This county was named after Lieutenant-Colonel John Laurens, who was killed in the Revolutionary War, near Combahee, South Carolina, 27th of August, 1782. It was laid out in 1807, and portions of it added to Pulaski in 1808-9. Length, 32 m.; breadth, 22 m.; area square miles, 704.

    Extract from the last Census. - White males, 1,740; white females, 1,719; free coloured males, 3; free coloured females, 6. Total free population, 3,468; slaves, 2,974. Deaths, 54. Farms, 328; manufacturing establishments, 6. Value of real estate, $464,181; value of personal estate, $1,171,164.

    The Oconee is the chief stream.

    There are numerous creeks, such as Deep, Okeewalkee, Tickee Hachee, Palmetto, Turkey, Hunger, Hardship, Shaddock, Pues, and Whitewater.

    The climate is considered as pleasant as any in the United States.

    DUBLIN, the county seat, is situated half a mile from the Oconee River, forty-six miles from Milledgeville, sixty from Macon, and one hundred and twenty from Savannah.

    The public places are, Thomas' Cross Roads, Hampton's Mills, Laurens Hill, and Buckeye.

    The face of the country is rolling. The soil has a clay foundation with sand and vegetable mould in the pine, and a good mixture of lime, with mould and sand, in the oak lands.

    The oak and hickory lands constitute one-third of the cultivated portion of the county; the remainder are, for the greater part, the open pine woods and wire-grass. The wire-grass lands are very susceptible of improvement; a little manure is sufficient to give from ten to twelve bushels of corn, ten to twelve of wheat, and two hundred bushels of sweet potatoes. The wire-grass itself is valuable. There is no other known grass in the South which resists the cold and furnishes food to cattle, sheep, and hogs, and in the spring or early summer, to the table of the farmer the finest butter, rich in flavour and beautiful in colour. It is true that, as the season advances and winter approaches, this grass, like every perennial, becomes coarser and tougher, and is therefore less relished; but never so coarse or tough as not to afford aliment sufficient to sustain life. Besides the wire-grass, there is the lightwood, the poor man's fuel, and charcoal - a fire kindled in three minutes for warmth, cooking, and for every household purpose. Should the time ever come when steam shall be found to be cheaper for every mechanical operation, upon an extensive scale, than waterpower, the pine forests will be invaluable. Every material for building, of excellent quality, and abundant, is furnished by these forests. Tar and turpentine might now be made to great advantage. Such a combination of advantages makes this county, as well as others in the same parallel, a garden spot to the poor man, and a wide field to the manufacturer of cotton and wool, whenever he shall find it in his interest to prefer steam to water-power.

    Among the early settlers were, General BLACKSHEAR, Colonel McCORMICK, Mr. JONATHAN SAWYER, Colonel HAMPTON, the ROBINSON family, and others.

    General DAVID BLACKSHEAR was born in Jones County, North Carolina, January 31st, 1764. At an early age he took an active part against the Tories. He moved to Georgia in 1790, and settled in Laurens County, near the Oconee River, which was then the dividing line between the whites and Indians. Here he was engaged in several battles with the savages, and earned a high reputation for his intrepidity. Prior, we think, to 1813, he was elected Brigadier-General and had the immediate command of a line of forts in Twiggs, Pulaski, and Telfair Counties. In 1814, in consequence of the disability of General Floyd to take the field, he was offered the command, by General Early, of the army in the service of the United States, against the hostile Creek Indians. General Floyd, however, recovering his health, General Blackshear was placed in command of the army under Major-General John McIntosh, and ordered to rendezvous at Fort Hawkins. This order was obeyed. The force raised amounted to 2,500 men, and was intended to join General Jackson near Mobile, being marched first to Hartford and thence to Fort Early, on the Flint River. Here he received orders to conduct his force to Darien, McIntosh County. The road from Fort Early to Darien was opened at that time, and is still known as "Blackshear's Road." In 1815, a vote of thanks was given to Generals McIntosh and Blackshear by the Legislature of Georgia for their faithful services. In various ways, General Blackshear served the State of Georgia. He represented Washington County first, and afterwards Laurens, for a number of years. He was one of the electors who voted for Mr. Jefferson, and again when General Jackson was elected. He was the honoured friend of some of Georgia's noble sons, such as Governors Early, Troup, Floyd, &c. This good man died on the 4th of July, 1837, at his residence in Laurens County in the seventy-fourth year of his age.

    The Hon. GEORGE M. TROUP, so conspicuous in the annals of our State, is a resident of this county.

    THIS county was laid out from Wilkes in 1796, and named in honour of Major-General Benjamin Lincoln. Length, 22 m.; breadth, 9 m.; area square miles, 198.

    The Savannah River separates the county from South Carolina, Broad River from Elbert, and Little River from Columbia County. The creeks are, Fishing, Mills', Pistol, Gray's, Lloyd's, Cherokee, Shivers', Soap, Dry Fork, &c.

