CHAPTER XXX

WAR WITH MEXICO OVER THE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS-THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CALLS UPON GEORGIA FOR A REGIMENT-IN RESPONSE TO THIS CALL, TEN COMPANIES ARE ORGANIZED AT COLUMBUS, UNDER HENRY R. JACKSON AS COLONEL GEORGIANS IN THE REGULAR ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES-GEN. W. H. T. WALKER-GEN. W. S. WALKER-COL. JAMES MCINTOSH OTHERS IN THE VOLUNTEER SERVICE ACHIEVE DISTINCTION-GEN. DAVID E. TWIGGS-COL. ROBERT M. ECHOLS COMMODORE JOSIAH TATTNALL COMMANDS THE FAMOUS "MOSQUITO FLEET THE WILMOT PROVISO PRECIPITATES A GREAT DEBATE IN THE NATIONAL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES-MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DURING THIS PERIOD-WALTER T. COLQUITT RESIGNS THE TOGA HERSCHEL V. JOHNSON SUCCEEDS HIM UNTIL WILLIAM C. DAWSON IS ELECTED GEORGE W. TOWNS, A DEMOCRAT, DEFEATS GEN. DUNCAN L. CLINCH, A WHIG, FOR GOVERNOR THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF 1848-GEORGIA SUPPORTS THE WHIG CANDIDATE, GEN. ZACHARY TAYLOR-"ROUGH AND READY" IS ELECTED EXGOVERNOR CRAWFORD BECOMES SECRETARY OF WAR-JOSEPH E. BROWN MAKES HIS ADVENT IN GEORGIA POLITICS-HOWELL COBB BECOMES SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESPRESIDES OVER A STORMY SESSION-THE RESULTS OF THE MEXICAN WAR-THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN THE SIERRAS CALIFORNIA SEEKS ADMISSION AS A FREE STATE-AN ERA OF VIOLENT PASSION-THE COMPROMISE OF 1850-MR. CLAY'S LAST GREAT ACHIEVEMENT THE GEORGIA RESOLUTIONS-SECESSION FIRES EXTINGUISHED GOVERNOR TOWNS RE-ELECTED TWO NEW COUNTIES CREATED CLINCH AND GORDON THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF GEORGIA ORGANIZES INTO

A SEPARATE JURISDICTION-STATISTICS OF GEORGIA IN 1850.

In May, 1846, the United States War Department called upon Georgia for a regiment of infantry to serve in Mexico. Nor was the state long in responding to this call. Ten companies were selected; and these, meeting in June at Columbus, formed a regiment the numerical strength of which aggregated 898 officers and men. The field officers chosen at this time were: Henry R. Jackson, colonel; Thomas Y. Redd, lieutenant-colonel; Charles J. Williams, major, and John Forsyth, adjutant. The Georgia Regiment of Volunteers was composed of the following companies: The Columbus Guards, 87 members; the Georgia Light Infantry, 91 members, and the Crawford Guards, 83 members, all from Columbus; the Richmond Blues, of Augusta, 93 members; the Jasper Greens, of Savannah, 86 members; the Macon Guards, of Macon, 92 members; the Sumter County Volunteers, of Americus, 89 members; the Fannin Avengers, from Pike County, 93 members; the Kenesaw

Rangers, from Cobb County, 92 members; and the Canton Volunteers, from Cherokee, 90 members.

This regiment left at once for Mexico. But it was destined to see little fighting. Twelve months-the entire period of enlistment-passed without bringing them into hostile encounter with the foe; and except to furnish details of soldiers for guarding money trains and provision wagons, it took no part in the campaign. To men who were full of the ardor of conflict, such inaction was galling; but to make matters infinitely worse an unhealthy camp site, amid tropical surroundings, superinduced fever, from which many of these volunteers died.

However, there were other companies to enlist. Besides, there were many recruits from Georgia to join the regular army of the United States. Some of the Georgians who distinguished themselves in the Mexican war were: Gen. David E. Twiggs, Gen. W. H. T. Walker, Gen. William S. Walker, Col. James McIntosh, Col. Robert M. Echols, Lieut. James Longstreet, Lieut. William M. Gardiner, and others. Col. James McIntosh, a hero of the War of 1812, fell at the head of his regiment, when in sight of the walls of the City of Mexico. He belonged to the regular army and at Palo Alto had been severely wounded. Colonel Echols was thrown from his horse at the Natural Bridge, in Mexico, sustaining injuries from which he died; but he had already been breveted a brigadier-general. Lieut. James Longstreet, destined to be known in the history of the great Civil war as "Lee's Old War Horse," earned his spurs in the Mexican campaign and was wounded at Chapultepec. Commodore Josiah Tattnall, of the American navy, also won distinction in command of his famous "Mosquito Fleet.”

