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THE COUNTRYMAN. By J, TURNER* “INDEPENDENT in' EVERYTHING NEUTRAL IN NOTHING ” $5 lOI' TIlI'CC Ml) lit IlS* YOL. XX. TURN WOLD (NEAR EATONTON) GA., TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 18G5. NO. 10. TnE LIFE OF AX AMEKICAX CITIZEN : BEING THE BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM TURNER, LATE OF PUTNAM COUNTY, GA. BY HIS SON, J. A. TURNER. CHAPTER XVI. A. D. 1814—27th Year—Letter from Tilman Turner—Deputy Collector for Georgia—Busi ness Habits—Another Letter from Tilman Turner—Andrew Jackson appointed Major General—Letter from Rolling 1 Hall—Peace Negotiations—No Relaxation of War Prepar ations-^ Ifronaparte and England—The North ern Alliance—England’s Universal Violation of Maritime Rights—Mediation bv Russia— England’s Downfall—Gen. Floyd’s success— A “ Damned Lie”—Forsyth—Cuthbcrt. The following letter from Tilman Turner, to my father, will present my readers with a frag ment of the history of 1814 : “Fort Stoddart, 15th Jan., 1S14-. Dear William : So long a time has elapsed since I had the pleasure of hearing from you, that I am really afraid I am entirely forgotten by you, and all my relations. This will inform you that I am well, and that I have just returned from the Creek nation. The third regiment is now at Fort Claiborne, on the Alabama, at which place we have built a cantonment, and to which place l shall pro-, ceed in a few days. My business here is to en list the volunteers, whose terms of service have expired, into tire regular army. My endeav ors will, I am afraid, not be attended with anr great success, but 1 shall get a few. You will have heard, ere this reaches you, of the result of our movements against the hostile Creeks, which, although not attended with any thing to brag of, was a very serious injury to the allies of his ‘ Majesty, defender of the faith,’ Ac. Do, in the name of God, write to me, at this place (Fort Stoddart, M. T.) via Nashville, Tennessee. I would write more, and mere particularly, hut the fear of this not reaching you, prevents my doing so. Our late move ments agrqe well with me, keep me in good spirits, and health, in which may I hope this may find you, and all my relations, and friends, ©emember me, particularly, to my much re spected and venerable mother. Sincerely yours, T. Turner, Lieut. 3d Inf’y. Mr. Wm. Turner.” There was never any office to be filled, nor any public duty to be performed, but. that a •call was made upon my lather, in his younger days. His prompt business habits, the clerkly hand which he wrote, and his thorough and in timate acquaintance will all the forms of'busi ness, always pointed to him as the faithful de positary of any public trust. In the year 1814, he was appointed by his uncle, Hines Holt, Sr., deputy collector of Internal Duties for the 6th Collection District of Georgia. After filling that office, for some time, my father resigned, and turned over his papers to his uncle Holt, and took the following receipt. This receipt is given as a sample, of my father’s business habits. It will be seen how particular be was to mention everything in his receipt '• f “Collector’s Office, 23rd April, 1814. This will certify that Wm, Turner duly de livered to me the official books and papers (rel ative to the direct taxes, and internal duties) received by him, for me, of the reverend Rich ard Holmes, agent of Capt. Samuel Butts, on the 15th day of January, 1814 ; that he has du ly delivered, to me, all the abstracts, accounts, and other documents relative to the collection of internal duties, which appear, from an ex amination of his books, to have been necessary for the quarter composed of the months of Jan uary, February, and March, 1814, and for those months respectively; that he has paid the amount duo from him, on account of internal duties collected by him; and that, on his resig nation of the office of deputy collector of the revenue, for the sixth collection district of Georgia, he delivered to me all the bonds taken by him for duties on licenses for stills : together with the entries, applications, certificates, li censes, and bonds—being blanks—which were not filled, and used by him, in tha discharge of his official duties—the laws, forms, and in structions furnished him, for the discharge of these duties: and, also, the books of office kept by him, and containing his official transactions. Given from under my hand, at office, this 23rd day of April, 1814. ‘ . Hines Holt, C. R. 6th Col. Dis. Ga.” In accordance with the plan of this biography, I present my readers, here, with the two fol lowing letters—the first from Tilman Turner, and the second from Bolling Hall: ‘‘Fort Jackson, Hickory Ground, 6th July, 1814. Dear William : I arrived here, on the 3rd instant, from Fort Claiborne, after a passage of exactly thirty days. Wo had a flotilla of thirteen boats— some of them seventy ieet long—all loaded with provisions, arms, and ammunition. The trip was tolerably pleasant, and healthy. We lost but one person, and that wag an old woman, who wbb sick before we started, This i3 a pleasant, agreeable place, but 1 am afraid, from its being in the fork of two rivers, that it will be unhealthy, towards the fall.