They were coming! Sixty thousand Yankees in columns as far as you could see were marching to the sea. Nothing in their reach was safe from the foraging parties. Rails were twisted, livestock slaughtered, factories and mills were burned, and homes were ransacked for anything of military value.
On the afternoon of November 21, 1864, General Henry C. Wayne, C.S.A. realized that the defense of Gordon was futile and ordered his men to withdraw to the eastern banks of the Oconee River. Their mission was to defend the Central of Georgia Railroad bridge near the small village of Oconee. The Confederates built a fort with a commanding view of the bridge and the opposite bank of the river. The area approaching the bridge on the west side of the river was nearly impassable.
Jackson's Ferry had been abandoned and the trestles along the western bank of the river were demolished by Wayne's men. The right wing of General William T. Sherman's Army, composed of the 15th and 17th Corps, were moving into Gordon on the 22nd - days after a difficult skirmish at Griswoldville with Confederate Cavalry. Gen. Oliver Howard, U.S.A. was in command of the Right Wing. The 15th Corps, with Gen. Peter J. Osterhaus commanding, arrived in Gordon on the 22nd hoping for a few days rest. Generals John E. Smith, John M. Corse, William B. Hazen and Charles R. Woods were in command of the 15th's four divisions. Gen. Francis P. Blair, U.S.A. commanding the 17th Division moved his men forward from Gordon through McIntyre and eventually to Toombsboro - destroying tracks and depots along the way. Generals Gustavas A. Smith and Mortimer D. Leggett were in command of the 17th's two divisions. The 17th Corps were instructed to move to Jackson's Ferry to secure the Oconee Bridge.
The 15th Corps moved to the right to secure the county seat of Irwinton and to follow the 17th Corps to the River. Gen. Gustavas Smith arrived at the Oconee Bridge on the 23rd. He found that there was no Jackson's Ferry and certainly no approaches to the supposed site. He found Gen. Wayne's forces fully entrenched on the morning of the 23rd at Station 14 Central Railroad (Oconee) with six guns in place. The guns were strategically placed with a commanding view of the opposite bank. When the advance elements of the 17th Corps reached the western bank, they found all roads impassable with no bridge in place. They reported back that a crossing would be costly. Little did they know that the opposing forces included a mixture of Georgia Military Institute Cadets, state prisoners, and local guards. Gen. Wayne repeatedly begged Gen. McLaws for more men, ammunition, and rations. Gen. McLaws sent eighty-five enlisted men, one hundred forty five cadets, and two hundred militia. The cavalry and artillery horses arrived on the 22nd.
General Smith found that the only way out of the swamp was to return to Toombsboro. He decided to move further south to join the 15th Corps at Ball's Ferry - sixteen miles through Toombsboro but only a couple down the river. Before moving, the Union artillery shelled the Confederate Fort across the river inflicting as much damage as possible. Gen. Smith dispatched Col. Spencer and the 1st Alabama Union Cavalry to Ball's Ferry early on the 24th of November. Their mission was to secure the ferry for passage by the Right Wing. The cavalrymen found the ferry boat on the opposite side of the river. A patrol was sent up the river crossing on makeshift rafts. The patrol moved down to the east bank of the ferry and dislodged the Confederate pickets.
Gen. Wayne dispatched Major A.L. Hartridge with two cavalry companies, eighty infantry soldiers, and two cannons to Ball's Ferry. Major Hartridge arrived at 3 p.m., just in time to prevent the Alabama Cavalry from securing the ferry. The Union cavalry suffered nearly a dozen casualties. Major Hartridge set up positions along the east bank of the ferry. That evening he returned to Oconee with part of his command.
Lt. Colonel Andrew Young commanding the 30th Georgia Battalion arrived in Oconee on the 24th. Gen. Joseph Wheeler led his four thousand cavalrymen along the right flank of the right wing. They left Macon and swam across the Oconee River at Blackshear's Ferry. Lt. Col. Gaines and his Alabama Cavalry were sent to Ball's Ferry. They strengthened the fortifications, preparing for the larger force which would soon come. The remainder of Wheeler's force moved to Tennille. On the night of the 25th the head of the 15th corps was camped in Irwinton with its rear in Gordon. The head of the 17th corps was still camped near the Oconee River Bridge with its rear along the railroad back through Toombsboro.
