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 43
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510
RICHMOND COUNTY.
it to you, your acquaintance with the society of Savannah will perhaps enable you to inform me to whom I should ad- dress myself, &c., &c.
RICHARD HENRY WILDE.
To Anthony Barclay, Esq., of Savannah, now in New-York.
To which Mr. Barclay replied :
NEW-YORK, Jan. 24, 1835.
MY DEAR SIR-I was not apprised, when I addresed you on the ninth instant, nor for some days after, that my prose translation into Greek of your beautiful ode, beginning
" My life is like the summer rose,"
had been published, otherwise I could not at that short time have passed over the circumstance in utter silence. It was written for the individual amusement, exclusively, of half a dozen acquaintances in Savannah, and without the slightest intention of its going further. This assertion will account for the abundant defects, and they will vouch for its truth. I as little believed that any credit beyond the hour of surprise among my acquaintance before mentioned, would be awarded to my crude translation, as I apprehended that any doubt could be created concerning the originality of your finished production. Metre and prosodaical quantity were designedly disregarded; and this fact was sufficient to detect the spuriousness of the attempt, and to vindicate me from any suspicion of expecting a success- ful deception. If that effect in any degree has been brought about, 1 must repeat (to employ your own language), that a result has been produced the reverse of my intentions, as far as regards yourself, from whose brow I have had good reason to believe, for the last sixteen years or more, that modesty alone detained the poetic wreath. I cannot say how extremely I regret the indiscreet publication. Truly reluctant, however, as I am to come before the public, I shall feel strong induce- ment to be resigned, if the translator succeed in dragging his author out of concealment, and in that event contribute to strip all masks, and to bestow honour where honour is due. With great truth and regard, I remain, &c.
. ANTHONY BARCLAY.
Hon. Richard Henry Wilde, Washington City.
511
RICHMOND COUNTY.
We should not have devoted so much space to this subject, were we not anxious to place before our readers a full vindi- cation of the fame of one of Georgia's most gifted sons. Mr. Wilde died at New Orleans, in 1837, universally regretted.
William H. Crawford, Esq., commenced his public career in Augusta. General Twiggs, a distinguished officer of the Revolution, lived and died in Richmond, and his son, General D. E. Twiggs, who has recently covered himself with glory in the Mexican war, claims this county as his birth place. The Hon, Mr. Forsyth resided in Richmond, also Col. Robert Wat- kins, Hon. Freeman Walker, Gov. Milledge, son of John Mil- ledge, one of the early settlers of Georgia, and a particular friend of General Oglethorpe; Hon. Nicholas Ware, Hon. George Walker, Hon. George Walton, and Hon. Abraham Baldwin.
EARLY SETTLERS. - Roger de Lacey, John McMannis, Wilson Woodruffe, Edward Murphy, Thomas Pace, George Galphin, Isaac Low, B. Few, Jeremiah Bugg, John Appling, John Brandon, James McFarlane and others.
NATURE OF THE SOIL, PRODUCTIONS .- The lands on the rivers are excellent, and command a high price. There is a considerable body of poor pine land in the county. The price of land varies from 50 cents to $30 per acre. The produc- tions are cotton, and the different grains. Products for 1848 :
Sheep, .
2,785
Mules raised,
67
Horses
136
Beef Cattle raised,
3,791
Pounds of Pork raised and killed,
1,220,884
Bushels of Irish Potatoes,
6,387
do. Sweet
69,827
do.
Barley,
261
do.
Rye,
1,107
do.
Oats,
18,137
do.
Wheat,
5,220
do.
Corn,
326,530
do. Cow Peas, 18,892
Tierces of Rice,
17
Bales of Cotton,
1,869
512
RICHMOND COUNTY.
MANUFACTURES, MILLS, &c .- Richmond factory, situated on Spirit creek, 10 miles S. of Augusta. Capital, $35,000 ; spin- dles, 1,500; looms, 40; number of operatives, principally whites, 70; amount of labour per day, 11 hours. Wages from 10 cents to $1 per day. Character of operatives good. One girl has saved $600. Bags of cotton used per annum, 450; yards of cloth made per day, 1000; 150 lbs. of yarns per day. Quality of the fabrics equal to any in the United States, and sold mostly in Augusta. Main building-three stories, 80 feet long, 34 wide. Houses for the accommodation of operatives, 15. One saw-mill, and one grist-mill. For fourteen years this factory has paid a dividend of 16 per cent. It is the pro- perty of Gov. Schley.