    LINCOLNTON is the county town, situated upon the waters of Soap Creek, distant 90 miles N. E. from Milledgeville.

    Lisbon, on the south side of Broad River, was laid out as early as 1786.

    Goshen is six miles N. of Lincolnton.

    Leathersville is six miles S. of Lincolnton.

    Extract from the Census of 1850.---Dwellings, 378; families, 378; white males, 1,109; white females, 1,078; free coloured males, 15; free coloured females, 16. Total free population, 2,218; slaves, 3,780. Deaths, 94. Farms, 273; manufacturing establishments, 13. Value of real estate, $611,312; value of personal estate, $1,735,722.

    Among the first settlers of this county were, THOMAS MURRAY, ROBERT WALTON, JOHN LOCKHART, B. LOCKHART, THOS. MITCHELL, STERNE SIMMONS, J. STOVALL, Captain JOHN LAMAR, STEPHEN HANDSPIKER, M. HENLEY, ROBERT FLEMING, JAMES WALLACE, PETER LAMAR.

    JUDGE JOHN M. DOOLY died in this county on the 26th of May, 1827.

    Hon. THOMAS W. MURRAY was born in this county. In 1819 he became a public man. He was distinguished not so much for the brilliancy of his talents, as for his honesty and independence. For many years he was a member of the Legislature, and once Speaker of the House.

    Colonel JOHN DOOLY settled in Lincoln about the beginning of the American Revolution. He came to his death by the hands of the Tories.

    Captain THOMAS DOOLY was a brave soldier of the Revolution. He lost his life in a skirmish with the Indians on the 22d of July, 1776, near the Oconee River.

    THIS county was laid out from Irwin in 1825, and a part added to Thomas in 1826. Length, 52 m.; breadth, 40; area, 2,080 square miles.

    The rivers are, the Allapaha, Little, and Withlacoochee.

    Among the creeks are the Allapahoochee, Ocopilco, Allapacoochee, Cat, Camp, Mule, &c.

    TROUPVILLE is the seat of justice, immediately in the fork made by the confluence of the Withlacoochee and Little rivers. It is situated S. of Milledgeville, distant 180 miles. Named after the Hon. George M. Troup.

    Statistics according to the last Census.---2,998 white males; 2,847 white females; 16 free coloured males; 6 free coloured females. Total free population, 5,867; slaves, 2,484. Deaths, 64. Farms, 469; manufacturing establishments, 2. Value of real estate, $790,000. Value of personal estate, $1,590,276.

    The general face of the country is level.

    The lands are very fertile. Rice, cotton, corn, &c., are the productions.

    Among the early settlers were, Rev. Wm. A. KNIGHT, BENJAMIN SERMAN, BANI BOYD, WM. SMITH, JOHN BRYAN, JACOB BRYAN, JOHN J. UNDERWOOD, HENRY PARISH, FISHER GASKINS, JESSE LEE, JESSE CARTER, H. COLSON, J. JAMESON, J. HALL, S. HALL, G. HILL, JOHN HILL, Rev. Mr. ALBERTON, J. D. SPANKS, JAMES MATTHEWS, S. E. SWILLEY, Major SIMMONS, WM. DEAS, J. DEAS, WILLIAM McMULLIN, FRANCIS ROUNDTREE, JESSE GOODMAN, Captain BURNETT, L. ROBERTS, Captain BELL.

    ALMOST every stream of note in this county has some natural curiosity connected with it. Many of the streams disappear and are not seen for miles, when they again make their appearance, and flow as tranquilly to their destination as if nothing strange or unusual had happened to them. Others present caves in their banks, into which a part of the stream is diverted, and at their entrance a thriving mill will often be found.

    Lowndes County also contains curiosities in the shape of numerous large open ponds, covering some six square miles, without any tree or stump in them. A portion of the surface of these ponds is covered with beautiful and rare botanical specimens. The streams and ponds abound in fish of various kinds. The woods are filled with game of all sorts.

    Within a few miles of Troupville are the ruins of an old town. Large live oaks grow in front of the ruins in straight rows, and so regular in their distance that it is scarcely probable they are of spontaneous growth. Roads are also discernible. These are wide and straight.

    In 1827 a spot of earth in this county suddenly sunk to the depth of one hundred feet. The place is now covered with water.

    ADVENTURE WITH A PANTHER.---In 1849, a step-son of Thomas B. Stewart and his younger brother were hunting hogs near a swamp, one mile from the Allapaha River, and ten miles above Knight's Bridge. Their dog had left them and gone into the swamp; but soon returned at full speed, closely pursued by a huge panther.

