Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

April 8

1771 Politician William Rabun was born April 8, 1771, in North Carolina. In 1785, His family moved to Georgia, where he spent the rest of his life. Rabun began his political career in 1805 by winning election to the Georgia House of Representatives. Five years later, he was elected to the Georgia Senate, where he served as Senate President (1812-1817). When Gov. David B. Mitchell resigned to accept Pres. James Madison's appointment as U.S. agent to the Creek Indians, Rabun automatically succeeded him as governor on March 4, 1817. Later that year, Rabun was elected to a full term as governor. Rabun's administration was marked by increased support for free schools and improvements to the state's internal navigation of its rivers. Through letters, Rabun also carried on an acrimonious debate with Gen. Andrew Jackson on the general's lack of protection of Georgia against Seminole and Creek Indian attacks. After one of these attacks, Rabun sent Georgia militiamen to retaliate -- but they attacked an Indian village friendly to Jackson, thus incurring his wrath. The Georgia legislature fully supported Rabun in his disagreement with Jackson. While visiting his home in Hancock County between legislative sessions in 1819, Rabun suddenly became ill and died of a fever on October 24, 1819. Two months later, the General Assembly named a new county in his honor.

1861 Georgia Gov. Joseph E. Brown took possession of the U.S. mint at Dahlonega.

1905 Former Confederate general Cullen Andrews Battle died in Greensboro, N.C. Born June 1 1829 in Powelton, Ga., Battle became a lawyer. With the outbreak of the Civil War, he joined the 3rd Alabama as a major, subsequently being promoted to lieutenant colonel and then colonel, serving at the battles of Seven Pines, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. In Aug. 1863, Battle was promoted to brigadier general, commanding his own brigade in Rodes' Division in the battles of The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Third Winchester, and Cedar Creek (where he was wounded). After the war, Battle returned to the practice of law.

1913 Connecticut ratified the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, achieving approval by three-fourths of the states to complete the ratification process. As a result of this amendment, Georgia voters -- rather than the General Assembly -- would henceforth elect Georgia's U.S. Senators.

1935 Gene Sarazen beat Craig Wood in a playoff to win the Masters Golf Tournament. [Click here to read the story of Sarazen's win.]

1942 World War II hostilities came to Georgia when the German submarine U-123 sank the SS Oklahoma and Esso oil tanker Baton Rouge in a torpedo attack off St. Simons Island. A total of 22 merchant seamen -- civilians hired by the government to work on ships carrying war supplies -- were killed in the attack. The two ships were raised and towed to Brunswick for repair. After re-entering wartime service, both ships later were sunk in the Atlantic Ocean.

1956 Jack Burke Jr. beat Ken Venturi and Cary Middlecoff to win his first and only Masters Golf Tournament. [Click here to read the story of Burke's win.]

1968 Major league baseball officials postponed the opening day of baseball because of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

1973 Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter proclaimed this Sunday a "Day of Awareness" for the 1,328 US service men and women officially declared missing in action (MIA) in Southeast Asia.

1974 In his second at-bat of the game, Atlanta Brave outfielder Hank Aaron hit his 715th lifetime home run, eclipsing the long-standing record of Babe Ruth. Los Angeles pitcher Al Dowling surrendered the home run in the fourth inning of a game won 7-4 by the Braves. Addressing the cheering crowd afterwards Aaron simply said "I just thank God it's all over." Babe Ruth's widow, contacted at her New York apartment, was gracious, noting "Good for him. I'm not shocked, it doesn't bother me; I've been expecting it of course." In a bit of trivia not generally known, Mrs. Ruth was born and lived her first fifteen years in Athens, Ga.

1990 England's Nick Faldo won his second consecutive Masters Golf Tournament. [Click here to read the story of Faldo's win.]

1995 Gov. Zell Miller signed an act of the General Assembly declaring Georgia to be the "Poultry Capital of the World" [see text].

1996 Gov. Zell Miller signed an act of the General Assembly designating square dancing as the official Georgia folk dance.

1999 In ceremonies at Turner Stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run, Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced the launching of the annual Hank Aaron Award. The award will be presented to the best offensive player of each league, as determined by home runs, hits, runs batted in, and other criteria.

2001 Tiger Woods won his second Masters Golf Tournament, beating Georgia Tech grad David Duval by two strokes. The win means that Woods held all four of golf's major championships--the U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship, and Masters--at the same time. And even though he didn't win all four in the same year, many observers felt he still could claim the Grand Slam of professional golf.
 
 

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1736 From New Ebenezer, the Salzburgers' minister John Martin Boltzius wrote in his journal of the favorable reaction by the Cherokees to the Trustees' ban on rum:

"Two Englishmen called on me. They came down from the Cherokee Indians and wanted to speak with Governor Oglethorpe. They expressed a great satisfaction in his wise decision to prohibit the sale of rum in the entire colony and also to the Indians, because it will eliminate many annoyances and provide a good avenue for the conversion of the heathens. They thought that the Creek Indians would probably be displeased with this order at the start, but they would not be able to engage in any hostile acts because said Cherokee Indians were very friendly with the English, particularly with Mr. Oglethorpe, while at the same time living in a state of constant hostility and war with the Creek Indians. The two men gave me such a good description of the Cherokee Indians' way of life, their work, and their land, that I was surprised. According to this description their land is full of high cliffs, the soil is very rich and fertile without manure, the weather is cold in the winter and moderately hot in the summer. Their clothes consist only of large woolen blankets or skins which they wrap around themselves, but they live a much more orderly life than the local Indians. They do not tolerate rum or strong drink among themselves. They have their kings and war leaders. This position is usually achieved by one gifted with eloquence who has proved himself to be virtuous and brave. Their language is so different from that of the Creek or local Indians that the two do not agree on a single word. It can be learned easily and well from the Englishmen living among them. They also live from hunting, and they plant corn and raise many pigs and fowl. The Englishmen trade their wares to them for many deer and beaver skins, but the Muscovite beavers are much to be preferred to these. Except for peachtrees there are no fruit trees there, excepting those planted by the Englishmen. . . ."

Source: George Fenwick Jones and Marie Hahn (ed. and trans), Detailed Reports on the Salzburger Emigrants Who Settled in America... Edited by Samuel Urlsperger, Volume Three, 1736 (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1972), pp. 102-103.

1851 Gertrude Clanton's diary does not say why she and her classmate Leab Goodall disliked each other so. Finally, their relationship turned around, with the two becoming close and longtime friends. The following passage from her diary indicates the turning point:

"Afterwards I went in to class meeting. A number of girls were out -- more than I have seen this term. Leab Goodall came in. I felt all those feelings of hatred dislike and contempt which I have been in the habit of feeling when I see her come over me. They obtained complete mastery over me and I left the class room . . . .We had an exhortation from Mr. Evans. Oh how I love that man! And a very good meeting. I knelt as a mourner but could get no rest. At last with an effort and oh it was such an effort, I rose, walked to Leab Goodall and called her by name. She returned no answer. What a struggle it was to speak to her the second time. I did so however and said, 'Leab will you consider me your friend and give me your hand?' She did so pressing mine tight as she gave me hers. Oh how completely relieved I felt. It appeared as though a burden had rolled from off my soul. After prayer meeting I conversed with Leab for a short time. We promised a mutual explanation. I went to her room for the first time since she has been rooming there and she gave me a rose for myself and one for Joe . . . ."

Source: Virginia Ingraham Burr (ed.), The Secret Eye: The Journal of Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas, 1848-1889 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1990), pp. 85-86.

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© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

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