The Augusta Manufacturing Company, organized in 1847. Main building brick, 216 feet long and 50 wide, five stories high. Picker-house, three stories high. There are comfort- able dwellings for the operatives. Spindles, 5,280, and will soon have 10,000; looms, 200 ; each loom capable of turning out from 40 to 45 yards per day. The home demand for the goods is more than equal to the supply.
It is contemplated to erect at an early day another cotton factory similar to the above.
Warren & Colman's mill, in Augusta, built of granite, three stories high, with which are connected saw-mills.
Cunningham's merchant-mill, in Augusta, built of brick, four stories high.
A large building, three stories high, is under contract in Augusta for a pail, bucket, and barrel factory. In this establish- ment there will be machinery for cutting and polishing marble.
Belville factory, seven or eight miles from Augusta, on Butler's creek, is owned by Mr. Geo. Schley.
Grist-mills in the county, 21; merchant-mills, 4; steam saw-mills, 3; saw-mills, 18.
Glendenning's quarry is 5 miles from Augusta.
Walker's quarry is 15 miles from Augusta.
Murphy's quarry is 15 miles from Augusta.
There is a machine factory on Butler's creek, 7 miles from Augusta.
VALUE OF TOWN LOTS, &c. - The value of town lots,
ยท
513
RICHMOND COUNTY.
according to the last Digest, is $1,562,213. The value of stock in trade is $1,095,505. Amount of money at interest, $1,409,593.
MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS .- The town of Augusta was laid out in 1735 by the trustees under the royal charter, and garrisoned in 1736. Several warehouses were built and fur- nished with goods suitable for the Indian trade. Boats were used for transportation, which made four or five voyages annually to Charleston. Roger de Lacey, an Indian agent, was one of its first settlers ; and it soon became a great mart for trade, superior to any in South Carolina or Georgia. The annual fair of the Indian traders was held in spring, and to it resorted many of the Indian tribes ; so that over two thousand pack-horses and six hundred men were computed to annually visit the place. In 1751, the fortifications, which had been erected as a defence against the Indians, and which had been allowed to tumble into ruins, were rebuilt, and the inhabitants mustered and drilled for service-the savages again showing signs of hostilities. In 1752, the trustees gave up their char- ter, and Georgia was formed into a royal government. In 1761, this county, then called St. Paul's Parish, was represented in the first Colonial Assembly by Edward Barnard, John Gra- ham, and L. McGillvray. About 1775, Thomas Brown and William Thompson, having expressed their enmity to the American cause, were pursued by a party in South Carolina. Thompson escaped, but Brown was brought back, and after a trial, was ordered to be tarred and feathered and publicly exposed in a cart." Brown became a Colonel in the British army, and was particularly noted for his merciless conduct towards the American prisoners who fell into his hands.
In 1776, when Savannah was attacked by the British, the Legislature adjourned to Augusta. In January, 1779, Augusta was taken by the enemy, under Colonel Campbell, but evacu- ated by him on the 28th of February. After Savannah had fallen into the hands of the British, the Legislature had dis- persed without electing a Governor for the succeeding year. John Wereat, President of the Executive Council, continued to exercise the functions of government. On the 4th of No- vember he issued a proclamation at Augusta, requiring an
514
RICHMOND COUNTY.
election of members of the Legislature to be held on the second Tuesday of that month, and that the members so elected should convene at Augusta without delay. Most of the leading friends of the American cause in Georgia having retreated to Augusta after the siege of Savannah was raised, all the members that constituted this body were elected in Richmond county. William Glascock was appointed Speaker of the House, and George Walton, Governor. After the sur- render of Charleston, the Governor and a part of the Council retreated to North Carolina. Augusta was again taken pos- session of by the British in 1780, under the command of Col. Brown, and in September of the same year was the theatre of a severe battle. Col. Elijah Clarke made an unsuccessful attempt to take the town. In the engagement which took place at Mckay's trading-house, called the White House, twenty-eight Americans were taken prisoners. Twelve of the number, including Capt. Ashby, were hanged on the stair- case of the White House, where Brown was lying wounded, in order that he might have the satisfaction of seeing the vic- tims of his vengeance expire. The remainder of the prisoners were given up to the Indians, by whom they were immediately killed. About this time many of the inhabitants of Augusta were hanged, without even the formalities of a trial. The limits of this work will not permit a statement of the re- capture of Augusta. It may be found in McCall's History of Georgia, and Lee's Memoirs. Lee says, " in no part of the South was the war conducted with so much barbarity as in this quarter."
The members of the first Council in Augusta were George Walker, James Pearre, Robert Creswell, Andrew Innis, Isaac Herbert, and William Longstreet. Immediately after their election they met at the house of Mr. Nathaniel Durkee, and chose Thomas Cumming unanimously as Intendant, and Joseph Hutchinson, Clerk.
