Augusta, Alabama
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The Days of Augusta, Alabama

This article, written by Peter A. Brannon, was carried in the January 12, 1947, issue of The Montgomery,Advertiser.

Robertson's Early Settlers of Montgomery County, A1abama, a rare little volume which should be an ordinary item in the family collections of most Montgomerians, but which few possess, gives a short sketch of ten lines about the town of Augusta, and therein we are led to believe that when Montgomery came into being, Augusta and Fort Jackson towns ceased to exist, as their citizens all moved into the new town. I have just lately enjoyed the rare privilege of learning more of Augusta. Volume I of Montgomery's original newspaper, The Montgomery Republican, is just now coming under my eye (after all these years) and I learn that Augusta was a right considerable town at one time and, with all, was the head of navigation on the Tallapoosa River.

Apparently some Georgians must have stopped by the side of the road and founded a village sometime after 1816, calling it Augusta for the principal town of their State. Augusta, Ala., was located on the Tallapoosa River at what older Montgomerians know as Ware's Ferry. It occupied the site of the old Indian village of Sawonagi, a Shawnee town settled in the Creek Country on the Indian trail from the Atlantic to the French post at the junction of the Tallapoosa and Coosa Rivers. The location was, incidentally, a crossroads of two paths which went from the Okmulgee in Georgia to the Tombigbee in the Mississippi Territory, and from Pensacola to Tuckabatchee in the Creek Country. The town of Sawonagi was no great village, but it did enjoy the distinction (if such is a distinction) of being at one time the residence of the parents of Tecumseh. One of the earliest mail routes in the Gulf County and before there were legally appointed postmasters, went from Fort Mitchell on the Chattahoochee by Augusta to Fort Jackson, thence south to Claiborne and to Saint Stephens. The Indian towns of Kulumi, Mukalasi, Ikanhutki and Fusihatchee, were located all within a mile or two of the place and indicate a concentration of early population in this central Tallapoosa Country. There are Indian mounds at all these places and much evidence of aboriginal culture has been turned out here in recent years.

Newspaper Advertisements
Advertisements in The Montgomery Republican enabled one to develop an interesting story of the place. For example, G. Clark opened the Augusta Academy, an English school at the place on the 19th of February, 1821. The purpose of the school was "to improve the minds, manners and morals of his pupils." The fees were $5 per subject per quarter of eleven weeks; for the high branches of study (the $5 studies being reading, writing and arithmetic) he charged $6 per subject. I do not find any early advertisements of goods sold at the place, though there was more than one merchant, and Augusta had a doctor, a grog shop, a commission man, and Robertson says there was a tavern where the stage changed horses; also a blacksniith shop or two. Robert Mitchell and Company, sometimes referred to as Major Robert Mitchell, was, I venture to say, the leading mercantile establishment. This firm advertised that the steamboat Yankee" would leave that place on or about March 27, with freight for Mobile and Blakeley. In May of that year, Major Robert Mitchell and J. Battelle (the owner of The Republican) were advertising that the Yankee would leave from Montgomery with a load of freight for Blakeley. I would infer from this that the water was too low for the boat to get up stream as far as Augusta and that the cotton was hauled into Montgomery and loaded here.This inference is probably sustained by a news notice which says that the Yankee departed from Montgomery on May 26 with 200 bales of cotton and other freight "principally from Augusta."

Meigs and Mitchell
An interesting connection with this firm of Robert Mitchell and Company is an advertisement dated the 19th of May, stating the dissolution of the firm of Meigs and Mitchell, saying that this establishment was dissolved on the 18th of May, 1820. The notice was published on the 19th of May, 1821, and I think there is a typographical error. I am satisfied that "Robert Mitchell and Company" of March, 1821, was Joseph H. Meigs and Robert Mitchell. Incidentally, Joseph H. Meigs is the man for whom the town of Mount Meigs was named. The Mitchell family, who settled quite early from Georgia on the north side of the Tallapoosa west of Chubahatchee Creek and adjacent to the Indian town of Huithlewalli and whose descendants (some distance removed) are still here at Montgomery, may be the same Georgia family of Robert, but whether he is of the direct blood I am not able to say.

