Ed Jackson and Charly Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

June 22

1737 After four years without an actual church building in Georgia, the Trustees voted to have a builder submit an estimate for erecting a 40 x 80-foot brick church. Their goal was to have a church built in Savannah, and another in Frederica.

1775 Georgia Whigs voted to join other colonies in a boycott of British goods and set up a Council of Safety in Savannah to enforce the boycott.

1839 In the Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma, Major Ridge, John Ridge, and Elias Boudinot were assassinated for their role in approving the Treaty of New Echota. Stand Watie also was targeted for death, but having been warned he was able to escape the execution squads. Through decades of treaties, the Cherokee Nation had continued to shrink in size. But whites increasingly encroached upon Cherokee land, especially after gold was discovered in Dahlonega, then a part of Cherokee territory. In 1832, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Cherokee Nation (Worcester vs. Georgia), but President Andrew Jackson refused to enforce the decision. Finally, Boudinot, Watie, and the Ridges became convinced that the Cherokees had no chance of maintaining their ancestral home in the Southeast.Though only representing a minority of the Cherokees, on Dec. 29, 1835, they signed the Treaty of New Echota giving up all claims to lands in the East in return for compensation and land west of the Mississippi River. Other Cherokees led by John Ross bitterly opposed the treaty and fought removal, but the U.S. Senate ratified the treaty. Three years later, the U.S. enforced Cherokee removal in what came to be known as the Trail of Tears.

Cherokee leader Major Ridge, born around 1771 along the Hiwassee River in Tennessee, actively opposed white settlements on Indian land early in his life, even playing a role in executing an Indian chief who had ceded lands in exchange for his own private reservation. But he eventually was forced to accept the presence of whites, and even allied himself with Andrew Jackson in the Creek War in 1813-14 and against the Seminoles in 1818. Ridge was promoted to major for his military exploits and took the title as his first name. He settled in the Cherokee Nation in Georgia and became exceedingly wealthy, owning a large plantation and over thirty slaves, and sent his son John to New England to be educated in the white man's world. Ridge and his soon eventually came to believe that it was hopeless to oppose the seemingly inevitable advance of whites. In signing the Treaty of New Echota ceding all Cherokee lands in the East in exchange for new lands in the West, Ridge noted "I have signed my death warrant." He was right. In 1837, he emigrated to the Indian Territory. Two years later, an execution squad shot and killed him as he was riding near White Rock Creek at a point one mile inside the Arkansas state line.

Major Ridge's son, John, was born in 1803 along Oothcaloga Creek in present-day Gordon County, Ga.. Educated in Connecticut, he became a Cherokee leader who initially opposed any cessation of Cherokee land to the United States. After serving in the Cherokee legislature and as an intermediary for the Creek Indians in Washington, John, along with his father, began to see the inevitability of white encroachment upon Indian lands. When the Supreme Court ruled in the Cherokees' favor in 1832, Ridge warned his people that the decision meant little without the support of Pres. Andrew Jackson, of whom Ridge said "the chicken snake Genl. Jackson has time to crawl and hide in the luxuriant grass of his famous hypocrisy." Ridge was correct in that Jackson refused to enforce the decision. Ridge moved to the Indian Territory in 1837, where an assassination party stabbed him to death on June 22, 1839.

Elias Boudinot, born in 1804 along Oothcaloga Creek in present-day Gordon County, Ga., was the son of Oo-watie, younger brother of Major Ridge, and cousin of John Ridge. Educated at a missionary school in Connecticut, Boudinot later became the first editor of the Cherokee Phoenix, at New Echota, capital of the Cherokee Nation. He encouraged adaption to white civilization, urging his people to seek redress through the court system. In 1837, he emigrated west along with John Ridge. On June 22, 1839, he was brutally killed by knife and tomahawk in the third execution of the day.

1864 Gen. John B. Hood order his corps to attack two corps of Union troops attempting to outflank Johnston's main Confederate army. Anticipating Hood's action, the Federals dug in and were ready. A hail of rifle and artillery fire, plus swampy terrain, forced Hood to call off the Battle of Kolb's Farm. Union casualties were about 350, compared to Confederate losses of around 1,000 killed, wounded, or captured.

1913 Solicitor Hugh Dorsey announced that Leo Frank's trial would begin June 30. However, the trial was later delayed until July 28. Click here for a detailed accounting of the case.

1933 Governor Eugene Talmadge released the military guard he had requested the previous day and said he would answer any summons from any U.S. court. However, Talmadge continued to defend his handling of the state highway department -- over which he had declared martial law.

1943 Former Atlanta University professor W.E.B. DuBois became the first African American member of the National Institute of Letters.

1965 For all practical purposes, movie producer David O. Selzneck could have been an honorary citizen of Georgia in recognition of his masterpiece, "Gone With the Wind." In any event, on this day at age 63, Selzneck died.

