Civil War Articles by Julian WilliamsMark Willcox's Father-in-Law General John Coffee Got In One Last Word(s)
This article was compiled by Julian Williams.
Evidently, from the list of those attending the celebration at Jacksonville, Georgia, on July 4, 1834, General John Coffee was not amongst them. From what we are told he was obviously quite ill at the time and his appearances at such gatherings were getting farther and farther apart. However, we must not count the old military leader and Congressman out of the picture altogether. He might not have been "roasting" and "toasting" his fellowmen at the big shindig at Jacksonville, Georgia, in 1834, but he had issued a statement in September of 1832 that pretty well let people know how he stood on "Nullifiers." Or so he thought.
Letter from Gen. Coffee: Telfair County, September 3, 1832. Gentlemen: In reply to your enquiry respecting my opinions on the doctrine of Nullification, I have the pleasure to state to you, that I recognize at all times, the right of the people to be made acquainted with the sentiments of those who are before them for promotion, especially on so momentous a question as that which is the subject of your enquiry.
I cheerfully therefore reply to you, that I am decidedly opposed to a Protective Tariff -- but am as decidedly opposed to Nullification, or any other rash measure, that would endanger the Government, or the existence of the Union. I need not enter into any argument upon the subject. These have always been my opinions, and I hope they will accompany me to the grave. If the best and happiest Government, ever yet devised for man, should be subverted, where is the hope of the American? I am, Gentlemen, very respectfully, Your Fellow Citizen. (Signed) John Coffee. To: Col. William Cumming, Judge J.P. King and Aug. Slaughter, Esq., Committee, -- Augusta, Ga. (Milledgeville Union Recorder). Now even Andrew Jackson could learn a little political chit chat from that fellow!
General Coffee, like others in his day, was wanting the best of both worlds. We do today. Even John C. Calhoun had started out with great ideological aspirations of furthering the cause of nationalism. He saw firsthand in the War of 1812 that you needed a national system of roads, bridges, and ways of conveyance. But with the protective tariff, so pointedly opposed by General Coffee of Jacksonville, Georgia, John C. Calhoun progressively eased over to a position occupied by those folks who would come to be known as "Nullifiers." They were in favor of "nullifying" any federal law providing a protective tariff - or anything else they didn't like. General Coffee just didn't want a protective tariff in the first place. That way, it wouldn't have to be "nullified." But the difference didn't have to be explained right now - he said so in his letter above. Suffice it to say that those nullification people in South Carolina were out of their gourds and bordering on sheer madness! The very idea. Back to the celebration at Jacksonville, Georgia. No use in hair-splitting just yet.
Even in the absence of General Coffee, he was fondly remembered by some of those giving toasts. After all, with Thomas Swain, he had built a road all the way from Jacksonville, Georgia, to Tallahassee, Florida, and fought Indians wherever he found them. And he hadn't run off to New York City. He still lived right there in the Ocmulgee swamp with his neighbors.
Woodson Willcox thought so much of the man that he toasted him with these words as he raised his glass: "General John Coffee, an upright citizen, a kind neighbor, a sincere friend, and a faithful representative of the wishes of his constituents. He is emphatically the noblest work of God -- an honest man." No wonder Coffee County was named for him. That's hard to beat.
Peter Hatton's toast to General Coffee went like this: "General Coffee, the patriot and statesman: may he again be honored with a seat in Congress." It is interesting to see later that this toast was indeed prophetic in that General Coffee was honored by the vote of his people to return to Congress. Only trouble was - he couldn't return to Congress. He died a day or so before the election but most people had not gotten the word. And those who had were his friends and neighbors and they probably voted for him out of respect and condolence. Thus, he became the only dead man ever elected to the U.S. Congress.
But the great idealism for his country was not wasted on General Coffee. The others at Jacksonville followed suit and also held out that great hope that things South could go right if the right people ran the Union. That person was Andrew Jackson - they thought. It is reflected in some of the toasts.
Toast of William H. Smith: "General Andrew Jackson, the unerring statesman, the indefatigable patriot, the man of the people."
And, J. (Jeremiah, probably) Wells, Esq.: "Andrew Jackson first, Wilson Lumpkin (Governor of Georgia) second, -- success to the Union and liberty."
James Wilcox (evidently one of the early ones to start dropping one of the "l's" in Willcox) of Appling: "Old Hickory: May he always be able to oppose successfully his enemies, and retire from office crowned with laurels, which he has so nobly achieved."
Henry L. Wells: "Success to Jackson, Van Buren, Lumpkin, Union and liberty."
John Turnbull: " Obedience to the United States' laws, honor to Jackson, and liberty to mankind."
John Howell: "Wilson Lumpkin (Gov.), the old consistent friend of Jackson, the enemy of nullification: we are his friends."
Able L. Hatton: "Jackson folks, adhere to your principles of Union and liberty, and you will succeed."
Dennis Gill: "General Andrew Jackson, our country's friend."
And, last but not least, one of my kin, maybe in an effort to give a little mirth to a situation that was already looking like thin ice in places, had this to say for his toast: "A long journey, a hard trotting horse, and a porcupine saddle to the enemies of General Jackson." Whether John Williams said those words with mirthful insight, political vision or lack of it, or simply the down-home excited resolution of his compatriots, we will never really know. He might not have.
What we do know is this: The nullifiers waned, but the States Righters filled the void. Jackson died in 1845 and his legacy of "the Union" was going with the wind. The wind was blowing something up that words like "Union" and "nullifiers" and "States Rights" and "Compromise" and "Liberty" and "the hope of the American" really could not hold back. A new word was blowing in and it was "Secession."
But, right now, in Jacksonville, Georgia, on July 4, 1834, not many people had ever heard of that word, much less what it meant. John Williams might have come closest - it would be a "long journey, a hard trotting horse, and a porcupine saddle." It would be Secession, Civil War and the Reconstruction that followed.
But, John Williams had other things on his mind. In 1834, not only the big celebration at Jacksonville, Georgia, was taking place. John and Elizabeth were having a little baby boy and they named him Lucius Lazarus Williams. Given a little time, Lucius would ensure that history would continue around Jacksonville, Georgia.
But in spite of the festival air of the celebration at Jacksonville, Major Mark Willcox had some problems of his own and we will talk more of that next week.
Credits:
Ann Carswell for letters of and notes on Gen. Mark Willcox; Willcox Family History by Martha Albertson;
Pioneer Days Along the Ocmulgee by Fussell Chalker;
History of Telfair County (1807-1987);
Telfair Newspaper Clippings (1810-1892) by Tad Evans;
Hawkinsville Dispatch articles furnished by Chris Trowell;
info furnished by Gertrude Wilcox Williams and Diane Williams Rogers and others;
Jackson by Max Byrd;
various other sources.
