USA > Georgia > Wilkinson County > History of Wilkinson County > Part 16
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The following old negro tune evidently originated dur- ing these days :
"Run, nigger, run, de patterol '1 ketch you Don't ketch me, but ketch dat nigger behind dat tree He stole money, I stole none, Put him in de chain gang jest for fun."
THE PUBLIC ROADS
This was the time when the roads were kept up by the work of the citizens. Each man between the ages of sixteen and fifty years of age was required to respond to the summons of the road overseers to meet on a certain day and perform such work as was necessary to keep the roads in repair. Three Commissioners were appointed for each militia district, and it was their duty to assign the citizens to work on certain portions of the roads, and to appoint overseers for each section.
The following persons were appointed Commissioners of Roads for the year 1856:
Ramah District : Solomon Arnold, H. M. Cook, John King; Irwinton District: Jesse B. Carroll, E. J. Gilbert, James Branan ; Griffin District : Joel J. Loftin, T. J. Hol- liman, James Hartley; Lord's District : W. Ussery, J. A. Dean, Joel Deese ; Turkey Creek, Eli Sears, Allen Dav-
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idson, John Burke; Fork District: L. Clay, Bryant O'- Banon, John Hatcher; High Hill District : Nelson Stuck- ey, J. F. Burney, N. W. Hughes; Bloodworth District : D. M. Cook, J. S. Ethridge, P. T. Youngblood.
THE COURTHOUSE RECORDS OF WILKINSON COUNTY
It is remarkable that there are as many records of Wilkinson County still in existence when we consider the number of times the courthouse has been destroyed. Fol- lowing the severing of Twiggs County in 1809, the old rec- ords were removed to Irwinton, but for ten years there was no permanent courthouse in which to store these, and besides that, what records were kept were largely in books which easily came apart as evidenced by some of the old fragments seen by the writer. The records of Estates seem to have been kept at some place other than the courthouse for these escaped the fire of 1828, which destroyed the courthouse, although all the records in the other offices were burned. The same thing happened in 1854, when again the courthouse burned and the greater portion of all other records with the exception of those of the Ordi- nary's office was lost. Samuel Beall was Ordinary at the latter time and probably kept these records in his home. In 1864, when Sherman's troops were approaching, Judge Frank Chambers and Dr. Fleetwood got wagons and removed all the records in the courthouse to Big Sandy swamp and buried them. In 1924, when the courthouse burned, the vaults in the Clerk's and Ordinary's offices saved the most of the more valuable records. However, many valuable ones which were not in the vaults were destroyed.
Following the fire of 1854, there was a several months delay in building a new one. Provision for building it had to be made by the levying of taxes by the Inferior Court. The question came up before the Grand Jury of April, 1854, as to whether it should be rebuilt that year. The majority of that body was opposed to it but the minority
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brought in a minority report recommending it be built and pursuant to this a two-story, frame building was erected.
For several years after Sherman's destruction, court was held in some rooms rented for the purpose. However, about 1870, while C. M. Lindsey was Ordinary, a brick building was erected, Pat Ward, "the Irishman," being the builder. A tradition is handed down that when he was building it, whiskey was being sold at Irwinton and getting a quart of the finest Bourbon, he incased it in a hidden spot in the masonry, saying that come what would, Irwin- ton should not be tee-totally dry. Following the fire of 1924, while the old walls were being torn down, a thor- ough search was made by some thirsty souls but only a broken bottle was found after the walls fell.
CHAPTER XXIX IMPORTANT EVENTS
D ECREASE in population .- It will be noted that there is a shrinkage in the population of Wilkinson between the Census of 1820 and that of 1830, the population in 1830 being 4,785 whites and 1,887 negroes. In all prob- ability this was due to the hegira to the new Indian lands distributed during these years, which had been obtained from the Indians. The great drop in the slave population indicates that the emigration was not limited to those owning no slaves but including all classes.
EARLY POSTOFFICES. The first post office in the county was established at Irwinton and for many years the mail was sent here once a week from Milledgeville. However, in the early Eighteen Twenties a new postoffice, Ramah, located at the forks of the road just above Ramah church was established. In 1828 another postoffice was created at Cool Spring, the present site of Allentown. Mail was de- livered once a week from Milledgeville.
