Spaniards, and tells an unvarnished tale of their crafts, their treachery, and their perfidious designs.

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Mr. Moore made a second voyage to Georgia in 1738, when he was appointed Recorder of Frederica, and continued in that capacity until 1743. In a note to the above Voyage" he stated that he "had kept a constant journal while in Georgia, in which is an account of the siege of St. Augustine in 1740, and of the Spaniards' invasion of Georgia in 1742." Copies of these are in one of the volumes obtained from the State Paper office, London.

It is generally presumed that Benj. Martyn, Esq. was the author of the Impartial Inquiry into the State and Utility of the Province of Georgia. A publication like this, was loudly called for at that time, by the peculiar circumstances in which the colony was placed. The tail male feature of their grants, and the prohibition of rum and negroes, together with the usual local troubles and jealousies of delegated power, had excited much clamor and opposition to General Oglethorpe and the Trustees; and complaints, misrepresentations, slanders, and every species of evil report were assiduously circulated by the malecontents, some of which were published in this country and some in England. One of the boldest, and most violent of these publications, was a pamphlet printed in Charleston, S. C., in 1741, styled, “A True and Historical Narrative of the Colony of Georgia, in America, from its first Settlement thereof until this present Period, containing the most Authentic Facts, Matters and Transactions therein, together with his Majesty's Charter, Representations of the People, Letters, &c., and a Dedication to his Excellency General Oglethorpe, by Pat Tailfer, M. D., Hugh Anderson, M. A., Da Douglass and others, Landholders in Georgia, at present in Charleston, S. C."

An answer to this splenetic effusion was prepared by Benj. Martyn, Esq., and published by order of the Honorable Trustees in 1741, entitled, "An Account, showing the progress of the Colony of Georgia in America from its first establishment." "The Impartial Inquiry" is a very business like paper, evinces an intimate acquaintance with the colony, and a full knowledge of the plans and undertakings of the Trustees. It is much more temperate in its style, and less glowing in its eulogies, than most of the writings relating to the colony. It is a plain and direct refutation of some of the

objections to the settlement, and ably defends this political offspring of benevolence from the ruthless attacks of the peevish and the discontented.

The fifth of these pamphlets was written by Benjamin Martyn, Esq., "Secretary to the Board of Trustees for settling the Colony in Georgia" who was intimately acquainted with their operations and designs, and well qualified therefore, to enforce the claims of this colony and enhance the zeal and benevolence of those, who had liberally bestowed upon it their charity and influence. The copy in the possession of the Society formerly belonged to Jonathan Belcher Esq., Governor of Massachusetts, probably presented by General Oglethorpe himself, with whom he corresponded.* This is a well written tract; plausible in its arguments, glowing in its descriptions, valuable for its information, and pertinent in its appeals to the philanthropic and benevolent. It is singular to remark in this pamphlet, that the very first objection which the author combats as having been urged against the undertaking, was "our colonies may in time grow too great for us and throw off their dependency," an objection which time has verified, but against which he argued, with much skill and address.

The Life of General Oglethorpe, which forms the last article, is from the pen of a gentleman, venerable with age, but who still pursues the studies of literature with all the enthusiasm of youth, and the assiduity of the scholar. His residence is in the vicinity of the tabby fort, and moss-covered trees of Frederica - they are the familiar scenes of his boyhood, linked in with those early associations which are the last erased by time from the tablet of memory; and with a heart, venerating its great founder, "the Romulus of Georgia," he has prepared this tribute to his virtues and renown. It was not the intention of the writer to make an elaborate biography; he designed but to sketch the more prominent lines and features, and how well he has succeeded the public have now an opportunity to judge.

It is not the design of the Georgia Historical Society to

*On his leaving Massachusetts for New Jersey, the Governor gave it, with other books to Thaddeus Mason, Esq., who had been his private Secretary; and from him it descended to his grandson, the Rev. Thaddeus Mason Harris, D. D., and by him was furnished to the shelves of the Library of the Historical Society of Georgia.

write the history of the State. It but garners up the materials, and leaves the historian to arrange and digest them.

A work bearing the title of a "History of Georgia," has already been given to the public. Of this, it is unnecessary to say much. Burdened as Major McCall was, with physical infirmities, a martyr to the perils and exposures of a service, in which he gained credit as an officer, enduring almost every thing which humanity could endure in the shape of pain and suffering, possessed of few materials, unused to literary efforts, and often writing with his portfolio on his knees, whilst confined a helpless invalid to his bed, he deserves great praise for his persevering zeal, by which much that is interesting and valuable, has been rescued from oblivion. But while we accord to Major McCall every honor which is due, we are constrained to say, that his work is deficient in narrative, and as a whole, materially imperfect in many of its

statements.

In one sense, therefore, the history of Georgia is untrodden ground. A few fragments of ancient chronicles have been published, and a few tracts illustrative of colonial affairs circulated; but the great body of events remains almost untouched.

