A 93 True and Historical NARRATIVE Of the COLOiNY of GEORGIA, In Jmerica^ From the First Settlement thereof until this present Period : Containing The most authentick Facts, Matters, and Transac- tions therein : Together with His Majesty's Charter, Representations of the People, Letters, &c. And A Dedication to His Excellency General Oglethorpe. TPat. Tailfer, M. D. By < Hugh Anderson, M. A. I Da. Douglas, and others, Landholders in Georgia, at present in Charles-Town, m South-Carolina, -Qui Deorum Muneribus sapienter uti, Durumq ; callet Vauperiemq ; pati Pejusq ; Letlio Flagitium timer, Non iile pro caris Amicis Aui Patna tiioidus Perire. f; Charles Town, South Carolina: Printed hy P. Timothy, for the Authors, 1741. \i^^ \. p. FoHCE, Washington, 1885, To His Excellency James Oglethorpe, £55^; General and Commander in Chief of His Majesty^s Forces in SOUTH CAROLINA and GEORGIA ; and one of the Honourable Trustees for Establishing the Colony of Georgia in America, ^c. May it please Your Excellency, A S the few surviving Remains of the Colony of Georgia find -^it necessary to present the World (and in particular Great Britain) with a true State of that Province, from its first Rise to its present Period ; Your Excellency (of all Mankind) is best entitled to the Dedication, as the principal Author of its present Strength and Affluence, Freedom and Prosperity: And tho* incontestable Truths will recommend the following NARRA- TIVE to the patient and attentive Reader ; yet your Name, SIR, will be no little Ornament to the Frontispiece, and may possibly engage some courteous Perusers a little beyond it. THAT Dedication and Flattery are synonimous, is the Com- plaint of every Dedicator, who concludes himself ingenuous and fortunate, if he can discover a less trite and direct Method of flattering than is usually practised ; but we are happily prevented from the least Intention of this kind, by the repeated Offerings of the Muses and News- Writers to Your Excellency, in the publick Papers : 'Twere presumptuous even to dream of equal- ling or encreasing them ; We therefore flatter ourselves, that Nothing we can advance will in the least shock Your Excel- lency's Modesty; not doubting but your Goodness will pardon any Deficiency of Elegance and Politeness, on account of our Sincerity, and the serious Truth we have the Honour to approach you with. WE have seen the ancient Custom of sending forth Colonies, for the Improvement of any distant Territory, or new Acquisition, continued down to ourselves ; but to Your Excellency alone it is owing, that tlie World is made acquainted with a Plan, highly refined from those of all foraier Projecters. They fondly imagin'd it necessary to communicate to .such young Settle- IV. DEDICATiOK. ments, the fullest Ric;lits and Properties, all the Immunities of their Mother Countries, and Privileges rather more extensive : By such Means indeecl, these Colonies flourish'd with early Trade and AfHuence; but Your Excellency's Concern for our perpetual Welfare, could never permit you to propose such tran- sitory Advantages for us: You consider 'd Riches like a Divine and Piiilosopher, as the Irritamenta Mnhrum, and knew thai they were disposed to inflate weak Minds with Pride ; to pam- per the body with Luxury, and introduce a long Variety of Evils. Thus hKve you Protected vs from, ourselves, as Mr. Wal- ler says, by keeping all Earthly Comforts from us : You have afforded us the Opportunity of arriving at the Integrity of the Primitive Times, by intailing a more than Primitive Poverty on us : The Toil tliat is necessary to our bare Subsistence, must effectually defend us from the Anxieties of any further Ambi- tion : As we have no Properties, to feed Vain-Glory and beget Contention ; so we are not puzzled with any System of Laws to ascertain and establish them : The valuable Virtue of Humili- ty is secured to us, by your Care to prevent our procuring, or so much as seeing, any Negroes, (the only human Creatures proper to improve our Soil) lest our Simplicity might mistake the poor Africans for greater slaves than ourselves : And that we might fully receive the Spiritual Benefit of those wholesome Austerities ; you have wisely denied us the Use of such Spirit- uous Liquors, as might in the least divert our Minds from the Contemplation of our Happy Circumstances. OUR Suljject swells upon us ; and did we allow ourselves to indulge our Inclination, without considering our weak Abilities, we should be tempted to launch out into many of Your Excel- lency's extraordinary Endowments, which do not so much re- gard the Affair in Hand : But as this would lead us beyond the Bounds of a Dedication ; so would it engross a Subject too extensive for us, to the Prejudice of other Authors and Pane- gyrists ; We shall therefore confine ourselves to that remarkable Scene of Your Conduct, whereby Great Britain in general, and the Settlers of Georgia in particular, are laid under such inexpressible Obligations. BE pleased then, Great SIR, to accompany our heated Ima- ginations, in taking a View of this Colony of Georgia ! this Child of your ausjiicious Politicks I arrived at the utmost Vigor of its Constitution, at a Term when most former States have been struggling through the Convulsions of their Infancy. This early Maturity however, lessons our Admiration, that Your Ex- cellency lives to see (what few Founders ever aspired after) the great Decline and almost final Termination of it. So mr^ny DEDICATION. V, have finish'd their Course during the Progress of the Experi- ment, and such Numbers have retreated from the Fantoms of Poverty and Slavery which their cowardly Imaginations pictur'd to them ; that you may justly vaunt with the boldest Hero of them all, Lilcr Death you reign O'er silent Subjects and a desert Plain. Busiiis, YET must your Enemies (if you have any) be reduced to confess, that no ordinary Statesman could have digested in the like Manner, so capacious a Scheme, such a copious Jumble of Power and Politicks. We shall content ourselves with observ- ing, that all those beauteous Models of Government which the little States of Germany exercise, and those extensive Liberties which the Boors of Poland enjoy, were design'd to concenter in your System ; and were we to regard the Modes of Govern- ment, we must have been strangely unlucky to have miss'd of the best, wdiere there was the Appearance of so great a Variety ; for under the Influence of our Perpetual Dictatoi', we have seen something like Aristocracy, Oligarchy, as well as the Triumvi-^ rate, Decemvirate and Consular Authority of famous Republicks, which have expired many Ages before us : What Wonder then we share the fame Fate ? Do their Towns and Villages exist but in Story and Rubbish ? We are all over Ruins ; our Publick- Works, Forts, Wells, High-Ways, Light-House, Store and Water-Mills, &c. are dignified like theirs, with the same vene- rable Desolation. The Log-House indeed, is hke to be the last forsaken Spot of your Emphe ; yet even this, thro' the Death or Desertion of those who should continue to inhabit it, must suddenly decay ; the Bankrupt Jailor himself, shall be soon denied the Privilege of human Conversation ; and when this last Moment of the Spell expires, the whole shall vanish like the Illusion of some Eastern Magician. BUT let not this solitary Prospect impress Your Excellency with any Fears of having your Services to Mankind, and to the Set- tlers of Georgia in particular, buried in Oblivion ; for if we diminu- tive Authors are allow'd to prophesie (as you know Poets in those Cases formerly did) we may confidently presage. That while the Memoirs of America continue to be read in English, Spanish, or the Language of the Scots High Landers, Your Excellency's Exploits and Epocha will be transmitted to Pos- terity. SHOULD Your Excellency apprehend the least Tincture of Flattery in any Thing already hinted ; we may sincerely assure you, we intended nothing that our Sentiments did not very strict- VI. DEDICATION. ly attribute to your Merit ; and in such Sentiments, we have the Satisfaction of being fortified by all Persons of Impartiality and Discernment. But to trespass no longer on those Minutes, which Your Excellency may suppose more significantly employ'd on the Sequal ; let it suflice at present, to assure you, that we are deeply affected with your Favours ; and tlio' unable of ourselves properly to acknowledge them, we shall embrace every Oppor- tunity of Recommending you to higher Powers, who (we are hopeful) will reward Your Excellency according to your MERIT. May it please Your Excellency, Your Excellecy^s Most devoted Servants, The Land-Holders of G e o r g i a, Authors of the followins: Narrative, ^^'W**^''. PREFACE. f^HE Colony of Georgia has afforded so much suhject of -* Conversation to the World, that it is not to be questioned hut a true and impartial Account of it from its first Settlement to its present ^Period, will be generally agreeable ; and the more so, that the Subject has hitherto been so much disguised and misrepresented in Pamphlets, Poems, Gazettes and Jour- nals. IF it it ask'd, Why this Narrative has not been publish'' d to the World sooner? We assign two Reasons, which (tve doubt not) will be satisfactory. First, A Number of Honourable Gentlemen accepted the Charge of Trustees for executing the Purposes in his Majesty's most gracious Charter; Gentlemen, ivhose Honour and In- tegrity we never did, or yet do call in question : But, to our great Misfortune, none of that honourable Body, (excepting Mr. Ogelthorpe^ ever had Opportunity of Viewing the Situa- tion and Circumstances of the Colony, and judging for them- selves as to the Necessities thereof How far Mr. Oglethorpe's Schemes were consistent with the Welfare or Prosperity of it, will best appear from the following Narrative. WHEN Experience gradually unfolded to us the Alterations tve found absolutely requisite to our subsisting, ive made all duti- ful and submissive Applications to these our Patrons, in whom 106 placed so much Confidence: This Course we judged the most proper and direct, and therefore repeated these our dutiful Ap' plications, both to the Body of the Trustees and to Mr. Ogle- thorpe ; but alas ! our Miseries could not alter his Views of Things, and therefore we could obtain no Redress from him; and the honourable Board we found were prejudiced against our Petitions (no doubt) thro' Misinformations and Misrepre- sentations ; and this (we are confident) a further Enquiry and Time will convince them of THE inviolable Regard we paid to the honourable Board, Icept vs from applying to any other Power for Redress, whilst the least Hopes could be entertained of any from them : And we make no doubt, but that our Moderation in this respect, ivill re- commend us to all Persons of Humanity. A SECOND Reason is, That as we had daily Occasion of seeing our supream Magistrates, who ruled over us with unlimit- VIU. PREFACE. r,(J Power, exercising illegal Acts of Authority, bij Threatnings , Imprisonments, and other Opincssions ; therefore ivc had just Reason to apprehend, that any further Steps to oLtain Relief, might subject us to the like Ilffects of arbitrary Power ; so, until nou\ that a Handful of us have made our Escape to a Land of Liberty (after having made Shipwreck of our Time and Substance in that unhappy Colony) we had it not in our Power to represent the State of that Settlement to the World, or make our Application to higher Powers for Redress. WE are hopeful, that the Perusal of the following Sheets, loill rectify two sorts of Readers in their Surprize in relation to the Colony of GE 'RGIA, viz. Those of Great Britain, who have never known this Part of the World but by Descrip- tion; and those of America : The First are no doubt surprized, to thinli it possible, that so ])leasant and temperate a Clime ; so fruitful a Soil ; such extensive Privileges ; all which were pub- lickly given out ; and such considerable Sums of publiclc and private Benefactions, have not satisfied and enriched us : Them we refer to the following Narrative for Satisfaction The Ameri- can Reader, on the other Hand, must be equally surprized to find that such Numbers should have been so fooled and blindfold- ed, as to expect to live in this Part of America by Cultivation of Lands without Negroes, aiid much more ivithoiit Titles to their Lands, and laid under a Load of Grievances and Restric- tions : And tho' these tvere redressed, Hoiv could Persons in their Senses ever imagine, that Fifty Acres of Pine-Barren, not value Fifty Six pences in Property, (and whereof many Thou- sands may be purchased at half that Rate in the neighbouring Province) could maintain a Family of white People, and pay such Duties and Qiiit-Rents in a few Years, as the richest Grounds in Carolina, or other Provinces in America will never bear ? To these last ive shall only beg leave to observe, that such fatal Artifice was used, (ive shall not say by whom) such specious Pretences were made use of and such real Falsities advanced, and the smallest Foundations of Truth magniffd to Hyperbole ; that ive, ivho had no Opportunity of knowing otherivays, or means of learning the real Truth, and being void of all Suspicion of Artifice or Design, easily believed all these, and fell into the Decoy. THE Mind of Man is Naturally curious and enterprizing ; ive easily feed our Wishes into Realities, and affect and look upon every Novelty in the most favourable Light ; how easy then is it, for Cunning and Artifice to lay hold on the weak Sides of our Fellow- Creatures, as we catch Fish with a Hook baited tty their particular Gout ? PREFACE. TO prove this Charge, we shall only transcribe some Passa- ges from a Piece of Prose, and some from a Piece of Poesie ; by which Specimens, the Reader may judge of sojne considerable Number ivhich were dispersed and vended of the same Stamp. THE First are from a Pamphlet printed at London, 1733, entitled, A new and accurate Account of the Provinces of South- Carolina and Georgia. The Author has not thought fit to favour us with his Name; but it is easy to conceive, that we, ivho suspected no Artifice or Design, must conclude, that it came from the best Authority, fro7n the Circumstances of its being dispersed publicMy, and not being contradicted, and from the Author s intimate Acquaintance (at least so pretended) tvith all the Trustees Measures and Designs. After a high Encomium upon the Trustees, Page 7, he says, ' The Air of Georgia is ' healthy, being always serene and pleasant, never subject to ex- cessive Heat or Cold, or sudden Changes of Weather ; the Winter is regular and short, and the Summer cooled with refreshing Breezes; it neither feels the cutting North-west W^ind that the Virginians complain of, nor the intense Heats of Spain, Barbary, Italy and A^gypt. The soil will produce any Thing with very little Culture.' — Page 19, 'All sorts of Corn yield an amazing Increase; One Hundred fold is the common Estimate ; tl)o' their Husbandry is so slight, that they can only be said to scratch the Earth, and meerly to cover the Seed : All the best sort of Cattle and Fowls are multiplied without Number, and therefore without a Price : Vines are Natives here.' — Page 21, ' The Woods near Savannah are not hard to be clear'd ; many of them have no Under-Wood, and the Trees do not stand generally thick en the Ground, but at considerable Distances asunder : When you fall the Tim- ber for Use, or to make Tar, the Root will rot in four or five Years; and in the mean Time you may Pasture the Ground; but if you would only destroy the Timber, it's done by half a Dozen Strokes of an Ax surrounding each Tree a little abov^ the Root, in a Year or two the Water getting into the Wound rots the Timber, and a brisk Gust of Wind fells many Acres for you in an Hour, of which you may make one bright Bon- fire. Such will be frequently here the Fate of the Pine, the Wall-nut, the Cypress, the OaJc and the Cedar. Such an Air and Soil can only be described by a Poetical Pen, because there is no Danger of exceeding the Truth ; therefore take WALLERS Description of an Island in the Neighbourhood of Carolina, to give you an Idea of this happy Climate : ' The Spring wliicli but salutes u?, here, ' Inhabits there, ami coiiri^ thiMii all the Year • B X. PREFACE. ' Ripe Fruits and Blossoms on the same Tiee live ; ' At onre they proinisi? v\h;it at onre they give. ' So sweet the Air, so moderate the Clime, ' None stckly livt's, or rlies before his Time ; ' Heav'n sure hug kept this :?])0t of Earth uncurst, ' To shew how all Things were created first. Page 27, ' The Indians bring many a Mile the whole Deer's • Flesh, which they sell to the People who liv'e in the Country, ' for the Value of Six-pence Sterling ; and a Wild Turkey of ' Forty Pound weight, for tlie Value of Two-pence.^ — In Page 32, the Author ivhen recomtnen'ling the Georgia Adventure to Gentlemen of decayed Circumstances, who must labour at Home or do worse, states the folloiving Objection, viz. ' If such People ' can't get Bread here for their Labour, how will their Condition ' be mended in Georgia ?' IVhich he solves in the folloiving Manner, — 'The Answer is easy ; Part of it is well attested, and ' Part self-evident ; they have Land there for Nothing, and that Land so fertile, that as is said before, they receive an Hundred fold Increase, for taking a very little Pains. Give here in En- gland ten Acres of good Land to one of those helpless Per- sons, and I doubt not his Ability to make it sustain him, and by his own Culture, without letting it to another ; but the Difference between no Rent and rack'd Rent, is the Differ- ence between Eating and Starving.' — Page 32, ' These Trus- tees not only give Land to the Unhappy who go thither, but are also impowered to receive the voluntary Contributions of charitable Persons, to enable to furnish the poor Adven- turers with all Necessaries for the Expence of their Voyage, occupying the Land, and supporting them till they find them- selves comfortably settled ; so that now the Unfortunate will not be obliged to bind themselves to a long Servitude to pay for their Passage ; for they may be carried gratis into a Land of Liberty and Plenty, where they immediately find themselves in the Possession of a com])etent Estate, in an happier Climate than they knew before, and they are unfortunate indeed if here they cannot forget their Sorrows.' — Nay, as if such Assertions as these were not powerful enough to influence poor People, Calculations are subjoin'' d, to demonstrate, that a Family consist- ing of one poor Man, his Wife, and Child of seven Years old, may in Georgia earn sixty Pounds Sterling per Annum, aiid this abstracted from Silk, Wine, he — Page 41, 'Now this very • Family in Georgia, by raising Rice and Corn sufficient for its ' Occasions, and by attending the Care of their Cattle and Land ' (which almost every one is able to do in some tolerable Degree ' for himself) will easily produce in gross Value the Sum of " '^ixty Pounds Sterling per Annum ; nor is this to be wondered PREFACE. XI. at, because of the valuable Assistance it has from a fertile Soil and a Stock given gratis ; which must always be reuiembred in this Calculation. ' The Calculation of One Hundred such Families when for- mally extended, stands thus,' — Page 43, /. s d. ' In LoJirhn One Hundred ' poor Men earn 500 00 1200 00 2400 00 1200 00 * One Hundred Woman and, > c-^^ ^^ q ' One Hundred Children, 5 ~ ' 1000 00 ' In Georgia an Hundred Families earn, ' One Hundred Men for Labour, - - 1200 00 ' Ditto for Care of their Stock > ' at leisure Hours, 5 * One Hundred Woman and > ' One Hundred Children, 5 * Land and Stock in them- > ' selves, 5 Total, - - - 6000 00 Q. E. D. B UT we must conclude this Head, lest we tire the Reader. We shall now beg Leave to quote a few Poetical Accounts of this Paradise of the World, and of the Fatherly Care and Protec- tion we might depend on from Mr. Oglethorpe. An Hundred Hackney Muses might be instanced ; but we shall confine ourselves to the celebrated Performance of the Rev. Mr. Samuel Wesly, where we might well expect a su^cient Stock of Truth and Religion, to counter-balance a Poetical Licence. Vide a Poem entitled, GEORGIA, and Verses upon Mr. Oglethorpe's second Voyage to Georgia. Printed London, 1736. ' OEC where beyond the spacious Ocean lies • ^ A wide waste Land beneath the Southern Skies ; ' Where kindly Siuis for Ages rolTd in v^in, ' Nor e'er the Vintage saw, or rip'ning Grain ; * Where all Things into wild LuxuiMnce ran, ' And Burthen'd Nature ask'd the Aid of Man. ' In this sweet Climate and prolifick Soil, ' He bids the eager Swain indulge his Toil; * In free Possession to the Planter's Hand, ♦ Consigns the rich unruhivated Land. * Go you, the Monarch cries, go settle there, • Whom Bniam from her Plenitude can spare ; ' Go, your old wonted Industry pursue; ' Nor envy Spain the Treasures of Peru. ' But not content in Council here to join, A further Labour Oglethorpe, is thine : In each great Deed thou claimst the foremost Part, And Toil and Danger charm thy gen'rous Heart : XU. PREFACE. ' But chief I'nr this thy warm Affections rise , ' For i)h '. thou view'st it with a Parent's Eyes; ' For this thou templ'st the vast frenienduous Main, * And Floods and Storms oppose their Tlireats in vain. ' He cpincs, whose Liff, while absent from your View, Was one continued Ministry for you ; For you were laid out all his Pains and Art, Won ev'iy Will and softened ev'ry Heart. With what patern:il Joy shall he relate How views its Mother Isle your little State : Think while he strove your distant Coast to gaitT, How oft he sigh'd and chid the tedious Main ! Impatient to suivey, by Culture grac'd, Your dreary Wood Land and your rugged Wasta. Fair were the Scenes he feign'd, the Prospects fair; And sure, ye Georgians, all he feign'd was their. A Thousand Pleasures crowd into his Breast ; But one, one mighty Thought absorbs the rest, And gives me Heav'n to see, the Patriot cries. Another Britain in the Desert rise. Again, ' With nobler Products see thy Georgia teems, ' Chear'd with the genial Sun's director Beams ; ' There the wild Vine to Culture learns to yield, ' And purple Clusters ripen through the Field. ' Now bid thy Merchants bring thy Wine no more ' Or from th' Iberian or the Tuscan Shore : * No more they need th' Hungarian Vineyards drain. ' And France herself may drink her best Champain, ' Behold ! at last, and in a subject Land, * Nectar sufficient for thy large Demand; ' Delicious Nectar, powerful to improve ' Our hospitable Mirth and social Love : ' This for thy jovial Sons. — Nor less the Care ' Of thy young Province, to oblige the Fair ; ' Here tend the Silk Worm In the verdant Shade, ' The frugal Matron and