In the Washington Chronicle of last week is given some correspondence that passed between Gov. George R. Gilmer of Lexington and a Mr. Hillhouse of Washington that will prove interesting reading in this day and time:

Letter from Gov. George R. Gilmer to David Porter Hillhouse:
Lexington, 29th Jan'y 1891

To David P. Hillhouse, Esq.

Dear Sir:  The reading of enclosed circular will explain to you the information which I want and the use to which it is to applied.  I suppose you have received the same circular already, but as I have received no answer, it is possible that one may not have been sent you. No person in Georgia can inform me so well upon some of the subjects of my inquiry as you can.

Will you inform me what newspapers were published in Georgia previous to 1800.  When and what their circulation.  Was the Washington paper started by your mother?  Was it the only newspaper published in the country about Washington?  What was the date of its commencement?

Was the Wilkes or Washington Academy incorporated on its commencement?  Who was the first teacher of Gen. Blackburn and Mr. Springer?  Did not Mr. Springer ordain Dr. Waddell under Mr. Alexander's large Tree, and if so when?

I have an anecdote  in my book the authority for which I have forgotten.  I say that Gen. Washington in his Southern tour found Washington in Wilkes, and that Edmund Bacon, then at school with Mr. Springer at the Washington Academy, made the address to Gen. Washington
because no else would do it.  Am I right in this statement?  If not, set me right.

I wish you would take upon yourself the trouble of discovering the first settlers of Wilkes county---their habits, manners, occupations, tastes, etc., and let me have the benefit.  I have your account of old Mr. Watley's courtship, manner, religious experience, and I want a little more of the same, particularly whatever of the times previous to 1800 were in strong contrast to these times.  I write you without reserve because I know your taste for such matters.

Mrs. G. writes in regards for yourself, Mr. And Mrs. Alexander, two young ladies, etc.

      Very respectfully Yours,
       George R. Gilmer.

P. S. -Please to answer this letter yourself, and direct the enclosed letters to those persons in your county whom you suppose may be most able and willing to give information sought for.
G. R. G.

Circular enclosed in George Gilmer's letters to David P. Hillhouse:

Lexington, Ga., Oct. 30th, 1850

Sir-The Alumni Society of the University of Georgia resolved at its last meeting to have a literary jubilee at the next college commencement to celebrate the passing by of the first semi-century since its organization.  In futherance of that resolve, it has requested that I will read on the occasion an essay descriptive of the literature of Georgia.  I have consented if I 
find it possible to procure the information which will be necessary to give interest to the
subject.  It is one that every Georgian would like to know more about than he has the means 
of knowing now.  Much of the information which relates to it is difficult to be obtained.  Permit me to ask  that you will aid me in collecting what is yet accessible to those who will search for it.

 Please to answer, so as you can the following questions:

1.  What common schools, academics and colleges are now in operation in the county in which you reside that were in operation in 1800 and prior to that time;  the number of scholars at each during those several periods and the characters and qualifications the teachers during each period in each class of schools, particularly in the common schools, at the time of the settlement of the county of Wilkes, and some years after?

2.  It is also desired to know what books were used in the common schools, and made up the libraries of the people at the settlement of the county of Wilkes.

3.  What were the characters and qualifications of the ministers of the gospel;  members of the legislature;  lawyers and doctors in Georgia prior to 1800?

4. What kind of houses the first settlers lived in?  What was their food?

5. What was their dress;  its material and fashion?

6. What were their amusements?

7. What were their habits of drinking?

8. What kind of churches and meet--
 

(concluded on last page)
Some Very Old Letters

    (continued from first page)

 --ing homes they worshipped in?

 9. What newspapers were published in the county of Wilkes?

10. How many copies of newspapers published elsewhere circulated in the county of Wilkes?

11. What societies existed for discussing political and literary subjects for the advancement of science?

12. From what State or county did the first settlers of Wilkes county come?

13. You will, also oblige me by obtaining from the ordinary's office the number of books returned in each inventory of the estates of deceased persons for the first ten years after the
organization of the county.

The questions which have I asked will show you the kind of information which I want.  Please to give me any, though not specially asked for, which you think will illustrate the state of
learning among the people of Georgia from its first settlement to the present time, and the character, habits and manners of the first settlers.
   Very respectfully yours,
   George R. Gilmer.

    -------------

David Porter Hillhouse's reply to Gov.
George R. Gilmer.
 

Dear Sir: --- A board of commissioners, consisting of Col. Stephen Heard, Gen. George Mathews and others, met on the 27th day of August, 1784, by authority of an act of the general assembly
incorporating the town of Washington, and the academy thereof, and considered the matter of "letting the public buildings"  From the record of their proceedings, which I have before me, I gather the following information:

