Ed Jackson and Charles Pou

The University of Georgia

September 9

1752 Officially, this day did not exist in Georgia. See Sept. 3 entry for reason.

1815 Lawyer and politician Howell Cobb born was born in Jefferson County, Georgia. While a youth, Cobb's family moved to Athens, where he attended the University of Georgia. Following graduation in 1834, he read law and practiced law in Athens. Cobb also became active in politics and in 1841 was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. There, in part because of his moderate views on states' rights issues, he rose in influence. In 1849, Cobb was elected Speaker of the U.S. House--the first Georgian to hold that important post. As Speaker, he played an important role in gaining approval of the Compromise of 1850.

Because of the controversy generated by that legislation in Georgia, Cobb resigned from Congress and returned to Georgia to defend himself. In 1851, he ran for governor as a Union Democrat and won. After one term, he returned to practice law in Georgia, but in 1855 he was again elected to the U.S. House. The next year he was a prominent supporter of James Buchanan's presidential race. After Buchanan won, the new president named Cobb as his Secretary of the Treasury. After a failed bid as the Democratic nominee in the 1860 presidential race, Cobb resigned his cabinet post and returned to Georgia, where he became an active secessionist. Cobb served as president of the provisional Confederate Congress, after which he raised a regiment and left for the battle front. In September 1863, Cobb returned to Georgia to serve as commanding general of the Georgia state forces. During Reconstruction, Cobb again became active with the Democratic Party. He died during a visit to New York City in October 1868. [Click here to view Howell Cobb U.S. revenue stamp.]

1819 Future Confederate general Martin L. Smith was born in Danby, New York. After the war, he settled in Georgia. See July 29 entry for biographical information on Smith.

1834 Future Confederate general William McRae was born in Wilmington, N.C. After the war, McRae settled in Georgia, where he died in Augusta on Feb. 11, 1882. See Feb. 11 entry for biographical information on McRae.

1871 Georgia-born Cherokee Indian and Confederate general Stand Watie died in Delaware City, Okla. See Dec. 12 entry for biographical information on Watie.

1933 When WSB radio first went on the air in March 1922, its first transmitter broadcast with only 100 watts of power. Three months later, its signal was boosted to 500 watts. When the radio station moved to the Biltomore Hotel in 1925, its signal doubled to 1,000 watts. In early 1930, WSB's radio audience expanded when the station's transmitting power was boosted to 5,000 watts. In 1933, the Federal Radio Commission authorized U.S. radio stations to broadcast with a maximum power of 50,000 watts, which would dramatically increase the impact of radio on American families. On this day in 1933, WSB began broadcasting with a new 50,000-watt transmitter.

Will Rogers topped a long list of celebrities on hand to dedicate the occasion. A congratulatory letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt was also read. With its new 50,000-watt transmitter, WSB could be heard throughout the Southeast at night, leading to its new motto – "The Voice of the South." In fact, under the right atmospheric conditions, WSB's signal could be heard not only across the U.S. but from as far away as New Zealand.

1941 Soul singer Otis Redding was born in Dawson, Georgia. At an early age, his family moved to Macon, where he soon was influenced by such singers as Little Richard and Sam Cooke. In 1963, he recorded his first release, "These Arms of Mine." Based on its success, Stax Records signed him to a recording contract. Redding went on to record many successful rhythm-and-blues hits, including "I've Been Loving You Too Long" and "Try a Little Tenderness."

On Dec. 10, 1967, at age 26, Redding died in a tragic plane crash while flying to a concert in Madison, Wisconsin. Three days before his death, he had recorded "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." Released a month later, it quickly went to the top of both R&B and Pop charts, eventually selling over 4 million records. For it, Redding was posthumously awarded Grammy Awards in 1968 for best male R&B performance and best R&B song.

1942 Georgia Congressman John Linder was born in Deer River, Minnesota. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1964, obtaining a D.D.S degree in 1967. In 1969, he moved to the Atlanta area, settling in Tucker, Georgia. Here he practiced dentistry from 1969-1982. A Republican, Linder served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1974-80, and again from 1982-90. In 1992, he was elected in the 4th district to the U.S. House of Representatives. Following reapportionment, Linder decided not to run in the redrawn 4th district but instead ran in the new 11th district (even though his hometown was outside the district) and won easily over his Democratic challenger.

1954 Marvin Griffin beat Melvin Thompson in the race for governor in the Democratic primary.

Marvin Griffin (left) and Melvin Thompson

After the U.S. Supreme Court issued its first Brown v. Board of Education decision in May, Griffin had campaigned hard through the summer pledging to keep Georgia's public schools segregated.

1958 Professional golfer Larry Mize was born in Augusta. In 1987, he became the third Georgia-born golfer to win Augusta's Masters Golf Tournament.

1962 Two black churches were burned in the Terrell County community of Sasser, located about 15 miles northwest of Albany. The church buildings had been used for voter registration drives for blacks in Terrell County. Civil rights leaders called on President John F. Kennedy for help in what they described as "a Nazi-like reign of terror" in southwest Georgia.

For more, see the Albany Movement from the Civil Rights Digital Library.

1986 Ted Turner's WTBS Superstation presented the classic movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy" in color – the first colorized version of a movie originally made in black and white.

In Their Own Words on This Day. . .

1862 Atlanta provost marshal Col. George W. Lee issued the following order to city residents:

"From the date of this order no livery stable keeper or other person will be permitted to hire a horse or horses or vehicles of any kind whatever to any negro slave or free person of color in this city or its environs, without a permit from the owner of such slave or the guardian of such free person of color, which order shall state the business they are going on, and the order shall be approved at these headquarters."

Source: Franklin M. Garrett, Atlanta and Environs: A Chronicle of its People and Events (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1969 reprint of original 1954 volume), Vol. I, p. 528.

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

1864 From the field near Atlanta, Sherman wrote Gen. Joseph Webster:

"Your dispatch is received. Even sutlers must be prohibited from coming to Atlanta. I will as soon as the railroad is open make arrangements for opening and supplying three stores, one at Atlanta, one at Decatur, and one at East Point, and allow them jointly one car a day. Telegraph all parties to push Wheeler and his bands to the death. Now is the time to strike hard, and to wipe out all guerrilla bands. Show them no mercy. I will exchange with Hood about 2,000 prisoners that I have in hand. Our success has been very complete, and I want to make it thorough from the Ohio River to Atlanta, so that we may use Atlanta hereafter as a base."

Source: U.S. War Department, The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (originally printed 1891, reprinted by The National Historical Society, 1971), Part 5, Vol. 38, pp. 839-840.

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

1864 One week after Union occupation of Atlanta, local merchant Samuel P. Richards recorded in his diary:

"We have had several days of great excitement, as it was understood that order had been, or were about to be, issued to the effect that everybody not belonging to the army must leave the city, going North or South as they saw fit, except the families of those men who had left the city before the Yankees came, and such must go South . . . . But as yet no orders have been published specifying anything and we do not know what we have to do. . . . The Yankees have not molested us much at the house, and have generally behaved pretty well. One unpleasant feature of present circumstances is the impudent airs the negroes put on, and their indifference to the wants of their former masters. Of course they are all free and the Yankee soldiers don't fail to assure them of that fact. Jabe's 'Sally' has come out of her hole now and is independent as can be. 'George' and 'Clem' are said to be in the city too. So our negro property has all vanished into air."

Source: Franklin M. Garrett, Atlanta and Environs: A Chronicle of its People and Events (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1969 reprint of original 1954 volume), Vol. I, p. 643.