USA > Georgia > Statistics of the state of Georgia : including an account of its natural, civil, and ecclesiastical history ; together with a particular description of each county, notices of the manners and customs of its aboriginal tribes, and a correct map of the state > Part 42
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Colonel Edward F. Tattnall.
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RANDOLPH COUNTY.
I believed for the last time; I took his hand; there was not in its touch the quickening of one pulsation. He turned to me and said, 'Clay is calm, but not vindictive. I hold my pur- pose, Hamilton, in any event. Remember this.' On handing him his pistol, Colonel Tattnall sprung the hair trigger. Mr. Randolph said, ' Tattnall, although I am one of the best shots in Virginia, with either a pistol or gun, yet I never fire with the hair trigger ; besides, I have a thick buckskin glove on, which will destroy the delicacy of my touch, and the trigger may fly before I know where I am.' But, from his great solicitude for his friend, Tattnall insisted upon hairing the trigger. On tak- ing their position, the fact turned out as Mr. Randolph had anticipated. His pistol went off, before the word, with the muzzle down. The moment the event took place, General Jesup, Mr. Clay's friend, called out that he would instantly leave the ground with his friend, if this occurred again. Mr. Clay at once exclaimed, it was entirely an accident, and beg- ged that the gentleman might be allowed to go on. On the word being given, Mr. Clay fired without effect, Mr. Randolph discharging his pistol in the air. The moment that Mr. Clay saw that Mr. Randolph had thrown away his fire, with a gush of sensibility he instantly approached him and said, with an emotion I can never forget, 'I trust in God, my dear sir, you are untouched. After what has occurred, I would not have harmed you for a thousand worlds.' Deeply affected by this scene, I could not refrain from grasping Mr. Clay by the hand, and said, ' My good sir, we have been long separated, but after the events of to-day, I feel that we must be friends for ever.'" In 1830, General Jackson appointed Mr. Randolph Minister to Russia, but he suddenly returned to the United States. He died at Philadelphia, May 24, 1833. For the Bible he had great veneration, and to the poor he was charitable. More, much more might be said of this wonderful man; but we have already gone beyond the limits fixed to our biographical sketches.
499
RICHMOND COUNTY.
RICHMOND.
BOUNDARIES, NAME, EXTENT .- This county is bounded N. W. by Columbia, N. E. by the Savannah river, S. by Burke and a part of Jefferson, and W. by Jefferson. Ac- cording to the Act of the House of Assembly, passed in 1758, " for constituting and dividing the several districts and divisions of this province into parishes, and for establishing religious worship therein, according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England," the district of Augusta (as it was then called) was constituted the parish of St. Paul. . It retained this name until 1777, when the Legislature declared the name to be changed to that of Richmond county, in honour of the Duke of Richmond-a warm friend of American liberty. No mem- ber of the British Parliament opposed with more zeal the unjust conduct of the ministry towards the colonies, than Charles Le- nox, third Duke of Richmond. He was born on the 22d day of February, 1735, and entered the House of Lords in 1756; at- tached himself to the Whigs, of which party the Duke of New- castle was the leader. At the coronation of George III. he car- ried the sceptre and dove. In 1765, he was appointed Ambassa- dor Extraordinary to the King of France. In the commence- ment of the reign of George the Third, he was made Colonel of the Sixteenth Regiment of Infantry, and received much praise for his military skill in the battle of Minden from the Prince of Brunswick. His political career dates from 1763, when he rendered himself conspicuous by the freedom and ability with which he spoke against the measures of Lord Bute. Whilst Secretary of State, to which he was appointed in 1766, he gave proof that he possessed every qualification necessary for so important an office. Whenever an opportu- nity presented, he showed himself to be a zealous supporter of civil and religious liberty. When the subject of Ame- rican affairs occupied the attention of the Grand Committee of Inquiry of the British Parliament, 7th of April, 1778, he took a firm stand in favour of the colonies. On this occa- sion he moved an address to the King on the state of the nation, in which he distinctly avowed his belief that the
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RICHMOND COUNTY.