On the 2d of September, 1784,  " the church and school-house were let to Joseph Cook for 781 pounds sterling."   On the 7th of June, 1785, the board agreed with Mr. George Blackburn to take charge of the public school for 1786 at a salary of 150 pounds per year, and 40 pounds for
an usher if necessary.  On the 17th of April, 1786, the board announced the receipt of "forty Latin books and twelve copper plates, purchased by George Mathews at his own expense for the school at $32."  The board ordered on 23d  November, 1786, that M. Williamson, Esq., do supply the academy with firewood at six shillings per every cord.  Dec. 22, 1786, M. Blackburn's salary as "professor in the academy" for the next year was fixed at 190 pounds sterling, and M. Allen's as usher at 50 pounds sterling.  The "public school" was removed from Col. Williamson's house in town, to the "Chalybeate Spring," by order of the board 25th February, 1788;  and the school ordered to be "advertised by the clerk in the Augusta and Savannah Gazette."  Stephen Burroughs was appointed "rector of the Washington Academy, 25th August, 1794."  Jan. 5th, 1897, (1797?) the head of the race path" was determined on as the permanent site of the Academy.  Rev Moses Waddell was appointed rector of the academy 5th February, 1795.  John C. Walton, Esq., was nominated by the board and appointed by the governor as a commissioner in place of Rev. John Springer, deceased.  Dr. Wm. Wright was appointed principal and Wm. A. Croker assistant teacher, in January, 1800-1.  S. H. Ray, assistant teacher in May following.  Wm. Prince was appointed rector and E. H. Cummins tutor in July, 1800.  Rev. James Jones was appointed rector in March, 1802.  Wm. Prince re-appointed rector in August, 1803, which appointment he held for many years.  No number of scholars is given at any period.  The prices of tuition on H. Burroughs appointment in 1794 was "for the first class, $8;  for the second class, $12, and for the third class $24 per year."  No course of studies is named. This is all I can answer  to your first printed (circular) question.

To the second I cannot answer better than by saying that John Talbot, A. Fort, W. G. Gilbert, Gen. Meriwether, Edward Butler, Archa Simpson, Col. Taliaferro, Peter Early, Col. S.  Heard, Mathew Talbot and Gen. John Clark were our legislators.  Reverend Messrs. Norton, Springer, Cunningham and Waddell, Presbyterians;  Silas and Jeff Mercer and Sanders Walker, Baptists;  Strong, Ray and Jones, Episcopalians, and Bull and Asbury. Methodists, were our ministers.  G. Walker, L. Jones Walton, Williams, Taliaferro, B. Porter, Thos. Carr, Carnes, Griffin, Mathews, Dooly H. Crawford were amongst our lawyers about and before 1800.

There were very few other dwelling houses, I learn, previous to 1800, than rough log pens, with pucheon floors, board roofs, with mud and stick chimney.

The food of the inhabitants almost universally was corn bread, sweet potatoes, "hog and hominy" and "long collard,"with occasional supplies of beef, venison, tame and wild fowl, fish, "bar meat" and opossum.

Their dress was of very course material generally-their supplies of clothing very small, and I have understood Fashion had no reign amongst the "Mohawks" in our "hornet's nest" ( the name by which our people and county were known in early days of the settlement of Wilkes.)

The amusements of the early settlers were hunting, rifle shooting, foot and horse racing, quoit pitching and "pitching into one another,"  ball and card playing, dancing, wrestling, gander pulling and cock fighting.  Some of our best society gentlemen were much addicted to the last cruel practice.  I have even seen bull baiting in Washington.  Ladies of the first class played cards (whist particularly) and visited the race course.

Ardent spirits were used freely and generally, when to be had, which was rare, till the orchards grew up, when distilleries multiplied, and "peach and honey " were liberally given and taken.

The meeting houses were the first of buildings in the county constructed of frame, board and shingles-but those first worshipped in were built of logs.

The "Washington Gazette" was the first newspaper published in Wilkes county.  It was established by Alex. McMillan, from Augusta, in 1800, who sold it to my father in 1801, and I commenced my subsequent trade by the amusement of setting up types to print the yeas and nays in congress in the great election for President between Jefferson and Burr.  My father died in March, 1803, and my mother immediately took the management of the paper, and learned and practiced every mechanical service pertaining to the office.  There was no paper published for many years afterwards above Washington.  The name of "Washington Gazette" was changed by my father to that of  "Monitor," which it bore till I sold the establishment in 1815.  There were about 300 subscribers to the "Monitor" when my mother took charge of it.  The only newspapers printed in Georgia at that time were in Savannah Augusta and Louisville.  What number of copies they circulated in Wilkes county I do not know.  I never heard of the existence of any society in the county for discussion of subjects for the advancement of science.

The first settlers of Wilkes county were mostly from Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina.  The names of Taliaferro, McRea, Freeman, Pope, Hendricks, Allison, Early, Abbot, Shepherds, Meriwether, Wesigfield, Gaines, Ferrel, Gilmer, Hanson, Bradley, Long, Gilbert, Sherwood, Waltons, Hay, Graves, Willis, Clark, Smith, Booker, Simpson, etc., you are familiar with.  Generally, they were a steady, intelligent, hospitable, but not highly educated people---mostly
tobacco planters and grain growers-free to live and free to give. Among them were very bold, reckless and eccentric subjects, as the names of Rucker, Nelson, Phillips, Martin and Thurmond may remind you.

Rev. John Springer was ordained in 1791 or '92, under administration of Rev. H. C. Newton, under a popular tree, now standing on Mr. Alexander's lot (the Gen. Mathews') -but no one else that I ever heard of.  I have never before heard of Edmond Bacon's address to Gen.
Washington---it surely was not the famous one commencing " You'd scarce expect one of my age, to speak in public on the stage."

I have endeavored, dear sir, to answer your printed queries.  If you expect me to read and reply to your written ones, allow me to ask of you the favor to have your hieroglyphics interpreted, and transmitted to me in a legible handwriting.

 My best regards to your good lady

  Very respectfully your friend

   D. P. Hillhouse.
 

4th Feb., 1851

In looking over the returns of estates 
To the courts of ordinary I find books almost
Invariably returned as  en masse-
"A lot of books-app. At---$
Hon. George R. Gilmer.