appearance of another ship, and it became intense when the inhabitants
saw a procession of twenty females, with veiled faces, proceeding arm
in arm, and two by two, to the house of the Governor, who received them
in state and provided them with suitable lodgings. What did it mean?
The next morning, which was Sunday, the mystery was cleared by the
officiating priest reading from the pulpit, after mass, and for the
general information, the following communication from the minister to
Bienville:
"His majesty sends twenty girls to be married to the Canadians and to
the other inhabitants of Mobile, in order to consolidate the colony.
All these girls are industrious and have received a pious and virtuous
education. You will take care to settle them in life as well as may be
in your power, and to marry them to such men as are capable of
providing them with a commodious home."...
Many were the gibes and high was the glee on that occasion; pointed
were the jokes aimed at young Bienville on his being thus transformed
into a matrimonial agent and _pater familiæ_. The intentions of the
King, however, were faithfully executed, and more than one rough but
honest Canadian boatman of the St. Lawrence and of the Mississippi
closed his adventurous and erratic career and became a domestic and
useful member of that little commonwealth, under the watchful influence
of the dark-eyed maid of the Loire or of the Seine.
[1] From Gayarré's "History of Louisiana" (1847). La Salle's
expedition to the mouth of the Mississippi, when he took
possession of the country in the name of the King of France, had
taken place in 1682. Louis XIV in 1689 sent out an expedition to
colonize the lower Mississippi. It comprized about two hundred men
and was commanded by Sieur d'Therville. Among his companions were
two brothers, one of whom, Sieur de Bienville, was the real
founder of New Orleans, and long served as Governor of Louisiana.
Gayarré describes the arrival and experiences of these brothers.
Gayarré lived in New Orleans. He began to practise law there in
1880, and afterward served as reporter of the State Supreme Court.
He died in 1895.
OGLETHORPE IN GEORGIA
(1733)
BY JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS[1]
General James Edward Oglethorpe, the founder of the Colony of Georgia,
was among the few really good and great men that history tells us of.
We need to keep a close eye on the antics of history. She places the
laurels of fame in the hands of butchers, plunderers, and adventurers,
and even assassins share her favors; so that, if we are going to enjoy
the feast that history offers us, we must not inquire too closely into
the characters of the men whom she makes heroes of. We find, when we
come to look into the matter, that but few of those who figured as the
great men of the world have been entirely unselfish; and unselfishness
is the test of a man who is really good and great. Judged by this test,
General Oglethorpe stands among the greatest men known to history....
Born in 1689, Oglethorpe entered the English army when twenty-one years
of age. In 1714 he became captain-lieutenant of the first troop of the
Queen's life guards. He shortly afterward joined Eugene on the
continent, and remained with that soldier until the peace of 1718. On
the death of his brother he succeeded to the family estate in England.
In 1722 he was elected to Parliament from Haslemere, County of Surrey,
and this borough he represented continuously for thirty-two years. His
parliamentary career was marked by wise prudence and consistency; and
his sympathies were warmly enlisted for the relief of unfortunate
soldiers, and in securing reform in the conduct of prisons. In this way
Oglethorpe became a philanthropist, and, without intending it,
attracted the attention of all England. Pope, the poet, eulogizes his
"strong benevolence of soul."
In that day and time men were imprisoned for debt in England. The law
was brutal, and those who executed it were cruel. There was no
discrimination between fraud and misfortune. The man who was unable to
pay his debts was judged to be as criminal as the man who, though able,
refused to pay....
This condition of affairs Oglethorpe set himself to reform; and while
thus engaged he became imprest with the idea that many of the
unfortunates, guilty of no crime, and of respectable connections, might
benefit themselves, relieve England of the shame of their imprisonment,
and confirm and extend the dominion of the mother country in the New
World, by being freed from the claims of those to whom they owed money,
on condition that they would consent to become colonists in America. To
this class were to be added recruits from those who, through lack of
work and of means, were likely to be imprisoned on account of their
misfortunes. Oglethorpe was also of the opinion that men of means,
enterprise, and ambition could be enlisted in the cause; and in this he
was not mistaken.
