Atlanta And Its Builders, Vol. 2 - A Comprehensive History Of The Gate City Of The South. Thomas H. Martin
resolution:
"Resolved, By the Senate and House of Representatives, that the amendment to the constitution of the United States, known as article fourteen, proposed by the Thirty-ninth congress, which is as follows, [here followed the amendment]: be and hereby is ratified by the State of Georgia. The vote upon this resolution was as follows: Senate, for, 28, against, 14; House, for, 89, against, 69.
On the next day, July 22, Governor Bullock was inaugurated in the hall of the House of Representatives. Governor Bullock said that through the clemency of the general government, under the fostering care and protection of which they had assembled, they were permitted to inaugurate a civil government that would supersede the military power, which had been supreme in this State since the failure of an attempt to establish the sovereignty of separate States in opposition to the constitution of the Union framed by the people of the United States. At the close of Governor Bullock's inaugural. Judge Erskine administered the oath of office, and then Benjamin Conley, president of the Senate, read the following proclamation:
"Know ye, know ye, that Rufus B. Bullock is hereby declared governor of the State of Georgia, for the term of four years from the date prescribed by the constitution, for the commencement of his term. God save the governor and the commonwealth of Georgia!"
Some little applause followed this announcement, after which a voice from the end of the chamber was heard above everything else with the exclamation, "Go it, niggers!" which created quite a sensation.
Thus was Georgia restored to the Union. There was a meeting at the National Hotel that evening, at which Governor Bullock made a neat speech, and General Meade expressed his satisfaction that the State had been restored. It was on this day that the proceedings of the military commission were suspended, and the Columbus prisoners sent to Columbus.
It still remained to elect two representatives to the Congress of the United States, which was done on the 29th of July. The Hon. Joshua Hill was elected for the long term by a vote of no to 94 for Joseph E. Brown; and Dr. H. V. M. Miller was chosen for the short term by a vote of 119, to 73 for Foster Blodgett, 13 for Seward, and 7 for Ackerman. In commenting on this action of the Legislature, the Intelligencer said the results were glorious.
The city of Atlanta was full of excitement and congratulations over the selection of these two distinguished gentlemen to Congress. An immense crowd gathered in front of the United States Hotel, and were addressed by Hon. Joshua Hill, Dr. Miller, General John B. Gordon, Hon. Warren Akin, Colonel Cowart and Hon. A. W. Holcombe.
At the election held for president of the United States, November 3, 1868, the vote in Atlanta was as follows: For Horatio Seymour, 2,455; for U. S. Grant, 2,443. I" Fulton county the vote was: for Seymour, 2,812; for Grant, 2,474.
One of the episodes of the reconstruction era was the murder of G. W. Ashburn, of Columbus, Ga., in Columbus, March 31, 1868. Ashburn was a native of North Carolina, had been in Georgia fully thirty years, and was a member of the Constitutional convention. The murder created considerable excitement throughout the State. The military took the matter in hand, and arrested on suspicion William R. Bedell, Columbus C. Bedell, James W. Barber, Alva C. Roper, William L. Cash, William D. Chipley, Robert A. Funis, Elisha J. Kirkscey, Thomas N. Grimes, Wade H. Stephens, John Wells (colored), John Stapler (colored) and James McHenry (colored). All parties were released on bail in the sum of $2,500 each, some four hundred citizens of Columbus, of both races, going on the bond.
