Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-07-18
A SCRAP OF HISTORY.


To the State Herald.
The Atlanta Constitution says Gov.
Atkinson is In receipts of a letter from
w. p. Belocls, of Denver, Col, asking for
information of the descendants of Gen.
George Mathews, once governor of Geor-
gia, and also representative of Washing
ton
Your correspondent is in possession of
some facts concerning Col. George
Matthews, who was a great, great grand
father of our esteemed citizen, Mr.. w. A.
Harvey, who is proprietor of drug store
here and brother of the well-known drug
gist in Montgomery.
Gov. Mathews was native Of Ireland.
He landed upon Virginia soil in 1877 and
settled in Augusta county. In 1775 he
was ELECTED colonel and served for two
years on the eastern shore of Virginia.
Col. Mathews comma nded his regiment at
1.-The battles of Brandywine and German
town. AT the latter he captured a rsg-
nen't=ef-the enemy. He received a severe
wound With bayonet, was taken prison
GRAND confined on British ship in the
harbor of New York.
Il e=removed to Goose Pond, on Bread
: river in Georgia. with his family In 1855.
In 1856 he was elected governor of Geor-
gia. He was the first representative of
Georgia in congress, and in 1794-95 he YVES
again made governor. He was short in
statue, compactly made, with tight hair,
fair, fcrid complexion. wore a three-cor-
nered hat, a pair of top boots, shirt full
ruffls'd in front and at the wrists, and
sometimes long sword at his side. He
was "a man of unsurpassed bravery and
indomitable energy. His was a strong,
vigorous mind, but wholly uncultured,
except by observation, of men and things.
In homer of his military services the
legislature of Virginia has preserved his
memory in the name of one of the coun-
ties of the state.
He was man OF great honor and in
tegrity. His only daughter, Rebecca
Mathews. was married TO Col Thomas
Merriwether, and lived on Broad river.
Their dausGcer, Mary Merriwefher, was
married to DR.. David Addison Reese in
1919. and lived in Monticello. Ga. DR..
Reese was in the state senate, and after
wards was a represe ntative in the con-
gress of he United States.
Their second daughter, Rebecca Ma
'thews Reese, was married TO Mr.. Isaac
Harvey in 1856. Their second son, Will
Lam Augustus, was married to Miss
Minnie Pratt, of Bibb county, Alabama,
DIN 1887. They have perpetuated the name
of the grandmother in their daughter,
Mary 'Merrwether Harvey, and the name
OF the grandfather in their son, Addison
Reese Harvey.
Mr.. w. A. Harvey, of this place, and
his brother. A. r. Harvey, of Montgom-
cry, have u set of silver ware once owned
by Col. Mathews, and now it has been
in use over 100 years.
The Youths Companion, speaking of
this warrior and statesman, Col. Ma
tfiews, says:
. -s"G}eoPge Washington esteemed him as
brave and capable soldier" 1t also
says his memory was wonderful. While
he was a member of congress an impor.-
ant document was lost. The paper had
been read once during the session, and
Col. Matthew'S repea ted 1T word for word
Before the revolutionary war he was
sheriff off Augusta county, and had to
collect the taxes. For long time he
rendered the name of every tax payer"
o, THE same paper says in spite of his in
telligence he was illiterate. That when
reading aloud he pronounced fully the "l''
in would, should, and other such words,
and he always wrote congress with k.
w. H. D.
Blocton, July IT,