Two brilliant victories achieved in the fall of 1847 brought the Mexican war to a close. Gen. Zachary Taylor's defeat of Santa Anna gave him possession of the northern provinces, after which the City of Mexico capitulated to General Scott. On February 2, 1848, a treaty of peace was signed under which the United States acquired a vast area of territory, acquiring California, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas. Mexico, in return, was to receive $15,000,000 from the United States.

It was while the Mexican war was in progress that the famous Wilmot Proviso was introduced in Congress by its author, precipitating a debate whose thunders rocked the continent and threatened to rend the Union in twain. On August 8, 1846, pending the consideration in Congress of a bill placing $2,000,000 at the disposal of President Polk to negotiate a peace with Mexico, David Wilmot, a representative from Pennsylvania, offered the following amendment: "Provided, that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of the territory acquired from Mexico, except for crime, whereof the party shall be duly convicted." This was the famous Wilmot Proviso whose discussion fired the country from ocean to ocean. It was adopted in the House by a vote of 94 to 78, and was under debate in the Senate when the hour previously fixed for adjournment of the session arrived. At the next session, Mr. Wilmot again introduced it; and again the House remained firm in favor of the amendment, passing it once more by a decided majority; but no action was taken by the Senate. Eventu

ally, however, an adjustment was reached under the compromise measures of 1850.

Georgia sent to the Twenty-eighth Congress (1843-1845) the following delegation: Edward J. Black, Absalom H. Chappell, Howell Cobb, Hugh A. Haralson, William H. Stiles, John H. Lumpkin, John Millen, and Mark A. Cooper. Only two of these were out and out whigs, Messrs. Black and Chappell. The latter was a brother-in-law of Gen. Mirabeau B. Lamar. John Millen died before taking his seat and to succeed him Gen. Duncan L. Clinch, a whig, was elected. Mark A. Cooper resigned to become the democratic candidate for governor in 1845 and was succeeded by Alexander H. Stephens, a whig. When Mr. Stephens entered Congress, the delegation was evenly divided between the two parties. Mr. Stiles, at the close of his term, was appointed. charge d'affaires to Austria by President Polk, holding this important diplomatic office from 1845 to 1849.

Four members of the old delegation were re-elected to the Twentyninth Congress (1845-1857): Howell Cobb, Hugh A. Haralson, John Lumpkin and Alexander H. Stephens. The other members were: Seaborn Jones, a democrat; Thomas Butler King, a whig; Washington Poe, a democrat, and Robert Toombs, a whig. Mr. Poe declined a seat in Congress, and to succeed him, George W. Towns, a democrat, was elected. There were only three whigs in the Georgia delegation at this time, to wit, Messrs. King, Stephens and Toombs.

Most of these were re-elected to the Thirtieth Congress (1847-1849). There were only two new members in the state's delegation chosen at this time, viz., Alfred Iverson, a democrat, and John W. Jones, a whig. Dr. Jones was a physician and a resident of Griffin. Mr. Iverson afterwards succeeded to the toga. There were four whigs on the Georgia. delegation in this Congress.

Hon. Walter T. Colquitt, having resigned the toga in 1848, Hon. Herschel V. Johnson was appointed to succeed him as United States senator for the unexpired term; but in the fall of 1847 Hon. William C. Dawson had already been elected by the Legislature to serve for a full term of six years, to begin March 4, 1849.

George W. Towns, formerly a member of Congress, received the democratic nomination for Congress in 1847 and defeated his whig antagonist, Gen. Duncan L. Clinch. General Clinch had spent most of his life since attaining manhood in the regular army of the United States. He had fought in the War of 1812 and in the war against the Seminoles, gaining a decisive victory over the great chief, Osceola, in the Battle of Withlacoochee, in 1835, at which time he was in full command of the American forces. But finally provoked by the inefficient tactics of the War Department, he relinquished the military service with the rank of brigadier-general and retired to his plantation near St. Mary's, In 1844, General Clinch was elected to Congress to fill a vacancy caused by the death of John Millen.

It was a spirited contest waged in 1847 between the whigs and the democrats for the office of governor. But General Clinch was a soldier, not a politician. On the other hand, his successful competitor was a trained public speaker, a shrewd organizer of men, and a man of rare gifts. Nevertheless, it was by a slender majority that Mr. Towns car

ried the state and became Georgia's next governor. The vote stood: Towns, 43,220; Clinch, 41,931.*

The Legislature was largely concerned with matters of finance and there were few measures of general interest enacted into law. During the next year, as we have already noted in this chapter, the Mexican war was brought to a successful conclusion.

General Zachary Taylor became the idolized popular hero. "Old Rough and Ready," the sobriquet by which he was known to his men, received universal adoption. In the campaign of 1848, General Taylor was made the standard bearer of the national whig party for president. He received Georgia's support and won the presidency over General Lewis Cass and ex-President Martin Van Buren. Georgia's electors in 1848 were as follows: From the state at large, William Terrell and Seaton Grantland; district electors, H., W. Sharp, Warren Akin, William H. Crawford, Asbury Hull, A. W. Redding, Y. P. King, William Moseley and George Stapleton.**

But General Taylor was already well advanced in years when he entered the White House; and too feeble to sustain for a protracted season the weight of great official responsibilities he died in 1850 and was succeeded by Vice-President Millard Fillmore.

