FOR REFERENCE

Do Not Take From This Room




A HISTORY OF

SAVANNAH

AND

SOUTH GEORGIA



BY

WILLIAM HARDEN



VOLUME II



ILLUSTRATED



27192.



THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY

CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913



Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2012 with funding from

LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation



http://archive.org/details/histsavanna02hard




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History of
Savannah and South Georgia



Ancestors op Wtmberley Jones De Renne. The first of the Jones
family to come out from England to America was Dr. Noble Jones, the
great-great-grandfather of Wymberley Jones De Renne, at present
living upon the old family estate, Wormsloe Plantation, near Savan-
nah. Dr. Noble Jones was the father of Noble Wymberley Jones, the
grandfather of Dr. George Jones, and the great-grandfather of George
Wymberley Jones De Renne. Hereafter follow accounts in greater or
less detail of the lives of each of these gentlemen, who have since their
earliest connection with America been makers of her history, and prom-
inent and successful in a high degree.

Dr. Noble Jones was bred to the profession of physic and lived at
Lambeth, a village in the County of Surrey, situated on the south side
of the river Thames, opposite Westminster, in which county his an-
cestors were born and resided. Being intimately acquainted with Gen-
eral Oglethorpe, he was induced by the general to accompany him on
his first voyage to America in 1732. This friendship lasted all their
lives. After General Oglethorpe returned to England to live, he sent
Colonel Jones his portrait, with his Indian pupil standing by his side,
reading. This portrait was lost when Savannah was captured by the
English.

Dr. Noble Jones' family then consisted only of his wife and two chil-
dren — a daughter and a son, Noble Wymberley Jones. It was his first
intention to accompany the general without his family, but his wife
objected to being left. Having promised the General to accompany
him, he concluded to bring his family, not however, with an intention
of remaining permanently, but after his arrival he was so pleased with
the country that he decided to stay. Before leaving England, Doctor
Jones, by deeds, to which the seal of the corporation of the Trustees of
the Colony of Georgia was affixed, was appointed, November 7, 1732,
conservator of the peace, and on the' next day, November 8, 1732, he
was appointed recorder in the place of Thomas Christie. How long he
remained recorder is not certain, but he still held that office in 1735,
and was succeeded by Thomas Christie. He was appointed surveyor
by General Oglethorpe February 1, 1734, but did not give satisfaction
and was discharged by the trustees and also suspended from the office
of constable, which he had held for some time. To the last office he was
soon re-appointed. That he was a good surveyor was testified to by Mr.
Stephens in a letter to 'the trustees December 31, 1740. Other letters
endorsed Mr. Stephens' opinion. He was also appointed by General
Oglethorpe "Agent for the Indians," and for Tomo-chi-chi in partic-
ular.

533



534 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

During this time he was very active protecting the southern frontier.
He writes to General Oglethorpe July 6, 1735: "I have been twice to
the most southern parts of the province ; the first time upon an alarm
with about fifty men (all volunteers except ye scout boat), the particu-
lars of which voyage (for fear of false account comes to your hands) I
will send by next. The second time was with Captain Dunbar, who, I
do not doubt, has informed you thereof before now."

The constables were responsible for the colonists attending to their
military duties, and Jones and Pallowfield are mentioned as the two
constables "in whom the civil and military power was lodged." Each
of these two controlled three wards.

On the 10th of April, 1738, Mr. Stephens writes: "The two consta-
bles, Jones and Fallowfield (which was all we had), came early to town
on the present occasion, conferring on the affair they came about, which
was more immediately to look into the condition of the arms. It was
resolved (for experiment's sake) to order the drum to beat immediately
to arms, that thereby we might see how alert the people were and what
number would get together on a sudden without previous notice. It was
so done, and in less than an hour's time we saw eighty odd men in the
center of the town with their proper arms, well appointed, and all able
men, freeholders. Such as were absent were, almost every man, abroad
busy planting."

. When General Oglethorpe invaded Florida and laid siege to St.
Augustine, some forty volunteers under Noble Jones joined the South
Carolina regiment, in which he held a lieutenant's commission. On their
return the company was disbanded in Savannah, according to the Gen-
eral's orders, and Noble Jones was sent to Charleston to collect the pay
due them.

Soon after Noble Jones' arrival in the colony, he leased from the
trustees the southern end of the Isle of Hope ; later he received a grant
from the trustees, which, in turn, was exchanged for a royal grant when
the crown took charge of the colony. He named his place Wormsloe
and built on it a watch house to protect Jones' Narrows. Later he built
a large, tabby fort, the ruins of which are still well defined. This fort
was successfully defended by his daughter Mary against a party of
Indians during her father's absence. The other two-thirds of the Isle
of Hope were owned by Messrs. Fallowfield and Parker. All three
acted as magistrates at the same time "by Colonel Oglethorpe's orders
until the trustees' further pleasure be known." Wormsloe is mentioned
in the London Magazine of August, 1745; "We arrived in somewhat
more than two days at the Narrows, where there is a kind of Manehic-
olas Fort for their defense, garrisoned from Wormsloe, where we soon
arrived. It is the settlement of Mr. Jones, ten miles southeast of Savan-
nah, and we could not help observing, as we passed, several pretty plan-
tations. Wormsloe is one of the most agreeable spots I ever saw. ami
the improvements of that ingenious man are very extraordinary. He
commands a company of marines who are quartered in huts near his
place, which is a tolerable defensive place with small arms. From this
house thcn> is a vista of near three miles cut through the woods to Mr.
Whitefield's orphan house, which has a very fine effect on the sight."

When the Spaniards invaded Georgia in 1742. Noble Jones who was
in command of a company of scouts with General Oglethorpe's regimen!
on St. Simons, prepared to resist the Spanish army which had landed
there. It was through his vigilance that General Oglethorpe was en-
abled to surprise and thoroughly defeat them at Bloody Marsh. Cap-
tain McCall gives the following account of this affair: "Capt. Noble
Jones, with a detachment of regulars and Indians, being out on a scout-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 535

ing expedition, fell in with a small detachment of the enemy's advance,
who were surprised and made prisoners. From these prisoners informa-
tion was obtained that the whole Spanish army was advancing. This
was immediately communicated by an Indian runner to the General, who
detached Captain Dunbar with a company of grenadiers to join the
Regulars and Indians, with orders to harass the enemy on their advance.
These detachments, having formed a junction, observed at a distance
the Spanish army on the march, and, taking a favorable position near
a marsh, formed an ambuscade. The enemy fortunately halted within
one hundred paces of this position, stacked their arms and made tires
and were preparing their kettles for cooking when a horse observed
some of the party in ambuscade, and, frightened at the uniform of the
soldiers, began to snort and gave the alarm. The Spaniards ran to their
arms, but were shot down in great numbers by Oglethorpe's detachment,
who continued invisible to the enemy, and after repeated attempts to
form, in which some of their prominent officers fell, they fled with the
utmost precipitation, leaving their camp equipage on the field, and
never halted until they got under cover of the guns of their battery
and ships."

The first official notice of the appointment of Noble Jones as a cap-
tain was on the 21st of March, 1842-43. Egmont's Journal has this
reference : ' ' Noble Jones, made a captain by Oglethorpe, ' ' but he ful-
filled the duties of a captain, and was so called before that date. After
his return from the Spanish campaign he seems to have devoted himself
to his scout boat duties (captain of which he had been named by Gen-
eral Oglethorpe), and to the improvement of Wormsloe. He raised
mulberry trees and silk worms, and the colony in a measure depended
upon him for worm seed.

He and Captain Demetree cruised together with scout boats to in-
tercept unlawful trading at Tybee. On December 22, 1739, "with boat
well armed he captured a schooner in Ossybaw Sound and carried her
around to Tybee."

Meanwhile, he did not neglect his military duties in Savannah, and
when in 1749 Mary Musgrave, now Mary Bosomworth, assumed the
title of Independent Empress, and, putting herself at the head of a
large body of warriors, set out for Savannah to demand from the presi-
dent and council a formal acknowledgment of her assumed rights the
militia was ready to receive her. President Stephens put the town into
the best state of defense possible and received the Indians boldly. Jones'
History of Georgia says : ' ' The militia was ordered under arms, and as
the Indians entered town Capt. Noble Jones at the head of a troop of
horses stopped them and demanded to know whether their visit was of
a friendly or hostile nature. Receiving no reply he commanded them
to ground their arms, declaring that his instructions were not to suffer
an armed Indian to set foot in the town, and that he was determined
to enforce the order at every hazard. The Indians reluctantly sub-
mitted. Later, at their solicitations, their arms were returned to them,
but strict orders were issued not to allow them any ammunition. When
at last an amicable adjustment of existing difficulties had been effected,
Mary, drunk with liquor, rushed into the Assembly and told the presi-
dent that the Indians were her people and that he had no business with
them. Mary had been arrested and locked up and had just been released.
The president calmly threatened to confine her again. Turning to Mal-
achte in a great rage, she repeated to him with some ill-natured com-
ments what the president had said. Malatche thereupon sprung from
his seat, laid hold of his arms, and calling upon the rest to follow his
example, dared any man to touch his queen. In a moment the whole



536 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

house was filled with tumult and uproar. Every Indian having a
tomahawk in his hand, the president expected nothing but instant death.
During this confusion, Capt. Noble Jones, who commanded the guard,
with wonderful courage interposed and ordered the Indians immediately
to surrender their arms. This they reluctantly did. Mary was con-
veyed to a private room, where a guard was placed over her, and all
further communication with the Indians was denied her during her
stay in Savannah."

About this time the expediency of subordinating Georgia to South
Carolina was in certain high quarters seriously discussed and gave the
trustees some concern. Before they could communicate with President
Stephens, Captain Demetree landed at Causton's Bluff with boats,
which, having brought the last of Oglethorpe's disbanded regiment to
Charleston on their way to England, were returning to Frederiea in
his charge. He had a small detachment of ten or twelve men and said
that he was on his way to Frederiea to assume command at that point ;
that he took orders only from the governor of South Carolina, and that
the trustees were cognizant of the fact. As he failed to report to the
president and his assistants and disclose to them his orders or his inten-
tions, they were at a loss to understand his extraordinary conduct and
ordered Capt. Noble Jones to wait upon him and demand an explanation
of and an apology for his discourtesy. Captain Demetree 's reply to
Captain Jones was that he was acting under the instructions from His
Grace, the Duke of Bedford, and that he was to receive his orders from
and report only to the governor of South Carolina. He reluctantly
appeared before the council in answer to their summons. After Cap-
tain Demetree had made ample apology to the council, he was permitted
to assume command of the military forces stationed at Frederiea. The
annexation of Georgia to South Carolina was to be accomplished at this
time by stationing officers from three independent South Carolina com-
panies in proper places in Georgia, "to preserve the possession of the
province. ' '

On July 13, 1750, the trustees recommended to the common council
that Noble Jones be appointed an assistant in and for the province
of Georgia, and the appointment under seal was sent to him Julv 16,
1750.

On April 18, 1751, the trustees recommended to the common council
his appointment as Register of the Province, and his appointment fol-
lowed on May 24, 1751.

About the middle of May of this year news came from Augusta
that there was fear of an Indian invasion. ' ' Accordingly the Magazine
was examined, officers were appointed and ordered to muster and discip-
line the militia, a troop of horses was ordered to be raised composed
of such inhabitants as were possessed of three hundred acres of land.
Noble Jones was appointed Colonel, and his son, Noble Wymberley
Jones, who had been a cadet in Oglethorpe's regiment, was appointed
to command the Dragoons."

The alarm was exaggerated, but it served to bring out the militia.
which consisted of 220 men, infantry and cavalry, and when they
paraded (on the 16th of April, 1751, under the then Capt. Noble Jones)
they "behaved well and made a pretty appearance." Noble Jones
was appointed to "accompany Mr, Robinson in his inquiry into the state
of the colony." According to Mr. Habersham, he was a stiff church-
man and took a great deal of voluntary trouble in building the church,
and in all church matters greatly aiding his friend. Rev. Mr. Zouber-
buhler.

In the last year of the trustee's government of the colony, he was



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 537

captain of the Marines and scout boat at Wormsloe, assistant to the'
president, register of the province, commissioner to treat with the
Indians, member of the council to report on the state of the colony, and
colonel of the regiment.

The trustees surrendered the colony to the British government on
the 23d of June, 1752, and Benjamin Martin was appointed agent of the
colony in England. Upon the death of President Parker, who had
succeeded President Stephens (the first president of the colony appointed
m April, 1741), Patrick Graham became president. His assistants were
James Habersham, Noble Jones, Pickering Robinson and Francis Harris.

On the 6th of August, 1754, Capt. John Reynolds was appointed
governor of the province and Noble Jones was confirmed as member of
councils. On the 27th of November, 1754, Governor Reynolds, with
the advice of the board, appointed Noble Jones and William Spencer,
esquires, judges to hold the approaching court of oyer and terminer,
and on December 12, 1754, Noble Jones and Jonathan Bryan were
appointed as judges to hold the first general court in the province.

On March 29, 1757, "Noble Jones of His Majesty's Council, was
appointed one of the new commissioners of the peace." This appoint-
ment was made before the Lords of Trade had heard from Governor
Reynolds, who on Wednesday, December 15, 1756 "acquainted the
board that he had thought proper to suspend Noble Jones, Esq., from
all offices, for reasons which he would lay before the king." Governor
Reynolds "removed Mr. Noble Jones from the board and bench to gratify
Mr. Little, and it is positively affirmed, to promote the establishment
of Bosomworth's titles to the Indian lands with a view to sharing the
spoils." Governor Reynolds was summoned to England to answer for
his conduct in Georgia. He embarked in a merchant vessel in February,
1757, resigning the government into the hands of Lieutenant Governor
Henry Ellis, who became governor in chief on May 17, 1758. Noble
Jones was re-instated by an order of the English council to Governor
Ellis May 31, 1759, with his former precedence as councillor and also
as senior justice of the general court.

Under Governor Ellis he was one of His Majesty's council, senior
justice of the general court, colonel of the regiment and treasurer of
the province, having been appointed to this last office by Governor Ellis
on the 16th of February, 1760. "He had no salary, but a commission
of five per cent, which on the last year's tax amounted to sixty- five
pounds sterling, and may this year amount to eighty pounds. " Governor
Ellis resigned his office on account of ill-health and handed over the
government to Lieutenant-Governor James Wright, who was appointed
governor in chief on the 20th of March, 1761. In the following letter
to the Lords of the board of trade, Governor Wright commends Noble
Jones' services as chief justice of the colony after Mr. Simpson's death
and before Mr. Anthony Stokes ' arrival :

Savannah, Ga., Sept. 28, 1769.
"My Lords: — I take the liberty to acquaint your lordships that
Noble Jones, Esq., senior judge of the courts here, has in every respect
done and performed the office and duties of chief justice from 20th of
October, 1768, when Mr. Simpson died, to the arrival of Mr. Stokes ; and
although Mr. Jones was not bred to the law, yet I believe that justice
only was administered during that time and with integrity, and I have
not heard any complaint made or fault found with his conduct. I
therefore submit to your lordships whether it may not be reasonable
that Mr. Jones shall receive the salary from the death of Mr. Simpson
to the appointment of Mr. Stokes, and half of it from the appointment



538 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEOKGIA

of .Mr. Stokes to his arrival here. I have given Mr. Jones two certificates
of his having done his duty here and have the honor to be, my Lords,
Your Lordships' most obedient and obliging servant,

James Wright,
The Right Honorable Lords of Trade."

On the 10th of July, 1771, Governor Wright availed himself of a
leave of absence, and three days afterward Mr. James Habersham took
the usual oath of office and entered upon the discharge of the guberna-
torial duties.

In a long letter to the Earl of Hillsborough, Governor Habersham
relates that the assembly had against royal orders elected Noble Wyin-
berley Jones, the son of Noble Jones, three times speaker in succes-
sion, and that they refused to leave this fact out of their minutes on
the subsequent election of Archibald Bulloch, and that he had dissolved
the assembly. Noble Wymberley Jones was as ardent a patriot as Noble
Jones, his father, was a thorough Royalist. His opposition to the crown
and his upholding of the cause of liberty seems to have embittered
Mr. Habersham, who, not able to punish the son, brought his spleen to
bear upon the father. He writes to the Earl of Hillsborough, April 30,
1772: "My Lord, it is very painful to me to say or even insinuate a
disrespectful word of anyone, and every person who knows me will
acknowledge that it is contrary to my disposition to dip my pen in gall;
but I can not help considering Mr. Jones ' conduct for some time past in
opposing public business as very ungrateful and unworthy of a good
man, as his family have reaped more advantages from government than
any one I know in this province. He was several years first lieutenant
and sergeant in a company of rangers paid by the crown, and in these
capacities met with great indulgence. His father is the king's treasurer,
and if I am not mistaken, reaps very considerable emoluments from it.
But his accounts have never been clearly stated and examined by any
assembly that I know of; and such an inquiry may not be agreeable.
Governor Wright in his speech to the assembly in October, 1770, recom-
mended our financial and public accounts to be examined entire but that
assembly was dissolved in February following and no steps taken there-
in, and many people suspect that this very necessary examination
operates with some to retard and impede progress. I sincerely meant
to recommend this inquiry to the late assembly in the strongest terms,
and as we now have no assembly I shall require the treasurer to lay
before me in council a clear account of the produce of our funds, also
the certificates that have been issiaed for different purposes, and of
every account that may be necessary to post me with the state of the
treasury, and after that is done I shall pursue such measures as seem
necessary for the service of his majesty and the province, of which I
shall inform your lordship."

That the treasurer's accounts were examined and approved of at
times by the deputy auditor and the governor, is shown by a treasury
account signed "Noble Jones, treasurer," February 26, 1767. Audited
by Gray Elliott, Det. And. Gen., 6th February, and approved by James
Wright 10th of February.

On further deliberation Mr. Habersham either found out that the
accounts had been audited, or that an investigation was unnecessary,
as there is no record of one having taken place — and as Noble Jones
continued treasurer until the day of his death, which occurred three
years afterward, it would seem reasonable to suppose that Mr. Haber-
sham's fears were groundless. During Governor Wright's administra-
tion he took part in all important matters appertaining to Georgia,



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 539

and his fidelity and absolute devotion to the crown were unswerving.
In a card appearing in the Georgia Gazette, September 7, 1774, his
name appears with James Habersham, Josiah Tattnall and ninety-three
others, criticizing the meeting at Tondee's Tavern in Savannah, and pro-
testing that the resolutions there should not be adopted as reflecting the
sentiments of the people of Georgia. He performed his judicial duties
up to the last. Upon the assembling of the general court on the loth of
October, 1775, one of the jurors summoned refused to be sworn. Others
"behaved insolently," and the conduct of the business was practically
obstructed. Mr. Noble Jones, one of the associate justices, was then
"lying extremely ill." He died on the second of November following,
at Wormsloe, and was buried near the fort on the place he loved so
well. His remains were removed from Wormsloe to the colonial bury-
ing ground in Savannah, and later to Bonaventure cemetery near
Savannah. His death was hastened by the dissensions among the Colon-
ists ; he could not sympathize with the idea of separation from or
independence of the mother country, and he saw nothing but storms
and trouble ahead for his beloved Georgia. During a long life, in which
he held nearly every office in the province, if he was found fault with
he never failed upon investigation of the charges against him to rise
higher in the public esteem. Notwithstanding the zealous patriotism
of Noble Wymberly Jones, he was a devoted son, and though then first
elected a member of the continental congress, remained with his father
at Wormsloe until the latter 's death. On Noble Jones' tombstone at
Bonaventure cemetery is inscribed the following :

NOBLE JONES, of Wormsloe, Esq.,



SENIOR JUDGE OF THE GENERAL COURT AND ACTING CHIEF
JUSTICE OF THE PROVINCE OF GEORGIA.



FOR TWENTY-ONE YEARS MEMBER AND SOMETIMES PRESI-
DENT OF HIS MAJESTY'S COUNCIL.



COLONEL OF THE FIRST GEORGIA REGIMENT.



DIED NOVEMBER 2, 1775. AGED 73.

W. J. DE RENNE.



Noble Wymberley Jones, already mentioned in connection with some
of the more important concerns of the Province of Georgia, was born
near London, England, in 1723. Coming to Georgia at a tender age
he secured an appointment as a cadet in Oglethorpe's regiment. Hav-
ing studied medicine and received his degree, he was promoted to first
lieutenant, and with the rank and pay of surgeon, was assigned to a
company of rangers in the pay of the crown. After a few years passed
in military service he resigned from the army and entered upon the
practice of his profession in Savannah. He arose rapidly in the public
esteem as a citizen and physician, winning golden opinions from the
community. No idle spectator of passing events or indifferent to politi-
cal preferment, he was in 1768 elected speaker of the Lower House of
the Assembly of the Province of Georgia. By that body he was placed
upOn a committee to correspond with Dr. Benjamin Franklin— who
had been appointed an agent "to represent, solicit and truthfully
account the affairs of the colony of Georgia in Great Britain" — and
gave such instructions as might appear necessary for the public wel-



540 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

fare. Re-elected to this position iu 1770, so pronounce'd and influential
had become his views and conduct in opposition to the objectionable
and oppressive acts of parliament, and in support of American ideals,
that Governor Wright, exercising the power vested in him, refused to
sanction this choice and ordered the house to select another speaker.

Incensed at this affront offered to one who had been aptly termed
the Morning Star of Liberty in Georgia, and resenting what they
deemed an unwarrantable interference with the power resting solely
with them to nominate and judge of the qualifications of their own pre-
siding officer, the members of the house passed resolutions complimen-
tary to Dr. Jones and declared that the "sense and approbation this
house entertains of his conduct can never be lessened by any slight cast
upon him in opposition to the unanimous voice of the Commons House of
the Assembly in particular and the Province in general." Criticising
the action of the executive, they resolved "that this rejection by the
governor of a speaker unanimously elected was a high breach of the
privileges of the house and tended to subvert the most valued rights
and liberties of the people and their representatives." This bold asser-
tion the council was pleased to stigmatize as "a most indecent and
insolent denial of his majesty's authority," and the governor, wielding
the only punitive weapon at his command, dissolved the assembly on the
22d day of February, 1770.

Adhering to the preference shown on a former occasion, and re-
solving to rebuke the late interference on the part of the executive,
at the first session of the eighth General Assembly of the Province,
convened at Savannah on the 21st day of April, 1772, the Commons
house perfected its organization by electing Dr. Jones as speaker.
Officially informed of this action, the Hon. James Habersham, who,
during the absence of Sir James Wright, was occupying the guber-
natorial chair, responded: "I have his Majesty's commands to put a
negative upon the speaker now elected by the Commons House, which
I accordingly do; and desire that you will inform the house that I
direct them to proceed to a new choice of speaker. ' '

Despite this inhibition, and in direct opposition to the injunction
of the executive, thrice did the house adhere to its selection; and it was
only by dissolving the assembly that the governor was able to carry
his point. It was upon this occasion that Governor Habersham wrote
the letter of April 30, 1772, to the Earl of Hillsborough, commenting
at length upon this matter, and which is quoted in the foregoing date
upon the life of Col. Noble Jones.

The truth is, that while Gov. Habersham was loyally seeking to
carry out the instructions of the king and to support the authority of
Parliament, Dr. Jones "was in sympathy with those who considered
taxation without representation as wholly unauthorized, and who were
zealous in maintaining what they regarded as the reserved rights of the
colonists, and the privileges of provincial legislatures." Both were
true men but they viewed the situation from different standpoints.
An honored servant of the crown, Mr. Habersham was confronted with
peculiar duties and stringent oaths. Dr. Jones, on the contrary, was
a representative elected by the people, was free to give expression to
his own views and the sense of his constituents at an epoch when
American liberty was being freely discussed and proclaimed. Of each
it may be fairly said that he was pure in purpose, wise in counsel, and
fearless in action, enjoying in a conspicuous degree the esteem and
affection of the community. But their political paths henceforward di-
verged. The one clave to the crown and shared its fortunes, while the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 541

other cast his lot with the Revolutionists aud became a favored leader
of the patriot band.

With Archibald Bulloch, John Houstoun and John Walton, he is-
sued the public call on July 20, 1774, which convened the citizens of
Georgia at the Watch House in Savannah. The resolutions then adopted,
and the measures there inaugurated, gathering potency and allegiance as
they were discussed and comprehended, proved effective in unifying
public sentiment in support of the plans suggested by the Liberty Party,
and paved the way for sundering the ties which bound the Province to the
British empire. Of the committees then raised to conduct the public
affairs of the colony and to minister to the relief of the "suffering
poor" of Boston, Noble Wymberley Jones was an active member. He
was also elected with Archibald Bulloch and John Houstoun, a dele-
gate to the Continental Congress, by a convention of patriots assembled
at Savannah on the 8th of December, 1774, and again by the Provin-
cial Congress of January, 1775. These three, concluding very properly
that inasmuch as they had been nominated by the political convocation
which in reality embraced only four of the twelve parishes then con-
stituting the Province of Georgia, they could not be justly regarded as
representatives of the entire colony, were yet persuaded that the will
of those who commissioned them should be formally made known and
the mind of Georgia be freely interpreted, and on the 6th of April,
1775, addressed the following communication to the president of the
Continental Congress:

' ' Sir : The unworthy part which the Province of Georgia has acted
in this great contest leaves room to expect little less than censure or
even indignation of every virtuous man in America. Although on
the one hand we feel the justice of such a consequence with respect to
the Province in general, yet on the other hand, we claim an exemption
• from it in favor of some individuals who wished a better conduct.
Permit us therefore in behalf of ourselves and many others of our fel-
low citizens warmly attached to the cause to lay before the respectable
body over which you preside, a few facts, which we trust will not only
acquit us of supineness, but also cause our conduct to be approved by
all candid and dispassionate men.

"At the time the late congress did this Province the honor to trans-
mit to it an extract from their proceedings, included in a friendly letter
from the Honorable Mr. Middleton, the sense and disposition of the
people in general seemed to fluctuate between liberty and convenience.
In order to bring on a determination respecting the measures recom-
mended, few well affected persons in Savannah, by public advertisement
in the Gazette, requested a meeting of all the parishes and districts by
delegates or representatives, in Provincial Congress. On the day ap-
pointed for this meeting, with concern they found that only five out of
twelve parishes to which they had particularly written, had nominated
and sent down delegates; and even some of these five had laid their
representatives under injunctions as to the form of an association.
Under these circumstances those who met saw themselves a good deal
embarrassed. However, one expedient seemed still to present itself.
The house of assembly was then sitting, and it was hoped there would
be no doubt of a majority in favor of American freedom. The plan
therefore was to go through what business they could in Provincial
Congress, and then with a short address to present the same to the
house of assembly, who it was hoped would by votes in a few minutes
and before prerogative should interfere, make it the act of the whole
Province.



542 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

"Accordingly the congress framed and agreed to such an associa-
tion and did such other business as appeared practicable with the peo-
ple, and had the whole just ready to be presented, when the governor,
cither treacherously informed, or shrewdly suspecting the step, put an
end to the session. What then, could the congress do ? On the one
hand, truth forbid them to call their proceedings the voice of the
Province, there being but five out of twelve of the parishes concerned ;
on the other, they lacked strength sufficient to enforce them on the
principle of necessity. They found the inhabitants of Savannah not
likely soon to give matters a favorable turn. The importers were mostly
against any interruption and the consumers very much divided. There
were some of the latter virtuously for the measures ; others strenuously
against them ; but more that called themselves naturals than either.
Thus situated, there appeared nothing before us but the alternative
of either commencing a civil war among ourselves, or else of patiently
waiting for the measures to be recommended by the general congress.

"Among a powerful people provided with men, money and con-
veniences, and by whose conduct others were to be regulated, the former
would certainly be the result that would suggest itself to every man
removed from the condition of a coward; but in a small community
like Savannah (whose members are mostly in their first advance to-
wards wealth and independence, destitute of even the necessities of life
within themselves, and from whose junction of silence so little would be
had or lost to the general cause), the latter presented itself as the most
eligible plan, and was adopted by the people. Party disputes and ani-
mosities have occasionally prevailed and show that the spirit of free-
dom is not extinguished, but only resting for a time until an oppor-
tunity shall offer for calling it forth.

"The congress convened at Savannah did us the honor of choosing
us delegates to meet your respectable body at Philadelphia on the 10th
of next month. We were sensible of the honor and importance of
the appointment and would gladly have rendered our country any ser-
vice our poor abilities would permit of; but alas with what face could
we have appeared for a Province whose inhabitants had refused to
sacrifice the most trifling advantages to the public cause, and in whose
behalf we did not think we could safely pledge ourselves for the exe-
cution of any measures whatever?

"We do not mean to insinuate that those who appointed us would
prove apostate or desert their opinions, but that the tide of opposition
was great ; that all the strength and virtue of these our friends might
not be sufficient for the purpose. We beg, sir, you will view our rea-
sons for not attending in a liberal point of light. Be pleased to make
the most favorable representation of them to the honorable, the mem-
bers of congress. We believe we may take upon ourselves the satisfac-
tion, notwithstanding all that has passed, that there are still men in
Georgia who, when occasion shall require, will be ready to evince a
steady allegiance and manly attachment to the liberties of America.
For the consolation of these they find themselves in the neighborhood
of a Province whose virtue and magnanimity must and will do lasting
honor to the cause, and in whose fate they seem disposed freely to
insolve their own.

"We have the honor to be. sir. your most obedient and very hum-
ble servants,

Noble Wymberley Jones,
Archibald Bulloch,
John Houstoun."



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 543

The news of the affairs at Concord and Lexington reached Savannah
on the 10th of May and caused the wildest excitement. The thunders
of the 19th of April aroused the Georgia Parishes from their lethargy
and multiplied patriots within their borders. The magazines at the
eastern extremity of Savannah, — built of brick and sunk some twelve
feet under ground, — contained a considerable amount of ammunition.
So substantial was thus structure that Governor Wright deemed it
unnecessary to post a guard for its protection. The excited revolu-
tionists all over the land cried aloud for powder. Impressed with the
importance of securing the contents of this magazine, there quietly
assembled Dr. Noble AVymberley Jones, Joseph Habersham, Edward
Telfair, William Gibbons, Joseph Clay, John Milledge and some other
gentlemen, at the residence of Dr. Jones, at a late hour on the night ,of
the 11th of May, 1775, and proceeding to the magazine, broke it open
and removed therefrom some six hundred pounds of powder. A portion
of the rest was sent to Beaufort, South Carolina, for safe keeping, and
the rest was concealed in the garrets and cellars of the houses of the
captors. Although Governor Wright offered a reward of one hundred
and fifty pounds sterling for the apprehension of the offenders, it failed
to elicit any favor, although the actors in the affair are said to have
been well known in the council. The tradition lives and is generally
credited that some of the powder so obtained was forwarded to Cam-
bridge and was actually expended by the patriots in the memorable battle
of Bunker Hill.

On the 22d of June, 1775, in response to a call signed by Dr. N. W.
Jones, Archibald Bulloch, John Houstoun and George Walton, many of
the inhabitants of the town and district of Savannah assembled at the
Liberty Pole in Savannah and elected a council of safety with instruc-
tions to maintain an active correspondence with the continental con-
gress and with the councils of safety both in Georgia and other prov-
inces, with a view to bringing about a union of Georgia with her sister
colonies in the cause of freedom.

Of the provincial congress which assembled in Savannah on the
4th of July, 1775, Dr. Jones was a member accredited from the •town
and district of Savannah." In this congress every parish was repre-
sented. Dr. Jones was of the committee then selected to frame a suitable
address to the inhabitants of Georgia, advising them of the true nature
of the disputes existing between Great Britain and her American colo-
nies, and informing them of the deliberations and conclusions of the
present congress. He was also chosen with John Habersham, Archibald
Bulloch, Rev. Dr. Zubly and Dr. Lyman Hall to represent Georgia in
the Continental Congress. Georgia was now in acknowledged sympathy
witli her sisters and took her place by regular representation in the
national assembly. Of the Council of Safety which ordered the arrest
of Governor Wright, Dr. Jones was a member.

Upon the capture of Savannah in December, 1778, Dr. Jones removed
to Charleston, South Carolina. There, upon the fall of that city in 1780,
he was taken prisoner by the British and sent in captivity to St. Augus-
tine, Florida. Exchanged in July. 17S1. he went to Philadelphia and
there entered upon the practice of his profession. While a resident of
that city he was elected to the Continental Congress by the General
Assembly of Georgia.

Shortly after its evacuation by the king's forces in 1782. Dr. Jones
returned to Savannah, repaired the desolations which war had wrought
in his comfortable home, and resumed his professional labors. He was
a member of the committee which received and saluted President ^Vash-
ington with an address of welcome upon the occasion of his visit to



544 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Savannah in 1791. Dr. Jones presided over the constitutional convention
which assembled at Louisville, Jefferson county, in May, 1795, and
amended the constitution of Georgia. In 1804 he was president of the
Georgia Medical Society. He died in Savannah, January 9, 1805,
honored by the community as an accomplished gentleman, an influential
citizen, a skillful physician and a sterling patriot.

Of his son, Dr. George Jones, no fitter expression as to his life and
work might be made than is embodied in a set of resolutions adopted
at a meeting of the bar of the federal and state courts, at the court
house in Savannah, on November 14, 1838, on the day following his
death. Here is given entire the resolutions adopted on that sad occasion :
"Dr. George Jones, a distinguished citizen of Savannah, died November
13, 1838. His career of public service began in early youth. He endured,
the last two years of the Revolutionary war, the hardships of a soldier,
and manifested, in confinement on board an English prison ship, the
fortitude and constancy of a youthful patriot. When the war was
concluded, though still a very young man, he received strong proofs of
public confidence by being placed in official relations to his fellow
citizens, the duties of which required the ability, discretion and industry
of matured manhood. He was subsequently one of Georgia 's prominent
legislators, and in the convention which framed our present constitution,
was a leading member as a delegate from Chatham county. He was
frequently afterward a member of the general assembly in both branches.
Its history shows him to have been pure and disinterested, at all times
inflexible in support of correct principles and in opposition to those
schemes of personal aggrandizement which were unfortunately corruptly
consummated by the alienation of the most valuable portion of the
state's territory. The estimation in which his character and attainments
were held induced the legislature, though he was not a lawyer, to elect
him judge of the superior court for the eastern circuit. His demeanor
as a judge was dignified, courteous and patient, and when he voluntarily
retired from' the appointment it was regretted by the bar, the officers
of the court and the public. From the bench he was transferred to the
senate of the United States. His services in that capacity being ter-
minated, he was called by general consent to other stations of usefulness.
"It was truly said of him that he took office from a sense of obligation
rather than from any desire for distinction. He was for many years
one of the members of the superior court, and its record showed that he
was a faithful administrator of its duties, vigilant in all that regarded
the rights of the widow and orphan. He served efficiently as mayor of
Savannah for two years, from September, 1812, to September, 1814.

"He was amiable, philanthropic, considerate, firm, forbearing, deli-
cate in his intercourse with society. He had a modesty in speech and
manner, at all times and to all persons, worthy of remembrance and
imitation, and to these graces were added the belief and humility of a
Christian. ' '

In setting forth details concerning the life of George Wyinberley-
Jones De Renne, it has seemed expedient to make free quotation of
excerpts from an address given by a prominent resident of Savannah
on an occasion of considerable importance. Here follows portions of
the address referred to; with occasional paraphrase:

"Although born in the city of Philadelphia on the 19th of July,
1827, Mr. George Wymberley -Jones DeRenne, was in every thought
and emotion, a Georgian most loyal. In the paternal line he was the
direct descendant of Col. Noble Jones, — the trusted lieutenant of
Oglethorpe, — his great-grandson, to speak in exact terms, and the grand-
son of Noble Wymberley Jones. And among the patriot names shedding



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 545

lustre upon the period when our people were engaged in the effort to rid
themselves of kingly rule, none in Georgia was more conspicuous for
purity of purpose, wisdom of counsel and fearlessness in action than
was he. Speaker of the provincial legislature at a time when it was no
light matter to incur the displeasure of a royal governor, arrested and
confined because of his sympathy with the revolutionists, and upon the
termination of the war, selected a representative from Georgia in the
congress, as physician, legislator, patriot, citizen, he won the confidence
and esteem of all.

' ' Thus does it appear that Mr. De Renne was the legitimate inheritor,
in the fourth generation, of illustrious traditions and of memories per-
sonal and precious connected with the history and honor of Georgia.
With him they were family legacies. He accepted them as such, and the
allegiance which bound him to home and state was inseparable from
the ties which united him to kindred and lineage. They were indis-
solubly interwoven, and whenever the name of Georgia was uttered,
there came heart throbs of loyalty and pride most peculiar and
pleasureable.

"The first eleven years of his life, — that tender period when impres-
sions the most abiding are formed, — when loves are cemented which the
vicissitudes of subsequent age cannot impair, — that morning of existence
whose sunlight fades not from memory, — were passed at Wormsloe on
the Isle of Hope, the abode of his ancestors. There in infancy were his
loves of Georgia begotten. There was his knowledge of home and
country localized. There were attachments born which remained ever
part and parcel of his inner being.

"When not yet twelve years old, upon the death of his father, he
accompanied his mother to Philadelphia. There he pursued his academic
studies and was, in due course, admitted as a member of the collegiate
department of the University of Pennsylvania. His proficiency in the
acquisition of knowledge, and his intellectual capabilities attracted the
notice and evoked the commendation of his teachers. It was natural
that he should seek an education in that city and from that institution,
for both were allied to him by ties of no ordinary significance. His
maternal grandfather, — Justice Thomas Smith, — had been for many
years a prominent lawyer and a distinguished judge in Philadelphia,
and his maternal great-uncle, the Rev. William Smith, D.D., was
the first provost of the institution now known as the University of
Pennsylvania. He was a noted teacher, an accomplished writer and an
eloquent divine. A native of Scotland and a graduate of the University
of Aberdeen, shortly after his removal to America he identified himself
with all that was progressive and of high repute in the City of Brotherly
Love. After a long life spent in the rendering of important service
to the literary, educational and religious interests of the country, he
died in the city of his adoption on the 14th of May, 1803. His scholarly
works and the institutions he founded are living monuments to his
memory.

"In his maternal home, and upon the benches whence had gone
forth many who had been instructed by his distinguished relative, Mr.
De Renne found opportunity for earnest study. Graduating with honor,
and selecting medicine as the profession best suited to his tastes, he
became a private pupil of Dr. Samuel Jackson and entered the medical
school of the University of Pennsylvania. This college was at that time
probably the most noted in the United States, and the facilities there
afforded for mastering the mysteries of the healing art were unsurpassed
this side of the Atlantic. Mr. De Renne 's graduating thesis was entitled
'Theory Concerning the Nature of Insanity.' It was, in 1847, privately



546 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

printed, to the number of forty-eight copies, for special distribution.
Striking in thought and composition is this production, indicating an
amount of careful research, delicate analysis, and philosophical deduc-
tion quite uncommon in one who had barely attained unto his majority.
It elicited the praise of his preceptors, who earnestly hoped that his
talents and acquirements would be consecrated to the calling which
sweeps in its high scope the whole range of physical and moral science.
But with Mr. De Renne there was no intention of applying himself to
the active pursuit of the profession to the privileges of which he had
just been admitted as a doctor of medicine. His affections turned to
his island home beneath the Georgia magnolias, and his thoughts were
of a quiet, independent life, devoted to the exhibition of hospitality,
the pursuit of literature, and the enjoyment of dignified repose.

"Shortly after graduation he repaired to Wormsloe and there fixed
his residence. With all its wealth of magnificent live-oaks, palmettoes.
pines, cedars and magnolias, with its quiet, gentle views, balmy airs,
soft sunlight, swelling tide, inviting prospects and cherished traditions,
this attractive spot had uninterruptedly continued to be the home of his
ancestors from the date of its original cession from the crown to his
great-grandfather, Capt. Noble Jones. Here were the remains of the
tabby fortification which he had constructed for the protection of his
plantation, — then an outpost of the town of Savannah, — and there, vine
covered and overshadowed by oaks and cedars, they will endure for
unnumbered years, constituting one of the most unique and interesting
historical ruins on the Georgia coast. During his residence at this
charming abode, which continued, with occasional absences, until the
late war between the states, Mr. De Renne guarded his ancestral domain
with the tender care and devotion of a loyal son. adding to the recol-
lections of the past literary and cultivated associations in the present,
which imparted new delights to the name of "Wormsloe.

"His carefully selected library contained works of high repute, and
of great rarity in certain departments. His reading was varied and
accurate. Communing often with his favorite authors, he maintained
an active acquaintance with the ever expanding domain of scientific and
philosophical inquiry. His liberal education, enriched by study, travel
and observation, enabled him to appreciate and cultivate those standards
in literature and art which give birth to the accurate scholar and the
capable critic.

"To familiarize himself with the history of Georgia and rescue her
traditions from forgetfulness were ever his pleasure and pride. During
his sojourn in London he obtained favored access to the records in the
various public offices and to the treasures of the British Museum.
Thence did he procure copies of all papers throwing light upon the
early life of the colony. We have no hesitation in expressing the opinion
that in a thorough acquaintance with the history of Savannah and
that of Georgia, both as a colony and a state. — he was excelled by none.

"During his residence on the Tsle of Hope the literary tastes of
Mr. De Renne found expression in the following publications. — with
one exception hearing the imprint of Wormsloe. — and executed in the
highesl style of the printer's art.

"In 1S47 he reprinted the rare and valuable political tract by
George Walton. William Few. and Richard Ilowley. entitled 'Observa-
tions "upon the effects of certain late political suggestions, by the Dele-
gates of Georgia.' Two years afterward appeared the caustic 'Observa-
tions on Dr. Stevens' History of Georgia.' In 1849 was issued the
second of the Wormsloe quartos, entitled 'History of the Province of
Georgia; with Maps of Original Surveys: by John Gerar William



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 517

DeBrahm, His Majesty's Surveyor General for the Southern District
of North America.' This was a most valuable publication. DeBrahm 's
manuscript, from which the portion relating to Georgia was thus printed,
exists in the library of Harvard University, at Cambridge, Massachu-
setts. Mr. Dc Renne did for Georgia what Mr. Weston has accomplished
for South Carolina, The next year the third of the Wormsloe quartos
presented the interesting 'Journal and Letters of Eliza Lucas,' the
mother of Generals Charles Cotesworth and Thomas Pinckney.

"So charmed was Mr. De Renne with 'A Bachelor's Reverie' by Ik-
Marvel, that in 1850, by permission of and as a compliment to' the
author, he had a beautiful edition of twelve copies privately printed.

"In 1851 Mr. De Renne published, as his fourth Wormsloe quarto,
the 'Diary of Col. Winthrop Sargent, Adjutant General of the United
States Army during the Campaign of 1791.' Only such portion of the
diary was printed as related to St. Clair's expedition. Of these quartos
but a very limited edition was printed, and the copies were donated
to famous libraries and placed in the hands of favored friends. Of
the first quarto there are only twenty-one copies ; of the second, forty-
nine; of the third, nineteen; and of the fourth, forty-six. They are all
remarkable specimens of typography and literary taste; and, in addi-
tion to the historical value they possess, are highly esteemed because
of their rarity.

"Soon after the inception of the war Mr. De Renne transferred his
residence from Wormsloe to the city of Savannah. The desolations
consequent upon the failure of the Confederate cause pressed sorely
upon the coast region of our state, sadly altering the conveniences of
life, changing the whole theory of our patriarchial civilization, and
begetting isolation and solitude where formerly existed inviting man-
sions, — the centres of sympathies and social life which in their essential
characteristics can never be revived.

"His residence in Savannah, — the abode of the choicest hospitality,
within whose walls dwelt comfort, refinement and elegance most attrac-
tive, — could never in his affections supplant the love he cherished for
the old homestead on the Isle of Hope. During the winter and spring,
one day in each week he dedicated to the sweet influences of AVormsloe,
where secluded from the turmoil of busy life, he surrendered himself
to the contemplation of scenes and the revivification of memories upon
which time had placed its seal of consecration.

"Of the public spirit which characterized Mr. De Renne as a citizen
of Savannah, — the public spirit of a high-toned, independent gentleman
solicitious for the general welfare, yet courting neither personal advant-
age nor political preferment, — of the sterling qualities which he exhibited
in the business affairs of life and in the administration of his ample
fortune, — of the active and intelligent interest he manifested in every-
thing promotive of the material and intellectual progress of the city, —
of his many charities, unheralded at the times of their dispensation, I
may not speak. They are fresh in the recollection of us all. Were lie
here he would tolerate no mention of them, and now that he is gone,
as his friend, I will do no violence to his known wishes.

"I cannot refrain, however, from reminding you of two princely
gifts which will identify his memory with Savannah so long as human
structures endure. I refer to his munificent donation of a commodious
and substantial building on West Broad street to be used as a public
school for the education of the children of citizens of African descent,
and to his presentation, to the Ladies' Memorial Association, of that
admirable bronze statue of a Confederate soldier which surmounts the
monument erected by fair hands in the military parade of Savannah in
honor of our Confederate dead.



548 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

"A meeting of the Ladies' Memorial Association was held June 3d,
1879, at six o'clock, at the lecture room of the Independent Presbyterian
church, when, after the transaction of the usual routine of business,
the following- communication from Mr. G. W. J. De Renne was submitted
by the president and ordered to be read :

''Savannah, May 21, 1879.
"To the President of the Ladies' Memorial Association, Savannah:

" 'Madam: In pursuance of the proposition made and accepted in
April of last year, I now present to the Ladies' Memorial Association
a bronze statue of a Confederate soldier.

" 'It represents him as he was, — marked with the marks of service
in features, form and raiment; — a man who chose to be rather than to
seem, to bear hardship than to complain of it ; — a man who met with
unflinching firmness the fate decreed him, to suffer, to fight and to
die in vain.

" 'I offer the statue as a tribute to the "MEN" of the Confederate
army. Without name or fame or hope of gain, they did the duty
appointed them to do. Now, their last fight fought, their suffering over,
— they lie in scattered graves throughout our wide Southern land, at
rest at last, returned to the bosom of the loved Mother they valiantly
strove to defend.

" 'According to your faith, believe that they may receive their reward
in the world to come : — they had none on earth.

" 'With the expression of my profound respect for those women of
the South who, true to the dead, have sought to save their memory from
perishing, I am, madam,

Very respectfully, etc.,

G. W. J. De Renne.'

"The following resolutions were then offered and unanimously
adopted by a rising vote :

'Whereas our fellow citizen, G. W. J. De Renne, has presented to
this association the bronze statue of a Confederate soldier now crowning
the monument erected in the military parade of this city to the memory
of the soldiers who perished for the cause they held more precious
than life ;

'Therefore, Resolved, that we, as members of this association, indi-
vidually and as a body, do hereby unanimously express our grateful
appreciation of this noble gift ; recognizing its great merit not only
as a work of art, but as a signal ornament to our beloved city, and as
a valued contribution to the public sentiment worthy of the munificent
and solemn purpose of the donor.

" 'Resolved, that we do hereby accept this tribute with profound
gratitude, and, in the name of all who are true to these heroic dead,
we reverently consecrate it to the memory of the Confederate army
who 'went down in silence.'

" 'Resolved, that two copies of these proceedings be signed by each
of the officers of this association ; — one copy to be presented to G. W. J.
De Renne, Esq., and the other to the Georgia Historical Society, with
the request that it may be placed for preservation in the archives of
the society.

Henrietta Cohen, P resident.
S. C. Williamson, Treasxirer.

S. C. Mann, Secretary/

"Thus are the name, the generosity and the patriotism of G. W. J.
De Renne indissolubly linked with the holiest monument erected within
the confines of the monumental city: — a monument redolent of the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 549

prayers, the loves and the tears of mother, wife, sister, daughter; — a
monument crystallizing in towering and symmetrical form the memories
of the Confederate struggle for independence ; a monument standing
as a spotless, imperishable, just tribute to our Confederate dead. ' '

Hon. Charles Gordon Edwards. In .March, 1907, there took liis
place in the Congress of the United Stales, representing the First District
of Georgia, a young statesman of the type upon which the south founds
its hope — the Hon. Charles Gordon Edwards, of Savannah. So excel-
lent was the record made by him in the Sixtieth Congress that he was
returned at the next election. He is particularly well fitted by nature
and training for the duties of his office and combines in himself the
theoretical and practical, which produces the man who begets great
ideas and knows how to make them realities. He has carried with him
to the National Assembly well defined and unfaltering ideas of duty
towards his constituents and is in refreshing contrast to the self-seeking
politician who has proved the menace of modern society. In truth he
has been very successful in keeping his political skirts free from cor-
ruption. As a lawyer he has already taken rank among the most able
in the city.

Mr. Edwards is a native son of Georgia, his birth having occurred
in Tattnall county, July 2, 1878. His parents are the Hon. Thomas J.
and Annie (Conley) Edwards, who reside at Daisy, Tattnall county,
the former being, indeed, a life-long resident of that section. He served
with distinction as a Confederate soldier in the war between the states,
enlisting as a member of the Fifth Georgia Cavalry, but early in the
great conflict he became a courier on the staff of Gen. Bob Anderson,
in which capacity he spent the greater part of his army service. He
became one of the best known and most highly trusted couriers in the
Confederate army, his services taking him from northern Virginia
through the Carolinas and Virginia to Florida. His military career it
would be impossible to exceed in interest, filled as it was with thrilling
adventures and escapes from the enemy. The forbears of the subject
on both sides of the family have for many years been identified with
this part of the south. His paternal grandfather, Dr. William II. Ed-
wards, was one of the pioneers of the county and assisted in laying the
paths straight and clean for the coming of latter day civilization. His
great-grandfather, Willis F. Edwards, was a soldier in the Continental
line from North Carolina in the Revolutionary war, and at the con-
clusion of his services in the cause of independence, he settled in
Georgia. The maternal grandfather, Rev. William Fletcher Conley,
also a pioneer of Tattnall county, assisted in the suppression of the
Indians. He was a son of William F. Conley, a Virginian and a soldier
in the Revolutionary war. Thus it will be seen that the gentleman
from Georgia is a thorough American, which in this day of foreign in-
vasion is coming to be a notable distinction. He has inherited the
patriotism of his ancestors and is very loyal to American institutions.

Mr. Edwards received an excellent education, attending the Gordon
Institute at Barnesville, Georgia ; the University of Florida ; and the
University of Georgia. He graduated in the law department of the
latter in the class of 1898, receiving the degree of B. L. He immediately
began the practice of law at Reidsville, the county seat of Tattnall
county, where he remained until December, 1900, in which year he
located permanently in the city of Savannah. Here he soon found the
recognition to which his gifts entitled him. Upon first arriving he
formed a partnership with Capt. R. J. Travis and later with A. L.



550 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Alexander. The latter partnership existed until his election to Con-
gress.

In the election of 1906, Mr. Edwai'ds was elected to Congress, repre-
senting the First District of Georgia and throughout the city there
was at that time and still persists a conviction that the right man had
triumphed and that the interests of the people would he well represented.
He took his seat in the National Assembly on March 4, 1907, as a member
of the Sixtieth Congress. He was reelected in 1909 and on March 4,
1910, became a member of the Sixty-first Congress. At the time of his
appearance in the Sixtieth Congress he was the youngest member of that
body. Mr. Edwards has in every way justified the confidence of his
constituents and has made a fine record for practical usefulness, all of
which has made him justly beloved in Savannah and throughout the
First District. He is a member of the important Rivers and Harbors
Committee, one of the seven big committees of the House. He is also a
member of the Committee on Elections, in which committee he is ranking
Democrat, ranking next to the chairman. He is identified with the Com-
mittee on Alcohol Liquor Traffic and he has taken part in the enactment
of much important legislation. At home, in state affairs, it was largely
through his agitation, eloquent and logical, that the Georgia State
Drainage Law was enacted, under which a vast acreage of rich land,
particularly in the vicinity of Savannah and in southeast Georgia is
being scientifically drained and reclaimed for agricultural purposes.
As such land is now practically waste land the beneficence of this meas-
ure will readily be seen, and will conduce in material fashion to the
prosperity of the section. It will result not only to adding greatly to
the agricultural wealth of the state by coming under cultivation, but it
will also have a tendency to decrease malaria and other diseases arising
from low, swampy and flooded lands.

Besides his work as a statesman and in the law profession, Mr. Ed-
wards iii commercial life has substantial interests in naval stores, saw
mills, farming and banking. He was formerly a member of the Ogle-
thorpe Light Infantry in Savannah, in which he became a lieutenant.
He is a member of Epworth Methodist Episcopal church, and a trustee
of the Southern Methodist College at McRae, Georgia. He has many
fraternal and social affiliations, being identified with Sigma Nu frater-
nity, the Knights of Pythias, the Odd Fellows, the Elks, the Oglethorpe
Club, the Georgia Bar Association, the Savannah Bar Association, the
Sons of Confederate Veterans, and he is also a Knight Templar Mason
and a Shriner.

Mr. Edwards was happily married December 17, 1902, his chosen
lady being Miss Ora Beach, of Waycross, Georgia, daughter of Hon.
William W. and Margie (Ilinson) Beach. They share their hospitable
and attractive home with one son, Charles Beach Edwards.

Hon. William W. Osborne is a member of the firm of Osborne &
Lawrence, general practitioners of law. The firm has been general
counsel for the Savannah Electric Company, which has operated the
street railway system since 1897. Mr. Osborne has been a member of the
state legislature from Chatham county, session of 1892-93. and state
senator in the session of 1894-!)"). While in the lower house he was chair-
man of the committee on immigration and in the upper, chairman of
the committee on railroads.

Mr. Osborne was born at Graniteville. October 19. 1867. His par-
ents were John H. II. and Mary Stoney (Wilson) Osborne. The former
was born at Sparta, Georgia, and the latter in Savannah. Georgia. In
his early childhood, Mr. Osborne removed with his parents to Savannah.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 551

He was reared in this city. Here he received his public school educa-
tion, graduating from the high school in 1882. For his higher educa-
tion he became a student in Mercer University at Macon in 1882 and
1883. The following year he entered the University of Georgia at
Athens, from which institution he was graduated in 1885. With the
idea of adopting the law as his profession he entered the law office of
Denmark & Adams and was admitted to the bar on December 7, 1886.
For a time he practiced alone, but subsequently formed a partnership
with the late Pope Barrow, a gentleman of many distinctions, who had
been United States senator and who later became judge. This part-
nership continued from 1894 until 1902, and in the year last mentioned,
Mr. Osborne formed a second partnership with Alexander L. Lawrence,
which has continued to this day.

In 1906, Mr. Osborne organized the Exchange Bank of Savannah,
and is president of the same. In 1910-1911, Mr. Osborne was elected to
the office of president of the Georgia Bankers' Association. In addition
to the foregoing honors, Mr. Osborne was elected and served as solicitor
general for the eastern circuit, superior court, for three terms of four
years each, his tenure of office extending over the period comprised
within the dates January 1, 1896, and January 1, 1908.

Mr. Osborne was married in 1894 to Miss Louette Dale. They have
two daughters : Kate Dale and Mary Stoney.

George J. Mills. One of Savannah's leading citizens is George J.
Mills, who has come to attain an admirable and influential position
among the able financiers of the city. The success attained in his busi-
ness enterprises has been greatly owing to his steady persistence, stern
integrity and excellent judgment, qualities which cause him to take
rank with the eminent men in this section of the state, besides winning
for him the confidence and esteem of the public to a marked degree.
Mr. Mills was born in this city on the 7th day of June, 1850, the son of
Capt. J. G. and Hettie Marian (Cope) Mills. Captain Mills was born
at St. Marys, Camden county, Georgia. For a long number of years
before the war he was a prominent figure in maritime affairs on the
Atlantic ocean. Starting as a youth before the mast, he was promoted
through his own merit and efficiency to higher positions and became the
master of a sailing vessel. Later Captain Mills went into the ocean
shipping business for himself; he established and for several years was
the owner of the Mills line of sailing vessels, operating between Savan-
nah and Liverpool, and in this business he accumulated a comfortable
fortune, all the more creditable from the fact that he started in with
nothing. The Mills line of sailing vessels had to go out of business on
account of the war, and after the termination of sectional hostilities,
Captain Mills became a member, with his brother, of the firm of T. R.
& J. G. Mills, cotton merchants of Savannah; which business was
continued until about 1874, when Captain Mills retired from active
business life. He died on September 24, 1880.

Mr. Mills is bound to Savannah by all the most important associa-
tions of life. He was reared and educated in the city of his birth and
has been in business here ever since he became of age. He found his
first field of occupation in his father's cotton business, and afterward,
with the elder gentleman went into the private banking business, in
which he continued after the demise of Captain Mills. Tlis unusually
fine business qualifications have brought success to a number of enter-
prises. He is a capitalist, having large financial interests in various
important commercial and industrial concerns and lie is one of the
financial bulwarks of Savannah. He is chairman of the Sinking Fund



552 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Commission of Savannah. He was made a member of this commission
in 1907, and has served upon it continuously since that time. He is a
director of the Central of Georgia Railway; a director of the Merchants'
National Bank; and a director, or stockholder in various other corpora-
tons. He has also acted efficiently and with public spirit in various
philanthropic movements in the city and is president of the Savannah
Hospital Association and a director of the Savannah Port Society. He
is chairman of the board of trustees of the Independent Presbyterian
church. Regarded as a citizen, Mr. Mills belongs to that useful and
helpful type of men, whose ambitions and desires are centered and
directed in those channels through which flows the greatest and most
permanent good to the greatest number. His sympathies are ever with
his less fortunate brothers and with no one is the betterment of the
"other half" a more vital issue.

Mr. Mills was married in Savannah, Miss Euphemia F. Postell,
member of a prominent South Carolina family of that name, becoming
his wife. Mrs. Mills is a sister of that well-known gentleman, Col. C.
Postell, of Savannah. Their daughter, Sarah C, is the wife of Henry
W. Hodge, a civil engineer and bridge builder of New York City.

Hon. George W. Tiedeman. Savannah for three elections chose
the same man for her chief executive. Such confidence is sufficient
proof of the worth of the Hon. George W. Tiedeman, ex-mayor of Sa-
vannah. Before becoming identified with the civic affairs of the city,
Mr. Tiedeman had won prominence as an able and energetic business
man, and he has carried his methods of doing business into the direction
of the city's affairs. His administration was productive of many public
improvements, and was particularly diligent in measures for the protec-
tion of the public health and the proper sanitation of the city, and for
its freedom from bribery and misuse of funds, such as most American
cities of today have to endure. The movement for a "Greater Savan-
nah" received the most enthusiastic support from the administration,
and the great stride forward that Savannah has taken in recent years
is due in no small part to the personal influence of Mr. Tiedeman. His
whole administration not only thought for the present but made' prep-
aration for the future. In the optimistic mind of Mr. Tiedeman, there
has never been the least doubt but that Savannah would have a promi-
nent place among the gi'eater American cities and in his plans for her
welfare he looked far ahead and attempted to meet the demands of such
a city as it now seems certain Savannah will become. In short, to quote
the words of William Harden, the administration of Mr. Tiedeman
"has been essentially a constructive administration."

Mr. Tiedeman was born on the 11th of September, 1861, in Charles-
ton, South Carolina. Here he was reared and educated, imbibing with
the lessons he learned at school, the fine ideals and courtesy of bearing
for which the men of this old city are noted. Growing up during the
years following the Civil war lie of necessity saw the courage with which
a defeated people took up their burdens and set out to bring order out
of chaos. He was only a boy during the greatest period of suffering,
but his impressionable mind was impressed by the love that the people
of the South bore for their country, and by the way in which they set
to work to repair the ravages of war. He determined at this time that
when he grew to manhood he would do everything in his power to make
his country as prosperous as she was before the war. He was educated
in private schools and in Charleston College, and in 1887 lie came to
Savannah.

He went into the wholesale grocery business on his arrival in the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 553

city and since that time he has been successfully engaged in this line
of business. In addition to his political activities he has been promi-
nent in the world of finance and in society. He is president of the
Georgia State Savings Association. He is a member of the Board of
Trade and of the Chamber of Commerce. In the world of sport and of
society he is much sought after, and is a member of the Oglethorpe
Club, the Yacht Club, the Automobile Club and the Golf Club.

Mr. Tiedeman received considerable preparatory training for his
present position through his service as an alderman, for he was brought
to a clear realization of the great necessity for improvement in many
branches of the public affairs through this close connection with them.
He was elected mayor in January, 1907, for a term of two years, was
re-elected in January, 1909, and again in January, 1911. Savannah
has never passed through a more prosperous period. She has held her
proud position of being the largest market in the world for naval stores ;
her business, both in exports and imports, has been greatly increased
and indeed she has advanced to the rank of fifth city in the United
States in amount and value of exports. Many new industries have
found a location in the city, and trade in all branches has received an
impetus. The city limits have been extended, and during the season
of 1911-12, fhe record for handling and exporting cotton was broken.

It is not possible to mention all of the beneficial results of Mayor
Tiedeman 's administration, and only the more important and those
which will have the most far reaching results can be mentioned. Among
these is the part that the city has had in the improvement of that beau-
tiful southern section which is now the site of some of the finest homes
in the city. This tract of land is owned by the Chatham Land &
Hotel Company and the Ardsley Park Land Corporation, and this land
has been brought within the city limits on a lot basis, thus increasing
the taxable values of the municipality, and aiding in the rapid develop-
ment of the section. A large amount of street paving has been done,
greater in extent than has been completed during any previous period
of the same duration. Some of this paving had been agitated for
years but things seemed to stand still until Mr. Tiedeman appeared on
the scene. For a city as dependent as is Savannah upon her harbor, it
had been allowed to fall into a shameful state of disrepair and one of
the most necessary deeds of the administration was the repair of all
the slips and public docks. The water system and the storm sewerage
system were extended to meet the needs of the growing city, and the
street lighting system was practically made over by the installation of
a new type of more brilliant lights in every section of the city. Bona-
venture cemetery was developed and put in its present beautiful con-
dition, and Damn Park was also improved and thrown open to the pub-
lic. The fine statue of General Oglethorpe, upon which work had ceased
to be done for lack of funds, was now completed, the necessary money
being appropriated for the purpose from the public treasury. Several
thousands of dollars were spent in the laying of concrete and stone side-
walks, and an ordinance that was of especial importance to people of all
classes was passed. This was a milk ordinance, and the officers of the
administration have been extremely careful that this law should be
enforced.

The achievement which stands out above all the others, and which
brought to Mr. Tiedeman the thanks of a devoted city was the successful
culmination of the bond election on December 6, 1911. by which the
city is given the authority to spend $600,000 for the extension and
completion of the sewerage and drainage system. This is one of the
most beneficent measures ever passed in Savannah, for situated as the



554 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

city is, drainage is a question of supreme importance to the health of
the people. The work is to be carried on under the direction of a drain-
age commission composed of a number of the leading citizens. Mr.
Tiedeman had long ago seen the necessity of such a measure, but he had
not been able to make the city feel the necessity of it. In the election
in which this was the issue Mr. Tiedeman took personal charge of the
campaign, and carried it to a successful termination. He did not spare
either his time or energy in placing before the public the necessity of
this measure, and he set forth the advantages of the ordinance in so
clear and sincere a manner that it was passed by an overwhelming ma-
jority. He has received full credit for his work in the formulation of
the ordinance when it was as yet on paper, and the people have appre-
ciated to the full his careful and painstaking selection of men of abil-
ity for members of the commission, who might be trusted with the
administration of so large a sum of money. Mr. Tiedeman is very
anxious to have some form of civil service regulation for all civil ser-
vice employees, thus abolishing the old cries of favoritism, and secur-
ing more skilled service. He has strongly recommended this in his
messages to the city council, and he is also a sincere advocate of a com-
mission form of government.

Mr. Tiedeman was married in 1890 to Miss Floride Shivers of
Savannah. In addition to their beautiful summer home at the Isle
of Hope, they have a handsome city residence, and wherever they may
be, their friends are always sure of a welcome. They are the parents
of two children, Miss Inez Tiedeman and Carsten Tiedeman. Savan-
nah is fortunate in having had such a mayor, for in the wave of progress
and the new life that has swept over the South in the last few years, a
strong hand is needed at the helm of those cities that will eventually
become the great southern centers of trade. Some southern cities have
suffered under the rule of a demagogue, and some from one who was
too weak to rule and lacked the power of initiative, therefore Savannah
should be proud that the man who for six years was at the head of her
affairs was strong, conscientious, eager to do what will benefit the peo-
ple and the city, and possessed of the brain and the wisdom to plan and
carry out the necessary measures.

Abraham Minis. In the South, where family ties still bind and names
still count, the Minis family are reckoned of the blue blood of Georgia,
their history dating from colonial times and the grandfather of Abraham
Minis having been the first male white child born in Georgia. The family
is a historic one and it has been prominent in the history of the city for
many generations. Abram Minis, youngest son of Abraham Minis, does
not shine merely in the reflected light of his forefathers, but he is a
citizen of ability, a lawyer of high standing at the bar and a man of
property.

Abraham Minis, the second son of Isaac and Dinah Minis, was born
in Savannah in 1820. and. in early youth was sent North to a school in
Westchester, Pennsylvania, which stood very high and was kept by a
Frenchman, a Mr. Bolmar.

Ilcie he remained until the age of sixteen when, owing to his father
having encountered business reverses, he determined to become self-
supporting, a resolution which he carried out absolutely.

Securing a position with Padleford & Fay, then one of the leading
houses on the Hay, it was characteristic of the man that he never filled
another clerkship and that the heads of the firm became his warmest,
lifelong friends.

Entering for himself the commission business, associated with Mr.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 555

James II. Johnston, the firm being Minis & Johnston, he continued >
actively engaged in this pursuit until the day of his death, although,
in consequence of years, the business changed to that of shipping.

Mr. Johnston retiring, Mr. Minis carried on the work alone until
two of his sons were associated with him under the firm name of A.
Minis & Sons.

One who knew him best wrote of him: "From his earliest years his
course was one of duty well performed. Quiet and modest, yet firm and
brave, he noted well his part as son, brother, husband, parent, neighbor
and citizen. With no ambition but to be right, his amiable qualities
made him beloved and respected by all who knew him, while all he did
was based upon strictly moral and religious principle, unswerved by
fear or favor. "

All through the dark days of the yellow fever epidemic of 1876 he,
with his eldest son, Mr. J. F. Minis, remained in Savannah doing all in
his power, for those who needed assistance, in a quiet, unostentatious
way of which the world knew nothing. His nature was one of the
noblest simplicity, combined witli the utmost moral strength and a deep
sense of justice guided his every action.

The affection he inspired in the humble and lowly was attested
when the longshoremen who had worked for him, as a spontaneous
tribute, marched in a body to his funeral.

Many positions sought him. He rendered service as an alderman,
acting as mayor, during the absence of that functionary, was a director
of the Southern Bank and of the Central Railroad & Banking Company
of Georgia.

For years he devoted much of his busy life to the presidency of the
Union Society, and unbounded were his zeal and enthusiasm in behalf
of this noble charity.

At the breaking out of the Civil war, physical disabilities rendering
military service impossible, he entered the commissary department at
Savannah, and, to help the cause, invested a large proportion of his
means in Confederate bonds, although he had always been apprehensive
of what proved to be the result of the desperate four years' straggle.

On the failure of the South, he was consequently left with the most
limited resources.

Confronted with the disheartening task of beginning afresh his
business career, he did so with the courage displayed by the best type of
the men of the South, and the years brought their reward.

He died in New York City, November 6th, 1889, adding another
honorable record to the family name, and was buried in Savannah.

Savannah is the native city of Abram Minis, his eyes having first
opened to the light of day on May 16, 1859, within the pleasant borders
of that city. His parents were Abraham and Lavinia (Florance) Minis.
The latter 's parents were Jacob L. and Hannah Florance. Mrs. Minis
was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, May 26, 1826, and her marriage to
Mr. Minis was celebrated in Philadelphia, October 22, 1851. Their union
was blessed by the birth of six children, as follows : Jacob Florance
Minis; Rosina Florance Minis, who died in infancy; Miss Maria Minis;
Isaac Minis; Lavinia Florance Minis, the wife of Charles I. Henry, of
New York City ; and Abram Minis.

Isaac Minis, mentioned above, is now deceased, his death having
occurred in New York City, June 8, 1893. His wife, to whom he was
married in Savannah, March 9, 1886, was before her marriage. Miss
Eugenia P. Myers of Savannah. She survives her husband and has
two sons, — Isaac Minis and Carol E. Minis. Mr. and Mrs. Charles I.
Henry have two daughters, namely: Harriet and Lavinia.



556 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

One of the subject's uncles, Philip Minis, married Miss Sarah A.
Livingston, of New York, and their children are seven in number, and
named as follows : Mrs. Alice Henrietta Poe, of Baltimore ; Annie
Livingston Spalding; Philip Henry; John Livingston; Mary Leila (Mrs.
Poultney) ; and Augusta Medora. One of his aunts, Sarah Ann Minis,
married Dr. Isaac Hays of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, whose children
were : Joseph Gratz ; William DeWees ; Harriet Minis ; Theodore Minis ;
Frank Minis ; Robert Griffith and Isaac Minis. Another aunt, Phillippa
Minis, married Edward Johnson Etting, of Philadelphia, and their
children were: Reuben; Charles Edward; Theodore Minis; Philippa
Minis ; and Harry Gratz.

The paternal father of the subject was Isaac Minis, who, although
of the Savannah family, was born near Charleston, whence his parents
and family tied from the British troops, which at that time were besieg-
ing the city of Savannah. They returned here after the close of the
Revolution. On December 4, 1803, Isaac Minis married Miss Dinah
Cohen, of Georgetown, who was born April 12, 1787, and died in
Savannah, February 17, 1874. Her husband preceded her to the grave,
his death occurring on November 17, 1856, in Philadelphia. He and
his wife are buried in the family lot in Laurel Grove cemetery in
Savannah. Isaac Minis served in the War of 1812 as a private in
Capt. William Bulloch's company of artillery, first regiment of Georgia
militia, commanded by General Johnston. Isaac Minis was the son of
Philip and Judith (Pollock) Minis ; Judith Pollock being a member 6f
one of the first families that settled Newport, just as her husband
belonged to a family that was numbered among the first settlers of the
colony of Georgia. It is a somewhat interesting fact, in this connection,
that Rhode Island and Georgia were the only ones of the colonies where
Jews were not prohibited from settling.

Philip Minis, the great-grandfather of the subject of this review,
as mentioned in a preceding paragraph, bore the distinction of having
been the first male white child born in Georgia, his birth having occurred
at Savannah, July 11, 1734, the year following the founding of the
Georgia colony by Oglethorpe. In substantiation of this fact there are
various authorities, among which is the following notice that appeared
in the Georgia Gazette of the issue of Thursday, March 12, 1789, con-
cerning the family of Philip Minis: "On Friday, March 6, 1789,
departed this life, Mr. Philip Minis, merchant, age fifty-five years. He
was the first male white child born in this state. His remains were
buried in the Jews' burial ground on Sunday morning, attended by a
large number of respectable citizens, who by their solemn attention
evinced how sensibly they felt the loss the community has sustained
in so valuable a man. He has left a disconsolate widow and five children,
together with an aged and venerable mother and five sisters, to deplore
their loss. He was an affectionate husband, a dutiful son, a tender father
and a kind brother; in short, he was in every sense of the word, a truly
honest man."

Philip Minis gave active aid and support to the colonists in their
struggle with Great Britain, and on this account he was named in the
Georgia Royal Disqualifying Act of 1780. When in 1779 the French
auxiliaries besieged Savannah, Philip Minis acted as a guide, and was
consulted as to the best place for landing. He also volunteered to act
as a patriot guide thereafter. In 1780 the British passed their disquali-
fying act, whereby certain persons were disqualified from holding office,
etc., because of their prominence in the "rebel cause," and the name of
Philip Minis was one of the one hundred and fifty on the list of dis-
qualified men.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 557

The founder of the Minis family in Georgia was Philip Minis'
father, Abraham Minis, who with his wife, Abigail Minis, and two
daughters, Esther and Leah, also his brother, Simeon Minis, arrived in
Savannah on a vessel from London, July 11, 1733, the year of Ogle-
thorpe 's founding of the colony of Georgia. There were thirteen Jewish
families on this vessel ; and the history of their organization for the
journey in London and ' their trials and tribulation, as well as their
successes, after their landing on Georgia soil in 1733, forms one of the
interesting romances of the colonization of the new world. Abraham
Minis, first American of the name, died in Savannah in 1757, and was
buried in the first Jewish burial plot in the city. His widow, Abigail
Minis, in 1760, received a grant of land from King George III. She
lived to a great old age, her death occurring in Savannah, in October
11, 1794, aged ninety-three years and two months. The history of Mr.
Minis' forbears is as interesting and gratifying as that of any other
citizen of the old and historic city. Emerson has said: " Biography is
the only true history." When Macaulay was shown the vast clustering
vines in Hampton court, with trunk like a tree, he expressed a wish to
behold the mother root in Spain from which the scion was cut. Similarly,
the average person confesses to an eager desire to trace the ancestral
forces that are united in every interesting character, mental and moral
capital being treasures invested by forefathers, nature taking the grand-
sire's ability and putting it out at compound interest for the grandson.

Abram Minis, the present representative of the family, has in addition
to his law practice, many other interests of broad scope and importance.
He is a director of the following named enterprises : The Propeller
Tow Boat Company ; the Columbus Manufacturing Company ; the Com-
mercial Life Insurance & Casualty Company ; the United Hydraulic
Cotton Press Company ; the Georgia Land & Securities Company, and
the Georgia Cotton Mills. Although he bestows a profound attention
on his affairs, business and professional, he is by no means a recluse,
for he has many affiliations, and is one of Savannah's most prominent
clubmen. He belongs to Landrum Lodge of Masons and of the Ogle-
thorpe Club, the Yacht Club and the Golf Club. He is a member of the
Sons of the Revolution and is also an honorary member of the Georgia
Hussars, of which he was an active member for several years. He
enlisted as a private in the Hussars in 1883, and was promoted through
the various ranks to that of first lieutenant ; it was while acting in such
rank that he resigned. Following this he was made quartermaster of the
First regiment of cavalry, National Guard of Georgia, with the rank
of captain, and later was made adjutant with the rank of captain in the
same organization. He is now on the retired roll of the Georgia state
troops. In all public affairs in the city, which is dearest to him with the
associations and traditions of centuries, Mr. Minis takes a keen and
helpful interest and he stands as one of the aggressive and enterprising
men who are aiding in the upbuilding of the city.

Mr. Minis has been twice married : His first wife was Miss Anna
Maria Cohen, of Baltimore, Maryland, their union being solemnized
October 8, 1890. She died May 24, 1891, in Savannah. The present
Mrs. Minis was, previous to her marriage. Miss Mabel A. Henry, of New
York City, where she married her husband on December 9, 1902. They
have two children: Abram Minis, Jr.. born November 6. 1933, ami H.
Philip Minis, born June 11, 1908.

Thomas Usher Pulaski Charlton, the eldest son of Thomas and
Lucy Charlton, was born near Camden, South Carolina, in 1780. His
father came from Frederick, Maryland, and was a surgeon and lieutenant



558 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

under Col. William Thompson in the Revolutionary forces of South
Carolina ; and later served in the legislature of that state. At the death
of the father, the widow came to Savannah and settled there in 1790.
Thomas Usher was called to the bar of the eastern judicial circuit in
1801, and in that year was elected a member of the Georgia legislature.
In 1804 he became attorney-general, and in 1808 judge of the eastern
circuit. Later he was elected mayor of Savannah and served in that
office for six terms. He was head of the committee of safety in 1812,
and performed devoted services during the epidemic of 1820. He again
became judge, and died in 1835. He was of strong mentality and high
courage, and had the judicial temperament. Many of his decisions
appear in a volume of reports published by him. He partially com-
pleted a life of James Jackson, designed to cover the period of his mili-
tary services. He was a close friend of that eminent man. who desig-
nated him as his literary executor. Having enjoyed the friendship of
Jackson, he inherited from that great man some of his enemies, who,
however, did not begin to give voice to their bitterness until years after
Judge Charlton's death. He not only possessed decided literary ability
but a high order of wit. He married, in 1803, Emily, daughter of
Thomas Walter, of South Carolina, author of "Flora Caroliniana," the
first considerable work on southern botany. Of this marriage were
born his sons, Thomas Jackson Charlton and Robert Milledge Charlton.
Charlton street was named for him.

Robert Milledge Charlton, younger son of Thomas U. P. and
Emily Charlton, was born in Savannah, Georgia, on January 19, 1807,
and died there on January 18, 1854. He was called to the bar when
very young, and served in the legislature at twenty-one. At twenty-
three he was appointed district attorney by Andrew Jackson ; and at
twenty-eight was elected judge of the eastern judicial circuit. He was
three times mayor of Savannah, and toward the end of his career became
United States senator from Georgia. His practice at the bar was exten-
sive and successful. Among the early Georgia reports is a volume pub-
lished by him and containing his own decisions as well as those of the
judges who held the bench in the eastern circuit subsequent to the pub-
lication of the reports of T. U. P. Charlton. He was a man of the finest
sensibilities and highest ideals, loving his state and her people. He was
at once firm and gentle; helpful and sympathetic. Devoted to the
teachings of his own church, in his intercourse with his fellow man he
knew no limitations of specific creeds or conditions, and became probably
the most beloved citizen Savannah ever had. In 1829 he married Mar-
garet, daughter of Peter Shick, whose ancestors had departed from
Salsburg at the time of the Protestant exodus, settling in the colony
of Georgia during the firsl years of its establishment. Judge Charlton
was nol only a learned lawyer and an orator, but a writer and poet.
In his mind the wit of his father was tempered with a tine sense of
humor, the evidences of which appear in his contributions to the Knick-
erbocker Magazine, the leading periodical of those times, in a series of
sketches of life on the circuit. An edition of his poems, to which were
added some of the productions oi' his brother, appeared in 1839, and
another edition in 1S42. Charlton county, Georgia, was named for him.
and Charlton ward. Savannah.

Walter Glasco Charlton, youngest son of Robert M. and Margaret
Charlton, was born in Savannah. Georgia, on June 5, 1851. He attended
school in Savannah, ami in Hancock county, Georgia, and Baltimore
county, Maryland, under Richard .Malcolm Johnston. In 1869 he matric-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 559

ulated at the University of Virginia, and came to the bar of the east-
ern circuit on January 22, 1873. In that year he became associated with
Albert R. Lamar in the office of solicitor-general. In 1877 he was ap-
pointed reporter of the circuit; and in 1880 was elected solicitor-gen-
eral. On February 11, 1908, he was appointed judge of the eastern
judicial circuit and elected to that office during that year. In 1912,
he was again elected. On February 11, 1874, he married Mary Walton,
daughter of Richard Malcolm Johnston. He has filled several political
positions, among them chairman of the Democratic party in Chatham
for several years. His people have been Democrats literally from the
day the party was formed. He is the author of several essays on epochs
in Georgia history, and has delivered numerous speeches on occasions
of historic celebrations. He has occasionally indulged in verse. His
ancestors on both sides are identified with the history of Georgia and the
United States. The Mai-yland Charltons held Mason and Dixon's line
against Pennsylvania for many years. His great-grandfather Charlton
volunteered in the Revolutionary forces in 1775, and his great-grand-
father, John Shick, who afterward became a prosperous and prominent
man, fought at the siege of Savannah, having his right arm shot off by a
cannon ball from the British. Judge Charlton is at present president
of the Georgia Society of the Cincinnati and of the Georgia Society of
the Revolution.

Harris Macleod King. Representing on both the paternal and
maternal sides of the house families that have long been prominent in
naval, military, civic and historical affairs of Georgia, Harris Macleod
King has himself been actively associated with the development and
promotion of the commercial interests of the state for upwards of thirty
years, being now supervising inspector of naval stores for the state of
Georgia, his home being in Savannah. A son of Col. Barrington S.
King, he was born in Roswell, Cobb county, in 1860, a town which was
named in honor of his great grandfather, Roswell King.

Roswell King was born in Sharon, Connecticut, May 3, 1765, being
a son of Captain Timothy King, who was prominent on the Continental
side in the naval service of the Revolutionary war, being commander of
the brig "Defiance." Migrating to Georgia after the great struggle of
the colonists for independence, Roswell King settled at Darien, in what
is now Mcintosh county. He subsequently married Catherine, a daugh-
ter of Josiah Barrington, who was born in Ireland, and emigrated to
Georgia a few years after the arrival in this state of General Oglethorpe,
who was his kinsman and friend. Old Fort Barrington on the Altamaha
river, an outpost built long before the Revolution for defense against
the Spaniards, was named for him.

Their son, Barrington King, Mr. King's grandfather, was born in
Darien, Georgia, March 8th, 1798. About 1839, with a colony of sev-
eral other families from the seacoast of Georgia, including the Bulloch's,
Smith's, Lewis's, Dunwody's, Pratt's, and Goulding's, he immigrated to
Cobb county, and located on the site which his father Roswell King had
some years before purchased from the Indians, and founded the little
village of Roswell, which, as previously stated, was named in honor of
his father. His wife, whose maiden name was Catherine M. Nephew,
w r as a daughter of James Nephew, who, during the Revolutionary war,
served as lieutenant in Col. John Baker's regiment of the Liberty county,
Georgia, militia.

Col. Barrington S. King was born while his mother was visiting the
Bulloch family in Liberty county, the King home at that time having
been in Darien, Mcintosh county. Throughout almost the entire period
of the war between the states, Colonel King served as a gallant soldier





^^





SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 561

Hon. Joseph McCarthy. It is safe to say that few men in the south
are as well known in the labor world as Hon. Joseph McCarthy, tne'
prominent Georgia legislator, fighter and friend of organized labor.
An advanced student of philosophy, his mental power is for the most
part directed toward the solution of problems affecting the whole of
society. He is an inspiration to the class whose cause he champions,
for he is of humble birth and has risen to his present high position
through his own efforts. Besides being a member of the state legisla-
ture and a specialist in labor legislation, he is general foreman of
the Central of Georgia Railroad shops and he is also the father of the
county police bill of Chatham county. He is a particularly striking
figure in Georgia affairs and a notable exponent of a great cause.

The Hon. Mr. McCarthy was born in Savannah in 1868, the son
of Thomas and Eliza (Kehoe) McCarthy, both of whom were na'tives of
Ireland. They followed the beckoning finger of opportunity from the
shores of the New World and located in Savannah previous to the Civil
war. Both are now deceased. The father's occupation was that of a
blacksmith. Mr. McCarthy was reared in this city and received the
greater part of his education in St. Patrick's parochial school. He
learned the trade of machinist in the foundry and machine shops of
the late J. W. Tynan, a prominent and well-known character of Savan-
nah of former years. In 1890, the subject entered the employ of the
Central of Georgia Railroad as a machinist in the Savannah shops and
through his skill and • efficiency was promoted to his present position.
He is general foreman for the company in Savannah which includes
both the locomotive and car departments, this being a position of
importance and responsibility.

Mr. McCarthy has always been a strong union labor man and an
ardent supporter of all measures of beneficence for the laboring classes.
He is the leading exponent of union labor principles in the Georgia
state legislature, in which he has served three terms: 1907-08; 1909-
10, and 1911-12.

The record of Mr. McCarthy's achievements in the work to which
he has devoted heart and hand can not be told more truly and concisely
than in his own words, the account which follows having been published
in the Savannah Press.

"When I was first elected to the legislature in 1907 and 1908, I met
the father of the child labor bill, Hon. Madison Bell, of Fulton county,
and before any committees were appointed he asked me to let him re-
main chairman of the labor committee, which I gladly consented to do
on account of his experience and I was made vice-chairman of the
labor committee of Georgia. We drafted the bureau of labor bill and
introduced it in the house and when it came before the committee the
Textile Manufacturers' Association appeared against it and finally
defeated it in the committee room. In 1908 he modified the bill a little
and introduced it again only to be defeated by the Textile Manufact-
urers' Association in the committee room. The Hon. Madison Bell,
father of the child labor bill, declined to stand for reelection to the
legislature in 1909-1910. I was reelected to the legislature and at that
time Joe Brown was elected governor of Georgia. A committee of the
working class appeared before Governor Brown and asked him to write
the bureau of labor bill as a plank in his platform, which he did. I was
then placed at the head of the labor committee of Georgia and in looking
over the bill on which we had been defeated twice, I called on the Hon.
J. Randolph Anderson who was the recognized leader of the Brown
forces and he called a meeting in his room at the Piedmont Hotel. The
gentlemen present were the Hon. J. Randolph Anderson, United States



562 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Senator Terrell, Representative Evans, who was representing the work-
ing people of Bibb county, C. T. Ladson, attorney of the Georgia state
federation of labor and myself. We discussed the bureau of labor bill
and the committee left it to myself, Mr. Ladson and Mr. Evans to draw
the present bill, which is now a law, and introduce it in the house.
But it was again defeated in the committee room by the Textile Manu-
facturers' Association.

"The following year I introduced the bill again and, finally, after a
hard fight, got it out of the committee room, only to be defeated on the
floor of the house by those who were bitterly opposed to the bureau of
labor. I was again elected to the legislature and Gov. Hoke
Smith was reelected, after being defeated for one term. I made a
trip to Atlanta and waiting on him, asked him to write the bureau of
labor bill as a plank in his platform, which he did. When the Georgia
legislature convened in 1910 I was again appointed chairman of the
labor committee, with a new committee composed of members who had
just been elected as representatives. This was composed of twenty-
seven members of the house and all but a few were strangers to me. I
seriously canvassed my committee to find if they were favorable to the
people. I organized my committee and called a meeting. I was then
notified by Hon. Henry Alexander, of Atlanta, an ex-member of the
Georgia legislature and at one time on my committee, that he had been
employed by the Atlanta Builders' Exchange, an association organized
for the special purpose of defeating any labor legislation in the state.
I notified Mr. Alexander of the date of the meeting and he appeared
before the committee to fight the bill, but with all his power and the
power of the Atlanta Builders' Association, he could not do a thing
with the committee. The committee then recommended the favorable
passage of the bill. The bill was so reported to the house, with recom-
mendation that it do pass. It passed July 25, 1911, ayes, one hundred
and eight, nays, thirty-five. The bill w r as immediately transmitted to
the senate and there read the first time, July 31, and then referred to
the senate committee on immigration and labor.

"The Textile Manufacturers' Association sent representatives before
that committee and plead for it to be postponed for one week, so that
they could have a hearing. I knew that this was the first move to try
to defeat the bill. On the date set by the committee one hundred Textile
Manufacturers' Association representatives appeared in a body. There
was not a committee room large enough to hold these representatives,
so the committee adjourned to the house. When the roll was called for
the committee both sides answered ready. Mr. Anderson was allowed
five minutes to speak for the bill. The gentleman in favor of the bill
to follow Mr. Anderson was Mr. Ladson of Atlanta, and when he finished.
Jerome Jones of Atlanta, who also favored the bill, spoke, which closed
our side. Mr. Alexander, representing the Atlanta Builders' Exchange,
was allowed to speak twenty-five minutes. He made one of the most tell-
ing speeches I have ever heard against the bill and this I saw. had ter-
rible influence upon the senate committee. He told the senate com-
mittee that he voted against the bureau of labor bill while a member of
the house, and that organized labor defeated him when he ran for re-
election, one thousand to fifteen hundred votes. After he got through
I knew that I could kill the influence and asked permission to speak
five minutes in answer to Mr. Anderson's speech.

"I told the senate committee that I had been a member of the house
when Mr. Anderson was a representative and that he was placed on my
labor committee, was in favor of my bureau of labor lull and voted for
it. I told the senate committee that what defeated him was the fact



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 563

that the citizens of Atlanta were knocking at the legislature's door and
demanding the passage of a local bill to elect their recorder by the vote/
of the people. Mr. Anderson took sides against the other three repre-
sentatives and fought the bill viciously on the floor of the house, but
was defeated and the bill was passed to elect the recorder by the vote
of the people. There were members of the senate who could corroborate
this and I completely destroyed the force of Mr. Alexander's speech.
Senator Shingler of the tenth district, who fought the bill so vigorously,
demanded of me if there were bureaus of labor in other states and I
proved to him that thirty-five states had commissioners of labor.

"The committee went into executive session and I waited patiently
until 7:30 o'clock, when they came out of executive session. Senator
Morris, of the committee, told me that they could not agree and would
have a meeting next morning. I then feared there was no hope for
my bill and that they were playing for time to defeat its passage. The
committee met again and did not agree and again Senator Morris came
to me and asked if I would agree to an amendment to leave the office
to be elected by the people. I told him it was one of the cardinal prin-
ciples of the masses to elect to office by the vote of the people and that
they could make no fight against it. The committee met and agreed and
reported the bill to the senate with the recommendation that it do pass
as amended. On the floor the next day, Senator Shingler, who fought
every inch against the passage of the bill, asked that the bill be recom-
mitted, but it was voted down and read the second time August 7,
1911. It was read the third time on August 15, 1911, and passed, ayes,
twenty-three and nays, sixteen. I had finally seen the passage of my
bureau of labor bill."

Mr. McCarthy also gives the following enumeration of the achieve-
ments of organized labor.

"Organized labor has been a potent factor in the passage of the
child labor law, the law in reference to headlights on engines, in refer-
ence to requirements of safety appliances, in providing regulation in
reference to the convenience of female employes, and limiting the hours
of employment. Organized labor was also an effective factor in the
passage of the bill providing that administrators may recover in case
of homicide and in rendering recovery possible even though the employe
was to some extent negligent. Organized labor has also favored in legis-
lative halls the protection of the indigent borrower from the excessive
demands of the extortionate money lender. In the general sum total,
the trend of influence of organized labor upon the Georgia legislature
has been in favor of the amelioration of the burdens of the unfortunate
and the exaltation of the individual into a higher and broader life.
Organized labor has generally been favorable to education, and its
representatives have encouraged the dissemination of knowledge every-
where. This is to be expected of any order whose purpose is to elevate
mankind.

"I further state that when the whole state of Georgia was in a turmoil
over the convict lease system, it was organized labor that wrote the clause
to protect free labor and was one of the greatest factors in passing the
bill which is now a law. I am eternally and forever opposed to child
labor as a blight on civilization and I am tooth and nail for state-wide
compulsory education and for furnishing free books to every child in
Georgia. If wise heads and kind hearts continue to control the federa-
tion of labor so that the rights of both employer and employe will be
recognized and the absolute necessity of aiding the welfare of both be
accepted, the result will be beneficial to everybody. The best and noblest



564 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

ideals of the individual of the organization are comprehended in the
effort to uplift humanity and render it aid."

Mr. McCarthy was married in Savannah to Miss 'Minnie Baker, a
native of Augusta, Georgia. Into their household have been born four
children — Thomas, Minnie, Joseph, Jr., and Helen. The eldest son,
Thomas, has charge of his father's interest in the grocery store of Green-
field & McCarthy on West Broad street. In May, 1912, Miss Minnie
was married to Clarence L. Harris of Atlanta, son of C. L. Harris, a
prominent insurance man of Atlanta. Mr. and Mrs. Harris reside at
Atlanta.

Albert Wylly. One of the most conspicuous figures in the recent
history of Savannah is the well-known gentleman whose name intro-
duces this review. An enumeration of the men of the state who have
won honor and public recognition for themselves and at the same time
have honored the community in which they live would be incomplete
without reference to him as a political leader and director of opinion.
Albert Wylly is active in the many-sided life of the city as property
owner and county commissioner, and he is the scion of one of the oldest
and most prominent families in all Chatham county. No name is more
highly regarded and in many generations bearers of the name of Wylly
have given valiant service to the country in times of both peace and
war. The Wyllys are an exceptionally strong race of men, each gen-
eration having retained and transmitted the strength and virility of its
predecessors. They have never deteriorated and down to the present
time each generation of the Wyllys has been represented by strong,
clean, high-minded citizens, upholding the traditional honor and high
ideals of the family's progenitors. Without exception they have been
highly educated and successful and prosperous in life. At the present
time in Savannah the descendants of the three original Wylly brothers
are among the most representative men of affairs in the city. Not only
have they achieved personal success, but their devotion to the public
good is not questioned and arises from a sincere interest in the welfare
of their fellow men.

Albert Wylly was born in Savannah on the 25th day of October,
1859, the son of George W. and Sarah Anne (Revel) Wylly. George W.
Wylly died at his home in Savannah in 1906 at the age of ninety years,
his birth having occurred in this city in 1816. During the active period
of his life he was one of the city's most prominent and successful
business men and for a long number of years a leading figure in- its
affairs. He had held many positions of trust and responsibility at the
hands of the public, among which was that of mayor pro tern of Savan-
nah during the entire period of the Avar between the states, or until
Sherman's army came into Savannah, upon which occasion he turned
the city over to General Sherman. His eldest son. Col. William H.
Wylly, commanded a regiment in the Confederate army. Another son,
Dr. King Wylly. although a very yoiuig physician, acted in the capacity
of surgeon for the Confederacy. Both of these sons have since died.
Dr. King Wylly went to France at the breaking out of the Franco-Prus-
sian war and became a surgeon in the French army. Tn testimonial
of his services he Avas presented with the medal of the Legion of Honor,
having distinguished himself in the siege of Paris. Tavo cousins of
the subject's father — Capt. Robert Habersham Wylly and William
C. Wylly, were also in the Confederate army and one of George W.
Wylly 's was a captain of the Jasper Irish Greens, going out from
Savannah in the Mexican war.

George W. Wylly, father of the immediate subject of this brief



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 565

review, was the son of William C. Wylly, who in turn was the son of,
Thomas Wylly and the latter was the son of William Wylly. Thomas
Wylly was an officer in the American Revolution and thus the present
generation are in direct line for membership in the Society of Cincin-
nati. William Wylly was a brother of Col. Richard Wylly and of
Campbell Wylly and it was these who founded the Wylly family in
America. They were of an English family, but came from the North
of Ireland early in the eighteenth century to the West Indies and went
thence to Savannah not long after the founding of the city by Ogle-
thorpe in 1733. Their descendants, as noted above, have x'esided here
continuously ever since. Colonel Richard Wylly was a Continental
officer in the Revolution. Mr. Wylly 's paternal grandmother was Naomi
(Dasher) Wylly, a daughter of Martin Dasher, who was the son of
Thomas Dasher, all of Savannah and representative of another old
family in the city. Thomas Dasher was an Englishman by birth, but
followed the beckoning finger of opportunity from the shores of the
new world. He located in Savannah and was given a grant of two thou-
sand acres in its vicinity by the king of England. The subject's mother,
whose demise occurred many years ago, was a member of the noted
Chitty family of South Carolina, of French Huguenot descent.

Mr. Wylly and his brothers and sisters were all afforded the best
of educational facilities both in America and Europe. He, himself,
received his finishing education in Princeton University, where he was
graduated in the class of 1879, a classmate and intimate companion of
Woodrow Wilson, who graduated in the same class.

Mr. Wylly has always taken an active part in the affairs of the city
and county and has large property and financial interests. He was
elected a member of the board of county commissioners of Chatham
county in 1903 and has since served in that capacity, with credit to
himself and honor and profit to his constituents.

It is by no means difficult to understand Mr. Wylly 's remarkable
loyalty to the city with which his honored forebears have so long been
identified and upon which his own interest and affection are centered.
A glance at the careers of the present-day Wyllies is indeed edifying,
for the usual student of biography confesses to an eager desire to trace
the ancestral forces that are united in every son and daughter of
unusual force and ability. No fine soul appears suddenly ; the foothills
slope upward, and mental and moral capital are treasures invested for
us by our forefathers.

Mr. Wylly has three brothers and a sister, viz. : Fred C, Martin
Dasher, George W. and Miss Naomi A. Wylly.

William Murray Davidson, property owner and real estate, dealer,
is one of the prominent citizens of the city of Savannah, a power in
the business world and of most distinguished stock. As his name indi-
cates, he is of Scotch descent and is a fine representative of the people,
who never conqiiered, though often beaten, finally gave kings to Eng-
land, field marshals to France and Prussia and Russia, cardinals to
Rome, the second greatest man to the Reformation and to America a
body of citizens whose priceless value cannot be reckoned and who have
made such an imprint upon our history that any of our citizens are
proud to claim Scotch blood.

Mr. Davidson was born in Savannah on the 27th day of August,
1862, the son of Capt. W. M. and Sarah Anne (Mclntire) Davidson.
Captain Davidson was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, in the year 1821.
He came to Savannah in 1840 and in 1844 established himself as a mer-
chant in a location on Congress street between Jefferson and Barnard.



566 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Before the war he had joined the Chatham Artillery of Savannah, of
which he was second lieutenant when the war broke ,out. He gave up
his business to go into the Confederate army and was in active service
throughout the war. He was in command of the company of infantry
that was the last to leave Savannah when General Sherman's army
occupied the city, his command having had charge of the breastworks
on the canal west of the city. After the war he resumed business, in
which he continued for several years, and he served three terms as
alderman of the city of Savannah. The demise of this highly respected
and well remembered gentleman occurred in Savannah in 1894.

The paternal grandfather of Mr. Davidson was Capt. George David-
son of the British navy, who was captain of one of the quarter decks of
the ship "Superb" under Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar. Follow-
ing this battle he retired from the navy and became the owner of sub-
stantial property interests in Fifeshire. In his later years he came to
America, but did not locate in Savannah. From that time he main-
tained his residence in New York and was buried in Greenwood ceme-
tery. Mr. Davidson's grandaunt, on his father's side, was the wife of
William Murray of Scotland, who was a distinguished jurist and held
the position of lord advocate of Edinburgh. Lady Amelia Murray, his
sister, was lady in waiting on the Duchess of Kent, mother of Que,en
Victoria. She made an extended visit to America during the period
before the war in which slavery was the great issue of discussion. She
traveled through the North and the South and visited for some time
in Savannah. On her return to Scotland she wrote her views of the
American situation; which, being published widespread and being con-
trary to the views expressed by Harriet Beecher Stowe in her work
entitled "Uncle Tom's Cabin," was the cause of her dismissal from her
position in the household of the Duchess of Kent ; the official reason
being her interference in American affairs. The Davidson family are
prominently connected with the history of Dunfermline and the sub-
ject's father was the first child to be baptized in Dunfermline Abbey
after the reinterring of the remains of King Robert Bruce in the abbey
about 1822. The abbey and indeed the entire borough are rich in the
most romantic Scottish history. In the latter many of the kings were
born and in the former are interred many of the most celebrated char-
acters in Caledonian annals. The mother of the immediate subject of
this review was the daughter of Andrew Mclntire, who came to Savan-
nah from Donegal, Ireland, in 1820.

William Murray Davidson was educated in this city, taking his first
draughts at the "Pierian Spring" as a pupil in the old Barnard street
school, and subsequently becoming a pupil in Chatham Academy and
studying under the private tutelage of Prof. C. C. Talliaferro. He
also attended for three months Eastman business college at Poughkeep-
sie. New York. In 1879, at the age of eighteen years he took charge
of his father's business and conducted the same about twenty years.
For several years past Mr. Davidson has been engaged in real estate
transactions and is the owner of valuable property interests in Savan-
nah. He is a director of the Real Estate Bank and Trust Company and
has other interests of broad scope and importance. He keeps in touch
with all valuable public works and is a member of the Savannah public
library board. He is president of the St. Andrews Society.

Mr. Davidson was married to Miss Jennie Wyly, who was born in
Jacksonville, Alabama. They have one child. William Murray David-
son, and their household is the abode of culture and gracious hospi-
tality. Mrs. Davidson is a direct descendant of John Sevier.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 567

Thomas Purse. It is safe to say that no citizen of the common-
wealth of Georgia is more widely and favorably known than Thomas'
Purse, secretary and superintendent of the Savannah board of trade, one
of the most important and efficient bodies of its kind in the United
States. Mr. Purse was elected to this highly important office in 1907,
and he has since met its responsibilities with distinction. Since its
organization in 1883 the Savannali board of trade lias steadily developed
into a powerful factor in the commercial life of the south and Mr. Purse
has been influential in bringing about the accomplishment of its objects,
which are : to maintain a commercial exchange ; to promote uniformity
in the customs and usages of merchants ; to inculcate principles of
justice and equity in trade; to facilitate the speedy adjustment of
business disputes; to acquire and disseminate valuable commercial and
economic information and generally to secure to its members the benefits
of co-operation in the furtherance of their legitimate pursuits. Through
one of its departments, naval stores alone, it is known throughout the
world of trade and commerce; and its renown through its connection
with the great lumber interests is almost equally widespread. The
board's activities and usefulness, however, are not confined to these two
industries ; it is the keystone upon which rests all of the extensive
commercial, industrial, mercantile and financial activities of Savannah.
In aiding local concerns in the extension of Savannah's trade; in pro-
moting substantial improvements of every kind in the city ; in the build-
ing of new railroads ; in opposing or favoring proposed state or national
legislation, accordingly as it is objectionable or beneficent; in securing
harbor and wharfage improvements; in locating new enterprises; in
securing new territory for local concerns — in all of these and in many
more ways the body has been of the greatest usefulness. In fact, it has
done and is doing everything possible that it can do in a conservative
way for the welfare and development of one of the most beautiful and
progressive cities of the South.

• Mr. Purse has become known as one of the expert board of trade
officials in the country. With the foundation of expert knowledge as a
statistician, which forms an important feature of the board's work,
he is in addition a thoroughly live, resourceful and efficient official in
carrying out the greatly varied activities of the board. He takes up the
various matters affecting shipping interests, both ocean and rail, and
is highly successful in adjusting such. He keeps in touch constantly
with the many ramifications of the board of trade's interests, not only
with local trade, but with the commerce of the world. His is a fasci-
nating profession, and to meet its requirements he is peculiarly fitted.

Mr. Purse is a native son of Savannah and one of those who have
elected to remain permanently within its borders. The date of his birth
was March 19, 1874, and his parents were Capt. Daniel G. and Laura
(Ashby) Purse, the former, now deceased, a native of Savannah, and
the latter, who survives, a native of Fauquier county, Virginia.

Thomas Purse was educated in the public schools of Savannah and
in the Georgia Military Institute, near Atlanta. For ten years he was
employed in the accounting department of the Antwerp Naval Stores
Company in Savannah. Following this he was connected as an expert
accountant with the firm of Mustin & Marsh, public accountants, and in
1907, as previously mentioned, accepted his present position as super-
intendent and secretary of the Savannah board of trade.

Mr. Purse's wife, before marriage, was Miss Elizabeth Morrison,
who was born in South Carolina. When she was a child her parents
died and she was reared and educated by her grandfather, Hon. John
Lawton, of Lawtonville, South Carolina, one of the leading citizens



568 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

of that state. Mrs. Purse is now one of the well-known hostesses in
exclusive social circles of the Forest city. Their union was celebrated
on the 5th clay of May, 1898, and they share their home with two
children : Thomas, Jr., and Elizabeth Lawton.

Mr. Purse is a member of St. John's Episcopal church, and he is a
Scottish Rite Mason. For some years previous to his marriage he was
an active member of Company B, Savannah Volunteer Guards, and he
is still interested in things military.

In 1908, C'apt. Daniel G. Purse, father of the foregoing gentleman
and one of Savannah's foremost citizens in any day or generation,

"Gave his honors to the world again,
His blessed part to Heaven ; and slept in peace. ' '

Captain Purse was one to whom public spirit and civic loyalty was
far more than a mere rhetorical expression and it may truly be said that
there was nothing of public import in the Forest city during his life-
long residence here in which he was not helpfully interested. It was,
however, not merely in the capacity of a helper that he was valuable in
the economic and civic history of his native city and state, for he was
a man of great initiative, with a rare capacity for the handling of
affairs of great scope and importance, and in the splendid ideas which
he metamorphosed into realities he finished to himself a monument
more enduring than bronze. When the nation went down into the
valley of decision in the dark days of the '60s, firm in the conscientious
conviction of the supreme right of the states to sever their connection
with the national government, he enlisted in the Confederate service
and served as 6fficer during the war.

Captain Purse was born in this city November 14, 1839, the son
of Thomas and Eliza Jane (Gugle) Purse, the former a native of
Winchester, Virginia, and the latter of Savannah, Georgia. Thomas
Purse came to this city in youth and played a prominent part in its
affairs. In 1849-50 he represented his district in the state senate and
in 1862 was mayor of Savannah; for many years before and after that
period he was a member of the board of aldermen, and he filled many
other civil and political positions of distinction and honor. He held the
institutions of the South in ardent affection and it was a great trial to
him that he could not enter the ranks of the Confederate army in Civil
war times, but physical infirmities made this impossible. He passed
to the great beyond at the age of seventy years, but there are many of
the elder generation who still remember this man of fiery enthusiasm
and loyal energy. He was one of the original projectors and promoters
of the Central of Georgia Railroad. lie was its first superintendent and
he invented the first time-table ever employed in the operation of rail-
road trains, the equated principle which he formulated being now
utilized on railroads throughout the world.

Capt. Daniel G. Purse received his early education in private schools
in Savannah and Sandersville, Georgia, subsequently entering Emory
College at Oxford, Georgia, which institution he left at the end of his
junior year (in 1857), to take a commercial course in Pittsburgh. Penn-
sylvania, under Peter Duff, a celebrated accountant of that day. His
first adventure as an active factor in the busy world was in a pedagogical
capacity, taking charge of Monteith academy in Savannah, but retain-
ing his preceptorship only for a twelvemonth. He then accepted a clerk-
ship and shortly after bought out a paint and oil business, which he
was successfully conducting at the outbreak of the war between the
states. When hostilities began lie was not able to leave with Company



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 569

A of the Oglethorpe Light Infantry, with which he had been previously
connected. Later he took an active part in recruiting and organizing'
Company B, which was attached to the First Georgia Volunteer Infan-
try and of which he became third sergeant. He was serving as sergeant-
major at Fort Pulaski when he was transferred to the ordinance depart-
ment at Savannah and served most acceptably in this department from
November, 1861, to November, 1864. Within this period he was tendered
and declined a second lieutenancy in a camp of instruction in the
northern part of the state and was offered the captaincy of a company
in the field, but his services in the ordnance department were considered
so valuable that it declined to release him at the time, with the under-
standing that he was to be commissioned and assigned to duty in the
field as soon as he could be spared. In November. 1864, he was ordered
to Augusta. Georgia, where he organized an engineer's supply station
for the military department of Georgia, South Carolina and Florida,
with a commission as military storekeeper of the corps of engineers
and the pay and allowance of captain of infantry. He was always
under the direct command of Gen. J. F. Gilmer, chief of engineers in
the Confederate service. In 1862, while in the ordnance department,
as the result of a severe illness, Captain Purse was rendered unfit for
field service. He served in the engineer's corps until the close of the
war, receiving a parole at Athens, Georgia, August 16, 1865, at the
hands of Maj. M. A. Ewen, of the One hundred and sixty-sixth New
York volunteers and provost marshal. He then returned to Savannah
and in the beautiful old city lived out the remainder of his life.

He was long connected with the Central of Georgia Railway and
for fourteen years successively was elected president of the Savannah
board of trade, resigning in his fourteenth term on account of the
pressure of private business interests. From 1881 to 1885 he served
as president of the Savannah Bank & Trust Company. He was at the
time of his death president of the Interstate Sugar-Cane Growers' Asso-
ciation, which accomplished a magnificent work in promoting the sugar
industry in the South.' He completed the circle of both the York and
Scottish Rites of Masonry, taking the thirty-second degree in the
latter. He was a leading member and communicant of St. John's church,
Protestant Episcopal, in which he served as secretary, treasurer and
vestryman, retiring as senior warden of the church, from parochial
office, in 1895.

On December 20, 1865, Captain Purse was united in marriage to
Miss Laura Ashby, daughter of Marshall and Lucy (Cooke) Ashby,
of Fauquier county, Virginia. His married life was in all respects the
fruition of his early hopes and the union was blessed by the birth of
four children.

To enumerate the movements for civic and state progress and bet-
terment with which Captain Purse was identified, would be almost to
give a summary of the history of the progress of Savannah during the
entire period of his active years, the impress of his enterprise, vigor and
zeal being stamped upon every material undertaken that fostered the
growth and prestige of the city of his birth. As alderman and chairman
of the finance committee in 1877, after Savannah had been scourged
and rendered almost bankrupt through the yellow fever epidemic of
the preceding year, he succeeded in funding an oppressive bonded
indebtedness upon terms much more favorable to the city than the most
optimistic thought possible, maintaining, meanwhile, the respect and
confidence of the city's creditors and his fellow citizens. When he
advanced the idea that a railway should be constructed across nearly
twenty miles of salt marsh to Tybee island, it was received with doubt



570 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

and its author was pronounced a visionary ; yet he built it, and the
island is now the favorite summer resort of many Savannah and Georgia
people. He was president of the road until it passed into the control
of the Central of Georgia Railway, on terms most favorable to the
original owners. The domestic water supply of Savannah was drawn
from a muddy river and unsanitary surface wells. Captain Purse put
down the first artesian well in Savannah and the second in the state,
demonstrating the fact that unfailing crystal waters flow in subter-
ranean channels to the sea, and as the result of his experimentation the
towns, cities and islands of the south Atlantic coast have a pure water
supply, drawn from depths ranging from two hundred to fifteen hun-
dred feet. Savannah's entire water supply is now derived from artesian
wells. Upon the very beach of Tybee island, where the salt waves wash
its white sands, Captain Purse sunk artesian wells and fresh water was
found for thirsty pleasure seekers. He was the leader in the project
for the deepening of the channel in the river from Savannah to the sea.
"With unparalleled energy he instituted a campaign of education, enlist-
ing the interest and support of congressmen in every state in the Union,
at a time when there was a growing tendency to curtail river and harbor
appropriations. By his pen and voice, by his visits to state governors
and to commercial bodies in the principal cities of the AYest and South,
and by attending meetings of state agricultural societies, he marshaled
a corps of auxiliaries that made the way easy for the generous appro-
priations which resulted in the deepening of the channel of the Savannah
river so that vessels drawing 32 feet can now enter and depart from
the harbor, the result being that Savannah has stupendous shipping
interests, ranking her as the first seaport of the south Atlantic coast.

During the five years the Savannah bureau of freight and trans-
portation was in operation Captain Purse was its able and zealous
commissioner, the organization doing a wonderful work for Savannah
in the way of regulating freight rates and adjusting other matters
touching the commercial welfare of the city. In purely local enter-
prises he was repeatedly chosen the leader ; in securing the camp for
Lee's army corps at Savannah in 1898; in bringing President AleKinley
and his cabinet to the city in 1899, and Admiral and Airs. Dewey in
1900 ; in securing to Savannah its massive Georgia marble government
building and in securing the site for the DeSoto hotel. He took great
interest in legislation for the prevention of adulterated foods and
contributed earnest and logical essays to the press of the country iu
advocacy of federal legislation in this direction. The pure syrup law
of Georgia owes its passage largely to the public sentiment created by
his public letters and his personal efforts throughout the state and at
the national capital.

Gen. Alexander Robert Lawton. This celebrated lawyer, states-
man and officer of the Civil war was born in St. Peter's Parish,
Beaufort District. Sonth Carolina, November 4. 1818. and died at
Clifton Springs, New York. July 2. 1896. lie was the son of Alex-
ander James Lawlon and Martha Mosse, natives of South Carolina
and Georgia, respectively. The Lawton family was an old one in
Sonth Carolina, and General Lawton was the grandson of Joseph Law-
ton, a planter of Edisto Island, that state, who later removed to Bean-
fort District, South Carolina, where he passed the remainder of his
life. lie was a lieutenant in the Continental line in the war of the
Revolution, and his patriotism and public spirit were transmitted in
fullest measure to the subject.

At the age of sixteen years, young Alexander Robert entered AYest



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 571

Point Military Academy, and was graduated from that institution in ;
1839. He entered the United States army as second lieutenant in the
First Artillery, but resigned his commission December 31, 1840, to enter
the law school of Harvard University. After completing the law
course there he settled in Savannah and in this city entered upon the
career which was to prove so useful and distinguished. In 1855-56 he
served as a member of the lower house of the legislature and in 1859-60
represented his constituency in the state senate, with an eye single to
the interests of the people, accomplishing much in these years of public
service.

When the Civil war opened he was colonel of the First Georgia Regi-
ment of Infantry, composed of Savannah citizens, but on the day of the
fall of Fort Sumter he was appointed brigadier general in the Confeder-
ate army, commanding the Georgia Military District, C. S. army. He
served with distinction in the Army of Northern Virginia until severely
wounded at the battle of Sharpsburg, Maryland. Upon his recovery, he
was (in 1863) made quartermaster general of the Confederate army
and held this position until the conclusion of the great conflict. The
brigade of which he had command at the beginning of the war was
assigned to Ewell's Division, Jackson Corps. General Lawton's military
record was a gallant and unblemished one; he was a remarkably effi-
cient officer, successful in inspiring his men with courage and greatly
beloved by them.

At the close of the war, he accepted the new conditions with manly
vigor and frankness, and gladly laying down the sword, betook him-
self to his law practice. He was again sent to represent Chatham county
in the Georgia legislature, this time serving from 1870 to 1875. In
1877 he was a member of the Constitutional Convention ; in 1876 was
president of the State Electoral College ; in 1880 and 1884 chairman
of the state delegations to the national Democratic conventions. In
April, 1887, he was appointed by President Cleveland to the post of
minister to Austria, and his embassadorial duties he performed with
distinction during that term. He was for many years general counsel
and a director of the Central Railroad & Banking Company of Georgia,
the responsibilities of which office is now successfully vested in his
son. Col. A. R. Lawton. His identification with Georgia railway affairs
did not end with this for he was also at one time president of the
Augusta & Savannah Railroad. He was a curator of the Georgia His-
torical Society and served as alderman of the city of Savannah from
1853 to 1855. In all relations, he was a credit to his city and every
cause with which he became aligned had reason to be proud of its rep-
resentative. He was one of the most public-spirited of men, in his
breast burning brightly the spirit of civic altruism and keen indeed
was his recognition of individual obligation to the public weal.

In 1880, General Lawton became candidate for the United States
senate in opposition to Gov. Joseph E. Brown. He entered the race
entirely against his own will, without the slightest hope of success
from the beginning, but as the generally accepted representative of
those who desired to enter a strenuous protest against the placing of
Governor Brown in the senate in succession to Gen. John B. Gordon.
He was a great friend and admirer of General Gordon and one of the
griefs and disappointments of his life was the happenings of the year
1880, to which he never referred with anger, nor with resentment, but
always with deep sorrow. The tie between the two generals was
strong indeed, and Lawton's Brigade, after the injury of its commander
at Sharpsburg, became Gordon's Brigade.

General Lawton's marriage on November 5, 1845, proved in fullest



572 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

degree the fruition of his early hopes. The young woman to become his
wife was Sarah Hillhouse Alexander, daughter of Adam Leopold Alex-
ander, of Washington, Georgia and of Sarah Hillhouse Gilbert, his wife.
Mrs. Lawton was the second of the ten Alexander children, of whom
the sixth was the late Gen. Edward Porter Alexander, chief of artillery,
Longstreet's Corps, C. S. A., president of the Central Railroad & Bank-
ing Company of Georgia, etc. ; the seventh member of the family was
James Hillhouse Alexander, for many years a merchant in Augusta and
for some time mayor of that city. The Alexanders were in truth an un-
usual family. The father was the same Adam Leopold Alexander, to whom
is addressed the very beautiful dedication of Mr. Alexander II. Steph-
ens' "Reviewers Reviewed," the same being the answer to the critics
of his "War Between the States." The six daughters of Mr. Alexander
were all remarkable women, and the very flower of the family was
Mrs. Lawton, to whom was undoubtedly due a very large part of the
successful career of her husband. She was a woman of the highest
intellect and most extensive cultivation, with an unequaled will power
and self control, truly,

"A noble woman, nobly planned,
To warn, to comfort and command."

Their domestic life was flawless ; it was an ideal of Christian mar-
riage ; he a true and tender knight to his chosen lady ; she the wise and
charming counselor in all his undertakings.

General and Mrs. Lawton celebrated their golden wedding anni-
versary, November 5, 1895, surrounded by their children and grand-
children. The eldest daughter, Corinne Elliott, born September 21,
1846, died January 24, 1877. Louisa Frederika, born June 9, 1849,
married in 1878 Leonard C. Mackall, of Baltimore, Maryland, and to
their union three children were born, all of whom are living. Nora
married in 1886 Henry C. Cunningham, of Savannah, Georgia, and they
have one daughter living. Alexander Rudolf Lawton married April
27, 1882, Ella Beckwith, daughter of Rt. Rev. John W. Beckwith,
Episcopal bishop of Georgia, and the two sons of this union both are
living. Less than a year later General Lawton passed away and this
beautiful companionship of half a century was terminated. Mrs. Law-
ton survived her husband but a year, dying in New York City, No-
vember 1, 1897.

The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Lawton, Adam Alexander, was a
citizen of the old town of Sunlmry, Liberty county. Georgia, and a
surgeon-major in the Revolutionary war. Concerning her sisters the
following data is herewith entered. The eldest, Louisa, married Maj.-
Gen. J. F. Gilmer, chief of engineers, C. S. A. ; Harriet married Wal-
lace Cumming, cashier of the old Bank of the State of Georgia, and
afterward a private banker in Savannah; Mary Clifford married
George Gilmer Hull, prominent in railroad operations and construc-
tion in Georgia, before, during and after the war; Marion married
the Rev. William Ellison Hoggs, a distinguished Presbyterian minister
and some time chancellor of the University of Georgia: and Alice mar-
ried Col. Alexander C. Haskell of South Carolina, a distinguished
Confederate soldier, who as chairman of the Democratic executive
committee, was in charge of the celebrated South Carolina campaign
of 1876, when Hampton was elected governor, and was afterward judge
of the supreme court of South Carolina.

The following memorial of General Lawton. presented February 17,
1897, to the Supreme Court of Georgia by Judge Samuel B. Adams in



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 573

behalf of the bar of Savannah, and ordered to be filed in the archives oij
the court and published, is an eloquent tribute to the subject both as a
lawyer and as a man.
"Gentlemen of the Bar:

"Your committee appointed to submit a report touching upon the
death of our late fellow member, Alexander R. Lawton, Esq., realizes
fully their inability to do justice either to the subject or to your esteem
for him, in a report as brief as this must be.

"Alexander Robert Lawton was born in St. Peter's Parish, Beau-
fort District, South Carolina, on the 4th day of November, 1818, and
departed this life on the 1st day of July, 1896, having nearly completed
his seventy-eighth year. He was the son of Alexander James Lawton
and Martha Mosse. He was born upon the plantation purchased by
his grandfather, Joseph Lawton, in March, 1776. His lineage was a
proud one and he worthily bore his name.

"General Lawton became a member of this bar in 1843 and so con-
tinued until his death, although for some time before his decease he had
retired from active practice. To the last, however, he was a member
of our profession, took a lively interest in all that concerned it, and
died the president of the Savannah Bar Association. His professional
life in this city may, therefore, be said to have continued (the late
war excepted) for more than fifty years. While he served his state
and country in the legislature, in the field, as the quartermaster-gen-
eral of the Confederacy, in the Constitutional Convention, and as a
foreign minister, yet he was always a lawyer and cheerfully gave his
full homage to the calling of his choice and affection, recognized al-
ways as a 'jealous mistress.'

"It is not in our province to speak of his career in public office, where
fidelity to duty, singleness of purpose and intelligent appreciation of re-
sponsibility, characterized him ; of his career as a soldier, signalized by
calm, unflinching courage and devotion to the cause which he
had espoused ; but rather to call attention to those traits which dis-
tinguished him as a lawyer.

"The first and most important thought in connection with his career
is that he illustrated, as so many others have done, that a man can be
an eminently successful lawyer and yet a rigidly honest, candid and
truthful man. General Lawton met with conspicuous success in his
profession. He enjoyed more than a state reputation. He was in the
front rank of the South 's lawyers. For many years he did a large
and lucrative practice, and, tested by any standard, he enjoyed the
full measure of success. And yet the most cynical and uncharitable
could never question the absolute rectitude and conduct of his speech.
He was always and everywhere the high-minded, dignified, truth-loving
gentleman, the soul of honor, despising every form of sham, dishon-
esty and deceit. No man, we assert, has ever lived in this community
who enjoyed, or deserved, more fully than he did, the confidence of
our people. No matter how sharp the difference in opinion and judg-
ment, no one who knew him could ever question the honor or jurity of
his purpose. With him 'duty' was always the 'sublimest word in the
language ; ' and in every emergency he fully answered its most exacting
demands. This was illustrated in his professional life. He was never
unmindful of his duty to a client, to the court, or to his fellow lawyers.

"We have never had in Georgia any member of our profession who
more carefully or consistently observed and enforced its ethics and its
best traditions. He scorned the thought now unhappily finding expres-
sion in conduct, if not in spoken avowal, that the law was a mere
money-making trade. With him it was always a profession, high and
honorable, demanding for its proper pursuit, not only attainments of
learning and mind, but also a high sense of honor and propriety, the
best qualities of a gentleman.



574 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

"He practiced only in the courthouse; he argued his cases there only.
He did not discuss them in the newspapers, or seek -their applause.
He never sought, directly or indirectly, newspaper advertisement of
his professional achievements, or a newspaper reputation. At the
same time he fully appreciated kind and pleasant allusions to him in
the press, which were unsought and unsolicited, and came like other
recognitions of his merit.

"General Lawton's mental characteristics were strong, clear com-
mon sense; the ability to grasp quickly, even intuitively, the salient
points of a case, and to press them home with singular clearness and
cogency. His speeches were short, pointed and pithy. He wasted no
words, went at once to the heart of his subject, never floundered or
wandered, and, when he was through, realized that he was, and sat
down. Even in the most important cases, involving large amounts, he
never made what may be termed a long speech. He simply could not
discuss trifling or immaterial points, and confined his entire thought
and effort to the salient and controlling features of his case. He used
in his arguments very few law books. This does not mean that he
did not consult a great many, if necessary, but that he selected the
best and used only them. He loved to argue from reason and principle
and was not a slave to mere precedent. He was not a case lawyer, but
one well grounded in the fundamental maxims of the law, and he used
most those books which dealt in these basic principles. In these days
of digests and ready-made briefs, when the merest tyro, without any
learning or perhaps the capacity to learn, can make a show of erudition
by citing innumerable decisions without having read or understood any
of them, this plan, so successfully pursued by General Lawton. is
worthy of special mention.

"But, gentlemen of the bar, the necessary brevity of this report
prevents us from saying much that we would like to say. "We think
of General Lawton today, not so much as the conspicuous citizen, or
the eminent lawyer to whom came honors like that of the presidency of
the American Bar Association, and a distinguished career : but rather
as a member of our own, the Savannah bar, which is indebted to his
stainless life in our midst for wholesome and ennobling lessons, for the
honor his connection with us has done us, and for the rich legacy of
his example. Let us gratefully cherish our proud recollections of him,
and let us be stimulated by his career to a truer appreciation of the
duties and dignity of our calling and of our obligation to its demands
and responsibilities. Let us never disgrace it by conduct or word,
and let us, as he did, 'magnify our office.'

"We submit the following resolutions:

"1. That this bar recognizes that in the death of General Lawton
our profession has lost one of its real ornaments whose long and illus-
trious career has shed honor upon our profession and made it his
grateful debtor.

"2. That a copy of this report and these resolutions be spread
upon the minutes of our Superior Court, and another be sent by our
secretary to the family of General Lawton.

"3. That the Superior and City courtrooms be draped in mourning
for thirty days and thai the judge of the Superior Court lie requested
In adjourn his court in honor of General Lawton's memory.

Samuel B. Adams.
Pope Barrow.
William Garrard.
Walter G. Charlton- .
P. W. Meldrim,

Committee."



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 575

Col. Alexander Rudolf Lawton. The history of the legal
profession in the South presents a chronicle of importance and dis-'
traction and the state of Georgia has assuredly contributed its quota
to the whole. In legal annals of the state a name of pre-eminence is
that of Lawton, two generations of the family having been lawyers of
honor and fame, who have done much to preserve the dignity of their
calling and the honor which should be the pride of the profession. The
city of Savannah has been the scene of their distinguished careers and
the younger of these gentlemen, Col. Alexander Rudolf Lawton,
is today one of Savannah's leading citizens. In addition to a large
general practice, he is vice-president of the Central of Georgia Railway,
and also one of its general counsel, and his remarkable grasp on cor-
poration law is known beyond the boundaries of the state. He has been
a marvel to the profession in many respects, seeming to leap into the
arena fully armed and equipped for the fiercest fight and legal battle
with most renowned barristers when a very young man. His reputation
has been reinforced with the passing years and he is recognized as one
of the masters of the craft throughout the state. The father of the
foregoing, Gen. Alexander Robert Lawton, whose demise occurred
July 2, 1896, was one of Georgia's greatest lawyers in any day or
generation. He was also a splendid officer and a detailed account of
his life and achievements will be given in the article succeeding.

