USA > Georgia > The history of Georgia, Volume I > Part 50
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After a residence of more than fifty years, finding their lands impoverished and insufficient for the rising generation, - Dor- chester and Beech-Hill proving very unhealthy, - the good re- ports of the lands in Georgia having been confirmed upon the personal inspection of certain members of the Society who had been sent for that purpose, and a grant of 22,400 acres of land having been secured from the authorities in Georgia, which grant was subsequently enlarged by the addition of 9,950 acres, the members of the Dorchester Society, in 1752, commenced moving into what is now the swamp region of Liberty County.
On the 6th of December of that year Mr. Benjamin Baker 1
1 He was born at Dorchester, South Oglethorpe in his expedition against St. Carolina, in 1717, and attended General Augustine. During the Revolutionary
493
THE DORCHESTER IMMIGRATION.
and family, and Mr. Samuel Bacon with his family, the pioneers of the immigration, arrived and proceeded to form their settle- ments. They were quickly followed by Messrs. Parmenus Way, William Baker, John Elliott, John Winn, Edward Sumner, and John Quarterman. Finding that his congregation was generally inclined to remove from Dorchester, South Carolina, to the new possessions in Georgia, the Rev. Mr. Osgood joined such members of his flock as had preceded him, and in March, 1754, took up his abode in their midst. The society gradually collected around him, a log church was erected on Midway Neck where the ven- erable Midway Congregational Church now stands, and the first sermon was there preached on the 7th of the following June.1
The settlements formed by these valuable immigrants lay be- tween Mount Hope Swamp-the head of Midway River - on the north and Bulltown Swamp on the south. At first, however, they were not so extensive. They tonched neither the pine-bar- rens on the west nor the salt water on the east.2
Begun in 1752, this immigration was continued from time to time until 1771 when it practically ceased.3 If we may credit the records of the society, there occurred forty-four removals in all, of which one family came from Charlestown, four families from Pon-Pon, and the remaining thirty-nine from Dorchester and Beech-Hill. These removals were most numerous during the years 1754, 1755, and 1756. These peoples brought their negroes with them, and it appears probable, from the best lights before us, that the population of this colony, after its complete estab- lishment, consisted of about 350 whites and 1,500 negro slaves.
The region into which the Dorchester Congregation came was previously known as the Midway District. To the colonial as- sembly which convened in Savannah in 1751 Audley Maxwell,
War he was a marked patriot, and en- countered great loss and many privations at the hands of the king's forces. Even now his memory is cherished as that of a brave man, a virtuous and influential citizen, and a devoted Christian.
1 See Mallard's Short Account of the Congregational Church at Midway, Geor- gia, p. 6. Savannah. 1840.
2 MS. Notes of the Rev. Dr. Charles Colcock Jones.
6 DeBrahm says : "The Beach-Hill Congregation settled upon the Heads of the two Newport Rivers early in the year 1752, when they left Carolina in a great
Body ; they continued drawing their Ef- feets and Cattle after settling all other Concerns in their native Province until 1755; many rich Carolina Planters fol- lowed the Example of that Congregation, - and came with all their Families and Negroes to settle in Georgia in 1752 ; the Spirit of Emigration ont of South Caro- lina into Georgia became so universal that year, that this and the following year near one thousand Negroes was brought in Georgia, where in 1751 were scarce above three dozen." History of the Prov- ince of Georgia, etc., p. 21. Wormsloc. 1849.
494
THE HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
Esq., was sent as a delegate, the population of the district then entitling it to such representation. Many of the families who were resident in this district prior to the arrival of the Dor- chester Congregation united with that society, when domiciled in its new home, in sustaining divine ministrations. The Con- gregationalists resident at Dorchester and Beech-Hill, South Carolina, did not all come to Georgia. Some families continued to dwell there, and their descendants may still be found in the neighborhood. Others removed elsewhere. It may be truthfully stated, nevertheless, that upon the establishment of the new settle- ment in Georgia the Dorchester colony in South Carolina speed- ily lost its integrity and distinctive characteristics.