The Augusta Chronicle and Gazette of the State was com- menced in 1786, and was the first newspaper published in Au- gusta.
The Drama made its first appearance in Augusta in 1798.
From the books in the office of the Clerk of the Superior Court, the following items have been gathered.
515
RICHMOND COUNTY.
1
In 1782, the grand jury presented as a grievance the want of a house of worship in the town of Augusta, and other places in the county.
is presented by the same jury for hanging E- L-, without any authority.
In 1794 the grand jury " present the indiscreet observance of public worship," as having held the peaceably minded in ter- ror of divine vengeance.
In 1790, "the number of negroes calling themselves par- sons, going about the country," is presented as a nuisance.
The same jury recommend the imposition of a fine " upon all persons erecting wooden chimneys in Augusta."
The following is from Sherwood's Gazetteer.
In the fall of 1776 there were not more than 40 to 50 houses-most of them log. The river was then crossed by a ferry boat, owned by Mr. Hicks, just where the bridge now crosses. Families remembered to be there residing were, Messrs. Bugg, Glascock, Walton, McLean, &c. Harrisburg was then a plantation, but houses were raised there about 1794. Soon after the termination of the Revolution, people flocked here in scores. Messrs. Ennis, Jack, J. Wilson, Connell, Bush, Fox, &c., were merchants. Messrs. Creswell, Dearmond, and Leigh, were mechanics. Soon Messrs. Brown, Gardner, Tubmans, Longstreet, Wallace, &c., were settled in this place.
In 1805, there were no buildings west of Bennoch's corner, on Campbell and Broad streets ; all west, where the Planters' Hotel was situated, was a cornfield. Around the site of the new market, was a cluster of houses called Springfield, and a house of worship for the blacks. Here was Grierson's fort* during the war. There were some houses in Harrisburg, and an old tobacco warehouse near the river ; this was used in the late war as barracks for the soldiers. The lower part of the town below the bridge, was then the most populous and fashionable. Ashton's Retreat, lower part of Broad-street, was the resort for the fashionables of the day. The public houses then were Ea- gle Tavern, on Reynold-street, and City Hotel, where the Ea-
* Named after Col. Grierson, a Colonel of militia, who was killed in an engagement with Col. Brown.
516
SCREVEN COUNTY.
gle and Phonix now stands. There were no warehouses at this period for the reception of cotton; but McKinne's was soon built, just above the bridge. Each purchaser of cotton weighed it before his own door, where it remained, piled up between the trees on the sidewalks, until sent off in boats. Bar- ter was then much in vogue, and the proportion of the amount in goods, which the seller would take, frequently would control the price of the article.
At three or four gin-houses, much of the cotton raised in the vicinity, and in Burke, was cleaned. One near the Metho- dist meeting-house, and one near Fox's corner, are still stand- ing, having been converted into dwellings.
The old Court House* was on the river bank, and here the Legislature assembled for some years. It is believed that they assembled afterwards in a house on Greene-street, below Dr. Anthony's ; this house was burned some 20 years ago.
SCREVEN.
BOUNDARIES, EXTENT .- This county has Burke on the N. ; the Savannah river, separating it from South Carolina, on the E. ; Effingham on the S. E., and the Ogeechee river on the S. W. Laid out from Burke and Effingham, in 1793; and a part of it assigned to Bulloch, in 1796. Its medium length is 30 miles, breadth 18; square miles, 540.
RIVERS AND CREEKS .- The Savannah, Ogeechee, and Little Ogeechee rivers, and Brier creek, are the chief streams. Those of inferior importance are Black, Buck, McDougal's and Rocky creeks, flowing into the Savannah river. Beaver Dam empties
* In 1785, Judge Walton, in his address to the jury, mentions that the Legislature is soon to assemble in Augusta, and asks where they are to sit, since there are no public buildings ? It is probable the Court House was de- stroyed during the war. The public records were all carried off by the Bri- tish, or burned, so that we have no documents farther back than the Revolu- tion. Judges in this region : John Stewart, in 1782; Walton, in 1783-5; William Stith, in 1786; John Houstoun, in 1792 .- Sherwood.
517
SCREVEN COUNTY.
into Brier creek; Horse, Little Horse, and Crooked creeks into the Ogeechee.
POPULATION, TAXES, REPRESENTATION .- In 1845, the num- ber of inhabitants stood thus : whites, 2,668, blacks, 3,154 ; total, 5,822. Amount of taxes returned for 1848, $2,313 19 cents. Sends one Representative to the Legislature.
POST OFFICES .- Jacksonborough, Armenia, Black Creek, Buck Creek, Mill Haven, Scarborough, Mobley's Pond, and Sylvania.