The military court organized to try them convened in Atlanta, June 29, 1868. McPherson Barracks being the place of the trial. The military court consisted of Brigadier-General Caleb C. Sibley, colonel Sixteenth Infantry; Brevet Brigadier-General Elisha G. Marshall, U. S. A.; Brevet Brigadier-General John J. Milhau, surgeon U. S. A.; Brevet Colonel John R. Lewis, major Forty-fourth Infantry; Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Robert E. A. Crofton, captain Sixteenth Infantry; Brevet Major Samuel E. St. Onge, captain Sixteenth Infantry; Brevet Captain George M. Brayton, captain Thirty-third Infantry; Brevet Major-General William McKee Dunn, assistant judge advocate-general of the United States army, was appointed judge advocate of the commission. The council for defense was composed of Alexander H. Stephens, L. J. Gartrell, James M. Smith, J. N. Ramsey, Martin J. Crawford, H. L. Benning and R. J. Moses. The prosecution was conducted by Brigadier-General W. M. Dunn, ex-Governor Joseph E. Brown, and Major W. M. Smyth. Following are the charges and specifications upon which the prisoners were arrested and tried, but it will be seen that there were those named in the specifications who were not named as among those arrested and giving bonds, and some of those who were arrested were among those tried on the charge. Charges and specifications ..against Elisha J. Kirkscey, Columbus C. Bedell, James W. Barker, William A. Duke, Robert Hudson, William D. Chipley, Alva C. Roper, James L. Wiggins, Robert A. Wood, Henry Hennis, Herbert W. Blair and Milton Malon. Charge— murder. Specifications — In this, that the said (persons above named) on March 31st, 1868, in the city of Columbus, in the county of Muscogee, State of Georgia, in and upon one George W. Ashburn, then and there in the peace of the State, feloniously and willfully, did make an assault, and did then and there feloniously, unlawfully, and with malice aforethought, discharge pistols loaded with powder and leaden balls at said George W. Ashburn, and with said balls, discharged as aforesaid, did wound the said George W. Ashburn in the left leg above and near the ankle joint, and with said balls, discharged as aforesaid, did wound the said George W. Ashburn in the lower part of the nates; and with said balls, discharged as aforesaid, did wound the said George W. Ashburn in the forehead, and which said wound inflicted as aforesaid in the forehead was mortal, and of which said mortal wound inflicted in manner and form as aforesaid, the said George W. Ashburn did then and there die; and the said (persons named above), in manner and form aforesaid, feloniously, unlawfully, willfully, and of their malice aforethought, did then and there kill and murder, contrary to the laws of this State, good order, peace and dignity thereof. These charges and specifications were signed by W. H. Smyth, Captain Sixteenth Infantry, and Brevet Major-General U. S. A.
At the request of Mr. Stephens, a postponement was granted until June 30. On this day, the trial began by the filing by Mr. Stephens, for each of the prisoners, an answer in plea to the charge and specifications, each pleading that he was not guilty of the crime set forth in the charge and specification. But in putting in this answer and plea as in their statement, they said they had no personal objection to any member of the court before its organization, and they repeated that they did not wish to be understood as admitting the rightful jurisdiction of the court, constituted and organized as it was, under the rules and articles of war, to try offenses according to the customs of war, to take charge of the trial of offenses against the laws of Georgia. The trial, however, proceeded, and on the twentieth day thereof an order was received by the court from General Meade, suspending further proceedings until orders should be received. On July 25. 1868, the prisoners were taken to Columbus, Ga., under guard, and there turned over to Captain Mills. They were shortly afterward released on $20,000 bail, the bond being intended to secure their attendance at court, should any charge be brought up against them in the future. Nothing further was ever done in their case.
An incident in the history of Atlanta is worthy of preservation in this connection, as it belonged to the reconstruction era. It was what appeared to some as an earnest attempt to erect in or near the city of Atlanta, a monument to the memory of Abraham Lincoln, then lately murdered in Washington by John Wilkes Booth. On the 20th of September, 1867, J. L. Dunning, as president of the Lincoln National Monument Association, presented a memorial to the city council, together with a verbal explanation of what it was expected and intended to accomplish, with reference to the erection of a monument to President Abraham Lincoln in Atlanta. Richard Peters moved that the memorial be referred to a special committee to be appointed by the mayor. The motion prevailing, the mayor appointed as such committee Richard Peters, E. E. Rawson and A. W. Mitchell. At the next meeting of the council, which occurred on the 27th of the same month, the special committee, to whom had been referred the memorial of the Lincoln National Monument Association, submitted the following report:
"To the Honorable Mayor and Council:
"Your special committee, to whom was referred the memorial of the Lincoln National Monument Association, respectfully recommend the city to appropriate ten acres of land for the use of the association, and for a city park, so soon as the mayor