THE GREAT FIRE OF 1831. On October 2, 1831, fire broke out in Irwinton burning several of the best buildings in the town, including the tavern, stores, etc. The loss fell chiefly upon Samuel Beall and Charles C. Beall, estimated at ten thousand dollars, a tremendous amount in that day. ( Recorder Oct. 6, 1831.)
EARLY MEMBERS OF THE BAR. Among the members of the bar living at Irwinton between 1820 and 1830 were : Robert Hatcher, James P. H. Campbell, John S. Barry and Seaborn Delk. However, this was the day of the cir- cuit rider and many other attorneys living in other towns would ride the circuit and practice here. The first lawyer of which we have any record of living in Irwinton was Hiram Starr.
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John Richard Wiggins, a lawyer of Irwinton, (a grad- uate of the University of Georgia ) was murdered in 1834 while away on a trip. Resolutions were passed that the members of the Ocmulgee Bar should wear crepe for a month in honor of his memory.
The Irwinton lawyers in 1856 were : James C. Bower, N. A. Carswell, Arthur E. Cochran, Eleazer Cummings and M. N. Murphy.
LAFAYETTE's VISIT. The much heralded coming of La- Fayette to Milledgeville in 1825 was a red letter day for the citizens of Wilkinson county. Within her borders still lived at that time twenty-five or thirty of the Veterans of the Revolution, among whom were Major John Hatcher, John Ussery, Jesse Vaughn, Solomon Wright, William Statham, Hardy Stewart, Brice Ragan, John Nunn, Wil- liam Lindsey, William Lord, Hansell Lasseter, William Kemp, Spencer Douglas, Nathaniel Cannon, Peter Buckles, Lemuel Burkett, Ezekiel Boggs, John Bowen, William Bivins, Cornelius Bachelor, Robert Barnett, Henry Adkerson, Robert Rozar, John Tomberlin and others. These grizzled veterans, who had fought in the battles of the Revolution, some of whom had perhaps fought under the command of the great Frenchman, hear- ing of his coming doubtless would have been willing to sacrifice the remainder of their days for one last oppor- tunity to grasp his hand.
Weeks before the arrival of the noble Frenchman, there came the announcement from the Governor that the militia of the state would be reviewed by LaFayette. And if Wilkinson had reason to be proud of any one thing, it was her splendid military companies. In that day when the very life of Georgia, so often threatened by foreign foes depended upon the training of her soldiers, no county had a better trained regiment than did Wilkinson. The traditions of the magnificent military figures and bearings of her military officers are handed down even to this day.
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I. S. King, who recently died at a very advanced age, gives the account as related to him by his father, Senator Wesley King, to the effect that Sam Beall made the most commanding appearance of any officer who had ever been seen on the regimental drill grounds of Wilkinson county. Stephen F. Miller in his Bench and Bar of Georgia tells of Col. Seaborn Delk who was colonel of the Wilkinson County Regiment. He also writes of the handsome mili- tary figure of Lieut. Col. John S. Barry, of Irwinton.
With the patriotic pride in the military companies and the desire for Wilkinson not to be excelled in the showing made at Milledgeville, we can imagine that great prepara- tions were going on in Wilkinson county. The militiamen were called to frequent, intensive drills so that each man would be perfect; the new uniforms for both men and officers had to be arranged.
Miller tells us how the great LaFayette embraced one after another the veterans of the Revolution, how down the lines of the soldiers he walked, shaking hands with each man, and complimenting the splendid appearance of the military companies.
THE DEATH OF LAFAYETTE. On the Fourth of July celebration at Irwinton following the death of LaFayette in 1834, as shown by a clipping from the Georgia Journal, "a respectable number of the citizens of Wilkinson County assembled at the courthouse in Irwinton, to make suitable arrangements for testifying their respect for the memory of the illustrious La Fayette," and it was
Resolved: That it is with sincere regret we learn the il- lustrious LaFayette, the friend of humanity and liberty, has recently departed this life.
Resolved : That as a tribute of respect due to the mem- ory of the friend and associate of Washington, the Fa- ther of Our Country, the citizens of Wilkinson County be respectfully requested to assume the ordinary badge of mourning for the space of thirty days.
