USA > Georgia > Memoirs of Georgia; containing historical accounts of the state's civil, military, industrial and professional interests, and personal sketches of many of its people. Vol. I > Part 6
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For the next few years the progress of the state was uninterrupted. Edward Telfair died in September, 1807, and his death was soon followed by that of other revolutionary heroes. A dispute with North Carolina over the boundary line, the formation of several new counties, a revision of the militia laws, and the act of 1810 incorporating the State Agricultural society, were the chief features of the next two or three administrations. A number of towns and cities had sprung up, educational institutions had multiplied, the population of the state had steadily increased, and the people of the state were industrious, enterprising and happy.
THE WAR OF 1812.
A second difficulty with England, however, soon interrupted this tranquillity, and the quarrel between the two governments was soon referred to the arbitrament of the war of 1812. American vessels had been insulted by British sailors, and this, added to the attitude of the English government with reference to American com- merce, thoroughly aroused the indignation of the United States, in which resent - ment the people of Georgia warmly shared. England, however, was anxious to have dealings with Georgia and South Carolina on account of the cotton trade, and for this reason fitted out a number of vessels to open their ports. At Savannah, however, they were met with decided coldness and ordered to leave immediately. On putting out to sea a number of shots were fired from the British vessels and other outrages committed.
England and France were shedding each other's blood at this time, and both of these countries had issued orders respecting American commerce. They took offense at the neutral attitude of the United States, and threatened to capture all American vessels and imprison their seamen. England added to this offensive threat by actually putting it into outrageous execution. Seeing that bloodshed was necessary in order to maintain the national honor, and spurred by an urgent petition from the people of Georgia, President Madison recommended to congress a declaration of war. On June 18, 1812, war against England was declared. A spirited message from Gov. Mitchell called attention to the unprotected coast, and to the need of troops for the purpose of defying the invader. This call was promptly answered by the legislature with an appropriation of $30,000, and preparations for a thorough military defense were immediately commenced.
Learning that the British had formed an alliance with the Spaniards in Florida, President Madison directed Gov. Mitchell to inquire into the situation. A corre- spondence ensued between Gov. Mitchell and the chief officer in charge of the affairs in East Florida, with a view to annexation, but the proposition was indig- nantly repelled. An effort was made to drive the American troops away, but in this attempt the British and Spaniards failed signally. Leaving Col. Smith in charge of the troops, Gov. Mitchell returned to Georgia. In order to protect the coast, two companies of infantry were stationed in each of the counties of Camden, Bryan and Chatham and along the Florida line. The Seminoles in Florida were instigated by the Spaniards, but after several engagements, conducted bv Adjt .- Gen. Newman, they were brought to terms. During the hostilities William H.
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MEMOIRS OF GEORGIA.
Crawford was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the death of George Clinton. vice-president of the United States, on April 20, 1812.
The seat of war, during the year 1813, was confined to the northern part of the country. At the expiration of his term of office Gov. Mitchell was succeeded by Gov. Peter Early, and the first act of the new executive was to draw a warrant of $80,000 upon the state treasury as a loan to the general government in prosecution of the war. The brilliant victory of Commodore Perry on Lake Erie had greatly enthused the army, under the command of Gen. Andrew Jackson, who was, at this time, in the neighborhood of Mobile. The Creek Indians made a dangerous and wvily foe, but after a number of battles a treaty of peace was signed by which all lands between the Chattahoochee and the Altamaha were ceded. Gen. John Floyd, Gen. William McIntosh, Gen. David Blackshear and Col. Daniel Appling dis- tinguished themselves with great valor during this campaign.
In January, 1815, an effort was made by the British to land on the Georgia coast after leaving St. Augustine, but they were met by Col. William Cone and driven back to sea with a loss of 180 men. This ended the war of 1812, so far as Georgia was concerned.
For the second time Gov. Mitchell was called to the helm of state in November, 1815. A board of inspection was appointed to visit the state penitentiary, and the penal code was framed and passed, Dec. 19, 1816. A convention of judges was held at Augusta this year, and several acts of the legislature were condemned as unconstitutional. A serious outbreak of the Seminole Indians in the southern part of the state was one of the features of Gov. Mitchell's administration. Maj. McIntosh, a Creek Indian, led the expedition against the Seminoles. He surprised one of their posts and captured a stand of 3,000 arms, in addition to nearly 300 killed and wounded.
