Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

May 20

1791 On his third day in Augusta, Pres. George Washington took a tour of the city and inspected the remains of British fortifications used during the Revolution. He also made a final visit to Richmond Academy, where he witnessed the examination of students and heard a speech given in honor of his visit by student (and future congressman) Augustin Clayton. Washington was so impressed that he awarded Clayton a copy of a work by ancient Roman historian Sallust.

1794 In response to former Revolutionary War general Elijah Clarke's action in trying to create an independent government (sometimes called the Trans-Oconee Republic) on Indian land to the west of the Oconee River, Gov. Matthews ordered Georgia Militia general Jared Irwin "to direct the settlers immediately to remove."

1820 Planter and former secretary of state Horatio Marbury died in Jefferson County, Georgia. Little is known of Marbury's early life. He came to Georgia in the early 1770s, was active in the Revolutionary War, and became a successful planter after the war. Marbury's public career began in 1796 working in the secretary of state's office. In 1799, the legislature elected Marbury as Georgia's second secretary of state -- a post he would hold for twelve years under six different governors. As secretary of state he and William H. Crawford were primarily responsible for producing Georgia's first official digest of laws. Upon retirement, Marbury returned to his plantation in Jefferson County, where he died in 1820.

1861 In North Carolina, a statewide convention adopted an Ordinance of Secession, becoming the ninth or tenth southern state to secede [depending on which date is used to mark Virginia's secession -- see story].

1864 With Johnston's Confederate forces having retreated across the Etowah River, Sherman decided to take a short break in order to resupply his army from Chattanooga. Thus began a three-day suspension in the Atlanta Campaign.

1913 P.A. Flak, a fingerprint expert from New York, visited the Mary Phagan crime scene with prosecutor Hugh Dorsey. Later, Flak took fingerprints from both Newt Lee and Leo Frank. C.W. Toble, the investigator from the Burns Detective Agency, said he was convinced Newt Lee was innocent of the crime. Click here for a detailed accounting of the case.

1916 In DeKalb County, Sam Venable -- and the heirs of his brother William -- gave the United Daughters of the Confederacy a deed to the face of Stone Mountain for carving a memorial to the Confederacy. [In 1887, the two Venable brothers had purchased Stone Mountain for $48,000 from the Southern Granite Company.] At the base of the mountain, 5000 people attended dedication ceremonies were held. [Click here to view a printed copy of the invocation.] World War I intervened before actual work could get underway. It was not until June 3, 1923 that carving began. In 1925, sculptor Gutzon Borglum was fired over lack of progress, and Augustus Lukeman hired to complete the project. He came up with a new design in 1928, but the stock market crash of 1929 caused the project to be suspended. As a result, the deed to the face of Stone Mountain reverted to the Venable family. It would not be until 1952 that the state of Georgia purchased the mountain and surrounding land for a park, and not until 1970 that the carving was dedicated. [Click here to view a web site on the history of the Stone Mountain memorial.]

1944 U.S. astronaut David Walker was born in Columbus, Georgia.

1965 Atlanta Brave Rico Carty hit two doubles in one inning, tying a franchise record held by eight other Braves.

1996 In beating the Chicago Cubs 18-1, the Braves established a record for the largest margin of victory since coming to Atlanta three decades earlier.

2008 Former White House Chief of Staff (for Jimmy Carter) Hamilton Jordan died; he had been battling cancer for years.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1738 As he had four days previously, George Whitefield went to visit Tomochichi on this day in 1738. This time, he found someone with whom he could converse -- Tomichichi's nephew, Tooanahowi. Because Tooanahowi stood next in line to become Yamacraw mico, Whitefield took the opportunity to preach about drinking and the hereafter:

"Saturday, May 20. Went once more to see Tomo Chachi [sic], hearing his Nephew Tooanoowee [sic] was there, who could talk English. I desired of him to enquire of his Uncle, Whether he thought he should die; who answer'd, He could not tell: I then asked where he thought he should go after Death? He replied, to Heaven. But alas, how can a Drunkard enter there! I then exhorted Tooanoowee (who is a tall proper youth) not to get drunk, telling him, he understood English, and therefore would be punished the more if he did not live better. I then asked him, Whether he believed a Heaven? He answer'd, Yes. I then asked, Whether he believed a Hell? and described it by pointing to the Fire, he replied, No. From whence we may easily gather how natural it is to all Mankind to believe there is a Place of Happiness, because they wish it may be so, and on the contrary, how averse they are to believe a Place of Torment, because they wish it may not be so. But God is true and just, and as surely as the Good shall go into everlasting Happiness, so the Wicked shall go into everlasting Punishment."