Colonel Lawton is a native son of the Forest city, within whose
delightful borders his birth occurred August 9, 1858. He received an
unusually brilliant education and early in youth he came to the con-
clusion to follow in the paternal footsteps in the matter of a life work.
When a lad eight years of age he was taken to Paris and in the French
capital pursued his studies during the years 1866 and 1867. Thereupon
returning to Savannah, he studied in public and private schools in this
city and ultimately entered the University of Georgia, from which in-
stitution he was graduated in 1877, at the age of nineteen years, receiv-
ing the degree of Bachelor of Arts. During the ensuing summer, he
was a student in the Eastman Business College, Poughkeepsie, New
York, and in the fall entered upon his preparation for the law. He
studied law in the law department of the Universitv of Virginia in
1878 and 1879 and in the Harvard Law School in 1879 and 1880. In
the year last mentioned he was admitted to the bar and entered upon
the practice of the profession in Savannah. From the first his career
has been of the most satisfactory character. He has been a member of
the firm of Lawton & Cunningham, general counsel for the Central of
Georgia Railway since 1887, succeeding General Lawton in this office
on his retirement. His identification with the firm of Lawton & Cun-
ningham, of which his father was at that time senior member, dates
from the year 1882.

It is safe to say that probably in all the state there is no one more
familiar with certain aspects of railway and maritime affairs than
Colonel Lawton. He has been a director of the Central of Georgia
Railway since 1896 and since 1904 has held the office of vice-president
of the company. He is also a director of the Atlanta & West Point
Railroad Company, the Western Railway of Alabama, the Ocean Steam-
ship Company and the Savannah Trust Company. His position with
the great railway mentioned gives an idea of his caliber, and so accept-
ably has he advised his clients in all dilemmas that he is regarded by
them with admiration and gratitude.

Colonel Lawton is a member of the American Bar Association, the
American Historical Association, the Southern Historical Society, the
American Academy of Political and Social Science and the National



576 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Geographic Society. He is president of the Georgia Historical Society,
by virtue of which position he also is president of Savannah 's notable
institution, the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences, which is owned
by and under the management of the Historical Society. He is a well-
known clubman, his membership extending to some of the most notable
organizations in the United States. Only partially to enumerate, these
affiliations are with the Oglethorpe Club, of Savannah; the Capital
City Club, of Atlanta ; the University and City Midday clubs, of New
York City ; and the Metropolitan Club, of Washington, D. C.

Since youth, Colonel Lawton has been actively identified with things
military in Savannah. In 1881, he enlisted as a private in the National
Guard of Georgia and was promoted through the various ranks to that
of colonel of the First Eegiment of Infantry. During the Spanish-
American war in 1898, he was colonel of the First Georgia Infantry,
United States Volunteers.

Colonel Lawton was married in Atlanta, April 27, 1882, his chosen
lady being Miss Ella Stanly Beckwith, daughter of the Rt. Rev. John
W. and Ella (Brockenbrough) Beckwith, the former being bishop of
the Protestant Episcopal church of Georgia. Colonel and Mrs. Law-
ton share their home with two sons, Alexander Robert, Jr., and John
Beckwith. The family have an assured position in the most exclusive
social circles in the city and their household is renowned for its culture
and its gracious hospitality, exemplifying the highest social traditions of
the South.

John Avery Gere Carson. Prominent among the representative
citizens of Savannah is John Avery Gere Carson, ex-president of the
board of trade ; president of the Carson Naval Stores Company ; and
prominent in commercial and financial affairs of the city. He has resided
here for more than forty years and for a great portion of that time
has figured conspicuously in the history of the city, to whose institutions
he is very loyal and to whose welfare he is ever ready to contribute in
any way within his power.

Mr. Carson, by the circumstance of birth, belongs to Baltimore,
Maryland, his life record having begun in that city, February 19. 1856.
He is the son of Carvill Hynson and Sarah Frances (Gere) Carson. As
his name indicates his ancestry on both sides represents families of dis-
tinct prominence in the Colonial history of Maryland. His father was
the son of David and Sarah Taylor (Hynson) Carson, the latter being
the daughter of Charles and Sarah (Waltham) Carson. On the Hynson
side the ancestry runs back through several generations to Thomas
Hynson of England, who came to Maryland in 1650, settled at Kent in
the then colony of Maryland, and became one of the commissioners in
charge of the government of and holding of elections in Kent county.
He also became a member of the Maryland assembly. On his moth-
er's side Mr. Carson is descended from George Geer (as it was then
spelled — now Gere), who with his brother, Thomas Gere, came
from Ilevitree, Devonshire, England, to America in 1621 and settled
in the town of Enfield. Connecticut. Thus the family was founded on
these shores only a few months after the arrival of the Pilgrim fathers.
The mother of Mr. Carson was born in Baltimore, the daughter of John
Avery Gere. This admirable lady is still living in Savannah, the posses-
sor of universal respect and esteem. The father, who died on February
18, 1911. in Savannah, was horn at Baltimore. November 14. 1830. A
man of unblemished record, his memory will long remain green in the
hearts of his numerous friends and admirers.

Mr. Carson received his education in the public schools of Baltimore



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 57.7

and in the Normal College at Lycoming county, Pennsylvania. He
came to Savannah with his parents in 1870 and has resided within the '
pleasant boundaries of the city ever since that time. On January 1,
1884, he became identified with Mr. J. P. Williams in the latter 's busi-
ness enterprises, and upon the organization of the J. P. Williams Com-
pany (naval stores) in 1897, Mr. Carson became vice-president of the
concern. In January, 1910, he organized the Carson Naval Stores Com-
pany, which succeeded the J. P. Williams Company and of which he is
president. The continual progress and present standing of the company
is largely credited to the experience, executive ability, tireless energy,
engineering skill and genius in the broad combination of applicable forces
possessed by Mr. Carson.

This distinguished gentleman is ex-president of the Savannah Board
of Trade, one of the strongest organizations of its kind in the South.
He was for nine years, from 1900 to 1909, the president of the Mer-
chants' National Bank of Savannah, and did much to add to the confi-
dence felt in this important monetary institution. He was alderman of
the city from 1889 to 1893. In 1893 he was elected by the largest vote
received by any candidate, as a member of the first board of county
commissioners of Chatham under the new law for such boards that
went into effect at that time. He served in that capacity until 1897,
with credit to himself and honor and profit to the people. He has
always been interested in affairs military and was a lieutenant in the
Chatham Artillery in 1895 and 1896. He has been deputy governor-
general for Georgia of the Society of the Colonial Wars since its organiza-
tion in 1896. Since starting in business as a young man his chief inter-
ests have been in grain, cotton and naval stores and he keeps in touch
with Georgian resources and development.

Fraternally, Mr. Carson is a Mason and is entitled to the white-
plumed helmet of the Knight Templar. He is a member of the Ogle-
thorpe Club and a life member of the Savannah Volunteer Guards.

Mr. Carson was happily married January 29, 1879, his chosen lady
being Miss Carrie Gordon Cubbedge, daughter of Stephen Jackson Max-
well and Caroline Rebecca (Tubbs) Cubbedge. They share their home,
one of the most hospitable and delightful in Savannah, with four inter-
esting children : John Avery Gere, Jr., Gordon Cubbedge, Edwin
Williams, and Carvill Hynson.

J. Florance Minis, a retired citizen of Savannah, Georgia, belongs
to one of the historic families of this state. The early record sets forth
the fact that his great-grandfather, Philip Minis, was the first white
male child born in Georgia.

J. Florance Minis was born November 12, 1852, son of Abraham and
Lavinia (Florance) Minis. His father, a native of Savannah, was
born November 4, 1820, and died November 5, 1889, his death occurring
in New York City. For many years he was a prominent and successful
merchant of Savannah. He had married in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
October 22, 1851, Miss Lavinia Florance, a native of New Orleans,
Louisiana, born May 26, 1826, daughter of Jacob L. and Hannah
Florance, and their family consisted of six children : Jacob Florance
Minis ; Rosina Florance Minis, who died in infancy ; Miss Maria Minis ;
Isaac Minis ; Lavinia Florance Minis, wife of Charles I. Henry of New
York City ; and Abram Minis.

Isaac Minis died in New York City June 8, 1893. His wife, to whom
he was married in Savannah March 9, 1886, was before her marriage
Miss Eugenia Myers of Savannah ; she survives her husband, and has
two sons, viz. : Isaac M. and Carol Minis. Mr. and Mrs. Charles I.
Henry have two daughters, namely : Harriet and Lavinia Henry. Philip



578 SAVANNAH AXD SOUTH GEORGIA

Minis, an uncle of the subject of this sketch, married Miss Sarah A.
Livingston of New York, and their children are as follows: Mrs. Alice
Henrietta Poe of Baltimore; Annie, Charles Spalding, Philip Henry,
John Livingston, Mary Lela, and Augusta Medora Minis.

The paternal grandfather of J. F. Minis was Isaac Minis, and he,
although of the Savannah family, was born in 1780, near Charleston,
where his parents and family fled from the British troops, which at that
time were besieging the city of Savannah. They returned to Savannah
after the close of the Revolutionary war. Isaac Minis married Miss
Dinah Cohen of Georgtown, South Carolina, December 4, 1803 ; she
being the daughter of Solomon Cohen of that place. She was born .in
Georgetown, April 12, 1787, and died in Savannah, February 17, 1874.
Isaac Minis, her husband, had died in Philadelphia, November 17, 1856 ;
he and his wife were buried in the family lot in Laurel Grove cemetery
in Savannah. Isaac Minis served in the War of 1812 as a private in
Capt. AVilliam Bulloch's company of artillery, First Regiment of Georgia
Militia, commanded by Colonel Johnston.

Isaac Minis was the son of Philip and Judith (Pollock) Minis; Judith
Pollock being a member of one of the first families that settled Newport,
just as her husband belonged to a family that was numbered among the
first settlers of the colony of Georgia. An interesting fact, in this
connection, is that Rhode Island and Georgia were the only two of the
colonies where Jews were not prohibited from settling.

Going back to Philip Minis, the great-grandfather of the subject of
this sketch, who bore the distinction of being the first male white child
born in Georgia, it is found that this important event occurred at
Savannah, July 11, 1734, the year following the founding of the Georgia
colony by Oglethorpe. In substantiation of this fact, there are various
authorities, among which is the following notice that appeared in the
Georgia Gazette of the issue of Thursday, March 12, 1789, concerning
the death of Philip Minis :

"On Friday, March 6, 1789, departed this life Mr. Philip Minis,
merchant, age 55 years. He was the first white male child born in this
state. His remains were buried in the Jews' burial ground on Sunday
morning, attended by a large number of respectable citizens, who by
their solemn attention evinced how sensibly they felt the loss the com-
munity has sustained in so valuable a man. He has left a disconsolate
widow and five children, together with an aged and venerable mother,
and five sisters to deplore their loss. He was an affectionate husband, a
dutiful son, tender father and kind brother; in short, he was in every
sense of the word a truly honest man."

Philip Minis gave active aid and support to the colonists in the
struggle with Great Britain, and on this account he was named in the
Georgia Royal Disqualifying Act of 1780.

The founder of the Minis family in Georgia was Philip Minis' father,
Abram Minis, who, with his wife, Abigail Minis, and two daughters.
Esther and Leah, also his brother, Simon Minis, arrived at Savannah on
a vessel Erom London, July 11, 1733, the year after Oglethorpe's found-
ing of the colony of Georgia. There were thirteen Jewish families on this
vessel, and the history of their organization for the journey, in London,
and their trials and tribulations, as well as successes, alter landing on
Georgia soil in 1733, forms one of the interesting romances of the
colonization of the new world. Abram Minis died in Savannah in 1757
and was buried in the first Jewish burial plot in the city. His widow.
Abigail Minis, in 17(50 received a grant of land from King George III.
She died in Savannah October 11, 1794. al the age of ninety-three years.

•I. Florance Minis, the eldest of the children of Abraham and Lavinia



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 579

(Florance) Minis, was born November 12, 1852. In his early boyhood
he attended Prof. W. S. Bogart's school at Savannah, and had as class-'
mates Mr. H. H. Gilmer, Judge A. Pratt Adams, Judge Samuel B.
Adams, the younger members of the Habersham family, the Owens boys
and the Screven boys — all representatives of prominent families in
Savannah. When he was fourteen years old he entered Washington
College at Lexington, Virginia, of which Gen. Robert E. Lee was then
president, and which, later, in his honor, was named Washington and
Lee University. Of his own accord, Mr. Minis decided not to remain in
college to graduate, but instead he returned to his home at Savannah,
and on November 12, 1870, he entered his father's office as a clerk. He
afterward became a member of the firm, the name of which was then
changed to A. Minis & Son. In November, 1890, his father, Mr. Abraham
Minis, died, and, Mr. Isaac Minis having previously become a member
of the firm, the name was then changed to A. Minis' Sons. Upon the
death of Mr. Isaac Minis in 1893, the business was continued by Mr.
J. F. Minis under the firm name of J. F. Minis & Co. In 1905 Mr.
Minis retired from active business, closed up the affairs of the old firm,
and since then has devoted his attention to his private interests. He
divides his time between his Savannah home, his country home "Rock-
wood ' ' at Clarksville in Habersham county, and traveling in Europe.

While in active busines, Mr. Minis served one term as president of
the Savannah Cotton Exchange. He is now a director of the Merchants
National Bank, director of the Savannah Trust Company, director of
the Southwestern Railroad Company, vice-president of the Savannah
Brewing Company. In all the principal clubs of Savannah he has
membership, and he is a member of the board of managers of the Georgia
Historical Society and one of .the curators of the Telfair Academy of
Arts and Sciences. He was appointed by Gov. Joseph M. Brown as a
member of the Oglethorpe Monument Commission, which had in charge
the erection of the Oglethorpe Monument in Savannah, which was dedi-
cated on November 23, 1910.

In 1890 Mr. Minis married Miss Louisa Porter Gilmer. Mrs. Minis
is a daughter of Gen. Jeremy F. Gilmer, a distinguished engineer, a
graduate of West Point, who, during the war between the states, was
chief of engineers of the Confederate government. Her mother, Louisa
P. (Alexander) Gilmer, was a daughter of A. L. Alexander of Wash-
ington, Wilkes county, Georgia.

George C. Freeman. As money, or any other medium of exchange,
is the life-blood of business and commerce, it is -evident that bankers,
men who manage and control the circulating medium, stand related to
the public as the physician who has his finger on the pulse of the patient
and has the power of controlling his condition for better or worse. No
member of the business community has a greater responsibility than the
banker and any community or city is much to be congratulated which
has at the head of its finances men of thorough training, stanch ability
and moral dependability. No banker of the South is more closely typical
of what is required in the financial manager and leader to inspire and
retain business and commercial confidence than George C. Freeman,
assistant to the president of the Citizens and Southern Bank, one of
Georgia's most important monetary institutions. He has resided in
Savannah since 1854, and has been identified with banking interests
since 1873.

Mr. Freeman is one of the Forest city's venerable citizens, his birth
having occurred in Bibb county, Georgia, August 16, 1833. He is the
son of Azel R. and Delia (Shaw) Freeman. The father was born in



580 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

New Jersey in 1792. While still a youth he started out like the pro-
verbial hero of romance to seek his fortunes, going with two companions
to what was then known as the "West," crossing the 'Allegheny moun-
tains and going down the Ohio river and finally locating in Lexington,
Kentucky. When the War of 1812 came on Azel Freeman volunteered
for service and joined the Kentucky Mounted Riflemen, with which
organization he crossed the Ohio river and served with the same on the
northern frontier. Upon the termination of hostilities, he returned to
the Blue Grass state, but subsequently went thence to Nashville. Tennes-
see, which city remained his home for a number of years. In 1827 he
removed from Nashville to Bibb county, Georgia, locating where the
present city of Macon is situated, and in Bibb county he spent the years
which remained to him before traveling on to the undiscovered country,

"From whose bourne no traveler returns."
The mother of the subject was a native of Massachusetts.

George C. Freeman was reared and educated in Bibb county. He
came to Savannah in 1854, and ever since that time he has maintained
his home in this city. His first employment in Savannah was in the
office of Hudson, Fleming & Company, cotton factors, with whom he
remained for six years. He then formed a partnership with A. H.
Champion, under the firm name of Champion & Freeman, in the whole-
sale grocery business, their location being at the corner of Bay and
Drayton streets. At the outbreak of the Civil war, in 1861, Mr. Free-
man and Mr. Champion both joined the army of the Confederacy and
their business, like that of many another Southern firm, became suspended
on that account, to be resumed after the close of the war.

Mr. Freeman joined the Chatham Artillery in Savannah and was in
service in Chatham county. In the second year of the war he was
detached from his command and assigned to duty as assistant to the
collector of the port of Savannah, under the Confederate government.
The collector of the port was James R. Sneed and his chief deputy was
Maj. Charles S. Hardee, who has for many years held the office of city
treasurer of Savannah. A day or two prior to Sherman's entrance into
Savannah, the collector of the port and his office force, taking their
records, books, money and other possessions, went to Charleston, and of
this historic party Mr. Freeman was a member. Within a few days they
changed their headquarters from Charleston to Augusta ; thence the
Confederate authorities ordered them to Macon; from Macon to Mill-
edgeville ; and from the latter place they retreated to the plantation of
Dr. T. A. Parsons, in Laurens county, whence they were ordered to
Macon, where their effects were surrendered to the United States author-
ities and the party was paroled and returned to Savannah.

Upon the return of peace to the devastated country, the business of
Champion & Freeman was successfully re-established and continued
until 1877. Mr. Freeman, however, is best known for his long and
honorable connection with banking business in Savannah. He entered
upon his career in this field in 1873, when he was elected a director
and vice-president of the Citizens' Mutual Loan Company, which began
business in June of that year. He was one of the originators of that
well-remembered financial institution and took an active part in the
management of its affairs from the beginning. It was successful from
the start and earned a good annual profit in dividends to its stock-
holders. In 1887 the Citizens' Bank was organized and by unanimous
vote the Citizens' Mutual Loan Company was merged into that insti-
tution. The Citizens' Bank began with a capital stock of +200.000. and
Mr. Freeman was the first cashier of the new bank. In 1S90, the Citizens'
Bank was reorganized and $:500.000 was added to its capital, making its



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 581

capital stock $500,000. Mr. Freeman remained as cashier after the re-
organization, being the only one of the old officers retained after the
reorganization.

In 1906 the Citizens' Bank was consolidated with the Southern Bank
of the state of Georgia, with the name of the Citizens and Southern
Bank, and of this substantial institution, as mentioned in a preceding
paragraph, Mr. Freeman is an officer and assistant to the president; the
increasing duties of the cashier's position being considered more than
Mr. Freeman should discharge after his long years of service with the
bank. The Citizens and Southern Bank is one of the largest and strongest
banks in the South. It has a capital stock of $1,000,000, with a surplus
and undivided profits running over a million dollars. It occupies the
beautiful banking building constructed for its exclusive use, in the
square surrounded by St. Julian, Bryan, Bull and Draytbn streets,
with entrances from both Bull and Drayton streets. Nothing could
possibly be more advantageous than its situation. Besides his position
of assistant to the president, Mr. Freeman is also secretary of the board
of directors.

Mr. Freeman served five vears as alderman of Savannah and was at
one time chairman of the finance committee. He has been a member and
officer of the Savannah Benevolent Association since 1866, and for
ten years he was secretary, for nine years president, and for twenty-
six years, treasurer, which latter position he now holds. He is a member
of the Independent Presbyterian church and has been one of its board
of trustees since 1878. He is the friend of good government and takes
a public-spirited interest in all measures likely to advance the welfare
of the beautiful old city to which he came over half a century ago.

Mr. Freeman laid one of the most important stones in the foundation
of his success in 1862 by his marriage to Miss Sarah E. Davis, of Savan-
nah, daughter of William H. Davis, one of the well-known early resi-
dents of the city and particularly well remembered for his prominent
connection w T ith the Republican Blues, one of Savannah's famous military
organizations. Their union has been blessed by five children, two of
whom now survive : Judge Davis, Freeman, lawyer, and judge of the
city court of Savannah ; and Miss Georgia Freeman, a member of the
charming Freeman household, whose hospitality is thoroughly consistent
with Southern traditions.

William Hampton Wade. Of decided eminence in his profession is
William Hampton Wade, of Savannah, whose abilities have brought him
distinction at the bar and a large clientele. He is a native son of
Savannah, his birth having occurred in this city on the 17th day of
August, 1859. His parents were William and Margaret H. (Greene)
Wade, both of whom are deceased. The father was a native of Bridge-
port, Connecticut, and came to Savannah about the year 1850. He died
early in the Civil war period, the subject being an infant at the time of
his demise. At the time of the death of the elder gentleman he was
one of the proprietors of a foundry in Savannah that was engaged in
making cannon for the Confederate government. He was also the owner
of a plantation in Chatham county, not far from Savannah, and his
home there was known as "Hampton Place." The mother of the subject
was the daughter of Herman and Harriet M. (Hart) Greene, and her
birth occurred in Savannah in 1824. Herman Greene was the son of
Zachariah Greene, who was a first cousin of Gen. Nathaniel Greene, the
commander of Washington's forces in the Southern colonies during the
Revolutionary war. Zachariah Greene was a very young man at the
beginning of the Revolution, his years numbering about seventeen, but



582 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

he joined the Continental army and was proffered a place on General
Washington's staff.

William Hampton Wade was educated in the schools of Savannah
and in the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, from which he
graduated in the class of 1880. Having come to the decision to adopt
the law as his life work, he began his preparatory studies in Savannah
under the late Judge Walter S. Chisholm, and was admitted to the bar
in 1881. He has practiced law in Savannah since that time with the
exception of a few years, when he was absent from the city. Of vigorous
intellect, wide information and keen wit, his command of language is
such as to make his speech apt and fitting at all times and careful in
arranging and preparing his cases, he is never at a loss for forcible
and appropriate argument to sustain his position. His reputation as one
of the able lawyers of Savannah has been reinforced with the passing
years. Besides his law practice he fills the office of county administrator
and county guardian.

Mr. Wade was a member of the Savannah Volunteer Guards for about
seven years and at the time of leaving' the city in 1887 he had been
appointed a lieutenant. He finds pleasure and profit in his fraternal
relations, which extend to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and
the Knights of Pythias.

In the year 1906 Mr. Wade was married in this city to Miss Ada
Hull, a native daughter of Savannah, her father being Fred M. Hull,
the port warden of Savannah. They have one son, William Hampton
Wade, Jr.

David S. Atkinson. In no profession is there a career more open
to talent than is that of the law, and in no field of endeavor is there
demanded a more careful prepai'ation, a more thorough appreciation
of the absolute ethics of life or of the underlying principles which form
the basis of all human rights and privileges. Unflagging application
and determination are the concomitants which insure personal success.
Possessing the requisite qualities of the lawyer, is the young man whose
name introduces this paragraph — -Mr. David S. Atkinson.

Mr. Atkinson was born in Camden county, Georgia. November 1,
1884, the son of Dr. Dean Dunwody and Sarah Hardee (Scarlett )
Atkinson, of Brunswick, Georgia.

Mr. Atkinson received the advantages of a thorough education, his
public school training being supplemented by attendance in Gordon
Institute at Barnesville, the University of Georgia at Athens, and the
law department of Mercer University at Macon, from which last-
named institution he was graduated with the class of 1907. He then
entered upon the practice of law in Camden county and was, in 1909.
appointed by Gov. J. M. Brown, judge of the city court of St. Marys.
Georgia. In October, 1908, he established himself in the practice of
law in Savannah.

Mr. Atkinson has become actively associated witli the various affairs
of Savannah. He was in 1913 appointed assistant city attorney of this
city. He is a lieutenant in the First Regiment of Infantry. National
Guard of Georgia, and a member of various clubs and societies. He is
a past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias, a Mason, an Odd Fellow,
an Elk, and Eagle, and is secretary and treasurer of the University
Club o!' Savannah. Mr. Atkinson is unmarried.

Col. Michael J. O'Leary. Excelling in achievements and com-
manding success in several lines of endeavor. Col. Michael J. O'Leary,
of Savannah, has won marked prestige as colonel of the First Regiment



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 583

of Infantry, National Guard of Georgia; has acquired prominence in ,
commercial circles and engaged in the transfer of cotton; and as alder-
man was actively associated with the public interests of the city for one
term.

Born in^ New York City in 1869, he was brought by his parents to
Savannah when but a few months old, and is practically a Savannah
product, having been brought up in this city, and here receiving his
early education in Saint Patrick's school, and his commercial training
in McCarthy's Business College. Since 1896, when he succeeded to
the interests of Andrew McCormick, Colonel O'Leary has been actively
and prosperously engaged in the cotton transfer business, which is
the principal business of the kind in Savannah, in his operations enjoy-
ing the patronage of all the large cotton interests.

In 1888, responding to the lure of military life, Michael J. O'Leary
enlisted as a private in the ' ' Irish Jasper Greens, ' ' one of the companies
of the First Regiment of Infantry, National Guard of Georgia. Sub-
sequently receiving well-merited promotion, he was first made first
lieutenant of his company, and later was commissioned major of his
regiment. In 1908 lie was attain promoted, being made colonel of the
First Regiment of Infantry, National Guard of Georgia, a position
which he now holds. This regiment is famous in the military history
of Georgia, its distinguished record being referred to at length in the
historical portion of this work. At present the First Regiment is
composed of twelve companies, including the Emmett Rifles, the
German Volunteers, the Oglethorpe Light Infantry, the Savannah
Cadets, the Irish Jasper Greens, the Republican Blues,' and several out-
of-town companies. Colonel 'Leary has rendered notably efficient serv-
ice and given the highest of satisfaction as commander of his regiment,
which is one of the military bulwarks of the state. For two seasons, in
1907 and 1908, the colonel was captain of the Georgia Rifle Team,
representing the Georgia military organization in the rifle contests at
Camp Perry, Ohio.

Elected alderman of the city in the fall of 1910, Colonel O'Leary
took his seat in January, 1911, and is rendering excellent service in
that capacity. He is one of the directors of the Savannah Fire Insur-
ance Company. He is a director of the Chamber of Commerce ; and
of the Exchange Bank and a member of the Cotton Exchange ; of the
Savannah Automobile Club; the Hussars Club; the Guards Club; and
fraternally is a member, and past state deputy, of the Knights of Colum-
bus, and master of the fourth degree of the states of Florida, Georgia,
North and South Carolinas.

Colonel O'Leary married, in Savannah, Josephine McCormick, and
they have one daughter, Josephine O'Leary.

Dr. Richard Dennis Arnold, a physician and surgeon of con-
siderable note, distinguished citizen and war mayor of Savannah,
was born in that city on August 19, 1808. He passed away in the city
of his birth in 1876, and he is mourned in the hearts of all who live to
remember him today.

Dr. Arnold was the son of Capt. Joseph and Eliza (Dennis) Arnold;
the former born in Rhode Island and the latter a native of Brunswick,
New Jersey. No man was more generally or more favorably known in
Savannah, few were more highly honored, and none have done more to
promote the best interests of the city and to benefit the people indi-
vidually and collectively than did Doctor Arnold. He died July 10,
] 876, in the same house and in the same room in which he was born, the
old family mansion still standing on the northwest corner of State and



584 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Abercorn streets. He was a graduate of Princeton College, also of the
Medical College of the University of Pennsylvania. 'In 1832 Doctor
Arnold began the practice of his profession in Savannah, and success
soon established him among the distinguished members of the medical
profession. In 1839 he was elected to represent Chatham county in the
state legislature, and the usefulness of his public service was such that
many further political honors were bestowed upon him. In 1842 he
was elected to the Georgia senate, and in 1843 he was elected mayor
of Savannah, previously having served several terms as a member of
the board of aldermen. He was again elected to the office of mayor
in 1851, 1859 and 1863, and continued to hold that office until the close
of the Civil war. General Sherman, upon his occupation of the city
in December, 1864. convinced that Doctor Arnold was much better
fitted to act as mayor than anyone that could be appointed from the
army, retained Doctor Arnold in that position. He rendered service
of great value to his people in those times in looking after the women
and children and non-combatants.

Doctor Arnold was a prominent member of the American Medical
Association, was elected first vice-president of that body in 1846, and
was a member of the committee which drafted the association's code of
ethics. In 1847 he was elected president of the Georgia Medical
Society. His reputation as a physician was international, and he was
especially well known as an expert in the treatment of fevers. In 1854,
when the yellow fever epidemic swept over Savannah, Doctor Arnold
rendered notably beneficent services, being unremitting in his atten-
tions to the sick and suffering, and taking no heed of any danger to
himself. His experience was wide and varied, and, a constant student,
he wrote several masterful treatises on yellow and bilious fevers.

Doctor Arnold was a delegate to several national Democratic con-
ventions, and was always enthusiastic in the cause of the party. He
was deeply interested in the subject of education, and as a member of
the board of education of Savannah, was able to do much for its advance-
ment in his native city. He was one of the original members of the
Georgia Historical Society.

Doctor Arnold was past master of Oglethorpe Lodge of the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows and a member of Solomons Lodge, No. 1,
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He was buried in Bonaventure
cemetery and in respect to his memory a beautiful shaft was erected
by the children of the public schools and the citizens of Savannah.

John M. Hog an. Among the prominent and valued citizens whom
Savannah has been called upon to mourn within the past few years,
none will be more generally missed than John M. Hogan, who, as cashier
for many years of the Germania Bank, was closely identified with the
financial interests of the city, while his connection with business, fra-
ternal, military and educational associations brought him in contact
with the membership of various city organizations. A native of Penn-
sylvania, he was born May 28, 1848, in Philadelphia, a son of Matthew
and Anne (Higgins) Hogan, both of whom were born in Ireland, and
died in Savannah.

As a young lad John M. Hogan came with his parents to Savannah.
Ceorgia, where he acquired his early education, which was supple-
mented by a course of study in Spring Hill College, near Mobile, Ala-
bama. Returning to Savannah from there, he entered the banking
house of Wallace dimming & Company, and subsequently remained
with that firm and its successors, and with the Southern Bank of Geor-
gia, until the organization of the Germania Bank, in 1889. Being then



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 585

chosen cashier of that institution, Mr. Hogan retained the position con-
tinuously until his death, May 8, 1911, his long record of service in that'
capacity bespeaking in no uncertain tone his business ability, judgment
and upright character. He was also secretary and treasurer of the
Savannah Clearing House Association from its formation, in 1891, until
his death. In a memorial issued by the clearing house association fol-
lowing his death, a beautiful and honest tribute was paid to his memory,
as follows:

"Mr. Hogan 's faithful and efficient services as an officer of this
association were so appreciated by his associates that no other name
was ever mentioned in connection with his office during his long in-
cumbency of it. Mr. Hogan took an active interest in whatever tended
to promote better banking methods. He was until his death a constant
attendant upon the meetings of the American Bankers' Association, and
he was for a time one of its vice-presidents. His sterling qualities,
combined with his genial and courteous manner, won the friendship and
affection of all his associates, and his death brings to each of us a pro-
found sense of personal bereavement.

"As an expression of our sense of loss, it is

"Resolved, That in the death of John M. Hogan this association
deplores the loss of a cherished friend and of a faithful officer, whose
life and character exemplified the highest type of the upright business
man and citizen."

The late Capt. Henry Blun, who was president of the Germania
Bank, imposed great confidence in Mr. Hogan, and his long experience
and irreproachable character made him a man of influence in financial
circles.

Mr. John M. Hogan was a member of the Georgia Historical So-
ciety, and was vice-president of the Hibernian Society at the time of
his death. He was a life member of the Savannah Volunteer Guards;
a member of the Catholic Library Association ; of the Savannah Yacht
Club ; the Oglethorpe Club ; the Hussars Club ; the Union Society ; and
the Chamber of Commerce. Fraternally he belonged to the Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks.

William R. Hewlett is an attorney of Savannah and since 1908
has been one of the United States commissioners for the United States
court, Eastern district of Georgia. His reputation as one of the promi-
nent lawyers of the state has been reinforced with passing years, during
which he has appeared in connection with many of the important cases
brought before the state and federal courts, with many noteworthy
forensic victories to his credit. He is a strong advocate before judge or
jury and not only marshals his causes with great ability, but also brings
to bear the strength of a firm and upright character, so that he has
gained and held the inviolable confidence and regard of his fellow prac-
titioners and also of the general public.

Mr. Hewlett was born at Barnwell, Barnwell county, South Caro-
lina, on the 20th day of September, 1869. He is the son of William
Henry and Amelia H. (Fowke) Hewlett. The former, who has been
deceased for several years, was a native South Carolinian, but came to
Savannah to enlist in the Confederate army at the outbreak of the war,
he joining the famous Georgia Huzzars of this city, of which he became
lieutenant. He went with this organization to the Army of Northern
Virginia ; was wounded in one of the battles in that state ; came home ;
and rejoined the army in South Carolina after he got well. He was
the son of William H. and Elizabeth (Johnson) Hewlett.

The subject's mother, who is still living, comes from the well-known



586 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Virginia family of that name. She is the daughter of Dr. Richard
Chandler and his wife, whose maiden name was Harrietta (Allen; Fowke.
Dr. Richard Chandler Fowke was the son of Dr. John Fowke. of Vir-
ginia, who served in the United States navy as a surgeon soon after
the close of the Revolutionary war. Dr. John Fowke was descended
from Roger Fowke of England, whose son, a colonel in the royal army.
came to America about the time of the execution of Charles I and
settled in the Old Dominion. Through marriage his descendants became
connected with a number of the well-known families of Virginia,
such as the Masons, Fitzhughs, Dinwiddies, Burdettes, Harrisons and
Alexanders. The late Peter Daniel of the United States supreme court
was of the Fowke connection.

Mr. Hewlett of this review received his general education in the
schools of Barnwell and Charleston. He came to Savannah in 1886
and this city has since been his home. He studied law in Savannah
and was admitted to the bar in 1898. He did not begin practice, how-
ever, until the year 1900, since which time he has been one of the
active and successful practitioners at the Savannah bar and in the vari-
ous federal and state courts. For a number of years he maintained a
law partnership with Judge Walter W. Sheppard, which pleasant con-
nection was dissolved in 1910 upon Judge Sheppard 's appointment as
judge of the Atlantic circuit of the superior court.

Mr. Hewlett is a prominent figure in several of the fraternal organ-
izations. He is clerk and is practically at the head of the local lodge
of Woodmen of the World; he is head officer of the fraternal Mystic
Circle for the state of Georgia, and he is junior warden of the Royal
Arcanum.

Mr. Hewlett was married June 2, 1893, to Miss Julia C. Erwin. a
niece of Hon. Marion Erwin, United States district attorney for the
Eastern district of Georgia, becoming his wife. Their union has been
blessed with a daughter, Kathleen. The Hewlett homestead is a hos-
pitable and charming abode and Mr. and Mrs. Hewlett hold high place
in popular confidence and esteem.

Waring Russell, Jr. One of the most highly esteemed and popu-
lar citizens of Savannah, Waring Russell, Jr., has served continuously
as clerk of the city court for upwards of fifteen years, administering
the affairs of his office so ably and intelligently as to win the approba-
tion of every member of the bar and of all others with whom he is brought
into business contact. A native of Savannah, Georgia, his birth occurred
December 2, 185-1. He is of pioneer stock, his ancestors having come to
this country with General Oglethorpe in 1733, being among the original
settlers of Savannah, and subsequently identified with the history of
the Revolutionary war.

His father, the late Judge Philip Moses Russell, was born December
17, 1815, in Savannah, a son of Isaac and Perla (Sheftall) Russell. At
the age of eighteen years he began the study of law with his uncle,
Hon. Mordecai Sheftall, at that time a leading member of the Savan-
nah bar, but afterwards for many years judge of the court of common
pleas and oyer and terminer of the city of Savannah, a position to
which he was elected by the state legislature. Here it may be well fo
mention that the present city court of Savannah, with which some
members of the Sheftall or Russell families have been officially con-
nected for more than a century, was known before the Revolutionary
war, and for some time after, as the mayor's court. In 1820 the name
was changed to the "Court of Common Pleas and Oyer and Terminer,"
and in 1856 was again changed, becoming the "City Court of Savannah."



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 587

In 1835 Judge Philip M. Russell was appointed a director of the
Savannah & Altamaha Canal Company, a position which he retained
until receiving his appointment as deputy sheriff of Chatham county,
and deputy United States marshal under Col. William I. Davis, posi-
tions in which, by urbanity of character and strict attention to and
impartial discharge of his official duties, he made many personal and
political friends. On June 15, 1843, Judge Russell was elected sheriff
of the city of Savannah, and on April 9, 1844, was elected justice of
the peace in the first district, defeating the Democratic and Whig oppo-
nents by a majority of twenty-five votes. While holding this office he
was appointed inspector of customs by the collector, Gen. Edward
Harden. Removing then to the second district, the judge was there
elected justice of the peace in January, 1846, receiving a large vote.
On January 1, 1850, he was elected clerk of the court of common pleas
and oyer and terminer of the city of Savannah, and in January, 1853,
he was elected city marshal of Savannah, an office which he filled
acceptably for two years. In the year 1855 Judge Russell acted as clerk
of the United States circuit and district courts, and in January, 1856,
was elected clerk of the city court of Savannah, and held the position
until the outbreak of the Civil war in 1861.

In 1853, Judge Russell was made a member of the "Republican
Blues," a favorite volunteer company of the First Regiment of the
Georgia Volunteers, in which he maintained his membership as long as
he lived. When, by the occupancy of Fort Pulaski, the company en-
tered into active serviee,*Judge Russell was detailed to look after the com-
fort of the families of his fellow-members in service, and at the organi-
zation of the state forces, under Governor Brown's administration, was
commissioned as captain and commissary of subsistence, and assigned
to duty with Colonel Karkie's regiment, Gen. G. B. Harrison's brigade.

In September, 1863. the judge became a candidate for the legisla-
ture, and was elected the following month by a handsome majority of
the votes cast, and two years later was re-elected by the highest vote
in the county. At the expiration of his legislative term, Judge Russell,
having become re-enfranchised under the reconstruction acts, resumed
his position as clerk of the court of the city of Savannah, and con-
tinued in office several terms.

In 1876, Judge Russell was again the Democratic candidate for
representative to the state legislature, receiving thirty-nine of the
forty-two votes cast in the county convention, and was elected, leading
his ticket by seventy-two votes. At the expiration of his term he had
the honor of being re-elected to the legislature by a majority of two
hundred votes over the highest candidate on the opposition ticket, and
in 1886 was once more elected to the state legislature, leading his oppo-
nent at the polls by two hundred and ninety-eight votes.

Judge Russell served his people in various offices with conspicuous
ability and untiring energy. He was clerk of the city court of Savan-
nah for nearly thirty-five years, and was chief of the fire department
for many terms. A stanch and unflinching Democrat in politics, he
always received the highest vote cast for his ticket whenever he was the
party's nominee for official positions. He represented his party in
numerous conventions, and was chairman of the committee which noti-
fied Alexander II. Stephens of his nomination for governor. His death,
December 11, 1902, at the ripe old age of eighty-eight years, removed
from the community one of its best loved and most revered citizens.

Judge Russell married first, September 15, 1834. Elizabeth C. Ferre,
of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who died October 10, 1886. He married
second, in 1889, Eliza P. Ancker, of Philadelphia, also. He was the
father of eleven children.



588 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Waring Russell, Jr., the son of Judge Philip M. and Elizabeth
(Perre) Russell, was brought up and educated in Savannah, attending
first the public schools, and later the private school taught by Prof.
James P. Cann. On January 19, 1878, he was appointed deputy sheriff
of the city court of Savannah by David Bailey, Esq., sheriff of said
court. An extract from the minutes of the city court says that on
July 20, 1880, the resignation of Waring Russell, Jr., as deputy sheriff
was accepted with deep regret — David Bailey, sheriff, and approved
with regret — William D. Harden, judge.

Mr. Russell resigned the office of deputy sheriff to accept the posi-
tion of justice of the peace of the third Georgia district, to which he
had been elected, after a heated contest, in March, 1880. Through con-
tinuous re-election he held the office until January, 1899, when he was
elected clerk of the city court of Savannah, a position which his father
had previously held for thirty-five years. On November 5, 1899, by
legislative enactment, this office was made elective by the people, instead
of by the mayor and alderman as formerly. At the ensuing election,
in May, 1900, Mr. Russell was elected to this office by the people, being
the only successful candidate for official honors on his ticket at that
election. He has been continuously elected every two years since, and
in every election has led his ticket. A thoroughly competent and efficient
man in every respect, Mr. Russell has invariably had the unqualified
endorsement and support of practically every member of the bar at
each election. Universally popular in Savannah, he thoroughly under-
stands political conditions, and being plain sp*oken, open and frank,
with never a thought of resorting to political chicanery, it is said of
Mr. Russell that he can have any public office which he desires.

Mr. Russell married, in Savannah, Miss Georgia A. Mendel, and they
have three children, namely : Thomas Sheftall Russell ; Mrs. Frances
M. Harper ; and Mrs. Georgia C. Smith. Thomas Sheftall Russell was
educated in the public schools of Savannah, and was graduated from
the high school and Chatham Academy. Subsequently studying law,
he was admitted to the bar, but has never engaged in the practice of
his profession. For several years past he has been chief deputy clerk
of the city court, serving under his father, and giving universal satis-
faction in the position.

Dr. James Proctor Screven. (Prepared by Thomas F. Screven.)
Dr. James Proctor Screven was born October 11. 1799, near Bluff-
ton, in St. Peter's Parish, now Beaufort county, South Carolina, and
died July 16, 1859 at the Hot Springs in Virginia, where he had gone
in the hope of restoration to good health after an illness which began
some time in the fall of 1858 ; this illness was probably attributable to
his ardent and energetic attention to the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad
(now a part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad) of which he was the
faithful and first president.

Dr. Screven was the oldest son of Major John Screven, born Jan-
uary 18, 1777, in South Carolina, Major of the Second Battalion of
Militia at Savannah, Georgia, and a planter in South Carolina and
Georgia ; he died November 20, 1830, at Savannah, his then place of
residence and was there buried; his wife was Hannah (Proctor)
Screven, born January 8, 1778, in South Carolina, and killed with
her son John Screven, (born August 4, 1803) in the great storm of Sep-
tember 8. 1804, on AYilmington island. Georgia, by the fall of the
family residence.

Hannah (Proctor) Screven was the second daughter of Richard
Proctor, born 1734 in Charleston. South Carolina, and said to have



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 589

been the first male baptized at St. Philip's church at Charleston; he died
April 26, 1817, at the age of eighty-three years, in Savannah, Georgia, at
the residence of his son-in-law, Major John Screven, and interred near
Bluffton, South Carolina; and his wife, Mary Ann (Vinson) Proctor,
born February, 1752, and died in 1822. She was a daughter of George
and Martha Vinson of South Carolina.

Richard Proctor was a son of Stephen Proctor of Charleston, South
Carolina, and Hannah (Simons) Proctor, his wife, widow of John Royer,
and a daughter of Benjamin and Mary (DuPre) Simons of South
Carolina, and of French Huguenot descent.

Dr. Screven's grandfather, -Lieutenant John Screven, was born No-
vember 23, 1750, on James island, South Carolina; he died September
2, 1801, and was buried at Montpelier which is located on the southern
shore of May river, or the River of May, and nearly opposite Bluffton,
South Carolina ; Lieutenant John Screven moved from South Carolina
to the St. John's Parish, afterward known as Liberty county, Georgia,
where his brother, James Screven, resided and became a planter there ;
he is recorded as becoming Lieutenant in Capt. James Screven's
company of St. John's Rangers, by the Council of Safety of the
State, and as engaged in the issue in 1776 of paper money for that state.

Dr. Screven's grandmother was Elizabeth (Pendarvis) Bryan, born
May 23, 1755; died April 5, 1804; widow of Josiah Bryan (son of
Jonathan Bryan) daughter of Joseph Pendarvis, whose pioneer an-
cestor was Joseph Pendarvis, died in 1694, and Mary Bedon, daughter
of Col. Richard Bedon, and descended from George Bedon who came over
from England with the Sayle colony in 1670. Josiah Bryan and Eliza-
beth Pendarvis were married August 14, 1770; he died 1774, leaving one
son, Joseph, who was born August 18, 1773; by Elizabeth (Pendarvis)
Bryan's first marriage she had one son. Her maiTiage to Lieut. John
Screven occurred January 13, 1776, and they had thirteen children.

Dr. Screven's great-grandfather was James Screven of James island,
South Carolina, born 1609, son of Samuel Screven, who was a son of
the Rev. William Screven, born in Somerton, England, about 1629, an
immigrant to Kittery, Maine, removed to South Carolina about 1696
with his family consisting of his wife, Bridget (Cutt) Screven and
children, and Baptist congregation ; founded the first Baptist church
as its minister and died on the site of Georgetown, South Carolina, in
1713 and is there buried.

Dr. Screven's great-grandmother was Mary (Smith) Screven, born
1717, died 1758, a daughter of the second Landgrave Thomas Smith of
South Carolina, son of Thomas Smith of Exeter, England, born 1643,
first landgrave and governor of South and North Carolina, and Bar-
bara Smith, his wife. Mary (Smith) Screven's mother, Mary, was a
daughter of Col. Edward Hyrne, of Norfolk, England, and of North
Carolina, and his wife, Elizabeth (Massingbird) Hyrne. (A bible record
of the Girardeau family).

Dr. Screven completed his grammar school education at Willington,
near Abbeville, South Carolina, under the tuition of Dr. Moses Wad-
dell, then celebrated as a successful instructor of youth, and who be-
came president of Franklin College, afterward the University of
Georgia, at Athens, Georgia. He then entered the South Carolina Col-
lege at Columbia, South Carolina, and graduated in 1817 with honor.
Returning to Savannah he studied medicine under Dr. Wm. R. Waring,
one of the leading physicians. Upon the completion of that course he
entered the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, where he gradu-
ated April 6, 1820, obtaining a medical diploma, also one from the
Medical Society of Philadelphia, dated at the time of his appointment



590 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

to honorary membership in that society. This society appears to have
been founded in the year 1779. Upon the completion of his course at
the University, at his father's desire he obtained a French passport,
dated May 27, 1820, and left for London, England, where he studied
at Guy's and St. Thomas' hospitals. Sir Astley Cooper being one of
the surgeons who gave him a certificate, dated April 13, 1821. of his
diligent attendance upon the practice of surgery and medicine, in Guy's
and St. Thomas hospitals for six months last past. Then he went to
Paris, France, still in the active pursuit of his profesional studies, but
also to learn their cognate branches. He was also a pupil of the
celebrated Cuvier, as well as of others, the most distinguished of the
French Medical school. Here he mastered the French language and
probably the Italian. He numbered LaFayette as one of his friends.

The remainder of Dr. Screven 's stay in Europe, which occupied over
two years, was spent in travel in Switzerland and Italy. In the latter
country, the late Hon. George Bancroft, the historian, was his com-
panion. His son, John Screven, wrote: "I have long used a copy of
Horace belonging to my father, evidently a vade rnecum with him,
as it was copiously marked with his references to objects of interest men-
tioned by the poet, and indicated not only his habitual closeness of
observation but that he definitely associated those objects with the
careful and well-directed maintenance of his classical studies. He made
full and conscientious use of his European experiences, both in his
profession and in the sciences, which later had their earlier accepted
development in that period, — that is, in the first quarter of the nineteenth
century. Without professing to apply himself to the sciences other-
wise than as a man of advanced intelligence, he devoted much time to
geology, mineralogy, conchology, chemistry and comparative anatomy,"
so when he and Dr. Joseph C. Habersham learned of the discovery of
the remains of a strange animal on the shore of Skidaway island in
Chatham county, his knowledge of anatomy convinced him that the
remains were that of a megatherium, and to congratulate himself that
he had been a pupil of Cuvier. He delivered his views on this interest-
ing subject before the Georgia Medical Society, of which he became a
member in 1823. Some of these remains were sent to the Smithsonian
Institution at Washington, D. O, but were destroyed when the orig-
inal buildings were burned. Portions of these remains were given to
the Georgia Historical Society some time after his death. Another
instance of the value of his observations in Europe was his letter to
the council of Savannah in August, 1823. upon the subject of dry
culture as observed in the south of Europe, which was referred to a
committee and reported as "well calculated to set the question of the
utility of dry culture at rest" and "after six years have passed away
the operation of the dry culture system, imperfectly as that system
has been enforced, it has given evidence the most conclusive of a favor-
able influence upon the health of Savannah." A newspaper of the
time, September 16, 1823, stated: "No dispassionate man. after reading
it can longer doubt. By the friends of Dr. Screven, this letter must be
received as a most satisfactory evidence of the manner in which he has
appropriated the time he passed in Europe — to his community and the
country, this letter gives a high promise of future usefulness. We
cannot close our remarks without expressing our approbation of the
manly, dignified and chaste style of the writer."

Dr. Screven began the practice of medicine in Savannah in 1822-3.
lie and his hrother-in-law. Dr. Wm, C. Daniell, formed a partnership
and on April 23, 1823, they issued a public notice to the effect of their
having procured the building occupied as a poor house and hospital,



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 591

and would open May 1st next for the medical treatment of sick seamen
and negroes. >

Dr. Screven was elected January 8, 1824, by council "the first health
officer under the new method."

Dr. Screven was alderman from April 13, 1826 to September 11,
1826 ; from then to September 10, 1827, and again from December 4,
1828.

Dr. Screven was married December 26, 1826 by the Rev. Abiel
Carter, rector of Christ church at Savannah, to Miss Hannah Georgia
Bryan, born August 31, 1907, daughter of Joseph Bryan and Delia
(Forman) Bryan, (died December 16, 1825), daughter of Gen. Thomas
Marsh Forman, of Rose Hill, Cecil county, Maryland.

Joseph Bryan and Delia Forman were married April 9, 1805, at
the residence of Judge Ezekiel Forman Chambers, (a relative of Gen-
eral Forman) at Chestertown, Maryland. Joseph Bryan was born
August 18, 1773, son of Josiah Bryan, and died September 5, 1812, at
his own home, Non Chalance, Wilmington island, and there interred.
He was several times a member of the state legislature and once a mem-
ber of the United States congress.

It is said that Joseph Bryan's popularity was greatly increased
in the state by his successful fight, unarmed, with a bear, which he
killed. At a house in the country, he desired at night a bath in a
horse-water trough near the premises, which the bear also inclined to.
A contest for the bath ensued, in which he succeeded by his great
strength and courage. He resigned in 1806 from the United States
congress before his term expired.

The distinguished John Randolph, of Roanoke, of Virginia, his dear-
est and most intimate friend, wrote of him in an obituary notice: "The
character of Mr. Bryan was every way original. He was himself and
no one else at second hand. Educated in Europe, which quarter of the
globe he again visited for improvement by travel. He was every way
free from taint of foreign manner. He lived and died a Georgian.
Soon after his last return from Europe he was elected to congress from
his native state. He took no part in the debates of the house, but his
zeal against the Yazoo claims was not surpassed by even that of his
friend. General James Jackson himself. In the spring of 1806, after
serving three sessions in congress, Mr. Bryan resigned his seat, in conse-
quence, it is believed, of his marriage the preceding year, with a beau-
tiful and amiable lady of the eastern shore of Maryland, who, (with five
children), survive him. Congressional life is incompatible with domes-
tic enjoyments.

"His dissolution was uncommonly rapid; but his spirit retained its
vigor to the last. He made light of his disease, and a few days before
his death invited an old friend to dine with him next Christmas. All
his fortitude could not save him. His complaint was of the liver, with
dropsy.

"In person Mr. Bryan might have served as a model to the stat-
uary. He possessed wonderful strength and activity of body, united
to undaunted resolution ; but he was not more terrible than generous
as an enemy. The brave are always generous. As a friend, he w T as
above all price. His mind was of the first order — stored with various
but desultory reading; for he read solely for his own amusement. His
integrity was unimpeached and unimpeachable ; his honor unsullied.
Quick in his resentments, but easily appeased when injured, and equally
ready to acknowledge an error when wrong, provided the appeal was
made to his sense of justice ; for he knew not fear ; he was brave even
to rashness, and his generosity bordered on profusion. Strange, wonder-



592 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

ful man ! Some fatality must have taken him from the sphere for
which nature designed him, and he has left his friends to regret that his
talents, integrity, honor, unbounded and unexampled ' courage should
be so early lost to them."

Josiah Bryan, born August 22, 1746, in South Carolina, died 1774
at Brampton, Georgia, married August 14, 1770, Elizabeth Pendarvis,
was a son of Jonathan Bryan and Mary (Williamson) Bryan, who
were married October 13, 1737. Mary (Williamson) Bryan was a
daughter of John Williamson, of South Carolina, and Mary (Bower)
Williamson. Mary (Bower) Williamson was a daughter of William
Bower and Martha (Hext) Bower. The latter was a daughter of Hugh
Hext. William Bower and Hugh Hext came together from England
to South Carolina. Their descendants were numerous and allied with
prominent families of the province and state.

Jonathan Bryan, born 1708 in South Carolina and died 1788 at
Brampton, his place of residence near Savannah in Georgia, was a
son of the pioneer ancestor, Joseph Bryan and Janet (Cochran) Bryan,
a daughter of Hugh Cochran of South Carolina. Mr. Bryan assisted
Gen. James Oglethorpe in the selection of the site upon which Sa-
vannah stands ; was useful in the construction of the country road
leading to Darien and Frederica, and in 1740, as lieutenant of a com-
pany of "Gentleman Volunteers," attended General Oglethorpe's ex-
pedition to capture St. Augustine in Florida.

Mr. Bryan moved in December, 1752, with his family, to Savannah,
permanently. With a high standing in South Carolina, he soon became
more prominent in Georgia: One of the king's council; one of the
judges of the court of oyer and terminer and the general court ; treas-
urer of the province ; captain of a company of horse militia : prominent
in the councils of the malcontents with the actions of the British gov-
ernment in regard to taxation, who desired and finally succeeded in a
separation of the province and state from the control of that govern-
ment; resigned from the king's council, because of its threat to expel
him, whereupon the Union Society bestowed upon him a silver vase, a
gift expressive of the society's appreciation of his devotion to the
cause of his fellow citizens; member of the Council of Safety and Exec-
utive Council, at one time acting as president of the state; in January,
1779, captured with his son, James, by the British at his ''Union"
plantation, twelve miles north and west of Savannah, but on the north-
ern shore of the Savannah river, both taken to New York and held
there in close and severe imprisonment for more than two years : when
exchanged they returned to Georgia or South Carolina. Mr. Bryan's
last, effort for the colonists was his fighting with General Wayne in the
latter 's victory over the British and Indians near Savannah in the last
year of the war.

His daughter, Mary, widow of John Morel, married in 1784 Richard
Wylly, a distinguished officer of the Revolution and member of the
Society of the Cincinnati; and another daughter, Hannah, married John
Houstoun. lawyer by profession, son of Sir Patrick Houstoun. and
member of the congress of tin- stales, governor of Georgia, 1778, first
mayor (1791) of Savannah, again governor of the state, judge, etc

General Thomas Marsh Forman, born August 20, 1758. died 1845
and buried at his residence. Rose Hill, Cecil county. Maryland, was a
son of Ezekiel Forman and Augustine or Augustina (Marsh) Forman.
born 1744, daughter of Thomas Marsh and Mary (Thompson) Marsh,
who was a granddaughter of John Thompson and Judith (Herrman)
Thompson, and great-granddaughter of Augustin Herrman and Janetia
Herrman, danghter of Casper and Judith Varleth.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 593

Thomas Marsh Forman joined Smallwood's regiment in the Revo-
lution as a cadet, shortly before the battle of Long Island, New York;/
the next winter was commissioned lieutenant in the 11th Pennsylvania
regiment; then becoming captain in his uncle David Forman s con-
tinental regiment; and in 1779 succeeded James Monroe as staff officer
to Maj. Gen. Lord Sterling. He served in the legislature in 1790, 1792,
and 1800, and during the bombardment of Fort McHenry, War of 1812,
commanded a brigade of militia. In his will, he bequeathed his estate
to his grandson, Thomas Marsh Forman Bryan, son of Joseph Bryan
and Delia (Forman) Bryan, provided he changed his name to Thomas
Marsh Forman, which was done by the legislature of Maryland.

General Forman was descended from Robert Forman "who was
driven from England by the persecutions of Archbishop Laud, and took
refuge in Holland. His name and that of his wife, Johanna, are en-
rolled upon the church register at Vlissingen, Holland, the English
name being Flushing. On Long Island, New York, he was one of the
incorporators of Flushing in 1645, which was then governed by the
Dutch, but the incorporators were Englishmen. The charter at Al-
bany has Robert's name spelled "Firman," but in all documents signed
by him it is spelled "Forman." He moved to Hempstead, Long Is-
land, incorporated November, 1645. His -name appears among the
forty-three signers of a letter to Governor Stuyvesant agreeing to pay
the "tenths" demanded by the governor, if it can be shown that they
are legally obliged to do so. On December 9, 1658, Governor Stuyves-
ant chose to be magistrates Richard Gildersleeve and Robert Forman.
On May 12, 1664, Robert Forman was one of the two magistrates at
Oyster Bay, then under New England jurisdiction. His will, dated
February 7, 1670 (record of Oyster Bay), mentions his sons, Moses,
Aaron and Samuel. His wife was Johanna as shown by deed dated
June 9, 1665. He died in 1671. Aaron Forman moved to Monmouth
county, New Jersey, April 11, 1693. His son Samuel married in 1667
or 1668 Mary Wilbur, daughter of Samuel Wilbur and Hannah Porter.

Ezekiel Forman, father of Gen. T. M. Forman and son of Joseph
and Elizabeth Lee Forman, married first Augustine, or Au»ustina,
Marsh, daughter of Thomas Marsh and Mary (Thompson) Marsh; the
latter a granddaughter of John Thompson and Judith ( Herrman ^
Thompson ; the latter a daughter of Augustin Herrman and Janitia
his wife, daughter of Casper and Judith Varleth.

Ezekiel Forman was commissioned high sheriff of Kent County,
Maryland, January 14, 1776; appointed paymaster to the eastern shore
marching militia ; member of the Council of Safety of Maryland and
died at his wilderness plantation four or five miles from Natchez, Mis-
issippi, having journeyed down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to this
plantation to cultivate tobacco. He wrote an interesting narrative of
this journey, which has been printed, a copy being in the possession of
the writer of this paper.

Augustine Herrman, colonist, first in New Amsterdam, now New
York, and next Lord of Bohemia Manor in Maryland; he acquired
this title and large tract of land through his making a valuable map
of Maryland and Virginia at a cost to him of ten thousand dollars
or two hundred pounds, which was an important acquisition to Mary-
land, and thereby the grant of the title of Lord and the Bohemia Manor.
He was born at Prague, Bohemia, and died on his manor in 1686 ; his
father and mother were Augustin Ephraim Herrman and Beatrice,
daughter of Casper Redel of Prague, a patrician family. A copy of the
above mentioned map is in the possession of the writer of these papers,
and the original map has been in the map department of the British
Museum these many years.



594 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

To return to Dr. Screven: A monument committee, composed of
John Shellman, John Stevens, William B. Bulloch, J. V. Bevan, R. W.
Habersham, A. Porter, James P. Screven, "William Gaston, Alexander
Telfair, A. B. Fanin and J. Bond Read, was formed to erect monu-
ments to General Green and the Count Pulaski ; and on Novemher 30.
1826, the state authorized a committee, of which Dr. Screven was a
member, to institute a lottery by which to obtain funds for these
monuments.

In 1834 there was cholera in Savannah, and in December, the state
appropriated $15,000 to be used in a Lazaretto to be located at Savan-
nah, and Dr. Screven was one of a committee to select a site. This com-
mittee reported, February 5, 1835, in favor of the extreme western point
of Tybee island, which was on Lazaretto creek.

About 1835, Dr. Screven retired from the practice of medicine and
witli his family resided at Non Chalance, Wilmington island, for the
purpose of actively prosecuting his planting interests there as well as
in South Carolina and in Georgia, on the Savannah river. This he fol-
lowed successfully, thereby gathering large profits, and if he chose, the
position of a man at ease in this world's goods. His energy and mental
endowment allowed but little ease. However, about 1847-8. he and his
family moved back to Savannah, and it is found that he was an alder-
man in the 61st, 62nd, 63d and 64th administi-ations of the city, and
mayor in the 67th administration.

As alderman, during the calamitous yellow fever of 1854. he sent
his family to Non Chalance, Wilmington island, remaining himself un-
mindful of the dread fever. At one time, September 21, 1854, he as act-
ing mayor, and Mr. Alderman Mallory, were the only ones of the mayor
and aldermen, who were able to care for the interests of the city. Fort-
unately the fever did not attack him. His greatest misfortune was
after the fever had almost ceased, when on November 7, 1854, his son.
James, was drowned in the river north of Non Chalance. while en-
deavoring to swim ashore to safety with a young lady who was visiting
the family.

During the period from 1850 to and including 1857. the improve-
ments to the city were the acquirement of the Springfield plantation,
purchased by Dr. Screven and turned over to the city of Savannah at
the purchase price ; the establishment of Laurel Grove cemetery ; intro-
duction of gas; the building of water works; building of the Savannah.
Albany and Gulf and Atlantic and Gulf railroads (now the Atlantic
Coast Line Railroad), of which Dr. Screven was president: introduction
of a public school svstem. For this, see Gamble-Mayor Myers report,
1799-1900. In 1855, Dr. Screven visited New York. England'and France
and Holland to observe the methods for the supply and purification of
water, which might apply for use at Savannah. During his absence and
without his knowledge, he was elected senator to the legislature by his
fellow citizens. As mayor of the city his administration met with gen-
eral approbation.

Dr. Cosmo P. Richardsone, the popular captain of the Savannah
Volunteer Guards (organized 1802), having died early in 1852. Dr.
Screven was soon after elected their captain, which met with hearty
appreciation, for with his accustomed energy and intelligence, he thor-
oughly fitted himself by sincere devotion. And so he demonstrated his
capacity as a military leader and the Guards flourished. One instance
of his fondness for the corps was his gift of several lots of land in the
southern section of the city. It should be mentioned that in 1835, he
volunteered, probably with the Guards, to serve in Florida, against the
Indians. He resigned his command about 1857. when his son. John,
succeeded him.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 595

Dr. Screven having died in Virginia in July, 1859, his remains were /
there temporarily interred, and on the 9th of April, 1860, they were
brought to his late residence at the southwest corner of Congress and
Abereorn streets in Savannah. On that day the mayor and aldermen
met and adopted the following resolutions, introduced by Mr. Alder-
man Abraham Minis: "Whereas, it has pleased Almighty Providence
to remove from our midst one of our most cherished citizens — one who
has served this community most zealously, faithfully and creditably — -
one who never took a place that he did not fill, and one than whom
Savannah had never a more true and loving son, for whose prosperity
life itself was not too great a sacrifice.

"Dr. James P. Screven was useful and honorable among men; dis-
charging many public duties, and among them the mayoralty of our city,
and no one in that capacity has ever labored more zealously and suc-
cessfully for her weal; it is therefore meet that as his remains are
borne from afar, whence he breathed his last, to mingle with the sands
he loved so well, that this council shall endeavor to pay all respect to
so much departed worth.

"Be it therefore resolved, That the Mayor and Aldermen, accom-
panied by the officers of the council, will, in their official capacity, as
a body attend the funeral ceremonies of the honored deceased.

"Be it further resolved, That a copy of these proceedings be fur-
nished to the family of the deceased, and be published in the gazettes
of the city. ' '

The funeral was held on April 10, 1860, and the remains placed
in the ScreVen vault in Laurel Grove cemetery.

In the Savannah Republican was published: "The characteristics
of Dr. Screven were not only an acute and comprehensive intellect,
but an energy and perseverance of industry, which made him anywhere
and everywhere a man of mark."

It was also written of him: "He was an extraordinary man, fitted
by physical and intellectual equipment to lead in affairs requiring great
energy, resolution, devotion and judgment. The public and private
confidence, enlisted through these eminent qualities, entitled him to the
distinctions he actually attained, and to them would have been added
the highest honors of the state had his life been prolonged."

Col. John Screven. (Prepared by Thomas F. Screven.) In
presenting a memorial of Col. John Screven, and of such as he, an
eloquent tribute to the Confederate dead by a contemporary may be
appropriately used: "Yes, strew their graves with roses, for we loved
them and they loved us and gave their lives for us. Sprinkle them with
lilies, for their motives were pure and their shields bright and stainless
as their honor. Scatter them with forget-me-nots, for they dwell forever
in our hearts, unforgotten. Cover them with immortelles, for their
deeds are immortal, and while the rains descend to beautify their graves,
while the sunshine gilds bright their memorial stones, while a southern
emotion or impulse exists, we shall never cease to love and honor them ; ' '
and so with John Screven, for he occupied a sphere of love and reverence
in the hearts and minds of his fellow men who mourned when he was
removed from their sight and companionship.

Born in Savannah, Georgia, September 18, 1827. the oldest child of

Dr. James Proctor Screven and Hannah Georgia (Bryan) Screven, he

imbibed the teachings of tender parents and these sentiments, when

developed, displayed him a man among men, — a mind well balanced,

educated in scholarly knowledge and refinement, and equipped with

energy and capacity to fill almost any position of honor and trust.
Vol. n— s



596 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

One of his courses of education was at a school near Philadelphia;
the next being at Bolmar's (who had been a soldier, in the army of
Napoleon the Great) at or near Princeton, New Jersey, where he was
an apl and appreciative scholar; then at Franklin College, later the
University of Georgia. At Franklin College, in the sophomore class,
he contested for the prize medal offered to the best elocutionist. He
and one other student were adjudged the best, and there being but
one medal, another was furnished and presented to him. He did not
graduate at this college, for when on a vacation at home, the faculty
invited him not to return. Yet in after years, he was appointed one
of the board of trustees for this university. Upon his retirement from
college his studies were directed by a competent tutor. He then studied
law with Judge William Law, one of the distinguished lawyers of
Savannah. Finishing the course in law, he began the practice. At
his father's solicitations he closed his office and undertook to manage
his large planting interests. This he followed with unbounded energy,
intelligence and success. He introduced rollers for crushing plowed
land, rice plows and a rice sowing machine, which were valuable in the
preparation of rice lands for cultivation and in the sowing of seed.

In the year 1847, Colonel Screven went to Europe, and meeting the
Hon. George Bancroft in London, he was advised to begin his studies
at Heidelberg. After a few months, his health not being good and a
longing for home possessing him, he returned to Savannah to resume
planting. In 1849 he married the beautiful and lovely in character
Mary AVhite Footman, a daughter of Dr. Richard and Mary Constance
(Maxwell) Footman, a daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Habersham)
Maxwell, a daughter of James and Hester (Wylly) Habersham, a sister
of Col. Richard Wylly and daughter of Alexander Wylly. James
Habersham was a son of Hon. James Habersham (a native of England,
immigrant to the province of Georgia and who held many high and
important offices in Georgia) and his wife Mary (Bolton) Habersham.

Colonel Screven's second marriage was to Mary Eleanor (Nesbit)
Browne, widow of Col. Thomas Browne (colonel of Second Alabama
Regiment of Cavalrv, and killed at Murfreesboro), and daughter of
Hugh O'Kiefe Nesbit of Macon, Georgia. She died in 1883. Colonel
Screven had seven children by his first marriage and two by the second.
Three children of the first marriage survived him, but two of these
soon followed. One child of the second marriage survived him, and
she died soon afterward, but there are descendants in the first, second
and third generations.

Colonel Screven was elected, in 1858, captain of the Savannah Vol-
unteer Guards. He was wonderfully successful in this command, the
guards largely increasing in numbers and skill in the military exercises,
and in popularity. They soon purchased a suitable building and lot
for an armory on the corner of York and Bull streets. When General
Sherman and his troops occupied Savannah, this building was burned.
On January 3, 1861, Hon. Joseph E. Brown, governor of Georgia, as a
precaution, ordered the seizure of Fort Pulaski at the mouth of the
Savannah river. A detachment of the guards, under Captain Screven's
command, the Oglethorpe Light Infantry, Capt. F. S. Bartow and the
Chatham Artillery were sent to carry out the order and the fort was
seized and occupied. The guards performed service at several periods
during the months of January and Februaiy, 1861. Their next service
under Captain Screven, clothed in Confederate gray (they were the
first military companies to adopt the gray uniform) was in the Con-
federate states' service for sixty days, April and May. 1861, at a battery
at Thunderbolt, Chatham county: the second term of service was for



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEOKGIA 579

six months at Port Screven and Battery Stiles on Green island, both
under the command of Captain Screven. The third enlistment as the
Savannah Volunteer Guards Battalion, in 1863, designated as the
Eighteenth Georgia Battalion, of three companies, A, B and C, was on
March 1, 1862, for three years, or the war. Captain Screven was elected
major, but served only as acting such, not being commissioned by the
state, but shortly after a commission was issued to him as major of
artillery by the Confederate government. During this enlistment he
was frequently absent from his command, having an additional duty
imposed upon him by the authorities in supervising obstructions in the
Savannah river by means of sunken cribs loaded with stone or brick;
but he was permanently detached in December, 1862, from the com-
mand to take charge of the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad for the better
transportation of government supplies and troops. Upon General Sher-
man 's approach to Savannah in December, 186-4, Colonel Screven, with
the equipments of the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad, left the city for south-
west Georgia, and, at Way's Station, in Bryan county, narrowly escaped
capture by that general 's troops, who were marching on Fort McAllister.
Colonel Screven returned to Savannah in May, 1865. It was in 1864
that his services were required in Savannah in the work of raising
troops. Succeeding with five companies, he was commissioned a lieu-
tenant-colonel, and thence his title of colonel. The command of the
Savannah Volunteer Guards fell to Capt. William S. Basinger of Com-
pany A, he being the senior officer. After the war, in 1872, he, Major
Basinger, was elected major of the battalion of the Savannah Volun-
teer Guards and served for about ten years, after which he resigned,
when the corps desired Colonel Screven to accept the command, but
he declined the honor.

In 1859 Colonel Screven succeeded his father in the presidency of
the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad. After the war between the Confederate
states and the United States, he was retained in the presidency for
many years, encountering serious difficulties in the management and
maintenance of the road in consequence of the costs of its restoration
of the roadbed and the poverty of the contiguous country, which indeed
were largely attributable to the results of the war and course pursued
by the victors. The company having gone into bankruptcy, he was
retained as receiver. It was finally sold and was called the Savannah,
Florida & Western Railway, now the Atlantic Coast Line.

Colonel Screven was elected the mayor of Savannah to serve during
administrative periods from 1869 to 1873, but resigned before the
expiration of the last period. In the election to that office in 1869, he
represented the Democratic party of the city and was opposed by the
Republican party. He received a majority of 2,010 votes over his
opponent. Upon this result there was great rejoicing, evidenced by
a grand parade of citizens bearing banners. Whilst mayor he was
charged with mal-administration of the affairs of the Atlantic & Gulf
Railroad, but at a meeting of the stockholders, he was re-elected presi-
dent, and at a later public meeting of stockholders and citizens he was
honorably exonerated from these charges. His administrative abilities
and resolution were markedly judicious. An instance was while mayor
of the city, during the regime of Aaron Alperio Bradley, the leader of
the Republican negroes and carpet baggers), when anticipating the
seizure by this class of the polls at an election to be soon held, he notified
the volunteer companies of the city to be ready, sent to New York
for a rapid fire gun, requested the aid of the authorities at Washington,
D. C, and sending for one of the leaders of the white Republicans in-
formed him that he would be the first one shot if any such action



598 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

occurred. The white leader left Savannah that night and no disturb-
ance occurred at the polls.

On March 11, 1873, Colonel Screven was persented with a hand-
some gift, upon which was inscribed: "Hon. John Screven, mayor of
Savannah, 1869^1873. A token of esteem and affection from the Savan-
nah Police Department, March 11, 1873."

Having been relieved of his railroad duties upon the sale of the
Atlantic & Gulf Railroad, he was chosen an associate arbitrator of the
Southern Railway & Steamship Association, and as such served with
distinguished credit and approval.

He was the first president of the Sons of the Revolution, a member
of the Jasper Monumental Association, president of the board of
trustees of the Chatham Academy, member and third vice-president
of the Confederate Veteran's Association, Camp 756, president of the
Georgia Historical Society, trustee of the University of Georgia, member
of the board of education, member of the legislature, 1859-60, judge
of the inferior court of Chatham county from 1852, honorary mem-
ber of the Savannah Volunteer Guards, commissioner on the construc-
tion of the state capitol at Atlanta, Georgia, member of the Savannah
Benevolent Association, member of the Drainage Commission, 1877. In
the yellow fever epidemic of 1876, "he rendered fearless, devoted and
noble service." His oldest son, James Proctor Screven, died of this
disease. Col. Screven was attacked, but recovered, having remained in
the city to attend to his railroad duties.

Col. Screven's last public effort was in the fall of 1899, when an
executive committee, of which he was chairman, made complete prep-
arations for the reunion of the Georgia division of the United Con-
federate Veterans to be held in Savannah on November 22, 23, and 21,
1899. This was a notable event and was attended by numerous Vet-
erans and Daughters of the Confederacy with their distinguished guests.
On this occasion he delivered an address of welcome.

Col. Screven was an excellent presiding officer at meetings of clubs,
associations, committees, and popular assemblies, for he understood
parliamentary law and its application. In conversation, his charm of
manner and his diction made him most entertaining. He was not given
to story-telling. As an orator he had but few equals. As a writer he
was lucid and cultivated. His mind was a storehouse of varied and
valuable information acquired from youth to old age. In height he was
about five feet ten and a half inches, slender in build, graceful in his
movements, ever polite, easily approached, and kind and generous in
all ways.

The following is copied from the repoi't of the committee of the
Georgia Historical Society on the death of Col. Screven, which occurred
on January 9, 1900; the committeemen were members of the society:
Col. George A. Mercer, Dr. R. J. Nunn, Judge Robert Falligant, B. A.
Denmark. Esq., and J. R. Saussy, Esq.

"At the date of his decease he was president of the University Club
of Savannah, president of the board of trustees of Chatham Academy,
president of the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and
president of the Georgia Historical Society. It is to the dignified, able.
and efficient discharge of the important functions of this last high
office that your committee more particularly seek to pay merited tribute.

"Col. Screven was elected a member of our society on the 10th day
of March, 1851. He was chosen a curator February 13, 1888. At the
last date he was elected second vice-president and first vice-president,
on February 12, 1889. On June 16, 189S. upon the death of our then
lamented president, the distinguished Henry R. Jackson, he was unan-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 599

imously chosen president of the society, and filled the office up to the
day of his death. For this position lie was eminently fitted both by'
character and training. His conduct as man and officer was a model to
all observers ; his deportment was suave and winning ; and his literary
ability and culture, his love of art, his sympathy with every proper
expression of beauty, were pronounced and abiding. One of the strong-
est qualifications he held for the position was his becoming attention to
details. He fully appreciated the value of minutiae and did not con-
sider it the mark of a strong mind to neglect little things. While he
accepted the rules which Shakespeare announced through the mouth of
Lepidus that 'small to great matters must give way,' he did so with
the frequent qualification of Enorbarbus, 'not if the small come first.'
He knew that compacted grains of sand often make a surer foundation
than mighty blocks of stone. In fine, he obeyed the injunction of the
Apostle, and did all things, both great and small, at all times and in
all places, decently and in order.

"Col. Screven was one of the last links left that bound us to a gen-
eration less materialized, less selfish and money loving, and in many
respects possessing more high tones than our own. He belonged to
that class of men who help to punctuate a cycle, and the bloom of whose
life and character adorns a generation. He was always considerate and
conciliating. His voice, like Cadelia's, was soft, gentle and low, and
he was too refined a gentleman to be ever noisily demonstrative or other-
wise. He was a very rare combination of the fort iter in re with the
suaviter in modo. He always wore upon the iron hand the velvet glove.
To the abounding virility of the strong man he united the gentle courtesy
of the refined and delicate woman. The very atmosphere that he exhaled
was redolent of his goodness and spread the pure contagion of his life
and purpose. It was impossible to come within the sphere of his influ-
ence without feeling a sense of betterment, and realizing a consciousness
of elevation. He was indeed a knight without fear and without re-
proach. What better can be said of him than that he was always a
perfect southern gentleman, and at a period when to reach such an
ideal was to be a little lower than the angels.

"Happy Historical Society to have numbered among its guides such
noble characters, and to have been able to diffuse its divine purposes
through the influences and example of such pure and lofty example !
Be it therefore

"Resolved, 1st, That in the death of Col. John Screven the Georgia
Historical Society has lost a most faithful and accomplished presiding
officer, a wise counsellor, and a cherished and lamented friend.

"2d. That the city of Savannah has lost one of her most public
spirited and useful citizens, who occupied a large place at every state
of its progress, and in all its advancements, charities, and amenities
was ever foremost.

"3d. That a certified copy of these proceedings be sent to the fam-
ily of the deceased with the profoundest sympathy of the Society.

"4th. That they be spread upon the minutes of the Society upon
pages specially set apart for that purpose.

"5th. That the chair of the late president be draped in mourning
for a period of sixty days."

Hon. Robert Falligant, for the committee appointed by the board
of managers to prepare suitable resolutions touching the death of Presi-
dent John Screven, made the following report which was ordered to be
spread upon the minutes :

"Col. John Screven, Sons of the Revolution. A Minute.

"In common with many organizations of the city, civil and mili-



600 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

tary, our Society mourns the loss of a distinguished son and a devoted
president in the death of Col. John Screven. So broad and catholic
was the spirit, so many and versatile were the gifts, so deep and pro-
found the interest of Colonel Screven, that he touched the life of the
city at every point, and while health and strength continued he never
ceased to give himself and of the brilliant personality he possessed to
the welfare of every institution that tended to broaden and enrich our
communal life. And thus, as the municipality of Savannah mourns in
his death the loss of one who filled with highest honor the office of chief
executive ; as the veterans of the past and the Volunteer Guards of the
present stood together around his grave to testify to the fearless soldier
in times of war and the wise counselor in times of peace ; as state and
city both remember with gratitude the illustrious statesman who reflected
honor to the name of Georgia : so it seems good to us, his associates in
the Society of the Sons of the Revolution, to enter this minute of respect
and admiration upon the pages of our record. To us, in the more lim-
ited sphere of usefulness, as he was to others in the broader sphere of
life's activities, Col. Screven was always the wise counselor, the help-
ful friend, the judicious manager of the patriotic interests of our Society.
Himself the descendant of a long line of distinguished ancestry, he was
particularly fitted to kindle and preserve a live interest in the deeds of
the heroic men of the early days of our country. Possessing a fund of
historic lore, well versed in the history of his native state, with a mind
enriched by varied reading, it seemed to him — and through him to us —
a duty to keep alive, by this Society the memory of the men whose wise
statesmanship established, and whose blood cemented, the original Union
of the States.

"A country gentleman of the old South! No better title can adorn
his brow. Of all the crowns which eloquence, statesmanship, and chiv-
alry have placed there, none did he wear with greater grace or with
more perfect ease, for that title was his by heredity and his own devel-
oped culture. Standing before the young men of this generation they
saw what type it was of grace and manhood — manly courage and
womanly tenderness — that of the old South, at its very best, could pro-
duce for the inspiration of her sons and for the admiration of the world !
As the shadows came out of the skies and fell upon his sleeping place,
we seem to feel the historian's words of old: 'They buried him among
the kings,' and with them came the poet's interpretation of them:

'Yes, lay him down where sleep the royal dead.
His steady hand no more the censer swings :
Room for this man beside the bones of kings.
For kingly was he. tho' uncrowned they said.
Great hearted friend, thee. too. we counted bred
For manhood, loftier than the tardy wings
Of souls content with songs the caged bird sings
Are wont to soar to. Thine it was to wed
Far sundered thoughts in amity complete —
With Christ's own freedom fettered minds to free:
To thread Hie darkling patter where timid feet
Paltered and slipped. Oh. it was not in thee
To blanch at any peril! Then most meet
That thou amidst the kings should buried be.'

' ' In sense of the loss this Society has sustained, in admiration of the
character lie bore,

"Resolved, that the secretary inscribe upon our minutes this testi-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 601

monial to our late president, Col. John Screven ; and to his family extend
the profound sympathy of this Society in their bereavement — a loss to
them too deep for words, and to us so great that our words do but feebly
represent the sentiment of our hearts.

"R. Falligant,
"Charles H. Strong,
"Pope Barrow,

' ' Committee. ' ' '
The following memorials and tributes are introduced to still further
show how profoundly the death of Col. John Screven was felt by his
friends and associates:

"Memorial and Tribute

to

Col. John Screven.

At Confederate Hall, February 6, 1900.

"The meeting was presided over by the newly elected president,
Robert Falligant. Immediately after the meeting was called to order
First Vice-President Louis G. Young moved to dispose of the reading
of the minutes and the regular order of business.

'At our last monthly meeting,' he said, 'there was one with us
whom we loved to see here ; his presence was a benediction, and we
thought to have him with us many years, so we elected him to office,
and we expected him to answer to the roll-call tonight, but our eyes
were darkened ; we could not see that his last was a farewell visit.
Early in the morning of the ninth of last month the Great Captain
called him and we can imagine his soldiery adsum as he joined the
ranks of the hosts beyond the sky. John Screven, late lieutenant colonel
in the provisional army of the Confederate states, is not here with
us in the flesh tonight ; they tell us he is dead, but as he lives in our
hearts and is present in our thoughts, it is meet that we do homage
to his memory.

" 'I therefore move that the minutes of the last meeting and the
regular business of this, be dispensed with, and that a committee of three
be appointed by the chair to prepare a memorial and draft resolu-
tions in commemoration of the death of our comrade and late third
vice-president, Col. John Screven, the same to be presented and acted
on at this meeting.'

"In seconding the motion (apt. M. P. Usina took occasion to
introduce the response received by the executive committee of the re-
union, of which he was a member with Colonel Screven, from the mem-
bers of the family, of the deceased, replying to the action taken by the
committee as follows :

"'The executive committee. Confederate Reunion: Gentlemen:
The daughters and son of Col. John Screven thank you individually and
collectively for your beautiful tribute to the memory of their father,
and they beg that you will extend their thanks to the Confederate
Veterans Association of Savannah for their presence at his funeral. He
often spoke in the highest terms of the members of your committee,
and he was exceedingly proud that, he had the good fortune of being
a member of your committee and of the association. It is most gratify-
ing to them that he was held in such high esteem by yourselves and by
the veterans, the memory of which they trust will ever be to them a
pleasure and a joy.'

"Captain Usina also read a letter received by the members of Colonel
Screven's family from Col. Thomas H. Carter, proctor and superin-



602 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

tendent of grounds and buildings of the University of Virginia. Colonel
Carter was a colonel of artillery in the Army of Northern Virginia.
For a number of years he was associated with Colonel Screven as a
member of the board of arbitration of the Southern Railway and Steam-
ship Association. Colonel Carter wrote his letter to the family just
after reading the announcement of Colonel Screven's death. In his
letter he says: 'For sixteen years your father and myself stood to-
gether in the closest and most confidential bonds of friendship. His was
the closest friendship formed by me since the days of my youth. In
an acquaintance with a long line of men of the highest character, I
never knew a nature more chivalrous, an honor more spotlessly bright,
a sense of justice that more truly and bravely sought the right. As
the needle with unerring instinct points to the pole, so his mind, by
intuition, turned always to the truth. In arbitration, the most difficult,
delicate and responsible, involving interests incalculable, he was ever
true to the right, and as steady and brave as a veteran of a hundred
fields. I esteem it one of the greatest privileges of my life to have
known intimately a man so pure, noble and cultured, and can say in all
sincerity that the earth that bears him dead bears not alive a truer
gentleman. '

"Mr. Young's motion that the regular order of business be dispensed
with and that the chair appoint a committee of three to prepare a suit-
able memorial to the late vice-president was unanimously adopted.
The chair appointed Vice-President Young and Comrades Pope Barrow 7
and J. R. Saussy. A short recess was taken while the committee pre-
pared its report. "When the meeting was again called to order the report
was submitted by Vice-President Young as follows :

In Memoriam.

John Screven.

Born in Savannah, Georgia, Sept. 18, 1827.

Died in Savannah, Georgia,

January 9, 1900.

"His first American ancestor, the Rev. William Screven, emigrated
from England in 1610, and located in Kittery, Maine, from which
place, driven by persecution, he went to South Carolina, where he set-
tled and founded the illustrious family from which sprung in due
time the knightly comrade whose death we mourn.

"Colonel Screven was the eldest son of Dr. James Proctor Screven,
and Hannah Georgia Bryan — his father an eminent physician and one
of the leading men of the city and state ; his mother a lineal descendant
of Jonathan Bryan, one of the most prominent of the early settlers of
the Colony of Georgia. Inheriting the intellectual and moral qualities
which adorned generation after generation of his family, and which
have made it conspicuous in public and private life, Colonel Screven,
from youth to old age added lustre to the goodly name he bore. Studi-
ous and dutiful as a boy, he grew in knowledge, was educated with the
best advantages, and, endowed with the nobility of soul which readily
assimilated the refinement and virtues of a cultivated home, wherein
dwelt all gentle, Christian virtue, he commenced life thoroughly
equipped for the career of usefulness and honor which lay before him.
Appreciating from the start (he duty which he owed to God and his
fellow men, he lived a faithful servant of both, and died as he had lived,
in favor with God and man.

"Colonel Screven's was an active, useful life, surpassing in measure
that of most men. Faithful and conscientious in the performance of



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 603

his several callings, lie was always ready to serve family, friend, city,
country ; and many and various were the places of honor and trust to 7
which lie was called. But the record of these is beyond the scope of
this memorial. To the biographer must be left the details of a life
replete with incident, and forming so important a part in the history of
Savannah, that she must ever number him among the foremost and
most illustrious of her sons. Ours the privilege as Confederate veterans
to make mention of his services in the sacred cause for which we fought,
the object of which is to sustain a principle, — the broad principle of
constitutional liberty. — the right of self-government. Ours the part
to recall his virtues, — to turn to them for consolation and example and
to hold them up for the emulation of our youth.

"The simple account of Colonel Screven's record as a soldier, sanc-
tioned by himself, runs thus: 'In 1858 he was elected captain of the
Savannah Volunteer Guards, and his was one of the three companies
designated to occupy Fort Pulaski, when it was seized by order of
Governor Brown in the name of the state of Georgia, January 3, 1861.
Although president of the Atlantic and Gulf Railway during this period,
he was appointed Major of Artillery in the Confederate Provisional
Army, and continued to serve with his command until December, 1862,
when he was ordered by the commanding general to resume his railroad
duties. In 1864, when Sherman commenced his movement towards
the coast. Major Screven raised a local battalion of five companies to aid
in the defense of Savannah, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant
colonel.' Thus was Colonel Screven active in war service, even before
the Confederacy came into existence, and although but a short time in
the field, always held commissions in the army, and left the field only
at the call to more arduous and trying duties ; if in a less conspicuous
sphere, yet one in which he could serve his country to most advantage.
"The war ended, Colonel Screven took up the thread of life where
it had been broken, and from that time to the close of an eventful and
checkered career, so bore himself in public and private life that he has
left to us the legacy of a spotless name. Upright in heart and mien,
with nobility of soul stamped upon his face, he walked among us, the
height of chaste thoughts so beaming from his countenance that men
turned to look upon him and to gather inspiration to follow in his foot-
steps. No one could hold intercourse with him without feeling that:
'Here is a gentleman in whom I have an absolute trust.'

" 'He was a Christian, in faith, hope and charity;
An Israelite, indeed, in whom there is no guile.
A Knight in Chivalrie,
Treuthe and honour, freedom and courtesie. '

"A gentleman! And 'what is it to be a gentleman? Is it to have
lofty aims ? to lead a pure life ? to keep your honor virgin ? to have the
esteem of your fellow citizens and the love of your fireside? to bear
good fortune meekly? to suffer evil with constancy? and through evil
or good to maintain in truth always? Show me that happy man whose
life exhibits these qualities, and him we salute as a gentleman.'
"Thus was he,

" 'And indeed he seems to me
Scarce other than my ideal knight,
Who reverenced his conscience and his king
Whose glory was redressing human wrong,
V no spake no slander, no, nor listened to it.
We have lost him, he is gone.



604 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

We know him now ; all narrow jealousies

Are silent, and we see him as he moves,

How modest, kindly, all-accomplished, wise ;

With what sublime repression of himself,

And what limits and how tenderly;

Not swaying to this faction or that ;

Not making his high place the lawless perch

Of wing'd ambitions, nor a vantage ground

For pleasure ; but through all this track of years,

Wearing the white flower of a blameless life.'

"Therefore, be it resolved, That in the death of John Screven, who
was our third vice-president, our comrade, and one of the most devoted
of our members to the sacred cause we represent, our association finds
cause to mourn.

"That in contemplating his worth, his many virtues, and princely
character, we find cause for gratitude and consolation in our grief.

"That in these times when our youth are misled by the teachings
which measure success by the gain of money, we point them to an
example of a life whose success lay in its wealth of honor, and truth
and piety.

"That with a copy of these resolutions we extend to his family the
heartfelt sympathy of the association."

In seconding the motion to accept the resolutions, Mr. Barrow said
that he seemed to see again the slender, graceful form and gentle face
which had been so familiar on the streets of Savannah. Mr. Barrow
spoke from the long personal acquaintance and friendship with the
deceased. He spoke especially of his grace and charm of manner, and
said he never spoke a word or did an act that was unbecoming. His
words and acts always seemed to suit the occasion. It was the nature
of the man to act the gentleman. The sad feature of Colonel Screven's
life, Mr. Barrow said, had been that his last days were not his best days.
As he declined in years misfortunes had crowded upon him and he had
been troubled with many cares. Mr. Barrow gave a tender and sympa-
thetic account, of his last visit to his deceased friend only two days
before his death.

General McGlashan said that he had known Colonel Screven but a
comparatively short time, but his strong individuality, his marked
dignity of character and his purity of soul had drawn him strongly to
him. He had been more strongly drawn to Colonel Screven, he said,
during his association with him as a member of the joint executive
committee, while the preparations for the recent reunion were in prog-
ress, the success of which had been largely due to the unceasing efforts,
the wise judgmenl and the constant attention to details of the deceased.
It was Colonel Screven who smoothed over all differences, preserved
harmony and kept attention constantly centered upon their work. "Like
his great prototype," said General McGlashan. "he was a man who
drew all men to him. His heightened manner of looking at everything
elevated us all. Colonel Screven was a man who typified in himself the
highest type of a Georgia gentleman. In other words, he was a citizen
of the first rank of the greatest nation on earth. In his death we have
lost a warm, sincere, patriotic comrade, an officer who would have
guided ns wisely; a warm friend whose grasp was ever true: a Con-
federate whose heart was ever warm to the cause and whose effort since
the struggle ended was ever to dignify the name of the Confederate
soldier. "

Mr. Saussy spoke of the galaxy of distinguished men who had




^







SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 605

been members of the association, but who had since become members
of the great army beyond, among them the sturdy Lawton, the fiery
Jackson and the brave McLaws. Among them all there was no man who
filled so much the measure of a man as Colonel Screven. He was first
of all a perfect gentleman, with an ease of manner which made it always
a pleasure to be with him. Being possessed of unusual advantages
in youth, he had made good use of these, becoming possessed of many
accomplishments. He was thus fitted for the offices he had held, all of
which he had discharged honorably and well. The reverses of later life
had only served to bring out the strength and nobility of his character.
His was a remarkably well-rounded character. Whatsoever things were
true, honorable, just, pure and beautiful, — these were characteristics
of him. Having lived a life worthy in all its parts that made man in
the image of his Maker, he was able to gather the drapery of his couch
about him and lie down to pleasant dreams.

Judge Falligant said that he could not allow the opportunity to
pass without saying a word of tribute to the memory of one who was
so highly esteemed by all. It had been peculiarly characteristic of the
cause and the principle for which they had fought, he said, that the men
who had stood up for this cause had been of the loftiest type of man-
hood. It was not necessary to run over the list of noble names embalmed
in every southern heart. Of this type had been the man to whose
memory they paid merited tribute. It is a type of civilization which
is fast passing away and one never to be renewed in the history of the
world. Judge Falligant closed with the idea that in the great moral
world there is no death. While mortal frames perish, the moral truths
which they have exemplified live on to exercise influence over the world
of life.

The resolutions were then unanimously adopted and a copy ordered
to be spread upon the minutes. Those members who did not make
remarks gave their hearty endorsement to what had been said. It was
a remarkable tribute to one who had so recently passed from their
midst and to whom those present seemed to feel they were but render-
ing his just due.

Capt. Thomas F. Screven. Distinguished not only as a splendid
representative of the native-born citizens of Savannah, his birth having
occurred in this city April 19, 1834, but for his honorable record as a
brave and efficient soldier, and for the very efficient and creditable man-
ner in which he is filling his present position as sheriff of Chatham
county. He comes of honored pioneer stock, being a son of James Proc-
tor and Hannah Georgia (Bryan) Screven, of whom an account may be
found on another page of this volume.

Beginning his early studies at home, under the instruction of a pri-
vate tutor in the family, Thomas F. Screven afterwards attended Miss
Church's school and the Chatham Academy, in Savannah, and then
entered Franklin College, now the University of Georgia, from which
he was graduated with the class of 1852. For a short time thereafter
he was engaged in mercantile pursuits in Savannah, but gave up his
position in order to take up the study of medicine with Dr. R. D. Arnold.
Finding that to his liking, he continued his studies at the old Savannah
Medical College, where he was graduated in 1858. Subsequently his
father sent him abroad, but after being in Europe but six months he
was forced to return to Savannah on account of the ill health of his
father. In caring for his father, Captain Screven subsequently trav-
eled with him a good deal in those days, and never took up permanently
the practice of medicine, although his professional knowledge was most



606 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

usefully applied in treating the various ailments of the negroes belong-
in, »■ to the Screven family.

In IIS") 2 Captain Screven had joined the Savannah Volunteer Guards,
of which lie was still a member when the dark clouds of war began to
hover over the country. Following the secession of South Carolina
from the Union, Governor Brown resolved to take possession of the forts
and barracks on Georgia soil, a wise decision as subsequent events proved.
Under his order to that effect, Colonel Lawton, of the First Volunteer
Regiment, took fifty men of the Savannah Volunteer Guards (which
were then commanded by Mr. Screven's brother, the late Col. James
Screven, then captain), also taking a detachment from the Oglethorpe
Light Infantry, and from the Chatham Artillery, and, on January 3,
1861, seized Fort Pulaski. Mr. Screven, who had assisted in the taking
of the fort, was made second lieutenant junior of Company B, Savan-
nah Volunteer Guards, on February 25, 1861. In March, 1862, he was
commissioned first lieutenant of company A. S. V. G.. and on May 10,
1863, was promoted to captain of said company, a position which he
filled bravely and well until the end of the war, the Savannah Volun-
teer Guards having been organized as the Eighteenth Georgia Battalion,
which served throughout the war with distinction.

Captain Screven's service was in Georgia, South Carolina, and Vir-
ginia. With his company he served for a time under fire of the terrible
bombardment of Battery Wagner (Charleston Harbor). Going with
his command to Virginia in May, 1864, he joined Lee's Army, and was
stationed at Mattoax, on the Richmond & Danville Railroad. In Oc-
tober, 1864, the Captain went with the battalion to join the forces of
the Richmond lines, and was there stationed at Chafin's farm. In April,
1865, Captain Screven returned to Georgia on a furlough, and on May
1, of that year, received his parol at Augusta.

For some time after the war, Captain Screven was engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits on the Screven plantation, in Chatham county, but for
many years past he has resided in Savannah, an honored and respected
citizen. For a long while after the war the captain remained a mem-
ber of the Savannah Volunteer Guards, serving as captain of Company
B from 1872 until 1883. On retiring from the captaincy of the com-
pany, its members presented him with a beautiful silver set, and resolu-
tions expressing their high regard for him, and their regret at his leav-
ing them. On February 7, 1888, Captain Screven became a member of
Camp No. 756, United Confederate Veterans. In 1906 the captain was
elected sheriff of Chatham county, and has since filled the position with
credit to himself and to Jhe great acceptation of all concerned.

Captain Screven married first, in 1860, Miss Adelaide Van Dyke
Moore, a daughter of Dr. R. D. and Elizabeth (Stockton) Moore, and
granddaughter of Maj. Thomas Stockton, who served as major in the
United States army, and at the time of his death was governor of Mary-
land. She passed to the life beyond in 1864. In 1866 the captain
married for his second wife Miss Sallie Lloyd Buchanan, a daughter of
Admiral Franklin and Ann Catherine (Lloyd) Buchanan, her father
having been first a member of the United States Navy, and later of the
Confederate States Navy.

Capt. Francis D. Bloodwoktii, vice-president of the National Bank
of Savannah, and in many ways identified with the city's activities, is
a native of the Empire State of the South.

It was in Spalding county, Georgia, October 16, 1S42. that Francis
D. Blood worth was born, son of Solomon W. and Lucy I Thornton)
Bloodworth, both natives of this state, lie completed his education in



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 607

Marshall College, Griffin, Georgia, where he was a member of the
Spalding Grays, one of the companies which were ordered to Virginia'
by Governor Brown in April, 1861, upon the call of Governor Letcher
of Virginia. They were sent to Norfolk to guard the stores abandoned
by the enemy, and, with the other Georgia companies that went at the
same time, were organized as the Second Independent Georgia Battalion,
under the command of Colonel Hardeman, being the first troops from
another state to arrive in Virginia. After a year's service in the
vicinity of Norfolk, his battalion joined the army under General Lee,
and participated in the Seven Days' battle around Richmond, and in the
Manassas, Maryland and Fredericksburg campaigns. In the summer
of 1863, Mr. Bloodworth, who had risen to the rank of first sergeant of
his company, was detailed, owing to his physical condition, as clerk in
a hospital in Atlanta, where he was on duty until January, 1864.
Then he returned to his battalion in Gen. Ambrose R. Wright's brigade,
Anderson's division, Gen. A. P. Hill's corps, Army of Northern Vir-
ginia, and fought through the Wilderness campaign. His health failed
under this arduous service, and he was again disabled from active
service until February, 1865, when he joined his command on the
Petersburg lines. His last engagement was a fight between High Bridge
and Farmville on the retreat to Appomattox, April 7, 1865, when he
was slightly wounded, and captured. He was paroled at Burkesville,
Virginia, shortly after General Lee's surrender, and returned to
Griffin, Georgia.

Captain Bloodworth resided at Griffin until 1871, when he removed
to Savannah and embarked in business as a commission merchant. And
here he has since made his home, with the exception of two years, from
1893 to 1895, when he was engaged in manufacturing at Atlanta, and
since 1895 he had held the important and responsible position of cashier
and vice-president of the National Bank of Savannah, one of the
strongest banking institutions of the state. This bank has a capital
stock of $400,000, with surplus and undivided profits in excess of
$600,000.

At the time of his leaving Savannah for Atlanta in 1893, Captain
Bloodworth was vice-president of the Confederate Veterans' Associa-
tion, a director of the Merchants National Bank, and a member of the
sanitary board of the city of Savannah. And previous to that time he
had served one term as president of the Cotton Exchange. Since then
he served one term as president of the Georgia State Bankers' Asso-
ciation, and for several years, ending in 1911, he was president of the
Savannah Clearing House Association. He is vice-president of the
Savannah Port Society and a director of the Savannah Cotton Exchange.
For a number of years he was an active member of the Georgia Hussars.
Among other organizations of a social or business nature with which
he is identified are the Oglethorpe Club, the Golf Club, the Yacht Club,
the B. P. & T. Club and the Capital City Club of Atlanta.

Captain and Mrs. Bloodworth have two children : Lucy, wife of Mr.
H. P. Inabnett of Tampa, Florida, and Effie, wife of Mr. F. M. Butler
of Savannah. Mrs. Bloodworth, formerly Miss Sarah Allen, was born
in Meriwether county, Georgia.

Capt. Francis P. McIntire. This distinguished young citizen of
Savannah is conspicuous in the affairs of this section of the state for
three reasons. In the first place he is prominent in the military affairs
of the state ; in the second he is one of the standard-bearers of the Demo-
cratic party and holds the office of chairman of the executive committee
of the same; in the third he is one of the ablest and most promising



608 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

of Savannah lawyers, in his comparatively brief career having been
connected with much important litigation and having earned the respect
of bench and bar alike.

Captain Mclntire was born in Savannah July 22, 1881, the son
of James W. and Katharine (Foley) Mclntire. The father, who is
living in Savannah, is also a native of this city and a son of the late
James Mclntire, who when a small boy came from his native country,
the north of Ireland, to Savannah, his arrival in this city being in ante-
bellum days (some time in the early '50s). The wife of this immigrant
ancestor was Frances (Noyes) Mclntire. The family is really of Scotch
origin. Captain Mclntire 's mother, who is deceased, was also born in
Savannah and is the daughter of Owen Foley and Honoria Kirby, a
native of Ireland, who came to Savannah about the year 1840. Thus
the city is dear with many strong ties and associations to the imme-
diate subject of these lines.

Captain Mclntire received his first introduction to Minerva in the
public schools of the city and was graduated from the high school in
1898. He subsequently matriculated in the Pennsylvania Military
College, where he pursued a civil engineering course, and in 1901 re-
ceived the degree of C. B. He attended the law department of the
University of Georgia and in the class of 1903 received the degree of
LL. B. He had in the meantime studied law in Savannah under Judge
G. T. Cann, while that gentleman was judge of the court of chancery,
and also under Judge Cann's brother, J. Ferris Cann. He was admitted
to the bar in 1903, and since that time has been engaged successfully in
the practice of his profession in this city.

For several years, Captain Mclntire has been a prominent member
of the Georgia Hussars, famous as the oldest military organization in
the state, and for having taken a fighting part in all the wars from the
Revolution to the Spanish-American, and whose membership has in-
cluded many of the best-known citizens of Savannah during its long
history. He enlisted in the Hussars as a private and through pro-
motions became captain of the Georgia Hussars in 1905, which office
he still holds.

Captain Mclntire was married in Savannah in 1909, the young
woman to become his wife and the mistress of his household being Miss
Lucy H. Barrow, daughter of the late Judge Pope Barrow, a former
governor of Georgia and United States senator. Mrs. Mclntire 's mother
was Cornelia (Jackson) Barrow, daughter of the late Gen. Henry
R. Jackson of Savannah. Their household, distinguished as one of the
most charming in a city of attractive homes, is further made interesting
by the presence of a son, James W. Mclntire, Jr.

C.vi'T. Daniel Hoard Baldwin. Conspicuous among the enterpris-
ing and progressive men who during the middle of the nineteenth cen-
tury were most intimately associated with the development and advance-
ment of the mercantile prosperity of Chatham county. Georgia, was
Capt,. Daniel Hoard Baldwin, one of the foremost merchants of Savan-
nah. A son of Tilley and Rebecca Hoard Baldwin, he was born. March
19, 1825, in Phillipston, "Worcester county. Massachusetts. His mother
dying when he was very young, his father married again, and to the
influence of the lovely, sweet-faced Christian woman who became his
step-mother he ever gave credit for all that was good in his character.
His reverence and love for her remained unbroken and helpful until
her death, which came as a great grief and loss to him after his mar-
riage, and the birth of his first child.

Brought up in or near his birthplace, Daniel Hoard Baldwin worked



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 609

as a lad for an uncle on a farm. A bright and cheery lad, full of life
and spirits, his fondness for fun was rather a source of . amazement to'
the stern and rugged New England farmer, who often called out, ' ' There 's
that boy giggling again; what is he giggling at now?" The boy's strong
and independent character, and his desire for greater advancement and
advantages, lured him southward, and at the age of eighteen years he
came to Savannah, Georgia, going into the home and office of another
uncle, Mr. Loanii Baldwin, head of the mercantile firm of L. Baldwin &
Company. As a clerk he steadily and faithfully performed the duties
then devolving upon him in that capacity, opening the office in the early
morning, and clearing it up, work which is now done by unskilled labor.
Industrious and persevering, he developed much business ability, making
steady progress along the path of attainments until becoming a member
of the firm, which, by the death of Loami Baldwin, was changed to the
style of Brigham, Kelly & Company. The subsequent death of Mr. Kelly
caused another change in the name of the firm, which became Brigham,
Baldwin & Company, a firm which, it is said, did the largest shipping
business in Savannah up to the Civil war.

During the war, Capt. Daniel H. Baldwin was in the commissary
department, with which he was connected until 1865, when, in the spring
of that year, he removed with his family to New York City. His former
large business interests, and close touch with the people of Georgia, sug-
gested to him the advisability of establishing a cotton commission busi-
ness at a time when everything else was disorganized, and, availing him-
self of the opportunity, he organized the New York firm of D. H. Bald-
win & Company.

The integrity and sterling honesty of Captain Baldwin was unques-
tioned, as may be evidenced by the question of some business relation
coming up to which he had "promised" his support. Someone being
asked, "Has Baldwin signed the proposition?" the response from two
prominent and wealthy business men was prompt and decisive — "No
need for Baldwin to sign it if he said he would agree ; do not doubt him,
his word is as good as his bond."

About 1876 Captain Baldwin established, in Savannah, the firm of
Baldwin & Company, cotton brokers. Prior to moving to New York his
Savannah home was in the house now standing just east of Sullivan's
grocery, on Congress street, between Bull and Whitaker, that having been
his home from the time of his marriage up to the Civil war. The captain
was a member of the Chamber of Commerce ; of the United States Lloyds ;
and served several terms as a member of the board of managers of the
Cotton Exchange.

His large-hearted generosity and kindly sympathy were known by
all his associates, but to many of whom the world had no knowledge he
stood as a strong,, helpful adviser and friend, and by whom his memory
will ever be cherished. In his domestic and family relations, Captain
Baldwin was always a loving and ready helper, and, until the sudden
death, by drowning, in 1880, of his youngest son and namesake, a blow
from which he never recovered, his genial laugh and ready entrance into
all gayety and fun were proverbial.

On September 19, 1855, Capt. Daniel H. Baldwin married Kate
Philbrick, eldest daughter of Mr. Samuel Philbrick, a well-known and
highly esteemed merchant of Savannah. Not long after the loss of his
son, Captain Baldwin, on account of failing health, retired from active
business. He died in New York from a stroke of apoplexy, June 10,
1887, leaving a widow and three children, namely : Mrs. Walter I. Mc-
Coy, of New Jersey ; Mrs. A. L. Alexander, of Savannah ; and George J.
Baldwin, of Savannah.



610 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

George J. Baldwin was bora. August 18, 1856. in Savannah, in the
family home on Congress street. He received superior educational ad-
vantages, in the spring of 1877 completing a four years' special course
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Boston. He was sub-
sequently superintendent of iron and gold mines in Alabama and Georgia
from July, 1877, until October, 1879, when he became a member of the
firm of Baldwin & Company, of Savannah, Georgia, dealers in fertilizers,
cotton and naval stores factors. Later he organized the Baldwin Fer-
tilizer Company, of Savannah, becoming its president and general man-
ager. In 1894 Mr. Baldwin retired from active business, but resumed
again in 1898, becoming interested in electric railway and lighting plants,
and is now president of the Savannah Electric Company, and of numer-
ous other industrial and heavily capitalized corporations, including the
following: The Gainesville Midland Railway, a steam railroad running
out of Gainesville ; the Chestatee Pyrites Company, a Georgia mining
corporation; and the Electric Railway and Lighting companies of Sa-
vannah, Georgia; Jacksonville, Florida, and Tampa, Key West, and
Pensacola, Florida.

Mr. Baldwin is also a director in the Savannah Trust Company ; the
Columbus Electric Company of Columbus, Georgia ; the National Bank
of Savannah ; and of the Augusta & Savannah Railroad Company. He
is a member of the Savannah Cotton Exchange, and of the Savannah
Chamber of Commerce.

In public, charitable and philanthropic movements Mr. Baldwin has
long been active and influential. He is president of the Kate Baldwin
Free Kindergarten, which was founded in 1900 by him and his mother,
in whose honor it was named, and which has since been maintained by
him free of any expense to the public. Mr. Baldwin is likewise president
of the Associated Charities of Savannah ; a trustee of the Georgia in-
firmary for colored people, and of the Chatham Academy. He is curator
and vice-president of the Georgia Historical Society ; and was the first
chairman of the board of managers of the Savannah public library, and
for many years was a member of that board, and of the park and tree
commissioners of Savannah.

Among the many clubs and social organizations of which Mr. Baldwin
is a prominent member mention may be made of the following ones in
Savannah : The Oglethorpe, Cotillion, Golf and Automobile clubs, aud
the Savannah Volunteer Guards and Georgia Hussars. He is likewise a
member of the Young Men's Christian Associations of both Savannah
and Boston, Massachusetts. Among the New York clubs to which Mr.
Baldwin belongs are the Southern Society, the Recess, the Automobile
Club of America, and the Reform Club. He likewise belongs to the Mus-
cogee Club, of Columbus, Georgia; the Capital City Club, of Atlanta.
Georgia ; the Lake Placid Club, of Lake Placid. New York ; and the High-
land Lake and Flat Rock Country clubs, of Flat Rock, North Carolina.
Mr. Baldwin is also a member of the National Geographic Society: the
Sierra Club, of San Francisco: the American Academy of Political and
Social Science; the American Forestry Association: the National Society
for the Promotion of Industrial Education, and of various other
organizations.

Mr. Baldwin married. June 27. 1882. Lucy II. Hull, of Atlanta.
Georgia, and they have two children, namely: George II.. horn in Sa-
vannah, April 23, 188:?; and Dorothea C, born in this city, February
22. 18S9.

Mr. Loami Baldwin, Mr. Baldwin's great ancle, established himself
in business in Savannah prior to his marriage, which was solemnized in
182:?. ami since his coming here, nearly a hundred years ago. there has
been a Baldwin continuously in business in Savannah.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 611

John Jacob Rauers. Intimately identified with many of the more,
important industrial corporations of Savannah, John Jacob Rauers is
recognized as a man of pronounced ability and keen business insight,
and as a member of the firm of Williamson & Rauers, steamship and
forwarding agents, is connected with one of the leading concerns of the
kind on the south Atlantic coast. A son of the late Jacob Rauers, he
was born in Savannah, in 1877, of German and Scotch ancestry.

A native of Bremen, Germany, Jacob Rauers immigrated to the
United States as a young man, locating in Savannah in 1865. He was
engaged in the cotton exporting trade for many years, but from 1881
until his death, in 1904, lived retired from business pursuits.

Jacob Rauers married, in Savannah, Joanna McDonald, who is still
living. She was born in Scotland, and when a child came to this country
to join her maternal uncle, James McHenry, who had previously es-
tablished himself in business in Savannah, and was for many years one
of the city's representative merchants, and a gentleman of the most ex-
emplary character.

Bred and educated in Savannah, John Jacob Rauers began his busi-
ness career at an early age. In May, 1901, he became junior member of
the well-known firm of Williamson & Rauers, which as steamship and
forwarding agents is conducting a large and substantial business. Be-
sides this active connection, Mr. Rauers is associated with a number of
the prominent corporations of Savannah, being one of the directors of
the Savannah Trust Company ; vice-president of the Savannah Hotel
Company, owners of the De Soto Hotel ; vice-president of the Southern
Fertilizer & Chemical Company ; a director of the Hydraulic Cotton
Press Company ; a director of the Hull Vehicle Manufacturing Com-
pany ; and a director of the Savannah Brewing Company.

Since 1876 the Rauers family have been the owners of that historic
spot, Saint Catherine's Island, off the coast of Georgia, where they main-
tain a summer home. Mr. Rauers has in his possession the various grants
and deeds connected with the island since the first grant issued by George
III. An interesting account of the island is given in connection with
the historical portion of this work.

Mr. Rauers is a member of the Savannah Chamber of Commerce ; of
the Savannah Board of Trade ; of the Cotton Exchange ; and belongs to
the Oglethorpe Club.

Mr. Rauers married, in Savannah, Marion Morrell Hammond, who
was born in this city, a daughter of the late Capt. John L. Hammond,
and into their home five children have made their advent, namely:
Marion M., Jacob, Joanna McDonald, Katherine and Hammond.

Einar Storm Trosdal. No nation has contributed to the complex
composition of our American social fabric an element of more sterling
worth or one of greater value in fostering and supporting our national
institutions than has Norway. In truth, the nation owes much to the
Norwegian stock and has honored and been honored by many noble
men and women of this extraction. Savannah has no more virile and
progressive young citizen than Einar Storm Trosdal, vice-president and
general manager of the South Atlantic Steamship Line, who was born
at Christiana, Norway, in 1877.

Mr. Trosdal was reared and educated in Christiana, and in the
excellent colleges of the capital city received the best of academic and
business training. In the manner of so many of the fine flower of
young European manhood, he answered the beckoning finger of Oppor-
tunity from the shores of the New World and severed old associations
to come in quest of American resources and advantages. In 1898 he



612 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

arrived in Savannah and became indentified with the firm of S. P.
Shotter & Company, extensive operators in naval stores, the predecessors
of the present American Naval Stores Company, which Mr. Shotter
organized. Ever since that time Mr. Trosdal has been prominently
connected with naval stores and shipping interests, and although his
home and his business headquarters have remained in Savannah, his
business has taken him on many journeys to various parts of the world.
He is now vice-president and general manager of the South Atlantic
Steamship Line, which carries on an extensive shipping business, espe-
cially in cotton and naval stores, to Europe and other ports, and he still
retains his interest in the American Naval Stores Company, of which
company he is a director.

Since establishing his home in Savannah, Mr. Trosdal has entered
in a public-spirited way into the various activities of the city. He is
interested in the success of good government and in his daily affairs
manifests a generous regard for his fellows and as a large-hearted,
whole-souled, companionable gentleman, actuated by principles of
honesty and integrity, merits and commands the respect and good-will of
all those with whom he comes into contact. He is a member of the
Chamber of Commerce, the Cotton Exchange, the Oglethorpe Club and
other organizations.

In the year 1904, Mr. Trosdal was married in this city to Miss
Lucy Boyd, who was born in Savannah, the daughter of Dr. M. L. Boyd.
They share their charming and well-directed home with two children,
Einar Storm, Jr., and Beverly.

Michael 'Byrne. The law firm of which Michael A. 'Byrne is
the senior member has had a long and favorable career in Savannah.
It was originally composed of himself and the late P. J. 'Connor, with
the firm name of O'Connor & 'Byrne. In 1896, Mr. Walter C. Hart-
ridge was admitted to the firm, which then became O'Connor, 'Byrne
& Hartridge. Mr. O'Connor, who had for many years been one of the
prominent lawyers of Savannah, died in November, 1909, and on Janu-
ary 1, 1910, Mr. Anton P. Wright was admitted to the firm, the style
of which was then changed to its present name — 'Byrne, Hartridge
& Wright. It is one of the strongest law firms in Savannah and enjoys
a large general practice, particularly in connection with real estate,
corporation and commercial interests.

As a member of this firm, Mr. 'Byrne has gained reputation and
practice with each succeeding year. Those who have entrusted import-
ant affairs to his management know how well and honorably he has
guarded their interests. In all matters where the object is to safeguard
the investment of capital, or where competent counsel is required in
directing the organization and successful management of commercial
and industrial enterprises in which weighty financial interests are in-
volved, his services have been increasingly sought for. He has been
especially successful in real estate and law and litigation affecting prop-
erty interests, and his counsels are often required where such interests
are involved.

In addition to his law practice, Mr. 'Byrne has many other inter-
ests that are of marked importance. He is the president of the Hiber-
nia Bank, a successful financial institution of constantly growing pros-
perity, with capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $350,000.
He lias filled the position of president of this bank with such skill and
prudence as to gain for it the highest confidence of the public. He is
also the president and has charge of the finances of the John Flannery
Company, the famous cotton house that was founded and for a long



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 613

number of years controlled by the late Capt. John Flannery. He is
first vice-president of the Commercial Life Insurance Company and a
member of the executive committee of the board of directors of the
Savannah Brewing Company.

For about twenty years Mr. 'Byrne was actively connected with
the First Regiment Infantry, National Guard of Georgia, during most
of the time being a member of the Irish Jasper Greens, one of the com-
panies of that regiment. Mr. 'Byrne became sergeant of his com-
pany, and later was made quartermaster of the regiment. From this
position he was later promoted to the rank of adjutant of the regiment.

Mr. 'Byrne has creditably filled several public positions of trust.
For twenty years he has been a member of the Savannah board of edu-
cation and has given much time to the duties and responsibilities of that
office. He is commodore of the Savannah Yacht Club, also president of
the Savannah Base Ball Association. In various other ways he is closely
associated with the business and social affairs of the city. He is a mem-
ber of the Savannah Automobile Club, the Oglethorpe Club, Golf Club
and Music Club, and is president of the Atlanta Club.

Mr. O 'Byrne has long been known for his quiet but powerful influ-
ence in local politics and in general civic affairs. In religious affilia-
tion he is a Catholic and a member of the Cathedral parish in Savan-
nah, and is chairman of its financial committee. Much credit is due
to Mr. 'Byrne for his able assistance in the building of the beautiful
cathedral of St. John the Baptist, one of the finest specimens of Gothic
architecture in the United States. He was a member of the building
committee, and was generous of his time and financial support during
the erection of this noble edifice. He has similarly taken an active part
in supporting various philanthropical and charitable organizations. He
is a member of the Savannah Benevolent Association, member of the
finance committee of the Associated Charities of Savannah, president
of the Female Orphans Benevolent Society, vice-president of the St.
Vincent de Paul Society, and is vice-president and trustee of St. Joseph's
Male Orphanage, an institution of the diocese of Savannah, located at
Washington, Wilkes county, Georgia. He has long been a prominent
member of the Knights of Columbus.

Mr. 'Byrne was born in Savannah in 1861, attended the public
schools of this city and received his finishing education at St. Vincent 's
University, near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, the leading college of the
Benedictine order in America. He was graduated from St. Vincent's
with the class of 1881. He then studied law in Savannah in the office
of Jackson, Lawton & Basinger, this firm being composed of Gen. H. R.
Jackson, Gen. A. R. Lawton and Maj. W. S. Basinger, all of them
distinguished lawyers and leaders at the Savannah bar. Mr. 'Byrne
was admitted to practice in 1883. His law business, which forms the
main part of all his activities, has been very profitable, and has made
him one of the most substantial citizens of Savannah, a position in life
that he has reached through his own efforts and ability.

Mr. 'Byrne has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Marie
McDonough, a daughter of John J. McDonough, a prominent manu-
facturer and one time mayor of Savannah. She is survived by three
children, namely: Eleanor, James Raymond, and Charles 'Byrne.
Mr. O 'Byrne's present wife, to whom he was married at her home in
Bridgeport, Connecticut, was before her marriage, Miss Sara Lorene
Wren, daughter of Peter W. Wren, a man of large affairs in Bridge-
port and president of the Pequonnock National Bank of that city. Of
this second union one child was born, Sara Wren O 'Byrne.



614 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Cb milks Maxwell Gibbs. The gentleman, to a brief review of whose
life and characteristics the reader's attention is herewith directed, is
among the foremost business men of Savannah, and by his conservative
methods has contributed in a material way to the industrial and com-
mercial advancement of the city. He has in the course of an honorable
career been successful in the business enterprises of which he is the
head and is well deserving of mention in the biographical memoirs of
Georgia. Charles Maxwell Gibbs belongs to line old southern stock, and
was born August 16, 1861, in the most crucial period of our national
history, the guns of the Civil war echoing about his cradle. His parents
were Leonard Young and Rosa Matilda (Williams) Gibbs. The former
was born January 23, 1831, and died in Savannah, September 6, 1898.
He served the South in the war between the states and in the defense
of Fort McAllister was captured by Sherman's army, which was then
entering Savannah, and was severely wounded in that engagement.

Mr. Gibbs' paternal ancestors were from Connecticut, and served in
the War of the Revolution.

His mother was born in Savannah, March 5, 1840, and died in this
city October 2, 1877. She was the daughter of Thomas F. and Mary;
Jane (Maxwell) Williams, the latter being a daughter of Col. William
Maxwell, of Georgia, who was a member of the Provincial Congress of
Georgia from 1775 to 1777.

Mr. Gibbs was graduated from the Savannah high school and spent
three years in the Virginia Military Institute, from which he was gradu-
ated with the class of 1881. He early became engaged in his father's
fertilizer business, with which as proprietor he is still identified.

He is affiliated with Ancient Landmark Lodge of Masons in Savan-
nah and exemplifies in his own living the ideals of moral and social
justice and brotherly love for which the ancient and august order stands.

Mr. Gibbs married in 1888 Miss Martha Louisa Rowland, a descend-
ant of distinguished Georgia ancestry. She is a grand-daughter of
Judge William B. Fleming, one of Georgia's noted jurists. They have
one child, a daughter, Rosa Williams Gibbs.

Charles P. Rowland. Among the representative men of Savannah
is Charles P. Rowland, property owner and engaged extensively in real
estate business. The family was founded here in 1843 by the subject's
father and in the ensuing sixty years the name has been one of the
honored ones of the city and identified in praiseworthy fashion with
business and municipal life, the attitude of the Rowlands, father and
son, to the city, being public-spirited and altruistic.

Charles P. Rowland was born in Savannah on the 6th of June. 1877,
the son of John C. and Mary (Gray) Rowland. The elder gentleman
was born in Dutchess county, New York, May 20. 1827. He passed the
days of his youth and his early manhood near Rochester. New York,
and in 1843 came to Savannah to begin his business life. He embarked
in a commercial career, becoming prominent as a cotton warehouseman
and shipper. Notwithstanding his northern birth, he readily granted
the justice o!' the southern contention for independence, and as early
as January, 1861, enlisted in the Pulaski Guards, with which he served
in garrison a1 Fort Pulaski. In August. 1861. he entered the regular
Confederate service 1 as firsi sergeant of the Washington volunteers, under
Capt. John McMahon, which became a company of the First Regiment
of Georgia, commanded by Col. Charles II. Olmstead. In the following
winter he was promoted to second lieutenant. Lieutenant Rowland was
part of the gallant garrison of Fort Pulaski during its bombardment
by the Federal Meet and batteries. April 10 and 11. 1S62. and which



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 615

Colonel Olmstead was compelled to surrender after all the guns that
could be brought to bear on the enemy had been dismounted and the
walls of the fort were breached. Following this event Lieutenant Row-
land was taken as a prisoner of war by way of Hilton Head and Gov-
ernor's Island to Johnson's Island, Ohio, where he was held until the
latter part of the summer of 1862. Then being exchanged he returned
to Savannah and rejoined his regiment and was promoted to first lieu-
tenant. With this rank he served in Battery Wagner on Morris Island,
South Carolina, during the great bombardment and assault in July,
1863, and in other operations around Charleston. In the spring of
1864 the regiment joined the Army of Tennessee and Lieutenant Row-
land, in command of his company (Company K, First Georgia Regi-
ment), participated in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, the battles
around Atlanta, Jonesboro, and other engagements of Mercer's Brigade
with Hood's Corps in Tennessee. At the last he was a participant in
the campaign in the Carolinas and surrendered with the army at
Greensboro, North Carolina.

At the close of this worthy and honorable career as a Confederate
soldier, John C. Rowland returned to his home in Savannah and re-
engaged in business life of the city, in which he remained a potent fac-
tor up to the time of his death. He retired from the cotton business in
1880 and thereafter was engaged for the most part in real estate trans-
actions, buying and selling his own property for investment, in which
business he achieved substantial financial success, becoming ohe of the
wealthy men of the city. He was one of the first directors and was
vice-president of the Savannah Bank & Trust Company. He also served
as alderman of the city of Savannah for one term. His death occurred
on February 1, 1908. He held a place of highest esteem with the people
of Savannah, for his usefulness as a citizen and business man and for
his valiant service in the supreme struggle between the North and the
South, as an upholder of the Confederacy. The subject's mother was
born in Savannah and died in this city in 1906. She was the daughter
of George S. Gray of this city. In addition to the immediate subject
of this review, there was a son and a daughter, namely: Clifford G.
and Helen C.

Charles P. Rowland was reared in Savannah and in the city of his
birth has spent his entire life with the exception of the period of his
higher education. He had his first introduction to Minerva in the pub-
lic schools of the city and after finishing their curriculum, he entered
Bingham Military Institute at Asheville, North Carolina, where he spent
four years, and subsequently entered the Georgia Institute of Technology
at Atlanta. In partnership with his cousin, John T. Rowland, he be-
came established in the real estate and insurance business in Savannah
in 1898 and after the retirement of the former, became associated with
his brother, C. G. Rowland, and their business is one of the most exten-
sive and prosperous in the city. Like his father, Mr. Rowland has been
especially successful in the purchase and sale of local real estate for
his own investment and he is acknowledged to be one of the best judges
of property values in the city.

Mr. Rowland has always been interested in military affairs in
Savannah, and for several years he was an active member of the Georgia
Hussars, in which historic organization he rose to the rank of first
lieutenant. He enlisted as a private in the Georgia Hussars on Febru-
ary 28, 1898, and receiving various promotions, received the rank above
named on October 9, 1905, serving in that capacity until his retirement
October 14, 1909. On May 14, 1910, he was appointed on Governor
Brown's staff as aide-de-camp with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He



616 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

is a member of the Sons of the Revolution ; has taken the Scottish and
York degrees in Masonry, and is also a Shriner.

Mr. Rowland was married on the 10th day of July, 1909, the lady
to become his wife being Miss Minnie Coney Greenlee, of Asheville, North
Carolina. They are prominent in exclusive social circles and maintain
one of the attractive and hospitable households of the city.

