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Last updated: 19 Jan 2015
This county was laid out by the name of Randolph, in 1807; but the name was changed to Jasper in 1812, in honour of Sergeant Jasper, who distinguished himself in the American Revolution. A part was set off to Morgan in 1815, and a part to Newton in 1821. Length, 24 m.; breadth, 16 m.; area square miles, 384.
The Ocmulgee, which divides the county from Butts and Monroe, is the chief stream.
MONTICELLO, so called from the residence of Thomas Jefferson, is the county site, situated on the waters of Murder Creek, 35 miles W.N.W. of Milledgeville.
Hillsborough is nine miles S. E. of Monticello, named after Mr. Isaac Hill, one of the early settlers of the county.
Shady Dale is eight miles from Monticello.
The climate is temperate. The diseases which most generally prevail are fevers, chills, and pneumonia.
There were living, three years ago --- ANTHONY DYER, over 83; GEORGE CLARK, 90; MR. CAPS, nearly 80; JOHN DAVIDSON, over 80; DAVID SMITH, over 80; RICHARD CARTER, 83. DR CARROLL died at the age of 100; JEREMIAH CAMPBELL, a Revolutionary character, was over 80; SION BARNETT published the first proclamation connected with the Mecklenburg meeting, was present at the battles of Stone and Cowpens, and died at the age of 82; LITTLETON JOHNSON, 86; MR. WATERS, 105, killed by a fall from a horse; MR. ABNER CHAPMAN, 86; MRS. CHAPMAN, 80; MR. YANEY was at the siege of Savannah and when Pulaski was shot down; was within five steps of him. A negro man, named SHADE, at 110; GILBERT SHAW, at 80, killed by a tornado in 1842; A. RIDDICK, a Revolutionary soldier, died at 94; JOHN SLAY, at 80 years; THOMAS GRANT, a soldier of the Revolution, 72; MRS. MARY BREWER, at the age of 100.
The face of the county is undulating. The soil is productive, furnishing fine crops of cotton, corn, etc.
Extract from the Census of 1850. - Dwellings, 1,812; families, 1,812; white males, 2,230; white females, 2,093; free coloured males, 14; free coloured females, 15. Total free population, 4,352; slaves, 7,134. Deaths, 180. Farms, 588; manufacturing establishments, 12. Value of real estate, $723,054; value of personal estate, $1,375,657.
Among the early settlers were --- JEREMIAH COX, RICHARD CARTER, ADAM GLAZIER, SYLVANUS WALKER, JOEL WISE, CHARLES CARGILE, WM. SCOTT, STOKELY MORGAN, ANTHONY DYER, GEN. J.W. BURNEY, ISAAC HILL, CAPTAIN ELI GLOVER, MAJOR PEARSON, WM. PENN, THOS. BROTERS, JAMES SMITH, S. BARNETT, W. DOZIER, JOHN POWELL, A. CHAPMAN, W.L. THOMPSON, R. JORDEN, F. AND S. MALONE, M. WHITFIELD, D. MERIWETHER, NATHAN FISH, E. LOVEJOY, N. WILLIAMS, WM. REID
On Murder Creek are several mounds.
On the 17th of May, 1845, a portion of this county was visited by a hail-storm, which destroyed the crops, timber, stock, etc. The hail-stones generally were as large as a man's fist.
GENERAL DAVID ADAMS. --- A paper of the day says: - "This gentleman was born at the Waxaws, in South Carolina, on the 28th of January, 1766. He served a campaign in the latter part of the Revolution, in the lower portion of South Carolina, under General Henderson, against the British and Tories. After the successful termination of that war, his father removed, and settled on Shoulder Bone Creek, in the State of Georgia. The Creek Indians, at the time, were a powerful nation of savages; a war of extermination existed between them and the white settlers of the frontiers of this State. The attacks of the Creeks were so frequent, being often marked by the extinction of whole families, that the inhabitants of every neighbourhood were compelled to build and live in forts. The younger Adams now came forward in defence of his country, with a zeal that gained the confidence of his fellow citizens; he was elected a major of the militia, and was engaged in the arduous duties of a scout for ten years"
"Major Adams was elected Brigadier-General by the Legislature of Georgia, and subsequently a Major-General. He was appointed to the command of an expedition in the war against the towns on the Tallapoosa River, by the Governor. Having commenced his march with about three hundred volunteers to the above-mentioned towns, General Floyd, being then in the lower part of the nation, with the army under his command, hearing of the expedition under General Adams, and knowing that the savages had evacuated their towns, and embodied in the Horse Shoe, and consequently were too strong for such a force as that commanded by General A., detached a troop of horses to intercept him and turn him back; unfortunately he was too far advanced, and the troop could not overtake him. On arriving at the town opposite, or a little above the bend distinguished by the name of the Horse Shoe, he found it deserted by the Indians, who had retired within their fortifications in the Horse Shoe, out of which they marched up and paraded in considerable numbers, on the opposite side of the river, and fired upon the volunteers in the town, with little or not effect, having slightly wounded one man. It was found impracticable to cross the river, it being very much swollen by the recent rains; and, indeed, it was highly necessary to commence a retreat. Having burnt the village, and destroyed the provisions which the Indians had not removed to their fortifications within the bend of the river, he retired a short distance and encamped for the night. The cunning savages were prowling about his encampment, endeavouring, no doubt, to ascertain the number of the volunteers. They were frequently fired upon by the sentinels. General Adams wisely suffered no fire to be kindled during the night, which was remarkably cold. To this circumstance, and his judicious manouvres, by which he concealed the strength of his detachment, may be attributed his not being attacked and defeated by the powerful force of the savages then in his immediate neighbourhood.
"General Adams held various appointments under the State Government, all of which he discharged with fidelity and ability. He was a Commissioner on the part of the State, when the lands lying between the Ocmulgee and Flint Rivers were obtained. He was always a favourite with his fellow citizens, as a distinguished member of the Legislature for upwards of twenty-five years, and was often Speaker of the House of Representatives."
The HON. ALFRED CUTHBERT and DR. REES, gentlemen who stand deservedly high in the estimation of their fellow citizens, are residents of this county.
Jasper County transcribed by Suzanne Forte - November, 2003.
First put online 1 Dec 2003.
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