On organizing his cabinet, General Taylor appointed George W. Crawford, of Georgia, secretary of war, an office which he continued to hold under President Fillmore. Mr. Crawford had just relinquished the governorship of his native state when called to this high official responsibility at the national seat of government.

Joseph E. Brown first made his appearance on the stage of Georgia politics in the fall of 1849 as a member of the State Senate. He represented what was then the Forty-first District, under the old division. Slight of figure, in manner somewhat reserved, he took no declaratory or boisterous part in the debates, spoke seldom, was always calm, unemotional, and to the point. Except for an accent peculiar to the mountaineer, there was little about the new senator to attract a superficial observer. But Judge Andrew J. Miller, one of his colleagues, was not slow to discover in him one of the coming men of Georgia; nor did he hesitate to put himself on record with this prediction: "Joe Brown will yet stamp the impress of his genius upon the future history of the state." Alfred H. Colquitt was at this same session an assistant secretary of the Senate. Here were two Georgians for whom the highest honors of the state were reserved, including both the governorship and the toga.f

*H-J, 1847, p. 29.

p. 529-530.

**Lanman's Biographical Annals of the United States Government, "History of Georgia, 1850-1881," I. W. Avery, p. 21. One of the notable battles in this Legislature was over a measure that became in those days known as the hobby of Andrew J. Miller, called his "Woman's bill." The object was to secure to married women their own property independent of the husband. Miller was sent to the Legislature time and again, and at every session he introduced this measure, only to be repeatedly defeated. It finally became the law, and its success was due to the persistent agitation of the persevering Miller. Joseph E. Brown had the old-fashioned notions of the marital relation and fought all of these new-fangled ideas. Miller's Woman's Bill was defeated by a vote of twenty-one yeas to twenty-three nays in the Senate, Brown voting no. A bill to limit

To the national Congress in 1848 Georgia elected a ticket on which there were several whigs, but a careful analysis of the election returns will show that the state was slowly drifting from the old whig moorings. Her representatives chosen to the Thirty-first Congress (18491851) were: Howell Cobb, Thomas C. Hackett, Hugh A. Haralson, Thomas Butler King, Allen F. Owen, Alexander H. Stephens, Robert Toombs, and Marshal J. Wellborn. Four of these were whigs-Messrs. King, Owens, Toombs and Stephens. But Mr. King resigned his seat in 1849 to become collector of the Port of San Francisco, and was succeeded by Joseph W. Jackson, of Savannah, a democrat. This reduced the whig strength in the Georgia delegation to only three members.

As we have already seen, Mr. King was the first man of any prominence in the United States to conceive the idea of a transcontinental line, connecting the two oceans. He was a wealthy sea-island cotton planter and a man of extensive commercial operations. Mr. Hackett is scarcely remembered at the present day, due largely to his early death. He served only one term in Congress, dying at Marietta, Georgia, on October 8, 1851. Mr. Owen likewise served only one term in Congress, but afterwards became consul-general at Havana. He was a resident of Talbotton, Georgia. Judge Wellborn withdrew from public life at the close of his term and in 1864 became a Baptist minister. He lived for a number of years in Columbus.

Howell Cobb, a democrat, was elected speaker of the House, when Congress assembled in December. His whig colleagues did not support him, but connived at the result by supporting a member who was not a candidate for the speakership. Realizing that slavery was endangered, there had been an effort made at coalition between the Southern wings of both parties, and for days there had been a deadlock. Turbulent scenes were enacted; but finally, over a most violent protest from Mr. Toombs, a proposition prevailed to chose a speaker by a mere plurality vote; and when the decisive ballot was taken Mr. Cobb won. It was a stormy session over which Mr. Cobb presided, but his skill as a parliamentarian and his evident desire to be just in his rulings made him an ideal presiding officer and he gave great satisfaction to both sides.

To understand the prevailing unrest which characterized the public. mind at this time and which reached an acute expression in the delibations of Congress, we must note the results of the Mexican war. Growing out of this conflict, as we have already observed, the United States acquired a vast area of country, extending the national domain to the Pacific Ocean. The discovery of the yellow metal in 1848 gave a tremendous impulse to the drift of population westward and started a multitude of feverish fortune hunters toward the Golden Gate. So rapidly was the new territory settled that, in 1849, its inhabitants applied for admission into the Union. But there was a clause in the Constitution

the liability of husbands for debts of wives incurred before marriage, did pass the Senate, however, and Brown vindicated his consistency by voting against it. During the consideration of the Woman's Bill Judge Richard H. Clark offered an amendment submitting the Woman's Bill to a popular vote at the governor's election in 1851. Senator Woods proposed an amendment allowing females between sixteen and fifty years to vote. The amendments were both rejected by only a small majority. -Ibid., p. 21.