USA > Georgia > The history of Georgia: containing brief sketches of the most remarkable events, up to the present day, Vol. I > Part 8
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1739.
the south of Georgia. One regiment would lit- tle suffice to withstand the enemy ; and yet so small a handful may be reduced to discontent, straits and want, notwithstanding all the bounty of a king, or prudence of a general. As to the In- dians, what could we expect less than being scorn- ed and despised ? that they should immediately fall in with the tempting proffers of the French and Spaniards, and so Great-Britain cut off from that valuable branch of the Indian trade ; for how in- deed could they expect execution of treaties or protection from people who, without the force of an enemy, could not preserve their own schemes of government from falling to pieces. How the tragedy must affect your excellency, would be presumption in me to determine : I only know, that to see those you honor with the name of children, in want and misery ; that settlement which should have perpetuated your name to pos- terity with the greatest honor, become the foil of all your great undertakings, and the expectations of all the world, from your promising endeavors, setting in a cloud and obscurity, must affect your excellency in a way suitable to your humane and generous disposition.
" Sir, we still love, honor and respect you, whatever low selfish minded persons, the bane of society, may surmise to the contrary ; and will continue to do so, while we can have any hopes of your pursuing measures consistent with our prosperity : but, sir, smiles cannot be expected
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1739.
amidst disappointments and wants ; and there is no altering the course of nature. Love and grati- tude are the tribute of favors and protections, and resentment the consequence of injuries received; and in disappointments of this nature much more reasonably than in those of love, do the contrary passions take place in the same degree. What then remains, but that you embrace those obvious measures, that will retrieve our desperate affairs ; restore to us, in Mr. Oglethorpe, our father and protector, whose honor and affection was depend- ed upon ; secure to yourself a society that loves and honors you ; and who will always be ready to sacrifice both life and fortune to your honor and protection ; and your name with blessings will be perpetuated. If in this I have, by a sin- cere and well meant freedom, given offence, I heartily ask pardon; none was intended : and I only request, that while truth keeps the stage, the author may be allowed to remain incog, be- hind the scenes."
" THE PLAIN DEALER."
[This letter was attributed to the pen of Patrick Tailfer. ]
When gen. Oglethorpe received this letter, he had devoted six years of the prime of his life to their service ; crossed the atlantic ocean five times; spent a large portion of his private funds ; expo- sed his person to hardships in an inhospitable .cli- mate and to the dangers of the sea ; secluded himself from the society of a court, where he might have rolled in easy affluence and indulged
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1739.
in luxury. These sacrifices were made without the expectation of any other reward, than the gra- tification of closing a well spent life, with the sweet consolation of having devoted a considera- ble portion of it to the good of his country, and to the happiness and advantage of his fellow- creatures.
Foreseeing that no bounds could be limited to the introduction of slaves, which would not be suinous to the colony in its present situation, he determined to persevere in the prohibition of ne- groes, until the state of the country would justify a change of policy.
The darling object of general Oglethorpe, was to restrain the Spaniards to the south of St. Johns ; for which purpose he had a chain of forts from Augusta to the mouth of that river. The geo- graphy of the country at that time was very little known, and in support of his claim, in his discus- sions with the Spaniards, he contended that the St. Johns was the real southern branch of the Ala- tamaha. His establishments on St. Simons and Jekyl, were very considerable and admirably built. His large brewery on Jekyl, furnished beer for all the troops in great abundance ; but notwithstanding his determination to keep ardent spirits out of the province, it was found impracti- cable after the arrival of his regiment, and so fee- ble were the exertions to suppress this uncon- trolable desire of quaffing this nectar of the Scotch, that gen. Oglethorpe, while setting in the draw.
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1739.
ing rooms of respectable settlers or officers, they would frequently retire to an adjoining room and indulge in the use of ardent spirits ; at the smell of which he would say-woe to the liquor if it came to his sight : that which he discovered was always thrown away. In short, we can have but feint ideas of the difficulties which he had to en- counter, to preserve that kind of order and sup- port those rules, which he thought best calculated for the government of the people.
