yale graduate named, Phineas Miller, who also helped Mrs. Greene manage her large plantation, and ten years later they were married.


It was Catherine Greene who met Eli Whitney when he came to Georgia to tutor, and when he arrived the position had been filled. She invited him to Mulberry Grove and it was here that he invented the first cotton gin in 1793. This was an event of far reaching importance as it made possible the growing of millions of acres of cotton, caused a great increase in slavery, produced cotton crops worth hundreds of millions of dollars which were exported to England, France, Germany, Russia and other European countries giving the U. S. A. an enormous bal- ance of trade and greatly enriched this country.


This great development from a single crop resulted in social and industrial revolutions and led to the bloody civil war of 1861.


But for the existence of the cotton crop slavery would have ceased to exist, but the profitable employment of Negroes on the cotton plantations between 1800 to 1860 caused an immense increase in slave labor, and enriched the large planters. Slavery


16


HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY


had been opposed in the beginning when the Trustees of Georgia forbade its introduction into this state. Benjamin Franklin sought to end it by insertion of a paragraph in the National Constitu- tion which would have provided that negroes after a certain date would be born free, but he failed.


General Greene also had a home on Cumberland Island named Dungeness which had thirty rooms. The Greene family lost Mulberry Grove because of debts incurred by the Gen- eral to furnish army provisions for his men during the war.


When Gen. George Washington visited Augusta and Savan- nah in May of 1791, it is said ,that at a magnificient ball given in his honor that he danced with Catherine Greene for four hours.


In 1814 Catherine L. Greene Miller died at fifty-nine years of age, still charming, brilliant and active. Her daughter Louisa Greene, (Mrs. James Shaw )inherited Dungeness. Another daughter, Martha Washington Greene married John Clark Nightingale.


It was here on March 25, 1818 that Light Horse Harry Lee, father of the great and noble Robert E. Lee died, and was buried. Later his body and that of his son, General Lee were placed in a crypt at Washington and Lee University in Virginia.


In 1893 Thomas Morrison Carnegie acquired this Dung- ness property on Cumberland Island.


SETTLEMENTS


It is difficult to trace the other settlements that sprang into existence shortly after Bethany was established. However, it is known that the rich lands along the Oconee as high up as Scull Shoals were taken up while this territory was still Wash- ington county. And it is more than probable many sections of what is now Greene county was settled as early as 1784 and 1785. This conclusion is justified by the fact, that, the Legisla- ture saw fit to organize a new county out of the northern part


17


HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY


of Washington and the southern part of Franklin. This new county was created on the third day of February 1786, and named Greene, in honor of General Nathaniel Greene. The original territory that formed Greene, included all of the ter- ritory that lies between the Ogeechee and Oconee rivers. Also, the lands between the Appalachee and Oconee and as far north of the Oconee as Cherokee Corner; thence, a straight line west from Cherokee Corner to High Shoals on the Appalachee river just below where Milledgeville now stands, and extended north-west to the Ogeechee river, and up the Ogeechee and its headwaters to Cherokee Corner.


Another evidence that the territory was settled before Greene was created is; Immediately after the county was creat- ed, Jonas Fauche was placed in charge of military operations for the protections of the Whites against the Indians. He at once made a survey of the needs and recommended that twelve Forts be built at strategic points. A little later, he found that Isaac Stocks had already built a private Fort on his farm near the Oconee river some five miles south of Scull Shoals. It was in this Fort that Thomas Stocks was born, two days before the Act creating Greene county was passed.


Possibly, the earliest description of the section that later became Greene County, was written by William Bartram des- cribing his travels through Georgia, about 1773, and he was guided by an old map of 1780 by Purcell. The following is quoted from Bartram's Travels, p.57-58 :


"After four days of moderate and pleasant travleing, we arrived in the evening at the, "Buffalo Lick." This extraordi- nary place occupies several acres of ground, at the foot of the S. E. promontory of the Great Ridge, which, as before ob- served, divides the rivers Savannah and Altamaha. A large cane swamp and meadows, forming an immense plain, lie S.E. from it; in this swamp I believe the head branches of the great Ogee- chee river take their rise. The place called the lick contains three or four acres, in nearly level land, and lies between the head of the cane swamp and the ascent of the Ridge. The earth,


