Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

May 9

1740 With James Oglethorpe's invasion of Spanish Florida now underway, a scouting party of 50 Creek Indians left camp at 4 a.m. During the day, they chased some Spanish soldiers, who were able to return to the safety of their fort. The Indians also captured a "Spanish Negro." [This term refers to a former slave -- probably from South Carolina -- who had escaped to freedom in Florida. Many of these escaped slaves became Spanish soldiers, and in fact there was an entire unit known as the Black Militia stationed at Fort Mose north of St. Augustine.] Also on May 9, Oglethorpe's invasion force was joined by two sloops and four schooners from South Carolina with provisions and reinforcements for the siege of the Castillo de San Marcos fortress in St. Augustine.

1862 General David Hunter of the Union Army issued a proclamation freeing the slaves of Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. President Lincoln, however, countermanded the proclamation, although stating that Hunter was "an honest man."

1864 While the Battle of Rocky Face Ridge continued near Dalton, Union forces under Maj. Gen. James McPherson advanced through Snake Creek Gap to the south and advanced toward Resaca. [Click here to see map.] The plan was to capture the small town, establish control of the Western & Atlantic Railroad, and block Gen. Johnston's retreat. However, Johnston had already sent a Confederate force to defend Reseca. McPherson overestimated the size of that force and withdrew to Snake Creek Gap to await reinforcements.

1864 As Union and Confederate forces battled in north Georgia, the Confederate commander of Atlanta, William Wilson, had the following notice published in Atlanta's Intelligencer:

"ATTENTION MILITIA! All persons between the ages of 16 and 60, not in the service of the Confederate States, in the second ward, are hereby notified to be and appear at the City Hall today, at 2 o'clock P.M., for the purpose of being armed and equipped for local defense. Herein fail not under penalty."

1913 Fouteen year old Manteen Stover said she had arrived at the National Pencil Factory around 12:05 PM (roughly the same time as Mary Phagan had arrived) and that Leo Frank was not in his office. This contradicted Frank's testimony that he had been in his office the entire time in which it was thought Phagan had been murdered. Another woman reported that she was walking outside the factory around 4:30 PM when she heard three piercing screams come from the basement of the building. Click here for a detailed accounting of the case.

1937 Long before the Blues Brothers, there was the soul music duo of Sam and Dave (who had such hits as "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Coming"). On this day, Dave Prather, Jr. was born in Ocilla, Ga.

1942 Singer Tommy Roe was born in Atlanta. Among his million-selling his would be "Sheila," "Sweet Pea," "Hooray for Hazel," and "Dizzy."

1942 Bell Bomber president Larry Bell announced that Harry E. Collins had been appointed to the post of vice president in charge of the company's new facility in Marietta. While Collins was considered an excellent choice to start up the plant, he eventually lost the confidence of Larry Bell and was replaced on June 16, 1943, by Omer L. Woodson. Woodson performed his new job admirably, but the pressures of the position eventually became too much for him, and he resigned in August 1944. The next general manager was Carl Cover, but after just a few months on the job, he was killed in an airplane crash. The final general manager was Cobb County native James V. Carmichael, who served from December 22, 1944, until the closing of the plant early in 1946. [Contributed by Dr. Tom Scott, Kennesaw State University]

1968 Ten thousands whites and blacks gathered in Atlanta's new Civic Center exhibition hall to prepare to take part in the "Poor People's March" on Washington D.C.

1989 Jim Williams was acquitted in his fourth trial for the murder of Danny Hansford in Savannah; the case was dramatized in both the book and movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

1998 Georgia Gov. Zell Miller was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. [Click here for story and photos.]

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1864 From near Buzzard Roost in northwest Georgia, Maj. Fredrick Winkler of the 26th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry wrote to his wife:

"In the midst of all this toil of marching, picketing and skirmishing, we are to have a rest, and I can turn for a moment away from the duties of my command. Day before yesterday we started out at daybreak, crossed Taylor's Ridge, and finally took position on a ridge of hills a little southwest of Buzzard Roost. We were sent on picket, the whole regiment, and got but very little sleep. We were relieved at noon and marched forward with the rest of the brigade, then took position on the hills and sent skirmishers out toward the enemy's position. We found the 14th Corps in position before Buzzard Roost. This is a gap between two pretty high, steep mountains, about half a mile wide, through which the railroad runs to Dalton; a ridge of hills extending across the gap and connecting the mountains makes the gap naturally very strong. These hills are fortified and held by the rebels. The projecting mountains on either side make a flank movement on this position impossible, and to storm the place by direct attack would, if possible at all, involve a fearful loss of life. We sent out skirmishers all yesterday afternoon, with no particular result. I had two officers slightly wounded. About two o' clock today we were relieved by a division of the 14th Corps, and are now about two miles from the Roost, awaiting orders which I hope will be to stay here all night. This is a very wild country, nothing but mountains and gaps, and I believe the enemy's position is very strong and of such a nature that superior forces cannot be easily made to tell. I have to work very hard to see to everything; my line officers are not very desirable; I have only a few who are really efficient. It is too bad that I have not got the valise; those five commands are in it, and now I cannot get the officers mustered in."

Source: Civil War Letters of Major Fredrick C. Winkler, in 26th Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers Home Page

1865 Eliza Frances Andrews' bitterness toward victorious Northern soldiers in her hometown of Washington, Ga. continued to show in her journal:

"There are four brigades of [Southern] cavalry camped on the outskirts of town waiting to be paroled. Contrary to their agreement with Lee and Johnston, the Yankees now want to deprive these men of their horses and side arms, and refuse to parole them until they are dismounted and disarmed. Our men refuse to submit to such an indignity and vow will kill every 'd----d Yankee' in Washington rather than suffer such a perfidious breach of faith. Lot Abraham, or 'Marse Lot,' as we call him, seems to be a fairly good sort of man for a Yankee, and disposed to behave as well as the higher powers will let him. . . .The Yankees have only a provost guard here at present, and one brigade of our men could chop them to mince meat. I almost wish there would be a fight It would do my heart good to see those ruffians . . . thrashed out, though I know it would be the worse for us in the end."

Source: Eliza Frances Andrews, The War-Time Journal of a Georgia Girl, 1864-1865 (New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1908), p. 234.

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© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

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