Before the general returned from England, se- veral merchants and captains of vessels, having their own interest only in view, carried into the colony from New-York and other places, large cargoes of provisions and other articles, which the store-keeper at Savannah had been bribed to purchase.on account of the trustees, without their authority. The amounts were considerable and the funds were found unequal to the discharge of the debts. The trustees, having a due regard to their public credit, gave public notice, that all the expenses which they had ordered, or should thereafter order to be incurred in America, for the use of the colony, should be defrayed and paid for in Georgia, in sola bills of exchange only, under their seal : and that no person whatsoever had any authority from them, or in their name, or for their account, to purchase or receive any cargoes of provisions, stores or other necessaries, without paying for them in the said sola bills.
The trustees, both by letters and instructions,
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1739.
to their magistrates, had frequently exhorted and encouraged the people to the cultivation of their Lands as a source on which they must soon de- pend for their support ; and as many of those who were sent over on the charity of the trustees, as well as others who had come from other colonies for a temporary maintenance, continuing in their idle habits, had become burthensome vagabonds; they gave orders to discontinue supplies to those who neglected to cultivate their lands.
In the last year, the assembly of South-Caro- lina, passed an ordinance for raising a sum to indemnify their traders, in opposition to an act which was approved by his majesty in council, for maintaining the peace with the Indians in the province of Georgia : upon a memorial from the trustees complaining of the ordinance of Caro- lina, and upon a petition of the council and as- sembly of South-Carolina, against the act ap- proved by his majesty, there was a solemn hear- ing before the lords commissioners of trade and plantations, and afterwards, before a committee of the lords of his majesty's privy council : Where- upon his majesty was pleased to order, that the said ordinance of South-Carolina, should be re- pealed and declared void; and to instruct the trustees to prepare a proper act or ordinance, for settling the trade carried on by the provinces of South-Carolina and Georgia with the Indians, on such footing as might be mutually beneficial to both provinces ; which was notified to the gover.
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1739.
nor of South-Carolina. General Oglethorpe was also furnished with a copy, accompanied with in- structions, to consult with lieut. governor Bull ; that the result of their deliberations might be transmitted to the trustees for their consideration ; and that in the mean time, the commissioners of the two provinces, might proceed to concert such measures as to carry on a mutual trade with the Indians in both provinces.
William Stephens, who had lately been appoint- ed secretary in Georgia, informed the trustees that the grand jury at Savannah, claimed the right of administering oaths, and making enquiry there- ·on, into all such matters as they should think fit,; and the trustees having perceived in a represen- tation from them, that they had exercised such power, Stephens was instructed to acquaint them, that the trustees were sensible of the mischievous consequences which might arise from the exer- cise of such power, by having themselves placed upon the pannel, if this claim of the grand jury was admitted.
In another letter received by the trustees from Stephens, he renewed the representation of the un- easiness and discontents which prevailed amongst the people, against the tenures upon which they held their lands, and related many instances of injustice being practised by the male heir, against the widowed mother and her other children: He urged for their consideration that the colony had been so long established, the inhabitants be-
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come so numerous, and a regiment being sta- tioned in the province for its defence ; the for- mer tenure had become less necessary : ac- cordingly on the 15th of March 1739, at their annual meeting, the trustees passed a resolution, that in default of male issue, any legal possessor of land, might by a deed in writing, or by his last will and testament, appoint his daughter as his successor, or any other male or female relation ; with a proviso, that the successor should in the proper court in Georgia, personally claim the lot granted or devised, within eighteen months after the decease of the grantor or devisor. This pri- vilege was soon after extended to every legal pos- sessor, who was empowered to appoint any other person to be his successor. Whilst the trustees were employed in altering their former regulati- ons for the satisfaction of the colonists, the peti, tions were received, for and against the introduc- tion of negroes. It is worthy of remark, that the industrious Germans and Highlanders, who were busily employed in the cultivation of their farms, were opposed to the principles of slavery. These were forcible arguments in favor of an ad- herence to their former plans and regulations, and no doubt formed the basis on which the rejec- tion of the petition from Savannah was founded.
