Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

April 12

1724 Georgia patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and early governor (1783-84) Lyman Hall was born in Wallingford, Connecticut. Hall died Oct. 19, 1790 in Burke County, Georgia.

1861 At 4:30 a.m., Capt. George S. James, commander of the Confederate Artillery at Fort Johnson overlooking Charleston Harbor, ordered Henry S. Farley to fire a 10-inch morter at Fort Sumter, thus beginning open hostilities launching the Civil War.

1862 James Andrews and his group of Union raiders stole the "General" locomotive in an effort to destroy bridges and tracks of the Western & Atlantic Railroad from Atlanta to Chattanooga. His unsuccessful effort would later be known as The Great Locomotive Chase.

1866 In Columbus, Ga., local women organized the Columbus Ladies' Memorial Association -- the first in the South. Similar associations quickly formed in other southern cities. Their efforts led to adoption of Confederate Memorial Day and erection of memorial statues on courthouse grounds across the South.

1934 Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth certificate was filed, under his original name of Michael King.

1945 Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt died at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Ga. While sitting for a portrait, he complained of a pain in the back of his head around 1:00 p.m. At 1:15 he fainted and never regained consciousness. He died at 3:35 p.m. from a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Click here for more information.

1950 Rosalynn Carter gave birth to James Earl Carter III (better known as "Chip" Carter).

1954 Sam Snead beat Ben Hogan to win his third Masters tournament. [Click here for the story of his win.]

1961 At this year's Grammy Awards, Albany-born Ray Charles won four awards, including a Grammy for Best Performance by a Pop Single Artist for "Georgia on My Mind," (which on Apr. 24, 1979 became Georgia's official state song).

1963 Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in Birmingham, Ala.

1964 Arnold Palmer won his 4th Masters golf tournament. [Click here for the story of his win.]

1966 The Atlanta Braves played their first season home game in Atlanta against the Pittsburgh, Pirates. Mayor Ivan Allen, who had been instrumental in getting the Braves to move from Milwaukee, threw out the first pitch. While the first Atlanta Braves team was not stellar, a number of players went on to bigger things. Among the starters that day were: Hall of Famer and home run king Hank Aaron in right field, Montreal manager Felipe Alou in centerfield, Hall of Famer Eddie Matthews at third base, Philadelphia general manager Lee Thomas at first base, New York Yankee manager Joe Torre catching, and New York Yankee bullpen coach Tony Cloniger pitching. In a feat that would not occur in today's reliance on relief pitchers,Tony Cloninger pitched 13 innings before losing 3-2 on a homerun by Willie Stargell. 

1981 Tom Watson won his second Masters golf tournament. [Click here for the story of his win.]

1982 The Atlanta Braves sensational season opening record of 13 consecutive wins continued as the Braves beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-1 behind the pitching of Bob Walk.

1987 Larry Mize's 50-yard wedge shot ends the Masters 3-way-tie Larry Mize, 28, hit a miracle shot -- a 140 foot chip -- to win the Masters golf title, defeating Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros in the playoff. [Click here for the story of his win.]

1992 Fred Couples won the Masters golf tournament -- his first major tournament win. [Click here for the story of his win.]

1998 Mark O'Meara won the 1998 Masters golf tournament with a long birdie put on the last hole of the last round, edging out by one stroke Fred Couples (who had led through the first three days) and David Duval. [Click here for the story of his win.] This was O'Meara's first win at Augusta in 14 Masters, which was a record for most unsuccessful efforts by a Masters winner. More amazing, it was his first-ever major tournament victory. The 1998 Masters produced two other special stories. One was the amazing effort by 6-time Masters winner Jack Nicklaus. Playing in his 40th consecutive Masters, 58-year-old Nichlaus had a final round of 68 to finish 5 under par and place 6th -- the oldest golfer to finish so high. The other story was the performance of 19-year-old Georgia Tech sophomore Matt Kuchar, who made the final round and finished in 21st place at even par for the four rounds.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1822 New England lawyer Jeremiah Evarts wrote in his diary during a visit to Georgia:

"I rode to Jacksonborough to breakfast. This is the first village on the road from Savannah, and it contains not more than ten houses, all miserable.

"Then passed on to the private house of a man named Burke, who had recently been three years sheriff of Burke County. Reached this place just at dark, in the midst of a heavy shower, had calculated to go a mile farther to a house probably more decent, but the darkness, the thunder and lightning and rain and the bad road prevent [it]. Sheriff Burke, though possessed of a large plantation and some slaves, lives in a house having only one room, and that without windows or any place cut for windows. There are two doors, opposite to each other. And when more light is wanted than descends the chimney, one of the doors must be opened. The house is about thirty feet long and twenty wide, the chimney is one end and the sides made of square hewn pine timber, with battens nailed over the cracks. No floor or ceiling above, but the eye rests on a shingled roof. No Cupboard or closet or shelves of any kind. Four beds in the room, of which three contained a considerable family of both sexes and al ages. The fourth bed was for me. A little Negro slept under a bench. Yet this house is a palace compared with the habitations of the first settlers!"

Source: Edward J. Cashin S (ed.), A Wilderness Still the Cradle of Nature: Frontier Georgia (Savannah, Beehive Press, 1994), pp. 64-65.

1861 John Banks was a 63-year-old planter, businessman, and former lawyer who lived in Columbus, Ga. In his journal, he recorded the beginning of the Civil War:

"I have neglected my diary for some time and now begin it again. The cotton crop has brought a good price, say 9 to 13 cents. I shipt mine to Liverpool. My factories sold it too soon, averaging me about 10 cents. The war feeling has continued to grow. Seven states have seceded, viz: South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Texas, and others holding conventions preparing to secede.

"These seven states have met at Montgomery, the temporary capital of the Southern Confederacy. Elected Jefferson Davis of Mississippi, President and Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia, vice President. The old government [United States] refuses to recognize the secession and hence a war now seems inevitable.

"The old government keeps possession of Fort Sumter at Charleston, South Carolina, and fort Pickens at Pensacola, while the Southern Confederacy has gotten possession of the most of the forts in the South. Both governments have been concentrating their forces at these two points, where the war will likely be inaugurated. Yesterday we heard news that Fort Sumter would be demanded and if not surrendered to the Southern Army an attack would be made, and the firing of three cannons all through the confederated states would be the signal of the attack and the firing of seven guns, the signal of a surrender of the fort. Great excitement and the signals expected every hour since yesterday, Meridian. 10 o'clock today the guns commenced. When there had been three fired I waited anxiously for another, but it stopt at that. Now the probability and almost certainty that the first blood has been shed, and while I write the battle is raging."

Source: John Banks, Autobiography of John Banks, 1797 - 1870 (Austell, Ga.: privately printed by Elberta Leonard, 1936), p. 22.

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© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

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