He had no hope whatever of personal gain or private benefit. The plan
that he had conceived was entirely for the benefit of the unfortunate,
based on broad and high ideas of benevolence; and so thoroughly was
this understood that Oglethorpe had no difficulty whatever in securing
the aid of men of wealth and influence. A charter or grant from the
government was applied for, in order that the scheme might have the
sanction and authority of the government. Accordingly a charter was
granted, and the men most prominent in the scheme of benevolence were
incorporated under the name of "The Trustees for establishing the
Colony of Georgia in America." Georgia in America was, under the terms
of the charter, a pretty large slice of America. It embraced all that
part of the continent lying between the Savannah and Altamaha rivers,
and extending westly from the heads of these rivers in direct lines to
the South Seas; so that the original territory of Georgia extended from
ocean to ocean.
In aid of this enterprise, Oglethorpe not only contributed largely from
his private means, and solicited contributions from his wealthy
friends, but wrote a tract in which he used arguments that were
practical as well as ingenious.
On the 17th of November, 1732, all arrangements having been completed,
the _Anne_ set sail for the Colony of Georgia, accompanied by
Oglethorpe, who furnished his own cabin, and laid in provisions not
only for himself, but for his fellow-passengers. On the 13th of
January, 1733, the _Anne_ anchored in Charleston harbor. From
Charleston the vessel sailed to Port Royal; and the colonists were soon
quartered in the barracks of Beaufort-town, which had been prepared for
their reception. Oglethorpe left the colonists at Beaufort and, in
company with Colonel William Bull, proceeded to the Savannah River. He
went up this stream as far as Yamacraw Bluff, which he selected as the
site of the settlement he was about to make. He marked out the town,
and named it Savannah. The site was a beautiful one in Oglethorpe's
day, and it is still more beautiful now. The little settlement that the
founder of the colony marked out has grown into a flourishing city, and
art has added its advantages to those of nature to make Savannah one of
the most beautiful cities in the United States....
On the 30th of January, 1733, the immigrants set sail from Beaufort,
and on the afternoon of the next day they arrived at Yamacraw Bluff. On
the site of the town that had already been marked off they pitched four
tents large enough to accommodate all the people. Oglethorpe, after
posting his sentinels, slept on the ground under the shelter of the
tall pines, near the central watch fire. As a soldier should, he slept
soundly. He had planted the new colony, and thus far all had gone well
with him and with those whose interests he had charge of.
To bring these colonists across the ocean and place them in a position
where they might begin life anew was not a very difficult undertaking;
but to plant a colony amongst savages already suspicious of the whites,
and to succeed in obtaining their respect, friendship, and aid, was
something that required wisdom, courage, prudence, and large
experience. This Oglethorpe did; and it is to his credit that, during
the time he had charge of the colony, he never, in any shape or form,
took advantage of the ignorance of the Indians. His method of dealing
with them was very simple. He conciliated them by showing them that the
whites could be just, fair, and honorable in their dealings; and thus,
in the very beginning, he won the friendship of those whose enmity to
the little colony would have proved ruinous.
Providence favored Oglethorpe in this matter. He had to deal with an
Indian chief full of years, wisdom, and experience. This was
Tomochichi, who was at the head of the Yamacraws. From this kindly
Indian the Georgia Colony received untold benefits. He remained the
steadfast friend of the settlers, and used his influence in their
behalf in every possible way, and on all occasions. Altho he was a very
old man, he was strong and active, and of commanding presence. He
possessed remarkable intelligence; and this, added to his experience,
made him one of the most remarkable of the Indians whose names have
been preserved in history.... Thus, with Oglethorpe to direct it, and
with Tomochichi as its friend, the little Georgia Colony was founded,
thrived and flourished.
[1] From Mr. Harris's "Georgia from the Invasion of De Soto to
Recent Times." By permission of, and by arrangement with, the
publishers, D. Appleton & Co. Copyright, 1899.
END OF VOL. II