On the morning of the 25th, the two corps began their march toward Ball's Ferry. The 17th corps returned to Toombsboro on their way. General Hazen's Division, 15th Corps led the way. General Woods' Division was to move next detouring south toward the Lightwood Knot Bridges. General Woods' mission was to protect the flank against an attack by Wheeler's Cavalry. He sent the 29th Missouri (mounted) to destroy the bridges. The cavalrymen reported resistance at the bridges. They never knew the extent of the resistance. The force that turned them away was a Confederate surgeon and an elderly slave woman. The Confederate force set the bridges on fire and began screaming and firing weapons. The cavalry, satisfied that the bridges were destroyed, returned to the division, that is according to the local view of the incident.
General Hazen arrived first around 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon. He found the Confederates entrenched on the opposite bank with skirmishers up and down the stream. As soon as the 12th Wisconsin Battery was set in place, the Confederate forces on east bank were besieged by artillery fire. The 19th Illinois and the 97th Indiana were placed on picket duty along the river. The 17th Corps arrived about dusk. The 17th sent infantrymen to cross the river upstream and work their way down to the right flank of the Confederates. Smith’s and Corse’s Divisions of the 15th Corps and the pontoon trains of the 1st Michigan Engineers arrived during the night.
Col. Gaines realized the magnitude of the opposing force around midnight. General Wayne's main force at Oconee had been outflanked. With no hopes of reinforcements, Wayne ordered a retreat to Tennille. Commanding Gen. William J. Hardee ordered the army to move to a defensive position on the Ogeechee River.
On the morning of the 26th, two pontoon bridges were laid across the river. Generals Corse and Woods crossed first, moving to Irwin's Crossroads to camp for the night. General Hazen moved ahead of General Smith, who remained behind to remove the pontoon bridges. After the crossing was completed, Hazen and Smith moved to Irwin's Cross Roads. After crossing the river, Blair's 17th Corps moved north toward Oconee to continue the destruction of the railroad. The 17th Corps Headquarters was established at the intersection of the Oconee and Irwin's roads.
As the two corps rendezvoused near Irwin's, elements of both continued the destruction of the railroad. The right and left wings of Sherman's army came together at Sandersville and Tennille. On the 28th Sherman's army entered the last four weeks of its March to the Sea. By Christmas, Savannah was controlled by General Sherman's forces.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
FROG LEVEL PLANTATION
OLD TIMES WERE NOT FORGOTTEN
Rita Dickens loved to listen to her daddy talk about the old times on the Blackshear place in eastern Laurens County known as the Frog Level Plantation. She remembered those stories and put them down in a book which she titled "Marse Ned."
In the latter years of the 18th century, the choice lands in the Buckeye District were along the Oconee River and Big Creek. The Blackshear family acquired large holdings along both. Edward Jefferson Blackshear, son of the venerable Gen. David Blackshear, established his eleven hundred acre plantation home just above the intersection of Big and Buckeye Creeks. Blackshear named the plantation "Frog Level", undoubtedly due to an abundance of frogs along the creek banks.
E.J. Blackshear brought his wife Mary Jane from Florida back to Frog Level. It was there where their three children were born and grew up. Mary Jane died when Ned was born. Ned was nursed by a Marthy, a slave woman, who had lost her child in still birth a few days before. Their grandmother Pittman made annual visits to Frog Level to help their father. She had to take a boat to Columbus and then a train to Oconee, Georgia. From there, the Blackshear coachmen took her down to Frog Level.
Ned was raised by his grandmother during her visits, but mostly by Hannah and Reuben, two slaves to whom Ned had a special attachment. Yes, the slaves were treated differently. But Ned loved them like they were his own family. Ned idolized "Uncle" Reuben and wanted to be just like him. Ned loved to sit out on the veranda and listen to the old Negro spirituals. He tried to play them on his father's old violin.
One day, Grandma bargained with a German peddler-musician to teach Ned how to play the violin in exchange for six month’s room and board. The professor asked Ned if he knew what a note was. Ned proudly answered " Yes sir, Pa sent a note by me yesterday. "Humph" the professor grunted, "Do you know what a key is?" "Yes sir, I know the old smoke house key." The professor continued, determined to stay in his new home, "Do you know what a chord is?" "Yes sir, I helped stack all those chords of wood in the back yard." The music lesson ended and the dazed professor packed in bags and left in defeat. Eventually, Ned became a pretty fair violin player.
Grandma gave frequent week-end parties for young Mary. Friends and kin folks came from all over for two days of food, music, and dancing. Mary was becoming a beautiful young lady. It was around this time that Grandma began receiving letters from her son John Pittman, who was a student at the University of Virginia. It was October of 1860. Little did John know what was in store for him in the coming months.