the blooming Maid. FROM the Whole, we doubt not, the Reader will look upon us as sufficiently punished for our Credulity : And indeed^ who would not have been catch' d with such Promises, such Pros- pects? What might not the Poor Man flatter himself with, from su£h an Alteration in his Situation 1 And, how much more might a Gentleman expect from a plentiful Stoclc of his own, and Numbers of Servants to set up with 1 Could a Person with the least Faith, have question' d the Committing his Interests to such Guardians, and such a tender Father as Mr. Oglethorpe was believed to be 1 Whether he has acted that generous, that humane, that fatherly Part, the following Narrative must determine. As for those Poetical Licences touching the Wine and Silk ; we do not transcribe them as a Reflection upon the Author ; but as a Satyr upon the Mismanagement of those Manufactures : PREFACE. XIU. since no Measures were taken that secmd really intended for their Advancement, WE no wise question the Possibility of advancing such Im- provements in Georgia, tvith far less Sums of Money, properly applied, than the Publick has bestowed: But not even the Flourishing of JVine and, Silk, can make a Colony of British Subjects happy, if they are deprived of the Liberties and Pro- perties of their Birth-right. WE have endeavour'' d to the Utmost to be tender of Charac- ters ; but as we undertake to write an Account of Facts and Truths ; there is no Help for it, when those Facts and Truths press home. IT is a common Satisfaction to Sufferers, to expose to the Publick, the Rocks upon which they split, and the Misfortunes by which they suffered ; and it may well be allowed us, to publish the Causes to luhich we attribute the Ruin of that Settlement and ourselves; and more especially as ive are Prosecutors for Justice from higher Poivers ; ivhich we doubt not receiving as the Case deserves. WE hope the Truth of the folloiving Narrative, will recom- mend itself to the Perusal of the candid Reader. The fatal Truths of this Tragedy hath already been sealed with the Death of Multitudes of our Felloiv- Creatures ; but still ( Thanks to the Providence of the Almighty) some survive to attest and con- firm the Truth of lohat is herein contain' d, against any Persons or Names, however great, however poiverful. Our Circumstan- ces and Sincerity will excuse our Want of that Politeness and Accuracy of Stile, which might have represented our Case to greater Advantage, to the Courteous Reader, whom we shall na finger detain from the Subject in Hand- A True and Historical NARRATIVE, &c NOTHING is more difficult for Authors, than to divest them- selves of Byass and Partiality, especially when they themselves are Parties or Sufferers in the Affair treated of. IT is possible, this may be suppos'd the Case with us, the Publishers of this Narrative ; it may be imagined, that the Hard- ships, Losses and Disappointments, we have met with in the Colony of Georgia, will naturally sour our Humours, and engage us to represent every Thing in the worst Light. AS the Probability of those Surmises is very obvious to us, we have to the utmost of our Power, guarded against the weak Side of ourselves ; and to convince the World of our Sincerity, shall no further descend into the Grievances of particular Persons, than is absolutely requisite for making our General Narrative intelligible ; and to a faithful Detail of Publick Vouchers, Re- cords, Extracts, INIissives, Memorials and Representations, shall only adjoin so much of History, as may be necessary to recount the most material Events, and compleat the Connexion, WE are hopeful, that an Information founded upon the strict- est Truth, will effectually introduce any further Steps that Pro- vidence shall enable us to take towards procuring the Redress of our Grievances. Wliile we had the least Hopes of Redress from our inniiediate Superiors and Patrons, we ivould not, and when we began to dispair of Relief by that Channel, we durst not, make Application to any other Tribunal, unless we would expose ourselves to the dreadful Effects of the Resentment of those who had before reduced us to Poverty by Oppression : And indeed, in all the Applications we made for Redress, we were brow-beat, obstructed, threatned, and branded with opprobrious Names, such as proud, idle, lazy, discontented and mutinous People, and several other Appellations of that kind ; and were always after- wards harrassed by all Means whatsoever f several Instances of which, will appear to the Reader in the Sequel. OUR late Retreat from that Confinement, to a Land of Liberty, puts it in our Power to speak the Truth ; and tho' our Endeavours are too late to relieve the Dead, the Dying, and those many now dispersed in all the Corners ol" his Majesty's; Dominions ; yet they may be the Means of ushering in Sym- pathy and Assistance to the Survivors, and to Multitudes of Widows and Orphans of the Deceas'd, from the Humane and Generous. AS our sole Design is to give a plain Narrative of the Estab- lishment and Progress of the Colony of GEORGIA, from it's Rise to if s present Period; we shall court no other Oniaments than those of Tmth and Perspicuity ; and shall endeavour to carry the Reader's Attention regularly, from the first to the last Motions we make mention of. IN the Year 173-2, His Majesty was pleased to erect, by His ROYAL CHARTER, into a separate Province, distinct from South- Carolina, that Space of Land lying between the Rivers Savannah and Alatamaha, under the Name of GEORGIA. AS this Gracious Charter is the Basis and Foundation of all the Transactions relating to this Province, which have so much amus'd and perplex'd the World, and which our Endeavour is to set in a tme Light; we cannot dispense with inserting the Charter at large, which we are confident for many Reasons, will be acceptable to the Reader. ' r:jEORGE the Second, by the Grace of GOD of Great ' ^-^ Britain, France and Ireland, KING, Defender of the ' Faith, he. To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greet- ' ing. WHEREAS We are credibly informed. That many ot "• Our poor Subjects are, through Misfortunes and Want of Em- ' ployment, reduced to great Necessity, insomuch as by their ' Labour they are not able to provide a Maintenance for them- ' selves and Families ; and if they had Means to defray their ' Charges of Passage, and other Expences incident to new Set- • tlements, they would be glad to settle in any of Our Provinces ' in America; where, by cultivating the Lands at present waste ' and desolate, they might not only gain a comfortable Subsistance ' for themselves and Families ; but also strengtiien Our Colonies, ' and increase the Trade, Navigation and Wealth of these Our ' Realms. AND Whereas Our Provinces in North- America. ' have been frequently ravaged by Indian Enemies ; more espe- • cially that of South Carolina; which in the late War, by the • Neighbouring Savages, was laid waste by Fire and Sword, and ■ great Numbers of the English Inliabitants miserably massacred : • and Our living Subjects who now inhabit there, by Reason of ■ the Smallness of their Numbers, will, in Case of a new War, ■ be exposed to the late Calamities; inasmuch as their whole • Southern Frontier continueth unsettled, and lieth open to the ' said Savages ; AND ivhereas Wo think it highly becoming Our Crown and Royal Dignity, to protect all Our loving Sub- jects, be they never so distant from Us ; to extend Our Fatherly Compassion even to the meanest and most infatuate of Our People, and to relieve the Wants of Our above mentioned poor Subjects ; and that it will be hiirhly conducive for accomplish- ing those Ends, that a regular Colony of the said poor People be settled and established in the Southern Territories of Caro- lina ; AND Whereas We have been well assured. That if We would be graciously pleased to erect and settle a Corpora- tion, for the Receiving, Managing and Disposing of the Con- tributioils of our loving Subjects ; divers Persons would be in- duced to contribute to tlie Purposes aforesaid. KNOW YE Therefore, That WE have, for the Consideration aforesaid, and for the better and more orderly carrying on the said good Pur- poses, of Our special Grace, certain Knowledge, and mere Motion, Willed, Ordained, Constituted and Appointed, and by these Presents, lor Us, Our Heirs and Successors, do Will, Ordain, Constitute, Declare and Grant, That Our Right Trusty and Well-beloved John Lord Viscount Purcivol, of Our King- dom of Ireland, Our Trusty and Well-beloved Echcard Dighy, George Carpenter, James Oglethorpe, George Heathcote, Thomas Tower, Robert Moor, Robert Hacks, Roger Holland, William Sloper, Francis Eyles, John Laroche, James Vernon^ William Belctha, Esqrs, A, M. John Burton, B. D. Richard Bnndy, A. M. Arthur Beaford, A. M. Samuel Smith, A. M. Adam Anderson, and Thomas Coram, Gentlemen, and such other Persons as shall be elected in the Manner herein after mentioned, and their Successors to be elected in the Manner herein after directed, be, and shall be one Body PoHtick and Cor^X)rate, in Deed and in Name, by the Name oi" The Trustees for Establishing the Colony of Georgia m America ; and them and their Successors by the same Name, We do, by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, reall}^ and folly Make, Ordain, Constitute and Declare, to be one Body Politick in Deed and in Name forever; and that by the same Name, they and their Successors, shall and may have perpetual Succession ; and that they and their Successors, by that Name, shall and may forever hereafter, be Persons able and capable in the Law, to purcliase, ha\e, take, receive and enjoy, to them and their Successors, any Manors, Messuages, Lands, Tenements, Rents, Advowsons, Liberties, Privileges, Jurisdictions, Franchises, and other Hereditaments whatsoever, lying and being in Great Britain, or any Part thereof, of whatsoever Nature, Kind or Quality, or Value they be, in Fee and in Perpetuity ; not ex- '"eeding tiie Yearly Value ©f One Thf^ir-^and Povnds, beyond r Reprises; also Estates for Lives, and for Years; ami all other manner of Goods, Chattels and Things whatsoever they be ; for the better Settling and Supporting, and Maintaining the said Colony, and otjier Uses aforesaid; and to give, grant, let and demise the said Manors, ^Messuages, Lands, Tenements, Here- ditaments, Goods, Chattels and Things whatsoever aforesaid, by Lease or Leases, for Term of Years, in Possession at the Time of granting thereof, and not in Reveision, not exceeding the Term of Thirty One Years, from the Time of granting thereof; on which in case no Fine be taken, shall be reserved the Full; and in case a Fine be taken, shall be reserved at least a Moiety of the Value that the same shall reasonably and bona fide, be worth at the Time of such Demise ; and that they and their Successors, by the Name aforesaid, shall and may forever hereafter, be Persons able, capable in the Law, to purchase, have, take, receive and enjoy, to them and their Successors, any Lands, Territories, Possessions, Tenements, Jurisdictions, Franchises and Hereditaments whatsoever, lying and being in America, of what Quantity, Quality or Value whatsoever they be, for the better settling and supporting, and maintaining the said Colony ; and that by the Name aforesaid they shall and may be able to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, an- swer and be answered unto, defend and be defended in all Courts and places whatsoever, and before whatsoever Judges, Justices and other Officers, of Us, Our Heirs and Successors^ in all and singidar Actions, Plaints, Pleas, IMatters, Suits and Demands, of what Kind, Nature or Quality soever they be ; and to act and do all other Matters and Things in as ample Manner and Fonn as any other Our liege Subjects of this Realm of Great Britain, and that they and their Successors forever hereafter, shall and may have a Common Seal to serve^ for the Causes and Businesses of them and their Successors ; and that it shall and may be lawful for them and their Succes- sors, to change, break, alter and make new the said Seal, from Time to Time and at their Pleasure, as they shall think best. AND We do further s;rant, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors. That the said Corporation, and the Common Council of the said Corporation herein after by Us appointed, may from Time to Time, and at all Times, meet about their Affairs when and where they please, and transact and carry on the Business of the said Corporation. And for the better Execution of the Purposes aforesaid, We do, by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, give and grant to the said Corporation, and theh* Successors, That they and their Successors forever, may upon the third Thursday in the Month of March year- ^ ly, meet at some convenient Place to be appointed by the • said Corporation, or major Part of them who shall be present • at any Meeting of the said Corportion, to be had for the ap- ' pointing of the said Place; and that they, or two Thirds of ' such of them that shall be present at such Yearly Meeting, •' and at no other Meeting of the said Corporation, between the ' Hours of Ten in the Moping and Four in the Afternoon of • the same Day, chuse and elect such Person or Persons to be • Members of the said Corporation, as they shall think beneficial ' to the good Designs of the said Corporation. And Ourjurther • Will and Pleasure is, That if it shall happen that any Per- ' sons herein after by Us appointed as the Common Council ' of the said Corporation, or any Persons to be elected or ad- ' mitted Members of the said Common Council in the Manner ' hereafter directed, shall die, or shall by Writing under his and ' their Hands respectively resign his or their Office or Offices of • Common Council Man or Common Council Men ; the said ' Corporation, or the major Part of such of them as shall be • present, shall and may at such Meeting, on the said third ' Thursday in March Yearly, in Manner as aforesaid, next ' after such Death or Resignation, and at no other Meeting of • the said Corporation, into the room or place of such Person or ' Persons so dead or so resigning, elect and chuse one or more • such Person or Persons, being Members of the said Corpora- ' tion, as to them shall seem meet: And Our Willis, That all • and every the Person or Persons which shall from Time to • Time hereafter be elected Common Council Men of the said ' Corporation as aforesaid, do and shall, before he or they act as ' Common Council Men of the said Corporation, take an Oath ' for the faithful and due Execution of their Office ; which Oath • the President of the said Corporation for the Time being, is ' hereby authorized and required to administer to such Person or ' Persons elected as aforesaid. And Our Will and Pleasure ' is, That the first President of the said Corporation is and shall • be Our Trusty and Well-beloved the said John Lord Viscount ' Purcival; and that the said President shall, within Thirty ' Days after the passing this CHARTER, cause a Summons ' to be issued to the several Members of the said Corporation ' herein particularly named, to meet at such Time and Place as ■ he shall appoint, to consult about and transact the Businesses ' of the said Corporation. And Our Will and Pleasure is, and ■ We, by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, ' grant, ordain and. direct, That the Common Council of this • Corporation, shall consist of Fifteen in Number; and We do, • by these Presents, nominate, constitute and appoint Our Right 6 Trusty and WcU-boloved John Lord Viscount Furcival, Our Trusty and Beloved Edward ])ig-i)j/, Cieors;e Carj^niter, James Oglethorpe, George lleathcote, Thomas Lnroche, James Vernon, fVII/iam Bcktha, Esqrs. and Stephen Hales, Master of Arts, to be the Common Council of the said Corporation, to continue in the said Office during their good Behaviour. AND Whereas it is Our Royal Intention, That the Members of the said Corporation shouUl be cncreased by Election, as soon as conveniently may be, to a greater Number than is hereby nominated; Our further fVill and Fleasure is, and We do herchy, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, ordain and direct, That from the Time of sucii Increase of the Members of the said Corporation, the Number of the Common Council shall be increased to Twenty four : and that the same Assembly at which such additional Members of the said Corporation shall be chosen, there shall likewise be elected, in the Manner herein before directed for the Election of Common Council Men, Nine Persons to be the said Common Council Men, and to make up the Number Twenty four. And Our further Will and Fleasure is. That Our Trusty and Well-beloved Edward Digby, Esq. shall be the first Chairman of the Common Council of the said Corporation ; and that the said I^ord Vis- count Purcival shall be and continue President of the said Corporation ; and that the said Edward Digty shall be and continue Chairman of the Common Council of the said Cor- poration, respectively, until the Meeting which shall be had next and inmiediately after the first Meeting of the said Cor- poration, or of the Comnion Council of the said Corporation respectively, and no longer: At which said second Meeting, and every other subsequent and future Meeting of the said Corporation, or of the Conmion Council of the said Corpora- tion respectively, in order to preserve an indifferent Rotation of the several Officers of President of the Corporation, and of Chairman of the Common Council of the said Corporation; We do direct and ordain, Tiiat all and every the Person and Persons Members of the said Common Council for the Time being, and no other, being present at such Meetings, shall seve- rally and respectively in their Turns, preside at the Meetings which shall from Time to Time be held of the said Corpora- tion, or of the Common Council of the said Corporation res- pectively: And in case any Doubt or Question shall at any Time arise toucliing or concerning the Riglit of any Member of the said Common Council to jireside, at any Meeting of the said Corporation, or at the Common Council of the said Cor- poration, the same shall re'=;pectively be df^ermincd by th( major part of the said Coi-poration, or of the Common Coiiii- cil of the said Corporation respectively, who shall be present at such Meetinoj. Frovided always, That no Member of the said Common Council having served in the OfRces of Presi- dent of the said Corporation, or of Chairman of the Common Council of the said Corporation, shall be capable of being or of serving as President or Chairman at any Meeting of the said Corporation or Common Council of the said Corporation, next and immediately ensuing that in which he so served as President of the said Corporation, or Chairman of the said Common Council of tlie said Corporation respectively; unless it shall so happen, that at any such Meeting of the said Corporation there shall not be any other Member of the said Common Council present. And Our Will and Pleasure is, That at all and every of the Meetings of the said Corporation, or of the Common Council of the said Corporation the Presi- dent or Chairman for the Time being, shall have a Voice and shall vote and shall act as a Member of the said Corporation, or of the Common Council of the said Corporation, at such Meeting; and in case of any Equality of Votes, the said Pre- sident or Cliairman for the Time being, shall have a Lasting Vote. And Our further Will and Pleasure is, That no President of the said Corporation, or Chairman of the Conmion Council of the said Corporation, or Member of the said Com- mon Council or Corporation, by Us by these Presents appoint- ed, or hereafter from Time to time to be elected and appoint- ed in manner aforesaid, shall have, take or receive, directly, or indirectly any Salary, Fee, Perquisite, Benefit or Profit whatsoe- ver, for or by Reason of his or their serving the said Corporation, or Common Council of the said Corporation, or President, Chair- man or Common Council Man, or as being a Member of the said Corporation. And Our will and. Pleasure is, That the said herein before appointed President, Chairman or Common Council Men, before he and they act respectively as such, shall severally take an Oath for the faithful and due Execution of their Trust, to be administred to the President by the Chief Baron of Our Court of Exchequer, for the Time being, and by the President of the said Corporation to the rest of the Common Council, who are hereby authorized severally and respectively, to administer the same. And Our Will and Pleasure is. That all and every Person and Persons who shall have, in his or their own Name or Names, or in the Name or Names of any Person or Persons in Trust for him or them, or for his or their Benefit, any Office, Place or Employment of Profit, under the said Corporation, shall be incapable of being electod a iNIeiuber of the said Corporation ; and it' any Member of the said Corporation, during such Time as he shall continue a Member liiereof, siiall in his own Name, or in the Name ol any Person or Persons in Trust for him, or for his Benefit, liave, hold, exercise, accept, possess or enjoy any Office, Place or Employment of Profit under the said Corporation, or under the Common Council of the said Corporation ; such Member shall from the Time of his having, holding, exercising, accept- ing, possessing and enjoying such Office, Place and Employ- ment of Profit, cease to be a Member of the said Corporation. ylnd Wc do, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, grant unto the said Corporation and their Successors, That they and their Successors, or the major part of such of them as shall be present at any Meeting of the said Corporation, conven'd and assembled for that Purpose by a convenient Notice thereof, shall have Power from Time to Time and at all Times hereafter, to authorize and appoint such Persons as they shall think fit, to take Subscriptions, and to gather and col- lect such Monies as shall be by any Person or Persons con- tributed for the Purposes aforesaid, and shall and may revoke and make void such Authorities and Appointments as often as they shall see Cause so to do. And, Wc do hereby, for Us, our Heirs and Successors, ordain and direct, That the said Corporation every Year lay an Account in Writing before the Chancellor or SpeaTier or Commissioners for the Custody of the Great Seal of Great Britain, of Us, Our Heirs and Suc- cessors, the Chief Justice of the Court of Kings-Bench, the Master of the Rolls, the Chief Justice of the Court of Com- mon-Fleas, and the Chief Baron of the Exchequer, of Us, Our Heirs and Successors, for the Time being, or any Tivo o( them, of all Monies and Effects by them received