White's Telfair County Sketch

Source: White, George. Historical Collections of Georgia: containing the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, etc. relating to its history and antiquities, from its first settlement to the present time. 3rd ed. New York: Pudney & Russell, 1855. pp. 646-47

TELFAIR COUNTY.

Laid out in 1807; a part added to Montgomery, 1812; parts taken from Appling, 1819; parts added to Montgomery in 1820. Named after Governor Telfair. Length, 23 m.; breadth, 18 m.; area square miles, 414.

The Ocmulgee and the Little Ocmulgee, or Auchee Hachee, are the principal streams.

The soil is sandy, but productive.

Jacksonville is the capital, 104 miles south of Milledgeville.

Lumber City is 16 miles below Jacksonville.

Extract from the Census of 1850.—Dwellings, 434; families 434; white males, 1,221; white females, 1,157; free coloured males, 10; free coloured females, 8. Total free population, 2,396; slaves, 831. Deaths, 10. Farms, 327; manufacturing establishments, 10. Value of real estate, $283,153; value of personal estate, $427,175.

Among the early settlers of this county were, Joseph Williams, A. Graham, D. Graham, John Wilcox, Thomas Wilcox, Griffin Mezell, A. McLeod, Robert Boyd, Moses Roundtree, James Mooney, Wright Ryall, ___ McDuffee, J. A. Rogers, N. Ashley, C. Ashley, John Coffee, W. Ashley, A. Brewer, J. Herbert, S. Herbert, J. McCrae, D. McCrae, O. Butler, Locklain Laslie.

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We copy the following from a Milledgeville paper:—

The following was received on Wednesday last, by express to the Governor:—

Hartford, March 10th, 1818.

Sir:—I have this moment received information through Mr. Isham Jordan, of Telfair County, which I rely on, of a skirmish between the Indians and some of the citizens of Telfair, on the south side of the Ocmulgee River, in the afternoon of the 9th inst., twenty or twenty-five miles below this.

On the night of the 3d inst., Joseph Bush and his son were fired upon by a party of Indians, the father killed, and the son severely wounded and scalped, but he so far recovered as to reach home in two days after. The citizens having received information of the foregoing facts, assembled on the 9th instant to the number of thirty-six, and crossed the river in the forenoon to seek redress. Finding considerable signs of Indians, they pursued the trail leading from the river some distance out, where they came in view of a body of savages, fifty or sixty, advancing within gun-shot. The firing was commenced by each party, and warmly kept up for three-quarters of an hour. A part of the detachment effected their retreat, bringing off one badly wounded; four are certainly killed; the balance of the detachment has not been heard from; Major Cothom, (commandant of the Telfair Militia,) is among the missing. Four Indians were killed.

From information, the citizens below this are much alarmed, and leaving their homes. I have thought proper to communicate the foregoing to you by express.

I am your Excellency's most obedient servant,

Richard H. Thomas, Lieutenant-Colonel.

In consequence of the foregoing, the Pulaski Troop of Cavalry has been ordered out by the Executive, to scour the frontier and afford protection to the inhabitants. Rumour says, that the part of the detachment who are spoken of as having effected a retreat, fled at the beginning of the action, leaving the rest, most of whom have since returned, to contend with the Indians. Mitchell Griffin, Esq., Senator from Telfair, was among the killed.