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By HARRY SIMONHOFF
A name will not always denote whether
its bearer is Jew or Christian. The Puri
tans were fond of using names out of t In-
Old Testament. David and Emanuel are
surely good Hebrew names, direct from
the Bible. But so is Israel, who was a
Quaker born in Philadelphia.
The sixth Governor of Georgia called
himself David Emanuel. The evidence is
by no means overwhelming that he was
of Jewish birth. But one thing is signif
icant, if not conclusive. In the long line
of Georgia’s Chief Executives, from Ogle
rived from family traditions, the judge
writes: "1 do not know where Governor
David Emanuel came from. I only know
that, beyond doubt, he was a Jew.
From the best accounts available, David
Emanuel was born in Pennsylvania,
either in 1742 or 1744 He wandered south
and m his 25th year settled permanently
in Burke County, Georgia. We do not
know the extent of his education, but he
held the position of justice of the peace
five vears after arrival. Active in politics,
he also became active among the patriotic
Gov. David Emanuel
of Georgia
thorpe to Talmadge, the tradition clings
only to David Emanuel that he was Jew
ish.
Some historians admit it. Others are
content with referring to him as a Pres
byterian, which in itself does not rule
out the possibility of birth in another
faith. The American Jewish Historical
Society became interested, and its cura
tor, the lawyer-historian Leon Huhner
investigated. He quotes a letter from
Was he
Colonials intent upon throwing off the
yoke of Britian. In the Continental Army,
he served as a soldier, a scout, and on the
Executive Council.
Burke County became a battle ground
and fighting intensified the bitterness
between the Colonials and the Red Coats,
as the British were called. But the bitter
est vindictiveness raged between the
native Americans on both sides of the
struggle. Emanuel almost paid with his
Jewish ?
Abraham Minis, of the old Jewish famih
that came over in the second or third
immigrant boat to Georgia. He states un
equivocally that mat only was the gov
ernor a Jew but the lady he married was
a Jewess. The strongest evidence comes
from Judge H. D. D. Twiggs of Savannah,
whose ancestor General John Twiggs of
Revolutionary' fame married the sister of
David Emanuel. With the authority de
38
life because of this animus.
While scouting, he was cap.ured with
two other patriots. The Tories condemned
their three fellow Americans to death. A
large fire was kindled and the three com
panions were stripped of their clothes.
Two of the prisoners were shot dead. A
mulatto, whose reward was the dead
scout’s clothes, fired at Emanuel and
missed. Quick as a flash of lightning
Emanuel leaped over the fire and ade
his escape in the dark night. He ji pe d
into the neighboring swamp and Sc ; to
his neck. The pursuers passed hi bv
several times, but could not dete his
head. After several hours he crept < . 0 f
the swamp and reached the army ad-
quarters of General Twiggs.
This adventure evidently did mu< n to
enhance his popularity. For in the . ame
year, while the war is still on, we find
him a magistrate, chosen by the General
Assembly. In January of the following
year, he is appointed Justice for Burke
County. Elected in 1783 to the State Leg
islature, he is in 1784 reappointed Justice
for Burke County.
Yet for David Emanuel the war went
on. He suffered severely after Georgia
was overrun by the enemy. Together with
30 other patriot families, he built a clus
ter of cabins near Augusta. From this
refuge they harassed the enemy and be
came so troublesome that the Tories la
beled the village “Rebel Town.” We find
that his brother Levi was also active in
the struggle for independence. In 1776
Levi Emanuel received his commission
of Second Lieutenant from the Council
of Safety. Six years later he is a sergeant-
major in the militia under the command
of General Mad Anthony Wayne. Was the
original commission issued without
authority? Or did the frequent resigna
tions, a common practice in the war for
liberty, reduce a commissioned officer to
the status of a non-com.
After the war, David Emanuel rose
to political importance. He represented
Burke County in the General Assembly
for a number of years. He became a mem
ber of the Constitutional Convention in
1789 and again in 1795. About this time the
“Yazoo Frauds” broke into an open scan
dal. Many of the legislators were involved
in the conspiracy that lost a vast land
empire to the state. Emanuel was one of
the three eminent citizens entrusted with
investigation of this betrayal of a public
trust. This service brought about his elec
tion as President of the State Senate. On
March 3rd, 1801, David Emanuel was
sworn in as the sixth Governor of
CGeorgia.
Some confusion has arisen as to how
he became Chief Executive. Several his
torians maintain that as President of the
Senate, he automatically became Gov
ernor when his predecessor James Jack-
son resigned to enter the U. S. Senate.
Other authorities claim that Emanuel was
elected in 1801. In any case he only held
the office for eight months, until his suc
cessor was chosen by the General Assem
bly.
He died in 1808, and is described in
She: wood's Gazeteer “a fine looking
naan, amiable, of good character and in
flexible integrity.” Four years later the
Sta e of Georgia preserved his name on
her map. A vast tract of land within M er
, bondaries is called “Emanuel County
The Southern Israeli*