Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

August 22

1913 In Fulton County Superior Court, the capital murder trial of Leo Frank began its twenty-third day. Prosecutor Hugh Dorsey took the offense, blistering Frank's character and portraying Mary Phagan as a symbol of lost innocence and virtue. Dorsey tried to deflect charges of anti-Semitism by recalling the great names in Jewish history, arguing that Frank with his deviant behavior dishonored them as well as the southern girl he had so brutally murdered. Although Judge L.S. Roan kept strict control of the courtroom, Dorsey's words were quickly relayed to the large crowd waiting outside. When Dorsey emerged he was greeted with thunderous applause. Click here for a detailed accounting of the case.

1919 The Atlanta Constitution announced that the Candler family had sold their controlling interests in The Coca-Cola Co. to Trust Company of Georgia for $25,000,000. The article noted that Trust Company planned to reincorporate Coca-Cola Co. in Delaware, but that the company will keep its headquarters in Atlanta.

1933 Fishermen near Waynesboro killed a ten-foot long rattlesnake with a girth of eighteen inches. It also had sixty-one rattles and was the largest rattlesnake recorded in Georgia until that time. In fact, it may be the largest rattlesnake in recorded history!

1961 Southern Senators, led by Richard Russell and Herman Talmadge of Georgia, temporarily blocked attempts to extend funding for the Civil Rights Commission to an appropriations bill.

1962 The U.S.S. Savannah arrived in Savannah, Georgia, completing its maiden voyage from Yorktown, Virginia.

1996 Three months past his 19th birthday, Atlanta Braves outfielder Andruw Jones hit two home runs in a single game -- becoming the youngest player to do so in 35 years.

Georgia towns and cities incorporated by acts approved on August 22:

1891 Dexter (Laurens County) and Hazlehurst (Laurens County)

1905 Danville (Wilkinson and Twiggs counties), and Warwick (Worth County)

1907 Apalachee (Morgan County), Bethlehem (Walton County), Beverly (Elbert County), Boynton (Catoosa County), Brinson (Decatur County), Bushnell (Coffee County), Caldwell (Laurens County), Covington Mills (Newton County), Crandall (Murray County), Diffee (Decatur County), Fairfax (Ware County), Ficklen (Wilkes and Taliaferro counties),Gay (Meriwether County), Haralson (Coweta and Meriwether counties), Ideal (Macon County), Machinery City (Cobb County), Maxeys (Oglethorpe County), Mountain City (Rabun County), Nicholson (Jackson County), Odum (Wayne County), Pretoria (Dougherty County), Riverside (Colquitt County), Springfield (Effingham County), Tignall (Wilkes County), Warwick (Worth County), and White Sulphur Springs (Meriwether County)

Other acts affecting Georgia towns and cities approved on August 22:

1905 Charter of Cohutta (created Dec. 3, 1895) repealed

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1776 The Georgia Council of Safety was a temporary body formed to carry on Georgia's government during the Revolutionary War. Not surprisingly many of its meetings dealt chiefly with military matters, as evidenced by minutes of this day's meeting:

". . . Capt. Leonard Murphy made application to the Board for leave to go with a detachment of Militia against some of the Cherokee towns. It was the opinion of the Board that orders be given to him accordingly. Ordered, that Capt. Thomas Morris do fit up, with all possible expedition, the row boats, and to get as many carpenters as he can procure for this purpose. Capt. Harvey having made information that sundry persons in the Back Settlements are about to leave the Province, and to take their property with them; it was the opinion of the Board that the commanding officers of the Militia be directed to stop and secure the property of such persons as are about to depart the Province, &c., &c. Ordered that commissions do issue for Andrew Johnston, as Captain, James Martin and Alexander Boys, Lieutenants, of a Company of Militia in the District of Queensborough. Also, for John McCandlas, as Captain, John Clements and John Patterson, Lieutenants, of a Company of Militia, as above. Likewise for William Tulley, as Captain, David Merrine and Drurey Roberts, Lieutenants, as above. And lastly, for Tuberfield Thomas, as First Lieutenant, and John Twittee, Second Lieutenant,of a Company of Militia commanded by Capt. Charles Harvey. . . ."

Source: Collections of the Georgia Historical Society (Savannah: Savannah Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, 1901), Vol. V, Part 1, pp. 96-97.

1864 In Petersburg, Va., Lt. T. M. Beasley, commander of Co. F of the 64th Georgia Regiment, had a duty that had become all too commonplace. Writing Susan Jones in Talbot County, Ga., Beasley had to inform her of the fate of her husband:

"It becomes my painful duty to inform you of the death of your gallant husband E. H. Jones, who fell in the engagement near Deep Bottom on the 16th inst. In him we have lost a dear comrade, a true and noble soldier and one that did his whole duty cheerfully. He fell at his post endeavoring to repell a charge made by the enemy. He remained in the trenches after they had been abandoned by the greater part of his comrades and fell by a shot that caused instant death. He is buried near the spot he fell. I will take charge of his effects as soon as I can find some one to testify to them, and either send them to you, or make any disposition of them you may advise.

"My personal and immediate attention will be given to any information or service you may desire. I feel a deep and earnest sympathy for you in your great affliction, and hope 'God who doeth all things well' may comfort and console you."

Source: The Letters of Edmond Hardy Jones, 64th Georgia web site

1864 After the Civil War, the Georgia General Assembly was called on to provide artificial limbs to the many Georgians who had an arm or leg amputated because of wounds received in battle. One such Georgian was Milton Clark, as he reports in a letter to his brother from Reed's Hospital in Lynchburg, Va.:

"I received your letter making inquiry whether I could come home with the assistance of one man. You have doubtless received my letter to you stating that my leg was to be cut off and one to Anne that it had been amputated. Well, that settles the question about my coming home at all at present. After amputating my leg that night, one of the arteries broke out to bleeding but the surgeon being loose by, stopped the blood by placing his thumb over the artery. The sewing had to be torn loose and taken up and tied, which was very painful to me. A few days after another artery came loose, and the surgeon was unable to take it up until putting me under the effects of chloroform and sawing off a piece of the bone and cutting up higher in the flesh, before he could get hold of the artery, which was almost equal to a second amputation. The surgeon says that the wound is doing well now. . . ."

Source: Mills Lane (ed.), "Dear Mother: Don't grieve about me. If I get killed, I'll only be dead.": Letters from Georgia Soldiers in the Civil War (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1990), p. 331.

1864 While Georgians were dying in battle near Atlanta and in Virginia, some civilians had a different fear. Far to the south, in Quitman, Ga., Mrs. Mitchell Jones wrote Georgia Gov. Joseph E. Brown of her concerns about a local slave insurrection:

"The policemen of this county have recently traced out a deeply laid plan of insurrection by the Negroes, not only of this county but of the adjoining counties of Georgia and Florida. They have held their meetings and have organized their company and were soon to begin their horrid work of murdering our men, women and children. But thanks to an all-wise providence it has been found out and checked for the present. The leaders of this band of Negroes belong to my husband, Mr. Mitchell Jones who is now in the service at Atlanta in response to your last call. The police of this county is very small in comparison to the Negroes. The authorities have whipped these Negroes severely, and I have requested them to keep in custody the Negroes that belong to Mr. Jones until I could try and get him a detail for a short time. Such is a true statement of the facts that now exist here. I believe I would rather fall into the hands of the Yankees than the Negroes. Of the two I believe they have more humanity."

Source: Mills Lane (ed.), Georgia: History written by Those who lived It (Savannah: Beehive Price, 1995), pp. 176-177

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© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, The University of Georgia

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