or expended for the carrying on the good Purposes aforesaid. And Wc do hereby, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, give and grant unto the said Corporation and their Successors, full Power and Authority to constitute, ordain and make such and so many By-Laws, Constitutions, Orders and Ordinances, as to them or the greater part of them, at their General Meeting for that Purpose, shall seem necessary and convenient for the well Ordering and Governing of the said Corporation, and the said By-Laws, Constitutions, Orders and Ordinances, or any of them, to alter and annul as they or the major part of them then present shall see requisite ; and in and by such By-Jjaivs, Rules, Orders and Ordinances, to set, impose and inflict rea- sonable Pains and Penalties upon any Offender or Offenders who shall transgress, break or violate the said By Laws. 9 Constitutions, Orders and Ordinances, so made as aforesaid, and to mitigate the same as they or the major part of them then present shall think convenient ; which said Pains and Penalties shall and may be levied, sued for, taken, retained and recovered by the said Corporation and their Successors, by their Officers and Servants from Time to Time to be appointed for that Purpose, by Action of Debt, or by any other lawful Ways or Means, to the Use and Behoof of the said Corporation and their Successors; all and singular which By-haws, Constitutions, Orders and Ordinances, so as afore- said to be made, WE WILL, shall be duly observed and kept, under the Pains and Penalties therein to be contained, so always, as the said By-Laws, Constitutions, Orders and Ordinances, Pains and Penalties, from Time to Time to ])e made and impos- ed, be reasonable, and not contrary or repugnant to the Laws or Statutes of this Our Realm ; and tliat such By-Laws, Constitu- tions and Ordinances, Pains and Penalties, from Time to Time to be made and imposed ; and any Repeal or Alteration thereof, or any of them, be likewise agreed to, be established and con- firmed by the said General Meeting of the said Corporation, to be held and kept next after the same shall be respectively made. AND WHEREAS the said Corporation intend to settle a Colony, and to make an Habitation and Plantation in that Part of Our Province of South- Carolina in America, herein after described; KNOW YE, That We, greatly desiring the happy Success of the said Corporation, /or their further Encouras^c- ment in accomplishing so excellent a Work, Have, of Our 'foresaid Grace, certain Knowledge, and mere Motion, Given and Granted, and by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, do Give and Grant to the said Corporation and their Successors, under the Reservation, Limitation and Decla- ration hereafter expressed, Seven undivided Parts, the Whole in Eight equal Parts to be divided, of all those Lands, Coun- tries and Territories situate, lying and being in that Part of South- Carolina, in America, which lies from the most Northern part of a Stream or River there, commonly called The Savan- nah, all along the Sea Coast to the Southward, unto the most Southern Stream of a certain other great Water or River call- ed Tlie Alatamaha, and Westerly from the Heads of the said Rivers respectively in direct Lines to the South Seas; and all that Share, Circuit and Precinct of Land within the said Boun- daries, with the Islands on the Sea lying opposite to the Eastern Coast of the said Lands, within Twenty Leagues of the same, wliich are not inhabited already, or settled by any Authority derived from the Crown ©f Great Britain, together with all iO the Soils. Grounds, Havens, Ports, Gulphs and Bay:?, Mine.-, as well Royal jMines of Gold and Silver as other Minerals, precious Stones, Quarries, Woods, Rivers, Waters, Fishings, as well Royal Fishings of Whale and Sturgeon as other Fishings, Pearls, Commodities, Jurisdictions, Royalties, Franchises, Pri- vileges and Pre-eminencies within the said Frontiers and Precincts thereof, and thereunto in any sort belonging or appertaining, and which We by Our Letter Patents may or can grant ; and in as ample Manner and Sort as We may, or any Our Royal Progenitors have hitherto granted to any Company, Body, Politick or Corporate, or to any Adventurer or Adven- turers, Undertaker or Undertakers of any Discoveries, Planta- tions or Traflick of, in, or unto, an\^ Foreign Parts whatsoever, and in as legal and ample Manner as if the same were herein particularly mentioned and expressed : To have, hold, possess and enjoy the said Seven undivided Parts, the Whole into Eight equal Parts to be divided as aforesaid, of all and singu- lar the Lands, Countries and Territories, with all and singular other the Premises herein bel'ore by these Presents granted, or mentioned or intended to be granted to them the said Corpora- tion and their Successors, /or cue/*, for the better Support of the said Colony ; to be holden of Us, Our Heirs and Succes- sors, as of Our Honour of Hampton- Court, in Our County of Middlesex, in free and common Soccage, and not in Cai)ite ; Yielding and Paying therefor to Us, Our Heirs and Succes- sors, Yearly for ever, the Sum of Four Shillings for every Hundred Acres of the said Lands which the said Cbrporation shall grant, demise, plant or settle ; the said Payment not to commence or to be made until Ten Years after such Grant, Demise, Planting or Settling, and to be answered and paid to Us, Our Heirs and Successors, in such Manner, and in such Species of Money or Notes as shall be current in Payment by Proclamation from Time to Time in Our said Province of South Carolina; all which Lands, Countries, Territories and Premises hereby granted, or mentioned and intended to be granted. We do, by these Presents, maJce, erect and create, One independant and separate Province by the Name of GEORGIA, by which Name, WE WILL, the same hence- forth be called ; and that all and every Person or Persons who shall at any Time hereafter inhabit or reside within Our said Province, shall be and are hereby declared to be fi-ee, and shall not be subject to or be bound to obey any Laws, Orders, Statutes or Constitutions which have been heretofore made, ordered and enacted, or which hereafter shall be made, ordered or enacted by, for or as the La\vs, Orders, Statutes or Consti- 11 ^ hitions of Our said Province of South- Cardlina (save and except only the Command in Chief of the Militia of Our said Province of Georgia, to Our Governor for the Time beinn- of South-Carolina, in Manner hereafter declared) but shall be subject to and bound to obey such Laws, Orders, Statutes and Constitutions as shall from Time to Time be made, ordered and enacted, for the better Government of the said Province of Georgia, in the Manner herein after declared. And We do hereby, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, ordain, ivill and establish, That for and during the Term of Twenty-one Years, to commence from tlie Date of these Our Letters Patent, the said Corporation assembled for that Purpose, shall and may form and prepare Laws, Statutes and Ordinances, fit and ne- cessary for and concerning the Government of the said Colony, and not repugnant to the Laws and Statutes of England, and the same shall and may present, under their Common Seal, to Us, Our Heirs and Successors, in Our or Their Privy Council, for Our or Their Approbation or Disallowance ; and the said Laws, Statutes and Ordinances being approved of by Us, Our Heirs and Successors, in Our or Their Privy-Council, shall from thenceforth be in full Force and Virtue within Our said Province of Georgia. AND FORASMUCH ^s the good and prosperous Success of the said Colony, cannot but chiefly depend, next under the Blessing of GOD and the Support of Our Royal Authorit}', upon the provident and good Direction of the whole Enter prize ; and that it Avill be too great a Bur- then upon all the ^Iembers of the said Corporation, to be con- vened so often as may be requisite to hold Meetings for the Settling, Supporting, Ordering and IMaintaining the said Co- lony: Therefore JVe do ivill, ordain and establish. That the said Common Council for the Time being, of the said Corpo- ration, being Assembled for that Purpose, or the major part of them, shall from Time to Time and at all Times hereafter, have full Power and Authority to dispose of, extend and apply all the Monies and Effects belonging to the said Corporation, in such Manner and Ways, and by such Expences as they shall think best to conduce to the carrying on and effecting the good Purposes herein mentioned and intended: And also, shall have full Power, in the Name and on the Account of the said Corporation, and with and under their Common Seal, to enter under any Covenants or Contracts for carrying on and effecting the Purposes aforesaid. And Our further Will and Pleasure is, That the said Common Council for the Time being, or the major part of such Common Council which shall be present and assembled for that Purpose, from Time to Time and at all u Times hereafter, shall and may nominate, constitute and appoint a Treasurer or Treasurers, Secretary or Secretaries, and such other Officers, iNIinisters and Servants of the said Corporation, as to them or tlie major part of them as shall be present shall seem proper or re(juisito for the ^ood Management of their Affairs; and at their Will and Pleasure to displace, remove and put out such Treasurer or Treasurers, Secretary or Secretaries, and all such other Officers, Ministers and Servants, as often as they shall think tit so to do, and others in the Rooni, Office^ Place or Station of him or them so displaced, removed or put out, to nominate, constitute and appoint; and shall and may determine and appoint such reasonable Salaries, Perquisites and other Rewards for their Labour, or Service of such Officers, Servants and Persons, as to the said Common Council shall seem meet; and all such Officers, Servants and Persons shall, before the actini; their respective Offices, take an Oath, to be to them administred by the Chairman for the Time being of the said Common Council of the said Corporation, who is hereb}' authorized to administer the same, for the faithful and due Execution of their respective Offices and Places. And Our Will and Pleasure is, That all such Person and Persons wlia shall from Time to Time be chosen or appointed Treasurer or Treasurers, Secretary or Secretaries of the said Corporation, in Manner herein after directed, shall, during such Times as they ■ shall serve in the said Offices respectively, be incapable of ' being a Member of the said Corporation. And We do further^ ■ of Our special Grace, certain Knowledge and mere Blotion, for • Us, Our Heirs and Successors, grant, by these Presents, to ■ the said Corporation and their Successors, That it shall be • lawful for them and their Officers or Agents, at all Times ' hereafter, to transport and convey out of Our Realm of Great • Britain, or any other Oiu- Dominions, into the said Province ' of Georgia, to be there settled, and so many of Our loving • Subjects, or any Foreigners that are willing to become Our ' Subjects and live under Our Allegiance in the said Colony, as ' shall be willing to go to inhabit or reside there, with sufficient ' Shipping, Armour, Weapons, Powder, Shot, Ordnance, Muni- ' tion. Victuals, Merchandize and Wares, as are esteem'd by the ' loild People, Cloathing, Implements, Furniture, Cattle, Horses, ' Mares, and all other Things necessary for the said Colony, and ' for the Use and Defence, and Trade with the People there, ' and in passing and returning to and from the same. Also We * do, for Ourselves and Successors, declare, by these Presents, ' That all and every the Persons which shall happen to be bom ' within the said Province, and every of their Children and 13 Posterity, shall have and enjoy all Liberties, Franchises and Immunities of Free Deiiizons and Natural Born Subjects, within any of Our Dominions, to all Intents and Purposes, as if abiding and born within this Our Kingdom of Great-Britain, or any other Domhiion. AND for the greater Ease and Encouragement of Our loving Subjects, and such others as shall come to inhabit in Our said Colony, fVe do, by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, grant, establish and ordain, That for ever hereafter, there shall be a LIBERTY OF CON- SCIENCE allowed in the IVorship of GOD, to all Persons inhabiting or which shall inhabit or be resident within Our said Pro\'ince, and that all such Persons, except Papists, shall have a free Exercise of Religion ; so they be contented with the quiet and peaceable Enjoyment of the same, not giving Offence or Scandal to the Government. And Our further Will and Pleasure is, and We do hereby, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, declare and grant. That it shall and may be lawful for the said Common Council, or the major part of them assembled for that Purpose, in the Name of the Corporation, and under the Common Seal, to distribute, convey, assign and set over such particular Portions of Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments by these Presents granted to the said Corpora- tion, unto such of Our loving Subjects Naturally born or Denizons, or others, that shall be willing to become Our Sub- jects, and live under Our Allegiance in the said Colony, upon such Terms, and for such Estates, and upon such Rents, Reser- vations and Conditions as the same may be lawfully granted, and as to the said Common Council, or the major part of them so present, shall seem fit and proper. Provided ahvays, That no Grants shall be made of any Part of the said Lands unto any Person being a Member of the said Corporation, or to any other Person in Trust for the Benefit of any Member of the said Corporation ; and that no Person having any Estate or Interest in Law or Equity in any Part of the said Lands, shall be capable of being a Member of the said Corporation, during the Continuance of such Estate or Interest. Provided also, That no greater Quantity of Lands be granted, either entirely or in parcels, to or for the Use or in Trust for any one Person than Five Hundred Acres ; and that all Grants made contrary to the true Intent and Meaning hereof, shall be absolutely null and void. And We do hereby grant and ordain. That such Person or Persons for the Time being, as shall be thereunto appointed by the said Corporation, shall and may at all Times, and from Time to Time hereafter, have full Power and Author- ity to administer and gi\e the Oaths appointed by an Act of 14 Parliament vaade in the First Year of the Reign of Our late Royal Father, to l)e taken instead of iha Oaths of Allegiance and Suprcmaci/ ; and also the Oath of Abjuration, to all and every Person and Persons which shall at any Time be inhabit- ing or residing within Our said Colony ; and in like Cases to administer the solcnm Affirmation to any of the Persons com- monly called Quakers, in such Manner as by the Laws of Our Realm of Great Britain the same may be administred. And We do, of Our further Grace, certain Knowledge and mere Motion, grant, establish and ordain, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, That the said Corporation and their Successors, shall have full Power and Authority for and during the Term of Txventy one Years, to commence from the Date of these Our Letters Patent, to erect and constitute Judicaturies and Courts of Record, or other Courts, to be held in the Name of Us, Our Heirs and Successors, for the Hearing and Determin- ing of all Manner of Crimes, Offences, Pleas, Processes, Plaints, Actions, Matters, Causes and Things whatsoever, arising or happening within the said Province of Georgia or between Per- sons of Georgia ; whether the same be criminal or civil, and whether the said Crimes be Capital or not Capital, and whether the said Pleas be real, personal or mired; and for Awarding and Making out Executions thereupon ; To which Courts and Judi- caturies, We do hereby, for Us, Our Heirs and. Successors, ^?'i'c onflfo-rawi full Power and Authority, from Time to Time, to ad- minister Oaths ibr the Discovery of Truth, in any Matter in con- troversy or depending before them, or the solemn Ajfirmation to any of the Persons commonly called Quakers, m such Manner as by the Laws of Our Realm of Great Britain the same may be administred. And Our further Will and Pleasure is, That the said Corporation and their Successors, do from Time to Time and at all Times hereafter. Register or cause to be Re- gistered all such Leases, Grants, Plantings, Conveyances, Set- tlements and Improvements whatsoever, as shall at any Time- hereafter be made by or in the Name of the said Corporation, of any Lands, Tenements or Hereditaments within the said Province; and shall Yearly send and transmit, or cause to be sent or transmitted, authentick Accounts of such Leases, Grants, Conveyances, Settlements and Improvements respectively, imto the Auditor of the Plantations for the Time being, or his Deputy, and also to Our Surveyor for the Time being of Our said Province of South- Carolina, to whom We do hereby grant full Power and Authority from Time to Time, as often as Need shall require, to hispect and survey such of the said Lands and Premises <\s shall be demised, granted and settled as aibresaiil , 15 wliich said Survey and Inspection, IVe do hereby dectat'e {ohe intended to ascertain the Quit-Rents which shall from Time to Time become due to Us, Our Heirs and Successors, according to the Reservations herein before mentioned, and for no other Purposes whatsoever ; hereby, for Us, Our Heirs and Succes- sors ; strictly enjoyning and commanding. That neither Our or Their Surveyor, or any Person whatsoever, under the Pretext and Colour of making the said Survey or Inspection, shall tak&, demand or receive any Gratuity, Fee or Reward of or from any Person or Persons inhabiting in the said Colony, or from the said Corporation or Common Council of the same, on the Pain of Forefeiture of the said Office or Offices, and incur- ring Our highest Displeasure. Provided always, and Our further Will and Pleasure is, That all Leases, Grants and Conveyances to be made by or in the Name of the said Corpo- ration, of any Lands within the said Province, or a Memorial containing the Substance and Effect thereof, shall be registered w'ith the Auditor of the said Plantations, of Us, Our Heirs and Successors, within the Space of One Year, to be computed from the Date thereof, otherwise the same shall be void. And Our further Will and Pleasure is, That the Rents, Issues and all other Profits which shall at any Time hereafter come to the said Corporation, or the major part of them which shall be present at any Meeting for that Purpose assembled, shall think will most improve and enlarge the said Colony, and best answer the good Purposes herein before mentioned, and for defraying all other Charges about the same. And. Our Will and Pleasure is, That the said Corporation and their Successors, shall from Time to Time give in to one of the Principal Secretaries of State and to the Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, Accounts of the Progresses of the said Colony. And Our Will and Pleasure is, That no Act done at any Meeting of the said Common Council of the said Cor- poration, shall be effectual and valid, unless Eight Members at least of the said Common Council, including the Member who shall serve as Chairman at the said Meeting, be present, and the major part of them consenting thereunto. And Oui* Will and Pleasure is, That the Common Council of the said Corporation for the Time being, or the major part of them who shall be present, being assembled for that Purpose, shall from Time to Time, for and during and unto the full End and Expiration of Twenty One Years, to connnence from the Date of these Our Letters Patent, have full Power and Authority to nominate, make, constitute, commission, ordain and appoint, by such Name or Names, Stile or Stiles, as lo ihem shall seem meet and lilting, all and singular sucU Governours, Judges, Magistrates, jMinisters and Officers, Civil and Military, both by Sea and Land, within the said Districts, as shall by them be thought fit and needful to be made or used for the said Government of the said Colony ; save always and exce[)t such Officers only as shall by Us, Our Heirs and Suc- cessors, be from Time to Time constituted and appointed, for the Managing, collecting and Receiving such Revenues as shall from Time to Time arise within the said Province of Georgia, and be(;ome due to Us, Our Heirs and Successors. Provided always, and it is Our Will and Pleasure, That every Go- vernor of the said Province of Georgia, to be appointed by the Common Council of the said Corporation, l)efore he shall enter upon or execute the said Office of Governor, shall be approved by Us, Our Heirs, or Successors, and shall take such Oaths and shall qualify himself in such Manner in all Respects, as any Govern- or or Commander in Chief of any of Our Colonies or Planta- tions in America, are by Law required to do ; and shall give good and sufficient Security for- observing the several Acts of Parliament relating to Trade and Navigation , and to observe and obey all Instructions that shall be sent to him by Us, Our Heirs and Successors, or any acting under Our or Their Authori- ty, pursuant to the said Acts, or any of them. And We do, by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, will, grant and ordain. That the said Corporation and their Successors, shall have full Power for and during and until the full End and Term of Twenty One Years, to commence from the Date of these Our Letters Patent, by any Commander or other Offi- cer or Officers by them for that Purpose from Time to Time appointed, to train, instruct, exercise and govern a Militia for the special Defence and Safety of Our said Colony, to assemble in Martial-Array, the Inhabitants of the said Colony, and to lead and conduct them, and with them to encounter, expulse, repel resist and pursue, by Force of Arms, as well by Sea as by Land within or Without the Limits of Our said Colony ; and also to kill, slay and destroy, and conquer, by all fighting Ways, Enter- prizes and Means whatsoever, all and every such Person or Per- sons as shall at any Time hereafter in any hostile Manner attempt or enterprize the Destruction, Invasion, Detriment or Annoyance of Our said Colony ; and to use and exercise the Martial-Law in Time of actual War and Invasion or Rebellion, in such Cases where by Law the same may be used or exercised ; and also from Time to Time to erect Forts and fortify any Place or Places within Our said Colony, and the same to furnish with all necessary Ammunition, Provisions and Stores of War, for 17 Ofience and Defence, and to commit from