David Brydie Mitchell | |
|---|---|
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| 27thGovernor of Georgia | |
| In office November 10, 1809 – November 5, 1813 | |
| Preceded by | Jared Irwin |
| Succeeded by | Peter Early |
| In office November 20, 1815 – March 4, 1817 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Early |
| Succeeded by | William Rabun |
| Attorney General of Georgia | |
| In office 1796–1806 | |
| Governor | Jared Irwin James Jackson David Emanuel Josiah Tattnall John Milledge |
| Preceded by | George Walker |
| Succeeded by | Robert Walker |
| Member of theGeorgia Senate | |
| Member of theGeorgia House of Representatives | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1766-10-22)October 22, 1766 Muthill,Perthshire,Scotland |
| Died | April 22, 1837(1837-04-22) (aged 70) Milledgeville,Georgia,U.S. |
| Profession | Lawyer |
David Brydie Mitchell (October 22, 1766 – April 22, 1837) was a Scottish born American politician in Georgia who was elected in 1809 asgovernor of the state, serving two terms. He was elected again in 1815 for one term.
Mitchell moved to Georgia at the age of 24. He had earlier been elected as mayor ofSavannah and was appointed asstate attorney general. He also served three terms in theGeorgia General Assembly, two in theHouse of Representatives, and one in theSenate.
Mitchell resigned from the governorship in 1817 to accept an appointment by PresidentJames Monroe as United StatesIndian Agent to theCreek Nation in their lands in present-day Georgia and Alabama. He followed the more than two-decade tenure ofBenjamin Hawkins. In 1820 he was prosecuted for being involved in smuggling of American slaves from Spanish Florida. He was replaced in 1821 by President Monroe, who appointedJohn Crowell.
Mitchell was born inMuthill,Perthshire,Scotland, on October 22, 1766. As a young man, he inherited land in Georgia from his late uncle.
He moved to Georgia in 1782 after theAmerican Revolutionary War toSavannah, Georgia, to claim it.[1] Enthusiastic about the new country, Mitchell read the law with established attorneys and passed the bar. He was elected as mayor of Savannah (1801–1802) and made connections statewide.
Mitchell married Jane Mills in 1792, and according to family records the couple had six children: William, John, Sara, Edward, Mary, and David II.[2]
Mitchell was appointed as Attorney General of Georgia (1796–1806). He moved to Mount Nebo Plantation, near the state capital ofMilledgeville. He served three terms in theGeorgia General Assembly, two as arepresentative and one in theSenate.
Mitchell was elected to two consecutive two-year terms as the27th Governor of Georgia (1809–1813) and a third non-consecutive term from 1815 to 1817.
He resigned from his third term as governor to accept appointment by PresidentJames Monroe as theU.S. agent to theCreek Indians. One of Mitchell's responsibilities was the negotiation of theTreaty of the Creek Agency (1818), by which the Creek ceded land to the United States. He was accused in the American Importation Case of 1820 (seeThe Antelope) of smuggling slaves into Creek and US territory, in violation of the1808 law against the American slave trade. While his direct responsibility remains controversial, Mitchell allowed those engaged in this illegal activity to seek refuge for their captives at the agency he supervised along theFlint River.[3] The incident resulted in a major inquiry and his dismissal by President James Monroe in 1821.[1] Beginning in 1828, Mitchell was appointed to serve as the inferior court judge ofBaldwin County, Georgia. He was elected as Baldwin County's State Senator in 1836.
Mitchell died at Mount Nebo Plantation, his home in Milledgeville, on April 22, 1837. He is buried atMemory Hill Cemetery of the same city.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Mayor of Savannah 1801–1802 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Georgia 1809–1813 | Succeeded by Peter Early |
| Preceded by | Governor of Georgia 1815–1817 | Succeeded by |
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