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JESSE VAUGHN'S BURIED JUG OF GOLD. Jesse Vaughn, the grandfather of J. W. Vaughn and a veteran of the Revolution, originally came from Burke County, although he may have lived in Washington County, as the Vaughn family traditions tell of Indian hunters with their dogs be- ing seen and heard across the Oconee River on the Wil- kinson side. Jesse amassed great wealth in lands and money, at one time owning all the land from the B. H. Jackson Place to Commissioner Creek. It is said that he had two buckskins made into a sack in which he kept his gold and silver but after his wife's death he got an earthern jug, filled it to the neck with water and then struck the neck so that it would break off smooth and he could cover it with a coffee pot lid. He is thought to have put his gold in this jug and buried it, as one day he called "Blind Alec" one of his slaves who was blind and had him to take the jug and a shovel to a spot and bury the jug.
A few years later Vaughn was taken sick and called his son, James, telling him he had something to say to him, but before he could do so he lapsed into unconsciousness from which he never recovered, dying not long after- wards. Search was made and the sack made of buckskins was found empty. "Blind Alec" told what he knew of the burial of the jug, but all he knew was that they had gone through a plum orchard, the thorns having stuck in him as they went along. A most diligent search was made but the gold could not be found. Parties with a "Spanish Needle" searched for it as late as 1925 but the secret hiding place of Jesse Vaughn's jug of gold is still an unsolved mystery.
JAMES M. SMITH, Governor of Georgia in 1872, was born and lived in Wilkinson County until he was twelve years of age on lands now owned by W. T. Wall.
EARLY FRUIT ORCHARDS. The older citizens frequently tell of the excellent fruits that grew in Wilkinson County in its early days, the finest pears, May, June, Horse, and Winter apples; big red Indian Peach, the old
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Native Georgia Peach, a large juicy, clingstone variety with red and white splotches. Nothing seems to have been known of grafting fruit trees until 1855 when some men came through the county introducing the White English peach and while at the plantation of J. G. Hogan grafted a number of trees for him.
THE FIRST PHYSICIAN of which we have any record was Dr. Henry Winderweedle, who kept an apothecary shop where Rev. T. E. Farmer now lives. Tradition says that he brought the first Bermuda grass to Wilkinson County.
CHAPTER XXX THE CENTRAL OF GEORGIA RAILROAD
ITHE Central of Georgia Railroad was largely respon-
Tsib sible for the building of the towns along its right of way and for much of the prosperity during the prosperous eras of Wilkinson. It has done much in recent years to up- build the county. An Agricultural Agent is employed who works among the farmers, encouraging them in stock rais- ing enterprises and in rebuliding worn out soils, besides giving those interested practical advice on agricultural questions. Greatest of all though, is the effort put forth by this company in developing the vast kaolin, fuller's earth, bauxite and other mineral resources of the county. The company spends a large sum of money each year advertis- ing the wonderful possibilities of this section.
On the staff of the industrial development is a geo- logist and a ceramic engineer whose duties are to investi- gate the various mineral deposits near its line, and assist the owners in getting desirable purchasers interested. The thousands of dollars spent in developing the resources of the county each year in this manner have already proved very profitable to the county. The building of the Georgia White Brick Company at Gordon as a result of the rail- road's extensive advertising, was followed by a visit here of the members of the American Ceramic Society, and now the Harbison-Walker Refractories Company develop- ment of their deposits at Gordon, is due to this railroad's activities. In addition to these, the promising growth of manufacturing establishments among the vast clay fields of this county may have been the means of attracting the attention of the Georgia Power Company and inducing that corporation to extend its lines through the section. It is likewise improbable that the natural gas line which is
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soon expected to arrive would be run through this county except for the favorable publicity given it by this railroad. Therefore, if the rapid growth of industries in this county which appears imminent, materializes, it will be due to the policy of this road.
THE BUILDING OF THE CENTRAL OF GEORGIA RAILROAD
Throughout all these years before the advent of the railroad the need for cheap transportation was continu- ing to grow as the volume of products increased. The Darien market which developed rapidly after the steam- boat was put on the Oconee helped much but was not alto- gether satisfactory. A direct connection with Savannah seemed to be the crying need of the day. During the early Eighteen Twenties, the inland canal idea seemed to be the only feasible plan with which to connect the Savannah market with the fertile plantations of Middle Georgia. Dreams of a network of canals extending into all Georgia took strong hold of the minds of the members of the Georgia Legislature. An act was passed in 1824 creating a Board of Public Works with instructions to survey a route for a canal to come from Savannah to the central part of Georgia and from here to the Tennessee River, where di- rect connection with the Mississippi River could be had. The Board began to function and a route from Savannah to the Altamaha River was selected, and the work on it begun. This route was not only a comparatively short one but would enable the boats plying the Oconee and Ocmul- gee to unload their freight into the canal barges which would carry it on to Savannah.