Uncalled For Letters
Walter R. Ross, Postmaster at Augusta, advertised a list of unclaimed letters remaining in that office under date of December 31, 1821. On March 10, 1821, a notice signed by the administrators of the estate of Isaac Ross Sr., Isaac Ross, Junior, and W. R. Ross, asked for the submission of claims against Mr. Ross. Those advertisements led me to investigate an old family tradition which always held that Walter Ross was the original Postmaster at Fort Jackson. I find that this is in error. The U. S. Postal Guide shows Isaac Ross, Jr.,postmaster at Fort Jackson until he was succeeded by Reuben Jordan in 1821. An uncalled for letter at the Post Office of Augusta was one for Dr. Moses Andrew who, in 1821, was the editor of the Montgomery Republican, and a short time later, the ferry boat owner on the Tallapoosa River. Not long after this date the ferry over the Tallapoosa which has been known locally in recent years as Ware's Ferry and Dave Johnson's Ferry and still later as Johnson's Bridge, was so far as can be established by the records, that same crossing owned by Dr. Andrew after he left Montgomery at the time he gave up the editorship of our first newspaper. Another letter was for W. D. Aldred and others were for William Armstrong; James Fears; Thomas Grubbs; Charles W. Seawright; Chelsea Johnson; Peame Kirkland; William Pavey; William Stedman and Josiah Underwood. The quarter beginning April 7, 1821, showing letters remaining in the postoffice at Augusta and advertised by Mr. Ross, Postmaster, include one for William Barnett; Mrs. Eliza Ann Butts; Elijah Croxton; William Chandler; William Earnest; Dr. Frank Fay; Wilson Goodwin; John and Stephen Fordman; William Haggerty; John R. Hogan; Mrs. Ann Harshaw, and several others. These names suggest several of the early Montgomery County families living not far from that point, and letters were probably addressed to them there hoping that they would reach them through that office. The Barnett mentioned was the stepfather of Governor William Wyatt Bibb, and William Haggerty was the father of Abel and Squire or Spire Haggerty, who settled the hill just north of the Tallapoosa River, now well known by that name and the property adjacent to Ben Fitzpatrick. One would assume that Dr. Frank Fay must have been of the family who later settled some miles west at Mr. Duncan's "Violet Hill" plantation at our Grandview. I don't know how close kin Wilson Goodwin was to those Goodwins and the Lucases and Dreysprings who later lived near Augusta and many of whom are buried in the cemetery there along with Walter Ross' family.

Isaac Ross, Sr., who had a short service in the American Revolution and whose grave stone is at Fort Jackson, was buried alongside some of Marchand's French soldiers. His grave has been marked in recent years by the DAR. Mr. Ross' original settlement, so tradition says, was at the Sulphur Spring, now designated as Harrogate Springs, where the late John Crommelin lived for many years. The Treaty of Fort Jackson, signed August 27, 1814, by which Creek Indians ceded much of their claim to Alabama, was signed at the Ross settlement site. Early settlers in the country here claimed that General [Andrew] Jackson, Col. Hawkins and other commissioners, Col. Arthur Hayne, among them, lived up out of the swamp, there at the Sulphur Spring for health's sake.

Dr. Thomas Brown
An advertisement dated February 10, 1821, in the Republican, announces that Dr. Thomas Brown "has removed to the town of Augusta in this county where he attends to the practice of medicine." Dr. Brown's dust is in the popularly known "Oliver Cemetery," (though it should be "Brown Cemetery") about five miles out on the Ware's Ferry Road near the old Ledyard property. In that small "half-acre" are some Mitchells, some Woods, as well as the family of Dr. Brown. On Dr. Brown's father's gravestone a lengthy inscription recites his Revolutionary War experience. This old veteran was from Culpepper County, Virginia, and was at King's Mountain with John Sevier and at Yorktown when Lord Cornwallis surrendered. He died at Augusta on January 9, 1827, of fever.

One of the "society" notices in the Republican is a statement bearing date of March 24, 1821, announcing the marriage at Augusta on the 15th of last month (February 13), of Captain James Hayes, who is found later living at Claiborne, to Miss Susan Fitts. An interesting advertisement of March 17, is one of those illustrative kind which shows an hosteler holding the reins of a horse, and his announcement that the stallion, "Farmer", will stand until June 10 next, on Wednesday and Thursday each week, at Augusta town. On Fridays and Saturdays he was at Evansville. If you don't know the location of Evansville, I will tell you that it was the tavern site which we today know as Milly's Creek. Mr. Evans, by the way, was one of Milly's husbands. I think he was the last one of the trio. Her tollgate was near the Dr. Handy's residence on Mt. Meigs road a short distance west of Waugh. After the cutting of the Federal Road in 1805, Milly, widow of a British soldier who died at Cusseta with smallpox after he deserted the British Army to escape going back to England in 1783, settled as a neighbor to [Abram] Mordecai whose trading post was further west and towards "Meigs' Store", and the Government permitted her to maintain a tavern and toll gate across Noocoocecheppo Creek, (Bear Range Creek) known to us today as Milly's Creek. The description of "Farmer" was that he was a descendant of the celebrated "Eclipse". He was eight years old, of a brown color and 5 feet 5 inches high. He belonged to H. Young and Murry, a firm of stablemen at Montgomery.

