Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

December 4

1847 Atlanta pioneer Jonathan Norcross made a presentation to an Atlanta town meeting that an effort be launched to encourage the General Assembly to move the state capital from Milledgeville to Atlanta.

1862 In response to a lack of salt in Georgia, the Georgia General Assembly authorized the governor to arrange for salt to be transported to Georgia from Saltville, Va., and if necessary "to impress a sufficient number of engines and cars" from any Georgia railroads and secure the needed salt.

1867 Chemist and football coach Charles Herty was born in Milledgeville. He obtained an undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University before undertaking research in Europe. Returning, he accepted a position at the University of Georgia in 1891. The next year, observing that there were no organized sports programs at the university, Herty organized and coached the first football team in 1892. He went on to become the first director of athletics and is considered the father of intercollegiate sports at the University of Georgia. But, Herty's greatest accomplishments were yet to come. In 1932, he set up a laboratory in Savannah to research use of Georgia pine trees. He developed a revolutionary process for obtain pine resin without killing the tree. More importantly, he pioneered the technology for using pine chips to make Kraft paper--the brown paper used in making cardboard boxes--and to bleach it for use as newsprint and other types of white paper. Herty's achievements made possible southeast Georgia's multi-million dollar paper industry, for which he is known as the father of the southern paper and pulp industry. His legacy lives on in the form of the Herty Foundation's Research and Development Center. Herty died in Savannah on July 27, 1938.

1893 Gov. William Northen approved an act proposing a constitutional amendment to increase the Georgia Supreme Court from 3 to 5 justices.

1915 After the Ku Klux Klan was revived atop Stone Mountain on Thanksgiving night, the Klan received a charter in Fulton County from the state of Georgia to function as a corporate fraternal order. Membership would be open to American-born, white, Protestant males aged 16 or older.

1932 A statue of former Georgia congressman -- and father of Rural Free Delivery -- Tom Watson was dedicated in front of the main entrance to the Georgia state capitol.

1968 The Atlanta Braves acquired Houston third baseman Bob Aspromonte in exchange for Braves infielder Marty Martinez.

1982 University of Georgia running back Herschel Walker was awarded the Heisman Trophy, the most prestigious recognition to a college football player. Walker, only the seventh junior in history to receive the Heisman Trophy, would forego his senior year at Georgia to go professional with the New Jersey Generals of the new U.S. Football League.

Georgia towns and cities created by acts approved on Dec. 4

1893: Auburn (then Gwinnett now Barrow County), Louvale (Stewart County), and the Village of Warm Springs (Meriwether County)

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1744 In his journal entry for this day, Georgia president William Stephens turned to some common troubles for colonial Georgians, the unpredictable weather and the prevalence of alcohol:

". . . [T]he great Vicissitude of Weather for several days past, may deserve a little notice: One while hard Rain, with Thunder (uncommon) Lightning &c, during 24 hours with the Wind at East, which Shifting to the N.W. produced hard frost of the like continuance, then returning again to its former point, more rain followed, and so alternately in Extreams, which has made great havock among those Vegetables that were propagating in our Gardens...now and then we hear of one being Seised with an American Distemper called the Dry Gripes, which very few die of, tho some are Severely dealt with in it... . Many Causes are assigned for this Distemper among the learned; but (perhaps for want of knowing better) I encline to think with those who attribute it to the excessive use of Rum. . . ."

Source: E. Merton Coulter (ed.), The Journal of William Stephens, 1743-1745 (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1959), pp. 176-177.

1765 Writing to Georgia's colonial agent in England, Savannah merchant James Habersham expressed his displeasure with rebellious activities in the colonies, but also voiced opposition to the Stamp Act which had the colonists so upset:

". . . I suppose all the Ports to the Northward of us are shut up, as well as ours, occasioned by not admitting the Stamp Act to operate. The Infection began in Boston, and has spread itself all the Way to this Place, and I am afraid, too many of us mean to be as good Patriots as our Northern Neighbors, notwithstanding we do it to our manifest Injury: I say to our manifest Injury, for altho' I really look upon the Stamp Act, as an ill advised Measure, and that, as it stands must prove very burthensome to the Inhabitants of this Continent, yet I cannot see, that our refusing to receive the stamp and consequently stopping up our Ports, the Courts of Justice, and in short all Public Offices, can have the least Efficacy, towards obtaining a repeal of it, but on the Contrary must (if adhered to for a few months) go near to ruin this Province. . . ."

Source: Collections of the Georgia Historical Society, Vol. VI, The Letters of the Hon. James Habersham, 1756-1775 (Savannah: Georgia Historical Society, 1904), pp. 49-50.

1864 Sherman's secretary, Maj. Henry Hitchcock, wrote in his diary:

"Nineteenth day out Sunday, December 4, 1864...Abundance of forage -- chiefly fodder -- hardly ever twenty minutes together out of sight of cornfields, though land is sandy and unpromising. No cotton today, as usual. That monarch [referring to King Cotton] is evidently an exile from the present from where he once reigned...We stopped for lunch today in a rice-field by the road..the first we have seen."

Source: M.A. DeWolfe Howe (ed.), Marching with Sherman: Passages from the Letters and Campaign Diaries of Henry Hitchcock, Major and Assistant Adjutant General of Volunteers, November 1864-May 1865 (Lincoln : University of Nebraska Press, 1995), pp. 136-139.

1864 Enoch John made the last entry in his diary, or at least the last to survive, as he and his fellow Texas Rangers who had been trailing Sherman's army were ordered elsewhere:

"Dec. 4th. The Augusta and Savannah rivers are so close together that we cannot play in here any longer. Crossed the Savannah at Herndon's ferry, passed through the bottom seven miles wide and camped. We now learn we cannot cross back until we get to Augusta. After four days traveling, reached Augusta, and found orders for Capt. Shannon to report to Gen. Hood in middle Tennessee. We are stopped on the road to rest, but will move on in a few days. During the last two and a half months this scouting party have killed and captured 459 Yankees. When Gen. Hood started his flank movement, he ordered us to stay around Atlanta, and keep him posted as to what Sherman might do. We lay around the city day and night; cought forage wagons; took thier pickets in out of the rain; cought their couriers between the city and river for thier papers, keeping the Yanks in constant hot water. We killed 43 and captured 102 that we know of. We are (the scouts) now well off for clothing, the Yanks have supplied us liberally, with clothing and funds. I am going to a dance to-morrow night near here.

"So let the wide world wag as it will, I will be gay and happy still."

Source: Diary of Cpl Enoch John

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© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

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