At the closing event of the war, the siege of Yorktown, a Rhode Island regiment under Capt. Stephen Olney, headed the advancing column. Sword in hand the leaders broke through the first obstructions. Some of the eager assailants entered the ditch. Among these was Capt. Olney who, as soon as a few of his men collected, forced his way between the palisades, leaped upon the parapet and called in a voice that rose above the din of battle "Capt. Olney's company form here!" A gunshot wound in the arm, a bayonet thrust in the thigh and a terrible wound in the abdomen which he was obliged to cover with one hand, while he parried the bayonets with the other, answered the defiant shout. Capt. Olney was borne from the field, but not until he had given the direction to "form in order." In ten minutes after the first fire the fort was taken. Three days later Cornwallis accepted terms of surrender, which were formally carried out on October 19th, 1781. The war was over. The gallantry of Olney was lauded by Lafayette in general orders and more handsomely recognized in his correspondence. But the historian, thus far, has failed to record the fact, noted by Arnold, that the first sword that flashed in triumph above the captured heights of Yorktown was a Rhode Island Sword!—Anna B. Manchester in American Monthly Magazine.
[GEORGIA AND HER HEROES IN THE REVOLUTION.]
At the outbreak of the Revolution Georgia was the youngest of the colonies. Although there had been some unsatisfactory relations with the mother country, there had been no unfriendly relations until the passage of the famous Stamp Act. On account of the liberal laws granted by England and the fatherly care of General James Oglethorpe, the Colony of Georgia had least cause to rebel. But she could not stand aside and see her sister colonies persecuted without protesting.
In September, 1769, a meeting of merchants in Savannah protested against the Stamp Act. Jonathan Bryan presided over this meeting, and was asked by the royal governor, Sir James Wright, to resign his seat in the governor's council for having done so. About the same time Noble W. Jones was elected Speaker of the Assembly. Governor Wright refused to sanction the choice because Noble W. Jones was a Liberty Boy. These two acts of the governor angered the people and made them more determined to resist. Noble W. Jones has been called "the morning star of liberty," on account of his activity in the cause of liberty at this time. A band of patriots met in August, 1774, and condemned the Boston Port Bill. Six hundred barrels of rice were purchased and sent to the suffering people of Boston.
About the same time a Provincial Congress was called to choose delegates to the first Continental Congress to meet soon in Philadelphia, but through the activity of the royal governor, only five of the twelve parishes were represented. No representatives were sent because this meeting did not represent a majority of the people. St. John's parish, the hotbed of the rebellion, sent Lyman Hall to represent that parish alone in the Continental Congress. On account of the patriotic and independent spirit of its people, and this prompt and courageous movement, the legislature in after years conferred the name of Liberty County on the consolidated parishes of St. John, St. Andrew and St. James.
After the news of Lexington arrived great excitement prevailed. On the night of May 1, 1775, a party of six men led by Joseph Habersham broke open the powder magazine and took out all the ammunition. Some of this powder was sent to Massachusetts and used at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The people proceeded to take charge of the government. A Council of Safety and Provincial Assembly were elected.
The patriots captured a British schooner containing fourteen thousand barrels of powder. This captured schooner was the first ship to be commissioned by the American nation. The Council of Safety ordered the arrest of Governor Wright. Joseph Habersham with six men easily did this, but the governor soon escaped. The incident is famous because John Milledge and Edward Telfair, known as two of the best loved of Georgia governors in after years, were members of this brave band. Joseph Habersham himself became famous afterwards, being Postmaster-General in Washington's cabinet.
While these events were taking place the second Continental Congress was framing the Declaration of Independence. George Walton, Button Gwinnett, and Lyman Hall signed that great document for Georgia. Button Gwinnett did not live to see Georgia's independence established, but Lyman Hall and George Walton saw her take her place in the union. They were honored with the highest offices of the state. There were many other men who became famous on account of their activities for the cause of liberty at this time. Chief among these were Lachlan McIntosh, of whom Washington said, "I esteem him an officer of great merit and worth:" Archibald Bulloch, James Jackson, David Emanuel, John Adam Treutlen, Samuel Elbert, John Baker, John Wereat, and John Houston.
With the exception of a few unsuccessful expeditions against Florida there was no fighting in Georgia until December, 1778. The people hoped that the war would be fought elsewhere, but such was not to be. General Prevost who commanded the British in Florida was ordered to invade Georgia from the South. Colonel Campbell was sent by General Howe with three thousand five hundred troops to attack Savannah. Colonel Campbell landed December 27, 1778, and by a skillful flank movement drove a small army of nine hundred patriots from their intrenchments near Savannah and pursued them with such terrible slaughter that barely four hundred escaped. Many were run down with the bayonet in the streets of Savannah, almost within sight of their families. James Jackson and John Milledge, both of whom were afterward governor of Georgia, were among the number that escaped and while going through South Carolina to join General Lincoln's army they were arrested by the Americans who thought they were English spies. Preparations were made for hanging them when an American officer came up who recognized them, and they were set free. It was certainly a blessing to the state that these men did not suffer an ignominious death for they rendered invaluable service in after years by fighting the Yazoo Fraud.