Charles Grandy Bell. Ranking high among Savannah's active,
energetic and progressive citizens, Charles Grandy Bell, of the firm of
Butler, Stevens & Company, now of Butler, Stevens & Bell, cotton factors
and commission merchants, is widely known as a man of honor and
integrity, and as one whose word and ability can always be relied upon
in matters of business. A native of Florida, he was born, in 1858, in
Madison county, near Greenville, coming from Virginian ancestry.

His father, Charles Grandy Bell, was born and reared in Virginia,
being descended from the Norfolk family of that name. Locating in
Florida in the forties, he was there a resident until his death, which
occurred just prior to the outbreak of the Civil war, in which two of
his uncles served, being soldiers in the Confederate army. He married
Nancy Walker, who was born in Florida, where her parents settled on
leaving South Carolina, their native state.

Brought up in Jefferson county, Florida, Charles Grandy Bell
acquired his preliminary education in the schools of that county, after
which he completed a course of study at Eastman 's Business College, in
Poughkeepsie, New York, being there graduated with the class of
1879. Following his graduation, he spent a year and a half in New York
City, being employed in one of the largest dry goods establishments
of that place, that of Lord & Taylor. Coming from there to Savan-
nah, Georgia, in 1881, Mr. Bell has since made this city his home. In
1883 he became associated with the cotton industry of the South, in
the year 1886 entering the employ of Butler & Stevens as bookkeeper
and cashier. Displaying marked business acumen and judgment in that
capacity, he was made a partner in the firm in 1891, whose members,
Robert M. Butler, Henry D. Stevens, and Charles G. Bell, are of the
highest standing in the commercial and financial world. This firm,
which deals in cotton productions, is one of the largest and wealthiest
firms of cotton factors and dealers in the South, its business being ex-
tensive and lucrative.

Prominently identified with many of the leading business organiza-
tions of the city, Mr. Bell is vice-president of the Savannah Bank and
Trust Company, and is one of the oldest members of the Sinking Fund
Commission of Savannah, of which he was for a number of years the
secretary. For two terms, ending in 1910, he was president Ox the
Savannah Cotton Exchange, to which he still belongs. He is a member
of the board of trustees of the Independent Presbyterian church, and
is president of the Young Men's Christian Association. Socially he is
a member of the Oglethorpe Club.

Mr. Bell married, in Savannah, Miss Kate Maxey, who was born in
Jacksonville, Florida, but came with her parents to Savannah in 1881.
Four children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Bell, namely:
Anna, Kate, Charles Grandy. third, and Suzanne.

Marcus Stephen Baker. One of the most conspicuous figures in the
affairs of this section of the state is Marcus Stephen Baker, receiver of
tax returns of Chatham county. He has held this responsible office
since 1901 and is exceedingly popular and efficient. He was previously
engaged in mercantile business and in general collecting and real estate.




<^c



-**




SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 617

Mr. Baker is a native Georgian, his birth having occurred at Hinesville,
Liberty county, September 16, 1849. He is the son of Richard Fuller
and Elizabeth G. (Dowsey) Baker. The father was born in Liberty
county and died there in 1852, when Mr. Baker was an infant. Richard
F. Baker was a son of Stephen Baker, also a life-long citizen of Liberty
county. The former, at the age of eighteen, was orderly sergeant of
Liberty Independent Troop, one of the oldest military organizations
in Georgia. He was a planter by occupation. The Baker family, in
truth, is one of the oldest in historic Liberty county, having been
established there in 1752 by the subject's great-great-grandfather, Ben-
jamin Baker, of Dorchester, South Carolina, who settled in Midway,
Liberty county, in that year. The great-grandfather, John Baker, who
died in 1792, was a member of the committee appointed by the conven-
tion at Savannah, Georgia, July 20, 1774, to prepare resolutions
expressive of the sentiments and determination of the people of the
province in regard to the Boston Port Bill. He was also a member of
the provincial congress of Georgia from 1775 to 1777 ; he was a member
of the Georgia council of safety in 1776 ; he was colonel commanding
a regiment of militia of Liberty county from 1775 to 1783 ; he was
wounded in the skirmish at Bulltown Swamp November 19, 1778 ; he
defeated Captain Goldsmith at White House, Georgia, June 28, 1779,
and participated in the capture of Augusta, Georgia, in May and June,
1781. He was lieutenant in the colonial wars. It will be seen that few
citizens took a more active and useful part in the patriotic history of
that stirring period.

The subject's mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth G. Dowsey,
removed to Savannah from Liberty county in 1854 and her demise
occurred in this city in 1882. The children of this brave and admirable
lady were reared in this city. One son, Richard F., is now a resident
of the Forest city, and another, William E. Q. Baker, lives at Atlanta.
Another brother, Robert Wilson Baker, was a Confederate soldier and
was killed in the second day's fighting in the battle of Chickamauga.
Another brother, M. M. Baker, served in the army of the Confederacy
throughout the war and died December 23, 1909.

It has been seen that the early childhood of Mr. Baker was passed
in Savannah. In 1859, when a lad of ten years, he returned to Liberty
county to attend school under the tutelage of Prof. Moses Way at
Taylor's creek, Professor Way being a well-known educator of that day.
Afterward Mr. Baker studied under the direction of Prof. S. D.
Bradwell, at Hinesville. That gentleman was also prominent in the
educational world and had served as school commissioner of Georgia.
In the first year of the war the subject went to Walthourville to attend
school, and in 1863 he returned to his home in Savannah and finished
his education in the public schools. The Baker family have for many
generations been advocates of good education and have given their sons
the best advantages possible, and it was only through the unsettled
conditions of the war that Mr. Baker's education was terminated when
it was. In 1866 he went to work as clerk in a wholesale grocery house
in Savannah and later became outside salesman for a local hardware
firm. Still later he engaged successfully in the general collecting
and real estate business. In 1900 he was elected to the office of receiver
of the tax returns of Chatham county, and assumed the duties of this
office on January 1, 1901. He has been elected at each successive
biennial election and is now (1913) serving on his seventh consecutive
term in this office, which he has filled with remarkable efficiency and to
the entire satisfaction of the public.

Mr. Baker holds the welfare of the city closely at heart and his



618 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

influence and support are given to all beneficent measures. He is a
member of Trinity Methodist church. He belongs to /the Sons of the
American Revolution, to which the patriotic services of his forbears
make him eligible. Their even earlier patriotic activities entitle him
to membership in the Society of the Colonial Wars. He stands high in
Masonry, belonging to Landrum Lodge, No. 48, F. & A. M. ; to Palestine
Commandery, No. 7, Knights Templars; Alee Temple. A. A. 0. N. M. S.,
of Savannah ; Savannah Lodge, No. 183, B. P. O. Elks ; Calanthe Lodge,
No. 28, Knights of Pythias.

On the 5th day of January, 1874, Mr. Baker was married in
Savannah, his chosen lady being Miss Fanny A. Krenson, a daughter
of this city. Mrs. Baker's parents were Frederick and Sarah E. (Dean)
Krenson, the latter descended from the Scotch family of MacDonalds,
who were among the early settlers of Mcintosh county, Georgia. To
Mr. and Mrs. Baker have been born three children. Louise Elizabeth
is the wife of Capt, Henry Blun, ex-postmaster of Savannah, and
president of the Germania Bank ; Laura Spencer is the wife of Irvin S.
Cobb, formerly of Paducah, Kentucky, now of New York City, the
famous feature writer and humorist for the New York Sun, New York
World, Saturday Evening Post and various other publications ; the
third child, Marcus Stephen Baker, Jr., is postmaster at Savannah
and one of the city 's best known young citizens.

The Bakers are loyal Georgians and are prominent in a praise-
worthy manner in the many-sided life of the city, enjoying general
confidence and respect in a community of whose best traits they are
typical.

Rupus E. Lester. Especially fortunate in the eminence and char-
acter of her citizens, it may be truly said that Savannah has no more
honored name enrolled upon her list of representative citizens than that
of the late Rufus E. Lester, who won distinction as a lawyer, and as a
congressman, a brilliant and distinguished record. He was born in
Burke county, Georgia, December 12, 1837, and died in Washington,
District of Columbia, June 16, 1906.

Colonel Lester, as he was familiarly known, received his education
principally in Mercer University, at Macon, Georgia, being there gradu-
ated in the twentieth year of his age. Subsequently studying law in
Savannah, he was admitted to the bar in 1858, and in 1859 began the
practice of his profession in that city, which continued to be his home
as long as he lived.

Enlisting in the Confederate army in the spring of 1861, he remained
in service throughout the war, going from Savannah to the front as
an adjutant in the Twenty-fifth Georgia Regiment, which was first en-
camped in the vicinity of Savannah, near Tybee and Avondale. Going
with his command from there to Mississippi, the colonel took part in
the campaign of that state, afterwards meeting the enemy at the battle
of Chiekamauga, where he had two horses shot from under him. and was
himself slightly wounded. Following this engagement, he was very ill
for eighteen months, and remained in such poor health that he was
assigned to the duty of inspector general under General Mackal, at
Macon, Georgia, where he was stationed when the war closed. He had
attained the rank of captain while in service, but after the war was
always known as Colonel Lester. The colonel made a splendid record
as a soldier, and in the book which he published (Jen. X. B. Forrest
commended Colonel Lester for extraordinary bravery and gallantry.

Resuming the practice of his profession in Savannah alter the close
of the conflict, Colonel Lester became active in public affairs, and in



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 619

1870 was elected to the state senate, representing the first senatorial dis- ,
trict. Through successive re-elections, he continued a member of that
body until 1879, during the last three years of that time serving as its
president. From 1883 until 1888 he rendered excellent service as mayor
of Savannah. In 1888 he had the honor of being elected to congress as
a representative from the first congressional district of Georgia, which
comprised ten counties, namely : Burke, Bulloch, Bryan, Chatham,
Emanuel, Effingham, Liberty, Mcintosh, Screven, and Tattnall. His
services as congressman gave such general satisfaction that he was con-
tinuously re-elected every succeeding two years up to and including
1906, the year of his death.

Colonel Lester won a splendid record as congressman, and rendered
services of great usefulness to his district in particular, and to the
entire country in general. Honored by an appointment during his first
year in congress upon the important rivers and harbors committee, he
remained a member of that committee during his entire period of ser-
vice, that comprising his most prominent and valued work. It was
through the efforts of the colonel that Savannah received its continuous
appropriation for harbor improvements, and this has proved the lead-
ing factor in the modern growth and development of the city. He also
obtained the appropriation for the beautiful marble Federal building
in which Savannah's postoffice is housed, and was likewise instrumental
m having the Marine Hospital erected in Savannah, and in having the
revenue cutter "Yamacraw" assigned for permanent duty in Savan-
nah harbor.

Greatly beloved by his home people throughout his district, Colonel
Lester was also held in the highest esteem and affection by the leading
representatives of every section of the Union in the national congress.
He was of large influence in that august body, and in the social and
political affairs of Washington achieved, early in his career, a place of
the highest rank. In the special proceedings in the house and senate
on June 18, 1906, held in commemoration of Colonel Lester, memorial
addresses were delivered by more than a score of the most prominent
congressmen and senators, all eulogizing him in the most glowing terms.
"Within the limits of this sketch it would be difficult to condense those
fine addresses, and, indeed, it mayhap will be more appropriate to here
cpaote some excerpts from a tribute paid him by one of his ewn intimate
friends and fellow citizens, Judge Samuel B. Adams, of Savannah, who
said in part :

"Rufus E. Lester was admitted to the bar of Savannah when twenty-
one years of age, and remained a member until his death. His pro-
fessional career was interrupted by the war between the states, in which
he was a Confederate soldier of gallantry and devotion from the begin-
ning to the end of the struggle. He resumed his practice after the
cessation of hostilities, and at once took a front rank at the bar which
had more than its share of able and successful practitioners. Not-
withstanding the fact he was often called into public service, he was
always a lawyer, loving his profession and preferring its duties to those
of office.

"I was a member of the bar with Colonel Lester for more than
thirty years and had abundant opportunity of learning his power as
a lawyer at our bar, and certainly no other lawyer lost fewer cases. He
had a legal mind, one that saw quickly the strong points of his case,
separated without delay the Aveak points, and pressed home those most
worthy of consideration. Before a jury, if, under the charge, it was
at liberty to find with him, he was almost invincible. He knew the men,
knew how to talk with them, possessed their confidence, which he never



620 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

abused, and, generally, secured their verdict. He was also strong before
judges in purely legal arguments. When Mr. Lester urged a conten-
tion, judges knew he did it sincerely, and his ability and standing
secured for its consideration an attentive and respectful hearing. I
have often heard him make legal arguments of a high order of merit.

"'He always practiced and illustrated the best ethics of an honorable
profession, scorning always the arts and tricks of the shyster and petti-
fogger. While he struck hard blows in the courtroom and was a
'foeman worthy of any man's steel,' his blows were fair, never un-
worthy or unprofessional. His brethren of the bar trusted him abso-
lutely without fear or misgivings, and rested securely upon any agree-
ment that he would make, whether binding under the rules of the court
or not. I knew him well, was honored with his friendship, and my
deliberate conviction is that I never met a more honorable or trust-
worthy lawyer, or man, and a comparatively few who equaled him in
his absolute sincerity, frankness and manliness.

"Mr. Lester was elected mayor of Savannah for three successive
terms, and brought to the discharge of his duties the same efficiency
and fidelity which distinguished him in all the relations of life. He was
emphatically the mayor. His influence on his board was potential.
This was due to his positive and virile character and the complete con-
fidence reposed in his judgment and sincerity. He possessed to an
extraordinary extent the elements of leadership, and these elements were
manifest in the administration of the municipal government.

' ' An incident in his career as mayor illustrates the man and the officer.
Some negroes were incarcerated charged with the murder for robbery
of a family of white people living on the outskirts of the city. Feeling
ran high. There was talk of lynching, and we were threatened with
this unspeakable disgrace. A crowd gathered at the jail for the pur-
pose of lynching. Mr. Lester was notified. He went to the jail imme-
diately, personally took charge of the police present, mounted the
steps, pointed out to the crowd the 'dead line' in front of the steps,
and warned them that if a single member of the mob crossed that line
he would order the police to shoot, and to shoot to kill. The crowd knew
that he meant what he said, was utterly fearless, and would die before
he would permit a lynching. The crowd quietly dispersing, it was not
necessary to' injure anyone, and Savannah's record remained unstained
by that crime."

Perhaps Colonel Lester's most notable characteristic was his over-
flowing kindness and charity toward every human being, however poor
or humble, with whom he came in contact. It was this trait that rounded
out a beautiful character. He frequently did acts of thoughtful kind-
ness, and did them so unobtrusively that they were never known to
others, not even by his own family. It seemed perfectly natural for
him to be a good and true man.

Colonel Lester married, in 1859, in Savannah, Miss Laura E. Hines,
who was born in Burke county, which was likewise the birthplace of her
father, James J. Hines, who was for many years a prominent business
man of Savannah, where she was reared and educated. Mrs. Lester's
mother, whose maiden name was Georgia Bird, was born in Liberty
county, Georgia.

Charles C. Lebey. Well and favorably known in connection with
the cotton trade of Savannah, where he has charge of the local cotton
of the Seaboard Air Line. Charles 0. Lebey counts among his ancestors
some of the more noteworthy families of the South. He was born in



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 621

Savannah, in 1868, this city having also been the birthplace of his father,,
David Christian Lebey, and of his grandfather, Christian David Lebey.

Andrew Lebey, the great-grandfather of Charles C. Lebey, was one
of six brothers, natives of France, who came with Count d Estaing's
fleet from that country to assist the Continental army in its efforts to
take Savannah from the British, whose forces had occupied the city
almost from the beginning of the Revolution, the fleet making its appear-
ance off the coast of Georgia in September, 1779. The Continentals,
aided by Count d 'Estaing's men, made an heroic and determined, but
unsuccessful, assault on the British at Springfield Redoubt, on the west-
ern edge of Savannah. In the conflict that ensued, five of the Lebey
brothers, Jerome, Louis, Philip, Augustine and John, were killed, while
Andrew, the only surviving brother, was himself badly crippled. Re-
maining in this country after the war was over, Andrew Lebey settled
on a farm in Ebenezer, Georgia, but afterwards returned to Savannah,
where he spent the later years of his life. He married a widow, Mrs.
Mary (Hines) Anderson.

Although born in Savannah, Christian David Lebey was educated
in Connecticut, and subsequently established an extensive jewelry busi-
ness in Savannah, where the greater part of his life was spent.

David Christian was a life-long resident of Savannah. He married
Rosina I. Courtenay, who was likewise born in Savannah, being a daugh-
ter of Edward T. and Rosina (Bland) Courtenay, and a granddaughter on
the maternal side of Richard Bland, who was of English lineage. On the
paternal side she was a direct descendant of Carlisle Courtenay, the
Earl of Devon, who was of French ancestry. The earl's sons removed
to Ireland, and from that country John Courtenay, a member of that
family, and the great-grandfather of Mr. Lebey, came to Savannah long
before the Revolution, being accompanied on the voyage across the At-
lantic by his brother, Charles, who settled at Charleston, South Carolina,
and there became founder of the present prominent Courtenay family
of that city. Edward T. Courtenay was for many years one of the lead-
ing cotton merchants of Savannah.

Charles C. Lebey was brought up and educated in Savannah, and
now has charge of the local cotton of the Seaboard Air Line. For sev-
eral years past Mr. Lebey has made his home at the suburban town of
Pooler, in Chatham county, of which he is now serving his fourth term
as mayor, having been re-elected to this position three successive times.
Fraternally he is a member, and worshipful master, of Turner Lodge.
No. 16, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons, of Pooler; also a
Scottish Rite and York Rite Mason and a member of the P. 0. S. of A.,
the J. 0. A. U., the K. of P. and -the Redmen.

Mr. Lebey 's wife, who prior to her marriage was Miss Mamie E.
Amdreau, was born in Tampa, Florida.

William Virginius Davis, vice-president and manager of the Sa-
vannah Trust Company, prominent banker, and well known for prac-
tically all his life in Savannah, is one of the foremost figures in the
business life of this city. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on
June 14, 1871, and is the son of Thomas J. and Frances V. (Price)
Davis. The father was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, and the mother
in Wilmington, North Carolina. She died in 1896. For many years
Thomas Davis was a grain merchant in Savannah, and he is still living
in this city, but is retired from active business life.

Although born in Jacksonville, William V. Davis is practically a
Savannahian, as his parents removed to the Georgia city when he was
an infant, and he was reared and educated here, attending the public



ij-22 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

schools and Chatham Academy. In 1889, when he was eighteen years
old, he went to Texas, locating at Palestine, where he .became stenog-
rapher and secretary to Hon. Thomas M. Campbell, one of the promi-
nent lawyers of that state, who was then the receiver and later the
general manager of the International & Great Northern Railroad, and
who was governor of Texas from L906 to 1910. He was connected with
Mr. Campbell's office for nearly four years and was then made ticket
agent at Palestine for the I. & G. N. R. R., of which his uncle, U. J.
Price, is general passenger agent. Mr. Davis remained in that posi-
tion for one year, remaining at Palestine five years in all. In 1894 he
returned to Savannah and since that time he has been continually as-
sociated with business interests headed by Capt. W. W. Maekall, a
sketch of whose life appears elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Davis first
entered Captain Mackall's law office as a clerical assistant, and studying
law in the meantime, but has never practiced that profession. He be-
came secretary of the various railroad and industrial corpoi'ations of
which Mr. Maekall was the chief, prominent among which was the
Georgia Construction Company, which built the Seaboard Air Line ter-
minals in Hutchinson Island.

On October 1, 1902, the Savannah Trust Company, of which Mr.
Maekall is president, began business, and Mr. Davis was made its sec-
retary. He has been connected with this bank ever since that time.
Upon the retirement of John Morris as treasurer of the company, Mr.
Davis assumed the duties of that position in addition to the secretary-
ship. On January 22, 1907, Mr. Davis was elected to his present posi-
tion of vice-president, and, as such, is the managing official of the
company.

Pew financial institutions in the South have been attended by such
substantial growth and prosperity in so short a time as has the Savan-
nah Trust Company. Under its charter it carries on both general bank-
ing and trust company business, besides a real estate department that
is especially flourishing and successful. The capital stock is $500,000,
with surplus and undivided profits of nearly $300,000. The manage-
ment of the bank is conservative, efficient and economical, and it has
returned most satisfactory 1 dividends to its stockholders.

While living at Palestine, Mr. Davis was married to Miss Elizabeth
Wyche Hunter. She died in that city. One daughter was born of this
union, — Miss Wyche Hunter Davis, now at Orange, New Jersey, in
Miss Beard's school. Subsequently Mr. Davis was married to Miss
Winnifred Wright Bonney, of Norfolk, Virginia, and they have three-
children, — Thomas J. ; William V., Jr. ; and Frederick B.

Mr. Davis is a member of Westminster Presbyterian church, and
is associated in a fraternal way with the Masonic order, being a mem-
ber of Ancient Landmark Lodge, No. 231, A. F. & A. M., the Georgia
Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, Palestine Commandery Knights Templar
and is a Shriner. He is also a member of the Offlethorpe Club, the
Yacht Club, the Guards Club and the Golf Club.

David Crenshaw Barrow, Jr. The name borne by David Cren-
shaw Barrow, Jr., is a conspicuous one in the history of the state of
Georgia. As educators, statesmen and members of the learned profes-
sions, several of the family have won distinction and high honors. He
himself has not fallen behind the standard se1 him by his ancestors, and
is one of the most prominent and successful members of the bar of
Savannah. Gifted with a logical mind, he has had the best of training
for his profession, and his success has been fully merited by his close



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 623

application to his work and the careful preparation which he gives to
each case.

David Crenshaw Barrow, Jr., is the son of Middleton Pope and
Sarah Church (Craig) Barrow, both of whom are deceased. The Hon-
orable Middleton Pope Barrow was born in Oglethorpe county, Georgia,
on the 1st of August, 1839. He was educated at the University of
Georgia, from which he received the degree of A. B. in 1859, and the
degree of LL. B., in 1860. He was admitted to the bar in 1860, and
began to practice law in Athens, Georgia. With the outbreak of the
war, he enlisted in the Confederate army and served throughout the
war between the states, as captain of artillery and as aid-de-camp, on
the staff of Major General Howard Cobb. After the war he resumed
the practice of his profession in Athens, and in 1877 was elected a
member of the constitutional convention. During the session of 1880-81,
he was a member of the Georgia legislature, and was elected to the
United States senate from Georgia to fill a vacancy caused by the death
of Hon. Benjamin Hill, and served from November 15, 1882, to the 3rd
of March, 1883.

After the death of his first wife, Sarah Church (Craig) Barrow,
Judge Barrow married Cornelia Augusta Jackson, daughter of the late
Gen. Henry R. Jackson, of Savannah. There are five children
living from his first marriage, namely, Middleton Pope Barrow, Eliza-
beth Church Barrow, James Barrow, David Crenshaw Barrow, and Dr.
Craig Barrow. His second wife, who is now deceased, became the
mother of six children, as follows: Florence Barclay, Davenport, Cor-
nelia, Lucy Lumpkin, who is the wife of Francis P. Mclntire ; Patience
Crenshaw Barrow and Sarah Pope Barrow. Only the last three named
are living.

In 1893, Judge Barrow moved from Athens to Savannah, which city
was his home during the remainder of his life. In 1900, he became judge
of the superior court, of the eastern judicial circuit, and remained in
this office until his death, which occurred on the 23rd of December,
1903. Judge Barrow was vice-president of the Georgia Historical So-
ciety, and held various honorary positions in other organizations. For
many years he was one of the prominent figures in the political, busi-
ness, and social life of the state of Georgia.

Dr. David Crenshaw Barrow II.. a brother of Pope Barrow, a
distinguished educator, has been for several years chancellor of the
University of Georgia. The father of these two brothers was David
Crenshaw Barrow I., a cotton planter of wealth and large affairs, who
spent practically all of his life at his home in Athens and on his plan-
tations in Oglethorpe county. He married Miss Lucy Pope, of Ogle-
thorpe county, Georgia, the only child of Middleton Pope of that county,
a direct descendant of the famous Nathaniel Pope of colonial Virginia.
David Crenshaw Barrow I., who was born and lived in Baldwin county,
after his marriage located in Oglethorpe county, but he owned planta-
tions in both counties. He was the son of James Barrow, a native of
Virginia, who entered the Continental army in North Carolina in 1776
and served in various capacities throughout the Revolutionary war.
He was one of that brave little army, who under General Washington,
watched through the long winter amid the cold and hardships of the
camp at Valley Forge. He was sent under orders from General Lee
to Savannah, and thereafter was in service in Georgia, South Carolina,
North Carolina, Pennsylvania and New York, and was in the battles
of Brandy wine and Germantown. His last service in the war was in
the North Carolina militia, and about 1800 he settled in Baldwin county,
Georgia. His wife was Precious Patience Crenshaw, of Virginia.



624 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEOKGIA

Sarah Church (Craig) Barrow, the mother of David Crenshaw Bar-
row III., was the (laughter of Col. Lewis Stevenson, Craig, of Vir-
ginia, an officer of the United States army, who during the Mexican
war, in which he was engaged, was promoted, for gallantry from captain
to lieutenant colonel. After the Mexican war he was placed in com-
mand of a department in California, and here he met his death at the
hands of deserters. His wife was Elizabeth Church, the daughter of
Alonzo Church, president of the University of Georgia, from 1829 to
1859.

David Crenshaw Barrow III., the subject of this sketch, was horn on
the Barrow plantation in Oglethorpe county, and grew to manhood in
Athens, Georgia. He was graduated from the University of Georgia in
1894. After studying law for a time in the office of his father in Sa-
vannah he supplemented this preparation by a short course in the law
department of the University of Virginia. He was admitted to the
bar in Savannah in 1896 and commenced the practice of law in that
year. From that time to the present his professional work has con-
tinued with uninterrupted success and he is now a lawyer of high
standing at the Savannah bar.

For several years Mr. Barrow was an active member of the mili-
tary organizations in Savannah. He enlisted for the Spanish-American
war as a private in the Savannah Volunteer Guards, and served at
Tampa, Florida, with the Second Georgia Regiment, Receiving hon-
orable discharge from that organization, he accepted a second lieu-
tenancy in what was known as Ray's Immunes, officially the Third
United States Infantry. He went to Cuba with this regiment and
served seven months in Santiago province, being adjutant of his regi-
ment at the time of his resignation in January, 1899. Upon his return
to Savannah he joined the Oglethorpe Light Infantry, one of the com-
panies of the First Regiment of Infantry, National Guard of Georgia. He
became captain of this company, from which rank he was promoted
to major of the regiment. He was subsequently made lieutenant colonel
and served in that capacity until he resigned from the regiment.

In 1906, Colonel Barrow was elected a member of the Georgia
state legislature, as a representative from Chatham county, and served
in the sessions of 1907 and 1908. In the session of 1907, he was one of
those who fought the passage of the prohibition bill, and was one of the
leaders of the famous filibuster against the passage of that bill. In the
session of 1908 he was one of the active forces behind the legislation
that abolished the convict lease system in the state of Georgia, He
was assistant city attorney of Savannah for the year 1911-12. Fra-
ternally, Mr. Barrow is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons, of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and of the Knights
of Pythias.

Mr. Barrow was married in Savannah, on the 10th of December,
1907, to Miss Emma Middleton Huger, a daughter of Joseph A. and
Mary Elliott Huger. Mr. and Mrs. Barrow have two children, a son,
Middleton Pope Barrow, and a daughter, Mary Elliott Barrow.

Raphael Thomas Semmes, president of Semmes Hardware Com-
pany, one of the representative wholesale concerns of Savannah, was
born at Canton, Madison county, Mississippi, on the 27th of July, 1857.
His father, Dr. Alphonso Thomas Semmes, was born at Washington,
Wilkes county, Georgia, on the 28th of April, 1830; and his mother,
Mary Sabina (Semmes) Semmes, was born at Georgetown, now a part
of the city of Washington, District of Columbia, on the 6th of December,
1832.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 625

Dr. Semmes was a son of Thomas Serames, Jr., and his first wife,
Harriet Shepherd (Bealle) Semmes, the latter being a native of Colum-
bia county, Georgia, and a descendent of early settlers from Charles
county, Maryland, whence her grandparents removed to Georgia. Thomas
Semmes, Jr., was born in Wilkes county, Georgia, on the 19th of January,
1802, and was married on the 27th of January, 1829. He removed to
Mississippi in 1852, and died at Canton, in May of 1862. He was the
only child of Roger and Jane (Sanders) Semmes, who removed from
Charles county, Maryland, to Wilkes county, Georgia. The former was
born in Charles county, Maryland, in December, 1779, and removed to
Wilkes county, Georgia, in 1800 or 1801, where he died in September,
1804. He was a son of Thomas Semmes, Sr., born 1753, who married
a widow, Mrs. Mary Ann (Ratcliffe) Brawner, their marriage occurring
in February, 1779, in Charles county, Maryland. In 1800, he removed
to Wilkes county, Georgia, where he died on the 24th of June, 1824.
He was a lieutenant in the Maryland line of troops in the war of the
Revolution. (See Maryland archives.) He was a son of James Semmes II
and Mary Simpson, his last wife, who was a daughter of Andrew and
Elizabeth (Green) Simpson. Elizabeth Green Simpson was the daugh-
ter of Robert Green, and a granddaughter of Thomas Green, the first
proprietary governor of the province of Maryland. James Semmes II
was a son of James I and Mary (Goodrick) Semmes of Charles county,
Maryland. James Semmes I was a son of Marmaduke Semmes of St.
Mary's county, Maryland, and his mother, Fortune Semmes, was the
widow of Bulmer Mitford (afterwards spelled Medford), who immi-
grated to Maryland in 1664. Her first husband died in 1666, and in July,
1668, she married Marmaduke Semmes, who in 1662 had been sworn
in as doorkeeper of the upper house of the province of Maryland. (See
Maryland archives.)

Mary Sabina Semmes, nee Semmes, mother of the subject of this
sketch, was the seventh child of Raphael and Mary Matilda (Jenkins)
Semmes of Georgetown, District of Columbia. The former was an
uncle of Admiral Raphael Semmes of the Confederate navy, whom he
adopted in childhood. Raphael Semmes, Sr., was born in Charles county,
Maryland, on the 21st of August, 1786, and died on the 12th of October,
1846, at Georgetown, District of Columbia. He was a son of Joseph
and Henrietta (Thompson) Semmes of Charles county, the former of
whom served in the war of the Revolution (see Maryland archives),
and the latter was a daughter of Richard Thompson of Charles county,
the great-great-grandson of William Thompson, who settled in Mary-
land, in 1646. Joseph Semmes was born in 1754, in Charles county,
and was a brother of Thomas Semmes, Sr., who became a resident of
Georgia. They were sons of James Semmes II, and hence Joseph
also was descended Prom Marmaduke Semmes I, and from Gov.
Thomas Green, previously mentioned. Two other sons of James Semmes
II, served in the Revolution, and both were killed in the battles of
Long Island. One of these was Andrew Green Semmes, I, uncle of
Andrew Green Semmes II, of Wilkes county, Georgia, who was the
father of General Paul J. Semmes, a distinguished Confederate officer
in the war between the states.

Mary Matilda (Jenkins) Semmes, the maternal grandmother of
the subject of this review, was born on the 28th of December, 1800, in
Charles county, Maryland, a daughter of Capt. Thomas Jenkins, of
Revolutionary fame, and his wife, Mary (Neale) Corry, widow of
Benjamin Leslie Corry, and daughter of Richard Neale, who was a
great grandson of the famous Capt. James Neale, who was an early
settler in Maryland and later was sent on an important mission to
Spain in the interest of King Charles I of England, and who was still



626 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

later one of those who stood on the scaffold with this unfortunate king
when he was beheaded. He was a descendant of Hugh O'Neil, king of
Ulster.

A notable member of the Semmes family, who once lived in Savannah,
was Dr. Alexander Ignatius Semmes, a brother of Mary Sabina Semmes
(mother of Raphael Thomas Semmes). Dr. Semmes was born in George-
town, District of Columbia, was educated for the medical profession,
both in America arid in Europe, and practiced while living in Savannah.
He married Miss Sallie Berrien, a daughter of the Hon. John McPherson
Berrien of Savannah. She died without children, and after her death
Dr. Semmes gave up the practice of medicine and became, a Catholic
priest and educator. He was professor of English literature in Pio
Nono College, an institution for the education of priests, at Macon,
Georgia. On account of ill health he later went to New Orleans to
reside with his brother, Hon. Thomas J. Semmes, and died in that city.
His reputation as a brilliant scholar is well known.

Andrew Green Simpson Semmes, a brother of Roger Semmes. the
great-grandfather of Raphael Thomas Semmes, while never a resident
of Savannah, had large business interests in the city. He was born in
Charles County, Maryland, and came in 1800 to Wilkes county, Georgia,
where he became in time, a wealthy man. He had large cotton and
banking interests in Savannah, consequently was often in the city on
short trips.

Dr. Alphonso T. Semmes, father of him to whom this sketch is
dedicated, was an able physician, and during the war he served in the
Confederacy for a time as a surgeon in the army, but for the greater
portion of the time was in the hospital service. Thomas Semmes, Jr.,
of Georgia and later of Mississippi, grandfather of the subject of this
sketch, crippled from paralysis and unable to fight for his country,
equipped at his own expense a company, the Semmes Rifles. This com-
pany, raised in Canton, Mississippi, rendered valiant service in the
ranks of the Confederacy.

Raphael Thomas Semmes secured his earlier educational training
in the private schools in Canton, Mississippi, and supplemented this by
the careful discipline and training of the Christian Brothers' College,
in Memphis, Tennessee. Mr. Semmes had been in the Christian Brothers'
College, barely a school year, not having reached the age of fifteen, when
he left that institution in order to go to work ; taking this step out of
consideration for his father, who had suffered severe financial reverses
through ill-advised investments in a cotton mill at Canton. In January,
1873, therefore, he became a clerk in a hardware store at Canton, and
on the 9th of December, 1879, he located in Atlanta, Georgia, where he
became a clerk in the hardware store of Tommey, Gregg & Beck. Two
or three years later, when the firm was merged into a stock company,
under the title of the Beck & Gregg Hardware Company. Mr. Semmes
became a minority stockholder, and in 1891, when the concern increased
its capital stock, he considerably increased his holdings. In January.
1896, he resigned his association with this company, having formed a
business connection in Savannah, where he took up his residence in
March of that year. In 1898, he individually established himself in
the wholesale hardware business in Savannah, being the sole owner of
the enterprise, but adopting the firm name of R. T. Semmes & Com-
pany. In 1901, he organized the Semmes Hardware Company, for the
purpose of broadening and facilitating his business, and he has been
president of the company since that time. This concern now takes
rank among the leading enterprises of the kind in the southern states.
and substantial growth and expansion of the same being due to the
able and honorable methods and the energy and discrimination shown by



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 627

Mr. Semmes in its management. He is also a director of the Citizens
and Southern Bank.

In politics, he is a staunch Democrat, and he and his wife are com-
municants of the Roman Catholic church, with which his ancestors
have been always identified. He is a member of the Maryland His-
torical Society, the Virginia Historical Society, the Catholic Record
Society of London, England, and of the Savannah Yacht Club. He is
one of the founders of the "Society of The Ark and The Dove," whose
membership is composed of descendants of those who with Lord Balti-
more's original colony, sailed from England in 1633 in the Ark and the
Dove and landed in Maryland, March 25, 1634. He was married on
the 30th of April, 1891, to Miss Kate Flannery, daughter of Capt. John
and Mary Ellen (Norton) Flannery, of Savannah, Georgia.

Olin T. McIntosh. One of the most prominent and popular of the
younger citizens of Savannah, Olin T. Mcintosh, is a firm believer in the
city and its prospects, and is never so happy as when working for its
betterment, or saying a good word for it and its people. As president
of the Southern States Naval Stores Company, he is intimately asso-
ciated with the advancement of one of the important industries of this
section of the state. A son of William Swinton and Ida S. (Talley)
Mcintosh, he was born, in 1881, in Mcintosh county, Georgia, which was
named in honor of one of his ancestors.

He is a lineal descendant in the sixth generation of John Mohr
Mcintosh, the immigrant ancestor, the line of descent being thus given :
John Mohr, 1 William, 2 John, 3 John Nash, 4 William Swinton, 5 and
Olin T. G

John Mohr 1 Mcintosh, a native of Scotland, immigrated to this
country in colonial days, settling in what is now Mcintosh county,
Georgia. Two of his sons, Gen. Lachlan Mcintosh and Col. William
Mcintosh, served in the Revolutionary war, being officers in the Con-
tinental army. Col. William 2 Mcintosh married Mary Mackay. Their
son,- John 3 Mcintosh, who was a lieutenant colonel in the War of 1812,
married Sarah Swinton. John Nash 4 Mcintosh, major in United States
army, who spent Ids entire life in Mcintosh county, married Sallie
Rokenbaugh. William Swinton 5 Mcintosh, was a life-long resident of
Mcintosh county, his death occurring there in 1903.

Brought up and educated in Mcintosh county, Olin T. c Mcintosh
has been connected with the naval stores industry since his early life,
now being president of the Southern States Naval Stores Company, one
of the prominent firms of naval stores factors in Savannah, the center
of this immense industry. He has here been located in this business
since 1896, and in the promotion of the business interests and prosperity
of the city has been an active factor, in a public-spirited way being asso-
ciated with the younger element that is doing great things for the
growth and development of Savannah. For a number of years Mr.
Mcintosh was an active member of the Savannah Volunteer Guards,
serving as lieutenant of Company A, of that famous organization.
Fraternally, Mr. Mcintosh is a member of the Ancient Free and Ac-
cepted Order of Masons the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks,
Sons of the Revolution and St. Andrew's Society.

Mr. Mcintosh married Miss Janie Lawton, daughter of Asbury
Lawton, of Lawtonville, who was born in South Carolina. Unto Mr.
and Mrs. Mcintosh two children have been born : Annie L., and
Olin T., Jr.

Benjamin H. Levy, leading merchant and public-spirited citizen,
occupies the prominent place he does today in Savannah's business and
social activities because years ago he came here and laid well the foun-
dation for an honorable career; that the passing decades have witnessed



628 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

dation for an honorable career ; that the passing decades have witnessed
his prosperity is due to his own keen insight into human nature and to
his sterling qualities as an upright business man.

Benjamin H. Levy was born in Alsace-Loraine (then part of France),
and came from his native land when a youth, to Savannah, Georgia. For
a short time he clerked in the store of Julius Polinski, on Bryan street,
before he made a business venture of his own. In 1871 he started out
for himself, August 26th, opening a retail store at the corner of Bryan
and Jefferson streets, where he remained until October, 1874. On that
date he moved to the corner of Congress and Jefferson streets and here
he soon built up a large country trade. In August, 1877, the business
having increased, its quarters were extended to include an additional
store room on Congress street, and he continued to do business at this
location until 1885. In October of that year he removed to 161 Congress
street, where he remained till October 1, 1895, when the present com-
modious quarters on West Broughton street, near Bull street, were
occupied. In February, 1904, to accommodate increased business, an-
other story was added to the building, making four stories. In 1891,
a branch store was established at Brunswick, Georgia, which, like the
parent establishment, has continued with undiminished success. The
business was at first conducted by Mr. Levy, under his individual name.
Later, his brother, Henry Levy, became a member of the firm, the name
of which was then changed to B. H. Levy & Bro. On February 29,
1904, Arthur B. Levy, the son of B. H. Levy, and Sidney Levy, the
son of Henry Levy, were admitted to the firm, and the name was
changed to B. H. Levy Bro. & Company.

The Levy store handles both men's and women's clothing and fur-
nishings, on a large scale, and is one of the most extensive establishments
of its kind in Georgia. The store on Broughton street has a frontage
of sixty feet, has four stories and basement, and is equipped and con-
ducted in the most modern and up-to-date manner, one hundred and
twenty -five people being employed. The ' ' square-deal ' ' spirit which per-
vades this establishment makes it popular alike with employe and pafron.

Mr. Levy is active in both the business and the social life of Savan-
nah. He is a director of the National Bank of Savannah, vice-president
of the Georgia State Savings Association, director of the Savannah Fire
Insurance Company. The board of curators of the Telfair Academy
of Arts and Sciences includes him as one of its members, and he has
fraternal identity with the Masonic order ; he is a thirty-second degree
Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner.

Mr. Levy was married March 1, 1876, to Miss Rebecca Dryfus, of
Savannah, and a native of Brockhaven, Mississippi. Besides the son
above mentioned as being in business with his father, they have three
other children : Stella, wife of Mr. Simon Gazan ; Miss Lucile Levy and
Miss Clarice Levy.

Robert Tyler Waller. Of distinguished Virginia ancestry, Robert
Tyler Waller, a well-known business man of Savannah, comes from a
stock that has produced strong characters, particularly as soldiers, since
early colonial days. A notable example of the soldierly element of the
present generation of the family is Col. L. W. T. Waller, who suc-
cessfully conducted operations against the insurgents in the Philippines,
and later, when determined action was necessary, was sent to China.
In the war between the states, every member of the Waller family in
Virginia who was eligible to military duty joined the Confederate ser-
vice.

A native of Virginia, Mr. Waller was born May 17. 1851, at Williams-
burg, a son of William Waller, who was the third in direct line to bear
that name.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 629

Benjamin Waller, the great-great-grandfather of Mr. Waller, was
a life-long resident of Virginia, and a man of great prominence and
influence. He was born in 1716 and died in 1786. He was one of the
leading members of the Virginia convention of 1775-1776, and during
the Revolutionary war was judge of the admiralty court of that state.
His son, Benjamin Carter Waller, was the next in line of descent, and
his son, William Waller, second, married a daughter of Thomas and
Mary, and granddaughter of Cyrus Griffin, who was the last president
of the continental congress.

William Waller, third, spent his entire life in Virginia. He mar-
ried Elizabeth Tyler, who also belonged to a noted Virginia family.
Her father, John Tyler, a native of Williamsburg, Virginia, was active
and prominent in public life, serving as a judge, a member of con-
gress, United States senator, as vice-president, and as the tenth presi-
dent of the United States. Her grandfather, the maternal great-grand-
father of Mr. Waller, John Tyler, Sr., was born in Virginia in 1748.
He, too, acquired distinction as a patriot and a statesman. He was a
delegate to the Virginia convention of 1774 ; speaker of the House of
Burgess ; judge of the court of admiralty ; as such deciding the first
prize case after the War of the Revolution. He was called the "Patriot
of the Revolution." He served as governor of Virginia, and was judge
not only of the state district court, but of the United States district
court.

Growing to manhood, Robert Tyler Waller completed his early
studies in Lynchburg, at Norwood College, a famous institution of
learning of the past generation. A resident of Savannah, Georgia,
since 1871, he has been engaged, principally, in the cotton industry
since that time. In 1905, Mr. Waller became a member of the firm of
Derby & Waller, cotton warehouse men, and has since carried on an
extensive and profitable business, their warehouse being one of the
largest in the city. In September, 1912, Derby & Waller dissolved
partnership, each party now being in business for himself.

Mr. Waller married, in Savannah, Miss Emily Greene Johnstone,
who was born in Georgia, and likewise comes from a family of worth and
distinction, being a great-granddaughter of Gen. Nathaniel Greene, the
friend of George Washington, and commander of the troops of the
Southern colonies during the Revolutionary war. Robert Tyler Wal-
ler, Jr., the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Waller, is treasurer of the
Carson Naval Stores Company of Savannah.

Cornelius F. Moses, manager for the Mutual Life Insurance Com-
pany, is the scion of one of the oldest families of South Carolina, whose
history dates back to the period before the Revolutionary war. Mr.
Moses was born in Augusta, Georgia, in 1865, where he was reared and
educated. He was but twenty-one years of age when he first formed
the connection with the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York
which has continued through all these years and as whose representative
Mr. Moses is so widely known in the state of Georgia. His first work
was as a local agent in Georgia, and through his energy and ability he
was from time to time promoted to higher position. In 1898, he was
appointed district agent at Savannah, and since that time he has made
his headquarters in this city, here maintaining his residence. In 1905,
the state was divided into two divisions, and Mr. Moses was appointed
to his present position as general agent for the South Georgia terri-
tory, which embraces practically the southern half of the state. His
first year's efforts in Savannah were rewarded by receiving the beauti-
ful silver loving cup of his company, known as the "President's Cup,"



630 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

one of which was in that year presented to the agent in each state pro-
ducing- the largest amount of business. Mr. Moses' agency has never
been a laggard one in the matter of productiveness, and it is recognized
by the New York office as being the most productive agency of the
company, in proportion to the population of the territory he repre-
sents. He is widely known as one of the most successful insurance
men in the United States, and the record of his achievements in the
insurance world is one of which he might well be proud. He was at one
time president of the Savannah Life Underwriters' Association, at the
present time he is vice-president of the Southern Managers Association
of the Mutual Life Insurance Company, comprising all the southern
managers of the company, and in the next year will be made president
of the association. In a fraternal way, Mr. Moses is a member of Ancient
Landmark Lodge No. 231, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and is
a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason, being affiliated with R. J.
Nunn Consistory No. 1. He is a member of Alee Temple A. A. 0. N.
M. S., a member of the Oglethorpe Club, the Yacht Club, the Cotillion
Club, and the Golf Club, being secretary of the last mentioned club,
and an enthusiastic golfer.

In 1889, Mr. Moses was married at Washington to Miss Anna H.
Sneed, a daughter of the late James Roddy Sneed, a prominent news-
paper man, who was editor of the old Savannah Republican prior to
and during the war.

Thomas H. MacMillan. Noteworthy among the prominent busi-
ness men and the active and enterprising citizens of Savannah, is
Thomas H. MacMillan, one of the leading manufacturers of the city,
a former member of the state legislature, and an ex-alderman. A
native of North Carolina, he was born March 11, 1854, at Fayetteville,
where he was brought up and educated.

Learning the trades of a machinist and coppersmith when young,
Mr. MacMillan followed them in Fayetteville for several years. Locat-
ing in Savannah, Georgia, in December, 1878, he embarked in the
manufacture of copper turpentine stills, a venture that proved so
successful that he has continued it ever since, his plant being one of the
substantial industries of the city. Associated in business with Mr.
MacMillan is his brother, Ronald H. MacMillan, of Fayetteville, North
Carolina, the firm name being MacMillan Brothei'S. The business of
this firm has kept pace with the growth of the naval stores industry
of the South, and in order to meet with greater facility the demands
for their stills MacMillan Brothers maintain branch establishments at
Jacksonville, Mobile and Pensacola.

The products of the MacMillan plants ai*e notable throughout the
turpentine regions for first-class material, honest, durable workman-
ship, and resultant satisfactory service to the user. In addition to
the making of seamless stills, the MacMillan copper shops in Savannah,
and the branch shops in Jacksonville, Mobile and Pensacola, manufac-
ture other appliances used in the turpentine industry, doing general
coppersmith work.

Mr. MacMillan has other interests of note. also. He established
and for eight years was president, of the Savannah Blow Pipe and
Exhaust Company, manufacturers of blow pipes systems. Withdraw-
ing from that concern in 1911, he founded, in 1911. a new organization
to carry on the same line of industry, it being the South Atlantic Blow
Pipe and Sheet Metal Company, of which he is president, the head-
quarters of the company being in Savannah, with branch establish-
ments at Jacksonville and Atlanta.




^e .•^^^



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 631

Mr. MacMillan is one of the directorate of the Citizens and Southern
Bank ; lie is a member of tire board of trade, of the chamber of com-
merce, and other business and social organizations. Fraternally he is
a prominent member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Order of
Masons, being a Knight Templar, a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite
Mason, and a member of Alee Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.

For many years Mr. MacMillan has taken an active and public-
spirited part in civic affairs. For two terms he served as alderman,
and was chairman of the committee which had in hand the completion
of the new water works system. He is a member of the Savannah
park and tree commission, which is doing much towards improving
and beautifying the city. During the administration of Governor
Candler, Mr. MacMillan represented Chatham county in the state
legislature, for two terms rendering appreciated service as a member
of the finance and appropriation committees.

Mr. MacMillan married, in Savannah, Gertrude Bliss, who was born
and educated in this city. Their union has been blessed by the birth
of four children, namely: D. B. MacMillan, who has charge of the
MacMillan interests in Pensacola ; Thomas H. MacMillan, Jr., con-
nected with the Savannah plant; Raymond H. MacMillan, represent-
ing South Atlantic Blow Pipe Company in Jacksonville ; and Miss
Alice MacMillan.

Robert P. Lovell, of the firm of Edward Lovell Sons, hardware
merchants of Savannah for many years, is one of the well-known busi-
ness men of this city. He is the brother of Edward F. Lovell, who is
his partner in the firm, and the son of Edward and Mary A. (Bates)
Lovell.

Edward Lovell was born at Medway, Massachusetts, March 4, 1816.
When he came to Savannah in 1835 the place was little more than a
small seaport, but he remained in and of the city long enough to see
it attain a growth and prominence which placed it among the foremost
southern cities. Mr. Lovell's first business venture in Savannah as a
young man of twenty-one was as proprietor of a gun store. He achieved
success in the smaller venture, and was encouraged to reach out from
time to time, until in 1857 he established the house of Lovell & Latti-
more, his brother Nathaniel also entering the firm as a member. In
1868, Mr. Lovell retired from the firm of Lovell & Lattimore and in the
fall of that year Edward F. Lovell entered into the partnership with
William C. Crawford, which continued until the death of Mr. Crawford
in 1881, when the firm was changed to Edward Lovell and Sons, the
new members being Edward Lovell and Robert P. Lovell. The Lovell's
have continued in the business established so many years ago by their
father, and it has prospered in a manner highly pleasing to its members,
and wholly consistent with the excellent management it has undergone
in the passing years.

Mr. Lovell was for twenty-one years an active member of the Savan-
nah Cadets, enlisting as a private, and he has occupied every rank in
his company up to and including that of second lieutenant. He is a
member of the Masonic fraternity, affiliating with Zerubbabel Lodge
No. 15, the Georgia Chapter No. 3, R. A. M., and Palestine Commandery
No. 7. He was for many years treasurer of the chapter and commandery.

In 1907, Mr. Lovell was elected mayor of the town of Tybee, on Tybee
Island, and he has since served in that capacity. He has a summer
home there, and has taken an active part in building up and maintaining
Savannah's attractive coast resort.



632 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

In 1892, Mr. Lovell was married to Miss Katrina A. Schrim, who
was born in this city. She is of German parentage, her father coming
to this country from Germany in 1860. They have five children : Robert
P., Jr. ; William S. ; Frank I). ; Eleanor and Grace.

Edward Lovell. Among those men who have contributed by their
enterprise and public, spirit to the permanent growth and prosperity of
Savannah, Edward Lovell will always have a prominent place. Mr.
Lovell was born at Medway, Massachusetts, on the 4th of March, 1816,
and came to Savannah in 1835, then a little seaport having a limited
commerce carried on by sloops and brigs, the river being too shallow to
admit larger vessels. Mr. Lovell, as soon as he attained his majority,
embarked in business for himself, his first venture being a gun store,
and in addition to the sale of guns, he carried on a repair department.
Three years of continued success in the primal undertaking warranted
him in enlarging the business, and he then added a complete line of
hardware and house-furnishing goods. Prosperity attended his every
effort, and in 1848 he established the house known as Lovell & Latti-
more, his brother Nathaniel coming into the firm as a member, as well
as his friend, William Lattimore. The firm continued with this person-
nel until 1868. In that year his son, Edward F. Lovell, having reached
his majority, Edward Lovell retired from the firm of Lovell & Latti-
more, leaving the good will, the established stand of the business and the
familiar firm name to his partners. Upon the death of Mr. Crawford
in 1884, a new firm took its place, comprised of Edward Lovell and his
two sons, Edward F. and Robert P. Lovell. The new firm soon came to
be recognized as one of the largest hardware and iron houses in the state
and has so continued, notwithstanding his death, which occurred on
August 25, 1888.

Mr. Lovell, by his sagacity and experience laid the foundation broad
and deep for an ever growing and successful business, and the impress
of his wisdom and integrity is exemplified in the name of Edward Lovell
Sons, under which the business still continues. Mr. Lovell was a man
of great industry and application, but so methodical and exact was he
in all his transactions that he was able to carry out every detail of
business without hurry or confusion, accomplishing a vast amount of
work without the apparent sacrifice of mental or physical activity. He
was excessively loyal to his adopted city and had confidence in her
ultimate success. He did not hoard his gains and after filling his coffers
remove himself and his wealth to the place of his birth, there to enjoy
in ease and comfort his well earned rest, but actively participated in
every important enterprise that promised to advance the interest and
prosperity of Savannah. He invested his income judiciously in perma-
nent improvements, in real estate in and out of the city, and he became
interested in financial and manufacturing ventures which have con-
tributed largely to the growth and progress of Savannah. Hfe was early
interested in the Savannah & Ogeechee canal, which, in its day. floated
millions of feet of lumber and timber to the city and before the con-
struction of the Central railroad was an important highway of com-
merce to this point on the coast of Georgia. Mr. Lovell held the office
of president of this company for many years. He was a director in the
Atlantic & Gulf Railroad, president of the Savannah Brick Manufac-
turing Company, vice-president of the Oglethorpe Savings and Trust
Company, while his name appeared as a stockholder and contributor to
many of the corporations and associations formed for the promotion of
manufacturing and commerce. Not only was Mr. Lovell loyal to his
adopted home in contributing to its growth and material prosperity,



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 633

but he was also true to it in time of war and pestilence. Although he
was exempt from service by reason of his age, he served the Confed-
eracy in superintending the construction of batteries and earthworks
in the defense around Savannah. With the capacity and fitness for busi-
ness so eminently displayed, Mr. Lovell possessed the estimable qualities
of charity and benevolence, unostentatious but effective, dispensing re-
lief to the needy and distressed with a lavish but discriminating hand.
No worthy object ever appealed to him in vain.

Mr. Lovell was married on May 4, 1845, to Miss Mary A. Bates, of
Cohasset, Massachusetts, who proved herself a devoted wife and con-
stant companion. They became the parents of two sons, Edward P. and
Robert P., who were associated with their father in business during the
latter years of his life, and who now are carrying on the business founded
by him. Both of them have been given more detailed mention in separate
biographical sketches elsewhere in the pages of this work. The wife and
mother did not long survive the death of her honored husband, her pass-
ing taking place on December 23, 1891. This worthy couple left a good
name to their children, a heritage more lasting than wealth or earthly
preferment. Mr. Lovell was social in his instincts and feelings, and
while immersed in the cares of business and discharging many duties
and trusts, both of a public and private nature, he found time to par-
ticipate in the pleasant associations of Odd Fellowship as a member of
Live Oak lodge, and he was for many years an honored member of that
time-honored corps, the Chatham Artillery, — a military company which
united the discipline of the soldier and the amenities of social engage-
ment more successfully than any other of the volunteer militia of Geor-
gia. Mr. Lovell was an honorary member of the Chatham Artillery at
the time of his death. In connection with his military record, Mr.
Lovell came of a family which has, since its establishment in America,
given aid to the public cause. His father, Zachariah Lovell, son of
Nathaniel, who was a Continental soldier in the Revolutionary war,
and his great-grandfather, Hopestill Lovell, took part in the French
and Indian war of 1745.

Edward F. Lovell is a merchant of considerable prominence in
Savannah, and is a member of the hardware firm established by Win. C.
Crawford and Edward F. Lovell. He was born in Savannah in 1847
and is the son of Edward and Mary A. (Bates) Lovell.

Edward Lovell was born at Medway, Massachusetts, March 4, 1816,
and died in Savannah in 1888. He first came to this city in 1835. In
the year 1848 he, in partnership with his brother, Nathaniel Lovell and
William Lattimore, founded the firm of Lovell & Lattimore, hardware
merchants. Edward Lovell was the senior member of the firm, and owner
of one-half the business. The original place of business was on Bernard
street, near Congress street, and the establishment was there maintained
for a long period. In 1868 Edward Lovell sold his interest in the busi-
ness to Nathaniel Lovell and William Lattimore, and he retired tempo-
rarily from the business, the two others mentioned continuing therein
for many years thereafter. It was about the time that the elder Lovell
disposed of his interests in the business that his son, Edward F. Lovell
of this review, started in busines with W. C. Crawford, under the firm
name of Crawford & Lovell, which was a hardware business, similar
to that conducted by his father for so many years. In 1884 Mr. Crawford
died, and at that time Edward Lovell, the father of Edward F. Lovell,
came back into the hardware business. Robert P. Lovell, the brother of
Edward F., also became a member of the firm at that time, and the
firm was known as Edward Lovell & Sons. With the death of the father



634 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

in 1888, the firm became Edward Lovell Sons, with Edward F. and
Robert P. Lovell as the owners and members of the firm, and as such
it has continued lip to the present time. The elder Lovell was a man
of the fine, sturdy type, possessing those qualities which made it pos-
sible for him to conduct his affairs along the lines of strictest integrity,
and maintain business principles of the highest honor. He was far
sighted and careful, and in the business world was known as a man of
strength and wisdom. The business which he founded so many years
ago still stands firm, a monument to the splendid business principles of
the man who gave the best years of his life to its establishment and main-
tenance. In 1872 the Lovell store was removed from Congress street to
Broughton street, and in 1906 Avas moved to its present position, 14-18
State street, West.

Both Edward P. Lovell and his father were Confederate soldiers in
the Civil war. The elder Lovell was a member of Company A, Chatham
Siege Artillery, in which he was very active, and he had charge of the
work of placing the cannon for the defense of the city of Savannah.
Edward F. Lovell joined Simmons' Battalion in the Georgia Reserves in
1864 on his seventeenth birthday. His service was mostly in the vicinity
of Savannah till the occupation by Sherman's army, after which he was
in the Carolinas till the close of the war.

Mr. Lovell is the oldest living director of the Citizens Southern
Bank, Savannah's largest financial institution.

In 1870 Mr. Lovell was married in Savannah to Miss Emily Williams
Dasher, a native of this city. They have three children : Edward F.,
Jr., Gilbert M., and Mary Laura, the wife of R. S. Cope.

Thomas Freeman Thomson. The gentleman to a brief review of
whose life the reader's attention is herewith directed is one of Chatham
county's most admirable public officials and business men and has by
his enterprise and progressive methods contributed in a material way
to the development of city and county. He has in the course of an
honorable career been most successful in his various associations and is
Avell deserving of mention in the biographical memoirs of this part of
Georgia. Thomas Freeman Thomson, state and county tax collector,
was born in Macon, Georgia, July 12, 1850, the son of Dr. Methven S. and
Mary E. (Freeman) Thomson. He is of Scotch descent, the birth of his
father having occurred at Perth, Scotland, January 7, 1S15. The elder
gentleman was reared and educated there and came to America at about
the age of twenty-one years. He located in Macon, Georgia, ahout the
year 1840 and resided there for over half a century, his demise occur-
ring December 10, 1893. He had been all his life active in the practice
of his profession and was widely known throughout middle Georgia. He
was three times mayor of Macon, being the ''war mayor" of the city and
serving in such capacity throughout the period of the great conflict.
Dr. Thomson is remembered by all as a man of the finest characteristics.
The subject's mother, who died in January, 1887, was of an older
family in Georgia. She was born on Staten Island, New York. October
24, 1824, the daughter of Azel Roe and Delia (Shaw) Freeman. Azel
Roe Freeman was a soldier of the Wax of 1812. who removed to Macon
with his family in 1827. Her brother, George C. Freeman, who is the
father of Judge Davis Freeman, of the Savannah city court, removed
from Macon to Savannah in 1854 and is still living in this city.

The youth of Mi-. Thomson was passed in the troublous days preced-
ing and during the Civil war. Mr. Thomson received as good an edu-
cation as was possible under the circumstances. He received a good
commercial training in Eastman's Business College at Poughkeepsie,
New York, from which lie was graduated in 1869.





\6*%£&iCBzC



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 635

In January, 1870, Mr. Thomson came to Savannah, which has since f
heen his home. His first position was in charge of the hooks of a whole-
sale and retail grocery house. From this position he went into the old
Southern Bank, as bookkeeper; this bank, established in 1870, was the
beginning of the present Citizens' & Southern Bank. Leaving the South-
ern Bank he became connected with the Merchants' National. Subse-
quently he became identified with the National Bank of Savannah,
when it was established November 10, 1885, and for eleven years he was
cashier of this bank. Altogether he was twenty-five years in the banking
business in Savannah — six years with the Southern, eight years with
the Merchants' and eleven years with the National Bank of Savannah.

For four years after retiring from the bank he was special agent for
the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company. Then in 1901 he
was elected to the office of state and county tax collector of Chatham
county, which he lias filled, by successive elections, ever since. He is a
very popular official and his office has a wide reputation for efficiency.

Mr. Thomson is a Mason of statewide prominence, of both the York
and Scottish Rites, a Knights Templar, and thirty-second degree Scottish
Rite Mason, and in addition is a Shriner. He was for several years
treasurer of the Scottish Rite bodies in Savannah. He was for ten years
a member of military organizations in Savannah, first of the Savannah
Cadets, and then with the Chatham Artillery. By election of the Savan-
nah Cadets he is an honorary life member of that historic organization.
He is also a life member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks and no one is more beloved in fraternal circles. He and his wife
are members of Wesley Monumental Methodist church.

Mr. Thomson was married in Savannah. Miss Margaret J. Meldrim,
of this city, daughter of Ralph and Jane (Fawcett) Meldrim, becoming
his wife. She is a sister of Gen. Peter W. Meldrim, one of the leading
lawyers of Savannah. Mr. Thomson and his admirable wife are the
parents of six children, all fine citizens and all sharing the high ideals
of their parents. They are : Ralph M. Thomson, Rev. Thomas H. Thom-
son, Robert C. Thomson, Edward G. Thomson, Margaret M., wife of
Mr. Earl Dasher, and Meldrim Thomson. There are seven grandchildren.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Thomson have three children : Thomas F., Jr.,
Robert P. and John L. Rev. Thomas H. Thomson and wife have two
daughters. Eunice and Sarah ; and Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Dasher have a son,
Thomas Thomson Dasher. Mr. and Mrs. Meldrim Thomson, of Pitts-
burgh, Pennsylvania, have one son. Meldrim Thomson, Jr.

Herman C. Shuptrine. No name is more prominent in pharma-
ceutical affairs in Georgia than that of Shuptrine, the family, father
and son, having been identified with this profession for a great many
years. In addition to their prestige as good business men and excep-
tionally skilled druggists, the Shuptrines are public-spirited and of
unswerving principles and none is more worthy of representation in a
volume of this nature.

Herman C. Shuptrine, prominent Savannah druggist and president
of the National Association of Retail Druggists, was born in this city,
the son of the late James Thaddeus Shuptrine, and of his wife, whose
maiden name was Sarah Newton. Of the former, whose much lamented
demise occurred on August 15, 1911, more will be told in succeeding
paragraphs. Herman C. was born in 1877, and here was reared and
for the most part educated, his preliminary education being secured in
the public schools of the city, after which he matriculated in Emory
College, Georgia. Before he became of age, he entered his father's store
and he has been connected with it ever since, becoming a skillful pharma-



636 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

eist and thoroughly skilled in merchandising methods. Since his father's
death he has heen president of the Shuptrine Company, which had been
incorporated by his father. He is one of the prominent young business
men of Savannah, aggressive and enterprising, of the type which is
aiding in the upbuilding of the city. He is active in the many-sided
life of the city and is a member of Ancient Landmark lodge of Z.Iasons
and a former member of the Savannah Cadets.

In September, 1911, Mr. Shuptrine was elected president of the
National Association of Retail Druggists, at the thirteenth annual con-
vention of that body, held at Niagara Falls. He is probably the youngest
druggist who has ever been at the head of the organization, of which
over 17,000 druggists are members. This conspicuous honor came to him
quite unsolicited, his election having been brought about through the
influence of his wide circle of friends in the association, and it was a
source of commendable gratification not only to himself, but to the
druggists and citizens generally of his home city, Savannah. In 1907
he was elected a member of the Georgia board of pharmacy for a term
of five years, and in 1912, re-elected to the same office, and is a member of
the board of education of the city of Savannah. It is an eloquent com-
mentary upon his ability and the respect and confidence in which he
is held.

Mr. Shuptrine was married in Savannah on the 8th day of June,
1898, the young woman to become his wife and the mistress of his
household being Miss Alice Elizabeth Vendeveer, who was born in this
city. They share their attractive home with a son and a daughter,
namely : James T. and Sarah.

James Thaddeus Shuptrine, father of the foregoing, was the second
oldest druggist in Savannah and one of the Forest city's most highly
esteemed citizens. He was a native Georgian, his life record having
begun in Effingham county, on October 15, 1850. His parents were
D. C. and Caroline (Newton) Shuptrine. He passed the early years of
his life in his native county and received the education accorded to the
usual youth of his day and generation. Immediately upon reaching
manhood he became identified with the drug business and he continued
in this field of endeavor until the time of his death. It is speaking with
all due conservatism, to say that he was one of the most widely known
druggists in all the length and breadth of the state.

He had spent the greater part of his life in this city, having taken up
his residence here at the age of nineteen years. His first business venture
was in the employ of the late J. M. Heidt, whose drug store was located
on the corner of Whitaker and Congress streets. He remained with
that gentleman for six years and following that connection took charge
of the drug business of J. H. Polhill on Abercorn street. He remained
with Mr. Polhill until 1876, and was in this association at the time of
the yellow fever scourge which swept over Savannah in that year.
It is characteristic that he remained at his post throughout that trying
period.

Mr. Shuptrine went into business for himself in 1877, his store being
located a few doors below the present location of the Shuptrine Company.
He moved into his present commodious quarters on Congress street about
fifteen years ago and in the year 1906 the business was incorporated.
Mr. Shuptrine was particularly successful in his business ventures.
Scrupulously conscientious in his dealings, kind and considerate in his
private life, he won the admiration and respect of all with whom he
came in contact. He was at one time president of the Georgia Pharma-
ceutical Association and for many years acted as its treasurer.

Mi'. Shuptrine laid one of the most important stones in the founda-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 637

tion of his success by his marriage on February 17, 1876, to Miss Sarah ;
Newton. Their happy union was blessed by the birth of the following
children: Mrs. Walter B. Stillwell, Mrs. F. E. Johnston, and Herman
C. Shuptrine. He also had five grandchildren. He was essentially
domestic in nature, finding his greatest pleasure about his own fireside.
His home at 308 Bolton street, West, was known as one of the hospitable
abodes of a city where hospitality has become a highly cultivated virtue.
Mr. Shuptrine was a member of Landrum Lodge of Masons and
exemplified in his own life the ideals of moral and social justice and
brotherly love for which the order stands. The Masonic body held the
last ceremonial rites and consigned all that was mortal of him to the
grave. He had for many years been a member of the First Baptist
church and was a member of the board of deacons at the time of his
passing to the Great Beyond. It has been said of him that he was
recognized all over the state as a man of shrewd business sagacity, as
well as an accomplished druggist. He was distinguished for unusual
physical activity, and success was pretty sure to crown his undertak-
ings. He was interested in all that pertained to the unity and advance-
ment of his profession and retained his office of treasurer in the Georgia
Pharmaceutical Association until the June before his death, when he
was forced to retire on account of declining health. He was active in
the local association of druggists up to a few years ago. The memory
and influence of this gentleman will not soon be lost in the community
which so profited by his good citizenship.

John Ward Motte. In the field of production of naval stores, it
is safe to say that no one man is more widely known than John Ward
Motte, president of the Producers' Naval Stores Company and very
prominent in the commercial affairs of Savannah. Mr. Motte is one of
those native Southerners, who within recent years have manifested a
remarkable capacity in the promotion and conduct of great commercial
and industrial businesses amounting to genius and to them is due in
great part the renewed prosperity of the South, which is going forward
with leaps and bounds. This distinguished Savannah citizen was born
at Cheraw, in Chesterfield county, South Carolina. His paternal an-
cestry is of French Huguenot origin, his forbears having located in
Charleston, South Carolina, early in the history of that city and they
and their descendants have resided there for many years. In 1889, Mr.
Motte came to Savannah and this city has ever since been his home.

It was in the year above mentioned that Mr. Motte first became iden-
tified with the naval stores business and his main business interests have
always been centered in the naval stores industry. He is the presi-
dent of the Producers' Naval Stores Company, one of the most promi-
nent and successful corporations engaged in this industry. This company
is the successor to the John R. Young Company, which in turn was the
successor to the Ellis-Young Company. Mr. Motte is also president of
the Blue Creek Company, a large producing naval stores organization
operating in Florida. He is financially interested in several other com-
panies engaged in one way or another in the naval stores business.
In addition to these he has many other interests of wide scope and
importance. He is a director of the Savannah Bank & Trust Company,
a history of which appears elsewhere in this work. It is this company
which built the splendid fifteen-story office building at Bull and Bryan
streets, perhaps the finest structure of its kind in the South, and a
source of great pride to all Savannahians. The general offices of Mr.
Motte 's companies are in this building.

Mr. Motte is vice-president and director of the board of trade and



638 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

for many years has been one of its most active and useful members. He
has been either at the head of or a member of several impoi'tant delega-
tions from the board that have accomplished great results for Savan-
nah. It is due to the public spirited efforts of such citizens as Mr.
Motte that Savannah has become one of the wealthiest, most prosperous
and most enterprising cities of the South. He is a man of splendid
ability and the continual progress and present standing of those enter-
prises with which he is identified are largely to be credited to his experi-
ence, executive ability, engineering skill and genius in the broad combi-
nation and concentration of applicable forces.

The Chatham Nurseries (successors to the W. J. Stevenson Com-
pany), operating extensive green houses and a nursery in Savannah
at Dale and Waters avenues, is fortunate in posessing Mr. Motte as
president.

Mr. Motte was for several years an active member of the Savannah
Volunteer Guards, and served with this command in the Spanish-Amei'i-
can war. Upon his return to the city at the termination of the conflict
he became an officer of the guards. Although eminently well fitted for
the successful assumption of public trust, he has served in but one office,
namely, county commissioner of Chatham county, to which he was elected
in 1906 and re-elected in 1910.

He is a prominent club man, belonging to the Oglethorpe Club, the
Savannah Yacht Club, the Masonic order, the Elks and other social
and fraternal organizations.

James Fairlie Cooper Myers. It is distinctively within the prov-
ince of this historical compilation to enter record concerning the cap-
tains of those staunch and important commercial and industrial con-
cerns through which is being conserved the progress and prestige of
Savannah. James Fairlie Cooper Myers is vice-president of the Germa-
nia Bank, also the American Naval Stores Company, of this city, a con-
cern of national magnitude. He has been identified with the company
in one capacity or another since 1881, Avhen as a boy he secured a
minor position with its principal predecessor, and no small degree of its
rapid, steady growth and its present splendid scope and completeness
may be pai'tially traced to his executive ability, tireless energy, engineer-
ing skill and genius in the broad combination and concentration of
applicable forces.

Mr. Myers was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on the 7th day of April.
1867. His parents were Francis Nimis Myers and Mary Fairlie (Cooper)
Myers.

On his maternal side, Mr. Myers' ancestry presents an interesting
and fascinating record. His mother, Mary Fairlie (Cooper) Myers, is
the daughter of the late James Fairlie Cooper, who was a civil engineer
of distinction and a resident of Alabama for a number of years. One
of his most prominent achievements as an engineer was the building of
the Western & Atlanta Railroad, which was financed by the state of
Georgia, and of which he became manager after its completion. It was
this which caused him to become a resident of Georgia.

Thomas Apthorpe Cooper, the eminent English actor, the stage tutor
of the elder "Booth and of Edwin Forrest, after his removal from Lon-
don to New York, in 1830, married Miss Mary Fairlie. a young woman
widely famed for her wit and beauty and for her artistic and intel-
lectual qualities. She was the daughter of Maj. James Fairlie. who was
aid-de-camp on the staff of General Washington in the Revolutionary
war and who subsequently served as clerk of the supreme court of New
Yoi'k. Mary Fairlie was the granddaughter of Gov. Robert Yates of



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 639

New York (one of the colonial governors), and through this distin-
guished forbear the subject secured membership in the Society of Co-
lonial Wars. The Fairlies were intimate friends of "Washington Irving
and Mary Fairlie was the original of the character Sophie Sparkle in
"Salamagundi." One of the daughters of Thomas and Mary (Fairlie)
Cooper, Priscilla Cooper, was likewise noted for her great charm of per-
sonality. She became an actress of note and her playing of the part of
Virginia in her father's production of "Virginius, " in which the latter
played the title role, at the old Bowery theatre of New York, was a not-
able theatrical event of the early days. Priscilla Cooper gave up the
stage upon her marriage to Robert Tyler, son of President Tyler. On
account of the ill health of the wife of President Tyler, Priscilla Cooper
Tyler became virtually the "Mistress of the White House" and her
reign as such forms a delightful chapter in the social history of
Washington.

Mr. Myers is one of Savannah's most distinguished members of the
Sons of the American Revolution and his membership in the same comes
from descent on his paternal side from Philip Minis, of whom he is the
great-great-grandson. Philip Minis was born in Georgia in 1736 and
it seems to be a pretty clearly established fact that he was the first white
child born in the colony of Georgia, which was founded in 1733. On
account of his activities in behalf of the Continental army during the
Revolutionary war. he was named in the Georgia Royal Disqualifying
Act of 1780. He passed to the great beyond in 1789.

Thus it will be seen that few have as inspiring a connection with the
early years of American history and the spirit of the men who achieved
American independence has come as a legacy to Mr. Myers, whose patri-
otism is manifest as a particularly fine type of citizenship. He is a
genial gentleman, always courteous and considerate, of broad human
sympathies and tolerance, and possessed of that sincere love of his fel-
low men without which there can never be the highest success. All meas-
ures likely to result in general benefit are sure of his support.

Mr. Myers was reared in Marietta, Georgia, where he attended school.
In 1881, before he was fourteen years of age, he came to Savannah and
soon after secured a position in the naval stores firm of S. P. Shotter &
Company, with which business he has been connected ever since. It has
since become the American Naval Stores Company, the organization of
which was promoted by Mr. Shotter. and Mr. Myers holds the office of
vice-president. The American Naval Stores Company is a very large
and wealthy corporation, founded on Mr. Shotter 's original company
and embracing a number of other companies which have since been
absorbed. Mr. Myers has made a splendid rise in the world of com-
merce. Besides the position above mentioned, he is president of the
South Atlantic Steamship Company and of the National Transporta-
tion and Terminal Company. He is vice-president of the National Tank
& Export Company and an officer of or financially interested in other
commercial enterprises of importance. He has lived in Savannah con-
tinuously since 1881, with the exception of eight years, from 1886 to
1W4. when he was a resident of New York City in charge of the offices
of his company there. He is a director of the Germania Bank.

Mr. Myers was married in Savannah to Miss Lina Anderson, daugh-
ter of John W. Anderson. Their happy marriage lias been blessed with
a son and a daughter — John Anderson and Carolyn Cooper. To see
Mr. Myers at his best socially it is necessary to meet him in his delight-
ful home. There his easy dignity, generous hospitality and cordial ways
mark him at once as a true gentleman.



640 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Adam Cope Harmon, for a number of years identified with the
insurance business in Savannah and a resident of .that city all his
life, is a member of one of the oldest families known to the city.
He was born here in 1850 and is the son of Abram and Anna
Rosa (Cope) Harmon. The father was born near Lexington in lower
South Carolina, and his father, the grandfather of Adam Cope Har-
mon of this review, was born in Germany. He came to America and
located near Lexington, South Carolina, where he passed the remainder
of his life. His son, Abram Harmon, came to Savannah in about 1830
and died in 1859. The mother of Adam Cope Harmon was Anna Rosa
Cope. She was born in Savannah and there lived her entire life. She
was the daughter of Adam Cope, one of the well known early citizens
of Savannah, who was born in England and came to Savannah in the
days of Oglethorpe. He furnished active aid and support to the Con-
tinental army during the War of the Revolution, after which he became
prominent in the public affairs of the city. He was one of the marshals
who officiated at the notable occasion of Lafayette's visit to Savannah
in March, 1825, and was one of those to assist in the entertainment of
the city's distinguished and honored guest.

Mr. Harmon is the youngest child of his parents. His oldest brother,
Richard Fuller Harmon, now deceased, was in the cotton business in
Savannah for many years and was a prosperous and prominent man.
He was always active and prominent in public affairs, and Harmon street
was named in his honor. He was a member of the city council, in which
body he was chairman of the committee on streets and lanes. One other
brother is living at Savannah — Abram W. Harmon.

The early education of Mr. Harmon was but a limited one, owing to
the meagre school facilities that were available during and just follow-
ing the war. He was a student in the private school of J. F. Cann for
a short time, but the greater part of his education was self-acquired.
Beginning life for himself he first went into the drug business, in which
he was engaged for four years. He then became chief, clerk in charge
of the wharf for the line of steamships between, Savannah and AVashing-
ton and after some little time thus employed he went into the retail
grocery business. He later engaged in the milling business, and con-
ducted a rice and corn mill in Savannah. This latter venture proved
to be most unprofitable, and upon getting clear of it he engaged in the
brokerage business, and later in the rice trade. In about 1900 Mr. Har-
mon became established in the insurance business, in which he has since
been successfully engaged. He is agent for the Continental Fire Insur-
ance Company of New York, also general agent for the Pacific Mutual
Life Insurance Company of San Francisco, each of which ranks among
the highest of its class in the United States, and in the years which have
elapsed since first identifying himself with the insurance busines, he
has proven himself in every way fitted to handle the line in a success-
ful manner, and the results of his labors have been profitable and
pleasant.

Mr. Harmon is one of the directors of the Savannah Benevolent
Association, and he is a member of the Masonic fraternity, being past
master of Zerubbable lodge A. F. & A. M. and a Knights Templar.

In 1893 Mr. Harmon was united in marriage with Mrs. Isaquene
(Lythgoe) Parrot, who was born in South Carolina of English parent-
age. Mr. Harmon has one son. Wayman Potter Harmon.

Gordon Saussy. The legal profession of Savannah. Georgia, in-
cludes among its members Gordon Saussy. who has been identified with
the practice of law here for over fifteen years.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 641

Mr. Saussy is a native of Savannah. He was born February 14,
1872, son of Robert and Gertrude L. (Keller) Saussy. His father, also
a native of Savannah, born Dec. 24, 1840, now lives near this city, at
Bonna Bella in Chatham county. For several years he was actively and
prominently connected with the Central Railroad of Georgia and the
Ocean Steamship Company. He was a member of the Georgia Hussars
before the war, and upon the beginning of the conflict between the
states he volunteered as a private, and served as such with efficiency and
fidelity. In February, 1863, he was promoted to second lieutenant of
Company A of the Hussars. October 27, 1864, he was seriously wounded
at the battle of Wilson's Farm, near Boydtown plank road, below Bur-
gess Mill, Virginia, and was incapacitated thereby till the close of the
war. From 1866 to 1898, he made his home in New York City, where
he was engaged in railroad and steamship service, and in the latter
year he returned to his old home in Georgia. As above stated, he is
now a resident of Bonna Bella, near Savannah.

Although born in Georgia, Gordon Saussy went to New York in early
life and received his education there. He attended the College of the
City of New York, and studied law in the law department of Cornell
University, from which he was graduated in the class of 1896. That
year he began the practice of his profession in Savannah, and here he
has continued up to the present time.

Newton J. Norman. One of the most conspicuous figures in the
recent history of this part of Georgia is the well-known gentleman whose
name introduces this review. An enumeration df the men of this part
of the state who have won honor and public recognition for themselves
and at the same time have honored the community in which they live
would be incomplete without reference to Newton J. Norman, a lawyer
of admirable ability and solicitor general of the Atlantic circuit, com-
prising the five counties, viz. : Liberty, Bryan, Mcintosh, Effingham and
Tattnall.

Mr. Norman was born at Flemington, Liberty county, Georgia, Sep-
tember 12, 1855, the son of Capt. William S. and Susan Lorenna (Stacey)
Norman. The father was born at Walthourville, Liberty county, Georgia,
February 26, 1822, and died August 15, 1878. He was a lawyer by
profession, a graduate of the State University at Athens, with T. R.
Cobb, Charles C. Jones and others whose names are associated promi-
nently with Georgia history, and afterwards studied law under Joseph
Wilkins and Win. B. Fleming. At the beginning of his law practice
he removed from Walthourville to Hinesville, the county seat of Liberty
county and situated about two miles from Flemington, and afterwards
to Flemington. In addition to his professional interests he also became
a large planter in Liberty county. At the beginning of the war he
raised a company which was known as the Liberty Volunteers, becoming
captain of the same and being stationed at Tybee island. After six
months service his entire family were taken down with typhoid fever,
which required his presence at home, and during which time his com-
mand joined the army of Northern Virginia. As soon as his family
was sufficiently recovered for him to take up duties again for the Con-
federacy, he was appointed solicitor of revenue, under the Georgia Con-
federate government, for the counties of Liberty and Bryan, which posi-
tion he held with efficiency until the close of the war. Upon the termina-
tion of the great conflict, he was elected judge of the county court of
Liberty county, and after four years on the bench, he resumed the prac-
tice of law, in which he continued actively until his death. Captain
Norman, in addition to his high repute as a lawyer and jurist, was also



642 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

a writer of note, both of prose and poetry; his literary qualifications
being of particularly high order. He was a member pf and active par-
ticipant of the affairs of old Midway church in Liberty county, the
oldest and most historic church organization in Georgia. The subject's
mother was likewise a native of Walthourville. She survived her hus-
band for five years, her demise occurring on August 15, 1883. The
family has long been established in this part of the South. Mr. Norman's
paternal grandfather was William Norman, who was also a native of
Liberty county, as was also the great grandfather, William Norman.
The great-great-grandfather, also named William, was born in Dor-
chester, South Carolina and removed from that place to Midway, Georgia,
March 22, 1771.

Newton J. Norman has passed his entire life in the state. He was
reared and educated in Liberty county, one of the schools he attended
being Bradwell Institute at Hinesville. He studied law under Judge
John L. Harden and was admitted to the bar of Liberty county in
1894. Since that time he has maintained his residence and law practice
at Flemington, but for several years has had a law office in Savannah,
where he has his winter residence. He has occupied several public posi-
tions of importance and trust. In 1888, he was elected a member of the
board of county commissioners of Liberty county. He resigned from
that position to become a candidate for the state legislature, to which
he was elected in 1890, serving one term. In the exciting race for
United States senator, between Gen. John B. Gordon and Thomas
M. Norwood, in that session of the legislature, it was Mr. Norman's
vote, as will be recalled, that elected General Gordon to the senate.

Following this he was re-elected to membership on the board of
county commissioners of Liberty county, but before his term expired he
resigned as such and was elected in December, 1900 to fill an unexpired
term as solicitor of the Liberty County court ; at the end of this term
he was elected to the position for a full term. In October, 1906, he was
elected to his present position, solicitor general of the Atlantic circuit,
and in 1910, he was re-elected to this position for another term of four
years. He is one of the lawyers of whom Savannah is justly proud,
his usefulness to the city and to the profession which he so greatly adorns
being of the most definite sort. In addition to his duties as solicitor
general, Mr. Norman has a general civil practice in courts other than
his own.

Mr. Norman's wife before her marriage was Miss Minnie Box, who
was born in Hampton county. South Carolina. They have three interest-
ing children : Tola, Sarah Lorenna and Newton J. Norman. Jr.

Mr. Norman took a leading part in the reorganization of the old
Midway church and in the re-establishment of regular religious seiwiees
there after an interval of many years. At the meeting in which this
reorganization took place he was elected president of the board of select-
men of the church and he has continued to take an active leading part
in the affairs of that historic organization. Honored and l'espected by
the people of both city and county, he enjoys a large measure of public
esteem, not only for his professional achievements, but also for his
worthy standing in the domain of private citizenship.

Daniel Remsitart THOMAS. Mr, Thomas was born in Savannah
August 27. 1843; He is a son of the late John T. Thomas, whose grand-
parents were among the French Huguenots who arrived in Charleston
about the middle of the last century, while his maternal ancestors were
Sal/burgers and among the early settlers of the colony of Georgia.

As a child, a delicate constitution and imperfect sight interfered



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 643

with Mr. Thomas' education. In 1862 he enlisted in the Confederate,
army with the Tattnall Guards, First Volunteer Regiment of Georgia.
After a prolonged sickness he was, on the recommendation of the post
surgeon and his commanding officer, detailed for duty at district head-
quarters and in the war tax office. His services in this position were
mostly of a clerical nature and were performed with such exactness
and efficiency as to win the highest commendation.

Soon after the close of the war Mr. Thomas began business as an in-
surance agent in Macon, where he remained until March, 1866. From
Macon he returned to Savannah, and in July of the same year became
associated with Capt. D. G. Purse (now deceased), in the commission,
fertilizer and coal business, which, by the application of close and undi-
vided attention, soon became large and profitable. In December, 1878,
the firm of Purse & Thomas was dissolved, Mr. Thomas continuing in
the coal trade.

In 1874, his sight having become so impaired and his suffering so
great, Mr. Thomas sought the aid of an oculist and an optician, from
which he obtained such relief and benefit as to greatly change his life
and interest him in what was transpiring about him, especially with
reference to public affairs in Savannah. In the compromise made by
the city with the bondholders he took an active interest. In December,
1878, upon the organization of the Sinking Fund Commission, a new
department of the municipal government of Savannah, Mr. Thomas was
elected an original member of this commission and served as its secre-
tary until January, 1883, when he resigned to accept the office of alder-
man, to which he was elected in that year. After serving six years in
the council, he was in 1891 re-elected a member of and secretary of the
Sinking Fund Commission, serving at that time six and a half years,
after which he was again elected a member of the city council.

Mr. Thomas served the city with great usefulness as an alderman,
under the administrations of Mayors Lester, Meldrim and Myers, for a
period of thirteen and a half years. He was a member of the sanitary
commission, making a thorough study of the city's system of sewerage
and house drainage. He has long been known as one of the best posted
authorities on these matters, and his advice, embodying the practical
results of his knowledge thereof, has been considered of much value by
each city administration. He was an active member and at various times
chairman of several important committees of the council, including those
on accounts, finance, streets and lanes, city lots and opening of streets.
As chairman of the special committees on city extension and house
drainage he took a very lively interest. In appreciation of his services
to the city of Savannah Thomas park was named in his honor.

As treasurer of the committee for the relief of the sufferers by the
Yamacraw fire, Mr. Thomas devoted a great deal of time to that benefi-
cent work.

During the period that Mr. Thomas was a member of the council,
no alderman was better acquainted with the affairs of the city than he.
It is doubtful if the city ever had a public servant with such a thor-
ough grasp of its varied affairs as had Mr. Thomas, nor one who so ably
discharged his duties. The amount of money he has saved the city in
various ways could hardly be estimated.

Fully a year before the expiration of Mayor Lester's last term,
public sentiment apparently crystalized about Mr. Thomas as the best
and most available successor. At a convention of the Democratic club
held in Masonic hall January 4, 1889, Mr. Thomas was nominated for
mayor, another candidate having been in the field for more than a
month. The election came on in a few days and was a close one, Mr.



644 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Thomas being defeated. The following strong -endorsement of him is
from an editorial in the Morning News appearing during that cam-
paign: "Mr. Thomas is a man of fine business qualifications. He has
proven himself to be one of the most competent and progressive coun-
cil men the city has ever had. The greater part of the improvements
that have been made during the last few years is the result of his earn-
est, consistent and conscientious efforts. He may not have pleased
everybody, but he has done so much better than most of those who
preceded him in his present position, that those who have been disposed
to find fault have not found willing listeners. He is economical and
careful. ' '

Many of the large incorporated institutions of Savannah have re-
ceived the benefit of the sound judgment and practical suggestions of
Mr. Thomas. He has served as director of railroad companies, banks,
investment companies and such enterprises as have contributed materi-
ally in building up the city. The Brush Electric Light & Power Com-
pany, which was succeeded by the Savannah Electric Company, and
De Soto Hotel each received substantial support and liberal subscriptions
from Mr. Thomas. In the former company he served as vice-president
for many years. He was a director in the old Savannah & Western
Railroad Company and in the Citizens' Bank, and is now a director in
the Savannah Investment Company, and he is still a director of the
Savannah Hotel Company, which built and owns and operates the
De Soto Hotel. In 1910, after a service of thirty-one years in the vari-
ous offices, including that of president, of the Union Society, Mr. Thomas
retired, and is thus the only ex-president of that charity. By length
of service, he is the senior ruling elder of the Independent Presbyterian
church. Though no longer in public office, he is still keenly interested
in all the important activities of the city, and, as in former years, his
advice and counsels are sought in municipal affairs and in business
matters.

Mr. Thomas was married in 1867 to Miss Jennie Manget of Marietta,
Georgia, who still shares the fortunes of his life. They have two living
children, Mrs. John A. Robeson and John Murehison Thomas. The
latter has been a member of the firm of D. R. Thomas & Son since 1892.
This firm, which was organized May 13, 1892, with father and son as
senior and junior members, is one of the large and successful establish-
ments of its kind in Savannah, carrying on an extensive coal trade. Mr.
Thomas has taken the York rites in Masonry, being a member of Pales-
tine commandery.

AVilliam F. McCauley. The banking interests of a community are
so important to its prosperity, that to a large degree the outside world
passes judgment according to the proved stability of its financial institu-
tions and the personality of those who direct their policies. Among the
old and substantial banks of Savannah, Georgia, the Savannah Bank
& Trust Company occupies a foremost place, and as its able, alert, experi-
enced and resourceful president.' William F. McCauley is numbered
with the leading financiers of the state.

William F. McCauley was born at Savannah. Georgia, and is a son
of William J. and Susan (Timmons) McCauley. The father was of
Irish ancestry but was born in South Carolina, and his death occurred
during the boyhood of his son, William F. The mother still lives in her
native city, Savannah. A fatherless boy has many drawbacks to contend
with, especially when self-support is a necessity in early youth, but, on
the other hand, this necessary effort is often a spur that arouses ambi-
tion and stirs up energy that results in a self-dependence that is the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 645

very foundation stone of business success. His education was secured
in the Savannah schools. During his youth and early manhood he was
connected with maritime affairs and was in the tug boat business, subse-
quently acquiring the proprietorship of a business of his own in this line
in the harbor of his native city and continued until he became identified
with the Chatham Bank as its cashier, which position he resigned in
1898. In 1900 he became cashier of the Savannah Bank & Trust Com-
pany, subsequently its vice-president and in 1906 assumed the presi-
dency and the active management of this financial institution.

The Savannah Bank & Trust Company was founded in 1869, and
enjoys the confidence of the entire financial field. Its original capital
was $100,000, while at present, its capital, surplus and undivided profits
amount to over $1,200,000. In January, 1912, the bank inoved into its
new building, situated at the corner of Bull and Bryan streets, Savannah.
This handsome structure, fifteen stories high, fire-proof, and modern in
every particular, was erected by the company which occupies the entire
main floor, the whole of which is elegantly fitted for its accommodation
and with every known convenience and safety appliance to ensure the
rapid and satisfactory transaction of an immense banking business. To
the completion of this handsome building Mr. McCauley has devoted
much attention, having realized for some time that the old quarters
were inadequate, and he is justly pleased to have so beautiful a home
for the bank, the affairs of which he has so successfully guided for a
number of years. While giving the larger part of his time to the bank,
Mr. McCauley has not neglected his duties as a citizen and for a long
period has been one of the dependable public men of Savannah, serving
since 1906 as a member of the board of aldermen and in other positions
where his public spirit and business sense have been particularly benefi-
cial.

Hubert O. Young. The material growth and improvement of the
city of Savannah, Georgia, have felt the influence of an active factor in
the person of Hubert O. Young, contractor and builder, 518 West 40th
street.

Mr. Young is a native of Oglethorpe, Macon county, Georgia, and was
born in 1868, son of George T. and Muschogia (Draughton) Young, both
deceased. George T. Young was born in Columbia, South Carolina, but
when a boy came with his parents to Georgia, their settlement being in
Macon county, where he was reared. His wife was a native of Georgia.

On his father's farm Hubert O. passed his boyhood and youth,
with very meagre educational advantage. At the age of twenty-
one years, he began to work at the carpenter's trade in Macon, with R.
C. Wilder Sons, with whom he remained two years. Then he entered
the ear shops of the Central of Georgia Railway, at Macon, where he
spent four years, and in that time thoroughly learned every detail of the
car builder's trade. On leaving the car shops in June, 1891, he came to
Savannah, which has since been his home. Here his initial work was as
a journeyman on the Guckenheimer building on West Bay street, under
John R. Eason, contractor. For ten years he worked as a journeyman,
and during the ten years he also took a two years' course of mechanical
and architectural drawing at the Y. M. C. A., Savannah, Georgia. Mean-
while he took a course in architectural and mechanical drawing, under
the direction of the International Correspondence School of Scranton,
Pennsylvania, and thus fitted himself for enlarging his efforts and going
into business for himself. In 1903 he began business as a contractor
and builder on his own account, without a dollar of capital, but with
the ability to borrow money based upon a well-earned reputation for
honesty and good workmanship.



646 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

His business has constantly grown until he has become a man of
ample resources financially and with valuable property interests in
Savannah. Unlike many contractors, he has never had financial reverses ;
on the contrary, his business each year has shown an increase in volume
and in profit over the preceding year. He has erected some of the most
important buildings in the city, prominent among which may be men-
tioned the cigar factory of the Lee Roy Myers Company, at the corner
of Bryan and Abercorn streets, completed in the early part of 1912. This
is one of the handsomest and most substantial cigar factories in the
South, and was erected at a cost of $30,000. Another large contract
that he carried out was the building of the complete plant of the Virginia-
Carolina Chemical Company, one of the largest industrial plants in Sa-
vannah. He built the addition to the office building of the Central of
Georgia Railway in Savannah. He constructed the substantial building on
Drayton street owned and occupied by Henderson Bros., undertaker's.
At the time of the burning of the store of the Daniel Hogan Company
on West Broughton street, Mr. Young was immediately engaged to
rebuild it in the quickest possible time, which he accomplished by ener-
getic work and the employment of extra forces of workmen and fore-
men. He also reconstructed the interior of the building formerly occu-
pied by the Savannah Bank and Trust Company on Bay and Drayton
streets. He built the fine residence of Mrs. John G. Butler at the corner
of Montgomery and 36th streets, completed in the early part of 1912.

The uninterrupted success and progress of Mr. Young's business
are attributable to his thorough knowledge of every phase of building
construction and his promptness in carrying out his contracts : and
to his integrity and square dealing in every transaction. This has earned
for him high standing among the banks and business houses, who extend
to him credit without question, whenever he desires it. In his work
Mr. Young pays attention to the smallest detail, and in making his esti-
mates for bidding on a contract he figures on the cost of all items sepa-
rately and with accuracy, which enables him always to steer clear of
possible loss. He has more than once been awarded contracts over bids
that were less than his.

Since coming to Savannah, Mr. Young married Miss Lottie Eaton,
who was born and reared in this city.

Fraternally, Mr. Young is a Mason and a Knight of Pythias, having
membership in Clinton Lodge, No. 54, F. & A. M., and Myrtle Lodge,
No. 6, K. ol P.

Hon. Henry McAlpin. A man particularly well fitted for impor-
tant judicial position is the Hon. Henry McAlpin, judge of the court of
ordinary, whose record for efficiency and judicial bearing has won the
admiration of the entire Savannah bar. He was born in Savannah, the
scion of families who have for several generations given splendid citizen-
ship to the city and state and Georgia has no more loyal son than he.
The year of his birth was 1860 and he is the son of James "Wallace
and Maria Sophia (Champion) McAlpin. both of whom were natives of
Savannah and both of whom are deceased. The paternal grandfather.
Henry McAlpin, was a native of Scotland who came to Savannah in 1805
and ever since that date the name McAlpin has been a prominent and
honored one within its boundaries. On his mother's side. Mr. McAlpin
is a great-grandson of Reuben Champion, who, at the age of fifteen
enlisted in the Continental army and served until the close of the Revo-
lutionary war. his demise occurring in 1832. He was the son of Dr.
Reuben Champion, wh.0 was a surgeon in the Continental army and
who died in 1777 while on duty at Fort Ticonderoga. Judge McAlpin 's





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SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 647

maternal grandfather was Aaron Champion, who came to Savannah in
1812. Thus on both side of the house, the scene of a century's history
has been laid in this city. The subject resides in the noted homestead,
"The Hermitage," which is situated on the Savannah river, about two
miles west of the city and which was built by his grandfather, Henry
McAlpin. This stately old residence with its beautiful grounds and sur-
roundings, is one of the show places of Savannah and one of the most
celebrated in the South. It has been the scene of many notable gather-
ings, and in its time has entertained beneath its roof many of the socially
and intellectually prominent. It has been the home of the MeAlpins since
the early '30s.

Judge McAlpin received the advantage of the best of educational
facilities, first attending the schools of Savannah and then matriculating
in Princeton University, New Jersey, from which famous institution he
was graduated in the class of 1881. Following this he studied law in the
law department of Columbia University, New York City, and also pur-
sued his preparation for the profession of which he was to become an
ornament in the law department of the University of Georgia at Athens,
graduating from the latter institution with the degree of LL. B. in the
class of 1883. In 1884 he began practice in Savannah and from the
first has encountered success and has won an enviable reputation in the
field in which have been his endeavors. In 1901 he was elected judge of
the court of ordinary of Chatham, and this position he still holds, hav-
ing been re-elected at each succeeding election, every four years. Under
his administration Chatham county has won the reputation of possess-
ing the best ordinary's office in the state of Georgia. This court has
jurisdiction in all probate matters and litigation in connection with
the settlement of estates. Judge McAlpin is especially well fitted for
the adjudication of these important matters and his decisions have a
remarkable record from the standpoint of non-reversal by the higher
courts. His efficiency and ability as an ordinary are supplemented by
a highly capable office force that keep everything systematically arranged,
filed and indexed, in modern business method, making everything of
easy convenience, not only to the office, but to the attorneys and others
having matters to look up in connection with estates and litigation in
connection therewith.

Judge McAlpin is a thirty-second degree, Scottish Rite Mason, and
a Shriner. He is also prominent in Odd Fellowship, being Past Grand
Master of (ieorgia. He also belongs to the Elks, the Knights of Pythias,
and is president of the local lodge of Eagles. He is a member of the
Oglethorpe Club, the Yacht Club and is an ex-captain of the Georgia
Hussars. In addition to his official duties, he has other interests of wide
scope and importance.

Judge McAlpin has one daughter, Mrs. Claudia Thomas (McAlpin)
Whitney. She is the daughter of his first wife, whose maiden name was
Claudia Thomas, who was a native of Athens, Georgia, and whose demise
occurred in Savannah in May, 1908. His second wife, who, before her
marriage, was Miss Isabelle Wilbur, was born in South Bethlehem, Penn-
sylvania.

Raymond Victor Harris, M. D. The life of the city physician and
surgeon in these modern days is one of unceasing activity. Modern
methods and the high speed with which civilization pursues its relent-
less way, make demands upon the time and energy of the physician
greater, perhaps, than upon men in any other profession. The extent
to which specialization is pushed, the deep study required to keep abreast
of the discoveries of the age and the everlasting call of the suffering
public, all combine to sap the vitality of the most rugged.



648 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

But as modern days are strenuous, so the modern man has something
of power in his makeup which works hest under pressure, Dr. Raymond
Victor Harris, one of the distinguished young physicians of Savannah,
is a modern instance of a man well equipped to handle the responsibili-
ties of high medical positions. He is the son of one of the state's most
noted physicians and comes of a fine, sturdy and capable race. The
Harris's to which he belongs are a famous family in American history
and it is notable for having kept up its vigor and high standing during
all generations to the present. They are a stalwart race, usually not
under six feet tall and though sometimes lacking in finished acquired
scholarship, their natural intellectual gifts, added to inherited physical
strength, have made them always leaders. They have been notably suc-
cessful in politics and in the professions. They are of Celtic origin, and
the branch from which Dr. Harris' family is descended was established
in America by Henry Harris, who came from Wales in 1691 and obtained
a grant of land at Mannikentown, Virginia. His immediate ancestor,
his great grandfather, Nathan Harris, was born in Brunswick county,
Virginia. His grandfather, Dr. Raymond Harris, established the family
in Georgia.

Dr. Harris is a native Georgian, his birth having occurred at Darien,
Mcintosh county, October 6, 1880. He is the son of Dr. Raymond B.
and Ophelia (Dasher) Harris. The mother is still living in Savannah,
an admirable lady, secure in the respect of the community. The father
died in this city May 15, 1910, but his value as a citizen and his high
professional prestige will not soon be forgotten. Dr. Harris, the elder,
was born at Palmero, Bryan county, Georgia, May 15, 1838. He studied
medicine in the Savannah Medical College, from which institution he
graduated in the class of 1859. When a few years later the long gather-
ing Civil war cloud broke in all its fury, he became a surgeon in the
Confederate army, his connection being with the Fifty-seventh Georgia
Regiment of Infantry, and his service continued throughout the four
years of strife. After the war he practiced medicine in Liberty county
until 1876, in which year he located at Dai'ien in Mcintosh county,
where he practiced until 1884, when he removed to Savannah. In
October, 1880, he was elected to the Georgia state senate by a very small
majority, the fight being a three-cornered one, and Dr. Harris having
not one, but two opponents. He was alderman for two terms, from
1889 to 1895, under mayors Schwarz and McDonough ; was a member
of the board of sanitary commissioners, and fought the yellow fever
epidemic of 1876. He was instrumental in building the crematory and
also built the quarantine station while alderman, and seven years later
sold to the government for $50,000 cash. As alderman, the doctor was
chairman of the public health committee.

He owned and resided in a beautiful home, "Melrose," on LaRoche
avenue, and the family were prominent in the social life of the city.
He was a prominent member of the Georgia and the American Medical
Associations and he continued actively in the work of his profession in
Savannah until 1904, when he retired, his demise occurring some six
years later, as recorded above.

Dr. Raymond B. Harris was a man of great ability and of striking
individuality. He was of that type of man who, without effort, makes
friends everywhere. In his size, physical make-up, mental qualities and
in everything that goes to make a big, strong, broad-minded man of the
widest sympathies. Dr. Harris was gifted by nature. Everywhere he
inspired confidence, admiration and affection. During his life he was
honored by many positions of trust; he served one year as chief surgeon
of the United Confederate Veterans by election at the annual reunion



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 649

at New Orleans, and served in this position during the same year that
Gen. Clement A. Evans was commander-in-chief. He had two brothers,
who, also were physicians, — Dr. Stephen Harris and Dr. Columbus Har-
ris, the former dying from yellow fever contracted in the great epidemic
in Savannah in 1859 and the latter 's death occurring from the same
cause in the epidemic of 1876.

Dr. Harris, in identifying himself with the profession to which he
is an ornament, is but following in the footsteps of his forbears, and
although his career has as yet been brief, he gives promise of sharing
their distinction. He received his professional training in the Uni-
versity of Maryland, in Baltimore, and graduated with the class of
1903. He subsequently spent one year in the University of Maryland
hospital and practiced for over a year in Baltimore. At his father's
request he came back to Savannah in 1907, and began the practice of
medicine in this city, having a general practice in medicine and surgery
and holding the office of city physician. He is a member of all those
organizations having as their object the advancement and unification
of the profession, namely : The Chatham County, Georgia State and
American Medical Associations, and he is the physician and surgeon
for the Savannah base ball club of the South Atlantic League.

Dr. Harris was married on the 6th day of January, 1910, the young
woman to become his wife being Miss Flora Middlebrooks, a daughter of
Thomas E. Middlebrooks, of Oconee county, Georgia.

William B. Stillwell. A native son of Georgia, and a member of
a distinguished Southern family, members of which have won eminence
in the various walks of life, William B. Stillwell, son of Savannah, is a
worthy representative of the best type of American citizenship, and dur-
ing a long and honorable career has been identified with business enter-
prises of wide scope and importance, and has lent his influence to various
movements in civic and social life. A brief outline of Mr. Stillwell 's
ancestry seems appropriate in a history of this nature. Nicholas Still-
well, the first of the name to land in America, brought to the aid of the
infant colonies an iron will and mighty arm, and his descendants, settling
North, South, East and West, have won enviable distinction in the pur-
suits of peace as well as in the art of war, many today occupying promi-
nent positions in the army, in the national guard, and in the great
enterprises and industries of the nation.

In direct line of descent from Nicholas Stillwell, his grandson, Maj.
Thomas Stillwell, and great-grandson, John Stillwell, who won distinc-
tion during the Revolution, came Charles H. Stillwell, who, in addition
to the spirit of his forefathers, was fortunate enough to inherit from
his mother, a Huguenot of the South Carolina Colony, the spirit which
animated the French martyrs. To him, although always beset by diffi-
culties and adversity and twice made a cripple, the last time for life, the
state of Georgia is indebted for nine sons and one daughter, who have
worthily illustrated in their various vocations the indomitable energy,
peerless courage and Christian faith which characterized their sire.

William Stillwell, one of the sons thus endowed, though starting with-
out a dollar, amid confusion which follows in the wake of civil strife,
has won both means and position even in a business which requires as
much capital and individual effort for its successful prosecution as the
lumber trade. He was born in Rome, Georgia, March 11, 1851, and his
name is not quite half way down the official register of family births
which must have overflowed the record pages in the old family Bible, for
there were sixteen children. At the close of the war between the states,
ten of these were living, nine boys and one girl, four boys older than
William having seen service under the Confederate flag.



650 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

The family, which had during the war period "refugeed" pretty
much all over the state, moved back to Rome at the close of hostilities,
and William received his first experience in sawmill operations in an
upright sawmill operated by his father, whom he assisted as yard man
and general utility man. In February, 1866, he went into the employ
of Milieu & Wadley, at Savannah, Georgia, which firm afterward became
Millen, Wadley & Company, by the admission of D. C. Bacon as junior
partner. In 1876 Messrs. Bacon and Stillwell formed the firm of D. C.
Bacon & Company, Mr. H. P. Smart being afterward admitted to this
firm. The firm formed and operated a number of other companies,
including the Vale Royal Manufacturing Company, the Atlanta Lum-
ber Company, the Central Georgia Lumber Company, Screven County
Lumber Company, and Amoskeag Lumber Company, Mr. Stillwell being
for several years president of the last named company, as well as an
officer in all of the others.

Mr. Stillwell was one of the organizers of the Savannah Board of
Trade in 1883, and for two years was its vice-president, and later for
two years its president ; he was also a member of the Chamber of
Commerce at its inception. He was one of the organizers and a mem-
ber of the first board of directors of the Citizens' Bank, which, being
merged with the Southern Bank in 1906, became the Citizens and South-
ern Bank. Mr. Stillwell was one of the promoters in the building of
the South Bound Railroad and a director of the construction company
which built it.

In 1887 the firm of D. C. Bacon & Company was dissolved and the
firm of Stillwell, Millen & Company was established, with headquarters
at Savannah ; and L. R. Millen & Company of New York City, consist-
ing of William B. Stillwell, Loring R. Millen and L. Johnson ; R. H.
and W. R. Bewick being admitted several years later. The firm owned
and operated the Screven County Lumber Company, the Central Georgia
Lumber Company and the Augusta Lumber Company, and also built
and operated the Waycross Air Line Railroad and the Millen & Southern
Railroad. In all of these companies Mr. Stillwell held official positions
and was president of the Waycross Lumber Company.

In 1895 the lumber business of Stillwell, Millen & Company, L. R.
Millen & Company, McDonough & Company, the James K. Clarke Lum-
ber Company, Henry P. Talmadge and C. C. Southard, was consolidated
into the Southern Pine Company of Georgia, and Mr. Stillwell became
secretary and treasurer of the company, which position he has held
continously since that time. Besides the prominent part taken by Mr.
Stillwell in the city and state civic and business organizations, he sug-
gested and was the main factor in the formation of the National Lumber
Manufacturers Association, of which he is vice-president. By means of
his position as a director in the National Rivers and Harbors Congress,
and his connection for years and finally serving as the highest official of
the National Hoo Hoo organization, Mr. Stillwell has a wide range of
influential friends and acquaintances who have served him and the city
in good stead when he has been called upon to represent Savannah and
work for her interests. He took a prominent part in the securing of
the government appropriation which gave deep water to Savannah —
the city's greatest asset.

Mr. Stillwell has also been prominently connected with the military,
fraternal and social organizations of the city ; in fact in all the com-
mendable activities and enterprises of Savannah he has given freely of
his time and much unselfish personal service. He has always been
actively at work for Savannah and South Georgia : he is really one man
who seems to think of himself last of all. He is a member of the Baptist



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 651

church and belongs to many social and fraternal orders, among which
are the Elks, Masons and the higher degrees of the latter order, being/
a Knight Templar and a Shriner. He served for twenty years as a
member of the historic Chatham artillery, and is now an honorary
member of the corps, is also a life member of the Savannah Volunteer
Guards and a pay member of the Savannah Cadets.

In 1875, Mr. Stillwell was united in marriage to Miss Mary Reily
Royal, of the well known Carolina family of that name. They have three
daughters, as follows: Edith, now Mrs. W. F. Train; Mamie R.. now
Mrs. James Tift Mann, and Laleah P.; and three sons: William H.,
Herbert L. and Walter B. Stillwell.

James G. Thomas, M. D. For many years one of the more promi-
nent and able physicians of Savannah, the late James G. Thomas, M. D.,
acquired distinction not only for his superior professional knowledge
and skill, but for his public-spirited, utilitarian and philanthropic bene-
factions. He was born June 24, 1835, in Bloomfield, Kentucky, and
was there reared, acquiring a part of his early education in a monas-
tery near that town. Beginning the study of medicine in Louisville,
Kentucky, in the school of which the late Samuel D. Gross was the
head, he later matriculated in the medical department of the University
of the City of New York, being there graduated with the class of 1856.

Dr. Thomas began the practice of his profession at Bloomfield,
Kentucky, his birthplace, but subsequently went to Mississippi, locating
near Sardis, where he remained until the outbreak of the Civil war.
Entering then the Confederate army as a surgeon, his duties in that
capacity brought him to Savannah, Georgia, and here he continued in
service until the occupation of the city by Sherman's army, when he
left Savannah with the evacuating forces, and was thenceforward sta-
tioned in the Carolinas until the close of the conflict.

Returning to Savannah in 1865, Dr. Thomas resumed his labors as
a physician and surgeon, attaining in due course of time the highest
rank in his profession, and being rewarded by a very large general
practice. An industrious worker and a deep student, the doctor kept
pace with the latest discoveries in medical science, and had the distinc-
tion of being the very first physician in Georgia to make use of the
thermometer in fever cases. He was especially active in promoting
public hygiene, sanitation and drainage, and the health of the com-
munity. Vigilant and self-sacrificing in his services during the yellow
fever epidemic of 1876, he contracted the disease himself just as the
epidemic was nearing its close.

In 1875 and 1876 Dr. Thomas served through the sessions of the
Georgia legislature, this apparent divergence from the line of his
chosen vocation having been made by him in obedience to a sense of
public duty, and in compliance with the earnest solicitations of emi-
nent citizens, who desired to send to the legislature a public-spirited
physician who would take the lead in procuring the enactment of laws
relating to hygiene. He took an important part in the preparation
and passage, in the session of 1875, of the "Act to create a state board
of health for the protection of life and health, and to prevent the spread
of disease in Georgia." A measure which the doctor there introduced
for adopting a system of compiling and recording vital statistics was
passed, but through lack of appropriation was never carried into effect.

On December 14, 1881, a Citizens' Sanitary Association, looking to
the improvement of public health through the united efforts of private
individuals, was organized in Savannah, and Dr. Thomas, who had



652 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

strongly urged its creation, was elected its first president, and held the
position until his death. He was one of the originators of the interna-
tional medical congress, and was one of the two physicians appointed
from the South to attend the conference held in Washington, District
of Columbia, in 1884. It was while attending this conference in "Wash-
ington, that the sudden death of Dr. Thomas occurred, December 6,
1884. The passing away of Dr. Thomas, just in the midst of a busy
and useful life, was an event of universal regret and mourning in
Savannah, his family and friends being deprived of a grand nature,
while the city was bereft of a public benefactor.

Dr. Thomas married, in 1865, in Savannah, Margaret Owens, a
daughter of George W. and Sarah (Wallace) Owens, both representa-
tives of old and honored Savannah families. Her father, a native of
Savannah, was a son of Owen Owens, who emigrated from "Wales to
Savannah soon after the close of the Revolutionary war. Her mother,
Sarah Wallace, was a daughter of John and Mary (Anderson) "Wallace,
the said John Wallace, a native of Scotland, having served as British
consul in Savannah years ago, while the Andersons have lived in the
city since 1763.

Mrs. Thomas has two daughters, namely : Miss Mary B. Thomas
and Miss Margaret G. Thomas.

Dr. Thomas was for some time a prominent member of the American
Health Association, and of the National Board of Health. He was
ever among the foremost in the establishment of philanthropical move-
ments, being always willing to do the work of the humanitarian, and to
turn aside even from the most congenial occupations of home life, and
the routine of daily practice, to perform a worthy act of public duty,
being not only a physician, but a patriot.

Charles H. Dorsett, engaged in the real estate and auction busi-
ness and president of the Peoples' Savings & Loan Company, is a man
whose life has been of unceasing activity and perseverance and the
systematic and honorable methods which he has followed have won him
the unbounded confidence of his fellow citizens in Savannah. In 1876
he became established in his present business, which he has ever since
conducted. This is one of the oldest established institutions of its kind
in Savannah. Among his other distinctions, Mr. Dorsett is a gallant
ex-soldier, and he finds no small amount of pleasure and profit in renew-
ing the old comradeship with those who carried arms with him in the
troublous days of the '60s.

Mr. Dorsett is a native son of the city and one of those who have
paid it the greatest compliment within their power by electing to
remain permanently within its borders. He is the son of John and
Sarah R. (Fletcher) Dorsett. His father was born in New York City
and came to Savannah as early as 1839. He was a ship builder by
occupation and had a large shipyard on the Savannah river. At the
age of eleven months the subject had the misfortune to lose his father,
but his mother survived her husband for many years, her summons
to the Great Beyond occurring in 1893. Through his mother. Mr. Dor-
sett comes of an older Southern family ; this admirable lady was born
in Georgia and her parents were natives of South Carolina.

Young Charles was reared in Savannah and in its schools received
his education. At the outbreak of the war between the states he was
only in his teens, but his heart was with the cause of the South, and
he believed in the supreme right of the states to sever their connection
with the national government. As soon as possible he enlisted and



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 653

during the latter part of the war was a member of Shellman's battalion,
which was in service in Savannah and vicinity. For some years after'
the affair at Appomattox he was engaged in various occupations, but in
1876, as previously mentioned, he inaugurated his present real estate
and auction business. Besides the agency business Mr. Dorsett is the
owner of substantial property interests in Savannah and for more than
twenty years he has been president of the Peoples' Savings & Loan
Society, which makes loans on real estate and is well and favorably
known to business men of the Forest city.

Mr. Dorsett is of sufficient social proclivity to find pleasure in his
fraternal relations, and he enjoys membership in DeKalb lodge of Odd
Fellows and of Landrum lodge of Masons. He was for one term a mem-
ber of the board of county commissioners of Chatham county. He is
intelligent and progressive and has the respect of the community in
which he is so well known and in which his interests have always been
centered.

Mr. Dorsett laid the foundations of a happy married life by his
union in the year 1869, to Miss Josephine Frances Gross, of this city,
where their nuptials were celebrated. They have one daughter, Mrs.
J. E. D. Bacon, of Savannah.

Mongin Baker Nichols, auditor of traffic with the Central of
Georgia Railway Company, at Savannah, Georgia, has been a resident
of this city since his birth. In his association with business life he has
been connected with but the one company with which he now is and he
has filled numerous positions in the years that have intervened since he
first took service with this company in 1892, beginning in the more
humble capacity of stenographer and advancing constantly until he
was promoted in 1907 to his present position.

Born in Savannah in 1874, Mongin Baker Nichols is the son of
George Nicoll and Minnie (Mongin) Nichols. The father was born in
Savannah and here lived all his life. He was identified with the print-
ing and stationery business for a long period of years. He retired
from active business in 1898, and died on April 13, 1905. Mr. Nichols
was a member of the board of aldermen of Savannah on various occa-
sions, serving several years in that capacity. Left an orphan at an
early age, he made the best of every opportunity that presented itself
at his door. He was the son of Abram Nichols, a native of New Jersey,
and who in early life came to the southland and settled in Savannah.
Abram Nichols was the first port warden of Savannah, was a member of
the first board of fire commissioners, and was the commander of a mos-
quito fleet, fitted out in Savannah, and sent to Tybee island during the
"War of 1812 to protect Savannah from an invasion by the British fleet.
He was the father of two sons and one daughter, George Nicoll Nichols,
being the eldest son and the younger Edward Tattnall Nichols, who died
in 1888, having achieved the rank of rear admiral of the United States
navv.

The wife of George Nicoll Nichols and the mother of Mongin Baker
Nichols of this review, was born in South Carolina, of Huguenot ances-
try, and is still living in Savannah. Her family removed to Savannah
in her early life and she was married to Mr. Nichols in 1872. Her
mother was Eliza (Maner) Mongin, the daughter of Ruth (Stafford)
Maner, who was the daughter of Col. William Stafford, the great-
great-grandfather of the subject of this review. William Stafford was
lieutenant colonel of a regiment of South Carolina troops in the War
of the Revolution, in command at Black Swamp, near the Savannah



654 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

river. The Mongin family, on the paternal side, is related in earlier
generations to several famous characters, among them being Jonathan
Edwards, an early president of Princeton University, and Phillipo Martin
Angelo, an Italian refugee, who had been a soldier in the Vatican Guards.
Mongin Baker Nichols is one of the five children of his parents. The
others are : William N. ; Fenwick T. ; Oliver S. ; E. Mdntyre, and
Minnie S. Nichols. •

Mongin Baker Nichols was reared in Savannah and has lived in this
city all his life. He was educated in private schools of the city, and in
the old Savannah Academy conducted by Capt. John Taliaferro.
After concluding his studies in the best private schools which the city
afforded, young Nichols decided upon a business course for himself,
and entered a business college, where he completed a thorough course in
business training. His first position was in the capacity of stenogra-
pher in the office of the comptroller of the Central of Georgia Railway
in 1892. In 1899 he was appointed station accountant, which position
he occupied until 1907, in that year being promoted to his present posi-
tion. He occupies the same position with the Ocean Steamship Com-
pany.

Mr. Nichols was for some years an active member of Company A,
Savannah Volunteer Guards, enlisting as a private, and served as cor-
poral, sergeant, and second lieutenant. He is a member of the
Savannah Golf Club, Savannah Yacht Club, Business, Professional and
Transportation Club, Guards Club, and of the Society of Colonial Wars,
and is the historian of the Georgia Society of the Sons of the American
Revolution. Since February, 1908, he has been secretary of the South-
eastern Accounting Conference, which is composed of the accounting
officers of common carriers in the territory south of the Ohio and Poto-
mac rivers and east of the Mississippi river. His religious convictions
have brought about his membership with the Baptist church.

John Hardy Purvis. The real estate and collection business of
Savannah, Georgia, includes as one of its active, hustling factors the
young man whose name introduces this review, John Hardy Purvis.

Mr. Purvis is of southern birth and parentage. He was born in
Webster county, Georgia, in 1874, son of Edward B. and Welthea Evelyn
(Watson) Purvis, both deceased. Edward B. Purvis, also a native of
Webster county, was a Confederate soldier in the war between the
states, and was in active service up to and including the battle of Gettys-
burg, where he was severely wounded, from which he never entirely
recovered. His father, John Purvis, was an Englishman who. when a
small boy, had come with his parents and several brothers to America,
their settlement being in Virginia. Soon after he was grown. John
Purvis came to Georgia and took up his residence in Webster county.
Here he married Mrs. Mary Ann Askew. She had children by her first
husband and also by Mr. Purvis, and altogether the Askews and the
Purvises formed a large family, many of whom are still living in Web-
ster county and in that section of southern Georgia. Welthea Evelyn
(Watson) Purvis, the mother of John H. was born in North Carolina,
and was a daughter of Hardy Watson of Raleigh, that state.

John Hardy Purvis passed the early years of his boyhood in his
native county, attending school there and later in Savannah 1o which
city he came in 1885, and where he has since lived. About 1897 he
engaged in the real-estate and collection business, which he has continued
successfully up to the present time, his office being at 301 East Liberty
street.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 655

Politically, Mr. Purvis is a Republican. He takes an active part in
local and state politics ; is thoroughly posted on the issues of the day, and'
in party councils exerts an influence that is felt for good.

On November 13, 1906 Mr. Purvis was married to Mrs. Honora
O'Keefe, daughter of Mrs. Margaret Garrity, of Savannah, Georgia.

William F. Brunner, M. D. Other men's services to the people and
state can be measured by definite deeds, by dangers averted, by legisla-
tion secured, by institutions built, by commerce promoted. The work
of a doctor is entirely estranged from these lines of enterprise, yet with-
out his capable, health-giving assistance all other accomplishments would
count for naught. Man's greatest prize on earth is physical health and
vigor. Nothing deteriorates mental activity as quickly as prolonged
sickness — hence the broad field for human helpfulness afforded in the
medical profession. The successful doctor requires something more
than mere technical training — he must be a man of broad human sym-
pathy and genial kindliness, capable of inspiring hope and faith in the
heart of his patient. Such a man is Dr. William F. Brunner, city health
officer of Savanah, whose successful career has been due to the pos-
session of innate talent and acquired ability along the line of one of the
most important professions to which a man may devote his energies.

Dr. Brunner was born in Savannah in 1858, the son of C. W. and
Frances (Haupt) Brunner, both of whom are now deceased. They were
both natives of South Carolina, the father's birthplace having been
Beaufort. He was a merchant by occupation and located in Savannah
previous to the inception of the Civil war, subsequently taking an active
part in the many-sided life of the municipality and enjoying general
respect.

Dr. Brunner received an excellent education in private schools in
this city and as a student in Locust Dale Academy, Madison county,
Virginia. He studied medicine in the medical department of the Uni-
versity of Georgia, from which he was graduated with the class of
1877 and then spent the following year in post-graduate work in the
medical department of the University of the City of New York. At
that time (1878), yellow fever was epidemic in New Orleans, Memphis,
Vicksburg, and other sections of the lower Mississippi valley and Dr.
Brunner immediately after discontinuing his studies in New York went
to the heart of the yellow fever district and offered his services to the
Howard Association. He was immune, having had yellow fever in the
Savannah epidemic of 1876. He began active work in Vicksburg, but
a short time later went to the town of Lake, Mississippi, and took vigor-
ous charge of the situation there, which was very serious, almost every
person, including ministers, who was able to travel, having deserted the
stricken town. He remained at Lake with a staff of nurses under his
charge, doing all he could to alleviate the suffering, curing all cases
possible "and preventing the spread of the fever as far as possibly could
be done with the means at hand and the panicky state of the populace.
His work in this epidemic attracted the attention of the United States
health officials, and Dr. Brunner was given a position on the Marine
Hospital service of the United States, on the South Atlantic Coast, being
engaged in the maritime quarantine service at that time for about
four and a half years.

In April, 1888, Dr. Brunner was elected health officer of Savannah
and after nine years in that position, resigned, and again entered the
United States marine hospital, this time being assigned to duty at
Havana, Cuba, where he had a staff of physicians and surgeons under



656 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

his charge. He remained in that position until a short time before the
occupation of Cuba by the United States, in 1898, being ordered out
from Washington at that time. He then was assigned to duty in inspect-
ing army camps at Tampa and other places in the South, and also at
Montauk, Long Island. In September, 1898, he again joined his station
at Havana and remained there until July 1, 1899, when he received an
invitation from the city of Savannah to again become its health officer,
which he accepted, entering his old duties again in that month, and
has remained in that position ever since. His efficiency and success as
an expert in preventative medicine and as a public health official are
widely known and recognized ; and his services are greatly appreciated
by the citizens of Savannah. He is one of the most distinguished physi-
cians, not only of Savannah, but of the entire South and his repute
extends far and wide in the profession. He has never been a general
practitioner, it will be seen, but has ever been engaged on special duty.
The County, State and American Medical associations claim his member-
ship.

Dr. Brunner, on December 14, 1883, was united in marriage to Miss
Florence Richardson, of Savannah. They share their home of renowned
hospitality with four children, namely : Florence Charlton, Albert
Wylly, Frances L. and Ruth.

Capt. William H. Robertson. As superintendent of the park and
tree commission of Savannah, Capt. William H. Robertson has for many
years been identified with one of the most useful and important depart-
ments of the municipality, and in that capacity has been largely instru-
mental in establishing and maintaining its title to the name of the
"Forest City." Coming from thrifty Scotch ancestry, he was born in
Savannah in 1881. His father, the late John G. Robertson, was a life-
long resident of Savannah, his death occurring here in 1907. He was
connected during his active career with the Central of Georgia Railroad
Company, of which he was paymaster. He married Annabelle Stephens
Falligant, who survives him, and is still a resident of the city. She is
a great-granddaughter of Louis Falligant, a native of France, who was
the founder of the Falligant family of America, a record of which is
given elsewhere in this work, in connection with the sketch of Raiford
Falligant.

