Jasper County GaArchives News.....Bicentennial Bits - Diary of Life in Monticello in 1861 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:11 pm Monticello News BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY "Diary of Life in Monticello in 1861" PART I The coming of war in 1861 brought changes in the lives of the people of Georgia. In some sections the change came almost immediately, but in the rural sections it was gradual. Monticello and Jasper County were far enough away from the scenes of fighting so that they fell into the latter category. The section of a diary concerning Monticello was written by the Rev. Charles S. Vedder, brother-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. N. B. White. Mr. White was a partner in Hungerford and Hurd Mercantile Co. and Clerk of Session of the Monticello Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Vedder was a graduate of Columbia Seminary, then in Columbia, S.C. (now in Decatur, Ga.) and husband of Mrs. White's sister. In May, June and July of 1861, the Vedders visited in Monticello at the end of that time, Rev. Vedder accepted a call to the Presbyterian Church at Summerville, S.C. In 1866, he became pastor of the Huguenot Presbyterian Church in Charleston ,S.C., where he remained until his retirement in 1914. The diary, now in the University of South Carolina library, provides an intimate glimpse of the effects of the coming of war to a Southern town. Here we see reflections of military preparations, uncertainties of the future, attitude and relationships and interdenominational religious activities, (Monticello had its "union services" in the summer of 1861) and the aid given to the war effort by the women of the community. Both the Vedders and the Whites were born and raised in the North and both men were at this time trying to decide whether to case their lot with the North of the South. They both decided to stay in the South. The diary begins with an entry for Friday, May 10. Mr. Vedder states that he spent Thursday night in Madison at the home of the Rev. J. H. Kaufman, pastor of the Madison and Monticello Presbyterian churches. After early worship and breakfast he started for Monticello in a rented buggy. The wind and rain in the early morning made the ride uncomfortable but it soon cleared off and he and his driver arrived safely in Monticello at about 2:30 p.m. The Whites and Mrs. Vedder were glad to see him. (Mrs. Vetter had come on to Monticello some time earlier.) After exchanging new of the last few days events, he says "We retired, a happy family". SUNDAY, May 12: "A beautiful morning, but very warm during the day - thermometer at 88. I had agreed to conduct the service for Mr. Kaufman at the Presbyterian Church and spoke for half an hour on the power of prayer. The people seemed much interested. In the evening went to the Methodist Church, where we heard a short sermon on the Lord's Prayer. Congregation small but attentive. at 4 p.m. we went to the Union Sunday School. I took a class of young ladies, and led a study on the first chapter of Genesis. The young ladies (Misses Kelsey, Hall and Leake) an I became much interested in the discussion. (Miss Kelsey was the daughter of the Rev. Daniel Kelsey, minister of the Methodist Church.)" On Monday he was asked to preach at the next Union Service by Messers. Shockley, Patterson and Pritchett. (George Shockley was a native of Maryland who operated a grocery store and shoe shop in Monticello. John F. Patterson was a merchant and an elder in the Monticello Presbyterian Church. George W. Pritchett was a young Baptist minister in the county. Tuesday, May14: "Morning quite cool. I spent the morning reading and preparing for next Sunday. Nell (Mrs. Vedder) spent morning at Dr. Broddus home teaching a painting class. (Dr. Thomas C. Broddus and wife, Martha Cordelia Cathings Broddus were among the wealthy citizens of the county - the 1860 census lists property worth $90,000 and 5,000 acres of land in eastern part of county. The Broddus home stood where Monticello Manufacturing Co. is today) PART II THURSDAY, MAY 16: Mr. Vedder notes that he and Mr. White called on a number of prominent families in Monticello and a number of families who had moved to Jasper County from the north. Among those called upon were Mrs. Virginia Bartlett, wife of Capt. George Bartlett, who told Mr. White that she planned to join Capt. Bartlett at Portsmouth, Va., in a few days. He also called on Dr. and Mrs. A. L. Pettee, a dentist from Vermont, Mr. and Mrs. George Mygatt, Mr. Mygatt being a native of Connecticut. (Monticello seems to have had a rather large number of families from the northeastern states because others are mentioned in later entries). As the spring passes Mr. Vedder share the pulpit with most of the ministers in the county. Among those mentioned were the Reverends Pritchett, Kelsey, A. J. (Zack) Freeman, Cader Malone, Kaufman, and others. He says that one of the most beautiful sermons he ever heard was preached by an uneducated man out in the country at a funeral. He also says that many of the ministers with whom he shared the pulpit in Jasper County were lay preachers. JUNE 6: He write that the ladies of Monticello met to form a Soldier's Relief Association, to sew clothes for the soldiers. He and the Whites attended. He also write of spending the day at Mr. William Goolsby's plantation two days before. SATURDAY, JUNE 15: He writes: "Mr. Kaufman arrived at 2 p.m. He brought his young son with him. They stayed at the Swanson House. Hattie (Mrs. White) and I called on him in the evening. He was not very discrete in his remarks. He wants me to take the Monticello Church." WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19: "Cool but pleasant. I walked to the brickyard and then out to Mr. Wm. Jordan's new house about two miles out. (Now L. O. Benton III home on Hwy 83) The mail brought a letter today from a call to Summerville, S.C. church. I shall let God decide. SATURDAY, JUNE 22: "The warmest day yet. Thermometer out of doors 102! This was barbecue day! We all went. Everybody was there. 33 "critters", sheep, lambs, kids, and beeves were barbecued. A banner was presented to the "Jasper Infantry", the newly organized company. Speeches by Gen. Burney, Att. William Leften, Walker, and Jnr. Davis. A number of new recruits also added to the company. It was a busy day at the store. We were all very weary when night came" SUNDAY, JUNE 30: "Not many at Sunday School and Church. A company of Dragoons from Milledgeville were camped outside Monticello and they drew away many of the people". (A footnote says: "This was the Governor's Horse Guards. They had left Milledgeville on June 26 on their way to Marietta. Three days later at Marietta, the battalion passed a resolution thanking the people of Monticello for the hospitality shown them while camped near town.) Rev. Vedder had decided to accept the call to Summerville, S.C., for on July 1st he wrote that he spent most of the day packing to leave Monticello. On July 2nd he left for Madison at 7 a.m. arriving at Rev. Kaufman's at 2:30 p.m. At midnight he caught the train for Augusta, Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw197bicenten.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 8.0 Kb