Pulaski County GaArchives History .....Blackshear Raods in Pulaski 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, 12:34 am

BLACKSHEAR ROADS IN PULASKI

   Originally there were four roads in Pulaski that were in some way associated
with the name of Blackshear. There are only two now: Blackshear Military Road to
Fort Early, and the Lower River Road.

   The first road was cut by Major Elijah Blackshear in the summer of 1814.
Though the writer cannot determine the route, it did go in an easterly direction
from Hartford. The fact of its existence and its direction is shown by General
Blackshear's correspondence. In letter 4,9, "Memoirs of Gen. David Blackshear,"
the General is advised by Governor Early that it would be best not to follow the
road which was cut last year by Major Blackshear, though on Blackshear's march
to Barrington on the Altamaha, "it would be nearer, yet it could not at this
season be passed by wagons." The Governor then suggests that Blackshear follow
the River road to Barrington.

   Since the above was written the route of the Major Blackshear road has been
fairly accurately ascertained. Leaving Hartford over the old Milledgeville or
Cochran road it follows the old Chickasaw Indian trail or Chicken road as far as
Empire; it goes in a southern direction along the Southern Railway, passing
through McRae; it crossed Gum Swamp, going down the east side of Little
Ocmulgee, intersecting River road near Bell's Ferry on Oconee River.

   The second road to be associated with the name was one from Camp Hope, near
Macon, to Hartford. On December 14, 1814, General Blackshear was ordered to
"march with Colonel Wimberly's regiment of infantry, directly from this
encampment (Camp

p. 39

Hope) to Hartford on the Ocmulgee River, and to proceed from thence by opening a
road in the most direct way to Flint River." The writer does not know the road
followed by General Blackshear and his troops from Camp Hope to Hartford, but
his investigations lead him to believe that it was the road leading toward
Cochran, following the left-hand fork five miles from Hartford, going by Coley
Station, Longstreet, and Jeffersonville to the vicinity of Macon. Data is so
scanty that one cannot be positive with present information.

   The fourth road is the one that General Blackshear followed in his famous
march from Hartford to the sea. On leaving Hartford, January 21, 1815, he
arrived at Fort Barrington the evening of February 4th. Turned back from his
pursuit of Major General McIntosh via Fort Hawkins by Governor Early to defend
the sea-board, General Blackshear was advised by the Governor, "Your route, I
presume, will be down the River Road through Telfair, across the Oconee at
Bell's Ferry and then to Fort Barrington." The Governor suggested this route
because of the unfitness of the Major Blackshear road at this season, and for
the further reason that this River road "is through an inhabited country and
near the river down which your supplies will have to be sent."

   The General's correspondence shows that he marched his troops down this River
road, and proceeding from Hartford entered Tel-fair, passing through the town of
Jacksonville. The "Little Ocmulgee" was crossed "73 miles below Hartford," and
the Oconee at Bell's Ferry. He did not cross either the Ocmulgee or the Altamaha
Rivers-his route lying to the east of these rivers. He arrived at Fort
Barrington on the evening of February 4th. After a few days' rest he is at a
"camp near Darien, February 13-25." There the rumors that peace had been made
between England and the United States were officially confirmed. The Treaty of
Ghent had indeed been signed by the commissioners of the two countries, on
December 24, 1814-but it was over two months later before the news arrived in
the Southern States. Jackson's famous victory at New Orleans, January 8, 1815,
and other smaller engagements were thus fought after peace had been made.

   Barrington is only a short distance up the Altamaha from Darien. On his march
thither it is well to note that Blackshear did not cross either the Ocmulgee or
Altamaha Rivers. This River road was not opened by him at this time, nor for him.

   In Pulaski County the route followed by Blackshear's troops to Barrington was
not precisely that of our present Lower River Road. A short distance beyond
Limestone Creek the old River Road began bearing in toward the river. At
present, it can be traced for several

p. 40

miles, passing across the lands of Mr. Atkinson, through the field of J. H.
McCorvey, up the hill and along the abandoned fence row on the east side of the
Wm. B. McGehee old fields, continuing its course down the river from one-half
mile to about two miles nearer than the present highway.


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/gms69blackshe.txt

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

File size: 5.4 Kb