In locating their plantations amid the swamps of what was soon to be known as St. John's Parish, and destined at no distant day to acquire a most enviable reputation as Liberty County, the following plan was adopted : -
After laying by their crops in Carolina in the fall of the year, the planters came with able-bodied hands, and, during the winter, cleared land and built houses. In a season or two having thus sufficiently prepared the way, they brought their families and servants in the early spring and at once entered upon the culti- vation of the soil. Thus was the removal rendered as safe and comfortable as the nature of the case permitted.
Strange to say, their dwellings and plantation quarters were invariably located on the edges of the swamps in utter disregard of the manifest laws of health. In such malarial situations was the entire year passed. Their houses at first were built of wood, one story high, with dormer windows in the roofs, small in size, withont lights, with no inside linings, and with chimneys of clay. The negro-houses were made either of clay or poles. For market, rice was the only article cultivated. While corn was planted on the upland, chief attention was bestowed upon the clearing, ditch- ing, and drainage of the swamps. A miasmatic soil was thus exposed to the action of the sun at their very doors. The conse- quence of such injudicious location and of a general inattention to domestic comfort was violent sickness and considerable mor- tality. So frequent were the deaths among children that they seldom arrived at puberty. Those who attained the age of man- hood and womanhood possessed feeble constitutions. According to the register kept by the society from 1752 to 1772, the period during which this settlement was formed, 193 births and 134 deaths occurred. The mortality was greatest during the
495
THE MIDWAY SETTLEMENT.
months of September, October, and November. April, May, June, and August appear to have been the healthiest months. Bilious fevers in the fall and pleurisies in the winter and spring were the diseases which proved most fatal. It used to be said of such as survived a severe attack of bilious fever in the fall that they would certainly die of pleurisy in the winter or spring.
The Indians being in the vicinity and at times indulging in acts of hostility, some of the dwellings of these early settlers were made of hewn cypress logs after the fashion of block houses, and were bullet proof.
The style of agriculture in vogue was of the most primitive sort. The ground was tilled with hoes only. Plows were not in use. All rails for fencing were carried on the heads and shoul- ders of the negroes, and in the same manner was rice transported from the fields. This grain was threshed and beaten by hand. Thus was the crop prepared for market. At first the planters sold their crops in Savannah. A trip to that place was the event of the year, and the anticipated journey was talked of in the neighborhood for some time before it was undertaken. Horses were specially fed and carefully attended for a week or more pre- paratory to the jaunt. Ordinary journeys to church and of a social character were performed on horseback. Hence horse- blocks were to be seen at every door. When he would a-wooing go, the gallant appeared mounted upon his finest steed and in his best attire, followed by a servant on another horse, conveying his master's valise behind him.
Shortly after the Revolutionary War stick-back gigs were intro- duced. If a woman was in the vehicle and unattended, the wait- ing-man rode another horse, keeping alongside and holding the check rein in his left hand. When his master held the lines, the servant rode behind. Men often went armed to church for fear of the Indians.
The country was filled with game. Ducks and wild geese in innumerable quantities frequented the rice-fields. Wild turkeys and deer abounded. Bears and beavers were found in the swamps, and buffalo herds wandered at no great remove to the south ward and northward. There was no lack of squirrels, rac- coons, opossums, rabbits, snipe, woodcock, and quail. Wild cats and hawks were the pest of the region, while the congar often awoke dissonant echoes in the depths of the dark and vine-clad swamps. The waters which they held teemed with fishes, alli- gators, terrapins, frogs, and snakes.
1
496
TIIE HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
Such, in a word, was the condition of the swamp region of the Midway District when these stanch Congregationalists came in to possess it. This accession to the population of the colony, aside from the physical strength and additional wealth which it imparted, was in many respects most important. A stimulus was given to the production of rice. Examples of intelligent indus- try, sobriety, and of genuine manhood were multiplied. Settlers from abroad were encouraged to cast their lots within the borders of the colony. An element of moral and intellectual power was acquired which, during the subsequent years, exerted a potent influence in shaping the educational, religious, and political for- tunes of Georgia.
