Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

June 8

1748 William Few, Jr. was born in Baltimore County, Maryland. After self educating himself in law, Few moved to Georgia in 1776, where he launched a political career that involved all three branches of state government, local government, and federal government. He was elected to the Georgia Provincial Congress, and later to the state General Assembly. He served twice as a delegate to the Continental Congress and was a member of the 1787 constitutional convention that met in Philadelphia. Few was one of Georgia's two signers of the U.S. Constitution. He later served as U.S. Senator from Georgia and held several other positions in state and local government in Georgia before moving to New York in 1799, where he continued to remain active in politics before dying at age 80 on July 16, 1828. [Click here for more information on Few.]

1774 Savannah learned of Britain's passage of the Boston Port Bill, which blocked the port to any commerce.

1824 Future Confederate general William M. Gardner was born in Augusta, Ga. [See June 16 entry for biographical information on Gardner.]

1861 Tennessee became the 11th southern state to secede. On May 6, 1861, Tennessee's legislature had passed a "Declaration of Independence" and ratified the Confederate Constitution. Both actions, however, were subject to a popular referendum on June 8 (which passed 104,471 to 47,183).

1864 The 18th Corps of the Army of the Tennessee under Maj. Gen. Frank P. Blair Jr. joined Sherman's army north of Marietta.

1948 Martin Luther King, Jr., received his bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Morehouse College in Atlanta.

1956 The Andrews Raid was immortalized when Walt Disney released the "Great Locomotive Chase" to theaters across America on this day.

1962 Trustees of the Atlanta Art Associatioon voted to create a living memorial for association members killed in the June 3 plane crash in Paris in the form of a new art school.

1968 Martin Luther King's alleged assassin, James Earl Ray, was captured in London.

2004 The G-8 Summit, an annual meeting of the leaders of the eight of the world's most powerful nations, was held on Sea Island, Georgia.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1737 The origin of the Georgia movement stressed charity for England's worthy poor. By 1736, however, the presence of the English settlement at Frederica on land claimed by Spain helped put the two countries on a collision course. As Oglethorpe directed the building of military fortifications in Georgia, the Trustees found themselves unable to raise the funds needed to support both the civil and military needs of Georgia. In London, the Earl of Egmont recorded in his diary the dilemma faced by the Trustees:

". . . I dined with Mr. Verelst, and desired him to represent strongly to Mr. Oglethorp the necessity of obtaining from the Government the putting the expenses of our civil government for the future upon the Establishment, as also the easing us of the burthen [burden] of paying for our military defence, which was never in our thoughts, nor have we a fund for it. Indeed, no many can justly imagine that we should wish so small a sum as will not provide for the wants of our people and the maintenance of a civil government, build forts, maintain garrisons, and defend the King's title to his dominions. I foresee that unless the Government shall ease us in these matters the members of our Board will gradually forsake us, and we shall be obliged to give up the charter and desire his Majesty to take his own methods for supporting the Colony. . . ."

Source: U.K. Historical Manuscripts Commission, Diary of the First Earl of Egmont (London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1923), Vol. II, p. 413.

1776 The Georgia Council of Safety was an interim form of government during the turmoil of the Revolutionary period. Minutes of this day's meeting note:

"At a meeting of the Council June 8th, 1776. Present: His Excellency the Prest. Jno. Adam Treutlen. William Le Conte. Jonathan Cochrane. George McIntosh. Benjn. Andrew. John Wereat. John Houstoun. Ordered, that orders do issue to Col. Baker to hire a number of negroes to finish in a more proper manner the intrenchments around Sunbury. That Col. McIntosh do reinforce the present detachment now there with as many of the battalion as will make a company. That Capt. Saxton do draft one-half the Company of the District residing in or near the Town, and that he be directed to summon them to appear under arms every day, till the present alarm ceases, or the President and Council shall think proper to direct otherwise. . . ."

And in a intriguing action that we can only guess as to what happened to the original cask and why she needed it, the Council:

"Ordered, that a quarter cask of rum be redelivered to Mrs. McKnight. . . ."

Source: Collections of the Georgia Historical Society (Savannah, Savannah Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, 1901), Vol. V, Part 1, p. 60.

1838 From the Cherokee Agency is southern Tennessee, Gen. Winfield Scott wrote Gen. Nathaniel Smith:

"I am glad to hear that you have already dispatched a party of emigrants and expect to send off another by the 12th instant. I am pleased that you have detained for a time certain Indians whose families are broken to wait the arrival of absent members.

"The distress caused the emigrants by the want of their bedding, cooking utensils, clothes and ponies I much regret as also the loss of their property consequent upon the hurry of capture and removal. All this I am sorry for, and much of it I am persuaded was unavoidable, so far as the troops were concerned. The fault was mainly in the Indians themselves, who believed in John Ross's assurances and gave the lie to my address. Hence they waited for the arrival of the troops and were even then wholly unprepared for removal. I am no angry with them, but infinitely regret their infatuation. I endeavored, in my printed order, to guard against the infatuation by directing that the troops should allow the Indians to gather up whatever could be used on the route to the West and desiring you to devise the means of securing for their benefit all other articles of property left or abandoned. I recall all this to show that I have done everything in my power to save the unfortunate Indians from loss and distress."

Source: Edward J. Cashin (ed.), A Wilderness Still the Cradle of Nature: Frontier Georgia (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1994), p. 143.

1864 Charles Olmstead, a member of the 54th Georgia serving under Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, wrote to wife. Though his letter did not mention the week of rain, it did testify to a temporary lull in major battles. It also showed unfounded optimism about the future of Sherman's Atlanta Campaign:

"I have very little to write of military movements today as our brigade has been quietly at rest for two days and three nights in the position from which I last wrote you. The rest of the army, however, has gradually passed us, moving to the right, until finally Hardee's corps is now on the left again. . . .This morning we were suddenly thrown in advance some mile or two, but I have no idea that it means anything more than a little piece of precaution. I do not think that the enemy will attack us here. In fact, the opinion is gaining ground among our troops that Sherman does not mean to fight at all, but that he will at once begin a retrograde movement. This is based on the belief that his communications will soon be interfered with by General Forrest. It is thought, too, that he will soon be called upon to furnish reinforcements to General Grant, who is being so handsomely used up by General Lee."

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. 298.

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 June 8

Go to Georgia History page