— We have information, here, that Jackson is ap pointed a major-general in the army of the U. S., and that he is Sn his way to this place, in tending to make it his headquarters. 1 wish it may be true. He is authorized to treat with the Indians, and run oil their boundary. Do let m3 hear from you, every opportunity, as we are entirely without news of any kind.— My best wishes attend you, and all friends. Yours, sincerely, T. Turner, Mr. Wm. TurmJh” “ Washington, 25th Feb., 1814. Dear William ; Today I had the pleasure to receive your let ter of the 1st inst., and observe that you differ with me, in opinion, as to the prospect of peace, and fear that the government will relax its measures for prosecuting the war. Whatever may be the result of the negotiations to be opened at Goettenburg, or however sanguine our hopes of an honorable termination of our difference with England, no relaxation is in tended, or will take place, until we have some thing more permanent than mere prospect. We are fully aware of the small reliance to be placed in any seeming pacific disposition of that faithless, ambitious.nation, with whom we are at war: yet circumstance* may happen, over which Bhe has no control, which may in duce her, from necessity, to do us justice, and respect those rights which she had so long, and so often, violated, regardless of sound policy, magnanimity, or justice. It was easy to per ceive that such a state of things might occur, from the course of events, which were approach ing, or had taken place, on tbe Continent of I Europe. A coalition had been formed of the northern powers, to restrain the ambition of Bonaparte, on the land. On whichever side victory was obtained, it was favorable to us. The just principles for which we contended, were carried much further by Bonaparte, the attainment of which were his avowed objects. Had he been successful, the vast accumulation of power which would have been thrown into his hands*, must have crushed, or brought Eng land to his, and our terms. If the allies suc ceeded, as it appears they have, it was not to be presumed, that after having succeeded ia pla cing due bounds to the ambition and power of •France, that they would surrender their com mercial and maritime rights to the discretion of England, although she was in alliance with them, who had committed as many outrages on the ocean, as Bonaparte had on the continent. The first use which they have made of their success, is to offer terms of peace, and to leave France a great and powerful nation, with a greater extern of territory, than she ever held under the reign of her kings. Bonaparte has accepted the preliminaries. If peace should bo the result —the right of every maritime power of Europe having been violated by Great Britain—it will be the interest of all to resist her, and make a common cause with us. The emperor of Russia has declared to the world that we have done all in our power to avoid the war in which we are engaged. The prompt acceptance of his offered mediation, on our part, and the refusal by the ministry of Eng land, will, no doubt, have its due weight. From his view of the subject, it seems that the day of retribution is at hand, when England must submit to the stern demands of justice, or raise her puny arm against the united pow ers of Europe, and America, and must expiato her crimes with her existence. Such are the fatal delusions produced by crimes without number, and of the deepest dye, that the folly of her rulers may lead her to this last tragical scene. The unprincipled oppositien of tho federalists may prevent the restoration of peace. Should there be left, in the councils of Eng land, one remaining spark of justice, humani ty, or policy, the necessity of getting clear of the war witlj us, that she may the better be prepared to meet the storm ready to burst on ler from Europe, must be obvious. I am much gratified at the success of our brave citizens, under the command of General Floyd : but sincerely lament the loss of those who fell in their country’s service : among that number I find the name of my esteemed friend, Samuel Butts. But, thank God, they did their duty.—I have nothing of importance to com municate. The loan bill is still under discus sion. Sheppard, a federal member, from New York, in a speech against its passage, observed that the sailors, for whose protection it was pretended that this war was contended, asked not our protection, and were opposed to tho war. An honest tar, who was in the gallery, exclaimed. “ It is a damned lie.”—Mr. Forsyth has made a very able and spirited speech. Cuthbert has also made a speech. Both of these gentlemen took a firm and decided stand in the cause of republicanism, and acquitted themselves in a masterly manner.—Present my best respects to your father, and mother, and to your brothers, and sisters. Youra, &c., Bolling Hall.” The Independent Press has suspended operations; we hope, however, only tem porarily. We dislike to give up Mr. Tur ner from the editorial ranks, and we hope that he will resume the chair editorial be fore long.—Sumter Republican, 1855. ‘ “Will is the root, knowledge the stem and leaves, and feeling the flower