On the accession of James Monroe to the presidency, Gov. Mitchell resigned the chair of state to assume the agency of Indian affairs. He called an assemblage oi the Creek nation, July, 1817, and assured them of his good will. From the territory ceded by them to the state the counties of Newton, De Kalb, Gwinnett, Walton, Hall, and Habersham were formed. A large sum of money was appropriated by the legislature this year for the improvement of rivers in order to render them more suitable for navigation. The Seminoles in Florida renewed their hostilities along the frontier. Gen. Jackson, who was the head of the troops, assisted by Gen. Gaines and Col. Arbuckle, soon reduced them to surrender and put an end to their dis- turbances.
MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA ADMITTED.
Georgia now enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing two states admitted into the Union from the territory which she had ceded to the general government in 1802. Mississippi was the first to join the sisterhood of states on Dec. 10, 1817. Two years later, on Dec. 14, 1819, Alabama was admitted, and both of these young states entered upon brilliant and successful careers.
In 1818 the boundary line between Georgia and Tennessee was settled to the satisfaction of all parties. By an act of the general government, during the same year, Mr. Wilson Lumpkin was appointed to fix the boundary line between Georgia and Florida.
In November, 1818, a Creek Indian meeting was held at Fort Hawkins to receive their fixed allowance from the government, and over 4,000 Indians were present. The entire population of the Creek nation at this time was about 10,000. A similar meeting of the Cherokees was held near the Georgia line for the purpose of discussing the terms of their removal by the government to a point west of the Mississippi river.
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CIVIL HISTORY.
A visit from President Monroe in the spring of 1819, the crossing of the first steam packet on its ocean voyage laden with Georgia produce, and the cession of Florida to the United States were the events of the next few months in which Georgia was interested.
On Feb. 27, 1819, a treaty between the chiefs of the Cherokee Indians and John C. Calhoun, the secretary of war, was made at Washington. A large tract of land was ceded by them, and articles of peace were entered into, besides various stipulations as to the extension of religious and educational advantages among them. The land thus ceded was divided between Hall and Habersham counties, leaving enough for the formation of Rabun county.
Slave labor had become a very essential factor in the growth and progress of the state. An effort to evade the law governing the slave trade was made in Brunswick in the summer of 1819. A number of slaves were brought over, and soon after their landing were seized by the collector of the port. After due notice they were exposed for sale. Before the sale was consummated a deputy marshal arrested the slaves by virtue of a warrant purporting to have come from a citizen of Portugal. The governor refused to surrender the slaves, acting upon the belief that a certain party of men were merely using the Portuguese citizen as a blind.
A calamity befell the state at this time in the death of Gov. Rabun, who passed away during his term of office. He was succeeded by Matthew Talbot, pending the action of the legislature.
In the campaign which ensued Hon. William H. Crawford was the leader of one faction, and Gen. John Clarke of the other faction. Mr. Crawford was a man of national reputation and pre-eminent ability, who was reckoned as a presidential candidate, but on account of a sudden and severe illness he was not able to continue in the race or devote himself longer to the cares of public life. He transferred the leadership of his party to George M. Troup, who was defeated by only a small majority in favor of Gen. Clarke.
THE INDIANS REFUSE TO CONCEDE MORE LANDS.
Having purchased from Georgia the territory west of the Mississippi river the United States seemed to be in no hurry to remove the Indians or extinguish their claims in compliance with the terms of the treaty. An urgent appeal was made to congress by the legislature, but it accomplished very little good. A civil engineer was appointed to survey the rivers of the state for the purpose of removing all obstructions to navigation. A report from the university gave a glowing account of that institution, then under the control of Dr. Moses Waddell. The population of the state was now about 340,000. There were no railroads, and travel and transportation were restricted to wagons and stage coaches. A disastrous fire occurred in Savannah in 1820, followed by an epidemic of yellow fever. The population of the city was greatly reduced, and the business life of Savannah was considerably enfeebled. Prosperity, however, returned in a few months and the growth of the city was resumed.
