Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

The University of Georgia

April 23

1752 In London, Georgia's Trustees made their last grant of land, paid their final bills, signed a deed surrendering Georgia to the Crown, and defaced their seal -- thus ending Georgia's two decades as a trustee colony. For the remainder of its colonial status, Georgia would now exist as a royal colony operated by the British government.

1823 Lawyer and Confederate general Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb was born on Cherry Hill Plantation in Jefferson County, Ga. When he was young, Cobb and his family moved to Athens, where he attended the University of Georgia, graduating at the top of his class. Cobb was admitted to the bar in 1842 and took the position of reporter for the state Supreme Court. While manning this position, he published a number of legal works, most notably a Digest of Georgia Laws (1851). Known for his religious zeal as a revivalist, Cobb brought the same intensity of spirit to his demand for better schools -- which he believed should not only educate, but shape the morals of young men and women. To serve the educational needs of young women, he helped establish the Lucy Cobb Institute, named for his recently deceased daughter, in 1859. He also established the Lumpkin Law School at the University of Georgia that same year.

Early on Cobb was a Unionist in his political sentiments, though he vigorously defended slavery. But when Lincoln was elected and secession became inevitable, Cobb joined the chorus calling for separation from the Union. On November 12, 1860 he delivered a powerful speech before the Georgia legislature calling for secession. Elected to the Provincial Congress of the Confederate States of America, he served on the judiciary and printing committees, and the committee which drafted the Confederate Constitution, the original draft of which is thought to be in his handwriting. But Cobb was argumentative and did not get along well with many of the other legislators, not understanding why his suggestions were not immediately implemented. He raised his own regiment of troops - the Cobb's Legion - and led them into war as a commissioned colonel, serving in the battles of Seven Days, Second Manassas, and Sharpsburg. In October of 1862 he took command of a brigade formerly led by his brother Howell Cobb, and was promoted to brigadier general. He was killed defending a wall at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Cobb is buried in Oconee Hills Cemetery in Athens.

1855 Author and journalist Harry Stillwell Edwards was born in Macon, Georgia. His formal education cut short by the Civil War, but he read extensively in the Library of Congress while working as a clerk in the U.S. Treasury. He returned home to Macon in 1874, studied law and was admitted to the bar, but never actively practiced because of his desire to write. His first short story, "Elder Brown's Backslide," appeared in Harper's Monthly in 1886. Numerous other stories followed; these stories were eventually collected and published in book form. His first novel, Sons and Fathers (a mystery), was written in 1895. Another popular mystery, Marbeau Cousins, was published soon afterwards. Meanwhile, Edwards had become owner and editor of the Macon Telegraph, where he published a regular column called "What Comes Down My Creek." This column was very popular and he continued publishing it for the rest of his life. But Edwards' most popular work was a story called "Eneas Africanus," which first appeared in the Macon Evening News (of which he was also part owner and co-editor). Eneas Africanus was subsequently published as a book and has sold over three million copies. Edwards remained a well-liked public figure both at home and on the lecture circuit. He died in Macon October 22, 1938. His rustic home, Kingfisher Cabin, was later restored and placed on the grounds of Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon.

1898 U.S. Army general Lucius D. Clay, who would serve as military governor of the U.S. zone of occupied Germany after World War II, was born in Marietta, Ga. [See April 16 entry for biographical information.]

1952 Actor Lionel Johnston was born in Augusta Ga.

1954 Hank Aaron hit his first major league baseball home run, helping the Braves to a 7-5 win over St. Louis.

1971 Liberian president William Tubman, grandson of an ex-slave from Augusta, Ga., died.

1985 Coca-Cola Co. announced it was changing the 99-year-old secret flavor formula for Coke, the world's best-selling soft drink, with a successor known as "New Coke." The new version, designed to compete with the sweeter-tasting Pepsi Cola, was touted as "the most significant soft drink development" in Coke history. Unfortunately, customers didn't embrace New Coke. In fact, they organized for the return of the original formula, which Coca-Cola soon reintroduced under the name "Classic Coke."

1998 In Nashville, Tenn., James Earl Ray died of kidney failure and liver disease at age 70. Thirty years earlier, Ray had avoided the possibility of a death sentence by pleading guilty to killing Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, for which he sentenced to 99 years in prison. Later, Ray recanted his confession, saying he was framed. Prior to Ray's death, members of the King family became convinced that a conspiracy involving high official in the U.S. government -- not Ray -- was responsible for King's assassination. In response to Ray's death, Coretta Scott King called for a new and complete investigation of her husband's death.

1999 In ceremonies in Macon, eight new members were inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame: Norman Faircloth, Catherine Hardy-Lavender, Antonio McKay, Clarence Scott, Jeff Van Note, Danny Yates III, Dewitt Talmedge ("D.T." Bell), and Burell Towns ("B.T.") Harvey. 

1999 In Salt Lake City, the University of Georgia women's gymnastic team defeated five other teams to win its second straight NCAA national championship. The championship topped another record -- for the second consecutive year, the Gym Dogs were undefeated in the regular season.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1732 Sir John Percival, later designated first Earl of Egmont, was a member of the House of Commons who had served on James Oglethorpe's committee that investigated London's prisons. Both were key forces in the movement to create a colony from Carolina's southern lands. After numerous delays, Percival finally received word that King George II had signed the royal charter creating the colony which would bear his name. But, there was one problem -- the language of the charter had been drafted with the assumption that the charter would have been approved before February 1732. As Percival noted in his diary, the late signing of the charter caused a problem:

"Sunday, 23 -- Went to chapel, then to Court.