independence of America was already established, and that the mother country would act wisely by immediately re- cognising it. The last speech which the Earl of Chatham made was in reply to the Duke of Richmond, to which the latter rejoined by asking in the most respectful manner the Earl of Chatham to point out the means by which America could be made to renounce her independence, saying, " that if his Lordship could not do it, no man could." The motion of the Duke of Richmond was lost by a great majority. His sense of honour was high. For parliamentary reform he was a warm advocate, and was for many years at the head of a society having parliamentary reform for its object. In 1782 he was appointed Master of Ordnance, and shortly afterwards deco- rated with the Order of the Garter. In 1803 he retired from public life, and died without issue on the 29th of December, 1806. The Duke of Richmond was a liberal patron of the arts. His house was filled with the choicest specimens, and artists received from him the most unbounded marks of attention.
Richmond county is 27 miles long, and 25 wide, containing 675 square miles.
RIVERS, CREEKS .- The Savannah river separates the county from South Carolina. The creeks are Butler's, McBean, Spirit, Rocky, Rae's, Rock, and Cupboard, emptying into the Savannah. Sandy Run, Boggy Gut, and Headstall, discharge themselves into Brier creek.
POPULATION, TAXES, REPRESENTATION .- In 1845 the cen- sus gave this county a population of 14,090 ; of these, 6,860 were whites, and 7,230 blacks. The amount of State tax re- turned for 1848, which exceeds that of any county except Chatham, is $16,631 66. Sends two representatives to the Legislature.
POST OFFICES .- Augusta, Belair, McBean, Richmond Fac- tory.
CAPITAL .- Augusta is the capital of the county, and the second city in size in the State. To Gen. Oglethorpe is Augusta indebted for its name, in honour of one of the royal princesses, who was named Augusta. It is situated on the southwest bank of the Savannah river, 92 miles E. N. E. of
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RICHMOND COUNTY.
Milledgeville, 120 N. N. W. of Savannah, 136 N. W. of Charleston, 83 W. of Columbia, in lat. 33º 33', long. 5° 18/. The city is handsomely laid out, with wide streets, crossing each other at right angles. With the exception of Broad and Centre, all the streets are named after distinguished men.
The city is generally well built, mostly of brick. Many of the houses recently erected display much elegance and taste. Immense quantities of cotton and other produce are received in Augusta and conveyed to Charleston by railroad, and to Savannah by steamboats. The number of steamboats which ply between Savannah and Augusta, is constantly in- creasing. Augusta is most favourably situated for trade, being in the centre of a thickly populated and wealthy country. The merchants are remarkably active, and spare no pains to induce planters and country merchants to transact their busi- ness in Augusta.
GOVERNMENT OF THE CITY .- The city is governed by a Mayor and twelve Aldermen, called the City Council. The subordinate officers are Clerk of Council, Treasurer, City Marshal, City Constables, Jailer, Keeper of Magazine, Keeper of Hospital, Clerk of Upper Market, Clerk of Lower Market, Keeper of the Bridge, Keeper of the City Clock, Keeper of the City Hall, Superintendent of Streets, Pumps, and Water- works, City Surveyor, Board of Health, Sexton, and twelve Watchmen. The police is excellent, and there is no city where better order exists.
POPULATION .- According to the census of 1845, the popu- lation of Augusta was 3,948 whites, 440 free persons of colour, and 3,114 slaves : total, 7,502. The number of in- habitants since that period has greatly increased.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS .- The city has a number of elegant public buildings. The Medical College at the corner of Tel- fair and Washington streets was finished in 1833. The City Hall is an ornament to the city. It is built of brick, three stories high, with a cupola surmounted by the figure of Justice : cost $100,000. The Masonic Hall is a showy edi- fice, fronting Broad street ; erected in 1826, and cost $30,000. The Jail is constructed of brick-one of the best in the State : cost $28,000.
