Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

Carl Vinson Institute of Government

The University of Georgia

November 26

1789 George Washington proclaimed this day (a Thursday) as a National Thanksgiving Day in honor of the new U.S. Constitution. Thereafter, other presidents periodically proclaimed national days of thanksgiving until 1863, when Abraham Lincoln inaugurated the annual practice of designating the fourth Thursday in November as a national Thanksgiving Day.

1816 U.S. and Confederate military officer William Henry Talbot Walker was born in Augusta, Ga. After graduating from West Point in 1837, Walker served in the Seminole War and Mexican War. Subsequently, he was commandant of cadets at West Point. In December 1860, Walker resigned from the U.S. Army and returned to Georgia. First serving as major general in the Georgia state volunteers in April 1861, he was appointed as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army in May 1861. Walker resigned his commission in Oct. 1861 to hold the post of major general of Georgia State Troops (March 1863). In May 1863, he returned as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army (May 1863 commanding Walker's Brigade in the Vicksburg campaign. After the fall of Vicksburg, Walker commanded the reserve corps at Chickamauga. During Sherman's Atlanta Campaign, Walker commanded a division of Hardee's Corps, dying in the Battle of Atlanta on July 22, 1864.

1869 The Atlanta City Council voted to create a "liberal system of public instruction, free for all the children of the City," provided for appointed of a board of education, and directed the board to submit a plan for "three Public School-Houses" for Atlanta.

1979 After experiencing three days of rain, members of the gold wagon train spending the last night of the trip in Piedmont Park, awoke to blue skies and bright sunshine. The wagon master led the long train of wagons and horseback riders for the final leg of the trip to Georgia's state capitol. There, in ceremonies on the east side of the capitol, a chest containing 60 ounces of Georgia gold was presented to Gov. George Busbee. Later, the gold would be refined into gold leaf and applied to the capitol dome.

1987 Cuban detainees concerned about the possibility of being sent back to Cuba continued to hold hostages at the Atlanta Federal Prison as well as at a detention center in Oakdale, Louisiana.

2007 Georgia Tech fired head football coach Chan Gailey.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1863 From near Chattanooga, artillery officer A. J. Neal wrote to his sister in Georgia at 2 a.m. with the bad news that Confederate forces were retreating into Georgia:

". . . All day until noon, a steady stream of Yankees poured over towards our right, and we doubled our lines to meet the shock. During the day they attacked our lines and were repulsed along the different points. At 1 o'clock P.M. the grand assault commenced, and hard and terrific was the struggle. Far below us in the valley marched the invading hosts, while our guns thundered and the mountain wilds resound[ed] with their awful roar. Still the Yankees advanced and were forced on, the front ranks pressed forward by the lines advancing from the rear. . . . I continued firing on those at our front. Soon as I saw the stars-and-stripes flashing along the lines, I swung my guns around and brought them to bear on the flanking column. . . . Jackson's brigade came rushing along through our battalion in utter panic. My men stood steady as veterans, but in vain. The infantry rushed over us pell mell, and we could do nothing.

"I am proud of the conduct of my men and believe they would have stood with me to the guns until we were bayonetted. I left only when valor was vain and, of all that wing, I brought up the rear. I lost two guns and one limber and had several men wounded and have myself a slight wound. . . ."

"We have been overpowered in numbers and me with serious reverses. I hope, however, that out of the disaster some good may yet come. The army is retreating by way of Chickamauga and Graysville. Our loss in artillery is heavy, perhaps fifty pieces. Some of the best batteries in the army were captured. Our loss in killed and wounded is not very great, owing to the advantage we had in ground. We lost much property, &c. by this mortifying affair. Everybody thinks our infantry did not stand up squarely. This thing never happened to Confederate soldiers before. God grant that it may never be again. The enemy will follow us if he can, and we will probably have a rehearsal of Chickamauga. The foot of the invader should not be allowed to desecrate the homes of 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), pp. 280-281.

1864 In his memoirs, General Sherman wrote of his entry into Sandersville on this day:

"I accompanied the Twentieth Corps, which took the direct road to Sandersville, which we reached simultaneously with the Fourteenth Corps, on the 26th. A brigade of rebel cavalry was deployed before the town and was driven in and through it by our skirmish-line. I myself saw the rebel cavalry apply fire to stacks of fodder standing in the fields at Sandersville and gave orders to burn some unoccupied dwellings close by. On entering the town, I told citizens that, if the enemy attempted to carry out their threat to burn their food, corn, and fodder, in our route, I would most undoubtedly execute to the letter the general orders of devastation made at the outset of the campaign. With this exception, and one or two minor cases near Savannah, the people did not destroy food, for they saw clearly that it would be ruin to themselves."

Source: Mills Lane (ed.), Marching Through Georgia: William T. Sherman's Personal Narrative of His March Through Georgia (New York: Arno Press, 1978), p.156.

1864 Today had been a good day for Col. Fredrick Winkler of the 26th Wisconsin Infantry. Writing his wife from Washington County, Ga., he noted:

"We have just arrived at Sandersville and gone into camp. Our advance had a slight skirmish with rebel cavalry today, but drove them back easily. We left Milledgeville day before yesterday and traveled all through a very cold night, yet we are all in very good condition. We have employed two mulatto brothers, Hillard and Bill Ford. One is assistant cook, the other is hostler. I suppose Savannah to be our objective point; we are about half way now. I hope the remainder of our journey will be as successful and pleasant."

Source: Civil War Letters of Major Fredrick C. Winkler, 1864 in 26th Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers Home Page

January / February / March / April / May / July / July / August / September / October / November / December

© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

If you have a date related to Georgia history or people that ought to be included, or if know of entries that should be corrected, send a note to Ed Jackson or Charles Pou.

Go to Yahoo/The History Channel's "This Day in History" page for Nov. 26

Go to Georgia History page