Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

August 24

1721 Henry Ellis -- Georgia's second royal governor -- was born in Ireland. After a career at sea, Ellis was appointed to replace John Reynolds as Georgia's royal governor after Reynolds resigned. Ellis arrived in Georgia on Feb. 16, 1757. However, he found the colony's heat excessive and requested to be relieved of his appointment. In October 1760, James Wright arrived in Savannah to become Georgia's third and last royal governor. Ellis returned to England, after which he traveled extensively in Europe. He died on Jan. 21, 1806 in Naples, Italy.

1871 Famous Georgia educator Steadman V. Sanford was born in Covington, Georgia. After obtaining a B.A. from Mercer University in 1890, he served as a teacher, high school principal, and later superintendent of Marietta's school system. In 1903, became an adjunct English professor at the University of Georgia. In 1912, he took a year of graduate work at the University of Berlin, followed by a summer at Oxford. In 1913, he returned to the University of Georgia as a full professor, and in 1914 was awarded an honorary doctorate by the university. In 1921, he founded the Henry Grady School of Journalism and served as its dean until 1927, when he became dean of the university. As dean, he pushed for a larger football stadium for the University of Georgia, which appropriately was named for him upon completion in 1929. From 1932 to 1935, he served as president of the University of Georgia, and from 1935 until his death in 1945, he served as chancellor of the University System of Georgia.

1903 Lawyer Charles H. Smith, better known as humorist "Bill Arp", died in Cartersville, Georgia. Born in Lawrenceville in 1826, Smith attended the University of Georgia and studied law under a judge. In 1851, he moved to Rome, Georgia. Thereafter, he served on the Rome city council and later as mayor. During the Civil War, he performed special judicial service for the Confederacy in Macon. His political career also included a term in the Georgia Senate. Though an attorney, Smith became famous for a series of more than 2,000 humorous newspaper columns about life in the South by a backwoods philosopher known as Bill Arp.

1931 The Georgia General Assembly adopted a joint resolution authorizing the governor to appoint a 12-member committee to plan for Georgia's bicentennial in 1933. The resolution further authorized the committee to have prepared a bronze tablet with the seal of Georgia and the bust of James Oglethorpe to be presented to England at Westminster Abbey in London.

1931 The Georgia General Assembly adopted a joint resolution requiring state agencies to give preference to Georgia products when purchasing all of their supplies.

1945 Following the death of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the U.S. Post Office issued a 2-cent FDR commemorative stamp showing the Little White House and an oval portrait of Roosevelt. First day of issue ceremonies were held in Warm Springs, Georgia. The stamp was part of a series of four stamps marking Roosevelt's death.

Georgia towns and cities incorporated by acts approved on August 24:

1905 Bogart (Oconee County), Hull (Madison County), Jersey (Walton County), Millwood (Ware County), Pulaski (Bulloch County), and Rossville (Walker County)

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1852 Although her marriage would eventually suffer financial and personal tribulations, during her courtship and engagement,Gertrude Clanton looked on Jefferson Thomas in a much better light -- as recorded in her journal on this day following one of his visits:

"Jeff is absent! The polar star of my existence has left. And Oh! what a void is left. . . . Jeff came down for me before I had quite finished dressing. We walked down to the spring. Pa and a Mr. Evans were down there so after taking a drink of water we returned instead of taking a seat in the bower. Returned -- oh so slowly -- Jeff took a seat for a short time in the piazzi and then went up to the house. We had but little time for conversation. After breakfast we assembled on the collonade to see the stages off. The hour drew near and I felt we must part but at last the word good-bye is uttered -- the farewell kiss for Jule and cordial grasp of the hand for Jeff. I did not hear a word he was saying when he bade me farewell. I was endeavouring to look calm for I knew I was observed. Mr. Rolsten of Macon told me I had not a vestige of colour in my face -- but perhaps it was imagination. I took a game of ten pins and then walked to the bathing house but did not take the bath with Sister A [Anne] and cousin Emma. I did not go up to dinner."

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), p. 114.

1864 As Sherman's siege of Atlanta continued, newly commissioned Col. Fredrick Winkler of the 26th Wisconsin Infantry wrote to his wife:

"You need not be alarmed about those thirty thousand veterans Lee has sent to reinforce Hood. We have not seen them yet; do not think they got very near; at all events we are not afraid of them. Sherman has a pretty big number of men here, and they are good at fighting, equal at any time to an equal number of rebels. The reports are Probably just as true as those which prevailed six weeks ago, that Johnston had sent one of his corps to Virginia. I got my commission as Colonel by today's mall. We will see what becomes of it."

Source: Civil War Letters of Major Fredrick C. Winkler, in 26th Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers Home Page

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© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, The University of Georgia

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