While the general was preparing his colony for defence against the invasion of an enemy, and harassed and perplexed with the complaints of his settlers, treason had found its way into the
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1739.
centre of his camp, and a deep laid plot had been planned to assassinate him. Two companies of his regiment had been drawn from Gibralter, some of whom could speak the Spanish language: detachments from these companies had been sta- tioned on Cumberland Island, and the Spanish out-posts on the other side, could approach so near as to converse with them : one man of these companies had been in the Spanish service, and not only understood their language, but had so much of the old Roman Catholic spirit, as to feel an aversion to the Protestant religion. The Span- iards had found through this villain the means of corrupting the minds of several of the British soldiers, and they united in forming a design to murder general Oglethorpe, and then make their escape to Augustine. Accordingly the day was fixed, and the soldiers who were concerned in the plot, came up to the general, and made some ex- traordinary demands, as a pretext for the execu- tion of their diabolical purposes ; which as they expected, being refused, a signal being given which was well understood, one of them discharg- his piece at the general, and being only at the distance of a few paces, the ball passed over his shoulder, and the powder burned his face and .singed his cloathes : another presented his piece and attempted to fire, but the powder only flashed in the pan ; a third drew his hanger and endeavor- cd to stab him : the general by this time, having drawn his sword, parried the thrust, and an offi-
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cer came up, run the ruffian through the body and killed him upon the spot. The mutineers dis- couraged by the failure of their first effort, at- tempted to escape by flight, but were caught and laid in irons. A court martial was ordered to try the ring-leaders of this desperate conspiracy, some of whom were found guilty and sentenced to be shot. Thus miraculously the general es- caped, and the principal conspirators fell victims to that fate, which their conduct had so justly merited.
Another and ' more dreadful effort of Spanish policy, was attempted to be practiced about the same time in South-Carolina, and would, if it had succeeded, have been attended with the most fatal, bloody and dreadful consequences. Emissaries had been sent from Augustine to Ca- rolina, with a design to stir up an insurrection amongst the negroes, whose number had by that time amounted to forty thousand, while the white population was estimated at about one eighth of that number. This race of people whose consti- tutions were adapted to the climate, and who could not be supposed to be contented in slavery, would grasp with avidity at the most desperate attempts which promised freedom. Long had liberty and protection been promised and pro- claimed to them, by the Spaniards at Augustine, nor were the negroes strangers to the proclama- tion. At different times the emissaries of Spain had been detected in tampering with them, and
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1739.
the present moment seemed to be favorable for the adoption of the means of depopulating Caro- lina, and consequently Georgia, by a general mas- sacre. The governor of Florida had formed a regiment of these refugees, and appointed officers from amongst themselves, allowing them the same pay, clothing, subsistence and other privi- leges, with the regular Spanish soldiers. The slaves of Carolina were aware of these induce- ments, and when they ran away from their masters, directed their course to Augustine. At length negro serjeants were employed on the recruiting service, and had a secret rendezvous in Carolina. Two Spaniards were seized in Geor- gia and committed to prison, for enticing slaves from Carolina to join this regiment : five negroes belonging to captain M'Pherson, who had been employed in herding cattle ; after wounding his son, and killing another man, made their escape to Florida and were protected : at length a num- ber of negroes collected at Stono, hoisted their standard, proclaimed open rebellion, marched through the country with drums beating and colours flying ; plundered and burned several houses, and murdered men, women and children ; and but for the circumstance of the white men's carrying their guns with them to church, from a dread of the Indians, a most bloody scene must have ensucd. The whole country was in a state of terror and consternation, expecting to be sa- crificed to the power and indiscriminate fury of
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1759.
their slaves : fortunately the armed men from the church made a judicious attack upon their head quarters and they were dispersed. When the governor of South-Carolina advised general Ogle- thorpe of the insurrection, he doubled his vigil- ance in Georgia, and seized all straggling span- iards and negroes, who were found passing through the province.
