Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

May 27

1864 In Sherman's Atlanta Campaign, fighting between Confederate and Union forces in Paulding County shifted from New Hope Church to Pickett's Mill. Gen. Howard's 4th U.S. Corps attacked Gen. Cleburn's Division and Gen. Kelly's Brigade. At the end of the day, the Confederates won what would become known as the Battle of Pickett's Mill, suffering 500 casualties to 1,600 Union losses. [Click here to view a detailed 1864 map showing the location of Pickett's Mill.]

1887 Master bridge builder Horace King died in LaGrange, Ga. Born Sept. 8, 1807 in Cheraw, South Carolina of mixed black, white, and Indian ancestry, King grew up as a slave and was brought by his owner, John Godwin, to the Columbus, Ga. area in 1830. Two years later, Godwin and King began work on the first bridge across the Chattahoochee River. Over the next three decades, King built more of his famous lattice bridges over the Chattahoochee (at West Point and Fort Gaines), the Flint River (at Albany), and Oconee River (at Milledgeville). He also constructed bridges in Alabama, and Mississippi. In 1846, Godwin successfully petitioned the Alabama legislature to grant King his legal freedom. Thereafter, King not only built bridges but constructed courthouses and other buildings, including rebuilding of the Alabama State Capitol after it burned. After the Civil War, King served in the Alabama House of Representatives (1869-1872) and in other public offices.

1913 The detective from the Burns Agency, called in to help the investigation into Mary Phagan's murder, withdrew from the case, citing continued fighting among the police, mayor's office, solicitor's office, and the attorney who had brought him into the case. On another note, Mrs Arthur White, who had testified on May 7 that she saw a "strange Negro" lurking near the elevator of the National Pencil Factory around 1:00 PM after visiting her husband, identified the man she saw as Jim Conley. Click here for a detailed accounting of the case.

1938 Mayor William Hartsfield approved a city council resolution creating the Atlanta Housing Authority.

1954 The "Iron Horse" -- a ten-foot-high, one-ton abstract sculpture of a horse crafted in iron by University of Georgia artist Abbott Pattison -- was placed in front of the university's Reed Hall. Student reaction to the work was immediate. Twice during the night straw was placed around it and set on fire, and the word "Front" was painted on the horse's neck. University officials had the controversial sculpture removed to a secret hiding place. Eventually, it was loaned to an agricultural professor who placed in the middle of a field on his farm in Greene County, where it can be seen today from Ga. 15 just north of the Oconee River. [Click here to see photo.]

1956 Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally" topped the popular music charts.

1968 Chicago White Sox first-base slugger Frank Thomas was born in Columbus, Ga. Thomas won the MVP award for the American League in 1993.

1975 Georgia-born heavyweight boxing champion Ezzard Charles died at age 53 in Chicago (some sources cite May 28). He had a lifetime boxing record of 92-25-1 (58 by knockout). He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

1976 Campaigning in Cincinnati, Jimmy Carter blasted the "stop Carter" movement among his opponents, saying "My critics don't want to stop Carter. They want to stop the reforms I am committed to. They want to stop the people of this country from regaining control of this government."

1991 Georgia comic strip artist Ed Dodd (creator of the "Mark Trail") died at age 88.

1993 Playing for the new Colorado Rockies and hitting .143 with no home runs, former Atlanta Brave Dale Murphy retired from baseball with a career record of 398 home runs.

1998 At home, Greg Maddox pitched the Atlanta Braves to a 2-0 win over the Montreal Expos giving the Braves 21 victories in May -- a record for most victories during any month since the Braves moved to Atlanta over three decades earlier. In the first 53 games of the 1998 season, the Braves compiled 39 victories.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1838 From New Echota, Gen. John Floyd wrote Gen. Winfield Scott to advise him of how the first day of rounding up Cherokee Indians had gone:

"I have the honor to report to you that with nine companies of the Second Regiment Georgia Militia, commanded by Colonel Turk, I left here on the evening of the 25th instant to collect the Cherokee Indians on the border of the Coosawattee River, about twelve miles from this place. . . . I crossed the river with the troops early on the morning of the 26th and, sending several small detachments in different directions to prevent the escape of the Indian, advanced rapidly with the main body to the Indian settlements. Having succeeded in securing a number of Indians, I returned to the Coosawattee . . . . The Indians made no resistance, but evinced generally great reluctance to remove. Among the captured are several who it is said have exercised a mischievous influence over others to prevent the execution of the treaty."

Source: Edward J. Cashin (ed.), A Wilderness Still the Cradle of Nature: Frontier Georgia: A Documentary History (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1994), pp. 139-140.