The Blackshears attended church once at month at Boiling Springs Methodist Church, a few miles to the east. The Church was the religious, social, and eventually the military center of the community. For days before "Church Sunday," the plantation kitchens were busy with preparations for a dinner on the grounds. The carriage drivers and attendants worshiped in the Church from the gallery. After the preaching, a lavish dinner was held. The boys swung in the trees and joggled on the joggling board. Ned noticed Mary slipping off to the spring with Cince Guyton.
Grandma saved some boiled custard which she brought home and gave to a sick and aging slave, "Aunt Dicey." Grandma stayed with "Aunt Dicey" up to the time of her death, taking care of her every need.
The terrible war began. Cince went off to fight the Yankees and became a Lt. Colonel. "Uncle Reuben" was scared. He wanted his freedom but feared life on his own. John's letters kept coming. Mary was worried about Cince. In the fall of 1862, she entered Wesleyan Female College in Macon. John left college and joined the army. Within three months, the teenager was lying dead on the battlefield at Manassas, Virginia.
Ned and his Pa went to Macon and brought Mary home. Grandma arranged a party. Col. Guyton took leave from his regiment in Atlanta to come home and marry his sweetheart in the parlor at Frog Level. The Colonel went back to the war. Thankfully, he survived and came back to live with Mary at Frog Level to help on the place since Pa was going blind. Ned went to Florida to live with Grandma. He returned to Dublin, but stayed a short while until he got a chance to open a livery back in Florida. Ned married Belle Milton, granddaughter of Florida's Civil War governor, John Milton. Her sister, Susie, married William Atkinson, a two term governor of Georgia. Their son, William, Jr., was Chief Justice of Georgia's Supreme Court. On the night of their marriage, the entire business district of Marianna burned. Ned was quoted as saying "I'm probably the only man ever to spend his wedding night fighting fires."
Ned and Belle moved back to Dublin. Ned sang in the Methodist Church. Belle was one of the first members of Christ Episcopal Church, which Ned later joined. Ned went into the insurance business. Belle led the effort to erect the Confederate monument in Dublin. Belle passed away and after being married to Ned for more than 50 years. As Ned realized his time was coming, he regretted not ever answering the call to preach. His daughter Rita comforted him, telling him that his whole life had been his sermon. One night Ned went to bed - thinking of his dear Belle. As his life slipped away he saw Belle coming to see him, amidst the sounds of the old Negro spirituals and visions of Grandma and Uncle Reuben sitting on the porch at old Frog Level.
You can reach Frog Level by traveling east along Highway 319 from East Dublin. Turn left on Willie Wood Road and go north until you come to Frog Level Circle. Turn left on Frog Level Circle and go west until you reach the point where Pierce Road comes in from the left. Frog Level lies on both sides of Big Creek running south past its intersection with Brewton Creek down to the Graham farm.
Rita Dickens loved to listen to her daddy talk about the old times on the Blackshear place in eastern Laurens County known as the Frog Level Plantation. She remembered those stories and put them down in a book which she titled "Marse Ned."
In the latter years of the 18th century, the choice lands in the Buckeye District were along the Oconee River and Big Creek. The Blackshear family acquired large holdings along both. Edward Jefferson Blackshear, son of the venerable Gen. David Blackshear, established his eleven hundred acre plantation home just above the intersection of Big and Buckeye Creeks. Blackshear named the plantation "Frog Level", undoubtedly due to an abundance of frogs along the creek banks.
E.J. Blackshear brought his wife Mary Jane from Florida back to Frog Level. It was there where their three children were born and grew up. Mary Jane died when Ned was born. Ned was nursed by a Marthy, a slave woman, who had lost her child in still birth a few days before. Their grandmother Pittman made annual visits to Frog Level to help their father. She had to take a boat to Columbus and then a train to Oconee, Georgia. From there, the Blackshear coachmen took her down to Frog Level.
Ned was raised by his grandmother during her visits, but mostly by Hannah and Reuben, two slaves to whom Ned had a special attachment. Yes, the slaves were treated differently. But Ned loved them like they were his own family. Ned idolized "Uncle" Reuben and wanted to be just like him. Ned loved to sit out on the veranda and listen to the old Negro spirituals. He tried to play them on his father's old violin.