502
RICHMOND COUNTY.
The Richmond Academy and the Augusta Free School are neat buildings, and conveniently arranged. There are nine churches in the city. The Episcopal, or St. Paul's church, has a venerable appearance. The interior has been remodelled and much improved. It stands within the limits of an ancient fort. The first minister was the Rev. Jonathan Copp, a native of Connecticut. The Methodist church is a large and neat brick building. The Baptist and Presbyterian churches, and the meeting-house of the Disciples of Christ, or Christians, are neat and convenient edifices. The Roman Catholic church is a brick building.
There are two markets, one of which is well supplied with meats and vegetables. There are four large hotels, besides several private boarding-houses.
BANKS, &c .-
Georgia Railroad and Banking Company, . Capital $375,000
Augusta Insurance and Banking Company, 66 375,000
Branch Bank State of Georgia, 66
450,000
Bank of Augusta,
66 650,000
Mechanics' Bank, 66 500,000
Brunswick Bank,
200,000
There are several Insurance Agencies.
FIRE DEPARTMENT .- The Fire Department is under excel- lent management. The old Fire Company has six sections and six engines. The Independent Fire Company has three engines.
Augusta has a number of benevolent institutions. At the head of them stands the Augusta Free School. There are several societies for relieving distress and promoting religious objects. The order of Freemasons, and the fraternity of Inde- pendent Odd Fellows, are very respectable institutions.
The Cemetery of Augusta embraces ten acres, and is beau- tifully laid out, surrounded by a brick wall six feet high ; cost $6,000.
WATER WORKS .- These supply the city with water brought from Turknete springs, three miles distant. They belong to the Corporation, who purchased them from the late Samuel Hale for $18,000. For $12 per annum, any family may have an abundance of good water. The city derives over $3,000 per annum from these works.
503
RICHMOND COUNTY.
BRIDGE .- There is an excellent bridge over the Savannah river, owned by the city, purchased of G. B. Lamar, Esq., for the sum of $100,000. It is 1,100 feet long, and 31 feet high. The revenue accruing to the city from the bridge in 1848, was $23,678 50.
RIVER, FRESHETS .- Augusta is at the head of steamboat navigation. Opposite Centre-street the river is 350 yards wide, and below Mill-street it is 191 yards wide. It is navi- gable for steamboats generally for eight months in the year, and sometimes for nearly the whole year ; and it is thought could be made navigable at all times for steamboats of a light draft, by the judicious expenditure of a small sum in deepen- ing the shallow bars. The distance from Augusta to Savan- nah by the river, as has been ascertained by Mr. Hillhouse, is 231 miles. In 1796 there was a bridge over the river oppo- site Centre-street, built by the late Col. Wade Hampton, of South Carolina, which was carried away by the great freshet of that year, known as the Yazoo freshet. On the 28th of May, 1840, the river rose 37 feet above low water mark, by which a large portion of the city was inundated, and much injury done to property. In March, 1841, there was another freshet, the river rising 33 feet.
VALUE OF REAL ESTATE .- The value of all the real estate in Augusta, exclusive of the churches, academy, college, and buildings owned by the city, which pay no tax, has varied for the last ten years from $1,700,000 to $2,000,000.
AUGUSTA CANAL .- This is a splendid monument of the enterprise of the citizens of Augusta. William Phillips, Esq., Engineer of the canal, has furnished us with the following information.