    Escape was impossible. The panther seized the elder brother, and mangled him most fearfully. Leaving him for dead, it then pursued the younger brother and the dog. It soon, however, returned. The boy finding escape impossible, pretended to be dead. After smelling around him, the animal proceeded to cover him partially with leaves and grass, and again renewed its pursuit of the other party.

    The wounded boy had by this time so far recovered from his wounds and fright as to be able to make good his escape, which he did as rapidly as possible. In the mean time, the younger boy had given the alarm and aroused the neighborhood. William G. Aikin, John H. Guthrie, Alfred Herrin and Jesse Vickery, immediately went in pursuit.

    Upon arriving at the spot, they found the pile of leaves and grass, and broken bushes, but the boy and panther were both gone. Having an excellent dog, they soon trailed the panther into the swamp, and in a few hundred yards brought him to bay. The hunters entered the swamp, and proceeded cautiously until they approached within about thirty yards of the huge monster. Here they stopped to consult as to the manner of attack. Not so the panther. He was in their midst at almost a single bound.

    Seizing Guthrie, he dashed him violently to the earth, horribly gashing his head and face. Vickery discharged his piece, loaded with buckshot, into the panther's breast, at a distance of six feet. Herrin's gun missed fire, when he drew his knife, in real Western style, and cut the panther's throat. The dog was killed in the fight by the cougar, but Guthrie and the boy escaped with their lives, and still survive to tell the tale.

    LAID out from Cherokee, and organized in 1832, and named after the Hon. Wilson Lumpkin.

    The rivers are, the Etowah, Chestatee, and Tesnatee.

    The creeks are, Yellow, Amicalolah, Shoal, Nimble Will, Cain, Yahoola, &c.

    The Blue Ridge is in the northern part of the county. Walker's Mountain is in the eastern part.

    Some fine bodies of land are on the rivers and creeks. The ridge lands are valuable only for timber and mining.

    The principal products are corn, wheat, and tobacco.

    Extract from the Census of 1850.---Dwellings, 1,381; families, 1,381; white males, 3,971; white females, 4,022; free coloured males, 9; free coloured females, 13. Total free population, 8,015; slaves, 939. Deaths, 46. Farms, 598. Value of real estate, $556,334; value of personal estate, $647,274.

    The climate of this county is pleasant, but subject to great and sudden changes. Lumpkin can show a long list of persons who have attained to a great age. Mrs. YOUNG, living a few years ago, was over 100. JOHN J. WILLIAMS was over 90---he was in the battle at King's Mountain. Mr. JOHN HAMES was over 100; SAMUEL EVANS, 85; Mr. HARPER, 89; JOHN ALEXANDER, 84. Mr. ALLEN died at the age of 115 years; Mr. WATTS died at the age of 90; Mr. JAMES BOYD was over 100 years, and his wife, NANCY BOYD, over 94 years. RICHARD LEDBETTER, a Revolutionary soldier, at his death was 100 years old; Mrs. SMITH died at 103; Mrs. SALLY BRIGHT at 112. M. PILGRIM died at 86.

    DAHLONEGA, the capital of this county, is situated on a high hill, commanding a view of Walker's Mossy Creek, and Yonah Mountains, and is 141 miles from Milledgeville.

    Gold is often found in the court-house square, particularly after a shower; and the little boys frequently pick up pieces of gold weighing from one-fourth of a dwt. to one dwt.

    The U. S. Branch Mint establishment is located in this town.

    The Indian name for Dahlonega was Tau-lau-ne-ca, meaning yellow money.

    Auraria, alias Nuckollsville, is situated six miles from Dahlonega.

    Leather's Ford is situated on the Chestatee River.

    The following are the principal gold mines in Lumpkin County:---

    Singleton's mines, near Dahlonega, embracing more than 2,000 acres.

    Calhoun's mine, on the Chestatee River, has yielded enormously.

    J. E. Calhoun's mine, on the Chestatee River, five miles from Dahlonega, has been a very rich deposit mine, and is not yet exhausted.

    Cain and Yahoola creeks are celebrated localities. On the latter is the famous lot, 1,052, which once created such a sensation among the gold speculators.

    In almost every portion of this county gold abounds. Evidence of its existence meets the eye of the traveller in every direction.

    Amicalolah Falls are 17 miles west of Dahlonega, near the road leading to Tennessee. The name is said to be a compound of two Cherokee words, "ami," signifying water, and "calolah," rolling or tumbling. A writer in the Orion, vol. Ii., p. 352, thus describes these falls: "The view from the top does not (as is the case at Tallulah) comprehend the whole extent of all the cascades; but, on some accounts, is preferred. The range of mountains to the south and west, as it strikes the eye from the summit of the falls, is truly sublime; and the scene is scarcely surpassed in grandeur. The view from the foot embraces, as strictly regards the falls themselves, much more than the view from above, and is therefore perhaps the better; both, however, should be obtained, in order to form a just conception of the scene."

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