Gunmen, Lawmen and Wild Men of Early Georgia

Within the pages of this volume are documented accounts of the pioneers and ruffians who settled and shaped the great geographic area known today as the state of Georgia. They came from all walks of life - both from criminal and law-abiding realms. And just as there were criminals and gunmen walking the land, so also were there lawmen to enforce civil order. A sample of the articles on the pages of this book include:Virginia Hill & "Bugsy" Siegel - Though gentle and kind to friends and family, life was less than rewarding to the attractive young lady from Cobb County, Georgia, who grew up to become the "kept woman" of Chicago mobsters. After living a life of high - but non-violent - crime, Virginia ultimately died a lonely death far from her Georgia home, and later was immortalized upon the silver screen in her life with notorious mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel.Jacob Pettyjohn & Murder in Forsyth County - Though he sought a normal, law-abiding life, Jacob Pettyjohn's world became nightmarish in 1859, when events quite nearly conspired to end his life. At the somewhat young age of 42, he was convicted of murder for little more than his inability to render assistance to a victim in need. After winning a "Stay of Execution," Pettyjohn did not wait around hoping for a reversed judgment, but rather struck out for Texas where his descendants still live today.Frontier Fighters From Yesteryear - If one passes through Polk County, Georgia today, the name "Prior" can still occasionally be seen on a street sign and in property descriptions. This once-prominent family was composed of hard-working, honest, and law-abiding citizens who farmed the land and became prosperous in the days prior to the U.S. Civil War. During and after this conflict, when a criminal element threatened the lives and livelihood of the Prior family, the outlaws quickly discovered they had seriously misjudged their adversary.The Murder of Cherokee Chief James Vann II - On a cold winter night in 1809, at an isolated tavern located on the old Federal Road at what today would be the approximate county line between Forsyth and Cherokee counties in north Georgia, an important headman of the Cherokee Nation was brutally murdered. His assailant was never identified and the reason for his murder was never known, and though he was buried and his grave clearly marked a short distance away in Blackburn Cemetery, the specific location of his interment has been strangely lost through time.The Vanished Confederate Treasury Gold - During the dark closing days of the U.S. Civil War, casks of gold and silver coins comprising the Confederate Treasury and the assets of several Virginia banks - a glittering hoard worth untold millions of dollars today - were spirited across the Carolinas and into northeast Georgia in a last-ditch effort to avoid their confiscation by Federal authorities. Portions of these funds ultimately simply disappeared into thin air in the confusion of a mass exodus; other portions were stolen and scattered over the northeast Georgia hills by escaping thieves.The Robbery of the Bank of Lumpkin County - It is but a footnote in history today, but back in the early 1900s, a group of bandits attempted to rob the Bank of Lumpkin County in Dahlonega, Georgia, and met with a bit more resistance than they had anticipated. The ensuing blazing gun-battle on the old town square rivaled a scene right out of the old West and ultimately resulted in the capture of the inept criminals.These and 27 additional captivating stories with 194 equally captivating photos await the readers of this book.