Before this canal could be completed, however, the adapting of the steam engine to use on railroads was brought about and as it proved a success in those places where it was tried, the Georgia Legislature was quick to see its advantages over the slow canal transportation. The Central of Georgia Railroad was the result. Numer- ous surveys were made through this section before the
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building crews arrived. The need for avoiding steep grades and the lack of facilities for cutting through hills made necessary the selection of as level a route as pos- sible. One survey crossed the Oconee near Dublin and thence followed the valley of Turkey Creek. Another one followed Big Sandy Creek through this county. The one selected by the Engineering Department is traced in their report of October 31st, 1838, furnished the writer by President J. J. Pelley in 1927, as follows : "To W. W. Gordon, President :
"We reach the Oconee River near a spot called 'Rag- point' about three miles above the mouth of Commission- er Creek and sixteen or eighteen miles below Milledge- ville. The River Swamp is here about one mile wide on the east and two miles on the west side-for this distance it will be most safe and economical to support the grade by strong trestle work; and if hereafter it should be deemed expedient to substitute an embankment through the whole or any part of the swamp, the road will afford the means of doing it at a comparatively small cost. The river will be crossed by a bridge 200 feet in length, supported by stone abutments and a pier in the centre.
"The line having passed the river follows the valley of Commissioner Creek, which affords a very favorable route. The foundation in the creek swamp wherever we touch it, is firm. The line may be located with very easy grades and gentle curves, for the distance of twenty-seven miles up this creek ; at this point and thence to the summit (5 miles) the country is similar to that described on Sand Hill Creek."
While the first rail of this line was laid in Savannah in 1835, it was some years before the rails were laid through Wilkinson. In November, 1840, the Engineering Depart- ment reported "the final and complete location of the road to the Ocmulgee at Macon." The completion of the road and the operation of through trains began in 1843.
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The building of this road was, indeed, an epoch in the history of Wilkinson County. With direct and cheap transportation of her products to market, the plantations here had a vast advantage over the less favored sections. Land values increased rapidly. The next twenty years might truly be termed "The Golden Era of Wilkinson County" for never before nor since has the wealth of the county equaled what it was during this period.
THE GROWTH OF TOWNS ALONG THE RIGHT OF WAY
When the road was being surveyed, there was no desire among the citizens of Irwinton for the road to be run through the town. Tradition says that they were sure the trains would run over all their chickens and children and for that reason refused to consider any nearer approach than where it was located. Stations were originally estab- lished at Emmitt, "15," Wriley "16," Gordon "17," these stations being known by numbers rather than names, and it is probable that the location of these stopping points was not selected with a view of their growing into towns.
TOOMSBORO. Originally there was no station here, but it was at Emmitt, one and one-half miles distant to the east. Emmitt was at the home of Thomas McIntyre, a native of Ireland who had come as an assistant of his uncle, one of the contractors who had built the road through this sec- tion, and later bought the land at Emmett, and built his home there. In 1849, however, he was accidentally killed while repairing the Oconee River bridge. His widow, whose maiden name was Sarah Crowell Floyd, of Wash- ington County, continued to live with their two children, Stephen F. and -, at Emmitt.
WRILEY "16". At this time Wriley was the nearest point to Irwinton and was probably the biggest shipping point in the county being patronized by the town of Ir- winton. Old-timers say that Leroy Fleetwood owned all the land for a great distance all around Wriley, and re- fused to sell any to the railroad for a warehouse.
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The company made him its agent there and he used his store as the depot. The narrative goes on to say that he in- sisted on selling whiskey at his place of business in spite of the protests of the officials of the railroad company, think- ing that he was so strongly intrenched by owning all the land that the railroad company was obliged to continue to use his store as a depot. Whereupon the company put into effect some sweeping changes. First a tract of one hundred two and one-fourth acres of land was purchased from M. N. Murphy in 1856 and the house now occupied by Henry Price, Jr., was built. A depot was erected. It was also desired to move the station at Emmitt to the present Toomsboro. A trade was made with Mrs. McIntyre for her lands at Emmitt, giving her the dwelling at McIntyre, making her the agent for the new depot, and naming the station McIntyre. The agency at Wriley was abandoned, and the station at Emmitt was moved to Toomsboro.