Time to Time the Cus*^^ tody or Government of the same to such Person or Persons as to them shall seem meet ; and the said Forts and Fortifications to demolish at their Pleasure; and to take and surprize, by all Ways and Means, all and every such Person or Persons, with their Ships, Arms, Ammunition and other Goods, as shall in an hostile Manner invade or attempt the Invadint^^, Conquering or Annoying of Our said Colony. And Our Will and Pleasure 7*6t, and We do hereby, for Us, Our Heirs and SuccessorSj declare and, grant, That the Governor and Commander in Chief of the Province of South- Carolina, of Us, Our Heirs and Successors, for the Time being, shall at all Times hereafter have the chief Command of the Militia of Our said Province hereby erected and established ; and that such Militia shall observe and obey all Orders and Directions that shall from Time to Time be given or sent them by the said Governor or Com- mander in Chief, any Thing in these Presents before contained to the Contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding. And, of Our more special Grace, certain Knowledge and mere Motion. We have given and granted, and by these Presents, for Us. Our Heirs and Successors, do give and grant unto the said Corporation and their Successors, foil Power and Authority to import and export their Goods at and from any Port or Ports that shall be appointed by Us, Our Heirs and Successors^ within the said Province of Georgia for that Purpose, without being obliged to touch at any other Port in South- Carolina. And We do, by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Succes- sors, will and declare, That from and after the Determination of the said Term of One and Tiventij Years such Form of Government and Method of making Laws, Statutes and Ordi- nances, for the better Governing and Ordering the said Pro- vince of Georgia, and the Inhabitants thereof shall be estab- lished and observed within the same, as We, Our Heirs and Successors, shall hereafter ordain and appoint, and shall be agreeable to Law ; and that from and after the Detei-mination ' of the said Tenn of One and Tiventy Years, the Governor of Our said Province of Georgia, and all Officers Civil and ■ Military within the same, shall from Time to Time be nomina- ' ted and constituted and appointed by Us, Our Heirs and Suc- ■' cessors. AND LASTL Y, We do hereby, for Us, Our Heirs ' and Successors, grant unto the said Corporation and their ' Successors, That these Our Letters Patent, or the Enrollments ' or Exemplification thereof, shall be in and by all Things, good, ■ firm, valid, sufficient and effectual in the Law, according to the • true Intent and Meaning thereof, and shall be taken, construed ' and adjudged in all Courts and elsewhere, in the most favour- 18 ' able and beneficial Sense, and for the best Advantac^e of iht'' *' said C'Oiporalion and their Successors, any Omission, Imperfec- ' tion. Defect, Matter or Cause or Thin^^ whatsoever to th6 ' Contrary in any wise nolwithstanfhng. IjS IVITNESS We ' have caused these Our Letters to be made Fatent. Witness * Oar Self at Westminster^) the Ninth Day of June, in the * Fifth Year of Our Reign. By Writ of Privy Seal. COOKS. THE gracious Purposes and ample Privileges contain'd in the foregoing CHARTER, arc so obvious to every Reader, that we need only say, they were suitable to a most generous and humane British Monarch ; and had thd Settlement of the Colony of Georgia been carried on conformable thereto, and no other Restrictions or Reservations made, than what are therein men- tioned; then would the Colony at this Time have been in a flourishing Condition, answerable to all those glorious Ends that were proposed and expected from it: But on the Contrary, Laws and Restrictions being made, such as were never heard of in any British Settlement, the Colony is brought to the present melan- choly Situation. But we shall say no more at present on this Head, than what INIr. Oglethorpe said in Parliament relating to the Chai'itable Corporation, viz. * The better the Design was, the more those deserve to be punished ivho have disappointed the Publiclc of Reaping the Benefts that might have accrued from it. INHABITANTS of all sorts, Roman Catholicks only except- ed, from all Parts of the World, were invited to possess thi^ promised Land; and large Sums of Money from the Parliament, as well as Contributions from private and publick Charity, wer6 collected; the County was laid out as an Earthly Paradise; the Soil far surpassing that of England ; the Air healthy, always serene, pleasant and temperate, never subject to excessive Heat or Cold, nor to sudden Changes. IT was particularly set forth, and with a Shew of Reason enough, that this proposed Settlement could not fail of succeed- ing, when the Nation was so bountiful; the King so gracious ; II the Tmstees so disinterested and honourable, who had, for the Benefit of Mankind, given up that Ease and Indolence to \\hich they were entitled by their Fortunes and the too prevalent Custom of their Native Country ; and withal, being able, by seeing the Mistakes and Failures of other Colonies, both to avoid and * Vide Lnnd. Mag. p. 379. (1 Vide a Pamphlet, entitled, A new and accurate Account of the Provineetof South Carolina and Georgia, 19 vyctify them; and lastly, the universal Report of Mr. Ogh- thorpcs matchless Humanity and Generosity, who was to Conduct the first Embarkation, and who was, in all Appearance, to undergo tlie greatest Hardships, without any other View than to succour the Distress'd ; and despising Interest or Riches, was to venture his Life, his All, in establishing the intended Settlement. Glo- rious Presages of the liiture Happiness of that Colony ! Irre- sistable Temptations to those, whose Genius or Circumstances led them to leave their Native Country ! NO Wonder then, that great Numbers of poor Subjects, who lay under a Cloud of Misfortunes, embraced the Opportunity of once more tasting Liberty and Happiness; that Jews, attracted by the Temptation of Inheritances, flock'd over; that Germans, oppress'd and dissatisfied at Home, willingly join'd in the Adven- ture, some as Settlers, and others as Servants to the Trustees; and lastly, that great Numbers of Gentlemen of some Stock and Fortune, willingly expended Part of the same, in purchasing Servants, Tools, Commodities and other Necessaries, to intitic them to such respective Proportions of Land, as the Trustees had thought proper to determine, and such Liberties and Proper- ties as they had Reason to expect from his Majesty's most gra- cious Charter: But how much they were all disappointed, the Sequel will sliew. The First Thing that was done, was the Circumscribing the Rights and Titles given by his Majesty, and making many other various Restrictions, Services and Conditions, impossible for any human Person to perform ; a few of which we shall here enumerate: In the first Place, there was an excessive Quit-Rent laid upon the Land, being a great Deal more than his Majesty's Subjects in the other British Colonies pay, viz. Twen- ty Shitiings Sterling for every Hundred Acres, to be paid yearly ; and if it, or any Part thereof, should be behind and unpaid by the Space of six Calender Months next after any Day of Payment on which the same became due, then the Land was forfeited and retum'd to the Trustees ; as it likewise did upon Failure in any of the following Conditions, viz. One Thousand Mulberry Trees always to be growing on every Hundred Acres ; No Partnership or Company to be enter'd into for making Pot- Ash ; Not to assign or transfer the Land, or any Part or Parcel thereof, or any Estate or Interest in the same, for any Term of Years ; Not to hire, keep, lodge, board or employ, within the Limits of the Province, any Black or Negro ; and if the Person holding Land should die without Issue Male, or his Heirs at any Time should die without Issue Male, in that Case likewise, the whole Land was forfeited and reverted to the Tmstees ; and if any Part or Parcel of any of the Five Hundred Aero Tracts, sliould remain not cultivated, clear'd, planted and iinprov'd after the Space of Eighteen Yeaxs. j^uch Part to return to the Trustees. These were the chief Restrictions in all the Grants of Lands, which appeared ver) Jiard even to Strangers, who had not yet felt them, and who were ignorant of the Climate and INiature of the Place; but when an) one complained of the Hardships of them, lo paliate the Matter, it was given out, that Negroes were entirely useless and unprofit- able, Wine, Silk, Olives, Gardens and Manufactures for Women and Children, were the intended Improvements of the Colony, that the Restriction of the Rights of Lands, were only tempo- rary, to prevent the Bartering or Selling them by the unthinking People, at an Undervalue ; and concerning the Want of Male Issue, it was asserted, that the Trustees being duly petitioned, w^ould grant Continuation of the Land to the eldest Daughter, if any, ^c. upon their good * liehaviour: That the Laws of Evg- laml, and the Administration of Justice, in the most impartial Manner, and most adapted to the Nature of a Free British Government, should be ever secur'd to the Inhabitants. THE First of February, 1732-3, Mr. Oglethorpe arrived at Georgia with the first Embarkation, consisting of JPor^y Families, making upwards of One Hundred Persons, all brought over and supported at the Publick Charge. The First Thing he did after he arrived in Georgia, was to 7na]{;e a kind of solemn Treaty with a Parcel of fugitive Indians, who had been formerly banish- ed theii- own Nation for some Crimes and Misdemeanours they had committed, and w'ho had, some Months before this, got Liberty from the Governor of South- Carolina, to settle there, t Some of these he afterwards carried Home with him under the Title of Kings, ^'■c. and all of them have been ever since main- tain'd at the Pubhck Charge, at vast Expence, when many poor Christians were starving in the Colony for Want of Bread ; and we may safely affirm, (and appeal to the Store-Books for the Truth of it) that a larger Sum of Money has been expended for the Support of those useless Vagrants, than ever was laid out for the Encouragement of Silk, Wine, or any other Manufacture in the Colony. SECONDLY, He 'prohibited the Importation of Rum, under Pretence, that it was destructive to the Constitution, and an Incentive to Debauchery and Idleness: How^ever specious these Pretences might seem, a little Experience soon convinced us. * How precarious must this Security be to sucli unfortunate Persons, when th^ir Behaviour must he judged of by Infoi'tnation and RepresentRtion ? +They built a small Numher of Huts on a Bluncalled Yamacrav). Umanna-' now staniis on the same Bluft', ^21 that this Restriction was directly opposite to the Well-being ol the Colony: For in the first Place, we were cut off from the most innnediate and probable Way of exporting our Timber (the only poor Propect of Export that we could ever flatter ourselves with) to the Sugar Islands, Rum being; the principal Return they make: In the second Place, the Experience of all the Inhabitants of America, will prove the Necessity of Qualifying Water with some Spirit, (and it is very certain, that no Province in ylmen'm yields Jfatcr that such a Qualification is more necessary to than Carolina and Georgia) and the Usefulness of this Experiment has been sufficiently evident to all the Inhabitants of Georgia who could procure it, and use it with Moderation : A third Rea- son which made this Restriction very hurtful to the Colony, was, That tho' the Laws were in force against it, (which put it in the Power of Magistrates to lay Hardships upon every Person who might be otherwise under their Resentment) yet great Quantities were imported,* only with this Difference, that in Place of Barter or Exchange, the Ready Money was drain'd from the Inhabitants: And likewise, as it is the Nature of Mankind m general, and of the common Sort in particular, more eagerly to desire, and more immoderately to use, those Things which are most restrained from them ; such was the Case with respect to Rum in Georgia. THE THIRD Thing he did, was regularly to set out to each Free-holder in Savannah, Lots of Fifty Acres, in three distinct Divisions, viz. The Eighth Part of One Acre for a House and Garden in the Town ; Four Acres and seven-eighths, at a small Dis- tance from Town ; and Fort)/ five Acres at a considerable Remove from thence. No regard was had to the Qualiti/ of the Ground in the Divisions, so that some were altogether Pine Barren, and some Swamp and INIorass, far sur})assing the Strength and Ability ot the Planter : And indeed, what could be done at any Rate, with such small Parcels of Land separate from one another: These Lots were likewise shaped in long pointed Triangles, which con- ^siderably increas'd the Extent of Inclosure, and rendered great Part of each Lot entirely useless. But these and many other Hardships were scarcely felt by the few People that came there, so long as Mr. Oglethorpe staid, which was about Fifteen Months: They work'd hard indeed, in Building some Houses in Town ; but then they labour'd in common, and were likewise assisted by Negroes from Carolina, who did the heaviest Work: But at -j-Mr. Oglethorpe' s going to England, the growing Fame * Vis. From Carolina and J^ew England, who would take Money only, t Befoip he lieparteii, a Vessel with about Iwtnly Families of Jewi arrived, 22 of the Colony was thereby greatly increased, i^o that as it ha^ been before observ'd, People, in Abundance, from all Parts of the World, flock'd to Georgia. Tiien they began to consider, and endeavour, every one according; to his Genius or Abilities, how they might best subsist themselves. Some, with great La- bour and Expence, essayed the Making of *Tarr : Tiiis, a? 'tis well known to the Trustees, never quitted Costs: Others tried to ntakc plaiJcJc and saw Boni-ds ; which, by the great Price they were obliged to sell them at, by Reason of the great Ex- pence of white Servants, was the chief Means of ruining those who thought to procure a Living by their Buildings in Town; for Boards of all kinds, could always be bought in CaroUna, for half the Price that they were able to sell them at ; but few w^re capa- ble to Commission them from thence, and those who were so. were prevented from doing it, upon Pretence of discouraging the Labour of white People in Georgia. Those who had Num- bers of Servants and Tracts of Land in the County, went upon the Planting of Corn, Pease, Potatoes, SfC. and the Charge of these who succeeded the best, so far exceeded the Value of the Produce, that it would have saved three fourths to have bought all from the Carolina Market. The Falling of Timber was a Task very unequal to the Strength and Constitution of white Servants ; and the Hoeing the Ground, they being exposed to the sultry Heat of the Sun, insupportable; and it is well known, that this Labour is one of the hardest upon the Negroes, even tho' their Constitutions are much stronger than white People, and the Heat no Way disagreeable nor hurtful to them; but in us it created injiamatory Fevers of various kinds, both continued and intermittent; ivasting and tormenting Fluxes, most excruciating Choliclcs, and Dry-BcUy-Achs; Tremors, Vertigoes, Palsies, and a long Train of ^ain/it/ and lingring nci'vous Distempers; which brought on to many a Cessation both from Work and Life; especially as Water without any Qualification was the chief Drink, and Salt Meat the only Provisions that could be had or afforded: And so general were these Disorders, that during the hot Season, which lasts from March to October, hardly one Half of the Servants and working People, were ever able to do their Masters or themselves the least Service; and the Yearly Sick- ness of each Servant, generally speaking, cost his Master a? all of whom had Lots assigned them ; and likewise a \'essel u Itli/or^^/trRns- ported Irisli Convicts, whom he j)urchaEeced Planter in the Colony ; but no Regard was had to it, or to what he could say, and great Resentment was even shewn to Mr. Thompson, the Master of the Vessel in which it went. WHILST we labour'd under those Difficulties in supporting ourselves, our Civil Liberties received a more terrible Shock: For, instead of such a free Government as wc had Reason to expect, and of being judged by the Laws of our JVIother Coun- try, a ^Dictator, (under the Title of Bailiff and Store-keeper, was appointed and left by Mr. Oglethorpe, at his Departure, whicli was in April, 1734) whose Will and Pleasure were the only Laws in Georgia : In Regard to this Magistrate, the others were entirely nominal, and in a Manner but Cyphers : Some- times he would ask in Publick their Opinion, in order to have the Pleasure of showing his Power by contradicting them. He would often threaten Juries, and especially when their Verdicts did not agree with his Inclination or Humour. And in order the more fully to establish his absolute Authority, the Store and Dis- posal of the Provisions, Money and public Places of Trust, were committed to him ; by which Alteration in his State and Circumstances, he became in a Manner infatuated, being before that a Person of no Substance or Character, having come over with Mr. Oglethorpe amongst the first Forty, and left England upon account of something committed by him concerning his Majesty's Duties : However, he was fit enough for a great many- Purposes, being a Person naturally proud, covetous, cunning and deceitful, and would bring his Designs about by all possible Ways and Means. AS his Potver encreas'd, so did his Pride, Haughtiness and Cruelty; insomuch that he caused eight Free-holders with an Officer, to attend at the Door of the Court, every Day it sat, with their Guns and Bayonets, and they were commanded, by his Orders, to Rest their Firelocks ns soon as he appeared; which made People in some Manner afraid to speak their Minds, or Juries to act as their Consciences directed them. He was seldom or never uncovered on the Bench, not even when an Oath was « Mr. Thomas Causton. :^4 administered; and being pcrlbclly ivtmicafed witii Power and Pride, lie threatned every Person \vitiiout Distinction, Rich and Poor, Stranc^ers and Inhabitants, who in the least opposed his arbitrary Proctx^lings, or olaim'd their just Rights and Privile- ges, with the Storks, Whipping- Post and Logg-House, and many Tunes put those Threatnings in Execution ; so that the Georgia Stocks, W/iipping-Post and Jjogg-Housc, soon were famous in Carolina, and every when^ else in America, \vhere the Name of the Province was heard of, and the very Thoughts of coming to the Colony became a Terror to People's Minds. And now the Province of Carolina, who had, in private and publick Dona- tions, given us upwards of 1300/. Sterling, seeing these Things, and how the Publick Money was thrown away, began to despise the Colony, and out of a Regard to the Welfare of their Fel- low-Creatures, persuaded every Body they could from settling in it. That this absolute Power might be exercised without the least Interruption, the other Magistrates were such, that they either were unable or incapable to oppose it: It's true, in Decem- ber 1734, Mr. Causton met with a little Interruption; for the Trustees then sent over to Savannah one Mr. Gordon, as Chief Magistrate, who being a Person of a very winning Behaviour, affable and fluent in Speech, soon got the Good- Will of every Body, and a great many of the People laid their Grievances and Hardships open to him, which seem'd a little to eclipse Mr. Caus- ton ; but he soon found out an Expedient to remove this Adver- sary, viz. by refusing him Provisions from the Store, which in a little Time rendered him incapable to support himself and Fami- ly, whereby he was obliged, after about six Weeks stay, to leave the Place, in order, as he said, to represent our Griev- ances to the Trustees, and soon after returned to London; but he did not perform his Promise, for what Reason we sha'n't pre- tend to determine ; and some Time thereafter ho either resigned or was dismissed from his Office of First Bailiff, and Mr. Caus- ton was appointed in his Stead. As to Mr. Henry Parker, who was appointed Third Bailiff when Mr. Gordon came over, he was, in ^]\e first Place, a Man who had nothing to support him- self and large Family but his Day-Labour, which was Sawing, and consequently as soon as his Time was otherwise employ 'd, he must be entirely dependant on the Store for his Subsistence : In the second Place, he was a Man of no Education ; so that Mr. Causton soon moulded him to his own liking, and infused into him what Notions lie pleased : Thirdly, he was and is an absolute Slave to Liquor, and he who plies him most with it (which Caus- ton always took Care to do, and whose Exam})le has been since followed by his Successor Jones) baa him, right or wrong, on his '^o Side. As to Mr. Christie the Recorder, he was easily over-ruled by the other two ; and tlie same Practice was always continued ; ibr he who was appointed Third Bailiff' after Gordon's Dismis- sion or Resignation, was one Darn, nigh Seventy Years of Age, crazed both in Body and Mind, who died not long after his Appointment ; and his Successor /?. Gilbert, could neither read nor write ; so that Causton had ne^■er after Gordon s Departure, any Opposition made by the other Magistrates to his arbitrary Proceedings. If we should allow ourselves to enter into a Detail of the particular Instances of such Proceedings, we should exceed much our proposed Bounds : We shall therefore confine ourselves to two only, which may serve as a Specimen of the many others. ONE is, that of Capt. Joseph Watson: This Person having incurred Mr. CanstoiCs Displeasure, was indicted for stirring up Animosities in the Minds of the Indians, ike. tending to the Ruin and Subversion of the Colony. Upon his Trial, the Jury in their Verdict, found him only guilty of some unguarded Expressions, (altho' twice returned and hectored by Mr. Causton, who acted both as Witness and Judge in the Matter) and verbally recom- mended him by their Fore-man to the Mercy of the Court, imagin- ing or supposing he might be Lunatick ; (however, as it afterwards appeared, it was represented to the Trustees that the Jury found him guilty of Lunacy in their Verdict) whereupon he was imme- diately confined by Mr. Causton, (altho' sufficient Bail was offered) and kept Prisoner near three Years, without any Sen- tence. But, as we are informed this Affair now lies before a proper Judicature, we shall say no more of it. THE other Instance is that of Mr. OdingseU, who was an Inhabitant of Carolina, and had been a great Benefactor to the infirnt Colony of Georgia, having given several Head of Cattle