Page images
PDF
EPUB

prominent traits in Mr. Gordon's character were honesty and firmness of purpose. He richly merited the inscription which the hand of friendship has placed upon his monument, now to be seen in the old cemetery at Savannah."

Miscellaneous .

THE first Superior Court for this county was held on the 12th of November, 1850. The Grand Jurors were,—

ALEXANDER STROUP, Foreman.

URIAH PHILLIPS,

JOSEPH L. NEel,

B. LOWRY,

M. BOAZ,

D. D. ROANEY,

A. G. B. VANDIVEU,
D. MORROW,
JAMES H. BURCH,
HENRY H. PITMAN,
THOMAS BIRD,

ISRAEL P. BOWEN,

S. T. KING,

D. G. KING,

WM. J. FULLER,
DENNIS MILLER,
ALEXANDER STEWART,
B. KIKER, Sen.,
H. MCCONNELL,
WM. B. CHANDler,
JAMES MOORE,

M. M. DOUGLASS,

OLIVER C. WYLEY.

At New Echota, Schermerhorn's treaty was made. In 1832 it had 300 inhabit ants. Several distinguished Cherokees resided here, viz,, Elijah Hicks, Bondenot, and Alexander McCoy.

Oothcologa was the residence of the Adairs. It was sparsely inhabited; but the Indians here lived better than in any other part of the nation.

Siloquoy, on the Tennessee road, was formerly occupied by the Thompsons, who married natives. The British had an agency here during the Revolutionary War, conducted by John Waters.

Oostenaula was a large town in 1791. The Indians of this town were exceedingly hostile to the Americans.

GREENE COUNTY.

LAID out from Washington, 1786. A part set off to Hancock, 1793; part to Oglethorpe, 1794; a part added to Clarke in 1802; a part taken from Wilkes, and a part added to Clarke, 1802; a part set off to Taliaferro in 1825. Named after Major-General Nathaniel Greene. Length, 22 m.; breadth, 17 m. ; area square miles, 374. The rivers are the Ogeechee, the Oconee, and Appallachee. The first rises seven miles N. W. of Greenesborough.

There is much worn-out land in this county; but it is confidently

believed that, by judicious management, it may be redeemed; and it affords us much pleasure to state, that many of the planters are turning their attention to this subject.

The earliest settlers of this county were, THOMAS HARRIS, THOS. HORTON, DAVIS GRESHAM, WM. FITZPATRICK, HENRY GRAYBILL, OLIVER PORTER, JOHN BAILEY, CHARLES CESSNA, THOMAS BALDWIN, M. RABUN, JOHN GEORGE, ALEXANDER REID, MICHAEL ROGERS, DAVID DICKSON, WALTON HARRIS, PEYTON SMITH, E. E. PARKS, PETER CURTWRIGHT, G. W. FORSTER, JOHN AMOUR, Major РOULLAIN, JESSE PERKINS, JOEL NEWSOME, JAMES ARMSTRONG, Major BEASLEY.

Extract from the Census of 1850.-Dwellings, 854; families, 854; white males, 2,420; white females, 2,324; free coloured males, 28; free coloured females, 30. Total free population, 4,802; slaves, 8,266. Deaths, 242. Farms, 512; manufacturing establishments, 47. Value of real estate, $1,800,000; value of personal estate, $4,116,000.

[graphic][merged small]

GREENESBOROUGH is the county site, forty miles from Milledgeville. The Greenesborough Female College is located here. It was founded by the Synod of Georgia, and opened January 2, 1852. The building, of which we give a representation, cost $13,000.

Penfield is the seat of Mercer University. In 1829, Mr. Josiah Penfield bequeathed to the Baptist Convention of Georgia $2,500 to aid in the education of poor young men for the ministry. Other funds were obtained for the same object, and in January, 1833, a Literary and Theological Institution, with a department for manual labour, was established. In its progress, the character of the institution became elevated, and in 1838 it received a charter from the Legislature, with the title of Mercer University.

Besides its valuable buildings, and an extensive tract of land, the University possesses funds to the amount of $138,200, for which it is chiefly indebted to the liberality of the late Rev. Jesse Mercer

The library contains 2,000 volumes, and the philosophical and chemical apparatus continues to receive additions.

The two literary societies have valuable libraries.
White Plains and Union Point are small places.

The climate is mild, and as healthy as any portion of Middle Georgia. The following are some of the cases of longevity :-WM. HARRIS died at 100; A. PERKINS, 94; Mr. STEWART, 90; Mr. SHAW, 87; Mrs. ELISABETH DANIEL died on the 4th of October, 1819, at the age of 85.

Mr. ALEXANDER GRESHAM died on the 23d of February, 1823, aged 70. During "the times which tried men's souls," he was an active officer. At the commencement of the last war with Great Britain, when the Silver Greys, or old men, were tendering their services to defend their country, he was the first that offered. On the day of his death he was uncommonly cheerful; while sitting at dinner, application was made to him for assistance by a distressed traveller, whose wagon and horses were stalled near the house. His servants being all out of the way except one, he called on him to go, and observed he would go himself; and accordingly went and aided the man up one hill, but in attempting to help him up another, having taken hold of the wheel, he made an exertion to start the wagon, let go, and immediately sunk to his knees, and expired in about one minute. THOMAS FAMBROUGH died in the 80th year of his age. A paper of the day says, "There is no doubt that he was in nine as tough battles as were ever fought in the Revolution."

