Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

June 12

1735 Indian trader John Musgrove died near Savannah, Georgia. Born in South Carolina around 1695, Musgrove followed in his father's footsteps as an Indian trader. In 1716, he married Coosaponekeesa (daughter of a white trader and the niece of Brims, the principal chief of the Lower Creeks in the early 1700s), who took the name of Mary Musgrove and became an important figure in Georgia colonial history. By 1732, the Musgroves has established a successful trading post among the Yamacraw Indians on the southern banks of the Savannah River. In early 1733, John and Mary met James Oglethorpe, who had come looking for a place to settle the first Georgia colonists. On this occasion and the arrival of the colonists (Feb. 1 O.S., Feb. 12 N.S), John acted as principal interepreter for talks between Oglethorpe and Yamacraw chief Tomochichi. In 1734, Musgrove accompanied Oglethorpe and a Yamacraw delegation on a trip to England to serve as their interpreter. For his services, the Trustees granted Musgrove a 500-acre grant of land just north of Savannah. On May 15, 1735, the Trustees awarded Musgrove an exclusive license to trade with the Yamacraw and Yuchi Indians. However, in less than a month, Musgrove died near Savannah.

1740 James Oglethorpe and 400 soldiers landed on Eustasia Island opposite the Castillo de San Marcos -- the Spanish fortress at St. Augustine. The English siege of St. Augustine was about to begin.

1913 The University of Georgia held its 108th commencement and dedicated a new building -- Peabody Hall. [The first commencement was held in 1804, but there were no commencements in 1864 or 1865.]

1939 The National Baseball Hall of Fame was dedicated in Cooperstown. Three years earlier, "Georgia Peach" Ty Cobb became the first baseball player inducted into the Baseball of Fame. By the time of the hall's dedication in 1939, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson had joined Cobb as the first members honored in the new facility.

1957 Georgian Paul Anderson back-lifted a record 2850 kg (6,270 lbs) and was labeled by The Guiness Book of World Records as the "world's strongest man."

1965 University of Georgia and 1992 Olympic gold-medal track star Gwen Torrence was born in Atlanta.

1971 Atlanta Braves left fielder Ryan Klesko was born in Westminster, California.

1996 Kennesaw State College became Kennesaw State University when the Board of Regents approved a reorganization plan and granted university status to many of the state's senior colleges.
 
 

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1864 From Virginia, James Gray had the sad duty to write his sister in Georgia about the death of their brother from wounds sustained in battle:

"Poor Brother Augustus is dead. . . . He was wounded in the left side with a minie ball. The ball went through and lodged just under the skin on the right side. The doctor said that the spinal mar[row] of his back was broke. he could not move his feet nor legs after he was wounded. Gus was in his right mind after he was wounded as long as he could speak. He got wounded late in the evening. I helped tote him off of the battlefield, and I stayed with him 'till 12 o'clock that night. He told me that he was obliged to die. . . . He said to me, 'Jim, I cannot be with you long. I know I must die. I want you to write to Mary and tell her not to grieve after me. Tell her to raise the children the best she can. Instruct them and raise them so that they would know good from evil.' . . . He said he did not fear death. He said all he dreaded was the pain of death. . . . Sis, I cannot tell you how bad it hurts me to part with him. I hated to give him up. the night I told him good-by I felt like I never would see him any more on earth. His hands was cold, and, when I gold him good-by, he squeezed my hand and told me to do what he had told me. . . ."

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), pp. 301-02

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© 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.

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