and other valuable Contributions, towards the Promoting it. This person having come to Savannah to see how the Colony succeeded, after he had bee*! there a k-w Days, being abroad some Time after it was Night, as he was going to his Lodgings was taken up in the Street for a Stroller, carried to the Guard- House, and threatned with the Stocks and Whipping-Post ; the Terror and Fright of which (he being a mild and peaceable Man) threw him into a high Fever with a strong Delirium, crying out to every Person who came near him, that they were come to carry him to the Wliipping-Post ; and after lying two or thr^a Days in this distracted Condition, he was carried aboard his boat in order to be sent home, and died in the Way somewhere about DawfusJcce Sound. THUS, while the Nation at Home was amused with the Fame of the Happines'^ and Fl0uriT?hing of the Colony, and of •26 it's being free Iroin Lawyers of any kind, the i)Our niiserault- Settlers and Inlvabitants were exposed to as urbiirary a Govern- ment as Turky or Muscovy ever felt. Verry Looks were crimi- nal, and the Grand Sin of withstanding, or any way opposing Anthority, (as it was called, wlien any Person insisted upon his just Rights and Privileges) was punished without Mercy. Ne- vertheless, we bore all these Things patiently, in full Hopes that the Trustees Eyes would soon be opened, and then our Griev- ances be redressed, and still continued exhausting our Substance in pursuing an impracticable Scheme, namely. Cultivating Land to Advantage.in such a Climate with white Servants only, not doubting, but that the Parliament, who Yearly repeated their Bounty, Would make up our Damages: But alas! their Bounty was applied in Georgia, rather to the Hurt than Benefit of the Colony, as we shall here brietly relate. First, a Light-House was set about ; but before the Frame was erected it was almost half rotten, and has not been carried on any farther, nor never even covered, which has likewise greatly contributed to it's decay; and now that lofty Fabrick, so highly useful to Vessels which make that Coast, is either fallcii or must fall very soon. Logg-Houses and Prisons of various sorts, were built and erased successively, and most Part of them were fitter for Dungeons in the Spanish Inquisition than British Goals. Irons, Whipping- Posts, * Gibbets &/"€. were provided, to keep the Inhabitants in perpetual Terror ; for Innocence was no Protection : And for some Time there were more Imprisonments, Whippings, SfC. of white People, in that Colony of Liberty, than in all British America besides. Corn-Mills, Saw-Mills, Publick Roads, Trustees Plan- tations, (as they were called) PVells and Forts, in difFerenI Places, were all set about, but, as is evident from the Event, with no Design to serve the Publick, but only to amuse the World, and maintain some Creatures who assisted in keeping their Neigh- bours in subjection ; for few or none of these Things were ever brought to Perfection; some of them were left off half finished, and of those that were finished, some were erased (being Ibund of no Service,) and others fell of themselves for Want of proper Care. To carry on the Manufactures of Silk and Wine, a XiaJxlen was planted with Mulberries and Vines, which was to be a Nursery to supply the Rest of the Province: But tliis was as far from answering the proposed End, as every Thing else was ; for it is situated upon one of the most barren Spots of Land in the Colony, being only a large Hill of dry Sand: Great Sums * It was a very usual Thing with General Oglethorpe, when any Persons had incurred his Displeasure, lo threaten to hang them. of Money were tilro^va away upon it from Year to Year, to no Purpose: This was Remonstrated to the Trustees; and they seem'd to be sensible of the Error, and gave Orders to chuse another Spot of Ground ; but the Ruling Powers in Georgia took no Notice thereof. And now, after so great Time and Charge, there are not so Uiany Mulberry -Trees in all the Province of Georgia, as many one of tlie Carolina Planters have upon their Plantations ; nor so much Silk made there in one Year, as many of those Planters do make : Nor could they ever in that Garden, raise one Vine to the Perfection of bearing Fruit. And here it may be observed. That the Sill: Mr. O pe carried over for a Present to Queen CAROLINE, was most of it, if not all, made in Carolina. Tho' no proper Measures were ever taken for advancing the Silk and fVinc Manvfacturcs , yet private Persons made several Assays towards the Culture ol' European Grapes ; but even such Attempts met with no suitable Encour- agement from Mr. Og/eihorpe, as will appear from the following Fact. Abraham De Leon, a Jew, who had been many Years a Vineron in Portngnl, and a Free-holder in Savannah, cultivat- ed several kinds of Grapes in his Garden, and, amongst others, the Porto and Malaga to great Perfection ; of this he sent Home an attested Account to the Board of Trustees, proposing further, That if they would lend him, upon such Security as he offered, Two Hundred Pounds Sterling, for three Years without Liter- est, that he would employ the said Sum, ivith a farther StocJc of his oiun, in sending to Portugal, and bringing over Vines and Vinerons ; and that lie should be bound to repay the Money in three Years, and to have groi&ing within the Colony Forty Thousand s?^c/i Vines, xvhicli he would furnish the Free-holders with at moderate Rates. THE Trustees were satisfied with the Security, and accepted the Proposal, and wrote liim, That they had remitted the Two Hundred Pounds by Mr. Oglethorpe for his Use ; which he did not deny, when applied to by the said Leon for the same, but said, that he could not advance more than Tiventy or Thirty Pounds, in regard he had other Uses for the INIoney; and so that Design dropt. IN February, 1735-6, Mr. Og pe arrived in Georgia, for the second Time, with great Numbers^of People, in order to set- tle to the Southward, where he soon after carried them. Upon the Island of St. Simons he settled a Town, which he called Frederica; and about /f?'e Miles Distance from thence, towards the Sea, he placed the Independant Company which he removed from Port-Royal in Carolina, their former Station. On one of ihe Branches of the Alatamaha he settled (ho High-landers, in r us u V'ilhiiic uiiicli was callcil Daruii. Then he beltled a Fort or* Cumberland, whirli he named *S7. Andrews; and some Timr after lie caused a Garrison of td)out Fifty Men to be placed upon a Sandy I^-bnid (witliout fre<=h Water) in the Montli of Si. John's River, opposite to a S^jani.-ih Lvok-Oui, where Pos.~es-ion was kept for about six Months, and several J'^ortifications bnill : but at last he was oblig'd to abandon it, after seAcial People had lost their Lives by the Inconveniencies of the Place, besides greai Sums of Money thrown away in vain. WHILST Things thus passed in the Southern Part of the Province, Mr. Causton, was not idle at Sataimoh ; and one woul(5 have thought, that he made it his particvdar Design further t'~ exasperate the People of Carolina : Pie stopt their Boats who were going up to iY(W-7r7n(/sor; and not content with that, lu caus'd them to be searched, and whatever Rum was found there- in, was directly stav'd, in Pursuance of an Act, as he alledg'd. entitled. An Act against the Importation of Rum into the Colony o/ Georgia. To complain of this, and to represent the bad State of the Indian Trade, a Conmiittee from the Assembly of South-' Carolina, arrived at Savannah in July 1736, where Mr. Og ye then was : But their coming was of little Consequence ; for after this the Differences and Animosities betwixt the two Province.'? rather encreased than diminished; and we shall only observe, that one Thing is certain, that ever since Mr. Ogle -pe inter- meddled in the Indian Trade, it has decayed a-pace, and at this Time is almost intirely good-for-nothing either to the one or the other Province. THUS wdiile the Province of Carolina resented the bad Treat- ment they had met with from the Leading Powers in Georgia, against the Colony in general, the poor Inhabitants were doubly unfortunate, being ill look'd upon by their nearest Neighbours and Friends, for the Actings of their Governors, while they themselves were still the greatest Sufferers by those very Actings. WHILST INlr. O pe staid in Georgia, great Complaint? were made against the arbitrary Proceedings of Mr. Causton ; but to no Purpose : Likewise several Persons endeavoured to shew the Impossibility of the Colony's succeeding, according to it's then present Constitution : But if this was done in his Hear- ing, he either always Brow-beat the Person or evaded the Dis- course; if by Letters, he never made any Answer to them; even altho' he had given publick Orders, that every Person should give in their Grievances and Complaints to him in Writing, and that he would consider and answer the same. But that we might not be entirely ignorant of his Thoughts, Mr. Causton, who always-' spoke his Sentiments, publickly declar'd That ice had neither w Lands, Rights or Possessions; That the Trustees gare and that the Trustees could freely take away: And attain, when he was told, that the Light-House wanted a few SpTke-Nails to fasten some of it's Braces which were loose, and which might occasion the Downfall of the whole Fabrick ; he answer'd That he would say as Mr. Oglethorpe said. It might fall and be d d. Mr. Oglethorpe staid in Georgia until November 1736, most^of which Time he spent to the Southward, and then embark'd for England, leaving Mr. Causton with the same Authority he had formely invested him with and in the same Power he then exercised, and the Colony under the same Difficulties and Hardships. liM 31arch thereafter we had Advice of the Spaniards Inten- tions of attacking the Colony from the Uavannah. This put the whole Province in great Consternation, especially the Town of Savannah; they having neither Fort, Battery, or any other Place to shelter themselves in, in Case of any actual Attack ; therefore they immediately set about Building a Wooden Fort, and all sorts of People labour'd continually until it was in some Measure finish'd; only Mr. Causton never came to the Work but did all he could to retard it, making light of the Information' altho' it was sent Express by Commodore Dent, with a Letter directed to the Commander in Chief of Georo-in ; and has since been put out of all Manner of Doubt,' the Spaniards having at that Time, Four Thousand Men embarqued and ready to sail, it an extraordinary Accident had not prevented *them. People now seeing the little Care that was likely to be taken in Case of a real Attack; and likewise finding, to their Cost, that the Im- provement of Land was a vain and fruitless Labour with white Servants only, and with such Restrictions and precarious Titles, many began to withdraw and leave the Colony, and very little was planted this Season. AND Nolo to make our Subjection the more compleat, a new 1737. '^'"^f^^ Tyranny was this Summer begun to be imposed upon us ; for Mr. John tVesly who had come over and was receiv'd by us as a Clergyman of the Church of England, soon discovered that his Aim was to enslave our Minds, as a necessary Preparative for enslaving our Bodies. The Attendances upon Prayei's, Meetings and Sermons inculcated by him, so frequently, and at improper Hours, inconsistent with necessary Labour, espe- cially in an infant Colony, tended to propagate a Spirit of Indo- lence and of Hypocrisy amongst the most abandoned ; it being much They werH Jetaiii'd ejs^ht Days at the Havannnh, by contrary Winds (the Land-Forces being on board all that tin.e) ai the End of which there came Orders from OW 6/)ui„, to loihear Hostilities, the Convention being then iigreecl ii|)(im. 30 easier for such Persons, by an affected Shew of Religion, and Ad- herence to INIr. Wcah/s Novelties, to be provided by liis Procure- ment from the publick Stores, than to use that Industry which true Religion recommends: Nor indeed could the Reverend Gentle- man conceal the Designs he was so full of, Having frequently declar'd, That he never (Jesir'd to sec Georgia a Rich, But a * Rcligiovs Cohyiiy. AT last all Persons of any Consideration came lo look upon him as a Roman Cathotick, for which the following Reasons seem'd pretty convincing. 1st, Under an alfected strict Adher- ence to the Church of England, he most unmercifully damned all Dissc7iters of whatever Denomination, who were never admitted to communicate with him until they first gave up their Faith and Principles entirely to his Moulding and Direction, and in Confirmation thereof declared their Belief of the Invalidity of their former Baptism, and then to receive a new one from him: This was done pubhckly on the Persons of Richard Turner, Carpenter, and his Son. Another Instance was that of William ^ojf, who had once communicated and always conformed to his Regulations, but was at last found out by Mr. Wesly to have been baptized by a Freshyttrion Dissenter, the same Thing was pro- pos'd to him; but Mr. Gaffuot inclinable to go that Length, was ever thereafter excluded from the Communion. 2f//y, While all Dissenters (whereof a considerable Number was in the Colony) were thus unmercifully danmed, and shut out from Religious Ordinances, contrary to tliat Spirit of Moderation and Tenderness which the Church of England shew towards them ; Persons suspected to be Roman Catholicks were received and caressed by him as his First-Rate Saints. Sdly, A third Confirmation of this Suspicion arose from his Endeavours to establish Confession, Pennance, Mortifications, Mixing Wine with Water in the Sacrament, and Suppressing in the Administration of the Sacrament, the Explanation adjoyned to the Words of communicating by the Church of England, to shew that they Mean a Feeding on Christ by Faith, saying, no more than " The Body of Christ; Tlie Blood of Christ ; " by Appointing Deaconesses, with sundry other Innovations, which he called ApostoUclc Constitutions. Athly, As there is always a strict Connexion betwixt Popery and Slavery; so the Design of all this fine Scheme seem'd to the most Judicious, to be calculated to debase and depress the Minds of the People, to break any Spirit of Liberty , and humble them with Fastings, Pennances Drinking of Water, and a thorough Subjec- Arcor'ling lo bis System. 31 tion to the Spiritual Jurisdiction which lie asserted was to be established in his Person ; and when this should be accomplished, the Minds of People would be equally prepared for the Receiv- ing Civil or Ecclesiastical Tyranny. All Jesuitical Arts were made Use of to bring the well con- certed Scheme to Perfection ; Families were divided in Parties ; Spies were engaged in many Houses, and the Servants of others l)rib'd and decoy'd to let him into all the Secrets of the Families they belonged to; nay, those who had given themselves up to his Spiritual Guidance (more especially Women) were obliged to discover to him their most secret Actions, nay even their Thoughts and the Subject of their Dreams: At the same Time he gave Charge to Juries ; gave his Opinion in all Civil Causes that came before the Court: Nor could we imagine what all this would end in : Complain we might ; but to no Purpose : And Mr. Cawdon and he went Hand-in-Hand. BUT the merciful Providence of GOD disappoints frequently those Designs that are laid deepest in Human Prudence. Mr. Wcshj at this Time repulsed Mrs. Sojyhia Williamson, Neice to Mr. Causton, from the Sacrament. This young Lady was by her Friends put under the Ghostly Care of Mr. Wesly; who was pleased to make Proposals of Marriage to her : These she always rejected ; and in some little Time married Mr. William WiJliamson of Savannah, much contrary to Mr. W'eA/y's Inclina- tions: After the said Marriage Mr. Wesly used all Means to create a Misunderstanding betwixt Mrs. Williamson and her Husband, by persuading her, that Mr. Williamson had no Right to regulate her Behaviour as to conversing with him, or attending Meetings as formerly ; but at last finding he could gain Nothing upon her, and tliat Mr. Williamson had forbade him any Conver- sation with his Wife cut of his Presence, he took the 'foresaid Means, by repelling her from the Holy Communion, of shewing his Resentment. Mr. Williamson thought himself well founded in an Action of Damages; and Mr. WESLY (being no longer supported by Mr. Causton, who was highly nettled at the Affront put upon his Neice, and could now declaim as fluently against Spiritual Tyranny as any Person) was indicted before a GRAND JURY of Forty Four Free-holders, and Thirteen Indictments were found against him ; one concerned Mr. Williamson and Lis Spouse ; the others concerning the Grievances we felt by his Measures, and the Exercise of his Ecclesiastical Functions, as above related : These last were given in to the Magistrates, to be by them laid before the Tmstees, that these our Grievances might in Time coming, be properly redressed, (we having no other Jurisdiction, either Civil or Ecclesiastical, 32 thai we could iiiukc Application to ;) Then the Grand Jury began to consider and think, that as it was not probable a greater Num- ber of the better Sort of People could ever be legally met toge- ther; so this was a fit Time to represent their Grievances and Hardshij)s to the Trustees: Which they did in the following Manner. An Abstract of the Jlepreacntation of the Grand Jury of SAVANIXAH, to the Jlonourabh the Trustees. ' Wl E the Grand Jury duly sworn on the 22c? of the last ' ^ ^ Month, and iiaving divers Matters laid before us, whicli ' we humbly conceive, cannot properly be presented to this Court, because several of the said Matters touch the Proceed- ings of the Magistrates of the said Court, and contain sundry Articles, setting forth many publick Necessities and Hardships, which can only be remedied by your Honours Authority: THEREFORE, We the said Grand Jury having examined several Witnesses, do, upon our Oaths, Represent to your Honours the following Grievances, Hardships and Necessities. ' THAT as the Inhabitants of this Town and County have • been and are still subject to many Inconveniencies, for Want ' of a Body of the Laws and Constitutions of this Province ; it • being exceeding Difficult in many Cases, both for Grand and • Petit Juries, to discharge in a proper manner the great Duties • that are incumbent on them by their Oaths ; so we hope Your • Honours will assist us, that we may be enabled well and truly • to execute our Duties as aforesaid. ^ ' THAT Thomas Causton, by his arbitrary Proceedings, hath • endeavoured to render the Power and Proceedings of Grand • Juries ineffectual, especially this Grand Jury, by intruding upon ' it when inclosed and about Business, and using the Members ' thereof, with great Haughtiness and Ill-nature, and threatning '^ to dissolve them. ' THAT the said Thomas Causton, by his Office of Store- • keeper, hath the Dangerous Power in his Hands of alluring • weak-minded People to comply with unjust Measures , and also • over-awing others from making just Complaints and Repre- ' sentations to Your Honours; and the known Implacability of ' the said Causton, and his frequent threatning of such People, ' is to many weak-minded tho' well-disposed Persons, a strong ' Bulwark against their seeking Redress, by making proper Com- • plaints and just Representations to You their Benefactors, ^ Patrons and Protectors. ' THAT the said Causton has made great Advancements on • Provisions and Goods sold out of the Trustees Store to the 33 inhabitanta, contrary to Mr Oglethorpe's Promise when ho llrsf settled tliis Colony, and contrar)', as we apprehend, to Your Honours good Intentions, and greatly detrimental to llic Pros- perity of the Colony; and that he hath refused to pay the Publick Debts otherwise than in Provisions at those (har Rates, and sometimes bad and unwholsome, out of tlie Publick Store, whereby the Inhabitants were ^/•(7///_y distressed, and some have been obliged to leave the Province. ' THAT whereas one John White, who had been committed for Felony, at the Suit of Jf^iUiam AgUonhi/, and he the said Aglionhy was bound to prosecute the same at next Court : Notwitlistanding lie the said IVhitc was removed before that Time by a Warrant under the Hand and Seal of Thomas Christie ^ and as we think, by the Advice and Connnand of TJiumus Causton ; by which Means we imagine the Criminal has escup- * ed Justice, to the great Encouragement of enormous Offenders, contrary, as we conceive, to the Laws of our Country, the Peace of our Sovereign Lord the King, his Crown and Dignity, and particularly to the Welfare of this Your Colony. ' THAT the said Causton did greatly discourage the Inhabi- tants of this Town and County, in the Measures they had taken for the Defence and Safety of this place in the late Alarm from the Sjjaniards ; for altho' almost every Body, Masters and Servants, labour'd continually in making a Fort to defend themselves, in case of Necessity; yet he the said Causton never came nigh the Work, but by his Words and Behaviour did all he could to prevent it; until at last the People were obliged to leave off the Work unfinished, contrary to the Welfare and Safety of this Colony. ' THAT the said Causton hath greatly prevented and discour- aged the Cultivation of Lands, by his hindring People to settle on the Tracts that were allotted to them by the Trustees ; whereby several People have been greatly distressed, and some almost ruin'd, contrary (as we humbly conceive) to Your Ho- nours good Intention, aud the principal Part of Your glorious Undertaking. ' THAT the said Thomas Causton, in order to colour his illegal Proceedings, hath uttered Words to this or the like Pur- pose, We do not stand upon our Feet; we do not Jcnoio either our Lau's or Liberties, nor what the Trustees intend ; a Ma." gistrate cannot act to strict Forms, hut may dismiss Matters of Petty-Felony in the easiest Maimer; thereby claiming to him- self (as we humbly conceive) a dispensing Power, fatal to the Liberties of British Subjects, and contrary, &fc. ■ THE Want of Puhlick Roads hath been greatly detrimental 31 ' to many wiio have Settlements at any Distance Ironi thi.