" In September, 1844, at the request of Col. Henry H. Cumming, an examination of the falls in the neighbourhood of Augusta was commenced, with a view of ascertaining the practicability of rendering them available for manufacturing and other purposes. The report of the Engineer, indicating a favourable route for a canal, and showing considerable fall, was considered at a meeting of the friends of the enterprise on the 9th of January, 1845. Another survey was made, several other preliminary meetings were held, and finally a
-
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RICHMOND COUNTY.
meeting of the citizens was called, at which it was determined to proceed with the work. The plan proposed and adopted was, that the City Council should issue bonds for the purpose of defraying the expense, and that a special tax should be levied on the real estate in the city to pay off the bonds at maturity. The Bank of Augusta, the Bank of Brunswick, the Georgia Railroad Bank, and the Augusta Insurance and Banking Company, each subscribed $1,000 for the same pur- pose. The same Banks also gave further aid by advancing cash for the bonds. The right of way through the lands lying west of the city was obtained, with one exception, very easily. The right of way through the city lots was procured with much trouble, except in a few instances, in which the right was granted with great liberality. In April, 1845, the location of the canal was made, and the larger portion of it put under contract. The work was commenced in May following. The whole fall of 45 feet was divided as follows. The first level, ex- tending from Bull Sluice to near Marbury-street, about 62 miles in length, with its bottom slope of about 6 inches per mile, reduced the fall 41.36 feet ; from the first to the second level the fall is 13 feet ; from the second to the third level the fall is 13 feet ; and from the third to the river the fall is about 15 feet. The first level terminates on the high ground between Marbury and McKinne streets, a little to the south of Fenwick- street. The second level overlaps the first on the north, and extends from Mr. Meigs's land to the Savannah road, near its intersection with McIntosh-street. The third level, lying north of the second, extends from the Savannah road to Hawk's Gully, at the upper end of the city. The water way of the canal is 5 feet deep, 20 feet wide at the bottom, and 40 feet wide at the surface of the water. The water is turned into the canal by a low dam of timber and stone, about 800 feet in length, running diagonally to an island, and including only about one-quarter of the width of the river. At the junction of the dam and canal there is a guard-wall of stone, in which there are six gates, by means of which the supply of water is regulated, and that from the river may be entirely excluded. Connected with the dam and guard-wall there is a stone lock, by which boats pass into and out of the canal. The first
-
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RICHMOND COUNTY.
level is passed over the valley of Rae's creek, by an aque- duct 132 feet in length, constructed of wood. It is passed over several smaller streams, by culverts of stone and brick, and is now connected with Red's creek by means of a dam across that stream. At a short distance above Rae's creek there is a waste-way, 420 feet in length, which is intended to regulate the height of the water, in all that portion of the first level, between it and the terminus in the city. West of McKinne-street, the canal is so enlarged as to form a basin and landing for boats. All the bridges are made of wood, and those of the first level are so elevated as to have the tow-path and boats to pass under them. The water was let into the first level on the 23d of November, 1846. Last year there were about 13,000 bales of cotton landed at the basin, and it is probable that the number of bales will this year be extended to 20,000. Besides cotton, flour, corn, peas, bacon, and staves, several thousand cords of fire-wood have been landed ; also granite, gneiss, and mica slate, for building. Thus far the advantages anticipated by the promoters of the enterprise, bid fair to be realized."
WAREHOUSES, WHARVES. - The warehouses of Augusta have always challenged the admiration of the traveller. There are twelve of these structures, capable of holding 70,000 bales of cotton, and have been erected at a cost of more than $120,000. Three warehouses are now in the progress of construction.
The wharves are spacious. The first range was built in 1817, by Henry Shultz, Esq., and cost $60,000. The next, 800 feet long, was built in 1824, by the City Council, and cost $45,000. Western wharf, 100 feet long, built in 1831, and cost $1,000. Central wharf, 1000 feet long, built in 1835, cost $20,500. Campbell's wharf, 150 feet long, built in 1825, and cost $6,500.
VILLAGES .- Mount Enon is a short distance from Bath, in the southern part of the county, 15 miles S. of Augusta.
Brotherville, 13 miles from Augusta.
Belair is on the Georgia Railroad, 10 miles from Augusta.
Bath is in the southern part of the county, delightfully situa- ted; a place of resort for the planters during the summer months.
506
RICHMOND COUNTY.