It was in contemplation by a gentleman versed in literature, to write a history of this State, which should correct the errors of McCall, be more ample in its details, and more worthy of the commonwealth. To this end Mr. Bevan had amassed a large number of reports, letters, pamphlets and documents, and the general assembly by a resolution passed December 13, 1824, appropriated four hundred dollars to Mr. Bevan, "for the purpose of collecting, arranging and publishing all papers relating to the original settlement or political history of this State, now in the executive or secretary of state's office. But death laid him low, and none have since been found to prosecute the undertaking.

A period has now arrived peculiarly favorable for an historian. A spirit of inquiry has been excited, the means of information are rapidly augmenting, and through public and private generosity, the library of the Georgia Historical Society, already contains documents of the highest interest and importance.

By virtue of a resolution of the Georgia Legislature passed December 23d, 1837, the Governor appointed the Rev.

Charles Wallace Howard, an agent of the state, "to repair to London, for the purpose of procuring the colonial records, or copies thereof, now in the colonial departments of Great Britain, that relate to the history and settlement of this state.' By the further liberality of the same body, the papers, which were the result of his mission, are placed in our library, subject, however, to its future decision.

These documents fill twenty-two large folio volumes, àveraging over two hundred closely written pages each. Fifteen are from the office of the Board of Trade; six from the State Paper Office, and one from the King's Library. The first four from the Board of Trade contain numerous letters on various topics connected with the affairs of the colony, from the Rev. John Martin Bolzius, William Spencer, Major Horton, James Habersham, William Stephens, Samuel Urlsperger, C. de Munch, General Oglethorpe, Thomas Bosomworth, Benjamin Martyn, Noble Jones, John Reynolds, &c. Depositions of Indian traders; memorials to the Board of Trade, and to the Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts; orders of council, &c. &c. The succeeding eight, are filled with orders of the lords justices in council; proclamations by the same. Proceedings of the president and assistants in Georgia; accounts of the produce of Georgia; addresses and proclamations of Governor Reynolds; schedule of public despatches; treaties with the Indians, together with the correspondence of Pat Graham, Ottelonghe, Benjamin Martyn, Joseph Habersham, Governor Ellis and Governor Wright. The thirteenth and fourteenth, are composed of orders in council, correspondence of Governor Wright with General Gage, the Board of Trade, Earl of Hillsborough, Earl Shelburne; papers in relation to the silk culture; extracts from the journals of council in Georgia; talk with Indian tribes, and orders of the king in council at the court of St. James. The minutes of the house of assembly in 1780, occupy the last and fifteenth volume from this source. The first date of papers in this division is 1746, and a regular chronological order is preserved to 1780.

The six volumes obtained from the "State Paper Office" are exceedingly rich in historical intelligence, derived from a great variety of sources. They contain large portions of the correspondence of Oglethorpe with many different persons,

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his transactions with the Governor of St. Augustine, papers and depositions relating to Spanish settlements, treaties with the Spanish authorities — journals and letters descriptive of the siege of St. Augustine, the affair at Musa, the Spanish invasion of Georgia, and all the difficulties with these enemies of the colony. They contain also the minutes and memorials of the Trustees, journals of the upper and lower houses of Assembly, messages from and petitions to the Governor, correspondence of Martyn, Harman Verelst, Governor Wright, the Earl of Dartmouth, Duke of Bedford, Earl of Hilsborough, Alex. Heron, James Habersham, and closes with an abstract of proceedings in 1775. This portion of the records dates back from 1735, but there is a hiatus from the year 1750 to 1760 inclusive.

The twenty-second volume, derived from papers in the King's Library, contains first "A general description of Georgia, climate, productions, Indians, &c.," Governor Wright's letter to the Lords of Trade, Governor Wright's letter to the Earl of Shelburn, and lastly the Governor's answers at length to the queries of the Lords of Trade, which very fully and minutely detail all the principal facts relating to the Province. Such is a very cursory survey of the matter embraced in these invaluable records. They constitute an almost exhaustless mine, where not a shaft has been sunk, to recover its treasures, and give them the form and connection of History.

Next perhaps in value to these colonial documents, are several volumes of the original journal and correspondence, both private and official, of James Habersham; commencing as early as 1739, and continued with some intermissions down to the Revolution. Seldom has a richer collection of letters been found; they are in themselves an inestimable legacy, containing the fervent effusions of a pious heart, the sentiments of an intelligent and judicious mind, the experience of a man of business, the advice and counsel of high official station, and the glowing enthusiasm of the sincere patriot. In those dark and troublous times consequent on the illjudged measures of the Trustees, when ruin and despair brooded over the colony, he remained by her the firm friend, the able counsellor, the effective agent, to heal the wounds they had unwittingly made, and raise the settlement to that eminence which it had been the hope and desire of its friends