The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-12
FIFTY YEARS ACC.
Scenes in an Interfstiny Port on Of
Georgia Recalled.

Georgia Recalled
CHESTER, FLA, Oct s. OF the various
places seen IN the distance as viewed from
| Chester, Fla, none are more noted than st.
Marys, Ca, Cumberland is sand, Ga, and
Amelia and. Fla. Fifty years ago st.
Mary's. Ga, was a 6ourishiHg city, her
trade extending to the back counties of
Ware, Lowndes, Appling and Br ooks. No
city Of her size was more highly enlight-
enei, or could boast of greater wealth or a
purer or more refined society. Sweet music
was dispensed from noted band Hops
and entertainments were the pleasurablo
pa time, boat racing the favorite
| anu ement. Many Of those boats were
models OF beauty and swiftness. They were
propelled by stalwart slaves dressed in uni
form, who were experts in manipulating
the oars, and The oarsInen OF the advance
boat invariably sang those enlivening songs
for which many of these boatmen were
noted.
The city was the resort of many rice and
cotton planters OF the interior. Prominent
among these coUntrymen were the Clinches,
tue mcIntOshes, the Hardoes and the Floyds
II was there the late Gen. William }. Har-
dee received his education, previous TO his
military training at West Point, and TO
whom, for gallant service in the Mexican
war, Georgia presented costly sword. 1t
was upon his grassy lawn that his brother,
Thomas E. Hardee, was killed by Charles
Rosignol thea standing high ii The social
world; but fieelng TO the republic Of Texas,
lis days were prolonged, until recently be
died at the age Of 80 Years, IN Galveston,
Tex.
A few years since we witnessed the re-
moval Of a large building. in wbich nee
occurred sad tragedy, gay youn.- bride
taking the lite Of her husband. She WAS
said 10 be a woman o. iui-ll geics and
exquisite beauty. She paid ths penalty Of
her crime upon the gallows. So PROPOSES
ing was she, as evincod even on tie scafold,
that the young sheriff wavcred in nerform-
lng the execution, and returnsd 10 tfie tax
oa.T st The call CT lpsuy friends TO do lis
durY. She WGs the only wDlao woman ever
eI-',4ted ia CdDGeQ co,olty. IL tcCse "a IS
due:juR wss rife, ana tse code Of honor
reso'Ie3 10 =" ty.c;Dl ofrnses Some "f
VI h,'t-hll,Gs or GeCrEi3 Gnd FLORIDA ffe-
DE 80 tie GiRc,. AID pssuy DUES were
iUu@ut ca AlG+.is iaa nJs's lovely beach
wls'e was displayed osrH? deeds If valor
tbs uost noted Of these y as the duel fought
nF Gen. Charles Floyd aid Gen. Edward
GopksAs. Charles Floyd was the challer ged
Fs,ty. lie named the time and selactri
double bnrreled guns as the weapons, d.
tauce 10 PAGES. The agreement was tina
each should advance 10 PAGES at every fire
until one OF the antagonists should fall. At
the frs: lire both were wounded, Hopki rs
falling, being unsble to stand. Floyd
steadily advanced with gun presented, and
when quite near SAID NOW, you, beg
for your life.n Hopkins replied: II will see
you ii - first Floyd then threw his
gun upon his shoulder and left the field So
much for the old quiet town on the ST.
Mary's river, whose trade has bean cut Off
by more direct railroad transr ortstion 10
the markets.
She has some descendants of good Old
blacks still living there, and the place has
lost none of its primitive beauty Old
Cumberland island can furnish much
material for an interesting narrative or
romance. Once there lived uuoG this islard
parsonage remarkable in many Respects,
mentally well balsucsd and physically
strong. He amasSed a princely fortune,
running into tho millions A portion Of his
property consisted in slave, OF which rs
mad many hundred. Having never mar
ried. his affections were conferred upuu p
slave girl, his mistress, aad BY vino 1 be
bad four children three girls and ol.e boy
Away back in the IF les ills girl reyealsi
a secret to her liege lord which sayed him
from premature grave, by informing h:'l
OF conspiracy among tie slaves upua the
plantation to end his existence, theY balet-
iB ludb ne Dhl NIlStl LueiT IFtet-sttal a. las
death. An investigation was ordered. and
1863 Of his slaves we're in.piua;aa Tia
were sent to Savannah with in,srGe.;5n. to
sell them. Tho s&l@ came Of il Macon in 1881
The proceeds nf the eeie, n large aInrUst
were invested in real estate 10 the syn@s.
Of Rhode Island aGd Connecticut, whsve
this man had a fine rGapsi94 built for
the comfort Of the sc-tS!isa lfss,.e chi:i-5e,
and to whom he desisd tvs above Daus5
property He r2ade all arrn-Sa3nents foy
their moral aud intells9tuI; trsininx. The
boy died. The girls rscSivsG every &C
complshment thse wealth could bestov.
They spoke the various langus2es fiuently,
and played musjcsi instruments and sang
sweet!y. Suisors were plentiful, but only
those among the elite were looked upon with
favor. They were married in high life, but
after the war their true history was re-
vealed, which caused stir in the society in
which they moved, and some CONSERVATION
in the families in which they had married
Old kernandina was once a popular slave
mart, and New Fernandina on the same
islands, built on a once beautiful cotton field.
She is now an important commercial city,
and the river below, at times, as viewed
from Chester is alive with many sails re-
sembling huge birds Of snowy whiteness on
the wing passing to and fro, and whose
quietude had been disturbed by some in
coming monster steamship from the sea.
c. HARDEE.