One day, Grandma bargained with a German peddler-musician to teach Ned how to play the violin in exchange for six month’s room and board. The professor asked Ned if he knew what a note was. Ned proudly answered " Yes sir, Pa sent a note by me yesterday. "Humph" the professor grunted, "Do you know what a key is?" "Yes sir, I know the old smoke house key." The professor continued, determined to stay in his new home, "Do you know what a chord is?" "Yes sir, I helped stack all those chords of wood in the back yard." The music lesson ended and the dazed professor packed in bags and left in defeat. Eventually, Ned became a pretty fair violin player.
Grandma gave frequent week-end parties for young Mary. Friends and kin folks came from all over for two days of food, music, and dancing. Mary was becoming a beautiful young lady. It was around this time that Grandma began receiving letters from her son John Pittman, who was a student at the University of Virginia. It was October of 1860. Little did John know what was in store for him in the coming months.
The Blackshears attended church once at month at Boiling Springs Methodist Church, a few miles to the east. The Church was the religious, social, and eventually the military center of the community. For days before "Church Sunday," the plantation kitchens were busy with preparations for a dinner on the grounds. The carriage drivers and attendants worshiped in the Church from the gallery. After the preaching, a lavish dinner was held. The boys swung in the trees and joggled on the joggling board. Ned noticed Mary slipping off to the spring with Cince Guyton.
Grandma saved some boiled custard which she brought home and gave to a sick and aging slave, "Aunt Dicey." Grandma stayed with "Aunt Dicey" up to the time of her death, taking care of her every need.
The terrible war began. Cince went off to fight the Yankees and became a Lt. Colonel. "Uncle Reuben" was scared. He wanted his freedom but feared life on his own. John's letters kept coming. Mary was worried about Cince. In the fall of 1862, she entered Wesleyan Female College in Macon. John left college and joined the army. Within three months, the teenager was lying dead on the battlefield at Manassas, Virginia.
Ned and his Pa went to Macon and brought Mary home. Grandma arranged a party. Col. Guyton took leave from his regiment in Atlanta to come home and marry his sweetheart in the parlor at Frog Level. The Colonel went back to the war. Thankfully, he survived and came back to live with Mary at Frog Level to help on the place since Pa was going blind. Ned went to Florida to live with Grandma. He returned to Dublin, but stayed a short while until he got a chance to open a livery back in Florida. Ned married Belle Milton, granddaughter of Florida's Civil War governor, John Milton. Her sister, Susie, married William Atkinson, a two term governor of Georgia. Their son, William, Jr., was Chief Justice of Georgia's Supreme Court. On the night of their marriage, the entire business district of Marianna burned. Ned was quoted as saying "I'm probably the only man ever to spend his wedding night fighting fires."
Ned and Belle moved back to Dublin. Ned sang in the Methodist Church. Belle was one of the first members of Christ Episcopal Church, which Ned later joined. Ned went into the insurance business. Belle led the effort to erect the Confederate monument in Dublin. Belle passed away and after being married to Ned for more than 50 years. As Ned realized his time was coming, he regretted not ever answering the call to preach. His daughter Rita comforted him, telling him that his whole life had been his sermon. One night Ned went to bed - thinking of his dear Belle. As his life slipped away he saw Belle coming to see him, amidst the sounds of the old Negro spirituals and visions of Grandma and Uncle Reuben sitting on the porch at old Frog Level.
You can reach Frog Level by traveling east along Highway 319 from East Dublin. Turn left on Willie Wood Road and go north until you come to Frog Level Circle. Turn left on Frog Level Circle and go west until you reach the point where Pierce Road comes in from the left. Frog Level lies on both sides of Big Creek running south past its intersection with Brewton Creek down to the Graham farm.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
THE STORY OF MORRIS DAWSON, MERCHANT
During the latter half of the 19th and the first quarter of the 20th century, merchants from Europe came to Central Georgia. With the coming of the railroads, new markets for dry goods and general merchandise were opening up. Most of the these merchants were of the Jewish faith. One of these merchants who came to this area was Morris Dawson.
Morris Dawson was born in Posen, Prussia on April 15, 1840. As a young man, he came to America and eventually made his way to Cedar Hill. Cedar Hill was a small community which grew up around Boiling Springs Methodist Church in eastern Laurens County. When he first came to this country, his language skills made sales difficult, especially when he was peddling his wares out in the country, where many of the people couldn't read or write. Most of the farmers had little possessions and little or no money to buy new ones.