Reared and educated in Savannah, William H. Robertson attended
the grammar schools, the Chatham Academy, and the private school of
Lawrence & Morton. He subsequently made some preparation for the
civil engineer's profession, and, although circumstances prevented his
carrying out his desired plans, he did considerable construction work on
jobs requiring engineering ability in Savannah and vicinity. Since 1898
Mr. Robertson has been connected with the park and tree commission
of Savannah, at the present time being its superintendent. This
department of the municipal government has in its charge the care
and maintenance of all the parks, squares, cemeteries, and parked
roadways of the city, and is the dominant factor in rendering it in truth
a "city beautiful." As the city's main attraction to both visitors and
residents lies in its parks, squares and beautiful trees o'ershading its
broad streets and avenues, it will be seen that the park and tree com-
mission department is of the utmost concern, requiring an expert
knowledge of landscape gardening and forestry, as well as constant
attention, and a genuine interest in this feature of the city's resources.
In the successful carrying on of his work, Mr. Robertson employs about
fifty men, keeping them all busy, and obtaining satisfactory results.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 657

For a number of years Mr. Robertson has been prominently con-
nected with the military life of Savannah. Enlisting December 4, 1899/
in Company D, Savannah Volunteer Guards, which is officially known
as the Coast Artillery Corps, he subsequently was promoted to the rank
of corporal, then sergeant, later becoming first sergeant, and on Jan-
uary 14, 1907, was commissioned captain of his company, a position
which he has since held. Captain Robertson is a thoroughly efficient
artilleryman, both from theoretical knowledge and actual practice, and
as commanding officer is diligent in his post, and unflagging in his
zealous efforts to maintain the high standard of his organization. An
extended account of the corps appears in the general historical part of
this work.

John Kirk Train, M.D., one of the prominent and successful mem-
bers of the medical profession of Savannah, Georgia, is a son of
one of Savannah's best known and most highly esteemed citizens, Prof.
Hugh Fred Train, who for over forty years served as principal of the
high school in this city. From a review of his life published a few
years ago, we make the following excerpt :

Hugh Frederick Train is a native of the sturdy land of hills and
heather, having been born in Murkirk, Ayrshire, Scotland, June 27,
1831. He was reared and educated in his native land, where he did
efficient work as a. university student and later completed a two years'
course in a normal training school in the city of Glasgow. For five
years thereafter he was a successful and popular teacher in the parish
school of Perth. About this time alarming symptoms began to manifest
themselves in the way of incipient disease of the lungs, and as his
brother had died of tuberculosis Mr. Train was admonished by his
medical adviser to seek a less rigorous climate, in order that his life
might be prolonged and the disease possibly averted. Under the care
of a friend and former schoolmate he was induced to come to America
and settle in the South. In January, 1857, he took up his residence
in Bluff ton, Beaufort district, South Carolina, where he remained until
the outbreak of the Civil war, being there engaged in teaching. In
1861, loyal to the cause of the Confederacy, he became a private in the
Third Regiment of South Carolina state troops. His right arm being
practically useless, as the result of an accident encountered when he
was a boy, he was not able to take part in the tactical drill and maneu-
vers, and consequently, after two months of irregular service, he was
appointed by Col. Charles J. Colcock, commanding officer, to the posi-
tion of commissary and acting quartermaster for the squadron, con-
sisting of three companies, being first in camp at Bluffton and later at
Camp Hartstein. and he was honorably discharged when the state
troops were formally mustered into the Confederate service. After
the close of the war Mr. Train found his home burned to the ground,
his schoolroom plundered of everything movable and the whole country
steeped in poverty. He remained in Bluffton one year, not earning
enough to provide for ordinary necessities within the period, and then
removed to Savannah, where, through the influence of Mr. Mallon,
then superintendent of schools, he was appointed principal of the boys'
grammar school. In the following year the board of education con-
ferred upon him the appointment of principal of the Savannah high
school, to succeed William H. Baker, w T ho had been made superin-
tendent, and this position he filled until his retirement in 1910. His
long term of service is an unequivocal voucher for the successful work
he performed and the high place he held in the esteem of both pupils
and patrons. Here he now lives in quiet retirement, and he is perhaps



658 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

more uniformly loved and respected in Savannah than any one of its
most illustrious upbuilders, and his good work will continue to blossom
and bear fruitage in this community as long as education is prized
and knowledge is rewarded. In politics he is a staunch Democrat, and
his religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church, both he and his
wife having for many years been identified with the First Presbyterian
church of Savannah. Mrs. Train was formerly Miss Elizabeth Frew,
being a daughter of James and Mary Frew, of Savannah. They were
married December 29, 1869, and of the six children given to them,
only two are now living: William Frew Train, who is engaged in the
insurance business in Savannah, and Dr. John Kirk Train, whose name
introduces this sketch.

John Kirk Train was born and reared in Savannah. After his
graduation from the high school he began the study of medicine, which
he pursued in the medical department of the University of Virginia
and in Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York, graduating from
the latter institution with the class of 1900. Following his graduation
he spent three years as interne in Bellevue Hospital. He began the
practice of his profession in Savannah in 1901, and from the time he
opened his office has met with success. In addition to conducting a
general practice, he is medical examiner for the Pacific Mutual Life
Insurance Company, the Massachusetts Life and the Penn Mutual Life
Insurance companies.

Doctor Train is a member of various medical societies, including
the American Medical Association. He is ex-president of the District
Medical Association of Georgia (comprised of the counties included
in the first congressional district), and he is on the staff of the Savannah
Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital, the Telfair Hospital, and the Georgia
Infirmary. For three years he was surgeon, with the rank of major, of
the First Regiment of Georgia Infantry. Outside of Savannah he is
a member of the Bellevue Hospital Alumni Society and of the Southern
Society in New York City.

He is a member of Ancient Landmark Lodge, F. & A. M., a
member of the Savannah Lodge of Elks, and is president of the St.
Andrew's Society of Savannah.

Doctor Train has a wife and two children, Lilla and John Kirk, Jr.
Mrs. Train, before her marriage Miss Lilla Comer, is a daughter of the
late H. M. Comer, of Savannah, who was president of the Central
Georgia Railway, and who was held in high regard as a leading and
influential citizen.

Hon. Joseph Francis Gray. On the roll of Savannah's con-
spicuous and progressive business men, none are eligible to a higher
position than the Hon. Joseph Francis Gray, state railroad commis-
sioner and executive officer of the Savannah Chamber of Commerce.
Still to be numbered among the younger generation, he has for more
than a decade been a brilliant figure on the stage of Savannah's railroad
and commercial life. Mr. Gray is a native Georgian, his life record
having begun in the city of Atlanta, on November 23, 1870. He is the
son of Luke and Margaret (Carolan) Gray. His training for the
responsibilities of life was acquired in St. Patrick's parochial school.
of Augusta, and in St. Mary's College, at Belmont. North Carolina.
His first adventures as an active factor in the world of affairs were in
the capacity of stenographer for the late Patrick Walsh, editor of the
Augusta Chronicle and at one time United States senator from Georgia.
In January, 1887. he accepted a position as stenographer in the Augusta
office of the Southern Express Company, with which lie remained




(XaaajLA*!



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 659

identified until May, 1888. From the year last mentioned until 1890
he held a similar position in the office of the general freight and pas-'
senger agent of the Central of Georgia Railway in Savannah. From
January, 1890, until October, 1893, he held the position of traveling
freight agent for the Central of Georgia Railway. In his previous
clerical positions he has assimilated a remarkable amount of informa-
tion of a business character and was admirably fitted for the assumption
of the duties of important positions. His advancement was steady.
In October, 1893, he became superintendent and treasurer of the Milieu
& Southwestern Railroad with headquarters at Milieu, Georgia. In
February, 1900, he became superintendent of the Offerman & Western
Railroad at Offerman, Georgia, and on July 15, 1902, became freight
claim agent of the Central of Georgia Railway. In 1905 and 1906 he
was auditor of traffic of the Central of Georgia Railway and in 1906
and 1908 was terminal agent in Savannah for the Central of Georgia
and Southern railways.

In 1909, Mr. Gray severed his connection with railroad interests
to become executive officer of the Savannah Chamber of Commerce, in
which position he has entire managerial charge of this important
organization. He is also its vice-president. The chamber of commerce
under Mr. Gray's direction has become the most important factor in the
modern growth and development of Savannah. It numbers among its
membership a large number of Savannah's public-spirited citizens. Its
cpiarters in October, 1911, were removed to the third floor of the new
Savannah Bank & Trust building. In 1909, Mr. Gray also was made
one of the state railroad commissioners of Georgia. Mr. Gray is a
successful man. He has done things and has made an imprint upon
many enterprises.

Mr. Gray was happily married on June 6, 1892, the young woman
to become his wife being Miss Dora E. Gassman, daughter of Charles
and Mary A (McLaughlin) Gassman. They have three interesting-
children: Joseph Francis, Jr., Mildred Lucile, and Charles Aloysius.
Mr. and Mrs. Gray are communicants of the Catholic church and the
former is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus.

Maj. William Wayne Williamson is a scion of one of Georgia's
oldest families. He was born in the city of Savannah, September
1, 1854, the son of John and Julia C. (Wayne) Williamson. His father,
Judge Williamson, was born in Savannah, February 3, 1810. He was a
merchant, cotton factor and rice planter for a long number of years
and a citizen of well-deserved prominence. Although engaged for the
greater part of his life strictly in commercial affairs, he was universally
known as Judge Williamson for the reason that he was justice of the
superior court of Chatham county before and during the war. He
was also a member of and chairman of the Savannah city council at
the time Sherman's army came into the city and during the entire
period of the Civil war his most active efforts were given to the carry-
ing out of measures of beneficence for his city and the cause of the Con-
federacy in general. He resigned from the city council to accept the
position of city treasurer in 1866. In 1872 he was elected county treas-
urer, which position he held until his demise. He was a member of the
first board of public education in Savannah, organized soon after the
war, and at the time of his death was its treasurer and the only surviv-
ing member of the original board. At the time of his death he was the
oldest living member of the Georgia Hussars. For a number of years
he was warden and vestryman of Christ church ; he was a member of
the Union Society and of the Georgia Historical Society. After the



660 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

war, having become too aged to enter active business life again, the
mayor and aldermen honored him by electing him to the office of city
treasurer, as before noted. He was re-elected to the office by the people,
and served efficiently in such capacity for several years, his ability and
public spirit being of the highest character. He died in 1885. while
county treasurer, but although a quarter century has elapsed since he
passed to the Great Beyond, his memory remains green with the older
generation.

Major "Williamson's grandfather, John Posted "Williamson, was one
of the wealthiest real estate owners and planters of Savannah in the
first half of the last century. He was born in South Carolina, but made
Savannah his home early in life. The "Williamson family is of English
origin, having been established in South Carolina, as early as 1690.
John Posted Williamson's home in Savannah was the rendezvous for
army officers following the Mexican war and the Indian Avars in Florida —
Sherman, Pope, Bragg, Ridgeley, "Wade, Beckwith and Rankin being
among the representatives of the government who received hospitality
there. The old home of the "Williamson family was at the northwest
corner of Montgomery and State streets, which at that time was the
fashionable residential section of the city. John Posted "Williamson also
owned Brampton and much other real property in and about the city
He operated a brick yard among other industries and is said to have built
the old county court house.

The mother of the immediate subject of this review Julia C. Wayne,
was born in Savannah in 1822 and died in 1892. She was the daughter
of Gen. "William C. "Wayne and Ann (Gordon) "Wayne and the grand-
daughter of Richard "Wayne of England, who came to America in 1760.
He married September 14, 1769, in South Carolina, Elizabeth Clifford,
whose family were among the first settlers of that province and who
were allied to the families of DeSaussure and Bacots. When the Revolu-
tionary war broke out, Richard "Wayne, who was designated by an act
of the South Carolina legislature as a "leading merchant" of Charles-
town, headed a petition to be armed on the side of the Crown, and in
consequence his property was confiscated and he was banished from
the colony. All of this, with the subsequent restoration of his property,
is fully recorded in the reports of the Acts of the South Carolina
Assembly. Richard Wayne, however, never returned to South Carolina
to live. On being banished he came with his wife and children to Savan-
nah about 1782 and became a successful planter. Gen. Anthony Wayne
was one of the executors of his will.

Among the men of eminent ability of this family may be mentioned
his son, Hon. James Moore Wayne, who was mayor of Savannah, judge
of the superior court in this city, congressman from his district and
finally associate justice of the United States supreme court. Another
son was Gen. William Clifford Wayne, and one of his grandsons was
Dr. Richard W. Wayne, who was at one time mayor of Savannah.

Major Williamson was reared in Savannah and received his educa-
tion in the public schools, in Professor McLellan's private school and in
Eastman's Business College of Poughkeepsie, New York. He began
active business life in 1879 in the office of Wilder & Company, with
which firm he remained as confidential clerk until the death of Mr.
Wilder in 1900. Major Williamson then succeeded to the firm and
taking Mr. J. J. Rauers as partner, established the present house of
Williamson & Rauers, steamship and forwarding agents. This concern
has a world-wide reputation as steamship agents. Major Williamson
has unusual business and executive gifts of which tbe success of the firm
is the logical outcome.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 661

Major Williamson went through the public schools of Savannah - v
later took a course at Eastman's Commercial College at Poughkeepsie,
New York, and then a mere youth, entered business with the firm of
J. H. Gardner & Company, ship agents. He then went with the cotton
firm of Andrew Low & Company (now out of existence), and after two
years was sent by the firm, first to New Orleans and then to Galveston,
Texas. He returned to Savannah in 1879, a young man of twenty-five,
and was made confidential clerk of the firm of Wilder & Company. In
the second year of service with that firm he was given power of attorney
and put in charge of their freight business, in which position he remained
until 1901. His entire service with that firm covered a period of twenty-
two years. When Mr. Wilder died in 1901, Mr. Williamson associated
himself with Mr. J. J. Rauers, under the style of Williamson & Rauers,
and took over its business of Wilder & Company, which the firm of
Williamson & Rauers have continued to successfully prosecute up to
the present. This firm represents the North German Lloyd, the Hansa
line (a German company) and other steamship companies. During all
these years of steady-going business Mr. Williamson has been active in
many directions and has been making character among his fellow-
citizens. He has given an enormous amount of time to the public
service and to the welfare of his native city, without any other com-
pensation than that of the satisfaction which comes to the man who
tries to serve his fellow-men. In 1895-96 he was president of the Cotton
Exchange ; and served again in that capacity in 1902-03. He is vice-
president of the National Bank of Savannah ; president of the Com-
mercial Life Insurance Company, and for five years, from 1906 to
1910, inclusive, was president of the Chamber of Commerce. In
the spring of 1907, while president of the Chamber of Commerce,
Major Williamson, in company with Gov. Hoke Smith and G. Gunby
Jordan, president of the Georgia Irrigation Association, visited Europe,
and their efforts were successful in procuring the establishment of
direct steamship communication with the Port of Savannah, so that the
state received in 1907 the first cargo of selected immigrants arriving
in Georgia since colonial days. Major Williamson's service to the state
military covers a period of thirty-two years. In 1872 he joined the
Savannah Volunteer Guards, organized in 1802. He joined as a private
and held every office from private to captain. Finally in 1901, he
advanced to the rank of major, which position he held until 1904, when
he retired from active service. Certainly he had given a full measure
of service. During his military service he was largely responsible for
the establishment of Georgia's reputation in the rifle contests. Begin-
ning in 1895, he was appointed by the Governor, captain of the state
rifle team to represent the state at the annual rifle matches at Sea
Girt, New Jersey. Major Williamson captained the team for five years.
They came into competition with state teams from Massachusetts, New
York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maine, the District of Columbia, and
other localities. From its first visit to Sea Girt the Georgia team steadily
worked its way forward until 1897, when out of five team matches and
twelve individual matches, the Georgia men won every one, except one
individual match.

The things before mentioned have been merely a part of his immense
activities in a public way. He has been, or is, a director in the Cotton
Press Association, the Cotton Exchange, Tow Boat Company, Henderson-
Hull Buggy Company, Young Men's Christian Association, a curator in
the Georgia Historical Society, vestryman in St. John's Episcopal church,
a commissioner of pilotage, a vice-president (for Georgia) of the National
Rivers and Harbors Congress. As chairman of a committee composed of



662 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

delegates from the Chamber of Commerce, Board of Trade, Cotton Ex-
change and Board of Aldermen, on several occasions, Major Williamson
appeared before the Rivers and Harbors Committee of Congress, and
secured for the city of Savannah large appropriations for the improve-
ment of its harbor. The committee was in each case successful, and
Savannah has in the last twenty-five years grown from a shallow-water
port, with a depth of twelve feet, to a deep-sea port, which can accom-
modate vessels of twenty-seven foot draught. Major Williamson was
also one of the active promoters of the automobile races of Savannah,
which draw multiplied thousands of people to that city at their annual
meets. In social life he is identified with the Oglethorpe Club, the
Savannah Yacht Club, the Golf Club, the Savannah Volunteer Guards'
Club, and the Cotillion Club, of which last named he has been chairman
of the board since its organization. Politically, he is identified with the
Democratic party, and in 1913 was elected alderman.

Major Williamson was married in 1904 to Miss Corinne Heyward,
daughter of Robert and Mary Elizabeth (Stoney) Heyward. After
the birth of two children, Mrs. Williamson passed away, leaving a sur-
viving infant, William Wayne Williamson, Junior, and Major William-
son has since remained a widower. His preferred reading has been
along historical lines, and it is a notable fact that every student of
public men comes to be impressed with the fact that those men who
are students of history show a larger measure of public spirit than those
who are not interested in that direction. A knowledge of history seems
to be one of the contributing factors in good citizenship; and when with
this knowledge of history is combined a good ancestry, one can, in
nearly every case, forecast what attitude the men possessing these quali-
fications will occupy upon public questions.

Stephen Nathan Harris. The world instinctively and justly
renders deference to the man whose success in life has been worthily
achieved, who has obtained a competence by honorable methods, and
whose high reputation is solely the result of pre-eminent merit in his
chosen work. Among Savannah's young citizens and business men is
Stephen Nathan Harris, president of the Harris Tire Company, manu-
facturers of automobile supplies, a concern which is a live factor in
the city's prosperity. In this day when the automobile has taken so
important a part in the world's affairs, Mr. Harris' business is one of
remarkable possibilities and his thorough mastery of the business in all
its details has constituted the basis of his steady advancement.

Stephen. Nathan Harris is a native Georgian, his birth having
occurred in Liberty county in 1877. the son of Stephen Raymond and
Laura E. (McGillis) Harris. His father, who has lived in Savannah
since 1886, was born in Liberty county, the ancestral home of this
branch of the Harris family. S. R. Harris' father was Dr. Stephen
Nathan Harris, who was born and died in Liberty county. The latter 's
father was Dr. Raymond Harris, a native of Virginia, who came to
Georgia when a boy with his father and located in Liberty county.
The subject's paternal grandmother, the widow of Dr. Stephen Nathan
Harris, died January 15. 1913, in Savannah. The maiden name of
the venerable and admirable lady was Emma A. Jones and her father
was Capt. Joseph Jones of Liberty county. The latter was the son of
Maj. John Jones, a South Carolinian, who served throughout the Revo-
lutionary war, first as aide-de-camp to Colouel Elliott and later as aide-
de-camp and major on the staff of General Mcintosh. It was while
acting in the latter capacity that he was killed in the siege of Savannah
on October 9, 1779. The subject's grandmother is of Revolutionary



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 663

descent on her mother's side also. Her mother, Elizabeth (Hart)/
Jones, was the daughter of Mary (Screven) Hart, who was the daughter
of Gen. James Screven, of Georgia, a distinguished Revolutionary
soldier, who was brigadier general of Georgia militia and was killed
at the engagement at Midway Church, November 24, 1778. Capt.
John Hart, the husband of Mary Screven Hart, mentioned above, was
an officer of the Second South Carolina regiment in the Revolutionary
war and was taken prisoner at Charleston, May 12, 1780. The scion
of such ancestry, it is small wonder that the spirit of the men and
women who achieved American independence burns in the breast of
the young citizen whose name appears at the head of this paragraph.
Although for only a few years an active member of the body politic,
he has well performed his part therein, giving heart and hand to all
measures which in his judgment promise well for the general welfare.
His career has been such as to warrant the trust and confidence of the
business world, for he has ever conducted all transactions on the
strictest principles of honor and integrity.

Mr. Harris is almost a lifedong resident of Savannah, having lived
here since the age of six and having received the greater part of his
education in this city. He is the president of the Harris Tire Com-
• pany, one of the most flourishing business establishments in Savannah.
This deals in general automobile supplies and its members are also
branch managers of the Firestone Tire Company of Akron, Ohio. The
Harris business was established in 1906.

Mr. Harris has from early boyhood been interested in affairs mil-
itary and in 1896 enlisted as a private in the Savannah Volunteer
Guards, joining Company B. With this company he went into service
at the time of the Spanish-American war and had steady promotion,
first becoming sergeant, then lieutenant and finally captain of Com-
pany B, which is his present rank. He is extremely popular with the
boys, who find in him their gallant ideal of an officer.

Mr. Harris was married on April 24, 1901, to Miss Mary Coburn
of this city. Mrs. Harris is a daughter of Moses Douville Coburn, who
was a member of the society of Cincinnati.

Shelby Myrick has been engaged in the practice of the law in
Savannah since 3897 and is recognized as one of the notable young
lawyers of the city. His practice has grown as he has demonstrated
his ability to handle with skill the intricate problems of jurisprudence
and he possesses a distinctively representative clientage which has
connected him with some of the most important litigation heard in the
courts of this section. Also, for six years he held the office of city
recorder.

Mr. Myrick was born at Forsyth, Monroe county, Georgia, on the
16th day of July, 1878, the son of Bascom and Mary Louise (Scudder)
Myrick. His father was born in historic Liberty county in the town
of Flemington and died in Americus, Georgia, August 8, 1895. He
was one of the most prominent and successful newspaper men of the
state and for several years previous to his decease he was the editor
and publisher of the Americus Times-Recorder. The mother was born
at Shelbyville, Tennessee, and is still living, making her home with the
subject in Savannah.

The paternal grandfather of Shelby Myrick was Rev. Daniel J.
Myrick, a widely known Methodist minister of the earlier years, who
occupied some of the most prominent pulpits of the state in that de-
nomination. He was born in Upson county, Georgia, and about the be-
ginning of his ministerial career in Liberty county he was married to



664 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Miss Mary Adeline Andrews, a member of one of the old families of
that county. Rev. Myriek's mother, who was Elizabeth A. (Candler)
Myriek, was the daughter of Col. William Candler, of Richmond
county, Georgia, who was a member of a committee from that county
appointed by virtue of an act of the Georgia legislature in September,
1777, "For the expulsion of internal enemies from this state." He
was also colonel of a regiment known as "The Regiment of Refugees
of Richmond county," which served in the War of the Revolution.
Colonel Candler's regiment was at the field of Savannah and at the
battles of Fish Dam Ford, Blaekstoek Farm and King's Mountain.
Mr. Myriek, on his mother's side, is a great-great-great-grandson of
Nathaniel Scudder, who was born in New Jersey in 1733 and was colonel
of New Jersey Militia in the Revolutionary war. Colonel Scudder was
killed in a skirmish at Shrewsbury, October 16, 1781.

Mr. Myriek received the greater part of his education in the Uni-
versity of Georgia and graduated from the academic department in the
class of 1896. In the following year he graduated from the law depart-
ment. He came from college to Savannah and began the practice of
his profession in this city, which has continued with uninterrupted
success, Mr. Myriek being on all sides recognized as one of the able
attorneys of this bar. In 1901 he became city recorder of Savannah
and held this office until 1907, with credit to himself and honor and
profit to the people.

Col. George Noble Jones, a member of the Savannah bar and a
representative citizen of Savannah, is descended from some of Georgia's
famous historic characters. He was born in this city in 1874, son of
George Fenwick and Anna Wylly (Habersham) Jones.

Both the Jones and the Habersham families were connected with
the colony of Georgia from the time of its founding, taking a prom-
inent part in its early history, the Revolutionary war, and events of
importance in the state's subsequent history. Some of the most famous
men and women in the history of Georgia were, members of these two
families, and a more extended mention of them will be found in the
general history chapters of this work.

George Fenwick Jones, father of the subject of this sketch, was
born in Savannah, and died in this city in 1876. By profession he was
a lawyer. He was a son of George Noble and Mary (Savage-Nuttall)
Jones, and this George Noble Jones' father was Noble Wimberly Jones,
who in turn was the son of Dr. George Jones, United States Senator
from Georgia. This brings the line of ancestry to Dr. George Jones'
father, Dr. Noble Wimberly Jones, the great-great-grandfather of Col.
George Noble Jones, who was born in England in 1732 and died in
Savannah in 1805. He was an ardent supporter of the colonists' cause
in the Revolutionary war; was speaker of the provincial legislature of
Georgia in 1775; member of the Georgia Council of Safety in 1776;
member of the Continental Congress from Georgia, in session at Phila-
delphia, first in 1775, and again in 1781-82. During the British oc-
cupation of Savannah he was imprisoned and sent to St. Augustine.
His portrait hangs in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It was in
his infancy that he came to Savannah, being brought here by his
parents. His father, Captain (later Colonel) Noble Jones was a mem-
ber of Oglethorpe's party, landing here in the same ship with Ogle-
thorpe in 1733 and being one of the original party that founded the
colony of Georgia. Col. Noble Jones was a surveyor in his majesty's
service in the new colony, and later became treasurer of the colony
and a member of the council.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 665

The mother of Col. George Noble Jones was a daughter of William
Neyle and Josephine (Clay) Habersham. William Neyle Habersham's
parents were Robert and Elizabeth M. (Neyle) Habersham, Elizabeth
Neyle having come from a South Carolina family. Robert Habersham's
father was Col. Joseph Habersham, who was an officer of the Conti-
nental line, Georgia troops, throughout the Revolutionaiy war, con-
nected with the First Georgia Regiment, first as major and later as
lieutenant colonel. Colonel Habersham was born in Savannah in
1751 and died in this city in 1815. Besides his military career, he was
a prominent figure in national affairs after the Revolution, being post-
master general under both President Washington and President Adams.
He was one of the charter members of the Society of the Cincinnati,
when that society was organized in 1783.

The father of Col. Joseph Habersham was Gov. James Habersham,
who came from England to Savannah about 1738, being the founder
of the Habersham family in Georgia. He was governor of the colony
during the absence of Governor Wright.

Another son of Gov. James Habersham was Maj. John Habersham,
who was a prominent officer in the Revolutionary war, and was also an
original member of the Society of the Cincinnati. He was the father
of Dr. Joseph Clay Habersham, who was one of the early health officers
of Savannah. Dr. Joseph Clay Habersham was the father of Josephine
Clay Habersham, who married her third cousin, William Neyle Haber-
sham, the maternal grandfather of Colonel Jones of this review. In
this way the colonel is descended from both Joseph and John Haber-
sham, brothers.

George Noble Jones was educated in the schools of Savannah and
in the University of Virginia. His law course he pursued in the
University of Georgia, where he graduated with the class of 1896, re-
ceiving the degree of LL. D. That same year he was admitted to the
bar and began the practice of his profession in Savannah, and here he
has since been engaged in the practice of law, with the exception of
about one year's temporary absence, ending in the fall of 1911, in
Florida, where he has extensive land interests.

For some years Mr. Jones was an active member of the Georgia
Hussars, one of the most famous military organizations of the United
States. It was founded in the early colonial days in Savannah, and
Col. Noble Jones and Dr. Noble Wimberly Jones were both captains
of the "First Troop of Horse," which was the name of the organiza-
tion in those days. George Noble Jones was sergeant major of the
First Regiment of Cavalry, of which the Hussars is a part. During
the administration of Gov. Joseph M. Terrell, Mr. Jones was honored
by being made lieutenant colonel and aide de camp on the governor's
staff.

Colonel Jones was married in Savannah on April 6, 1904, to Miss
Frances Meldrim, daughter of Gen. Peter W. and Frances P. (Casey)
Meldrim. They have four children : Frances Meldrim, Anna Haber-
sham, Noble Wimberly, and Caroline Wallace.

Robert Vincent Martin, M. D. In no profession is there more
constant progress than in that of medicine and surgery, thousands of
the finest minds the world has produced making it their one aim and
ambition to discover more effectual method for the alleviation of suf-
fering, some more potent weapon for the conflict with disease, some clever
device for repairing the damaged human mechanism. Ever and anon the
world hears with mingled wonder and thanksgiving of a new conquest
of disease and disaster which a few years ago would have been placed



666 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

within the field of the impossible. To keep in touch with these discov-
eries means constant alertness, and while there may be in many quarters
indolence in keeping pace with modern thought, the' highest type of
physician believes it no less than a crime not to be master of the latest
means of science. To this type belongs Dr. Robert Vincent Martin, his
constant thought and endeavor being devoted to the profession of which
he is so admirable an exponent.

Dr. Martin was born in Barnwell county, South Carolina, in 1877,
his parents being William E. and Sarah Harriet (Thompson) Martin.
The father was born at "Mock Orange" plantation, the ancestral home
of the Martins, in Barnwell county, South Carolina, and he and the
subject's mother are now residents of Albany, Georgia. Since leaving
the plantation early in life, the elder gentleman has been a railroad man.

Dr. Martin can trace his genealogy back to 1396, to Sir John Mark-
ham, judge of court of common pleas. The doctor's paternal grand-
father was John Vincent Martin, of Barnwell county, who was a son of
Judge William D. Martin, also of that county.

Judge Martin was a distinguished lawyer and jurist and a member
of congress from South Carolina. He married the daughter of Dr. Peter
Williamson of Edgefield, South Carolina, who was a surgeon of the
Revolutionary war. Judge Martin was twice married, his second wife
being the daughter of Chief Justice Dorsey of Maryland. The subject's
mother, whose birthplace was in Charleston, South Carolina, is of
English descent. Her family, as well as that of the Martins, are
descended from ancestors whose names are promient in colonial and
Revolutionary history. One of the first Martins in America was Capt.
Abram Martin, a participant in the colonial wars and an early settler
from England, of Westmoreland county, Virginia.

When Robert Vincent was a young boy, his parents left the old
homestead in South Carolina and came to the Forest city, but did not
reside here permanently, going from this city to Macon. In the latter
city the subject received his preliminary education. He early decided
to adopt the medical profession as his own and to gain the necessary
preparation he matriculated in the Charleston Medical College of the
state of South Carolina, from which he was graduated with the class of
1904. He went thence to New York City and entered the department
of health, and during his connection therewith he was on duty particu-
larly in that branch of the department devoted to contagious diseases.
For his work in said department he was granted a diploma and his
training thus received was of remarkably valuable character. Following
this he served as interne in the New York City hospital, and from this
entered the lying-in hospital as interne, receiving diplomas from both
of these institutions. His work in these hospitals gave him a very wide
range of experience for the beginning of his work as a regular practi-
tioner.

Dr. Martin began his practice in Savannah in April, 1906. and lias
established a splendid name for himself as a physician and surgeon.
He is a member of the staff of the Georgia Infirmary. With the county,
state and American medical associations he has affiliation and he has
served as second vice-president of the First Congressional District Med-
ical Society. He is a member of the Landrum lodge of Masons and
finds no small amount of pleasure in his relations with the ancient
and august order. He has taken an active part in local military affairs;
he joined the First Regiment of Infantry. National Guard of Georgia,
becoming first lieutenant on March 28. 1907. and subsequently was pro-
moted 1o his present rank, that of major of the medical department.

On January 8, 1913, Dr. Martin was united in marriage to Annie,



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 667

daughter of McDonald Dunwody and great-granddaughter of Gov. C.
J. McDonald of Georgia.

Dr. George Mosse Norton. One of the best known men in the
medical profession in Savannah, is Dr. George Mosse Norton. His
father and other members of his family were of the medical profession,
and his ability in this line may be credited somewhat to inheritance.
Born of one of the oldest southern families, he has lived up to the repu-
tation for wit, and brilliancy and strength of character which had
belonged to his ancestors for generations. Although one of the younger
physicians in the city he has attained a success that an older practi-
tioner might envy.

Dr. Norton was born in Savannah, Georgia, on the 29th of November,
1873, the son of Dr. Robert Godfrey Norton and Martha Jane (Edwards)
Norton. He is descended from Jonathan Norton, a native of England,
who early in life came to America and settled on the Island of St.
Helena, off the coast of South Carolina. He was born in 1705 and died
in 1774, his wife being Mary Ann Chaplin. One of his daughters,
Dorothy Phoebe, became the wife of Dr. George Mosse. The latter
was a notable character in the coast country of South Carolina and in
Savannah. He was born, reared and educated for the medical pro-
fession in the University of Dublin, Ireland. Soon after his graduation
he came as a physician to America and settled on the Island of St.
Helena, where he subsequently became the owner of a large amount of
landed property. In addition to this professional practice he was a
large planter and a manufacturer of leather. He became in time a man
of considerable wealth, and of prominence in this section of the country.
Both the Nortons and the Mosses were originally members of the
Protestant Episcopal church, but after coming to America they became
devoted members of the Baptist church. Dr. George Mosse, at his own
expense, built a house of worship on the Island of St. Helena. The
advantages for education on the island were extremely meagre, so in
order to better educate his younger children, in about 1799 or 1800,
he removed with his family to Savannah. He had a large family and
one of his daughters, Martha, became the wife of Col. Alexander Lawton.
They were the parents of Gen. A. R. Lawton, now deceased, who was
one of the most distinguished lawyers in Savannah, a brigadier general
in the Confederate army, and for a long time the general attorney of
the Central of Georgia Railroad. Members of the Norton family lived
on the Island of St. Helena for over a hundred years and have been
closely identified with the history of that island, as well as with the
near-by towns of South Carolina ; Beaufort, Bluffton, Robertville and
Black Swamp, and with Savannah.

The great-great-grandfather of Dr. George Mosse Norton was
William Norton, son of the original Jonathan Norton. "William Norton
married Mary Godfrey, and like, Dr. Mosse, removed in later life from
the Island of St. Helena, to Savannah. One of his sons, the great-
grandfather of the present Dr. Norton, was Robert Godfrey Norton, who
was a soldier of the Continental line during the Revolutionary war.
Robert Godfrey Norton married his cousin, Sarah Mosse, and most of his
life was spent at Robertville, South Carolina. One of their sons was
Dr. Alexander Norton, grandfather of Dr. George Mosse Norton. For a
number of years Dr. Alexander Norton practiced medicine in the city
and was the first official port physician of Savannah. He married
Miss Julia Green, and after living for a number of years in Robertville,
after the close of the Civil war, he again returned to Savannah and died
here in 1869.



668 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Dr. Robert Godfrey Norton was born in Robertville, South Carolina,
on the 17th of March, 1841, and died in Savannah in J.900. He was a
graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Baltimore, and
also of the Charleston Medical College, and was one of the leading
physicians in Savannah for many years. He was married in 1861 to
Martha Jane Edwards, of Effingham county, Georgia, and they became
the parents of the following children: Fannie Cone, who is now the wife
of Gordan L. Groover, of Savannah ; Robert G. ; William Edwards ;
George Mosse, and Walter Abell. The latter is a physician and is
practicing medicine in Savannah. Dr. William Edwards Norton, who
was also a physician of Savannah, died in this city in March, 1911.

Dr. George Mosse Norton was reared in Savannah and was educated
in the public schools of his home city and in the University of Georgia,
at Athens. He studied medicine in the Southern Medical College at
Atlanta, Georgia, from which he was graduated in the class of 1898.
Two years later he went to New York City, where he took post-graduate
work in the New York Post-Graduate Medical School. He then began
his practice in Savannah and soon became one of the successful members
of his profession in the city. He has continued to build up a large
general practice, but of late years he has turned his attention more
directly to surgery. He is a member of the. Georgia and the American
Medical Associations, and is a member of the staff of Park View Sana-
torium. In his fraternal relations he is a member of the Masons and
the Elks. For several years he was an active member of the Georgia
Hussars, in which he was surgeon with the rank of lieutenant. He
was awarded a medal for horsemanship by the Hussars in 1S99.

The city of Savannah is noted for its historic old mansions, and
the home of Dr. Norton is one of the most notable. It was originally
built by Joseph Waldburg as a home for his family, and after his death
it was occupied for many years by his son-indaw, Colonel Clinch, a
native of South Carolina. The house is an example of that substantial
style of architecture used by men of wealth in a former age, when
timber was plentiful, and veneer was unknown. The walls of the house
are more than two feet thick, and the brick of which it is built is all
rosined as are the hardwood floors. The ceilings, walls, partitions and
other inside wood work are all of the costliest and most durable mate-
rials. The interior furnishings, decorations and the wonderful chande-
liers were all imported from Europe and most of these still remain to
add to the artistic beauty of the house itself. A delightful garden on
the Barnard street side of the house is in keeping with the rest, and on
the west side is another garden which affords a charming playground
for the children. The property has one hundred and twenty feet of
frontage on Oglethorpe avenue, and from a financial standpoint is one
of the most valuable in the city. The house is built with two stories
and a basement, containing many rooms of the generous proportions
that our ancestors enjoyed. It cost $55,000 and required three years
and a half in building.

Doctor Norton was married in Savannah, October 6. 1902. to Miss
Leila Exley, daughter of Marquis L. and Emma N. (Grovenstein) Exley.
They have four children ; Elizabeth Emma. Leila Lucile. Angela
Willie, and George Mosse. Jr.

Alfred Kent. The life of a good and just man and the record of
his deeds are in themselves the purest biography, and in this connec-
tion something more than a simple announcement is due to the memory
of one who was known to everyone in Savannah for his kindness and
generosity to his fellow men. the late Alfred Kent. His talents as a



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEOKGIA 669

business man made him a conspicuous figure in the commercial world,
of his native city, and he might have risen to a place of prominence
in public life had his modesty not forbidden, but it is rather as a kindly,
charitable philanthropist and true Southern gentleman that he is remem-
bered by his fellow-townsmen, and he has left to his descendants the
heritage of an honorable name and one on which there is not the slightest
stain or blemish. Mr. Kent was born March 31, 1823, on West Broad
street, opposite the head of St. Julian street, this part of the city hav-
ing been the home of the Kent family since the early part of the nine-
teenth century. His parents were Ezra and Harriet (Vallotton) Kent,
the latter having been the daughter of James Vallotton of South Caro-
lina. Ezra Kent was born in Rhode Island in 1793 and came to Savan-
nah about 1819. He was a wheelwright by trade and established in
3820 the business that was after his death continued by his son. After
the custom of earlier days, the home and the shop were adjacent, and
during all the years that the wheelwright and carriage business was
carried on by the Kents, father and son, the work place adjoined the
residence on West Broad street. This residence (No. 35 West Broad
street), which until recently was occupied as a home by William Alfred
Kent, the son of Alfred Kent, is one of the historic structures of Savan-
nah. It is one hundred and fifty years old, one of the oldest houses in
the city, and adjoining it on the south is the house in which President
Monroe was entertained in May, 1819. It was moved in 18-45 to its
present location by Ezra Kent from the site where now stands Trinity
Methodist church, on the west side of Telfair place, and still bears in
its front the hole made by a cannon ball from Count d'Estaing's fleet
during the siege of Savannah in 1779.

Alfred Kent, although never having received much school educa-
tion, had finely developed natural talents which enabled him to carry
on the various business affairs of life with great astuteness. He was a
splendid judge of real estate and in early years made purchases of prop-
erty at a very low price that later brought him a large profit, He was
a born business man and money maker, and had he cared to, he no doubt
could have become a man of very great wealth. He was not of an
acquisitive nature, however, and his kind-heartedness and his leniency
with those who owed him money kept him often from getting what was
rightfully his. He never turned away anyone who was in need, neither
would he ever sue a man for debt, and many times renters occupying
houses belonging to him were allowed to become long overdue in their
obligations. He was of that sturdy New England stock which was well
grounded in the principle that better than honors and wealth is an
irreproachable name. For many years he continued the carriage busi-
ness which had been established by his father, but the latter years of his
life were principally devoted to looking after his large and valuable
real estate.

Mr. Kent enjoyed the distinction of being the oldest member of
the Georgia Hussars, to which he had belonged since 1851, and of which
in later years he was made an honorary member for life. As a citizen
of Savannah he rendered valuable service to the Confederacy during
the war between the states, and he was one of the committee of citi-
zens whose duty it was to turn over the city to General Sherman upon
the occasion of the occupation of the city in December, 1864. He took
an active and influential part in public affairs, but never held but one
office, that of tax assessor during the administration of Mayor Wheaton.
He might have become more prominent in this respect if he had so
desired, but he was a man of modest demeanor and never obtruded
himself upon public attention. His counsels were often sought, how-



670 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

ever, where matters of importance in city affairs were under considera-
tion, and his advice and suggestions were always appreciated. He was
a lover of fine horses, and at all times had many in his stahle, and he
was an adept in handling fractious horses, always mastering them.
He enjoyed most of all his home life, which was happy and congenial,
and his keenest sorrow came with the loss of his wife, his life's partner
of more than fifty years, whose death occurred in 1908, and who before
her marriage was Sarah M. Ferrell, a native of South Carolina. In
February, 1908, about one month after the death of his wife, Mr. Kent
fell ill, and from this ailment he never recovered, his death occurring
February 27, 1910. In the demise of this old and honored citizen the
city of Savannah suffered a severe loss, and it will be long ere one to
acceptably fill his place will be found.

William Alfred Kent, the only son of Alfred and Sarah M. (Fer-
rell) Kent, was born and spent all of his life in the city of Savannah.
He was married in this city in 1876 to Miss Elizabeth J. Hood, daughter
of Jason Paris and Sarah J. (Morrell) Hood, a descendant of the family
of which General Hood was a member. Mr. Hood, who has been dead
for several years, is well remembered by the older residents of Savan-
nah. He was born in Wilkes county, Georgia, the son of Burwell Hood,
a pioneer of the state, and was for several years a bookkeeper and
accountant for Weed & Company and for the Central of Georgia Rail-
road. Mr. and Mrs. William A. Kent have had five children: Susie
Vallotton, deceased, who was the wife of A. L. Stokes, of Charleston,
South Carolina, and had one daughter — Susie Vallotton Kent Stokes;
Alfred Duncan, who is married and has one daughter — Alfreda
Mayla; William Hood, who is married and has two children — William
Alfred, Jr., and Richard Hood ; Miss Sadie ; and Julia Holland, who
married C. N. Wilson, of Bainbridge, Georgia, and has one son — William
Carson.

James Thomas McLaughlin, D. D. S. One of the leading dental
practitioners of Appling county, Georgia, and a man who has done
much' to advance the interests of his city and county, is James Thomas
McLaughlin, D. D. S., of Baxley, who has acquired distinction in his
chosen profession by close application, thorough mastery of the prin-
ciples of the science and a delicacy and accuracy of mechanical skill
so necessary in this important calling. Dr. McLaughlin was born Febru-
ary 7, 1882, in Wayne county, Georgia, on his father's farm, located
near Odum, and is a son of J. A. and Rebecca (O'Quinn) McLaughlin,
natives of Georgia, and now residents of Odum, where the father, a
machinist by trade, has of recent years been engaged in the mercantile
business. Dr. McLaughlin's maternal and paternal grandfathers served
as soldiers in a Georgia regiment during the war between the states.

His great-grandfather was Scotch and French, was born in North
Carolina and was named James McLaughlin. His grandfather was
also named James.

James Thomas McLaughlin was five years of age when he was taken
by his parents from the Wayne county farm to Brunswick. Georgia.
where he commenced his education in the public schools. lie was eleven
years old when the family removed to AVayeross. and after spending
three years there and a like period in Statesborough. went to Fitzgerald,
a locality in which the family remained two years. After finishing the
graded course in the public schools. Dr. McLaughlin attended Black-
shear high school, and on being graduated therefrom became a student



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 671

in the Dental College, from which he was graduated in 1908 with high
honors, being especially commended by his college preceptors for excel-'
lence in his work. Subsequently he took a course in the Southern Col-
lege of Pharmacy, at Atlanta, and on leaving that institution began
the practice of his profession at Bristol, but after one year there changed
his field of operations to Baxley. Here he has established a most satis-
factory professional business, his careful and skillful work having given
him a high reputation. He has well appointed offices, the mechanical
equipments of which are of modern design, while all work is executed
with scrupulous fidelity and the utmost skill. The Doctor enjoys
marked popularity and esteem in professional, fraternal and social cir-
cles, and is recognized as an able and progressive business man, energetic
and public spirited. He belongs to the Blue Lodge of Masonry, the
Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen of the World.

Dr. McLaughlin was married October 4, 1905, to Miss Jessamond
Dae Carter, daughter of Dr. L. A. Carter, of Nashville, Georgia, and
they have one child, James Treyvance, a bright lad of six years. Dr.
and Mrs. McLaughlin are faithful members of the Missionary Baptist
church, and are widely and favorably known in religious and social
circles.

Charles Anderson Davis. A man who has ever been useful in his
community, and an able assistant in promoting its agricultural pros-
perity, Charles Anderson Davis, of Hickory Head district, Brooks
county, has nearly all of his life been a tiller of the soil, and in the
independent occupation still finds his greatest pleasure. He was born
on the farm which he now owns and occupies December 18, 1865, a son
of Charles A. Davis.

Charles A. Davis, the father, was born, January 21, 1824, in Jones
county, Georgia, but was brought up in Harris county, where his par-
ents moved when he was a child, and where they spent their remaining
years. He had a natural talent for music, with a clear, strong voice, and
while a young man taught music, having classes in Lowndes county, and
in various other counties in southwest Georgia. When ready to settle
permanently in life, he bought a tract of land in Hickory Head district,
in what is now Brooks county, and built a commodious and substantial
log house, which has since been weather-boarded on the outside, and
sealed inside. With the help of slaves he cleared a large part of the
land, and carried on farming, being assisted by his slaves until they
were freed. During the war between the states he served in the Georgia
Reserves, going with his command to the defense of Atlanta. On the
farm which he cleared from the forest, he resided until his death, Oc-
tober 8, 1884. He was a total abstainer from both liquor and tobacco.

The maiden name of the wife of Charles A. Davis was Henrietta
McMullen. She was born in that part of Lowndes county now included
in Brooks county, December 3, 1831, and died December 25, 1895. Her
father, Hon. James McMullen, a native of Georgia, was taken by his
parents to southwest Georgia when young, they having been among the
earlier settlers of Thomas county. Some time after his marriage he re-
moved from there to that part of Lowndes county now known as Brooks
county, buying a tract of land in Hickory Head district. With the help
of slaves he redeemed a farm from the wilderness, and there both he and
his wife spent their last days. He was an active member of the Whig
party, and represented his district one or more terms in the state legis-
lature, and as that was before the days of railroads in this part of the



672 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

country he journeyed to Milledgeville, then the capital of Georgia,
on the back of a mule. To Charles A. and Henrietta Davis eight chil-
dren were born, as follows: James R. ; Fannie; Jefferson; Charles A.,
the subject of this brief biographical record ; Henrietta ; William J.,
who died at the age of twenty-seven years ; and Maggie May.

Receiving his early educational advantages in the common schools,
Charles Anderson Davis developed into manhood on the home farm,
being trained to the habits of industry and thrift which laid the foun-
dations of his subsequent success. At the age of twenty-one years he
started in life for himself as an agriculturist, for four years having
charge of his brother's farm, later superintending the management of
Dr. McCall's and Judge Moi-ton's estates. In 1898 Mr. Davis purchased
the parental homestead, which he has since managed with most satis-
factory results, as a general farmer and stock-raiser, being eminently
successful. He has a very pleasant home, and in the yard in front
of the house is a pecan tree that invariably attracts the attention of the
passerby. The nut from which it "sprang was planted by Mr. Davis'
sister about fifty years ago, and the trunk is now fully twelve feet in
circumference, the limbs being very long, and the shape symmetrical,
the tree being, it is said, the largest tree of the kind in Georgia.

On October 18, 1899, Mr. Davis was united in marriage with Miss
Clifford Anderson Arrington, a native of Brooks county, Georgia. Her
father, Thomas Arrington, was born in Twiggs county, Georgia. Leav-
ing home at the age of eighteen years, he became a pioneer settler of
what is now Brooks county. Buying a tract of heavily timbered land,
he felled the giant trees, uprooted the sod, and on the homestead which
he hewed from the forest spent his remaining years, passing away in
1881, aged fifty-six years. Mr. Arrington was three times married, his
first and second wives having been near relatives. He had four chil-
dren by his first union, namely : William, Mattie, Louise, and Henry ;
but of his second marriage there were none. Mr. Arrington married for
his third wife Fannie Denmark, who was born in Brooks county. Geor-
gia, a daughter of Thomas and Amanda (Groover) Denmark. At
his death he left her with six children to bring up and educate, namely:
Annie D. ; Briggs A. ; Hattie ; Clifford Anderson, now Mrs. Davis ;
Julia S. ; and Thomas N. Mr. Arrington had assisted his older children,
those by his first wife, to homes of their own 'ere his death, and there-
fore he left to his third wife and her children his entire plantation.
Mrs. Arrington was a woman of much energy and ability, and she
superintended the farm herself, making the rounds of the place on
horseback, and proved herself such a good manager that she was en-
abled to give each of her children either a college or an academical
education, fitting each for the vocation which he or she might choose.
She died in June, 1900, having accomplished her life purpose. Mr. and
Mrs. Davis have one child, Charles Anderson Davis. Jr.. born June 11,
1909.

William J. Lewis. Postmaster at Dawson, Terrell county. si?ice
1906, Mr. Lewis began his public career at the age of twenty-one as
deputy sheriff in Columbia comity, Florida. He has been a practical
man all his life and was at work in a printing shop when eleven years
old, and finally became head of a printing establishment of his own.
Mr. Lewis belongs to an old family of the Carolinas and Georgia, which
lias furnished a number of soldiers, civil officials, and men of ability to
the nation and community.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 673

William J. Lewis was bora January 10, 1874, and is a son of Wil-
liam Turner Lewis, who was born in Carroll county, Virginia, and a /
grandson of Archibald Lewis, who was also born in that county of
Virginia. It is believed that this branch of the Lewis family is directly
descended from a General Hepsibah Lewis, who was a soldier of the
Revolutionary war. Archibald Lewis, the grandfather, moved from
Virginia into North Carolina and settled at Mt. Airy on the French
Broad river, where he spent the remainder of his days.

William Turner Lewis, the father, was a youth when his father
died and then came under the guidanceship of an older brother, Charles
W. Lewis. This older brother went away to the war as a Confederate
soldier on the beginning of hostilities. The younger boy wanted to
enlist in the same regiment but his brother would not consent. He
therefore ran away from home and when sixty miles from his home
community enlisted in Captain Logan Whitlock's company with which
he went into Virginia and participated in many of the historic cam-
paigns and battles of the war. He was slightly wounded in the foot
by a spent ball, but escaped capture. His service as a soldier con-
tinued until the close and he then returned home and with his brother
engaged in the tobacco business for a while. Then with his brother
he came into Georgia, and this migration was accomplished from begin-
ning to end across country, with a team. William Turner Lewis located
at Dawson where he was engaged in merchandising for a time and sub-
sequently at farming near the town. He then returned to Dawson
again, and once more became one of the local merchants. While in
the war he had contracted inflammatory rheumatism and eventually
was incapacitated for business, so that he was succeeded by his sons.
He died greatly respected as a citizen and man on June 28, 1898. He
had served as a deputy sheriff of Terrell county, and also as mayor of
Dawson.

William Turner Lewis married Frances Cora Bell, who was bora
in Webster county, Georgia, daughter of Arthur and Eliza Bell. Her
father was a well-to-do farmer in Webster county. Mrs. Lewis died in
early life, and the father was again married, Mrs. Susan (Jones)
Clarke, of Lee county, becoming his wife. The three children of the
first marriage were Charles G., William J., and Archibald A., all of
whom were carefully reared by their step-mother, who had two sons by
her first marriage, named George E. Clarke and Albert S. Clarke.

While growing up to manhood in Dawson and Terrell county Wil-
liam J. Lewis attended the public schools, but most of his education
was attained through practical experience and the inevitable education
which goes with the printers' trade. When eleven years old he became
printers' devil in the mechanical department of the Dawson News, and
there learned the art preservative. When four years had passed and he
had become an expert workman, he went to Murphy, North Carolina,
where he was employed in typesetting for three years, and thence
moved to Fort AVhite, Florida, where he edited the Fort White Herald.
Then at the age of twenty-one, Mr. Lewis was appointed deputy sheriff
of Columbia county, Florida, and served two years in that office. Re-
turning to Dawson in 1895, he took the position of foreman of the Netvs
office, and some time later bought the job printing department of the
News and conducted a successful printing business until 1906. In that
year he was appointed postmaster at Dawson, and has been continued in
this office by reappointment to the present time.

Mr. Lewis on May 31, 1896, married Miss Selina Hay, a daughter of



674 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Isaac and Mollie (Cannon) Hay, and a granddaughter of Martin Hay
and Jeptha Cannon. Isaac Hay is one of the most successful farmers
in South Georgia. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have two children named Charles
Arthur and Alice Maybell. The family worship in the Methodist
church and Mr. Lewis is affiliated with Dawson Camp No. 74. of the
Woodmen of the World, being consul commander.

John A. Foster. Connected with the lumber interest of the south
since boyhood and holding rank among the progressive men who have
been instrumental in developing this industry in Georgia. John A. Fos-
ter is widely known among the business men of this state and more
especially in the city of Savannah, where he is a member of the firm of
Hilton & Dodge Lumber Company.

John A. Foster was born in Savannah, in 1853, a son of John A.
and Ruth (Lachlison) Foster, natives respectively of Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania and Preston, England, the mother being a sister of the
mother of Joseph Hilton, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work.
A brother of Mr. Foster is Captain James L. Foster, an account of
whose distinguished services as a soldier follows on a succeeding page.

John A. Foster was reared in his native city where he was brought
up amid the excitement of Avar and in the hardships of reconstruction
and resided there until 1869 when he went to Darien. Like his brother
he has been connected Avith the Hilton & Foster Lumber interests, noAV
knoAvn as the Hilton-Dodge Lumber Company, since 1869. At that
time, when only sixteen years of age, he started at Darien as a board
inspector, and in 1882 became a partner in the firm AA'ith which he has
since been connected as a member. He had charge of the southern di-
vision of the Hilton-Dodge Lumber Company until 1907. in which year
he came to Savannah. For several years he resided at Ceylon on the
Santillo river, AA ? here the company had two mills and from that point
moved to a home on St. Simon's Island, Avhere his family resided until
the removal to Savannah in 1907. Mr. Foster's long experience in the
lumber industry has given him a A^ast and comprehensiA'e knowledge
of every detail of the business, and he is regarded as one of the
best informed lumbermen in the state. He returned from Nicaragua.
April 19, 1913, and is iioav negotiating with the government of Nicara-
gua for timber properties and a transcontinental railroad franchise,
which looks A r ery faA r orable. His business capacity is of a high order,
but high as this ability has ranked in the special department of
Georgia's industries to which his energies have been so long and so
successfully deA^oted, it stands not higher than his personal character
in the estimation of a large circle of acquaintances and of the people
of that portion of the state where his large interests are centered.

Mr. Foster has been twice married, his first AA-ife having been Miss
Estella Floyd, who was the mother of four children, namely: Ruth.
Katharine, Ida Hilton and Jule Floyd. Three years following the death
of his first Avife, Mr. Foster Avas married to Miss Augusta Russell, and
they have five children, Avhose names are Georgia. Elizabeth Lachlison.
Rosa Lee. Floyd and John.

Capt. Henry Cumming Cunningham. A man of distinctiA-e culture
and forceful individuality, Capt. Henry Cumming Cunningham is an
able and influential member of the Savannah bar. and a citizen of promi-
nence. He Avas born April 5, 1842, in Savannah, a son of Dr. Alexander
and Anna Prances (Mayhew) Cunningham, and in the city schools
acquired his first knowledge of books.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 675

In 1858 he entered South Carolina College, now the University of/
South Carolina, and was there graduated with the class of 1861. Im-
mediately after receiving his diploma, he entered the Confederate army
as a private, and one year later, upon competitive examination, was
appointed first lieutenant of artillery, and assigned to ordnance duty
upon the staff of Gen. William B. Talliaferro, who was stationed in
Savannah. Later Captain Cunningham was in service at Charleston,
South Carolina, being with the army at the evacuation of that city.
Subsequently, while holding a similar position upon the staff of Gen.
Stephen Elliott, he participated in the battles at Averysboro and Ben-
tonville, and in other engagements of the Carolina campaign, at the
close of the conflict being paroled at Greensboro.

After the war Captain Cunningham returned to Savannah, and
entered the service of the Central of Georgia Railway Company, first as
a clerk, and later becoming treasurer of the company. Studying law
in the meantime, the captain was admitted to the bar in 1872, and for
four years was associated in the practice of his profession with Charles
N. West. From 1876 until 1881, he maintained an individual practice,
in the latter year forming a partnership with Gen. A. R. Lawton and
A. R. Lawton, Jr., the firm of Lawton & Cunningham was established,
and has been continued under this name ever since, a period of more
than thirty years. Upon the withdrawal of General Lawton from the
firm, Captain Cunningham became senior member of the firm, which
is one of the leading law firms of Georgia. This firm is general counsel
for the Central of Georgia Railway Company, and has an extensive and
lucrative patronage.

From 1880 until 1887 Captain Cunningham was corporation attorney
of Savannah, and he is now one of the members of the board of managers
of the Georgia Historical Society. He is senior warden of the Christ
church, Episcopal, and occupies an honored place among Savannah's
most distinguished citizens.

Captain Cunningham married first, December 19, 1867, Miss Virginia
Waldburg Wayne, a daughter of Dr. Richard Wayne, of Savannah.
She died, leaving four children, of whom three are living, namely:
Thomas Mayhew Cunningham ; Mrs. Virginia C. Cleveland ; and C.
Wayne Cunningham. The captain was subsequently married to Miss
Nora Lawton, a daughter of Gen. A. R. Lawton, and they have one
daughter, Miss Sarah A. Cunningham.

William Barron Crawford, M. D., Savannah, Georgia, is classed
in the foremost rank of the younger members of his profession in this
city, where he was born and reared.

Dr. Crawford dates his birth in 1876. Through his father, William
C. Crawford, he traces the line of ancestry back to progenitors in Scot-
land: and through his mother, Mary (Barron) Crawford, he claims
Irish blood.

The first of the Crawfords who came to this country from Scotland
landed here as early as 1663 and made settlement in Appling county,
Virginia, which was the home of the family for many generations. There
were born his grandfather and great-grandfather Crawford, both named
William, and both of whom, when the former was a small child, came
to Georgia. In Muscogee county, near Columbus, Georgia, William C.
Crawford, the doctor 's father, was born, and from there, at the age of six
years, was brought by his parents to Savannah, which city remained his
home during the rest of his life, and where he died in 1883. He was a

Vol. 11—10



676 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

successful merchant, and for a number of years was a member of the
hardware firm of Crawford & Lovell.

The doctor's mother died in Savannah in 1890. She was born in
Philadelphia and in her childhood came to Savannah, where she grew
up and married and where the rest of her life was passed. Her mother
was a native of the city of Cork, Ireland, and a member of the 'Brien
family which furnished a bishop to the Roman Catholic church.

After his graduation from the Savannah high school, William B.
Crawford, having decided to enter the medical profession, went to New
York to pursue his studies. There, in 1899, he graduated from the
medical department of Columbia University, after which he spent two
years as interne in Roosevelt Hospital. Returning to Savannah in
1901, he opened an office and began the practice of his profession among
the people who had known him since childhood. Thoroughly fitted for
his work, and with a deep interest in and love for it, his practice has
been attended with success from its beginning, and today he occupies a
position among the leading physicians of the city. He is consulting
surgeon of St. Joseph's Hospital, and is identified with a number of
medical organizations, including the American, the State and County
Medical societies. He is a member of the Catholic church, and also
has membership in the Hibernian Society, Knights of Columbus, and
B. P. 0. E.

Dr. Crawford's family consists of his wife and two children, Mary
Barron and William. Mrs. Crawford, formerly Miss Rachel Miles Shell-
man, is a daughter of Maj. W. F. Shellman.

Grantham I. TagGxVRT. In recalling the men who have contributed
to the business prosperity of Savannah, Georgia, and whose names belong
to the roll of men of distinction in military life, the late Col. Grant-
ham I. Taggart claims prominent notice. His birth took place on
October 17, 1828, at Northumberland, Pennsylvania, and his death
occurred October 24, 1905, at Savannah, Georgia. His father was
James Taggart and his grandfather was Capt.. Joseph Israel Taggart
who commnded a Delaware contingent in the Continental array in the
Revolutionary war and was imprisoned on the British frigate. Roebuck.

In the schools of Northumberland, Pennsylvania, Grantham I. Tag-
gart obtained his education and when he was sixteen years of age his
practical father decided that his services could be profitably utilized in
his grocery store. That the youth had other ambitions may be judged
by the fact that he continued his studies at night in order to qualify
himself for teaching school and in fact, taught two terms of school just
across the Susquehanna river from his native place. Prior to this, how-
ever, he had had his first taste of military life, in 1815 enlisting as a
volunteer for service in the Mexican war, and, although young, had
been made second lieutenant of the Sixth Company, First Battalion,
Third Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard. Whether it was the
times in which he lived that aroused his military spirit and later
developed his powers, or, whether they were an inheritance from his
Revolutionary grandfather, may not be determined, hut it is certain
that after the Third Regiment was sent hack home on account of the
cessation of the war, he continued in close touch with military matters
and as a member of the state militia, studied tactics and the science of
war.

In 1853 he left his native place and went to Philadelphia and there
engaged as a clerk in several retail stores on Market street and later,




GRANTHAM I. TAGGART



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 677

in partnership with two other young men, embarked in the hat, cap ancj
fur business in that city, and a satisfactory business was being done
when the Civil war broke out. He joined the first volunteer company
enlisted at Philadelphia and through the interest of Hon. Simon Cam-
eron, then secretary of war, in President Lincoln's cabinet, who was a
friend of his father, the young man was commissioned second lieutenant,
and he continued in the Federal army until the close of hostilities
between the North and South. A record is here presented of the battles
in which he participated: 1861, Bull Run and Fredericksburg; 1862,
Corinth, Island No. 10, New Madrid; 1863, Arkansas Post, Baker's
Creek, Big Black River, Farmington, Grand Gulf, Jackson, Siege of
Vicksburg, Port Gibson and Raymond ; 1864, prior to accompanying
General Sherman's forces on its march to the sea, Long Bridge, Roanoke
Station, Reams Station, Siege of Petersburg, Spottsylvania Court House,
Todd's Tavern, White Oak Swamp, Wilderness, Beaver Dam, Yellow
Tavern, Meadow Bridge, Mechamp's Creek, Ashland and Hawk's Shop.

Colonel Taggart's connection with the history of Savannah began
in the fall of 1864, when, as chief commissary of subsistence, under
Gen. John A. McClernand, with the rank of captain, he entered
Savannah and established headquarters for his department opposite the
residence on Bull street, that was the headquarters of the commander,
General Sherman. His services, however, were never strictly confined
to the commissary department while chief in command, for he was such
an efficient all-around soldier that he was needed in many departments
Diu-ing the siege of Vicksburg he served under General Grant with the
rank of lieutenant-colonel. At various times during the war, Colonel
Taggart was detailed to conduct schools of instruction for officers in
saber practice, being a skilled swordsman. He received many medals
for conspicuous bravery in battle and efficiency on scouting expeditions,
while, in the files of his letters and the documents preserved by his
family, there are included many testimonials as to his ability as a soldier
and officer as well as expressions of the highest personal regard, a num-
ber of these being from General Grant, having enjoyed the confidence
and friendship of the great commander for many years.

Under date of August 23, 1864, Brig.-Gen. John H. Wilson wrote
to Gov. Andrew G. Curtin, of Pennsylvania, as follows:

"Colonel Taggart is well qualified to command a regiment and has
seen varied, active and honorable service in all parts of the country.
I have known him from the beginning of the Vicksburg campaign, and
have always found him at his post. ' '

Under date of June 17, 1863, the following letter was written by
Maj.-Gen. John A. McClernand, from the headquarters of the Thirteenth
Army Corps, near Vicksburg :

"Permit me to recommend Lieutenant-Colonel Taggart, chief com-
missary of the Thirteenth Army Corps, for promotion in the line.
He is an officer of remarkable activity, zeal and aptitude. I believe
he would distinguish himself in command. He has afforded valuable
services to me, not only in his own department, but in general service
on several battlefields. He will fulfill every just expectation. I hope
you will be pleased to give him a wider and more conspicuous field
for the display of his talents." This letter was directed to President
Lincoln.

In January, 1866, Colonel Taggart returned to Savannah, his pre-
vious experiences during war convincing him that here might be found
an ideal home during peace. He established the coal business which



678 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

has been continued by the family ever since, in his later years his two
sons, Grantham I. and John P., under the firm name of Taggart &
Company, assuming charge. This is one of the largest coal firms on the
South Atlantic coast, being wholesale shippers. The firm are coaling
contractors for steamships and they have English representatives in
the firm of Hull, Blythe & Company, of London. "With great foresight
and judgment they are managing the coal situation precipitated by the
recent conditions brought about by coal troubles in England. AVales
and Germany. Colonel Taggart, late in 1866, embarked in a theatrical
enterprise, in partnership with a brother of the late Fanny Davenport,
taking over the management of the old Savannah theater and produc-
ing excellent plays presenting such noted people as Fanny Davenport
and Joseph Jefferson. Although this venture was not a success it was
not so much for want of business foresight as on account of the temper
of the times and a lack of financial stability among people who for-
merly had been of independent fortune. It was some years later before
complete confidence was restored and old-time conditions again pre-
vailed. After his retirement from the theatrical business, Colonel Tag-
gart devoted himself exclusively to his coal interests.

Colonel Taggart married Miss Martha Ethel Kirksey. who was born
at Tallahassee, Florida, and died at Savannah, in 1903. Their two sons,
as mentioned above, are prominent business men of this city and in addi-
tion to his coal connections, Grantham I. Taggart is also president of
the Taggart-Delph Lumber Company of Savannah. While a resident
of Pennsylvania, Colonel Taggart became identified with the Masonic
fraternity and subsequently served as district deputy grand master
of that state.

Harry B. Grimshaw, superintendent of the Seaboard Air Line Rail-
way, Savannah, Georgia, is prominent and popular alike in both busi-
ness and social circles of this city. A brief review of his life gives the
following facts :

Harry B. Grimshaw was born in Choctaw county. Alabama, in 1872.
"When he was a child, his parents removed to southern California, where
he spent twelve years of his boyhood. Returning to Alabama, he began
railroad service in 1890, at the age of eighteen, as a fireman, running
out of Troy, on the old Alabama Midland Railway. He worked on that
road till 1892, when he became an employe of the operating department
of the old Savannah, Americus & Montgomery Railroad (now the Sea-
board Air Line), and has remained with this system, under its different
changes, ever since that time, with the exception of two years, when he
was superintendent of the Savannah & Statesboro Railroad. Mr. Grhn-
sliaw has lived in Savannah since 1898.

On September 1, 1905, Mr. Grimshaw became superintendent of the
Savannah division of the Seaboard Air Line, his jurisdiction then extend-
ing over the Savannah terminals and the lines west of Savannah extend-
ing to Montgomery, Alabama. On November 1. 1910, his jurisdiction
as superintendent was expanded to include, in addition to the territory
just mentioned, the main north and south line of the Seaboard extending
from Columbia. South Carolina, to Jacksonville, Florida. This consol-
idated territory embraces 740 miles of railway, and is perhaps one of the
largest divisions under one division superintendent. Mr. Grimshaw has
rendered notably efficient and skillful services in railroad operation and
is of high standing in railroad official circles.

While not a politician in any sense of the word. Mr. Grimshaw can
be depended upon to support the best men and measures, and is recog-
nized as an all-around representative citizen. In 1910 he was honored



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 679

by being elected a member of the Savannah board of aldermen. Fra-
ternally, he is an Elk and a Mason. He belongs to Ancient Landmark'
Lodge, No. 231, F. & A. M., and Richard Nunn Consistory, No. 1, in
which be received the thirty-second degree, Scottish Rite; and he has
membership in Savannah Lodge of Elks, No. 183.

Robert B. Hubert, of Savannah, is a representative of one of the
prominent families of southern Georgia.

He was born in Effingham county, Georgia, son of Hiram and Lela
M. (Morton) Hubert, now residents of Quitman, Brooks county, this
state. The Huberts are of French Huguenot descent, and the first of
the family who came to America landed in the Old Dominion following
the Edict of Nantes. From Virginia Hiram Hubert 's father came to
Georgia, about 1800, and made settlement in Warren county. The
original home established by him in that county is still in possession of
the Hubert family. Hiram Hubert, a native of Warren county, lived
for several years in Effingham county, where he was a prosperous
planter, and from whence he removed to Quitman, Brooks county, which,
as above stated, is still his home. Mr. Hubert's mother, Lela M. (Mor-
ton) Hubert, was born at Halcyondale, Screven county, Georgia, where
her father, who was a native of Massachusetts, had settled in the early
days. Her father was of English descent and her mother, whose
maiden name was Archer, was descended from one of the Salzburger
colonists from Germany who settled in Effingham county in 1734. Mrs.
Hubert's maternal grandmother was an Ennis, a member of a family
who came direct from the north of Ireland to south Georgia previous
to the year 1800. An uncle of the subject of this sketch, his mother's
eldest brother, the late J. 0. Morton, who died at Quitman, Georgia, in
1910, at the age of ninety-two years, was one of the oldest bankers in
the Dnited States and had been in the banking business at Quitman
for a number of years.

Robert B. Hubert received his education in the public schools of
Quitman and lived there with his parents until 1891, when he came
to Savannah. This city has since been his home. In 1906, the Savan-
nah Pure Milk Company, of which he was one of the organizers, was es-
tablished, and he became its secretary and manager and continued with
the company until it was dissolved, 1911. He is now in the dairy busi-
ness for himself at 16 Estell avenue, where he has a large and modern
plant.

Mr. Hubert is one of the prominent Masons of Savannah and Georgia.
He is a member of Solomon's Lodge, No. 1, of Savannah, of which, in
1910, he served as worshipful master; also he is a Knight Templar Ma-
son and a member of Alee Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. of Savannah.

Mr. Hubert's wife, formerly Miss Josephine Boulineau Hodges, Avas
born and reared in Savannah.

Raiford Falligant. Among the more prominent members of the
younger generation of the bar of Savannah is Raiford Falligant, who has
attained a deservedly high place for ability and integrity in his profes-
sion. As indicated by his name he is of French stock and comes of a
race distinguished for their patriotism and military enthusiasm, the
Falligant history containing several pages unsurpassed in interest and
romance. In days of peace, the stanch traits transmitted by his ances-
tors are revealed in the subject in a particularly good type of citizenship.

Savannah is the scene of the birth of Raiford Falligant, his life rec-
ord having begun within the fair boundaries of the city on the 12th
day of January, 1879. He is the son of Dr. Louis Alexander and Rosa



680 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Oliver (Brown) Falligant. The father was born in Augusta in 1836
and died at his home in Savannah July 5, 1903. He was a physician
and surgeon of unusual distinction and a veteran of the Civil war. He
held the post of surgeon in the Confederate army ; was stationed at
Fort Pulaski just prior to its capture; and had charge of the medical
department at the time Sherman's army came into Savannah. He had
studied medicine in the medical department of Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity at Baltimore and his breadth of spirit led him in later years to
perfect himself also in the homeopathic school and he combined the two
schools in his practice. He was city health officer and an alderman of
Savannah for a number of years. He achieved much well-merited fame
as an expert on yellow fever, which came to him following his heroic
services as a physician in Savannah during the yellow fever epidemic
of 1876, at which time he was also a member of the sanitary board of the
city. The federal authorities appointed him a member of the board of
experts of the congressional yellow fever commission in 1878, in which
capacity he went to New Orleans and gave his services to that city
during the great epidemic of 1878. He was a member of the advisory
council of the American Public Health Association; a member of the
American Institute of Homeopathy and a member of the Homeopathic
Yellow Fever Commission. He was one of the most public-spirited men
in his profession and was connected with various other useful activities
in connection. He wrote an exhaustive report of the yellow fever epi-
demic in Savannah in 1876, which was contributed to the medical press
and afterward reprinted in pamphlet form. He was a member of the
Society of Cincinnati, as was also his brother, Judge Robert Falligant.

Dr. Falligant had nine brothers and sisters ; of these, the late Judge
Robert Falligant was also a prominent citizen of Savannah, but in an-
other profession — that of law. He was born in this city in 1839 and died
here on January 3, 1902. He was a state senator for a number of years
and later was judge of the superior court for the Savannah circuit. He
was an able and accomplished jurist and did a large share in contrib-
uting to the high professional prestige of the city which was the scene
of his activities. During the war he was active in the Confederate army
and was lieutenant in command of a field battery of Georgia troops.
After the war he was captain for a number of years of the Oglethorpe
Light Infantry.

Mr. Falligant 's paternal grandfather was Louis Numa Falligant,
who was the son of Louis Falligant, a Frenchman, and it is the record
of the latter 's life that gives to the Falligant family history a romantic
tinge of the greatest interest. It was the latter who was a soldier un-
der Napoleon on the Island of Martinique and founded the Falligant
family on American soil. This Louis Falligant was born in the village
of Paimboeuf, France; was well educated, trained for a soldier and
became an ardent follower and admirer of Napoleon, whose army he
joined. The Little Corporal sent him to the Island of Martinique in
charge of the military stores on the island, a position of importance.
There he met, wooed and married Miss Louise Benedict, a beautiful
young American girl, who in early childhood had lost her parents, in
Norfolk, Virginia, her home, and was taken by a neighboring family to
Martinique. There she was placed in a convent conducted by French
nuns, Josephine de la Pagerie, who later was to become the Empress
Josephine, being a student in the convent at the same time, and the nun
in charge of the school being an aunt of Josephine. Miss Benedict, thus
accustomed to the French language from childhood, became very pro-
ficient in the tongue and when in later years she came to America with
her husband, she had to acquire her native language,



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 681

About the year 1814, or shortly before the downfall of Napoleon,
Louis Falligant and his wife left the Island of Martinique and went, to
Paris and later to Paimboeuf, the ancestral home of the Falligants. The
downfall of Napoleon and the radical change of affairs in France led
Falligant to long for other scenes and he decided to come to America,
his wife's native country. With his wife and children he left France in
the latter part of 1815 and first located in Philadelphia, becoming asso-
ciated in business with Henry Dreeash. He soon removed from Phila-
delphia to Norfolk, Virginia, and in the fall of 1817 he came with his
family to Savannah, where the Falligants have since resided, and where
Louis Falligant resided until his death. His son, Louis Numa Falligant,
was born on the Island of Martinique and was married in Augusta,
Georgia, January 6, 1836, to Miss Eliza Robey Raiford, and these two
were the parents of Dr. L. A. Falligant and Judge Robert Falligant,
referred to in foregoing paragraphs.

Louise Benedict, through her ancestry, was a member of a prominent
family in early colonial history. She was the granddaughter of Eli
Benedict, descendant of an English family that came to America about
the same time as the Puritans and with a number of other English fami-
lies settled the town of Danbury, Virginia. Eli Benedict was a Royalist
in the War of the Revolution and became a lieutenant in the English
army, which he had joined at the age of eighteen. He died November
27, 1795, at the age of thirty-six. The .subject's paternal grandmother,
Eliza Robey (Raiford ) Falligant, was born in North Carolina, daughter
of Alexander Gray and Eliza (Battey) Raiford, and granddaughter of
Robert Raiford, who was captain and brevet major in the Continental
line in the American Revolution.

Mr. Falligant 's mother, who is still living in Savannah, is the daugh-
ter of Marmaduke D. and Catherine Elizabeth (Salfner) Brown. Miss
Salfner was the daughter of Matthew and Dorothy Salfner, who came
with the Salzburger family from Germany to Savannah, about 1759,
being among the earliest settlers of Chatham county. The present gen-
eration, as represented by the subject, still owns much valuable land in
Chatham county that has been in the family since the first generation of
Salfners, who received a grant of land at Vernonsburg (now White
Bluff) from King George.

Mr. Falligant received his preliminary education in the public
schools and subsequently matriculated in the University of Georgia,
from the law department of which he was graduated in the class of
1899. Ever since that time he has been successfully engaged in the
practice of his profession in this city and is one of Savannah's repre-
sentative young citizens.

On the 21st day of April, 1908, Mr. Falligant became a recruit to the
ranks of the benedicts, the young lady to become his wife being Miss
Iola P. Baker, born in Macon, Georgia. They have a son, Raiford, Jr.
They are prominent in the best social circles of the city, and Mr. Falli-
gant is a member of the Society of Cincinnati.

Jefferson Randolph Anderson was born in Savannah, Georgia,
September 4, 1861, and has back of him an honorable and distinguished
ancestry. He is the eldest of five children. In the paternal line he is
descended from Capt, George Anderson, of England, who came to this
country from Berwick on the Tweed, and was married in Trinity church,
New York, on February 16, 1671, to Doborah Grant of that city, and
settled in Savannah about the year 1763. Mr. Anderson's grandfather
was Mr. George Wayne Anderson, who was a nephew of Justice James
M. Wayne of the supreme court of the United States, and was for forty



682 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

years prior to the Civil war the president of the old Planters Bank in
Savannah, one of the greatest of the South 's antebellum financial insti-
tutions. His father was Col. Edward Clifford Anderson, Jr., who, at
the bloody cavalry battle at Trevillians Station, in Virginia, in 1864,
succeeded to the colonelcy of the Seventh Georgia Cavalry in the army
of the Confederacy; and who fell a victim at the post of duty in the
yellow fever epidemic in Savannah in 1876.

In the maternal line, Mr. Anderson is a lineal descendant of Thomas
Jefferson, third president of the United States and author of the Decla-
ration of American Independence, his mother, Jane Margaret Randolph,
of Albemarle county, Virginia, being a granddaughter of Col. Thomas
Jefferson Randolph, of "Edgehill, " in that county, and who himself
was the eldest grandson of Mr. Jefferson.

Jefferson Randolph Anderson obtained his early education in various
schools in Savannah, Georgia, and was graduated from the Chatham
county high school in the class of 1877, and then entered the Hanover
Academy of Hanover county, Virginia, of which Col. Hilary P. Jones
was the principal. He remained a student there through two consecu-
tive years, and in 1879 matriculated in the University of Virginia, spend-
ing there the scholastic years of 1879-80 and 1880-81, pursuing his studies
in various branches in the academic department. He then went abroad
and enjoyed superior educational advantages in the University of Gott-
ingen in Germany, where for nearly two years he pursued the studies
of history, literature and Roman, or civil, law under the celebrated
jurist, Professor von Ehring. Returning to America in the summer of
1883, he again entered the University of Virginia, taking during the
session of 1883-84 a part of the academic course and a part of the law
course. He attended the summer law school of Prof. John B. Minor
during the summer of 1884 and during the following session of 1884-85
took the remainder of the regular law course, being graduated in June,
1885, with the degree of Bachelor of Law.

While at the university, Mr. Anderson was a member of the Alpha
Tau Omega fraternity, which he joined in 1879, and in 1883 he became
a member of a student social organization known as the Eli Banana,
composed of the leading students in the various Greek letter fraternities.
He took active interest in all branches of student life, and in the spring of
1884 was the "bow oar" on the 'varsity crew. In June, 1884. he was
elected by his fellow students to the position of "Pinal President" of
the Jefferson Literary Society, which at that time was regarded, and
perhaps still is regarded, as the highest honor which could be conferred
by the students of the university upon a fellow student.

Mr. Anderson was admitted to the bar in Virginia and began prac-
ticing law in Savannah, Georgia, in November, 1885. in the office of his
relative, the late Judge Walter S. Chisholm. one of the most distinguished
lawyers in Georgia,, who at that time was the general counsel for the
Plant System of Railways, the Southern Express Company and many
other large interests. In the summer of 1887 Mr. Anderson decided to
branch out for himself, and as a preliminary step, took a course in prac-
tical business training in the Eastman Business College at Poughkeepsie,
New York, and opened his law office in Savannah the following October.
In May, 1890, he entered the law firm of Charlton & MaekaU as junior
partner, a partnership which the following year caused the firm style
of Charlton, Mackall & Anderson to be adopted and which was retained
until the retirement of the senior partner in June, 1900. This firm be-
came in 1895 the general counsel for the Georgia & Alabama Railway
and represented many large corporate, as well as private, interests. The
firm of Mackall & Anderson then existed from July, 1900, until October.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 683

1902, when it was dissolved and Mr. Anderson continued for some years
alone in the practice. In February, 1908, he formed a co-partnership
with Hon. George T. Cann, who resigned from the bench of the eastern
judicial circuit of Georgia for that purpose, and this firm under the
style of Anderson & Cann continued until January 1, 1911, when Hon.
J. Ferris Cann became a member and the firm name was changed to
Anderson, Cann & Cann. This firm is the division counsel for the
portions in Georgia of the fourth and fifth divisions of the Seaboard
Air Line Railway, and represents a large and influential clientele, their
practice being general, although largely in the departments of corpora-
tion law and admiralty.

Mr. Anderson participates actively in the business life of his city
and state. He is president of the Savannah & Statesboro Railway
Company, whose management and affairs he personally directs. He is
also president of the Georgia & Alabama Terminal Company, which
owns the great export terminals used by the Seaboard Air Line Railway
Company at Savannah ; and he is a director in quite a number of busi-
ness concerns, among others the Savannah Trust Company, the Atlantic
Compress Company, the Savannah Electric Company, the Savannah
Union Station Company, and the Chatham Real Estate & Improve-
ment Company.

In the field of politics, Mr. Anderson is well and favorably known
throughout the state. He represented his county in the legislature of
3905-06, and quickly earned a state-wide reputation for ability, earnest-
ness and fairness as a legislator. He was re-elected for the session of
1909-10 and occupied the very important position of vice-chairman of
the committee on rules, the speaker being exofficio the chairman. In
politics, Mr. Anderson's chief interest seems to be in the direction of
advocating conservatism in legislation and in matters relating to the
education and improvement of the youth of his state. In the session of
1905, he was vice-chairman of the house committee, which created eight
new counties in Georgia. He energetically supported the measure creat-
ing a juvenile reformatory and he was floor leader in the house for the
movement which enacted the first child labor law in Georgia. In 1906
he actively assisted in the passage of the law which created the system
of congressional agricultural schools in Georgia and he has been since
its establishment the chairman of the board of trustees of the agricul-
tural school for the first congressional district of Georgia. He was also
chairman of the commission appointed by the state to erect in Savannah
a monument to General Oglethorpe, the founder of the original colony
of Georgia, the monument being erected in 1910. In the house of 1909
he introduced measures providing for the extension and improvement
of the child labor law, for the appointment of a tax commission to revise
and equalize the system and methods of state taxation, and for biennial
instead of annual sessions of the legislature.

Mr. Anderson was re-elected for the succeeding term, session of
1910-11, and was influential in bringing about a great deal of help-
ful legislation. He was one of the authors of the bill creating the
bureau of labor ; he was the author of the bill reapportioning the
state of Georgia into twelve congressional districts instead of eleven,
providing for one additional congressman ; he took an active part in
the passage of the act increasing the borrowing power of the governor
from $200,000 to $500,000, and also in that providing for the payment
of corporation taxes in September instead of December. He was one
of the authors of the general educational bill, which became a law. He
was thus concerned in all the leading issues in the legislature and no
member was prominent in a more effective or praiseworthy fashion. In



684 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

the year 1912 Mr. Anderson was one of the eight delegates from the
state at large to the national Democratic convention in Baltimore, and
in October of that year he was elected to the senate of Georgia as senator
from the first senatorial district for the term of two years.

Mr. Anderson during his earlier years took a strong interest in
military matters. He was for several years an active member of the
Georgia Hussars and later held a commission from the state as second
lieutenant in the Savannah Volunteer Guards, two of the oldest and most
historic military organizations in the South. He has also entered upon
various congenial social relations, being a member of the Oglethorpe
Club of Savannah, of which he is the vice-president ; of the Capital City
Club of Atlanta; the Savannah Golf Club; the Savannah Yacht Club;
and the Georgia Historical Society. He is also a Royal Arch Mason,
a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Benevolent and Protec-
tive Order of Elks and of the Sons of the American Revolution. He is
an Episcopalian and is one of the vestrymen of Christ church, Savannah.

Mr. Anderson was married November 27, 1895, to Anne Page Wilder,
of Savannah, only child of Joseph J. and Georgia Page (King) Wilder.
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have had three children : Page Randolph Ander-
son, born August 27, 1899 ; Jefferson Randolph Anderson, born Sep-
tember 3, 1902, died November 29, 1903 ; and Joseph "Wilder Anderson,
born April 22, 1905. The family residence is in Savannah, with a sum-
mer home, "Oakton, " at the foot of Kenesaw mountain, near Marietta,
Georgia.

Julian Schley. Conspicuous among the distinguished citizens who
have given to Savannah its name as one of the most progressive and
promising cities of the entire South is Julian Schley, known for many
years as one of the leading insurance agents of the state. Belonging
to a family that has been held in the highest esteem and honor through-
out the state for many years, he has made Savannah his home since his
boyhood days. A son of the late John Schley, he was born, August 7,
1852, at Richmond Hill, on the old Schley homestead, near Augusta,
Georgia.

The Schley family was first represented on American soil by two
brothers, John Jacob Schley and Thomas Schley, who, in 1745, emigrated
from Germany to the United States, locating in the mountainous regions
of Maryland, near Hagerstown and Frederick, where their families
were born and reared, and where many of their descendants, people of
prominence and worth, still reside. To those familiar with the history
of our country, it is needless to say that various members of the Schley
family have gained renown in different lines, and as physicians, jurists,
and military and naval commanders have wrought much, not only for
Maryland and Georgia, but for the United States. The late Admiral
Winfield Scott Schley, of the United States navy, known as the "Hero
of Santiago," and the late Judge William Schley, of Baltimore, famous
for his decisions as a jurist in the Maryland courts, were both cousins
of Julian Schley, of this brief biographical article.

Mr. Schley's grandfather, Judge John Schley, was a son of John
Jacob Schley, Jr., who removed from Maryland to Georgia in the
early part of the nineteenth century, locating in Jefferson county, at
Louisville, which was then the capital of the state. Acquiring fame as
one of the foremost lawyers of the state. Judge John Schley, presided
over the bench of the middle circuit of Georgia from 1S41 until 1S45.
during which time justice was the constant motive of his decisions. His
brothers. Gov. William Schley and George Schley, were both men of
prominence and influence.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 685

Hon. William Schley, who was governor of Georgia from 1835 to
1837, was a noted member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Ordef
of Masons, his ''history of Masonry" having been the first pretentious
work of the kind written and published in this country. During his
administration as governor, the charter of the Central Railroad of Geor-
gia was granted. He and his brother, John Jacob Schley, Jr., were
pioneers in the history of the railroads and cotton mills of the state,
having the honor of erecting the second and third cotton mills estab-
lished in Georgia.

George Schley, brother of Judge John Schley and Gov. William
Schley, was for nearly half a century one of the foremost men of the
city of Savannah, his death, on April 17, 1851, being a cause of general
regret. The esteem in which he was held was voiced the following day
in an editorial which appeared in the Daily Georgian, of Savannah,
as follows:

We announce with sincere sorrow the death of George Schley, late
postmaster of our city. His spirit departed from among us early on
yesterday morning. The deceased gentleman had been a resident of
Savannah for some forty-five years, having come from Louisville, this
state, where his father resided, early in the present century, to embark
in mercantile affairs. He became in time an officer connected with the
Custom House, and afterwards a dry goods merchant. He was teller
of the branch bank of the United States when it was first established
here, in 1819.

Mr. Schley received from John Q. Adams the appointment of post-
master of Savannah, which position, under all changes of political
power, he held to the hour of his death, enjoying the confidence of
every administration. He had also the kind regard and respect of his
immediate fellow citizens. He was for many years a commissioned officer
of the Georgia Hussars, also a member of the city council ; and during a
long number of years was a director of the bank of the state of Georgia.
He received from our county superior court the appointment of master
in chancery, which post often required long and elaborate investigations
of accounts. He was commissioner for half the states of the union to
take acknowledgments and proofs of deeds. So accurate was his knowl-
edge of the laws of insurance, especially of marine insurance, that con-
tests arising under those laws were frequently referred to him for
adjudication, in preference to litigation before the courts.

Mr. Schley was a gentleman in the highest meaning of the term ;
well educated, a man of literature — better read, perhaps, in the English
classics than any other citizen among us ; one whose library was his
delight, and whose society was courted by men of intellectual refinement.
No man who was ever honored by his friendship can forget his brilliant
conversational powers. He was true to his friends and kind to his
servants.

He was a brother of the late Judge John Schley, of Governor Wil-
liam Schley of Augusta, and of Philip T. Schley of Columbus. His
family circle in Georgia and in the state of Maryland is large and of the
first degree of respectability. Many a heart will be pained by the sad
intelligence of his death. He was the intimate personal friend from
earliest boyhood of the late Edward F. Tattnall, and was always the
associate of AVilliam Gaston. The shipping in port was at half mast dur-
ing the day.

Judge John Schley had a large family of children, consisting of
seven sons and three daughters, as follows: John Schley, Jr., father of
Julian Schley; George Schley; Dr. James Montfort Schley; Robert
Schley; Judge William Schley; Philip Schley; Freeman Walker



686 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Schley; Sara Schley; Anna Maria Schley; and Mary Ann Schley. Dr.
James Mont fort Schley and Judge William Schley, the, third and fifth
sons, are particularly well remembered by Savannahians, the former as
a distinguished physician who practiced his profession in this city many
years ; the latter as a prominent lawyer and judge of the superior court
of Savannah. The son Philip was also an able member of the bar and
one of the leading lawyers of Columbus, who for many years was a resi-
dent of Savannah, living here prior to the war, and being owner of two
brick houses on Whitaker street, immediately west of the residence of
Gen. Peter Meldrim.

The eldest son of Judge John Schley, John Schley, father of Julian
Schley, studied law when young, and subsequetly became one of the
leading lights of the legal profession, as an attorney and jurist attaining
note. Coming in 185-1 from his home near Augusta to Savannah, he
purchased the beautiful sea-island plantation known as "Beaulieu, "
which was located about twelve miles from the business portion of the
city. In the second year of the Civil war he was forced to vacate his
plantation, which was requisitioned by the Confederate government
for the site of a fortification officially designated "Beaulieu Battery."
He married Ellen McAlpin, who was born in Scotland, and came to
Savannah with her father, Henry McAlpin, who built up the famous
estate called "The Hermitage. ",

Spending his childhood days at "Beaulieu," Julian Schley came
with his parents to Savannah in 1863, and since 1872 has been actively
identified with the leading interests of this city. For the greater part
of the time he has been connected with general insurance, and since
1888 has been general agent for the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Com-
pany. His relations with this company have been exceptionally pleasant
and profitable, the business showing gratifying increase from year to
year. One of the most esteemed and best-liked citizens of Savannah,
Mr. Schley has been accorded many positions of honor in recognition
of his progressive and liberal-minded character, and at the present time
is a director of both the National Bank of Savannah, and of the Geor-
gia State Savings Association.

Mr. Schley is also ex-president of the Savannah Life Underwriter's
Association; ex-president of Saint Andrew's Society; a member of the
Chamber of Commerce; and an ex-commodore of the Savannah Yacht
Club, which he joined upwards of twenty years ago. and at the expira-
tion of his term as commodore he became a life honorary member, and
with which he has been officially connected most of the time since. He
is a prominent member of the Democratic party, supporting its prin-
ciples by voice and vote. Fraternally he is Knight Templar. Mason,
and a charter member of Alee Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Since his sixteenth year Mr. Schley has
been a member of the Independent Presbyterian church of Savannah.

On December 31, 1878, Mr. Schley was united in marriage with
Miss Eliza Ann Larcombe, of Savannah, and into their pleasant house-
hold four children have been born, namely: Julian Larcombe Schley,
who at his graduation from the United States Military Academy at
AVest Point, in 1!)(>:S. stood seventh in a class of ninety-three members,
and captain of engineers, and instructor, at West Point for four years
and is now assistant to the engineer commission of the District of Colum-
bia ; Richard Larcombe Schley, a student at Princeton University,
Princeton. New Jersey, is in partnership with his father, being a mem-
ber of the firm of Julian Schley & Son, general insurance agents; Eliza
Champion Schley; and Henry McAlpin Schley. Mi*. Schley has a pleas-
ant summer home on Vernon river, an arm of the sea. it being located
on the site of his father's old estate, "Beaidieu."



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 687

James M. Dixon. One of the leading business men and most loyal
and progressive citizens of the historic old city of Savannah, which has^
been his home during his entire life thus far, is James M. Dixon, ex-
chairman of the city council, and a man who is held in high esteem by
business associates and the general public. He was born amidst the
alarms and perils of the greatest Civil war known in history, having
been ushered into the world April 10, 1864, at which time his mother was
a refugee at Valdosta, Lowndes county, Georgia, during the occupation
of her home city of Savannah by the Northern army. He is a son of
William and Mary J. (Dent) Dixon, the father having been a valiant
soldier of the Confederacy during the war.

Mr. Dixon has always been closely identified with the lumber interests
of the South. He has for many years taken a strong interest in the affairs
of the Savannah municipality and has served the public in a number
of offices of trust. In 1896, Mayor Herman Myers appointed him
chairman of the water commission, having in charge the public water
works of the city, and he retained this position until the opposing politi-
cal faction went into power, securing the abolishment of the commission
by an act of the legislature. His services on the commission covered a
period of three years. In January, 1899, the Citizens Club, with which
Mr. Dixon was affiliated, was returned to power, and he, together with
seven other candidates endorsed by the club, was elected alderman, serv-
ing as such for eight years. He became vice-chairman of the board in
1900, and in 1901, the same faction being returned to office without
opposition, he was made chairman of the council. In 1903 he was again
elected chairman of the city council, as was he also in 1905. The duties
of the chairman were at times heavy and exacting, as he acted as mayor
pro tempore in the absence of the mayor. He was a member of the
building committee of the council which had charge of the construction
of Savannah's city hall, one of the finest in the South, which was com-
pleted and dedicated in 1906. For two years from 1907 Mr. Dixon
served as county commissioner of Chatham county. He gives stanch
allegiance to the Democratic party. He is a life member of the Savan-
nah Volunteer Guards, and was chairman of the board of stewards of
the guards during the Spanish-American war. He is also a member of
the Savannah Yacht Club, having served as commodore for several years,
and a York and Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner.

In 1899, Mr. Dixon was united in marriage to Miss Jessie Dale, of
Savannah, and they are prominent in the social life of the city, having
a beautiful home at the southeast corner of Abercorn and Hall streets.
They have four children, namely: Helene, Meritt W., Jessie and
James M., Jr.

George Cuthbert Heyward, engaged in the cotton industry at
Savannah. Georgia, is descended from Thomas Heyward, Jr., the South
Carolina signer of the Declaration of Independence, and belongs to one
of the most distinguished families of the South.

Mr. Heyward was born in South Carolina, December 24, 1846, son
of Capt. George Cuthbert Heyward and wife, Elizabeth Martha
(Guerard) Heyward, both natives of Beaufort county, South Carolina,
her family, like his, being a prominent one. The Heywards for several
generations had a residence in Beaufort county, also a residence in
Charleston, and it was at the plantation home in Beaufort county, in
1822, that Mr. Heyward 's father was born and reared. At the outbreak
of Civil war between the states, he became captain of Company H, known
as the Ashley Dragoons, a part of the Third South Carolina Cavalry,
and as such served from the beginning to the close of the war, prin-



688 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

cipally in the vicinity of Charleston and Savannah. His command
fought Sherman's army both before it entered Savannah and afterward,
while it was on the expedition through South Carolina. After the war
he resumed operations on his plantation in Beaufort county, and died
there on March 1, 1867. He was a citizen of sterling worth, and his
soldier record was that of a brave, efficient Confederate officer.

Mr. Hey ward's mother was the daughter of Dr. Jacob De Veaux
and Alice (Screven) Guerard of Beaufort county, South Carolina;
both of which, like the Heywards, were representatives of historic fami-
lies in South Carolina. Shortly after her husband's death, Mrs. Hey-
ward removed with her remaining family to Savannah, where she spent
the rest of her life, and died in 1875.

Of the grandparents of the subject of this sketch, it is recorded that
his paternal grandfather, Thomas Heyward, married Ann Eliza Cuth-
bert, daughter of Gen. John Alexander Cuthbert, of South Carolina,
and granddaughter of Dr. James Cuthbert, of Castle Hill, Scotland, a
member of a distinguished family there.

Mr. Heyward 's great-grandfather was Judge Thomas Heyward, Jr.,
so called because his uncle was known as Thomas Heyward, Sr. Thomas
Heyward, Jr., Avas one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence
from South Carolina. In his youth he was sent to London to be edu-
cated, and while there he took up the profession of law. Returning to
South Carolina just before the beginning of the Revolutionary war, he
espoused the Continental cause, to the aid of which he devoted his time,
his talents and his means. When the British took Charleston he was
one of the seventy that were sent as prisoners to St. Augustine. Later,
he was elected to the first Continental congress, which assembled in
Philadelphia, and, as above indicated, subscribed his name to the most
important American document. Pie served actively also with the conti-
nental troops, became a captain of artillery, crossed the Savannah river
with his command during the siege of Savannah, and rendered efficient
aid in the efforts to retake the city from the British. He was a friend
of Washington, and upon the latter 's visit to the South, after the war
closed, he was a guest at White Hall, in Beaufort county at the home
of Thomas HeyAvard, Jr. From White Hall, Washington Avas escorted
by Thomas Heyvvard, Jr., to Purysburg, South Carolina, on the Savan-
nah river, AA'here the distinguished general Avas receiA'ed by an escort
from Savannah. Later in life, Thomas HeyAvard, Jr., became a judge
of the circuit court in South Carolina. He died in April, 1S09, at the
age of sixty-three years. His grave is at "Old House" cemetery near
Grahamville, South Carolina. The portrait of this distinguished man
hangs in Independence Hall, Philadelphia.

Thomas Heyward, Jr., married Elizabeth Savage for his second Avife,
eldest daughter of Col. Thomas and Mary Elliott (Butler) Savage, and in
this Avay the HeyAvards are connected with the Avell known Savage family.
Through this marriage, also, is brought in a large circle of relatives.
including the Elliott, De Renne, Noble, Jones. Clay and other families of
note in South Carolina and Georgia colonial history.

Tracing back still further along the ancestral line, we find that
Mr. HeyAvard 's great-great-grandfather, Daniel Heyward, a wealthy
planter, Avas a son of Capt. Thomas HeyAvard, of the British army, who
for a time Avas stationed at Fort Johnson on James Island, and Avho, for
his distinguished service in the army, particularly in fighting the Indians
in America, Avas granted large tracts of land in St. Luke's parish. Beau-
fort district, South Carolina, in which Avas included the "Old House"
tract, Hit 1 family homestead. He also owned land on James Island; and
in Charleston, from the corner of Meeting street to King street, on the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 689

south side, where the guard house once stood, was all the property of
the Heyward family. Thus it is seen from the above brief outline that'
the Heyward family from its early identity with America was one of
wealth and influence.

Coming now to the direct subject of this review, George Cuthbert
Heyward, following in the footsteps of his distinguished forefathers, he
was ready when the call came to take up arms. He joined the Confed-
erate army in the fall of 1863, and became a member of his father's
command, Company H, Third South Carolina Cavalry. As recorded
above, they were in service along the coast in South Carolina and Georgia,
in the vicinity of Charleston and Savannah, were active in fighting in
front of Sherman 's army, and surrendered at Union Court House, South
Carolina, in April, 1865.

Mr. Heyward has lived in Savannah since October, 1868, when he
came to this city with his mother and other members of the family.
Here he engaged in the cotton business, with which he has been actively
connected ever since.

On June 22, 1875, Mr. Heyward was married to Miss Margaret E.
Doar, daughter of Stephen D. Doar of St. James, Santee, South Caro-
lina ; and their children are as follows : George Cuthbert Heyward,
Jr., Stephen Doar Heyward, Edward Lee Heyward, Arthur Smith
Heyward, and Miss Elizabeth Heyward. The eldest son, named in
honor of his father, is a lawyer in Savannah and is also engaged in the
cotton business. He is a graduate of the law department of the Univer-
sity of Georgia at Athens, and is captain of Company A of the Savannah
Volunteer Guards. November 8, 1911, he was married at Chestnut Hill,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Miss Alice Stuart Hunter of that place,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Allan Hunter. The second son, Stephen
Doar. now a resident of Cleburne, Texas, married Miss Eleanor Blanche
Allen of that place. The two other sons and the daughter are at home.

Mr. Heyward 's eldest brother, the late J. Guerard Heyward, who
died in Savannah in 1888, was a Confederate soldier in the war and was
a prisoner on Johnson's Island, also at Moore's Island. He is survived
by a widow, who before her marriage was Miss Pauline de Caradeue, and
children, viz. : Mrs. Elise Ilowkins and Mrs. Arthur Overton and Miss
Maud Heyward and Prank de C. and Walter Screven Heyward.

Another brother is Thomas Savage Heyward, who married Miss
Mary Seabrook. They have two children, Clifford and Mary H.

Another of Mr. Heyward 's brothers is T. Daniel Heyward who
married Miss Selina Johnstone of North Santee, South Carolina, and
they have five daughters: Selina, Isabelle, Elizabeth, Dorothy, Helen
Hazel.

Judge John E. Schwarz, judge of the police court of Savannah
since 1907, and a prominent lawyer of the city, is one of the most popu-
lar citizens of his city, as well as one of the most influential. Born in
Savannah and here reared, and taking his university training in the
Georgia institution of learning, he is a distinctive Georgia product, and
the results of his training and of his labors since entering upon the serious
business of life have accrued to the general good of his native city and
state.

Born in Savannah, Georgia, on August 31, 1878, Judge Schwarz is
the son of Emil A. and Louise (Schoneck) Schwarz. The father was
born in Bavaria, Germany, and with his parents immigrated to America,
in 1850, when the family located in New York City. In 1854 Emil
Schwarz left his friends and family and came to the southland, settling
in Savannah, where he lived until his death, which took place in 1894.



690 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Mr. Schwarz became interested in the furniture and carpet business and
conducted a representative business in this line at the corner of Bull
and Broughton streets for a quarter of a century. At the inception of
the Civil war he joined the Confederate army as a member of Company
B, Savannah Volunteer Guards, and served throughout the war. His
brother, the late Major Schwarz, who came to Savannah in 1858, also
served the full duration of the war period, first as a member of the Ger-
man Volunteers, and later as a member of Captain Phillips' company
in the Thirty-second Georgia Infantry. Major Schwarz was for several
years prominent in military circles of the state, becoming a major in
the First Regiment of Infantry, retiring with the rank of lieutenant
colonel, and afterwards serving four years on the staff of Governor
Atkinson and the same period on the staff of Governor Chandler. The
mother of Judge Schwarz, who was born in Alsace-Loraine, still lives in
Savannah.

Judge Schwarz was reared and educated in Savannah, as a youth
attending the private school of Capt. John Taliaferro, after which he
entered the law department of the University of Georgia, finishing
the prescribed course and receiving the degree of Bachelor of Laws from
that institution in 1895, when he was but seventeen years of age. a most
unusual accomplishment. He was considered too young to enter into
actual practice of his profession at that time, and so turned his atten-
tion to his father's business, the death of the elder Schwarz having
occurred some few months previous. In 1898 young Schwarz closed out
the business which his father had so successfully conducted for the
many past years, and in the following year he began the practice of law
in the city of his birth. From its inception, his career has been one
of worthy successes and accomplishments. He has founded an ever
growing and lucrative practice, which he conducts aside from his duties
as city recorder, to which office he was elected in 1907 by the city coun-
cil of Savannah, his duties being those of jiidge of the police court. He
was re-elected to the office in 1909 and again in 1911, succeeding him-
self in the office, which he has ever filled admirably. He is the only
member of the old administration that holds over. The office having
been changed from one elected by city council to one elected by popular
vote, at the last election (1913) all the old administration was defeated
with the exception of Judge Schwarz, who was unanimously elected.

Judge Schwarz was for seven years an active member of Compauy
B, Savannah Volunteer Guards, enlisting as a private and receiving pro-
motion to the rank of lieutenant of his company and sergeant major of
his battalion. Resigning from the guards, he was elected captain of
Company M of the First Regiment of Infantry, but after sis months"
service in that capacity he retired, his duties demanding too much time
from his professional work. Judge Schwarz is a man of some prominence
in fraternal circles, and is a member of the Elks of Savannah, with the
pleasing distinction of having been elected for two successive terms to
the office of exalted ruler of the lodge. He is president of the local lodge
of Owls, and is a member of the Yacht Club, the Hussars' Club and the
German Club.

Judge Schwarz was married to Miss Florence McDermott. of this
city, and to them have been born a son and a daughter, John E.. Jr.,
and Rosemary Schwarz.

Horace A. Crane. It is natural to look for the foremost citizens
of a community among the recognized financiers, for a city's commercial
importance and prosperity is largely indicated by the stability of its
banks, and those who control these and direct their activities are. as a



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 691

class, the safe, substantial, solid and dependable men. Among the
prominent citizens of Savannah, Georgia, is Horace A. Crane, who is/
vice-president of the Citizens and Southern Bank. He was born at St.
Mary's, Georgia, in 1841, and is a son of Heman A. and Julia R. (Un-
derwood) Crane.

Heman A. Crane, who, for many years was an esteemed and valued
citizen of Savannah, was born in Litchfield county, Connecticut, from
which section he came to Georgia in young manhood. He was a com-
mission merchant and prior to 1843 engaged in this business at Darien,
Georgia, which place, at that time, was an important shipping port. In
the above year he removed to Savannah, in which city he made his home
until his death, in 1879. In all that concerned the growth and develop-
ment of this city he was deeply concerned and the general esteem in
which he was held was expressed by resolutions adopted at the time of
his decease, by one of the organizations to which he had belonged in
life. This tribute we are permitted to copy :

"We are once more called upon to mourn the loss of one whose loss
we share in common with a whole community. The sudden and unex-
pected demise of our late esteemed and beloved fellow member, Heman
A. Crane, calls for no ordinary expression of feeling and opinion from
the members of the Savannah Benevolent Association. Our deceased
brother was one who gave character to our association, and during the
dark days of 1876, while a fearful epidemic was raging in our midst,
his self-sacrificing devotion in ministering to the wants of the sick, dying
and distressed, was conspicuous and worthy of emulation. He was a
sincere Christian, a noble friend, a charitable gentleman. While by
his teachings he showed to others what they should do for the good of
their fellow men, by his example he demonstrated to them how it might
be done. He seemed to have adopted as the motto of his life, Noti sibi,
seel aliis, thereby illustrating his profession. He was truly a Christian
man in every sense of the word. Be it therefore

"Resolved, that in the death of Heman A. Crane, our city has sus-
tained the loss of one of its most useful and upright citizens, and the
Savannah Benevolent Association one of its brightest ornaments ; one
whose daily life was an example worthy to be followed under any and
all conditions."

Horace A. Crane was educated in his native city. Before he had
yet established himself in business he became a soldier, in May, 1861,
enlisting for service in the Civil war, in the Oglethorpe Light Infantry,
Confederate army, which organization became Company B, Eighth
Georgia Infantry, assigned to service in Virginia, his brother, William
H., a member of the same company, being killed at the first battle of
Manassas. On account of illness, Mr. Crane was given a furlough home
after one year in the Virginia mountains, and later was commissioned
a lieutenant in the First Georgia Battalion of Sharpshooters, whose
commander afterward became Gen. Robert H. Anderson. This organ-
ization was ordered to Vicksburg, but, following the fall of that city,
it was sent to North Georgia and from there to Tennessee and partici-
pated in the battle of Chickamauga. On the second day of this pro-
longed battle, Mr. Crane was severely wounded, this injury causing his
being sent home to recuperate, and a year later, when but partially re-
covered, he was appointed adjutant of the garrison at Port McAllister,
having about 150 men. The fort was taken by storm by General Hazen,
commanding a large force of Federal soldiers, December 13, 1864, and
Mr. Crane was sent first to a military prison at Hilton Head, South

Carolina, and six weeks later to Fort Delaware, where he remained a
vol. n— 1 1



692 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

prisoner until the close of the war, when he was paroled and returned
to Savannah.

Upon returning to Savannah after the war he be'eame associated
with his father in business and so continued until 1873, in that year
becoming bookkeeper in the Southern Bank of the State of Georgia,
of which, in 1877, he was made cashier. In 1881 he became vice-pres-
ident of the institution and served continuously until 1906, when the
Southern Bank was consolidated with the Citizens Bank, forming the
present Citizens and Southern Bank, Mr. Crane retaining his official
status in the new organization. The Citizens and Southern Bank has a
capital of $1,000,000, a surplus of the same amount and undivided profits
exceeding a quarter of a million dollars. For almost forty years Mr.
Crane has been identified with this financial institution and his name
has always added to its strength and his efforts to the extension of its
prosperity.

Mr. Crane was married (first) to Miss Georgia Anderson, who died
in 1880, survived by four children: William H., Horace A., Jr., Edward
A., and Nina, who is the wife of John L. Hammond. Mr. Crane was
married (second) to Miss Mary Cox, who was born in Georgia, and they
have one son, H. Averill Crane,. In all matters of great and general im-
portance Mr. Crane's interest and assistance may be depended upon
and more than once his keenness of business pei*ception has proved of
value in public matters.

Robert Jesse Travis. Among the lawyers whose integrity and
ability have given to the bar of Savannah its high reputation through-
out the state is Robert Jesse Travis, of the firm of Travis & Travis,
whose offices are located in suite 16-18 Provident building, Savannah,
Georgia, Robert Jesse Travis was born January 13, 1877, in the town
of Conyers, Georgia, the son of Dr. A. C. \V. and Allie (Livingston)
Travis. Dr. Travis was one of the best known physicians and surgeons
in central Georgia, and was prominent as a surgeon in the Confederate
service during the Civil war. He passed away in 1890, while his widow
still makes her home in Covington, Georgia. Mrs. Travis is a woman of
rare gifts and gracious refinement. Contributions from her pen have
often found their way into print. She was born in Covington, New-
ton county, Georgia, June 17, 1845, the daughter of Robert Bass and
Elizabeth (McLaughlin) Livingston. Robert B. Livingston is of dis-
tinguished ancestry, having been a grandson of "William Livingston of
colonial fame, and a direct descendant of Robert Livingston, who. in
1686, obtained a patent for the manor of Livingston. Columbia county,
New York, and an account of whose life is to be found in Lossing's
"Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence."

The Rev. Jesse Travis, the grandfather of Robert Jesse, was a
prominent Baptist minister and an associate of the Rev. Jesse Mercer,
the founder of Mercer University of Macon, Georgia. Among the fore-
bears of Mr. Travis, who were famous in Colonial and Revolutionary
history, appear the names of Livingston, Bass. McLaughlin, Nicholson
and Lewis, and including such well-known characters as the following:
Amos Travis, an early settler in the state of Virginia ; Richmond Ter-
rell, the great-grandfather of Robert Jesse Ti'avis, a native of Virginia,
who served under Colonel Lynch 's command in the southern campaign
of the Revolution, and distinguished himself by valorous service in the
battles of King's Mountain and Guilford Court House. John Nichol-
son, who served in the Revolution from Mecklenburg, North Carolina ;
Ebenezer Smith, a representative of Georgia in the war for independ-
ence ; John Lewis, who settled in Hanover county, Virginia, and whose



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 693

nephew, Capt. Merriwether Lewis, became governor of the territory of
Louisiana ; and a member of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition';
and David Lewis, born in 1685, a son of John Lewis, a prominent figure
in Albemarle county, Virginia, and related to Col. Barrett Travis,
who lost his life in the Texas defense of the Alamo in April, 1836.

Robert Jesse Travis was graduated from Emory College, Oxford,
Georgia, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts with the class of 1897,
together with first honor and every scholarship medal in any depart-
ment. In 1899 he was graduated from the University of Georgia, in
the department of law, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He had
at the same time been taking a post-graduate course in the literary de-
partment of the state institution. In the year 1897-98, he was principal
of the high school at Madison, Georgia. In 1899, Mr. Travis entered
upon the practice of his profession in Savannah, forming a partnership
with Charles G. Edwards, under the firm name of Travis & Edwards,
later entering into a partnership with his brother, John Livingston
Travis, under the present firm style of Travis & Travis. The firm
has an excellent professional business, and its members are popular and
able, both as counselors and attorneys, at the Savannah bar. Both are
members of the Savannah bar association.

In his political allegiance, Mr. Travis is a stanch Democrat, but
although he is an enthusiastic worker in behalf of the candidates and
measures of his party, he has himself never accepted public office.
Fraternally, Mr. Travis is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons; is a past master of Landrum Lodge, Wise Master of Temple
Chapter No. 1, Scottish Rite Masons, a Shriner, being Potentate of
Alee Temple, Savannah, and a prominent figure at all state gatherings
of the order. He is a member of the University Club, the Savannah
Yacht Club, the Savannah Golf Club, and the Sons of the Revolution,
and holds membership also in the Methodist Episcopal church South,
belonging to the Wesleyan Monumental church of his home city.

Mr. Travis is known as one of the best rifle and revolver shots in the
state, and until recently, when business caused him to give up rifle'
practice, he was a member of every Georgia team since 1902, holding
the state and inter-state (southern) individual championship medals.
He has been identified with the Georgia state troops since August 25,
1899, when he enlisted as a private in Company E, First Regiment of
Infantry, and later in Company C, Savannah Volunteer Guards, known
as the Coast Artillery Corps of Georgia. He has risen through the
various ranks of promotion, and has served as corporal, first lieutenant
and captain, and is still the captain of Company C. In 1903, he was
appointed lieutenant-colonel and assistant judge-advocate in the Geor-
gia state troops. He is also a member of the Savannah Volunteer
Guards Club and the United Sons of Confederate Veterans. Captain
Travis conducted the investigation which led to the finding of the
exact location, on the west side of Savannah, of Spring Hill redoubt,
where occurred one of the most sanguinary battles of the Revolution,
in which the American and French forces, making an effort to retake
the city of Savannah, which was occupied by the British, were repulsed
after waging a battle in which they displayed great valor and bravery.
On February 11, 1911, this spot was marked by a tablet commemorating
the event, erected by the Georgia Society of the Sons of the Revolution,
of which Captain Travis is vice-president. A notable gathering, con-
sisting of prominent Georgians, United States government officials and
a representative of the French government, were present at the dedi-
cation of the tablet, and Captain Travis had charge of the entire
arrangement of the affair.



694 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

On November 27, 1902, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Travis
to Miss Rena Falligant, daughter of Louis A. and Rosa 0. ,( Brown) Falli-
gant, of Savannah. Captain and Mrs. Travis have three children : Rob-
ert Falligant, William Livingston and Margaret Elizabeth Travis.

The La Roche Family History. In the year 1733 two brothers
landed in America from the shores of England. Their names were John
La Roche and Isaac La Roche. John La Roche was appointed by King
James to assist in planning and laying off the present city of Savannah.
and one of the sixteen tithings of the city according to the original plan
was named in compliment to him by Gen. Oglethorpe La Roche Tithing.
Some few years later on John La Roche returned to England and took
up his abode in the royal family as privy counsellor to the king.
Isaac La Roche decided to adopt America as his home and married Eliza-
beth Drummond, a lady of beauty and rare mental culture who had
immigrated to America from Scotland a few years previous to her mar-
riage. Elizabeth and her brother, Dr. Archibald Drummond, were the
only surviving members of the Drummond family who had left their
highland home for the New World.

Shortly after the marriage of Elizabeth her brother. Dr. Archibald
Drummond, went to the West Indies and finally settled at or near
Kingston, Jamaica, where he accumulated a large fortune. He never
married and at his death bequeathed his large property by will to his
sister, Elizabeth La Roche. The latter entrusted the recovery of this
legacy to General Flournoy, of Augusta, Georgia, who from some cause
failed to press the suit to a successful termination.

To Isaac La Roche and his wife, Elizabeth, were born one son. who
was also named Isaac, and two daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth ; after
the birth of the third child their father died and their mother married
again. Isaac on reaching the years of manhood married Eliza Oliver,
who was the daughter of John Oliver of Augusta, Georgia. Her father
was a graduate of Oxford College, England, and after coming over and
settling in America he uniformed and equipped a military company at
his own expense, to serve in defense of their country against the British.
He was quite wealthy and while a resident of Augusta. Georgia, was a
co-partner with General Fash in a large mercantile business in Charles-
ton, South Carolina. From this late marriage were born the following
children : Sarah E. La Roche, James A. La Roche. Oliver A. La Roche.
Isaac D. La Roche, Adrian V. La Roche, Lawrence and John La Roche.
Soon after the birth of John, the father died and their mother married
Doctor Beaudry, to whom one child, a girl, was born. Isaac La Roche,
the father of the children named above, three of whom are yet living,
died about the year 1822. One of his sisters married a Mr. Votee. this
one was Sarah ; Elizabeth married a Mr. Craft.

James Oliver, grandfather of the children of Isaac La Roche and
Elizabeth La Roche, nee Oliver, married Sarah McKay, who being left
an orphan in early childhood, was reared by her uncle. Randolph Spald-
ing, near St. Mary's, Georgia.

The brothers and sisters of Isaac La Roche were : Alice, deceased.
Avas the wife of Edgar Williams; Ruth, deceased, was the wife of R. R.
Richards; Amy, wife of Wm. E. Dunwody; Nellie, wife of Prof. Felix
Lising; Ida, wife of L. L. Hunt: Isaac, mentioned below: Robert D. ;
Walter P.; Eva, wife of Gilbert W. Allen.

Tsaac Drayton La Roche. The city of Savannah is fortunate in the
possession of a representation of fine citizenship of French descent, this
element being interesting, progressive and valuable. Of this is Isaac



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 695

Drayton La Roche, engaged in the real estate business in this city, who
is descended from one of the founders of the colony of Georgia. He
was born and reared in the Forest city in which for numerous genera-
tions his forbears have had their being, and is an aide exponent of the
strong initiative ability and progressive spirit that have caused the
city to forge so rapidly forward.

Isaac Drayton La Roche was born within the pleasant boundaries of
the city on the 3d day of March, 1859. The father of Mr. La Roche was
born in Augusta, but was practically a lifedong resident, coming here
at an early age. In his own vocation Mr. La Roche is following in the
paternal footsteps, the elder gentleman having been a successful real
estate man, with substantial property interests in Savannah, and the
Isle of Hope, where his home was located. He was also engaged in
mercantile pursuits. He was the son of Isaac La Roche, who was for a
long number of years one of the most prominent cotton factors of Georgia.
The demise of Drummond La Roche occurred in 1895, but his memory
remains green in the hearts of the citizens of Savannah. The La Roche
family is prominently concerned in the events of the early history of
Georgia and the subject's grandfather was one of the trustees of the
colony.

Mr. La Roche, immediate subject of this review, received his educa-
tion in the public schools of the city of Savannah and early came to.
the conclusion to enter the field of business. Some time before the
attainment of his majority he became associated with his father in busi-
ness, and succeeded that gentleman when he retired from active life.
He is a successful dealer in real estate, being everywhere recognized as
one of the city's experts in the placing of valuation, and he is also pro-
ficient as an auctioneer of real estate.

On the 5th day of November, 1884, Mr. La Roche laid the founda-
tion of a happy household and congenial life companionship by his mar-
riage to Miss Emma Ernst of this city, daughter of a descendant of on"
of the early German families. Their daughter, Georgia La Roche, thus
shares the Teutonic and French elements, both of which have contrib-
uted in definite fashion to the early strength of Georgia. Miss Georgia
graduated from the high school of Savannah at the age of fifteen years
with first honors from a class of fifty-seven. Then to complete her educa-
tion she attended the Mary Baldwin Institute at Staunton, Virginia. In
1912, she was married to Win. A. Smith, of New Bedford, Massachu-
setts, but they now reside at San Francisco, California. He is associated
with the San Francisco Examiner. The La Roche home is an attractive
one and is known for its gracious hospitality.

Capt. Henry Blun. America has been likened to a great melting-
pot into which all the nations of the earth are cast in a constant tide
of immigration, the result being the American citizen, virile, honest,
progressive, with fine ideas of freedom and independence. It is gen-
erally acknowledged that one of the most desirable elements which enter
into the great crucible is the German, the nation having everything to
gain and nothing to lose from the assimilation of this brainy, honest
and generally admirable stock, which has given to the world some of
its greatest geniuses. To the Fatherland was Savannah indebted for
one of her representative citizens, Capt. Henry Blun, president of Ger-
mania Bank and a Confederate veteran of the war between the states.

Captain Blun was born in the historic city of Worms, Germany,
May 20, 1833. At the age of twenty, in 1853, he came to America,
locating first in New York City, where he became a bookkeeper in a
mercantile office. In December, 1854, he came to Savannah, which has



696 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

ever since been his home, its charms and advantages appealing to him
from the first. For some time before the war he was, associated with
Thomas Walsh in the auction and commission business and in 1857 he
formed a partnership with M. H. Meyer in the same line of business,
in which he continued until about the time of the inception of the
supreme struggle between the North and South.

Captain Blun volunteered for service in the Confederate army, early
in 1861, and became a member of the German Volunteers, which organi-
zation was in service at Fort Pulaski at the mouth of the Savannah
river and he was also with the forces on Tybee and Wilmington islands.
Subsequently he became a member of the Savannah Artillery under
Capt. George L. Cope, stationed at what was then known as Fort Jack-
son. In 1864, on account of ill-health, contracted from service on the
coast, he was granted six months' furlough and on April 1, 1864, he
left Savannah on the sloop "Maggie Blun," which he had bought and
fitted up for blockade running, with a cargo of cotton, bound for Nassau,
under agreement with the state of Georgia to dispose of the carero to
the best advantage. He successfully ran the blockade, disposed of the
cargo at Nassau and turned over the proceeds to the agents of the
state of Georgia at that place. He also delivered at Nassau, for mail-
ing in the English mails, important dispatches and documents which
had been entrusted to him by the Confederate government and addressed
to Messrs. Mason and Slidell, the Confederate representatives in Lon-
don, and which subsequently reached their destination safely. From
Nassau, Captain Blun went on to Europe, visiting his home people in
Germany, who were then living in the city of Mainz. He then pro-
ceeded to London and Liverpool, meeting in the latter city parties
engaged in blockade running for the Confederacy and from Liverpool
he embarked on the blockade running steamship "Banshee" for Wil-
mington, North Carolina. This steamship made a successful landing on
the Carolina coast. Captain Blun had many interesting and dangerous
adventures as a blockade runner, and the recountal of the same is a
thrilling and picturesque tale. He was never lacking in bravery and was
chosen for several perilous enterprises. His experiences as a blockade
runner lasted six months, when, his furlough expiring, he returned to
Savannah and took charge of a company of home guard, Company C of
Colonel Pritchard's battalion. In command of his company he was on
guard duty in Savannah until the occupation of the city by Sherman's
army. He was then granted a parole which continued until the termi-
nation of the war.

After the war Captain Blun resumed business in association with
Mr. Meyer and remained with him until 1870, when he became asso-
ciated with George W. Wylly and R. M. Demere in the private banking
business under the firm name of G. W. Wylly & Company. This firm
was dissolved in 1873 and was succeeded by the banking firm of Blun
& Demere, which continued in business until 1878. Captain Blun then
withdrew and established a private banking business, which was suc-
ceeded in 1890 by the present Germania Bank, of which he was the
president from its founding in that year. Captain Blun was the organ-
izer and founder of the bank, an institution of which lie was justly proud.
Starting in with a capital stock of $50,000, it is now increased to
$300,000. It is a highly prosperous financial institution and to be
numbered among the monetary institutions which emphasize and exert
marked influence in conserving the financial stability and commercial
prestige of Georgia. Captain Blun was known as one of the ablest and
most discriminating financiers of Savannah. The Germania building,
the home of this bank, is a handsome eight-story structure, the first of



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 697

Savannah's tall office buildings. From the day of the organization of
the bank it has been given the careful and strict conduct of Captain
Blun. He was interested in all public matters, was essentially public-
spirited, and for many years was a member of the Savannah board
of public education. He was a member of several local clubs and was
an adherent of the Catholic faith, as is also his family.

Captain Blun was happily married in Savannah on April 1, 1861,
his chosen lady being Miss Catherine Savage, daughter of Michael and
Catherine (Stafford) Savage. Their union has been blessed by the
birth of several children, five of whom survive and are admirable mem-
bers of society and expressive of the fine stock from which they spring.
They are as follows : Augusta, wife of Dr. Matthew F. Dunn, of Savan-
nah ; Mary, wife of H. Clay Miner, of New York ; Capt. Henry Blun,
Jr. ; Katherine E. Blun, wife of E. Clinton Jansen, of Denver, Colo-
rado; and Walter Savage Blun. Capt. Henry Blun, Jr., is ex-postmas-
ter of Savannah and a partner in the Neal-Blun Company, dealers in
hardware and building supplies. He is also president of the Germania
Bank. He is a graduate of Lehigh University and is prominent in
social and business affairs of Savannah. Capt. Henrv Blun died Feb-
ruary 2, 1912.

