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CHAPTER II
WHY GEORGIA WAS REPRESENTED ON THE SCROLL OF INDEPENDENCE BY
ONLY THREE SIGNERS—AN EPISODE OF SINGULAR INTEREST—REV.
JOHN J. ZUBLY, A MEMBER OF THE PRECEDING CONGRESS, DEVELOPS
STRONG TORY SENTIMENTS—FORMERLY A PRONOUNCED WHIG—QUITS
PHILADELPHIA WHEN HE LEARNS THAT THE COLONIES ARE BENT ON
SEPARATION FROM ENGLAND—LETTER WRITTEN BY DOCTOR ZUBLY TO
GOVERNOR WRIGHT Is DISCOVERED—RETURNING TO GEORGIA, THE
CLERGYMAN SEEKS TO STEM THE TIDE TOWARD REPUBLICAN FREEDOM
—GIFTED WITH RARE ELOQUENCE—PASTOR OF THE OLD INDEPENDENT
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH—Ma. HOUSTOUN, A DELEGATE TO THE CON
GRESS OF 1776, RETURNS HOME TO COMBAT DOCTOR ZUBLY's TORY
ARGUMENTS—MR. BULLOCH Is DETAINED IN GEORGIA BY His D OTIES AS
PRESIDENT OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL—GEORGIA'S THREE SIGNERS—
GEORGE WALTON—LYMAN HALL—BUTTON GWINNETT—THE LAST-
NAMED SIGNER KILLED IN A DUEL BY LACHLAN MC!NTOSH—DOCTOR
ZUBLY's BANISHMENT AND DEATH—EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.
Why was Georgia represented on the Declaration of Independence
by only three signers, when she was represented by five delegates in the
Continental Congress of 1776? Though the youngest of the original
thirteen colonies, she w.as not the least populous nor the least patriotic;
and the comparatively small space which she occupies on the time-hon
ored scroll of American liberty is wholly out of proportion to her recog
nized importance in the sisterhood of imperial provinces. Tell it not in
Gath; but the answer to this historical conundrum involves an episode
of singular interest in the early history of the patriotic cause in Georgia,
and shows how one of the very brightest of the lights of liberty suffered
extinction.
The Georgia signers were Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall and George
Walton. But Archibald Bulloch and John Houstoun were also mem
bers of the congressional delegation. Mr. Bulloch was detained in
Georgia by official duties, being at the time president of the executive
council and acting governor; and it was neither politic nor wise for the
chief magistrate to leave the state when an outbreak of war was immi
nent. Mr. Houstoun repaired to Philadelphia, but he was soon back
again in Georgia for the purpose of combating the hostile influence of an
ex-patriot who, having returned to the standard of the king, was at work
in the field with perverted missionary zeal, seeking to prevent the drift
toward separation and to extinguish the revolutionary flames which he
* This chapter is reproduced from "Eeminiscences of Famous Georgians," by
L. L. Knight, Vol. II.
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