Happy Fourth and Thanks to Lyman, George, and Button

The following is a letter that was sent from the Committee of Safety in Savannah, Georgia to Georgia’s representatives to the Continental Congress---
Button Gwinnett,
Lyman Hall,
and George Walton:


Archibald Bulloch
President, Council of Safety
Savannah, Georgia
April 5, 1776

Gentlemen:

Our remote situation from both the seat of power and arms, keeps us so very ignorant of the counsels and ultimate designs of the Congress, and of the transactions in the field, that we shall decline giving any particular instructions, other than strongly to recommend it to you that you never lose sight of the peculiar situation of the province you are appointed to represent; The Indians, both south and northwesterly, upon our backs; the fortified town of St. Augustine made a continual rendezvous for soldiers in our very neighborhood; together with our blacks and tories with us; let these weighty truths be the powerful arguments for support. At the time we also recommend it to you, always to keep in view the general utility, remembering that the great and righteous cause in which we are engaged is not provincial, but continental. We, therefore, gentlemen, shall rely upon your patriotism, abilities, firmness, and integrity, to propose, join and concur, in all such measures as you shall think calculated for the common good, and to oppose such as shall appear destructive.

By order of the Congress
Archibald Bulloch, President

Three months later the men who received this letter did their duty and risked their property and very lives by signing the Declaration of Independence representing Georgia.

On this day let us remember those that sacrificed for us so that we have the freedom to blather about, complain about, argue with, as well as applaud our fellow citizens.

Happy Fourth!

Georgia Courthouses-Richmond County

I love old courthouses and one of the things I’d like to share here at Georgia On My Mind is images of our courthouse buildings. I picked Richmond County quite by random and was surprised to find out the older building was replaced by a newer, contemporary building in the mid-50’s seen here. I understand that the older buildings become a money pit for tax payers, but still……it’s a shame.

The Georgia Legislature directed town commissioners to build a courthouse, jail, and seminary of learning in January 23, 1780. Actual construction waited until after the American Revolution since the town of Augusta was captured by the British. Once construction began, however, the town fathers decided to take over a an already exisiting structure, and in 1784 enlarged it for several purposes including a courthouse and the state legislature since at that time Augusta was Georgia’s capital. “Government House” was the next courthouse that was constructed on Telfair Street, and in 1820, a brick structure with a clock tower became known as the Richmond County Courthouse on Greene Street. Wings were added later and in 1892 the entire structure was remodeled. It has been determined that this image is from 1906.

Notice in the modern version of the courthouse you can see the Signer’s Monument. It was dedicated in 1848, and honors all three Georgia signers of the Declaration of Independence: Button Gwinnett, George Walton, and Lyman Hall.

Walton and Hall are actually buried underneath the monument.

The newer image of the courthouse is courtesy of Edwin Jackson, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia. The older image was also found on the CVIG site as well.

If you visit this site you can view a few old penny postcards of old Augusta.