Under death notices dated July 23, 1821, is that of Dr. Frank Fay, who died at Augusta on the 24th of May last, in the 28th year of his age. This notice says that he was a native of Vermont but for the last three years an inhabitant of the Southern States. There follows half a column of a memorial obituary. Among other things, he had acquired by his own unaided exertions, a knowledge of almost every branch of classical and scientific study usually taught in American colleges. He was an early victim of disease himself, long suffering under a severe pulmonary complaint. "He came South from the cold regions of Vermont to the genial influence of the milder climate of Georgia and Alabama. Scarcely four months previous to his death, he united himself to one of the most amiable of her sex. Short was the enjoyment of the most perfect connubial happiness. The exertion consequent upon the removal from Georgia to this country during the Spring floods, and unusual exposure during the late freshet of the Tallapoosa, which twice force him to abandon his house, gave rise to a violent affection of the heart and excessive irritability of the stomach, which for two weeks continued to exhaust his bodily powers and threaten termination of his existence." Ending the memorial which recites that his afflicted companion, forsaken and forlorn, sick and among strangers, is gradually wasting away her life, consoled only by the hope of joining him once more in those realms where grief and sorrow never come:

"Misfortune's child from childhood up,
His earthly course is early run;
Sorrow has filled her bitter cup
And yielded up her darling son."

Illustrative Cuts
A display advertisement in the August 18, 1821 issue is "New Goods at Augusta." This ad recites that "just received by the boat, Yankee, Captain Crawford, from Mobile, and for sale by the subscribers, Mitchell and Company," then is set out a list including 100 barrels of Superior Rye Whiskey; 10 barrels of Apple Brandy; 5 barrels of Cognac Brandy; 5 casks of Wine; 25 boxes of No. I Chocolate; 15 boxes of No. 2; 5 boxes of Spanish Segars, and alum; Liverpool salt; Carolina hoes; 20 barrels of New Orleans Sugar and a variety of other things.

Reuben Fitts, undoubtedly of the same family of the lady who married Captain Hayes, mentioned above, lost his pocketbook at Augusta on the 14th of July. He first advertised for it on the 25th of August and offered a suitable reward, by "the subscriber, who resides within one mile of the town of Augusta." Mr. Fitts' pocketbook was of red morocco and it contained several notes, "and a number of other papers too numerous to mention." One of his notes was drawn in favor of Jordan Webb for $71 and signed by John Hansford; another one was signed by William Shipp.

Fields and Pinkston (this latter name quite old in that locality) advertised valuable town lots to be auctioned Saturday the 15th of September, in the town of Augusta. They offered accommodating terms. Thomas S. Woodward, brigadier general, Headquarters 7th Brigade Alabama Militia, by notice dated September 2, 1822 ordered the regiments of the brigade convene at their respective muster places and on designated dates, and one of these places was Augusta town, the parade to be held on the 16th of October. By command of this order the commissioned officers of these regiments were required to assemble two days preceding the date of the parade at the respective muster grounds, in this case Augusta, for the purpose of being drilled by the brigade major who was John A. Cotton.

Camp Meeting
Under the head of new advertisements, the Rev. Moses Andrew calls a camp meeting to be held the 3, 4, 5, and 6th of October next, (the advertisement dated September 13, 1822) on the road leading from the town of Montgomery to Augusta, 7 miles from Montgomery and 4 miles from Augusta, near Mr. Robert's cabin. Preachers of the Methodist denominations throughout the State were solicitously invited, "as the harvest here is great and the laborers few and feeble." It was at first intended that the meeting be held on the 10th of October but Superior Court of Montgomery County was called for that date, therefore they thought best to hold it a week ahead of that time. The campers were told that they could rely on finding the greatest abundance of water and an ample supply of timber for building tents. Mr. Robert's cabin was out where we now find Montgomery Shooting Club Lake. But I must close this paper. However, the above proves to my mind that Augusta had not ceased to exist nor faded from the picture for several years after Montgomery came into being, and too, the U. S. Postal Guide shows they had a postoffice after 1825. Andrew Baxter succeeded Mr. Ross as postmaster in 1822, when Walter Ross became Sheriff of Montgomery County, and Andrew Baxter served until about 1826 when the office of postmaster was abolished.

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