DECATUR COUNTY. 201 



lation was 3,491 whites, 2,896 blacks; total, 6,387. Amount 

 of State tax for 1848, $2,476 19. Sends one representative 

 to the Legislature. 



Eakly Settlers. — The Brutons, Maples, Ne§ls, Harralls, 

 Hardins and Martins. 



Towns. — Bainbridge is the capital, situated on the east side 

 of the Flint river, one hundred and ninety miles from Mil- 

 ledgeville, forty miles S. of Blakely, twenty-four N. of Quin- 

 cey, twenty-six from the junction of the Chattahoochee and 

 Flint, forty W. of Thomasville, and 43 N. W. of Tallahassee. 

 It contains the usual county buildings, two churches, two 

 hotels, an academy, four or five stores, &c. Population, 200. 



Fort Scott is ten miles below Bainbridge, on the W. side of 

 the Flint river. 



Religious Sects, Education. — The most numerous reli- 

 gious sects are the Baptists and Methodists, Education is 

 better attended to than formerly, although schools are much 

 wanted. 



Markets. — Bainbridge is the market. Cotton is shipped 

 to Appalachicola. 



Climate, Diseases, Longevity. — The climate is tempe- 

 rate and pleasant. The county is not subject to any particu- 

 lar disease, although fevers prevail on the water-courses. The 

 principal instances of longevity are Mr. Green Mitchell, now 

 living, over eighty ; Mr. Joel Dassie, now living, between 

 eighty-five and ninety. 



Face of the Country, Nature of the Soil. — A few 

 years since. Dr. Cotting made an examination of this county, 

 and from his report we extract the following information : 

 " The northern part of the county, except a small tract for 

 the distance of twenty miles immediately upon the river, is 

 pine-barren, with occasional small circular patches denomi- 

 nated ' sinks.' The land, except for a year or two after clear- 

 ing, is unproductive. It has a sub-soil of coarse ferruginous 

 sand and clay. With the exception of a tract of land on the 

 E. bank of the Flint river, owned by Mrs. Williams, and some 

 small strips of alluvium and hemlock, there is not much good 

 land near the river N. of Bainbridge. In the N. E. extremity 

 there are excellent tracts of land containing lime and well pro- 



