Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-11-07
WHEN EXECUTIVE MANSION I
WAS IN DooLY COUNTY =
BY {. =. Stroller.

1t is fact perhaps not generally known
that at one. time the executive mansion
of the state was located in Dooly cou1-
ty. True the mansion" was not as pre-
tent;ouS as the present Peachtree resi-
dence OF. Georgia's chief executive. bar
nevertheless il sheltered Georgia's sov-
ernor for a brief period during. trying
and stormy time in the states history.
Joseph Z. Brown viii be remembered n
history as Georgias war governor. or
his qualities it IS unnecessary to speak
His public life IS part of tie history Of
the state. and II is sufficient for the pur-
poses of this article to say that he was. at
the beginning of the war. an ardent Sc
cessionist and moreover he was man OF
action. When the state delayed the pas
sage OF the ordinance OF secession. and
when that measure was being opposed b.
such able GcOrgians as Alexander Fl.
Stephens and Herschell v Johnson, Gov
ernor Brown growing impatient of delay
and foreseeing that Georgia must newt
ably follow her sister states in their
withdrawal from the Union caused the
arsenal at Augusta and the forts below
Savannah to be seized and occupied By
state troops. This was the act OF a bold
and farsighted executive and had the
Confederate arms triumphed. all well and
good. but should failure come the gov
errors embarrassing and perilous position
can readily De seen duQ Appreciated.
Four years passed and with those years
the hopes of the Confederacy. :
The governor himself doubtless remem-
bering his somewhat premature acton IN
the matter OF the Augusta arsenal and
Forts jackson and Pulaski was in nowise
anxious to come into close contact with
the Yankee oficials. He doubtless con-
cluded that It would be the part Of wis
dom TO move the seat Of government or
- - . - uan a.
tired community than Mille6geville. The
place selected showed the hne judgment
OF the governor. for / have no idea that
il ever occurred to Sherman TO look for.
Confederates in the wilds into which he
retired. In the southern portion Of the
state lay a vast tract OF sparsely settled
pine lands. known then and now as the
wiregrass region OF Georgia. This vast
expanse of primeval pine forest began az
a point about 80 miles south OF Macon and
stretched away TO the Florida line. The
few hardy pioneers who inhabited this
region lived in log cabins and their chief
source or revenue lay IN their herds Of
cattle and fiocxs OF sheep that roanned the
woods at will and subsisted upon the ma
tive wiregrass. Few people In this sec
ton owned slaves and It was generally
looked upon as not only an unproducttye
but an unhealthy country. Several years
before the event Of which / write Gn-N-
ernor Brown had purchased a tract OF
several thousand acres OF land In the
heart of the wiTegrass region In the south
ern portion OF Dooly county. 1t was. 70
this place that Governor Brown refugeed
after the fail OF Atlanta. and when It be-
came apparent that Georgia would be
overrun and every important point invest
ed by the Federal forces
The house occupied by the governor aud
his family and which for the time became
the executive mansion of Georgia, was
typical home OF the better class OF wire
grass land owners aud cattle raisers q
that day.
1t was built OF hewn pine logs, two ste
ries high, and consisted of two big front
rooms and two shed rooms down stairs,
separated by a wide open hall A wide
veranda ran the entire length of the build
ing in front and glass windows and brick
chimneys gave II an air of importance
over the humber dwellings of that section.
The house stood. upon a gentle eminence
at intersection of the Blackshear and
Trumpville roads. in the midst OF clear
ing or field somewhat larger than usually
found in that section and which was shut
In on all sides by miles Of almost un-
broken pine forest To the westward.
scarcely a mile away. the waters Of Gum
creek leisurely found their way to. the
bosom Of the Flint and just over the crest
headwaters of the AIapaha. Neighbore
were few and far between. but II is not
to be supposed that fact detracted from
the desirable of the place at that time
More than % miles interviewed between
the nearest railroad station, and here ur-
disturbed the governor remained with his
family. while Sherman cnt his way from
Atlanta 10 the sea and the Federal au-
thorities made diligent but fruitless
search for Joe Brown. Governor Brown,
while wealthy, is said to have been frugal
In his habits and old-fashioned in his
WAYS. and there is legend ,still extant
in these parts that when he refugeed to
this place he did not fail TO bring with
him a peculiar and favoTite species Of
collards, which he caused to be trans
planted in the wiregTass garden. and
which were known as Jos Brown" col
Iards.
Time and progress have wrought great
changes in the wiregrass country since
the DAYS when Georgia's governor sought
a refuge here. Dooly county and the wire
grass section are justly proud Of the Won
derful progress that has been made, but
the city of cordele Will always proudly
claim as part OF her ancient history the
fact that at one time upon this spot
stood the executive mansion OF the state