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PREFACE.

A HISTORY OF GEORGIA has long been needed: the present work is an attempt to supply the deficiency. In 1779, a History of South Carolina and Georgia was published in London, which, though brought out anonymously, was known to be written by the Rev. Dr. Hewitt, a Presbyterian minister of Charleston, who left the country just before the war, and died soon after in England. It has been republished by Mr. Carroll, in his valuable "Historical Collections of South Carolina," and embraces much important matter relating to the Colony of Georgia. Dr. Hewitt was almost a contemporary of our early settlers; and, being a near neighbour, was enabled to write under favourable circumstances, and generally with great accuracy, though it must be acknowledged that he sometimes allowed himself to be biased by his peculiar ecclesiastical views, on the one hand, and by his local prejudices, on the other. The first attempt to write a history of this State alone, originated with Mr. Edward Langworthy. This gentleman was first a pupil, then a teacher at Whitefield's Orphan House; but on the occurrence of the Revolution, he became warmly interested in the rebel cause-was one of the prominent "Liberty boys"-was Secretary of the Provincial Congress of Georgia, and ultimately a representative of the State in the Congress of the United States. Mr. Langworthy had collected a variety of papers, and, from his peculiar position during the period of our difficulties with England, must have been possessed of rare

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materials for our revolutionary history. He left Georgia after the establishment of the Constitution, and settled in Maryland, where he died, and his papers have never been recovered.

Rev. Mr. Smith, of the Episcopal Church, next undertook the task, but his efforts ended in the mere gathering of a few papers, which his death caused to be lost to the community.

Of M'Call's History of Georgia, it is unnecessary to say much. His volumes are mostly made up from Hewitt and other authors, from whom he has borrowed ten, twenty, and thirty pages at a time, without the slightest acknowledgment. The revolutionary portion of his work is valuable, but many of his statements are not trust-worthy, and his errors can only be pardoned by a consideration of the difficulties under which he compiled his history. Made a cripple by his exposure as a military officer during the last war, he composed his work upon a bed of pain, writing with his port-folio on his knees, between the paroxysms of suffering which embittered and eventually destroyed his life. Major M'Call deserves far more credit than he has received for this undertaking. It was, for him, a great effort; and, under all the trials and drawbacks of his situation, was well accomplished. But for his pages, much pertaining to the history of Georgia, particularly during the period of the Revolution, would have been irrevocably lost; and though he has not effected all that we might have wished, let us award him honour, that, under afflictions which would have borne to the earth the spirit of many men, he was enabled to triumph over his sufferings, and give to the world, from his bed of pain, his valuable and instructive pages.

Following M'Call, was the effort of Mr. Joseph V. Bevan, who gathered many valuable materials, having received pecuniary aid from the Legislature "for the purpose of collecting, arranging, and publishing all papers relating to the original settlement or political history of this State now in the Executive

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or Secretary of State's office." He died, however, almost at the beginning of his labours.

Entering a field of enquiry which has been reaped by four predecessors, I could scarcely expect to do more than glean here and there a sheaf which the sickle had spared, or the reaper neglected. My success in collecting materials has more than equalled my most sanguine expectations, and enabled me to present a fuller and more authentic work than could have been written at any former time.

By virtue of a resolution of the Georgia Legislature, passed December 23d, 1837, the Governor appointed the Rev. Charles Wallace Howard an agent of the State, "to repair to London, for the purpose of procuring the colonial records, or copies thereof, now in the Colonial Departments of Great Britain, that relate to the history and settlement of this State."

By the further liberality of the same body, the papers which were the result of his mission, were placed in my library, for the purpose of preparing this history.

These documents fill twenty-two large folio volumes, averaging over two hundred closely written pages each. Fifteen are from the office of the Board of Trade; six from the State Paper Office, and one from the King's Library.

By the exertions of the Georgia Historical Society there have also been placed in my hands complete journals of the Proceedings of the Trustees and the minutes of the Common Council of that body, from their organization in 1732 to the period of their dissolution. These, however, are mere minutes-few reports or papers of importance being spread upon their pages. Most of my remaining materials consist of manuscript letters, journals, despatches,&c., which have never before been published.

In 1841, I was, through a Committee of the Georgia Historical Society, requested to prepare a new and complete History of Georgia; and, as illustrating the views of the Society and

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myself in this matter, I introduce here the report of that Committee :

"The Committee appointed at the last meeting of the Society, authorized to confer with Dr. Wm. B. Stevens, upon the subject of his preparing and publishing a new and complete History of Georgia, beg leave to offer, as their report, the following Correspondence and Resolutions :--

SAVANNAH, 11th March, 1841. "DEAR SIR-The undersigned, Committee of the Georgia Historical Society, take pleasure in communicating to you, that the Society, deeming it of the utmost importance that a History of the State of Georgia should be given to the public in a more detailed, connected, and satisfactory manner than has hitherto been done, have, by a resulution, unanimously adopted at their meeting on the 8th instant, selected you as one in whose talents and ability they have every confidence, and request that you would undertake to prepare such a work, under the auspices of the Georgia Historical Society.

"We have, therefore, in obedience to the desire of the Society, to ask, whether you can, consistently with your professional avocations, devote yourself to the writing of a new and complete History of Georgia? And, in such an event, we are authorized to proffer to you the use of the abundant materials in the archives of the Society, and every aid which their Library will afford.

"We cordially unite in the views of the Society, and sincerely hope that you will undertake a task, which, we believe, will result in infinite credit to yourself and honour to the State. “We are, very respectfully, yours,

W. B. BULLOCH,

CHARLES S. HENRY, Committee.
JOS. W. JACKSON,

"To DR. Wм. B. STEVENS."

SAVANNAH, March 19, 1841.

"GENTLEMEN-In replying to your communication of the 11th instant, permit me to express my thanks for the honour

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