Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

July 8

1721 Tomochichi was one of several Creek chiefs that gathered at Charles Town to sign a treaty -- "Articles of Friendship and Commerce Agreement" -- with South Carolina governor Robert Johnson.

1864 The 23rd Corps under Maj. Gen. Schofield became the first unit of Sherman's forces to cross the Chattahoochee River. Their crossing took place at a point between Powers Ferry and Johnston's Ferry, and caught the Confederates by surprise.

1920 Gov. Hugh Dorsey signed a joint resolution of the General Assembly proposing a constitutional amendment to create Seminole County. [The amendments were necessary because of a constitutional limit of 145 counties, meaning any additional counties had to be authorized through constitutional amendment.] The new county was created from portions of Decatur and Early counties and was named for the Seminole Indians who had once occupied this territory. On Nov. 2, 1920, Georgia voters ratified the amendment making Seminole Georgia's 156th county.

1942 Future Texas U.S. Senator Phil Gramm was born in Columbus, Georgia. Son of an Army sergeant stationed at Fort Benning, Gramm attended the University of Georgia, where he obtained a Ph.D. in economics in 1967. Thereafter, he accepted a position at Texas A&M University. In 1978, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he co-authored the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings balanced budget bill. In 1984, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. In Feb. 1995, Gramm mounted a presidential campaign to be the Republican Party's candidate in 1996, but on Feb. 14, 1996, he pulled out of the race in favor of Sen. Bob Dole. Incidentally, Gramm's presidential bid makes him at least the seventh person with some tie to Georgia (e.g., born, lived, educated) prior to mounting a serious campaign for the presidency. Can you name the other six?

1995 The U.S. Postal Service issued a postage stamp featuring two peaches, Georgia's official state fruit.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1735 In his diary, the Earl of Egmont revealed that fellow Trustee James Oglethorpe had turned down the offer to become governor of South Carolina:

"Mr. Verelst came down to acquaint me that Mr. Oglethorp [sic] is resolved to go with the next embarkation to Georgia, but had absolutely refused to accept of being made Governor of Carolina, which would have vacated his seat in Parliament, a thing desired by the Ministry, that they might render Haslemere [the Surrey County town that elected Oglethorpe to Parliament] a Government borough."

Source: U.K. Historical Manuscripts Commission, Manuscripts of the Earl of Egmont, diary of the First Earl of Egmont (Viscount Percival): Vol. II 1734-1738 (London: H.M. Stationery office, 1923), p. 185.

1742 In his journal, Georgia president William Stephens continued to record his concerns about the Spanish threat to Georgia, not knowing that the Battle of Bloody Marsh had been fought the previous day:

"July 8. Thursday. This morning we were alarmed by Mr. Habershams arrival, who . . . acquainted me with the Information he had by a Boat passing thro the Narrows in the Evening, bound for Savannah . . . the Substance of the Intelligence was, that the Enemy with upwards of thirty sail were come over the Bar and at Anchor in Jekyll Sound; that they were all Vessels of War . . . that the General thereon, doubting not that they would land, thought it best to blow up what must otherwise fall into their hands, and retire towards the town. . . . Upon this Advice, I order'd to beat to Arms early at the break of day, when I told our men what Intelligence I had received, exhorted them to unity and Steadfastness, whereby only we could preserve ourselves . . . ."

Source: E. Merton Coulter (ed.), The Journal of William Stephens, 1741-1743 (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1959), p. 106.  

1864 From the Chattahoochee River, Confederate soldier William Jewell wrote to his sister about hardships in the face of the advancing Union army:

". . . I have been marching or ditching for the last two weeks day and night. I am now on the bank of a ditch. I am well at this time. Well, Sis, I have been in several tight places since I saw you. Last week we were marched five or six miles across the Chattahoochee River. We stayed there two days and then we marched a mile and formed a line of battle and fronted 10,000 Yankees, but they did not see us. Our cavalry fought them about one hour and had to run, and we had to leave quick and then we marched three miles back where we had to entrench ourselves. We commenced ditching Sunday evening but before we finished our ditch the Yankees come on us.

". . . There was some of the heaviest cannonading last night AI ever heard yet. I said last night it was about sundown, just across the river. I don't know what it was for, nor what damage was done. I reckon there was forty fired to the minute. . . . The Yankees are marching down the river in the direction of West Point. They are not more than 12 or 14 miles from Atlanta.

". . .The weather is very hot and dry. You said Brother wanted me to write to him and let him know where we are. Tell him we are on the Chattahoochee, 12 miles from Atlanta, but I cannot tell how long we will stay here. . . . We are almost without anything to eat. I have not had as much meat this week as I could eat in one day . . . . I am hungry all the time and cannot get anything hardly to eat. . . ."

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), pp. 312-313.

January / February / March / April / May / June / July / August / September / October / November / December

© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

If you have a date related to Georgia history or people that ought to be included, or if know of entries that should be corrected, send a note to Ed Jackson or Charles Pou.

Go to Yahoo/The History Channel This Day in History page for July 8

Go to Georgia History page