One fine fall morning, this teenage peddler came into a home and dumped his possessions out on a table for a young boy to see. The boy's eyes immediately focused on a harmonica. Dawson gave the boy the only musical instrument that any of the family had ever seen. Several months passed. The boy would walk down the road playing his harmonica, hoping to get a glance of the stranger. On a winter Sunday morning, two men on horseback with two other men walking in front of them were spotted coming down the road. The boy's uncle, the local constable, had arrested the two men for peddling without a license. Just as the peddlers were about to be taken off to jail the boy came up leading his friends and playing on the old harmonica. He ran to Dawson and threw his arms around him. The constable refused his brother's pleas to let Dawson go. In a few moments the boy's father produced a shotgun saying " Liberty for the Jew, or death to you!" The peddlers were released. Bystanders rejoiced.
Morris Dawson, working under the firm name of John A. Phillips and Company opened a store at the Cedar Hill Post Office. His partners were Wessalosky and Bashinski. War broke out in April of 1861. Dawson enlisted in Company E of the 5th Georgia State Troops on October 10, 1861. Two days later, he was elected 2nd Lieutenant of the Company. After six months of service, Lt. Dawson mustered out of the army. He re-enlisted in the Confederate Army and joined Co. A of the 32nd Georgia Infantry. The company was captained by his boss, Capt. John A. Phillips. The company was composed of men who lived along the old Savannah Road south of the future communities of Scott and Adrian. Dawson, a favorite of the local men, was elected Jr. 2nd Lieutenant. When a vacancy occurred in the office of 1st Lieutenant, Dawson was not appointed to fill it, much to the dismay of his fellow soldiers. Half the company took a leave of absence and went home in protest. Dawson went back home and induced the men to return with him.
The company was assigned to the Georgia-South Carolina theater of the war. In July of 1863, Federal forces launched an attack on Battery Wagner, Morris Island, South Carolina. Lt. Dawson was temporarily breveted to Captain. Capt. Dawson was the only officer who could be persuaded to go outside of the fort with a single company. The company remained outside of the protection of the fort after darkness came. The password for re-entry was "here is your mule." When Dawson's company returned to the lines, Dawson appeared to have forgotten the password. Several volleys of grape and canister shot were thrown upon Dawson's men. Dawson jumped upon the parapet and shouted "By damn, here is yer mule!" It was at Battery Wagner where Col. Shaw of the 54th Massachusetts U.S. Colored Troops was killed in a bayonet fight, possibly by one of Dawson's troops.
President Abraham Lincoln ordered the Federal occupation of Florida in time to allow the state to be represented at the Republican Convention of 1864. On February 20, 1864, Federal forces attacked at Ocean Pond. The battle raged back and forth. When it was over Federal casualties outnumbered the Confederates by two to one. One of those was Capt. Dawson who was struck by a mini ball. The ball passed through Dawson's body. Undaunted by the blood running down in his shoes, Lt. Dawson led the company in a hot and fierce fight. Dawson and his company, under the command of Gen. Joseph Johnston, surrendered on April 26, 1865 at Greensboro, North Carolina.
Dawson, nearly penniless, returned home and went back into business. His first goods were placed in a bedroom of Judge McLemore's house. After a short time, Dawson purchased an old store building, which he quickly renovated. Dawson, in partnership with John L. McLemore, one of the privates in his company, opened what was said to have been the only country store between Macon and Savannah. Times were bad. Most folks had no money. Dawson quickly built a reputation as a benevolent and generous man, giving food and clothes to those in true need. Dawson, at the age of 34, married Lotta Marcus, who was also born in Prussia.
Dawson's acts of kindness were repaid in 1882 when the people of Emanuel County elected him to represent them in the state legislature. Dawson was described as "wise, sagacious, and never harboring a prejudice against anyone." He was always as gentle as a child and forgiving, never forgetting the little "tow headed" boy who saved him from jail. In his old home on the old Dublin road south of Adrian, there hung over the fireplace what appeared to be a painting of a Prussian ruler. Even when tenants were occupying the home, the picture was never disturbed. Morris Dawson died in Atlanta on August 24, 1896 at a relatively young age. He never lived to see the achievements of his grandchildren. One of those grandchildren was Dawson Kea, who practiced law in Dublin for nearly sixty years - longer than anyone else in the history of our county. Morris Dawson was representative of a long gone era of Jewish merchants who provided their communities with a vast variety of goods as well as numerous deeds of public service.
Morris Dawson was born in Posen, Prussia on April 15, 1840. As a young man, he came to America and eventually made his way to Cedar Hill. Cedar Hill was a small community which grew up around Boiling Springs Methodist Church in eastern Laurens County. When he first came to this country, his language skills made sales difficult, especially when he was peddling his wares out in the country, where many of the people couldn't read or write. Most of the farmers had little possessions and little or no money to buy new ones.
