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Untitled - the Digital Library of Georgia

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GEORGIA AND GEOEGIANS 455<br />

South Carolinian, Col. John Laurens. Jones was named for Hon. James<br />

Jones, a former member <strong>of</strong> Congress and one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> state's three com<br />

missioners appointed to cede its western lands to. <strong>the</strong> Federal Govern<br />

ment. Telfair bore <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> an honored governor <strong>of</strong> <strong>Georgia</strong>, Ed<br />

ward Telfair; while Randolph was named for John Randolph <strong>of</strong><br />

Eoanoke.<br />

Randolph was a great favorite in <strong>Georgia</strong> at this time, due to his<br />

prolonged fight in Congress against <strong>the</strong> Yazooists; but when in 1812<br />

he opposed <strong>the</strong> second war with England <strong>the</strong>re was such a revulsion <strong>of</strong><br />

feeling that <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> Randolph County was changed, to Jasper, in<br />

honor <strong>of</strong> Sergeant Jasper, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Revolution, who fell mortally wounded<br />

at <strong>the</strong> siege <strong>of</strong> Savannah, while engaged in <strong>the</strong> rescue <strong>of</strong> his colors.<br />

Later, however, when Randolph again rode <strong>the</strong> popular wave, a new<br />

county was created on <strong>the</strong> western border to which Randolph's name<br />

was given.<br />

THE OLD STATE CAPITOL AT MILLEDGEVILLE<br />

Morgan was organized out <strong>of</strong> lands taken from Baldwin and "Wilkin-<br />

son; Jones out <strong>of</strong> lands acquired from <strong>the</strong> Creek Indians under <strong>the</strong><br />

treaty <strong>of</strong> 1805; Putnam and Randolph out <strong>of</strong> lands taken from Baldwin;<br />

and Laurens and Telfair out <strong>of</strong> lands taken from Wilkinson.<br />

County seats were subsequently located in <strong>the</strong>se various counties as<br />

follows: Madison, to be <strong>the</strong> county seat <strong>of</strong> Morgan, named for James<br />

Madison, <strong>of</strong> Virginia, <strong>the</strong>n secretary <strong>of</strong> state, in Jefferson's cabinet;<br />

Monticello, named for Jefferson's home, in Albemarle County, Virginia,<br />

to be <strong>the</strong> county seat <strong>of</strong> Randolph, afterwards Jasper. Originally <strong>the</strong><br />

county seat <strong>of</strong> Jones was called Albany, but <strong>the</strong> name was subsequently<br />

changed to Clinton, in honor <strong>of</strong> George Clinton, <strong>of</strong> New York. McRae,<br />

<strong>the</strong> county seat <strong>of</strong> Telfair, was named for a Scotch-Irish family to<br />

which many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pioneer settlers belonged. Eatonton, <strong>the</strong> county<br />

seat <strong>of</strong> Putnam, was named for Gen. William Eaton, a soldier <strong>of</strong> fortune,<br />

who distinguished himself in <strong>the</strong> war with Tripoli. The original county<br />

seat <strong>of</strong> Laurens was Sumterville, but this site proving unsatisfactory<br />

Dublin was made <strong>the</strong> new seat <strong>of</strong> government, a town named for <strong>the</strong>

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