GORDON was named in honor of W. W. Gordon, the first president of the road. It is told that when the route was surveyed, Jackson Leslie owned the land where Gordon now is, his home being located where Ed Ward's house now stands, but the prospect of all his cattle and domestic animals being killed by the trains and the injury to his lands, was so dismaying to him that he sold his plantation to David Solomon, who built his home which is now the Gordon Hotel. The Gordon and Covington branch of the road was begun in 1851.
During the War Between the States, no railroad in the south was more patriotic than the Central. And, being in the path of Sherman's army in its march to the sea, the Federal forces took a bitter revenge for the loyalty of this road by tearing up its trackage for the greater part of its length.
No sooner had the invader departed, however, than the officials of the road began the work of rebuilding it and putting it in condition to help in restoring the losses inflicted by the enemy upon the prostrate South.
CHAPTER XXXI WAR CLOUDS OF 1860
THE year 1860 seems to have found Wilkinson County with no political leader who stood head and shoulders above the others. Sam Beall had gone to his reward three years prior. There were several outstanding men in the county who aspired to leadership, yet each one's brilliancy seemed to have shed luster upon the others. There were Dr. R. J. Cochran, W. O. Beall, Thomas N. Beall, N. A. Carswell, Jonathan Rivers, Eli Cumming, Rollin Stanley, W. M. Whitehurst and others. Never in her history has Wilkinson County possessed such an array of capable men.
The questions of States Rights and slavery which were disturbing the Union in 1860 were also agitating the citi- zens of Wilkinson County. The nomination of Lincoln had the effect of coalescing the bulk of the Whigs with the Democrats and a mass meeting was called at Irwinton fol- lowing the nomination of the Democratic candidates, re- sults of which are shown in the following :
"At a meeting of the Democratic Party of Wilkinson County, Judge A. Hall in the Chair, the following resolu- tions were unanimously passed, viz: Resolved, that we heartily agree and adopt the platform laid down by the majority of the Committee on resolutions at the Charles- ton Convention and afterwards adopted by the National Democratic Convention at Baltimore.
Resolved, that we hail with unbounded gratification the nomination of Breckenridge and Lane and hereby pledge them our united support.
On motion J. C. Bower, W. O. Beall, B. O'Banion, Dr. Wm. Taylor, T. H. Parker, M. M. Bloodworth, Daniel Hudson, H. A. Solomon, J. B. Pittman, E. E. Kemp, W. A. Hall, J. L. Harvill, W. W. Lee, E. J. Rozar, George
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Payne and E. Green were appointed to represent this county in the Convention at Milledgeville on the 8th inst.
On Motion the Chair was requested to appoint an Ex- ecutive Committee of two from each district.
( Clipping from Macon Telegraph, August, 1860. )
The defeat of the Democratic candidates for President was a most bitter disappointment to the citizens of the county. Quickly on the heels of this came the secession of the neighboring State of South Carolina from the Union. Many citizens of Wilkinson County were either from South Carolina or were the sons or daughters of South Carolinians. Members wanted Georgia to follow the lead of that State, and when the convention was called to be held at Milledgeville in January of 1861, to determine this question, and all the counties were ordered to elect dele- gates, the storm broke in Wilkinson. The traditions of the bitterness engendered in this campaign is still handed down. The question, To Secede or Not To Secede, was the question of the hour. Life-long friends, members of the same family, were often found on opposite sides of this question. W. M. Whitehurst and
were the Secession candidates, while N. A. Carswell and Dr. R. J. Cochran championed the cause of the Union and became Anti-secession candidates for the places of dele- gates to the Convention, this county being entitled to two. Barbecues and mass-meetings were called in every district and speeches by men of state-wide fame both pro and con were made. A gem from a speech made by Dr. Cochran, pleading for the Union, still lingers in the memory of S. A. Hatfield, now eighty-four years old : "An infant must be nurtured : And a nation in its infancy must not be hastily condemned !"
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