Summerville, 3 miles from Augusta, is a pleasant place, affording to the citizens a retreat during the summer months. The United States Arsenal and a branch of the Richmond Academy are located here. Population during the summer months, between 1,500 and 2,000.
EDUCATION .- The institutions for educating youth in this county are numerous and respectable. There are seminaries in Augusta, in which females are taught all the branches of useful and ornamental education. Ample provision is made for the instruction of poor children. Educational fund $312 22 cents. Number of poor children, 360.
CLIMATE, DISEASES, LONGEVITY .- The climate is healthy. Fevers are the most prevalent diseases. The instances of longevity are the following :
Mr. D'Antignac died at the age of 89; Angus Martin, over 80; James Gardner, 83; Mrs. Griffin, over 90; Mrs. Dawson, over 91; Mr. N. Murphy, 80; Mrs. Rowell, over 80; Mrs. Tinley, nearly 103. There are now living in Augusta, in the same family, four persons, each of whom has exceeded 83 years. In 1826, an African, known as old Qua, died on Mr. Course's plantation, at the age of 96. Mr. Course had within 25 years buried 29 Africans, from the ages of 80 to 140. Old Amy died at 140.
She arrived in Charleston when there were but six small buildings. She retained her speech, her sight, and hearing to the last. Jack Wright was 109 years old : he had been a servant to Lord Anson, when stationed at Charleston, prior to his voyage round the world.
MINERALS .- Burrstone in the lower part of the county. Porcelain clay, near Belair, on Spirit creek, and in other places. Novaculite near Sand Bar ferry, wacke at Richmond Bath, steatite at Rae's creek, micaceous sandstone in various places, used for culverts on the Georgia Railroad ; also, mica slate, granite and sienite of excellent quality, &c .*
BRIDGES AND ROADS .- The citizens of this county are at- tentive to their bridges and roads. They are both kept in fine order. Of bridges there are 2,528 feet, and of roads 1232 miles.
RELIGIOUS SECTS. - Episcopalians, Methodists, Baptists,
* See Cotting's Report.
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RICHMOND COUNTY.
Presbyterians, Christians, Roman Catholics, Universalists, Uni- tarians and Jews.
CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE, LITERATURE .- Few sections of Georgia can produce a more patriotic and intelligent po- pulation than this county. In Augusta monuments of their enterprise and benevolence are seen in every direction.
There are few places which can boast of a greater number of men profoundly versed in the various departments of learn- ing than Augusta. We might mention their names; but we forbear, lest we might be charged with partiality in inserting some and neglect in omitting others. In no place in the Uni- ted States, have we met with gentlemen more extensively read in polite literature, and more deeply learned in the professions of law, medicine, and theology, than in Augusta.
The newspapers, of which there are three or four, are ably conducted, and have a very extensive circulation. The Southern Medical and Surgical Journal is published in Augusta. The book-stores are large. A Library Society has recently been formed.
EMINENT MEN .-- The list of eminent men which Richmond county has furnished is long, but a few only of their names can be mentioned.
Richard Henry Wilde resided for many years in Augusta, and possessed in a very great degree the confidence of his fel- low-citizens. Under great disadvantages he acquired an edu- cation, and was admitted to the practice of the law before he was 21 years of age, in 1809. The alleviating law first afforded Mr. Wilde an opportunity of displaying his talents. To this law he was warmly opposed, and his arguments on the sub- ject are acknowledged to have been the product of a very superior mind. About this time he was appointed Attorney General. In 1815 he was elected to Congress, again in 1828, and for several successive terms, until 1835, when he sailed for Europe, and spent two years in travelling in Eng- land, France, and Belgium. He remained three years in Flo- rence, occupied in literary pursuits. Mr. Wilde is well known as the author of a work on the Love and Madness of Tasso, and of some beautiful lines beginning, " My life is like the summer rose." Twenty years after these lines had been before the public, Mr. Wilde was charged with plagiarism. The lite-
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RICHMOND COUNTY.