One fine fall morning, this teenage peddler came into a home and dumped his possessions out on a table for a young boy to see. The boy's eyes immediately focused on a harmonica. Dawson gave the boy the only musical instrument that any of the family had ever seen. Several months passed. The boy would walk down the road playing his harmonica, hoping to get a glance of the stranger. On a winter Sunday morning, two men on horseback with two other men walking in front of them were spotted coming down the road. The boy's uncle, the local constable, had arrested the two men for peddling without a license. Just as the peddlers were about to be taken off to jail the boy came up leading his friends and playing on the old harmonica. He ran to Dawson and threw his arms around him. The constable refused his brother's pleas to let Dawson go. In a few moments the boy's father produced a shotgun saying " Liberty for the Jew, or death to you!" The peddlers were released. Bystanders rejoiced.
Morris Dawson, working under the firm name of John A. Phillips and Company opened a store at the Cedar Hill Post Office. His partners were Wessalosky and Bashinski. War broke out in April of 1861. Dawson enlisted in Company E of the 5th Georgia State Troops on October 10, 1861. Two days later, he was elected 2nd Lieutenant of the Company. After six months of service, Lt. Dawson mustered out of the army. He re-enlisted in the Confederate Army and joined Co. A of the 32nd Georgia Infantry. The company was captained by his boss, Capt. John A. Phillips. The company was composed of men who lived along the old Savannah Road south of the future communities of Scott and Adrian. Dawson, a favorite of the local men, was elected Jr. 2nd Lieutenant. When a vacancy occurred in the office of 1st Lieutenant, Dawson was not appointed to fill it, much to the dismay of his fellow soldiers. Half the company took a leave of absence and went home in protest. Dawson went back home and induced the men to return with him.
The company was assigned to the Georgia-South Carolina theater of the war. In July of 1863, Federal forces launched an attack on Battery Wagner, Morris Island, South Carolina. Lt. Dawson was temporarily breveted to Captain. Capt. Dawson was the only officer who could be persuaded to go outside of the fort with a single company. The company remained outside of the protection of the fort after darkness came. The password for re-entry was "here is your mule." When Dawson's company returned to the lines, Dawson appeared to have forgotten the password. Several volleys of grape and canister shot were thrown upon Dawson's men. Dawson jumped upon the parapet and shouted "By damn, here is yer mule!" It was at Battery Wagner where Col. Shaw of the 54th Massachusetts U.S. Colored Troops was killed in a bayonet fight, possibly by one of Dawson's troops.
President Abraham Lincoln ordered the Federal occupation of Florida in time to allow the state to be represented at the Republican Convention of 1864. On February 20, 1864, Federal forces attacked at Ocean Pond. The battle raged back and forth. When it was over Federal casualties outnumbered the Confederates by two to one. One of those was Capt. Dawson who was struck by a mini ball. The ball passed through Dawson's body. Undaunted by the blood running down in his shoes, Lt. Dawson led the company in a hot and fierce fight. Dawson and his company, under the command of Gen. Joseph Johnston, surrendered on April 26, 1865 at Greensboro, North Carolina.
Dawson, nearly penniless, returned home and went back into business. His first goods were placed in a bedroom of Judge McLemore's house. After a short time, Dawson purchased an old store building, which he quickly renovated. Dawson, in partnership with John L. McLemore, one of the privates in his company, opened what was said to have been the only country store between Macon and Savannah. Times were bad. Most folks had no money. Dawson quickly built a reputation as a benevolent and generous man, giving food and clothes to those in true need. Dawson, at the age of 34, married Lotta Marcus, who was also born in Prussia.
Dawson's acts of kindness were repaid in 1882 when the people of Emanuel County elected him to represent them in the state legislature. Dawson was described as "wise, sagacious, and never harboring a prejudice against anyone." He was always as gentle as a child and forgiving, never forgetting the little "tow headed" boy who saved him from jail. In his old home on the old Dublin road south of Adrian, there hung over the fireplace what appeared to be a painting of a Prussian ruler. Even when tenants were occupying the home, the picture was never disturbed. Morris Dawson died in Atlanta on August 24, 1896 at a relatively young age. He never lived to see the achievements of his grandchildren. One of those grandchildren was Dawson Kea, who practiced law in Dublin for nearly sixty years - longer than anyone else in the history of our county. Morris Dawson was representative of a long gone era of Jewish merchants who provided their communities with a vast variety of goods as well as numerous deeds of public service.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)