"Mr. Sharp, Clerk of the [Privy] Council, told me that our Carolina Charter had been signed by his Majesty Friday last [April 21], but that the Duke of Newcastle desired first to know whether we would not have the time appointed for filling up the number of trustees to 24 altered; for in the charter as it now stands, the time required is on Tuesday the second or third week in February, which time being lapsed by the delay of the charter, we cannot do it till February next year, but if we would have the date altered to some day of this or the next month, his Grace was ready to do it, but then the charter must be new drawn. Mr. Sharp added that Mr. Oglethorp [sic] and others of the trustees having been consulted thereon, replied they were willing to let the charter proceed as it stands, though we cannot fill up our number [of Trustees] till next year. Their reason was that if the charter be altered it must go again to the Council and occasion a further delay which might endanger the loss of the charter, at least for this year. I told him and Mr. Holland, as also Mr. la Roche, who I saw soon after, that it put a great hardship on the 15 trustees [named in the charter], to be obliged to act a twelvemonth almost without filling up their number to 24, as required by the charter, because it was on supposition of that complete number that the charter requires a quorum of eight trustees, which being more than half the body, will be hard to find to meet together, because of sickness or necessary avocations. They said it was true, but the chief of our business for a twelvemonth will be only to get in subscriptions and settle schemes for our proceeding, which may be left to committee. I granted it will be a great while before we can proceed to anything of good purpose, because without a necessary fund of money we can do nothing, and I said that under £12,000 we could not undertake to send families over lest we should starve them, for the estimate ought to be made in the highest manner, because of many disappointments we should meet with, and a good stock of money remain for contingencies and unforeseen accidents. . . . "

Source: U.K. Historical Manuscripts Commission, Diary of the First Earl of Egmont (London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1923), Vol. I, pp. 260-261.

1742 William Stephens' journal entry for this date clearly shows the trouble he and other colonial officials are having in enforcing the Trustees' ban on alcohol in the Georgia:

"The Flag being hoisted as annually on St. Georges Day, and most of the people assembled at Noon, expecting to drink the Kings health, wherein I observed a better Concurrence and good temper towards one another (as I thought) than appeared for a while past; to Cherish that Humour, and promote Unity, if possible, by any way that I could contribute to it, I ventured to order a Couple of Gallons of Wine for that purpose, and 5 Guns to be fired; tho' the smallest estimate for rejoicing days would hardly allow it. And I was glad to see them all go off well pleased. The President and Assistants met in the afternoon, and pursuant to their Instructions from the Trust, made choice of 4 persons whom they thought best qualified to keep Publick [sic] houses, and which were thought enough. At the same time they received a Strickt [sic] Charge, how it was expected they should behave, in not suffering the common people to debauch themselves, or keep irregular hours, which if they failed to observe they must expect to be suppress'd. And upon being farther Told, that 'twould lay much in their power, to put a stop to all that illegal and Scandalous practice of selling Liquors and Spirits in private Corners, by giving information against such, which also would be to their own benefit, they promised to give a helping hand to it. And tis to be wished we may see it."

Source: E. Merton Coulter (ed.), The Journal of William Stephens, 1741-1743 (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1959), pp. 68-69.

1862 Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas's journal entry for this day in 1862 shows the universal fear experienced by all whose loved ones go off to war:

"This I suppose will be the last day of our stay in Atlanta. Mr. Thomas expected to have left for Virginia via Augusta last night but the cars could not be procured for the transportation of the troop . . . . Leaving Atlanta entails a separation from Mr. Thomas and how I dread it the 'Searcher of all Hearts' alone knoweth. My dear Husband, my own darling -- how I shrink from parting with him again . . . ."

Source: Virginia Ingraham Burr (ed.), The Secret Eye: The Journal of Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas, 1848-1889 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1990), p. 204. 

1865 Just days before Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston's surrender becomes official, Georgian Joseph Cumming wrote to his wife from near Greensboro, N.C.Though he did not mention the massive desertion of soldiers then underway, Cumming's letter does mention two cases of fellow soldiers leaving for home:

"I am not yet in any proper frame of mind for letter writing. The events of the last ten days, with all my talk about the suddenness with which this war would end, have taken me so much by surprise that I have not been in a normal state of mind for some days. Time hangs very heavily upon my hands. We have nothing to do, yet I feel no inclination for letter writing. I sent you a short letter by Henry day before yesterday. The departure of Henry Meyers today for Augusta presents another opportunity for sending you tidings of my welfare. It is impossible for me to say as yet when I shall start home. I ought to do so in a few days, if the terms agreed upon between Sherman and Johnston are adopted promptly by the United States Government. We are doing nothing in the meantime but awaiting listlessly for tidings from Washington. A rumor reaches us today that the assassination of Lincoln, announced in orders to Sherman's army, never took place but the whole affair was a hoax perpetrated by some of our cavalry which tapped the telegraph lines in [the] rear of Sherman's army. I hope the rumor proves true! Give my love to all at home. Kisses to the little ones. Yours."

Source: Mills Lane (ed.), "Dear Mother: don't grieve about me. If I get killed, I'll only be dead.": Letters from Georgia Soldiers in the Civil War (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1990), pp. 351-352.