The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-12


needing repairs. returned to New. York.
July Z. 1902.
The next year Capt. cambridge was
given command Of the frigate Phila-
delphia. A fleet under Commodore
Preble was sent against the Mediter-
ranean pirates, the Bashaw Of Tripoli
having declared war against the United
States. Capt. cambridge had his usual
but lost his ship on the
rocks off the harbor of Tripoli, as told
in my story about Commodore Deca-
tur. He and his officers and crew were
prisoners for 10 months, when treaty
of peace was concluded with Tripoli
and they were> released. No war was
ever more replete with gallant deeds
and great with results than that with
Tripoli.
On his return to America, Capt. Balm
bridge found that his private affairs
Tough and re-entered the merchant SER
vice. The threatening aspect of af-
fairs between Great Britain and the
United States. however. caused him to
return to the navy, and he was sent
to Europe on an important mission.
He visited Russia and other countries,
travelling by carriage, sledge. rowboat,
ana snip. After many ID
ventures he left the continent and
turned to America. He arrived in
Washington just in time TO save thu
American navy. Congress was delib-
Grating on the question of declaring
war against Great Britain. and it had
been determined as the first step Ia
that direction-to lay up all war yes
sells, one statesman arguing that it was
better to let the ships rot than have
them sunk or captured by the British.
Capt. Bainbridges earnest protest, and
that of other officers, reversed this con.
dltion of affairs, and orders were given
to put every war vessel in fighting
trim. The decision came none to soon,
as war was declared June IS. 1912.
Commodore Hull having asked to be
relieved, Commodore cambridge was
given command of the frigate Consti-
tuition, after her victory over the Rrit-
ish frigate Guerrero, and with squad
ron consisting of that vessel, the pride
of the navy, and the Hornet and Essex,
he sailed southwark. 1t was on the
26th of December that the Constitution
captured the British frigate Java. On
board of the prize was Lieut.. Gen.
Hislop, Governor of Bombay. The Con-
stitution continued to win renown as
the fighting frigate of the navy, but
after arriving at Boston, where he re-
ceived a royal welcome, Commodore
cambridge was assigned to service
ashore. He lived until June %, 1898,
and died universally regretted by the
people, whose honor he had projected
at the lannon's mouth.
While these events were happening in
the lives Of Decatur and Bainpridge,
the subdivision of Georgia, which WAS
to honor their names. then a part of
Early county. was the scene of saw
age warfare.
The attack on the Indian settlement
at Fowlton, led to the massacre of
Lieut.. Scott and the soldiers and wo-
men and children who were with him,
and to numerous other outrages by
the Seminoles. Gen. Andrew Jackson
was sent to command the little army
that was protecting the southwestern
frontier Of Georgia. and he carried the
war into Florida, then a possession of
Spain, defeated the Indians, captured
the towns of st. Marks and Pensacola;
hung Arbuthnot and shot Ambrster,
two Englishmen, who were accused
of aiding the redskins. For the time
being Jackson effectively settled the
Indians. Starting from Fort Scott, IL
miles below the present city of Balm
bridge, where he relieved its starving
garrison of regulars and the frontiers
men and their families that had sought
refuge in the fort, Gen. Jackson'S cam
paign of three months came near pre-
cipitating a war between Spain and
England and the United States, led to
a thirty years war with the Semi
noles, and caused ranking political
sores for two generations. 1 hope in
future sketch to tell the story of
Gen. Jackson's campaign in South
west Georgia and West Florida.
The Atlantic and Gulf Railroad
reached the town of cambridge in
1867, and the first regular passenger
train arrived there on Dec Is. 1t was
between those dates that l first saw
Balm bridge 1t was a characteristic,
out-of-the-way town, with a few stores
and dwellings, a court house and a
very poor hotel. The town, however,
had large trade for those days, and
its merchants and citizens were men
Of ability and integrity. I remember
that 1 was very much impressed with
their courteous reception of myself and
other visitors.
The town had the advantage of Flint
river, and steamers plyed regularly
with Apalachicola, Fla. Merchandise
came through that city and cotton
found an outlet that way. Steamers
also connected with or belonged to-
the line plying between Apalachicola
Fla, and Columbus, Ga, offering an
other route for traffic. The business
of cambridge, though very good, was
limited by reason of a lack of popula-
ton, Decatur county having at that
time only 1900 inhabitants. OF course,
there were counties adjoining in Geor-
gia and others nearby in Alabama, the
trade of which came to the town.
The people of Decatur county had
heen looking and longing for railroad
for years. 1t was a lifes dream with
it's older citizens. l met merchant,
a New Highlander by birth, but a most
enthusiastic Southerner In sentiment,
who said he was induced to come to
cambridge in the 3O's owing to it's brill
liant prospects due to a projected rail-
road from Brunswick, by which trade
and travel would come that way, and go
thence by steamer to New Orleans and
the Southwest. The railroad company
was organized, and the route surveyed,
but with the exception of a very short
section of grading, was not built. The
merchant said he had lived in hopes
of seeing a railroad reach the town,
and was glad that they were at last
realized.
The project of railroad from
Bruins wick to cambridge and a steam
er connection with the Gulf of Mexico,
and that of the Savannah, Albany and
Gulf Railroad, of which ! told story
in my sketch of Triton and the lifts"
bear evidence that there were men of
brains and enterprise in Georgia in