Capt. William Grafton Austin. The substantial and loyal citizens
of Savannah have no finer representative than Capt. William Grafton
Austin, who rendered the city most valuable and efficient service as
chief of police for six years, the result of which made it remarkably
free from crime and disorder, and the police force under his leadership
reached a high point of efficiency. A son of Charles William and
Georgia (Grafton) Austin, he was born in 1868 in Grimes county, Texas,
being a member of the same branch of the Austin family from which
Stephen F. Austin, the founder of the Austin colony of Texas, was
descended, the immigrant ancestor of the family having been John
Austin, who came from Kent, England, to America in the early part of
the seventeenth century, and died in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1657.
He is the ninth generation removed from the founder of the Austin
family of the United States, and seven generations removed from David
Austin, who was the great grandfather of Stephen F. Austin, of Texas
fame, this David having been the grandson of the immigrant, the lineage
being thus traced: David Austin I., David Austin II., David Austin III.,
who during the Revolution was wounded in the defense of New Haven,
Connecticut, against the British, and was afterwards collector of cus-
toms at New Haven, and was the founder, and first president, of the
New Haven Bank ; John P. Austin, born in New Haven, Connecticut,
in 1774, was graduated from Yale College and died at Brazoria, Texas,
in 1834, while visiting a son ; Andrew Yates Austin, born in New
Haven, Connecticut, in 1803, died in Willoughby, Ohio, in 1882 ; Charles
William Austin ; and William Grafton Austin.

Capt. Charles William Austin was born at Norwich, Connecticut,
in 1833, and died in Savannah, Georgia, in 1889. Migrating to Texas
in early manhood, he subsequently had a notable career, particularly in
connection with the Confederate navy during the war between the
states. His chief fame lies in the fact that he, in association with Capt.
John A. Stevenson, was one of the designers and constructors of the
Confederate ram "Manassas," the vessel which revolutionized naval
warfare, displacing wood hulls for those of steel, that vessel having
preceded the "Merrimac" and "Monitor." Following its completion
the "Manassas" was placed in command of Capt. Charles William
Austin, who while sailing her passed through some of the most danger-



698 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

ous and thrilling escapades of the war. His first encounter with the
enemy after assuming command of the "Manassas" was -at New Orleans,
at the mouth of the Mississippi, where in a tilt with four of the Federal
sloops-of-war Captain Austin came off victorious, but with his cloth-
ing nearly burned off him from the enemy's fire. He succeeded, however,
in ramming and sinking the "Richmond," one of the enemy's fleet, in
that engagement. In a later engagement the "Manassas," having her
engine broken, had to run on a sand bank to save her crew, and was
there abandoned.

Prior to the Civil war, Captain Austin had been captain of a
steamer of the Harris-Morgan line, plying between New Orleans and
Mobile. After the disaster to the "Manassas" he continued in active
service in the Confederate navy until the close of the conflict, leading
a life that was filled with most dangerous exploits in blockade running,
and having narrow escapes from the enemy on both sea and land. Three
times he was imprisoned, and each time made his escape, his most thrill-
ing escapade having been when, in the closing days of the war, he suc-
cessfully ran the Federal blockade in Galveston harbor, an event that
is remembered by all of the old residents of that city as one of the most
notable in the course of the war.

In 1875, Captain Austin came with his family from Texas to Savan-
nah, Georgia, where he engaged in his old business, that of stevedoring,
remaining a resident of the city until his death, in 1889, as mentioned
above. He married Georgia Grafton, who is descended from the Harlan
family of Kentucky, her mother having been a first cousin of the late
Justice John Marshall Harlan, of the United States supreme court, and
who also counts among her ancestors Nathaniel and John Harlan,
founders of the city of Rochester, New York. After the captain's death
she and her daughter, Miss Susie T. Austin, and her son, Andrew Y.
Austin, returned to Texas, and are now living at Houston, that state.

One of Capt. Charles W. Austin's brothers, John P. Austin, belonged
to Morgan's band of raiders, serving in the Confederate army, and
was on land what the captain was on sea, an intrepid, fearless fighter,
the entire Austin family having been then, as now, noted for coolness
and bravery in face of danger.

Completing his education after coming to Savannah, "William Grafton
Austin attended the Barnard School, the Massie School, and the Chatham
Academy. In 1887, he enlisted as a private in the United States army,
in which he served five years, becoming first sergeant of Troop E,
Seventh Cavalry, Custer's old regiment, being stationed at Fort Riley.
Kansas. As sergeant of his troop, he took a prominent part in the
suppression of the Sioux uprising in South Dakota, in December, 1890,
and upon the earnest recommendation of his superior officers was
awarded by the United States department a medal of honor for gallant
conduct and conspicuous bravery in close-range fire at the battle of
Wounded Knee, on December 29* 1890.

After leaving the regular army ('apt. "William G. Axistin returned
to Savannah, and was here for a number of years successfully engaged
in the cotton business. In January, 1907, at the urgent solicitation of
friends, he retired from his mercantile operations to take the position
of chief of police of Savannah, an office which he filled with honor to
himself, and to the great advantage of the city. Although a strict dis-
ciplinarian, it is recognized that through his severe training and experi-
ence the force of which he was at the head became one of the best and
most efficient in the state, while he himself was an ideal head for a
metropolitan police department.

In 1894, Capt. W. G. Austin joined the Savannah Volunteer Guards



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 699

as a private, and having through various promotions become captain of
Company A, commanded that company in the Spanish-American war/
his company being a part of the Second Georgia Regiment of Volun-
teers. For a number of years the captain was a member of the Georgia
Rifle Team, and is noted as an expert rifle shot. He retired from the
captaincy of the company before he became chief of police.

Captain Austin organized, and is president of, the Savannah Motor
Car Company, representing in Savannah the Cadillac automobile.

George F. Armstrong. Savannah boasts an unusually large num-
ber of native born citizens, the fact finding explanation in the light of
the splendid advantages, and the unusual attractions presented by
the beautiful and historic old city, other sections not possessing charms
sufficient to draw the Savannahian to them. Among the loyal native
sons, a citizen of that type in which the city may well take pride —
is George F. Armstrong, ship broker and prominent in maritime affairs.
He was born at Guy ton, Georgia, but he came to Savannah when two
years old. His birth occurred on the 25th day of September, 1868, the
son of Benjamin R. and Elizabeth (Ferguson) Armstrong. He is the
scion of one of the eastern families whk. nave found representation
in the south, his father having been a native of Rhode Island. He came
to Savannah, however, in young manhood, many years previous to the
outbreak of the Civil war and the part he played in the many-sided life
of the city was that of a contractor and builder. He was city assessor
of Savannah for several years and was a prominent character in the pub-
lic life of the city and in the fostering of it' beneficial institutions and
its upbuilding. He died in 1901, but his memory will long remain green
in the community which he loved and which recognized his worth. The
subject's mother was a southerner, Charleston, South Carolina, being
her birthplace.

Mr. Armstrong was reared and educated in the city and since enter-
ing upon his business career he has been prominently identified with
shipping and allied interests. He is a member of the co-partnership,
which forms the firm of Strachan & Company, ship brokers, founded
by Capt. George P. Walker and the late Capt. F. G. Strachan.
This firm has for many years maintained extensive shipping interests
centered at the port of Savannah, and is widely known for its promi-
nent connection with maritime affairs. Its standing among shippers
and ship owners is of the highest. In addition to the foregoing, Mr.
Armstrong has other interests of broad scope and importance, among
other things, being president of the Mutual Mining Company, extensive
miners and shippers of Florida phosphate. He is a member of tin 1
board of pilotage commissioners of Savannah ; he is a director of the
Hibernia Bank and of the Commercial Life Insurance and Casualty
Company. He is a member of the Savannah cotton exchange and board
of trade and of the chamber of commerce. In the legitimate channels
of business he has won the success which always crowns well-directed
labor, sound judgment and untiring perseverance, and at the same time
he has concerned himself with the affairs of the community in an admir-
ably public-spirited fashion. He is also a great baseball enthusiast, and
been president of the Baseball Club for several years and has been a large
annual contributor to it.

Mr. Armstrong was for several years actively connected with the
famous Chatham Artillery of Savannah, which he joined as a private in
1887 and of which he is now an honorary member. He is a veteran of
the Spanish-American war, having been with the Chatham artillery- at



700 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

the time of that conflict, the organization being mustered into service
as Battery B of Georgia, of which Mr. Armstrong was lieutenant.

Mrs. Armstrong before her marriage was Miss Lucy Camp, a mem-
ber of the family of that name which comes from Suffolk, Virginia. Her
marriage to the subject was celebrated in Ocala, Florida, on the 4th day
of January, 1905, and the union has been blessed by the birth of a
daughter, Miss Lucy Camp Armstrong. They hold a position of respect
and prominence in the city and maintain a household of renowned
hospitality.

George Francis Tennille. As third vice-president of the Southern
Cotton Oil Company, George Francis Tennille holds a position of great
importance and responsibility, having immediate control of its Savan-
nah works and offices, the plant in this city being the most extensive
one of the company's system. A son of the late Capt. William Alex-
ander Tennille, he was born, March 6, 1873, in New York City, and was
there reared and educated, completing his early education at Columbia
University, where he was graduated in chemistry in 1894.

His great-grandfather, Lieut. Francis Tennille, was the son of a
French Huguenot, who emigrated from France after the Edict of Nantes,
settling in Virginia. He was born in Virginia, in Prince William county,
and came from there to Georgia in colonial days, locating in Wash-
ington county as a pioneer. During the Revolutionary war he enlisted
for service in the Georgia Brigade of the Continental army, being mus-
tered in as lieutenant of the second battalion, afterwards being promoted
first to the rank of captain, later being commissioned lieutenant colonel.
He had the distinction of being one of the charter members of the
Society of the Cincinnati in Georgia. He married Mary Bacon Dixon,
a daughter of Robert and Ann (Bacon) Dixon, and granddaughter of
Gen. Nathaniel Bacon, of Virginia, who was a lineal descendant of the
famous English family of that name.

Mr. Tennille 's paternal grandfather, Col. Francis Tillman Tennille,
was born near Sandersville, Washington county, Georgia, in 1799, and
spent his entire life in his native state, dying in 1877.

Capt. William Alexander Tennille 's birth occurred in Washington
county, Georgia, in 1840. He was reared at Fort Gaines. Georgia, his
father having large plantation interests in that vicinity, and was grad-
uated from the University of Georgia with the class of 1860. Entering
the Confederate army at the breaking out of the Civil war, he served
until the close of the conflict in Company D, Ninth Georgia Infantry,
at the close holding the rank of captain on the staff of Gen. "Tige"
Anderson. Serving almost the entire time in Lee's Army of Northern
Virginia, he proved himself a brave and efficient soldier, his military
record, especially in the battle of Gettysburg, being spoken of in the
highest terms by all who are familiar with it. Removing after the war
to New York City, the captain was there a resident until his death, in
1905. He married Clara Tuttle, a daughter of George Hudson and
Mary (Dawkin) Tuttle, and she is still living. She is a direct descend-
ant of William Tuttle, who came from England to America in 1635.
settling first in Boston, and later removing to New Haven, Connecticut.
His descendants have furnished many distinguished names in American
history.

Beginning his service with the Southern Cotton Oil Company in
1897, George Francis Tennille at first followed his profession of a
chemist in the Savannah plant. Proving himself efficient in many direc-
tions, he was advanced to higher positions from time to time, being
promoted first to the position of superintendent, then manager, later



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 701

becoming district manager, and, in 1911, being made third vice-presi-
dent of the company. This being an executive position with the con-'
cern makes it more or less of general jurisdiction. Mr. Tennille, how-
ever, has under his immediate charge the Savannah works and offices
of the company, these comprising one of the main centers of the great
corporation, which owns and operates over ninety cotton oil mills scat-
tered throughout the South. The plant in Savannah covers more than
twenty acres, it being one of the largest belonging to the Southern Cot-
ton Oil Company, which ranks among the largest industrial organiza-
tions in the United States. It includes a large crude oil mill, a refinery,
soap works, and plants for the manufacture of lard and paint. The
headquarters of the freight department and of the company's chemical
department are also located in Savannah, and are under Mr. Tennille 's
charge.

Mr. Tennille belongs to several patriotic, business and social organi-
zations. He is a member of the Georgia Society of the Cincinnati ; of
the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution ; of the University
Club of New York ; the Society of Chemical Industry ; the American
Chemical Society ; the Oglethorpe Club ; the Yacht Club ; the Golf Club ;
the Cotillion Club, and many others.

In Savannah, in 1903, Mr. Tennille was united in marriage with
Miss Jessie Chisholm, a daughter of William W. Chisholm, and they
have one child, Dorothy Tennille. Mrs. Tennille is descended from some
of the oldest and most distinguished families of the South. Her grand-
father, Murdock Chisholm, married Georgia A. Barnard, who belonged
to that branch of the well-known Barnard family that is perpetuated
by having had named one of the thoroughfares of Savannah, Barnard
street. Mrs. Tennille 's great-grandfather, Maj. John Barnard, was
a member of the provincial congress assembled in Savannah, July 4,
1775, and assisted in raising the first liberty pole in the city. During
the Revolutionary war he commanded a company which attacked the
crew of a British frigate which had been landed on Wilmington island,
and captured them all. He was finally himself taken prisoner by the
British, but was later exchanged, and participated in the siege of Savan-
nah, serving until the close of the struggle. Major Barnard was a son
of Col. John Barnard of the British army, who, about 1743, came to
Savannah in command of a regiment called the "Rangers," and set-
tled on Wilmington island. He held his commission in the British army
until his death.

William W. Chisholm married Jessie M. Fowke, a daughter of
Dr. Richard Chandler Fowke, and granddaughter of Dr. John Sidney-
ham Fowke, who was a surgeon in the United States navy in the early
part of the nineteenth century. The founder of the American family
of Fowke was Col. Gerard Fowke, an officer of the British army, who
settled in Virginia prior to 1657, and became an extensive landholder
in both Virginia and Maryland. His son, Col. Gerard Fowke, Jr., and
his grandson, Capt. Chandler Fowke, held military and civil positions
in Maryland and Virginia. Among other prominent characters in the
ancestral line of Mrs. Tennille were Capt. Adam Thoroughgood, who
emigrated from England to Virginia in 1621 ; Thomas Harrison, of
Fauquier county, Virginia ; and Isaac Mazyck, who was born in Saint
Martin's, France, immigrated to South Carolina about 1740, and be-
came a prominent citizen of Charleston.

Gen. Peter Wiltberger Meldrim. One of the distinguished mem-
bers of the bar of Georgia, Gen. Peter Wiltberger Meldrim, was born in
Savannah, December 4, 1848, the son of Ralph and Jane (Fawcett) Mel-



702 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

drim. His earlier education was acquired in Chatham Academy and
under private tutors, and he was graduated with honors from the aca-
demic department of the University of Georgia in 1868, being the anniver-
sary orator of the Phi Kappa Society. He graduated from the law de-
partment of the University of Georgia in 1869, and during the following
winter began the practice of his profession in Savannah. He went stead-
ily and rapidly to the front, winning a large and lucrative clientele, and
two days before the state election of 1881 was nominated for state sena-
tor and was elected, serving in that office for two terms. A writer, in
summing up Mr. Meldrim's legislative service, said: "It was active, bril-
liant and of a high order. He was ever ready to give his vote and his
voice to those measures or to those statutes which seemed to him to be
essential to individual and public welfare. In all his acts he reflected
the liberality and intelligence of his constituents, and for this was be-
loved and admired by all who witnessed his course. As chairman of the
committee on military affairs, he was indefatigable in his labors in be-
half of perfect organization, equipment and discipline of the volunteer
troops of the state. His speeches on this subject before the committee
and in the senate, were models of eloquence and logic. Then, when the
bill to make tuition forever free at the State University was put upon its
passage and the measure was violently opposed, he came to its rescue
fearlessly and grandly, aiding materially in bringing about the happy
result of its triumphant passage. His constituents and the people of
Georgia have reason to be proud of his talents and character."

For several years General Meldrim was associated with Col. William
Garrard in the practice of law, but for some years past the former has
maintained his office and practice individually. He is an eminently
successful lawyer, and in many of the decisions of Georgia, where General
Meldrim's cases are involved, there are distinct compliments from the
supreme, bench. During a long period he was connected actively with
the military establishment of the state. Although a youth, he reported
for duty to Capt. William S. Chisholm at the time of Sherman's ad-
vance on the city in December, 1864, and was made corporal in the home
guards organized by Captain Chisholm, serving in the trenches on the
right of the line near the river and doing guard duty in the city. In
later years he enlisted originally as a private in the historic Georgia
Hussars, and was promoted to second lieutenant in January. 1889. Sub-
sequently he became adjutant of the First Squadron of Georgia Cavalry,
of which 'later he was promoted to major. From this rank he was ad-
vanced to lieutenant-colonel of the regiment, and was made colonel in
February, 1900. He became brevet brigadier-general of the Georgia
state troops in July, 1906, and brigadier-general commanding the Georgia
state troops on September 24, 1907.

In 1891 General Meldrim was elected alderman, and in January. 1897.
he was elected mayor of Savannah, and gave the city an efficient and cred-
itable administration, during which much municipal improvement was
carried out, particularly in street paving. In addition the jail was added
to the police barracks and some new buildings were erected for the fire
department. He has been president of the Hibernian Society since 1875 ;
is ex-president of the alumni society of the University of Georgia and
of the State Bar Association, and has for many years been a member of
the board of trustees for the university. General Meldrim first suggested
the erection of the monument to Sergeant Jasper, in Madison Square,
Savannah, and then co-operated in the efforts which brought about the
building of this memorial. In the American Bar Association he is chair-
man of the committee on jurisprudence and law reform, and he is one
of the commissioners on uniformity of laws for the state of Georgia.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 703

General Meldrim has achieved wide fame for his eloquence as a
speaker; a reputation that had its beginning- in his college days. Besides '
possessing the most pleasing oratorical graces, his addresses indicate deep
scholarship and a wide range of reading and assimilation.. Some of them
are models of thought, form and diction. He has delivered notable
speeches before the American Bar Association, as well as the Georgia
and other state bar associations ; also a large number of literary, historical
and miscellaneous addresses. Upon the occasions of the presence, of dis-
tinguished personages in the city, or in the formalities of extending in-
vitation to such to be Savannah's guests, General Meldrim usually is
chosen as the speaker to voice the city's welcome.

General Meldrim belongs to the Masonic and other orders. He is a
member of the Oglethorpe Club, Capital City Club of Atlanta, Hussars
Club, Yacht Club and the University clubs of Atlanta and Savannah, of
the latter of which he is president. He was married June 30, 1881, to
Miss Frances P. Casey, daughter of Dr. Heni-y R. and Caroline (Harris)
Casey, of Columbia county, Georgia, and a grand-niece of Maj. John Mc-
Pherson Berrien, who was one of Savannah's distinguished citizens of
former years. General and Mrs. Meldrim have four children, namely:
Caroline Louise, Prances Casey, who married Col. G. Noble Jones, Sophia
d'A, and Jane. The Meldrim residence in Savannah is one of the most
beautiful and stately homes in the South. It is possessed of historic
interest from the fact that it was the headquarters of General Sherman
upon the occupation of the city by the Federal army in December, 186-1.

James M. Barnard figures in the business life of Savannah in three
distinct capacities, namely : as ship broker, as president of the United
Hydraulic Cotton Press Company and as president of the Savannah
Hotel Company. A young New Englander, scarcely attained to his ma-
jority, his military connection at the time of the Civil war brought him
to the seat of the conflict and his glimpse of the South falling upon the
fertile imagination of youth, served so to enthrall him, that at the close
of the war he severed the old associations and located in the city whose
beauty is only equaled by its wealth of romantic history. He has re-
sided here since 1865 and as one of the leading spirits in commercial and
industrial life, has materially assisted in the growth and development
of Savannah. He is known far and wide as a man of remarkable execu-
tive capacity, of fine initiative, with the power to make realities out of
big ideas, and accustomed to "hitching his wagon to a star." Not only
has he been successful in material ways, but his career has been such as
to warrant the trust and confidence of the business world, for he has
conducted all transactions according to the strictest principles of honor.
His devotion to the public good is not questioned and arises from a sincere
interest in the welfare of his fellow men.

Mr. Barnard was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on the 4th day of
May, 1841. He is the son of Rev. Charles F. Barnard and he was reared
and educated in the "hub of the universe." At the outbreak of the
Civil war he enlisted in the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts Regiment, and
participated in various important operations in the South. One of these
of nearby interest, was the famous assault on Battery Wagner, in Charles-
ton harbor, this being one of the bloodiest conflicts, numbers considered,
in the history of the war. His service was three years in duration.

As mentioned previously, Mr. Barnard came to Savannah in the year
1865 and here he has ever since maintained his residence. During his
half century's connection in this city, Mr. Barnard has been engaged with
important interests in maritime affairs. Soon after beginning business
here, the firm of Richardson & Barnard was formed, his partner being



704 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Edward C. Richardson, now of Boston. Later C. S. Connerat became a
member of the firm, but without change in its name. , This firm were
part owners and agents in Savannah of the old Boston Line, operating
the two steamships, "Gate City" and "City of Columbus," between
Savannah and Boston. This prosperous ocean passenger and freight
business they conducted for several years and finally sold to the present
Ocean Steamship Company. The old firm of Richardson & Barnard,
not long after the war, built the Tybee telegraph line and they were the
first to bring the telephone to Savannah ; they built the telephone line
between Tybee island and Savannah, which later they sold to the Bell
Telephone Company. The telegraph and telephone lines were con-
structed originally for their own business. It will from this be seen
that Mr. Barnard is an innovator in very definite fashion and he has
ever kept well abreast of progress.

In 1890, the old firm of Richardson & Barnard was dissolved, and
since that time Mr. Barnard has continued in the same line of enterprise
under the name of Barnard & Company. He is also president of the
United Hydraulic Cotton Press Company and of the Savannah Hotel
Company, which owns and operates the DeSoto Hotel in Savannah, Mr.
Barnard having been one of the originators of this admirable hostelry in
1890. This magnificent tourist and commercial hotel has been a most
potent factor in the modern growth and development of Savannah,
attracting annually great numbers of people to the Forest city to enjoy
the climate and attractions, who would not have come but for the elegant
comforts and conveniences of the DeSoto Hotel. The chambers are
unusually large and peculiarly adapted to the climate, having the advan-
tage of being all outside rooms. The water is supplied from an artesian
well of great purity, seven hundred feet deep and situated on the
grounds. The hotel is very spacious and covers an entire block. The
open air cafe, in use from May to October, during the winter months
is converted into a sunny sheltered piazza, one hundred and fifty feet
long and thirty feet wide.

Mr. Barnard has been a member of the pilotage commission of Savan-
nah for over twenty years and is chairman of the commission. He has a
wide circle of friends, the boundaries of the state by no means limiting
his acquaintance and popularity.

His wife, who is deceased and to whom he was married in 1S66. was
Miss Harriet L. Otis, who was born in Roxbury. Massachusetts. There
are five children of the union : Theodore Otis Barnard, deceased ; Mrs.
Grace B. Brewster, William L. Barnard, and James H. Barnard, these
three of Boston, and Mrs. Elsie B. Chisholm. wife of Frank M. Chisholm
of Savannah.

Fleming Davies Tinsley. Among the foremost citizens of Savannah
is Fleming Davies Tinsley, whose relation to the business community is
concerned with the products peculiar to this section of the South, Mr.
Tinsley being an exporter of cotton and phosphate rock. It is safe to
say that he has no peer in his knowledge of these particular fields, and
as one concerned in a line of industry which lias important bearing upon
the progress and stable prosperity of the community, lie occupies a con-
spicuous position in business circles. He belongs to representative fami-
lies of the South, on the maternal side coming of Revolutionary stock,
this family — the Davies — having been prominent in this section previous
to the struggle for independence.

Mr. Tinsley was born at the summer residence of his pai'ents at Mil-
ledgeville, Georgia. Their home, however, was in Savannah, and as the
greater part of his life has been passed within the boundaries of the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 705

beautiful and historic city, whose traditions are very dear to him, he
maintains that he is a native Savannahian, and no one will gainsay this. '
He is the son of William B. and Sarah Grantland (Davies) Tinsley. The
father was born in Hanover county, Virginia, and came to Savannah
during the early '40s. For several years before the war and during the
first of the supreme struggle between the North and South, he was the
cashier of the old Savannah Bank, which occupied the building at No.
15 Bay street, East. Prior to the war between the states he held the office
of state treasurer for several terms. This was previous to becoming
cashier of the aforementioned bank. The demise of this gentleman
occurred when the subject was a child, during the war, but he is still
well and affectionately remembered by the older residents of Savannah.
Mr. Tinsley had four older brothers in the Confederate service during
the Civil war. His mother was the daughter of Judge William Davies,
of Savannah, one of the distinguished lawyers of his day, and judge of
the United States circuit court for the district of Georgia, and of the
superior court for the eastern judicial circuit. Judge Davies was the
son of Edward and Rebecca (Lloyd) Davies, the latter the daughter of
Benjamin Lloyd of South Carolina, who was a lieutenant of artillery in
South Carolina troops in 1779 and 1780. Mr. Tinsley 's great-grandfather,
Edward Davies, of Savannah, served as a member of the provincial con-
gress of Georgia in July, 1775, and for that reason he was named in the
celebrated "disqualifying act," passed by the royal council of Georgia.

Mr. Tinsley received his early schooling in the public schools of the
city; afterwards he had private tutelage in Macon, to which city the
family had temporarily removed. Upon growing to manhood, he entered
business life, for which his tastes and abilities fitted him, his first asso-
ciation being in the office of Seymour, Tinsley & Company of Macon,
wholesale grocers, the junior member of the firm being his brother, A. R.
Tinsley. He remained in this business in Macon for some years and then
went to Alabama, where he engaged in the fertilizing business. In 1899,
he left Alabama and returned to his old home, Savannah, the memory of
whose charms and advantages had ever remained vividly with him. Mr.
Tinsley has encountered the best of fortunes here. He is the senior mem-
ber of the firm, Tinsley & Hull, exporters of cotton and phosphate rock.
This is a prominent firm widely and favorably known in the world of
trade concerned with these two great industries.

Mr. Tinsley married Miss Martha Rodman Ruan, daughter of John
G. and Amanda (Clark) Ruan. They are prominent in the social and
benevolent activities of the community. Mr. Tinsley is a vestryman of
Christ church. He is a member of the Cotton Exchange and the Chamber
of Commerce, and a member of the Oglethorpe Club and of the Savannah
Yacht Club. Besides his exporting business he has several additional
interests of wide scope and importance, among other things being a mem-
ber of the board of directors of the Merchants' National Bank of Savan-
nah.

Andrew Jackson Moye. A position of leadership in a community is
not easily acquired except by hard work, careful management and endur-
ing integrity. When his fellow citizens in Randolph county speak of
Mr. Moye as the wealthiest or one of the wealthiest men of the county
they also imply in this assertion that he has acquired this position of
both affluence and influence by the most honorable means, and that his
long life has been one of utmost honor in all its varied relations.

Past eighty years of age, Mr. Moye is one of the oldest residents of
Randolph county, and represents a family which gave pioneer service



706 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

in clearing the woods, and making farms and planting the early crops
and founding of civilized institutions in this section of Georgia. Andrew
Jackson Moye was born on a plantation about ten miles east of Barn-
well Courthouse in South Carolina, December 12, 1832. His father was
the Hon. Allen Moye, who was born on the same plantation in 1798.
The grandfather was Matthew Moye who was born in North Carolina,
whence he removed to South Carolina, purchasing land bordering upon
Palttatcher creek, ten miles east of Barnwell Courthouse. The grand-
father was a man of much ability and considerable property, and with
the aid of his slaves cleared out a farm and made it his home until his
death.

Allen Moye, the father, acquired a good education in his native dis-
trict and was still a very young man when he was called into public
affairs. He was elected a representative in the state legislature, a few
weeks before he was twenty-one years of age. In 183-1 he. sold his es-
tate in South Carolina and came into Georgia, settling in Randolph
county. On that journey he was accompanied by his wife and six
children, and they came through the woods and over the rough roads
and trails with teams and wagons, bringing all their household goods
and a large supply of agricultural implements, the slaves following along
on foot. A tract of land three miles northwest of Cuthbert was the site
chosen for his location. At that time the population in this district
was very sparse and the Indians were still here and laid claim to the
region as their hunting grounds. He was in Georgia in time to par-
ticipate in the last great Indian war of 1836, when the southwestern
Indians were finally defeated and compelled to remove to the "West. In
1841, Allen Moye became a candidate for the state senate. During the
campaign he attended a rally and barbecue at which he caught cold
and his death occurred before the election. Allen Moye married Sarah
J. Rice, daughter of Charles Rice, who so far as known was a lifelong
resident of South Carolina in the Barnwell district. Mrs. Moye died
in 1862 at the age of sixty years. Her ten children were named Wil-
liam, John, George, Andrew J., Mary, Benjamin, Wyatt, Allen, and
Sarah.

Andrew Jackson Moye since he was two j T ears of age has spent nearly
all his life in Randolph county, and there is probably no other resident
whose actions cover so much of the development of this section from
its primitive conditions to the present time. As a boy he attended one
of the neighborhood schools, that school being taught in a log build-
ing on the home farm. Subsequently the old frame courthouse at
Cuthbert was removed in order to make room for a new brick struc-
ture, and the old building was then put to use as a school house, and
as a boy he remembers that building as one of the institutions in Ran-
dolph county. Early in his youth he went to Georgetown, and became
clerk in a general store. With the earnings of that occupation during
two years he was enabled to advance his education, and attended the
Brownwood Institute at Lagrange, and remained there as a student until
the death of his brother George. Then at the solicitation of his mother
he returned home to take charge of the farm. The following year he
went to Eufaula, Alabama, where he was engaged in clerking for a
lime, after which he returned to the farm for a lew months, and then
moved into Cuthbert, where he was clerk in the store of Mi'. Jesse E.
Key until the latter 's death. Then in 1859 he bought a plantation ad-
joining the old homestead and devoted all his lime and attention to
agricultural activities until after the war.

In 1S(>4 Mr. Moye enlisted in Company B. of the Tenth Georgia



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 707

Infantry, and was engaged with tins regiment in the defense of Atlanta.
After the fall of that city he was in the battle at Griswolds Station,
and while the army was on the march to Altamaha he was detailed
as assistant quartermaster, being sent back to Macon where he remained
until the close of the war. He was then paroled, and returned home to
the farm, where he continued to live and manage the property until
1875. In that year he moved into Cuthbert and has since had his home
in the county seat. His father soon after moving to Randolph county,
bought a block of land west of and facing the public square in Cuthbert.
and on a portion of this land Mr. A. J. Moye erected a building which
he has since used for an office. For many years he has made a business of
loaning money, and also employs his time in looking after his various
investments, and other affairs.

In November. 1859, he married Laura J. West, who was born in
Stewart county, a daughter of William and Laura Elizabeth (Pettit)
West. Mr. and Mrs. Moye have five children: Andrew Clinton. Robert
Leiden, Andrew Pettit, Loraine Mickle and Claude T. The son, Andrew
Clinton, is a planter and has a mill and gin in Randolph county. He
married Dixie Harris, and their two children are named Hubert Melton
and Clinton. Robert L. is a practicing attorney and former mayor of
Cuthbert, and by his marriage to Florence Powell has three children
named Annie Laurie, Powell, and Eloise. Andrew P. is a merchant
and planter, and married Lilla Tumlin, and their five children are Lewis,
Guydon, Marie, Martha and Claude. Loraine M. married Elizabeth
Walrath, and their two children are Laura Estelle and Andrew J. The
parents of Mr. Moye were Baptists, and his wife is a member of that
faith and has reared her children in the creed and practice of this
religion.

Hon. Alexander A. Lawrence. One of the adopted sons of Savan-
nah, Georgia, is Hon. Alexander A. Lawrence, member of the state legis-
lature and an able lawyer of the city. He is qualified by his professional
experience and success, his integrity and his qualities of mind and heart
for the position to which his political and personal friends have called
him.

Mr. Lawrence was born at Marietta, Georgia, on April 5, 1869, and
comes of a Southern family, his father, Robert DeTreveille Lawrence
having been born at Beaufort, South Carolina, and his mother, whose
maiden name was Annie E. Atkinson, in Camden county, Georgia. They
reside at the present time at Marietta, where the father has lived since
1842, having gone there as a child with his father in that year. The
elder gentleman is a civil engineer by profession and he is a Confederate
veteran of the Civil war, in which he served in the signal corps, in the
southern army.

Mr. Lawrence, whose name heads this review, received his preliminary
education in the common schools of this birthplace, Marietta, and subse-
quently entered the University of Georgia at Athens, from which institu-
tion he was graduated with the class of 1890. He had in the meantime
come to the conclusion to adopt, the law as his profession and made
preparatory study for the profession at Brunswick, being admitted to the
bar in 1891. He first hung out his shingle, as common parlance has it,
at St. Mary's in Camden county, and remained there two or three years,
from the first giving evidence of an unusually good legal mind. In 1894
he moved to Savannah and became established in the practice of law in
this city, which has ever since been his home. In 1900 he formed a law

I'ol. II— 1 -j



708 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

partnership with W. W. Osborne, under the firm name of Osborne &
Lawrence, and the same has developed into one of the -prominent and
successful law firms in the city. This concern, in addition to a large
general practice, is the legal representative of the Savannah Electric Rail-
way Company, which operates the electric street railway system in Savan-
nah.

Mr. Lawrence is one who gives his support to the men and measures
of the Democratic party. In 1904, in manifestation of the general high
regard in which he is held, he was elected a member of the Georgia state
legislature for the regular term of two years. Recommended by his past
record in such capacity, he was again elected to the office in 1908 and
once more succeeded himself in 1910. His legislative district embraces
Chatham county. He has proved a most useful member of the state
assembly, his work therein being to a considerable extent in the nature
of opposing needless and harmful legislation, rather than in the intro-
duction of new bills. In the session ending in 1911 he was chairman of
the committee on constitutional amendments, and has been a member of
both the general judiciary and the special judiciary committees.

Mr. Lawrence was formerly a member of the Savannah Volunteer
Guards, and as such enlisted as a private for service in the Spanish-
American war, his company being a part of the Second Georgia Regiment.
Later he was transferred to the Third Georgia Regiment, in which he
was made lieutenant of Company K.

Mr. Lawrence finds pleasure in fraternal association with his fellow
men and is prominent in a number of organizations of such character,
among which are the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias, the Eagles,
and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.

In 1900 Mr. Lawrence married Miss Isabel Ashby Paine, who was
born in Charleston, South Carolina, and they have four interesting
children, namely: Harriet, Alexander A., Jr., Ann and Virginia.

Col. Sigo Myers. The name of Myers has figured with gratifying
prominence in the life of Savannah for more than half a century as
bankers, manufacturers, merchants and citizens of the highest type. The
Myers brothers have ever been known as men who did things and their
imprint is upon many splendid' enterprises. In 1852 the little Bavariau
family located within the fair boundaries of the South and in the ensuing
years they have proved the possessors of all those characteristics which
make the typical German so admirable an acquisition to our nation, and
the support of our institutions. Sturdy integrity, indomitable perse-
verance, high intelligence and much business sagacity have been repre-
sented in them, and no more honored subjects could be represented in
a work of this character.

Col. Sigo Myers, president of the National Bank of Savannah, suc-
ceeded to this position upon the death of his brother, the late Herman
Myers, who from its founding until his decease on March 24, 1909, held
that position. Herman Myers, who was the elder brother, was born in
Bavaria, Germany, in 1847, the son of Sigmund and Fanny Myers, who
in 1852, joined the numerous Teutonic company in quest of American
independence and opportunity, and with their family crossed the Atlantic
and shortly after arriving on our shores, located at Warm Springs, Bath
county, Virginia, where their children were reared. There young Her-
man received his public school education, and. the family being in mod-
est circumstances, he learned, like the usual German lad, a ti-ade, his
being that of a tanner. His father died in 1861 and the family removed



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 709

to Lynchburg. In 1867, Herman Myers came to Savannah, which city
remained his home until his death, his active and busy life attaining
for him a position of relative distinction in the community with which
his interests were allied. After coming here he became engaged in the
cigar and tobacco business, and subsequently became a large handler and
exporter of wool, under the firm name of H. Myers & Brother. He con-
tinued his interest in the cigar business, however, and in association with
his brother, Sigo Myers, became an extensive manufacturer of cigars.
He acquired the controlling interest in El Modelo Cigar Manufacturing
Company, of which he was president and which maintained a large cigar
factory at Tampa, Florida. He organized the Cuban American Cigar
Manufacturing Company, into which El Modelo Company was merged
and which maintained an office and factory at Havana, as well as in
Tampa. This became one of the largest cigar manufacturing industries
of the country. A few years before his death he disposed of his interests
in the cigar manufacturing business and thereafter centered most of his
activities in the banking business in Savannah.

He was the principal organizer and from its founding until the
time of his decease was the president of the National Bank of Savannah,
which began business in 1885. He promoted the erection of the National
Bank building, the home of his bank, a splendid office building of hand-
some design, ten stories in height, standing at the corner of Bull and
Broughton streets, the heart of the business section and one of the show
places of the city. The capital stock of the bank is $250,000, while its
surplus and undivided profits amount to nearly double that sum. It is
one of the strongest financial institutions in the South and numbers
among its board of directors a list of citizens whose business reputation
and financial resources rank among the highest in Savannah. The bank
has always been well managed to the extent that it gives the best of satis-
faction in profits to its stockholders combined with the best of accommo-
dations to its customers.

Herman Myers was one of the organizers and for years was president
of the Savannah Grocery Company, wholesale. He was also the presi-
dent of the Oglethorpe Savings & Trust Company, an auxiliary of the
National Bank, organized to handle its large savings department. He
was one of the organizers and promoters of the construction of the South-
bound Railway Company, of which he was the vice-president until the
time of its disposal to the Seaboard Air Line Railway Company. He was
also largely interested in the old Savannah & Tybee Railroad and the
Tybee Hotel Company. In addition to his Savannah interests he was a
member of the syndicate which purchased the Macon Street Railway &
Lighting System, and was president of the reorganized company.

In 1885, Herman Myers was elected a member of the board of alder-
men of Savannah. He was continuously a member of the city council
for ten years, serving on the finance committee during the entire period.
For five years he was a member of the sanitary board. These duties
equipped him well for the position of mayor, to which he was called by
election of the people in 1895. He served out the term of two years, and
then, after an interval of two years, he was again in 1899 elected mayor.
v He was re-elected in 1901, 1903, and 1905, the last three terms quite
without opposition. His administration during those years was marked
by the greatest permanent public improvements in the history of Savan-
nah, including street paving, enlargement of the water works plant,
street openings, and, the greatest achievement of them all, the building
of the present city hall, one of the finest municipal buildings in the
South. In Masonry he had taken the Scottish Rite degree. His life was
in every way an honor to himself and to his home city, Savannah.



710 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Although he has given "his honors to the world again, his hlessed part
to heaven," his benignant influence will not soon be lost in the city
which was so much the better for his having lived in it.

Col. Sigo Myers, brother of the foregoing, was born in Bavaria in
1850, and was about two years old when his parents came to America.
His boyhood history was nearly identical with that of his brother in rear-
ing and education. Like Herman Myers he is entirely a self-made man,
rising to his present position of wealth and influence in the financial
world from the ranks. The Myers boys lost their father in early child-
hood, and, without any inheritance or financial assistance of any kind,
found it necessary to begin earning their livelihood at an early age.

Sigo Myers came to Savannah in 1868, one year after his brother.
For several years he was actively associated with his brother in the cigar
manufacturing business and became president of El Modelo and the
Cuban American Cigar Manufacturing Company, mentioned in a pre-
ceding paragraph. These interests took him away from Savannah for
some years, during which he resided in Florida. As a capitalist he took
a prominent part in the building up of Jacksonville, in which city, as
well as in Tampa, he still holds large and important property interests.
Previous to his brother's death he was vice-president of the National
Bank of Savannah and upon his brother's death he became president of
the institution, and through his wise, skillful and experienced manage-
ment the bank has continued to flourish as it has from the beginning.
He also succeeded his brother as president of the Oglethorpe Savings &
Trust Company. In addition to those in Savannah and Jacksonville, he
also has important financial interests in Macon and Columbus. Georgia.
He is vice-president of the Muscogee Real Estate & Improvement Com-
pany of Columbus and is vice-president of the Macon Railway & Light
Company. He is a director of the Glen Springs Company, Spartanburg,
South Carolina, also a director of the Gainesville & Midland Railway.
Mr. Myers has taken a very active part in the founding of the Jewish
Educational Alliance, a non-sectarian institution, and to which he
donated the building. He stands high in Masonry, being a thirty-second
degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner, and is president of the Masonic
Temple Association. Under his administration, and the present trustees,
ground for the temple was broken.

Colonel Myers has always taken an active interest in the famous mili-
tary organizations of Savannah ; he is one of the board of directors of
the Savannah Volunteer Guards; he was a member of the Georgia Hus-
sars for several years. Upon the election of Joe M. Brown as governor
in 1909 he was appointed lieutenant colonel upon the governor's staff
and served as such until the expiration of Governor Brown's term in
June, 1911.

Colonel Myers takes an active interest not only in local affairs, but in
matters generally of national and world-wide interest. He is known
particularly as an ardent sympathizer with and prominent advocate of
world-wide peace. On this subject lie made a notable address on .July
4, 1911, before the annual convention of the Witham Bankers' Associa-
tion, at Warm Springs. Georgia, and a month or two later, while sojourn-
ing at Carlsbad, in Bavaria, lie wrote a public letter on the subject of
world-wide peace which received prominent space in the Paris edition of
the New York II '< raid. Colonel Myers has an intimate knowledge, not
only of national, but also of world politics, and. speaking not only as a
citizen, but as a representative of the great hanking interests which
always are called upon to finance wars, his views on this important sub-
ject, and his enthusiastic advocacy of disarmament and of world-wide
peace, receive the most respectful attention.

In -luly. 1911, he married .Mrs. Nellie Simmonds. of New York.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA . 711

Edward J. Thomas of Savannah is one of the representative civjl
engineers of Georgia, and is county surveyor of Chatham county. He
was born in Savannah on March 25, 1840, and is a son of Maj. John A.
and Malvina H. (Iluguenin) Thomas; the former was born in Mcintosh
county, Georgia, and the latter in Charleston, South Carolina. Maj.
John A. Thomas was a planter by vocation, established in Mcintosh
county, and his death occurred there in 1858. He was a son of Jonathan
and Mary Jane (Baker) Thomas. His wife, Malvina, was a daughter of
John and Eliza (Vallard) Iluguenin, both of whom were of French
Huguenot stock. Mrs. Thomas survived her husband for many years,
her death occurring in 1895.

Edward J. Thomas secured a good education in the academic sense,
as well as in the line of his profession. He was graduated in the Uni-
versity of Georgia as a member of the class of 1860, receiving the degree
of Bachelor of Arts. In early manhood he taught school for two months,
but his vocation during practically his entire career has been that of
civil engineering. For many years he was the civil engineer for the
Savannah Street Railway Company, and for eight years he rendered
most efficient services as county engineer for Chatham county.

The loyalty of Mr. Thomas to the cause of the Confederacy was mani-
fested in a most unequivocal way during the war between the states. He
served two years in the ranks, but on account of physical disability was
appointed quartermaster sergeant in the Fifth Georgia Cavalry, with
Wheeler's command in General Johnston's army, and surrendered at
Greensboro. Many and thrilling were the experiences of Mr. Thomas
during his military service, and at a meeting in February, 1912, of the
Confederate Veterans' Association in Savannah, Mr. Thomas related
some war-time reminiscences for the delectation of the assembly which
were particularly well received. He had been asked to read a paper on
the evacuation of Savannah, but upon reflection, he said he had come
to the conclusion that as he had no business being in Savannah at the
time of its evacuation, it might be more appropriate to change his topic
to deal with interesting experiences of camp life, dealing particularly
with those of the western cavalry just prior to the surrender of Atlanta.
He said that after the big light at Murfreesboro when his command was
returning to Savannah the order was passed that every man without a
mount could get a thirty days' furlough. The Confederate troopers
owned their own horses, so Mr. Thomas gave his horse, saddle and bridle
to his comrade, and thus being without a mount, took advantage of the
furlough and spent thirty days at home, which explained how he came to
be in Savannah at the time of its evacuation. Among other interesting
tilings, he related how he recruited a horse in the bushwhacking country
by the peculiar method of going out in the early morning before day-
break and rifling the nearest stable of its best mount for his use, and
told how he saved his neck, likewise retained possession of a stolen horse,
by the exercise of a bit of quick wit and strategy. These and many
another experience, rich in movement and excitement, told by Mr.
Thomas in his peciuiarly interesting manner, proved a delightful offer-
ing in the program of the evening.

Mr. Thomas is a member of the United Confederate Veterans and of
the University Club of Georgia. He is a Democrat in his political faith.
He and his wife are members of St. John's Episcopal church. Mr.
Thomas is now actively engaged in his profession and is at the head
of the plans and specification committee of the drainage commission to
devise and construct storm and domestic sewers for the entire city, as
outlined in the .$600,000 issue of bonds (1912).

On April 2, 1862, Mr. Thomas was married to Miss Alice G. Walthour,



712 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

daughter of George and Mary (Russell) Walthour of Walthourville,
Liberty county, Georgia. Seven children were born to, them, namely:
Abbott; Walthour; Julia, wife of C. H. Gibbes; Alice, married R. C.
Gordon ; Edward J., Jr. ; Huguenin, and Dr. Marion R. Of these,
Walthour died in youth, Mrs. Gibbes died in 1900, and Abbott died in
1912.

Thomas Ralph Moye, M. D., lias been engaged in the practice
of his profession in Abbeville for about fourteen years. He is a native
of Georgia, born in Washington county on November 7, 1873, the son of
Robert J. and Laura (Graybill) Moye, both natives of Washington
county. The father is deceased, but the mother still lives. Robert
Moye was a planter and merchant, and was prominent in the public
life of his county, representing Washington county in the house of
representatives in 1884-85, and in the senate in 1898-99. He was a
highly esteemed citizen of his community, and his death was a distinct
loss to the communal life.

Thomas R. Moye was educated in Washington and Johnson counties,
with regard to fundamentals, and when he was sixteen years of age he
entered the University of Georgia, from which institution he was
graduated in 1894, after which he completed a course of study in the
Physicians and Surgeons College in Atlanta, being graduated there-
from in 1899. Between the two college courses, however, the young
man taught school in Butts and Franklin counties, as a means of further-
ing his progress in an educational way. Immediately following the com-
pletion of his studies Dr. Moye located in Abbeville where he has con-
tinued ever since, and he has been successful in building up a fine
practice in this community. He has attained a high degree of promi-
nence in a public way, and has been a member of the city council for
a number of terms, and in 1909 was mayor of the city.

On Deecmber 20, 1899, Dr. Moye was united in marriage with Miss
Rilla Leedy, daughter of J. D. and Annie E. Leedy, natives of Indiana.
Mrs. Moye received her education in the schools. of Bourbon. Indiana.
Dr. and Mrs. Moye have one daughter — Annie Belle, born December
15, 1900. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church,
and Dr. Moye is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Independ-
ent Order of Odd Fellows.

Dr. Moye is one of a family of eleven children, of which number
seven are now living. R. T. is a farmer in Washington county ; Dr.
L.. G. is conducting a practice at Adrian. Georgia: E. L. is located at
Augusta : B. H. is an attorney in Wrightville ; Mattie is the wife of
W. B. Daniels, a traveling salesman, and Lula is the wife of C. C.
Battle, of Sorrento, Florida, Dr. T. R. Moye making the seventh of
the number.

Capt. Walter C. Hartridge, solicitor general of the eastern circuit,
superior court, and a member of one of the strongest law firms of Savan-
nah — O'Byrne, Hartridge & Wright — is a native of the city in which he
lives. He was born in 1870, a son of distinguished parents. Hon. Julian
and Mary M. (Charlton) Hartridge.

Julian Hartridge was born in Savannah, Georgia, September 9, 1829.
and died in Washington, District of Columbia. January 8, 1879. At the
age of nineteen, he graduated with honors in the class of 1848 at Brown
University, Providence. Rhode Island, and he studied law in the Harvard
Law School, from which lie received the degree of LL. B. in 1850.
Returning to his home in Savannah, he entered the law office of Judge
Robert M. Charlton and began the practice of his profession. Soon there-




<ZS o^vyw o-j V J




e/ fyu



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 713

after he was elected by the legislature to the position of solicitor-general
of the eastern judicial circuit, in which office he proved his abilities as
a lawyer of the first class. In 1859 he was elected to the general assem-
bly of Georgia, and in 1860 was sent as a delegate to the national Demo-
cratic convention. At the breaking out of the war between the North
and the South in 1861, he entered the service of the Confederate army,
as second lieutenant of the Chatham Artillery of Savannah, and served
in that capacity until 1862, when he was elected a member of the Con-
federate state congress. He served with distinction in this capacity
until the close of the war and the consequent breaking up of the Con-
federacy. Then he returned to Savannah and resumed the practice of
law, in partnership with Judge Walter S. Chisholm. In 1874 he was
elected a member of the forty-fourth congress from the "first district
of Georgia. In that year also he presided over, as chairman, the first
Democratic convention which gave to Georgia its first governor elected
by her own people, following the reconstruction period. This conven-
tion made him also the chairman of the state Democratic executive com-
mittee. In 1876 he was an elector on the Tilden and Hendricks ticket,
and in the same year he was elected to the United States congress. He
had served out this term and was preparing to return to his home in
Savannah, where it was his ambition to resume the practice of his pro-
fession and devote his time exclusively to it, when death overtook him,
his demise occurring, as above stated, at Washington, on January 8, 1879.

Among the people of his native city and state Julian Hartridge was
universally accorded a place of the highest distinction. He was hand-
some in person, accomplished in intellect, polished in manner; withal
he was kind, gentle, considerate and generous, and he had a keen sense
of honor. Endowed by nature with an intellect adapted to the discern-
ment of truth, and embellished by literary attainments of the most liberal
description — this, together with an honorable ambition and a persever-
ing industry, rarely equipped him for the practice of law. As an orator
his language was unusually chaste and elegant, as well as easy and
fluent ; his delivery, correct and impressive ; his logic, clear and con-
cise ; his voice, musical and magnetic. As a legislator he was pre-emi-
nently conservative and just, and although a Democrat of the strictest
sort, he did not hesitate to disregard the demands of mere party exigency
whenever there was a conflict between them. His broad views of life
and his sterling traits of character made him a man admired by the
people among whom he lived — admired and looked up to and loved.

The wife of Julian Hartridge was before her marriage Miss Mary M.
Charlton, eldest daughter of Judge Robert M. Charlton.

Walter C. Hartridge was reared in Savannah and received his edu-
cation in the public schools and in Chatham Academy. He studied law
in the office of Charlton & Mackall, was admitted to the bar in 1890 and
began the practice of his profession, and he practiced alone for six years.
In 1898 he became identified with the firm of O'Connor & 'Byrne, and
the name was changed to O'Connor, 'Byrne & Hartridge. This firm
style continued until January 1, 1910, when Mr. O'Connor's name was
dropped, he having died in November, 1909 ; Anton P. Wright was then
admitted to the company and the name became 'Byrne, Hartridge &
Wright, which today represents one of the strongest legal firms in
Savannah.

From time to time Captain Hartridge has been honored with import-
ant position. He was city recorder (police judge) of Savannah for
four years, from 1897 to 1901. In November, 1908, he was elected solic-
itor general (prosecuting attorney) of the superior court, eastern judi-
cial circuit, for a term of four vears, and took charge of this office on



714 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

January 1, 1909. Here he has proved his efficiency; his service has
received the high approbation of the people.

Before the Spanish-American war, Mr. Hartridge 'was an active
member of the Savannah Volunteer Guards, Company D. This company
enlisted for service in that war, in which it became Company B of the
Second Georgia Regiment of Volunteers, of which company he was
second lieutenant. Subsequent to the war he was made captain of Com-
pany D of the guards, which rank he held for about two years, until
he tendered his resignation.

Captain Hartridge has been twice married. His first wife, who was
Miss Bessie D. Hartridge, was a cousin. She died, leaving him witli
one son, Julian Hartridge. The present Mrs. Hartridge was before
her marriage Miss Catharine Melntire, and is a daughter of James W.
and Cathai'ine (Foley) Melntire of Savannah.

Charles Clarke Millar. Sometimes by executive order the wheels
of a great railroad system are checked for a few moments to signalize
the passing of a famous official, such is our appreciation of that which is
spectacular and unusual. But when the stipulated time has expired
work is resumed and those who did not know the man quickly forget
the incident. It is the man whose passing can claim the thoughts of
his fellow workmen and arouse their sorrow and regret who receives
the truest tribute in this busy day and age, and such a man is invaria-
bly one who has worked with and worked for his associates, who has
understood and appreciated them, rather than one far distant who by
the chance of fortune or fate has attained to a directive capacity.

Of the latter class, the well-beloved leader and loyal co-worker, was
the late Charles Clarke Millar, of Savannah, for forty years master car
builder for the Central of Georgia Railroad. His long connection with
the system as its master ear builder was in itself a silent tribute to his
ability and character, and there is another silent testimonial to his worth
standing beside his grave in the beautiful cemetery at Savannah. It is a
monument of chaste but striking design, and bears upon one face the
following inscription :

Charles C. Millar
Died May 5, 1880 Age 64 years.



Erected by the employes of the Central Railroad Car
Department, with which he was connected as master car
builder for forty years, in grateful remembrance of his
many virtues.

This brief, but beautiful tribute from the grateful hearts of men
who were for years intimately associated with Mr. Millar in their daily
life, and who knew better than any others what a splendid type of
character he possessed, indicates how fondly he was held in the affections
of his friends and fellow workers.

Charles Clarke Millar was born at St. Mary's. Camden county, Geor-
gia, March 19. 1816, and died at Savannah. Georgia, on May 5. 1880.
He was a son of Jacob and Lydia (Pierce) Millar. Jacob Millar was born
in Boston, Massachusetts, September 15, 1777. ami settled at St. Mary's.
Georgia, in 1809. He removed to Savannah with his family about 1837
and died in that city on August 29, 1854. His wife, Lydia Pierce, was
descended from a long line of prominent New England ancestry, one of
her forbears being ('apt. Michael Pierce, who was distinguished for
his service in King Philip's war. Jacob Millar himself was of English



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 715

ancestry, the members of his family being early settlers in New England
and members of the Plymouth colony, and thus of old Puritan stock.

In 1837, the year that he came of age, Charles Clarke Millar came to
Savannah, which city continued his home as long as he lived. He entered
the railroad service with the Central of Georgia, and in 1840 was
appointed master car builder. He remained in that position continu-
ously as long as he lived, covering a period of forty years, with the
exception of the time that he was doing railroad duty for the Confed-
eracy during the war between the states. These duties, however, were
mainly in connection with the Confederate government's use of the
Central of Georgia, so that his service with that company was practically
continuous. He espoused immediately and unequivocally the cause of
the Confederacy when the war broke out, and his sympathies remained
strongly with the latter.

As previously noted, his services were eagerly accepted and he was
detailed on railroad duty, where his practical knowledge and efficiency
made his service a particularly valuable one. During the two scourges
of yellow fever in 1854 and in 1876, he remained in the city, attending
to his business duties and preserving the routine of affairs, and in addi-
tion, aiding the sick and suffering in every possible way. He was a
member of the Masons and the Odd Fellows, but took the keenest inter
est in the latter organization, particularly in its field of charity and
practical usefulness. No more faithful member of the order ever was
known in the vicinity, and he esteemed it a privilege to encounter a call
to aid a sick or needy brother or his family.

His kindness to the distressed or suffering was by means limited to
his fraternal affiliations, however, but his bounty was ample and free.
He was kind and considerate to his men, and they reciprocated. He
possessed a taste for good literature and was an insatiable reader. His
well-stocked library was one of his most valued possessions and one that
he delighted in, and many of his leisure hours were spent there, com-
muning with the best authors. He was ever ready to lend a good book
to any of his hundreds of employes, believing that the inspiration of a
good book was one of the best resources of man.

In 1845 Mr. Millar married Miss Mary Letitia Yonge, who was born
in Liverpool, England, but at the time of her marriage was a resident
of Darien, Georgia. Of their children only one daughter survives the
parents. She is Mrs. Carrie Millar Everitt, and she has five children :
Edward Millar Everitt, Athol Everitt, Thomas B. Everitt, Horace P.
Everitt, and Carrie, the wife of Louis Boyle.

Mr. Millar's brother, Horace P. Millar, was born in St. Mary's in
1826, and died in Savannah in 1867. He, like his brother, was a rail-
road man, but was not so well known in Savannah, having lived there
for only two years prior to his death. He, too, left to his wife and
children the heritage of a good name and an honorable record, and one
coidd not ask for more.

Joseph Hilton. Standing in the front rank among the more promi-
nent and more successful representatives of the lumber interests of
Georgia is Joseph Hilton, of Savannah, president of the Hilton-Dodge
Lumber Company, which has become a dominant force in the industrial
and commercial life of the South. Starting in life for himself without
capital, and without the assistance of influential friends, or the advant-
ages that wealth can bring, he has steadily worked his way upward from
the ranks, through his own ability and efforts building up this splendid
business, which stands as a monument to his years of persistent and
systematic application to his work.



716 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Boru in England, October 19, 1842, Mr. Hilton, in 1853, came to
America with his parents, Thomas and Jane (Lachison) Hilton, who
located in Darien, Georgia. At the outbreak of the Civil war he en-
listed in the Mcintosh Guards, of which he was made captain, and
which, as Company B, Twenty-sixth Georgia Infantry, became a part
of Stonewall Jackson's corps in the Army of Northern Virginia. Serv-
ing during almost the entire period of the conflict in Virginia, he
received several promotions, at the time of the surrender, at Appomattox,
being adjutant general of Gordon's old division, then under command
of Gen. Clement Evans.

After the close of the war, in 1865, Mr. Hilton and his brother,
Thomas Hilton, Jr., embarked in the lumber business with their father,
in Darien, Georgia, under the firm name of Thomas Hilton & Sons, con-
tinuing the sawmill business established by the senior member of the
firm before the war. Thomas Hilton, Sr., subsequently retiring from
active pursuits, James L. Foster succeeded to his interests, and the firm
name was changed to Hilton & Foster. Later this enterprising firm
acquired the sawmill business of both Joseph P. Gilson and R. Lachli-
son & Son, and continued business under the name of the Hilton Tim-
ber & Lumber Company, operating four mills. In 1889 the business
was again enlarged by being merged with the interests of Norman W.
Dodge, which consisted of two mills on Saint Simon's island, the firm
name then becoming the Hilton & Dodge Lumber Company, a name
which it retained even after, in 1900, Mr. Dodge disposed of his inter-
ests, and retired from business.

In 1901 this corporation purchased the mill of the Vale Royal
Manufacturing Company, in Savannah, and in 1906 acquired the Mill
Haven lumber mill in Screven county, and in addition to those two
plants the company also owned and operated a large three-band mill
at Belfast; a mill at Dai'ien ; one near Brunswick; and another on the
Satilla river.

In the autumn of 1911 the Hilton-Dodge Lumber Company, of
which Mr. Hilton is president, was reorganized and reincorporated with
a capital stock of seven and one-half million dollars. Under the previous
organization this company had control of the following named plants :
the Hilton-Dodge Lumber Company of Darien ; the Mill Haven Lum-
ber Company of Screven county; the Vale Royal Manufacturing Com-
pany of Savannah ; the Savannah Mercantile Company ; and the South-
ern Export Company of Savannah. The new corporation, with its
greatly enhanced capitalization, was organized for the special purpose
of bringing all of the business of these subsidiary companies under
one head, and to build and operate additional plants, thus enlarging
the scope and value of its business. The new charter of the corporation
enables it to handle timber lands on a gigantic scale ; to acquire and
handle agricultural land and town property, and improve the same;
to engage in the naval stores industry in all of its branches ; to carry
on agricultural and live stock business, and other enterprises that are
naturally auxiliary to a great lumber industry. In 1913 they added a
fleet of barges to their equipment a1 a cost of half a million dollars.

Mr. Hilton married Miss Ida Naylor. who belongs to a prominent
and influential family of Savannah, and they have four children, a
son. Thomas Hilton, a member of the Hilton-Dodge Lumber Company,
and three daughters, namely: Ida. wife of J. Barton Seymour: Ruth,
wife of Edmond B. Walker, and Miss Lucy G. Hilton.

Charles E. Adams, general manager of the Vidalia Ice & Coal
Company, Vidalia. Georgia, is a native of this state. He is a son of



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 717

James Phillip Adams and wife, Ella (Thornley) Adams, and was born
on his father's farm in Stewart county, one of a family of six children.
In the common schools of his native county he received his early educa-
tion, and at the age of thirteen years he went to Columbus, where he
finished his schooling. His first business enterprise was at Charles,
where for about twelve years he was engaged in merchandising. He
came from there to Vidalia in 1909, and that year he and Mr. J. C.
May, the furniture dealer of this place, organized the Vidalia Ice &
Coal Company, of which Mr. Adams has since been general manager.
Their ice plant has a capacity of ten to twelve tons per day, and the
demand for ice product is such that it is the intention of the company
to increase the capacity the coming year, Vidalia being a vantage point
for this business, since a large quantity of ice is required for the
refrigerator cars used in handling the fruit shipments to the north.
Contrasting with the hard city water, the supply of their plant is soft
and is especially adapted for boiler use and is in demand by the rail-
roads. The company has a six-year water contract with the different
railway lines of the city. Another feature of the business is the han-
dling of coal, lime, cement and other building materials.

August 9, 1911, Mr. Adams took to himself a wife, wedding Miss
Kate Brown, daughter of Mrs. Alice Brown, a native of North Carolina.
Mr. and Mrs. Adams are members of the Baptist church, and, frater-
nally, Mr. Adams is identified with the Knights of Pythias. Both his
father and grandfather served in the Confederate army during the
late war, and fought bravely for their loved Southland.

William Robert Googe, M. D., has been established in Abbeville for
the past twenty-two years, and is by long odds the leading member of
his profession in this locality. He was born in Berrien county, Geor-
gia, on January 8, 1867, and is the son of Dr. Jas. A. and Annie
(Smith) Googe. The father was a prominent surgeon and physician in
his day, who was graduated from Oglethorpe Medical College in 18-53.
He served throughout the Civil war as a surgeon, and died in 1882.

As a boy Dr. Googe attended the common schools of his town and
county, and graduated from the Johnsonville high school, after which
he attended the Atlanta Medical College, graduating therefrom with
1he class of 1890, followed by a post-graduate course in 1902 at Tulane,
New Orleans, Louisiana. He immediately located in Abbeville, which
has been the scene of his professional labors throughout the long inter-
vening years, and where he is known as one of the ablest men in his
profession today. Dr. George is the official surgeon of the Sea Board
Air Line and is county physician of Wilcox county. He is a mem-
ber of the county board of education, and in that capacity has given
efficient and valued service to the city and county. He is a member of
the Tri-county Medical Association, which embraces Crisp, Dooly and
Wilcox counties, and is prominent and active in the welfare and activi-
ties of that society.

On Christmas day, in 1892, was solemnized the marriage of Dr.
Googe and Fannie Lott, the daughter of Jesse and Mary Lott, of Brox-
ton, Coffee county. Mr. Lott is a merchant and planter of that place,
and one of the prominent men of his community. The family is one of
extraordinary prominence in southern Georgia. Mrs. Googe received
her education in the schools of Coffee county, and finished at the Andrew
Female College. Seven children were born to Dr. and Mrs. Googe,
all of whom are living. Annie, aged eighteen, is a student at the
state normal at Athens ; Crisp, sixteen years old, is a student at home,
as are also Jessie, aged fourteen, Pitman, twelve years old and Alton



718 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

aged nine, while Mary, six years old, and Will, a babe of #ne year,
complete the family.

Dr. and Mrs. Googe are members of the Methodist Episcopal church,
and the doctor is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and also a
Mason, and he is past master and past high priest.

Arthur Perry Jones. Widely known as manager of the Vidalia
Commission Company, which is carrying on a large wholesale and
retail business, dealing in grain, provisions, lime, cement, seeds and
building material, Arthur Perry Jones is a true type of the energetic and
enterprising men who are so materially advancing the mercantile inter-
ests of Vidalia, and of Toombs county. A native of South Carolina,
his birth occurred at Salkehatchie, Colleton county, May 26, 1878.

His father, Asbury Morgan Jones, was born and reared in Colleton
county, South Carolina, and died in Pavo, Georgia, in 1908. He was
a veteran of the Civil war, in which he rendered good service. He
subsequently carried on a thriving business as a planter and a merchant
for many years, in Colleton county, South Carolina, in his operations
acquiring considerable property. The maiden name of his wife was
Emeline Dassy Mood, of Charleston, South Carolina.

Receiving his early education in the town of his birth, Arthur Perry
Jones completed his studies at the Stanley Business College, in Thomas-
ville, Georgia. The ensuing year and a half he was employed as a
telegraph operator, first with the F. C. & P. Railroad Company, now a
branch of the Seaboard, and later with the Georgia Northern Railway
Company, at Moultrie, Georgia. Going then to Tifton, Georgia. Mr.
Jones was associated with the Western Union Telegraph Company for
four and one-half years. Returning then to Tifton, he was manager of
the Postal Company there for two years, after which he conducted a
retail grocery in that city for two and one-half years. Disposing then
of his store, Mr. Jones was for six months manager of the Postal Com-
pany at Thomasville, Georgia, after which he was agent for a year
and a half, at Ashburn, for the Gulf Line Railroad Company. Coming
from there to Vidalia, Mr. Jones became identified with the Vidalia
Commission Company, which was incorporated January 1, 1911. as a
stock company, and of which C. L. Herring is now president, and Mr.
Jones is the efficient treasurer and general manager. This company
was capitalized at $6,000, with the privilege of increasing it to $25,000,
when occasion demanded, and is carrying on a rapidly growing business
that even now amounts to $35,000 each year. The store occupies a floor
space of three thousand, six hundred feet, and is well stocked with all
goods handled by commission brokers, including groceries, grain, hay,
Hour, lard, hams, lime, cement, building materials, rooting, typewriting
machines, showcases, and like productions, the business being extensive
and lucrative.

On October 16, 1901, Mr. Jones was united in marriage with Allie
Mae Harman, who was born, March 25, 1882, in Boston. Georgia, but
was brought up and educated in Dixie, Brooks county, where she lived
until her marriage. Her father, James Jackson Harman, was born in
Ringgold, Georgia, April 17, 1855, ami at the age of nine years, during
the Civil war, accompanied his parents to Boston, whither they fled as
refugees. On October 15, 1S7S. .Mr. Harman married Sopbronia Groven-
stein, who was born, March 2'A. 1S57. in Effingham county. Georgia,
being a granddaughter of William Grovenstein, who was a lineal de-
scendant of that branch of the Salsberger family that settled near Savan-
nah, Georgia, in early colonial days.

Six children have been born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Jones,



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 719

namely: Agnes Lucile died at the age of twelve months; Asbury Har-
man, born in 1904; Emily Mae lived but one short year; Martha Perry/
born in 1908 ; Alfred Joseph, born in 1910 ; and Margaret Louise, born
in 1911. Fraternally Mr. Jones is a member of the Knights of Pythias.
Religiously he, his wife, and his son Harman, are members of the Meth-
odist church.

Alexander S. McQueen. Energetic, enterprising and progressive,
A. S. McQueen has acquired prominence in business and political cir-
cles, being connected with the Citizens Bank of Vidalia, and is now in
1912, running, without opposition, as candidate for justice of the
peace in the fifty-first district. A son of the late Philip A. McQueen,
he was born, October 4, 1889, in that part of Montgomery county,
Georgia, that is now included within the boundaries of Toombs county.
Pie is of pioneer stock, his paternal grandparents, Angus and Harriet
(McMillin) McQueen, having migrated from North Carolina to Geor-
gia, settling in this state as planters, the grandfather subsequently
serving in the Confederate army during the Civil war.

Philip A. McQueen was for many years one of the leading citizens
of Toombs county. He served as county school commissioner for five
years, in that position doing much to advance the educational stand-
ards. In June, 1908, in company with A. F. Sawyer, R. D. McQueen
established The Toombs County Local, and on January 1, 1909, Mr.
Philip A. McQueen bought Mr. Sawyer's interest in the paper, of which
he was subsequently editor and general manager until his death, in
July, 1911.

Philip A. McQueen married Minnie R. McLeod, whose father was
born in Toombs county, about four miles from Vidalia, where his an-
cestors settled on coming from North Carolina to Georgia. Her father
served as a soldier in the Civil war, being a member of General Wheeler's
cavalry. Eight children were born of their union, all of whom are
living, the five sons being as follows: H. M., assistant cashier of the
First National Bank of Lyons, Georgia ; R. D. ; A. S., whose name we
have placed at the head of this sketch ; George D. ; and Archibald A.

R. D. McQueen was born on the home farm, in Toombs county, July
8, 1887, and as a boy and youth received excellent educational advan-
tages. Since the death of his father he has had the entire control of
the Toombs County Local, a weekly publication issued Thursday of
each week, and is managing it ably and successfully. He is a young
man of considerable prominence in the community, and an active mem-
ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

A. S. McQueen is a man of fine scholarly attainments, as a pupil in
the Vidalia high school having won the state and first congressional dis-
trict medals for the best essays, while at the Vidalia Collegiate Insti-
tute he was graduated with honors, being valedictorian of his class.
He has since studied law and is now justice of the peace. He is a
member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, being now sec-
retary of the local lodge, and belongs to the Oriental Order of Pilgrim
Knights. Religiously he is a member of the Presbyterian church of
Vidalia.

Gen. William H. Bourne. One of the important industrial en-
terprises that contribute materially to the commercial prestige of the
city of Savannah is the Bourne Lumber Company, of which the gentle-
man whose name inaugurates this paragraph is president. He has for
many years been one of the aggressive and enterprising business men
who have aided in the up-building of the city and is especially well en-



720 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

titled to consideration in this volume. He comes of a prominent southern
family, both sides of which produced Revolutionary soldiers and splen-
did citizens in times of peace and he is himself a veteran of the Civil
war. He has for a long number of years been engaged in lumber manu-
facturing and in various phases of the lumber business.

General Bourne was born in Hanover county, Virginia, November
23, 1844, the son of John H. and Mary A. (McLeod) Bourne. His
father was born at Hanover Court House, Hanover county, Virginia,
and came with his family to Georgia in the year 1855. After living a
short time in Chatham county he located permanently in Effingham
county, where he established a sawmill, and engaged in lumber manu-
facturing and as a planter. He was a successful man of affairs, but
died in comparatively early life, passing away in 1870, at the age of
fifty-four. He was the son of Claiborne Bourne, who in turn was the
son of Reuben Bourne, both of Hanover county, Virginia, the latter a
soldier in the Continental line in the Revolutionary war.

The subject's mother, born in Richmond, Virginia, was the daugh-
ter of George W. McLeod, who was the son of Daniel McLeod, a native
of Edinburgh, Scotland, who came to America from "the land o' cakes"
and settled in Alexandria, Virginia. The maternal grandmother of the
subject was Eliza M. (Tinsley) McLeod, daughter of Col. Jack Tinsley,
of Virginia, who was a soldier in the Revolution. Mrs. John H. Bourne
was born in 1822 and died in 1881.

The fact that William H. Bourne was a very young man at the
outbreak of the Civil war did not prevent his immediate enlistment and
it was his portion to see some of the hardest service of the great con-
flict. In 1861, quite at the beginning of hostilities, he enlisted at Savan-
nah for service in the Confederate army, becoming a member of Com-
pany H, First Volunteer Regiment of Georgia. Company H was the
second company of the Oglethorpe Light Infantry, one of Savannah's
famous and historic military companies. In this service he was first
engaged at Port Pulaski, going there in October, 1861, and with the
rest of his company he was captured there on May 11, 1862, and taken
to Governor's island, New York. Prom there they were transferred to
Port Delaware, where in August, 1862, the company was exchanged.
Upon the reorganization of his company in Savannah, Mr. Bourne con-
tinued with it and spent the summer of 1863 on Morris island, partic-
ipating in the battle of Battery Wagner. In November, 1863, they
returned to Savannah for winter quarters and in the latter part of
April, 1864, they joined Mercer's Brigade in north Georgia. They
participated in the battle of Lost Mountain, where General Bourne was
wounded, and also in the battles of Kennesaw, Peach Tree Creek, At-
lanta, Jonesboro and Lovejoy Station. Mercer's Brigade then went
with the army that made the expedition into Tennessee, but on account
of other duties, the forces with which Mr. Bourne's company were en-
gaged did not engage in the actual fighting at the battle of Franklin.
They went on to Nashville, but were not engaged in the battle of Nash-
ville, having been sent to Murphysboro under General Forest. Subse-
quently they returned to Georgia, and then into the Carolinas, engag-
ing in the battle of Bentonville, and surrendering with Johnston's army
at Greensboro, North Carolina, when in the summer of 1865 the war
ended. General Bourne enlisted with Company II. as stated above, as
a private and remained with the same throughout the war, having been
promoted to third sergeant of the company. General Bourne served
as commander of the South Georgia Brigade. Georgia Division, United
Confederate Veterans.

Following the general occupation of his father. General Bourne has



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 721

practically all his life been associated in one way or another with the
lumber industry in south Georgia, either as a manufacturer or as a/
dealer and he has also engaged extensively in the handling of timber
lands. He located in Savannah after the war and has ever since resided
here, witnessing a phenomenal half century of growth and development
and at the same time contributing to it. He is the president of the
Bourne Lumber Company, incorporated, whose manufacturing plant
is located in Liberty county on the Seaboard Air Line Railway, their
general offices being in Savannah, at 301-302 National Bank building.
The company are manufacturers and wholesale dealers in long and
short leaf yellow pine. It also owns the Bourne Brick Manufacturing
Company, the plant of which is in Chatham county.

General Bourne was married in Savannah in the year 1869, to Miss
Julia Backley, whose demise occurred in 1906. This admirable lady
bore her husband five children, all sons, as follows: Walter L., who is
secretary and treasurer of the Bourne Lumber Company; Lescoe J.,
vice-president of the same; Vernon C, engaged in the wholesale produce
business at Brunswick, Georgia ; Oran Tinsley, of the firm of 0. T.
Bourne & Company (lumber manufacturers) ; and Frank R., who is
mill superintendent for 0. T. Bourne & Company. The name of Bourne
is well and favorably known throughout Chatham county, father and
sons having proved themselves men of exceptionally fine citizenship.
General Bourne is a member of the session of Westminster Presbyterian
church.

Capt. Robert G. Tunno, captain and adjutant in the Savannah Vol-
unteer Guards, has been connected with that organization since 1891.
Enlisting as a private in Company B, of that battalion, he served in that
capacity until 1894, since which time his rise in rank has been gradual,
but continuous, fie is now captain and adjutant of the entire bat-
talion, which consists of four companies, — A, B, C, and D. He has
served with entire satisfaction not only to the battalion, but to the
state and federal military authorities as well. He has been connected
with the naval stores industry almost continuously since leaving school.

Born in Savannah, in 1870, Captain Tunno is a lifelong resident of
this city. He is the son of Capt. Matthew R. and Isabel C. (King)
Tunno, both of whom are residents of Savannah. The father was born
in Charleston, South Carolina, and upon the breaking out of the war
between the states he entered the Confederate service as a member of
the Charleston Light Dragoons, as a private. He later left this organiza-
tion and joined the army of the West, becoming post ordnance officer
at Columbus, Kentucky, holding this position until the evacuation of
Columbus in September, 1861. He then became a staff officer with the
rank of captain, on the staff of General Polk. In August, 1863, he was
detailed to serve in the ordnance department at Columbus, Missis-
sippi, continuing in that service until August, 186-4. He then resigned,
and again joined the Charleston Light Dragoons at Hixford, Virginia,
remaining in active service with them until the close of the war, at
which time he was with his command at Hillsboro, North Carolina. In
1866 Captain Tunno and his brother, Maj. William M. Tunno, who had
also served with distinction as an officer in the Confederate army, came
to Savannah and engaged in the banking and cotton business. In late
years Captain Tunno, the elder, has been retired from active business
life. The mother of Capt. Robert G. Tunno is a member of a well-
known old Georgia family, and is a native of Savannah. Members of
her family gave service to the cause of the Confederacy, among them
being William C. King, first lieutenant of Company A of the Savannah



722 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Volunteer Guards Battalion. He was killed at the battle of Sailors
Creek, Virginia, in the latter part of the war. Another of her relatives,
Colonel Bayard, was at one time the commander of the battalion. The
Kings are also related to the Barrington family, which is descended
from Col. Josiah Barrington of the English army who came to Georgia
with General Oglethorpe at the time of the settlement of the colony.

Captain Tunno was reared in Savannah and received his schooling
in private and public schools of the city and in Porter Academy, Charles-
ton. He has led a life of military activity since his early manhood,
enlisting on February 9, 1891, as a private in Company B, of the Sa-
vannah Guards Battalion (Coast Artillery Corps). February 1. 1900,
he was promoted to first lieutenant of his company, acting as such until
March 13, 1904, at which time he was elected captain of Company B.
He served as such until April 28, 1906, when on account of business,
he resigned from the captaincy. He at once re-enlisted in Company
B as a private, and was sergeant and first sergeant of Company B from
April 30, 1906, to October 5, 1909, when he was elected to his present
position, — that of captain and adjutant of the entire battalion of four
companies. His record throughout has been one of admirable efficiency,
creditable to himself and to a family already distinguished for deeds
of valor in a military way.

Col. Cornelius Alex Weddington. That success is often the
result of youthful enthusiasm and the uncompromising honesty that
later in life are often battered down in the hard battles men have to
fight to even hold a footing in the business world, is shown in the life
of Cornelius Alex Weddington of Dublin, Georgia. Dependent on his
own efforts for his education, he learned his hard lessons early in life,
and entered upon his professional life as a lawyer with a knowledge
of the world that does not come to many men until many years of ex-
perience have passed. His success as a lawyer, and his recognized ability
as a public official have been only a just reward of hard and earnest
work.

Colonel Weddington was born in Douglas county, Georgia, on the
11th of November. 1874. He is the son of Charles William Wedding-
ton and of Virginia L. Weddington, both of whom were born in Douglas
county. His father was born in 1843, and his mother in 1853.

The early education of Colonel Weddington was obtained in the
country school of Douglasville, Georgia, and after he had gained as
much learning as the school master of the time was able to impart he
became in turn a school master and until 1894 taught in the country
schools of his native state. By dint of rigorous saving he was enabled
to enter the University of Athens, at Athens, Georgia, at this time. He
was graduated from this institution in 1898. and for a year read law
with Dorsey Brewster and Howell of Atlanta. He was admitted to the
bar in 1899.

Shortly after his admission to the bar, on the 5th of January 1900.
he came to Dublin, Georgia, and began his practice of the law. His
ability was speedily recognized and in 1903 he was elected city attor-
ney, which office he held for a term of two years. In 1911 he was made
city clerk, his term to expire in July. 1913. His rapid advance in his
profession may lie accounted for by the fact that he is possessed naturally
of a keen logical mind and a capacity for hard work, but his speedy
elevation to office is due to the fact that he has the highest regard for
his profession and is one of that group of lawyers who are endeavoring
to lift the stigma of corruption and dishonesty from the bar.

On the 18th of December. 1901. Colonel Weddington was married



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 723

to Georgia Smith. His wife is the daughter of J. D. Smith, a man well
known throughout the state for his activity in state affairs. Three'
children have been born to them. Virginia was born on the 27th of
October, 1902, Gladys on September 15, 1907, and the youngest, a son,
C. A. Jr., on the 15th of December. 1900. All of the children were born
in Dublin. Mrs. Weddington received her education in the schools of
Dublin and finished at the seminary at La Grange, Georgia.

Colonel Weddington is very prominent in the various fraternal or-
ganizations of which he is a member. He is a Mason, being a member
of Olivet Commandery of Knights Templars, No. 27, and is a Noble of
the Mystic Shrine, belonging to Al Sihah Temple of Macon, Georgia.
In the Knights of Pythias Colonel Weddington holds the office of Past
Chancellor, in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows he is a Past Grand
and also Past Exalted Ruler of Dublin lodge 1163 of the Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks. These various offices are the strongest
evidence of Colonel Weddington 's fine qualities as a man among men.

Nicholas Peter Corish, a native born resident of Savannah and
clerk of the city council since 1907, is the son of Richard and Ellen
(Stafford) Corish, both natives of County Wexford, Ireland, born there
in the year 1829, who came to the United States in their early years.

With the breaking out of the war between the states, Richard Corish
promptly enlisted at Savannah in the Irish Jasper Greens, and for the
first few months of the war was stationed at Fort Pulaski, near Savan-
nah. The Irish Jasper Greens were a part of the First Volunteer Regi-
ment of Georgia and were a notable company of brave and efficient
soldiers. Later in the course of the war Mr. Corish was captured and
confined as a prisoner of war at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he
underwent severe hardships and almost suffered starvation, his sole food
for a long time consisting of nothing more than raw Irish potatoes.
As a result of the intense suffering caused by the unhealthful condi-
tions of the prison and the continued starvation rations, Mr. Corish was
stricken with paralysis within a few years after the close of the war.
Following the return of peace he had been successfully engaged in the
tailoring business in Savannah, but his illness caused the discontinu-
ance of the family income, and for a time the condition of the family
was most serious. Mr. Corish died January 3, 1903, after a long and
lingering illness, during which time his patient and courageous wife
succeeded in rearing their children to years of usefulness and maintained
the home comfortably and happily. She died January 2-1, 1910, after
a long and useful life.

The son, Nicholas Peter, who was born in the year 1869, was educated
in the primary schools of Savannah. His first position as a wage earner
was as a messenger for the Western Union Telegraph Company in
Savannah, and after a few years, when he had gained in knowledge
and wisdom, he became identified with the real estate business and was
thus occupied for a number of years. In January, 1907, Mr. Corish
was elected to the office of clerk of the city council, coming into the
office with the administration of George W. Tiedeman, mayor. He was
re-elected in January, 1909, and again succeeded himself in the office
in January, 1911. Mr. Corish carried on the duties of his office with
conspicuous efficiency and his management of this important depart-
ment of the municipal government has met with the endorsement of all
classes, as was loudly attested by his third consecutive election to the
office.

Mr. Corish enlisted as a private in his father's old company, the

Irish Jasper Greens, and after serving for some time as a private was
vol. n— 13



724 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

promoted from the ranks to the position of quarter-master-sergeant of
the First Regiment of Infantry, National Guard of Georgia, under
Colonel Mercer. He is a member of the Catholic church and is affil-
iated with the local lodge of the Knights of Columbus, of which he
was financial secretary for a number of years. In the fall of 1911 Mr.
Corish was elected president of the South Atlantic League of base ball
clubs, composed of six teams, including Savannah.

Mr. Corish married Miss Mary Ellen Reynolds, daughter of Judge
Samuel Reynolds on January 21, 1896, who was born and reared in
Savannah, and they are the parents of six children: Eleanor Lucile;
Mary Josepha ; Julian Francis ; Nicholas Peter, Jr. ; Gertrude Rey-
nolds and John Herbert, Julian Francis and Nicholas Peter, Jr., are
twins.

Robert H. Knox. Among the many progressive men who are mak-
ing the city of Savannah, Georgia, a modern and up-to-date business
center Robert H. Knox holds a prominent place. He belongs to that
latest type of business men which believes a man should interest him-
self in affairs other than those pertaining to his own business in order
to broaden his outlook and fit him for whatever responsibilities it may
fall to his lot to shoulder. Therefore Mr. Knox has always taken a
keen interest in politics, and before coming to Savannah was mayor of
Darien, Georgia. His ability as a business man is unquestioned for he
has attained his present high position by slow degrees, achieving success
not through the fortunes of environment and good luck but by hard
and conscientious work.

He is a prominent figure in the social world ; is a member of the
Oglethorpe Club of Savannah, the Savannah Yacht Club, and St. An-
drews Society.

For a. number of years Mr. Knox was prominently connected with
the military organizations of the state. He was captain of the Mc-
intosh Light Dragoons, which afterward became Troop "G, " one of
the companies of the First Regiment of Cavalry. Resigning this cap-
taincy he became a member of the staff of Gov. W. Y. Atkinson, and
was also on the staff of Gov. A. D. Candler. He is now on the retired
list, holding the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

Fraternally Mr. Knox confines his interests to that oldest of orders,
the Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, being an affiliated past mas-
ter of Solomon's Lodge, No. 1, the oldest Masonic lodge in the state.

Robert H. Knox was born in Savannah in 1862 while his mother was
living temporarily in this city. His parents were Walter and Ellen
(Hilton) Knox. His father was born in Charles county, Maryland,
where his family had lived for several generations. His mother was
born in England and came with her parents to Georgia in 1S52. In
1817 his father came to Georgia, and located in Wilkes county. Subse-
quent to this move the family lived for a time in Houston and Talbot
counties in Georgia.

Robert H. Knox lived in the central part of Georgia until he was
fourteen years of age when his parents moved to the southern part of
the state and settled in Darien, Mcintosh county.

On April 21, 1892, he married Miss Eloise M. Bennett, who was
born in Walterboro, South Carolina. They have five children, namely :
Eloise Bennett, Valencia Fraysse, Ellen Hilton. Robert Hilton and
Janet Elizabeth.

Mr. Knox became connected with the lumber business of Hilton and
Foster at the age of fifteen, and since that time has been associated
more or less prominently with the lumber industries of the state. The





^Z^^t?



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 725

Hilton sawmill business was originally started at Darien before the
war, having been founded by Mr. Knox's grandfather, Thomas Hilton,
who took into partnership his two sons, Thomas and Joseph Hilton,
under the firm name of Thomas Hilton & Sons.

After the war when Thomas Hilton, Sr., retired from the business
James L. Foster entered the firm which then became known as Hilton
& Poster. Subsequently the business of this firm and that of Hilton,
Foster & Gilson, and also that of R. Lachlison & Son, were merged into
the Hilton Timber and Lumber Company. The new company then
owned and operated four lumber mills.

In 1889 the lumber business of Norman W. Dodge, who owned two
mills on St. Simon's island, was consolidated with the Hilton inter-
ests, and the corporation then became known as Hilton & Dodge Lumber
Company. At the same time a mill owned by Hilton & Foster on
the Satilla river was taken in. Later the Altamaha mills near Bruns-
wick were bought.

In 1901 the Hilton & Dodge Lumber Company purchased the mill
of the Vale Royal Manufacturing Company in Savannah, and in 1906
came into control of the Mill Haven Company. In addition to these
two mills the company at that time owned and operated four other
plants, namely : a large band mill at Belfast, Georgia ; a mill at Darien ;
one near Brunswick, and another on the Satilla river. The general
headquarters of the company have been in Savannah since 1905, at
which time Mr. Knox moved to Savannah.

In the fall of 1911 all of the interests of the company were con-
solidated with the Paschall and Gresham interests under the name of
The Hilton-Dodge Lumber Company with a capital stock of $7,500,000.
A large amount of capital was added for the purpose of enlarging the
business and for carrying on more extensively such subsidiary enter-
prises as the handling of timber lands, agricultural lands, general mer-
chandise, machinery and live stock.

The Hilton-Dodge Lumber Company, of which Robert H. Knox
became president, is one of the largest lumber concerns in the South.
It has seven large sawmills in Georgia and South Carolina and branch
offices in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Portland, Maine, and
Richmond, Virginia. It has agencies in Atlanta and New Haven, Con-
necticut. Also in Liverpool, Hamburg. Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Spain,
covering eastern Europe, to which it does a large export business. It
is now engaged in building a transportation line consisting of a powerful
sea-going towboat and eight sea-going barges of large capacity. The
tug is one of the largest on the Atlantic coast.

In addition to his connection with the Hilton-Dodge Lumber Com-
pany, Mr. Knox is president of the Savannah Timber Company, and
is one of the directors of the Savannah Bank and Trust Company. He
is also president of the Pulaski Realty Company, owning the Pulaski
House property, and is largely interested in other real esate in
Savannah.

George B. Davis. Let the man who is discouraged or feels that
things are going hard with him and that luck is against him listen to the
story of courage and steadfast determination as revealed in the life of
George B. Davis, at present one of the ablest attorneys in Dublin, Geor-
gia, and county solicitor. The same determination to succeed which
showed itself in so marked a degree in his efforts to obtain an educa-
tion, has been one of the characteristic elements in his success in the
legal profession. Gifted with the power of clear and logical reasoning,
and spendthrift as to the time and energy which he expends in working



726 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

up a case to his satisfaction, his success has not been a surprise to those
who know him best. He has been in practice in Dublin for only eight
years and this is scarcely long enough to judge a man, but according to
all who know him and particularly according to his brother lawyers,
he is a man from whom great things are to be expected, not only in his
own profession but in the political field.

George B. Davis was born in Montgomery county, Georgia, on the
19th day of March, 1881, his parents being Isham J. and Delilah Davis.
His father was born in 1841 in Montgomery county and his mother was
a native of Laurens county, Georgia. His father was a veteran of
the Civil war, having served in Company F of the Forty-eighth Georgia
Regiment throughout the whole of the war. He was not a wealthy man
and was unable to give his son much of an education, partly on account
of his poverty and party because of the scarcity of good schools in this
section during the years when the lad was growing up. However,
George Davis had made up his mind that he would become a lawyer,
and when his mind has once been made up to a thing nothing less than
a stick of dynamite would turn him from his purpose. Undaunted,
therefore, by the discouragement he met from his family, he determined
to consult a man whom he considered an authority, and coming to
Savannah, Georgia, unfolded his plan to Donald Clark, only to be
laughed at for his pains. Mr. Clark told him he could do nothing with-
out an education and that the best thing for him to do was to go back
to the woods and spend the rest of his life cutting trees and boxing them
for turpentine. Indignant at the way his confidence had been received
he turned away, saying nothing but making up his mind then and
there that he would succeed in spite of everything. He therefore stopped
on his way home and purchased a Blackstone and returned to the farm,
apparently carrying out Mr. Clark's advice, for he set to work cutting
trees the next day. At night after his work was done, however, he
spent many a weary hour poring over his law books and by 1903. when
he was twenty-two years of age, he had saved up enough money to enter
Mercer University, at Macon, Georgia. That he had prepared himself
very thoroughly and that he was a really brilliant student, is shown
by the fact that he was graduated from this institution in a year. He
was admitted to the bar on the 9th of June, 190-1, and commenced prac-
tice on the 1st of September, 1904, locating at Dublin, Georgia, where
he opened an office. His sole capital for this venture was a dollar and
a half in cash and one shirt and two collars. He did not starve before
he had his first client but he was not far from it. After the struggle of
the first few months his ability began to be commented upon and he was
presently on the high road to success, he being employed in and con-
ducting some of the most important cases, criminal and civil, in that
section of the state. He practiced until 1910, when he determined to
enter the political field, and as a candidate for county solicitor con-
ducted a personal campaign such as had not been seen in years, so ener-
getic and earnest was the young politician. He won the coveted honor
and is serving at present, his term expiring in 1914.

Mr. Davis is keenly interested in fraternal orders, believing that
they are enabled to accomplish a great deal of good. He is a member
of the Masonic order, belonging to the blue lodge and to the Eastern
Star. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Wood-
men of the World. He is also a member of the Baptist church. When
we consider that Mr, Davis is of Welsh and Scotch-Irish descent, we
can easier understand some of the strong points of his character, for the
Scotch-Irish who settled in the "up-country" of the South Atlantic
states, were the very bone and sinew of the country. Much of his per-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 727

soual popularity is due to his open-hearted generosity, for every one
is "kin" to him and he clings to the old southern ideals of hospitality.
He is of the same family as the Calhouns and the Wests, who came to
this country with Oglethorpe and located in the Carolinas in the early
days. They have played an important part in the history of the section
from colonial days down to the present.

In 1905, on the 29th of November, Mr. Davis was married to Anna
Lizzie Bynum, a daughter of John L. Bynum, a prominent citizen of
Columbia county, Georgia, well known there in business, as well as in
other lines of endeavor. Mrs. Davis is a graduate of La Grange Female
College at La Grange, Georgia. One daughter and one son have been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Davis, Elizabeth and George Bynum by name,
and their births occurred in Dublin in 1906 and 1912, respectively.

G. L. Johnson, general manager of the A. O. Johnson & Company,
general mercantile establishment, Vidalia, Georgia, ranks with the rep-
resentative citizens of the town.

Mr. Johnson is a native of Georgia. He was born on a farm in
Manuel county, September 18, 1876, son of Emanual and Hattie
(Oglesby) Johnson, and one of a family of nine children, all living
except one. His father still maintains his home at the old farm in
Emanuel county. Here G. L. Johnson passed the first twenty years of
his life. When he left home to make his own way in the world, he
found employment at Millian, Georgia, in the general merchandise store
of T. Z. Daniels, where he rilled a clerkship for eighteen months. The
next eighteen months he was employed in the same capacity by V. L.
Bourke, of that place, and then, having clerked for three years, he
decided to engage in business on his own account, which he did at Butts,
Georgia, and he was in business there five years. His next move was to
Vidalia. Here he took charge of the A. 0. Johnson & Company general
merchandise store, which was organized in 1907, and which has since
conducted a prosperous business.

Mr. Johnson has been twice married. By his first wife, who was
Miss Roxie Gay, and whom he married March 8. 1900, he has one child,
George Walton. This wife having died, he married Miss Marie Hall,
a daughter of L. Hall, a native of this state. The only child by this
wife died in infancy.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are members of the Baptist church. He
has lodge membership in both the I. O. 0. F. and the K. of P.

Foy 0. Powell, who is associated with John L. Sneed in the real
estate and insurance business at Vidalia, Georgia, is one of the promi-
nent and popular young men in both the social and business circles of
the town, where he has resided since December 1, 1909.

Mr. Powell is a native of Alabama. He was born at Eufaula, January
4, 1883, son of F. R. and Carrie May (Dudley) Powell, the former a
native of North Carolina and the latter of South Carolina. At Eufaula,
Alabama, and at Clayton, Alabama, he received his education, being a
graduate of the Clayton schools, with the class of 1903. Following
his graduation he was for four years in the employ of his uncle, a furni-
ture dealer at Eufaula. The next three years he was in the fire insurance
business, for himself, and then he came from Eufaula to Vidalia and
associated himself with Mr. Sneed, his present partner, with whom
he is successfully engaged in the real estate, loan and insurance
business.

Mr. Powell is a Knight of Pythias and a Methodist, and, like his
partner, he is as yet unmarried.



728 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

John L. Sneed. Vidalia, Georgia, includes among its enterprising,
progressive element, a real estate and insurance firm whose members,
John L. Sneed and Foy 0. Powell, rank high as leading, up-to-date
young men, prominent and active in business affairs and popular in the
social circles of the town.

While Mr. Powell, as already stated in a personal mention of him
on another page of this work, is a native of Georgia, Mr. Sneed hails
from Virginia. It was at Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1879, that John L.
Sneed was born, one of a family of ten children, all still living, of J.
L. and Josephine A. (Moore) Sneed, both natives of the "Old Domin-
ion." He received his education in the Virginia Military Institute
and at the George Washington University, Washington, D. C, of which
latter institution he is a graduate with the class of 1898, and he is a
member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity. After his graduation he was
employed in the engineering department of the Chesapeake & Ohio Rail-
road, and by the government as sanitary engineer, later, also, as engi-
neer on the Norfolk-Southern, the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio, and
the Georgia & Florida railroads. Deciding to settle down and establish
himself in business, he took up his residence at Vidalia in the early
part of 1910, and has since been identified with the interests of this
place. With Mr. Powell he engaged in a general real estate, loan, and
fire insurance business, placing loans for eastern capitalists and dealing
in real estate both here and elsewhere, at this writing handling Florida
lands. Also he is interested in the Vidalia Furniture Company, of
which J. C. May is manager.

As showing his popularity, the second year of his residence in
Vidalia, Mr. Sneed was elected to represent the First ward in the city
council for a term of two years. Also he is a director in the Bonded
Cotton Warehouse.

In Masonry Mr. Sneed has advanced to the higher degrees, including
those of the Mystic Shrine, and his religious faith is that of the Epis-
copal church. He is unmarried.

Robert Young Beckham, business manager of the Courier-Herald
Publishing Co., has been identified with the printing business all his
life. He began at the bottom of the ladder and has made steady prog-
ress in practical printing, until he is now filling a position of some
importance in the business in this city. The Laurens County Herald
was the recognized official organ of legal business for Laurens county
and was so appointed on April 1, 1910, which, according to law, was the
earliest possible date the company might assume that position after its
organization.

Mr. Beckham was born July 30. 18S0, in Zebulon. Pike county. Geor-
gia, and is the son of R. Y. Beckham. Sr.. and Laura Jordan. The
father was a native son of Pike county and the mother was reared in
Monroe county. The senior Beckham was clerk of the superior court
of Pike county for twelve years, although his regular vocation is that
of a fanner. The son, Robert Y. Jr.. was reared on the home farm and
educated in the Pike county common schools, after which he pursued
a course of study at Jeff Davis Institute at Zebulon. In that place he
entered a print shop and gave himself over to the careful study of the
business, from the minor details up to the highest post in a newspaper
office. He learned the multifarious intricacies of job printing as well
as the successful conduct of a newspaper, and his thorough training
made it possible for him to assume the complete charge of the establish-
ment with which he is now connected. After learning the trade in
Zebulon Mr. Beckham went to Atlanta where he was employed by the




j££^^



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 729

Mutual Printing- Company ; he then came to Dublin and for two years
was with the Mason & Patillo Company and together with them or-
ganized the Dublin Printing Company, which at that time published
the Dublin Times, a semi-weekly paper, which was sold to A. P. Hilton
in October, 1907. Mr. Beckham was thereafter associated for one year
with the Courier-Dispatch as advertising manager, after which he pur-
chased the Cordele Dispatch. He conducted that paper for a period of
eight months, then disposed of it to E. T. Pound, his partner in the busi-
ness, and went to Sandersville, where he purchased the Sandersville
Herald. After a brief period of three or four months, he then purchased
the Tennille Tribune, which he combined with the Hi raid. Later the
Heralel-Tribunc and the Sandersville Progress were combined, and in
that combination Mr. Beckham still retains an interest. It was on July
6, 1910, that Mr. Beckham became connected with the Dublin Printing
Company. The Laurens County Herald was one of the popular and
progressive papers of the county with a bona fide circulation of about
2,500 copies. They did an extensive job printing business, having a
plant fully equipped with all that goes to make up a modern and com-
plete job-printing establishment, and which enabled them to make a
strong bid for the business of the district in their particular line.

About March 15, 1913, the Dublin Printing Company and the
Courier-Dispatch consolidated their interests under the corporation
name of the Courier-Herald, for the purpose of issuing a daily news-
paper, known as the Courier-Herald, this being the only newspaper pub-
lished in Laurens county. Mr. Beckham is now business manager of
the Courier-Herald Publishing Company, which, besides publishing a
daily and weekly newspaper, also operates one of the largest printing
plants in this entire section of the state, the company being capitalized
at $30,000.

Mr. Beckham was married on January 2, 1909, to Miss D'Nena
Bridger, the daughter of Dr. Bridger, a well-known practicing physician
of Perry, Houston county, Georgia. Two children have been born to
Mr. and Mrs. Beckham : Robert Young, Jr., born September 17, 1909,
and Willa Dixie, born May 27, 1911.

The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr.
Beckham is a member of the board of stewards of that church.

James Rusk Grant. An eminently useful and highly esteemed citi-
zen of Hazlehurst, Jeff Davis county, James Rusk Grant is an able rep-
resentative of the legal fraternity, as a lawyer meeting with pronounced
success. A native of Georgia, he was born, March 30, 1876, in Clarkes-
ville, Habersham county, a son of W. D. and Samantha J. (Holland)
Grant, natives of South Carolina, and now residents of Clarkesville.
Georgia. His father served throughout the Civil war as a private in the
Twenty-fourth Georgia regiment, taking part in many engagements.

Receiving his preliminary education in Clarkesville, James Rusk
Grant subsequently continued his studies one term at Clemson College,
South Carolina. Beginning then to read law in his native town with
Hon. J. C. Edwards, he applied himself diligently to his studies, making
such progress that in March, 1898, he was admitted to the bar by Judge
J. J. Kimsey, passing a good examination. After practicing his profes-
sion a short time in Clarkesville, Mr. Grant opened a law office at Clay-
ton, Georgia, where he remained ten years, building up an excellent
practice. In January, 1909, Mr. Grant located at Hazlehurst, and is
here meeting with equally as good fortune, his legal skill and ability
being recognized, and that it is appreciated is shown by his large and
lucrative clientele. He has a large general practice, and has served



730 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

as solicitor in both the county court and the city court. During the
Spanish-American war, Mr. Grant served as a soldier in Company G,
Second Georgia Volunteer Infantry. Active and public-spirited", he
takes great interest in the affairs of town, county and state, and is ever
willing to support all enterprises and projects for the benefit of the
public.

Mr. Grant married, February 10, 1901, Mary T. Reynolds, a daughter
of John A. Reynolds; editor of the Clayton Tribune. Her mother, whose
maiden name was Jane Jackson, is a daughter of Rev. Jasper C. Jack-
son, a noted mountain missionary Baptist preacher, who served in the
Confederate army during the Civil war. Four children have blessed
the union of Mr. and Mrs. Grant, namely: Ellen, Willie J., Jesse, and
James Rusk, Jr., a bright little fellow, born in 1910.

Peter S. Hagan. Noteworthy among the valued and esteemed resi-
dents of Lyons is Peter S. Hagan. a man of intelligence and ability,
now serving as clerk of the superior court. A native of Bulloch
county, Georgia, he was born near Statesboro. July 6. 1863.

His father, M. F. Hagan married Elizabeth Sheffield, a daughter
of Simeon and Keziah (Cone) Sheffield, who came from North Carolina
to Georgia, locating in Bulloch county. Ten children were horn of their
union, as follows : W. L., engaged in agricultural pursuits in Bul-
loch county; J. F., a planter; J. S., a planter; Mary, who died, aged
about sixty years, was the wife of the late T. J. Knight, of Bulloch
county ; Laura, died, aged about eighteen years ; Margaret, who mar-
ried first W. B. Williams, and after his death became the wife of H. F.
Simmons, a dentist, in Brooklet, Bulloch county ; Ella, wife of J. C.
Ludlam, of Bulloch county ; Lucia V., wife of A. J. Proctor, a planter
in Stilson, Bulloch county ; Effie, wife of M. R. Smith, also a planter
in Bulloch county; and Peter S.

Living on the home farm until attaining his majority, Peter S.
Hagan obtained his education in the public schools, iu the meantime
acquiring a practical knowledge of agriculture. On leaving home, he
followed his trade of a carpenter for five years, being employed in Bul-
loch and Tattnall counties. Locating then in Montgomery, now Toombs
county, he was for five years bookkeeper for Holmes & Ludlam. turpen-
tine producers, and during the ensuing twelve years was engaged in
mercantile pursuits at Vidalia, Georgia. Mr. Hagan was afterwards
salesman for three years in the mercantile establishment of T. G. Poe.
In August, 1910, he was elected to his present position as clerk of the
superior court, an office which he filled so satisfactorily that he was
urged to become a candidate for a second term.

Mr. Hagan married, in 1893. Mary P. Holmes, a daughter of B. P.
and Laura (Ludlam) Holmes, natives of Horry county. South Carolina.
Mrs. Hagan died in September, 1904, leaving four children, namely:
Lottie, born in 1896; Annie Laura, born in 1898; Lila, bora in 1900; and
Lucille, born in 1901. Fraternally Mr. Hagan is a member of Vidalia
Lodge, No. 330, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Vidalia. which
he joined in 1893, and of which he was for five years the secretary ;
and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He attends the Baptist
church, and is a liberal contributor towards its support.

Col. Thomas J. Parrisii. An able and influential member of the
liar. Col. Thomas J. Parrish has won prestige as a lawyer, his broad
and comprehensive knowledge of law and of precedents bringing him
well merited success. A native son of Georgia, he was born on a farm
in Emanuel county, near Summit, and was there a resident until twenty-
two years old.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 731

Receiving his elementary education in the public schools of Emanuel
county, Thomas J. Parrish continued his studies at the Agricultural
College of the University of Georgia, in Dahlonega. He afterwards
taught school two years, during which time he read law. Going then
to Swainsboro, Emanuel county, he entered the office of F. H. Saffold,
with whom he studied law until admitted to the bar. under state exami-
nation, in March, 1899. Mr. Parrish at once began the practice of his
profession in Swainsboro, remaining there until 1905. In that year, at
the organization of Toombs county, Mr. Parrish located at Lyons, the
county seat, and has here built up an extensive and highly remunerative
practice, being one of the leading lawyers of the city, and attorney for
the Seaboard Air Line Railroad Company. He is active and promi-
nent in public matters, and for two years served as mayor of Lyons,
giving to the city a clean administration. Fraternally he is a member
of Toombs Lodge, No. 195, Knights of Pythias, and a past councillor.
He is an official member of the Methodist church, which he is serving
as steward.

Mr. Parrish married Miss Berta Barnes, of Dawson, Georgia. She
passed to the higher life, in December, 1907, leaving one child, Thomas
J. Parrish, Jr.

Mr. Parrish 's father, James M. Parrish, was born in Bulloch county,
Georgia, while Ins wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Dixon, was born
in "Warren county. Georgia, where during the Civil war her father en-
listed for service in the Confederate army.

Morgan H. Cleveland. A public-spirited and esteemed resident of
Hazlehurst, Morgan H. Cleveland has for many years been actively
associated with the development of the industrial and agricultural inter-
ests of Jeff Davis county, and he rendered excellent service as city
clerk at Hazlehurst for five months filling an unexpired term. A son of
James Monroe Cleveland, he was born, May 22. 1856, on a farm in
Stewart county, Georgia, near Lumpkin, coming from patriotic ancestry,
his paternal grandfather, Benjamin Cleveland, having served in the
Revolutionary war under Gen. Moses Cleveland, being major of his
company.

James Monroe Cleveland was born in Franklin county, Georgia,
where he grew to manhood. In his earlier life he participated in sev-
eral engagements with the Indians, and in 1838 assisted in removing
them from Georgia to a place beyond the Mississippi known as Indian
Territory. He subsequently served in the Civil war, being commis-
sioned as sergeant in a Georgia regiment of troops. He married Cath-
erine Wright, a native of South Carolina, and they became the parents
of several stalwart sons, as follows : Benjamin, Cromwell, Thomas,
AVilliam, John, Ulisas, Joseph, Frank and the subject. Besides there
were two daughters, Sultina and Eldora.

Brought up on the home farm, Morgan H. Cleveland was an ambi-
tious student in his boyhood days, and after leaving the common schools
of his native district he attended the State Normal school, in Athens,
Georgia. Entering then upon a professional career, he taught school
for eight years, being employed not only in Stewart county, but in
Brown and Pulaski counties, as an educator being successful and popu-
lar. He has since been an active factor in advancing the agricultural
prosperity of Jeff Davis county, owning and supervising an estate, which
in its appointments and improvements compares favorably with any
in the neighborhood.

Fraternallv Mr. Cleveland is a member of the Ancient Free and
Accepted Order of Masons: and religiously he and the family belong to



732 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

the Missionary Baptist church. In 1899, Mr. Cleveland married Mrs.
Rahabtuten, of Emanuel county.

John Goldwire McCall, LL. D. A man of broad culture and high
mental attainments, John Goldwire McCall, LL. D., of Quitman, is a fine
representative of the legal fraternity of Brooks county, and a credit to
the profession which, he has followed so many years, and with such dis-
tinguished success. A son of Francis S. McCall, he was born, January
18, 1836, in Screven county, Georgia. He is of Scotch ancestry, his
great grandfather on the paternal side having emigrated from Scotland
to America in early colonial days, settling, it is probable in the South,
though very little is known of his subsequent history.

Rev. William McCall, father of Francis S. McCall, was a preacher
in the Missionary Baptist church, and was also a planter of note, carry-
ing on his agricultural labor with the help of slaves. He lived to a ripe
old age, spending the later days of his long and useful life in Screven
county. His wife, whose maiden name Avas Mary Pierce, survived him
a few years. They reared eight children, as follows : George. Moses,
Charles, Joshua, John, James, Francis S., and Laura.

A few years after his marriage, Francis S. McCall removed from
Screven county, the place of his birth, to Telfair county, where he took
up land, and was for a few years engaged in agricultural labors. Sell-
ing his plantation in 1845, he removed to Lowndes county, and there
purchased a tract of land that is now included within the boundaries
of Brooks county, it being situated nine miles south of the present site
of Quitman. The family journeyed from one county to the other by
private conveyances, the household goods having been transported in
carts drawn by oxen or horses. At that time all of southern Georgia
.was but sparselv populated, while deer, bear, wild turkeys, and other
game was plentiful, furnishing the new-ccmers with an ample supply
of food. Clearing a space, he erected a house from timber which was
first hewed ten inches square, and then split with a whip saw that was
operated by two of his slaves, one standing on top of the timber and
the other below. Railroads, and telegraph and telephone lines were then
unknown, and Tallahassee, seventy-five miles away, and Saint Marks.
eighty-five miles distant, were the nearest markets and depots for sup-
plies. The cotton and other surplus productions of the land had to be
taken by team to one of these points, the teamster on his return trip
bringing back a load of household supplies. All the sugar used was
made at home, and in the smithy which stood upon the plantation a slave
made all the plows, wagons and agricultural implements needed for use
in carrying on the place, in the meantime tanning all the leather tised
for harnesses and shoes. The shoes, however, for the entire family, and
for the slaves as well, were made by the typical cobbler of those early
days, an Irishman who made the rounds of the new settlement each year.
On the farm which he cleared and improved. Francis. S. McCall spent
the remainder of his life, passing away in 1S76. at the age of sixty-six
years.

Francis S. McCall married Ann Dobson. ^he was born in Beaufort.
South Carolina, where her father, an extensive and wealthy planter.
was a lifelong resident. She died in 1901. aged eighty-five years. Thir-
teen children were born into their household, as follows: John Gold-
wire. .Tames IT., Rebecca. Jane. Wilson C. Mary. Elvira. Clementine,
Joshua R.. Richard M.. Thomas B.. Harry J., and Adda.

John Goldwire McCall received good educational advantages, in 18 — .
being graduated from the Union University, in Murfreeshoro. Tennes-
see. A few months later he was made professor of Greek and Hebrew



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 733

in that same institution, and was successfully filling that chair when,
war between the states was declared. Immediately offering his services
to the Confederacy, Mr. McCall was commissioned first lieutenant of
Company K, Fiftieth Georgia Volunteer Infantry, and with his regiment
joined the Army of the Potomac in Virginia, having command of his
company until he was wounded. Immediately after the engagement
at Sharpsburg, he was given charge of a section of artillery and of three
companies of infantry that were guarding a bridge across Antietam
creek, and while on duty he was severely wounded by a minnie ball
passing through his face. He was immediately taken to the hospital
for treatment, and during his convalescence he was elected ordinary of
Brooks county, Georgia.

Being disabled for further service in the army, Mr. McCall returned
to his native state to accept the position to which he had been chosen,
and for four years filled the office acceptably to all concerned. While
thus employed he studied law, and having been admitted to the bar
located in Quitman as a lawyer, and has been in active practice here
since, with the exception of four years when he was judge of the city
court. Mr. McCall has been influential in public affairs, the people hav-
ing great confidence in his ability, judgment and discretion. He has
served as judge of probate for Brooks county, and as mayor of Quitman,
administering the affairs of each office wisely and well. He is president
of the board of trustees of Mercer University, which in 1894, conferred
upon him the degree of LL. D.

Dr. McCall married, in 1867, Rosa Elizabeth Bobo, who was born in
Glenville, Alabama, a daughter of Dr. Virgil and Sarah Hanson (Black)
Bobo. She is a sister of Hon. Edward J. Black, and an aunt of Hon.
George R. Black, members of congress. Dr. and Mrs. McCall are the
parents of five children, namely : Rosa Lee, Rachel Black, Nonnie Bobo,
John F. and Edna Florida.

Rosa Lee married John 0. Lewis and has five children, Rosa Hunt,
Minnie Cleborn, John 0., Frank McCall and Virgil Bobo. Rachel Black,
wife of Charles F. Cater, has one child, John McCall Cater. Nonnie
B. is living with her parents. Edna F., wife of Albert L. Tidwell, has
two children, Rose Elizabeth and Edna McCall. Dr. and Mrs. McCall
and their family are members of the Missionary Baptist church. In
politics the judge is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party.

John Azariah Mewborn. It is always pleasant and profitable to
contemplate the career of a man who has made a success of life and
won the honor and respect of his fellow citizens. Such is the record
of the well-known gentleman whose name heads this sketch, than whom
a more whole-souled or popular man it would be difficult to find within
the limits of the county which is his home. John Azariah Mewborn
is not a man who has exclusively confined his life to one line of endeavor.
He was in educational work for twenty years, and after finishing his
term as a director of the "young idea" he engaged for a short time
in the mercantile business. He then first engaged in his present work,
insurance, and has been successful as a representative of important
companies in the line of life and fire insurance, casualty and loans.

Mr. Mewborn is a native Georgian. His birth having occurred in
Gwinnett county, on a farm in the vicinity of Laurenville, the date of
his nativity being July 15, 1859. The reverberations of the guns of
the Civil war echoed about his cradle and many of his relatives par-
ticipated in the great conflict between the states, his father losing his
life on the field of battle, whence he had bravely gone forth in defense
of the cause in which he believed. The subject remained upon the



73-t SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

paternal homestead until about the age of twenty-four years. He
drank of the '"Pierian Spring" in the common schools of his district
and then entered Gainesville College, from which institution he was
graduated in 1888 with the well-earned degree of bachelor of arts.
Thereafter he engaged in school teaching, in the state, and as previously
mentioned, his pedagogical work extended over a period of a score
of years and was of the most enlightened and satisfactory character.
He continued in the mercantile business only for two years and then
became representative at Rochelle, whither he had removed in the
year 1908, for the Pennsylvania Mutual Life Insurance Company and
proving exceedingly successful in this field, he added the general agency
for fire insurance, casualty and loans, the latter addition being in the
same year. He also handles real estate, and has located several families
from other states.

Mr. Mewborn is the son of Archibald Marion and Cynthia I. (Noel)
Mewborn, the former a native of Elbert county, Georgia, and the mother
of Gwinnett. His maternal forebears were natives of Virginia and of
Irish origin and the father's ancestry was English. The father enlisted
at the time of the Civil war, was a member of the forty-second Georgia
Infantry under Capt. L. P. Thomas and died in the service. His
uncle, George Noel, also gave up his life for the cause of the Confed-
eracy, but his brother, James, served throughout the dark days of the
struggle and is still living at the present time, a veteran and respected
citizen. Five paternal uncles, Jeff, James, John V., William M. and
Martin C. were among the flower of young southern manhood who
testified by enlisting to their conviction in the supreme right of the
states to sever their connection with the national government, and all
served in Georgia regiments. Martin was severely wounded while in
the service.

Mr. Mewborn was happily married on January 24, 1895, his chosen
lady being Clara Loveless, daughter of John G. and Sallie (Shockley)
Loveless, the latter 's father having originated the famous "Shockley
apple." Their union has been blessed by the birth of one son, Fay
Ellery, born January 8, 1903, and now ten years of age.

Fraternally Mr. Mewborn is a member of the Odd Fellows, and
while at school was a member of the Ben Hill debating society. He
attends the Methodist church. He is a man of fine character and takes
a helpful and public-spirited interest in the affairs of town, church,
county and state, exerting a very definite influence toward their advance-
ment.

Judge David Bascom Nicholson is one of the most prominent mem-
bers of his profession in this section of the state and having served
since 1906 as judge of the city court. He has earned the reputation of
being one of the most learned and impartial of jurists. He has an
excellent legal equipment and has also brought to bear the stivngth of
a fine and upright character, so that he has gained and held the inviola-
ble confidence and regard of his fellow practitioners and of the general
public. While a resident of his native state. North Carolina, he was
sent to represent the interests of his county in the state legislature
and in that body was recognized as one of its most intelligent and
public-spirited members.

Judge Nicholson was born September 19, 1853, near Magnolia,
Duplin county. North Carolina. He was reared to the age of fifteen
years amid the rural surroundings of the father's farm. lie received
his early education in the public schools and also in private schools
and subsequently entered Trinity College, now at Durban, from which



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 735

institution he was graduated with the class of 1875, receiving the
degree of bachelor of arts. He took post-graduate study and ultimately
acquired the degree of master of arts. His first adventures as a wage-
earner were in the capacity of a school teacher and during his peda-
gogical endeavors he also read law in spare minutes, pursuing this pro-
fessional preparation under the direction of Col. W. A. Allen, a dis-
tinguished lawyer of Goldsboro, North Carolina. In 1880, the subject
was admitted to the bar of the supreme court of North Carolina, and
to inaugurate his practice, he removed to Kenansville, the judicial cen-
ter of Duplin county, and there remained for two years. He repre-
sented Duplin county in the state assembly, as mentioned previously,
and was instrumental in bringing about considerable helpful and wise
legislation. Following that he removed to Clinton, Sampson county,
North Carolina, where he practiced for ten years, and in 1893 he came
to Abbeville, Georgia, where he resided two years, and then moved to
Rochelle, where he has won recognition of the highest character. In
that year he was appointed solicitor of the county court of Wilcox
county, and he remained in that office until the establishment of the
city court in 1896, when he was appointed by Governor Terrell judge
of the city court, and subsequently, in 1908, he was elected to the same
office for a term of four years, being at the present time the incumbent.
Wilcox county looks upon this gentleman as an acquisition of great
value and no matter with what responsibility entrusted he has never
been found wanting.

Judge Nicholson is a son of Rev. David B. Nicholson, a distinguished
member of the North Carolina conference of the Methodist Episcopal
church South, and of his wife, Zilpha (Pearsall) Nicholson, both of
these admirable people being natives of North Carolina.

He was happily married in 1876, his chosen lady being Miss Katie
Powell, daughter of the late Col. Luke A. and Mary A. (Vann) Powell.
Mrs. Nicholson's father was colonel of a regiment of North Carolina
troops in the Civil war, and the record of that gentleman is gallant
indeed. The children of Judge and Mrs. Nicholson are : Luke Powell,
a locomotive engineer on the Atlantic Coast Line ; Edwin Forrest, an
electrical engineer of Amerieus, Georgia; David B., Jr., a Baptist minis-
ter of Macon, Georgia ; and James Marvin, a student at Locust Grove
Institute. Justin L. died March 5, 1909, and Mary died April 3, 1911.

Judge Nicholson is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the
Odd Fellows and at college was a member of Chi Phi fraternity. He
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and his wife of
the Missionary Baptist church at Rochelle. They maintain a household
redolent of that warm and wholly charming hospitality for which the
South is so justly famed.

Walter G.. Brown, prominent banker and merchant of Rochelle, has
been a resident of this city since 1898, and has been actively identified
with the foremost business interests of the city in the years that have
passed since his settling here. He was born in Dooley county, near
Vienna, on June 1, 1862, and is the son of Judge Ira Brown and his
wife, Henriette (Lasseter) Brown. The father was judge of the Dooley
county court as long as forty vears ago. and was one of the leading men
of his community during his lifetime. He later occupied the same posi-
tion in Wilcox county. There were seven children in the Brown family,
of which Walter G. was one. Of his four sisters, but two are living
today, Emma and Lucy, both married to prosperous farmers of Wil-
cox county.

Walter G. Brown received his early education in Dooley county.



736 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

In about 1882 he became interested in the merchandise business and
established a store near Abbeville, where he continued for four years.
He then located at Seville, remaining there in business for nine years,
coming from there to Roehelle. Mr. Brown has prospered in his mer-
cantile ventures, and he owns the building where his present business
is conducted, a two story brick with a floor space of eighty-five by fifty
feet, and boasting the only elevator in Wilcox county. In addition to
his flourishing merchandise business, Mr. Brown is owner of the Brown
Bank Company of Roehelle. This institution was organized as the Citi-
zens Bank in 1908, under the laws of the state. In 1909, when the
City Bank had been in operation one year, Mr. Brown bought it out,
since which time it has been conducted as a private institution, and
it is operated on a sound and conservative basis which has won and
retained to it a high standing and the confidence and patronage of the
best citizenship of Roehelle.

Mr. Brown was postmaster at Seville, under Grover Cleveland's
last administration, a position which he most ably handled, and he
has in other positions of a public nature exhibited the same characteris-
tic efficiency and trustworthiness which marked his career as postmas-
ter, and in the private business which he conducts.

On March 14, 1890, Mr. Brown was united in marriage with Miss
Sallie Elizabeth Hardaman, daughter of J. D. Hardaman of Seville,
but formerly from northern Georgia. Five children were born of their
union, of which number four are living. Birdie died at the age of
two years. Walter E., aged sixteen, is a student at the North Georgia
Military School, in Dahlonega, Georgia. Annie Wilmer, seven years old ;
Mildred, aged five, and William, now two years of age, are the remain-
ing members of the family.

Mr. Brown is a member of the Masonic fraternity, blue lodge degree,
and is one of the most highly esteemed men in Roehelle.

James Alexander Bussell, M. D., has been engaged in the practice
of medicine since 1893, and since 1896 he has been located at Roehelle,
where he has become well and favorably known to the medical fra-
ternity and where he has built up a practice in every way consistent
with his splendid ability and his high character.

Born in Dooly county, Georgia, in 1873, Dr. Bussell is the son of
W. A. and Edith Young (Rameld) Bussell, both of that county. The
father was a veteran of the Civil war. Dr. Bussell is one of eight
children, all of whom are living. They are: Lula, the wife of S. J.
Barrett of Abba, Georgia; Mariette, married to W. J. C. Brown, also
a farmer of Abba ; Minnie, married to Medelton Grayham. a farmer of
Isaac, Georgia; I. J., a farmer located in Abba; B. R., a doctor of
Roehelle ; Charles, a farmer living at Abba ; James Alexander of this
review, and William, a machinist of Abba.

At the age of four weeks James A. Bussell accompanied his parents
to Irwin county, where his boyhood was spent, and it was there he
received his* preliminary educational training, finishing in the Roehelle
high school. His medical training he received at the Atlanta Medical
College, graduating therefrom with the class of 1893. beginning the
active practice of his profession in the same year at Sibbie. Georgia,
where he continued for three years. After he had located at Roehelle,
Dr. Bussell completed a course in phamaceutics. and for three years
or more conducted a drug store in this place, but the remainder of the
time has confined his entire attention to his general medical practice.

In October, 1893, Dr. Bussell was married to Miss Ids Coffee, daugh-
ter of Mr. and Mrs. IT. Coffee. Four children were born to Dr. and




Jjh&VOV*.



fry M/ck<4s6&



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 737

«

Mrs. Bussell — Harry, Eva Mae, Sallie and James. The wife and mother
died in September, 1902, and on January 20, 1904, Dr. Bussell married'
Mae Coffee, a sister of his first wife. They became the parents of two
children — Ethel, born in May, 1907, and Earnest, born in 1905. Mrs.
Bussell passed away on September 15, 1910, and Dr. Bussell contracted
a third marriage in September of the following year, when Elizabeth
Annie Coffee, a sister of his first and second wives, was united to him.
Dr. Bussell is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
and the F. & A. M., and his wife is a member of the Methodist church,
while he is a Baptist.

Henry Mitchell. For many years identified with the develop-
ment and promotion of the lumber interests of Georgia, Henry Mitchell
is now living retired from active pursuits in Waycross, enjoying to the
utmost the well-merited reward of his long-continued and unremitting
toil. Coming on both sides of the house from a long and honored line
of pure Scotch ancestry, he was born, November 11, 1841, in the parish
of Abernethy, Perthshire, Scotland, a son of William Mitchell.

His Grandfather Mitchell, a tiller of the soil, for many years operated
the farm known at "Bartlett field," which was located about six
miles north of Perth. He and his wife were both life-long residents
of Scotland. They reared five children, one daughter and four sons.
The daughter, Helen, married a Mr. White, and spent her entire life
in her native country. All of the sons left Scotland, one of them, Henry,
settling in London, England; Robert located permanently in Ireland;
George came to America, settling in Wellington county, Ontario, Can-
ada; and William also immigrated to America.