Captain JOEL PARISH, who died at the advanced age of 73, was one of the few remaining patriots of '76 who commanded a company of infantry during the Revolutionary War..

EZEKIEL E. PARK, an old Revolutionary soldier, and respected citizen of Georgia, died in this county.

Mrs. MARY HOBBS was living last year, 93 years of age. Her husband, ROBERT HOBBS, was 90 at his death.

Mrs. CATHERINE FREEMAN, the widow of Colonel John Freeman, is living at Penfield, over 86 years of age.

Mrs. HOGG, now living, is 90 years old.

GREENESBOROUGH MANUFACTURING COMPANY.-Situated at Greenesborough; motive power, steam; cost, $70,000; spindles, 4,000.

Situated at Scull

SCULL SHOALS MANUFACTURING COMPANY. Shoals, on the Oconee River. Cost, $50,000. Spindles and looms, 2,000. Annual consumption of cotton, 4,000 bales. Annual value of goods produced, at present prices, $200,000.

[graphic][merged small]

This factory is situated at Long Shoals, on the Oconee River. Cost of property, $140,000; spindles and looms, 4,000. The Company owns an elegant stone bridge across the Oconee, with flouring and saw mills, and a large tract of land.

Miscellaneous.

[ocr errors]

THIS County suffered much from the Indians. Besides burning Greenesborough, the savages committed many other acts of violence

On the 31st May, 1787, a party of the Upper Creeks came to the frontiers of Greene County, killed and scalped two men, and carried off a negro and fourteen horses. Some of the militia crossed the Oconee in pursuit of the murderers (Indians), overtook them, and killed twelve who happened to belong to the lower towns.

In a talk, the Indians demanded the officer who commanded, and as many men as would satisfy them for the twelve. Governor Matthews, in his reply said, "We will deliver up none of our people, and if the Indians spill a drop of blood, we will lay their towns in ashes, and sprinkle their land with blood."

June, 1787.-In this month the Creek Indians carried off a negro, the property of Mr. Lang, and were closely pursued by Mr. McMichael and a lad, who unfortunately fell in attempting to rescue the negro, and was scalped. Captain Alexander, with a small party of volunteers, went in pursuit of the Indians, overtook, and killed six of them.

In April, 1793, six persons,- -a man, a woman, three children, and a negro,-— residing near the Scull Shoals, on the Oconee River, were killed by the savages.

On the 22d of April, 1793, the Indians, numbering thirty-seven, made a sudden attack upon the house of Mr. Richard Thrasher. They killed Mr. Thrasher, two children, and a negro woman. Mrs. Thrasher, to avoid, if possible, the fate with which she was threatened, fled with her infant, five or six weeks old, in her arms, and reached the river. The savages pursued her, shot her through each thigh and the right breast, stabbed her in the left breast with a knife, cut her

arm nearly off, and then scalped her. In this dreadful situation she remained until the neighbours could assemble in sufficient numbers to cross the river and pursue the Indians. As the first canoe was crossing, she had strength sufficient to call for assistance. The poor woman was found hanging by a bush, in water nearly up to her chin, her infant at the bottom of the river, a few yards from her. She lived nearly twenty-four hours, and when informed by her physician that it was impossible for her to survive much longer, she, with a fortitude that is rarely to be met with, called her friends around her, and in a calm manner gave her hand to every one, wishing them a better fate than that which had befallen her and her family. This lady was twenty-five years old, of highly re spectable connections, handsome, and well educated.

In September of this year, a young lady by the name of Catherine Cessna was cruelly murdered by these ruthless demons.

On one occasion the Indians crossed the Oconee River, and came to the house of Mr. Fielder, a celebrated scout and hunter, who happened at this time to be absent. Thirteen of them came into his lot, and were about to carry off his horses, when Mrs. Fielder and her negro woman, the only persons upon the premises, determined, if possible, to save the horses. As the negro woman was making her way to the dwelling, she received a shot in the thigh and fell. Her mistress immediately dragged her within the house, and barred the door, whereupon the Indians attacked the house. Mrs. Fielder resolved at all hazards to defend herself; and there being four or five guns ready at hand, she fired upon the savages, the negro woman aiding her to load. To induce the foe to believe that there were many persons in the house, they made a great no se, shouting and calling upon each other to fire. After discharging nearly twenty-five rounds, the Indians abandoned the attack, from an impression, as it was afterwards ascertained, that the building was filled with armed men.

Extract from a Muster Roll of a Detachment of the Militia Troop of Dragoons of the Greene County Regiment, under the command of Captain JONAS FAUCHE, stationed at sundry posts, February 25, 1794.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »