Pulaski County GaArchives History .....Historical Sketch 1935
************************************************
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:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 July 28, 2004, 12:26 am

p. 33

HISTORICAL SKETCH BY COL. W. W. PAINE

   The following sketch of the early history of this section was read recently
by Hon. W. W. Paine, of Savannah, before the Georgia Historical Society of that
city:

   In the spring of 1818 the Indians appeared in force on the west side of the
Ocmulgee River, opposite the Telfair line, and murdered in cold blood several
families.

   The citizens of Telfair County immediately armed and organized a company,
under the command of Capt. John Willcox, an old and much respected citizen, and
the father and grandfather of a family which has made its impress on Southern
Georgia, and for whom and in honor of whom a county was named by the Legislature.

   Captain Willcox and his lieutenant, Mitchell Griffin, crossed the river with
a force of thirty-six men at Jordan's Bluff, who came up with the Indians, one
hundred strong, a few miles in the interior.

   In those days it did not take many hours to organize a force; every man had
his own rifle and his shot bag, containing his balls, patching and flints, and
attached powder horn; and with three or four days' rations of parched corn and
jerked beef in a haversack, he was ready for a march.

   The Indians had done much mischief, and, besides the murder of several
families, they had gathered a large number of cattle and were in full retreat
when this company came up with them in the open forest. A battle was fought in
real Indian style, each man behind a tree. The firing was warm for an hour, when
the Indians, from their numerical strength, outflanked the whites, and compelled
them to fall back. This they did in good order at first, but a part of the
whites became panic stricken and fled, leaving the remainder of the command to
contend with five times their number. Mitchell Griffin fell while bravely trying
to rally his men, and in his death the county lost a good and true citizen. He
was senator-elect from Telfair County to the Legislature. The killed, besides
Lieutenant Griffin, were William Mooney, Mike Burch, William Morrison, and _____
Nobles. The seriously wounded were Moses Rountree, John Law-son, and the late
Gen. Mark Willcox, then a youth not over eighteen years old.

   When the whites were compelled to retreat, Willcox was lying where he had
fallen, wounded with a ball in his head. Nat Stateham found that he was alive,
took him on his back and retreated after the rest, supported and relieved by
Wiley Ellison. These two men, although encumbered with the form of their friend,
made good their retreat, and by cautious firing kept the Indians at a distance, and

p. 34

succeeded in reaching the river after a run of five miles with their wounded
comrade.

   The Indians lost many killed and a large number wounded. General Willcox
recovered from his wound, and lived many years, and was one of the leading
political spirits of his day.

   Nat Stateham was a noted Indian fighter and a lieutenant in the army. He
distinguished himself on several occasions. During one of the engagements it was
necessary that a messenger be sent to inform the officers in command of several
companies of cavalrymen stationed eight miles away of certain maneuvers by the
Indians. The captain called for a volunteer to bear the dispatch, and, no one
stepping from the ranks, Stateham, taking off his sword and handing it to a
friend, said: "Captain, I will go." "But you are my lieu-tenant," responded the
captain, "and will be needed." The reply of Stateham was: "Any of the men can
play the part of lieutenant, although they appear unwilling to act the part of
scout and courier."

   Stateham mounted his horse, dashed through a heavy fire from the Indians,
reached the company in safety, and piloted the reinforcements back in time to
save the company.

   The other survivor, old Daniel Campbell, "is a Scotchman, is as honest as the
day is long, and is as hospitable as he is honest."


Additional Comments:
Extracted from 
"HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY
GEORGIA"

OFFICIAL HISTORY

COMPILED BY THE HAWKINSVILLE CHAPTER
DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
PRESS OF WALTER W. BROWN PUBLISHING COMPANY
ATLANTA, GEORGIA


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/pulaski/history/other/gms65historic.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/

File size: 4.7 Kb