Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

The University of Georgia

July 23

1743 In Savannah, Gen. James Oglethorpe boarded a ship to return to England. [Some sources say Oglethorpe sailed from Georgia on July 22, though the more persuasive date seems to be the 23rd.]

Oglethorpe's trip to England was prompted by two reasons. Inadequate funding from the Trustees and Parliament over the years had caused him to borrow heavily to pay the colony's unfunded expenses. He had used Westbrook, his family home in Godalming, plus his other holdings in Surrey as security for the loans. Now, unless he could persuade Parliament to reimburse him for his huge loans, he stood to lose everything.

A second reason for returning was to answer charges that an unhappy officer in his British regiment had leveled against him with Britain's war office.

Likely, Oglethorpe had no idea that he would never again return to the colony he founded.

1810 Businessman, politician, and publisher Nelson Tift was born in Groton, Conn. At age 20, he moved to Charleston, S.C., and by 1835 he was operating a business in Augusta, Ga. The next year, he opened a warehouse on the Flint River at a site which would develop into the town of Albany, thus earning him credit as the founder of Albany. During the years 1841 to 1852, Tift represented Albany several times in the Georgia General Assembly. Prior to the Civil War, he published the Albany Patriot for eleven years and served as a railroad executive. Though he opposed secession, during the Civil War he helped supply war-time needs of the Confederacy, including constructing several Confederate ironclads. After the war, he served one term (1868-69) as a member of Congress. Thereafter, he continued to promote the economic and industrial development of southwest Georgia.

The year before his 1891 death, the new town of Tifton was created and named in his honor. In 1905, the Georgia legislature also named a new county in his honor. [There is some confusion as to whether Tifton is named for Nelson Tift or his nephew Henry Harding Tift, who actually founded the town. It seems clear that he younger Tift wanted the new town named Lena. One source says that local inhabitants preferred to call the settlement, "Tift's town," which was shortened to Tifton. Several other sources, however, say that H.H. Tift agreed to the town name of Tifton to honor his uncle.]

1864 Confederate and Union forces spent the day collecting the dead and attending to the wounded from the previous day's Battle of Atlanta. Union artillery launched a bombardment of the city of Atlanta.

For more, see This Week in Georgia Civil War History.

1881 Educator Robert P. Brooks was born in Milledgeville, Ga. Attending Georgia Military College for two years (1899-1900), he completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Georgia in 1904. That year Brooks became the first Georgian to win a Rhodes Scholarship and attended Oxford University in England, where he graduated in 1907. In 1911, he entered the University of Wisconsin, where he obtained a doctorate after just over one year of study.

In 1912, Brooks accepted a faculty position with the University of Georgia, where he wrote a Georgia history textbook for use in public schools. In 1920, Brooks became dean of the University's School of Commerce, which eventually became the College of Business Administration. For the next 32 years, he held numerous top administrative positions at the University of Georgia and authored many publications about Georgia and UGA history.

1913 In Atlanta, Jim Conley and Newt Lee were brought together by prosecutor Hugh Dorsey and staff to go over their testimonies for the Leo Frank trial, set to begin July 28. Click here for a detailed accounting of the case.

1988 In his first Major League game, pitcher John Smoltz allowed only four hits and one earned run in helping the Atlanta Braves to a 6-1 win over the New York Mets.

1996 This was the fifth day of the 1996 Summer Olympics – and day 4 of Olympic competition. On this day, U.S. gold winners were the women's gymnastics team, men's 4 x 100-mter freestyle relay swimming team, Jeff Rouse in men's 100-meter backstroke swimming, Amy Van Dyken in women's 100-meter butterfly swimming, and Kim Rhode in women's double trap shooting. Click here for a summary of medals awarded during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

2003 A fire started on the second floor of the University of Georgia Main Library building caused approximately $1.5 million in damages to various books, documents, and equipment.

A homeless man was charged with starting the fire, but was not convicted. He did admit to starting it, but claimed it was an accident.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1852 Gertrude Clanton recorded a disturbing event in her journal:

"Something of a tragedy has occurred in our neighborhood recently. Last week Mary Culbreath was spending some time with Mrs. Heggie. The latter went to Augusta. Ann Heggie did not return from town that night on account of the storm. Matt did. There was no one in the house that night but Mary and Matt. Taking advantage of this circumstance he entered her room and effected her ruin. Mary sent for Jesse Wood her brother in law. He came and carried her down to Mrs. Berry's where she boarded. On the way she informed him. Her brothers together with Jessie Wood started (fully armed) for him. He got the advantage of them. In a day or two he was in Augusta. Hearing that a large party was in pursuit of him, he by a circuitous route succeeded in getting to Savannah and then took a ship -- for no one knows where! It was expected he would carry off his property and being very much in debt his property was levied upon and Ann and her three children left without a home! . . ."

