In the pioneer times of what today is the state of Georgia, intrepid explorers, desperadoes, and emigrants of all types and description ventured into the southeastern United States. Some of them put down roots in Georgia, while many of them ultimately continued westward in search of a new life and opportunities.

It was a great movement documented in the concept of “Manifest Destiny” which helped to shape the modern nation. These emigrants invariably were characterized by three main types of individuals: gunmen who were either intent upon proficient self-defense in their adventures or upon the taking of whatever they wanted from whomever they wished whenever they wished; lawmen who were either simply honest men intent upon obeying the laws of that day or men actually serving in a genuine law enforcement capacity.

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. and then there were others who were just plain “wild" adventurers.

This last group of individuals weren’t necessarily criminal in nature, but many times were simply opportunists who oftentimes “straddled” the “letter of the law. ” They also were men who were loathe to tolerate any nonsense from anyone attempting to take advantage of or harm them.

It is difficult for many in today’s “civilized” society to imagine the harsh realities of those days in the wilderness of early America, where confrontations with Native Americans could quickly become inflamed into violence, and daily hazards of travel across an uncharted wilderness were a constant threat to life. And if that wasn’t bad enough, there were thieves and highwaymen aplenty who were fully prepared to rape, rob, and pillage whomever and whatever might be alone and vulnerable in this immense new wilderness.

Within this mass of pioneer travelers could be found those accustomed to obeying the laws of man and requiring the same of those within their midst. They usually made excellent dependable citizens, friends and neighbors.

Also included, however, were those of evil and greedy intent who cared little about their fellow man and had no compunction whatsoever about the commission of the worst crimes known to man in the pursuit of their ill-gotten gains. They observed few if any laws of society, making up their rules as they went along, often instilling terror and despair into those they encountered along the way.

And then there were those possessed of that nature implicit in those individuals who simply were adventurers seeking an existence where no civilized man or woman had previously trod. They desired little more than free land and opportunities for quick wealth in a peaceful co-existence with nature, free from the constraints or abuse of their fellow man.

Sometimes wild in nature, these individuals also were many times possessed of unusual physical strength and determination, both of which allowed them to persevere where others quite likely would have failed. Most all of the individuals described on the pages within this book fall into one or more of these categories.

Many of them were courageous, strong and independent almost to the extreme, and are often remembered for their admirable qualities in the folklore of Americana. Their stories have been passed down by word-of-mouth and in written accounts and histories simply because they warranted remembrance for their goodness and unusual accomplishments.

Those in the other extremes are recalled for the abuses – and sometimes the horrible crimes – they perpetrated upon their fellow man, leaving damaged and destroyed humanity in their wake. This, then, is the story of some of those gunmen, lawmen and wild men of early Georgia.

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