18


HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY


from the superficies to an unknown depth, is almost white or cinereous colored tenacious fattish clay, which all kinds of cat- tle lick into great caves, persuing the delicious vein. It is the common opinion of the inhabitants, that this clay is impregnat- ed with saline vapors, arising from fossil salts deep in the earth ; but I could discover nothing saline in its taste, but I ima- gined an insipid sweetness. Horned cattle, horses and deer, are immoderately fond of it, insomuch, that their excrement, which almost totally covers the earth to some distance around this place, appears to be perfect clay; which, when dried by the sun and air, is almost as hard as brick."


*As to who these intelligent inhabitants were, Bartram does not explain; and if he was correct in this statement, there must have been white settlers along the head waters of the Ogeechee long before either Wilkes or Greene Counties were created.


The writer is indebted to Colonel T. G. Macfie of Sha- ron, Ga., for the above. Col. Macfie's letter of Nov. 29, 1934 says : "You will have to go about a mile south of Union Point to get to where this expanse begins." He also gives the three tests laid down by Bartram for locating this Buffalo Lick, as follows :


(1) "It was on the S. E. base of the last promontory of the ridge of hills; and there was a flat of three or four acres at that spot.


(2) It was the head waters of the Ogeechee (an old map of 1770 by Purcell published with Bulletin No.73 of the Bur- reau of Ethnology shows it on the second or third branch of the Ogeechee ) .


(3) A great cane swamp and meadows extends Southeast from it."


Colonel Macfie has made a personal investigation of the location, and is convinced, that Bartram's "Great Buffalo Lick" was on the north side of the Ogeechee, and about one mile below Union Point.


The presence of intelligent inhabitants who gave Bartram


19


HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY


the scientific explanation of the presence of "fossil salts deep in the earth" may account for William Greer, William Daniel, Thomas Baldwin and other prominent men settling in the Bet- hany neighborhood when Washington County was laid out in 1784. Bethany is very near the place described as the "great Buffalo Lick," and intelligent neighbors were highly desirable.


Colonel Macfie's letter caused the writer to read Wil- liam Bartram's Travels closely; and, he has reached the con- clusion that the "Great Buffalo Lick" was near where Union Point is now located. Bartram's reason for visiting this section can best be told in his own words, which are accurately quoted here :


"A few days after our arrival at Augusta (in the spring of 1773), the chiefs and warriors of the Creeks and Cherokees being arrived, the Congress and the business of the treaty came on, and the negotiations continued undetermined many days ; the merchants of Georgia demanding at least two millions of acres of land from the Indians, and a discharge of their debts, due, and long standing; the Creeks, on the other hand, being a powerful and proud spirited people, their young warriors were unwilling to submit to so large a demand, and their con- duct evidently betrayed a disposition to dispute the ground by force of arms, and they could not first be brought to listen to reason and amicable terms, however, at length, the cool and deliberate counsels of the ancient venerable chiefs, enforced by liberal presents of suitable goods, were too powerful induce- ments for them any longer to resist, and finally prevailed. The treaty concluded in unanimity, peace, and good order; and the honorable superintendent, not forgetting his promise to me, at the conclusion mentioned my business, and recommended me to the protection of the Indian chiefs and warriors. The pre- sents being distributed among the Indians, they departed, re- turning home to their towns. A company of surveyors were appointed by the governor and council, to ascertain the bound- eries of the new purchase; they were to be attended by chiefs of the Indians, selected and delegated by their countrymen, to assist, and be witnesses that the articles of the treaty were ful- filled, as agreed by both parties in Congress."


20


HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY


"The preparatory business of the surveyors being now ac- complished Mr. J. McIntosh, yet anxious for traveling, and desirous to accompany me on this tour, joined with me the cara- van, consisting of surveyors, astronomers, artisans, chain-bear- ers, markers, guides, and hunters, besides, a very respectable number of gentlemen, who joined us, in order to speculate in lands, together with ten or twelve Indians, altogether to the number of eighty or ninety men, all or most of us well mounted on horseback, besides twenty or thirty pack-horses, loaded with provisions, tents, and camp equipment."




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.