-j Place : ' and some have lost, and are still liable to loose great Part ot ' their Crops, through the Difficvilly of passing to and from their ' Plantations. ' THAT the great Want of Strvaiits in this Town and Coun- ' ty doth render the Free-holders thereof incapable of j)roceeding ' with proper V^igor in the Cultivating their Lands ; and as the * Honourable James Oglethorpe, Esq; did generously promise, ' that Your Honours would be pleas'd to give this Colony con- ' tinual Assistance, by sending over Servants to the said Free- ' holders at reasonable Rates : Therefore, we do, with all Hu- ' mility, lay before Your Honours the great and general Want of * Servants in this Town and County ; not doubting Your timely * Assistance therein. ' THAT the Town of Savanmh stands in the utmost Need^ ' of having a good Wharff and Crane, for the Conveniency of ' both Strangers and Inhabitants, they being at double Pains and ' Costs in landing and getting their Goods up the Bluff. ' THAT the Light-House of Tyhee, which with great Labour * and (as we humbly conceive) vast Expence to Your Honours. ' remains unfinish'd and uncover'd; by Reason of which, that ' most necessar}^ and lofty Structure is subject to all the Injuries * of Weather, and may totally decay if not in time prevented, ' which will be greatly detrimental to the Trade, Navigation and ' Welfare of this Colony. ' THAT the Inhabitants of this Town and County are at vast ' Expence in Time of Sickness, especially they who have most ' Servants; it being a general Misfortune, that during the hot * Season of the Year, hardly one Half of the Servants are able ' to do their Masters any Work, by Reason of the violent Sick- ' nesses ; which hath very much prevented the Inhabitants front * making Improvements. ' IT is without the least Personal Resentment to Mr. Causton. '' or any other Person, that we do, with the most profound Res- * pect and Duty, lay before Your Honours the foregoing Griev- ' ances. Hardships and Necessities; and it is not the Persons or ' Personal Infirmities of any of the Magistrates we blame ; but ' such of their Actions and Words as (we humbly conceive) tends ' to the Subversion of our Laws and Liberties ; and we are firmly ' pursuaded, that Mr. Causton would not have impannelled this ' Grand Jury, on an Affair that so nearly concerned him as that ' of his Neice's did, if he had not believed the several Persons ' of this Grand Jury, to be Men of strict Integrity, and no way * prejudiced against him ; and as we the said Grand Jury are, for * the time being, appointed for the solemn Representation of ' Tnuli, \VG humbly hope l(our Honours will consider this our * Representation, as proceeding from a strict, impartial and sound ' Enquiry. In Witness, ^c. This fir/ti Day 0/ September, 1737. THE Orginal of tliis was signed by all the Forty Four, and sent Home ; but Avas taken no Notice of by the Tiaistees for any Thing ever we heard ; and we hope it will appear evident to every judicious Reader, that this Jury was neither byassed nor intimidated by Causton, to the Prejudice of any Person what- 5?oever, as Mr. Wcstly asserts in his Journal Prirtted at Bristol, ]739. H(! likewise says, there ivcre a professed. Atheist and Deist in the Number ; but for our Parts we know of neither ; But a Man of Mr. Wesly's Principles, who makes no ScrUple of writing wilful Falshoods (as may be seeh by any Body that compares this Narrative with his Journal) and of damning every Person of a contrary Opinion with himself; may, loithout Hesi- tation, give People what Appellations come in his Head: How- ever this put an End to any further Prosecution of Mr. Wesly's Schemes ; for soon after this, he departed the Colony privately by Night, and went to Charles-Town, and from thence to England. Mr. Wcsly had Address enough (as he says in his foremen- tioned Journal) to persuade several Persons who Were Members of the Grand Jury, to retract (by some Paper which he drew up for them to sign) their former Sentiments ; but this, if it was at all, proceeded entirely from the solemn Assurances which he gave them, that his main Design Home was to represent the Grievances and Oppressions lahich the poor Colony laboured under; and upon this Account was charged with divers Letters and Papers from private Persons, relating to the Colony ; which he undertook faithfully to delivex: But as we have since found, that all iMr. Oglethorpe's Interest was employed to protect Mr. Wesly ; it is no wonder those Promises were never fulfil'd ; nor indeed could it ever be ascertain'd, that even the private Letters which he carried, were so much as delivered. ON the other Hand Mr. Causton ever after bore a mortal Hatred to the Members of this Grand Jury, and took every Opportunity to shew his Resentment ; and we doubt not but he prevail'd upon three or four of them to a Recantation, having either terrified or starved them into a Compliance: But we bore tiiese Things the more patiently, as being satisfied the Trustees were Gentlemen who had our Interest at Heart, and who would hoar and redress our Grievances in due Time; and that Mr. O fe might still be a Friend to the Colony; but at last 36 we heard He had procured a Regiment for its Defence, of which he was made Colonel ; and that He was likewise made General and Commander in Chief over all his Majesty's Forces in South- Carolina and Georgia. This News was confirmed by Willia7>i Stephens, Esq ; who was sent over as Trustees Secretary to represent the State and Condition of the Colony as it really was, and to assist and consult with the Magistrates: But ]\Ir. Causton soon found the Means to bring over '^the old Gentleman to his Interest, or at least to acquiesce in every Thing he said or did ; lor he had still the Command of the Cash and Stores, and Mr. Stephens had Nothing to live upon but his Salary, which he could stop the Payment of at Pleasure ; so our Secretary remained passive until Camton's Government ended. AT last Mr. Oglethorpe comes over for the third Time, in September, with the Remainder of his Regiment ; the other Part havmgcome with Col. Cochran in May: But alas! this Regi- ment was of no Service, otherwise than to strengthen us in Case of an Attack ; for we could neither furnish them in Cloaths, Pro- visions nor any one Thing they wanted: And to put us out of all Hopes of Bettermg our Condition, Mr. Oglethorpe was pleas'd to declare in the Court-House of Savannah, That as long as he had any thing to do with the Colony, there should neither be Allowance of Negroes nor Alteration in the Titles of Land; and if any such Thing should happen, he ivouldhavc no further Concern with it. Tlie People thus seeing there was no Hope of Redress, left the Colony daily; and the Trustees Credit receiving a great Shock by their refusing Mr. Causton' s certified Accompts, and an entire Stop being Put to the Publick Store; many poor Wretches died of Hunger: For at this Time Mr. Causton was turned out of all his Places, and the Store was ordered to be sold, in order, as was said, to pay off the Trustees Debts : One Thomas Jones, a Favourite of Mr. Oglethorpe, whose Character we shall have Occasion to give afterwards, was put in his Place, as Cash and Store-keeper, only with a different Title, viz. that of Magazine-keeper; for none but the Trustees Servants were to be supplied from it: But the Contrary soon appeared ; for the Sola Bills that were sent over, were ordered to be issued out in the Names of William Stephens, Esq; Mr. Ihomas Christie and Mr. Thomas Jones, or any ttvo of thera; but the other two agreeing together, entirely excluded Christie. and paid them to whom and for what Purpose they thought convement: They bought New- York Cargoes, and any other Commodities that could be got in Quantities, and put them into the Magazine, where they were sold out by Jones in Wholesale and Retail, for ready Money, at exorbitant Rates. This Trade 37 diey have carried on ever since, to their vast Advantage ; but to tlie no small Distress of the poor People, who are obliged to give at the Rate almost of Cent, per Cent, for their Provisions. "^Fhus under the Colour of no Store, these two keep as open a one as ever Causton did ; and by having the Publick Money at their disposal, the Payment of all Salaries and Pensions coming through their Hands, they are become as absolute ; with this Difference, that Mr. Causton's Power in every Respect, extend- ed over the whole Colony when it was most populous and Mo- ney most plenty ; but theirs seems only to affect the wretched Remains of Savannah. We might have imagin'd, that the Trustees were somewhat moved with our re.peated Complaints and that Mr. Causton's Removal was owing thereto : But alas ! in this we w ere mistak- en; Nothing (as ever we could understand) was laid to his Charge on our Account ; and it was of small Benefit to us, whether the Mismanagement of Money, which was the Reason of his Dimission, lies at his or Mr. Oglethorpe's Door: And we cannot hut here take Notice that Mr. Causton's Case fortifies the Common Observation, That those who prostitute themselves to carry on illegal and oppressive Schemes, when they have once stuclc in the Mire, they are forsaken by their Employers, and despised by all the World besides. Mr. Oglethorpe staid not long at Savan7iah, his common Residence being at Frederica, where they had, in Imitation of us, built a few Houses, and cleared some Land ; but finding Planting not answer, they left it off, and as soon as the Regiment came, almost every Body betook themselves to the Keeping Publick-Houses ; and in this INIanner do the few that now remain live. ALL the Publick Work being put a Stop to, and Clearing of Land being found impracticable, by which most of us had ruin'd ourselves; we were in a miserable Condition ; and all hope from Mr. Oglethorpe being at an End, we could hardly tell what to do: But still thinking, the Trustees might be ignorant or misin- formed of the present Condition of the Colony, we at last resolved to set forth our Grievances in a short and general Representation, to be signed by all the Free-holders in the Colony; of which the following is an exact Copy. To the Honourable the Trustees for Establishing the Colony of Georgia in America. May it please Your Honours ; WE whose Names are under-written, being all Settlers, Free-holders and Inhabitants m the Province of Georgia^ ;j8 ' and being sensible of the great Pains and Care exerted by You ' in Endeavouring to settle this Colony, since it has been under ' Your Protection and Management ; l)o unaniuiously join to lay *■ before You, with the utmost Regret, the following Particulars: ' But in the first Place, we must beg Leave to observe, that it ' has afforded us a greiit deal of Concern and Uneasiness, that ' former licprcscntations made to You of the same Nature, have ' not been thought worthy of due Consideration, nor e\cn of an ' Answer. We have most of us settled in this Colony in Pur- ' suance of the Description and Recommendation given of it by ' You in Britain ; and from the Experience of residing here ' several Years, do find that it is impossible that the Measures * hitherto laid down and pursued for making it a Colony can suc- * ceed. None of all those who have jilanted their Land have ' been able to raise Sufhcient Produce to maintain their Families ' in Bread kind only, even tho' as much Application and Indus- * try have been exerted to bring it about, as could be done by ' Men engaged in an Affair on which they believed the Welfare of ' themselves and Posterity so much depended, and which they * imagin'd required more than ordinary Pains to make succeed ; * so that by the accumulated Expences every Year, of Provisions, ' Cloathing and Medicines, for themselves. Families and Servants, * several hath expended all their Money, nay even run consider- ' ably in Debt, and so been obliged to lea\'e off Planting and ' making further Improvements ; and those who continue are ' daily exhausting more and more of their Money, and some *• daily increasing their Debt, without a Possihiiitij of being ' reimbursed, according to the priscnt Constitution. This being * now the general State of the Colony, it must be obvious that ' People cannot subsist by their Land, according to the present ' Establishment ; and this being a Truth resulting from Tryal, ' Practice and Experience, cannot be contradicted by any thco- ' rical Scheme or Reasoning. The Land then, according to the ' present Constitution, not being ca[)able to maintain the Settlers ' here, they must unavoidably have recourse to and depend upon ' Trade : But to our wofnl Experience likewise, the same ' Causes that prevented the ^/"il!, obstruct the latter; for tho' the ' Situation of this Place is exceeding well adapted for Trade, and *■ if it was encouraged, might be much more improved by the ' Inhabitants ; yet the Diiiiculties and Restrictions, which we ' hitherto have and at present do labour under, debar us of that ' Advantage : Timber is the only Thing we have here which we ' might export, and notwithstanding we are obliged to fall it in ' Planting our Land ; yet we cannot manufacture it for a Foreign ^ Market but at double the Expcncc of other Colonies ; a« for 39 ' Instance, tJie River of May, which is but tu-enti/ Miles from irs, • with the Allowance of Negroes, load Vessels vrith. that Comri-iC- ' (lity at one Half of the Price that we can do ; and what should • induce Persons to hrinii; Ships here, when they can be loaded ■• with one Half of the Expence so near us ; therefore the Timber • on the Land is only a continual Charge to the Possesisors of it, ' the' of very great Advantage in all the IN on hern Colonic?, ' where Negroes are allowed, and consequently Labour cheap. ' We do not in the least doubt but that in Time Sill: and Wine ' may be produced here, especially the former ; but since the ' Cultivation of Land with white Servants only, cannot raise ' Provisions for our Families as before mentioned, therefore it is ' likewise im}K)ssible to carry on these Manufactures according to • x\\e present Constitution. It is very well known, that Carolina '■ can raise every thing that this Colony can ; and they havin;^ • their Labour so much cheaper will always ruin our Market, ' unless we are in some Measure on a Footing with thciji ; and ' as in both, the Land is worn out in /our or /ire Years, and then ' fit for Nothing but Pasture ; v/e must l3e always at a great deal ■■ more Expence than they in Clearing new Land for Planting. ■ The Importation of the Necessaries of Life come to us at the 'most extravagdnt Rate; Merchants in general, especially of ' England, not being willing to supply the Settlers here with ' Goods upon Commission, because no Person here can make them ' any Security of their Lands or Improvements, as is very often ' practis'd in other Places to promote Trade, when some of the ' Employers Money is laid out in necessary Buildings and Im- • provements fitting lor the Trade intended, without which it • cannot be carried on : The Benefit of Importation therefore is ' all to transient Persons, who do not lay out any Money amongst • us ; but on the Contrary, carry ever}'^ Penny out of the Place •, ' and the chief Reason for their enhancing the Price, is because *^ they cannot get any Goods here either on Freight or Purchase for ' another Market : If the Advantage accruing from Importation ' centered in the Inhabitants, the Profit thereof would naturally ' circulate amongst us, and be laid out in Improvements in the ' Colony. Your Honours, we imagine, are not insensible of the • Numbers that have left this Province, not being able to support ' themselves and Families any longer; and those still remaining, ' who had Money of their own and Credit with their Friends, ' have' laid out most of the former in Improvements, and lost ' the latter for doing it on such precarious Titles. And upon ' Account of the present Establishment, not above two or • three Persons, except those brought on Charity and Servants ; sent by Yon, have come here for the Space of f wo Years past. 40 eitiier lo settle i^aud or encourage Trade, neither do we hear of any such Hkely lo come until we are on better Terms. It is true, His Majesty has been graciously pleased to grant a Regiment for the Defence of this Province and our neighbour- ing Colony, which indeed will very much assist us in defending ourselves against all Enemies; but otherwise does not in the least contribute to our Support; for all that Part of their Pay which is expended here, is laid out with transient People, and our Neighbours in Carolina, who are capable to supply them with Provisions and other Necessaries at a moderate Price, which we as before observed, arc not at all capable to do upon the present Establishment. This then being our present Condition, it is obvious what the Consequences must be. ' But we for our Parts have intirely relied on and confided in Your good Intentions, believing You would redress any Griev- ances that should appear; and now by our long Experience, from Industry and continuid Application to Improvement of Land here, do find it impossible to pursue it, or even to subsist ourselves any longer, according to the present Nature of the Constitution; and likewise believing You will asree to those Measures that are found from Experience capable to make this Colony succeed, and to promote which we have consumed our Money, Time and Labour ; we do, from a sincere Regard to its Welfare, and in Duty both to You and ourselves, beg Leave to lay before Your immediate Consideration, the Two following chief Caus(>s of these our present Misfortunes and this deplora- ble State of the Colony, and which, we are certain, if granted, ' would be an infallible Re;nedy for both. ' 1st, The Want of a free Title or Fee-simple, to ourliands; * which if granted, would both induce great Numbers of new ' Settlers to come amongst us, and likewise encourage those who ■ remain here chearfully to proceed in making further Improve- ' ments, as well to retrieve their sunk Fortunes as to make Pro- ' visions for their Posterity. ' 2d, The Want of the Use of Negroes, with proper Limita- ' tions; which if granted, would both occasion great Numbers of ' white People to come here, and also render us capable to subsist * ourselves, by raising Provisions upon our Lands, until we could * make some Produce fit for Export, in some Measure to Ballance ' our Importation. We are very sensible of the Inconveniencies •' and Mischiefs that have already, and do daily arise from an * unlimited Use of Negroes; but we are as sensible, that these ' may be prevented by a due Limitation, such as so many to each ' white Man, or so many to such a Quantity of Land, or in any * other Manner which Your Honours shall think most proper. 41 ■ By granting us, Gentlemen, these Two Parllcnlars, and sucli • other Privileges as His Majesty's most dutiful Subjects in ' America enjoy, You will not only prevent our hnpending Kuin, ' but, we are fully satisfied, also will soon make this the most ' flourishing Colony possess'd by His Majesty in America, and ' Your Memories will be ^trpe^ua^ef/ to all future Ages, our latest ' Posterity sounding Your Praises, as tiieir Jirst Founders, Pa- ' trons and Guardians; but if, by denying us these Privileges, we * ourselves and Families are not only ruin'd, but even our Pos- ' terity likewise ; You will always be mentioned as the Cause and ' Authors of all their Misfortunes and Calamities ; whicli we hope ' will never happen. IVe are, with all due Respect, SHvannah, Your Honovrs most dutiful 9;/4 December, 1738. and obcdicnt Servants, Henry Parlcer-, his Mobert R G. Gilbei Mark. Thomas Christie, John Falloiufield, John Brownjield, William Woodroofe^ Patrick Tailfer, Andreui Grant, Robert Williams, Samuel Mercer, Patrick Grhame, David Douglass, Tfiomas Bailie, Hugh Anderson, James Williams, Edward Jenkins, Thomas Ormston, Joseph Wardrope. George Bunckle, Adam Loyer, Peter Joubart, John Burton, Robert Hows, IVilliam Meers. Thomas Salter, James Bailow, James Anderson. p Thomas Trip, Samuel Holms, James Muer, William. Parker, John Grhame, James Papot, John Smith, William Calvert, Stephen Marrauld, Richard Mellechamp, Isaac Young, sen. James Dormer, William Carter, Henry Moulton, Jacob Watts, Henry Manley, Samuel Parker, Stephen Mounfoord, David Gender, James Chainsae, James Landry, Leivis Stamon, William Starjlichet, Simon Rieuwere, John You7ig, Samuel Lacy, Peter Baillow, Peter Emry, miliam Elbert, 42 fViUiam GrtcnfieUL Christopher Grecnjield, Thomas Young, sun, Henry Green, letter Tcctor, Hugh Frnzcr, John iSallic, James Carwells, John I^yndall, Joseph Fitzwater, JEHisha Foster, Walter For, John Penrose, David Snook, Edward. To icnsc nd; John Desborough, ■ Gorsatid, Andrew Duchte^ James GaUway, John Kelly, Joseph Stanley. Thomas Young, Thomas Cross, Richard Davis, Thomas Tibbet, Jam,es Dean, Donald Steivart^ John Dudding, JVilUam Ewen, Henry Loyd, John Amory, James Houston, fsaac Young, Robert Hanks, Archibald Glen, Thomas Neal, Steph en Tarrien . James Smith, Samuel Ward, Pierre Morelle, John Desborough, jun- Edtvard Bush, Benjamin Adams, Charles Britain, John Rae, William Coltbred^ Thomas Wattle, Thomas Bailie, James Corneck, James Burnside, John Teasdale, Giles Becou, Francis Brooks, John Clark, George Rush, Andreio Walker, John Miller, Thomas Andrews, William. Sterling, Thomas Gantlet, Richard Rogers. In all 117. THIS Representation was signed with tlie greatest Willing- ness by the above One Hundred and Seventeen Free-holders in the County of Savannah, and only a very few of the Gene- ral's Favourites declined to subscribe the same, so strong appeared to all of them the Truths therein contained, and the absolute Necessity of such an Application. The Jeics applied for Liber- ty to sign with us; but we did not think it proper to join them in any of our Measures: We likewise did not allow Widows and Orphans to subscribe ; because as the Representation contain'd the absolute Necessities of the Colony ; it Might be objected to us, that they were no proper Judges. As for the People ol Ehenezcr, the Subscribers did particularly appoint some of their Number to wait upon Mr. Boltzius, their Pastor, and to show him 43 ihe Representaiion ; wliich was done ; and Mr. Boltzius declar'dj That the Saltzburghers were equally dissatisfied with their Rights and Restrictions as the other Free-holders, and he doubled not iheir Willingness to join in petitioning for Redress, engaging to consult them, and to bring their Answer ; which he never did ; and being thereafter question'd thereupon by Mr. Anderson (one of the Persons connnissioned to commune with him as is above related) in the Presence of several Gentlemen, he the said Boltzius, after some frivolous Excuses, confessed, that the Honourable Mr. Oglethorpe had both given them Satisfaction, and engaged him to write Home to Germany for a further Supply of his Countrymen. This Gentlemen (we observe it with Regret) has been made the Instrument of imposing upon many British Subjects, by publishing Journals and Letters (to which we refer) most incon- sistent witli Truth. Neither did we admit of Servants to sign the same, lest it should be objected, that they were under the Influence of their Masters. By this our Conduct it will appear to every Person of Impartiality, how far we