On Jan. 8, 1821, Daniel M. Forney and David .Meriwether, having been appointed by congress to confer with the Creek Indians in regard to the cession of their lands, held an interview with the chiefs of the nation at Indian Springs. A treaty was signed, by the terms of which the government was to pay into the state treasury the full amount of all indebtedness due from the Indians, not to exceed $250,000. In consideration of this relief enough land was ceded between the Flint and the Ocmulgee rivers to form the counties of Monroe, Bibb, Crawford, Dooly, Houston, Fayette, Pike, and Henry. The land thus acquired was distributed according to the lottery system.
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MEMOIRS OF GEORGIA.
The Indians were a source of great annoyance to the state, and their claims were a continual vexation. The reservation to which the Cherokees were assigned under the treaty of July 8, 1817, proved to be disputed property, and many quarrels between the Indians and the settlers occurred; all of which produced the effect of causing Georgia to renew her petition for their removal.
After a spirited campaign, in which Mr. Troup was his opponent for the second time, Gov. Clarke was re-elected by a small majority of only two votes. An act was passed by the legislature submitting the election of the governor after this to a vote of the people. It required an amendment to the constitution, but as the next legislature re-enacted the measure it became a law under the provisions of the constitution.
An important bank law was enacted in 1821 for the protection of state banks against the unfair opposition of the United States banks. It was urged that the latter had made every effort to drain the state banks, and it was provided that state banks should not be compelled to redeem in specie their bills presented by the national bank officers unless they made oath as to their good intentions. An exemption law for the benefit of the wives and children of honest debtors was passed at this session of the legislature.
Up to this time Georgia had purchased over 15,000,000 acres of land from the Creek Indians and only 1,000,000 from the Cherokees. The Creeks were still in possession of 6,000,000 acres and the Cherokees of 10,000,000 acres, comprised within the territorial limits of the state. The Creeks refused to part with any more of their land, and, having called a council of the chiefs, assumed an attitude of defiance. Every effort was made by the commissioners to conciliate the Indians and bring them to terms, but they stubbornly refused to give up their land.
GOV. TROUP'S ADMINISTRATION.
In the next campaign Mr. Troup renewed his fight for the gubernatorial chair. This time his opponent was Matthew Talbot, a distinguished member of the Clarke party, who held the office of governor for a short while on the death of Gov. Rabun. The campaign was one of marked asperity and the result, on account of the equal numerical strength of the two parties, could not be foreshadowed. As the act of the last legislature, submitting the office to the people, had not as yet become a law, the balloting took place in the legislature. For several days the count proceeded, and the patience of the state was sorely tried. Finally the deadlock was broken on Nov. 6, 1823, by a vote of eighty-five for Troup and eighty-one for Talbot.
Gov. Troup was inaugurated on the following day, and began one of the ablest administrations in the state's history. Endowed with a vigorous intellect, supple- mented by the self-improvement derived from study and reflection, Gov. Troup was the peer of any man in Georgia, and his services were marked by the ability and patriotism of a born leader. He had served in the federal senate and house of representatives and had acquired a broad national reputation before he was called upon to exercise the executive functions of the state. In his message to the legis- lature Gov. Troup called attention to the treaty of 1802, in which the government had agreed to extinguish the Indian claims. He urged them to make a final but courteous appeal to congress in behalf of the state and call for an execution of the contract that was made in good faith. In compliance with this message a petition was sent to congress; but a delegation of Cherokee Indians arrived in Washington, at the same time, and the effect was partially nullified. The Indian delegates were John Ross, George Lowry, Maj. Ridge, and Elijah Hicks, all of them men of
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CIVIL HISTORY.
intelligence and culture, who understood the English language and represented the best element of their nation. But relief was not forthcoming. In his message to congress the president gave it as his opinion that the United States was under no obligation to forcibly remove the Indians.
