The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-11
old DOCUMENTS
COME To LIGHT
TO HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
PAPERS SECURED BY DIR. w. n.
BURROUGHS ARE OF INTEREST.

Record Election of Robert Lemon to
Honorary Membership in Society
Was in the Nature of Reward for
Transcribing Records of Georgia
From 1892 to Wallpapers Were
Bought in by DIR. Burroughs at
Public Auction in Boston N Few
Days Ago.
Dr. w. B. Burroughs of Brunswick,
who is spending a few days in this
city, has with him some very interest
ing manuscripts, yellowed with age,
that relate particularly to the history
of the Georgia Historical Society.
One of the most interesting of them
is notice sent on Jan. 10. 1S41, to
Robert Lemon, Esq. in London. APP
prising him of the fact that he has
been elected an honorary member of
the Georgia Historical Society. The
election to honorary membership was
partial reward for his labors in
copying off records of the history of
Georgia between the years 1882 and
1852.
The documents accompanying the
paper show that the American ambas-
sador to England had secured per-
mission from the English government
to copy these records, records that
were needed by the Historical Society
to complete it's history of the early
days of the colony The Hon. Edward
Everett was at that time the minister
to England.
BY vote of the society the sum of
$500 was sent to Mr.. Lemon in pay
ment for the transcriptions of these
documents. The permit was given by
Lord Aberdeen, Her Britannia Males
tvs principal Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs" Mr.. Lemon tram
scribed the documents and forwarded
the copies to the historical society, of
which MIR. 1. X. Tefft was the CORE
spending secretary and the Hon. John
Macpherson Berrien. the grandfather
of DR.. Burroughs, the president.
Many Curious Letters.
With the official notification of the
election of Mr.. Lemon to honorary
membership in the society is a col
lection of curious letters that passed
between him and the secretary of the
society. No envelopes were used, but
the letters were simply folded care
fully together, and then held in posi-
ton by the old seals. The postmarks
are very curious.
Some give the name of the ship on
which the letter crossed the ocean,
and others are marked, Through
kindness of -" giving the name
of the gentleman in whose care the
letter was sent. The handwriting it.
self is very curious, the old-style let
ters being used almost exclusively.
Mr.. Lemon is given his official title
in all of the letters, that of Her
Britannia Majesty's Archivist to the
State Paper Office" The great re-
spect with which Mr.. Lemon is always
referred to shows that he was a gen.
tleman of note and one who stood
high in the graces of the queen.
All of these letters and old papers
were bought in at public auction by
DR.. Burroughs, and not the least in
teresting thing about them is that
drawn by the grandfather, they should
at last find their way back to the
grandson
old order for Execution.
DIR. Burroughs also has with him an
order of Maj. Gen. Scott, ordering a
negro to be hung for attempted crimi-
nal assault on Mexican woman. The
orders are signed by Gen. w. w. Mac
kali A. A. G., the father of Mr. w.
W. Mackall, of Savannah.
Inc negro, isaac nlTks Is
to in the order as "a free man of
COLOR and two charges are lodged
against him. One is for the attempted
criminal assault on Mexican woman,
Maria Antonias Gallegas, the other is
for stealing from her the sum of ten
dollars and one comb" He was ad
judged guilty and the order for him to
be Hanged by the neck until dead"
was promptly given.
The order was signed by Gen. Scott
and Gen. Mackall as adjutant general,
on April 8, 1S47 and on the following
afternoon, at o'clock, the negro was
executed beyond the wall of Vera
Cruz and west of the road leading from
the gate de MERGED
II shall always keep this order" said
DIR. Burroughs, ito show to some of
my friends in the North. They are al
ways complaining up there because we
execute men for the offense of criminal
assault. / want to show them that the
commander-in-chie of their armies was
in the habit of imposing a similar
penalty"