Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

The University of Georgia

May 30

1539 Likely at Tampa Bay on Florida's western coast, Hernando de Soto's expedition landed for what would be a four-year exploration across the Southeast. Included in the expedition were approximately 600 foot and mounted soldiers, four priests, four friars, four women, an unknown number of Africans, some woodworkers (for building bridges and boats), swine herders, adventurers, dog handlers, and a pack of large fighting dogs.

1739 In London, the Trustees appointed George Whitefield to be the parish minister at Savannah. They also granted Whitefield, who was present at their meeting, 500 acres of land near Savannah for an orphanage.

1887 Lawyer and former Confederate general James Phillip Simms died in Covington, Georgia.

See Jan. 16 entry for biographical information on Sims.

1907 Missionary Young John Allen died in Shanghai, China. Born Jan. 3, 1836, in Burke County, Georgia, Allen was orphaned as an infant, but his father's estate provided for his education. He attended Emory College, where he was profoundly affected by several campus revivals.

In 1859 he and his family embarked for China with a small group of Methodists. China was racked by the Taiping Rebellion, while the Civil War back home left the small mission group on their own financially. Allen traded in coal and rice to help support the mission. He also learned Chinese and worked as both a teacher and interpreter. His work work helped spread the Christian gospel to thousands of Chinese, and eventually to Japan and Korea as well. Allen edited several periodicals, most notably the newspaper Review of the Times, which circulated among the more influential society members – including the imperial courts of China, Japan, and Korea. Allen also penned or translated some 250 pieces of literature. In 1906, Allen visited the South, where he spoke at the Methodist Conference in Birmingham, Ala. In his speech, later published as "The Gospel Liberating China," Allen foresaw the revolutions that would sweep and change China. He returned to his mission in Shanghai, where he died the following year.

1913 Police took Jim Conley to the National Pencil Factory, where he went over every detail of his story of the day of the murder, including how he and Leo Frank had together loaded Mary Phagan's body onto the elevator and brought it to the basement. Though no one realized it at the time, evidence existed at the base of the elevator shaft that clearly contradicted Conley's testimony. Unfortunately, police and Frank's attorney failed to notice the contradiction -- an oversight that would have terrible consequences for Frank's defense. Click here for a detailed accounting of the case.

1922 The Lincoln Memorial (carved from Georgia marble by Daniel Chester French, who earlier created the monument of James Oglethorpe in Savannah) was dedicated in Washington, D.C.

1935 As a Boston Brave, baseball great Babe Ruth played his last major league game.

After striking out in the first inning in a game against Philadelphia, Ruth injured his knee in the outfield – never to play again. He retired several days later.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1772 James Habersham was not only one of the leading merchants of colonial Georgia but also an influential supporter of the orphan house begun by George Whitefield, as evidenced by the following letter he wrote to royal governor James Wright:

"I thank you for undertaking the Cause of the Orphan House, now truly an Orphan, which I find by your letters, as also another from Lord and Lady Huntingdon, lately received – It was sometime ago industriously rumoured here, that it was to go to Mr Whitefield's Heirs, and indeed by a Letter I received from Her Ladyship, about the same time she wrote to me almost in the same Terms, and in a Strain, I did not relish, and understand, and have not answered it, but Her Ladyship's last Letter is kind and affectionate, and therefore I shall as kindly reply – I am between 2 and 300 pounds in Advance for that House -- When this report first prevailed, there were about 16 Boarders, and every thing appeared to go on agreeably, but on Mr. Lowton's proposing to keep a School, and it being propogated, that the Scheme of a College or School wou'd come to nothing, the Children were by Degrees withdrawn, untill reduced to Mr. Graham's and Clay's Sons. . . ."

Source: Collections of the Georgia Historical Society, Vol. VI, The Letters of the Hon. James Habersham, 1756-1775 (Savannah: Georgia Historical Society, 1904), pp. 180-181.