In the mean time matters were hastening to 2 rupture in Europe, and a war between Great- Britain and Spain appeared to be unavoidable. The plenipotentiaries appointed for settling the boundaries between Georgia and Florida, and other differences subsisting between the two crowns, had met at Pardo in convention, where preliminaries were drawn up ; but the conference ended unsatisfactorily to both parties. The pro- posal of a negociation and the appointment of plenipotentiaries, gave universal offence to the people of England, who breathed nothing but war and vengeance against the proud and arro. gant Spaniards : hostile preparations were made ; all the officers of the navy and army were order- ed to their stations, and with the unanimous voice of the nation, war was declared against Spain on the 23d of October, 1739.
The settlers of Georgia had not increased with that rapidity which had been anticipated by the trustees, nor was its condition by any means flourishing, considering the immense sums of money which they had expended. The number
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1739.
of the former, and the amount of the latter, up to this period, will be satisfactory to the reader,
Number of Inhabitants, as
Contributions, L.
added from the first year.
S. D.
First year. 152
3,723 13
7
Second do
341
11,502 19 5
Third do
81 31,416 7- 7
Fourth do.
470 2,164 19
63. 4
Fifth do.
32
13,627 18
7
Sixth do.
298
20,909 19 10%
Seventh do
9
8,473 9 4.
Eighth do
138
20,181 4
Total 1,521
112,000 12 02
The people above mentioned were brought to Georgia and supported at the expense of the trus- tees : those who came at their own expense and supported themselves, are not included, nor is the number of them known.
It appears from this calculation, that the poor people brought to Georgia by the trustees, cost them three hundred and thirty dollars each. Nine hundred and fifteen persons of the number above- mentioned, were British subjects, and six hundred and six were foreign protestants; and of the whole, six hundred and eighty-six, were men ca- pable of bearing arms.
Ninety-four thousand pounds of the above amount, was appropriated by the British parlia- ment, and the balance, raised by private contri- butions.
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1759.
The answer of the trustees to the representa- tion from the inhabitants of Savannah, the 9th of December 1758, for altering the tenure of their Lands, and introducing negroes into the colony, was received in September, 1739.
" To the magistrates of the town of Savannah, in the province of Georgia."
" The trustees for establishing the colony of Georgia, in America, have received by the hands of Mr. Benjamin Ball, of London, merchant, an attested copy of a representation, signed by you the magistrates, and many of the inhabitants of Savannah, on the 9th of December last, for al- tering the tenure of the lands, and introducing negroes into the province, transmitted from thence by Mr. Robert Williams.
" The trustees are not surprised to find unwa- ry people drawn in by crafty men, to join in a de- sign of extorting by clamor from the trustees, an alteration of the fundamental laws, framed for the preservation of the people, from those very designs. But the trustees cannot but express their astonishment, that you the magistrates, ap- pointed by them to be the guardians of the peo- ple, by putting those laws in execution, should so far forget your duty, as to put yourselves at the head of this attempt. However, they direct you to give the complainants this answer from the trustees, that they should deem themselves very unfit for the trust reposed in them by his majes-
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1739.
ty on their behalf, if they could be prevailed up. on by such an irrational attempt, to give up a con- stitution, framed with the greatest caution, for the preservation of liberty and property ; and of which the laws against the use of slaves and for the entail of lands, are the surest foundations.