The rapid development of the agricultural resources of this Midway District, the increase of its population, the growing wants of the inhabitants, the distance from Savannah, and the delays consequent upon the transmission of crops to that commercial me- tropolis, necessitated the opening of a port nearer home where the products of the numerous plantations might find ready sale or shipment, and where merchants might be induced to offer needed supplies. Hence the origin of the town of Sunbury, for many years one of the most prosperous seaports on the Georgia coast.
It was during his reconnoissance of the southern confines, un- dertaken by General Oglethorpe in January, 1734, that the eyes of the founder of the colony of Georgia first rested upon that bold and beautiful bluff which, overlooking the placid waters of Midway River and the intervening low-lying salt-marshes, de- scries in the distance the green woods of Bermuda Island, the dim outline of the southern point of Ossabaw, and, across the sound, the white shores of St. Catharine. Although formal ces- sion had been made by the Lower Creeks of all lands along the sea-coast from the Savannah to the Alatamaha, extending west- ward as high as the tide flowed, and including all islands except a few which the Indians specially reserved for the purposes of hunting, fishing, and bathing, no English settlements had, at that early day, been formed south of the Great Ogeechee River. Fort Argyle, garrisoned by Captain McPherson and his troop of ran- gers, and commanding the passes by which the Indians during the late wars were accustomed to invade Carolina, was then the only military post of any consequence in the direction of the Spaniards. From this nameless bluff the aborigines had not then removed, and their canocs might be seen passing and re-
A
497
SUNBURY.
passing to and from Hussoope (Ossabaw) and Cowleggee (St. Catharine) islands and the main. To the quiet woods and waters of this semi-tropical region the English were strangers. The Bermuda grass which, at a later period, so completely covered Sunbury Bluff did not then appear, but magnificent live-oaks, in full-grown stature and solemn mien, crowned the high-ground even to the very verge where the tide kissed the shore. Cedars, festooned with vines, overhung the waters. The magnolia gran- diflora, queen of the forest, excited on every hand the admira- tion of the early visitor. The sweet-scented myrtle, the tall pine, the odoriferous bay, and other indigenous trees lent their charms to a spot whose primal beauty had encountered no change at the hand of man. The woods were resonant with the songs of birds whose bright plumage vied in coloring with the native flowers which gladdened the eye and gave gentle odors to the ambient air. Fishes abounded in the waters and game on the land. Cool sea-breezes tempered the heat of summer, and severe cold was unknown in the depth of winter. It was a gentle, at- tractive place, this bold bluff, as it came green and beautiful from the hand of Nature. For twenty years and more it retained its virgin attractions, and now the woodman's axe was heard in its groves, and the keel of the enterprising colonist was parting its tranquil waters.
By a grant under the great seal of the province of Georgia, bearing date the 4th of October, 1757, his majesty George II. conveyed to Mark Carr, his heirs and assigns forever, in free and common socage, "all that tract of land, containing five hundred acres, situate and being in the District of Midway in the Province of Georgia, bounded on the east by the Midway river, on the west by land of Thomas Carr, on the south by vacant land, and on all other sides by marshes of the said river."
The grantee of these lands, which embraced the site of the future town of Sunbury, had been for a score of years a man of mark in the colony. Recognizing the propriety of establishing a commercial town in this part of the province, on the 20th of June, 1758, he conveyed three hundred acres of this five-hundred- acre tract, including that portion bordering upon Midway River, to " James Maxwell, Kenneth Baillie, John Elliott, Grey Elliott, and Jolin Stevens, of Midway, Esquires," . .. in trust that the same should be laid out as a town by the name of Sunbury ; one hundred acres thereof being dedicated as a common for the use of the future inhabitants ; and in further trust " that they, 32
498
THE HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
the said James Maxwell, Kenneth Baillie, John Elliott, Grey Elliott, and John Stevens and their successors, should sell and dispose of all and singular the lots to be laid out in the said town of Sunbury to and for the proper use and behoof of the said Mark Carr."
