DAVID MERIWETHER
For the last siege of Savannah during the Revolutionary War, a detachment of troops under Colonel Posey was sent from Virginia to Georgia. With these soldiers of the Continental line there marched a young lieutenant who had been with Washington's army during its maneuvers in New Jersey, and in the battles of Monmouth, Trenton, Brandywine and the siege of Charleston. His home was in Albemarle county, Va., and he belonged to "an old and distinguished family famous for sterling virtues and clear heads."

Gov. George R. Gilmer in "Georgians'' wrote of them: "The original Meriwether stock must have been struck out from some singular conjunction. Their long intermixture with other families has not deprived them of then uniqueness. None ever looked at or talked to a Meriwether but he heard something which made him look or listen again." When John P. Kennedy in "Swallow Barn" depicted with his Irish humor and quaint philosophy the manners and characteristics of early Virginians of James River Valley, it could hardly have been mere chance that caused him to call the typical family Meriwether. There is much in Frank Meriwether, master of "Swallow Barn," with his "fine intellectual brain" and solid worth to suggest salient traits observed by historians and genealogists in the family of "Clover Field," the old Meriwether manor house in Albemarle county. The family of this name in America all trace their lineage to Nicholas Meriwether, who was born in Wales in 1647. and coming to Virginia married Elizabeth Crawford, daughter of David Crawford, gentleman of Assasquin in New Kent county. He acquired great wealth and owned many fine horses, some plate, a great many Negroes and several large tracts of land; one near Charlottesville granted by George 11 of England contained 17,952 acres, and there is on record in Virginia Land Registry office, between the years 1652-64 patents to the extent of 5,250 acres in Westmoreland county. There were numerous other grants of later date in New Kent county. Nicholas Meriwether's grandson, Col. James Meriwether, married Judith Burnley; these were the parents of Gen. David Meriwether of Georgia.

The young lieutenant under Washington who marched in 1779 to the siege of Savannah was a fair representative of the old planter class of Virginia, of whom it is said: "In war and in peace they were the peers of the men of any age." The route from Virginia to Savannah lay through the county of Wilkes, and at least one soldier on the march noted the fertile lands of this section, a section destined to attract many high-class settlers and to gain historical interest, as "that one corner of Georgia where those who were fighting for the independence of the republic made their last desperate stand." The battle of Kettle Creek was not far removed in time or place.
There are records to show that Wilkes had other allurements for Lieutenant Meriwether than fertile lands. He was taken prisoner at the siege of Savannah and paroled; while on parole he returned to Wilkes and married Miss Frances Wingfield. After the war was over he came here to settle and was henceforth identified with the development of his adopted State.

Gen. David Meriwether belonged to that honorable and inestimable class, the planters of the old South, "the main reliance of leaders in all great movements, those tillers of the fruitful earth, those silent but cheerful contributors to a prosperity that overflowed with plentifulness, those who led lives which for all reasonableness in life living, in the accumulation and in the handling of the goods around and within their reach, in their support of benign institutions, in their domestic rule, in their ungrudging, unconstrained hospitality, were never outdone in this world." A writer of State history refers to General Meriwether as "that sterling Virginia soldier and Georgia statesman." While the modest records of his public services exhibit no brilliant qualities as orator or politician, during the formative period of Georgia history, the talents and influence of his fine mind and character were often called into requisition. Without ambition of place, he stood for "freedom, good government, good education, prudence and economy in public office, and the best welfare of all."

Education was the most important interest to Georgians after the conflict of the Revolution, for they were a people who cherished above worldly possessions the higher attributes of mind and character.

David Meriwether settled in Wilkes county in 1785, two years after the town of Washington was laid out. In June of that year commissioners met for founding the old academy on Mercer Hill; they were Stephen Heard, Zachariah Lamar, Micajah Williamson and Gen. George Matthews. David Meriwether became a member of this board of trustees, and soon after the building of the academy was begun, he applied to Senatus Acadimicus of the University of Georgia assembled at Louisville, Ga., July, 1797, to locate the University at Washington, offering funds and buildings. But the offer was rejected. Ten years before the founding of Athens General Meriwether gave land for the first Methodist school in Georgia. This was Succoth Academy, near Coke's Chapel in Wilkes, and was under the management of Reverend John Springer, a highly educated Presbyterian minister, and Rev. Hope Hull, the gifted pioneer Methodist who married Ann Wingfield, sister of General Meriwether's wife. Succoth Academy became a classical school of repute. Here the famous Jesse Mercer pursued his studies. John Forsyth and William H. Crawford, General Meriwether's young Virginia kinsman, who became Georgia's greatest statesman, were enrolled among the pupils. It was probably due to the influence of Hope Hull that in 1788 General Meriwether made public profession of religion, and joined the Methodist Society in Wilkes. He was a man of prominence when the Methodists were very humble, and although wealthy when the Methodists were very poor, he was always a bold, simple hearted member of the church. As a Christian he was useful and was frequently applied to for counsel by his junior brethren. His house was a house of prayer. He -was not like some great men, ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

Daniel Grant, the staunch Methodist and builder of the first church of this denomination in Georgia, was a neighbor and friend of General Meriwether. Moved by the influence of Bishop Asbury, Daniel Grant was the first man in the State, from conscientious motives, to free his slaves. His will, which is curious reading at this day, was signed July 4, 1793, and General Meriwether was one of the executors. A few years later when member of the Legislature from Wilkes, David Meriwether caused enactment of laws legalizing the terms of Grant's will for manumitting slaves.