rary world has long been satisfied that there was not the least foundation for this charge, and we would not now allude to it had we not met with an incorrect statement concerning these lines in Sir Charles Lyell's Second Visit to the United States. Part 2, page 102, Sir Charles says, "' My life is like the summer rose' are usually supposed to have derived their tone of touch- ing melancholy from his grief at the sudden death of a brother, and, soon after, of a mother, who never recovered the shock of her son's death." To prove that this statement is incorrect, we will avail ourselves of Mr. Wilde's own language, in a letter to a friend. " The lines in question, you will perceive, were originally intended as part of a longer poem. My bro- ther, the late James Wilde, was an officer of the United States army, and held a subaltern rank in the expedition of Colonel John Williams against the Seminole Indians of Florida, which first broke up their towns and stopped their atrocities. When James returned, he amused my mother, then alive, my sisters, and myself, with descriptions of the orange groves and transpa- rent lakes, the beauty of the St. John's river, and of the woods and swamps of Florida-a kind of fairy land of which we then knew little, except from Bartram's ecstasies-interspersed with anecdotes of his campaign and companions, as he had some taste himself. I used to laugh, and tell him I'd immor- talize his exploits in an epic. Some stanzas were accordingly written for the amusement of the family at the next meeting. That, alas! was destined never to take place. He was killed in a duel. His violent and melancholy death put an end to my poem, the third stanza of the first fragment, which alluded to his fate, being all that was written afterward." Again, Sir Charles says, " As there had been so much controversy about this short poem, we asked Mr. Wilde to relate to us its true history, which is curious. He had been one of a party at Savannah, when the question was raised whether a certain professor of the University of Georgia understood Greek; on which one of his companions undertook to translate Mr. Wilde's verses, called ' The Complaint of the Captive,' into Greek prose, so arranged as to appear like verse, and then see if he could pass it off upon the professor as a fragment of Alcæus. The trick succeeded, although the professor said that
509
RICHMOND COUNTY.
not having the works of Alcæus at hand, he could not feel sure that the poem was really his. It was thus sent, without the knowledge of Mr. Wilde and his friends, to a periodical at New-York, and published as a fragment from Alcæus, and the Senator for Georgia was vehemently attacked by his political opponents for having passed off a translation from the Greek as an original composition of his own."
Now, this also is incorrect. Mr. Wilde was not present at the party alluded to, or he would not have written the fol- lowing letter :
WASHINGTON, 7th January, 1835.
DEAR SIR-Relying on our past acquaintance, and your known urbanity, to pardon the liberty I take, permit me to say, without farther preface, that circumstances which it is unne- cessary to detail, concur in pointing you out as the author of a translation into Greek, of some fugitive verses, long attri- buted to, but only recently avowed by me. If you are, I am sure the task was executed only to amuse the leisure hours of a gentleman and scholar, or at most, for the sport it might afford you to mystify the learned. In the latter you have been so eminently successful, if the work is yours, that a re- sult has been produced, the reverse, no doubt, of your inten- tion, so far as it respects myself. I have been stigmatized with plagiarism, and compelled (such was the importance some of my friends attached to the charge), to deny it in person. Since then, an article in the Georgian of the twenty-seventh of De- cember, goes far to exculpate me from the pillage of Alcæus ; and excellent reasons have been given by Greek scholars to show the piece is modern. Nevertheless, as I have been com- pelled to do penance publicly, in sheets once white, for this sin of my youth, it would relieve me somewhat, since I must acknowledge the foundling, to have no dispute about the pater- nity. The demonstrative reason is the word of a man of ho- nour, who composed the Greek fragment, so well executed, as to deceive many of some pretenders to scholarship. I am therefore desirous of obtaining for publication, in such form as you choose, your avowal of the authorship; or, if you prefer it, your simple authority for the fact. If I am wrong in ascribing
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