Source: [no author or editor cited], Our First Visit in America: Early Reports from the Colony of Georgia, 1732-1740 (The Beehive Press, Savannah, 1974), p. 289.

1791 In Augusta, Pres. George Washington made observations in his diary about the growth of the city and the increasing importance of tobacco to the economy. He also noted the long-standing practice of black slaves escaping to freedom in Flordia:

"Friday, 20th. Viewed the Ruins, or rather small Remn. of the Works which had been erected by the British during the War and taken by the Americans. Also the falls, which are about 2 miles from the Town; and the Town itself.

" . . . The town of Augusta is well laid out with wide and spacious Streets. It stands on a large area of a perfect plain but it is not yet thickly built tho' surprizingly so for the time; for in 1783 there were not more than half a dozen dwelling house; now there are not less than [ ] containing about [ ] Souls of which about [ ] are blacks. It bids fair to be a large Town being at the head of the present navigation, and a fine Country back of it for support, which is settling very fast by Tobacco planters. The culture of which article is encreasing [sic] very fast, and bids fiar to the be the principal export from the State; from this part of it, it certainly will be so.

"Augusta, though it covers more ground than Savanna [sic], does not contain as many Inhabitants the latter having by the late census between 14 and 1500 hundred whites and about 800 blacks.

"Dined at a private dinner with Govr. [Edward] Telfair to day; and gave him dispatches from the Spanish Govr. of East Florida, respecting the Countenance given by that Governmt. to the fugitive Slaves of the Union, wch. dispatches were to be forwarded to Mr. Seagrove, Collector of St. mary's who was requested to be the bearer of them, and instructed to make arrangements for the prevention of these evils and, if possible, for the restoration of the property -- especially of those slaves wch. had gone off since the orders of the Spanish Court, to discuntenance this practice of recg. them."

Source:John C. Fitzpatrick (ed.), The Diaries of George Washington: 1748-1799 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1925), pp. 180-181.

1838 From Forsyth County, Ga., Capt. James Word wrote Lt. John McKay about reaction in the Cherokee Nation to Gen. Winfield Scott's May 10 address telling them they would have to leave:

". . . I have visited in person all the Cherokee Towns within the limits prescribe me. . . . So that now, not a Cherokee within a compass of ten miles around me but what are informed fully of the contents of General Scott's address. The Indians in reply, all without a single exception, tell the same story, that they are waiting on [John] Ross and can do nothing until they see or hear from him, that if Ross says go then they are read, &c. They do not manifest any hostility on their part, say their are friendly to the whites and will not harm them nor will they seek to hide themselves in the forest or mountains. They are making no preparation for their removal and utterly refuse to sell or in any way dispose of their stock or other effects and say they will not but will leave it in the woods. And while upon this subject, I will inquire, what shall be done with the Indians' property? Shall it be left a prey to waiting white men who are now ready to seize all and hold it as their own? . . . "

Source: Ed Cashin (ed.), A Wilderness Still The Cradle of Nature: Frontier Georgia (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1994), pp. 138.

1864 From near Cassville in Bartow County, Maj. Fredrick Winkler of the 26th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry wrote to his wife of the status of his unit in Sherman's Atlanta Campaign:

". . . We are to have one more opportunity to write, two days of rest, and then another campaign, apparently of extraordinary rigor. We have a fly net and have put it up for our inner apartment, while our sitting room has a roof of green boughs, which affords a very nice, cool shade in these hot days. We found a few boards which made a good table, and with a few chairs we are comparatively comfortable. We also have plenty of fresh meat now, and were so lucky as to get some dried apples and some corn meal. I shall tell you of the secrets of our army movements. I know you will not communicate it either to rebel spies or to the press. Well we have a big order from General Sherman today, in which he directs the points at which the troops are to be massed, and says that they must be ready to march on the 23rd in light fighting order with twenty days' rations and haversack and wagons, so as to be independent of the railroad. The rations are reduced and the deficiency is to be supplied by foraging. As we are to go through a country where there is no lack of beef cattle, this doubtless means a move on a large scale and another march, probably a battle, and I hope a decisive victory. It is doubtful whether I will be able to send you a letter during these twenty days. The bugle is blowing for dress parade, and the mail is to be taken off."

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

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