The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-21

ed States, had pencnant Tor rubbing
governors of states the wrong way.
Old Hickory appeared to take pleas
IRE in trampling on the rights, or sup
posed rights, of states. AS president
he had tits with Gov. G. M. Troup
of Georgia and Gov. James Hamilton
of South Carolina, and possibly exec
utives of lesser note.
The general and Gov. Rabur had
a hot fight on paper. He told the
governor, after whom Rabun county
was named, that he didn't know
enough to be governor. and said other
disagreeable things about, him. Gov.
Rabun replied in a similarly emphatic
style, insinuating that Jackson was
not as great a man as he thought he
was, and that he (Rabun) had q very
poor opinion of him generally. This
ruction occurred while Gen. Jackson
was fighting the Indians in South
west Georgia and Lower Alabama,
and incidentally killing a few Eng
lishmen and Spaniards in Florida,
who were suspected of helping the In
dams in scalping white Americans.
The heated controversy, as it were,
was the outcome of the killing of
man named Leigh and another Geor-
gian near Cedar Creek, in what is now
Dolly county, by Indians, for which an
expedition was sent against them. At
this time a band of friendly Creeks,
of Chehaw town, were allies of Gen.
Jackson in his campaign. There had
already been trouble with the Greeks
living south of the Ocmulgee river, be-
low Eawkinsvile, and Gov. Rabun or
dered a militia company from Savan-
nah, under the command of Capt.
Wright, to go into the Creek country
ana chastise the red skins. History
does not give the name of the company
or the initials of the captain. The Of
ficer not being a wizard could not tell
good Indians from bad Indians. He
attacked the Indian village of Chehaw
and killed every Indian in sight, when
he should have made smithereens of
Hoponnis and Philemnis towns, and
the Indians there and thereabout
Chehaw was town of friendly In
dams, the warriors of which had gone
with Gen. Jackson, with the under
standing that their town would be
safe during their absence, and those
whom Wright and his Savannahfans
killed were the squaw men, women and
children, who had been left at home.
1t was undoubtedly an unfortunate
piece of business, but it was one of
those things that will happen in war.
Possibly Capt. Wright of Savannah
was inexperienced; doubtless he was,
but white men in those days,
like Gen. Phil Sheridan
of unpleasant memories, In later
days, believed that good Indians were
dead Indians"
Gen. jackson ordered Governor Ra-
bun to have Capt. Wright arrested,
put in irons and turned over to an
officer, whom he had sent to take charge
of him. The Governor had already
arrested the young officer, but he re-
fused to recognize Gen. Jackson's au-
thority over Georgia's soldiers, and
did not obey his imperious orders to
place the Savannah man where he was
likely to be tried by drumhead
courtmartial and shot. Capt Wright
was subsequently released by civil pro-
cess
Governor Rabun died the year of his
controversy with "Old Hickory"
and Rabun county, which was or
ganized the following year, 1919, was
named in his honor. 1t is possible
that had it not been for Capt. Wright
of Savannah killing the squaw men at
Chehaw, and the newspapers and polit-
ical friends of the Governor hurrahing
for the man who stood up for white
men against Indians, the Northeast
ernmost county of Georgia might not
have been called Rabun.
Rabun is a county of mountains.
Look in any direction and you will
see mountains piled upon mountains.
and where there are mountains there
must be valleys. The valleys of
Rabun are the Tennessee, War,
Woman, Persimmon, Tiger Tail,
and Simpson, which correspond in
name with the nearby mountains, or
me rock bottom streams meandering
through their green fields of waving
gram. / was there in the spring, when
Inc days were bright and the air crisp,
and the nights suggestive of overcoats
and blankets.
Rabun county, though it has only a
ilttle piece of railroad, a half mile
long l believe, is one of the best known
Subdivisions of the state, not because
OF personal visits, but by reason of
hapun Gap in the Tennessee Valley
Delng known as the lowest and best
pace for railroad from the northwest
10 southeast to cross the Blue Ridge
mountains. The Rabun Gap Railroad
was dream of the people of Charles
ION and Savannah fifty years age. 1t
was hnanciered in the former city,
whose merchants and capitalists sunk
million of dollars or more in the great
Undertaking. The abandoned cuts,
tunnels and stone viaducts in the
mountains and valleys of Rabun coGn-
" are monuments of their enterprise
ana memorials to their misfortunes.
ne ruins of another great project
vi the past are seen in Rabun: that
u canal, a hobby of Gen. Miller,
yrheh was to unite the waters of the
ishhessee with those OF the Savannah
.tNer, so that boats could come from
We ohio and Mississippi rivers to Sa-
,1rathnah, and return the same way.
NAT project was another irridescent
railroad through Tiabun Gap is
"epuf TO be realized by an extersion
me Tallulah Falls Railroad. from
Hhella 20 Tallulah Falls, through RAJ
nuh county into North Carolina. The
mo]eet Is 20 build 20 Franklin. y. G.
clayton. the county seat. When
y completed there Will doubtless be
@..tapld development both as 10 agri-
lure ana manufacturing, and
ea.'1 Increase IN population IN Rabun
There Is another railroad projected
Yton. Il IL called the Tennessee,
ga and South Carolina. - will