Gov. Troup was sorely vexed by the attitude of the president, and did not hesitate to criticise his conduct severely. He protested against the treatment which the claims of Georgia had received and called upon the delegation in congress to use their influence in order to bring about a more thorough understanding of the situation. The matter was eventually referred to a committee, and by this commit- tee the righteous claims of the state were recognized. It was further recommended that as soon as possible the terms of the treaty of 1802 be carried out as prescribed. A second delegation of Cherokees arrived in Washington at this time, and not only refused to cede their lands to the state, but to surrender them under any consid- eration.
In his second message to the legislature Gov. Troup urged an improvement of the militia, and also a revision of the judiciary system and the penitentiary. He referred to the Indian troubles and begged the legislature to investigate the matter carefully and to be guided by a patriotic sense of duty.
John McPherson Berrien and Thomas W. Cobb were Georgia's representatives at this time in the United States senate.
A conference with the Indians was held in December, 1824, at Broken Arrow, in the Creek territory, for the purpose of securing more lands. The commissioners appointed by the president were James Meriwether and Duncan G. Campbell, of Georgia. The conference was a failure, as the Creeks refused to part with their lands. They were strengthened in their determination by a letter received from the Cherokee nation in which they were urged to hold their ground.
DEATH OF M'INTOSH.
One of the bravest leaders among the Creeks was the chief of the Cowetas, William McIntosh. It was through the influence of McIntosh that a treaty was subsequently made with the Indians, and though he suffered death as the reward of his friendly attitude toward the government, he opened the way for the final exodus of the Creek nation.
On Feb. 10, 1825, a meeting of 400 chiefs was held at Indian Springs. A treaty was signed in which nearly all the Indians present concurred. Those who opposed the treaty withdrew from the conference, and holding a minority council of their own they resolved to keep their lands in their own possession. They sent a delegation to Washington in order to resist the confirmation of the treaty. The senate, however, refused to entertain their protest, and the treaty was confirmed. The Creeks, by this treaty, ceded to the government all the lands lying within the boundaries of the state as defined by the compact of 1802. In consideration of this surrender of their lands they were to receive an equivalent reservation west of the Mississippi river.
The confirmation of this treaty created intense excitement among the protesting Indians, and they resolved upon the death of McIntosh. Fearing hostilities, McIn- tosh, on behalf of his party, applied to Gov. Troup for protection, and this was promptly granted. Col. Henry G. Lamar was dispatched with a message to the hostile Indians and threatened them with severe punishment in the event they sought to violate the treaty or prevent the execution. In the spring of 1825 Gov. Troup issued a proclamation in which the terms of the treaty were set forth. He also obtained permission from the Creeks to begin a survey of the territory described in the treaty.
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MEMOIRS OF GEORGIA.
During the months that followed a large number of Indians voluntarily gave up their homes and started for the west. In the meantime a party of 170 Indians was organized for the purpose of putting McIntosh to death. They proceeded to his home on the banks of the Chattahoochee river, and at 3 o'clock on the morning of May 1, 1825, they applied their burning torches to the building. The brave chief, on being aroused from his slumbers, comprehended the situation and knew that the hour of death had arrived. He determined, however, to die like a warrior, and to make his death costly to the nation by killing as many of the hostile Indians as he could cover with his gun. Taking refuge in the second story of his house he used four guns in keeping the Indians at bay, and several of them were stretched upon the ground. The flames soon routed the brave chief, and as soon as he exposed himself to the view of his assailants he was promptly shot. His last breath was a shout of defiance, and closing his lips he fell back, never to open them again.
Gov. Troup immediately issued a call for troops to suppress the threatened insurrection and the greatest alarm prevailed. A large number of Indians left for the west and others fled to the white settlements for protection. At a called session of the legislature a survey of the Creek lands was ordered. The president made an effort to stop the proceeding and threatened to arrest the surveyors, but Gov. Troup protested that Georgia owned the soil and had a perfect right to survey her own property. The treaty, being referred to congress, the dispute was tempo- rarily suspended.
GOV. TROUP'S RE-ELECTION AND GEN. LA FAYETTE'S VISIT.