Prior to 1788 the name of David Meriwether appeared on jury lists of Wilkes. Among family papers there is a receipt from the "Cheque-office" of Wilkes, showing him collector of taxes for the year 1794. There is also preserved his commission as lieutenant under Washington, dated "15th day of May, 1779, in the fourth year of our independence." Also the commission given by Governor Jared Irvin, as brigadier-general of the Third Division of the State Militia, dated Louisville, 21st of September, 1797. He represented Wilkes in the Legislature for several years and his name appears in "Marbury and Crawford's Digest of Georgia Laws" as Speaker of the House during 1797-1800.

In 1802 he was elected Congressman from Georgia with Peter Early, Samuel Hammond and John Milledge. He served on Ways and Means Committee in 1804. Gen. James Jackson, then Senator from Georgia, writing to Gov. John Milledge mentioned General Meriwether as a sterling fellow, and this was his legislative character, justifying the motto of the family Coat of Arms,—"Viet consilio."

In politics General Meriwether naturally belonged to the Crawford party in Georgia. While in the United States Congress he was a witness and participant in the memorable struggle between Jefferson and Burr, being a warm supporter of the former. There was personal friendship as well as political affiliation between General Meriwether and Jefferson. President Jefferson had been a plantation neighbor of the Meriwethers in Virginia, and employed as his private secretary a young cousin of the general, who, as a boy (in 1788) had lived in Wilkes county, and afterwards led the Lewis-Clark expedition across the continent. Mr. David Meriwether, of Jackson. Tenn., a great-grandson, has inherited the watch given as a token of esteem by Jefferson to General Meriwether.

His probity, fidelity and sound judgment made David Meriwether valued by State and general government for filling place of public trust. He was presidential elector in 1817 and 1821. and was repeatedly employed as United States Commissioner for treating with Indians. He was associated with General Jackson and Governor McMinn, of Tennessee, in concluding a treaty with the Cherokees by which a large portion of the territory west of the Appalachia was ceded to the United States. In connection with Daniel M. Forney, of North Carolina, he mad.' a treaty with the Creeks; and having much to do with the tribes in Georgia secured their confidence to an extent equal to any public man in his day. A copy of the treaty by Meriwether and Forney, among others relating to Indian affairs, is preserved in a collection of family papers.

General Meriwether served in Congress from 1802-1807, and at the expiration of his term returned to his plantation home six miles from Athens, Ga. This year his son James graduated with first honor at the University; he became a lawyer and member of Congress, trustee of the University and United States Commissioner to the Cherokee Indians. The following year another son, William, graduated with first honor; he became a physician and was surgeon in the United States army during the War of 1812. General Meriwether had seven sons and one daughter and not one discredited his name.

There is among family papers a letter of several pages written in fine, scholarly hand by Colonel Benjamin Hawkins to General Meriwether, dated "Creek Agency, 18th April, 1807," and beginning as follows: "As you are authorized by the Secretary of War and Postmaster-General to carry the second act of the convention at Washington with the Creeks into effect, I wish to communicate to you what has been done here," etc. This related to the establishment of a post route from the city of Washington through the Creek nation to New Orleans, and shows General Meriwether's active interest in internal improvements of the day. It was over this post road that seven years later Sam Dale rode express from the Creek Agency carrying government dispatches to General Jackson, reaching him on the eve of the glorious victory on the Plains of Chalmette. General Meriwether's connection with Indian affairs continued through 1820, when with General David Adams and John McIntosh he was appointed by the General Assembly of the State to hold a treaty with the Creek Indians. Among the Meriwether papers is a letter from General Adams approving of Dr. William Meriwether as Secretary of the Commission and of Mineral Springs on the Indian side of the Ocmulgee River as a proper place for holding the meeting. The treaty being successfully concluded, Dr. Meriwether, secretary, rode express to Washington City and delivered the papers to government authorities. This treaty procured the cession of land from the Creeks which lies between the Ocmulgee and Flint rivers, and was General Meriwether's last important act of public service.

Meriwether County, laid out in 1828, was named for him.

Since 1804 General Meriwether's home had been on his plantation near Athens. That it was a home of substantial comfort, open hospitality and Christian refinement we can not doubt. It was headquarters for the Methodist itinerant and here bishops and statesmen were entertained. Proximity t6 a center of culture and connection by consanguinity with the Hulls, Cobbs, Crawfords and other prominent families of the State made social life distinguished and delightful. At this home General Meriwether died in 1823, and was there buried. After his "toils and sacrifices as a faithful soldier of the Virginia line throughout the Revolutionary War, as pioneer settler of Georgia and upbuilder of this State, he sleeps in a forgotten and unmarked grave,—as do many planters of the Old South, as virtuous and honored in their day." Of such it has been truly said: "They grew old, died and were buried in family graveyards, wherein seldom even a carved stone was set to mark the place of their graves. Great public actions done by the most distinguished were put upon official records, but no more. They coveted for their own names no mention on historic pages. The immortality they hoped for, besides being unforgotten of their nearest and dearest was that on that Great Day in the Hereafter when final judgment of human actions shall be announced, theirs would be that their gifts had been employed in habitual loyalties to what was just and honorable and charitable. Humbly trusting that such would be their award, when their hour drew near, without complaint they looked around and chose their ground and took their rest.''

Source: "Men of Mark in Georgia: a complete and elaborate history...", Vol 2 By William J. Northen - Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer

 
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