1864 From near Dallas, Georgia, Major Fredrick Winkler of the 26th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry wrote of the status his unit's involvement in Sherman's Atlanta Campaign:

". . . We are now again in the midst of battle. We are near Dallas, in Georgia. Our corps came here in advance on Wednesday, and the advance regiment of the 2nd Division hit upon the enemy and had a sharp conflict. In the afternoon, our corps was all up and we formed and moved forward to the attack. We drove the enemy back steadily a considerable distance, but finally came to a ridge where he was strongly posted and it was not so easy to dislodge him. We attacked quite fiercely and fought a sharp battle which lasted until night, when we held all the ground we had gained. We were first in the second line, but soon took the front, where we sustained and kept up a heavy fire for about an hour, when night closed upon the scene. Our fire had been so hot that the rebels had been obliged to slacken theirs very much, and when we ceased firing, they showed no disposition to renew it. It was a trying position, but with the efficient assistance of those two brave men, Captain Fuchs and Adjutant Traeumer, I succeeded in keeping the regiment in a firm, steady and unwavering line. When it was dark we ceased firing, fixed bayonets, closed up the intervals the casualties of the contest had caused, and were ready for any action, offensive or defensive. Of course, such an ordeal could not be undergone without loss; I lost five men killed, one officer and thirty-two men wounded, and one sergeant who was out on picket after dark and ordered to reconnoiter the rebels' line is missing, probably he went too far in the intense darkness and was taken prisoner. The fight had scarcely ceased when it commenced to rain, and there we had to sit and be rained upon without shelter and without a fire. After midnight we were relieved and taken a piece to the rear, but our boys did not come until morning, and hungry, wet, without a blanket, we did not have a very pleasant night of it. At daylight the boys came with coffee, meat, crackers and blankets. We are still in the same place. Yesterday there was only skirmishing, etc., and the army got into position. It seems that the whole rebel army is in our front. Today, it is said at nine A. M. a general advance is to be made; our right, left and center are to make a simultaneous attack. We will probably be under fire before night. May God crown our arms with success. Two of Company G were killed on Wednesday. Robert Templeton and Emerson Smith. They were both excellent men, cool and brave. Truer and braver hearts have never fallen in battle. If you know their parents, tell them how sincerely we condole with them in the loss of those brave boys. We are getting ready to move."

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

1871 Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas had watched sadly as Jefferson Davis was carried through Augusta as prisoner in 1865. But they met face to face six years later, and she recorded the event in detail in her journal:

"Saturday, May 27, 1871 --I am writing History for you my children and your mother tells you now of her interview with the man whom she 'most delights to honor' -- tells you of our President Jefferson Davis, dearer far dearer now in the hour of defeat than he was when chief magistrate of the Southern Confederacy. How I sympathised with our fallen chieftain in his degradation when he was taken through our streets closely guarded, no woman in that hour of peril daring to wave her handkerchief to him to make sign of sympathy -- and men so crushed by defeat that the closed carriage passed by crowds who dared not cheer for him for fear of sharing his fate. We could do nothing else for you my President and we did all we could. We named our boy for you, our boy who during the first year of the war I never dreamed of calling for our successful chief, but we felt honoured in identifying ourselves with him in his change of fortune. . . . Col. Snead met us at the door and we waited a few moments until a party who had been introduced finished their conversation. 'Is that President Davis?' I enquired as I saw a gentleman bow in reply to an introduction. 'Yes wouldn't you have known him by his pictures?' 'No' I replied 'he is much better looking, younger looking.' Just then the President turned and Col. Snead introduced 'Mrs. Thomas, President Davis, Mr. Thomas Miss Mary Vason.' I shook hands with him and for the moment forgot all else in the great content of an accomplished hope. Drawing Jeff [her son] to me I introduced him as Jeff Davis Thomas. He took Jeff's hand in his, drew him closely to him, and held him there with his arm around him. 'I cannot tell you Mrs. Thomas how highly I appreciate this compliment.' My heart warmed at his reception of Jeff and I added 'Perhaps you will understand Mr. Davis how dear you are to the dear daughters of your people as you so gracefully termed us, when I explain that our little Boy was named for you the afternoon you passed through Augusta as prisoner. We could do nothing else to express our sympathy and we honored ourselves in naming him for you.' 'My dear Madam' he replied, 'I appreciate the compliment so much the more.' We continued the conversation a few moments longer but during that time the soul had met with soul and I think I understand his character better than I did before."

Source: Virginia Ingraham Burr (ed.), The Secret Eye: The Journal of Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas, 1848-1889 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1990), p. 370-372.

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© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

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