FACE OF THE COUNTRY, NATURE OF THE SOIL. -- The county is generally level. The soil is mostly of a silicious formation. On the water courses the lands are fertile ; but owing to their liability to inundation, few are cultivated. The bay lands are very productive, yielding 1,000 pounds per acre. There are some spots of pine land that are very good. Hammock lands produce 1,200 pounds of cotton per acre.
PRODUCTIONS .- Cotton, corn, wheat, sweet potatoes, and some rice in the low lands. A large quantity of lumber, staves, and wood, is prepared for the steamboats, the Savan- nah market, and railroad. Many planters make their own sugar and syrup.
RELIGIOUS SECTS, EDUCATION .- Methodists, Baptists, and a few of other denominations. Many of the citizens take a great interest in the subject of education, but generally it does not command as much attention as its vast importance demands. There are some excellent schools in the county. Number of poor children, 193. Educational fund, $167 37 cents.
CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE .- Hospitality is a prominent trait in the character of the people. Temperance and reli- gion have made great changes in the habits of the population. Many well-informed gentlemen reside in the county, and some might be named who devote their leisure moments to scientific pursuits.
VALUE OF TOWN LOTS, &c .- The value of town lots is $331. Value of stock in trade, $4,700. Money at interest, $33,988.
ROADS, BRIDGES .- Some of the roads are in tolerable order. The bridges are in good repair.
ANIMALS .- Deer are numerous. Gophers are abundant :
518
SCREVEN COUNTY.
these burrow in the ground in a sloping direction, from 8 to 10 feet, into which the snake sometimes makes his way, and both live together peaceably.
SPRINGS, PONDS .- There are a number of lime springs or lakes in this county, particularly on Brier creek. The water is of a bluish colour, and fish can be seen at the bottom. In some places the water boils up. The waters have proved effi- cacious in ulcers, itch, &c. Considerable quantities of lime are made, equal to any Thomaston. Cypress ponds are nu- merous. In the neighbourhood of Mr. Pearce's old place, there is a natural sink, 60 feet deep, and perhaps the same in width, in which shrubbery and pine trees are growing.
CLIMATE, DISEASES, LONGEVITY .- The climate is mode- rate. The diseases are such as are usually prevalent in lower Georgia. The pine lands afford a safe retreat during the sickly months. The instances of longevity are Mr. John Arnett, who lived to the age of 80; Michael Docherty was supposed to have been 140 years old at the time of his death ; Wm. Blackman, was over 80; Mrs. Jane Black, over 100; Mr. Lanier, 80; Richard Scruggs, 80; Mr. Herrington, over 90; Mr. Abbott lived to an advanced age; Mrs. Lanier is now alive, over 80; Mrs. Lourania Thrower died in this county, on the 29th of March, 1849, at the age of 137. "She was well acquainted with all that occurred during the old French war, and the arrival of General Braddock in this country, his defeat by the Indians, and of his death. She recollected every particular in connection with, and dur- ing the war, and before the war commenced. She was blessed during her long life with remarkably good health. She was hardly ever known to have any sickness, until within a few years past, when her system became so en- feebled with the infirmities of age, that she was helpless, but she had no sickness other than that. Her eyesight never failed her, excepting perhaps some three or four years, during which time it became necessary for her to use spectacles, which was about twenty years ago, when her sight return- ed perfectly, and she could see as clear as ever she could. She could thread a fine needle, or read the finest print ; her sight continued good to the time of her death."
519
SCREVEN COUNTY.
FOSSILS, MINERALS .- Near Jacksonborough, at Mill Haven, and in many other places, large quantities of fossils are found.
Mr. Eli Whitney states, that being in Georgia, in the year 1806, he was informed of the following facts, and saw the specimen by which they were established. On Brier creek, a stream which passes through Mill Haven, and empties into the Savannah river, at the distance of two or three miles from the road leading to Savannah. the people were occupied in excavating a raceway for a mill. The mill dam was built on a solid mass of agate, which crosses the creek, and formed a natural basis for the superstructure. In clearing the pas- sage for the water below this dam, the workmen discovered a great number of hollow balls, in their form resembling bomb- shells. Some of them were as large as a man's head, and some even 8 or 9 inches in diameter. They had a dark, rusty appearance, the crust looked like an iron ore, outside of a snuff-colour, inside of a light brown. When broken, they proved to be mere shells, the walls of which were from five- eighths to three-fourths of an inch in diameter, and the capa- pacity of the cavity was from a pint to two quarts or more. The cavity was filled with a milky fluid, so perfectly resem- bling white paint, or whitewash, that it was used to whiten fire-places, and the walls of the rooms of the neighbouring houses .*
TOWNS, &c .- Sylvania is the county site, situated 5 miles below Jacksonborough, on the Middle-ground road, leading from Jacksonborough to Springfield. It has a court-house, jail, one tavern, two stores, one church, one school. Four or five families reside here. The town is considered healthy.