Born in the parish of Dron, Stirlingshire, Scotland, William Mitch-
ell learned the trade of a tailor when young, and followed it for a num-
ber of years in Abernethy, Perthshire. Immigrating to America in 1848,
he opened a merchant tailoring establishment in Guelph, province of
Ontario, Canada, where he spent his remaining years, passing away at
the advanced age of seventy-nine years, He married Jane Kinghorn,
who was born in Perthshire, Scotland, of Scotch ancestry, and was there
reared and married. Her brother, Joseph Kinghorn, was an expert
steamboat engineer, and when the Turks bought steamships in Scotland
he went to Turkey on board one of the vessels, and was for several years
in the employ of the sultan, teaching the Turks how to operate the
ships. Another of her brothers, Henry Kinghorn, immigrated to the
United States, and served as foreman of the shipyard in New York
when the steamers Atlantic, Pacific, Adriatic and Baltic were under
process of construction. He continued a resident of New York until
his death, and many of his descendants are still living there. Mrs.
William Mitchell survived her husband about a year, dying at the
age of seventy-nine years. Seven children were born of their union,
as follows : William, deceased ; Jane, wife of Richard Waldron, of
Guelph, Ontario ; Henry, the subject of the sketch ; David, deceased ;
Robert, who was for many years a merchant in Guelph, and is now the
postmaster ; John, a carriage top manufacturer in Guelph ; Helen, wife
of Myron W. Burr, of Guelph, a furniture manufacturer, now retired.

In 1849 Henry Mitchell came with his mother, brothers and sisters
to America, joining his father, who had emigrated from Scotland the
previous year, in Canada, the ocean voyage in a sailing vessel having
covered a period of six weeks. Landing in New York, the family went
by way of the Hudson river and the Erie canal to Rochester, New York,
thence by way of the Genesee river and Lake Ontario to Hamilton,
Canada, where, there being no railroads, they took teams to convey



738 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

•
them to Guelph. Continuing his education, which he had begun in
Scotland, Henry Mitchell attended the schools of Guelph regularly
until seventeen years old, in the meantime earning a little ready money
by clerking during his leisure time in a store. Anxious then to secure
congenial and remunerative employment, he bade good-bye to home
and friends, and journeyed to New York City, where he expected to
find his uncle, Henry Kinghorn. The uncle, however, had died. Con-
cluding therefore to go farther south, Mr. Mitchell went to Charleston,
South Carolina, where he hoped to have an opportunity to develop his
mechanical ability by learning the machinist's trade. Finding no favor-
able opening in that city, he sought other employment, applying for
work to Mr. James M. Rahb, who was the master mechanic and super-
intendent in the building of the Charleston & Savannah Railroad,
of which a few mile's only had then been completed. He began work
as a common laborer, but after two days was given clerical work, later
becoming first a fireman, and then a railroad engineer.

On the breaking out of the Civil war Mr. Mitchell was made ser-
geant of an independent company, and sworn into service, as an expert
mechanic being placed on detached duty. He continued as an engineer,
and in that capacity formed the acquaintance of General Lee, and was
detailed to run his special train, having charge of the engine that drew
the general's train while he had charge of the Georgia-Florida district.
As previously stated, Mr. Mitchell's great ambition had always been
to learn the machinist's trade, and while with General Lee left the
train without permission to work in the railroad shops, which were
under the supervision of his former employer, Mr. S. S. Haines, who
was elected superintendent to take the place of the former superin-
tendent. The commanding officer hearing of this, ordered Mr. Mitchell
to headquarters. Mr. Haines accompanied him, pleaded his case most
eloquently, telling the officers that as a good mechanic Mr. Mitchell
was worth more to the Confederacy in the shops than at the front,
putting his side of the case so effectively that Mr. Mitchell was allowed
to remain in the shops, where he became familiar with all kinds of
work.

A few days before the surrender of Fort Sumter, Mr. Mitchell was
called there to adjust the sights of the cannon, and was afterwards
one of the volunteers that undertook to blow up the Ironsides, and at
the close helped to sink the Confederate boats that they might not be
of service to the Federals. The close of the war left Mr. Mitchell penni-
less, but he and a companion, having found a boat adrift, established
a ferry across the Ashley river, and for a few days carried on a profita-
ble business, most of their patrons being Union soldiers. Entering then
the employ of the United States government, under Bob Hunter, he
was for a short time engaged in the construction of bridges, and the
raising of sunken vessels.

Receiving financial aid then from bis home people, Mr. Mitchell
returned to Canada, and there served an apprenticeship of three years
in the machine shops of F. G. Becket & Company. Returning then
to the South, Mr. Mitchell was for a year employed as an engineer on
the Fernandina & Cedar Keys Railroad. At the solicitation of Mr.
S. S. Haines, he then went to Savannah. Georgia, and from that time
until 1877 was an engineer on the Atlanta & G-ulf Railroad. Resign-
ing that position, he entered the employ of his father-in-law. for six
months having charge of his saw mill in Screven, Georgia. The follow-
ing two years he operated a saw mill at Ocean Pond. Florida, and sub-
sequently became a partner in the firm of Dale. Dixon & Company.
which was operating a planing mill in Savannah, ami a saw mill in



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 739

Liberty county, Georgia. The latter plant Mr. Mitchell operated until
it burned, six years later. Captain Dale died about that time, and'
Mr. Dixon and Mr. Mitchell purchased his interests in the business,
and under the firm name of Dixon, Mitchell & Company operated a
planing mill in Savannah, and a saw mill in Alexandria, Georgia, for
several years. The partnership being dissolved in 1903, and the busi-
ness disposed of, Mr. Mitchell located in AVaycross, and was here profit-
ably engaged in the lumber business until 1911, when he sold out, and
has since lived retired from business cares, making his home with his
son, Joseph D. Mitchell.

Fraternally Mr. Mitchell is a member of AVaycross Lodge, No. 305,
Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons ; Waycross Chapter, No.
9, Royal Arch Masons; Damasciis Commandery, No. 18, Knights Tem-
plar; and also belongs to Golden Rule Lodge of Savannah, Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows.

Mr. Mitchell married, in 1877, Kate Dale, who was born and edu-
cated in Savannah, a daughter of Capt. Joseph J. and Delia (White)
Dale, the former of whom was a native of England, while the latter
was born in the United States. Mrs. Mitchell died in 1883, in early
womanhood, leaving two .children, one of whom lived but eighteen
months. The other child, Joseph Dale Mitchell, born in Wayne county,
Georgia, but raised and educated in Savannah, was for many years
associated in business with his father. He married Minnie Jones, and
they have five children, namely: Katie Dale, Minnie, Joseph Dale, Jr.,
Nellie Burr, and William Bruce. He, too, stands high in the Ancient
Free and Accepted Order of Masons, being eminent commander of
Damascus Commandery, No. 18, Knights Templar.

J. Mark Wilcox. Talented, energetic, and well versed in legal lore,
J. Mark Wilcox, of Hazlehurst, is rapidly winning for himself an
honored position in the legal circles of Jeff Davis county, and deserves
great credit for the position which he has won, not only as an attorney,
but as a popular and esteemed citizen. He was born May 21, 1890, at
Willacoochee, Coffee county, Georgia, of substantial Scotch-Irish ances-
try.

His father, Jefferson Wilcox, M. D., is one of the best known and
most prosperous physicians of Coffee county, and a man of prominence
and influence. Very active in public affairs, he represented his district
in the state legislature in 1892, 1894, and 1896, and 1898 served as state
senator. During the Spanish-American war he raised a company of
immunes, which was organized as Company B, Third United States
Volunteer Infantry, and with them saw service in Cuba. He married
Marion Henson, who was likewise a native of Coffee county, Georgia,
and they are the parents of two children, namely: Ira E., of Savannah,
Georgia, in the employ of the Southern Bell Telephone Company; and
J. Mark, the subject of this brief biographical record.

After completing the course of study in the Willacoochee high
school J. Mark Wilcox attended Emory College, in Oxford, Georgia,
for two years. Going then to Macon. Georgia, he was graduated from
the law department of Mercer University with the class of 1910. Imme-
diately locating in Hazlehurst, Mr. Wilcox has met with most encour-
aging success in his professional practice, and as one of the younger
generation of lawyers has a brilliant prospect for a prosperous future
in his career. On November 9, 1911, he was appointed prosecuting
attorney for Jeff Davis county, and is filling the position with charac-
teristic* ability. He is also a director of the Farmers State Bank of
Hazlehurst, and its attorney.

Vol. II— 1 4



740 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Seaborn Walter Johnson, M. D. Long familiar with the rudi-
ments of medicine and surgery. Seaborn Walter Johnson. M. D., of
Hazlehurst, has continually added to his knowledge by close study
and earnest application, and through sheer merit has gained a fine repu-
tation for professional skill and ability. He was born. February 7,
1859, in Appling county, Georgia, which was likewise the birthplace
of his father, Matthew Johnson, and the county in which his Grand-
father Johnson settled on coming to Georgia, in Bulloch county. The
great-grandfather of Dr. Johnson was Mathew Johnson, a .soldier in
the Revolutionary army under General Washington, and his father.
John Johnson, was born in Scotland in 1707, and came to America
about 1730, with the Stewart clan, who were exiled from their native
land and came to the colony of North Carolina.

Reared to agricultural pursuits, Mathew Johnson has been quite
successful as a tiller of the soil, -finding in farming both pleasure and
profit. He married Elizabeth Cobb, who was born in North Carolina,
a member of a family prominent in the Revolutionary war. She came
with her parents to Georgia when about twelve years of age, settling
in Jefferson county. She died on the home farm in Appling county.
Five children were born of their marriage, -as follows: Lewis W., a
farmer in Appling county, died in 1886 ; Daniel W., postmaster at
Nicholls, Coffee county ; Seaborn Walter, the special subject of this
brief sketch ; Mary, wife of Jesse T. Sellars, a farmer in Jeff Davis
county ; and Marjorie, wife of W. P. Myers, of Baxley, Georgia.

Growing to man's estate beneath the parental roof-tree, Seaborn
Walter Johnson successfully learned the three R 's in the common schools,
the body of instruction at that day, later attending Vanderbilt Uni-
versity in Nashville, Tennessee, for a year, studying in both the lit-
erary and medical departments. A man of his mental caliber naturally
turns to a professional life, and his choice led him to continue the
study of medicine. Going therefore to Atlanta. Georgia, he entered
the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was there graduated with
the class of 1887, receiving the degree of M. D. Immediately locating
in Graham, Appling county, Dr. Johnson remained there seven years,
gaining wisdom and experience of value. He was afterwards settled
for a number of years in Baxley, and in Douglas, in each place meeting
with good success, his natural skill winning for him the confidence
of the people, and gaining him a large patronage. In 1911 he took a
post-graduate course in New York City, at the Bellevue hospital.

While living in Appling county. Dr. Johnson took much interest
in local and state affairs, in 1890 and 1891 representing Appling county
in the state legislature. While a member of that body, the doctor intro-
duced and fathered the "Jim Crow" bill, which was passed during
the same session, the bill providing for separate accommodations for
white and black traffic on the railroads of the state, and being opposed
by every Georgia railroad. Fraternally the doctor belongs to the
Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons, being a member of Hazle-
hurst lodge, and to R. A. M. Chapter. No. 95. Both he and his wife
are members of the Methodist church.

On November 27, 1890. Dr. Johnson was united in marriage with
Miss Mamie K. Anthony, a daughter of Rev. J. D. and Josephine (Alex-
ander) Anthony, and sister of Rev. Baseom Anthony, of the South
Georgia Methodist denomination. Her father was dubbed the "Bishop
of the Wire Grass." and at the time of the marriage of his daughter
Josephine was living in Spring Hill. Montgomery county, Georgia.
Dr. and Mrs. Johnson have four children, namely: Ruby Claire.
bom in 1894; Hallie R.. born in 1896; Opal Anthony, horn in 1900;
and Grace, horn in 1904.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 741

Ansel A. Parrish. Among the active and prosperous business men
of Valdosta is Ansel A. Parrish, born in that part of Lowndes county
that is now Berrien county, Georgia, and a representative of one of
the prominent pioneer families of this section. The family originated
here with Henry Parrish, the grandfather of Ansel A., who took a
leading part in the public affairs of his community and at one time
was a member of the Georgia state legislature. Ansel A. Parrish was
one of the many brave and loyal youth who, yet in their teens, so gal-
lantly went to the defense of their beloved Southland in 1861-65, and
he is one of the few remaining actors in that great struggle.

Henry Parrish, who was of North Carolinian stock, was reared and
married in Bulloch county, Georgia, and removed from thence into
southern Georgia in a very early day, locating in that part of Irwin
county which later was transferred to Lowndes county and still later
became Berrien county. He bought land about six miles east of the
present site of Cecil and entered actively and prominently into the
public life of this section. He died in middle life. His wife, who was
a Miss Nancy Williams before her marriage, bore him twelve children
and survived him fifty years, passing away at a remarkably advanced
age. Ezekiel W. Parrish, born February 16, 1818, in Bulloch county,
Georgia, son of Henry and father of Ansel A., was very young when
his parents removed to southern Georgia and after his father's death
he remained with his mother until his marriage, when he bought land
one mile from where is now located the town of Cecil and there engaged
in farming and stock-raising. In 1864 he sold his farm and received
its value in Confederate money, which he still held when the war
closed, but fortunately he had retained about seventeen hundred acres
east of Hahira in Lowndes county. He settled on the latter estate,
erected the necessary buildings and made it his home until his death
on September 1, 1887. Martha C. (Wootten) Parrish, his wife, born in
Taliaferro county, Georgia, had preceded him in death, her demise
having occurred in June, 1871. She was a daughter of Redden Wootten
and wife, the latter of whom was a Miss Bird before her marriage.
Ezekiel W. and Martha C. (Wootten) Parrish were the parents of
twelve children, namely: Nancy E., Redden B., Susan, Ansel A.,
James H., Joel W., Matthew R. A., Mary A. A., Ezekiel W. J., Martha
M., John E. W. and Absolom B.

Ansel A. Parrish, born February 20, 1846, the fourth in this family,
was reared amid pioneer scenes, for in his youth there were no rail-
roads in this section of Georgia and his father went to Albany, Georgia,
sixty miles away, to market his cotton. All cooking was done before
the open fire and his mother would card, spin and weave the wool
into homespun cloth which her deft fingers would then convert into
garments for her family. Mr. Parrish received such educational advan-
tages as the public schools of his day afforded, and when old enough
took up duties on the farm. In May, 1864. he enlisted in Company B
of the First Florida Special Battalion for service in the Confederate
army and was assigned to the commissary department, where he con-
tinued until the close of the war. Returning to his Georgia home, he
took up farming and also taught school to earn money, the money with
, which to advance his education. He was a student in the Valdosta
Institute when occurred the death of Professor Varnedoe, then presi-
dent of the institution. For sometime after concluding his studies
there he clerked and then engaged in the mercantile business inde-
pendently, continuing thus for seven years. He then took up the sale
of sewing machines and when bicycles came into use he engaged in their
sale and repair. One of the first in his city to see the future of the



742 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

automobile, he opened a garage for the repair, storage and sale of auto-
mobiles and has continued in that line of business to the present time.

On July 16, 1874, Mr. Parrish was united in marriage to Mary
Emma Peeples, a native of Berrien county, Georgia, and a daughter
of Judge Richard A. and Sarah (Camp) Peeples, more specific men-
tion of whom will be found in the sketch of C. B. Peeples appearing
on other pages of this volume. Seven children have blessed the union
of Mr. and Mrs. Parrish, namely : Carrie May, Maggie Alline, Charles
E., Irene A., Ansel A., Richard E. and Edwin Willard. Carrie May is
uow Mrs. Francis H. Ramsey, of Yaldosta, Georgia, and has one son,
Francis H. ; Maggie A., now Mrs. Albert N. Swain, resides in Rich-
land, Georgia, and has three children, Albert N., Ansel Parrish and
Emeliza ; Charles E., married Julia Collier and has two children, Col-
lier E. and Margaret ; Irene married Dr. A. L. Smith, of Empire, Geor-
gia and they have three children, Mary E., Dorothy and Samuel A. ;
and Ansel A., married Nona Hester and has a daughter, Caroline.

Mr. and Mrs. Parrish are members of the Tabernacle Baptist church
at Valdosta and both are ardent advocates of temperance.

Robert Butler Myddelton. When it is stated that this esteemed
citizen of Valdosta has served as clerk of the superior court in Lowndes
county, Georgia, continuously since 1908 and that he succeeded his
father, Robert Thomas Myddelton, the incumbent of that office for
thirty-one consecutive years, further attestation as to the family's
worth and standing will be unnecessary. Three generations of the
Myddeltons have been native to Georgia soil and have sprung from their
common ancestor, William Myddelton, who was born in England and
came to America in colonial times, settling in South Carolina. William
Myddelton was married in South Carolina to Margaret Thompson and
removed from that state to Mcintosh county, Georgia, where both spent
the remainder of their lives as farmer people. Their son Augustus
Myddelton, born in Mcintosh county, Georgia, was reared in his native
county to agricultural pursuits and after his father's death assumed
charge of the home farm, which he conducted by slave labor. Later
he removed from Mcintosh county to Chatham county and bought a
tract of land at Bethesda, ten miles from Savannah, where remained
his home for about fifteen years. Removing from there to Bryan county,
he bought a plantation of 720 acres on the Midway river, where he
resided until March, 1863, when the war activities of the time having
made his home in this section unpleasant and unsafe, he took his family
to Valdosta, Lowndes county. He bought a home in the village and a
farm a few miles out and continued his residence in Valdosta until his
death in May, 1864, at the age of sixty. Mary Percival (Todd) Myd-
delton, his wife, was born in Mcintosh county. Georgia, and was a
daughter of John and Margery (Percival) Todd. She survived her
husband many years and passed away at the advanced age of ninety.
To this union were born the following children: John, Eugenia. Mar-
garet, James, Ezra, Harriett, Samuel, Sara ami Robert T.

Robert Thomas Myddelton. the youngest of this family and the
father of our subject, was born near Savannah. Chatham county. Geor-
gia, January 27, 1845, and was educated at Fleming-ton. Liberty county.
He was but a. youth when the Civil war broke out. but fired with the
zeal and loyalty which characterized the sons of the South, he enlisted
in his seventeenth year in Capt. S. D. Bradwell's company of the
Twenty-fifth Georgia Volunteer Infantry. After he had served about
one year he was discharged on account of disability, but in 1864 he
again enlisted, this time in the Twentieth Battalion of Georgia Cavalry




^dojv^ 9n ^j-^cdn



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 743

and went with the command to Virginia, where it was transferred to
the Jeff Davis legion ( Mississippi troops) and served in Young's brig-
ade of Wade Hampton's command. Young Myddelton was in active
service until the close of the war, when he was paroled and returned to
the home of his parents in Valdosta. For a time he clerked in a store
there and then later engaged in the mercantile business independently,
continuing it until compelled to give it up on account of ill health.
Removing to a farm, he continued on it until 1878, when he began his
duties as clerk of the superior court of Lowndes county, to which office
he had been elected in the fall of 1877. By successive reelections he
has continued in that office thirty-one years and then he resigned. Cer-
tainly no more eloquent testimony could be given of the confidence and
esteem he has commanded from his fellow citizens. He has also served
as a member of the city council several terms and also as mayor of
Valdosta. In November, 1868, was solemnized his marriage to Euphe-
mia Smith, who was born in Lowndes county to Duncan and Margaret
(Dasher) Smith. They have reared eight children, as follows: Smith,
Mary, Robert B., Erne, William, Ralph, Paul and Archibald. Both Mr.
and Mrs. Myddelton are members of the Baptist church, and he affil-
iates fraternally with Valdosta. Lodge No. 184, Free and Accepted
Masons.

Robert Butler Myddelton was born in Valdosta, Georgia, March 6,
1873, was educated in the public schools of that city and when a mere
boy took up responsible duties as a clerk in a store. At the age of
sixteen he entered the employ of A. S. Pendleton, wholesale and retail
groceries, with whom he remained four years. The following nine
years were spent as a bookkeeper in the First National Bank of Val-
dosta, and then he was appointed deputy clerk of the superior court
of Lowndes county and clerk of the city court of Valdosta. In the
fall of 1908 he was elected clerk of the superior court to succeed his
father, who had resigned, and by reelection he has been continued in
that office to the present time, also in the office of clerk of the city court.

The marriage of Mr. Myddleton took place in November, 1898, and
united him to Miss Maude Hodges, a native of Bulloch county, Geor-
gia, and a daughter of Eli W. and Louise (Keller) Hodges. They have
two children, Robert Hodges and Margaret Louise. Mr. Myddelton is
a member of Valdosta Lodge No. 184, Free and Accepted Masons, Val-
dosta Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, Malta Commandery of Knights
Templars, and of Alee Temple, A. A. 0. N. M. S.

Carey M. Sweat. Possessing rare business ability and foresight,
Carey M. Sweat occupies a position of prominence and influence among
the substantial and influential residents of Waycross, being identified
with various enterprises of magnitude and importance. A son of the
late Capt. James A. Sweat, he was born, December 9, 1861, in Ware
county, Georgia, on a farm lying five miles south of Waresboro.

Born and bred in South Carolina, Capt. James A. Sweat migrated
in early life to Georgia, locating in what is now Pierce county. The
southern part of the state was then but sparsely settled, being largely
in its primitive wildness, with plenty of deer, turkeys and other wild
game common to this region. The Indians here had their happy hunt-
ing grounds, and ofttimes caused the newcomers fear and trouble
through murderous attacks, thieving and otherwise molesting them.
The whites built log forts, to which the women and children repaired
for safety when the redskins started out on a death-dealing mission,
while the men organized companies for protection against the savages,
James A. Sweat becoming a captain of one of those little brave bands



744 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

of pioneer settlers. About 1853 Captain Sweat removed to Ware county,
Georgia, and having purchased a tract of wild land five miles south of
Waresboro erected first a log house, and later replaced the original
structure with a substantial frame house. With the assistance of slaves,
he cleared and improved a homestead, and later, as his means increased,
bought large tracts of land in Ware and adjacent counties, becoming
an extensive and prosperous landholder. He continued his agricultural
operations until his death, at which time he was sixty-one years, one
month, and fifteen days old.

Captain Sweat was three times married. He married first Elizabeth
Newburn. She died in 1853, leaving eleven children, namely : Thomas,
Martin, Bryant, Farley, Elias, Ancil, Charlotte, Cassie, Maria, Tabitha
and Mary. He married for his second wife Mary Newburn, a sister
of his first wife. For his third wife Captain Sweat married a widow,
Mrs. Serena (Miller) Clough, who by her union with her first hus-
band, Mr. Clough, had four children, Jonathan J. Clough, deceased;
Mary, still living ; Emma, and Lilla, deceased. She was born in Ware
county, Georgia, a daughter of Martin and Nancy (Brewton) Miller,
and granddaughter of William Miller, a pioneer of Bulloch county,
Georgia, and a soldier in the Revolutionary war. By this union two
children were born, namely : Carey M. Sweat, the subject of this sketch,
and Frank L. Sweat.

Although young when his father died, Carey M. Sweat assumed
the care of the home farm to a large extent. He attended the public
schools as regularly as possible, acquiring a good knowledge of the
common branches of study, while under his mother's guidance he was
well trained to habits of industry and thrift. Succeeding eventually to
the ownership of the parental homestead, he carried on general farm-
ing successfully until twenty-seven years old, when he made an entire
change of occupation and residence. Removing to Waycross, Mr.
Sweat's first introduction into the business world was as a manu-
facturer of turpentine, an industry in which he first embarked while
living on the farm. His industrial and financial interests expanded
rapidly, fortune smiling on his every effort, and he is now associated
with many enterprises of note.

One of the organizers of the Waycross Exchange Bank, Mr. Sweat
served as its president from its "formation until 1910, and is now one
of its directors. He was one of the six men who erected the Hotel La
Grande block; is a stockholder in the Consolidated Naval Stores Com-
pany ; a director in the Citizens Bank of Douglas, Georgia ; a stock-
holder in the Southern Naval Stores Company; a stockholder, and vice-
president, of the Texas Turpentine Company; a stockholder in the
State Life Insurance Company ; and a stockholder and the vice-presi-
dent of the Newillard Naval Stores Company of Texas.

Politically Mr. Sweat is a stanch Democrat, but has been too much
absorbed in his personal affairs to engage in politics, although he has
served as a member of the city council. Fraternally he belongs to
Waycross Lodge, No. 305, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons ;
religiously both he and his wife are consistent members of the Meth-
odist Episcopal church.

Mr. Sweat has been twice married. On April 27. 1887, lie was united
in marriage with Miss Mollie McDonald, who was born in Ware county,
Georgia, a daughter of William A. and Mary Ann (Deen) McDonald.
She died December 7. 1892, leaving two children. James Lester and
Vera B. Mr. Sweat married second. May 14. 1901, Susan E. McDon-
ald, a daughter of Col. William A. and Rebecca (Thompson) McDon-
ald. Of this union six children have been born, namely: Thelma



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 745

Lucille, Lillian Marie, Carey McDonald, Ralph Franklin, Juniatta
Rebecca, and Norman Ancil.

James Everett Gornto, now a resident of Valdosta, is a son of a
soldier of the Confederacy and a grandson of one of the earliest set-
tlers in this section of the state, and by these distinctions and by his
own career as a worthy and progressive citizen he is entitled to mention
among the representative men of southern Georgia. His nativity oc-
curred June 24, 1854, in that part of Lowndes county that is now
included in Brooks county, Georgia, and he is a son of James Gornto,
who was born in Laurens county of the Empire state of the South.
The grandfather, Nathan Gornto, was a stock-raiser in Laurens county,
but as the country became more thickly settled and grazing facilities
fewer he pushed on to the frontier and located in what is now Brooks
county but then was included in Lowndes county. He purchased land
there and grazed his herds on large tracts that were vacant, for at
that time all of southern Georgia was sparsely settled. There were
no railroads and no markets for produce nearer than the gulf ports,
and the few farmers here at that time took their surplus crops to
St. Marks or Newport, Florida with teams. As the land began to be
taken up by settlers and farmed, he sold his land to a Mr. Spain and
took his herds of cattle into Madison county, Florida, where he pur-
chased land and where he continued to reside until his death when
about ninety years of age. His wife was Esther Burnett before her
marriage and she too lived to be full of years. The most of their
descendants are located in Florida. Their son James, the father of
James Everett, was but a boy when the family settled in Brooks county
and was reared amid pioneer scenes. He began his independent career
by working out on a farm and soon became an overseer, continuing thus
employed several years. Later he bought land west of Quitman, Geor-
gia, but after operating it several years he sold it and purchased another
farm south of Quitman on which he resided thenceforward until his
death at the age of eighty. In 1864 he joined the Georgia Reserves
and went to the defense of Atlanta, serving with that command until
the close of the war. He wedded Miss Mahala Dean, a daughter of John
and Jane Dean, and she reached the age of seventy-eight years. They
were the parents of seven children, namely: Jane, James E., Lavinia,
Annie, Daniel, Sally and Elijah.

James Everett Gornto, the second of this family in order of birth,
was the eldest son and as he grew up under the home roof his experi-
ences were those which naturally come to a boy commendably assisting
his parents in developing a productive farm, and while they were not
notably different from those of many others, each had its value in
developing self-reliance and the habits of industry and thrift. His
earlier years of independent activity were spent as a farmer, and
though he has not been following that vocation personally in recent
years he has never ceased to be interested in agricultural pursuits
and has an estate a short distance from Valdosta which he operates
by the help of tenants. Upon leaving the farm he took up his resi-
dence in Quitman, where he clerked for a time and where he served
as marshal three years ; then in 1897 he removed to Valdosta, where
he has since resided. Mr. Gornto has been thrice married. On Jan-
uary 1, 1874, he was united to Miss Fannie Groover, a daughter of
Henry Groover, who at her death in 1879 left two daughters, Lavinia
and Fanny. His second marriage occurred in 1882 when he wedded
Miss Fanny Lightfoot, daughter of Dr. T. J. Lightfoot. At her death
in February, 1889, there were left three children, Katie, Beulah and



746 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Samuel. In November, 1889, Mr. Gornto took as his third wife Miss
Ella Roberts, a daughter of Ashley G. Roberts, and, to their union
have been born three children, Lorenzo, Flora and James Everett, Jr.
Mr. Gornto is a Democrat in politics and cast his first vote for Samuel
J. Tilden for president. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Valdosta
Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons and with the chapter of Royal
Arch Masons in the same city and belongs to Alee Temple, A. A. 0.
N. M. S. He is also a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order
of Elks.

Remer Young Lane. The president of the Merchants Bank of Val-
dosta is one of the oldest residents of Lowndes county, and for more
than half a century has been closely identified with its agricultural and
business development. A pioneer himself, Mr. Lane also represents
a family of Georgia pioneers, and its members have been worthily con-
nected with civic affairs and business enterprise in America from before
the Revolutionary war down to the present.

Remer Young Lane was born in that part of Emanuel now known
as Jenkins county, Georgia, on November 18, 1826. His grandfather,
Abraham Lane, a native of Duplin county, North Carolina, was one
of seven brothers each of whom gave soldier's service to the cause of
independence during the Revolutionary war. Soon after the close
of that struggle he came into Georgia, locating in what is now Jenkins
county, and took a pioneer's part as a settler and upbuilder of that
region. Practically all of Georgia was then a wilderness, the land not
yet surveyed, and many years passed before all the Indian titles were
quieted. In this sparsely settled region he acquired several thousand
acres, and spent the rest of his years in the management and cultiva-
tion of his broad acres. He died in 1826, aged eighty-one years. His
wife, whose maiden name was Martha Wood, passed away some years
before him.

John Lane, son of Abraham and father of the Valdosta. banker,
was born also in the present Jenkins county on April 1, 1795, and was
reared amid pioneer scenes. Following in the footsteps of his father,
he became a planter and with slave labor conducted a large estate.
His death occurred at the early age of forty years. He married Mary
Heath, who was born and reared in the same neighborhood with him.
Her father, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, was Louis Heath,
who married a Miss Vickers. John Lane and wife had five children,
and after the father's death the mother directed the home plantation
and kept the children together until they had homes of their own.
She lived to the age of about seventy years.

Remer Young Lane was in his ninth year when his father died,
and he lived at the old home until he was twenty-one, being educated
in the schools of the neighborhood. On leaving home he established a
store at "No. 8" on the line of the Georgia Central in Burke county,
and continued there for seven or eight years. The date of his settle-
ment in Lowndes county was 1855. fifty-eight years ago. At that time
the county comprised a large territory in southern Georgia, and the
county seat was Troupville. Near Clyatville he bought a large tract
of new land, and with the aid of slaves developed and farmed it for a
number of years. Agriculture was his regular vocation nntil 1875, in
which year he located in Valdosta. In association with Hon. A. T.
Mclntyre of Thomasville lie engaged in banking, a business with which
his name has been substantially identified ever since, and he is one of
the oldest hankers of' south Georgia. In 1889 he organized the Mer-
chants Bank of Valdosta. and has been president of this institution ever



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 747

since. Mr. Lane is one of the largest land owners of Lowndes county,
his holdings comprising over four thousand acres, and through its
management and his other business enterprises he has been for years
one of the largest producers of actual wealth in this section of the
state.

On September 13, 1855, Mr. Lane married Miss Henrietta Brin-
son. She too is a descendant of Georgia pioneers. Her parents were
Mills M. and Sarah (Hines) Brinson, natives of Screven and Burke
counties respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Lane have reared seven children,
namely : Mary, Walter Thompson, Mills B., John, Augustus H., Ed-
ward W. and Ben. Mary is the wife of E. P. S. Denmark, and her
live children are Remer Z.. Elisha P., Augustus H., Irwin and Mary
Estelle. Walter T., a resident of Valdosta, married Katherine Gairard,
who died, leaving three children, Katrina, Almerine and Walter T. J. ;
Mills B., who is president of the Citizens and Southern Bank at Savan-
nah, married Mary Homer, and their children are Mary, Remer Y. and
Mills B. ; John, who is a planter in Lowndes county, married Emma
Tillman, now deceased, and their children are Mills B. and Isaiah T. ;
Augustus H., the fifth child, is deceased; Edward W., who is presi-
dent of the Atlantic National Bank of Jacksonville, Florida, married
Anna Tollivar. and has two children, James T. and Edward Wood.
Ben, the youngest of the family, is engaged in business at Douglas in
Coffee county. One of Mr. Lane's granddaughters, Katrina Lane, mar-
ried William Ashley, and their child, Mary Katrina, represents the
fourth living generation.

Benjamin P. Jones, the president of the Valdosta Bank and Trust
Company has had a long career in business, has won prosperity and
influence much above that of the average man, and yet began with
little or nothing and for a number of years had a hard struggle with
the obstacles of business life. Mr. Jones is one of the prominent citi-
zens of south Georgia, and has been identified with Valdosta from the
time it was a small village.

Mr. Benjamin P. Jones was born June 25, 1837, in that part of
Camden now Charlton county, Georgia. His grandfather was James
Jones, thought to have been a native of Georgia, who was a Camden
county planter, having a number of slaves, and died there at the age
of seventy-five, his remains now reposing in the Buffalo churchyard.
He married a Miss Davis, who was upwards of eighty when she died,
and they reared a large family of children. They were Primitive Bap-
tists in religion.

Burrell Jones, father of the Valdosta banker, was born in Wayne
county. Georgia, April 29, 1803. About the time of his marriage
he bought land near Folkston, living there a few years, and about
1840 returned to Wayne county and located on a farm near the pres-
ent site of Lulaton, where he made his home until his death in 1877.
He married Mary Margaret (known as Peggy) Mizell, who was born
in Bulloch county, August 9, 1809. Her father, Jesse Mizell, of English
stock and a native of North Carolina, was a soldier of the Revolution
under Jasper at Savannah and with Marion during that leader's valor-
ous excursions against the British. He was with the command when it
crossed the Peedee river, first lay blankets on the bridge to deaden
the sound of the horses' hoofs, and in this way surprised the enemy.
Some years after the Revolution Jesse Mizell came to Georgia, living
two years in Camden county, and then moved into the interior, settling
near the present site of Folkston in Charlton county, where he bought
land and was engaged in farming and stock raising until his death



748 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

at the age of abouty sixty. He married a Miss Stallings, a native of
North Carolina and of Dutch ancestry. Mary M. Mizell, the mother
of Mr. Jones, spent her early life on the Georgia frontier, and for the
lack of educational advantages she compensated by her great natural
ability and force of character. Her husband was for many years an
invalid, and the care of the children devolved entirely upon her. She â–
reared them to habits of industry and honor, and they paid her all
filial reverence. Her death occurred in 1885. Her nine children were
named as follows: Harley, Joseph, Benjamin P., Margaret, James B..
Nancy C., Harriet, Jasper N. and Newton J. Harley and Joseph were
Confederate soldiers and died during their service for the southern
cause.

Though in his youth he had little opportunity to obtain an educa-
tion, Benjamin P. Jones managed to obtain an education largely through
his own efforts at self-improvement and an ingrained habit of close
observation. When he was seventeen he became a teacher, and while
he did good service while in this occupation it may be remembered that
qualifications for teaching were not very high at that period. Anyone
could teach who could find others who knew less than himself, and
there was no formality of examination. Intellectual curiosity was a
passion with him from an early age, and the time most children give
to play with their comrades he devoted to association in company with
his elders, thus learning by listening. When he was twelve years old
he once attended a court session, listening attentively to the evidence
and the charge to the jury. At recess the judge asked why he was
so absorbed in the proceedings. The boy replied, that it was because
he wanted to learn, and then asked the judge why he charged the jury
as he did. That was equity, responded the judge, and after explaining
the meaning of that word told the boy that if he ever had occasion
to make out papers to make them out in accordance with equity and
justice and he would sanction them if brought before his court. Chop-
ping cotton at twenty-five cents a day and board was the means by
which Mr. Jones earned his first money. A little later he became
clerk in a general store at Lulaton, and after a time engaged in busi-
ness for himself at Stockton, Georgia. Hardly had his trade started
when a panic paralyzed all business, and he found himself in debt
fifteen hundred dollars, which took him some time to pay off.

Early in 1861 Mr. Jones enlisted in Company D of the Twenty-
sixth Georgia Infantry, and was with that command in the coast defense
until the regiment was ordered to Virginia, when he secured a substi-
tute. Confederate money was then plentiful but away below par, and
he bought a farm for three thousand dollars, at war-time prices, going
in debt for the greater part of this amount. He was busily engaged
in farming until 1861, when he enlisted with the Georgia Reserves,
being commissioned first lieutenant and being in actual command of
his company. The Reserves went to the defense of Atlanta, but from
Griffin his company was sent back to recruit and apprehend deserters,
and he was on detached duty until the close of the war. After making
three crops on his farm he sold the land for four hundred dollars, and
with that money and what lie had realized from his crops engaged in
the mercantile business at Milltown in Berrien county. Nine days
after opening his store an epidemic of smallpox broke out. lie was quar-
antined fifty-two days, and at the end of that time offered to sell his
entire stock for three hundred dollars but could not find a buyer.
Owing to this circumstance he went on with his business, at the same
time buying cotton and dealing in live stock, and in four years had
so reversed the current of his previous fortunes that he had cleared



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 749

up fourteen thousand dollars. Then selling out at Milltown he went
to southern Florida, where he opened two stores and established a grist
and saw mill, and was engaged in business there until 1874, when ill
health compelled him to make a change. He sacrificed eight thousand
dollars by the move, and then came to Valdosta, which was then a
village. Here he bought an established general store and a home for
three thousand dollars, and was prosperously identified with the mer-
cantile enterprise of this city for twenty years. In 1894 Mr. Jones
organized the Valdosta Guano Company, and in 1906 the Valdosta
Bank & Trust Company, of which he has since been president, with
his son C. L. as cashier.

On June 25, 1862, Mr. Jones married Miss Elizabeth Knight, who
was born in Clinch county, October 18, 1843, representing an old
family of southern Georgia. Her grandfather, Rev. William Knight,
was a pioneer preacher in this part of the state. He married a Miss
Cone. Jonathan Knight, the father of Mrs. Jones, was born in that
part of Lowndes now Berrien county, and spent his life as a farmer
in Clinch and Berrien counties. Mr. and Mrs, Jones reared thirteen
children, named as follows: Jonathan H., Charles Lee, Frances M.
McKenzie; Lillie Roberts, Samuel W., Elizabeth Fry, Benjamin U.,
Jimmie Staten Green, Eulah Norris, Pearl Mashburn, Lloyd E., Lotta
and Audrey Terry.

Mr. Jones has been identified with the Masonic order since he was
twenty-seven years old. He is a member of the Economic League of
Boston, Massachusetts, a society for the betterment of mankind. He
has been one of the influential men in political life for many years.
His first presidential vote was cast for John C. Breckenridge in 1860.
He was opposed to secession, in a speech in which he said that if the
sixteen southern states would all go out in a body, taking the consti-
tution in one hand and the flag in the other, he would favor the move-
ment with his vote, but not otherwise. In subsequent years he has
served as delegate to many county and state conventions, was a dele-
gate to the national conventions that nominated General Hancock and
Grover Cleveland, and was also one of the sound-money Democratic
delegates of 1896 who nominated Palmer and Buckner. Since 1898 he
has not been allied with any party, and as a free lance has supported
the individual who best represents his ideas of government.

Charles B. Peeples. When a lad of six years Mr. Peeples came
to Valdosta with his parents, and saw Valdosta grow from a mere
hamlet to one of the flourishing cities of south Georgia and he took
a very important part in its business and civic enterprise during these
years.

Charles B. Peeples was born at Milltown, on September 2, 1854.
He represents one of the old families of this part of the state. His
grandfather, Henry Peeples, a descendant of pure Scotch stock, was
a native of South Carolina, which was his home until 1835. With his
own wagons and teams he then brought his family and household goods
from his old home near Anderson to Jackson county, Georgia, later
bought land in Hall county, where he was both a farmer and merchant.
In 1848 he came to Lowndes county, settling on Flat creek about two
and a half miles from where Allapaha now stands, and there established
a store, the locality hence taking the name of "Peeple's Store." He
continued in active business until his death at the age of sixty years.
He married a Miss Smith, and the names of their eight children were
Jackson, Thompson, Cincinnatus, John, Anson, Edwin, Richard and
Josephine.



750 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Judge Richard A. Peeples, father of Charles B., was born in South
Carolina in 1829, and during his lifetime became one of the prominent
men of south Georgia. His early years were spent in Hall county,
where he made the best of his school opportunities and became a well
educated man. During his youth be began belping his father in the
store and continued with him until the latter 's death. After his mar-
riage he located at Milltown and was engaged in saw-milling for a time.
Upon the organization of Berrien county in 1856 be was elected clerk of
the superior court, removing his residence to Nashville, which was
then but a mere hamlet, far from railroads. That was his home until
1860, at which date he moved to the new town of Valdosta, buying
land in that town that adjoined the county's land. While clerk of
court in Berrien county he had studied law, and on being admitted
to the bar opened an office as one of the first lawyers resident in Val-
dosta. During the war between the states he commanded a company of
Georgia Reserves, being stationed at Savannah until the capture of
that city, and then in Columbia, South Carolina. After the fall of
the latter city he was sent home sick, and was unable to rejoin his
command before the close of the war. He was engaged in active prac-
tice at Valdosta until his death, which occurred in 1892. For twelve
years he filled the office of city judge, and was one of the influential
Democrats and public-spirited citizens of this part of the state. He
was twice married. His first wife, Avhose maiden name was Sarah J.
K. Camp and who was the mother of Charles B., was a native of
Jackson county, and her death occurred at the age of thirty-two. Her
father, Berryman Camp, was born in Jackson county in 1800, followed
farming there many years, and later settled near Cedartown in Polk
county, where he died. He married a Miss Lyle. The second wife of
Judge Peeples was Sarah Virginia Dent, who is still living. By the
first marriage there were four children — Henry C, Charles B., Mary
Emma and Sally. The five children of the second marriage were Wal-
ter, Etta, Alexander, Fannie and Cincinnatus.

Charles B. Peeples during his youthful years in Valdosta attended
the public schools, and when sixteen years old began learning the trade
of brick layer, which he followed two years. For five years he sold
sewing machines, then conducted a mercantile business until 1880, at
which time he became a clerk for the Atlantic Coast Railroad Company,
continuing five years. From 1887 Mr. Peeples conducted a successful
business in the sale of builders' materials at Valdosta, and was one
of the oldest merchants of the city.

On March 11, 1880 he was married to Lilla C. Keller. Mrs. Peeples,
whose ancestry on both sides included some of the first settlers of
Georgia, was born in Effingham county and was a daughter of Thomas
M. and Margaret (Weisenbaker) Keller. Mr. Peebles was and his wife
is a member of the Missionary Baptist church. As a Democrat he
served several terms in the city council, was mayor for one term, and
for ten years was chairman of the board of county commissioners. • Fra-
ternally he was a member of Phoenix Lodge. I. O. O. F. Mr. Peeples
died October 6, 1912. and was buried in the Valdosta cemetery. Their
adopted daughter is Mrs. T. B. Converse of Valdosta.

Randolph Avera. One of the first men to engage in mercantile
business at Quitman was Randolph Avera. who died at his home in
Quitman, December 22. 1912. Mr. Avera was born in Washington
county, Georgia, on May 21. 1826. His father, David Avera. was burn
in the same county, February 2. 1800, where he was reared and mar-
ried, and in 1828 moved to Crawford county, where lie bought a planta-





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SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 751

tion and operated it with his slaves for upwards of twenty years. He
was also a member of the legislature. He then moved to the adjoining'
county of Houston, where he spent the rest of his days and died at the
age of seventy-six in 1876. He married Elizabeth Hood. She was born
in Washington county, and was a daughter of William Hood, a planter
and lifelong resident of that county. David Avera and wife reared
twelve children.

Randolph Avera spent his youth on the home farm and at the age
of twenty-one began his independent career even with the world. He
took up the carpenter's trade, and having served his apprenticeship
followed it in various places until 1859. In that year he located at
the new town of Quitman and with a brother established a store. He
built the first brick store and set out the first shade trees — French
mulberry. The town as yet had no railroad communication, and it
was necessary to haul all goods in wagons from Dupont, forty miles
away. When the war broke out Mr. Avera tendered his service to the
Confederate government as a mechanic, and up to the close of the
war was employed in the car-shops at Thomasville. After the war
he was identified chiefly with the management of his home estate near
Quitman, and lived retired up to the time of his death.

July 21, 1861, Mr. Avera married Mrs. Mary (Young) McElbeen,
who represents one of the old and prominent families of south Georgia.
She was born in Thomas county, September 29, 1830, and is a grand-
daughter of William and Mary (Henderson) Young. William Young
in 1775, when the colonies were preparing. to revolt from British rule, was
a member of the council of safety at Savannah and on July 4th of that
year represented the town and district of Savannah in the first assem-
bling of the provincial congress. He was afterwards a planter of Screven
county, where he spent his last days. Michael Young, son of this
patriot and father of Mrs. Avera, was born in Screven county, January
16, 1797, later settled in Bulloch county, and in 1828 came and made
settlement in the new county of Thomas. With wagons and other pri-
vate conveyances he and his family and slaves arrived in what was then
an almost unbroken wilderness, and the household camped in the forest
while he and his helpers cut trees and made a log-cabin home. His
location was three miles west of Thomasville. The Indians were still
lingering in these hunting grounds, and all this part of the state was
largely as nature had made it, so that Michael Young and his family
were among those who bore the brunt of pioneer work and helped to
prepare this region for the uses of subsequent generations. Michael
Young had participated in one Indian war before coming here, and
was engaged in another during the thirties. He cleared large tracts
of land and resided in this vicinity until his death, which occurred
August 24, 1856. He also was a member of the legislature and as
there were no railroads here then he had to make the journey on horse-
back. The maiden name of his wife was Sarah Everett, who was a
native of Bulloch county, and her death occurred on April 14, 1876.
Her parents were Joshua and Jane (Carter) Everett, who, so far as
known, were lifelong residents of Bulloch county. Michael Young and
wife reared nine children, namely: James Everett, America, Remer,
William Joshua, Mary Jane, Thomas Jones. John Carter, Sarah Lavinia
and Michael Henderson. The son John C. died while in school at La-*
Grange.

Mary J. Young was first married, in 1850. to William Henry McEl-
been, who was born in Decatur county, Georgia, was reared on a farm,
and on beginning his independent career bought land in his native
county, where he and his wife lived until his death at the age of thirty-



752 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

five. After the death of her husband Mrs. McElbeen with her three
children returned to her parents in Thomas county. In 1857 coming
to what is now Brooks county, where a brother had previously settled,
she bought a tract of land to which the Quitman city limits have since
been extended. At that time there was not a house on the present
site of Quitman and the whole neighborhood was a pine forest. With
the aid of her slaves she began improving her land, and her home for
more than half a century has been on the estate which she thus under-
took to develop. Log houses were the first homes both for her family
and her slaves, but these have long since given way to comfortable
frame dwellings. Her own home is a commodious colonial residence,
situated well back from the street and in the midst of fruit and shade
trees and is one of the most attractive homes in this vicinity.

The three children by her first marriage were Sarah America, Wil-
liam Henry and Susan Tallulah McElbeen. William Henry, born in
1853, died unmarried in 1881. Sarah America, born in 1851, married
Dr. D. L. Ricks, and at her death on December 16, 1901, left eight chil-
dren, namely : Mary Tallulah, William L., Eunice, Ethel, Cora Lee,
Leila, Josie and Hugh. Susan Tallulah, who was born May 29, 1855,
and died in 1895, married Joel K. Hodges, and left four children —
Mary Effie, Clara Mec, Lula Mc. and Joel K.

Mr. and Mrs. Avera have reared four children — Clara Lavinia.
James Walter, John Randolph and Charles Young. James W. married
Maggie McMullen, and their three children are Mary Mec, Walter and
James West. John R. married Beulah Whittington, and they are the
parents of seven children, named Kathleen, Mary Jane, Virginia, John
Randolph, Beulah, Benjamin W. and Dougald McDonald. Charles Y.
first married Plorrie McMullen, who died leaving two children, Maggie
Daisy and Charles Young; and for his second wife he married Bertice
Smith, and has one son, Henry Randolph, and a daughter, Ruth.

Mrs. Avera has five great-grandchildren. Her granddaughter, Mary
Effie Hodges, married Joseph Austin Walker and has three children,
Mary Bealer, Emma and Susan Tallulah. Her grandson. William L.
Hicks, married Estelle Benedict and has a son Charles. Three other of
her granddaughters are married — Cora Hicks, who married Mathew
Fleming, Mary Mec Avera, who married Walter T. Horne, and Kath-
leen Avera married Paul C. Smith. To be the head of such a family
is a proud distinction. Mrs. Avera is a member of the Methodist church,
as are all the children except one, who is a Baptist.

Erasmus Douglas White. The town of Dublin, Georgia, has since
the year 1896 known the operations of Erasmus Douglas White along
varied lines of enterprise and activity. As a member of the firm of
White & White, which carries on one of the principal business concerns
in the city, he is prominent and popular, while he is not less a leading
figure in the administration of the affairs of the city. He has served
as a member of the council, as mayor pro ton. and has been in charge
of the municipal water and lights departments, and in all those lines
of activity he has shown himself an ideal citizen and an excellent man
of business.

Erasmus Douglas Wbite was born in Screven county, near what is
now called Middleground Postoffiee. on November 24, 1865, and he is
the son of Erasmus Downing and Mary Elizabeth (Southwell) White.
both of whom were born in Screven county. The father was born in
1836 and died in 1908, while the mother still lives and makes her home
in Sylvania, Georgia. They became the parents of ten children, of
which number two are deceased. The father was a farmer, and passed



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 753

his life in that vocation, and he was also a veteran of the civil war,
having served in the Confederate army. '

The early education of Erasmus D. White was secured in the coun-
try schools of Screven county, and he alternated his school attendance
with work on the home farm. With the close of his school period he
gave himself to the continued work of farming and therein was occu-
pied until he reached the age of thirty years, and it was about then
that he first came to Dublin. His first association with the business
interests in the city was in the capacity of a grocer, and after some
little time he closed out his grocery interests and accepted a posi-
tion as superintendent of the light and water plants of the city. He
also served as clerk of the city council, and a period of seven years
was passed in these connections. For four years he was buyer
for the Four Seasons Department Store, and in 1909 he purchased
the business of which he had been manager for some time, and with
O. D. White, is now engaged in conducting that business. Mr. White
is also interested in agricultural activities and owns some of the best
farm land in the vicinity.

Mr. White has given valued service to the city in many capacities.
As a member of the city council in 1907 and 1908 he had a voice in
one of the most successful administrations that the city has known,
and during that time served as mayor pro tern. He has served as
chairman of the street commissioners and of the light and water com-
mittees, and in 1910 was elected to the state legislature from his
district. During that time he was a member of the committee on
appropriations, the judiciary committee, the education committee, and
the banking committee. Mr. White is distinctly in favor of com-
pulsory education, and his opinions and influence bear no little weight
in all circles of thinking people in Dublin.

On April 11, 1888, Mr. White was married to Miss Sarah J. McGee,
a daughter of William H. and Rebecca McGee of Screven county. To
them eight children have been born, named as follows : Eugene D.,
Rufus Lester, Tessie Sibley Lamar, Christopher Gadson, Cathleen, Brig-
ham McGee, and William Herschel.

Mr. and Mrs. White are members of the Methodist church, and bear
an active and worthy part in the activities of that body. They are
among the more prominent of the citizenship of Dublin, and in this city
enjoy the friendship of a large circle of people, where they occupy a
leading part in the best social activities of the community.

Hon. Albert M. Deal. To have lived honorably and well, to have
employed to advantage the talents with which he was endowed and to
have served his fellow men with distinction in various capacities has
been the record of Hon. Albert M. Deal, of Statesboro, Bulloch county,
Georgia. Although still on the sunny side of the half-century mark he
has fufilled all the duties of citizenship, has helped to frame the laws
for his constituents and assists in their administration. His abilities
have won him substantial recognition and in his district he is today
considered a type of the honorable, dignified Southern gentleman.

Statesboro was not the place of nativity of Mr. Deal, although he
has spent the greater portion of his life there. He was born in 1868
in the nearby community of Stilson, also in Bulloch county. His parents
were John and Susan (McElveen) Deal, the former a native of Bulloch
county and now deceased. He was the son of James Deal, who was
born in eastern Tennessee and who came as a boy with his father. Simon
Deal, to Burke county, Georgia.

The Deals are one of the old families of this county. The great-



754 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch was John Deal, one of
three brothers who came to America not long before the Revolutionary
war and took possession of a little island in Chesapeake bay. a part of
Virginia. They located on this detached bit of the commonwealth and
it is still known as Deal's island. John Deal subsequently went to
North Carolina and thence to eastern Tennessee.

Albert M. Deal was reared on the Deal place near Stilson and
attended the local schools. He then took a two years' course in the
academic department of Washington and Lee University at Lexington,
Virginia, graduating in the schools of history and political science.
He also studied law in that department of the same university, gradu-
ating in the class of 1896. This was the last class taught by John
Randolph Tucker, who died the following year.

In 1896 Mr. Deal began the practice of his profession in Statesboro,
the county seat of Bulloch county, and has been so engaged since that
time. The bar of Statesboro is notable for its high standing in the
matter of ability and for maintaining the best ethics of the profession,
and among these gentlemen Mr. Deal achieved and has ever maintained
a position of the highest standing.

His knowledge of law, coupled with no little ability as a public
speaker and a wide acquaintance among the people naturally drew his
attention toward public affairs. He was solicitor for the county court
of Bulloch county and later was chosen as county commissioner, serv-
ing several years. For five years, beginning with 1900, he was a mem-
ber of the state legislature, representing Bulloch county. In the general
assembly much of his duties was concerned with the judiciary com-
mittee, of which he was a member. He was one of the first to see the
advantage of utilizing the labor of prisoners in making good roads.
He had passed a special act by which Bulloch county was enabled to
follow this plan, in advance of the general legislation on that subject
which was later enacted.

Although his profession is that of the law, Mr. Deal's largest inter-
ests are those of agriculture. Reared on the farm, he has never given
up his interest in or direct connection with the farming industry.
Incorporated under the name of John Deal Company, he and other
members of his family own over five thousand acres of agricultural land
near Stilson, on which they carry on extensive farming, operating
principally in cotton.

In addition to this Mr. Deal's home place, a mile and a half south
of Statesboro, is a tine farm of 154 acres. His residence here is an
extensive and commodious structure of modern type, fitted up with
every convenience. It is regarded as one of the most attractive coun-
try seats in Bulloch county. Nearby, on the east, are the buildings
and lands of the first congressional district agricultural school,
credit, for the successful establishment of which at Statesboro was
largely due to Mr. Deal's enterprise and public spirit. He headed the
list with a subscription of $1,000 toward a fund for the purchase of
three hundred acres of land to be given in order to assure the loca-
tion of the school in this community. This fund grew to something
over .+100.000. contributed by citizens of Statesboro and of Bulloch
county.

Mr! Deal holds membership in the Presbyterian church and in his
social relations belongs to the Masonic fraternity and K. of P. He
was married in Stilson to Miss Azalia Mae Strickland, a native of
Bulloch county, and they have i\ve children— Eoscoff, Stothard. William
J. S.. Ruby Ann and Ewell Morgan.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 755

Col. J. Monroe Bussell. The young gentleman whose name stands
at the head of this brief review is one of the promising members of
his profession and at the present time holds the office of city attorney
of Rochelle. In no profession is there a career more open to talent
than is that of the law, and in no field of endeavor is there demanded
a more careful preparation, a more thorough appreciation of the abso-
lute ethics of life or of the underlying principles which form the basis
of all human rights and privileges. Unflagging application and deter-
mination fully to utilize the means at hand are the concomitants which
insure personal success and prestige in this great profession, which
stands as the stern conservator of justice ; and it is one into which none
should enter without a recognition of the obstacles to be encountered
and overcome and the battles to be won, for success does not perch on
the banner of every person who enters the competitive fray, but comes
only as the legitimate result of capacity. Possessing the requisite quali-
ties of the able lawyer, Mr. Bussell doubtless has a successful career
ahead of him.

He is a native son of the state, his birth having occurred on March
13, 1885, near Fitzgerald, Irwin county, Georgia, on a farm. His
parents were J. M. Bussell and Mrs. Frances C. Bussell whose maiden
name was Hill. Amid the scenes of his birth Colonel Bussell passed
the roseate days of early youth, there remaining until sixteen -years of
age. He received his early education in the public schools and subse-
quently entered the school at Norman Park, where he studied for a
time. He drank deeper of the "Pierian Spring" in the Georgia Nor-
mal College and the business institute at Douglas, Georgia, and then
entered Mercer University where he prepared for the profession, to
which he hoped to devote his life. He entered in 1907 and was gradu-
ated in 1911 with the well-earned degree of LL. B. While in college
he was associated with no fraternity institution. Shortly after he
located at Fitzgerald, where he remained but five months and then
came to his present location at Rochelle, where he is engaged in gen-
eral practice and where in the month of March he was elected to the
office of city attorney, and re-elected in January, 1913.

Colonel Bussell is one of a large family of children. His brother,
J. A. Bussell, has for forty years been a farmer near Fitzgerald; a
sister, Mahalie E., is the wife of Charles F. Dement; Isabella is the wife
of J. Walter Ballenger; Amie E. is the wife of J. M. Fountain; and
Pollie M. married Y. S. Gibbs, all of the aforementioned gentlemen
being farmers in the vicinity of Fitzgerald.

Colonel Bussell is a member of the Missionary Baptist church, South.
He is popular in the community ; well informed, cordial and engaging.

John Calvin May. A young man of excellent ability and sound
judgment, John Calvin May is identified with one of the leading mer-
cantile enterprises of Toombs county, as part owner, and the manager,
of the Vidalia Furniture Company, of Viclalia, carrying on an extensive
and highly remunerative business. A son of John May, he was born
September 18, 1880, in Russell county, Alabama, near the state line,
and not far from Columbus, Georgia.

John May was born in Sumter county, Georgia, October 5, 1844,
and was there reared to agricultural pursuits. In 1876 he moved to
Alabama, and is still a resident of that state. During the Civil war
he enlisted in Company F, Sixth Georgia Volunteer Infantry, which
became a part of Colquitt's Brigade, and with his command partici-
pated in many engagements of importance. On September 30, 1864,
at Fort Harrison, Virginia, he received wounds of such serious nature

vol. n— 1 5



756 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

that he was unfitted for further duty in the army. He was twice mar-
ried. He married first, October 23, 1868, Georgia Powell, who passed
to the life beyond December 22, 1870. He married second, Fannie
Powell, and they are the parents of six children, as follows: Lilla,
wife of E. W. McLendon, a prominent planter of Omaha, Georgia ;
John Calvin, the special subject of this brief sketch ; Georgia died at
the age of ten years ; Charles W. died at the age of twenty years, hav-
ing received injuries that proved fatal while playing football at the
Auburn, Alabama, Polytechnic Institute ; Marie, a successful teacher
in Russell county, Alabama; and Louise, who married Thomas Kirbo,
of Omaha, Georgia, where they live, he being an extensive farmer and
merchant. These children all received excellent educational advantages,
with the exception of John Calvin, who began to hustle for himself
when young, instead of continuing his studies.

Leaving the home plantation when eighteen years of age, John
Calvin May began life for himself as a clerk in a general store, and
subsequently located at Omaha, Stewart county, where he bought out
Lee Kirbo, and was engaged in mercantile business for eight years.
Coming from there to Vidalia in 1910, Mr. May, in partnership with
Charles E. Adams and John L. Sneed, organized the Vidalia Furniture
Company, the only exclusive furniture house in this part of Toombs
county, and has since been manager of the large business built up by
this wide-awake firm. This company occupies a floor space of six thous-
and, four hundred feet, which is devoted entirely to the display of
its stock, which is valued at $5,000.00, and includes house furnishings of
every description, from the kitchen to the parlor and the bed-rooms.

Mr. May was postmaster at McLenden, Georgia, for two years, where
he had a branch store, and was there at the same time, from 1903 until
1905, agent for the Seaboard Air Line Railroad Company. He belongs
to the Vidalia Chamber of Commerce, an organization of energetic and
progressive business men, and is vice president of the Vidalia Ice & Coal
Company, in which he is the heaviest stockholder. Fraternally he is
a member, and master, of Vidalia Lodge, No. 330, Ancient Free and
Accepted Order of Masons, which consists of one hundred members,
and in which he has passed all the chairs; a member of the Oriental
Order of Pilgrim Knights; and is a member, and master of finance,
of the Knights of Pythias.

Mr. May married first, February 5, 1902, Maggie W. Lee, a daugh-
ter of Mrs. Sallie J. Lee, of Concord, Pike county, Georgia, Of the
five children born of their union, three died in infancy ; John C. May,
Jr., and Louis R. survive. Mr. May married second, June 29, 1908,
Martha E. Powell, a young lady of sixteeen years, a daughter of Henry
M. Powell, of Omaha, Georgia. Two children have been born to Mr.
and Mrs. May, namely : Louis Ouida. who lived but one short year; and
Marjorie Deane.

Silas Morton Young. A life of industry and usefulness was that
of Silas Morton Young, who for many years was a successful farmer
resident of Brooks county and is now deceased. He represented some
of the oldest and most prominent families of Georgia.

He was born in Lowndes county on April 3, 1850. The Young
family has been identified with Georgia since before the Revolution.
William Young, great-grandfather of Silas M., was appointed to the
council of safety in Savannah on June 22, 1775, and three weeks later
represented the' town and district of Savannah in the meeting of the
provincial congress. He was later a planter in Screven county. He



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 757

married Mary Henderson, and both he and his wife were buried on a
hill overlooking the valley of the Ogeeehee river in Screven county.

James Young, the grandfather, whose birthplace was probably in
Screven county, during his young manhood moved to Bulloch county,
where he bought land and was engaged in farming with a number of
slaves. He afterwards bought the Jones homestead adjoining his first
purchase, and there he and his wife spent their last days. He mar-
ried Lavinia Jones, through whom another old Georgia family is prop-
erly introduced into this record. Her grandfather, Francis Jones, a
native of AVales, who came to America in colonial times, lived for
awhile in Virginia, and then became a pioneer settler of Burke county,
Georgia. The deed to his land, given by the King of England and
bearing the date of 1765, is now in possession of the descendant who
owns the old homestead at Herndon, Burke county. Late in life Fran-
cis Jones, having given this original homestead to a son, moved to
Screven county, where he bought a considerable tract of land. He
finally went on a visit to Virginia, where he died and was buried. He
was twice married, the first time in Wales to Mary Robins, and second
to Elizabeth Huckabee. Three children were born of the first wife,
and seven of the second, and one of the latter was James Jones, the
father of Lavinia, who married James Young. James Jones was born
in Burke county in 1764 and on September 27, 1791, married Elizabeth
Mills. They settled in Bulloch county, where he bought land and was
engaged in farming until his death, after which his widow sold the
estate and with some of her children came to Lowndes county. James
Young and wife reared ten children. The only one now living is
Sarah A., the widow of James Oliver Morton (see sketch elsewhere).

Mathew Young, the son of James and father of Silas M., was a native
of Bulloch county, where he was reared and married, and afterward
came into southwest Georgia as one of the early settlers of Lowndes
county. This was then a wilderness region, where wild game and
Indians still abounded, and long before the railroads brought their
attendant improvements and modern conditions. The cooking in the
home was done at the fireplace, and the housewives carded, spun and
wove the cloth with which all the family were dressed. Buying land
in the southwest part of Lowndes county, Mathew Young improved a
farm and lived upon it until his death. The maiden name of his wife
was Emily Morton, who was born in Screven county, a daughter of
Silas and Sabina (Archer) Morton and a sister of the late James Oliver
Morton of Quitman (see sketch). She was a lineal descendant of the
George Morton, an Englishman who joined the little colony at Leyden,
Holland, and thence in the year 1622 crossed the Atlantic and settled
among the other Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts. Through this
Morton branch some members of the Young family can directly trace
their ancestry to the oldest settlers of New England. Mr. and Mrs.
Mathew Young reared seven children, named as follows : Michael,
who settled in Nankin district of Brooks county ; William, a soldier
of the Civil war, who gave his life to the Southern cause on the field
of battle ; James, who served four years in the Confederate army and
afterwards settled in Coryell county, Texas ; Arminta, who married
Isaiah Tillman of Lowndes county ; Mathew, who settled in Hunt
county ; and Silas Morton, a brief sketch of whose career is now to be
given.

After spending his youth on the family homestead he bought some
land in the eastern part of Brooks county, where he resided until 1878,
when he sold his place. He then bought a tract of a thousand acres
six. miles north of Quitman and engaged in farming and stock raising



758 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

on an extensive and successful scale. He gradually added to his land
holdings until at the time of his death they comprised upwards of
twenty-five hundred acres, and he was one of the largest land owners
of Brooks county. He had most of this land well improved and culti-
vated. A commodious residence, built in colonial style with broad
verandas and as comfortable inside as it was attractive without, situ-
ated in a grove of fruit and native trees, was the home in which he
spent the happiest years of his life, and where he died. The late Mr.
Young was a director of the First National Bank of Quitman, was a
Democrat in politics, and served his community several years as mem-
ber of the school board. Fraternally he was affiliated with Shalto
Lodge, F. & A. M.

Silas M. Young married, on October 17, 1871, Miss Ivy Johnson,
who was born in what is now Brooks county and is still a resident on
the homestead in the Morven district of this county. Her great-grand-
father was Jonathan Johnson, who was a soldier of the Revolution and
also fought in the Indian wars, and spent his last days in Tattnall
county, Georgia. Her grandfather was Benjamin Johnson, Sr., who
married Patsy Lane, and both were lifelong residents of Tattnall
county. Benjamin Johnson, Jr., Mrs. Young's father, became one of
the pioneer settlers of Brooks county, living there until his death in
1860, at the early age of twenty-seven. He married Mary Simmons, a
native of Lowndes county. Her father, Ivy Simmons, a native of
North Carolina, became a pioneer settler of Montgomery county, Geor-
gia, where he resided for a time, and then came to Lowndes county and
later to the east side of Brooks county, where he spent the rest of his
life. He married Piety Joyce, who was a daughter of Henry Joyce,
an early settler in South Georgia. Mary (Simmons) Johnson sur-
vived her husband more than half a century, her death oecumng
when she was eighty-seven years old. She reared two children, Mrs.
Young and her brother, Benjamin, who now lives on the old Johnson
homestead.

Mr. and Mrs. Young were the parents of the following children :
Arminta Creech ; Lane ; Briggs : Morton ; Rachel ; Lavinia ; James, who
died at the age of twenty-one ; and Annie, who died aged eighteen.

Atys Perlette Hilton. In praising the foiuiders of great enter-
prises, and lauding their farsightedness and their initiative, we often
pass lightly over the work of a no less important class of men. that is
those who take up the work which the pioneers have begxm and carry
it on successfully. They, too, must be men of force and executive
ability. Such a man is Atys Perlette Hilton, cashier of the Commer-
cial Bank of Dublin, Georgia. As yet only in his prime he has accom-
plished much, and is regarded as one of the strong men of his home city.

Atys Perlette Hilton was born in Sylvania. Georgia, on July 9.
1869. His father was James L. Hilton, of Taylor county, this state, and
his mother, before her marriage, was Mary Lanier, a native of Screven
county, Georgia. Mr. Hilton is the possessor of a good education,
having received his preparatory education in the public schools of
Sylvania, and completing his work at Emory College, one of the best
colleges in the state of Georgia. After his graduation, which took
place in 1895, and in which he was given the degree of A. B.. Mr. Hil-
ton taught school for a year and a half in his old home, Sylvania. He
then came to Dublin and purchased the Dublin Dispatch. Here he
gained Ins practical knowledge of journalism, a knowledge that after-
wards aided him in making a success of his newspaper enterprises.

For a number of vears Mr. Hilton worked for this newspaper, also



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 759

for the consolidated Dublin Courier-Dispatch, and in 1907 he pur-
chased the Dublin Times. In 1910 Mr. Hilton was appointed clerk o5
the city council, and he served in this position until 1911. With the
organization of the Commercial Bank in 1911, in which Mr. Hilton
took a very active part, he was elected cashier, and has held this office
until the present time.

On March 1-1, 1899, Mr. Hilton was married to Luella Gilbert, of
Albany, Georgia. She was the daughter of John and Lula Gilbert.
Her father is now dead, but her mother is alive and makes her home
with Mr. and Mrs. Hilton. In the fraternal world Mr. Hilton is a
member of the Knights of Pythias.

Capt. George Archibald Jackson. Probably none of the colonial
Georgia families through the different generations have given more
worthy and efficient members to the varied professional, business and
civic life of the state than the Jackson family, a prominent representa-
tive of which is Captain Jackson of Adel, Berrien county.

Of Scotch-Irish parentage, Benjamin Jackson, the founder of the
family in Georgia, was a native of Virginia, whence he moved to North
Carolina, settling in the Peedee river district, fought the British armies
during the Revolution, and soon after that war came to Georgia and
was one of the pioneers of Hancock county, while one of his brothers
settled in Greene county. Benjamin was the great-grandfather of Cap-
tain Jackson.

John Jackson, grandfather, was horn in Hancock county, Georgia,
afterwards bought land in Screven county, employing a number of slaves
in its cultivation, and resided there until his death, both he and his wife
being buried in Sparta. On coming to Screven county soon after his
marriage he bought land near the Ogeechee river, but from there moved
to Hudson's Ferry, which continued his home until his death at the age
of eighty-seven. John Jackson Avas a soldier of the War of 1812, so
that the Jackson family has been represented in practically all of the
great wars of the nation. The maiden name of his wife was Sarah Whit-
field, and she was born in Putnam county, and her brother AVilliam
lived in that county and another brother in Jackson county. Sarah
(Whitfield) Jackson attained to a ripe old age, and she reared ten chil-
dren, whose names were Thomas, John, William, George L., Andrew,
Robert, Loreta, Sarah, Martha and one whose name is not now recalled.

Of this family, George Lewis Jackson was the father of Captain
Jackson. He was born in Screven county on the 11th of February, 1811.
During his youth he was converted and joined the Newington Mission-
ary Baptist church, which he served as clerk for seven years, was licensed
to preach in 1846 and the following year ordained at Newington. He
was missionary for three years in the counties of Screven, Burke, Effing-
ham and Chatham, and later spent many years of devoted service as
pastor at different churches in these same counties, baptizing upwards
of a thousand persons. He continued in the active work of his church
until two weeks before his death, which occurred in his ninety-first year.
His remains now rest in the Little Buckhead churchyard near Millen
in Jenkins county.

Rev. George L. Jackson married Elizabeth Zetrower on April 18,
1836. She was born in Effingham county, a daughter of Solomon Zet-
rower, whose ancestors had come to Georgia with the Sulzbergers and
settled at Ebenezer. She died in June, 1859, and left four children,
namely: George A., Ann Lavinia, Solomon Z. and Julia E. Solomon
Z. died unmarried ; Ann L. married Dr. Thomas J. Ward of Burke
county ; and Julia E. married Dr. Edward Perkins, of Burke county.



760 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

George Archibald Jackson was born in Screven county, Georgia, May
21, 1839. During his youth he attended the public schools of Sylvania
and also the high school. In November, 1860, he and 'some other asso-
ciates formed a military company known as the Ogeechee Rifles. The
Confederate records show that George A. Jackson was successively third,
second and first lieutenant, with Andrew J. Williams as captain of the
Rifles. Later the organization became Company D, then Company B,
and finally Company K of the Twenty-fifth Georgia Infantry, C. S. A.
The company was mustered into the Confederate service at Savannah on
August 8, 1861. The Federal records show that George A. Jackson,
captain of this company, was paroled in Augusta the 22d of May. 1865.
From August, 1861, until the spring of 1863 Captain Jackson, with his
command, was engaged in coast defense in Georgia, Soi;th and North
Carolina, after which he joined the western army in Mississippi. With
the fall of Vicksburg he went into Tennessee, participating at the battle
of Chickamauga, and then fought Sherman's army all the way to
Atlanta. When that city surrendered, he was ordered into Hood's com-
mand, with Avhich he participated in the battles of Jonesboro, Franklin,
Murfreesboro and Nashville. Captain Jackson was next sent into Mis-
sissippi and after a short time to South Carolina, being with the south-
ern forces that interrupted Sherman's march at Branchville early in
February, 1865, and also fought at Rays and Binache's bridges and at
Orangeburg. At the last named place he was severely wounded and
taken to the hospital at Columbia, being among those made prisoners
when that city fell, and he was an eye witness of the burning of Colum-
bia. In that city he remained in confinement until the end of the strug-
gle a few weeks later, when his father sent a horse and cart to convey
him back home. During his long and arduous service he was five times
wounded, but not seriously until at Orangeburg.

As soon as he was able to get about on crutches, Captain Jackson
commenced teaching school in Burke county and continued teaching four
years. In the meantime he had. married and bought a farm in Burke
county, and there he lived and was engaged in the quiet pursuits of
the soil for nearly twenty years. In 1884 he moved to Morgan county.
and a year later to Walton county, where he bought a farm and resided
until 1893. He was a resident of Irwin county about seven years, in
1900 came to Adel, living in town four years, and then bought a farm
in Brooks county, on which he resided until 1909, since which date his
residence has again been in Adel.

Captain Jackson has been well prospered in life and has a fine family.
He was married on the 17th of January, 1866. to Lavinia Jamieson
Zealy. Their marriage was the result of a rather romantic meeting,
as will be mentioned. She was born at Orangeburg. South Carolina.
October 8, 1843. Her grandfather, James Zealy. of English ancestry,
was a native of Beaufort, South Carolina, as was also her father. Joseph
T. Zealy. The maiden name of her grandmother was Rebecca Parsonage.
Joseph T. Zealy, the father, learned the trade of carpenter, and was a
carpenter and contractor of Orangeburg for a number of years. Later
he acquired the then new art of photography, and had a gallery in
Columbia and was in active business there until the city was captured
and burned by the Federals on February 15. 1865. [lis home and gal-
lery were both destroyed by the flames, but as soon as the bricks were
cold he began cleaning them, and with this old material erected a
building which he named the Phoenix. Financially he was at the very
bottom, and with a capital of five dollars which he borrowed he engaged
in mercantile business on a very modest scale. In a few years he was
again fairly prosperous and finally sold out his business and lived retired.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA .76 L

Hjs death occurred at the home of Captain and Mrs. Jackson in Walton
county. The maiden name of his wife was Sarah Badger, who was born
in Charleston, a daughter of James and Mary (Bell) Badger, both
natives and lifelong residents of Charleston. Mrs. Zealey died in
Charleston while on a visit to that city. She reared four children,
Lavinia J., Anna, Richard and Mary G. Richard Zealey was a Con-
federate soldier, being a member of what was first known as the Rich-
land Rifles, and later as Company A of the Fifteenth South Carolina
Infantry. He was wounded in the battle of the Wilderness in June,
1864, and he died at home a month later as a result of these wounds. He
had gone into the war when fifteen years old. His sister Lavinia, as a
member of the Ladies Relief Corps, was one of the devoted southern
women who carried the cheer of their presence and practical aid into
the hospitals of the sick and wounded, and it was during these visits
to the Columbia hospital that she met Captain Jackson, who soon after
the war became her husband.

Mr. and Mrs. Jackson reared seven children : S. Annabel, Lizzie T. ?
George L., Caroline W., Joseph Zealy, Henry Lee, Robert F., and a
daughter Mamie who died at the age of seventeen months. S. Annabel
married Jesse L. Watkins and has five children, Archie Jackson, Wil-
liam Mason, Jesse Bernard, Thomas S. and Winnie Bell. Lizzie T.
married James Cooper, and their children are John Zealey, Lucille and
Keith L. George married Miss Nannie Bracken and has one son, George
Archibald. Caroline became the wife of Eugene M. Horn, and their
children are Mattie C, Fannie E., E. M. and' Lorell. Joseph L. mar-
ried Evelyn Cunningham and has two children, Charles E. and Evelyn.
Henry L., who married Alice Kent, has two children, Henry Lee and
Flora A. Robert F. married Lela Wilkerson, and their children are
Ouida and Robert Lee. The grandson, Archie J. Watkins, married
Anna Miller, and their children, Archie Jackson, Jr., and Annabel,
are the great-grandchildren of Captain and Mrs. Jackson. The captain
and his wife are members of the Baptist church.

Joseph Zealy Jackson. Two of the sons of Capt. G. A. Jackson
took up the profession of law and are now among the leading attorneys
of Berrien county, the firm being J. Z. and H. L. Jackson at Adel.

The senior partner, Joseph Zealy Jackson, was born on the 27th
of September, 1877, during the residence of his parents on a farm in
Burke county. From his father and mother, who were both educated
and cultured people, he received his first lessons and studied under
their direction until he was about twelve years old, when he first at-
tended the neighborhood school. He was also a student in the high
school at Arabi in Dooly county, and later in a special school taught by
Mrs. M. E. Fields at Sycamore, this state.

As the beginning of his practical career he learned the printing
trade, and for about three years was employed in the offices of different
newspapers. From that he turned his attention to law and entered
Mercer University, where he was graduated in the law department in
the class of 1900. For twelve years he has been actively engaged in
his profession at Adel, and has gained recognition as an able lawyer, well
versed in both the law and its practice. He has served five years as city
attorney for Adel. In 1901 he prepared the code of ordinances for the
town and revised it in 1912. In polities he is a democrat.

Mr. Jackson has fraternal affiliations with Adel Lodge No. 310, F. &

A. M., Daisy Chapter No. 82, R. A. M., Malta Commandery No. 16,

K. T., and is also a member of Adel Lodge No. 178 of the Knights of

' Pythias. He and his wife are members of the Methodist church. As



762. SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

mentioned in the sketch of his father, Mr. Jackson was married to Miss
Evelyn Cunningham, and their children are Charles E._ and Evelyn.

Henry Lee Jackson, son of Capt. George A. Jackson and junior
partner in the law firm of J. Z. and H. L. Jackson at Adel, was born
on the home farm in Burke county in 1879.

Reared on a farm, his father and mother being his first teachers,
he continued his education in the public schools. He remained at home
until twenty-one years of age, when he went to Macon and there learned
the trade of carpentering, which he followed six years. He then
took up the study of law and entered the law department of Mercer
University, where he was graduated in 1908. In that year he formed
the partnership with his brother, and their combined ability has brought
them a large and successful practice. Mr. Henry L. Jackson affiliates
with Adel Lodge No. 310, F. & A. M., and he and his wife are members
of the Baptist church. He married Miss Alice Kent, and they are the
parents of two children, Henry Lee and Flora A.

Rev. David Jesse Miller. Coming from pioneer and Revolution-
ary stock, Rev. David Jesse Miller is distinguished not only for the
honored ancestry from which he is descended, but for his own good
life and works, having been intimately associated with the develop-
ment and advancement of the agricultural and industrial prosperity
of Ware county, and being now a member of the board of county com-
missioners, and an esteemed resident of Waycross. A son of Capt.
David J. Miller, he was born, November 11, 1847, near Waresboro,
Georgia, His greatgrandfather, William Miller, presumably a native
of South Carolina, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. and
afterwards settled in Georgia, becoming a pioneer of Bulloch county,
where he spent his closing years of life.

Henry Miller, Mr. Miller's grandfather, spent his early life in Bul-
loch county, Georgia. Subsequently locating, in pioneer times in
Ware county, he bought land near Waresboro, and on the farm which
he cleared and improved resided until his death, at the advanced age
of eighty-three years, his body being then laid to rest in Kettle Creek
cemetery, beside that of his wife. He reared four sons, William. Ste-
phen, Henry, and David J., and two daughters, Nancy and Susan.

Capt. David J. Miller was born on the home farm in Bulloch
county, Georgia, being there reared amid pioneer scenes, for in the
days of his youth AVare county was a frontier region, over which the
Indians roamed at will, frequently proving very troublesome to the
white settlers. Joining the militia when young, he was made captain
of a company, which he led against the savages. There were then two
forts in this vicinity, one being located at Waresboro. and the other
on the present site of Waycross, and whenever the Indians were on
the war path the women and children took refuge in these forts,
while the men pursued and fought the redskins. During all of his
earlier life there were no railroads in the state, and he used to market
his cotton and surplus farm products in Centerville and Saint Marys,
fifty miles away, journeying there and back with teams, on his return
trip being loaded with whatever merchandise was needed for family
use, and for which he had invested the proceeds received from his
cotton and other farm productions. He was quite stiecessful as an
agriculturist, and resided on his homestead until his death, at the
age of seventy-two years. He married Loanza Dyer, who was born in
Tattnall county, Georgia, and died in Bulloch county, when sixty-
seven years old. The union of Captain and Mrs. Miller was blessed





fovM^



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 763

by the birth of twelve children, as follows : William, Henry, Thomas,
James, David J., Stephen F., Nancy, Mary, Caroline, Susan, Serena',
and Anna.

Leaving home at the age of twenty-one years, David Jesse Miller
purchased land in Ware county, near AVaycross, and for a few years
successfully carried on general farming. While thus occupied he
became interested in the turpentine industry, which was one of great
importance and value, and, having removed to Waycross, was engaged
in the manufacture of turpentine for ten years. Of late, however,
Mr. Miller has devoted his time and energies to his official duties, since
1908 having rendered efficient service as county commissioner, and to
his ministerial work, in which he has been actively engaged for up-
wards of thirty years. Mr. Miller united with the Methodist Episco-
pal church as a youth, and in 1879 was licensed as a local preacher,
and has since preached in various places in Ware and near-by counties,
being an effective and popular speaker.

Rev. Mr. Miller married, in 1869, Serena C. Sweat, who was born,
in October, 18-17, on a farm near Waycross, being a daughter of James
and Mary (Blackburn) Sweat. Mrs. Miller passed to the life beyond
in February, 1910, leaving five children, namely : Mollie, who mar-
ried J. L. Stephens, and has eight children ; Cora, wife of A. J. Wil-
liams, has seven children ; Lovina married J. P. Lide, and they are
the parents of five children ; Delia, wife of W. W. Webster, has four
children ; and James T., the only son, married Minnie Davidson, and
they have eight children.

George Perry Leggett. The ex-mayor of Adel in Berrien county
is one of the progressive and enterprising young citizens of south
Georgia, and by his ability and industry has acquired influence and
leadership in his community. Mr. Leggett is a fine type of the young
men who now and in subsequent years must share the increasing re-
sponsibilities for the development and welfare of their state.

George Perry Leggett was born at Nay lor in Lowndes county on the
31st of July, 1879. His father, George W. Leggett, a native Georgian,
was reared on a farm and was a young man at the time of the Civil war.
Enlisting in one of the Georgia regiments, he went to Virginia and saw
a long and arduous service in General Longstreet's corps, doing a soldier's
duty until the close of hostilities. Afterwards locating at Naylor, he
was engaged in farming there until 1890, then bought a farm in Tay-
lor county, Florida, but three years later became one of the first citizens
of the newly established town of Adel, where he engaged in the mercan-
tile business a number of years. At the present writing he is farming
near Milltown in Berrien county. The maiden name of his wife was Mat-
tie Perry, who was born at Troupville, the one-time county seat of
Lowndes county. Her father, William R. Perry, who was a pioneer
settler in Lowndes county, afterward moved to Belleville, Florida,
where he spent the rest of his days. Mattie (Perry) Leggett died in
1896. She was the mother of two sons, the younger, John Lewis, dying
at the age of eighteen.

George P. Leggett received his education in the public schools of
Naylor, in Florida and at Adel, during the residence of the family at
these different places. As a boy he also assisted his father in the man-
agement of the store, and at the age of nineteen began his independent
career in the railroad service, with which he has been identified ever
since. His first experience was in the station at Adel, and a year later
he was appointed station agent for the Georgia & Alabama at Rhine,
where he remained a year. He then secured a transfer to the Adel



764 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

station on the Georgia Southern & Florida line, and faithfully performed
his duties there for seven years. At the end of that period Mr. Leggett
took an excursion into other lines of business, and for three and a half
years conducted a lumber yard at Adel. He then returned to railroad
service as joint agent at Adel for the Georgia & Florida and the South
Georgia & West Coast railways. This office has been under his manage-
ment to the present time.

Mr. Leggett served two terms as mayor of Adel, and previously
served as member of the town council. In politics he is a Democrat.
He affiliates with the lodges of the Knights of Pythias and the order
of Odd Fellows at Adel, and is one of the popular men of this com-
munity. He was married in 1900 to Miss Eva Rebecca Dopson, who
was born at McRae in Telfair county, a daughter of Robert and Rebecca
Dopson. Mr. and Mrs. Leggett are the parents of one son, named Julian.

Lucius M. Stanpill. From a farm hand at wages of three dollars
a month to one of the most prosperous and enterprising merchants and
bankers of Lowndes county, is a brief statement of the business career
of Lucius M. Stanfill, of Hahira. To his own industry and integrity
he has added an implicit trust in Providence and devoted service of his
Lord, and he believes that his prosperity has come as a reward of his
faith and works.

A native of Brooks county, where he was born on the 4th of January,
1864, he was the youngest child of Jesse John and Rebecca Miley
(Tyson) Stanfill. It is thought that his father was born in one of the
Carolinas. He was a carpenter by trade, following that occupation in
Brooks county for some years. He was a soldier of the South in the
war between the states, and his death occurred not long after he had
returned from the front. The mother was a native of Thomas county,
belonging to, a pioneer family of that section. Her children were Joseph
T., Mattie S. and Lucius M., and after the father's death she coura-
geously managed to keep her family together until they became indepen-
dent. Her death occurred at the age of fifty-two.

Lucius M. was a child when his father died; and as soon as old
enough began earning his own living and contributing to the support of
his mother. His first work was as a boy on a farm, getting $3 at the end
of each month of labor. After several years spent in this way. he
cropped land on the shares, and thus gradually got ahead a little.
When eighteen years old he was converted and has ever since been a
devout member of the Missionary Baptist church. Believing that all
blessings come from the Lord, after his marriage he resolved to give a
tenth of his profits to the Master's work. His wife did the same, tak-
ing a tenth of the proceeds from her poultry, dairy and garden. This
plan had hardly been put into effect when prosperity came upon them
and has been increasing ever since.

For seven years he operated the Richard Seraggs farm in Brooks
county, and then came to Lowndes county, where he continued farming
until 1895. In that year he became a cotton buyer for A. P. Brantley
& Company, and also agent for the products of the Valdosta Guano
Company. In 1901 he organized the Farmers Supply Company, of
which he is half owner and superintendent, A. J. Strickland of Val-
dosta being president of the company. This company has at Hahira
a large store for an extensive stock of general merchandise — furniture,
stoves, etc., and also a fire-proof warehouse for a stock of wagons, car-
riages and farm implements. Besides this enterprise. Mr. Stanfill in
1911 erected in Hahira a two-story building, forty by eighty feet, with
pressed-hrick front, which is one of the finest business blocks in south



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 765

Georgia, and there established a large business under his own name and
proprietorship. His stock comprises pianos, sewing machines, etc., and
in a warehouse he handles such farm implements as are not carried by
the Farmers Supply Company. Through these two concerns the
customers of town and a large surrounding territory are supplied with
nearly everything used at the home and farm.

At the organization of the Bank of Hahira in 1905, Mr. Stanfill be-
came one of the directors, and since 1911 has held the office of presi-
dent. He is owner of large tracts of land about Hahira as well as
town property, and his influence in business and in citizenship extends
to many directions. He is a director of the Georgia, Alabama & West-
ern Railway, and is president of the Hahira Bell Telephone Company.
During his boyhood he had little opportunity to gain an education, and
during his own prosperous career has done all he could to extend the
facilities of schools to the children of his generation. He has served as
a member of the town school board and council, and is one of the trus-
tees of the Oak Lawn Academy in Milltown. In national polities he is
a Democrat, and is one of the zealous workers for the cause of prohibi-
tion. He has served as elector at large on the last two Prohibition
presidential tickets.

Mr. Stanfill was married in 1885 to Miss Martha Belote, who was
born in Lowndes county, a daughter of William and Martha (Barfield)
Belote. They are the parents of three children, Minnie Lee. Mary
Avey and Stephen. The daughter Minnie is the wife of B. L. Wilkin-
son, and they have a daughter named Mary Grace.

For more than a quarter of a century Mr. and Mrs. Stanfill have
lived lives of trust in divine beneficence. The quality of his belief is
well illustrated in the lesson he draws from the following incident. A
number of years ago, while working among his bees and after hiving
two swarms, he gave an orphan boy the choice of either swarm. Later
in the same season, from the swarm which he kept, he took first $6 worth
and later $2.80 worth of honey. From his other hives he got only a
little honey from some and none at all from others. In this respect
men are like bees, says Mr. Stanfill, that some will gather much, others
little, and some nothing at all. In his own case he is assured that
Providence has bestowed upon him the many rewards of a prosperous
career.

Edward Joseph Smith, M. D. The senior member of the medical
profession at Hahira, Dr. Smith is both a successful and skillful physi-
cian and also a progressive citizen and busines man of this community.

Edward Joseph Smith is a native of Leesburg, South Carolina, where
he was born October 20, 1872. The family were originally of Virginia,
but the grandfather Smith was probably born in Edgecomb county,
South Carolina, and spent most of his life there as a planter, operating
his lands with slave labor. Grant S. Smith, father of the doctor, was
born in Edgecomb county, and being a young man at the time of the
war between the states he enlisted in a South Carolina regiment of cav-
alry, under the command of General, later Senator, Butler. His regi-
ment was part of the Army of Northern Virginia, and he experienced a
long and varied service in this principal seat of the war, including the
Gettysburg campaign and the battles and movements about Richmond
and Petersburg. He was never captured nor wounded, though several
horses were shot from under him. When the war was over he came
to Georgia and established a store and stock yard at Augusta, where
he w T as successfully engaged in business until 1875. Failing health then
caused him to sell out, and he spent his last days at Leesburg, South



766 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Carolina, where he died in 1879. He married Elizabeth Grout, and she
is still living, her home being in Augusta. She is a native of South
Carolina, and her father, Uriah Crout, also born in tliat state and of
German parentage, was a planter in the vicinity of Leesville until after
the war, when he was engaged in mercantile business at Leesville, and
lived to the ripe age of eighty-nine years. The three children of Grant
S. Smith and wife are: Inez, the widow of W. D. Van Pelt, a former
attorney at Augusta; Edward Joseph; and Harry L., who is in the
service of the C. & W. C. Railroad Company at Augusta.

Dr. Smith spent his youth in Augusta, where he attended the pub-
lie schools and Horton Institute. Early in life he made choice of medi-
cine for his career, and in preparation he entered the medical depart-
ment of the State University, where he was graduated M. D. in April,
1899. For the first two years he was engaged in practice at Augusta,
and located at Hahira in 1901. He has a large practice and is a member
of the county and state medical societies. The doctor is also secretary
and treasurer of the Georgia, Alabama & Western Railroad Company.
In politics he is a Democrat, and has been a member of the town council
two years. His fraternal associations are with Pine Camp Xo. 265,
W. 0. W.

June 1, 1898, Dr. Smith married Miss Nellie Regina Mahoney, who
was born in Augusta, a daughter of John J. and Mary Mahoney. Dr.
Smith and wufe are parents of three children : Virgil C, John Raymond
and Dorothy.

• John A. Hodges. A native and lifelong resident of Lowndes county,
the owner of many broad and fertile acres near Hahira, John A. Hodges
has succeeded in life through ability and well timed industry, and has
long been a prosperous and influential citizen of his community. He
was born in Lowndes county on the 11th of February, 1849, and repre-
sents one of the old and prominent families of south Georgia. •

His grandfather Nathan Hodges was, so far as known, a native Geor-
gian, and about 1828 moved from Tattnall county to Lowndes county,
settling some five miles south of the present site' of Hahira. Lowndes
county then comprised a much greater territory than at present, with
Franklinville the county seat, which was subsequently transferred to
Troupville. Nearly all the land was under state ownership, and directly
from the commonwealth Grandfather Hodges bought a lot of four hun-
dred and ninety acres, nearly all timber. His family were sheltered
under tents while he was erecting the first log-cabin home. For many
miles around no mills had yet been built. He had brought with him a
steel mill, operated by hand, for grinding grain, and this became such
an institution that the neighbors brought their packs of corn long dis-
tances to be ground into meal. The date of the Hodges settlement was
also several years previous to the final expulsion of the Florida Indians,
and it was a not infrequent occurrence that marauding bands crossed
the border and disturbed' the south Georgians. A log fort stood on
the grandfather's place during these years, and it several times shel-
tered the inhabitants of this vicinity while hostile redskins were near.
On this old homestead the grandfather and his wife spent their last
years. They reared eight children, three sons and five daughters,
namely: John, Daniel, Aleck, Elsie, Eliza. Caroline, Maria and Polly.
Of tins family John was the father of John A. Hodges. He was
born in Tattnall county, being nineteen years old when his parents came
to Lowndes county. He was one of the militia or minutemen of the
settlement during the period of Indian strife, and also participated in
the final struggles that broke the power of the red men. These occurred



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 767

in 1836, in which year there were three Indian battles, including the
well-known conflict at Brush Creek, when the Indians made their las{
stand. On attaining his majority John Hodges bought a lot of land
consisting of four hundred and ninety acres, and gave what was then con-
sidered a very good price for it, $50, a sum which would hardly buy one
acre now. Not a railroad had yet come into this region. Marketing
was difficult, and for several years the cotton from his and other planta-
tions was hauled by team and wagon to Newport, Florida. He estab-
lished on his farm one of the old cotton gins operated by mule power,
its capacity during a long day's run being half a bale. He improved and
developed a considerable quantity of land in this vicinity, and continued
his residence there until his death in 1875 at the age of sixty-six years.
The maiden name of his wife was Julia Ann Boyd, and she was a daugh-
ter of Banar and Sarah Boyd, also early settlers of Lowndes county.
Her death occurred in 1872. Her twelve children were named as fol-
lows: Hardy, Polly Ann, Sarah J., Thomas B., Susan, George, John A.,
Julia, Laura. Charlotte, Henry B. and Samuel H.

The pioneer scenes which have been above referred to had not yet
vanished from this section of Georgia during the childhood and youth
of John A. Hodges, and his memory goes back to the time when deer,
wild turkey and other wild game were plentiful among the sparse set-
tlements. His mother did all her cooking at a fireplace, no stoves having
yet been introduced, and she carded, wove and spun the wool or cotton
or flax with which she dressed all the family in homespun. In such a
household John A. acquired early habits of industry. His assistance
when a boy was given to the farm labor, and when the weather did not
permit outdoor labor he helped his mother at the wheel or loom. He is
one of few men living who were once skilled in the old-fashioned art of
spinning and weaving. Mechanical skill was one of nature's gifts to
him, and though he never learned a trade for a regular vocation he had
a practical craft for various lines of handiwork, and during his youth
earned all his spending money through this skill, never calling on his
father to supply him a cent. At the age of fourteen he made a sub-
stantial but plain saddle, which he sold for $10. Buying some brass
tacks, he ornamented his next saddle, and secured $15 for it. He also
made shoes.

When he was twenty-one he began his career as an independent
farmer by working a tract of his father's land for half the crop. Four
years later he bought two hundred and fifty acres at $2 an acre, paying
two hundred in cash and obligating himself for the balance with twenty
per cent interest. It took him six years to clear himself of the interest
and principal. At his father's death he inherited land worth $300 and
also bought the share of a sister. He later bought a tract of six hundred
acres a mile north of Hahira, going in debt $2,400 with interest at
fifteen per cent. It is on this latter land that he has spent most of
his career as a general farmer. He has long been known as a practical
farmer, one who could produce profits from his land, and besides his own
prosperity his example has been valuable to the general welfare of this
agricultural region. In 1912 Mr. Hodges moved to an attractive modern
home which he had built on land adjoining the town of Hahira. His
land holdings embrace upwards of fourteen hundred acres in the vicinity
of Hahira, and for this material evidence of prosperity he owes all to
his own efforts and good management.

At the age of thirty-two Mr. Hodges married Miss Susan L. Law-
son. She is a native of Lowndes county, and a daughter of John and
Mary A. (Sineth) Lawson. On the paternal side she is descended from
Ashley Lawson (see sketch of Irvine and L. F. Lawson). Her mother



768 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

was a daughter of William and Mary Sineth. The following children
compose the family of Mr. and Mrs. Hodges: Lewis, Corine, Perry
(deceased ), Slater, Edward, Irene, Louell, Robert T. and' Bevins. Lewis
married Sally Marshall and has two children, Anna Lee and John Lewis.
Corine is the widow of James Hall.

James B. Bagley, M. D. Noteworthy for his keen intelligence,
professional knowledge and skill, James A. Bagley, M. D., is meeting
with excellent success as a physician, since locating at Waycross hav-
ing acquired an excellent patronage. A native of Georgia, he was
born, January 16, 1866, in Ware county, which was likewise the birth-
place of his father, Berrien Bagley.

His paternal grandfather, Ransom Bagley, was a Virginian born
and bred. As a young man he removed to North Carolina, being
accompanied by two of his brothers, one of whom settled in Raleigh,
that state, while the other brother located in Alabama. He, himself,
came to Georgia, and having purchased land in Ware county carried
on general farming with the help of slaves for a number of years,
but subsequently removed to Florida, where he spent the remainder
of his life.

Born in Ware county in 1815, Berrien Bagley was reared to agri-
cultural pursuits, and when ready to begin life for himself bought
land lying within three miles of the parental estate, and continued
life as a farmer. There were no railways in the state when he was
young, and he was forced to haul the surplus productions of his farm
with teams to Savannah, a distance of one hundred miles, but ere
his death there was a railroad within six miles of his home. Honest,
industrious, and a good manager, he was very successful in his call-
ing, acquiring a competency. On the farm which he improved he spent,
his last days, passing away in January, 1908, at the venerable age of
eighty-three years. He married Eliza Thompson, a daughter, of Rev.
Henry Thompson, for many years a Methodist Episcopal preacher
in Ware county. She passed to the higher life, aged eighty years.
Of the twelve children born into their home, ten grew to years of
maturity, namely: Mary J., Rachel, Julia, John W., Amanda, James
B., Roan TL, Thomas Berrien, Francis, and Ella.

Brought up on the home farm, James B. Bagley attended school
as opportunity offered, in the meantime becoming intimately acquainted
with farm work of all kinds. When he was eighteen years old his
father gave him one hundred acres of land, and he began his career
as an independent farmer. Having been trained to habits of industry
and thrift, and well drilled in the art. and science of agriculture, lie
succeeded from the start, and continued a tiller of the soil until 1892.
Desirous then of gratifying a long cherished ambition. Mr. Bagley
began the study of medicine in the Atlanta Medical School, from
which he was graduated with the class of 1894. Immediately begin-
ning the practice of his profession at Millwood, Ware county. Dr.
Bagley continued there fifteen years, meeting with unquestioned suc-
cess. Locating at Waycross in 1909. lie lias here built up a large and
remunerative patronage, the people roundabout having great confi-
dence in his skill and ability.

Dr. Bagley married, when a youth of eighteen summers. Miss
Lucinda Meeks. who was born in the northern part of Clinch county,
Georgia, eight miles from Pearson, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wil-
liam Meeks. Four children have been bom to the Doctor and Mrs.
Bagley, namely: William Francis, now. in 1913, studying medicine:
James Wesley ; Daniel English ; and Loney. The Doctor and his two



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 769

older sons are engaged in agricultural pursuits, conducting a stock
and poultry farm near Beach. The Doctor and his wife are consist-
ent members of the Primitive Baptist church, and their two older sons
are affiliated by membership with the Methodist Episcopal church.

Olin Stewart McCoy. Numbered among the substantial and well-
to-do residents of Cordele is Olin Stewart McCoy, who, as proprietor of
McCoy's Steam Laundry, is conducting a lively and prosperous busi-
ness. He was born, February 27, 1869, in Houston county, Georgia,
which was also the birthplace of his parents, Meredith and Mary Emma
(Blount) McCoy, neither of whom is now living. His father, who
served as a member of a company of Georgia Cavalry in the Civil war,
was for many years a merchant and farmer in Houston county, but
spent his last days in Macon, whither he settled after selling his farm.
He reared eight children, all of whom are living.

Completing his studies in the common schools of his native county,
Olin Stewart McCoy accompanied the family to Macon, Georgia, when
about nineteen years old, and there began life for himself in a mercan-
tile establishment. In March, 1896, when the town of Fitzgerald was
organized, in Ben Hill county, he located in the place, and was there
a resident for five years. Coming to Cordele in 1901, Mr. McCoy was
engaged in the bottling business until March, 190-1, when he purchased
his present steam laundry plant, which had been here established in
1902. Under his efficient management, the laundry is being conducted
most successfully, employing about fifteen people, and being well pat-
ronized. The laundry is now housed in a building thirty-six feet by
eighty feet, and is fully equipped with modern machinery of all the
kinds required in an establishment of this kind. The business is rapidly
increasing in size and value, and in order to meet it's demands Mr. McCoy
is now considering the erection of a brick building much larger than
the present plant.

Mr. McCoy married Mae Terry, a daughter of James J. and Ida
(Parker) Terry, natives respectively of Canada and Michigan. Mr. and
Mrs. McCoy have two children, namely : Mary Lois, born in 1903 ; and
Olin Terry, born in 1907. Mrs. McCoy is a member of the Baptist
church, and is bringing up her children in the same religious faith.

Ivy Milton Powell. A man of keen foresight and unquestioned
business ability and judgment, Ivy Milton Powell occupies a conspicu-
ous position among the enterprising and influential citizens of Cor-
dele, as owner of the Cordele Electric Light & Power Company, and
of Powell's Garage, being actively associated with two of the leading
industrial enterprises of this part of Crisp county. A native of North
Carolina, he was born, September 16, 1866, in Clinton. Sampson county,
being a son of Milton and Elizabeth Powell, lifelong residents of
North Carolina. He is one of a family of eight children, six sons and
two daughters, as follows : J. W., who died in North Carolina ; G. H.,
a miller in North Carolina ; I. W., engaged in farming in his native
state; O. J., engaged in mercantile business in North Carolina; Rev.
L. J., a Baptist minister, now located in Grafton, West Virginia; Ivy
Milton ; Neely, wife of E. Williamson, a North Carolina farmer ; and
Livingston, who died, aged about, thirteen years.

Growing to manhood in his native state, Ivy Milton Powell deter-
mined as a young man to try the hazard of new fortunes, and in his
quest came to Georgia. About 1889 he took up his residence in Cordele,
and has since acquired distinction along various lines of enterprise. In
1897, when the service of the Cordele Electric Light & Power Com-



770 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

pany was very unsatisfactory, Mr. Powell purchased the plant from the
city, and has since so thoroughly improved and equipped it that it has
now readied a high state of efficiency. For the past five years Mr.
Powell has heen actively engaged in the automobile business, for a year
occupying his present location, his garage being a fully equipped build-
ing, sixty-two feet by one hundred twelve and one-half feet, with a
cement floor. In this line he has built up a substantial business, hand-
ling both the Olds and the Overland machines, automobiles of the high-
est type of construction, and eminently satisfactory to all buyers. Mr.
Powell is also an extensive landholder, owning a farm of one thousand,
eight hundred and thirty-six acres adjoining the city.

Mr. Powell married, in 1890, Beulah Johnson, a daughter of "William
Johnson, of Worth county, Georgia, and they are the parents of three
children, namely : Edwin, born in 1895 ; Ivy, born in 1900 ; and Louise,
born in 1905. Mr. and Mrs. Powell are both Baptists in religion.

Joseph Jackson Cooper, one of the best-known merchants of Vienna,
Georgia, is successfully carrying on the business established and con-
ducted by him in 1897. Born in Dooly county on January 16, 1869,
he is the son of John C. and Mary (Moring) Cooper. The father was
born and reared in Baldwin county, Georgia, while the mother is a
native of Dooly county. John C. Cooper served the South during the
Civil war, fighting with the Baldwin Blues, Fourth Georgia Regiment,
and was captured just before the close of the war. He was a prisoner
of war at Governor's island, New York, and participated in many of the
hottest engagements of the struggle. After the close of the war he
returned to his farm in Dooly county and there passed the remainder
of his life. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper were the parents of four children:
Lizzie, married to J. W. Bozemore, a farmer in Dooly county ; J. B.. also
a farmer in Dooly county ; Annie, the wife of J. B. Foreham, and the
subject, Joseph Jackson.

The early life of Joseph Jackson Cooper was passed as a helper on the
farm of his father and an attendant of the schools of the community
wherein he was reared. He also attended the. high school in Snow
Springs. When he was twenty-two years of age he entered the service
of the F. H. Bland Company, dealers in dry-goods, and after some time
went from that firm to Pine Hurst. Georgia, with the firm of the Ful-
lington-Barfield Company. He advanced rapidly with that firm and
the last three years of his connection with them was as secretary and
treasurer of the concern. In January, 1897. the young man decided
to launch out into business on his own responsibility, and he accordingly
located in Vienna, opening up an establishment as dealer in dry-goods,
house furnishings, etc. He is the sole owner of the business, and in
the years that have elapsed since its establishment, it has grown apace,
expanding and reaching out into hitherto untapped channels of trade.
The store occupies a two-story brick building at the corner of Union
and Third streets, the property being owned by Mr. Cooper, who is
also the owner of a handsome residence erected since his location in
Vienna. Mr. Cooper has been able to give some of his time to civic mat-
ters, despite his necessarily busy life, and has served as a member of the
city council, of the board of health, and is now a member of the school
board. His presence on anything of a like nature is proof of honest
effort being expended in the interests of the community, and Mr. Cooper
lias proved himself a citizen of a high order in the years of his residence
in Vienna.

On October 2, 1896, Mr. Cooper was united in marriage with Miss
Ella Lytle, the daughter of Thomas T. Lytle and M. T. (Smith) Lytle.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 771

One child has been born to them, Lillian, now eight years of age. All
members of the family are affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church
of Vienna.

De Witt Butler Thompson has been a resident of Vienna for about
twenty-one years, having come to this city in 1890. He is a native of the
state of Georgia, born in Houston county on September 4, 1861, and
is the son of Steven L. and Margaret Elizabeth Thompson, both of
Houston county.

Mr. Thompson was educated in the common schools of his county
and remained under the care and guardianship of his parents until he
was sixteen, at which early age he took service with the Macon & Bruns-
wick Railroad as water boy. He continued in railroad work in various
capacities and eventually became a section foreman. After fifteen years
in the employ of the Macon & Brunswick road he severed his connec-
tion with the company, and established the merchandise business which
he is now conducting. He has prospered as a merchant, and has been
the author of splendid accomplishments in industrial lines. To Mr.
Thompson is ascribed the credit for the building of the first cotton gin
in Vienna, and he was the first man to introduce the cylinder bail idea in
this section of the country. He is the owner of a large quantity of real
estate and owns the store building where he carries on his merchandise
business. It is a fine up-to-date store, eighty by eighty-eight feet in
size, and is well equipped and thoroughly modern. In addition he con-
ducts a large warehouse where they handle cotton, hay, feed and other
produce. He also owns his beautiful home in Vienna.

Mr. Thompson is a man who has taken his full share of the civic
responsibilities of the community, and has served as alderman on the
city board for two terms. He is always ready and willing to assume a
generous part of the burdens of the communal life, and has ever
acquitted himself as a most exemplary citizen in the long years of his
identification with the business life of Vienna. The Thompson family
has ever shared in the responsibilities of worthy citizens, and the father
of Mr. Thompson, as well as two of his brothers, served their state in
the years of strife between the North and the South.

Mr. Thompson was married on August 5, 1886, to Miss Margaret
Daugherty, of Isle of Wight county, Georgia. She died on September
12, 1888, and on March 20, 1889, Mr. Thompson was united in marriage
with Miss Jessie Crumpton of Florida. Six children have been born to
them : Maggie, aged twenty -one years ; Steven Milton, aged twenty ; Mary,
sixteen years of age ; Sadie, aged thirteen years ; Annie Lou, eleven
years old, and D. B., Jr., aged five years.

Mrs. Thompson is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church,
and is identified with the various organizations of that church.

Hon. James Mathews Griggs. A man of superior judgment and
rare discrimination, thoroughly progressive and public-spirited, Hon.
James Mathews Griggs, late of Dawson, attained distinction not only
for his loyal citizenship and unquestioned legal ability, but for the
services he rendered his fellow-men as a public servant. Summoned
from the scene of his earthly endeavors while yet in the midst of life's
most useful and honorable activities, his death having occurred Janu-
ary 5, 1910, his name will be held in loving remembrance and lasting
honor in the annals of Terrell county. A native of Georgia, he was
born, March 29, 1861, in La Grange, Troup county, of Welsh ancestry,
being fifth in direct line of descent from the immigrant ancestor, his



772 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

lineage being thus traced : William, 1 John,- Wesley, 3 Augustus Frank-
lin ' and James Mathews. 5

William ' Griggs was born and reared in Wales. In early manhood
he came to America, accompanied by a brother who settled in New
England, while he located in Virginia. During the Revolution he
fought with the Colonists in their struggle for freedom, after which
he settled permanently near Norfolk, Virginia, where he spent his
remaining years.

John 2 Griggs was born and educated in Virginia, but when ready to
begin life for himself migrated to Georgia, locating in Hancock county,
which was his home for many years. He died, however, in Harris
county, and his body was there buried on his son's plantation. The
maiden name of his wife was Rebecca Pritchett. Wesley 3 Griggs en-
gaged in agricultural pursuits, and with the help of slaves cleared
and improved a valuable plantation in Putnam county, near Eatonton.
He married Nancy Elizabeth Brown, a daughter of Jeremiah and
Annie (Beasley) Brown, life-long residents of Clark county, Georgia.

Augustus Franklin 4 Griggs was born on the old home plantation in
Putnam county, and was there brought up. He finished his educa-
tion at Mercer University. Soon after the breaking out of the war
between the states, he enlisted in Company E, Forty-first Georgia Vol-
unteer Infantry, under command of Capt. Charles A. McDaniel. At
Murfreesboro he joined Capt. C. B. Ferrell's Artillery Company, in
which he served faithfully until the close of the conflict. He subse-
quently embarked in mercantile pursuits, first at La Grange, and later
in Atlanta, Georgia, where he continued in business until his death,
m 1870. He married Elizabeth Rebecca Mathews, who was bom in
Stewart county, Georgia, of distinguished ancestry, having been a
descendant in the fifth generation from Isaac Mathews, who was a
grandson of Sir Thomas Mathews, of Mathews county. Virginia, and a
lineal descendant of Sir David Mathews, of Llandaff , Wales. •

Isaac :i Mathews, third in descent from Sir Thomas Mathews, the
immigrant, married his cousin, Mary Mathews, who, like himself, was
a Virginian by birth. Mary Mathews was the fifth in line of descent
from one Samuel Mathews, the line being thus traced: Samuel, 1 Sam-
uel,- John, 3 Samuel, 4 and Mary."'. Samuel 1 Mathews was born in Eng-
land, a son of Tobias Mathews. When young he was sent by King James
the First to Virginia, and by him appointed commander of the British
army, later being made governor of the colony of Virginia. This Gov-
ernor Samuel 1 Mathews married a daughter of Sir Thomas Hinton of
Virginia. Their son, Samuel - Mathews, represented Warwick county,
in the years 1652 and 1655, in the Virginia assembly. He was active
in military and public affairs, having served as lieutenant colonel in
the King's army, and as a member of the King's council. John 3
Mathews, the next in line of descent, was born in Virginia, and became
a citizen of prominence. He married Elizabeth, the only daughter,
and the heiress, of Michael Taverner. of York county. Virgina. and
subsequently occupied the old Mathews homestead, "Denbeigh." near
Blunt Point, Virginia. Samuel ' Mathews, father of Mary Mathews,
married a Miss Braxton, and their daughter Mary, as mentioned above,
became the wife of Isaac" 1 Mathews, and their son Moses was the great-
grandfather of Elizabeth Rebecca Mathews.

Moses ' Mathews learned the trade of a gun maker in Virginia, his
native state, and when ready to establish himself in business removed
to Vinliehl. South Carolina, where, during the Revolutionary war he
made guns for General Sumter. His wife, whose maiden name was
Sarah Findlev, was born and bred in Virginia.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 773

Their son, Rev. James 5 Mathews, went from Virginia to South Caro-
lina, and did service as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Soon
after the close of the conflict he settled in Lincoln county, Georgia,
where he bought a plantation, and in addition to his agricultural
labors served as pastor of a Baptist church in Burke county, a brief
account of his pastorate being given in Campbell's History of the
Georgia Baptists. The maiden name of his wife was Rebecca Carlton.
She was born, reared and educated in old Virginia. Her father, Rob-
ert Carlton, who, with his brother, Thomas Carlton, emigrated from
England to America, settling in King and Queen county, Virginia,
where he married a Miss AVafford. He fought with the colonists in
their struggle for independence, and later, in 1785, migrated with his
family to Georgia, becoming a pioneer settler of Wilkes county, where
he spent his remaining days.

Rev. James u Mathews entered the ministry when a young man, and
for a time preached in Wilkes county. Moving from there to Stewart
county, he bought a plantation in the vicinity of Lumpkin, and for
many years carried on farming with the help of slaves. He held
pastorates in Lumpkin and Benevolence, and served as one of the
first moderators of the Bethel Association. He died when but fifty
years old, on his home plantation. He married Kiturah Pope, a de-
scendant in the sixth generation from Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel
Pope, who was styled "A Gentleman of England," the line of descent
being as follows : Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel 1 Pope, Nathaniel 2
Pope, Nathaniel 3 Pope, John 4 Pope, John Henry 5 Pope, Capt. John G
Pope, and Kiturah 7 Pope.

Lieut. Col. Nathaniel 1 Pope sailed from Bristol, England, for
America in 1634, and located in Maryland, where he became a leader
in affairs of state, in 1637 and 1638 serving as a member of the Mary-
land house of burgesses. Prior to 1650 he was granted by King
Charles the First ten hundred and fifty acres of land in Westmoreland
county, Virginia, and immediately assumed its possession, naming his
new home place Pope's Creek. In 1652 he was appointed lieutenant
colonel of militia, and had among his officers, as major, his son-in-law,
John Washington, great-grandfather of George Washington. Nathan-
iel 2 Pope married Mary Sissons. Their son, Nathaniel 3 Pope, through
whom the line of descent was continued, married Jane Brooks Brown,
and continued a resident of Virginia until his death. Their son John 4
married his cousin, Elizabeth Pope. John Henry 5 Pope, a native of Vir-
ginia, married Mary Burwell. He was an ensign in the Revolutionary
army, serving in North Carolina. After the war he came to Georgia,
settling in Wilkes county, where he remained a resident until his death,
in 1804. Of his five sons, one died ere the family left North Carolina,
and the others settled in Georgia.

Capt. John (i Pope commanded a company of North Carolina troops
in the Revolutionary war, and after locating in Georgia had command
of a body of soldiers in Wilkes county. He married Elizabeth Smith,
and both spent their last years in Wilkes county. Kiturah T Pope, who
became the wife of Rev. James 6 Mathews, survived him, and married
for her second husband Henry Long. She died, at the age of seventy-
six years, in Senoia, Georgia.

Elizabeth Rebecca " Mathews, mother of Hon. James Mathews Griggs,
married first at a very early age Ephraim Smith Vernal. After his
death she became the wife of Augustus Franklin 4 Griggs, whom she sur-
vived, passing away in Dawson, Georgia, June 21, 1910, having then'
lived a widow for forty years. She reared four children, as follows:
Ella Vernal; James Mathews, the special subject of this sketch; Charles
Brown, and Augustus Pope.



774 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Hon. James Mathews 5 Griggs acquired his elementary education
in the public schools of Senoia. After the death of his father he made
his home for a time with Dr. Albert Mathews, in Elberton, where he con-
tinued his studies in the public schools. Subsequently completing the
course of study in the Peabody Normal School, at Nashville, Tennessee,
Mr. Griggs went from there to Palatka, Florida, where for two years he
was principal of schools. Desirous of entering the legal profession, he
then began the study of law in Canton, Georgia, with Hon. George Brown,
and was admitted to the bar in 1884. Locating immediately in Jackson,
Georgia, Mr. Griggs was for awhile there associated with Judge Marcus
Beck. Going then to Berrien county, he embarked in journalistic work,
editing a paper in Alapha.

Taking up his residence in Dawson in 1885, Mr. Griggs soon built up
an extensive and lucrative law patronage, and likewise became prom-
inent and influential in public affairs. From 1888 until 1893 he was
solicitor general of the Pataula Circuit Court, and from 1893 until 1896
Avas judge of the Superior Court, Pataula Circuit. In 1896 Mr. Griggs
was elected to represent the Third Congressional District of Georgia in
the United States Congress, and gave sueh eminent satisfaction in that
high position that he was continued as a representative to Congress by
re-election until his death, in 1910. He served on many important com-
mittees, including that of Committee on Ways and Means. Mr. Griggs
was not known as a temperance man or a church worker, but he won
recognition as an able lawyer and legislator, and was popular with the
masses.

On July 14, 1886, Mr. Griggs was united in marriage with Miss Theo-
dosia Stewart, who was born in Randolph county, Georgia, a daughter of
Hon. Daniel Randall Stewart, and granddaughter of John Stewart,
who was for more than four score years a resident of Georgia. Mrs.
Griggs's great-grandfather, Daniel Randall Stewart, was born and bred
in Scotland, and there married Margaret Smith. Shortly after that im-
portant event, he came with his bride to America, crossing the ocean in
1800, and locating first in Buncombe county, North Carolina. Coming
from there to Georgia in 1816, he purchased a tract of land bordering
on Tobesofkee creek, in Bibb county. At that time all of South Georgia
was in its primeval wildness, Indians claiming the country roundabout
as their happy hunting grounds, while the forests were inhabted by deer.
turkeys, and wild animals of many kinds. He subsequently moved to
Marion county, where he resided until his death, at the advanced age
of four score and four years.

John Stewart was quite young when brought by his parents to
Georgia. "When ready to establish a home of bis own. he bought land in
Randolph county, and was there engaged in general farming until his
death, a1 the venerable age of eighty-nine years. His wife, whose maiden
name was Catherine Giles, died when but forty-three years old. She
was a daughter of John and Mary (Tarver) Giles, the former of whom
was born in Jones county, Georgia, and the latter in Hancock county, of
Virginian ancestry.

Honorable Daniel Randall Stewart, father of Mrs. Griggs, was born
in Marion county. Georgia, and there obtained his early education in the
rural schools. When seventeen years old he enlisted for service in the
war between the states, joining the first body of state troops, and with
his command going to the coast. Afterwards becoming a member of
Company G. Fifty-fifth Georgia Volunteer Infantry, he seiwed until the
close of the conflict. Two of bis older brothers served throughout the
entire war. and a younger brother was an active participant during the
latter pari of the conflict. After the war. he was for a time employed



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 775

as a clerk in the store of Captain Ben Smith, at Cuthbert, and later
bought a farm lying twelve miles south of Cuthbert, and there spent the'
remainder of his active life engaged in agricultural pursuits. Active
and alert, and possessing sound judgment and good executive ability,
he was successful from the beginning of his career, by means of thrift
and excellent management accumulating a fortune. On retiring from
active business, he moved to Dawson, where his death occurred at the age
of three score and ten years. Mr. Stewart became prominent in public
affairs, for upwards of twenty years serving as jury commissioner, while
for two terms he was representative to the State Legislature, and for
one term was state senator.

The maiden name of the wife of Honorable Daniel Randall Stewart
was Nancy Olivia Pope. She was born in Washington county, Georgia,
a daughter of Reverend Wiley Mobley Pope, and is now living in Daw-
son with Mrs. Griggs, her only child. Her paternal grandfather, Jona-
than Pope, was born and bred in Virginia, from there going as a young
man to Sampson county, North Carolina, where he resided several years.
In 1814 he migrated to Georgia, settling in Laurens county, where he
bought a tract of wild land, and began the pioneer task of clearing and
improving a farm. He was making very good progress in his work when,
three years later, in 1817, he passed to the life beyond.

Jonathan Pope married Elizabeth Cooper, who was born in Duplin
county. North Carolina, a daughter of Reverend Fleet Cooper, Jr. Her
grandfather, Fleet Cooper, Sr., who married Emily Anders, a life-long
resident of North Carolina, was one of the signers of the North Carolina
Oath of Allegiance and Abjuration passed by the Assembly at Newbern,
November 15, 1777. He was exempt from taxes in Duplin county, where,
as far as is known, he spent his entire life. His son, Reverend Fleet
Cooper, Jr., was a prominent preacher in North Carolina, holding pastor-
ates in various Baptist churches, and both he and his father received
large grants of laud in Duplin county. The maiden name of his wife
was Sarah Scott.

Reverend Wiley Mobley Pope was born in Sampson county, North
Carolina. Studying for the ministry, he became a Baptist preacher, and
after coming to Georgia held pastorates in both Laurens and Washing-
ton counties. After the death of his wife he moved to Randolph county,
and for several years filled the pulpit of the Rehobeth Baptist Church,
near Shellman. He married Martha Williams Bryan, whose father,
Jason Bryan, migrated from North Carolina, his native state, to Georgia,
and spent his last days in Washington county, where he was a success-
ful agriculturist. Jason Bryan married Penelope Gainer, whose father,
William Gainer, married, near Petersburg, Virginia, Martha Williams,
and settled in Washington county, Georgia, where, in 1790, land was
granted him by the Government. Ten children, nine daughters and one
son blessed their union, a descendant of one of the daughters, having
married Honorable Daniel Randall Stewart, as before mentioned.

Mr. and Mrs. Griggs were the parents of three children, namely:
Ella Vernal, Daniel Stewart, and Augusta Pope. Ella Vernal Griggs,
who married Edgar Whitfield Hollingsworth, died at the age of twenty-
two years, leaving one child, Theodosia Hollingsworth. Augusta Griggs
married Thomas B. Raines.

Lucius Lamar Woodward, attorney-at-law of Vienna, Georgia, has
been active in the practice of his profession in the town of his birth
since he was admitted to the bar in 1897. He was born there on May
5, 1879, and is the son of Judge John Hartwell and Nancy B. (McCor-
mack) Woodward, natives of South Carolina and Georgia, respectively.



776 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Judge Woodward, for such he came to be in later life, was born in
Sumpters district, South Carolina (now Sumpter county) on January
16, 18)51. He is the son of Stephen and Jane (Barnett) Woodward,
natives of South Carolina, and when he was about one year old accom-
panied his parents to Missouri county, Alabama, where they remained
until he was about six years of age, when they moved to Georgia. The
family located seven miles south of Macon, Bibb county, Georgia, where
they made their home until 1863, at which time they settled in Dooly
county, in which district Judge Woodward has since made his home.
As a young man, he read law at the suggestion of Capt. Robert A.
Smith, and took advantage of the generosity of Captain Smith by mak-
ing use of his office and books, prosecuting his studies principally in
the evenings. He was admitted to the bar in January, 1873, but deferred
the initiation of active practice for some little time, owing to a preju-
dice peculiar to the South which held that a gentleman might not engage
in the practice of law or kindred professions and continue to hold rank
as a gentleman. It is worthy of mention that the natural good sense of
Judge Woodward came to his rescue after a time, and he settled down to
the practice of the profession for which he had so laboriously prepared
himself. He attained a degree of prominence in the politics of his state,
and served in the state legislature in 1871-72, and in 1880 was a mem-
ber of the senate. He was judge of the county court of Dooly county
for two terms, and in all these offices he acquitted himself as a gentleman
and a scholar might be expected. During the Civil war Judge Wood-
ward was not inactive. In February, 1862, he, with W. B. Busbee, or-
ganized the Whittle Guards, Company D, Tenth Georgia Battalion,
and were immediately mustered into the service. He was offered the
captaincy of the company, but declined and was unanimously elected
first lieutenant. His health failed to such an extent that in August of
that year he was compelled to resign. In July of 1863 his wife died,
and Mr. Woodward again joined the army at Macon, where he was elected
second lieutenant. He served two months and was again compelled to
resign owing to the impaired condition of his health. Judge Woodward
was thrice married. His first wife was Carrie Sheats. daughter of Ben-
jamin S. Sheats of Clarke county. She passed away on July 6, 1863.
leaving one child, Stephen B., born October 21, 1862, who lived to
reach the age of twenty years, when he died on November 27, 1882.
The second marriage of Judge Woodward occurred on July 18, 1865.
when he married Miss Mamie McCormack of Hawkinsville, Georgia.
Nine children were born of this union. They were : John M., a merchant
of Hawkinsville, Georgia ; William Thomas, who died at the age of
eighteen months; James Madison, a farmer near Vienna: David M..
expert accountant of Tampa, Florida ; Charles Cannon, editor of the
Daily Tampa Times of Tampa, Florida ; Mary Jane, the wife of Charles
H. Turton of Vienna ; Lucius Lamar, practicing law in Vienna ; Car-
rie Sheats. the wife of Charles Gurr of Vienna; Emma B.. who shares
her father's home. The second wife of Judge Woodward died on Decem-
ber 17. 1895, and in the following year he contracted a third marriage,
when Emma Peacock, the daughter of John Peacock of Houston county,
became his wife. She passed away on August 26. 1901.