were from using Arts * to extort by Clamour a Redress of our Grievances. A COPY of the Representation was immediately sent to Fredcrica, and another to Darien : The last was sent to Mr. John More M'^ Tntosh, and under the same Cover a Letter to Mr. Benjamin J\f' Intosh: But ihe first kept up the other's Letter, and sent his own with the Representation to the General ; who immediately dispatch'd Lieut. George Dunbar (who speaks the Highland Language, and has a very fluent and artful Way of Talking) who, with the Assistance of 3Ior€ M'' Intosh^ and Promises to the poor People of Cattle (which they afterwards got) with several other Considerations, soon persuaded them to sign a Paper, the Design of which, they were told, was to oppose the People of Savannah ; who being Enemies to the General, were petitioning against him. As for their Leader M" Intosh, he was immediately set up in a Store, and plentifully supplied with all Kinds of Goods, and has often declared, That if, by acting as he did, he could live well himself be did not care ivhat became of the rest of the Colony ; and. as for his Children they might go ivander in the Woods with the Indians. As soon as it was heard that the Representation was come to Frederica, the Inhabitants were called together, and told. That the People of Savannah loere going to throw off the Government of the Trus- tees, and had associated together for that Purpose ; and therefore * Vide Trustees Answer. H 4d advis'd them to beware of any Snare that might he laid by these People, ivhich if they were caught in would ruin them. And thus was the Design of the Representation quash'd both in Do- rien and Frederica. Some Time after this a Copy of the Repre-' Sentation was siMit to I\Ir. Oghthorpe, toij^cther with tlie following Letter, which was wrote by an anonymous Autiior; wliich we think is partly an Explanation of the Representation, and like- wise a true View of the Situation of the Colony at that Time^ with the Character Mr. Oglethorpe then bore in it ; and for these Reasons we here insert it : It was directed , To the Honourable James Oglethorpe, Esq ; General and Com^ mander in Chief over all His Majesty^s Forces in South- Carolina and Georgia, i^'C. at Frederica. SIR, T T is the connnon Misfortune of all who act in the higher -*- Stations of Life, to be surrounded with Flatterers, who con-* suit rather the Humours, Passions and Prejudices of their Patrons, than their Honour and Interest : This should induct; every Person in such Station, who regards his o\\n Honour. Interest or Fame, to lend an open and attentive Ear to Truth, in whatever Shape or from whatever Hand delivered. I who use this Freedom with Your Excellency, being an anonymous Author, have no other Byass, Motive or Interest in View, fur* ther than as I am a Member of the Colony, and a Well-wisher to the Happiness of Society, unless a real and sincere Regard to your Honour and Welfare, and an earnest Desire to restore you to that Quiet of Mind and the now susjiended Afiection!:' of the People, which the present State of Affairs must neces- sarily deprive you of; it is not therefore of Consequence to enquire udio writes, but what is wrote: I am. Sir, a Plain-^Dea- ler, and shall, with the greatest respect, use you with more Sincerity than Ceremony ; and if my Arguments can attain the desired Effect, you will, I doubt not, think me your and the Colony's real Friend. When a skilful Physician would relieve his Patient of a Disease, he traces it from the Beginning, and examines the Sources and Progress of it, in order that by finding out the Cause, he may the more certainly apply a Remedy: In the Body Politick the same Process is necessary to effect a Cure. The present languishing and almost desperate Con- dition of the Affairs of this Province, is too obvious to your Excellency to need a Description: Be pleased then, laying aside Prepossession and Prejudice, to retire unto your self, and ex- • amine impartially whence the present Misfortunes take Rise: 45 ' in order to which, let me present your Excellency uitii a View • of the Nation's Designs in Establishing this Colony ; and indeed • thc}^ were and are Nothing unsuitable to a British or Roman ' Spirit ; To wit. The Establishing a strong and numerous • Settlement as a Barrier and Safeguard of British America : ' To employ those Persons in effecting this End loho ivere least ■ useful at Home, and others tvho from the Reasonableness of • the Proposals^ should voluntarily jjrofer their Service: To re- ■ store Liberty and Happiness to those who, oppressed by the *■ common Misfortunes of Mankind, icere groaning under the ' Consequences of those Misfortunes, and incapable to serve ' themselves or Country at Home: And lastly,^© set a Foot such ' neiv Manufactures as might be most useful to support the Col- ' ony, or tend to rectify the Ballance of Trade of Great Britain ' with Neighbouring Nations. A Design truly great, founded ' on the the justest Policy, and practicable : To suggest that any ' low private Design was ever laid down, that might tend to make ' the Adventurers Slaves, or, at best, Tenants at Will ; or that it ' was a Concert to leave the Industry and Substance of the Set- ' tiers exposed to satisfy the Ambition or Covetousness of an after • Governor, or any particular Courtier or Party ; or to imagine • that the Honourable Board of Trustees, or any of them, could ' be capable of such a Concert ; 1 say, Sir, that such a Thought • were impious. What Wonder then, if Numbers of Persons, ' encouraged by his Majesty's most amjjle Rights and Privileges ' granted in his Royal Charter to the Honourable Trustees, for ' the Behalf of the Inhabitants ; from the beautiful Description • of the Fertility of the Soil and Happiness o{ the Climate; and ' lastly, from a View that Mr. Oglethorpe, a Gentleman of the ' greatest Humanity and Generosity, was willing to sacrifice his • Ease, and all those Pleasures and Enjoyments which his easy ' Circumstances of Life intitled him to, in order to be the Pa- ■ tron and Father of the Distress'd, and the distinguished, Friend of his Country, Society, and Humane Nature ; 1 say. Sir, ■ no Wonder if Numbers, upon those Views, embark'd their ' Persons, Families and Fates in such an Adventure. Shall any • Thing then intervene to render such a noble Design abortive, ' and frustrate those of their expected Happiness, or your Excel- lency of your deserved Honour ? GOD FORBID ! ' This Colony consists of two Sorts of People; eitlier those ■ whom the Publick sent over and supported, or* Volunteers, who • were not burthensome to the Publick ; both now I look upon in * By this Word was meant those Persons who feitleti in Georgia upon their own Ex pence. 46 the same Light ; as either Party have exhausted tlieir Supj)ort or private Stocks, in endeavourini; to prosecute the intended Plan; but it shall sufiice for my Argument, that so many of each Kind have applied themselves to this Purpose, as are sufficient to confirm tlie Experiment, that it is im})ossible for us with British or Foiy;ire impossible lo make a second Settlement upon the present Plan ; and if it is to be altered m the Favours of others, why not of us who ha\-e risqued and spent our a// in the Adventure? How the TRUSTEES may be affected by it in all Respects, I shall not say; a Farliamen- tary Enquiry into their Management, I no ways question but they could entirely satisfy; but all good Men will regret, that so Honourable a Body should lose that Glory and Fame wliich the prosperous Success of the Colony would have crown'd them with. I have formerly asserted, that only the flourishing State of the Colony can support the MILITARY ; and indeed with- out a Colony, it were easier to maintain a Garrison in Tangier on the Coast of Africa, than in the South of Georgia. One *' Regiment woidd little suffice to withstand the Enemy ; and yet so small an Handful may be reduced to Discontent, Straits and Wants, notwithstanding all the Bounty of a King or Prut/encc of a General. As to the INDIANS ; What could we expect less than being scorned and despised ? That they should imme- diately fall in with the tempting Proffers of the French and Spaniards, and so Great Britain cut ofi' from that valuable Branch of the Indians Trade ? For how indeed could they expect Execution of Treaties or Protection from People who, imthout the Force of any Enemy, could not preserve their own Schemes of Government from falling to Pieces ? How the Tragedy must affect YOUR EXCELLENCY would be Pre- sutnption m me to determine: I only know, that to see Those yon lioiiour with the Name of Children, in Want and Misery ; that Settlement which should have perpetuated your Name to Posterity with the greatest Honour ; become the Foil of all your great Undertakings ; and the Expectations of all the World; from your promising Endeavours, setting in a Cloud and Ob- scurity ; must affect Your Excellency in a Way suitable to your human and generous Disposition. ' Sir, We still love, honour and respect you, (whatever low selfish minded Persons, the Bane of Society, may surmise to the contrary) and will continue to do so, while we can have any Hopes of your pursuing Measures consistent with our Prosperi- ty : But, Sir, Smiles cannot be expected amidst Disappoint- ments and Wants ; and there is no altering the Course of Nature ; Love and Gratitude are the TrWmte of Favours and Protection , and Resentment the Consequence af Injuries received ; and in Disappointments of this Nature much more reasonably than in those of Love, do the contrary Passions take Place in the same Degree. What then remains, but that you embrace those obvious Measures, that will retrieve our desperate Affairs; 51 * restore to us, in Mr. Oglethorpe, our Father and Protector, ' whose Honour and Affection was depended upon; secure to ' yourself a Society that love and honours you, and who will ' always be ready to sacrifice both Life and Fortune to your ' Honour and Protection ; and your Name with Blessings will be ' perpetuated. If in this I have, by a sincere and xveU-meant Free- ' dom, given Offence, I heartily ask Pardon; none was intended: ' And I only request, that, while Truth keeps the Stage, the ' Author may be allowed to remain incog, behind the Scenes^ I am, SIR^ Your, &;c. The PLAIN-DEALER. THIS Year there was promised a Bounty of Two Shillings Sterling on every Bushel of Corn, and One Shilling on every Bushel of Pease and Potatoes, raised in the County of Savan- nah: This induc'd some few to plant; but they were miserably deceived; for few or none of them ever received their full Bounty, and not many any Part thereof, (allho' if they had received it twice over, it could not have answer'd the End:) People being thus, by a Chain of Disappointments and Miseries, most of them rendered incapable to subsist, and toward the End of this Summer, beginning to dispair of having any favourable Answer to their Representation, or Hopes of Redress, left the Colony faster than ever ; and when the Answer (or rather Denial) came over, they went in such Numbers that the whole Province of South- Carolina was overspread with them, and in and about the Town of Charlestoiim alone, this Autumn, above Fifty Georgians died in Misery and Want, most of whom were buried at the Publick Charge. IN September a printed Paper, entitled, An Answer to the Representation, ^'c. was sent over, and arrived at Savannah: and of which this is an exact Copy. The ANSWER of the Trustees for establishing the Colony of Georgia in America, to the Representation from the Inhabitants of Savannah, the 9th of December, 1738, for altering the Tenure of the Lands, and introducing Negroes into Georgia. To the Magistrates of the Toum of Savannah, in the Pro- vince of Georgia. ' nnHE Trustess for establishing the Colony of Georgia in ' America, have received by the Hands of Mr. Benjamin Ball ' of London, Merchant, an attested Copy of a Representation, ' signed by You the Magistrates, and many of the Inhabitants of Savannah, on the 9th of Decemhtr last, for altering the Tenure 52 'of iho Lands, and introducinir Neoroes into the Provi,Tr<. • transnntted fron. thence by Mr/i?o/.", m'/C-v! ""' Ihe Imstees are not surprized to find unwary People drawn ' Sed for ll T '" ^^^'''"'"" "' ^''^' ^^""^'^mentul Laws, ' Deigns. 1 ^•^^^•^^'^t.on of the People, fron, those ver; ' Yo^ie M^!^^'n''f' ^=^""«^.^"'\^,^Pre3s their Astonishment, that ' Se ifv fn- ',"^^'^'1^^'^ ^^ '^'^*" to be Guardians of the People, by putting those Laws in Execution, should so far ' A^r ""'"'' "^° i"^ ^°"^^^^^- ^' ^1- He.;;; o^t^i ^ swe^dhe % '"T' ^Z '° °r^ ^^"^ Con.plainants this An- 'veiT Zfo tlPT ?' ^^^^S^^.^^y ^l^o^I'i ^ieem themselves ' greatest rs"^/' T p ^ ' Constitution, framed with the ' fnd of w^it T r' ' P^-'r^^-^'^tion of Liberty and Property; Lntad o Lands, are the surest Foundations. ' TTnV. ^'^^.|rustees are theniore confirmed in their opinion of the Un.easonableness of tins Demand, that they have received Pet^! .ons rom the Danen, and other Parts of the Province represe- ' S,'rof;rp""""r' I>-V-r,whichmustariseto uLlo'd ' rAleT P;7^'"^^;^™'» the Introduction of Negroes. And ' nVzL^^tS^^^^^ 77^ f T ''"^^'y ^•"^^"^-'^^' ^'-^ besides the Hazaid attendmg tha Intror/ action, it would destroy all Indus- try among the white Inhabitants; and that by givin. them a Power to ahen then- Lands, the Colony woukf so^on he too Ike 1^ Neighbours, voK of white Inha])itants, filled with Blact and reduced to be the precarious Property of a Few, ec aud y' exposed to Domest ck Treacherv <^n\ fL/ t • ^^"'"^^ ' therpfnr^ iNo T^ / Aredciery, and J^ oreign Invasion; and theieloie the Trustees cannot be supposed to be in any Disno- Umnoi grantmgthis Request; and if they have not bXe ' and Fxn! ''' ' '!r^^^''' '^''y b^^ <'<^^-^^yed, tliat Time ' utd ^ZTfU T^'^ ^™^^ '^'' Complainants to a better ' AmL t^P b^T^stees readily join Issue with them in their ' theii bei f' T^^'-;;^" shall judge between them, who were en best Friends; Those, who endeavoured to preserve for ' XiL p'""^-"^ '^'''' ^^"^•^' ^y tyi"§"Pthe Handsof th i untlnifty Progenitors ; or They, who wanted a Power to mort- gage or alien them : Who we/e the best Friends to the cZy 'fS'aCol "''r^ir\V^'"'^ ^"^ ^-^ b-^ endeavoured To' form a Colony ol Ilis Majesty's Subjects, and persecuted Pro- 53 ' tcstanfs from other Parts of Europe, had placed them on a ' fruitful Soil, and strove to secure them in their Possessions, by ' those Arts which naturally tend to keep the Colony full of ' useful and industrious People, capable both to cultivate and de- ' fend it; or Those, who, to gratify the greedy and ambitious ' Views of a few Negroe Merchants, would put it into their Power ' to become sole Owners of the Province, by introducing their ' baneful Commodity ; which, it is well known by sad Experience, ' has brought our INeighbour Colonies to the Brink of Ruin, by '■ driving out their white Inhabitants, who were their Glory and ' Strength, to make room for Black, who are now become the ' Terror of their unadvised Masters. Si2;ned by Order of the Trvstees, this 20th Day of June, 1739. Benj. Marty n, Secretary. WE shall not in this Place detain the Reader, to shew the Absurdity and Insufficiency of the Reasons made use of in the ubove Paper, or how improperly it is called an Answer to the Representation ; but refer them to the whole Tenor of this Nar- rative. With this Paper came over new Commissions ior Magis- trates, viz. Messrs. Thomas Christie, First, John Fallowfield, Second, and Thomas Jones, Third, Bailiffs, and Mr. Wiiliam, Williamson, Recorder: And, as if the Inhabitants had not been sufficiently punished before, by the arbitrary Government of Causton, the Two Offices of Store-keeper and Magistrate were again joined in One Person, which infiUibly renders him (whoever he \s) absolute in Savannah; and indeed, if the Miseries and Hardships of the People could have received any Addition, they must have done so from the Person appointed to execute those Offices, namely, Mr. Thomas Jones, Third Bailiff, as before mentioned, who surpass'd Mr. Causton in every Thing that was bad, without having any one of his good Qualifications ; And that he might the more easily govern at Pleasure, Mr. Os^Iethoiye thought proper to supersede the Commissions of Messrs. Tho- mas Christie and William Williamson, and continued Mr. Henry Parlcer as First Magistrate, being sure he was a Person that would always be in the Interest of whoever was Store-keeper, and having no other Magistrate to cope with but Mr. Falloivfield, they were certain of over-ruling him, tho' his Sentiments were never so just ; and when the General heard that some People justly complain'd, that the Trustees Commissions ivere of none Effect, he threatned an arm VI Force if they refused to comply. William Stephens, Esq ; Messrs. Thomas Christie and Thomas Jones, were likewise appointed to inspect into Caustoii^s Accounts ; but Christie was altogether rejected by the other Two } nor did 54 they ever do any Thing to the Purpose : Indeed Jones would sometimes hector and domineer over Causton, in as haughty a Manner as ever he had fomierly done over the meanest Person in SavntiJiah. ALTHO' the Trustees say in their Answer to the Represen- tation, That they should think themselves very U)ifit for the Trust reposed in them, should they by ari irrational Attempt alter the Entail of Lands ; yet not one Month after we had received the aforesaid Answer, over comes the following Paper, viz. The RESOLUTIONS of the Trustees for establishing the Colony of Georgia in America, in Common- Council assem- bled this '•28th Day of August in the Year of our Lord 1739; relating to the Grants and Tenure of Lands within the said Colony. \1^^ HEREAS the Common-Council of the said Trustees, assembled for that Purpose, in the Name of the Corpora- tion of the said Trustees, and under their Common Seal, have, in Pursuance of His Majesty's most gracious Letters Patent, and in Execution of the Taists thereby reposed in them, grant- ed and conveyed divers Portions of the Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments in the said Letters Patent mentioned, to many of his Majesty's loving Subjects, natural born, and Denizens, and others willing to become His Subjects, and to live under Allegiance to His Majesty in the said Colony, to hold to them respectively, and to the Heirs Male of their respective Bodies, lawfully begotton, or to be begotton, under the several Rents, Reservations, Conditions and Provisoes therein contained ; And whereas it hath been represented to the said Tmstees, that many of the Persons to whom such Grants have been made, have no Issue Male of their respective Bodies, and that an Alteration in the Grants and Tenure of the said Lands, upon Failure of such Issue, and likewise a known certain Provision for the Widows of Tenants in Tail Male, would not only encourage all such Persons chearfully to go on with their several Improve- ments, but also be an Inducement and Means of inviting divers other Persons to resort to, and settle in the said Colony, and greatly tend to the Cultivation of the Lands, the Increase of the People, and the Defence, Strength and Security of the said Colony ; wliich the said Trustees most earnestly desire to pro- mote, as far as in them hes : It is therefore this Day unanimous- ly resolved by the Common Council of the said Corporation, assembled for that Purpose, That the Grants of Lands or Tenements within the said Colony heretofore made and hereaf- ter to be nnade by the said Trustees to any Person or Persons do • whatsoever, shall be altered, made and cstablislied in Manner • and Form following; that is to say, That ' If Tenant in Tail Male of Lands or Tenements in the said ' Colony, not having done or suffered any Act, Matter or Thing, ' whereby his Estate therein may be forfeited or determined, shall • happen to die, leaving a Widow and one or more Child orChil- ' dren ; that then, and in such Case, the Widow of such Tenant ' shall hold and enjoy the Dwelling-House and Garden (if any ' such there be) and one Moiety of such Lands and Tenement? ' for and during the Term of her Life ; the said Moiety to be set ' out and divided, in case the Parties interested therein do not ' agree within the Space of three Months, by the Magistrates of ' the Town-court in Georgia nearest thereunto, or any one of ' them. And in case such Division be made by one of snch ' Magistrates only, then any Person or Persons finding him, her ' or themselves aggrieved thereby, may within the Space of three ' Months appeal to the other three Magistrates of the said Town- • court, whose Determination thereof shall be final. A?id if such ' Tenant shall happen to die, leaving only a Widow, and no ' Child or Children, then that such Widow shall hold and enjoy ' the said Dwelling-house, Garden, and all such Lands and ' Tenements, for and during the Term of her Life. And in case ' the Widow of any such Tenant, whether he die without Issue ' by her or not, shall marry again after his Decease, then such ' Person to whom she shall be so married, shall, within the Space ' of Twelve Months after such Marriage, give Security to the ' said Trustees, and their Successors, whether Personal, or other- ' wise, agreeable to such Instructions as shall be given by the ' Common Council of the said Trustees, for maintaining and ' keeping in repair, during such Marriage, the said Dwelling- ' house, Garden, and other the Premises to which she shall be ' so intitled in right of her former Husband : And if such Secur- ' ity shall not be given in manner aforesaid, within the Space of '' twelve Months after such Marriage, that then, and in such Case, ' the Provision hereby made, or intended to be made for the ' Benefit of such Widow, shall cease, determine and be absolutely ' void, to all Intents and Purposes ; and the said Dwelling-house • and Garden, and all and singular the Premises, shall be and enure ' to such Child or Children or to such other Person or Persons, ' who would be intitJed to the same, in case the said Widow was • naturally dead. ' And if Tenant in Tail Male of Lands or Tenements in the ' said Colony, not having done or suffered any Act, Matter or ' Thing, whereby his or her Estate therein may be forfeited or • determined, shall happen to die, leaving one or more Daughter, 56 or daughters and no Issue Male ; then tlial such Lands and Tene- ments, if not exceeding eighty Acres, shall be holden in Tail Male by any one of the Daughters of such Tenant ; and if exceeding eighty Acre?, by any one or more of the Daughters of such Te- nant in Tail Male, as such Tenant shall by his or her last Will and Testament in Writing, duly executed in the Presence of three or more crebible Witnesses, direct and appoint ; and in Default