Jacksonborough was formerly the county site, situated on Beaver Dam creek, 10 miles from Savannah river, 55 from Augusta, and 70 from Savannah. It is now almost a deserted village. The place had formerly a very bad character. It was reported, that in the mornings after drunken frolics and fights, you could see the children picking up eyeballs in tea- saucers ! i. e. there was so much gouging going on ! }
Mill Haven, 6 miles from Matthews's Bluff, was formerly a place of considerable business.
* Silliman's Journal.
+ Sherwood's Gazetteer.
.
520
SCREVEN COUNTY.
REMARKABLE PLACES .-- At Brier creek, a fierce battle was fought, on the 3d of March, 1779, between the British com- manded by Lieutenant Col. Campbell, and the Americans, commanded by General Ash, which resulted in the complete discomfiture of the Americans, with a loss of 150 killed and drowned, and 27 officers and 162 non-commisioned officers and privates taken prisoners.
Paramore Hill is a remarkable elevation, which the Central Railroad crosses.
EARLY SETTLERS .- Lewis Lanier, Henry White, William Young, Rowland Roberts, Capt. Everett, Paul Bevil, W. Black, F. Womack, William Blackman, Richard Scruggs, Richard Herrington, Stephen Pearce, Mr. Williamson, and others.
NAME. - This county derives its name from General James Screven, who was an early martyr to the cause of liberty, and the first officer of any distinction in Georgia, who poured out his blood in defence of his country. He was a native of South Carolina, and probably was connected with the Rev. Mr. Screven, the first Baptist minister in that State, and one of its earliest settlers. It is not known with certainty at what period General Screven came to Georgia; but it is thought he settled in Liberty county just before the American Revolution. That he was a man of standing at the commence- ment of the war is evident from the fact, that his name is found among the number of gentlemen that constituted the com- mittee appointed at a meeting of the people of Savannah, on the 27th of July, 1774, to adopt resolutions expressive of the determination of Georgia to resist the encroachments of Great Britain. In the early part of 1776, General McIntosh, then in command of the troops at Savannah, ordered Colonel Screven to demand of the enemy a flag which had been detained by them. He was ordered to keep off, and the flag was denied, when Colonel Screven fired, and received a volley from the British, which almost sunk his boat. After this affair he was placed in command of a post south of Savannah, and rendered valuable service by the precautions he adopted to protect the settlements, and was constantly engaged in active duty until the 24th of November, 1778, when he sealed his devotion to.
521
STEWART COUNTY.
his country with his blood. About a mile and a half from Medway meeting-house, in Liberty county, Colonel White and General Screven prepared to meet the enemy. For the pur- pose of reconnoitring, he went into a thicket at Spencer's Hill, on foot ; at this spot an ambuscade had been formed, and he fell, pierced by eleven wounds. He was carried to the vestry- room of Medway meeting-house, and placed under the care of Dr. Dunwody, and from thence to the house of John Elliott, father of the late John Elliott. The British attacked this house, and the inmates were compelled to leave; and, whilst the persons present were removing Gen. Screven, he breathed his last upon the steps of the house. General Screven is sup- posed to have been buried in the northeast corner of the Med- way burial ground. He was a sensible and judicious man, energetic and decided in his conduct. We are sorry that we have not been able to gather more particulars in reference to this gentleman. His cotemporaries have all left the stage of action, and we have been unable to obtain any papers con- nected with his history.
STEWART.
BOUNDARIES .- This county has Marion and Muscogee on the N., Sumter on the E., Randolph on the S., and the Chatta- hoochee on the W. Laid out from Randolph in 1830.
POST OFFICES .- Lumpkin, Florence, Green Hill, Hanna- hachee, Lannahassee, Richland, Searsville, Summerfield, Hard Money.
POPULATION, TAXES, REPRESENTATION .- In 1845, the popu- lation was 8,497 whites, and 5,744 blacks; total, 14,241. Amount of State tax for 1848, $4,852 30. Sends two repre- sentatives to the Legislature.
RIVERS, CREEKS .- The Chattahoochee river forms the western boundary ; the Hitchetee, Hannahachee, Nochefa- loctee, and a number of small streams empty into it. Pataula, or Hodchodkee, has its source in this county, as well as Lo-
522
STEWART COUNTY.
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