1980 Seven year old LaTonya Wilson was taken from her home and killed, making her the latest victim in the Atlanta Child Murders case.

1990 Bobby Cox became general manager of the Atlanta Braves.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1736, John Wesley got a bit more honesty than he probably expected when inquiring about the cold reception he was receiving in Savannah, as recorded in his diary:

"Tu. 22. Observing much Coldness in Mr. (name omitted)'s Behaviour, I asked him the Reason of it. He answere'd, 'I like nothing you do; all your Sermons are Satires on particular Persons. Therefore I will never hear you more. And all the People are of my Mind. For we won't hear ourselves abused. Beside, they say, They are Protestants. But as for You, they can't tell what Religion you are of. They never heard of such a Religion before. They don't know what to make of it. And then, your Private Behaviour - All the Quarrels that have been here since you came, have been long of You. Indeed there is neither Man nor Woman in the Town, who minds, a Word you say. And so you may preach long enough; but no body will come to hear you.' He was too warm for hearing an Answer. So I had nothing to do, but to thanks him for his Openness, and walk away."

Source: [no author or editor cited], Our First Visit in America: Early Reports from the Colony of Georgia, 1732-1740 (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1974), p. 203.

1761 At a meeting of Lower Creek headmen at Coweta, the following message was prepared for delivery to Georgia governor James Wright over the killing of a white trader:

"Three Days ago three of our Town's People came Home, and bring the bad News of having killed one White Man near Augusta, for which we are very sorry. It seems he had Pack-Horses and they wanted some Victuals from him and he would not give them any, although they say he gave them Punch until they got drunk, and one of them shot him. Then they took the Horses and Goods and were going to the Cherokees to stay there: but meeting another Fellow in the Woods he persuaded them to come home to their Town, and he would go and acquaint the Indians at Mr. Galphin's , that were going to Charles Town. So we suppose you have heard of this unhappy Affair before we did. We are all very much concerned about this bad Accident; it is entirely against our Wills and Knowledge. They brought the Goods and Horses Home here, and we are going to gather them together and give them to some White Man that the owners may have them again. It troubles Us much that any of the White People's Blood should be spilled by Us, but some of our young People are made and we cannot rule them.

"We hope you will not stop the Trade or Goods from coming amongst Us for we are so used to the White People and their Clothing that we should be very poor without them, and we hope all may be made strait [sic] yet. You need be under no Concern for the Traders among Us for they shall be safe to go down when they are ready. There are a great many of our People down amongst you at this Time, who may talk to you, and give you more Satisfaction on this Head. We here in the Nation will do every thing in our Power to keep Peace; and are now going to send good Talks to all the other Towns on this River to the end that we may all stand firm and true to our antient [sic] Treaties and Friendship with the English."

John T. Juricek (ed.),Georgia Treaties, 1733-1763, in Alden T. Vaughan (ed.), Early American Indian Documents: Treaties and Laws, 1607-1789 (Frederick, Md.: University Publications of America, 1989), Vol. XI, p. 345.

1838 Missionary Daniel Buttrick witnessed the roundup and removal of the Cherokee Indians. On this day, he recorded in his diary:

"Visited the camps. While there a company of poor Cherokee prisoners were brought in. In one of the wagons was an old man supposed to be considerably over 100 years old. At first, being left by his friends, who in a fright ran to the woods, he was also left by the soldiers in his cabin. It was said he was almost starved, when some white children found him and carried him some food."

Source: Mills Lane (ed.) Georgia: History written by Those who lived It (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1995), p. 84.

1861 Shortly after arriving in Richmond with his unit, William Butt wrote to his wife back in Georgia:

"We are about 2 1/2 miles from the center of Richmond, upon a high elevation stretching out into a beautiful plain, the prettiest place for drilling I ever saw. . . . Georgia troops are all around us. The Chatooga [sic] Company is about one mile south of us. I found them by accident. I do not know how many Georgia boys are here. There are many other troops. Some on the other side of Richmond. No permanent arrangement has been made for our company yet. We have not yet drawn provisions or arms. . . .

". . . I cannot write a tenth part of what I would. The greatest thought on me has been you. I would feel so much relieved if I felt that you was reconciled. Darling, think of the many thousands that have left home. Think of what an unjust people are endeavoring to do to us, threatening not only our liberties but our lives. What would you think of the Southern people if they quietly give up and submitted? What would you really think of me were I too craven-hearted to resist our great enemy? I would be unworthy [of] your love. As it is, I feel entitled to it! . . . Kiss the children and my love to all friends, I cannot name them, and remember me to the Negroes. Good by."

Source: Mills Lane (ed.), "Dear Mother: Don't grieve about me. I I get killed, I'll only be dead.": Letters from Georgia Soldiers in the Civil War (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1990), pp. 18-19.

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