In the fall of 1825 the first popular election for governor was held. The candidates were Gov. Troup and his old opponent, ex-Gov. John Clarke. The campaign was bitterly conducted and many abusive personalities were indulged in. Gov. Troup, on account of the vigorous Indian policy of his administra- tion, desired to be endorsed. At this time there were sixty counties in the state and the election returns were made to the legislature in Milledgeville. On polling the votes it was found that Gov. Troup had received 20,545 and Gen. Clarke 19,862. In the legislature, however, Gen. Clarke had a majority of supporters and under the old system would have been elected.
John Quincy Adams occupied the presidential chair. He was opposed during the campaign by Hon. Wm. H. Crawford of Georgia, who might have been elected to that office had his health not failed.
The year 1825 was signalized by a visit from Gen. LaFayette, who canie to this country in the spring of the year. He was feeble and emaciated, and merely came for the purpose of seeing once more before he died the country for whose liberties he had unsheathed his sword. He was received with pronounced affec- tion and was given a cordial welcome to Georgia by Gov. Troup. He stopped at Savannah, Augusta and Milledgeville. At the last named place he was enter- tained at the governor's mansion and a public dinner was given in his honor.
In January, 1826, a subsequent treaty was made with the Creek Indians, and President Adams recommended to congress its ratification instead of the treaty made at Indian Springs. A large tract of land was to be conveyed by the Indians in consideration of the sum of $200,000, and a perpetual annuity of $20,000. Three hundred thousand acres of land were to be conveyed to the Creeks. The Georgia delegation protested against this treaty, as it was in the nature of a com- promise and failed to provide for a removal of the Indians. However, the treaty was ratified in spite of the opposition that was brought to bear against it.
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CIVIL HISTORY.
In the summer of 1826 two commissioners from Alabama and three from Georgia were appointed to run the dividing line between the two states. They met at Fort Mitchell in July and began the survey. A difference of opinion sprang up between the commissioners and the Alabama contingent withdrew. The Georgia commissioners proceeded alone and completed their work in September. It was subsequently accepted by Alabama and became the dividing line between the two states.
Gov. Troup refused to recognize the second treaty made by the government with the Creek Indians, and proceeded to survey their territory for the purpose of dividing it into districts. The Indians set up a loud complaint, and a misunder- standing between Georgia and the general government followed. The secretary of war addressed a letter to Gov. Troup, in which he stated that he felt constrained by the plighted faith of the nation to say to Gov. Troup that he considered an entry on the ceded lands a violation of the treaty. A lengthy correspondence ensued, but Gov. Troup refused to stop the survey. When the legislature met he urged that body to organize the territory and make a division of it by lottery.
Having received complaints from the Cherokees as well as from the Creeks, the secretary of war dispatched Lieut. Vinton with instructions to the surveyors to desist from their work. If Gov. Troup refused to permit this military force should be employed. Gov. Troup replied by saying that Georgia was in the right, and if the military force was brought to bear against her she would resist it to the last extremity. The militia of the state was ordered to prepare for hostilities and to be ready in the event of an invasion. The attitude of Georgia in defying the government of the United States indicated the loyalty of her adherence to the principle of state sovereignty. Wiser counsels prevailed at Washington, and Lieut. Vinton was directed to procure, if possible, a friendly cession from the Indians. A meeting of the Creeks was held in November, 1827, at which they agreed to cede all their remaining lands for $28,000. Thus after twenty-five years the com- pact of 1802, so far as the Creek Indians were concerned, was executed, and their titles to the land of the state extinguished. From the territory thus ceded the counties of Muscogee, Troup, Coweta and Carroll were formed. The land was sub-divided among the people by lottery.
The sum of $10,000 was voted by the legislature this year for internal improve- ments, and seven persons were designated as a board of public works. At the first meeting of the board it was agreed to make a survey of different portions of the state for the purpose of creating a system of canals. This was abandoned, how- ever, and the question of railroads was discussed. At this time there was only twenty-six miles of railway in the United States and this was owned by the granite quarries of Quincy, Mass. The board existed for a short while only. It was im- possible to dig the canals without a large expenditure of money and the railroad was still an experiment. In this quandary the act of the legislature creating the board was repealed.
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