John Graham Esq. of Georgia

By Jeannette Holland Austin

On August 19, 1783, the Assembly of the State of Georgia passed an Act of Attainder, Banishments and Confistication that confiscated the property of all known Loyalists and banished them from the state. Most Loyalists fled to the British province of East Florida and from there to England. Some of them went to the British occupied islands in the Caribbean, primarily the Bahamas. Notice of the Act was published in the Georgia Gazette and listed 225 names.

The list included the last Royal Governor of Georgia, Sir James Wright, Lt. Gov. John Graham, and members of their council along with all other officials of the displaced government. Graham owned Mulberry Grove, a Savannah plantation having over 25,000 acres. In early Colonial days mulberry trees were cultivated on Mulberry Grove for use in Georgia`s silk industry. Later it became one of the leading rice plantations of Georgia. At the end of the Revolution the confiscated plantation was granted by the State of Georgia to major General Nathanael Greene was a reward for his military services.

A slave inventory belonging to Loyalists John Graham, Esq. was discovered in the Great Britain Public Record Office (1774-1787) and lists some 254 names. Savannah 29 Novr. 1780

My Dear Sir

I wrote you by Young & you will now receive the one which was stopt by Mr. Seymour. I think I was pretty full in that as to every part of your letter of the 14th.

The Govr. has also wrote you fully & I am hopeful in every respect satisfactory. Your of the 19th alarmed us much & we were for some days in the most anxious state of Suspence : when you found things were not so bad as you then expected : it would have been well to have run another express to have relieved us from the apprehension we were in about you.

I have sent by the Boat a Barrel of Irish Beef & I hope shall prove good.

Bugg Bennefield & Prisoners in Chas. Town are teiring us to bring their trial : pray exhibit the Charges against them.

I am sorry Major Moore sent down the Indico; it had better have taken its Chance at Augusta; for they look upon it as entirely taken from them.

I am with great regard Dr. Sir
Yours most sincerely
John Graham

Col. Grierson