Captain McCall 1 suggests that " the town was called Sunbury, -the etymology of which is probably the residence of the sun, -- from the entire exposure of this place to his beams while he is above the horizon." We believe that this projected village was named for Sunbury, a quiet and beautiful town in Middlesex County, on the bank of the Thames only a little way above Hampton Court, and distant some eighteen miles by land from London ; it being a pleasant custom among the colouists to per- petuate in their new homes the memories of persons and places dear to them in the mother country.
In ancient records, says Lysons, this place (Sunbury in Eng- land) is called Sunnabyri, Sunneberie, Suneberie, etc. Sunna- byri is composed of two Saxon words, -sunna, the sun, and byri, a town, - and may be supposed to denote a place exposed to the sun, or with a southern aspect.
A name better suited to this locality could scarcely have been suggested. It recalls the peaceful memories of one of the gentle towns of old England, and typifies the genial influences of the " King of Day" as, from early dawn until sunset, he irradiates with floods of light the bold bluff "on the westermost bank of the river Midway."
Two of the trustees, John Stevens and John Elliott, were prominent members of the Midway Congregation. James Max- well had been for several years a resident of that district. He and John Stevens were members of the Provincial Congress which assembled at Tondee's Long-room in Savannah on the 4th of July, 1775.2
Kenneth Baillie and Grey Elliott were active and influential citizens. The latter was subsequently selected by the General Assembly to act as an assistant from the colony of Georgia to Dr. Benjamin Franklin who had been chosen by several of the provinces, Georgia among the number, and sent on a special
1 History of Georgia, vol. i. p. 255. Sa- iel Roberts, John Baker, Sr., John Ba- vannah. 1811.
2 The following members of that Con- gress came from the parish of St. John : James Sereven, Nathan Brownson, Dan-
con, Sr., James Maxwell, Edward Ball, William Baker, Sr., William Bacon, Jr., John Stevens, and John Winn, Sr.
--
GEORGIA Farish of St John.
Plan of the Town of Sunbury_ containing 3430 feet, in Length from North, to South. 22.30 in Breadth on the South Side & 1880 in Breadth on the North.
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PLAN OF SUNBURY. 499
mission to England to represent the wants and grievances of the colonies, remonstrate against such acts of the Crown as were deemed oppressive, and oppose taxation without representation.1
All the trustees, therefore, were men of position and character, and their selection for the trust indicated, on the part of Mark Carr, well-placed confidence and sound judgment. Responding to the objects of the conveyance, Messrs. James Maxwell, Ken- neth Baillie, John Elliott, Grey Elliott, and John Stevens, with due dispatch set abont laying off the town upon the " westermost bank " of Midway River. The plan, as matured and carried out by them, embraced three public squares, known respectively as King's, Church, and Meeting, and four hundred and ninety-six lots. These lots had a uniform front of seventy feet, and were one hundred and thirty feet in depth. Lots numbered one to forty, inclusive, fronting on the river, were denominated Bay Lots, and carried with them the ownership of the shore to low- water mark. Four lots constituted a block, bounded on three sides by streets, and on the fourth by a lane. The streets were seventy-five feet broad, and the lanes twenty feet wide. The plan of the town was entirely regular. The streets in one direc- tion ran at right angles to the river, and were, at right angles, intersected by the cross-streets and lanes. From north to south the length of Sunbury, as thus laid out, was 3,430 feet. Its breadth on the south side was 2,230 feet, and on the north 1,880 feet.
Within a short time substantial wharves were constructed, the most marked of which were subsequently owned and used by the following merchants : Kelsell & Spalding, Fisher, Jones & Hughes, Darling & Co., and Lamott.
