1862 Augusta-born Confederate general William D. Smith died of yellow fever in Charleston, S.C. [See July 28 entry for biographical information on Smith.]

1870 Oglethorpe University opened in Atlanta with a faculty of five professors, plus three teachers at its high school. Additionally, Oglethorpe had a separate law school with six instructors, and there were plans to open a medical school, a civil engineering school, and a business college. Originally, Oglethorpe University opened as a Presbyterian school in January 1838 in Baldwin County. After the Civil War broke out, the school closed.Unable to reopen immediately, university trustees voted in 1869 to move Oglethorpe University to downtown Atlanta. However, after only two years of operation, the Presbyterian Synod of Georgia ordered Oglethorpe closed at the end of fall term of 1872 because of financial difficulties.

1918 President Woodrow Wilson telegraphed state Democratic convention delegates meeting in Macon expressing appreciation for their support of his administration and of the nation's war effort.

1925 The Savannah River Bridge opened connecting Georgia and South Carolina.

1933 Atlanta held a National Recovery Act parade. With over 50,000 participants--including employees of federal, state, and local governments--this was largest parade ever held in Atlanta to that point.

1959 The Cleveland Browns' great running back Jim Brown made 37 rushing attempts, a club record, in the Browns 34-7 victory over the Chicago Bears. Born on St. Simons Island, Georgia, Brown would go on to be selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

1995 Newnan, Georgia-born Alan Jackson won the prestigious male entertainer of the year award at the annual Country Music Association's award ceremony in Nashville.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1861 From Camp Bartow in Virginia, Shephard Pryor of the 12th Georgia Infantry wrote to his wife about his first battle:

". . . This morning about 6 o'clock the enemy commenced firing on our pickets about two miles from camp. The enemy [was] supposed to be between 4000 and 5000 strong. Our grand guard was about 100 strong. They kept the enemy in check for about one hour. They then fell back to our main body. The enemy then commenced firing their cannon into our camp, shooting shell and solid shot by the quantity. But we had cannon, too, and men to man them that knew how to shoot them. Our grand guard killed near 100 of them. The cannonading last three hours. The enemy killed ten or twelve of our men and horses. From the report of Colonel Ramsey, who was stationed in the mountain where he saw the whole fight, we killed at least 250 or 300. They tried to flank us on our left. Colonel Rusk with his Arkansas boys met them, and they then tried the right flank. There, dear, the 12th Georgia Regiment met them and repulsed them without firing a gun at them. . . . We were ordered not [to] fire a gun until we could see the whites of their eyes. We lay still, awaiting them to get near enough to fire on us. They came up in about 400 years of us and commenced firing onus with their long-range guns, but killed none, wounded two. The balls went 'zip' all around us. They found that they could do nothing without coming close up to us, and one of the cannon opened on them with grape shot, and they retreated in quick time. About that time the cannon of the enemy ceased firing, and their whole force retreated in a run. This end the first battle I ever was in, and General Jackson gave the 12th Georgia [Regiment] the credit of repulsing them. . . ."

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