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. 111.

1862 From Columbus, Ga., John Banks recorded in his journal the status of the Civil War (in which seven of his sons would serve):

"The war is still progressing and of late things are favorable to the Confederacy.

"George and Willis in Mississippi, Eugene still near Richmond. Elbert near Knoxville, Tenn., the last we heard from him.

"We are feeling the effects of the war sorely. Bacon, 40c. Coffee, 70c. Sugar, 50c. Flour, $25 per barrel. Corn is falling from $1.50 to $1.00. The prospects of the growing crop pretty good.

"Gilmer, under my advice, has gotten a substitute [for Confederate service] at $100. His wife is so unwilling for him to leave her."

Source: John Banks, Autobiography of John Banks, 1797 - 1870 (Austell, Ga.: privately printed by Elberta Leonard, 1936), pp. 25-26.

1864 In a letter written to his mother, Confederate soldier A.J. Neal revealed an unflattering view of Atlanta and some of his comrades in arms:

"I rode over [to] Atlanta yesterday, and it really made me sad to witness the ruin and destruction of the place. The soldiers have broke open many stores and scattered things over the streets promiscuously. There is the same noise and bustle on Whitehall [Street] but instead of thrift and industry and prosperity, it is hurried scramble to get away, fleeing from the wrath to come. If Sodom deserved the fate that befell it, Atlanta will not be unjustly punished, for since this war commenced it has grown to be the great capital place of corruption in official and private circles. While I regret the loss of Atlanta on account of its great value to the country as a military base and its incalculable value on account of its arsenals, foundries, manufacturies and railroad connections, I can scarcely regret that the nest of speculators and thieves, &c. is broken up. the constant and glorious patriotism and self-sacrificing devotion to our cause displayed by the women of Atlanta is the only redeeming virtue of the place."

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), p. 321.

1864 Lt. Col. Fredrick Winkler of the 26th Wisconsin Infantry wrote to his wife:

"I wrote you last on the field of battle, on the field of victory, when we had accomplished what seldom falls to the fortune of one little regiment of two hundred and sixty muskets to achieve. It was a proud day for us. The boys are in good spirits; they are ready for the most desperate deeds. We have been required to send our trophies, the nags and swords, to headquarters, but I have made application to have them sent to the State, where you may some time see them at Madison. Oar pickets found early yesterday morning that the strong line of outer works about three-quarters of a mile in length in our front ha! been evacuated by the enemy. We fell in at once and marched forward and passed through them and took position on hills within easy cannon reach of the principal fortifications, to which the enemy had retired. We have thrown up works to protect us from artillery fire. We are only two and a half miles from the city; it is partly screened by high wooded hills. We have a large number of batteries in position. There has been a good deal of exchange of fire between them and the rebel artillery. It seems that, after failing to break the lines of General Thomas' Army, moving down from the north upon the city on the 20th, the enemy attempted the same upon Mc Pherson's and Schofield's yesterday, and it is probable that he threw nearly his whole army upon them. The reports are that we lost heavily, were driven in at some points. I have even heard that our left flank was turned, but that we finally succeeded to repulse the attack, with the loss, however, of Major General Mc Pherson. The enemy was in a manner compelled to make these attacks, if he wished to save the city; he had no other choice. Mc Pherson and Schofield had possession of the eastern railroad. Our lines were very much extended; as we crowded nearer the city, they would become closer and stronger, and compel them to evacuate or stand a siege; to attack then was the best thing they could do. They have been badly beaten. I am very confident now that Atlanta will soon be ours. Johnston has been superseded by Hood in the command of the rebel army. There is a rumor current that Hood was killed on the 20th and Stevenson wounded."

Source: Civil War Letters of Major Fredrick C. Winkler, in 26th Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers Home Page

1864 From Atlanta, merchant Samuel Richards recorded in his journal what life was like in the city in the midst of the Union artillery bombardment:

"We have had a considerable taste of the beauties of bombardment today. The enemy have thrown a great many shells into the city and scared the women and children and some of the men pretty badly. One shell fell in the street just below our house [Washington and Fair streets] and threw gravel in our windows. This seems to me to be a very barbarous mode of carrying on war, throwing shells among women and children. The city authorities required me to do police duty, and I had to stand on guard on McDonough St. [Capitol Avenue] from 8 to 10 and 2 till 4 this night, and carried a musket for the first time in my life. My wife and children had to put their beds on the floor behind the chimney to be secure from shells which were thrown into the city all night long. No more fell near our house, however, and but will damage was done anywhere."

Source: Franklin M. Garrett, Atlanta and Environs: A Chronicle of Its People and Events (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1954), Vol. I, p. 622.