1838 From New Echota, Gen. Winfield Scott wrote to the U.S. Secretary of War:

"Without waiting for all the new levies [of soldiers] to reach their stations, operations were commenced on the 26th [of May]. Of the fifteen stations in Georgia, we have already heard from twelve, up to different dates, and estimate the number of prisoners secured to be not less than 2500. It is probable, I think, that in eight or ten days more all the Georgia Indians will have been collected, with the exception of stragglers, and the greater number put in march for the emigrating depots. Several parties are already known to be under escort for Ross's Landing.

". . . If my address had not been counteracted by many letters from the Cherokee delegation at Washington, saying that a new treaty was about to be signed between the War Department and them, we should now have had one-third of the nation at the principal depots as voluntary emigrants.

"Four companies of the United States Second Artillery, under Lieutenant Colonel Crane, with prisoners taken up at the posts on the route passed north of this place yesterday for Ross's Landing. The First and fourth Artillery have probably, under Brigadier General Eustis, reached Fort Butler. I do not learn that the six troops of United States of United States dragoons have even been put in motion from Florida. The same remark is applicable to the marines, and I have just officially learned that four companies of the Second Artillery, the Third Artillery and Fourth Infantry are to come via the ocean, the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee. These troops, like the dragoons and marines, may not be up in time to render any service in the collection of the Indians, unless a stand should be made in the mountains of North Carolina. Under this delay, and considering the great extent of country to be scoured. I now do not think that I have too many militia in the field."

Source: Edward J. Cashin (ed.), A Wilderness Still the Cradle of Nature: Frontier Georgia (Savannah, Beehive Press, 1994), pp. 140-141.

1864 Henry Potter was a captain in the 4th Michigan Cavalry, which was part of Sherman's force moving on Atlanta. From near Dallas, Ga., Potter wrote his father:

"My health is good but we are all about tired out. The Cavalry has never had such hard wor[k] or so much fighting. Our horses have not had a feed of grain in four days. They cannot go much further. The whole rebel army is in front of us. They are determined to drive us back or die. Night before last they made an assault upon our lines but were repulsed with a loss of 800. Last night there was the most terrific fighting I ever heard. The whole rebel army I should judge was charging upon our lines. I have had no report of the result yet. Only that we held our line firmly. Their loss must be terrible. Such firing and crashing and moaning was never heard. Our Cavalry fell back to the left and we were four miles in the rear when the assault was made. The whole sky was lit up as if the world was on fire. A sullen and continuous roar was heard. The sound would rise and fall like the waves of ocean. The earth fairly trembled and shrunk from the shock of hundreds of cannon. I am confident of success. We CANNOT fail. Our Army is large, larger than you imagine and our cause is just. From the Potomac I hear nothing. The 4th Mich has been in four fights at Kingston, Rome, Dallas and near Pumpkinvine Creek. We have had one Maj. (Grant)[Horace D Grant, Jackson, Michigan] captured. Our Maj. Robbins [Richard B Robbins, Adrian, Michigan] wounded, one Capt. (Lawton)[George W Lawton, Antwerp, Michigan] severely wounded and Lieuts. Carter[Julius M Carter, Ovid, Michigan] and Randolph[Smith Randolph, Madison, Michigan]. Carter is coming home, he is badly wounded, but not fatally. Our loss may be near 75 men, killed, wounded, and missing, 5 officers and about 100 horses. I have not had but one nights good rest in a week. We marched all last night. I am tough or I could not stand it. We are receiving reenforcements enough to more than make up for their loss. Gens Howard and Johnson were wounded day before yesterday. The rebels were cut to pieces with grape and canister when they charged. Dallas is full of rebel legs and arms. They were struck in the thigh and bowels mostly. Joe Johnson says if whipped here he will raise the stars and stripes in Atlanta. Thomas is the center. McPherson the right. Schofield the left and our cavalry has been on the right. Our Army is now concentrated. The war will close in 1864. Write when you can."

The Letters of Henry Albert Potter, May-August 1864

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