Ed Jackson and Charly Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

May 12

1740 James Oglethorpe's invasion force of Spanish Florida attacked Fort Diego. Outnumbered, the garrison's 48 defenders surrendered.

1791 Soon after his inauguration as the nation's first president in 1789, George Washington decided to visit each of the new states "to become better acquainted with their principal characters and internal circumstances, as well as to be more accessible to numbers of well-informed persons who might give useful information and advice on political subjects." He also wished "to acquire knowledge of the face of the country, the growth and agriculture thereof -- and the temper and disposition of the inhabitants toward the new government." In early May 1791, Washington visited South Carolina. On the morning of May 12, he visited Purrysburg on the Savannah River -- his last visit in South Carolina. There, Georgia officials met Washington to escort him onto a barge-like vessel for the twenty-five mile trip to Savannah. As the river took them past Mulberry Grove plantation, Washington had made plans to stop so he could visit Catharine (Caty) Greene, widow of Revolutionary Gen. Nathanael Greene. Washington spent several hours with his long-time friend and promised to stop by again in four days on his way to Augusta. Arriving in Savannah after sundown, Washington found the city brightly illuminated in celebration of his visit. Thus began four days of ceremonies, receptions, dinners, dances, and other formalities for Savannah's most important visitor in its 58-year history.

1864 As Sherman's main force hurried southward to outflank Johnston and join McPherson's army in attacking Resaca, Johnston ordered Confederate troops defending Mills Creek Gap to pull back. From Dalton, they headed south by foot, horse, or rail to prepare for the Union attack on Resaca. [Click here to see map.]

1864 Major General John B. Gordon of Georgia led his troops to stem an attack at a break in the Confederate line at Spottsylvania -- an action which may well have saved the life (or least capture) of Robert E. Lee.

1913 An Atlanta Constitution reporter in Brooklyn interviewed Mrs. Rudolph Frank, Leo Frank's mother. She said "My son is entirely innocent, but it is a terrible thing that even a shadow of suspicion should fall upon him. I am sure of his innocence and am confident that he will be proven not guilty of this terrible crime." Click here for a detailed accounting of the case.

1930 Savannah-born poet and writer Conrad Aiken won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry for his 1929 work Selected Poems.

1933 Three Georgia cities -- Metter, Milledgeville, and Fitzgerald -- joined a growing list of cities legalizing the sale of beer.

1970 Units of the National Guard were mobilized to bring an end to the Augusta race riot that had broken out the night before. On the 12th, there was some sporadic gunfire and a few fires started, but National Guard and local police were able to bring the situation under control. The final tally in casualties from the two-day riot was six blacks killed by police and 60 people (black and white) injured. Also, twenty buildings were destroyed or heavily damaged by fire, and Augusta businesses cited financial loss due to looting and destruction at approximately $1 million.

1976 United States Secret Service agents seized approximately $1 million in counterfeit currency and the plates from which it was produced in raids in Cobb and DeKalb counties. Roughly $2000 of the currency was already in circulation.

1977 Aides to presidential candidate Jimmy Carter said the campaign had been approached by Soviet Union officials to discuss terms of a strategic arms limitation agreement then being negotiated. The Russians believed President Gerald Ford was delaying negotiations because of campaign attacks on him by Ronald Reagan, and hoped Carter, if elected, would sign the agreement.

1977 The day after Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner stepped in to personally manage the team, regular manager Dave Bristol returned to the lineup. For the first time in 18 consecutive games, the Braves finally won a game.

1998 For the third night in a row, Atlanta Braves first baseman Andres Galarraga hit a homerun in a 5-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. For the 24th game in a row, the Braves hit at least one homerun. This tied a National League record set in 1953 by the Brooklyn Dodgers and pushed the Braves within one game of the Major League record.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1791 Pres. George Washington wrote in his diary of the first day of his visit to Georgia:

"Thursday, 12th. By five o'clock we set out from Judge Hayward's, and road [sic] to Purisburgh 22 miles to breakfast.

"At that place I was met by Messrs. [Noble Wymberley] Jones, Colo. [Colonel] [Joseph] Habersham. Mr. Jno. [John] Houston, Genl. [Lachlan] McIntosh and Mr. [Joseph] Clay, a Comee. [committee] from the City of Savanna [sic] to conduct me thither. Boats were also ordered there by them for my accommodation; among which a handsome 8 oared barge rowed by 8 American Captns. attended. In my way down the River I called upon Mrs. [Catharine] Green the Widow of the deceased Genl. [Nathanael] Green, (at a place called Mulberry Grove) and asked her how she did. At this place (2 miles from Purisburgh) my horses and Carriage were landed, and had 12 miles farther by Land to Savanna. The wind and tide being both agst. us, it was 6 o'clock before we reached the City where we were received under every demonstration that could be given of joy and respect. We were Seven hours making the passage which is often performed in 4, tho' the computed distance is 25 miles. Illumns. at night.

"I was conducted by the Major [Thomas Gibbons] and Wardens to very good lodging which had been provided for the occasion, and partook of a public dinner given by the Citizens at the Coffee Room."

Source:John C. Fitzpatrick (ed.), The Diaries of George Washington: 1748-1799 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1925), pp. 175-176

1862 From a Confederate hospital in Richmond, Va., J.C. Nunn wrote to his family back in Georgia:

". . . I am in the Camp Winder Hospital or in the old winter quarters of the soldiers. There is so many sick here, they have to stick us in every little hole they can get to keep us out of the rain and sunshine. But, dear Mother and Father, there is one lady, certainly one of the kindest ladies, tends to me that ever did tend to a poor sick soldier. I have no loving wife nor dear mother to tend to me, but if ever in the world a soldier found a mother that is no mother to him by law it is me. For she treats me as a mother would treat her own child. She asked me where I was from. I told her from Georgia. 'Ah!' she said, 'the poor Georgians! They seem to suffer more than any troops in the service.' She said she sympathized with us poor Georgians."

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. 118.

1933 With the number of Georgia cities legalizing the sale of beer growing almost daily, Atlanta mayor James L. Key believed Atlanta should join the list. His motives were financial, as the nation was in the middle of the Great Depression. In a speech urging the Atlanta city council to so legalize beer he said:

"It is not a question of having beer, because it certainly can be had in Atlanta or anywhere else in Georgia. It has become a question as to whether or not the revenue from it shall go to other political subdivisions besides Georgia and the cities in our state. We feel our own local governments should be enriched instead of those of...other states."

Source: Atlanta Constitution, May 13, 1933.

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© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

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