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CHAPTER II'
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETS FOR THE FIRST TIME AT MILLEDGEVILLB
IN 1807—Six NEW COUNTIES CHEATED—MORGAN, PUTNAM, LAURENS,
JONES, TELFAIK AND RANDOLPH—THE LAST NAMED COUNTY CHANGED
TO JASPER—REASONS FOR DISCARDING RANDOLPH—BOUNDARY LINE
DISPUTE BETWEEN GEORGIA AND NORTH CAROLINA.—THE OCMULGEE
CIRCUIT CREATED—PETER EARLY ITS FIRST JUDGE—ROBERT FULTON'S
STEAMBOAT, THE CLERMONT, MAKES A SUCCESSFUL TRIP ON THE HUD
SON—THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OP 1808—PULASKI COUNTY Is
FORMED—GEORGIA'S DELEGATION IN THE ELEVENTH CONGRESS—JUDGE
CHARLES TAIT SUCCEEDS JOHN MILLEDGE AS UNITED STATES SENATOR
—DAVID B. MITCHELL BECOMES GOVERNOR—PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS
BEGIN—GEORGIA'S EARLY ROADS—STAGE COACH DAYS—RIVER CHAN
NELS ARE DEEPENED—TWIGGS COUNTY Is ORGANIZED—GEORGIA 's OLD
EST BANK Is CHARTERED—THE BANK OF AUGUSTA—THE STATE
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY Is FOUNDED—CHARTER MEMBERS—GEORGIA'S
FIRST COTTON FACTORY—NUMEROUS ACADEMIES CHARTERED—POWEL-
TON—MOUNT ZION—GEORGIA'S POPULATION IN 1810—Six REPRESEN
TATIVES IN CONGRESS—DR. W. "W. BIBB SUCCEEDS WILLIAM H. CRAW-
FORD IN THE FEDERAL SENATE—THE LATTER Is MADE AMBASSADOR TO
FRANCE—HONORED BY NAPOLEON.
NOTE: MR. CRAWFORD AT THE COURT OF NAPOLEON.
On the first Monday in November, 1807, the General Assembly met
for the first time at the new seat of government in Milledgeville. Jared
Irwin occupied the governor's chair; while Robert Walton, of Richmond,
was president of the Senate, and Benjamin "Whitaker, of Jefferson,
speaker of the House. Within four years a handsome edifice of brick,
Norman in design, had been erected under the supervision of Gen. Jett
Thomas, civil engineer and contractor. Occupying an eminence which
came to be known as Capitol Hill, it presented an appearance of great
impressiveness, with its beetling towers. Many of the state's leading
families became identified with Milledgeville at this time, purchasing
lots in the town and acquiring extensive plantations in the rich virgin
lands just opened to settlement.
Under an act of the Legislature', approved December 10, 1807, six
new counties were created, some out of the recently acquired Indian
lands, and some out of the large counties already organized, to wit:
Morgan, Putnam, Laurens, Jones, Telfair, and Randolph.
Two of these counties, Morgan and Putnam, were named for distin
guished Revolutionary soldiers: Gen. Daniel Morgan, of Virginia, and
Gen. Israel Putnam, of Connecticut. Laurens bore the name of a gallant
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