That Sunbury must rapidly have attracted the notice of the colonists and quickly secured a population by no mean sinsignifi- cant or destitute of influence in that day of small things, is evi- denced by the fact that as early as 1761 the governor, by and with the advice and consent of his council, established and declared it to be a port of entry, and appointed Thomas Carr collector, John Martin naval officer, and Francis Lee searcher. These appointments were confirmed by the commissioners of his majesty's customs.2
1 See McCall's History of Georgia, vol. ii. p. 7. Savannah. 1816.
2 In his letter to Lord Halifax, writ- ten in 1763, Sir James Wright says :
"I judged it necessary for his Majesty's service that Sunbury, - a well settled place, having an exceeding good harbour and inlet from the sea, - should be made
i
500
THE HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
Captain McCall,1 in alluding to the early history of Sunbury, says : " Soon after its settlement and organization as a town, it rose into considerable commercial importance ; emigrants came from different quarters to this healthy maritime port, particularly from Bermuda : about seventy came from that island, but unfor- tunately for them and the reputation of the town, a mortal epi- demic broke out and carried off about fifty of their number the first year : it is highly probable they brought the seeds of the disease with them. Of the remainder, as many as were able, re- turned to their native country. This circumstance, however, did not very much retard the growing state of this eligible spot : a lucrative trade was carried on with various parts of the West Indies in lumber, rice, indigo, corn, etc. Seven square-rigged vessels have been known to enter the port of Sunbury in one day, and about the years 1769 and 1770 it was thought by many, in point of commercial importance, to rival Savannah. In this prosperous state it continued with very little interruption until the war commenced between Great Britain and America."
In his report on the condition of the province of Georgia, dated the 20th of September, 1773, Sir James Wright mentions Savannah and Sunbury as being the only ports in the province. The inlet to the latter he describes as " very good; and, although the river is not more than twenty-two miles in length, fifteen feet of water may be carried up to the town distant twelve miles from the sea." From the same source we learn that during the preceding year fifty-six vessels of various sorts were entered and cleared at the custom-house in the port of Sunbury.2 The col- lector of the port at this time was James Kitchen, with a sal- ary of £65 sterling, and fees of office amounting to £90. The comptroller and searcher was Isaac Antrobus, salary £60, fees of office amounting to a like sum.
Sunbury soon commanded the rice crop from the adjacent swamp region. Indigo was planted on the island just below, then called Bermuda, and now known as the Colonel's Island. The principal trade was with the West Indies and with the
a Port of Entry ; and I have appointed Thomas Carr, Collector, and John Mar- tin, Naval Officer for the same. There are eighty dwelling houses in the place : three considerable merchant stores for supplying the town and planters in the neighborhood with all kinds of necessary goods ; and around it for about fifteen
miles is one of the best settled parts of the country."
1 Ilistory of Georgia, vol. i. pp. 255, 256. Savannah. 1811.
2 Collections of the Georgia IIistorical Society, vol. iii. p. 161 et seq. Savannah. 1873.
501
COMMERCE OF SUNBURY.
Northern colonies. From the former, supplies of rum and sugar were obtained, and from the latter rum, flour, biscuits, and pro- visions. To the West Indies were shipped rice, corn, peas, in- digo, lumber, shingles, live-stock, and barreled beef and pork. Governor Wright regarded the trade with the Northern colonies as injurious to the province of Georgia, because, says he, "they take but little of our produce, and drain us of every trifle of Gold and Silver that is brought here, by giving a price for Guineas, Moidores, Johannes's Pistols and Dollars far above their real and intrinsic value, so that we can never keep any amongst us."
So anxious was Sunbury to concentrate all the trade of the interior that at one time it was proposed to connect Midway and North Newport rivers by a canal running between Bermuda Island and the main. This project, however, was never consum- mated. Occasionally vessels arrived from English ports bring- ing manufactured goods, but such generally sought Savannah as the port of entry and discharge. The purchases of the Sunbury merchants were largely made in or through Savannah, and were thence conveyed in coasting sloops and schooners through the inland passages. Below the town, and on the road to the Colo- nel's Island, is a locality known as the Stave Landing, whence, in these early days, constant shipments of staves and shingles were made. On the eastern side of that island, the site of the old ship-yard is still pointed out where vessels were repaired and new ones built. It was here that the British landed during the Revolutionary War, when, under Lieutenant-Colonel Fuser, they attempted the reduction of Sunbury.
The health of this town from the time of its settlement until, and even after, the Revolutionary War was good. It became a pleasant residence for the families of many planters who were cultivating rice in the neighboring swamps.
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