Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-21
JOHN ADAM TREUTLEN.
First Governor of GeOrgia-This Mystic
riOus History-His Many Living De-

rious History-His Many Living De
scendants.
Editor Morning Nelrss In one Of the
issues Of your paper during OF about the
time Of the Sesqui-C entennial there was
an item which contained the assertion
that John Adam Treutlep, the first Cover
nor Of the State Of Georgia, was a Salz-
burgher. There is no doubt he was
an official member Of the church OF the
Salzburghers at Ebenezer before the war
Of the revolution began, as his
name appears among the twelve
dedcORs Of that church during
the pastOrates of RabenhOrst and
Tribner. He was a citizen Of that part Of
bingham county which was then st.
Matthew's parish, and his home was about
eight miles above EbeneZer, IN the lmme-
diate neighb0rhOOd of Sisters Ferry.
Whether he was Lutheran from choice,
or because that was the only accessible
Christian church, is uncertain, because II
is by no means certain he was Salz-
burgher. Indeed, the freight Of such testi-
mOny as l have is, that he was not.
1t is equally strange and unfortunate
that so little of the history of Governor
Treutlen is known. What was his
native country, when he came TO Georgia.
how his youth and manhood were passed
up to the revolution. are all unknown.
And stranger yet, although he was among
the earliest and most conspicuous Of the
Georgia reyOlutiOnists. and was the first
Governor Of the State. his subsequent his
tory has been lost. There has been no
one to record the date, place and manner
Of his death. and his grave-like almost
everything connected with his history
is unknown. In consequence of this
meagre information the name and fame OF
Governor Treutlen have been neglected.
Georgia has given his name 10 no
county or town within her limits. nor
done anything else to perpetuate her .frSt
Governor. This neglect could not have
grown out of any personal disqualified
ton or the rendering Of ineOnsiderable
service. He was a member Of the PrOyin-
cial Congress from the Parish Of st. Mat
thew's, which assembled July 4th. 1775.
Among his cO-delegates is to be found the
very distinguished name Of George Wal
ton. In that Congress were such men as
the Habershams, Bryants, Ielfairs, HOus-
tons. Clays. Cuthberts and McIntOshs.
Afterwards, IN III, he was selected
from among such men to be the
Governor of the State, and
from the necessities of the situation, il
was necessary to confer upon him arbi-
trarv power. When he was elected Gov
ernOr. his Executive council embraced
such men as John Houston, VIM. Few,
Arthur Fort, and John Jones. During his
administration, there was a controversy
with the neighbOring province OF South
Carolina, in which he bore himself with
distinguished Talpr and wisdom. South
Carolina attempted the absorption of
Georgia by making both one province.
The citizens OF Georgia had become in
fected by her emisasries, and the occasion
called for great fTmness, courage and
energy. Governor Treutlen was equal to
the emergency. Had the movement sue
ceeded, there would have been twelve in
stead of thirteen colonies. and the present
empire State Of the South might have had
no existence. But the term OF office
was for only one year, without re-eIec-
ton. 1t was only the second year
of the revolution Governor Treutlen
retired from office, and this is
the last history has to sag of him. The
war lasted five more years. Great events
OF political nature Immediately followed
its close, ana yet neither during these in
teresting and exciting times, nor since, is
there anything recorded of GOV. Treutlen.
He was a true patriot, and a fearless
man, and could not have remained idle. He
could not have done so, had he so chosen.
for the country had need for the seerrTgiices
OF all her a..elio,Ic sons. The only yea
sOnable solution is. that he must nave died
soon after retiring from office. In support
OF this the tradition, coming down to
his descendants. and Of which there can
be no doubt, is, that on visit to Orange
burgh district, ;. c.. where he had near
relatives. he was followed by brutal to-
ries. and murdered in the most horrible
manner. lie was tied to a tree and
hacked to pieces with swords, in the pres
ence of his family. His body, or what -
manned of it. was buried, either by the
tories, or his own people, at some place,
where either from not knowing at
first, or from being forgotten amid
the troubles OF the times, was placed
where no one now living knows. Cover
nor Treutlen having in this sad way de-
parted from the scene of public action,
and it being so long until the independ-
ence of the State was achieved, and hav-
ing no son. or other descendant in the
State in public life. he was forgotten. IfnOt
forgotten. certainly neglected, for Georgia
to this day Oires him the debt of
some appropriate recognition. 1t is never
too late to do right, and the State should,
on the first opportunity, take some action
which will perpetuate the name other .frSt
Governor. 1t was no little distinction TO
have been such, for TO our Governors on
the original organization Of the State.
during the revolution, all our Governors
since owe their official position and repu-
tatiOn.
In view of Gov. Treutlen's celebrity,
his whole personal history becomes inter-
esting, and this, sad to say, is involved in
more doubt than his career Immediately
following the expiration of his term of
office. While the name has a German
sound yet it is also tradition among his
descendants that he was a native of
England, and had been a soldier or officer
connected with the British army. If
this is true, he may have come directly
to Georgia. as other English emigrants,
But whether he is English, or German,
the greater probability is, he came fTSt
to the province of South Carolina. He or
his ancestor may have been among the
German settlers of that State. From the
earliest knowledge of him, he had near
relatives in Orangeburgh. where some of
his descendants yet reside. In the neigh
borhoOd of Sisters Ferry, where Gov.
Treutlen resided, were many settlers from
South Carolina. who were attracted there
by the abundance of wood and timber on
that side OF the savannah river, with a
market at Savannah. This ives before
the days OF cotton. The Carolina side had
been longer settled, and there were few,
or no high bluffs, while there were many
on the Georgia side. Either theory is
iuOlE pfObNDtb AuttiA tilut ne ndo q CclL-
burgher. There is no appearance of the
Salzburgher in any of his descendants
have seen, and l have
seen many. The SalZburghers
have well-defned features, accent and
characteristics not to be mistaken by
those familiar with them, even to this
day. Substantially, there is nothing in
Stevens history of Georgia or Whites
historical collections except what have
stated. Hon. Charles G. Jones, of Au-
gusta, is engaged in rewriting the history
of our State | learn from him that he
has no additional facts touching Gov.
Treutlen. 1t is essential that all
reliable information of him should
be sent Col. Jones before his book
or volumes 20 to press, for there may
neUer be another opportunity to do Gov.
Treutlen Justice. What makes the pau
city of his history yet stranger is that
there is no old Georgian whose descend
ants are better defined, and, more than
that, they are quite numerous. L snail
mention several who bear the relation of
great-grand child { or yet farther removed
to John Adam Treatlen. There are Col.
John +. Treutlen, who was recently
Of Columbia. s. c.; Dir. Walter 5,
Dudley, lately President of the Agricul-
tural and Military College at Milledge-
vile; Mrs, Maria A. Provost and Dr. Her.
Yey Cleckley and wife, of Alabama; Mrs.
K, G, Corbet, of Macon, Ga; Mrs. Judge
Mallette, of Effingham county, Ga; the
wilkins brothers, of Burke and Jefferson