of such Direction or A})pointment, then that such Lands and Tenements shall be holden in Tail Male by the eldest of such Daughters ; and in Default of Issue Male and Female, either born in the Life-time of such Tenant in Tail Male, or withlit nine Months after his Decease, then that such Lands and Tene- ments, if not exceeding eighty Acres, shall be holden in Tail Male by any one such Person; and if exceeding eighty Acres, by any one or more such Person or Persons, as such Tenant in Tail IVIale by his or her last Will and Testament in Writings executed as aforesaid, shall direct and appoint, and in Default of such Direction or Appointment, then that such Lands and Tenements shall be holden in Tail Male by the Heir at Law of such Tenant; subject nevertheless, in all any every the said Cases, to such Right of the Widow (if any) as aforesaid, Provided That such Daughter or Daughters, and all and every such Person or Persons so intitled to hold and enjoy any such Lands and Tenements, do within the Space of twelve Months after the Death of such Tenant, personally appear, if residing in America, and claim the same in any of the Town-courts in Georgia ; and if residing out of America, then within the Space of Eighteen Months next after the Death of such Tenant. And Provided also, That no such Devise or Appointment shall be made by any such Tenant of Lands exceeding eighty Acres, in any lesser or smaller Portion or Parcel tljan fifty Acres to any one Daughter, or other Person. And that no Daughter, or other Person shall be capable of enjoying any Devise, which may thereby increase his or her former Possession of Lands within the said Colony to more than Five Hundred Acres ; but such Devise to be void, and the Lands thereby given, to descend in such manner as if no such Devise had been made. And. in Default of such Appearance and Claim, as aforesaid. That all and singular the said Lands and Tenements shall be and remain to the said Trustees, and their Successors for ever. Provided also. That all and every such Estates hereby created or intended to be created, shall be subject and liable to the several Rents, Reservations, Provisoes and Condi- tions, as in the original Grants thereof are particularly mention- ed and eontained ; save and except so much thereof as is hereby 57 ' altered, or intended to be altered, in case of Failure of Issue " Male, and the Provision hereby made or intended to be made * for Widows. ' And that in every Grant hereafter to be made by the said ' Trustees or their Successors, of any Lands or Tenements in the ' said Colony, all and every Grantee therein named, not doino- or ' suffering any Act, Matter or Thing whereby his or her Est'ate ' thereni may be forfeited or determined, shall have good Right, ' full Power, and lawful Authority to give and devise the same ' by his or her last Will and Testament in Writing, duly exe- ' cuted in the Presence of three or more credible Witnesses, in * manner and form following, that is to say, Every Grantee of ' Lands not exceeding eighty Acres, to any one Son or any one ' Daughter in Tail Male ; and every Grantee of Lands exceeding ' eighty Acres, the whole, or any part thereof, but not in lesser ' Lots or Portions than fifty Acres to any one Devisee, to his or ' her Son or Sons, Daughter or Daughters in Tail Male ; and in ' Default of such Devise as aforesaid," then that such Lands and ' Tenements shall descend to the eldest Son in Tail Male ; and in ' Default of Issue Male, to the eldest Daughter in Tail' Male ; ' and in Default of Issue Male and Female, then that such Lands ' and Tenements shall be holden in Tail Male, if not exceedino- ' eighty Acres, by any one such Person; and if exceedincr eightlj ' Acres, by any one or more such Person or Persons, but not in ' any smaller Lot or Portion t\mn fifty Acres to any one Person ' as such Grantee shall by his or her last Will and Testament in ' Writmg, executed as aforesaid, direct and appoint ; and in ' Default of such Direction or Appointment, then that such Lands ■ and Tenements shall be holden in Tail Male by the Heir at ' Law of such Grantee ; subject nevertheless to such Riaht of the ^ Widow (if any) as aforesaid, Provided ahvays, Thai no Son - Daughter or other Person shall be capable of enioyintill labour under, freely and rohininrily * put their Hands to the Representation of this Part of the Pro- ' vince : No artful Means were used to induce tiieni to it ; no ' artful Man or Men, Negro Merchants or others, persuaded ' them to it : Dismal Poverty and the most absolute Oppression ' were the true Fountains from whence our Complaints proceed- * ed. But how miserably were these incousideratc deluded ' Wretches rewarded ? They were soon after carried against iS'^. ' Augustine, placed on a dangerous Post, where they were all or ' most of them cut off or taken Prisoners by the Enemy ; which ' has put a Period to the Settlement of Darien, of which so ' many great Things have been falsy reported, ■■' VVitli Regard to our Representation, we shall only beg Leave •' to make one Supposition, which it's almost impossible can have ' happen'd, viz. That this and all the other Representations, ' Letters, Suits or Petitions, made to the Trustees by private or ' a joint Number of Persons, have been entirely false and ground- * less : What can have reduced the Colony to the Situation m ' which it now is ? What can have reduc'd it's Inhabitants to 07ie * Sixth Part of the Number which we have known to reside ' here ? Or, lastly, to what is the starving and despicable Condi- ' tionoi the Few that are now left, owing? Is it not, as well as * every other Matter which we have before urg'd, owing to and ' occasion'd by the unanswerable Reasons at different Times * given and laid before your Honours, by honest Men (indepen- ' dent of you) who were and are the chief Sufferers in this ' Colony ; and who could not be bribed to conceal or terrify^ d * from declaring their Sentiments ? ' Your Honours may readily and safely join issue with us in ' our Appeal to Posterity, ivho were their best *Frie7ids, 8fC. for ' it's certain and obvious, that if the Trustees are resolved to ' adhere Xo ihe'iY present Constitution, they or their Successors ' are in no great Danger of being called to any Account by our ' Posterity in Georgia. ' We have likewise seen and read the Alterations Mr. Martyn ' mentions to have been made by your Honours, with regard to ' the Tenure of Lands ; together with a fictions Abridgement * of the same afhx'd lo the most ])ublick Places at Savannah. ' Mr. Martyn in his Letter is pleas'd to tell us, That your ' Honours imagine we are satisfied thereivith, as the rest of the ' Colony are 'I Some few perhaps may have express'd themselves * satisfied ; but we will say no worse of such few, than that your ' Honours will soon be sensible, that even they are Deceivers. '^ Vide Answer lo the Representation. 63 ■ It's true, such Alterations, and the Paper, eniiiled,^n A7isin. ' toom Representation, above mentioned, a^-e artlully penn d. ' and will doubtless for a Time, amuse even Men oi the best ' Sense in Europe, or elsewhere, who are Strangers to the ' Colony of Georgia; but any Man of common Understanding, ^ or the least Penetration, who by an nvforivnate Experience, • has been well acquainted with that Colony, can easily aemon- ' strate, that those very Papers are further Snares to increase our ' Miseries ; as it's impossible we can be enabled by these^^cr- ^ ations to subsist ourselves and Families any more than belore, ' far less to put us in a Capacity of recovering our already sunk ' Fortunes and Loss of Time. Some Time in the Summer 1 ^39, ^ (whilst we still expected agreeable Alterations to have succecd- •' ed our Representation) we applied more than once to Oenera • Oglethorpe, as one of the Trustees, for the same Iract ot Land ' which we have since been refused by your Honours : But our - Petitions and Applications were rejected; and for what Kea- ^ son ? Because indeed we refused to contradict what we had before • set forth in our Representation, so md become Vilhans,a3 (wc ' have to much Reason to believe) some others on the same ' Occasion were : We wou'd not accept of Sctikments, ^ums oj ' Money, Horses, Cattle and other valuable Considerations,^ at • the Expence of Betraying our Country, and Contradicting ' our Consciences, by signing a Paper, whicli was prepared and ^ offered to us, purporting KRepentence of the ]\ieasures we had ' taken for our own and the Relief of other distress d British ' Subjects ; and consequently an Approbation oi a Scheme which, ' by all Appearance, seems to have been calculated and pre- ' pared to form a Colony of Vassals, whose Properties aiid ' Liberties were at all Times, to have been dispos d of at the ' Discretion or Option of their Superiors. _ ' Such and many other Methods of Corruption h^ve been too ' often practised in this Colony ; but we refus d and scorn d such ' Actions, from Principles of which every honest Man ought to ' be possessed. ' We are not surprized to find, That we have in vain applied ' to your Honours in several Affairs, when we see you have been ' hitherto prepossessed by a Gentleman of superiour Interest ' with Informations and Assertions full o( Resentment, and which ^ we well know cannot stand the Test of an impartial Kvamina- ' tion; but we are amazed and sorry to find, That he has had for ' so many Years together, the Interest of Nominating 1 hose, who ^ liave been appointed from Time to Time, for the Administration ' of Justice,2indm^]i\ngarx impartial Enquiry into and informing < your Honours of the re a? Situation of the Colony oi Oeorgta; 64 ■ wo say, .sucli wlio liave been imjMciiy obedient in caiTyin<;on • his arbitrarij Schemes of Government, and opjjressing \he \n- ' habitants, as well an conniving at the Deceiving your Honours • and the Nation ! ' Gentlemen, As we have no Favours to ask, or Resentments • to fear, we may with the greater Freedom observe. That we ' are in full Hopes, that all we cnn just I y ask, will be granted us ' by a British Parliament, who we doubt not, will soon make ' an Enquiry into the Grievances of oppressed Subjects, which ' have formerly inhabited, or do now inhabit the Colony of Geor- ' gia ; That Colony which has cost so great an Expence to the • Nation, and from which so great Benefits, w^ere promis'd and ' expected! ' We are sensible of the Freedoms which have been used with ' our respective Characters, in the Misrepresentation sent your ' Honours by partial Men : Nor are we less sensible, that the ' Majority of the Trustees have been kept in the Dark, with ' regard to our just Complaints and Representations ; or that ' such Complaints have been communicated to them in Lights • distant from Truth ; insomuch that, we have Reason to believe, ' tico Thirds of the Honourable Board are either misinform'd of • or are entire Strangers to the barbarous and destructive Schemes ' carried on in this miserable Colony. ' We hope it will e'er long appear to your Honours and the • World (whatever has been advanced to the contrary) That we ' are honest Men, free from any base Design, free from any ' rnutinons Spirit ; who have only stood firm for the Recovery ' of our lost Privileges, which have been secretly and under the ' most specious Pretences withdrawn from us by some designing ' and self-interested Men. ' We should be sorry to write disrespectfully of any one of the ' Trustees; but when distressed and oppressed People arrive at ' the last Extremities, it must be supposed, they will neither be ' asham\l to publish their Misfortunes, or affraid of imputing ' their Calamities to the Fountain from whence they spring. ' Far be it from us in any Shape to reflect in general on the ' Honourable Board, who we still believe are Gentlemen of Ho- ' nour and Reputation, who would not be accessary to any sinister ' or base Designs; but we can't help thinking, that they are ' deluded, and brought to pursue Measures inconsistent with the ' Welfare and Prosperity of the Colony, by some who of the ' xohole Corporation are only acquainted with the particular Situa- ' tion of it ; and who mu^t therefore wilfully and from Design, form '■ and prepare destructive Schemes for the perishing Inhabitants ' of Georgia; and by finfair Representations of Persons and 65 Things, draw i\\e Approbation o{ the ojreater Part of the Hon- ourable Board, to such Measures for the Oppression of His Majesty's Subjects, which they would, if they were impartially inform'd, scorn to think of, far less agree to. ' General Oglethorpe with all his Forces, has been obliged to raise the Siege of St. Augustine, and we have Reason to believe the impending Ruin of this Colony will be thereby determined ; for the Spcmiards are reinforced ; the General's Army harrassed and weaken'd, and the Indians provoked and discontented ; so that every Thing looks witli the most dismal Aspect. But as his Conduct in, and the Consequences of these Affairs, will be soon published to the World ; and as we doubt not we have already incurred your Honour's Displeasure, by reciting thus freely the many Hardships which we have here and formerly asserted to have been the Causes of our Ruin ; We shall now forbear, and conclude by adding, That the Extremity of our Misfortunes has at last rendered us utterly incapable of staying here any longer : And tho' all the Money we have expended on Improvements in the Colony, is now of no Advantage to us here, nor can be elsewhere ; yet poor as we are, we shall think ourselves happy when we are gone from a Place where Nothing but Poverty and Oppression subsists : Therefore we hope, if ever this or any other Paper or Letter of ours shall appear in Publick ; your Honours will impute such Publication to have proceeded from no other Motives, besides a thorough Know- ledge of our Duty to ourselves, our Fellow Subjects and Suf- ferers, and to prevent others for the Future from being deluded in the same Manner as we have been, who are, with the great- test Respect, Honourable Gentlemen, Your most humble Servants. "StusT"^': ^'P'<">' Da.Doughss, Wm,. Stirling, Tho. Baillie. ABOUT the latter End of May, 1740, Mr. Oglethorpe set out with his Regiment for Florida, and soon after the Carolina Forces (consisting of about Six Hundred Men) joined him, with about Throe Hundred Indians, and Sixty High-Landers Vo- lunteers from Darien, who were buoyed up by the General with the mighty Hopes of Reward ; besides several Stragglers and Boatmen from other Parts of the Province and elsewhere ; so that, exclusive of six Men of War, there might be about fifteen Hundred effective Men asssisting at the Siege (as it was called) q( the Castle of St. Augustine '■ But we shall take no further Notice of this Affair, thaB as it ha^ affecte^l or may still affect 66 lliL' Colony of Georgia : The Place being alarm'd, the High" Landers, with some others, making in all One Hundred and Forty One jMen, were posted at Musa, (this was a small Fort about a Mile distant from the Castle which had been abandoned by the Spaniards at the General's first Approach) where they were soon after attacked by a superior Force of the Enemy, and a miserable Slaughter ensued, scarcely one Third of the Number escaping, the others being either killed or taken Prisoners. Thus these poor People, who, at the Expence of their Consciences, sign'd a Representation contrary to their own Interest and Ex- perience, and gave themselves entirely up to the General's Ser- vice ; by their Deaths at once freed his Excellency from his Debts and Promises, and put an End to the Settlement of Darien; for there are now in that Place not 07ie quarter Part of the Number who settled there at first, and that is made up chiefly of Women and Children ; and a Scout-Boat is stationed before the Town to j)revent any of them from going off. THIS Siege was raised about the latter End of July; the General with the Remainder of his Regiment returned to Fred- erica ; the Carolina Forces were shipped off for that Province ; the few Georgians that were left repaired, as soon as they were allowed, to their several Homes in a miserable Condition ; and the Indians marched towards their respective Countries, very much weakened and discontented ; the Chcrokees returned (as they came) by Savannah, and of One Hundred and Ten healthy Men, only about Twenty got to their Nation, the Rest either perished by Sickness or were slain ; And thus ended the Cam- paign in Florida. DURING these Transactions, Savannah decayed apace, and in August and September the same Year, People went away by Twenties in a Vessel, insomuch that one would have thought the Place must have been intirely forsaken ; for in these two Months about One Hundred Souls out of the County of Savannah left the Colony ; many others have since left it, and, we believe, more will leave it very soon. The Boats with their Hands which the General employed at that unfortunate Expedition, he neither will pay, subsist or let depart from that Place ; however they are stealing away by De- ^ 7 grees :* And at this Time, of about Five Thousand 1 740 ^°"^^ ^^^^^ ^^^' ^^ ^^I'io"^ Imbarkations, arrived in the Colony of Georgia, (exclusive of the Regiment) scarce as many Hundreds remain ; and those consist of the Saltzhur- * We are now informed, they are all got away, some of them being pai'J and some not. 61 gliers at Ebcnezer, who are yearly supported fioiu Germany and England; the People of Frederica, who are supported by Means of the Regiment ; the poor Remainder of the Darien ; a few Orphans, and others under that Denomination, supported by Mr. Whitcjield; together with some Dutch Servants inaintain'd for doing Nothing by the Trustees, with Thirty or Forty neces- sary Tools to keep the others in Subjection: And Those mak& up the poor Remains of the miserable Colony oi GEORGIA!* HAVING now brought down this Work to the Month of October, 1740, being about the Time most of the Authors of this NARRATB^E were obhged to leave that /a^«Z Colony ; we shall conclude the whole with a Geographical and Historical Account of its present State. p EORGIA lies in the 30 and 31 Degrees of North Lati- ^^tude: The Air generally clear, the Rains being much shorter as well as heavier than in England ; the Dews are very great ; Thunder and Lightning are expected almost every Day in May, June, July and August; they are very terrible, especially to a Stranger: During those Months^ from Ten in the Morning to Four'm the Afternoon, the Sun is extreamly scorching; but the Sea-breeze sometimes blows from Ten till Three or Four : The Winter is nearly of the same Length as in England; but the Mid-day Sun is always warm, even when the Mornings and Evenings are very sharp, and the Nights piercing Cold. The Land is of Four Sorts; Pine Barren, Oak Land, Swamp land Marsh. The Pine Land is of far the greatest Extent, especialy near the Sea-Coa.sts: The Soil of this is a dry whitish Sand, producing Shrubs of several Sorts, and between them a harsh coarse kind of Grass, which Cattle do not love to feed upon; but here and there is a little of a better Kind, especially in the Savannas, (so they call the low watry Meadows which are usually intermixed with Pine Lands :) It bears naturally tivo sorts of Fruit ; Hurtle-Berries much like those in England and Chinquopin-Nuts, a dry Nut about the Size of a small Acorn : A laborious Man may in one Year clear and plant /owr or Jive Acres of this Land ; it will produce, the first Year from two to four Bushels of Indian Corn, and from four to eight of Indian Pease, per Acre ; the second Year it usually bears much about the same ; the third, less ; the fourth, little or nothing : Peaches it bears well ; likewise the Jfhite Mulberry, wdiich serves to feed the Silk- Worms ; the Black is about the Size of a Black Cherry, and has much the same Flavour. It is here to obscrv'd, that we have excUuiei! the Settleracnt of Augusta, it heing upon a quite diflerent Footing, J. 6S The Oak Land commonly lies in narrow Streaks between Pine Land and Swamps, Creeks or Rivers ; Tlie Soil is a blackisli Sand, producing several Kinds of Oak, Bay, Laurel, Ash, Wallnut, Sumach and Gum Trees, a sort of Sycamore, Dog Trees and Hickory : In the choicest Part of this Land grow Parsimon Trees, and a lew Black Midharry and American Cherry Trees: The coniinon ivild Ci rapes are of two sorts, both red ; the Fox Grape grow two or three only on a Stalk, is thick- skin'd, large ston'd, of a harsh Taste, and of the Size of a small Cherry; the Chister Grape is of a harsh Taste too, and about the Size of a white Curran. This Land requires much Labour to clear; but when it is cleared, it will bear any Grain, for three, four ov five Years sometimes without laying any Manure upon it: An Acre of it generally produces Ten Bushels of Indian Corn, besides ^ve of Pease, in a Year; so that this is justly esteem'd the most valuable Land in the Province, white People being incapable to clear and cultivate the Swamps. A Swamp is any low vvatry Place, which is covered with Trees or Canes: They are here of three sorts, Cypress, River and Cane Swamps: Cypress Swamps are mostly large Ponds, in and round which Cypresses grow : Most River Swamps are overflown on every Side by the River which runs through or near them ; if they were drain'd they would produce good Rice : as would the Cane Swamps also, which in the mean Time are the best Feeding for all Sorts of Cattle. The Marshes are of two sorts ; soft wet Marsh which is all a Quagmire, and absolutely good for Nothing, and hard Marsh, which is a firm Sand ; but however at some Seasons is good for feeding Cattle: Marshes of both sorts abound on the Sea-Islands, which are very numerous, and contain all sorts of Land ; and upon these chiefly, near Creeks and Runs of Water, Ceder Trees grow. We shall only add to the above. That considering no Land can be sowed (or at least what is sowed preserved) till the same is inclosed, that^i;e Acres is the utmost a very able and laborious Man can propose to manage ; this being the Quantity allotted for the Task of a Negro in the Neighbouring Province, which Negro works four Hours each Day more than a white Man can do. It must next be noticed, that with regard to the above Returns (suppose a prosperous Season without Disap])ointments ; which is not the Case in such small Improvements as can be expected in an infant Colony one Year in five) either Drought burns or Rain drowns the Corn, and makes the Pease fall out of the Pod ; Deer (which no Fences can exclude) devour those little Settlements in a Night ; Rats and Squirrels do the same ; Bird ? *'T: %.^^ .*- »• '^'a c** ♦^ "^^•i^' «3 *^ » o ^ <^ ■ • ♦ o r_/a- ^v^ t^' •Jt, c*^ o«C ^^r^ :i /.c^.'^*=b 0»- '»o<^ ~\ %,^'•* /Jifer-. **-„./ '^/i', u.^'^ H ECKMAN □iMncDV IMP.