1775 Georgia patriots spiked cannons in Savannah so they could not be fired to celebrate King George III’s birthday.
1864 Confederate Gen. George Pierce Doles was killed the Battle of Cold Harbor in Virginia. Born May 14, 1830, in Milledgeville, Ga. Doles was a businessman and a captain in the Baldwin Blues militia unit. After the outbreak of the Civil War, he became a captain in the 4th Georgia Infantry. In May 1861, he was promoted to colonel, and in November to brigadier general. Doles commanded a brigade in Hill’s Division at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and a brigade in Rodes’ Division at Gettysburg, The Wilderness, and Spotsylvania before his death at Cold Harbor, VA.
1868 Black educator and civil rights leader John Hope was born in Augusta. In 1895, he spoke out against Booker T. Washington’s "Atlanta Compromise" address. Hope became the first black president of Morehouse College (1906-1931) and first black president of Atlanta University (1929-1936). He also participated in the Niagara Movement and formation of the NAACP.
1913 The Atlanta Journal reported that Leo Frank’s defense would insist the elevator in the National Pencil Factory was not moved on the day of the murder (April 26), that the murder happened on the first floor (not the second as surmised by detectives), and that the blood found on the second floor likely came from workers who frequently cut themselves on the machinery there. Furthermore, Frank’s defense would argue that Jim Conley alone committed the murder. [According to Alonzo Mann -- who testified in 1982 that he had witnessed Conley carrying Phagan’s body but had been afraid to tell the police at the time -- this is probably what happened.] Meanwhile, Minola McKnight, the black cook for Leo Frank’s family, was brought in for questioning. At first she corroborated Frank’s story concerning the times he arrived home for lunch and then returned to the factory the day of the murder. She was agitated, believing her estranged husband had been telling lies to the police to get her in trouble -- but she said both she and Frank were innocent. Click here for a detailed accounting of the case.
1932 While fishing on Montgomery Lake in Telfair County, George Perry caught a 22 pount, 4 ounce largemouth bass -- setting a world record.
1935 The Boston Braves released Babe Ruth, who was only hitting .181 and had announced his retirement several days earlier.
1976 A Lou Harris poll indicated Jimmy Carter comfortably led all Democratic challengers nationwide, but would be in for a close race should Hubert Humphrey decide to enter the race.
1913 A new controversy arose in the Mary Phagan murder investigation. Phagan’s stepfather signed an affidavit accusing Thomas Felder, the attorney responsible for bringing the Burns Detective Agency into the … read more
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