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CHAPTER VII
FLORIDA'S PURCHASE PROM SPAIN NEGOTIATED BY JOHN FORSYTE, OF
GEORGIA, WHO RESIGNS His SEAT IN THE FEDERAL SENATE TO ACCEPT
AN APPOINTMENT TO MADRID—MAJ. FREEMAN WALKER SUCCEEDS
MR. FORSYTH—AT THE SAME TIME, JOHN ELLIOTT Is CHOSEN AS
JUDGE TAIT'S SUCCESSOR—GEN. ANDREW JACKSON, THE FIRST TERRI
TORIAL GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA—INDIAN CESSIONS—AN EXTENSIVE
AREA, IN Two PARCELS, Is CEDED BY THE CREEKS IN 1818—Two.
LARGE BODIES OF LAND ACQUIRED FROM THE CHEROKEES IN 1817 AND
1819—SETTLED UNDER THE LOTTERY ACT OF 1820—OUT OF THE
CHEROKEE LANDS FIVE COUNTIES ARE FORMED : WALTON, GWIN-
NETT, HALL, HABERSHAM AND RABUN—OUT OF THE CREEK LANDS
THREE COUNTIES ARE FORMED : EARLY, APPLING AND IRWIN—COM
MISSIONERS SUCCEED IN RUNNING A BOUNDARY LINE BETWEEN TEN
NESSEE AND GEORGIA—WILSON LUMPKIN RUNS THE FLORIDA LINE—
LIGHT HORSE HARRY LEE DIES AWHILE ON A VISIT TO DUNGENESS ON
CUMBERLAND ISLAND—His LAST DAYS—AN ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER—
BURIED AT DUNGENESS, His BODY WAS EXHUMED NINETY-FIVE YEARS
LATER AND TAKEN TO VIRGINIA FOR REINTERMENT.—THERE LAID TO
REST BESIDE His RENOWNED SON, ROBERT E. LEE—DR. MOSES
WADDELL BECOMES PRESIDENT OF FRANKLIN COLLEGE—THE FORTUNES
OF THIS INSTITUTION AT A Low EBB UNTIL DR. WADDELL ARRIVES—
His CAREER AS AN EDUCATOR—THE STEAMSHIP SAVANNAH CROSSES
THE ATLANTIC OCEAN IN 1819, ESTABLISHING A WORLD'S RECORD—
DEATH OF GOVERNOR RABUN WHILE OCCUPYING THE EXECUTIVE
CHAIR—PRESIDENT MATHEW TALBOT, OF THE STATE SENATE, SUC
CEEDS HIM UNTIL THE LEGISLATURE ELECTS JOHN CLARK.
Florida continued to be a thorn in Georgia's side, despite the pacifi
cation of the Semiiioles, until 1819, when the entire peninsula was
acquired from Spain at a cost of $5,000,000. John Forsyth, of Georgia,
negotiated this purchase, under an appointment from President Monroe.
Though he had just taken his seat in the United States Senate, he
promptly relinquished the toga to become minister to Spain, primarily
for the purpose of negotiating this treaty of cession. He remained at
Madrid until 1821. As a diplomat, Mr. Forsyth possessed few equals;
and it was due largely to the skill with which he handled the delicate
issues involved in this treaty with Spain that he subsequently held the
office of secretary of state under two separate administrations.
To succeed Mr. Forsyth as United States senator, the Legislature
elected Maj. Freeman Walker, of Augusta. At the same time, Hon.
John Elliott, of Sunbury. was chosen to succeed Hon. Charles Tait,
whose term of office as United States senator expired in 1819.
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