Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-09-22

man VINO Was ever BONGEAOA VI
Georgia was David Brydie
Mitchell, who was the only
man. except Joseph E. Brown, who
was ever elected for three terms as
governor of Georgia.
Among the first of the physicians in
Savannah after Sir James Wright was
governor and prosperity came to the
young city, was DR.. David Brydie. He
was a Scotch bachelor, and became
a man of influence and property. When
the war came on he went with the
Wings against the English and was
a surgeon in the revolutionary army.
When Savannah fell he was captured
and while on the prison ship he sick
ened and died Before his death he
made a nuncupitative will in which
he gave all his estate to young neph-
ew, his namesake, David Brydie, son
Of John Mitchell, of Scotland. The
boy was then about II years old. At
ter the war ended, when he was lad
of Is. he came to. Georgia to claim his
estate. It was not large one, so the
bright Scotch lad took a place in
VIM. Stephens law Office as his clerk.
He was smart and energetic and use
full.
The lawyer by whom he was en-
ployed was engaged in codifying some
of the early laws, and so young
Mitchell became acquainted with the
statutes of the colony and the state,
and as soon as he was of age he en-
tered on the practice. He was ge-
NAL, convivial young Scotchman, who
had the entire into the best Savan-
nah society. Among the fair ladies he
met was Jane Mills. Her mother was
the daughter of VIM. Russell, Of the
old kings couneil,. and her father an
Englishman from the Isle Of Guern-
sey. She was beautiful. accomplished
and wealthy, and the handsome young
Scotchman won his prize. Her careful
guardian, however, had him to make
a marriage settlement, the, original of
which is in the hands of his grand
daughter, Mrs. I. M. Darnell, of Mil
ledgeville. Young Mitchell became a
warm friend and partisan of James
Jackson, who was then in political life,
but who had just begun to practice
law when he came to Savannah. He
entered into politics and in 1894 was in
the house of representatives. Here, in
common with all the Savannah delega-
ton, he opposed the Yazoo act.
He was elected by the legislature of
1885 solicitor general of Georgia, and
perhaps one proof we have that those
who voted away the Yazoo land were
not as criminal as they have been
charged with being, was that not one
of them was prosecuted by an attorney
who had been with them in the legisla-
ture and was opposed to them there.
Three years after this he was judge
on the northern circuit. He was elected
governor in 1909, and again in 1911.
He was in the governors office in a
trying time. The invention of the
cotton machine, as Whitney's gin was
called, had given an immense impetus
to the planting of cotton. Negroes
were rushed into the state from Vir-
ginia, plantations were opened and
large debts incurred, when in 1907 JEFF
ferson ordered the embargo, and for
two years there was no market for
cotton or tobacco, but there was no
embargo on the collection of debts,
and the planters found themselves
menaced with bankruptcy.
The legislature came to their relief,
and in the first year of Governor
Mitchelrs incumbency passed an act
known as the thirding act. by which
third Of the debt being paid. that for
the other two-thirds longer time should
be given. Governor Mitchell signed the
bill. He had now moved his family
from Savannah to the mansion, and
never returned to his old home.
During the war Oh 4o16 nc was uGNONCA
TO the American interests and aided
the embarrassed government by all
means in his power. He was a man Of
considerable property, and he decided
to build up a handsome home for his
family So he bought for its beauty
certainly not for it's fertility-a beau
tiful body of land some six miles from
Milledgeville, called Mount Nebo, and
spent some time in making it an ele-
CANT seat for a country gentleman. He
was Scot but not cannie one, and
spent money more freely than he made
II, and on the mount he spent large
sums for which he had slim returns.
He was living here when Governor
Early was elected governor. This gov
ernor, as we shall see, became obnox-
ious to his party, and was defeated
for reelection by Ex-Governor Mitchell,
who was called again to the office.
He. however, resigned IL to become
agent of the government among the
Creeks. He was Indian agent for some
years. and while he was agent treaties
opening all the country between the
Oconee and Ocmulgee were made. He
was a Crawford and Troup man, and
because very obnoxious to John Clark,
and in an almost forgotten pamphlet
Clark virtually assailed him, not only
for his having done him individual
wrongs. but accused him of criminal
conduct concerning some smuggled
Africans. This charge was refuted. He
was a loveable old man, whose wife
was a sanity old lady, and he had
fine family, when he died at a good
old age at his seat at the Mount, in
Baldwin. He has some descendants
in the west and one granddaughter,
who is matron of the sanitarium in
Milledgeville, Mrs /. NJ. Darnell.
PETER EARLY.
The first Early of whom 1 have an
authentic record was Jacobus Early,
who died in Bedford county. Virginia,
about 1777, and who was the grand
father Of old General Jubal Early.
There came to Georgia in the early
days after the revolution two Earlys,
Jacob and Joel Joel Early settled on