" And the trustees are the more confirmed in their opinion of the unreasonableness of this de- mand, because they have received petitions, from Darien, and other parts of the province, repre- senting the inconvenience and danger, which must arise to the good people of the province from the introduction of negroes ; and as the trus- tees themselves are fully convinced, that besides the hazard attending that introduction, it would destroy all industry among the white inhabitants; and that by giving them a power to alien their lands, the colony would soon be too much like its neighbors ; void of white inhabitants, filled with blacks, and reduced to the precarious pro- perty of a few, equally exposed to domestic treachery, and foreign invasion ; and therefore the trustees cannot be supposed to be in any dis- position of granting this request; and if they have not before this signified their dislike of it, this delay is to be imputed to no other motives, but the hopes they had conceived, that time and experience would bring the complainants to .a bet- ter mind : and the trustees readily join issue with them in their appeal to posterity, who shall judge between them, who were their best friends ;
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1739.
those who endeavored to preserve for them a property in their lands, by tying up the hands of their unthrifty progenitors ? or they who wanted a power to mortgage, or alien them ? who were the best friends to the colony; those who with great labor and cost had endeavored to form a colony of his majesty's subjects, and persecuted protestants from other parts of Europe, had pla- ced them on a fruitful soil, and strove to secure them in their possessions, by those acts which naturally tend to keep the colony full of useful and industrious people, capable both of cultiva- ting and defending it ? or those who, to gratify the greedy and ambitious views of a few negro mer- chants, would put it in their power to become sole owners of the province; by introducing their baneful commodity ; which it is well known by sad experience, has brought the neighboring co- lony to the brink of ruin, by driving out their white inhabitants, who were their glory and strength, to make room for the blacks, who are now become the terror of their unadvised mas- ters."
" Signed by order of the trustees, 20th of June, 1739.
BENJ. MARTYN, Secretary."
This letter was accompanied by new commis- sions for magistrates : Thomas Christie, first ; John Fallowfield, second ; and Thomas Jones, third bailiffs ; and William Williamson, recorder. The inhabitants remarked that if they had no;
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1739. . 1
been sufficiently scourged before, this change in. the executive authority would make their punish. ment complete. That Thomas Jones, surpassed Causton in all his bad qualities, without possess- ing any of his good ones, and that he might go. vern without control, Oglethorpe had thought proper to supersede the commissions of Chris- tie and Williamson, and continued Henry Park. er, as first magistrate, who would always support the interest of the store-keeper, Jones: therefore Fallowfield would be over-ruled, and all the pow- ers of government would be vested in the other two; the people again complained to the trus- tees, but without effect.
William Stephens, Thomas Christie, and Thomas Jones, Esqrs. were appointed to exam. ine Causton's accounts, but it is said they were never satisfactorily settled. Causton was remo- ved for mal-practice in office.
Notwithstanding the determination of the trus- tees, entered into on the 20th of June, they again assembled on the 28th of August, 1739, and en- tered into the following resolutions, relating to the grants and tenure of lands in the colony of Georgia.
" Whereas the common council of the said trustees, assembled for that purpose in the name of the corporation of the said trustees, and un- der their common seal ; have in pursuance of his majesty's most gracious letters patent, and in exe- cution of the trust reposed in them, granted and
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' HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1739.
conveyed divers portions of the lands, tenements and hereditaments, in the said letters patent men- tioned to many of his majesty's loving subjects, na- tural born, and denizens, and others willing to be- come his subjects, and to live under allegiance to his majesty in the said colony, to hold to them re- spectively, and to the heirs male of their respective bodies, lawfully begotten, or to be begotten ; un- der their several rents, reservations, conditions and provisions therein contained ; and whereas it has been represented to the said trustecs, that many of the persons to whom such grants have been made, have no male issue of their respec- tive bodies, and that an alteration in the grants and tenure of the said lands, upon failure of such issue, and likewise a known and certain provision for the widows of tenants in tail male, would not only encourage all such persons cheerfully, to go on with their several improvements, but also be an inducement and means of inviting divers oth- er persons to resort to, and settle in the said colo- ny, and greatly tend to the cultivation of the lands, the increase of the people, and the defence, strength and security of the said colony ; which the said trustees most earnestly desire to promote as far as in them lies; it is therefore this day unanimously resolved by the common council of the said corporation, assembled for that purpose, that the grants of lands or tenements within the said colony heretofore made, and hereafter to be made by the said trustees, to any person or per-
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