Lucius Lamar Woodward was educated in the high school of Vienna
alter which he read law in the offices of his father. Judge Woodward,
and Senator Cram. He was admitted to the bar on September 17, 1897,
and took up the practice of law in Vienna almost immediately. He
has gained a goodly clientele in the years of his labors and is highly
regarded among the legal fraternity and among all those who have had
occasion to look to him for legal aid or advice. His standing in the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 777

community is of a high order, and his circle of friends is unlimited,
his long acquaintance in and about Vienna having won to him hosts of/
life-long friends. Mr. Woodward is a member of the Masonic fraternity,
his affiliation being with the Shriners of Savannah, and he is a Baptist
in his religious faith, while his wife is of the Methodist persuasion.

Mr. Woodward was married on October 21, 1909, to Miss Louie Penn,
the daughter of H. R. and Elizabeth (Collier) Fenn, natives of Dooly
county. Two children have been born to them: Elizabeth Barmelia,
and an infant son, Lamar Fenn.

Col. William Herschell Dorris. In no profession is there a
career more open to talent than is that of the law and in no field of
endeavor is there demanded a more careful preparation, a more thorough
appreciation of the absolute ethics of life or of the underlying princi-
ples which form the basis of all human rights and privileges. Col. Wil-
liam Herschell Dorris is a lawyer of the highest ideals and also a most
public-spirited citizen, this fact having become happily evident in his
administration as mayor of Cordele, his election to the mayoralty having
occurred in 1910. He is a native son of the state, his life record having
begun on a farm in the vicinity of Douglasville, Douglas county,
August 9, 1871. He remained upon the parental homestead until the
age of twenty-one years, gaining his elementary education in the pub-
lic schools and under paternal instruction gaining a practical experience
in the many sided science of agriculture. He entered Douglasville Col-
lege about the age mentioned and was graduated from that institution
of learning in 1892 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. While in col-
lege he was a member of the Greek letter fraternity, Phi Cappi.

Having determined to adopt the profession of law as his life work,
young Dorris began his study of Blackstone in the office of A. L. Bart-
lett, of Brownsville, Georgia, and was admitted to the bar in the year
1896, under examination by the committee appointed by the court. He
engaged at once in general practice and his gifts and attainments have
received signal recognition. He located at Cordele in the year 1896
and has ever since retained his residence here. He has been extremely
loyal to its interest and it was due to his efforts that the fine Carnegie
library, which is one of its most useful institutions, was secured for the
city. He was a member of the first board of trustees appointed to super-
vise the affairs of the library. He served his city as alderman for two
terms and in 1910 was elected mayor, of which office he is the present
incumbent.

Colonel Dorris is the son of William C. and Matilda (Lowe) Dor-
ris, both living and both natives of Georgia, the father's birthplace
having been Carroll county, and the mother's Cobb county. His grand-
father, Rev. John Dorris, was a distinguished member of the conference
of the Methodist Episcopal church, South.

William C. Dorris served in the Civil war as first lieutenant of Com-
pany I, of the Fifty-sixth Georgia Infantry. He was in the thickest
of the fight, serving at the siege of Vicksburg, at Missionary Ridge, at
Baker's Creek, etc., and being captured at Vicksburg. The other mem-
bers of the subject's family are James A., Marvin Homer, Mrs. Ola
Stone, Mrs. L. C. Satterfield, Mrs. E. H. Huffines, and Miss Emma
Dorris.

The colonel is a Mason of high standing, belonging to the blue lodge
the chapter, the commandery at Cordele, and having "traveled east"
with the Shriners at Savannah. He is a member of the Methodist Epis-
copal church at Cordele and is helpfully interested in all the good meas-
ures promulgated by the church. He is president of the Chamber of



778 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Commerce and has for several years been identified in praiseworthy
fashion with all public affairs looking toward the welfare and progress
of city, county and state.

Leonard Marcellus Sumner. It is the privilege of the young men
and young women who grow up in this country to select whatever occupa-
tion they desire and they may reserve the right to change such occupa-
tion whenever they- please. In this way the occupation best fitted to
them, or the one which they wish to pursue, is open to them at any time.
It is not always that a young person is able to tell what pursuit he is
best qualified to follow, so that as time passes and his own wants and
abilities are developed, he may change his occupation and strike his
proper sphere before it is too late. Then for the first time life is to
him an earnest quantity. So the subject of this brief review has found
it. Leonard Marcellus Sumner, now chief of police of Cordele, Georgia,
and an admirable officer and citizen, was engaged in a number of occu-
pations prior to his becoming a public official. He was born April 14,
1875, at Sumner, Worth county, Georgia, or rather on a farm in the
vicinity of that place, and there he resided until reaching the age of
twenty years. He received his first introduction to Minerva in the pub-
lic schools and subsequently graduated from the higher department
of the Sumner school.

In 1895, when about twenty years of age, Mr. Sumner was united
in marriage to Miss Cora Balkcon, daughter of Alex and Josephine
(Warren) Balkcon, the father an agriculturist of this section and
a veteran of the Civil war, throughout the entire course of which he
served. Their union has been blessed by the birth of the following
interesting children: Leonna, aged fifteen; Janie, aged thirteen;
Cora May, aged seven; and Irene, aged six. They are students in the
Cordele graded school.

Upon first beginning his career, Mr. Sumner entered a mercantile
and grocery establishment at Sumner and under McKinley's first ad-
ministration, he was appointed postmaster and proved an efficient and
faithful servant of Uncle Sam. Following his tenure of this office,
he removed with his family to Cordele, where he accepted a position as
clerk in the J. S. Pates dry-goods store, which he retained for six
months. He then engaged with Carter & Darrough, dealers in musical
instruments, and remained with this concern for one year and then
became traveling salesman for the Cable Piano Company, an association
which he did not terminate for a twelvemonth. It was ensuing upon
this that Mr. Sumner became a member of the Cordele police foi'ce and
he acted in the capacity of patrolman for four years, from 1905 to 1909,
and in the latter year was made chief of police, which important office
he has held to the satisfaction of the citizens for the space of four
years.

Mr. Sumner is a popular and prominent Mason, belonging to the
blue lodge, in which he is active, and also to the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the World, in the latter not taking
an active part. He and his admirable wife are members of the Meth-
odist Episcopal church.

The subject of this brief sketch is a son of Joseph M. and Jane
(Young) Sunnier, estimable citizens, both of whom survive at the present
time. His grandfather and grandmother, also native Georgians, were Jo-
seph and Mahala (Smith) Sumner, and the family is an old and promi-
nent one in this county. Mr. Sumner is a member of a large family of
brothers and sisters, as follows: Thomas J.; John M. : Robert 0. ;
Henry I..; and Mrs. .1. M. Williams: Mrs. M. 0. Lemons: Mrs. A. E.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 779

Bass; Mrs. Hattie Sykes; and Mrs. C. J. Williams, all this number
being natives and residents of southern Georgia. >

James Gordon Jones. Exceptionally well fitted for the legal pro-
fession, not only by his natural gifts and ability, but through his high
mental attainments, untiring industry, keen perceptive faculties, Col.
James Gordon Jones has won an assured position among the foremost law-
yers of Crisp county as a member of the firm of Crura & Jones, of Cordele,
having a large and lucrative practice. A son of James F. Jones, he was
born near Mountisville, Troup county, Georgia, September 20, 1870.

James F. Jones served in the Civil war as major of a company of
Georgia infantry. A lifelong planter, he is now living in Hogansville,
Troup county, an honored and respected citizen of seventy-three years.
He married Araminta Seay, a native of Meriwether county, Georgia,
and they have five children living as follows: William M., born in 1866,
has for the past twenty years been engaged in farming in Texas and
California ; James Gordon, the special subject of this brief biographical
record; and E. A., who has been engaged in the practice of law at
LaGrange, Troup county, for four years ; Mrs. J. W. Darden and Mrs.
C. J. Daniel, who reside at Hogansville, Troup county ; Mrs. F. P. Ayers,
Hugh M. and Julia, who are deceased.

James Gordon completed his education in the high schools of Hogans-
ville and after spending four years in California returned to Georgia
and completed his study of law and was admitted to the bar at La-
Grange on May 8, 1895, and has been admitted to practice in all the
courts, having been admitted to practice in the supreme court of the
United States, April 6, 1908. Mr. Jones located at Cordele, Georgia,
July, 1896, where he has since been associated with D. A. R. Crum
under the firm name of Crum & Jones, making a specialty of corpora-
tion law. This enterprising firm is division counsel for the Atlanta,
Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad Company, and district counsel for the
Georgia Southwestern & Gulf Railroad Company, and for the Southern
Bell Telephone & Telegraph Company.

On April 7, 1897, Mr. Jones was united in marriage with Annie
Lou Paul of Eastman, Dodge county, Georgia, a daughter of W. E.
and Fannie (Childs) Paul. Four children have been born of the union
of Mr. and Mrs. Jones, namely : Vannie, born June 12, 1899 ; Gordon,
born April 7, 1903 ; Susie Pearl, born August 7, 1905 ; Edwin L., born
January 7, 1907. Vannie died October 28, 1902, aged 3 years, 3 months.

Leon Powell AVimberly, for sixteen years past the postmaster of
Abbeville, is a native of the state of Georgia, born in Bibb county, city
of Macon, on March 6, 1858. He is the son of Louis D. and Juliet
Amanda (Powell) Wimberly, both natives of Bibb county. Louis Wim-
berly served in the Civil war in Cavalry regiment. He died at the
age of thirty-five, when his son Leon Powell, was but twelve years old.
The mother still lives, nearly eighty years of age, and makes her home in
Hawkinsville, Pulaski county, Georgia.

Such schooling as Leon Wimberly secured was in the public schools
of Macon, previous to his sixteenth birthday. When he reached that
age he went to work on a farm, remaining there for two years and
receiving as wages five dollars a month. He was employed on the farm
of Dr. Virgil Walker in Wilcox county. When he concluded his two
years of farm life, Mr. AVimberly engaged in the saw mill business,
being occupied for five years driving a mule team. In 1890 he had saved
some money from his previous years' labors, and he became a. partner
in the firm for whom he had been driving mules for five years, and the



780 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

firm became known as the McLeod, Denard & Wimberly Company,
dealers in general merchandise. Soon after that Mr. Wimberly bought
the entire business, selling a half interest to C. A. Home, and con-
tinuing with the trade until 1894, when they were burned out. Noth-
ing daunted by his misfortunes, Mr. Wimberly again entered business
alone, and after two years he sold out to one Mr. Fitzgerald and ac-
cepted a traveling position with L. Cohen & Company of Macon, dealers
in whiskey, cigars and tobacco. He later became connected with Alt-
meyer & Flatau, dealers in the same commodities, with whom he con-
tinued for some time. Later he was appointed postmaster at Abbeville,
which position he has retained since that time. He has also been en-
gaged in merchandising from time to time, and has some farming inter-
ests as well, which he cares for in addition to his official business.

Mr. Wimberly was a member of the city council of Hawkinsville
while he was identified with that place, and has discharged the duties
of a loyal citizen in the most praiseworthy manner while he has been
in Abbeville. He is prominent in fraternal circles of the city, holding
membership in the Knights of Pythias, in which order he was past
chancellor and representative to the grand lodge of Georgia for two
terms. He is a Royal Arch Mason.

In 1891 Mr. Wimberly married Miss Ida R. Wilcox, daughter of
T. D. and Roxie A. (Read) Wilcox of Irwin county. Six children were
born to Mr. and Mrs. Wimberly, all of whom are deceased but one son,
Leon, aged eighteen. Thomas died when about twelve years old ; Jus-
tine P. died at the age of fifteen, while a student at Gordon Institute at
Barnesville. Gerald was burned to death when three years of age. Two
died in infancy. The wife and mother passed away on August 26,
1904. On February 14, 1906, Mr. Wimberly married Miss Carol M.
Moorer of Savannah. Three children have been born to them, Juliet
aged six years, Sarah, four years of age and Carol three years old.

Col. Wade Hampton Lasseter. When a man is a descendant of a
family that has lived in the same section of the country for more than a
generation, he naturally feels an affection for the very soil of that
country that others could not feel. He consequently has a deeper
rooted loyalty to the affairs of his community, and a firm determina-
tion to do his best towards furthering its interests. Such a man is Col.
Wade Hampton Lasseter. He is as yet comparatively young in the
practice of his profession, and one can not say what the future holds
for him, but from what he has already accomplished, it is safe to say
that greater successes await him, and that in whatever field his work
may call him, he will ever be loyal to what he considers the best inter-
ests of his section and his people. As a lawyer, who has been in active
practice for a little over seven years, he has proved to be worthy of
the admiration that is accorded to him generally. He is a keen thinker,
a clever speaker, and is honest and straight-forward in his methods. Is
it any wonder that he is fast winning the trust of a large circle of
men, and that he has recently been elected to the office of judge of the
city court .'

Col. Wade Hampton Lasseter was born on a farm near Hawkins-
ville, in Pulaski county, Georgia, the date of his birth being July 16,
1 875. He was the son of Isaac S. and Martha (Ham) Lasseter. His
father was a native of Twiggs county, and his mother was born in
Dooly county, both counties of Georgia. His grandfather on his
father's side was a native of North Carolina, who had emigrated to
Georgia while still a young man. His maternal grandfather was a
native Georgian. The father of Wade Hampton Lasseter was a private



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 781

in the Eighteenth Georgia Infantry during the Civil war, and served
through the long struggle between the states. Both he and his wife
are living, and though they are past their prime they are still vigor-
ous, and deeply interested in the affairs of the day. It is a matter of
no small pride to them to see the way in which their son has won suc-
cess for himself. Colonel Lasseter has several brothers, including Ed
S., who is a resident of Cordele; S. L. ; and II. S., who is a planter in
Dooly county.

Colonel Lasseter only spent six months of his life on the farm where
he was born, for his parents soon moved to Dooly county. There his
father bought a farm near Vienna, and here the boy grew to man-
hood. He was naturally a leader among his young friends and was
known for his ability along argumentative lines. He seemed to have
that gift which seems peculiarly the property of the Southern man, that
of oratory. There is no more popular course offered in Southern colleges
today than that in public speaking, and witness how difficult it is to
persuade students in Northern universities to take such a course. It
was evident from an early day that he was destined for the court room.
He remained on the farm until he was twenty-two years of age and then
he was sent to Emory College, at Oxford, Georgia, His preliminary
education had been received in the country schools, and since his prep-
aration was not very good he had to work unusually hard while in col- '
lege. This did not prevent him, however, from becoming very popular
with his fellows, and he entered heartily into the activities of his student
life. He was graduated from Emory in 1901, and thence went to Mer-
cer University, at Mercer, Georgia. He spent three years here, com-
pleting his work in 1904. With a regretful sigh that his student days
were over, he now settled down to practice in Vienna. He soon became
known as a lawyer who knew his business and in a comparatively short
time he had a flourishing practice. He was elected in June of 1911
to the position which he now holds, that of judge of the city court,
Having so fine an education himself, and believing that it is the duty
of every well educated man to enlist in the cause of education, he
has been a prominent member of the county board of education since
1907. He has done everything in his power to bring the schools of the
county into as good condition as possible, but the task is a difficult one,
for the people in the South are just waking up to the crying need for
educational facilities all over the country.

Colonel Lasseter is active in fraternal circles, having had many
opportunities to observe the practical working of the theoretical prin-
ciples of the various orders. He is a Mason, being a Royal Arch
Mason. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias and to the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, and is also a member of the Benevolent Pro-
tective Order of Elks. Both he and his wife are regular attendants
at the Methodist church in Vienna.

Colonel Lasseter was married on November 1, 1903, to Miss Eva
Penney. They have two children. Their son Bill is seven years old,
and the baby of two is named Mollie.

Col. James Oglethorpe Varnedoe. Few Georgians have had
careers of more varied activity than the present postmaster of Valdosta,
Colonel Varnedoe. A veteran of two wars, a teacher, merchant and
public official, he has long been one of the prominent citizens of south-
ern Georgia and represents one of the oldest families of the state.

He was born at the Varnedoe summer home in Mcintosh county
of this state on June 24. 1842. His grandfather, Nathaniel Varnedoe,
a native of South Carolina, on coming to Georgia settled in Liberty



782 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

county, where he began his career as a planter and acquired large
landed interests and many slaves. He was a cultured, prosperous
Southern planter. Many of his summers were spent at Saratoga
Springs, New Fork, at that time the most fashionable resort in America.
Aside from this recreation afforded him by reason of his considerable
wealth, he lived quietly most of his time in Liberty county and died
there, aged about sixty-four. The maiden name of his first wife, the
grandmother of the colonel, was Jones, and she was a sister of Moses
and Samuel Jones. She passed away at middle age, leaving four sons
and five daughters named as follows: Samuel Me Whir, Nathaniel I.,
Leander L., Rufus A., Sarah, Louisa, Matilda, Claudia, and Anna.
By his second marriage the grandfather had one daughter, Mary Ellen,
and one son, who died aged eight or nine years, and whose name was
Stockton.

Prof. Samuel McWhir Varnedoe, the first of the sons named above
and the father of Colonel Varnedoe, was born on the Liberty county
plantation in 1818, and was graduated with second honors from the
state university, then known as Franklin College. He became one of
the successful and inspiring teachers of Ids native state and also took
an active interest in the politics of the time. In 1855 he was candidate
of the American party for congress from the district, that then em-
braced the greater part of south Georgia, being defeated by Mr. Seward
of Thomasville. For some years prior to the war he was prosperously
engaged in farming, having two plantations in Liberty comity. With
the overturn of the labor facilities by the war, he gave up the full
operation of his lands and came to Valdosta, where he founded the
Valdosta Institute, which, under his management until his death in
1870, was one of the fine and influential schools of Georgia, in which
many men of the present generation received their training for honora-
ble careers. Professor Varnedoe married Miss Caroline Fraser Law,
who was born in Liberty county, a daughter of Samuel Law. She died
at the age of seventy-six, the mother of five children, namely: Matilda
Law, James Oglethorpe, Charles Carroll, Sarah Louise and Samuel
LaMartine.

The education of James Oglethorpe Varnedoe was completed by
graduation from the Oglethorpe University, and almost immediately
he was ushered into the strenuous activities of war. Enlisting in 1861
in the Liberty county troop, attached to the Fifth Georgia Cavalry
under Col. George R. Anderson, he was for a time in the coast defense,
and later was sent to the western army under the command of Gen.
Joe Wheeler, one of the conspicuous southern cavalrymen. In the
campaign against Sherman's invasion he participated in some of its
most notable battles. A short time before the close of hostilities he
came home to get a fresh horse, and had gone as far as South Carolina
on his way to rejoin his command when the news of Lee's surrender
was received. At Macon he was paroled by the federal Gen. -lames
Wilson. ,

A I'ler Four years of military life he resumed civil pursuits in the
capacity of a teacher, in charge of a school in Decatur county six
months, after which he returned to Liberty county and farmed two
years, taugb.1 a year in Brooks county, and assisted his father at the
institute a year. He then became agent for the Southern Express
Company and was located at Valdosla. resigning that work to become
clerk and book-keeper for W. 11. BriggS, a prominent Valdosta mer-
chant, with whom he remained ten years. At the end of that time he
himself became proprietor of a general store in Valdosta. In 1890
he organized the Valdosta Mercantile Company as a wholesale dry goods
house, one of the successful mercantile firms of south Georgia.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 783

In 1890 he became actively identified with the Georgia militia as
captain of the Valdosta Videttes, and was promoted through the grades'
of captain, major, lieutenant colonel, to colonel. With the rank of
major at the time of the breaking out of the Spanish-American war in
1898, he was appointed chief of the commissary department in the
volunteer army. It is an interesting coincidence that on his entering
the service he reported to Gen. J. H. Wilson, the federal leader to
whom more than thirty years before he had surrendered at the close
of the Civil war. He was assigned to General Wilson 's staff, with which
he served in Porto Rico until the troops were withdrawn from that
island, and was then transfei-red to the staff of General Bates in Cuba.
In 1899, at the close of his service, Colonel Varnedoe returned to Val-
dosta and resumed his regular business until President Roosevelt ap-
pointed him to the postmastership. He was reappointed by President
Taft, and has given a very efficient administration of this local federal
office.

Colonel Varnedoe was married in 1864 to Miss Harriet Louise
Busby, a native of Liberty county. Her death occurred in 1897. The
present Mrs. Varnedoe was Miss Anna Elizabeth Rogers, a native of
Macon and daughter of William and Delia Rogers. Mrs. Varnedoe is
one of the talented Georgia women, known for her artistic accomplish-
ments throughout the state. After her graduation from the Wesleyan
Female College at Macon she studied art in Boston and later in France,
some of her work having received the recognition most desired by
artists, reception in the Paris Salon. She is the author of the paint-
ing of Gen. John B. Gordon, executed for the state of Georgia. Colonel
Varnedoe by his first marriage has three children — Sarah Louise, David
Comfort and Hallie Lois. Sarah is the wife of Judge John Cranford,
and has four children — James Varnedoe, Hallie, Ora Lee and Sarah.
David C. married Wenona Jones, and they are the parents of two
children — Wyenelle and Virginia. Colonel Varnedoe is a member and
ruling elder in the Presbyterian church.

William Breckinridge Conoley. Twenty years ago Mr. Conoley
was getting $25 a month as a "woods superintendent" in the turpentine
industry of Georgia. His name is now associated as an official or
stockholder in half a dozen or more of the important business and
industrial enterprises of south Georgia. He had the ability and indus-
try required by the modern world of affairs, and has been rewarded
with prosperity and influence. Mr. Conoley is one of the prominent
citizens of Valdosta, where he has resided since 1903.

William Breckinridge Conoley was born in Robeson county, North
Carolina, on February 17. 1866. His family and its connections were
prominent in that state from an early period. The great-grandfather
Conoley, a native of Ireland, crossed the Atlantic and settled in Robe-
son county, North Carolina, buying land in the south part of the county,
where he farmed until his death, and was buried on the homestead.
A slab of light wood, inscribed with his name and date of death, marks
his last resting place. Two brothers came with "him to America, and
they settled in New York.

William Conoley, son of this pioneer and grandfather of the Val-
dosta business man. was born in Robeson county early in the last cen-
tury, and remained a lifelong resident and farmer of that vicinity,
his death occurring at the age of about fifty years. He married Annie
Patterson, a native of the same county and of pure Scotch ancestry,
being a descendant of the Campbells of Scotland. She survived her
husband, attaining the good old age of about eighty. Her six children



784 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

were named John Alexander Patterson, James, Scott, Sidney, Ann and
Sarah.

John Alexander Patterson Conoley, the father, had an interesting
career. Born in Rohesou county, North Carolina, January 26, 1834,
he was reared on a farm and at the time of his marriage bought a tract
of unimproved land and built a log house with a clay floor and a dirt
and stick chimney with large fireplace — this being the home in which
he began wedded life and in which some of his children were born. His
career as fanner was interrupted by the war, in which he made a fine
record as soldier and officer. July 22, 1861, he enlisted in Company D
of the Second North Carolina Cavalry, which was attached to Gen.
J. E. B. Stuart's famous cavalry corps in the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia. His own service included many of the most important battles and
campaigns of the war — Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, the Wilderness
and many of the encounters and struggles about Richmond and Peters-
burg, being at the latter place when the mine was exploded. At one
time he was knocked senseless by the concussion of a shell, and his
comrades, thinking him dead, threw him into a pit, where he lay face
upward in a pool of water until regaining consciousness, and then
returned to his company. He was also once captured, but was soon
exchanged. Enlisting as a private he was promoted by merit and faith-
ful service through the different grades to major. At the end of the
war he resumed farming for three years, was then in the turpentine
industry four years, after which he returned to the quiet pursuits of
the farm, and continued so until his death on October 25, 1904.

' Major Conoley married Sarah Curry, who still resides on the old
homestead in North Carolina. She was born in Robeson county, July
22, 1836. Her grandfather was Edward Curry, a native of Scotland,
who afterwards immigrated to America and bought land near Lumber
Bridge in Robeson county, where he spent the rest of his days, his
body now resting in the Lumber Bridge churchyard. In Scotland
he had been a distiller of brandy, and Robert Burns, as a revenue offi-
cer, had once raided his premises and cut his still in two pieces. He
had it repaired and brought it to America with him. After his death
his son, the father of Mrs. Conoley, had the still stored in a corn erib.
He was often importuned to sell it, but always refused. About 1840
someone entered the crib, took the still and left ten dollars in payment.
For many years nothing was known of its whereabouts, until 1905,
when it was captured in a raid by U. S. revenue officers in Cumber-
land county and taken to Raleigh. Its peculiar construction attracted
attention, descriptions were published in the press, and it was con-
clusively identified as the same which had been brought over by Edward
Curry about a. century before. Malcomb Curry, father of Mrs. Conoley,
was a native and lifelong resident of Robeson county, where he died
at. the age of seventy-eight. He was a blacksmith and farmer, and had
a shop on his farm. He married Catherine McNinch, of Scotch ances-
try and a native of Robeson county. Sarah (Curry) Conoley is one
of the venerable women who during early life were trained in the
home industries which have long since passed out of fashion. She
cooked by a fireplace, carded, spun and wove cotton and wool, and
dressed her family in homespun clothes. She reared six children,
whose names were: Catherine Ann Virginia, Charles Hamilton. Lou-
vinia Robeson. John Lee. William Breckinridge and Alice Vitz Ellen.
Industrious habits were part of the home training for all. and while
the boys did the work of the farm the daughters were learning the
same household arts of spinning and other things which their mother
had employed. Mr. Conoley has two sisters. Jeanette and Catherine.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 785

In this way the early years of William B. Conoley were spent upon
the old homestead in North Carolina. At the age of sixteen he first left>
home, spending four months in Georgia, and two years later again came
to this state to remain some eight months. Finally in 1890 he began
his permanent residence in Georgia, beginning work for his brother,
John L., as a "woods superintendent" in the turpentine industry.
In this way he acquired a thorough knowledge of turpentine produc-
tion, and in 1894 engaged in the business for himself in Colquitt county.
Mr. Conoley was actively identified with this important line of Georgia
manufacture until 1905, and from his success in this has transferred
his interests and activities to various other important enterprises. In
1903 he moved to Valdosta, where he built his present attractive home.
At the present time Mr. Conoley is owner of extensive farm lands in
Lowndes and Colquitt counties, Georgia, and in Fernando and Pasco
counties, Florida ; is vice-president of the Valdosta & Moultrie Railroad
Company ; vice-president of the Valdosta Power & Light Company ;
a director in the Valdosta Bank & Trust Company ; is stockholder in
the Jacksonville Development Company and the Southern Drug &
Manufacturing Company of Jacksonville, Florida, and a stockholder
in the Valdosta Times Publishing Company ; in the Citizens Bank of '
Moultrie and of the Valdosta Realty Company.

Mr. Conoley was married on December 20, 1893, to Miss Clara Alline
Spivey, who was born in Lowndes county, a daughter of J. Benton and
Adella Spivey. Clara A., "William B., Jr., and Clyde Elizabeth are
the names of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Conolev. The first,
Clara A., was born January 26, 1895, and died July 29, 1899. Mr.
Conoley and his daughter are members of the Presbyterian church,
while his wife belongs to the Missionary Baptist. Mr. Conoley is an
active Mason, having membership in St. Johns Lodge, F. & A. M.,
Valdosta Chapter, R. A. M., Malta Commandery, No. 16, K. T., and
the Alee Temple of the Mystic Shrine.

John A. Neese. One finds occupying the position of judge of the
city court of Eastman, Georgia, a man who is worthy of the trust
implied when he was appointed to this position. John A. Neese is a
man who has scarcely reached his prime, yet has proved to be not only
a clever lawyer but a broad minded citizen. Gifted with a natural
eloquence, and with a logical and clear method of expression, his suc-
cess is not to be wondered at. He is especially interested in educational
affairs, believing that the South is more greatly in need of good schools
than of anything at present. He is a native of the state of Georgia,
and has grown up within her boundaries, and no man is more loyal to
her interests or more interested in her future than is John A. Neese.

The maternal grandfather of Judge Neese, John A. Brown, was a
veteran of the civil war, having participated in all of the campaigns,
from Chattanooga to Dalton. The war proved fatal to him, for he
died at home from sickness contracted during his years as a soldier.
The father of Judge Neese was John Wesley Neese, a Methodist minis-
ter belonging to the North Georgia conference. He was born in 1840,
and died on December 9, 1884. His wife was Sarah Elizabeth Brown,
who was born in 1850, a native of Hart county, Georgia, and is still
living.

Judge Neese was born on June 24, 1866, in Hart county, Georgia.
He received his education in the district schools of North Georgia, his
education being somewhat fragmentary, because of the frequent moves
necessitated by the demands of his father's profession. He early in
life determined to become a lawyer, and soon after leaving school, began



786 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

to read law with J. F. L. Bond, of Danielsville, Georgia. He was
admitted to the bar in 1894, at Danielsville, the county seat of Madi-
son county. He opened his first office at Carnesville, Georgia, where
he soon had a flourishing practice. He determined, after having prac-
ticed long enough to have added the lessons which experience teaches
to those learned from his law books, that he was ready to attempt a
larger field, and so in 1906 moved to Eastman. In 1910, on December
25th, lie was appointed by Governor Brown as judge of the city court
of Eastman, and has filled this rather difficult position to the satisfac-
tion of both lawyers and citizens not of the profession.

Judge Neese was married on December 25, 1888, to Ella Tucker,
a daughter of C. C. Tucker, of Hart county, Georgia, who was a promi-
nent farmer in that section. Judge and Mrs. Neese are the parents of
three children. The eldest of these, Wesley Loviek, was born on Feb-
ruary 14, 1900, and is now employed by the government in the post-
office department of Milledgeville, Georgia. Blanche, who was born on
February 14, 1901, is living at home. Two of the children died in
infancy, and the youngest, Donald, was born on February 14, 1902.
The father of Mrs. Neese was a soldier in the Civil war.

From 1895 to 1902 Judge Neese was county school commissioner
of Franklin county. He resigned from this post, but was immediately
elected a member of the board of education of Franklin county, which
post he resigned when he came to Eastman to live. In January, 1912,
he was elected member of the city board of education for a four year
term. Throughout these years of public service he won a reputation
for progressive action which he has never lost. He is a member of
the Masonic order, and belongs to the blue lodge. Both he and his
wife are earnest members and workers in the Methodist Episcopal
church.

Judge James Bishop, Sr. The life of Judge James Bishop, Sr.,
has been intimately connected with the growth and development of
Eastman, Georgia, and the surrounding country. Having lived all of
his life in this section, he has taken an active interest in its prosperity
and has had a hand in some of the most beneficial enterprises in the
county. He is one of the men who is helping the South to win back the
prosperity which was hers before the war swept away everything. Peo-
ple say, "It is Northern capital that is bringing wealth to the South."
It is often true, and the South is grateful, but she is returning them
fourfold the money which they are spending in her mines and cotton
fields and mills; and it is to such men as James Bishop that the South
turns her loving eyes, knowing that when he invests money he does it.
thinking of the good it will bring to the country, and not purely of the
money it will put in his pocket. He belongs to that class of men who
favors inviting and welcoming capital and intelligence to his city, and
to the county expert tillers of the ground, on whom the multiplied mil-
lions of earth are dependent for their bread and meat. He is in full
sympathy and accord with every movement that tends to encourage and
foster agricultural advancement, which he considers the most important
avocation under the sun, and the only safe and sure vocation that keeps
the nation alive and prosperous. ^Ir. Bishop believes firmly in the prin-
ciples of brotherhood as set forth in the creed of the Masonic Order.
He is a charter member of the Eastman lodge, and is a Royal Arch
Mason, having been initiated, passed and raised to the sublime degree
of a Master Mason in Mount Hope lodge. No. 9. F. & A. M.. Hawkins-
ville, Georgia, in the twenty-second year of his age, and a few years
afterward he became a member of Constantine Chapter No. 3. Macon,



V




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SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 787

Georgia. He is perhaps among the oldest living members of that fra-
ternity in the state, his Masonic years numbering sixty-two. His po-^
litical creed in his early days was that of an Old Line Whig of the Clay
and Webster type, both of whom he regarded as supreme models of
American statesmanship and patriotism. After the war he identified
himself with southern Democracy and has never since been known to
vote any other than a straight Democratic ticket. During the war
he belonged to the State Troops and was stationed for quite a while
at Camp Rescue, Macon, Ga., on provost duty, and faithfully perform-
ing every other military duty required of him without a murmur.
Before the war Judge Bishop was postmaster at Bishop 's Store and after
the war at Inglewood ; and during the war he was appointed post-
master at Johnston Postoffice established by the Confederate govern-
ment and named by President Davis in honor of his bosom friend, the
lamented General Albert Sidney Johnston, who was killed at the Battle
of Shiloh. All of these offices were located at the same place, on the
very spot of his birthplace. He married Mary E. Guyton, daughter of
Major Moses Guyton, an extensive planter of Laurens county, Georgia,
but a native of South Carolina. Her mother before marriage was Mary
Love, a native Georgian, a sister of Judge Peter E. Love, who was a
member of congress from the second congressional district of Georgia
when the state seceded from the Union. Mrs. Bishop was a lady of
pronounced culture and refinement, with a finished education, which
was primarily received from scholarly private teachers in her father's
family, and afterwards at Charlestown Female Seminary, Massachu-
setts, and at LaGrange, Georgia. She was the instrument of organizing
the first missionary society in Eastman, The Woman's Foreign Mis-
sionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal church, South Georgia
Conference, and was instrumental in organizing many others in differ-
ent counties, being vice president for the district. She also organized a
society known as "The Dorcas Society," which afterwards merged into
"The" Woman's Home Mission Society." She died December 18, 1888,
at their Inglewood home, where she was temporarily residing, but was
buried in Woodlawn cemetery at Eastman. Mr. and Mrs. Bishop had
born to them eight children, three sons and five daughters. The boys
are all dead, the girls are all living. Saxon, the oldest, died at the age
of twenty; Guyton. the youngest, at the age of one; James, Jr., the
second child and son, at the age of fifty. He was happily married to
Miss Minnie Douglas, of Talbotton, Ga., who is still living. He was a
lawyer of marked ability. After graduating with a speaker's place at
old Franklin College, now known as the University of Georgia, he read
law under Colonel Clifford Anderson, former attorney-general, and
was admitted to the bar in his young manhood, and was soon recognized
and classed as one among the best lawyers in his .judicial circuit. His
first legal battle was by appointment of the court in the defense of the
Eastman rioters. This unpleasant duty he reluctantly, though faith-
fully and fearlessly performed, under the most trying circumstances
to his personal feelings. This trial resulted in the hanging of five
negroes from the same scaffold, four men and one woman, a life sent-
ence for nine, and a large number of acquittals. In addition to his
general practice in the courts he was the leading attorney in this ter-
ritory for the Southern Railway Company, and legal adviser and trusted
representative of The William E. Dodge Land & Lumber Company,
the largest concern of its kind in the state. Both of these positions he
held without an effort from the time of his appointment to the day
of his death, under the firm name of DeLacy and Bishop. He was
mayor of Eastman for two years, giving the city the most satisfactory

Vol. 11—17



788 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

and brilliant administration it ever had. He was also judge of the city
court of Eastman under Governor Chandler's administration. He died
February 20, 1908, deeply mourned by a large circle of friends and
acquaintances. Every order and organization of the city paid loving
tribute to his memory, covering his casket with rare and costly flowers.
In his death the city, county and state lost a useful citizen. He was
held in bigh esteem by every one who knew him for his unblemished
character and many virtues. He was emphatically a good man in its
most extensive signification. Of Judge Bishop's five daughters, three
are widows and two are unmarried. Mary, who now lives in Jackson-
ville, Florida, was married to G. F. Harrison, a native Georgian and
farmer. He died May 9, 1907. Carolyn resides in Waynesville, N. C.
Her husband was R. L. Bush, a North Carolinian and turpentine op-
erator. He died April 11, 1898. Estelle, whose home is Orlando,
Florida, was the wife of E. W. Bullock, a native of North Carolina
and a naval stores dealer. He died December 1, 1910. Helen and
Emma, the unmarried daughters, live with their father in Eastman.
Each of Judge Bishop's widowed daughters have one or more grown
sons, all brilliant young men, filling honorable and remunerative posi-
tions. He has twelve living grandchildren and four great grandchil-
dren. The father of Judge James Bishop, Sr., was Simeon Bishop, a
native of New Jersey. He came South when a young man to super-
intend a large lumber business near Darien, Georgia, but later made
his home in the southern part of Pulaski county, where he conducted a
large and lucrative mercantile business. He was a man of excep-
tional business capacity, much loved by his numeous customers, many
of whom almost idolized him for his upright dealings and unbounded
generosity. He died October 15, 1836, in the fortieth year of his age.
Judge Bishop's mother before marriage was Nancy J. Daniel, whose
parents moved from South Carolina to Georgia when she was quite
young. She was a strong-minded woman of great force of character
and determination. She died March 16, 1874, at the age of seventy-
three. Judge James Bishop, Sr., the subject of this sketch, was born
in Pulaski county, December 1, 1829. He was left fatherless when
only seven years old. His mother gave him a liberal education in some
of the best village schools of the state, but for the best part of his moral
and mental training he feels deeply indebted to the Rev. Adam T.
Holmes, a noted school teacher and distinguished Baptist minister and
graduate of Yale College, under whose immediate supervision and tutor-
ship he remained for four successive years. He read law under Judge
A. H. Hansel, and though prepared for admission to the bar, decided
to abandon the law and settle clown on the old plantation where he was
born, preferring the ease and independence of farm life to that of a
profession. Here he remained until the close of the Civil war. when
in common with all Southern slave bolders his entire inheritance was
almost completely wiped out, leaving him only a large body of land, a
few borses and mules, with nothing to feed them on. and no one to look
after them but bimself. Soon after the surrender that part of Pulaski
where his home is situated was cut off to help form the new county
of Dodge, with Eastman as the county site. Judge Bishop, foreseeing
the future possibilities of the new town, moved there while yet in its
infancy and has lived to see it grow, as if by magic, from a mere hamlet
to its present dimensions, with every element of industry, enterprise
and intelligence that constitute a perfect and model city with undi-
minished lustre still in waiting. Judge Bishop was the second mayor
of the town, succeeding General Ira R. Foster, the first incumbent,
under whose administration as clerk of council, he formulated the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 789

original ordinances of the city, most of which are still in force. Within
the last half century Judge Bishop has filled many places of honor and
trust, among which may be mentioned that of merchant, Sunday school
superintendent, jury commissioner, county school commissioner for
twelve consecutive years, editor, express and railroad agent, newspaper
correspondent, bank president and other positions of less responsibility,
but equally important. He was also appointed by the governor of the
state judge of the county court with limited criminal and civil juris-
diction. In every instance he gave perfect and entire satisfaction to
all concerned, voluntarily resigning them one by one as best suited
his convenience and pleasure. Judge Bishop has now retired from
all business activities and will spend his remaining days in Eastman,
the city of his cherished pride, where he has a choice home, plenti-
fully stocked with fruits and flowers, with his dutiful and devoted
daughter, Helen, at the head of the household, giving her life in adding
comforts to her father's declining years.

Peyton L. Wade is one of the men of note in the state of Georgia
today. As a lawyer he has made a brilliant record, early becoming
known not only as a man of splendid attainments in his profession
but as a man who was worthy in every way to uphold the standard of
honor and integrity that the family of which he is a member had
always been noted for. A man was heard to remark the other day
that one must go south in order to find the natural lawyer. If this is
true, then Mr. Wade is a fair example, for he would seem to have been
gifted by nature with those gifts of eloquence, logical reasoning and the
power of persuasion that are of so great value to the successful lawyer.
Adding to natural ability a tendency for hard work and a lasting enthu-
siasm, he has won from fate a fair measure of prosperity and is now in
his prime, reaping the reward of years of hard work and close application.

Peyton L. Wade was born in Screven county, Georgia, on January
9, 1865, the son of Robert M. Wade and Frederica (Washburn) Wade.
Screven county was the birthplace of the father as well as of the son, and
the birth date of the former was March 4, 1840. The Wade family is
an old and well-known family in Savannah and the vicinity, and Robert
Wade added luster to the name. He was educated at the Georgia
Military Institute, at Marietta, Georgia, being graduated from this
institution in 1860. He then took up his medical studies in Savannah
but they speedily came to an end, for the Civil war broke out and the
young would-be physician turned soldier to defend his beloved South-
land. He enlisted in the First Georgia Regulars, and was first lieu-
tenant of the company. Afterwards he served on the staff of Gen.
Frank W. Capers as aide, in the Georgia militia. After the Georgia
militia were disbanded, he served in the Twenty-second Georgia Bat-
tery Artillery as hospital steward, in charge of a field hospital. After
the evacuation of Savannah, was in the quartermaster's department
for a time. He served in Virginia in the active campaigns there at the
beginning, and later, as stated, in connection with militia and hospital
department in the field. The story of the nobility and bravery of the
surgeons and doctors during the Civil war has never been told, and
probably never will be, for their heroism was like the work of the
electricians in a play, carried on behind the scenes, and so easier for-
gotten than the spectacle being presented on the stage. In how many
hearts today lingers the memory of such men as Dr. Wade, who helped
to render bearable the terrible conditions that existed in the hospital
camps. Lieutenant Wade was at the battle of Bentonville, and sur-
rendered with Jos. E. Johnson. When there was no longer any need



790 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

of his services and the war was a closed incident, he attended the
medical department of the University of Maryland at .Baltimore, from
which he was graduated in 1872. He then moved to Athens, Georgia,
and entered the practice of medicine, which he continued up to a short
time before his death, which occurred in December, 1904.

The following notice in an Athens paper was a deserved tribute and
expressed the feeling of the people among whom he lived for a quarter
of a century :

"Dr. R. M. Wade is dead, and with his passing out there is removed
one of the noblest, truest men that ever lived in Athens. We have
known him for many years, and have observed his walk among us. He
had a heart pure as gold and big enough to take in all the suffering
and sorrow around him, and alleviate all the distress and suffering that
came under his notice. Unostentatious, tender and true, he was an
ornament to his profession and to society. He had been a sufferer for
some years with Bright 's disease and succumbed to the ravages of this
fell destroyer on Wednesday at 6 o'clock. He and his good wife have
raised a noble family of sons and daughters, who are ornaments to
society. Their loss is great, because of the extreme tender affection
each held for the other. He was a stanch member of the Methodist
church, and that institution will miss him much. Our deepest sympa-
thies go out to the bereaved in their great loss. ' '

The wife of Dr. Wade was also a member of a very prominent family
in this region, her father being Joseph Washburn, who was president
of the old Savannah Bank for many years prior to the war of 1861,
one of the best known financial institutions in the state at that time.

The schools of Georgia being very poor during the years that
Peyton Wade was growing up, he was educated largely by private
tutors, but the objection that is usually urged against this type of
education, that is of the lack of inspiration through contact with
other children, was needless in his case, for he was one of a large
family, and soon learned the lessons of self-reliance and generosity.
He was the eldest; next in order is Eugene W-. who was born in
1868 and is now living in Galveston, Texas; Edward I., born in 1870.
is a resident of San Francisco, California ; Rosalie lives in Athens.
Georgia, and she was born in 1873 ; Robert M., Jr., who was bom in
1876, also lives in Athens; Macon, Georgia, is the home of Fred H..
who was born in 1878 ; and the youngest, Georgia, is in Athens ; her
birth occurred in 1885. After his elementary education was practically
complete, Peyton L. Wade attended the high school in Atlanta. Geor-
gia, for a year, and then entered the State University of Georgia, from
which he was graduated in 1886 with distinction, fifth in his class of
forty-seven. He spent the next two years in reading law with his uncle.
Ulysses P. Wade, at Sylvania, Georgia, and was admitted to the bar there
in 1888, and returned to Athens, where after practicing Ids profession
for a year, he came to Dublin, Georgia, where he has since remained.

He has never caved to take an active part in politics, as do so many
men of the Legal profession, for he feels that politics have often been
the ruination of a good lawyer. Mr. Wade was married on April 13,
1895, to Gussie K. Black, a daughter of George R. Black, who was
congressman from the Savannah district. Mrs. Wade's grandfather
was Edward J. Black, in his day a distinguished lawyer, who also served
in congress for several terms from the same district represented after-
wards by Ins son, Geo. R. Black. Mr. and Mrs. Wade have one child.
Prederica, who was bora in Dublin, in 1901.

Roger Dyer Flynt. The year 1902 saw Roger Dyer Flynt gradu-
ated from the law department of his alma mater, and the same year



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 791

saw his establishment in practice in the city of Dublin, Georgia, where
he associated himself in a partnership with L. R. Milton, under the'
firm name of Flynt & Milton.

Born on August 2, 1881, at Union Point, Greene county, Georgia,
Roger Dyer Flynt is the son of William T. and Lilla (Moore) Flynt,
The father was born on October 5, 1850, and the mother on May 26,
1856; she died the day before Easter Sunday, 1912. William T. Flynt
is still living and enjoying life in the freedom from care in his declin-
ing years. They were natives of Taliaferro and Greene counties, respect-
ively, and the father, who was a farmer during many years of his life,
is now postmaster at Sharon, Georgia, He is a man of prominence
in his section of the state, and served two terms in the state senate in
the years 1890-91 and 1896-97. His service was for the nineteenth
senatorial district, comprising the counties of Taliaferro, Warren and
Greene. He now resides in Taliaferro county, which has always been
his home, and where their son, the subject of this review, lived until he
was twenty years of age.

Roger D. Flynt attended the country schools of his home com-
munity as a boy, later was entered at the Stephens high school at Craw-
fordville, Georgia, the same having been named for Alexander H.
Stephens, and his old home being still used for the home of the teachers.
In Mercer University, at Macon, Georgia, he studied law, and was duly
graduated in 1902. Almost immediately thereafter he came to Dublin
and formed a partnership with Mr. Milton, as previously stated, but
their association continued only a short time. The next combination
of which he was a member was that of Williams, Flynt & Blackshier.
In 1905 Mr. Flynt withdrew from the firm and went to Crawfordville,
where he edited the Advocate, Democratic, for a year, during 1906. His
next entry into the law was at Dallas, Georgia, in partnership with
a Mr. Whitworth. In that city he also did considerable newspaper
work, finding himself with a peculiar talent for the work and his services
always in demand, his connection with newspaper business in Dallas
being on the New Era. In 1908 he returned to Dublin, here forming
an association with M. II. Blackshier, which endured for a year, and
he then joined forces with Judge Adams, and later became the partner
of G. H. Williams, with whom he is now connected.

Mr. Flynt is a director of the Carnegie library of Dublin, as well as
secretary and treasurer of the library. He is a member of the Baptist
church. On October 10, 1912, he married Miss Nellie Louise John-
ston, daughter of John G. Johnston, a business man of Dexter, Georgia.
She is a graduate of the state normal school of Athens, Georgia.

Mr. Flynt is one of the seven children of his parents, all of whom
are living. Fitzhugh G, the eldest, is a civil engineer of Nashville,
Tennessee; Albert H. is principal of the school of Carlton, Georgia;
Roger D. was the third born; Max S. lives in Atlanta, Georgia; Roy A.
is assistant civil engineer of the L. & N. R. R. at Pensacola,
Florida ; Mabel and Donald are at home with the parents, and are
students in the public schools. Mr. Flynt 's maternal grandfather.
Dr. W. A. Moore, was a physician who practiced a number of years
at Union Point, Greene county, Georgia, and at Milledgeville, Georgia.

Soloman Herrman. The city of Eastman is proud of her mayor,
and she has a good right to be, for he is one of the most progressive
men in this section of the state and has contributed largely to the suc-
cess of the city and the surrounding country. His success has been
due entirely to his own efforts, for with the exception of a good edu-
cation he started out in life with little to help him in getting a start.



792 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

His business ability, especially along financial lines, is undoubted and
his position as president of one of the most reliable and prosperous
banks in Eastman is a proof of this fact. No measure conducive to
the welfare of the people of Eastman is carried out without the aid
or the leadership of Mr. Herrman, and the people of Eastman showed
their appreciation of his services as well as their confidence in his
sincere efforts to aid in the development of the city, and the cause of
good government, by electing him mayor.

Soloman Herrman was born on August 20, 1859, in Dublin, Georgia.
His parents, both natives of Germany, were Henry and Henrietta
(Goodman) Herrman. The father emigrated from Bavaria, which
was also the mother's native province, in 1849. He located in New
York, where he married his wife, and where they resided for a short
time. They came to Georgia about 1852, and located in Dublin, where
Mr. Herrman went into the mercantile business. Soloman Herrman
is the eldest of a family of four, the others being Dr. J. D. Herrman,
Albert Herrman, who is in the insurance business in Eastman, and
Mrs. S. Harris. Henry Herrman died in 1875, aged fifty-three, and
his wife reached the age of sixty-six, dying in 1893.

Soloman Herrman received his earlier education in the schools at
Dublin, Georgia, and his later education in the public schools of New
York City. His parents moved back to this metropolis for the sake
of giving their children a better education than they could secure in
Georgia, and when the}' had completed their studies, the parents moved
back to Georgia. Soloman Herrman entered the business world as a
merchant, the scene of his first efforts being Eastman, though it was
quite a different Eastman from the city today. He first came here
in 1872, when the immense cotton trade which now amounts to about
eighteen thousand bales per year, was only about two hundred. There
was not a brick building in the place, where now there are between
eighty and one hundred. Mr. Herrman has therefore grown up with
the town, and with each step forward that she has made he has risen also.

The biggest feat which Mr. Herrman has accomplished in recent
years is the organization of the Merchants and Farmers Bank. This
bank was founded in 1905, and Mr. Herrman was one of the leading
promoters who stood ready to support the enterprise should it show
signs of failing. However, nothing like that happened, and the bank
was a success from the very beginning. Mr. Herrman was elected vice-
president, and held this position until the bank was organized in 1910
into the First National Hank, when he became president. This bank
is one of the leading financial institutions in this part of the state.
The capital stock is $100,000, and the corporation owns the building
in which the bank is located, it having been built especially for the
purpose.

Mr. Herrman was elected mayor in 1912 to succeed his brother,
Doctor Herrman, who had served as the chief executive of the city
for the two preceding terms. Soloman Herrman is also president of
the Dodge Fertilizer Works, and is the principal owner in this enter-
prise, lie is also deeply interested in agriculture and owns a planta-
tion that supports about one hundred and fifty souls. About twelve
hundred acres of this land is under cultivation, being planted largely
in cotton. He handles about thirty plows, and raises on an average of
three hundred hales of cotton yearly. His deep interest in educa-
tional matters is shown by his membership on the board of education
for the city. He has been an active member of the board for sixteen
years, and the present state of the city schools is due in no small
measure to his efforts.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 793

Mr. Herrman was married on December 7, 1892, to Sophie Bashinski
of Tennille, Washington county, Georgia. She is the daughter of Sam
Bashinski, a merchant of that place. Mr. and Mrs. Herrman have four
children. Joseph was born on February 19, 1895; TheLma's birthday
was July 15, 1898 : September 3, 1900, saw the birth of Julian, and
Jennie Claire was born on August 20, 1905.

Mr. Herrman is a Royal Arch Mason, a charter member of the chap-
ter at Eastman, and a member of the blue lodge, also in Eastman. In
his religious beliefs he is a Hebrew.

John Benjamin Clark, M. D., is one of the best known physicians
m the central part of Georgia, and a man whose efficiency and lofty
purpose entitle him to stand high among the names in the medical pro-
fession. Thoroughly grounded in the elements of medicine at several
eastern schools of high standing he has since increased his knowledge
by the experience gained from his large general practice. Although
he has been an extremely busy man he has yet found time for civic
and social interests and is a prominent and popular man in his locality.

Born in Dodge county, Georgia, March 29, 1869, his parents were
Harlow and Cassie Annie (Miller) Clark. Dodge county, or Mont-
gomery county, as it was called at that time, was also the birthplace
of his father, who first saw the light on February 26, 1845. Mr. Clark,
Sr., who is still living, ran away from home when he was fourteen years
of age to enter the army, enlisting under Col. Alfred H. Colquist in
Wheeler's Brigade. Many times during the war he proved himself
a hero, and even after the surrender was in a battle below Atlanta.
Dr. Clark's mother was born near Mt. Vernon, Montgomery county,
September 19, 1846. The subject of this sketch was one of five children,
four of whom, Symanthy T., Mary F. and Cassie G. are still living.
His one brother, Bartlett Hamilton, died in March, 1905, just five
days before he was to have been graduated from the law school of the
University of Virginia.

Dr. Clark received his primary education in the public schools of
Dodge county, and from them was sent to Dahlonega Agriculture
College, where he took both the preparatory and college courses. He
received his A. B. degree with the class of 1891. Most of his medical
work was taken at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Baltimore,
Maryland; he supplemented the teaching he received there, however,
by attending at the same time the lectures at Johns Hopkins University.
After receiving his M. D. he at once started practice in Eastman, where
his merits as a physician and his personal integrity soon attracted to
him a substantial clientele. Dr. Clark has found opportunity among
the many demands on his time for a participation in social affairs, and
is a Royal Arch Mason and a Shriner K. T., holding membership in
the Macon lodge. He is also a substantial landowner, owning the title
deed to fourteen hundred acres of land, of which eleven hundred are
under cultivation, and bearing sufficiently to support as tenants seventy-
two people.

His wife, Annie M. Clark, is the daughter of Robert Harwell of
Mechlinburg, Virginia, and is a graduate of St. Mary's Female Sem-
inary of Maryland. They have had three children, Frederick Harlow,
born in 1895 ; Alma May, born in 1898, and Mary Campbell, born in
1907. Frederick is at present a student at College Park, Atlanta.

Joseph Daniel Wilson. An active and prosperous merchant, a
whole-souled and pleasant gentleman, and a progressive citizen,
Joseph Daniel Wilson of Quitman has contributed his full share in



794 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

promoting the best interests of this section of Brooks county. A son
of Jeremiah Wilson, Jr., he was born November 12, 1862, on the
parental homestead in Brooks county. Georgia, four miles from Quit-
man.

His grandfather, Jeremiah Wilson, Sr., was born in Ireland. He
lived for a while in Effingham county. Georgia, from there coming to
the southern part of the state, and locating in that part of Lowndes
county that is now included within the limits of Brooks county. The
country roundabout was then heavily timbered, with only here and
there an open place in which stood the cabin of the pioneer. Game
of all kinds filled the forests, and the Indians, which still claimed
this land as their happy hunting ground, made frequent raids upon
the whites, ofttimes massacring many of the newcomers. The grand-
father was a member of a company formed for defense against the
hostile savages, and for services which he rendered in various Indian
warfares was granted two lots of land. The tracts which he selected for
his own were in that part of Lowndes county now included in Brooks
county, one lying six miles north of Quitman, and the other four
miles to the northwest. He located on the latter tract, the removal from
Walton county being made with teams, the only mode of transportation
in those early days, before railroads Avere dreamed of. Clearing a
space, he erected a log house, splitting puncheon for the floors, and
riving shakes for the roofs. He was a well educated man. and did
much of the surveying of public lands. In 1858 he surveyed and
platted the town of Quitman. A successful agriculturist, be carried
on general farming with the help of slaves, continuing to reside on
his farm until his death at the age of seventy-two years. His wife,
whose maiden name was Betty Lucas, survived him a brief time.

The only son in a family of seven children, Jeremiah Wilson. Jr.,
was five years old when he came with his parents to Brooks county.
Succeeding to the occupation in which be was reared, and inheriting
the parental homestead, he carried on general farming throughout
his active career, being assisted by slaves until they were freed. He
was quite prosperous in his undertakings, and operated his land until
bis death, in 1891.

Jeremiah Wilson, Jr., married Delilah Robinson, who was born in
Wayne county. Georgia, in 1829, a daughter of James Robinson. Her
grandfather. Frederick Robinson, was born either in England, or in
North Carolina, of English parents. He fought bravely for independ-
ence in the Revolutionary war, assisting the colonists in their heroic
struggle. About 1818 he migrated to Georgia, becoming one of the
early settlers of Wayne county. Purchasing land on the west side of
the Altamaha river, be began the improvement of a farm, and was
there a resident until his death. He married Jane Thomas, who was
born in North Carolina, and died in Wayne county, Georgia.

One of a family of six children, James Robinson was born in Robin-
son county. North Carolina, and came with the family to Georgia as
a youth. When ready to establish a household of his own, he bought
land at Fort Harrington. Wayne county, and began life as a tiller of
the soil. Moving with bis wife and their three children to Lowndes
county in 1834, he purchased land situated but two miles from Throop-
ville. then the county seat, making the removal with teams of bis own,
they being not carriages, but carts drawn by oxen or horses. In 1836
he disposed of that farm, moving to the west part of the county, in
the part now included in Brooks county. Purchasing a tract of land
lying one mile west of Okapileo creek, Mr. Robinson erected a log
house, and began the pioneer task of redeeming a farm from the forest.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 795

People of this part of the Union then lived in a very primitive manner,
there being neither railways in the state, and no convenient markets
near. All cooking was done at the fireplace, there being no stoves, and
all materials for clothing was carded, spun and woven at home, every
housewife being proficient as a weaver and spinner, and also as a dress-
maker and tailor.

The maiden name of the wife of James Robinson was Sarah Gibson.
She was born in Wayne county, Georgia, where her father, Jack Gibson,
was an early settler, and the owner of a large rice plantation which
he operated with slave labor. Mrs. Delilah (Robinson) Wilson sur-
vived her husband but a short time, dying May 20, 1892. Thirteen chil-
dren blessed their union, as follows: Sally; Betty; Jeremiah, the third;
James, Prank; Alice; Henry; Janie ; Joseph D., the subject of this
sketch; Mary; Robert E. L. ; Lillie; and Thomas Jackson.

Educated in the public schools of Brooks county, Joseph D. Wilson
remained on the home farm until 1885, assisting in its labors. The soil
having no particular attractions for him, he then began his mercantile
career in Quitman, for three years being employed as a clerk. Embark-
ing in business for himself as a haberdasher in 1888, Mr. Wilson has
since built up an extensive and remunerative trade in Quitman and the
sin-rounding country, being liberally patronized by the people, who
have the utmost confidence in him.

In his political affiliation Mr. Wilson is a Democrat, and active in
party ranks. He has filled various offices of trust and responsibility,
for a dozen or more years having been a member of the city council,
and in 1908 having been elected mayor of Quitman. Fraternally he
belongs to Shalto Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and to the Royal
Arcanum.

Mr. Wilson married in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1902, Daisy M.
Justus, a daughter of Edwin Justus. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are con-
sistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Welcome Hope Thomas. Prominent among the active and progres-
sive agriculturists of Brooks county is Welcome Hope Thomas, who owns
and occupies one of the most attractive and desirable farming estates
in the Grooverville district. A native of Florida, he was born, March
5, 1872, at Clear Harbor Water, of Virginian ancestry, his grandfather,
Robinson Thomas, having been a life-long resident of Virginia.

Henry Robinson Thomas, Mr. Thomas's father, was born, reared
and married in Brunswick county, Virginia. His health becoming
impaired, he was ordered South, and spent ten years in Florida, dur-
ing which time he lived in ten different places. Coming to Georgia in
1874, he settled in Quitman, Brooks county, where he was engaged in
business as a merchant until his death, in 1880, while yet in the prime
of life. His wife, whose maiden name was Matilda Catherine Simmons,
was born in Mecklenburg, Virginia, a daughter of John and Jane Sim-
mons, who spent their entire lives in the Old Dominion. She now makes
her home in Brooks county, living with her son AVelcome Hope Thomas.
To her and her husband seven children were born, namely : Sally W.,
Minnie T., Florida V., Maggie M., Welcome Hope, John R.. and Flo-
rence C.

Having completed his studies in the public schools of Quitman, Wel-
come Hope Thomas was there for four years clerk in a general store.
Giving up that position, he settled in the Grooverville district, on the
farm which he now owns and occupies, and for twelve years success-
fully carried on general farming. Returning then to Quitman, Mr.
Thomas embarked in mercantile pursuits, and there continued in busi-



796 SAVANNAH AXD SOUTH GEORGIA

aess unlil 1908. In that year he .again assumed possession of his own
farm, and in its management has met with most gratifying results. He
has now one thousand and fifty acres of land, on which he has made im-
provements of value, his buildings being commodious and convenient,
and pleasantly located. Here he carries on farming and stock raising
in a profitable manner, never being satisfied with less than the best pos-
sible results.

Mr. Thomas married, in 1893, Lorena Groover, a daughter of Clin-
ton D. and Alice (Joiner) Groover, and grand-daughter of James and
Elizabeth (Denmark) Groover. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are the parents
of seven children, namely : Herman R., Allie C., Ernest G., Brantly D..
Welcome Hope, Jr., Clinton D., and Lorena. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are
members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Politically Mr. Thomas is
a Democrat, and fraternally he belongs to the Royal Arcanum, and to
the Knights of Pythias.

William Marshall. One of the colonial Georgia families is rep-
resented by William Marshall, of Hahira, Lowndes county, and the
name has also been closely identified with the development and civic
progress of south Georgia for a great many years.

Mr. Marshall was born in Lowndes county, January 13, 1848, and
was a son of Matthew and grandson of Henry Marshall. Henry Mar-
shall, a native of Georgia and descended from colonial settlers, moved
from the northern part of the state to Irwin county, purchasing land
and settling in a district now included in Berrien county. South Geor-
gia was then a wilderness, most of the land in state ownership, deer,
bear and wolves roamed everywhere through the woods, many of the
Georgia Indians had not yet left and the Florida tribes were still occupy-
ing their aboi-iginal homes. Hunting parties of Indians often caused
alarm, and more than once hostile raids were made from across the
Florida line. A log fort protected every settlement, and there the women
and children took refuge while the men stood guard or went in pursuit
of the red foes. In this vicinity and amid such conditions the grand-
father farmed and raised stock during his active career, and after the
death of his wife spent the last years of a long life in the home of his
son Matthew. His death occurred at the age of ninety-six. His first
wife, the grandmother of William Marshall, was named Sarah McMul-
len, who was of Scotch ancestry. She died young, leaving four chil-
dren. There were also several children by the grandfather's second
marriage.

Matthew Marshall, who was born in this state and was reared in
Irwin county, later came to Lowndes county and bought timbered land
south of the present town of Hahira, where for many years he was
engaged in general farming and stock raising. Railroads did not pene-
trate tli is vicinity for many years after his settlement, and he hauled
his cotton and other products away to market at the nearest Florida
ports. He was one of the successful men of his time, acquired large
landed possessions and much stock, and gave each of his children a good
start in life. Though past military age during the war. in 1864 lie en-
listed in the reserves and went 1o the defense of Atlanta, serving until
the end of the war. escaping either wounds or capture. He then re-
sumed farming and continued it until his death at the age of sixty-
seven.

Matthew Marshall married Iluldah Bradford. A native of Irwin
county, she was a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Griffin) Brad-
lord. Her father afterwards came to Lowndes county, settling seven
miles south of Hahira. where he was engaged in farming until the death



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 797

of his wife, after which he lived at the home of his daughter, Mrs.
Marshall. Huldah (Bradford) Marshall died at the age of sixty-seven.
She reared ten children, whose names were William, Henry, John, Mary,
Frank, George, Matthew, Sarah F., Edward and Huldah.

Though only his early boyhood was passed before the war, William
Marshall remembers when his old home vicinity had not yet emerged
from its pioneer conditions. Cook stoves had not been introduced when
he was a boy, and the housewives still carded and spun and wove, and
his clothing as that of other members of the family was all homespun.
His early traning gave him habits of industry, and he has never lacked
that prosperity which is the reward of progressive effort and ability.
On becoming of age he was given a tract of land which his grandfather
had formerly owned and on which his uncle had built a frame house.
There he was engaged in farming until 1893, at which time he sold out
and bought an orange grove in Sumter county, Florida. He lived there
until the grove was frozen, and was then engaged in truck farming in
Dade county, Florida, until 1906, and after a year's residence in Perry,
that state, he returned to Lowndes county and bought a farm near Ha-
hira. In 1911 he retired from active pursuits, and has since resided in
Hahira.

Though his energies have been devoted to practical business he has
not failed to discharge the duties of good citizenship. In Lowndes and
in Dade county, he has given sixteen years of service in the office of jus-
tice of the peace. In politics he is a Democrat. His father was a char-
ter member of his Masonic lodge, and Mr. Marshall is likewise a charter
member of Hahira Lodge No. 346, F. & A. M., and also became a char-
ter member of the lodge organized at Lauderdale, Florida.

Mr. Marshall was married in 1870 to Miss Elizabeth Powell, who
was born iu Telfair county, this state, a daughter of Alexander and
Elizabeth Powell. Mr. Marshall and wife became the parents of two
sons, Alexander Hitch and John W. The first married Sally Allen.
John W. married Jane A. Bellamv, and has one son named Brandt. Mrs.
Marshall died March 6, 1913.

Willis H. King and John H. King. Well-known and highly re-
spected citizens, as well as prominent and progressive agriculturists of
the Grooverville district, AVillis H. King and John H. King are of pioneer
stock, being sons of the late James King, who spent the major part of his
life in this part of Georgia, and grandsons of Willis King, one of the
very early settlers of that part of Lowndes county that was set off as
Brooks county.

Willis King was born, reared, and married in Edgefield district,
South Carolina. In 1830 he came with his family to what is now
Hickory Head district. Brooks county, Georgia, crossing the interven-
ing country with teams, and bringing all of his worldly possessions.
Southwestern Georgia seemed then one vast forest, the clearing of the
few settlers being few and far between. Wild animals and game of
all kinds roamed at will, while the Indians proved at times so trouble-
some and treacherous that it was necessary to build a fort as a place
of refuge for the women and children when danger was nigh, while
all of the men of the locality banded together to resist the attacks of
the savages. The people of those days lived in a primitive manner, sub-
sisting on the products of their land, game from the forest, or fish
from the streams. There were then no railroads or near-by markets,
all trading being done at the gulf ports in Florida. The land at that
time was nearly all owned by the state, and for sale at prices low
enough to attract much immigration. Acquiring large tracts of tim-



798 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

bered land. Willis King cleared a good farm, and here spent the remain-
der of his life. His wife, whose maiden name was Nancy Williams,
was born in Edgefield district, South Carolina, and 'died in Brooks
county, Georgia, at the age of eighty years, outliving him. She reared
nine children, as follows: Fanny, Mary, Barbara, Mahala, Elizabeth,
David, James. Wilson, and Willis A.

Born in 1823, James King was a lad of seven years when he came
with his parents to Lowndes county, Georgia. As soon as old enough
to wield an axe or a hoe, he began to assist his father in the clearing
and improving of a homestead. On attaining his majority, he bought
of his father land in the Grooverville district, of what is now Brooks
county, erected a small log cabin, splitting puncheon to cover one half
of the earth floor, and for a while there kept bachelor's hall. When
ready to marry, he built a two-story, double log house, and continued
the arduous task of clearing and improving a farm. For several years
he had to team all of his surplus produce to either Tallahassee or New-
port, Florida, the round trip consuming much valuable time. Success-
ful in his undertakings, he bought land at different times, becoming
owner of two thousand acres in one body, besides owning outlying
tracts. He was held in high respect as a man and a citizen, and his
death, which occurred November 16, 1876, was a loss to the community.
He married Catherine Brown, who was born in what is now Brooks
county, Georgia, a daughter of Hezekiah and Eliza (Dixon) Brown,
natives of Alabama. She passed to the higher life in 1881, having sur-
vived him nearly five years. She reared three children, namely : Willis
H., John H., and Nancy. Nancy, now living at Saint James, Louisiana,
is the widow of Thomas Carter, who at his death left her with four chil-
dren, namely : Thomas Carter, of Ocala, Florida ; Julia ; Katherine Mae,
and Mack. During the Civil war James King was detailed to care for the
families of absent soldiers, but was not called out until sent to the
defense of Atlanta.

Willis H. King was born in the Grooverville district, Brooks county.
October 6, 1852, and as a boy and youth received a practical education
in the common branches of study. He resided on the old homestead
with his parents as long as they lived, and at the death of the mother,
in 1881, succeeded to its ownership. He now owns six hundred and fifty
acres of land, located in lots sixty-six, sixty-seven, seventy-two and
twenty-six, and as a general farmer and stock-raiser is carrying on a
successful and profitable business. He has never married, but after
living by himself for many years is now a welcome member of his
brother's household.

John H. King was born on the parental homestead. December 5,
185-1, and like his brother was educated in the district schools, and
taught to work on the home farm. At the time of his marriage he set-
tled on his present farm of five hundred and forty acres, his land being
located in lots number sixty-six. sixty-seven, seventy-two. and seventy-
three. Here he is carrying on general farming with satisfactory pecu-
niary results, making a specialty of raising cattle and hogs.

Mr. J. H. King married, in 1876, Bethiah Elizabeth Williams, who
was born in Fayette county. Georgia, a daughter of Joseph and Sarah
(Rodgers) Williams. Her grandparents. John and Melinda (Welburn)
Williams, were born in Virginia, of Welsh parents. Coming to Georgia.
they located first in Henry county, but subsequently removed to Spauld-
ing county, where the grandmother died, the death of the grandfather
occurring later in Brooks county. Joseph Williams. Mrs. King's father.
enlisted, in 1863, in the Confederate army, and served as a soldier
until the close of the war. A few years later he removed to Texas, set-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 799

tling in Ellis county, where the death of his wife occurred. He after-
wards came back to Georgia to visit, and while here was taken ill and
died. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Rodgers, was born iii
Fayette county, Georgia, where her parents, Abner and Bethiah
(Smith) Rodgers, settled on removing from Warren county, their
birthplace. Bethiah Smith belonged to a family prominent in the his-
tory of Georgia, her mother before marriage having been a Miss Alex-
ander, of Virginia.

Mr. and Mrs. King are the parents of ten children, namely : James,
Willie, John, Joseph, May, Raymond, Turner, Ralph, Katherine, and
Jessie. Mr. and Mrs. King are trustworthy members of the Missionary
Baptist church, and have reared their children in the same religious
faith.

Philip T. McKinnon. Reared to the free and independent occupa-
tion of an agriculturist, Philip T. McKinnon has found his early training
and experience of much value to him in his chosen work, which he is
carrying on with unquestioned success, his farm, pleasantly located in
the Grooverville district, being largely under cultivation, with improve-
ments of a good, practical, and substantial character. He was born, Octo-
ber 19, 1851, in Thomas county, Georgia, a son of Angus B. McKinnon.

His grandfather, Peter McKinnon, a Scotchman by birth, was but an
infant when left motherless, and very soon after he was brought to
America by his father, who settled in North Carolina, where he again
married, and reared a family. Brought up in his new home, Peter Mc-
Kinnon began his active career as a North Carolina farmer, operating
his land with slave labor. Late in life he migrated to South Georgia,
bringing with him his family, live stock, and slaves, and locating in
Thomas county, where he spent the remainder of his days.

One of a family of seven children, three sons and four daughters,
Angus B. McKinnon was born in Rockingham county, North Carolina,
where he acquired a good education for his times. Adopting a profes-
sion, he taught school as a. young man in southwest Georgia for a few
terms, and was so impressed with the future possibilities of this section
of the country that he went back to his old home and induced his father
and the family to return with him to this state. He bought land in
Thomas county, which was then on the frontier, wild beasts and game
of kinds abounding in the dense forests, which the Indians still claimed
as their hunting grounds. Energetic and enterprising, he bought several
different tracts of land in Thomas county, each of which, after he had
partly improved it, and had erected a fair set of buildings, he sold at
an advance. At the outbreak of the war between the states, he was too
old for military duty, but during the last year of the conflict he joined
the Georgia Reserves, a corps made up of boys and old men. and went to
the relief of Atlanta. For a number of years after coming to Georgia to
live, he taught school a part of each year, devoting the remainder of time
to the care of his land. Disposing of his Thomas county land in 1866, he
moved to Brooks county, where his death occurred when but sixty-five
years of age.

Angus B. McKinnon was twice married. He married first Nancy
McMullen, who died in early life, leaving him with two children, William
and Patrick, both of whom served in the Confederate army, Patrick los-
ing his life while in service. He married for his second wife Lucina
Deakle, who was born in Emanuel county. Georgia, a daughter
of Thomas and Wealthy (Cannon) Deakle. pioneers of Thomas county,
where they settled when she was a child of four years. At her death she
left several children, namely: Thomas P.. Wealthy Ann, Duncan B.,
Philip T., Leon, Daniel J., and Henry Clay.



800 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

As a boy and youth Philip T. McKinnon attended the district schools,
and on the family homestead acquired an excellent knowledge of the art
of farming. Taking unto himself a wife, he left home, ,and bought land
in Dixie district, and for four yeai's was busily employed in improving
his property. Selling out then, he bought another tract in the same dis-
trict, where he lived another four years. Coming then to the Groover-
ville district, Mr. McKinnon purchased the farm which he now owns and
occupies, and has since devoted his time and attention to general farming
and stock-raising, pleasant and profitable branches of agriculture. His
farm contains two hundred and eighty-six acres of land, on which he
has made improvements of note, including a comfortable and conven-
iently arranged set of buildings, which are well located on high ground.

Mr. McKinnon married, October 6, 1875, Julia D. Beasley, who was
born in Thomas county, Georgia, a daughter of James and Sarah A.
(Ramsey) Beasley, and sister of David A. Beasley, in whose sketch, which
appears elsewhere in this volume, further parental and ancestral history
may be found. Into the home of Mr. and Mrs. McKinnon five children
have made their advent, namely : James A., Ellis L., Sally E., Annie L.,
and Ida May. James married Rosa Groover, and they have three chil-
dren, Esther, Ruth, and Ander. Ellis L. married Lois Rountree. Sally,
wife of Felix Jarrett, has two children, Farris L. and Edna. Annie is
the wife of Frank Groover. Politically Mr. McKinnon is an adherent of
the Democratic party, and religiously both he and his wife belong to the
Missionary Baptist Church.

Zadoc Washington Howell. In recording the names and careers
of those families which have been most prominently identified with the
material prosperity and social and civic affairs of south Georgia, con-
siderable space must be given to the Howells and their connections, for
they were almost at the forefront of the era of development in this part
of the state, and the individual representatives of the family have never
failed to give good accounts of themselves in all the responsibilities of
life. One of the best known of them is Zadoc \Y. Howell, who for many
years has been one of the large land proprietors and influential citizens
of the Boston district in Thomas county.

He was born in the Glasgow district of Thomas county, September 8,
1849, that date itself being an early one in this history of this vicinity.
This branch of the Howell family originally resided in North Carolina,
the grandparents, so far as can be ascertained, having been lifelong resi-
dents at Snow Hills in that state. Barney Howell, the father of Mr. Z.
W. Howell, with three brothers, Caswell, Payton and Turner, came to
Georgia some time in the early forties and all settled in Thomas county.
This migration was made in the fashion of the time, and several weeks
were required for the wagons containing the goods of the party to be
hauled along the long road into Southern Georgia. Thomasville was then
a hamlet with only one store, and all the surrounding region little better
than an unbroken wilderness, with wild game in abundance and Indians
still numerous and protesting against their removal from these hunting
grounds. For a time after his arrival here Barney Howell, who was then
a young man, was mail carrier between this neighborhood and Monticello,
Florida, making the horseback journey with great regularity and going
via Troupville, which was then the county seat of Lowndes county. He
later bought a tract of land, heavily timbered, in what is now the
Glasgow district of Thomas county, and erected the log house in which
he and his bride commenced housekeeping and in which their son Zadoc
W. was born. During this period and for a long time afterward the
absence of railroads compelled the planters to take their produce to dis-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 801

tant markets, and the father hauled his to Tallahassee. On the return
trip he brought back such supplies as could not be produced at home
and such as were then considered among the prime necessities of inv
port — salt, coffee and sugar. There was but little traffic at the time in
dry goods, since the women of the household carded, spun and wove the
cotton and wool into the cloth with which all were then dressed. After
a residence for some years on the Glasgow tract the father sold and
then bought in the Boston district, where he lived until his death at
the age of about seventy.

Barney Howell married Smitty Ann Mooring, who was also born
near Wilmington, North Carolina, her father, Henry Mooring, and wife,
having spent all their lives in North Carolina. Mrs. Barney Howell
survived her husband by a few years. She reared six children, named
as follows : Virginia Caroline, Zadoc W., Rebecca Ann, Lizzie, Mary
and Robert.

Zadoc W. Howell spent his early years on his father's farm and
there acquired the training and experience which served him well
when he began his own independent career. After his marriage, which
occurred when he was nineteen, he settled on a place of one hundred
acres which his father-in-law had bestowed upon the young couple, and
this was the nucleus of the large farm which he still owns and occupies.
As a farmer he was successful from the start, and from time to time
has added to his estate until it comprised sixteen hundred acres, one of
the best farm properties in the county. In addition to his regular pur-
suits he has for the past twenty-five years conducted a farm commissary.
He has identified himself with the Farmers Alliance and the Grange,
and he and his family are members of the Missionary Baptist church.

In 1868 Mr. Howell laid the foundation of his own home and his
prosperous career by his marriage to Miss Minerva Cone, who was born
on the 3d of April, 1848, in Thomas county, with which vicinity her
family have been identified from the time of earliest settlement. Her
grandparents, Joseph and Mary Cone, settled in Camden county, Geor-
gia, towards the close of the eighteenth century, and from there came to
Thomas county, where they spent the rest of their lives. James Cone,
father of Mrs. Howell, was born in Camden county in 1800 and was a
young man when he located in Thomas county. He bought land near
Barwieh, where he lived some years, and then bought an estate in lot
273 of the Boston district. He was a resident of Thomas county until
his death at the good old age of eighty-seven. He married Rachel Lovett,
who was born in Twiggs county in 1815. Her parents, James and Katie
Lovett, came to that part of Irwin county, now Thomas county, in 1825,
locating near the present site of Barwieh, where they improved a farm
and spent the rest of their days. Rachel (Lovett) Cone died in her
ninetieth year. She reared nine children, whose names were Rachel,
James, Francis Marion, Melissa, Minerva (Mrs. Howell), Mary V.,
Margian A., Walton and Warren.

Of the two children of Mr. and Mrs. Howell, James, the only son,
died at the age of twenty-three. Their daughter, Emma Magnolia, is
the wife of Augustus C. Milligan, who was a son of Edward A. and
Lorena (Jones) Milligan (see sketch of Edward C. Milligan). The
grandchildren of Mr. and Mrs. Howell by the marriage of their daugh-
ter are named James A., Troy Alabama, Myrtle Magnolia, Charlie Mae
and Ocie Calloway Milligan.

David A. Beasley. A native-born citizen of Brooks county, and
one of the foremost agriculturists of Grooverville district, David A.
Beasley, whose birth occurred June 8, 1858, has spent the larger part



802 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

of his life in this county, and since attaining manhood has been conspicu-
ously identified with its farming interests, being an extensive land-
holder and a skillful and successful tiller of the soil.

His grandfather, Thomas Beasley, was twice married, the maiden
name of his second wife, Mr. Beasley 's grandmother, having been Polly
Brinson. Nothing whatever is known as to the birthplace of him, or of
his wives, but they all spent their last years in Bulloch county. Five
of his children by his second marriage, James, the father of David A.,
Moses, Annie, Rebecca, and Hannah, migrated from Bulloch county to
South Georgia, coming in their own conveyance, which was a horse
and cart, bringing their household goods and provisions with them and
camping by the way. They located in that part of Thomas county now
included within the boundaries of Brooks county, being among the
earliest settlers of that place. South Georgia was then one vast wild-
erness, with here and there an opening in which the log cabin of the
brave pioneer might be seen, and the land roundabout was for sale at
a very low price. Wild game of all kinds was plentiful, and fish
abounded in the streams, the skilful hunter and angler being thus
enabled to furnish his table with plenty of fish, flesh and fowl.

James Beasley, the father of David A., was born in Bulloch county.
Georgia, January 14, 1804. Coming with his brother and sisters to
Brooks county, he bought a timbered tract on Piscola creek, and erected
the customary log house of the pioneer. There were no railroads here
for many years after he became a resident of the county, and when he
began raising produce to sell he had to team it to either Tallahassee or
Newport, Florida, being usually accompanied on such trips by some of
his neighbors, many of whom, perhaps, lived a dozen miles away, these
farmers taking along provisions and camping on the way. traveling
together both as a matter of safety and of pleasure. In the meantime
the women were equally as busy with pioneer tasks as the men, spending
their leisure minutes in carding, spinning, weaving, and making the
garments worn by the entire family, and doing all of their cooking by
the open fireplace. In those days there was but little money in cir-
culation, and they needed but little, their wants being but few. After
clearing a part of his land, James Beasley sold out, and for five years
resided in Thomas county. Returning then to Brooks county, he was
here a resident until his death in the eighty-first year of his age.

James Beasley married Sarah A. Ramsey, who was born in North
Carolina, a daughter of William Ramsey, and granddaughter of Mat-
thew Ramsey, who emigrated from England to America in colonial
times and fought in the Revolutionary war. William Ramsey was three
times married. He married for his second wife Nancy Strahan, a sis-
ter of his first wife, and she was the mother of his daughter, Sarah A.
Ramsey. Mrs. Sarah A. Ramsey survived her husband, passing away
at the age of eighty-two years. Fifteen children blessed their union,
namely: William T. ; Marzell. deceased: Eli, deceased: James, deceased;
Elizabeth, deceased; Eliza; Rebecca, deceased: Adam: Frank: Laura:
Lovina ; Thomas; Leonora; Julia: and David A. Four of the sons,
William T.. Eli. James and Adam served in the Confederate army.
•lames being killed in battle, and Eli dying while in service.

David A. Beasley was reared and educated in Brooks county, and
the days of his childhood and youth were not days of idleness. He began
when young to assist on the farm, and has since continued in his early
occupation, his long and varied experience in this industry making him
an authority on agricultural matters. Mr. Beasley is now the owner
of one thousand acres of land in the Crooverville district, where he is



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 803

carrying on a remunerative business in general farming, including the
raising of cattle and hogs.

Mr. Beasley has never married, but he is fortunate in having three'
of his sisters, Laura, Lovina, and Leonora, to preside over his house-
hold. He and his sisters are all members of the Missionary Baptist
church, while their parents were both members of the Primitive Bap-
tist church.

Thomas Beasley. A well-known and highly respected citizen of
Grooverville district, and one of its industrious and prosperous farmers,
Thomas Beasley is a worthy representative of an honored pioneer, who
dauntlessly pushed his way into an uncultivated country, coming to
Brooks county as a young man, and leaving behind him a record for
steadiness of purpose and persistent industry of which his descend-
ants may well be proud. He was born September 6, 1852, in Brooks
county, being the twelfth child in succession of birth of the fifteen
children born of the union of James and Sarah A. (Ramsey) Beasley.
An extended account of his parents may be found elsewhere in this
volume in connection with the sketch of David A. Beasley, Mr. Beasley 's
brother.

Growing to manhood on the homestead, Thomas Beasley attended the
district schools whenever opportunity offered, and until twenty-six
years of age remained with his parents, the latter part of the time
managing the home farm. Starting life for himself, he bought 135
acres of land, which are now included in his present farm. Sixty-five
acres had been previously cleared, but no other improvements had been
made. He has since erected a good set of buildings, and has invested
his surplus cash in other lands, having now 380 acres of land, all in
the Grooverville district. Here Mr. Beasley is successfully engaged in
agricultural pursuits, in addition to carrying on general farming, mak-
ing a specialty of raising cattle and hogs, a profitable industry.

Mr. Beasley married, in 1878 Alice Wilson. She was born in Brooks
county, Georgia, a daughter of Jeremiah and Delilah (Robinson) Wil-
son, of whom a brief history may be found on another page of this
work, in connection with the sketch of Joseph D. Wilson. Three chil-
dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Beasley, namely : Alba, Thomas
Hugh, and Carrie P. Alba married Joe F. Williams, and they have
three children living, Paul, Will, and Ray. They lost Joseph W. and
Olin W. Mr. and Mrs. Beasley are members of the Msisionary Bap-
tist church.

Redding Groover Ramsey. A prosperous and progressive farmer
of Grooverville district, Brooks county, Redding Groover Ramsey comes
on both sides of the house of substantial pioneer stock, and is a native,
and to the "manner born," his birth having occurred on the farm
where he now resides, March 6, 1865, he being the youngest child of
the late Owen Ramsey.

His grandfather, William Ramsey, was born, reared, and married
in North Carolina. Migrating with his family to south Georgia in
1829, he brought his family and all of his worldly possessions with him,
making the trip with ox teams, and being six weeks on the way, a
part of his course being marked by blazed trees. Locating in the south-
ern section of Thomas county, he bought a tract of heavily timbered
land, erected a log cabin, and began to clear a farm from the forest,
which was then inhabited by wild beasts and dusky savages. Indus-
trious and ambitious, he subsequently bought other land in that vicinity,
and was there a resident until his death, at the age of four score years.

Vol. 11—18



804 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

He was twice married, by his first wife having one daughter, Sally
Ramsey. He married for his second wife Dorcas Bevin. a native of
North Carolina, and to them ten children were born, as follows: Will-
iam H, Dorcas B., Richard, Ezekiel, Eliza, Elizabeth, Thomas. Owen,
Julia and Henry.

But seven years old when brought by his parents to Georgia, Owen
Ramsey grew to manhood on the parental homestead, and in tender
years began to assist his father in his pioneer work of eliminating a
farm from the wilderness. Marrying at the age of twenty-three years,
he built a small log cabin on land which his father had given him, and
in that humble abode he and his bride began housekeeping, she per-
forming her full share of labor, including the carding, spinning and
weaving of fine linens and homespun goods. There being no railroads
in those days, he used to team all of his extra produce to the gulf
ports of Florida. After clearing a part of the land, he sold, and
bought again in the same neighborhood. Coming to Brooks county in
1861, he came on to the farm on which his son Redding Groover is now
living. It was then in its virgin wildness, but, nothing daunted, he
built a small frame house in the woods, and began the improvement
of a farm. A part of this farm was given to them by Mrs. Ramsey's
father. His work, however, was laid aside when war between the
states was declared, he enlisting in the Confederate army for service,
and continuing with his regiment until his death, which occurred in
Milledgeville, Georgia, in the fall of 1864.

The maiden name of the wife of Owen Ramsey was Martha Groover.
She was a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Denmark) Groover, and
a sister of Dr. James I. Groover, in whose sketch, which may be found
on another page of this volume further history of her family may be
found. She is still living, and can look back with pride and pleasure
upon the work which she has accomplished. Left a widow with ten
children, the oldest a boy of sixteen summers, she assumed the manage-
ment of the home farm, continuing the improvements already begun,
and wisely reared and educated her children, keeping them together
until able to care for themselves, each one being now well established
in life. There were seven boys and three girls in her family, as fol-
lows: James W., Thomas C, Columbus, Eliza J., Lizzie, Clayton H.,
Washington W., Owen L.. Mat-tie J., and Redding G.

As soon as old enough Redding Groover Ramsey, who has always
lived with his mother, began to superintend the work of the farm,
and has greatly improved both the land and the buildings, which now
bear comparison with any in the neighborhood.

Mr. Ramsey married, June 30, 1909, Maggie Harrell, who was born
in Brooks county, Georgia, a daughter of Samuel and Laura (Albrit-
ton) Harrell, of whom a brief account is given elsewhere in this work,
in connection with the sketch of M. J. Harrell. Mr. Ramsey is a mem-
ber of the Methodist Episcopal church South, while his wife is a Baptist.
Mr. Ramsey's mother is a member of the Missionary Baptist church, but
his father was prominently identified with the Methodist Episcopal
church, South, and for many years served as superintendent of its
Sunday school.

Ansel B. Cone, who for many years has been identified with the
useful and honorable activities of Thomas county, and who is now liv-
ing retired in Boston after a successful career as farmer and business
man, was born in the Boston district of Thomas county on the 25th of
May. 1846. The Cone family and its connections have been promi-
nently identified with this portion of Georgia since pioneer times.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 805

His grandfather, Joseph Cone, after many years' residence in Bul-
loch county, became one of the early settlers of Thomas county, locating,
on Ancilla creek in what is now the Boston district, where he bought
timbered land and improved a farm. There he resided until his death,
and his great-granddaughter and her children now occupy the home-
stead. Joseph Cone married a Miss Stewart, whose parents came to
America from their native Scotland, but after a residence of a few
years on this side the Atlantic returned to Scotland, leaving some of
their children here. The five children of Joseph Cone and wife were :
James, John, Joseph, Matilda and Susan.

John Cone, father of Ansel B., was born in Bulloch county the 19th
of April, 1806, and soon after his marriage there came to Thomas county.
Here his father gave him land on Ancilla creek, on which he first erected
a log cabin and later a substantial hewed-log house, in which his son
Ansel and other children were born. For many years after the settle-
ment of the Cone family, this part of Georgia had few improvements.
Thomasville was a hamlet, with a log courthouse. Before the railroad
era John Cone hauled his produce to St. Marks in Florida, this market
journey requiring several days, and afterwards Tallahassee became the
nearer market. He owned a number of slaves and was one of the pros-
perous men of this county. His death occurred on July 23, 1869. He
married Civility Walker, who was born April 7, 1809, a daughter of
Isham and Civility Walker, who were born respectively on April 7,
1769, and September 24, 1777, and who spent their last years in Bulloch
county. Civility (AValker) Cone died on November 12. 1889, and her
twelve children were named as follows: Isham W., William A., Eliza-
beth S., Joseph J., James F., Aaron P., Annie C, John D., Ansel B.,
Margaret S., Henry F. and King S. Six of these sons served in the
Confederate army, James giving his life to the southern cause, and few
southern families were better represented in the war by practical ser-
vice than the Cones.

At *the age of eighteen, in 1864, Ansel B. Cone likewise offered his
services to the southern government. He enlisted in Company F of
the Fifty-seventh Georgia, known as the "Dixie Boys," and was with
the regiment in all the battles from Dalton to Atlanta, afterwards went
with Hood 's army in Tennessee, and at the close of the war surrendered
at Greensboro, North Carolina. Following his return home he attended
school for a while. After his father's death he assumed the manage-
ment of the home farm until he was ready to embark upon his inde-
pendent career. He then bought one hundred and eighty-four acres at
ten dollars an acre, this tract adjoining the old homestead. His agri-
cultural enterprise prospered from the start, and to his original place
he added until his farm comprised five hundred acres. He gave his
active supervision to this estate until 1887, but in December of that
year established a warehouse in Boston, where he has since had his
residence. After being in business fourteen years he retired, his atten-
tion having since been directed in a general way to his farm and to
the management of his town real estate.

Mr. Cone is affiliated with Horeb Lodge No. 281, F. & A. M. ;
with J. M. Rushin Chapter. R. A. M., and for the past seventeen years
has been commander of the Boston camp of the Woodmen of the World.

December 28, 1869, Mr. Cone married Miss Laura P. Johns. She
was born in Bradford county. Florida, a daughter of Archibald Johns,
who was an early settler of Bradford county, and had formerly been
a resident of Bulloch county, this state. Mrs. Cone died on the 21st
of November, 1870. leaving an infant daughter. Laura. Mr. Cone's
second marriage occurred in February, 1872, when Mary J. Barrow,



806 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

daughtt r of Joshua X. and Emeline (Ramsey) Barrow, became bis wife.
Mr. and I\Irs. Cone are members of the Missionary Baptist church.
Mr. Cone's only child, Laura, is now deceased. She married John J.
Paramore and reared two children, named Dubel Ansel and Geneva
Amanda. The grandson, Dubel A. Paramore, married Maude Norton,
and they are the parents of two daughters, Laura Louise and an infant.
Geneva Amanda married Mims Groover, and they have one daughter,
Pearl E. Thus Mr. Cone is the great-grandfather of three.

Thomas J. Hight. Among Thomas county citizens few have been
more popularly known than Thomas J. Hight, who for a number of
years rendered the county efficient service in the office of sheriff and has
been a resident of the county for many years, now living retired at
Boston.

Mr. Hight was born on a farm in Barbour county, Alabama, August
29, 1852. His father, Felix Franklin Hight, was born in Talbot county,
Georgia, in 1817. The grandfather was Howell Hight, a native of Scot-
land, where the name was spelled McHight. At an early age Howell
Hight, being left an orphan, made his way to America with a family
named Cole, who settled in Georgia, and after his arrival here he
simplified his name to its present form. He was reared to habits of
industry, and after growing to manhood commenced a successful career
as farmer in Talbot county, this state, where he acquired a large farm,
having a number of slaves to operate it, and where he resided until his
death. He reared a large family of children.

Felix Franklin Hight, the father, when a young man moved to
Alabama, where he was an overseer on the plantation of Reuben E.
Brown in Tallapoosa county. Later he bought land in Barbour county
and conducted it with the aid of slave labor. In 1862 he joined the
cavalry forces under General Joe Wheeler, and under that gallant
leader participated in many of the hard-fought battles of the. war. At
its close he resumed farming and the raising of cattle, horses and hogs.
He sold his farm in Bai'bour county in 1868 and bought a farm near
Troy, in Pike county, where he lived until 1874, in which year he sold
out and moved to Texas, where he bought a large tract of land and
was engaged in farming and stock raising until his death in 1887. He
was three times married. His first wife was Jane Padget. who died
leaving two children, Robert Howell and Martha J. He married, second,
Delilah Stuart, who was born in Barbour county, a daughter of Thomas
and Jane (Lee) Stuart, and she died in 1862, leaving eight children,
namely : Thomas J., Lorana Jane, Elizabeth, Josephine. John Alexan-
der, Louise, Felix Franklin and Nathaniel W. His third wife was
Elizabeth Stuart, a twin sister of his second wife. At her death in
1885 she left one daughter, named Roberta May. Robert Howell, the
oldest son, enlisted at the first call for troops in Alabama in the First
Alabama Regiment, and after serving the term of twelve months and
being discharged, immediately re-enlisted in Company I of the Third
Alabama Infantry. The regiment was in the Army of the Tennessee,
under Generals Bragg. Johnston and Hood, in the battles of the Atlanta
campaign, was with Hood about Nashville, and finally went to North
Carolina. After the surrender at Greensboro he returned home.

Thomas .1. Hight was reared and educated in his native state and
remained on the farm until the age of twenty, when he became clerk
in a store iii Coffee county, Alabama, continuing at that one year. Then
for two years he was employed at sawmilling in that state, and after a
year spenl in fanning in Pike county came to Georgia and was a farmer
in Boston districl seven years. His next experience was as baggage



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 807

master on what is now the Coast Line Railway, his run being from Way-
cross to Chattahoochee, Florida. Ill health compelled him to give up
this occupation after a year, and he located at Boston. For fourteen
years he served as the town marshal, after which for two years he was
in railroad construction work. Mr. Hight was then chosen by the"
voter's of Thomas county to the important office of sheriff, and he dis-
charged the functions of that position eight years. Since leaving office
he has lived retired in Boston.

At the age of twenty Mr. Hight was married to Mrs. Laura (Rem-
bert) Dekel. She was a daughter of Caleb Rembert, Jr., and grand-
daughter of Caleb Rembert, Sr., the latter having been an extensive
planter with an estate about twenty-five miles from Charleston, South
Carolina. Mrs. Hight 's first husband was Mathew Dekel. Mr. and
Mrs. Hight have reared four children, Beulah, Sarah Elizabeth, Mar-
garet L. and Thomas W. Beulah, who married Sterling Kingsley, died
leaving two children, George Thomas and Georgie Louise, who now live
with their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Hight. Sarah Elizabeth mar-
ried J. B. Daniel, and has five children, named Emmett W., Annie L.,
Sarah, Hight and Emily. Margaret L. is the wife of R. Jones and has
two children, William W. and Margaret C. Thomas W. married Minnie
Jones and they are the parents of one son, Thomas W., Jr. Mi'. Hight
and wife are members of the Methodist church, South ; he is a
Democrat in politics and is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World.

Edward Coke Milligan. None of the residents of the Boston district
in Thomas county are better known or more closely associated with the
varied activities of this vicinity than Mr. Edward Coke Milligan, mer-
chant and farmer of Boston.

Mr. Milligan, who represents the sturdy Scotch-Irish stock was born
in Dale county, Alabama, September 10, 1858. His grandparents were
natives of the North of Ireland, and thence brought their children to
America, first settling in North Carolina and after several years remov-
ing to Alabama, where they settled in Pike county, bought land and
engaged in farming, and spent the rest of their days there. The grand-
father was very proficient in the use of tools and did all his own
building.

Edward Alexander Milligan, the father of the Boston merchant,
was one of a large family of children, was born in the North of Ireland
and was still young when the family crossed the Atlantic. Reared in
Alabama at a time when free schools had not yet come into existence,
he nevertheless made use of every opportunity and acquired a profi-
ciency which enabled him when still in his 'teens to teach school. He
thus earned the money with which to advance his education and prep-
aration for a higher career. He took up the study of law, was admitted
to the bar, and gained considerable success in the law at Newton, in
Dale county, Alabama. He also bought a farm and combined legal
practice with the pursuits of agriculture, operating his land with the
aid of slave labor. In 1862 enlisting in an Alabama regiment, he
served with his command in many of the important battles of the war.
After the close of hostilities he returned home and resumed practice
and farming. In 1877, having sold his Alabama interests, he came to
Thomas county, Georgia, and in order to give his sons the benefit of
farm life and training bought land in the Boston district. Here he was
engaged in the active direction of his farm for ten years, and then
removed to Moultrie, where he bought town property and farm lands
in the vicinity, and as a resident of Moultrie continued farming and
stock raising until his death, which occurred at the age of eighty-one



808 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

years. The late Mr. Milligan married Lorena Jane Jones, who was a
native of Oglethorpe county. Her father, Moses Jones, it is thought
was also born in Oglethorpe county, where he spent many years as a
farmer, and he afterward moved to Dale county. Alabama, where he
continued the same occupation. He was a natural mechanic and built
his own houses and farm wagons. He married a Miss Matthews, and
she died in Oglethorpe county, and he spent his last years in Dale
county. Mrs. Lorena Milligan, the mother, died at the age of sixty-five,
and her children were named as follows : Edward Coke, Augustus
Charles, John Calhoun, Mattie D., "William Moses and Allie Cumy.

Edward C. Milligan was reared and educated in his native state of
Alabama, but since the age of nineteen has been a resident of Thomas
county. Three years later he began his independent career as a clerk
in a general store at Boston, where during the next eighteen months
he laid the foundation of a solid business experience. He then engaged
in the livery business, and also bought land and practically throughout
his career in business has been identified more or less actively with the
cultivation of the soil. After about ten years in the livery business,
he bought an interest in a cotton warehouse in association with Mr.
A. B. Cone and six years later became sole proprietor of the establish-
ment. In 1907, with a partner, he engaged in merchandising, and since
1910 has owned and conducted the business alone. For several years
he also handled a large trade in fertilizers. Mr. Milligan is now owner
of over four hundred acres in the Boston district, devoted to general
farming, is proprietor of the cotton warehouse, and conducts a store
with a stock that supplies nearly every want on the farm and home.

As one of the prosperous and influential business men of his com-
munity, Mr. Milligan has also performed public-spirited service for his
home town. He is now a member of the council, and has served as
mayor and also as president of the board of education. He affiliates
with Horeb Lodge No. 281, A. F. & M., with the Odd Fellows, and with
Columbia Camp of the Woodmen of the World. He and his Avife are
members of the Missionary Baptist church.

October 25, 1885, Mr. Milligan married Miss Florida Adora Taylor,
who was born in Jefferson county, Florida, a daughter of Dr. Wesley
and Jane (McCoy) Taylor. Mr. and Mrs. Milligan have reared five
children, namely: Ernest Coke, J. Alexander, Jane Orina, Allie May
and Wesley Alexander. Ernest C. married Hester Parker and has one
son named Edward Carlyle.

Ezekiel Ramsey Whaley. The prosperity and enterprise of the
south Georgia agriculturist are well represented in Mr. E. R. Whaley,
who for many years has directed the production of extensive lands in
the Boston district of Thomas county, and is one of the well known
and progressive citizens of that county.

Ezekiel Ramsey Whaley was born in the Boston district of Thomas
county on the 19th of June, 1862, and represents pioneer families in
this section of the state. His grandfather was named Ezekiel Whaley.
who when a young man came from his native England to America, his
brother being his companion on the voyage, and after arriving in this
country joined the Revolutionary army as a lifer in General Washing-
ton's command, with which he served throughout the war. Later he
became a settler in Lenoir county. North Carolina, where he bought land
bordering on the Xeuse river. He married a Miss Jarman. and both
spenl their lasl years in Lenoir county. They were the parents of three
sons and several daughters. One of the sons. John, came to Georgia
and lived in Ilawkinsville, but as his onlv son died unmarried he left no



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 809

descendants. Another son, Evans, settled in Florida and reared a large
family.

Jarman Howell Whaley, the father of Ezekial R., was born in Lenoir 1
county, August 10, 1809, was reared and educated there, and at the age
of twenty-one came to Georgia and spent two years with his brother
John in the central part of the state. He then moved to Thomas county,
where he was one of the early settlers. Previously he had acquired the
trade of clock maker, and was also possessed of considerable musical
talent. So for some years after his location in Thomas county he gave
his service to the community in repairing clocks and in teaching music,
being the pioneer music teacher in this part of the state. After his
marriage he lived two years at Grooverville, and then bought land in
the Boston district. A log cabin was his first home, and with the aid
of his slaves he cleared land for one of the early farms in that district.
With subsequent prosperity he built a log house containing nine rooms,
ceiled inside, making a very comfortable residence. For many years
after his settlement here the country was without railroads, Newport
and Tallahassee, Florida, were the nearest markets, and he hauled his
products to those points. He remained a resident on his farm home
until his death on the 30th of August, 1878. In 1864 he had joined
the Georgia Reserves and participated with them in the defense of
Atlanta.

Jarman H. Whaley married Eliza Ramsey, who was a native of
Bladen county, North Carolina. Her grandfather was Mathew Ramsey,
a native of England, who came to America in colonial times and served
in the Revolution. William Ramsey, her father, was born, reared and
married in North Carolina, and in 1829 came to Georgia, using teams
and wagons to carry all his movable property and family and slaves,
and driving his stock. He was one of the first settlers in what is now
the Boston district of Thomas county. The land which he purchased
was heavily timbered and he built a log house and cleared a farm from
the midst of the wilderness. He was a devout Methodist, the first of
that faith to settle in this vicinity, and he put up a commodious log
building which was used as a church until one was erected in Groover-
ville. His death occurred on his homestead at the age of eighty-four.
He married Dorcas Bivens, who survived him, and they reared a large
family of children, one of whom was Eliza. Ramsey, who became the
wife of Jarman H. Whaley. The latter couple were the parents of eight
children, namely: Julia, Laura, Ida, Ezekiel R., William, Anice, Olive
and Birdie. Julia now makes her home with her brother Ezekiel and
her sister Birdie. Ida married R. C. McMurray, and after her death
her sister Laura became the wife of Mr. McMurray. William is deceased.
Anice, also deceased, married P. P. Joiner. Olive is the wife of Dr. J.
E. Watkins, a sketch of whom is found elsewhere in this work. Birdie
is the wife of I. S. Futch.

Ezekiel R. Whaley received his early education in the common schools
of the home neighborhood. When he was sixteen his father died, and
that event threw the management of the entire home farm upon his
shoulders, a responsibility he discharged with faithful effort, and with
his mother helped to keep the family together until all became inde-
pendent. He has been a successful and enterprising farmer from the
beginning, and finally bought out the interests of the other heirs in the
old homestead, which he continued to occupy until 1909. In that year,
in order to give his children the advantages of the town schools, he
moved to Boston, where he had built a fine large residence, with wide
verandas and all the modern improvements. Mr. Whaley owns about
nine hundred acres of the good farming land about Boston, and is still
engaged in farming and stock raising on an extensive scale.



810 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

April 27, 1892, he married Miss Minnie Clauzelle Williams. Mrs.
Whaley is a native of Eufaula, Alabama. Her grandfather, Zachariah
Williams, spent all his life in the vicinity of Augusta, Georgia, and her
lather, Gazarway Williams, was born there, but when a young man
went to Alabama and became one of the early settlers at Eufaula. With
the aid of his slaves he conducted a large farm there and lived there
until his death. His first wife was a Miss Abererombie, who died leav-
ing several children, and he afterwards married a Miss Lucy Belle
Puryear, who was the mother of four children, namely: Minnie C. (Mrs.
Whaley) ; Waller C. ; Gazarway Davis; and Fay Belle.

The children of Mr. and Mrs. Whaley are Eldred Williams, Clauzelle,
Rebecca, Julia, Mary Louise, Minnie Lee and Waller. Mr. Whaley and
wife are members of the Methodist church South, at Boston, and he
has served the church as steward and also as teacher in the Sunday-
school. In politics he has taken an active interest in the Democratic
party and in public affairs. He was elected county commissioner in
1894, serving until 1899, and was again elected to this office in 1909.
Fraternally, he affiliates with Horeb Lodce No. 281, F. & A. M., and
with J. M. Rushin Chapter No. 23. R. A.^M.

Jason M. Ramsey. Born on the farm which he now owns and occu-
pies, in the Grooverville district, Brooks county, on February 26, 1858,
Jason M. Ramsey has long been an important factor in developing and
promoting the agricultural prosperity of his community, and is held
in high esteem by his neighbors and friends. His father. Richard Ram-
sey, was born in Bladen county, North Carolina, and his grandfather,
William Harvey Ramsey, was born and bred in the same county.

AVhile yet in the prime of a vigoixras manhood William Harvey
Ramsey left his native state, and, accompanied by his family, came to
South Georgia in search of a more advantageous location, the overland
journey made with ox teams consuming several weeks. Settling as a
pioneer in Thomas county, he bought a tract of wild land, and with
the help of the slaves which he brought with him cleared a farm from
the wilderness, and was there employed in tilling the soil during his
remaining days. He was a man of deep religions convictions, and the
first Methodist to settle in what is now Thomas county. The first Metho-
dist Episcopal church of that part of Georgia was the log cabin which
he built, and in it the Methodists for miles around convened until the
erection, several years later, of a church of that denomination in Groover-
ville. He was twice married, by his first wife having one daughter,
Sally Ramsey. He married second. Dorcas Bivin. and to them ten
children were born, as follows: William H., Dorcas B., Richard. Eliza-
beth, Ezekiel, Eliza, Thomas, Owen, Julia, and Henry. All of the sons
served in the Confederate army.

Born March 6, 1822, Richard Ramsey was a small boy when brought
by his parents from North Carolina to Georgia, where he grew to man-
hood, spending his earlier life on the home farm. For a few years after
his marriage he was engaged in farming in the Boston district, of what
is now Thomas county. Selling that property he removed to what is
now Brooks county, buying a farm on the Boston and Grooverville road.
and continued his chosen pursuit. Joining the Georgia Reserve Corps
in 1864, he went to the defense of Atlanta, and served until the close
of the war. Very successful in his agricultural work, he acquired a
large tract of land, erected good buildings, and remained on his well-
managed farm until his death. October 30. 1904. lie married. January
23, 1846. Melvira Move, who was born January 23. 1829. in Screven
county, Georgia, a daughter of Furney Move. Her father, whose birth



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 811

occurred in 1785, was one of the pioneer farmers of Screven county,
from there coining with his family to what is now Brooks county, and
spending his remaining days in the Grooverville district. Thirteen
children were born to Richard Ramsey and his wife, as follows: Ella,
Henry, Mary P., Gardner V., Jason M., Richard R., Annetta, Valeria
P., Novella, Anna D., Homer H., Thomas L., and Evelina G. By his
first wife, whose name was Narcissa Hurd, he had one son, William H.
Ramsey.

Educated in the rural schools of his native district, Jason M. Ramsey
became thoroughly versed in the theory and practice of agriculture when
young, and later took charge of the home farm, and as his parents ad-
vanced in years looked carefully after their welfare. Subsequently pur-
chasing the interests of the remaining heirs in the parental homestead,
he succeeded to its ownership, and has since carried on general farm-
ing and stock raising most successfully, in his operations using modern
methods.

In 1906, Mr. Ramsey married Hattie Louise Watkins, a daughter
of Clark and Sally (Miller) Watkins, and granddaughter of Dr. Baker
Ewing Watkins, of whom a brief account may be found on another page
of this work, in connection with the sketch of Dr. J. E. Watkins. Coming
to Georgia with his father in pioneer days, Clark Watkins lived in Col-
quitt county several years, but in 1886 bought land in the Boston dis-
trict, Thomas county, and was there employed as a tiller of the soil
until his death in 1890. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey are people of much
refinement, upright in principles, and are consistent and active mem-
bers of the Methodist Episcopal church.

John Ewing Watkins, M. I). For twenty years an active physician
in southern Georgia, having a large practice and influential position
as a citizen at Boston, in Thomas county, Dr. Watkins is the third doctor
in as many successive generations of his family. For nearly a century
the profession of medicine has been followed from father to son, and
along with professional success have come honors in citizenship.

Dr. John E. Watkins was born in Colquitt county, Georgia, Decem-
ber 11, 1867. The family at a very early generation, probably about
the time of the Revolutionary war or soon after, emigrated from the
eastern colonies into the then west beyond the Blue Ridge mountains.
From the best information obtainable, Joel Watkins, the great-grand-
father of the doctor, was born in Tennessee, and from that state became
an early settler in Whitley county, Kentucky. He married Martha
Baker, a native of Virginia and a daughter of General Baker, who held
a commission as an officer in the continental forces during the Revolu-
tion.

Hon. Baker Ewing Watkins, M. D., the grandfather, was born in
Whitley county, Kentucky, in 1800, was reared and educated in his
native state, and during his active career combined the professions of
physician and a minister of the gospel for the Methodist church. In
1847, having sold his interests in Kentucky, he moved to Alabama, buy-
ing land in Coosa county and living there until 1859. when he sold out
and came to Georgia. It was in this way that the family, planted in
the west during one generation, was returned to the Atlantic slope dur-
ing another. After two years in Webster county the grandfather bought
a plantation in Terrell county, again selling this in two years, and
finally bought an improved farm in Colquitt county, where he lived in
the quiet pursuits of the country and in the practice of medicine until
his death in 1877. He always took an interest in public affairs, and in
1825 served as a member of the Kentucky legislature. He married Sally



810 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

April 27, 1892, he married Miss Minnie Clauzelle Williams. Mrs.
Whaley is a native of Eufaula, Alabama. Her grandfather, Zachariah
Williams, spent all his life in the vicinity of Augusta, Georgia, and her
father, Gazarway Williams, was born there, but when a young man
went to Alabama and became one of the early settlers at Eufaula. With
the aid of his slaves he conducted a large farm there and lived there
until his death. His first wife was a Miss Abererombie, who died leav-
ing several children, and he afterwards married a Miss Lucy Belle
Puryear, who was the mother of four children, namely: Minnie C. (Mrs.
Whaley) ; Waller C. ; Gazarway Davis; and Fay Belle.

The children of Mr. and Mrs. Whaley are Eldred Williams. Clauzelle,
Rebecca, Julia, Mary Louise, Minnie Lee and Waller. Mr. Whaley and
wife are members of the Methodist church South, at Boston, and he
has served the church as steward and also as teacher in the Sunday-
school. In politics he has taken an active interest in the Democratic
party and in public affairs. He was elected county commissioner in
1894. serving until 1899, and was again elected to this office in 1909.
Fraternally, he affiliates with Horeb Lodae No. 281, F. & A. M., and
with J. M. Rushin Chapter No. 23, R. A.^M.

Jason M. Ramsey. Born on the farm which he now owns and occu-
pies, in the Grooverville district, Brooks county, on February 26, 1858,
Jason M. Ramsey has long been an important factor in developing and
promoting the agricultural prosperity of his community, and is held
in high esteem by his neighbors and friends. His father. Richard Ram-
sey, was born in Bladen county, North Carolina, and his grandfather,
William Harvey Ramsey, was born and bred in the same county.

While yet in the prime of a vigorous manhood William Harvey
Ramsey left his native state, and, accompanied by his family, came to
South Georgia in search of a more advantageous location, the overland
journey made with ox teams eonsiiming several weeks. Settling as a
pioneer in Thomas county, he bought a tract of wild land, and with
the help of the slaves which he brought with him cleared a farm from
the wilderness, and was there employed in tilling the soil during his
remaining days. He was a man of deep religious convictions, and the
first Methodist to settle in what is now Thomas county. The first Metho-
dist Episcopal church of that part of Georgia was the log cabin which
he built, and in it the Methodists for miles around convened until the
erection, several years later, of a church of that denomination in Groover-
ville. He was twice married, by his first wife having one daughter,
Sally Ramsey. He married second, Dorcas Bivin. and to them ten
children were born, as follows: William H, Dorcas B., Richard. Eliza-
beth, Ezekiel, Eliza, Thomas, Owen, Julia, and Henry. All of the sons
served in the Confederate army.

Born March 6, 1822, Richard Ramsey was a small boy when brought
by his parents from North Carolina to Georgia, where he grew to man-
hood, spending his earlier life on the home farm. For a few years after
his marriage he was engaged in farming in the Roston district, of what
is now Thomas county. Selling that property he removed to what is
now Brooks county, buying a farm on the Boston and Grooverville road.
and continued his chosen pursuit. Joining the Georgia Reserve Corps
in 1864. he went to the defense of Atlanta, and served until the close
of the war. Very successful in his agricultural work, he acquired a
large tract of land, erected good buildings, and remained on his well-
managed farm until his death. October 30, 1904. He married. January
23, 1846, Melvira Move, who was born January 23. 1829. in Screven
county, Georgia, a daughter of Pnrney Move. Her father, whose birth



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 811

occurred in 1785, was one of the pioneer farmers of Screven county,
from there coming with his family to what is now Brooks county, and
spending his remaining days in the Grooverville district. Thirteen
children were born to Richard Ramsey and his wife, as follows: Ella,
Henry, Mary P., Gardner V., Jason M., Richard R., Annetta, Valeria
P., Novella, Anna D., Homer H., Thomas L., and Evelina G. By his
first wife, whose name was Narcissa Hurd, he had one son, William H.
Ramsey.

Educated in the rural schools of his native district, Jason M. Ramsey
became thoroughly versed in the theory and practice of agriculture when
young, and later took charge of the home farm, and as his parents ad-
vanced in years looked carefully after their welfare. Subsequently pur-
chasing the interests of the remaining heirs in the parental homestead,
he succeeded to its ownership, and has since carried on general farm-
ing and stock raising most successfully, in his operations using modern
methods.

In 1906, Mr. Ramsey married Hattie Louise Watkins, a daughter
of Clark and Sally (Miller) Watkins, and granddaughter of Dr. Baker
Ewing Watkins, of whom a brief account may be found on another page
of this work, in connection with the sketch of Dr. J. E. Watkins. Coming
to Georgia with his father in pioneer days, Clark Watkins lived in Col-
quitt county several years, but in 1886 bought land in the Boston dis-
trict, Thomas county, and was there employed as a tiller of the soil
until his death in 1890. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey are people of much
refinement, upright in principles, and are consistent and active mem-
bers of the Methodist Episcopal church.

John Ewing Watkins, M. D. For twenty years an active physician
in southern Georgia, having a large practice and influential position
as a citizen at Boston, in Thomas county, Dr. Watkins is the third doctor
in as many successive generations of his family. For nearly a century
the profession of medicine has been followed from father to son, and
along' with professional success have come honors in citizenship.

Dr. John E. Watkins was born in Colquitt county, Georgia, Decem-
ber 11, 1867. The family at a very early generation, probably about
the time of the Revolutionary w T ar or soon after, emigrated from the
eastern colonies into the then west beyond the Blue Ridge mountains.
From the best information obtainable, Joel Watkins, the great-grand-
father of the doctor, was born in Tennessee, and from that state became
an early settler in Whitley county, Kentucky. He married Martha
Baker, a native of Virginia and a daughter of General Baker, who held
a commission as an officer in the continental forces during the Revolu-
tion.

Hon. Baker Ewing Watkins, M. D., the grandfather, was born in
Whitley county, Kentucky, in 1800, was reared and educated in his
native state, and during his active career combined the professions of
physician and a minister of the gospel for the Methodist church. In
1847, having sold his interests in Kentucky, he moved to Alabama, buy-
ing land in Coosa county and living there until 1859, when he sold out
and came to Georgia. It w r as in this way that the family, planted in
the west during one generation, was returned to the Atlantic slope dur-
ing another. After two years in Webster county the grandfather bought
a plantation in Terrell county, again selling this in two years, and
finally bought an improved farm in Colquitt county, where he lived in
the quiet pursuits of the country and in the practice of medicine until
his death in 1877. He always took an interest in public affairs, and in
1825 served as a member of the Kentucky legislature. He married Sally



812 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Berry, who was born in Kentucky and died in middle life, leaving thir-
teen children, whose names were: Willis, Emily, Adaliza, Crittenden,
Elizabeth, Jackson, Virginia, Clark. Gideon, Harrison Lee, Sally, Har-
riet and Ruth.

The father of Dr. John E. was Harrison Lee Watkins, who was born
in Whitley county, Kentucky, September 30, 1840, and was in his nine-
teenth year when the family came to Georgia. About that time he turned
his attention to the study of medicine, but his course of preparation was
interrupted by the outbreak of the war, at which time he entered the
service of the Confederacy as hospital steward and remained until the
end. He was in Atlanta during the siege, but at the fall of the city
made his escape to Columbus. Though not yet a graduate in medicine,
after the war he began practice in Colquitt county, and in 1869 settled
at Tallokas, in Brooks county. He soon afterward entered the Southern
Medical College at Savannah, where he was graduated M. D. with the
class of 1873. Continuing his practice at Tallokas until 1881, he then
returned to Colquitt county, and in 1887 removed to Thomas county,
which remained his home until his death on August 22, 1906.

Dr. Harrison L. Watkins married Frances Miller. She was born in
Sumter county, Georgia, a daughter of William H. and Amanda (Bird-
song) Miller, her father being a native of Talbot county, this state. Her
grandfather, William Miller, was a native of Ireland but of Scotch
ancestry, and on coming to America became a pioneer settler in Talbot
county, where he spent the remainder of his days. He married a Miss
Simmons, who long survived him, dying at the extreme age of ninety-
eight. William H. Miller removed from Talbot county to Sumter county,
where he bought land and was engaged in farming and merchandising
until his death, which occurred in middle life. Amanda Birdsong, his
wife, was a daughter of James and Sally (McCoy) Birdsong, the latter
a native of Upson county. James Birdsong was for many years a
farmer in Talbot county, but removed from there to Alabama, where
he spent the last years of his life. Mrs. Harrison L. Watkins (the
mother) is now residing on the home farm in Thomas county with her
son William Lee and family. The late Harrison L. Watkins was an
influential Democrat, and represented his county in the state legisla-
ture during 1884-85.

During his boyhood John E. Watkins attended school in Brooks
county, and at Boston, and then began his studies for his profession
under the direction of his father and also under Dr. J. T. Culpepper.
He afterward entered Atlanta Medical College, where he was graduated
and received his degree of M. D. in 1891. After a brief practice in
Climax, Decatur county, he came to Brooks county, practicing at Tal-
lokas and Dixie until 1906, since which date he has attended to a grow-
ing business in Boston and vicinity.

Dr. Watkins was married in 1892 to Miss Olive Whaley, who was
born in Thomas county, a daughter of Jarman Howell Whaley. The
doctor and wife are the parents of the following children: Howell Lee,
Frances, Elliott, Elizabeth, Merriam. Gaulden Mcintosh and Olive.
Dr. Watkins and wife are members of the Methodist church South, and
he is a Democrat in politics, and a member of Horeb Lodge No. 281,
F. & A. M., Boston.

Joseph Way Moody, D. D. S. The Moody family and its connec-
tions have been identified with south and southwest Georgia for upwards
of a century, and have furnished a number of men notable for useful
and honorable careers and public-spirited citizenship. As one of the
younger representatives of the name, Joseph Way Moody has gained



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 813

success in his profession at Boston in Thomas county, where he was
born on the 10th of May, 1878.

His grandfather, S. S. Moody, was for nearly twenty years sheriff
of Liberty county, and removed from that county to Savannah, where
he was a cotton broker, and where he died during an epidemic of yellow
fever. He married a member of the well known Georgia family of Bacons.
Her first husband was named Way, and she was the mother of three
children by that marriage, namely : Joseph Way, a graduate in medi-
cine from the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, who afterwards
pursued his studies abroad in Paris, and who for many years was one
of the foremost physicians of southeast Georgia, practicing in Chatham
and Liberty counties ; Moses Way, who devoted himself to the field of
scholarship, became a teacher and later a minister of the Methodist
church ; and Cornelia Way, who married a Mr. Byrd and was a resident
of Thomasville.

Dr. Moody's father was the late Prof. Axson Quarterman Moody
who was born at Hinesville, Liberty county, May 4, 1840, and who died
at his homestead near Boston in Thomas county, April, 1912. His only
brother was William Benjamin Moody, who went away to the war when
a boy and lost his life in one of the battles at Atlanta. The late Pro-
fessor Moody, after fitting for college under the instruction of his half-
brother, Rev. Moses Way, entered the junior class of Chapel Hill Col-
lege of North Carolina and was graduated with first honors. In 1858,
about the time Brooks county was organized, he settled at Grooverville,
and was engaged in teaching until the war. He did a soldier's duty
throughout that great struggle, and at its close located in Thomasville,
where he became connected with the Fletcher Institute. Some years
later removing to Boston, he began his long service as principal of the
Boston Academy. During the quarter of a century in which he was
the active head of that institution he taught and gave the inspiration
of his character to hundreds of youth who have since filled worthy posi-
tions in life. While teaching he bought the interests of the heirs in the
Daniels homestead near Boston, and that was his home until his death.

Professor Moody married Julia Catherine Daniels, who was born on
the Daniels homestead a mile from Boston, and was a daughter of John
and Elizabeth (Taylor) Daniels. Her grandfather, John Daniels, Sr.,
was one of the first settlers of southwest Georgia, locating there not
long after the Florida purchase, when the south Georgia frontier first
began to he settled. He settled in that part of Irwin county that is
now Thomas county. Nearly all the land in this vicinity was still in
state ownership, and could be bought for a price that little more than
covered the cost of execution of the papers. He secured large tracts,
which he did much to develop. He was also prominent in public life,
representing his county in the legislature several times. As a legislator
he journeyed to and from Milledgeville, then the capital, on horseback,
and on one of his return trips brought along two young elm trees, which
he gave to a neighbor. They were planted and are still standing, the
only ones in this section, and interesting relics to the descendants of this
pioneer legislator. He remained a resident of Thomas county until his
death. John Daniels, Jr., father of Dr. Moody's mother, was reared in
Thomas county and at the breaking out of the Civil war enlisted and
died during his service for the southern cause. His widow afterwards
married C. H. Hicks, who is deceased, and she is now living with her
children. Professor Moody and wife reared three children, named
William Benjamin, Joseph W. and Ethel May. The daughter is now
the wife of A. E. Massey, who is superintendent of government contract
work in New Orleans. Benjamin W., a graduate of the Atlanta Medical



814 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

College and the Atlanta School of Pharmacy, now represents the Parke-
Davis Drug Company as city salesman in New Orleans. Professor
Moody was twice married, his first wife having heen Fanny B. Groover,
who died leaving two children. The son L. G., practiced dentistry at
Monticello, Florida, until his death, and the daughter, Fanny Byrd, is
the wife of Samuel D. Groover.

The late Professor Moody was one of the prominent Masons of this
vicinity. He became a member of the Grooverville lodge in 1867, this
lodge having since been moved to Dixie and now known as Dixie lodge.
When Horeb lodge was organized at Boston, he was one of its charter
members. He was also a member of Thomasville chapter of Royal Arch
Masons, was a charter member of J. M. Rushin Commandery of the
Knights Templar, and at the time of his death had been for many years
chairman of the committee on foreign correspondence.

Dr. Joseph W. Moody received his early education in the Boston
public schools, and- after graduation from the high school entered Atlanta
Dental College, where he graduated with the class of 1903. Since that
time he has been actively engaged in practice at his home town of Boston
and has a large patronage. He has also been licensed to practice in
Florida.

He was married February 22, 1905, to Miss Ann Elizabeth Groover,
a daughter of Wiley and Virginia Groover, of Brooks county. One
daughter, Virginia Groover Moody, has been born to their marriage.
The doctor and wife are members of the Missionary Baptist church.

.John G. Burney. One of the progressive and successful merchants
of the town of Boston, in Thomas county. Mr. Burney represents
an old and respected family in this section of the state. He has been
identified with this vicinity since he was born, and got his start and
won an independent position in business through his ability and industry.

John G. Burney was born on a farm four miles north of Boston,
on May 7, 1872. He is descended from the Scotch-Irish stock that so
largely settled and gave character to the Carolinas and Georgia. James
Burney, his great-granfather, was born in North Carolina, and from
that state brought his family into southeast Georgia and become a pio-
neer of Glynn county. After a residence there for some years he moved
to Florida, not long after the cession of that state by Spain, and served
there during the seven years of Indian wars. He spent his last days in
Duval county of that state. The maiden name of his wife was Elizabeth
Freeman.

William Burney, the grandfather, was born and reared and married
in Brunswick county, North Carolina, and after coming to Georgia
bought land on Buffalo creek in Glynn county, where he was engaged in
general farming and resided until his death at the age of seventy-one.
His first wife died soon after coming to Georgia, and he then married
Mrs. Rachel (Hunter) Johnson, who was born in Washington county.
Georgia, and was a widow of John Johnson. She had three children by
her first marriage and eight by the second.

