July 15, 1742

1742 The Cuban contingent of Gov. Manuel de Montiano’s Spanish invasion force sailed from St. Simons Sound to return to Cuba. Montiano and his St. Augustine contingent sailed southward from the sound and went ashore on Jekyll Island, where they burned the plantation of Capt. William Horton. Then they sailed southward to Cumberland Island. By boat, Oglethorpe and a small force pursued the retreating Spanish ships at a distance, but they made no effort to initiate an attack.

July 15, 1777

1777 Early in the American Revolution Georgia Governor John Treutlen issued a proclamation offering a bounty of 100 pounds for the capture of William H. Drayton of South Carolina. Drayton was then leading an effort among South Carolina officials to convince Georgia that it should consolidate with its northern neighbor. Interestingly, while delegates to the Second Continental Congress had not yet approved the Articles of Confederation, Treutlen’s proclamation noted as one reason for Georgia’s opposition that any such consolidation would be "contrary to the Articles of Confederation, entered into, ratified, and confirmed by this State as a cement of union between the same and the other United and Independent States of America." If legal, this would have made Georgia the first state to ratify the Articles. However, in a subsequent response to Treutlen, Drayton countered: "The Confederation you speak of is an imposition upon the people of Georgia, no other of the States of America but yours having ratified or even considered of any such thing, or have had it to consider of. -- Pray how did you blunder upon it? The Congress never sent it to you -- why they have not even concluded upon such a thing themselves."

July 15, 1854

1854 Former Georgia governor George Towns died in Macon, Ga. [See May 4 entry for biographical information on Towns.]

July 15, 1862

1862 Confederate Maj. Gen. David Emanuel Twiggs died in Augusta, Ga. Born in Richmond County, Ga. in 1790, Twiggs was commissioned in the U.S. Army in 1812 and served in the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. In May 1861, he was appointed major general in the provisional Confederate Army and named commander of the District of Louisiana. However, he never assumed active command of that post, and died of natural causes in Augusta in 1862.

July 15, 1864

1864 The bulk of Sherman’s Army arrived at the Chattahoochee River and began crossing at various sites along the river--a task that would take three days. Meanwhile, to the south, Jefferson Davis’ chief-of-staff, Gen. Braxton Bragg (photo), was on a secret mission for Davis to determine the competency of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston (photo) to turn back Sherman. On this day, Bragg wired Davis: "I have made General Johnston two visits, and been received courteously and kindly. He has not sought my advice, and it was not volunteered. I cannot learn that he has any more plan for the future than he has had in the past. It is expected that he will await the enemy on a line some three miles from here, and the impression prevails that he is now more inclined to fight. . . . The morale of our army is still reported good."

July 15, 1870

1870 By an act of Congress approved by President Grant on this day, Georgia became the last of the former Confederate states to be readmitted to the Union. In effect, enactment of the "Georgia Bill" ended formal Reconstruction for Georgia. However, Georgia Republican Gov. Rufus Bullock contended that military rule ended only when Congress actually admited Georgia’s congressional delegation. Since Congress adjourned before Georgia’s delegation could take the oath of office, Bullock announceed that military rule would continue until Congress reconvened and Georgia’s representatives and senators were sworn in. Elections were not held until late December 1870, and the new congressional delegation was not seated until early 1871. Back in Georgia, Democrats would spend the next seven years in "redeeming" Georgia of black and Republican gains during Reconstruction.

July 15, 1922

1922 Atlanta opened its first municipal swimming pool for African Americans in Washington Park on the city’s west side.

July 15, 1923

1923 Twenty-one-year-old Bobby Jones won his first major golfing tournament--the U.S. Open. Since entering major tournament play in 1916, he had failed to win a national title, but at Inwood Country Club on Long Island, Jones broke his seven-year drought.

July 15, 1952

1952 Atlanta-born Gladys Knight helped launch a budding career at age 7 by winning Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour.

July 15, 1953

1953 Singer-song writer Alicia Bridges insert into facts (title,body,publish,created_at,updated_at,date_specific,public,proofed,user_id,fact_date,sources) values ("I Love the Night Life") was born in North Carolina, though she later moved to Atlanta, where her career took off.