The father of the Boston merchant was William J. Burney. who was
born in Glynn county. January 11. 1832. spent his early life there, and
after his marriage at the age of twenty-one engaged in farming. In
1861 lie volunteered his services to tin- Confederate government, and
was with the Fourth Georgia Cavalry in the coast defense until 1862.
In the latter part of that year he put in a substitute, and after returning
home removed his family, slaves and stock to Thomas county, where he
boughl four hundred and seventy acres in lot 331 of the Boston district.
In 1864. when Sherman invaded the state, he again enlisted, this time in



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 815

the Eleventh Georgia Infantry, and was at the defense of Atlanta and
with the regiment in other service until the close of hostilities. Upon
being paroled he returned to the farm, and has been a resident there
ever since, being at this writing past eighty years of age and one of the
venerable citizens of Thomas county. William J. Burney was married
in 1856 to Miss Rachel Foreman, who was a native of South Carolina
and daughter of Glover and Melinda Foreman. Mrs. Burney died in
1884, leaving nine children, named Frances, Ella, Lula, Claudia, Will-
iam W., John G., Henry L., Alice and Margaret. In 1885 the father
married for his second wife Mrs. Margaret (Anders) Anderson. She
was a native of North Carolina, daughter of Owen and Mary Anders
and the widow of Dr. Richard Anderson. Mr. Burney and his first
wife were members of the Methodist church.

John G. Burney spent his early life on the home farm in Thomas
county, getting a practical education in the common schools, and lived
at home until he was twenty-four. He began his mercantile career as
clerk in the hardware store of F. C. Ivey, at Boston, and by his steady
application to business and ability had acquired an interest in the busi-
ness by 1900, and in 1907 bought out the entire establishment. He car-
ries a large and well selected stock of hardware, cutlery, stoves, har-
ness, farm implements, paints, etc., and supplies a large trade through-
out the vicinity about Boston. His is one of the largest stores in the
Boston trading district, and he also has a commodious warehouse.

October 30, 1907. Mr. Burney married Miss Minnie Elizabeth Ingram.
Mrs. Burney was born at Danville in the blue grass region of Kentucky,
and her parents were D. N. and Emily Ingram. One son, John Glover,
Jr., was born to Mr. and Mrs. Burney on December 10, 1910, and a
daughter, Emily Ingram, born July 9, 1912. Mr. Burney and wife
are members of the Boston Presbyterian church, and he is affiliated
with the Horeb Lodge No. 281, F. & A. M.

Joseph Stebbins Norton. For a period of nearly forty years Mr.
Norton was continuously identified with the business enterprise of Bos-
ton, in Thomas county, and while acquiring ample material prosperity
has also rendered much useful service to his community as a citizen.
He represented old and prominent families in Georgia and South Caro-
lina, and many of his forefathers and relatives were men of mark in
the profession and in business and civic affairs.

Joseph Stebbins Norton was born at Robertsville in the Beaufort
district of South Carolina on the 31st of August, 1851. The founder
of this branch of the Norton family in America was the Rev. Jonathan
Norton, great-grandfather of the Boston business man. A native of
England, he came to America during colonial times, settling at Hilton
Head Island, South Carolina. He was a minister of the Baptist church
and was pastor of the church at St. Helena Island and elsewhere in
South Carolina.

Robert Godfrey Norton, the grandfather, was born at Bluffton in
the Beaufort district, and became a prosperous planter in that vicinity.
He also was honored with places of trust in the community, serving
as sheriff and ordinary of the district for several years, and during
his early life gave service to the united colonies as a revolutionary
soldier. He was a lifelong resident of the Beaufort district. The maiden
name of his wife was Sarah Morse. Her father, Dr. George Morse,
who was throughout his life a resident of Beaufort district, was both a
practicing physician and a minister of the Baptist church. Robert G.
Norton and wife were blessed with long years and they celebrated the
golden anniversary of their wedding day.



816 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Alexander R. Norton, the father, was born on a plantation on the
May river in Beaufort district, September 2, 1812. After his early
training in the common schools he was graduated from, the Charleston
Medical College and later from the Savannah Medical College. His
entire professional career was spent in Robertsville, South Carolina,
where he gave arduous and unselfish service to a large circle of patients
throughout many years. His death occurred at the age of seventy-five.
(War record) Dr. Norton married Julia Elizabeth Greene, who was
born in Screven county, Georgia, in 1817. Her father, John Greene,
was also an active member of the medical profession, was a native
Georgian, and in addition to his practice conducted a large plantation.
It is also noteworthy that he was a pioneer in transportation business
on the Savannah river, owning the first "pole boat" that plied between
Savannah and up-river ports. Both Dr. Greene and wife are buried
in the Buck churchyard on Brier creek, Screven county, near their
old plantation home. Julia (Greene) Norton, the mother, died in her
sixty-fourth year, and her seven children were named as follows : William
B., John G., Robert G. Jr., Alexander C, Mary Eugenia, Susan Tallu-
lah and Joseph S.

Joseph S. Norton, reared in one of the cultured homes of the south,
received a good education, attending school in his native state and in
Savannah, where the family lived during two j*ears of the war. He
began his business career with his brother at Stockton in Clinch county,
and from there came to Boston in 187-1. At that time Boston was a
mere hamlet, and he was one of the first men of commercial enterprise
to locate here, and was an important factor in the subsequent develop-
ment of the town. He opened a store with a stock of general merchan-
dise, and kept building and broadening his trade constantly for nearly
forty years. He was at the head of the Norton Mercantile Company.
For some time also he was engaged in sawmilling, and conducted one of
the good farms in this vicinity.

Mr. Norton was married December 3d, 1874, to Miss Ella May Gro-
venstein. She was born in Effingham county, this state, a daughter
of Benjamin and Emma (Metzger) Grovenstein. Both her parents
were natives of Georgia, and their ancestry goes back to the original
German stock that along with the Scotch-Irish and English composed
the first Georgia colony, the Grovensteins and Metzgers having come
in with the Salzbergers. Mr. and Mrs. Norton became the parents of
ten children, named as follows: Binney A.,. Frederick S., Emma
Augusta, Edward Judson, Bessie May, Hugh Grovenstein, Katie
Eugenia, Josie Maude, Ruby Tallulah and Martha Louise.

Mr. Norton was a member of the Missionary Baptist church, as is
his wife, he having served as clerk of the board. Fraternally he affil-
iated with Horeb Lodge No. 281, F. & A. M.. and J. M. Rushin Chapter,
R. A. M. In politics he was a Democrat, and for a time served as mayor
of his home town of Boston. He died July 9, 1912.

John W. Dukes. Only a few of the Georgian families of today
can trace their ancestry in an authoritative line back to the original
colony planted in this state over a century and a half ago. One repre-
sentative of that period of beginnings in Georgia history is Mr. John
W. Dukes, of the Boston district in Thomas county, who is only three
generations removed from the founding of Georgia. His great-grand-
fa I her came to America with General Oglethorpe, and the Dukes family
were among the very first settlers in Liberty and Tattnall counties.

John W. Dukes, who has spent a long and prosperous career in
south Georgia, was born in what is now the Boston district of Thomas



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 817

county, May 9, 1839. The date and place of his birth also indicate
that the Dukes family, previously identified with the original colony;
of Oglethorpe, was in a subsequent generation likewise connected with
the pioneer development and first settlement of southwest Georgia.
His father, Edward C. Dukes, was born in Liberty county, January,
1810, and after reaching manhood brought his family to Thomas county.
This migration was accomplished with horses and wagons and with
slaves and many cattle. Only a few years before had the Floridas been
transferred to the United States, and the entire southwest frontier of
Georgia was a wilderness. Most of the land was owned by the state and
sold as low as ten dollars per lot of four hundred and ninety acres.
The father bought two lots numbered 330 and 331, built a log cabin
in the forest, and then with his slaves set to work to clear up a farm.
After a few years' residence there he gave one of his lots to a preacher
friend, and moved to what is now the Dry Lake district of Brooks
county. He bought a large tract of land, erected a commodious frame
residence, and lived there until his death on July 17, 1855.

Edward C. Dukes married Nanny Hodges, who was born in Tatt-
nall county, February 6, 1813, a daughter of William Hodges. She
survived her husband and was married a second time, to John Han-
cock. Her death occurred in 1872. The twelve children of Edward A.
and Nanny (Hodges) Dukes were: Martha A., Elizabeth J., Caroline,
John W., George R., Elias C., Julia A., Edward T., Henry C., Millard
F., Florence C. and William B. Of these, John W., George R., Elias
C. and Edward T., were all soldiers for the Confederacy.

John W. Dukes was a child when the family moved to Brooks
county, and was reared and lived at home until the war. In 1861 he
enlisted in Company C of the Sixth Georgia Infantry, and was attached
to Gordon's corps in the army of North Virginia. During the follow-
ing three years he did a soldier's duty in many of the great battles of
the war, including Gettysburg. In 186-1, in ttie terrific struggles at the
Wilderness, he was taken prisoner, was placed in the federal prison at
Elmira, New York, and was not released until the end of the war. He
was then carried as far as Point Lookout in Maryland, and from there
made the best of his way home, walking most of the distance to southern
Georgia.

In the meantime his mother had removed from the home farm, which
he now took charge of and managed for three years. Then at the set-
tlement of the estate, he bought the homestead and continued farming
it for ten years, when he sold. He next bought a tract of timbered land
on Mule creek in the Tallokas district of Brooks county, and after
clearing up part of it traded for a farm and water-power site with a
grist and saw mill on the Ochlochnee river in Thomas county. This
place was exchanged two years later for his present homestead, situated
close to the place on which he was born, and consisting of five hundred
and twenty acres in lots 360 and 361.

In 186*0, Mr. Dukes married Miss Wealthy E. Peacock, of an old
and prominent family in this part of Georgia. She was born in Brooks
county, a daughter of Dr. Howell and Mary (Mitchell) Peacock. Dr.
Howell Peacock, who was a son of Robert and Wealthy (Howell)
Peacock, was for many years a practicing physician, and spent his last
years in Thomas county. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Raines
Mitchell, was a daughter of Col. Thomas Mitchell, a native of Virginia,
who commanded a troop of cavalry during the Revolutionary war (see
sketch of Hon. R, G. Mitchell elsewhere in this work). After a wedded
companionship lasting nearly a half century, Mrs. Dukes passed away
in 1909. She reared two children, Mattie and Edward. The latter has



818 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

always lived at home and lias been associated with his father in farm-
ing. The daughter Mattie is the wife of A. J. McKinnon, and has six
children, Frank L., Clara May, Wealthy E., Lucy A.. .George R. and
Howell E. Mr. Dukes, as was his wife, is a member of the Baptist
church, but their children are all members of the Methodist church.

George W. Howard. Some of the earliest settlers of Thomas county
and vicinity are represented by Mr. George W. Howard, who is himself
somewhat of an old settler, having been born in what is now the Metcalf
district of Thomas county on the 27th of August, 1846. At that time
population was sparse and practically none of the modern improvements
had appeared in the great forest-covered district of southwest Georsria.

This branch of the Howard family on coming from England had
first settled in Maryland, but Mr. Howard's father, William Howard,
was a native of Virginia. At the age of twenty-one he had left home
and entered the employ of Dr. Epps, for whom he made an overland
trip to Florida, taking along his employer's slaves. For several years
he remained in Florida as an overseer of large plantations, and then
came into southwest Georgia and bought two hundred and fifty acres
of land in the present Metcalf district. Only a small clearing had been
made in the midst of the forest which covered his purchase, and he
erected a set of log buildings for shelter to his household and then set
to work to clear the land for a farm. In those days and indeed for a
number of years he marketed his crops in Tallahassee, all transportation
being over the country roads and with wagons and teams. As a tiller
of the soil he became very prosperous, acquired seven hundred and fifty
acres of land and had a number of slaves to make the crops. His death
occurred at the age of seventy-one, being caused by an accident at the
cotton press.

William Howard married Miss Meeky Ferrell. whose family were
likewise early settlers in this part of Georgia. She was born in North
Carolina. Her father, Hutchins Ferrell, also a native of that state.
brought his family and household in wagons and other conveyances to
south Geoi-gia, locating in Metcalf district of Thomas county. There
he bought land and with the aid of his slaves cleared up another farm
from the wilderness, thus adding to the productive area which has made
modern conditions possible. Hutchins Ferrell spent the remainder of
his life in this vicinity. He married Elizabeth Morgan, who survived
his death many years. Mrs. William Howard, who died at the age of
seventy-nine, was the mother of nine children, whose names follow :
Elizabeth, George W., Anna, Jennie, Virginia, Amanda. John F., Thomas
J. and Mary Lee. The father of this family was an old-line Democrat,
and both he and wife were devout Methodists and brought up their
children in the same faith.

During his boyhood spent on the home farm George W. Howard
attended the common schools, and lived at home and assisted in the
work of the farm until he was seventeen years old. Tn November. 186:?.
he offered his services to the Confederate government and became a
soldier in Company D of the Second Florida Cavalry, serving with
that regiment until the close of the war. when he returned home. After
the death of his father he managed the home estate for several years,
and finally bought a part of it from the other heirs, and made his home
there until 1897, He then lived with his brother John until the latter's
death, at which time he located on his present farm two miles west of
Boston. His nephews are associated with him in the ownership of this
place. Mr. Howard is a member of the Methodist church, and in politics
follows (he example of his father.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 819

John David Bozeman. A well known and prosperous agriculturist
of Brooks county, John David Bozeman has for nearly forty years been
successfully engaged in his independent and useful occupation, his '
estate being situated three miles north of Quitman, on the Tallokas road,
and being considered one of the most attractive in the vicinity. He was
born October 26, 1836, in Jefferson county, Florida, a son of David
Bozeman.

His paternal grandfather, Luke Bozeman, was born, it is supposed,
in Maryland, where the name was formerly spelled Boseman, a form
still retained by some members of the family. Migrating southward,
he settled in Twiggs county, Georgia, as a pioneer. Georgia was then
a frontier state, Indians being far more numerous than whites. Pur-
chasing a tract of wild land, he reclaimed a homestead from the forest,
and there spent the remainder of his years. He married Sarah Mann,
who was also a native of Maryland, and to them five sons and three
daughters were born as follows : Elizabeth, Dorothy, David, James, Luke,
William and Eldred.

Born and reared in Twiggs county, Georgia, his birth occurring
February 16, 1794, David Bozeman grew to manhood on the home farm,
for many years assisting in its management. About 1830, accompanied
by his brother-in-law, Solomon Mathews, and by Thomas Mathews, and
their families, he removed to Florida. They made the trip with ox
teams, taking along their household goods and stock, cooking and camp-
ing by the wayside, each night some of the men standing guard against
the raids of Indians. They all located in Jefferson county, being among
the earliest settlers of that place. For many years thereafter there were
no railways in either Georgia or Florida, the people living in a very
primitive style, with few conveniences of any kind. Their first act
almost was to build a stockade or fort of logs, to which the women and
children could flee when the dusky savages started on a raid. Taking
part in the Indian war of 1836, David Bozeman served as first lieuten-
ant of his company.

Soon after locating in Jefferson county, David Bozeman purchased
from the government one hundred and sixty acres of land, and on it
built of round logs the house which the family occupied a few years,
when a substantial frame house was erected in its place. The nearest
markets and trading points were Tallahassee and Port Leon, thirty-five
miles distant, and all surplus productions of the land were hauled there
by ox teams. He, in common with all of the pioneers, labored hard, in
addition to tilling the land tanning the skins and making the shoes for
the family, for several years using coon skins, while his wife did her
cooking by the fireplace, and in addition to her other domestic duties
used to card, spin and weave the material from which she fashioned all
the garments worn by the family. On the farm which he cleared and
improved, he lived until his death, February 16, 1848.

David Bozeman was twice married. He married first Sarah Mann,
who lost her life by accident, having been burned to death. He mar-
ried second, Catherine Barr, who was born in Florida, where her parents
were among the first English speaking settlers. She died at the age of
thirty-five years, while two of her brothers also lived to a very advanced
age, Thomas Barr attaining the age of ninety-six years, and Rodger
Barr living to the age of eighty-seven years. By his first marriage
David Bozeman reared six children, as follows : Elisha Ward ; Caro-
line and Mary Ann, twins; Luke; Elizabeth Mann; and Celia. By his
second marriage he became the father of two children, John David and
Sarah Ann.

When John David Bozeman was six years of age his parents located
vol. n— 19



820 SAVANNAH AXD SOUTH GEORGIA

in the southern part of Jefferson county, about six miles from Monti-
cello, hi those days the wild beasts of the forest had not fled before the
advancing steps of civilization, but, with the red skins, habited the vast
wilderness. He was twelve years old when his father died, and from
that time until nineteen years of age he lived with his oldest brother,
Elisha Ward Bozeman. Beginning the battle of life then on his own
account, he secured a position in a livery stable, receiving in addition
to his board twenty dollars a month wages, the stable being located in
Thomasville. At that time Brooks county had not been formed, the
country roundabout being very thinly settled, and Troupville was then
the county seat of Lowndes county. From 1854 until 1856 Mr. Bozeman
drove a hack from Thomasville to Monticello, Troupville, and other
points. In 1856 he began to learn the cabinet maker's trade, serving
an apprenticeship of six months. Desirous then of learning the car-
penter's trade, he entered the employ of John Wind, of the firm of
Bowen Brothers & Wind, and worked on the Thomas county court house.

In April, 1859, when Quitman was platted, Mr. Bozeman settled in
the new town as its first carpenter, and built for himself a log house in
the southern part of the place. Early in 1862 he enlisted from Thomas
county, in the company known as the "Seventeenth Patriot's," which
was attached to the Twenty-ninth Georgia Volunteer Infantry, and
became a part of the western army. He fought under General Bragg,
Johnston, and Hood. After the battle of Nashville, the regiment was
sent to Virginia, thence to North Carolina, where, on April 26, 1865, at
Greensboro, it surrendered.

Returning to his home in Quitman, Mr. Bozeman was here engaged
in carpentering until 1873, when he assumed possession of the land
which he had previously purchased, it being located on the Tallokas
road, three miles north of Quitman. By dint of hard work and good
management he has here cleared and improved a valuable farm, having
been very successful in his agricultural operations. His improvements
are of an excellent character, including the erection of a good set of
farm buildings, his house being most pleasantly situated in a grove
composed of various kinds of forest trees, and being set well back from
the street.

In July 1, 1858, Mr. Bozeman was united in marriage with Sarah
Blanche Lewis, who was born in what is now Brooks county, Georgia,
October 27, 1840. Her father, Irvin J. Lewis, was born in Bulloch county.
Georgia, where his parents were early settlers. Left an orphan at an
early age, he was reared by his uncle, Abner Groover, a pioneer of that
part of Thomas county now included in Brooks county, it then having
been an extreme frontier county. He was brought up on a farm, and
on attaining manhood purchased land lying seven miles northwest of
Quitman, and on the farm which he cleared he spent the remainder of
his life. Mr. Lewis married Susan Thigpin, who was born in Wilkes
county, Georgia, a daughter of Rev. Meles Thigpin, a preacher in the
Primitive Baptist church. On coming from North Carolina, his native
state, to Georgia, Mr. Thigpin lived first in Wilkes county, later becom-
ing one of the original settlers of what is now Brooks county. Securing
four hundred and ten acres of land, ten miles north of the present site
of Quitman, he cleared a large plantation, and was there engaged in
agricultural pursuits until his death. The maiden name of his wife
was Sarah Whaley. Irvin J. and Susan (Thigpin) Lewis reared six
children, as follows: Mary; Sarah Blanche, now Mrs. Bozeman; Caro-
line: Jamie; Valeria; and Wiley Miles.

Mr. and Mrs. Bozeman have reared eight children, namely: Irvin
Elisha (the first child born in Quitman) ; Alice P.: John D. ; Willie L. ;



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 821

Christopher L. ; Susan ; James C. ; and Lewis I. Irvin E. married Mar-
tha Young, and they have three children, Evelyn, Francis, and Janie C ;
Willie married Houston A. Young, and they are the parents of four
children, Lucretia, Tinly, Flavious, and Everett. Christopher married
Lillie Oliff. Susan, wife of Frank M. Mathews, has four children, Joel,
John B., Alice and Frank M. Janie, who married W. C. Parker, died
leaving one daughter, Mary Blanche. John David, Jr., who became a
lieutenant in the local militia, died in Jacksonville, Florida, aged twenty-
seven years.

Politically Mr. Bozeman has always been a Democrat. He cast his
first vote for governor in favor of Ben Hill, and gave his first presi-
dential vote to John C. Breckinridge. Both he and Mrs. Bozeman are
members of the Methodist Episcopal church, South.

Mr. Bozeman and Mr. Clinton Groover are the only living settlers
now among the pioneers of this county.

William Nelson Crane. A man of good business capacity, intelli-
gent and enterprising, William Nelson Crane holds high rank among the
extensive and prosperous agriculturists of Brooks county, his well ap-
pointed estate being situated about six miles from Quitman, on the
Tallokas road. A native of Brooks county, he was born October 26,
1859, on the farm of his father, Ephriam Thayer Crane. He comes of
Revolutionary stock, and is the descendant of a New England family of
prominence and worth, being a lineal descendant of the immigrant
ancestor, Henry Crane, the lineage being thus traced : Henry 1 Crane,
Ebenezer 2 Crane, Abijah 3 Crane, Abijah Barry 4 Crane, Ephraim Thayer 5
Crane, and William Nelson Crane.

Henry 1 Crane was born in England in 1621, and died in Massachu-
setts in 1709. He was twice married, the maiden name of his second
wife, from whom William Nelson Crane is descended, having been
Elizabeth Kinstry. Their son, Ebenezer 2 Crane, born in East Milton,
Massachusetts, August 10, 1665, married Mary Tolman, a native of Dor-
chester, Massachusetts. Abijah 3 Crane, born in Milton, Massachusetts,
November 2, 1841, was a member of the party that, on December 16,
1773, threw the tea overboard in Boston Harbor, and was a brother of
Col. John Crane, of Revolutionary fame. He married first Sarah Field,
of Braintree, Massachusetts, and married second Sarah Beverly. Abijah
Barry 4 Crane, a life-long resident of Massachusetts, was born August
24, 1777, in Boston, and died in 1854, in Medfield. The maiden name
of his wife was Rachel Hatch Curtis.

Ephraim Thayer 5 Crane was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1816.
Brought up and educated in his native city, he remained in Boston until
about eighteen years of age, when, following the southward course of
migration, he came to Georgia, locating in Savannah, where he found
employment in the gun factory owned by Ned Lovell. A few years
later he settled in what is now Brooks county, and having purchased a
tract of land lying ten miles north of the present site of Quitman
engaged not only in farming, but in the manufacture of fire-arms. He
built up a substantial business, and continued his residence on the farm
which he improved until his death, at the advanced age of eighty-two
years. He married Mary Wilson, who was born in Brooks county,
Georgia, a daughter of Jeremiah and Betty (Lucas) Wilson, of whom
a more extended record may be found on another page of this work, in
connection with the sketch of Joseph D. Wilson. She survived him,
passing away at the age of four score and four years. Four children
were born of their marriage, as follows: Abijah Barry Crane, who lost
his life in the Confederate service; Julia E. ; lsabelle; and William
Nelson.



822 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

William Nelson Crane was reared in Brooks county, educated in
the rural schools, and early in life chose the free and independent
occupation of his ancestors. Inheriting one hundred and fifty acres, of
the parental estate, located in the western part of the county, he was
there prosperously employed in tilling the soil until 1897. Selling out in
that year, Mr. Crane purchased his present fine property, which con-
sists of four hundred acres of rich and fertile land, situated six miles
north of Quitman, on the Tallokas road. Continuing his agricultural
labors, he has met with most satisfactory results as a general farmer,
each year reaping abundant harvests.

Mr. Crane married, in 1880, Annie M. Folsom, a daughter of Thomas
and Victoria (Williams) Folsom. She was born in Brooks county, and
here spent her entire life, her death occurring on the home farm in
1909. To them the following children were born: Eugene Thomas, who
died at the age of eighteen years; Lucy; Ettie; Myrtle; Annie May;
and William Bennett. Lucy, wife of A. J. Moran died in 1912, leaving
three children, Gladys, Glenn, and Mary Lee. Ettie married Bluford
Smith, and they have one child, Bluford Smith, Jr. Mr. Crane belongs
to the Primitive Baptist church, of which Mrs. Crane was also an active
and valued member.

Alpha C. Berry. Prominent among the enterprising, self-reliant,
and progressive men who are so ably conducting the agricultural inter-
ests of Brooks county is Alpha C. Berry, a successful farmer living
about five miles from Quitman, on the Tallokas road. A son of Rev.
Joseph Festus Berry, he was born June 6, 1869, in Marshalltown, Iowa.

His grandfather Berry, was born in Stanton, Virginia, where his
father located on coming to this country. An energetic, enterprising
young man, he decided to begin life for himself in a newer part of the
country, and, foreseeing in a measure the great development awaiting
the then far West, he migrated to Illinois, settling in Washington county.
Possessing excellent business ability and judgment, he became an ex-
tensive dealer in real estate, buying and selling several farms, always at
a profit. He lived to the venerable age of ninety years.

The birth of Joseph Festus Berry occurred in Washington county.
Illinois, in 1840. Brought up on a farm he acquired his preliminary
education in the district schools, this being supplemented with a course
of study at Bethany College, in Bethany, West Virginia. After his
graduation from that institution he taught in the public schools of Illi-
nois for a time. Ordained, at the age of thirty years, a minister in the
Christian church, he preached for a short time in New York state, and
subsequently taught school and held pastorates in Iowa. Nebraska, and
Kansas. Coming to Georgia in the spring of 1886. Rev. Mr. Berry began
his ministerial labors in Lowndes county, where he organized several
Christian churches, including the one at Pine Grove, and also organized
the Christian church at Quitman. Going to Missouri in 1907 he resided
first in the Ozark region, moving from there to Dexter. Missouri, he
was there a. resident until his death in 1910. His wife, whose maiden
name was Maria Parmley. was born in Warren. Ohio, and died in 1910.
surviving him but one month. Seven children were born of their union,
as follows: Alpha 0.. the subject of this sketch: Elpie Grace, of Little
Rock, Arkansas; Dollie May lived but ten years; Scott, now an instruc-
tor at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, and a man of bril-
liant mental attainments, earned as a student an international scholar-
ship, which entitled him to a year's schooling in Germany and five
hundred dollars in cash; Leslie Lee, a graduate of the Missouri Agri-
cultural College, in Columbia. Missouri, is now one of the leading agri-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 823

culturists and horticulturists of Dexter, Missouri; Milton, engaged in
the grocery business at Denver, Colorado ; and Bessie, residing at Little
Rock, Arkansas.

After his graduation from the Valdosta Academy, in Valdosta,
Georgia, Alpha C. Berry turned his attention to agriculture, for which
lie had a natural taste and aptitude. He first purchased, in Brooks
county, two hundred and fifty acres of land lying two miles from Quit-
man, on the Morven road. Seven years later he sold at an advantage,
and bought an estate of five hundred acres siiuated two miles north-
east of Quitman. Ninety acres of the tract was under cultivation, and
he improved one hundred more, and lived there seven years. Selling
then, Mr. Berry purchased what was known as the Tom Folsom place,
it being on the Tallokas road, five miles from Quitman, and here he has
since been actively engaged in general farming and stock raising. His
large and valuable estate contains nine hundred acres of land, two hun-
dred and seventy-five of which he has under culture, while one hundred
and fifty acres are covered with a magnificent growth of oak, hickory,
pine, gum, poplar and ash timber, the remainder being covered with
young pines. In the development and improvement of his land, Mi-.
Berry finds both pleasure and profit, his labors being well rewarded.

On January 3, 1894, Mr. Berry was united in marriage with Lillie
Wilson, a daughter of Jeremiah and Delilah (Robinson) Wilson, of
whom a more extended account may be found elsewhere in this volume,
in connection with the sketch of Joseph D. Wilson. Mr. and Mrs. Berry
are the parents of two children, namely: Julia and Delilah.

Religiously both Mr. and Mrs. Berry are consistent members of the
Christian church. Mr. Berry is a member of the Hickory Head Club,
an association of farmers organized in 1899.

Albert C. Sweat. One of the ablest newspaper editors and managers
in south Georgia is the present proprietor of the Nashville Herald. Mr.
Sweat has been identified with the newspaper business nearly all his
life, learning the art of sticking type when he was a boy, and through
his own efforts and ability rising from the case to the chair of editor
and owner.

He was born in Pierce county, this state, on the 7th of March, 1871.
His only sister, Sally, the wife of J. A. Wade of Douglas, Georgia.

Owing to circumstances, Albert C. began earning his own way when
a boy fifteen years of age, and his subsequent prosperity and influential
position have been the result of his own endeavors. He first learned
telegraphy, but was too young to be accepted as an operator, and for
this reason he turned from what might have been a life vocation to
employment in the office of the Blackshear Georgian, a weekly paper.
There he learned the use of the composing stick, and in 1889, at the age
of eighteen, became foreman for the Douglas Breeze, the first newspaper
ever issued in Douglas. In a short time he became manager and editor
of this paper and conducted it for six years. He also edited the Jesup
Si ntinel one year lor ('apt. Hen Miliken. Mr. Sweat then went to Texas
and in 1899, with two associates, established a daily paper, the Morning
Sun, at Denison. After a year he sold his interest in that publication,
and, returning to Georgia, was engaged in publishing the Sparks Entt r-
prise in Berrien county until December, 1903. At that date he removed
his plant to Nashville and established the Herald, of which he is the
sole owner, and which he has made successful as a business enterprise
and influential among a large circle of readers. In 1912, Mr. Sweal
erected at Nashville what is known as the Herald building, the first
three-story structure in town. The two upper floors are used as an



824 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

opera house, and the first floor is the home of the lit raid and its job
printing establishment. This handsome brick building, occupying ground
thirty-three by ninety feet, is a credit to the enterprise of its builder
and to the growing importance of Nashville as a center of population
and commerce.

In Berrien county and elsewhere Mr. Sweat has always been an
active and useful citizen. He is chairman of the board of county com-
missioners, is the present city clerk of Nashville, and has served in the
city council and on the school board. He is also chairman of the Demo-
cratic executive committee of Berrien county. Fraternally he affiliates
with Nashville Lodge No. 243, F. & A. M., the lodges of Woodmen of
the World, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias, at Nashville, and the
Tifton lodge of Elks.

In April, 1891, he married Miss Annie Glover. Mrs. Sweat is a
native of Polk county, this state. They are the parents of four children,
named Hoke, Glyds, Kate and Clifford. Mr. and Mrs. Sweat are mem-
bers of the Methodist church at Nashville.

Judge James B. Hicks. The career of James B. Hicks, attorney,
judge, legislator, business man and all around good citizen, is one that
one may contemplate with all pleasure and nothing of opposing senti-
ment. A straightforward statement of the facts of his progress from
the rural districts which represented his home to his present high place
in the social economic fabric of the county of which he is a resident can-
not fail to prove of interest, and the record of his life thus far is here set
forth, devoid of all attempt at embellishment or adornment of what-
ever variety.

James B. Hicks was born in Wrightsville, Georgia, on February 28,
1870, and he is a son of Dr. Henry and Nancy (Wright) Hicks. The
father, long a practicing physician in his district, was born on the loth
of September, 1832, and died on June 24, 1900. The birth of the mother
occurred on September 23, 1841, and she survived her husband some
five years, passing away on April 27, 1905. Both were natives of John-
son county. The father served as a surgeon during the Civil war with
the Confederate army, with Johnson's Grays, and four of his brothers
also served in that regiment.

When James B. Hicks was five years old his parents moved to Laurens
county, and there they lived on a farm for ten years. The boy attended
the district schools during that time, and when he was fifteen the family
moved to Milledgeville, Georgia, in order that the children might have
greater educational advantages, school facilities in their former home
district being of a limited nature. He attended school at Milledgeville
in the Middle Georgia Military and Agricultural College for two years,
and thereafter attended Mercer University at Macon, Georgia. He was
graduated from the university in 1892 with his bachelor's degree, and
came almost immediately to Dublin, where he took service with his bro-
ther, who was a member of the drug firm of the H. Hicks & Company.
in the capacity of collector. After a year at this work he went to
Atlanta. Georgia, where he read law under Hines, Shubrick & Felder
for a year, and in 1893 he was admitted to the bar. He returned to
Dublin at that time and began the practice of law. a profession in which
he has experienced an unusually fair degree of success, lie has taken
a prominent place in the public eye. and his service as mayor of Dublin
for two terms. 1899 and 1900, was one of the greatest values to the city.
In 1902. Mr. Hicks was elected to the state legislature as a representa-
tive from his county, and something of the standing he enjoys in the
county may be gleaned from the facts that of five candidates in the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 825

race for the legislative offices, with two to be elected, of two thousand,
six hundred votes polled, Mr. Hicks received every vote in the county
with the exception of about three hundred. He served through the
years of 1902, 1903 and 1904, in the Georgia legislature, and was one
of the several men who voted to change the legislative session from fall
to summer.

After his nomination to the legislative office in 1902 Mr. Hicks was
siezed with an attack of nervous indigestion, which clung persistently
to him all through his legislative career, and so impaired his general
health that when he left the legislative he repaired to his farm in the
county and there continued for some time. He kept up a part of his
law practice, however, during that time, spending a part of his time on
the farm until 1911. On November 10th of that year he was appointed
by Governor Hoke Smith as judge of the city court of Dublin to fill
out the unexpired term of Judge K. J. Hawkins, who had been promoted
to the bench of the superior courts of the Dublin circuit. In 1912, Mr.
Hicks was a candidate for the judgeship for a full term, and made an
excellent run for the nomination, being nominated by a majority of three
hundred and forty-seven votes over the highest opponent. He was elected
to the office and is now giving service in his capacity as judge.

Judge Hicks is a prominent Mason, with a membership in the blue
lodge and the Royal Arch Masons. He is also a member of the Knights
of Pythias and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He still
retains membership in the Kappa Sigma, his college fraternity, and is a
member of the Christian church. Among many other interests of Judge
Hicks, he has continued to retain his identity with the agricultural activ-
ities of the county and is the owner of something like seventeen hundred
acres of fine land.

Judge Hicks was one of the six children of his parents, all of whom
are living with the exception of B. G. Hicks, who died at the early age
of nineteen years, at Milledgeville, Georgia. The others are : Mrs. Leslie
Kennedy, of Dublin ; Mrs. Mabel A. Warthen, of Bartow, Georgia ;
Talmadge M., a practicing attorney of Dublin ; and R. P., who is engaged
in farming in the vicinity of Wrightsville, Georgia. The father raised
a family by an earlier marriage and those children are Frances, Eliza-
beth and John W., both deceased ; and Thomas B., of Dublin, Georgia.

The especially brilliant career of Judge Hicks thus far has been one
that has brought honor to the family name, and established it even more
firmly in the annals of his county, where the house of Hicks has long
been known for many splendid qualities of heart and mind.

Judge Robert G. Mitchell. A man of the true and noble character
for which the sons of the Southland are noted, Robert Goodwin Mitchell
has played his part bravely and well in all the activities of his life. He
has served his state in times of war, suffering severe wounds in the serv-
ice of the cause of the Confederacy, and has served it no less efficiently
in times of peace, as a legislator, and also as an industrious private citi-
zen and a Christian gentleman. A native of the community in which
he has passed the greater part of his long and honored life. Judge
Mitchell was born on a plantation in Thomas county, Georgia. July 15,
1843. His father, the Hon. Richard Mitchell, was born near Petersburg,
Virginia, in 1797, the son of Col. Thomas Mitchell.

Col. Thomas Mitchell was a native of the Old Dominion state, and
commanded a troop of cavalry in the War of the Revolution. After the
colonies had been freed from the yoke of tyranny, Colonel Mitchell moved
from Virginia, and settled in Montgomery county, Georgia, where he
resided for some years. He finally left his home in that locality, how-



826 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

ever, and became one of the pioneer settlers of southern Georgia, estab-
lishing himself in Thomas county, on a tract of wooded land about nine
miles southwest of Thomasville. There he built a log house, one of the
early type, with a puncheon floor. He was the owner of a number of
slaves, and set them to work to clear his land, and put it under culti-
vation. Colonel Mitchell is said to have been the first to grow sugar
cane for market. He made what was called "sugar mush" of the cane,
and hauled it in this form to the port of St. Marks, about sixty-five
miles distant, for shipment to New York. This proved a profitable ven-
ture, and he continued to grow cane on his plantation until his death.
He was buried on the plantation where he had lived, in the family bury-
ing ground, where his wife also sleeps.

The father of the subject of this history was a mere boy when his
parents moved to Georgia. Having received a good education as a
foundation for success, he started out as a young man in the mercantile
business at old Hartford, Pulaski county, Georgia. After a time, how-
ever, he gave up this enterprise, and moved to Thomas county, where
he bought land near his father's estate, and engaged in the pursuit of
agriculture. He remained on this land where he had a number of
slaves at work for him, until his death, which occurred on the twelfth of
February, 1856. A member of the old Whigs, Richard Mitchell always
took an active interest in public affairs. His devotion to his party and
to the best interests of his community were rewarded in the 30 's, by
his election to the state legislature, a representative from Pulaski county.

Richard Mitchell was united in marriage to Sophronia Dickey, who
was born near Sumpter, South Carolina, in the year 1808, and died many
years after her husband, on the 17th of May, 1893, at the advanced age
of eighty-five years. Sophronia Dickey Mitchell was the mother of
nine children. One of these, a daughter, and the second child, died in
infancy, but the rest lived to the age of maturity. Their names are as
follows : Henry, Frances Nelson, Richard Raines, William Dickey. Sarah
Ann, Robert Goodwin, Harriet E., and Amy Susan.

After some preliminary work in the neighborhood schools. Robert
Goodwin Mitchell attended Fletcher Institute, at Thomasville, and later
he was a student in the preparatory department of Mercer University
for one term. When but eighteen years old, he volunteered for the
Confederate service at Thomasville, and was mustered in Savannah in
July, 1861, as color bearer, in Company E of the Twenty-ninth Regiment.
Soon after this he was appointed sergeant and at the re-organization in
1862, was made second lieutenant of his company.

The Twenty-ninth was held on the coast, serving about Atlanta, and
between that city and Charleston, until May, 1863, when it was sent
to Mississippi as part of the command of Gen. W. II. T. Walker, for
the re-enforcement of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. There Lieutenant
Mitchell participated in the fighting about Jackson, and the march
toward Vicksburg, and when Gen. C. C. Wilson, of the Twenty-first
Regiment, was put in command of the brigade, including the Twenty-
ninth, lie was appointed to his staff as aide-de-camp. In this capacity
he participated in the gallant and important service of Walker's divi-
sion al tin battle of ( 'hickainauga. ami during one siege of Chattanooga,
and the battle of Missionary Ridge.

General Wilson dying about this time at Ringgold. Gen. C. 11. Stevens
assumed the command of the brigade with his own staff, and Lieutenant
Mitchell returned to his regiment, and was at once appointed -adjutant,
in which capacity he performed his duty brilliantly throughout the
Dalton and Atlanta campaigns. He was in battle about Dalton. at
Resaca, Cassville, New Hope Church. Kenesaw Mountain. Peachtree



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 827

Creek, and was in the battle at Atlanta in which General Walker was
killed, on July 22, 1864, and after serving in the entrenchments under/
fire following this last-named engagement, was severely wounded on the
line southwest of the city, August 9, 1864. His wound entirely incapac-
itated him for duty during the remainder of the war, and after remain-
ing under treatment at Macon for some time, he returned home. He
was forced, however, to use crutches for six months after peace had
been declared.

The Twenty-ninth Regiment was commanded by Judge Mitchell's
brother, Col. William Dickey Mitchell, who was severely wounded at
Chickamauga. Having recovered from this wound, Colonel Mitchell
joined Hood's command, and went on the Tennessee campaign, taking
part in the battles of Murfreesboro, Franklin, and Nashville. He was
captured in the battle of Nashville, and taken to Johnson's Island, Lake
Erie, where he was detained as a prisoner of war until the contest was
ended. Upon his return home he engaged in the practice of law at
Thomasville, in which place he made his home, living in the honor and
esteem of the entire community, and receiving many honors, among them
the offices of county judge, in which capacity he was serving at the time
of his death, which occurred in 1892.

It was while Robert G. Mitchell was disabled from the wound he
received in the war that he began the study of law, a profession in which
he was destined to attain many honors. After his admission to the bar,
he formed a partnership with his brother William. In 1873 he was
appointed solicitor general of the southern circuit of Georgia, a position
which he held for about twelve years. At the end of this time he
resigned, and in 1884 was elected to the state senate, serving in the ses-
sion of 1884-5. In the year 1890, he was again chosen to receive the
honor of the state senatorship, and represented his district in the legis-
lature of that year, serving in that session and that of the following
year as president of the senate. Upon the consummation of his term as
senator, Judge Mitchell resumed the practice of his profession, and held
no public office until 1903, when he was elected judge of the superior
court of the southern circuit of Georgia, to succeed Judge Hansell. He
resigned from this office in 1910, having been one of the best judges the
state of Georgia has ever known.

Since his retirement from the judgeship, Judge Mitchell has been
engaged in the peaceful pursuit of agriculture. He has a farm of about
two thousand acres, situated from six to eight miles south of Thomas-
ville. He resides in Thomasville on the outskirts of the city, in the home
he has occupied since 1865. His house is a commodious frame structure,
built in colonial style, with large pillars supporting the porch. It is
situated about one hundred feet back from the street, in a lawn well-
shaded by large oak and magnolia trees, and with an avenue of stately
pecan trees leading to the door.

On the 21st of January, 1864, Robert G. Mitchell was married to
Amaretta Fondren, who was born in Dublin, Laurens county, Georgia,
the daughter of John G. and Nancy Thompson Fondren, both natives
of Laurens county. For many years Mr. Fondren was in the mercan-
tile business in Dublin, afterward coming to Thomas county, where he
bought a large tract of land, on which he employed as many as two
hundred slaves. He spent the last days of his life in Thomasville. where
he died before the war. Judge and Mrs. Mitchell have been blessed with
nine children, who have reached maturity, and two others, Rufus L.
and Harriet E., who died in childhood, aged fourteen and five years
respectively. The children who have survived are as follows: Minnie
Lee, Frances, Annette, Robert Goodwin, John Fondren, Emmett, Carl,



828 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Julian Raines, and Richard. Of these, Minnie Lee married Dr. W. W.
Bruce, of Thoinasville, and has one child, Helen; Annette is the wife of
Theodosius Winn, a resident of Thomasville, and has three children,
Davies, Nettie, and Sarah ; Robert G., who is now an attorney of Black-
shear, Georgia, is married to Mary 0. Acosta, and has eight children,
Blanche Acosta, Catherine, Robert Goodwin, Emily, Eustace, Mary
Lillian, Nettie Fondren, and John Gorden ; John F., married Anne
Montgomery ; Emmett married Augusta\ Bowen Lathrop. and has three
children, Lathrop, Emmett, and Fondren. Carl is cashier of a bank at
Lyons, Georgia, and Julian R. is a resident of Kansas City. Missouri.
The judge's daughters received their education in the Thomasville
schools, graduating from the Young Female College.

John F. took a law course at Athens, Georgia, and served three terms
in the Georgia legislature and lacked but two votes of being elected
speaker.

Mrs. Mitchell and the judge are both members of the Missionary
Baptist church, and have reared their sons and daughters in the same
faith. Besides his many interests in public and private life, Judge
Mitchell has found time to affiliate with the Masonic fraternity, belong-
ing to the Thomasville lodge of that organization. He is also a member
of the W. D. Mitchell Camp of Confederate Veterans.

The following, which appeared in a paper in the locality in which
Judge Mitchell makes his home, is a true testimonial of the esteem and
honor in which he is so deservedly held :

"Throughout all his career, civil and military, he has been loyal to
his country, his party, and generous and public spirited. * * He

did heroic service in redeeming Georgia from the second invasion, known
as the 'reconstruction,' and he is one of the old gnard, never departing
from the faith, always holding to the time-honored principles of his
party, warning against strange doctrines and new departures."

Hon. Archibald Thompson MacIntyre. Among the notable Georgia
families none has been more conspicuous in public and professional life
nor borne the responsibilities of citizenship with greater dignity and
social service than have the Maclntyres during three generations of
their residence in this state.

The family was identified with colonial and revolutionary times as
well as the activities of the later national period. Daniel MacIntyre.
the founder of the American branch, was a native of Scotland and a
North Cai-olina settler. During the Revolution he served as a patriot
soldier from January, 1777, to August, 1780. So far as known, he spent-
all his latter years in North Carolina.

Archibald MacIntyre, son of this Scotch immigrant and Revolu-
tionary soldier, was born in North Carolina in 1776 and probably early
in the following century came into Georgia, settling first in Twiggs
county, and then becoming a pioneer of southwest Georgia, in Irwin
county. He bought land in that part of the county now known as the
Grooverville district of Brooks county. Archibald MacIntyre was a
scholarly man, and by profession a civil engineer, and in the latter
capacity made a number of surveys in this section of the state. With
the aid of his slaves he cleared a farm, on which he resided until his
death in 1830. Hannah Lawson, who became the wife of Archibald
MacIntyre, also represented a prominent name in colonial history.
Hugh Lawson, her great-grandfather, came to America and lived for a
time in the Pennsylvania colony, and from there to Lunenburg, Virginia,
in 174)5. and was judge of the county court there in 1746. He later
moved to Rowan county, North Carolina, whore the records show that



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 829

lie bought land from Earl Granville in 1759. His death occurred in
1772. Roger Lawson, a Revolutionary soldier and the grandfather of,
Hannah, married Hannah Thompson, whose father was a minister of
the Presbyterian church. Their son, Col. John Lawson, the father of
Hannah, was a commissioned officer during the Revolutionary war. He
married Alice Moore. Hannah (Lawson) Maclntyre survived her
husband and died in 1842. Roger Lawson and his son Col. John Law-
son, both received grants of land for their services in the Revolutionary
war.

Archibald Thompson Maclntyre, Sr., son of the above Archibald, was
bor.ii in Twiggs county, Georgia, October 27, 1822, and in 1843 was
admitted to the bar and opened an office at Thomasville. In a few years
distinction and success came to him both in his profession and in public
affairs. In 1847-48 he was a member of the state legislature. During
the war he was a member of Gov. Joseph E. Brown's staff and for a
time commanded a regiment of state troops. He was also a useful mem-
ber of the state constitutional convention after the war. Prom 1876
until his death he served as one of the trustees of the state university,
and for several years as trustee of the state insane asylum. During the
forty-seventh congress he represented his district in the house, and hon-
ored his state by the quality of his service. The members of that con-
gress, it will be remembered, voted themselves an increase of salary. His
vote was cast against the measure, and after it had passed he turned
the excess of his salary over the previous amount into the state treasury
of Georgia. For thirty years he was a ruling elder of the Presbyterian
church, and his life was lived in conformity with high ideals and relig-
ious convictions. His death occurred on the 2d of January, 1900.

The maiden name of his wife was America Young. She was born
in Bulloch county, Georgia, a daughter of Michael and Sarah (Everett)
Young. Her paternal grandparents were William and Mary (Hender-
son) Young, and her grandparents on the maternal side were Joshua
and Jane (Carter) Everett — all of whom were, so far as known, life-
long residents of Bulloch county. The Young family was prominent in
Georgia from colonial times. William Young was member of a com-
mittee of safety appointed in Savannah on the 22d of June, 1775, and
on the 4th of July, 1775, represented the town and district of Savannah
in the session of the provincial congress of that date. America (Young)
Maclntyre, whose death occurred in 1910, reared six children, namely :
Hugh James, Archibald T., Jr. (see below), Mary America, Michael
Young, William Remer and Daniel Irwin.

Archibald Thompson Maclntyre, Jr., was born on a plantation in
Thomas county, June 6, 1852, and died in his home at Thomasville,
July 11, 1897. In his comparatively brief span of life he added dis-
tinction to the name he bore, and was one of the leaders among his con-
temporaries of the Georgia bar and public life. At the age of seventeen,
in 1869. a graduate of the state university, he then began the study of
law and was admitted to the bar when nineteen. For a time he was
associated with his brother Hugh and later with his father, and in his
practice was early recognized as a lawyer of high attainments and suc-
cessful ability. Though very young at the time, he took an active part
in the reconstruction period, and was a bold and daring advocate of
home rule. He was later prominent in Democratic politics, and chair-
man of the executive committee. He was an elector when Grover Cleve-
land was elected for the first time. In 1889 he was elected to the state
legislature, and there as in every other position of responsibility dis-
charged his duties with conscientious ability. Ill health finally com-
pelled him to retire from law practice, and ended in his death, July 11,
1897, at the age of forty-five.



830 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

He was married on the 11th of December, 1880, to Miss Margaret
Fraser Livingston, daughter of Hon. Thomas J. and Margaret S.
(Wyche) Livingston, the history of this well known- Georgia family
being given in following paragraphs. Mrs. Maclntyre lives in one of
the beautiful homes of Thomasville. Her four children arc Hugh James,
Archibald Thompson, Remer Youug and William Fraser. Hugh is a
successful attorney and the present mayor of the city of Thomasville.
Archibald T. was cashier for a time of the First National Bank, of
Thomasville. He died at the age of twenty-seven. Remer Young, is an
electrician, and William F. is still pursuing his studies.

Capt. Thomas John Livingston. A South Carolinian who for many
years was prominent in the public life of the state of Georgia, the late
Capt. T. J. Livingston was born at Abbeville, South Carolina, on the
25th of February, 1328, and was a son of Thomas and Margaret (Fraser)
Livingston.

The first of the name to come to America was Robert Livingston, who
settled in New York and lived there the rest of his life. He married
Alida Schuyler. He was known as first lord of Livingston Manor. From
him the line of descent is through the following: His youngest son
Gilbert who married Cornelia Beekman was born in 1690 and died in
1716 ; was registrar of the colonial court of chancery, 1720 ; county clerk
of Ulster county, 1722 ; member of the assembly for the manor. 1728-1737,
and lieutenant colonel of the provincial militia. Cornelius, son of Gil-
bert, married a Taliaferro, and both died in Virginia. Their sou Thomas
was twice married, his wives being sisters, Mary and Nancy Childs. of
Virginia. He was a private in Company Eight of Virginia, under Capt.
Thomas Tebbs, April, 1777, as shown by record of Revolutionary war by
W. T. R. Saffell, page 275. Thomas, a son of Thomas, married Margaret
Fraser, of Abbeville, South Carolina and they were the parents. of the
late Captain Livingston. Leaving South Carolina, they became pioneers
of Madison county, Florida. For a number of years after their settle-
ment the Indians were so troublesome that each community had its fort
or block-house, to which the inhabitants fled on the first alarm. Thomas
Livingston, the father, was a lawyer by profession, but spent most of
his years as a planter, having a large number of slaves. He and his
wife spent their last years on the plantation home near Madison.

Thomas John Livingston, their son, was eight years old when the
family moved to Florida, in which state he was reared and educated.
He began his career as a farmer and was engaged in that occupation
when the war between the states began. Raising a company for the
Confederacy, he was made captain, and as a comrade wrote after his
death, he performed his duty faithfully and with ability in every posi-
tion he was placed. At the close of the war he entertained for a few
days at his home Gen. J. C. Breckinridge, who was then trying to elude
capture by his federal pursuers. Captain Livingston and Captain
Tucker took this noted Confederate leader in a boat down the Suwanee
river to the coast, whence lie embarked for Cuba.

Alter the war Captain Livingston engaged in merchandising at Quit-
man. Georgia, for a time, and then retired to his farm in the Groover-
ville district of Brooks county. During succeeding years he took a
high stand as an influential and able leader in civic affairs. He was
chosen state senator and represented the counties of Brooks. Thomas and
Colquitt. During his youth he united with the Methodist church, and
for a quarter of a century was superintendent of his local Sunday-school,
lie was faithful in his religion, making it a practical guide in his every-
day life, was a jusl and upright man, and a splendid type of the old



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 831

southern gentleman. His death occurred at his homestead in Brooks
county on the 15th of February, 1903.

Captain Livingston was twice married. Margaret S. Wyche, who'
became his first wife, was born at Madison, Florida, daughter of John
Scott and Hannah Lawson (Maelntyre) Wyche. Her ancestry is inter-
esting. Henry Wyche, founder of the family in America, was born
in England and came to the colonies about 1679, settling in Surry county,
Virginia, and is mentioned as one of the foot soldiers of Surry county,
Virginia. His son George (II) lived in Surry county, and George's son
Peter (III) lived in Brunswick county, Virginia. George (IV), son of
Peter, married a Miss Scott and became a pioneer settler in Richmond
county, Georgia. Batte (V), the next in line, married a Miss Jarrett.
John S. (VI), son of Batte, married Hannah Lawson L. Maelntyre.
The latter was a daughter of Archibald and Hannah (Lawson) Maeln-
tyre, and a lineal descendant of Daniel Maelntyre, founder of that name
in America (see Maelntyre sketch). Captain Livingston's first wife
died at the age of thirty-five, and he later married Ellen Groover. The
children of Captain and Margaret (Wyche) Livingston were: Margaret
Fraser, who became the wife of the late Archibald T. Maelntyre, of
Thomasville (see preceding sketch) ; Lula Lawson, who married William
H. Mitchell and lives in Thomasville ; Irvene Camillas, who married,
first, T. J. Howard, and, second, T. L. Shofner, and lives in Dade City,
Florida ; Thomas John, who married Mary McCall and lives in Fitz-
gerald. The children of Captain Livingston's second marriage are:
Donald Madison ; Emily Josephine, wife of McCall Quarterman, of
Lane Park, Florida; LeRoy Rushin; and Helen Lucile, wife of R. W.
Adams, of Boston, Georgia,

Robert Edward Lee Bower. A prominent farmer and merchant
of Dixie, Brooks county, Robert Edward Lee Bower takes an intelli-
gent interest in everything tending to promote the welfare and progress
of town and county, being a public-spirited and useful member of his
community. A son of George Mcintosh Troup Bower, he was born
July 14, 1862, in Newton county, Georgia, of honored New England
ancestry, being a direct descendant in the fourth generation of the noted
sculptor, John Bower, and his wife, Honora Bower, nee Jacobs.

Ebenezer Bower, Mr. Bower's grandfather, was born, bred and edu-
cated in Providence, Rhode Island. Foreseeing the future development
of the South, he came as a young man to Georgia, and lived for a while
in Savannah, where he met and married an heiress, Miss Margaret
MeConkey. Removing with his bride to Jones county, Georgia, he
became an extensive and prosperous planter and merchant, in the man-
agement of his land having plenty of help, owning as many as two hun-
dred and fifty slaves. About 1830 he moved with his family to Florida,
becoming a pioneer of Marianna. and there erecting the first brick house
built in that locality. He operated large tracts of land, and leased many
slaves to vessel owners doing shipping business between Apalachicola
and Mobile. When he came South there were no railroads in Georgia,
the country being largely in its pristine wildness, game of all kinds
roaming at will through the forests, in which Indians still lived, and at
times made raids upon the new settlers. All farm produce had to be
teamed to either the Atlantic or gulf ports, the round trip having been
long, tedious, and sometimes dangerous if the savages were on the war
path. Both Ebenezer Bower and his wife spent their last years on their
large estate in western Florida. They reared six children, five sons and
one daughter.

George Mcintosh Troup Bower was born in 1825, in Jones county,



832 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Georgia, and as a lad of five years accompanied his parents to Florida.
The facilities for obtaining an education in that state being then very
limited, he was sent North, and in the public schools of Providence,
Rhode Island, acquired his early book knowledge, which was subse-
quently supplemented by a course of study at Emory College, in Oxford,
Georgia. When ready to establish himself in business, he settled in New-
ton county, Georgia, and was there an honored and esteemed resident
until his death, in 1897. He became prominent in public affairs, hold-
ing many offices of trust and responsibility, including those of county
judge and county sheriff. He was a great reader, and a constant student,
remarkably well informed on all topics, and was very frequently called
upon as an adviser and counsellor. During his life, he saw wonderful
changes in the face of the country roundabout, witnessing with just
pride and gratification the growth of Georgia from a wilderness to a
rich and prosperous state, in which are large and populous cities, and
magnificent agricultural regions, while railroads traverse the country
in every direction.

The maiden name of the wife of George Mcintosh Troup Bower was
Eliza Turner. She was born in Henry county, Georgia, and was brought
up and educated in her native state. Her father, Rev. Allen W. Tur-
ner, a native of South Carolina, was educated for the ministry, and
became a pioneer preacher of the Methodist Episcopal church in Georgia.
He held pastorates in different places in Georgia, and as there were
then no railways, nor even good carriage roads, he used to make his
long trips on horseback, and did most of his preaching in log houses.
He was offered the position of bishop of his church, but declined the
honor, saying that he could do more real good as a pastor. He spent
his last days in Palmetto, Georgia, and his wife, whose maiden name
was Mary Dousing, died in 1878. Mr. and Mrs. George Mcintosh Troup
Bower reared the following named children: Augustus Rudolphus,
Eugenia,. Mary Fletcher, Chalmers Hendrick, Allen Ebenezer, Robert
Edward, Stonewall Jackson, Annie, George, and Bennie Simms.

Obtaining his academical education at the seminary in Covington,
Georgia, Edwin Robert Bower completed the coui'se of study at Oxford,
Georgia, at Emory College. Going then to Coweta count}', he spent
three years as clerk in a fancy grocery store, and the following two years
was employed as a truck farmer in Lake county, Florida. Lured to
Orange county, Florida, Mr. Bower embarked in mercantile pursuits in
Orlando, where he conducted a grocery for a time, carrying a large stock
of fancy goods. Returning to Georgia, he was for a year engaged in
business as a merchant at Quitman, Brooks county, and was afterwards
employed in farming in the Dixie district until 1901, when he resumed
his former occupation in Dixie, where he is conducting an extensive and
remunerative business as a general merchant, carrying a large stock of
goods. Mr. Bower has been very fortunate in his agricultural operations.
He is the owner of various farms, aggregating in all five hundred acres,
the farms which are located in the Dixie, Dry Lake, and Grooverville
districts, being operated by tenants.

Mr. Bowers married, in 1889, Catherine Puckett. who was born in
Cumming, Forsyth county, where her father. Rev. Miles Puckett. who
preached during his life in various places in Georgia, was then located.
Neither he nor his wile, whose maiden name was Carrie Scott, are now
living. Mr. and Mrs. Bower have six children, namely: Kittie Lee,
Marie, R. E.. Sybelle, Emory Scott, and Jack. Mr. Bower is a Demo-
crat in politics, hut has ever been too much engrossed with his private
affairs to indulge in office holding, although he has for five years served
;'.s chairman of the Dixie school board. Both he and Mrs. Bower are
consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 833

Capt. Charles Thompson Stuart. Few men even in an extended
lifetime of more than eighty years have careers of such varied activities
and in so many parts of the world as Captain Stuart, of Thomasville,
now retired after forty years in the hotel business in southern Georgia.
For many years he followed the sea in the old wooden merchant marine,
was a Southern soldier during the war between the states, and then
during a period of forty years extended his genial hospitality as a land-
lord in Valdosta and in Thomasville.

Charles Thompson Stuart was born in Annapolis, Maryland, May 11,
1828. His grandfather emigrated from Scotland and founded this
branch of the family in Maryland, where he spent the remainder of his
life. The captain 's father was Charles Stuart, a native of eastern Mary-
land. During his youth he received excellent educational advantages,
and then entered a long career in public service. For a number of
years he was connected with the state treasurer's department of Mary-
land, and under the administration of Gen. W. H. Harrison was given
an appointment in the treasury department at Washington, where he
continued until some time during the Civil war. After the war he
moved his residence from Washington to New York City, where he died
at the age of seventy-seven. The maiden name of his wife was Alicia A.
Thompson, who was born in Annapolis, daughter of Henry Thompson,
a capitalist of that city. She lived to the age of eighty-seven years, and
she reared seven children, namely : John Nelson, Charles Thompson,
Julia Ellen, William B., Mary A., Henry W. and Wilson W. Of the
sons, John, Charles, William and Wilson wore the grey in the Confed-
erate armies, and all but Charles met death in their devotion to the
Southern cause.

Captain Stuart at the age of thirteen entered St. John's College in
Maryland, but after two years had to relinquish his studies on account
of ill health, and from that time forward until his retirement a few
years since was engaged in an active and often arduous practical career.
For three years he was appi-entice in a mercantile house of Baltimore,
and then took two sea voyages to Cuba and the West Indies. These were
the start of his long seafaring adventures. In 1847 he sailed on a mer-
chant vessel around Cape Horn to China and returned via Cape Hope,
after sixteen months spent on all the seas and in many of the ports of
the world. For twelve years he was identified with the merchant marine
service, and came to know the world of that time as few other men did.

His retirement from the sea in 1861 was followed almost immedi-
ately by his enlistment in Company H of the Twenty-sixth Regiment
in Gordon's famous brigade, and for several years he was with that
command in its campaigns and numerous battles in Virginia. He was
several times wounded, and at the battle of Monocacy, Maryland, toward
the end of the war, a bullet passed through his left lung and thus dan-
gerously wounded was captured on the field and kept a prisoner until
the spring of 1865. Being then paroled he returned home, but was
unable to resume service before the final surrender.

At the close of the war Captain Stuart came to southern Georgia,
where nearly fifty years of his life has been spent. In December, 1865,
he opened a hotel at Valdosta and conducted it as a popular hostelry
for twenty years. He then moved to Thomasville and built the Stuart
House, and continued as active proprietor of this well known hotel for
twenty years and six weeks. Much to the regret of the large patronage
he then sold and retired from active pursuits. His home is located on
the same lot with the hotel, and here he is pleasantly spending a well-
earned leisure.

Captain Stuart was married in the city of Baltimore, January, 1852,



834 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

to Miss Ida Charlotte Marmelstein. She was born in Berlin, Germany,
whence she came to America with her parents when two years of age.
Her death occurred in 1910. The captain and Mrs. Stuart were the
parents of six children, namely: Ida, Lillie, Lula, Ardie,' Jessie and Ella.
Ida is the wife of N. Lilienberg, and has one daughter named Agnes.
Lillie is at home with her father. Lula married John Mc Williams.
Ardie married Etta Shackelford, and they have two daughters, Marie
and Ida Virginia. Jessie is the wife of John T. West, and their two
sons are Stuart and Thomas. Ella married C. M. Smith, and they are
the parents of one son, Charles.

Robert J. Herring, the prominent farmer and horticulturist of
Thomas county, is one of the men who, by study and the use of scientific
methods in agriculture, are showing the people of the locality the possi-
bilities of south Georgia. Although he has spent the greater part of
his life in the Thomasville district, Mr. Herring is a native of Sampson
county, North Carolina, in which place he was born on the 16th of
January, 1860. His father, John Herring, was born in the same county,
and his father, Owen Herring, was a farmer and merchant of the local-
ity for many years. Owen Herring's store was at a point on the Black
river known as Herringville. AVRen he had reached an advanced age,
he sold out to his son John, and lived in retirement for the rest of his
life.

Not only his father's business fell into John S. Herring's hands, but
his father's office as well. John Herring served as postmaster at Her-
ringville under both Federal and Confederate jurisdiction, and was
actively engaged in business there until the time of his death, which
occurred in February, 1865, a few weeks before Lee's surrender.

At his death, Mr. Herring left a widow and four small children.
His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Ellen Spearman, was born in
Sampson county, North Carolina, the daughter of John Spearman, and
is now the wife of Oliver C. Cleveland, a prominent resident of Thomas
county, Georgia. Mrs. Cleveland, then Mrs. Herring, remained in North
Carolina for ten years, and then moved to Thomas county, Georgia,
where she has ever since resided. Her children were named Robert J..
Thomas E., William F., and Jefferson S. Of these. William F. died
at the age of three years, and Thomas E. passed away in 1881.

Robert J. Herring was reared in the vicinity of his birth, attending
the common schools of Sampson county. He was fifteen years of age
when he migrated to Georgia with his mother, and after arriving at his
new home, he continued to make his home with her until his marriage,
which took place when he was twenty-five years of age. At this time.
he settled on a tract of timbered land south of Thomasville. which his
mother had given him, and there he commenced his career as an inde-
pendent farmer. He had been well trained to habits of industry and
thrift, and he soon had his farm cleared and in successful operation.
He remained on his original property until 1S95, in which year he sold
out. and moved to the farm on which he now resides. This is in lot
No. 10:]. Oak Hill district, Thomas county, and ho had pui'chased it
three years before he sold the land his mother had given him.

Since coming to his present farm Mr. Herring has been engaged in
diversified farming, stock raising, and horticulture. He keeps in touch
with the latest methods and ideas in agriculture by wide reading, and
lias been very successful in raising a large variety of fruits and farm
products. It is such progressive men as he who are going to make the
South a land of plenty.

In 1885, Mr. Herring was united in the bonds of matrimony with



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 835

Fannie Arnold. She was a native daughter of Thomas county, her
father, John P. Arnold, having come to Georgia from Germany in his f
youth. Mr. and Mrs. Herring have been blessed with four children,
Frances Ann, a school teacher ; John Oliver, a clerk in Thomasville ;
Frank, with the Southern Express Company, at Thomasville office ;
Josephine. Mrs. Herring died January 16, 1909. The family are mem-
bers of the Missionary Baptist church, and ar>e valued workers in that
congregation.

James C. Adams. A man of good business judgment and tact, James
C. Adams, of Boston, Georgia, has been actively associated with the
advancement of the agricultural and mercantile interests of Thomas
county, and is widely known as head of the prosperous firm of James C.
Adams & Sons, druggists. A native of Brooks county, he was born
December 21, 1850, in the Tallokas district, a son of Lasa Adams, and
a grandson of Dennis Adams, a pioneer settler of Brooks county.

Migrating in pioneer days from North Carolina to Florida, Dennis
Adams located near the present site of Wakena, Gadsden county, be-
coming one of the original settlers of that locality. His brother-in-law, a
Mr. Carr, located on a tract of land two miles away. Indians were then
very troublesome in that locality, and one night when Mr. Carr and his
wife were away from home raided his place, and brutally massacred
their two children. A slave made his escape to the Adams farm, and told
Mr. Adams the tale, and Mr. Adams sent to Thomasville, Georgia, for
aid. The following night the red skins paid a visit to the Adams cabin.
The family were well prepared, and after several of the Indians had
been killed the remainder retreated. Thinking it best to leave that
region, Mr. Dennis Adams came to Georgia, locating in the Tallokas
district. Brooks county, where he bought two lots of land, on which
he resided until his death, three years later. By his two wives he had
ten children, as follows: Joshua, Lasa, Dennis, Caswell, Cason, Sally,
Rachel, Irene, Louisa, and Jane. His second wife, whose maiden name
was Sally Williams, survived him about twenty years. She was a
woman of much force of character, and in addition to keeping her fam-
ily together, educated them, and trained them to habits of industry and
thrift, enabling each one to gain success in after years.

Lasa Adams was young when the family came from Florida to
Georgia to escape the malignant attacks of the Indians, although many
red skins were then living in this vicinity, the dense forests being their
happy hunting ground. The few daring white people of the county
built a strong log fort to which the women and children were sent when
ever trouble with the savages was brewing, and lie immediately joined
the company formed for protection against their raids, and took part,
in 1836, in the battle of Brushy creek, when the Indians made their
last stand in Georgia. When ready to begin the struggle of life on his
own account, Lasa Adams bought land in what is now the Tallokas
district. Brooks county, and engaged in farming. There being no rail-
ways in the state all transportation was by teams, and after his land
became productive he used to take his cotton to Newport, Florida, going
in company with several of his neighbors, some of whom perhaps lived
miles away from him, each man taking provisions with him, and camp-
ing and cooking by the w T ayside.

In 1852. Lasa Adams sold his Brooks county land, moved to Florida,
locating in Madison county, where he purchased a squatter's claim to
a tract of government land situated about sixteen miles northeast of
Monticello, and about the same distance northwest of Madison. A few
acres had been cleared, and a log cabin had been erected. He continued

Vol. II— 20



836 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

the improvements, and there carried on general farming for some time.
In 1864 he enlisted in the Florida Reserves, and continued in the Con-
federate service until the close of the war, when he again assumed charge
of his farm. Selling out in 1870, he was for four years a resident of
Jefferson county, Florida. Coming from there to Thomas county,
Georgia, he bought land three miles south of Boston, and was there
employed in tilling the soil for many years. Shortly before his death,
which occurred in 1894, he returned to Brooks county, Georgia, and
there spent his last days, passing away at the venerable age of eighty-
three years.

The maiden name of the wife of Lasa Adams was Orpha Lee Hollo-
way. She was born in Brooks county, Georgia, a daughter of William
Holloway, one of the very first settlers of what is now Brooks county,
he having been born and bred in Bulloch county. She died leaving
four children, namely : Rhoda, who married William Hulet. of Brooks
county; Jane, wife of J. M. Yates, of Brooks county; James C. ; and
Cason F., of whom a brief account may be found on another page of
this volume.

Reared and educated in Florida, James C. Adams began life for him-
self on a farm in the Boston district, Thomas county, Georgia, his father
giving him one hundred acres of land, forty of which had been improved,
and on which a fair set of frame buildings had been erected. Industrious
and enterprising, he succeeded in his undertakings, and as his means
increased he invested in other tracts, and is now owner of five hundred
and forty acres of good land in the Boston district. From his farm, which
is devoted to general farming and stock growing, Mr. Adams receives a
good annual income. In 1898, Mr. Adams removed to Boston in order
that his sons might have better educational advantages, and here from
1900 until 1904 he carried on a thriving trade as a general merchant.
Embarking in the latter year in the drug business in Boston, he has
continued as druggist ever since, his sons being now associated with
him, the firm name being James C. Adams & Sons.

In 1875, Mr. Adams was united in marriage with Mary Holman,
who was born in Jefferson county, Florida, a daughter of Adam and
Elizabeth (Smith) Holman.

Two children of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Adams are living, namely :
Reddin W., who married Lillie Livingston ; and De Roy. They lost by
death four, who passed away in childhood. Mr. and Mrs. Adams are
members of the Primitive Baptist church, to which Mr. Adams' parents
also belonged.

John Clements. One of the citizens of southwest Georgia who began
their careers in log-cabin homes, labored with courage and industry to
develop a wilderness of forest into a broad landscape of farms, and have
subsequently reaped the rewards of such diligence in ample material
prosperity, is Mr. John Clements, formerly of Irwin county, now a resi-
dent in Thomas county.

Mr. Clements was born in Irwin county, April 7. 1853, and repre-
sents a family which has been known with respect on this side of the
Atlantic since colonial times. Joseph Clemenls. his great-grandfather,
according to the best information, was a native of Virginia, whence he
moved into South Carolina during colonial times, and spent the rest of
his days there. He gave distinction to the family name by having served
as ;i soldier in the continental armies during the Revolution.

Cornelius Clements, the grandfather, was born in the Darlington
district of South Carolina, was reared to farm life, bought land in his
native vicinity, but late in life moved to Georgia, being a resident of



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA s;7

Irwin county at the time of his death. He married Polly Register, who
was a lifelong resident of South Carolina. She reared five sons and
five daughters, the sons being named Elias, Jesse, Thomas, Richard and
John.

Elias Clements, the father, was born and reared in Darlington dis-
trict, South Carolina. His subsequent settlement in Georgia was due to
a somewhat romantic circumstance rather than to any fixed purpose.
When about twenty years old, in company with his father, he made a
horseback journey to Alabama to visit an uncle. On their return they
visited relatives in Laurens county, Georgia, where Elias concluded to
tarry awhile before going back to South Carolina. He rented some land.
made a crop, and in the meantime met his fate in one of the fair young
women of that locality. His marriage took place shortly afterward, and
the result was he never returned to his native state. He continued to
make his home in Laurens county until 1852, in which year he moved to
Irwin county, buying a farm two miles south of Irwinsville. This part
of Georgia was still without railroads, and for some years after his
settlement, Hawkinsville, fifty miles away, was the most convenient
market and depot of supplies. After several years he sold his first
place and bought an improved farm five miles north of Irwinsville,
where he resided until his death, at the advanced age of eighty-seven.
The young lady in Laurens county whose heart he had won was Elinza-
beth (so she spelled her name) Turner, a native of that county. Her
father was Ephraim Turner, a native of South Carolina and an early
settler in Laurens county, where he spent the last years of his life;
and her mother's maiden name was Sally Clements, who survived her
husband and died in Irwin county. ,Mrs. Elias Clements died in 1882
at the age of sixty-two. Her six children were Mary, Cornelius, Ruth,
John, Loupiney and Rachel.

The boyhood of John Clements was passed on a farm in Irwin county
during the war-time era of the sixties. He made the best of limited
opportunities to obtain an education, and became sufficiently advanced
to teach one term of school in his home county. While living with his
parents he bought a tract of timbered land near the old home, and his
father later gave him another small acreage adjoining. On that he
built a double "pen" house of round logs, and in that humble borne
he and his bride began their wedded career. After some years his
family removed .from this home to Ocilla in order that the children
might have school advantages, while he remained to direct the opera-
tions of his farm. Mr. Clements prospered from year to year, and
bought land until he was the owner of about two thousand acres. He
built a commodious frame house to succeed the primitive dwelling of
logs, and after a few years the family returned to occupy this home.
The improvements on his farm compared favorably with any in Irwin
county, and he was raised among the most progressive farmers of that
county. In 1910, having sold his Irwin county property, Mr. Clements
moved to Thomas county, where he bought his present fine farm of five
hundred and sixty-five acres on the Summer Hill road four miles north-
west of Boston. This homestead is well improved and has excellent
buildings. In addition, he is interested in farming lands south of Bos-
ton and in Grady county, and owns some town real estate in Boston.

On the 25th of November, 1877, Mr. Clements married Miss Narcissa
M. Pate. Mrs. Clements is a native of Wilcox county, this state, and a
daughter of James and Jane (Moore) Pate. It is thought her father
was born in Pulaski and her mother in Gwinett county, and they spent
their last years in Wilcox county. Tbe nine children in the Pate family
were Bennett, John, Mary, Nancy, Sarah, Elizabeth, Narcissa. James H.



838 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

and Samuel. Mr. and Mrs. Clements have reared eight children, as
follows: -lane, Loupiney, Annie, Emily, James E., Bessie. Mattie and
Willie. Jane married Henry Lee Yarbrough, and her three children
are Louise, Alma and Elmer. Loupiney died at the age of nineteen.
Annie married James D. Gibbs and they are the parents of two sons,
Clifford and James. Emily married George F. Moore and has two chil-
dren, Lucile and Cecil. Bessie married Mr. G. B. Sweatt, of Irwin
county. Willie married Anna L. Meadows of Thomas county. The
other children are unmarried.

Mr. Clements and wife are active members of the Methodist church,
and he was trustee and steward of his church in Irwin county. Fra-
ternally he affiliates with Horeb Lodge No. 281, A. F. & A. M. He was
secretary for both the local and county Farmers Union in Irwin county,
and is still a member of the organization. In politics he has always
adhered to Democratic principles. During his residence in Irwin county
he served as a member of the local school board and also as county
school commissioner. He held the office of postmaster at his home vil-
lage of Tapley from the time it was established until discontinued
through the operations of the rural free delivery.

James I. Groover, M. D. Spending the best part of his life in the
practice of medicine, James I. Groover, M. D., was for forty-five years
one of the leading physicians of the Grooversville district, where he won
an extended reputation for skill and ability, and built up a large and
lucrative patronage. A son of James Groover, he was born November
18, 1835, in that part of Thomas county now included within the limits
of Brooks county. His grandfather, John Groover, was of Dutch an-
cestry, and as far as known, was born in Bulloch county, Georgia, which
was his home for many years, although his last days were spent in
Brooks county.

Born September 6, 1798, in Bulloch county, Georgia. James Groover
was there reared and married. Subsequently, accompanied by his wife
and three children, he came to what is now Brooks county, making the
entire journey in a cart drawn by one horse, and bringing with him
in the one cart all of his earthly possessions. At the time of his arrival
there were but two families in the vicinity, those of Willis King and
Henry Melton. The county was in its original wildness, bear, deer,
wolves, and game of all kinds sharing the forests with the Indians, who
frequently so terrorized the few white settlers that they banded together
for protection against their raids. There were no railroads for years
after he came to this region, and he, in common with his neighbors,
used to haul all of his produce to either Tallahassee or Newport. Florida.
The land was for sale in lots of four hundred and eighty acres each.
the prices ranging from +5.00 to $50.00 each. He purchased several
lots, including lot number 509. on which he built a log house for his
first residence. He subsequently whip-sawed lumber to erect a frame
house in lot number 505. in what is now the Grooverville district, and
continued his agricultural labors, with the assistance of his slaves clear-
ing large tracts of land. In common with his neighbors he lived in a
primitive manner, having very little farm machinery, while his wife.
whose household conveniences were very limited, used to do all of her
cooking by the open fireplace, and in addition to her other duties carded,
spun, and wove all of the material from which she fashioned the gar-
ments worn by her family. He was a man of influence, his death, which
occurred August 11. 1874. removing from his community one of its most
valued citizens. He was active in religious work, and both he and his
wives wen 1 members of the Missionary Baptist church.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 839

James Groover was twice married. He married first, Elizabeth Den-
mark, who was born October 27, 1803, in Bulloch county, Georgia, and;
died in 1848, aged forty-five years. He married second, Mrs. Sarah
Ann (Hagan) Groover, widow of Malachi Groover. His first wife bore
him children as follows : Eliza, Redding J., Wiley W., Charles A.,
Thomas A., Clayton, Martha, Allen W., James I., Sally Ann, John Bur-
ton, Mary Jane, Daniel W., Henry C, Francis M., and Clinton D. By
his second marriage he had one son, Fuller.

Laying a solid foundation in the pioneer schools of his native district
for a good education, James I. Groover subsequently continued his
studies in Tbomasville two years, during his long vacations assisting
his father in the work of the farm, when old enough going occasionally
to either Tallahassee or Newport, Florida, witli loads of farm produce,
being several days in making the round trip. His natural inclinations
turning him toward a professional career, he afterwards spent three
years at the University of North Carolina, and at the age of twenty-
five years was graduated from the Medical department of the New York
University with the degree of M. D. Immediately locating in the Groov-
erville district, Brooks county, Doctor Groover had a long and eminently
useful career as a physician, during the forty-five years that he con-
tinued in active practice gained to a marked degree the confidence of the
community, and built up an extremely lucrative patronage. When
ready to retire from his profession, the doctor announced his intention
in church, arising in his seat and telling his friends that they would
confer a favor upon him by never calling upon him again for profes-
sional services. At the outbreak of the Civil war Doctor Groover en-
listed in the Brooks County Volunteers, which became a part of the
Twenty-sixth Georgia Volunteer Infantry, and continued with his regi-
ment in all of its marches, campaigns and battles, and after the surrender
resumed his practice in Grooverville.

Doctor Groover has been twice married. He married first, in 1860,
in New York City, Emily S. Johnson, a native of Connecticut. She
died in 1885. The doctor married second, in 1887, Mittie Groover, who
was born in Grooverville district, a daughter of Joseph Groover. By
his first marriage Doctor Groover had one son, Clarence I. Groover,
now publisher of the Enquirer and Sun, at Columbus, Georgia. He
married Mary Davis, and they have two children, Emily and Herbert.
The doctor is a member of the Episcopal church, to which his first wife
also belonged.

William Henry Wilson. One of the active representatives of an
old and well known family of South Georgia, William Henry Wilson, is
a son of Jeremiah Wilson, Jr., and grandson of Jeremiah Wilson, Sr.,
the latter having made his name and work impressive among the old
settlers of this part of the state as the man who made many of the
first surveys in Thomas and Lowndes counties, especially in that part
of Lowndes now included in Brooks county. The history of the various
members of the Wilson family will be found elsewhere in this work
under the name of Joseph D. Wilson.

William II. AVilson was born on the old home farm in this vicinity,
July 10, 1859, and was reared and educated in Brooks county and lived
at the parental home until his marriage. He began his independent
career as a farmer on a small place bordering Mule creek in the Dry
Lake district, but six years later bought the farm which he still owns
and occupies, located four miles southeast of Boston in the Boston dis-
trict of Thomas county. Here he owns 250 acres, with improvements,
and for a number of years has carried on a prosperous business of gen-
eral farming and stock raising.



840 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Mr. Wilson was married at the age of twenty-four to Miss Hattie
Julia Stanaland, a member of an old and well known family, the his-
tory of which will be found elsewhere in the sketch of J. 0. Stanaland.
Mr. Wilson and wife are the parents of six children, named as follows:
James Stanaland, Nellie M., Henry Grady, Martha (died aged fifteen
years), Joseph J., and Robert Lee. James S. married Katie Owen, and
they have two children, Janette and Jewel. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are
members of the Primitive Baptist church.

Daniel A. Groover. Closely identified with the agricultural in-
terests of Brooks county, Daniel A. Groover is meeting with highly grati-
fying results in his pleasant and independent occupation, his estate,
which is located in the Grooverville district, having substantial im-
provements, and being amply supplied with the necessary implements and
appliances for carrying on his work. A grandson of John Groover, Sr.,
an early pioneer of South Georgia, he was born March 22, 1841, in
Thomas county.

His great-grandfather, John Groover, was born either in Germany
or America, of German parents. At the time of the Revolutionary war
he was living near Cowpens, South Carolina, within sight of the field
which later became the scene of a great battle. Joining the colonists
in their struggle for independence, he was murdered by the Tories
when home on a furlough.

John Groover, Sr., was born very near the line separating North
Carolina from South Carolina. Migrating to Georgia in early life, he
resided for many years in Bulloch county, from there coming to Thomas
county, where his son, John .Groover, Jr., father of Daniel A., had
previously located. His brother, Solomon Groover, came with him to
this section of the state, and they became the progenitors of the many
families of Groovers now living in Brooks and Thomas counties. Locat-
ing in what is now the Grooverville district, Brooks county, John Groover,
Sr., remained in that district until his death. He married and reared
three sons and four daughters, as follows : John, James, Abner, Eliza-
beth, Hannah, Mary, and Barbara.

John Groover, Jr., was born in 1793, in Bulloch county, Georgia, and
was there brought up and married. Subsequently, accompanied by his
wife and their three children, and his brother James and family, he
came with his own teams across the country to Brooks county, bringing
with him his household goods and provisions, cooking and camping by
the way. Locating in what is now Grooverville district, he purchased
a. tract of timber that was still in its virgin wildness, and in the space
which he cleared erected the humble log cabin in which his son, Daniel
A., first drew the breath of life. The land was in its primitive condi-
tion, its dense growth of timber being inhabited by the wily red man
and the wild beasts of the forests, both at times proving troublesome, so
much so that the settlers of that vicinity were forced to build a log
fort to which the women and children could flee for protection when the
Indians started on a rampage. There were but five families living near
what is now Grooverville, and more than once these families, the women
and children, sought refuge in the fort. After clearing quite a portion
of his land, he sold out and purchased in lot 417. in the northwest part
of Grooverville precinct, and was there employed in tilling the soil until
his death, in 1859. He married Mary Redding, who was born in Bul-
loch county, Georgia, and lived to the advanced age of four score and
four years. Eight children were born to them, as follows: John M.,
Elizabeth, Mary A., James H., Charles W.. Sarah H. Albert J., and
Daniel A.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 841

Growing to manhood on the parental homestead, Daniel A. Groover
has witnessed the growth of Brooks county from a vast wilderness to a
rich agricultural region, dotted here and there with populous towns and/
villages, through which railroads now pass. In the days of his boyhood
the forests were filled with wild beasts of all kinds, and game was
abundant. Tallahassee and Newport, in Florida, were then the most
convenient markets to which his father could haul the farm produce,
the round trip to those places consuming at least five days. There
having been no free educational institutions, he was forced to walk a
distance of four miles whenever he attended school, which was very
irregularly. Reared to habits of industry and economy, Mr. Groover
remained with his parents until the outbreak of the war between the
states, when he enlisted in the "Piscola Volunteers," which became
Company G, of the Twenty-sixth Georgia Volunteer Infantry, known
far and wide as the ' ' Fighting Regiment. ' ' His regiment was assigned
to Jackson Corps, Army of North Virginia, and he continued with it,
taking an active part in all of its engagements until the battle of Gettys-
burg. Mr. Groover, who was then ill with typhoid pneumonia, was cap-
tured by the enemy and held as a prisoner-of-war at Forts Delaware and
Point Lookout, for eight months. On being paroled he returned to Vir-
ginia, arriving at Appomattox just in season for the surrender. With
several of his comrades he then started for home, walking across the
states of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, and on to
Augusta. Georgia, from there going by rail to Albany, via Atlanta, and
thence on foot to his old home.

On his arrival, Mr. Groover found that his father's estate had been
settled and the farm sold subject to his mother's dower, Confederate
money having been received in payment and thus lost. In 1865 he
raised a crop on the old homestead, which he purchased the following
year, and on which he has since resided. Mr. Groover now owns 264
acres in Brooks county, and seventy acres in Thomas county, and a
large part of it is under cultivation and most intelligently managed.
In 1907 Mr. Groover's home was burned and he erected the one that
he and his family now occupy, it being situated in the Quitman and
Boston road.

On October 6, 1861, Mr. Groover was united in marriage with Martha
A. Groover, who was born in Brooks county, Georgia, a daughter of
Joshua S. and Rebecca (Beasley) Groover, and granddaughter of Solo-
mon Groover. Mrs. Groover passed to the higher life December 31,
1909, leaving a heaven-made vacant place in the home. Eight children
were born of their union, namely: Mally A., Ophelia L., Mary Re-
becca, Samuel Dickson, Janie E., John T., Julia R., and Mattie Lee, who
died at the age of thirteen years. Mally A. married Annie Jarrett, and
they have four sons, Wallace A., Daniel A., Felix, and Herman. Janie
E., who married W. A. Simms, died March 2, 1906, leaving three chil-
dren, Minor A., Sam Groover, and Martha A. Ophelia became the sec-
ond wife of W. A. Simms. Mary Rebecca, wife of Hammond H. Groover,
has one child, Eula K. Groover. Samuel Dickson married Fanny Moody,
and at his death, which occurred in 1902, he left her with two children,
James Russian and Samuel Daniel. John T. married Birdie Scruggs,
and they have two children, Martha A. and Julia R. Julia is the wife
of Jack Stringer.

Ansel Alderman. The Alderman family has become very well
known in the southwestern part of Georgia, both on account of the
industry and excellent character of the present generation, but also on
account of the prominent part played by the early representatives of



842 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

the name in the settling and opening up of the region where their
descendants make their homes. The first American representatives of the
family was David Alderman, who came to this side of the ocean from
England in the latter part of the eighteenth century.' His son. Timo-
thy, and his grandson, James, the father of the subject of this sketch,
were pioneers in Southwestern Georgia, and suffered the hardships of
primitive existence in the very section which is now blessed with the
advantages of civilization.

Ansel Alderman was born on a farm in the Tallokas district of Brooks
county, on the fifth of April, 1867, one of the ten children of James and
Jane Roberts Alderman. He passed his early years on the farm of his
father, receiving his early education in the rural schools of his com-
munity. He was married when only seventeen years of age to "Willie
Murphy, and. the parents of the young bride and groom fitted them
out for their start in life, one family supplying them with land and the
other with stock. By industry and thrift, indoors and out, the youthful
couple soon managed to make a success of their small farm, and in time
were able to add to the original tract until they possessed 650 acres, all
in the Pavo district of Thomas county. Mr. Alderman continued to
farm this land until the year 1902, when he moved to Pavo, where he
has lived ever since, letting out his farm to tenants.

Willie Murphy Alderman, the wife who shared so many of the
happy and prosperous years of his life, was the daughter of William
Murphy, a native of one of the Carolinas, who was an early settler
of Colquott county, Georgia, in which locality Mrs. Anselman was born.
After a useful, though brief, career as a wife and mother, Mrs. Willie
Alderman died in the year 1901, leaving seven children. These were :
Jessie, who is now the wife of Mont Eller, and whose children are Clyde
and Louis ; James, Mattie, Romulus, Corbett, Tommy and Sabie. Ansel
Alderman was married the second time to Lilla Pittman. who was born
in Thomas county, Georgia, the daughter of Jack and Josephine (Hart)
Pittman. Three children have resulted from this marriage. Aline. Wil-
lie Lee, and Lilla May.

Mr. Alderman lives quietly, seeking no public honor, but he is never-
theless a valued citizen of Pavo and lends his influence toward the good.
Mr. and Mrs. Alderman are members of the Missionary Baptist church,
and lend their support to the works of that congregation.

Ezekiel Alderman, the well known citizen and former hotel man
of Pavo, was born in Thomas county, Georgia, August 13. 1850. a
descendant of a family that had played its part in America since early
colonial times. Mr. Alderman's great-grandfather. David Alderman,
was a representative of a good old English family who settled in the
United States while they were yet under the rule of Great Britain. He
first made his home in New Jersey, but after living there for some time,
he moved to North Carolina. There he spent a great many years, but
late in life, his wife having died and Ins children being pretty well
grown, he migrated to Bullock county. Georgia, with his family, and
resided in that place until his death, which occurred at a good old age.

The grandfather of the subject of this sketch. Timothy Alderman.
was born in North Carolina in the year 1801. and was a young man
when lie moved to Georgia with his father. After his marriage, which
was solemnized in Bullock county, he changed his place of residence to
Berrien county. While living in the latter place he explored the south-
western section of Georgia, and considering that that section of the
state offered superior advantages for the settler, in the year 1835. he
located at a place now included in Brooks county. At the time of his



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 843

settlement in his new home, Southwestern Georgia was a wilderness.
All kinds of game roved its tangled forests, and the red men still claimed
it as their hunting ground. Nothing daunted by the obvious difficulties
presented by life in this wild place, Timothy Alderman commenced at
once to clear and put under cultivation the tract of timbered land he
had brought in what is now the Tallokas district. By the time he had his
farm in working condition, settlers were thronging the locality. Timo-
thy Alderman sold out to one of these men and bought a farm south of
Quitman. He resided there two years, but at the end of that time re-
turned to the Tallokas district where he purchased a new farm and
several hundred head of cattle, and engaged in stock raising. He died
on this farm at the ripe old age of eighty-one years, leaving his wife,
with whom he had shared fifty-five years of happy married life, to sur-
vive him. She passed away at the age of ninety-two years, after a
long and useful life as wife and mother. Her maiden name was Sally
Williams and she, like her husband, was born in the state of North
Carolina. She reared seven daughters and four sons, namely: Nancy,
Polly, Jinsey, Susan, Betty, Martha, and Jane, and James, Ezekiel,
Henry and Timothy.

James Alderman was born in Bullock county, Georgia, in 1823. He
was brought to the southwestern part of Georgia by his father when a
mere lad and was reared amid the rigors and inspiring scenes of pioneer
days. When he started out in life for himself, he purchased a tract of
land about one mile west of Pavo, and there built himself a log house
and engaged in farming. There were no railroads in those days and
the nearest market he had for his produce was Tallahassee, which was a
long and arduous journey from his farm. He hauled his commodities
there by team, however, the journey consuming several days. After liv-
ing on his original farm for several years, James Alderman sold it and
purchased some land west of Thomasville. He only lived here two
years, and at the end of that time he settled in what is now Brooks
county, having bought a fine farm in the western part of the Tallahas
district.

In the year 1864, when the memorable struggle between the states
began, James Alderman enlisted in the Georgia state militia, and went
to the defense of Atlanta. He served without interruption until the
close of the war and then resumed farming on his last-purchased farm.
In 1867 he sold his farm and rented land for a year, during which time
he was looking around for an advantageous location. With the idea of
finding a good place to settle in mind, he explored Florida, but that
state did not come up to his expectations, so he returned to the Tallahas
district and bought a farm from William Yates. In the year 1870 he
sold his farm to Captain Wells and bought another large farm in the
same district. Two years later he disposed of this land also and bought
a small farm, upon which he lived for three years. At the end of that
time he purchased a farm in the Pavo district. He stocked this farm
with cattle and remained there engaged in stock raising until his
death, which occurred when he had reached the ripe age of sixty-nine
years.

The wife of James Alderman and the mother of the subject of this
sketch, was Jane Roberts Alderman. She was born in what is now the
Tallokas district of Brooks county, the daughter of Elias and Nancy
Nevils Roberts. Mrs. Jane Alderman died at the age of sixty-five years,
having reared ten children, Eliza, Elias, Timothy, Sally, Nicie. Ezekiel,
James, Mary, Charles and Ansel.

The subject of this history was raised and educated in Brooks county
and commenced his career as an independent farmer on rented land in



844 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

the same locality. After renting for two years, he bought a tract of
land in the Tallokas district from his father, and shortly afterward
his father gave him one hundred acres adjoining his farm. He proved
very successful in the pursuit of agriculture and added to his original
farm until it included 525 acres, besides about one thousand acres of outly-
ing land. In 1901 he removed to Pavo, in order to give his children the
advantages of town schools. In Pavo he bought the hotel which he
operated so successfully for several years and of which he is still the
owner. Although he had the newer interests of town life to distract him,
Mr. Alderman did not grow neglectful of his agricultural duties. He
rented his farm property out to tenants and still keeps it under his
supervision. In the town where he has made his home, Mr. Alderman
enjoys the reputation of being not only a man of property, but a well-
liked and prominent citizen. He is a valued member of the McDonald
Lodge No. 172, of the Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons.

The marriage of Ezekiel Alderman to Mrs. Susan Elizabeth (Robert-
son) Beatty, took place when he was twenty-five years of age. She was
the widow of Jackson Beatty and was born in Webster county, Georgia,
the daughter of William and Matilda Hale Robertson. Mr. and Mrs.
Alderman were blessed with eight children, Laura, Hugh, Frank, Charles,
Deney, John, Hezekiah, and Sally Jane. Mrs. Alderman also had one
son, Iverson J. Beatty, by her first marriage. Of these children, Laura
is now the wife of D. M. Adams and has five children of her own, Will-
iam E., Stanley, Ruth, Beulah, and Huson. Frank is married to May
Simms and is the father of two children, Chester and Minnie Lee. Hugh
Alderman married Nannie White from near Atlanta.

Hezekiah Roberts. A veteran of the war between the states and the
first mayor of the town of Pavo, where he now resides, Hezekiah Roberts
and his family have been identified with the substantial development
of South Georgia since the beginning of settlement and progress in
this region.

Mr. Roberts was born in that part of Lowndes county that is now
the Tallokas district of Brooks county, on the 25th of December, 1840.
His grandfather was Thomas Roberts, a Scotchman, who was born
either in England or Scotland, and who on coming to America settled
in Screven county, Georgia, where he spent the remainder of his days.
He married a Miss Ponder, who died in Screven county and they were
the parents of one son, Elias, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Patience.

Elias Roberts, after spending his youth in Screven county and a few
years' residence in Chatham county, brought his family into the sparsely
populated region of Southwest Georgia. He and his household made
the removal in private conveyances and brought all their movable prop-
erty, with slaves and live stock, locating in the west part of Lowndes
county. Most of the land in this region was still owned by the state,
though some of it had been purchased by non-resident specvdators.
Elias Roberts, having bought land bordering Mule creek, first built a
house of round logs to shelter his family. Then his slaves laboriously
whip-sawed boards from the native timber and with a skilled house-
joiner and carpenter to direct the operations, a commodious two-story
dwelling was erected. The boards were two and a .half inches thick,
were dove-tailed together at the ends, and were fastened to the studding
with wooden dowel-pins in lieu of nails. When finished, and for some
years afterward, this was the most pretentious residence in all this coun-
tryside. A few years after Mr. Roberts settled there, he was approached
one day by a speculator, who owned several lots in this region, and
who offered his land for sale at fifteen dollars per lot (a lot containing



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 845

490 acres). Mr. Roberts bought and paid the price asked for one lot,
which was covered with fine oak timber, but told the speculator he
thought the rest of his land was valueless for farming purposes. Ellas'
Roberts remained a resident at the place of his first settlement until his
death, at the age of sixty-three years. Before coming into this part of
Georgia, he had served under General Jackson in the Florida Indian
wars, and after coming here was a member of a company organized for
protection against the Indians over the border, the company being
several times called out to drive the red men back to their reservations.
During such troublous times the Roberts homestead above described be-
came the place of refuge for the women and children of the settlement,
so that it served both as a residence and a fort. Elias Roberts had been
a participant in the battle of Brushy Creek in 1836, when the Indians
made their last great stand in defense of their hunting grounds.

Elias Roberts married Nancy Nevils, whose birthplace was at States-
boro, Bulloch county, Georgia. Her father, Jacob Nevils, was one of
the very earliest settlers of Bulloch county, where he bought land and
improved a fai-m, a part of which is now included in the town of
Statesboro. There he resided until his death at the age of ninety-eight.
His wife, whose Christian name was Nicey, attained to an even greater
age, living one year beyond a century. They reared a large family of
children, and Mrs. Elias Roberts likewise attained advanced age, being
eighty-two at the time of her demise. Her nine children were John, Mary,
Jane, Elias, James, Jacob, Nicey, Hezekiah and L. E.

As one of the youngest of this family, Mr. Hezekiah Roberts was
about twelve years old when his father died, and as the older brothers
had gone from home he became his mother's chief assistant in the man-
agement of the farm and slaves. He continued in this way until the
breaking out of the war in 1861, at which time he enlisted in Company C
of the Seventh Georgia Battalion, later being transferred to the Sixty-
first Georgia Infantry. His first service was at Brunswick and Savan-
nah, and he then went into the army of north Virginia under Stonewall
Jackson, and his regiment saw almost constant movement of campaign-
ing and fighting until September, 1864, when it was captured. He and
his comrades were then confined at Point Lookout, Maryland, until 1865,
when they were paroled. The war closed before he was exchanged, so
he came home and resumed the work of the farm. He succeeded to the
ownership of the old homestead which his father had carved out of
the wilderness, and was there successfully engaged in general farming
and stock raising until 1897. Since that year his home has been in
Pavo, of which town, at its incorporation, he served as the first mayor.

Mr. Roberts was first married at the age of twenty-seven to Dency
Morgan, who was born in Echols county, Georgia, a daughter of Elihu
Morgan. She died in 1876. For his second wife Mr. Roberts married
Moselle Peacock, a daughter of Delamar and Mary A. (McKinnon)
Peacock, of Thomas county. The history of this well known family in
Southwest Georgia is told in the sketch of Duncan D. Peacock, elsewhere
in this work. By his first union Mr. Roberts has three children, John
L., J. Sidney and Emma, and the four children of the second mar-
riage are Mamie, Frank, Wessie and Jack H. John L., who is a phy-
sician at Pavo, married Eveline Gray and has one son, John L., Jr. J.
Sidney married Annie Stevens and has four children : Thelma, Joseph
Sidney, Ellis and Clara. Emma is the wife of Dr. J. W. L. Brannen, and
their two children are Leone and Mamie Evelyn. Frank married Pearl
Hutchins and has one daughter, Catherine. Wessie is the wife of H. C.
Ford and they have one child, Hugh C, Jr. Mr. Roberts and wife
are members of the Pavo Methodist church and he is a Democrat in
politics.



846 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Asbury B. Pinch. Now a retired resident of Thomas county. Mr.
A. B. Finch has had a long and active career and has well earned his
material prosperity and the esteem of his family and fellow citizens.

He was bom in Nash county, North Carolina, on the 2d of July,
1836. His family had been identified with North Carolina from colonial
times. His grandfather, Allen Finch, was born in Nash county and
so far as known both he and his wife spent all their lives in that vicin-
ity. He owned and, operated a farm located about forty miles from
Raleigh, which was his nearest market and depot for supplies. In those
days farmers bought but little at the stores, since all the household
dressed in homespun, and most of the provisions were confined to what
could be produced in the home locality. Berry Finch, the father of
A. B. Finch, was also a native of Nash county and throughout most of
his active career was employed as an overseer on large plantations. He
died in Nash county at the age of seventy-five years. He married Nancy
Carpenter, who died at the age of about seventy and they reared three
sons and five daughters.

When A. B. Finch was eighteen years old he began learning the
trade of cooper and this skill in handicraft gave him a steady vocation for
many years of his active life. The war interrupted his work at this trade
and he enlisted in Company D of the Fifth North Carolina Infantry.
With this regiment he saw much arduous service in A T irginia, serving
under Generals Lee and Stonewall Jackson. At the battle of Williams-
burg he was wounded in the left arm by a minie ball, and was in the
hospital sixty days. He then continued with his regiment through its
campaigns and marches until September, 1864, when he was captured
and was kept a prisoner at Point Lookout, Maryland, until the close
of the war. Returning home he resumed his trade, and with the excep-
tion of two years in South Carolina lived in Nash county until 1882.
That was the date of his settlement in Thomas county, Georgia, which
has been his home for the past thirty years. Here he bought a tract of
timbered land in the Boston district and pursued his regular trade
while superintending the clearing away of the forest. He is now owner
of one of the most eligible farmsteads in this district, consisting of 264
acres, with 140 in cultivation, and with several sets of farm buildings.
His homestead is located three and a half miles from the town of
Boston, and there he and his wife live like the patriarchs of old. sur-
rounded by their children and enjoying the fruits of a well spent life.

Mr. Finch was married at the age of twenty-five to Miss Rhoda Wil-
liams. They have nine children, whose names are Polly Ann. William H,
Archie, John A., James. Rosetta, Nancy Jane. Joseph II. and Stella.
All but the last named were born in North Carolina. Mr. and Mrs.
Finch are earnest members of the Methodist church.

Marcus H. Atkinson. A native son of Georgia and representing
one of the old families, Marcus H. Atkinson began business at Meigs
when that town was a hamlet and for twenty years lias been one of the
principal business men and most influential citizens of that locality.
He was one of the men who wore the grey during the 1 war. and though
the wound and hard service of that period impaired his physical powers,
he has led a wonderfully active and enterprising career.

Mr. Atkinson was born on a plantation in Richmond county. Geor-
gia, about twenty miles west of Augusta, on the 25th of January. 1841.
His grandfather, Dickson Atkinson, a native of North Carolina, be-
longed lo a family of seven brothers, out 1 of whom settled in South
Carolina and five of them in North Georgia. The grandfather was a
young man when he settled in Richmond county, the lands there not



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 847

yet having been surveyed. He bought eight hundred acres of state land,
most of it heavily timbered, built a hewed log house and labored until
he had made a productive plantation out of the former wilderness, where'
he spent the rest of his life. He married a Miss Shepard, whose parents
were among the pioneers of Richmond county, and she survived her hus-
band by a number of years. She reared six children.

On this plantation in Richmond county were born two generations,
the father, whose name was Zachariah Atkinson, and later, as already
stated. Marcus H. Atkinson, the son of Zachariah. The latter was reared
in his native county and having received four hundred of acres of
land from his father, spent all his life in general farming and died on
the plantation where he was born, at the age of sixty-five years. The
maiden name of his wife was Ann Dye, a native of Burke county, Geor-
gia. Her father, Avery Dye, a native of North Carolina, and a pioneer
of Burke county, improved a plantation on Brier creek, where he spent
the last of his days. He married a Miss Owens, who survived him some
years, and they reared eight children. Mrs. Ann (Dye) Atkinson
died in 3863, aged about fifty-five. She was the mother of six children,
named as follows: Avery Dickson, William Shepard, Marcus H, Eliza-
beth Laura Ann, Robert Toombs, and George Crawford. The last-named
was too young, but all the other four sons served with the Confederate
army.

Marcus H. Atkinson, whose forefathers were thus closely identified
with the early development of Georgia, was reared and educated in his
native county, and at the age of twenty-one, instead of taking up the
practical duties of civil life, engaged in the great war then in progress
between the states. Enlisting in 1862, he became a member of Company
D of the Twelfth Georgia Battalion of Light Artillery. Sent to Ten-
nessee he was with the western army for a time, was then in Savan-
nah and at Charleston during the siege, and early in 1864 joined Gordon's
brigade in Virginia. At the battle of Monocacy Junction he was wounded
in the left leg, was captured on the field and for three months remained
a prisoner of war at Baltimore. Being exchanged at Savannah and
disabled for further service, he returned home and was honorably
discharged.

Tlie war having soon closed, he engaged in farming for three years
in Jefferson county, and in 1870 moved to Southwest Georgia, with which
region his career has been identified ever since. Buying land in Brooks
county, he was engaged in farming there until 1891, in which year he
sold out and permanently located at Meigs in Thomas county. At that
time Meigs was only a hamlet with two stores and a box-car served for
the railway station. A cotton gin was his first enterprise in the vil-
lage and he also bought land in the vicinity and engaged in farm-
ing. Later he also went into merchandising and established a saw-mill.
The Atkinson Mercantile Company has for a number of years been
one of the largest trading centers in this vicinity. He has also done
considerable business in the buying and selling of timber lands and
improved farms. His own farm, which he still operates, is located in the
corporate limits of Meigs.

In 1866 Mr. Atkinson was married to Miss Eliza Arrington, who was
born in Jefferson county, this state, a daughter of Leven Arrington. To
their marriage one daughter was born, Ida, now the wife of Mr. Mack
Simpson, and they now reside in Meigs. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson are the
parents of seven children, namely: Zoah. Medford. Asa, Ela. Myers,
Mercy and Margaret. Mr. Atkinson and wife are both members of the
Methodist church.



848 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Hon. James Horsley Whitchard. An honored and highly es-
teemed resident of Dawson, Terrell county, Hon. James H. Whitchard
holds a position of note among the more useful members of the com-
munity, as a teacher having been an important factor in advancing the
educational interests of Southwestern Georgia, while as the owner of a
farm he has contributed towards the development of the agricultural
prosperity of Terrell county. A son of John Whitchard, he was born
August 29, 1853, at Garden Valley, Macon county, Georgia, of early
colonial aucestry. The Whitchard family, according to tradition, is
descended from one of three brothers that came to America at an early
period of its settlement, and here spent their remaining years. But one
of the brothers married, and from him are descended all of the Ameri-
cans bearing the name of Witchard, Whitchard, Whichers, Whitcers, or
Whittier.

John Whitchard was born in Crawford county, Georgia. Left an
orphan in boyhood, he was brought up by his maternal grandfather,
John Williams, being reared to agricultural pursuits. As a young man
he purchased land in Crawford county, Georgia, and for a time oper-
ated it with slave labor. He subsequently removed to Macon county,
where he continued as a farmer until after the breaking out of the
war between the states, when he offered his services to the Confederacy.
Enlisting, in 1862, as a private in the Tenth Georgia Battalion, he went
with his company to Virginia, where he joined the Army of North Vir-
ginia. He was subsequently promoted to the rank of quartermaster of
his battalion and continued with his command until the close of the
conflict, taking an active part in the many battles in which the Army
of North Virginia participated, being at Appomattox at the surrender.
Returning to Macon county, he resumed business at Garden Valley, re-
maining there until 1877. Selling mat in that year, he came with his
family to Terrell county, and having purchased land lying three miles
southwest of Dawson carried on farming until late in life, when he re-
moved to Dawson, where he lived retired from active pursuits until his
death, in the eighty-third year of his age.

The maiden name of the wife of John Whitchard was Nancy Jane
Horsley. She was born in Upson county, Georgia, and died in Dawson,
Georgia, in the eighty-second year of her age. Her father, James Hors-
ley, who married Betsey Billiard, was born in South Carolina, of English
lineage. Coming to Georgia in early manhood, he located first in Upson
county, where he married, and for a time was engaged in farming. He
was subsequently similarly employed for a number of years in Macon
county, from there coming to Terrell county, where he and his wife spent
the remainder of their lives, making their home with their children. Mr.
Horsley living to celebrate the ninety-second anniversary of his birth,
while Mrs. Horsley passed away at the age of four score and four years.
Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. John Whitchard. namely:
Antoinette, Loula, Mattie, William S., James Horsley, John Williams,
Samuel M., Thomas 0., and Lizzie.

Growing to manhood in Macon county, James Horsley Whitchard
received a practical education in the public schools, and under his
father's instructions was well trained in the different branches of agricul-
ture. In 1878 Mr. Whitchard purchased, in Terrell county, land situ-
ated three and one-half miles from Dawson, and for a time was there
prosperously engaged in farming. Retiring then from agricultural
labors, he rented his land, and for eighteen years was actively engaged
in educational work, teaching school in Terrell, Randolph and Webster
counties, as an educator being successful and popular. In 1894 Mr.
Whitchard was elected county school commissioner for Terrell county,



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 849

and filled the responsible position ably and efficiently for six years,
when he was elected as a representative to the state legislature. Al-
though a resident of Dawson, Mr. Whitchard superintends the opera-'
tion of his farm, in its management meeting with satisfactory results.

On December 10, 1884, Mr. Whitchard was united in marriage with
Miss Leila Ada Jolly, who was born in Macon county, Georgia, a daugh-
ter of John Robert and Cynthia (McMickell) Jolly, natives of Macon
and Marion counties, respectively.

In his political affiliations Mr. Whitchard is a Democrat and active
in party ranks. Fraternally he is a member of P. T. Schley Lodge, No.
229, and of Lawrence Chapter. Royal Arch Masons. Both Mr. and Mrs.
Whitchard are consistent members of the Missionary Baptist church.

William Callaway Kendrick, M. D., who is also entitled to the term
"Honorable," having served a number of terms in the state legislature,
is a prominent physician and surgeon of Dawson, where his profes-
sional knowledge and skill have met with ample recognition. A son of
James Cornelius Kendrick, he was born Hay 17, 1831, on a farm ly-
ing seven miles south of Morgan, in Morgan county, Georgia.

His grandfather, James Burwell Kendrick, was born and reared in
Virginia and there married Mary Dowd, who was born in Ireland and
at the age of ten years crossed the ocean with her parents, who settled
in Virginia. About 1805, accompanied by his wife and children, he
migrated to Georgia, locating in Morgan county. Buying a tract of land
that was still in its primeval wildness, he began, with the help of slaves,
to clear and improve a farm and was there a resident until his death.

One of a large family of children, James Cornelius Kendrick was born
in Virginia, but while very young was brought by his parents to Mor-
gan county, Georgia. Left fatherless when a lad of ten years, he subse-
quently made his home with an uncle until sixteen years old, when he
joined the militia, and for two years served under General Jackson in
the Indian wars. In his youthful days he was converted, and for
many years he was a preacher in the Missionary Baptist church. He
was also an agriculturist, being engaged in farming in Morgan county
until 1836, when he purchased land in Meriwether county, and oper-
ated it successfully with slave labor for some time. Selling his holdings
in that locality in 1850, he purchased a plantation in Sumter county,
eleven miles west of Sumter, and continued in his free and independent
occupation. At that time, and for a number of years afterwards, there
were no railways in Southern Georgia, and the planters had to team
their cotton to Macon, which was the nearest market and depot for sup-
plies, bringing back with them all needed articles for the household, the
round trip consuming a long week. After the close of the war he re-
moved to Webster county, from there coming, in 1881, to Dawson to
live with his son, Dr. AVilliam C. Kendrick, and died at the doctor's
home at the venerable age of eighty-four years. His wife, whose maiden
name was Mary Butler, was born in Green county, Georgia, a daughter
of John Butler, and died in 1877, at the age of seventy-three years.

Mr. and Mrs. James Cornelius Kendrick reared eleven children, as
follows : Butler ; Burwell and John, twins ; James B. ; Catherine ; Will-
iam Callaway; Meredith; Benjamin J.; Melissa; Marian; and Isaac W.
Five of the sons served in the Confederate army. William Callaway
serving as surgeon, with the rank of captain ; Burwell, Benjamin and
Meredith each raised a company, of which he was commissioned cap-
tain. Benjamin was killed, in 1862, at the battle of Big Creek Gap, Ten-
nessee, and Meredith was killed at the engagement near Marietta, Geor-
gia, June 4, 1864. Isaac, who at the breaking out of the war was a youth



850 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

in his teens, served as a private in the army. Burwell, the second son
of the parental household, settled in Texas and at his death, which
occurred at a ripe old age, left ninety-five descendants,

William Callaway Kendrick spent his youthful days on the home
farm and was reared amid pioneer scenes. When he was a hoy the
women slaves used to card, spin and weave, and all the family, as well
as the slaves, dressed in homespun. He obtained his rudimentary edu-
cation in the rural schools of his neighborhood. Having decided to enter
upon a professional career, he began the study of medicine with Dr. W.
J. Reese, of Sumter county, and was graduated from the Metropolitan
Medical College, in New York City, in the class of 1855. The following
year Doctor Kendrick was engaged in the practice of medicine in Lee
county, Georgia, and the next two years was similarly employed in
Talbotton. Going from there to Arkansas, the doctor was located at
Fort Smith until 1861, when he returned to Georgia, and enlisted as a
private in the Twelfth Georgia Volunteer Infantry, in the company com-
manded by Captain Miles A. Hawkins. Going with his regiment to Vir-
ginia, he was soon promoted to surgeon, and with his command joined
the Army of the Tennessee, with which he was connected until the
close of the conflict.

Returning then to Georgia, Doctor Kendrick settled in Webster
county, where he was actively engaged in the practice of his profession
until 1881. Locating in Dawson in that year, the doctor has here con-
tinued his labors as a physician and surgeon with characteristic suc-
cess for more than thirty years, with the exception of the time he has
been obliged to devote to his official duties.

Doctor Kendrick cast his first presidential vote, in 1852. for the
Whig candidate, Winfield Scott. In 1876 he was elected as a representa-
tive to the state legislature from Webster county, and after his re-elec-
tion to the same position, in 1878, voted for Ben Hill for United States
senator. In 1888 the doctor was elected to represent Terrell county in
the state legislature and was honored with a re-election in 1892. and
again in 1896, and in the latter year he cast his vote in favor of Sam
Jones as United States senator. Since early manhood Doctor Kendrick
has been an active member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Order of
Masons. He is a past master of Furlow lodge. Sumter county, and is
a member and past master of P. T. Schley Lodge, No. 229 ; a member
of Lawrence chapter, Royal Arch Masons ; and has served as a member
of the finance committee of the grand lodge of Masons.

Doctor Kendrick has been twice married. He married first, in 1855,
Nancy Kendrick, who was born in Talbot county, Georgia, a daughter
of Burke Kendrick. She passed to the higher life in 1876. Their only
child, Herschell V. Kendrick, died at the age of twenty-one years. The
doctor married second, in 1877, Emma Corinne Foster, who was born in
Lee county, Georgia. The doctor and Mrs. Kendrick have five children.
namely: James R. ; Juniata, wife of Dr. T. M. Meriwether: Mary B. :
May Belle, wife of R. D. Smith: and Lessie Estelle. wife of Will C. Page.

Andrew J. Hill. A man of excellent business qualifications, intel-
ligence, and much enterprise, Andrew J. Hill is widely and favorably
known in Terrell county as a successful agriculturist, and as a prominent
warehouse man of Dawson, his home city. A son of Isaac Hill, he was
born November 7. 1870. on a Stewart county farm, coming from pioneer
ancestry. His grandfather. Green Hill, migrated from his native state.
North Carolina, to Georgia in the very early part of the nineteenth
century, becoming one of the first settlers of Houston county. Purchas-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 551

Lag a tract of timbered land, he hewed, with the assistance of slaves, a
farm from the dense wilderness, and there spent the remainder of his life.

Isaac Hill was born on the parental homestead, in Houston county/
in 1814, and was early initiated into the mysteries of successful farm-
ing, as carried on in early days. A few years after his marriage, he moved
to Monroe county, but not at all satisfied with his prospects in that sec-
tion, returned with his family to Houston county, and there resided
until 1851. Locating then in Stewart county, he bought a tract of stand-
ing timber, fourteen miles west of Lumpkin, and erected thereon the
customary log house of the pioneer. The country roundabout was but
sparsely settled, and deer, turkeys, and wild game of all kinds were plen-
tiful, and formed to some extent the subsistence of the few inhabitants
of that locality. For a number of years after his arrival in that county
there were no railways, Georgetown, Georgia, and Eufaula, Alabama,
being the nearest trading points. Persevering and industrious, he cleared
quite a large tract of land, erected a good set of farm buildings, and
was there engaged in tilling the soil until his death, March 17, 1897, at
the age of eighty-three years. When a young man he took an active
part in the Indian wars of that period and later served as one of the
three judges of the inferior court of Stewart county.

Isaac Hill was three times married. He married first, Emily Stew-
art, who was born in Houston county, Georgia, a daughter of Thomas
Stewart, a pioneer farmer of that county. She died in 1860. Eight
children were born of their union, as follows : Isaac Thomas ; Robert
Green ; "William Russell ; James Johnson ; Nannie Mittie : John Cal-
houn, of whom a brief sketch may be found elsewhere in this volume ;
Benjamin L. ; and Henry Clay. Mr. Isaac Hill married for his second
wife Mrs. Ellen (Moffitt) Williams, She lived but a comparatively few
years after their marriage, passing away in 1875. Of that union four
children were born, namely : Mollie ; Emma Eulala ; Andrew J., the
special subject of this brief personal review; and Walter L. Mr. Hill
married for his third wife Mrs. Fanny (Ligeon) Boland, whose death
occurred in 1900.

Acquiring a practical education in the district schools, Andrew J. Hill
remained on the home farm until twenty-one years old, and while assist-
ing in its management gained a practical knowledge of farming. Begin-
ning the struggle for life for himself soon after becoming of age, he
rented land in Terrell county, and met with such satisfactory results in
his labors that he was ere very long enabled to buy a tract of land situ-
ated one and one-half miles from Dawson. Fortune smiled upon his every
effort, and since making his first purchase Mr. Hill has invested in other
tracts, and is now the owner of 650 acres of choice Terrell county land.
In 1898 Mr. Hill embarked in the warehouse business in Dawson, and has
since managed that successfully in addition to supervising his farms.

In 1897 Mr. Hill was united in marriage with Clemmie Bryant Harris,
who was born in Terrell county, a daughter of Edward J. and Martha
(Bryant) Harris. Her maternal grandfather, Lovett Bryant, was an
extensive farmer of Stewart county, and served as one of the judges of
the inferior court of that county and as county school commissioner.
He lived to be upwards of ninety years of age and retained his mental
faculties to a remarkable degree, being bright and active till the close
of his life. Mr. and Mrs. Hill are both consistent members of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church, South.

Ever interested in public affairs, Mr. Hill has served as a member
of the city council, and as mayor of Dawson, filling the chair ably and
acceptably. Fraternally he belongs to Dawson camp, Woodmen of the
World, which was organized in 1897, being one of its charter mem-

Vol. II— 2 1



852 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

bers. He is fond of the chase and keeps a fine pack of hounds. He is a
noted sportsman and as a crack shot has taken part in several target
shooting tournaments.

John Calhoun Hill. Having accomplished a satisfactory work as
a general farmer, acquiring a competency to live upon, John Calhoun
Hill is now living retired from active business cares, near Dawson, en-
joying to the utmost the well-merited reward of his many years of unre-
mitting toil. He was born, in 1851, in Stewart county, Georgia, a son of
Isaac and Emily (Stewart) Hill, of whom further notice may be found
on another page of this volume, in connection with the sketch of Mr.
Hill's brother, Andrew J. Hill.

John C. Hill was reared to a strong, self-reliant manhood on the
parental farm, obtaining his education in the rural schools of his neigh-
borhood. He became familiar with the various branches of agriculture
while assisting his father on the homestead, and naturally adopted farm-
ing as his occupation. Mr. Hill did not become a landholder until after
his marriage, his first piece of property having been a tract of land in
Stewart county, on which he lived and labored industriously until 1879.
Selling out in that year, he bought a farm in Quitman county, and was
there a resident for nine years. Disposing of that property, Mr. Hill
came to Terrell county, and having bought land four miles west of
Dawson, was there actively and successfully engaged in general farm-
ing until 1912, in the meantime increasing the acreage of his farm by
purchase. He now occupies a farm lying near his original estate and is
living retired from active work.

Mr. Hill married, in 1873, Sarah Frances Bismuke, a daughter of
William H. and Maria (Green) Bismuke, pioneer settlers of Stewart
county, where both spent the closing years of their long and useful
lives, Mrs. Bismuke attaining the venerable age of four score and ten
years. Mr. and Mrs. Hill are the parents of eight children, namely:
William Isaac, Miles Green, Addie Virginia, Alma, Pearl, John Carter,
Emily May, and Fanny Ethel.

John Cullen Hollingsworth. An able representative of the pros-
perous business men of Dawson, John Cullen Hollingsworth. a hardware
merchant, holds an acknowledged position of prominence among the
progressive and public-spirited men of the city and county as a citizen
faithfully performing duties imposed upon him in official capacities. He
was born and reared in Barbour county, Alabama, of old Virginia an-
cestry, being a son of James Hollis Hollingsworth.

His paternal grandparents migrated from their native state, Vir-
ginia, to Georgia early in the nineteenth century, and for six years lived
in the vicinity of Americus, Sumter county, making the removal with
teams. White settlers were then few and far between, and the dense
forests were apparently filled with all kinds of wild animals and game.
Not pleased with their prospects in Georgia, they removed with their
family to Alabama, becoming pioneer settlers of Barbour county, where
they established a permanent home.

Born in Virginia, in 1832, James Hollis Hollingsworth was but three
years old when bis parents made the overland journey to Georgia, and
but nine years of age when they migrated to Barbour county, Alabama,
where he began as soon as strong enough to assist in clearing a home-
stead. At the breaking out of the war between the states, he enlisted in
an Alabama regiment, and with the Confederate forces went to Virginia.
He subsequently fought bravely in many of the noted battles of the war.
including the battles at Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, and the differ-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 853

ent ones around Richmond and Petersburg, continuing in active service
throughout the conflict, returning home after the final surrender. His
father having died while he was an infant, the care of his mother anc(
sister fell upon him at an early age. He rented a mule and a
piece of land, and though he had a late start that year, he was blessed with
a good crop, which he disposed of at a high price. After renting a few
/ears, he bought a plantation in the northwest section of Barbour county,
near Mount Andrew, on the plantation standing the log cabin in which
his son, John Cullen, was born. The little cabin, with a few other rude
log buildings, and a few cleared acres, constituted all of the improve-
ments upon the place. He possessed good judgment and excellent execu-
tive ability, and with thrift and industry, both indoors and out, he and
his family prospered, and in due course of time were installed in a sub-
stantial frame house. He also erected good barns and sheds for the shel-
ter of his stock and machinery, and put up tenement houses. There
he lived contented and happy until his death,

The maiden name of the wife of James Hollis Hollingsworth was
Amanda Currington. She was a native of South Carolina. Surviving
her husband, she now makes her home with her children, of whom she
has five, all sons, as follows : George, John Cullen, James, Robert, and
Edgar.

Receiving a good common school education in his youth, John Cul-
len Hollingsworth, at the age of seventeen, began life for himself as a
teacher, and for four years taught school. Changing his occupation, he
was clerk in a general store at Clayton, Barbour county, Alabama, until
December, 1896. In January, 1897, Mr. Hollingsworth embarked in the
mercantile business in Dawson, Georgia, with H. A. Petty, under the
firm name of Petty and Hollingsworth, opening the first hardware store
in the place, and for eight years carrying on a thriving business under
that name. In 1905 the Hollingsworth Hardware Company was formed,
with Mr. Hollingsworth as president of the corporation. Another store
was purchased, the stock of the two establishments was consolidated, and
this enterprising company now carries on an extensive and lucrative
business, dealing in shelf hardware of every description, cutlery, kitchen
furnishing goods, and farm implements, the firm aiming to anticipate
as far as possible the wants and needs of their numerous patrons.

Mr. Hollingsworth married, August 10, 1905, Lillie Christie, who
was born in Dawson, Georgia, a daughter of Samuel R. and Ella
(Stevens) Christie. Three children have blessed the union of Mr. and
Mrs. Hollingsworth, namely: Virginia, Ella May, and John Christie.
Religiously Mr. Hollingsworth is an active member of the Baptist church,
and superintendent of its Sunday school, and Mrs. Hollingsworth belongs
to the Methodist Episcopal church. Fraternally Mr. Hollingsworth is a
member of P. T. Schley Lodge, No. 229, Free and Accepted Masons, and
of Lawrence chapter, Royal Arch Masons. He is now serving the city
as a member of its common council, and is chairman of the board of
county commissioners.

Owen Thomas Kenyon, M. D. Engaged in the practice of a pro-
fession which is one of the most exacting of all the lines of occupation
to which a man may devote his time and energies, Owen Thomas Kenyon,
M. D., of Dawson, holds a position of note among the leading physicians
and surgeons of Terrell county. A son of Dr. Solomon H. Kenyon, he
was born, May 7, 1866, in Stewart county, Georgia, on a farm situ-
ated seven miles west of Lumpkin, coming from excellent New England
ancestry. The immigrant ancestor of that branch of the Kenyon family
from which Doctor Kenyon sprung was one John Kenyon, who was



854 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

born in England in 1657, came to America as a young man. and settled
in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, where he married Elizabeth Remington.

George Kenyon, the next in line of descent, was bor,n in Hopkinton,
Rhode Island, February 4, 1733, and there spent his entire life. He
married Martha Hoxie, whose birth occurred in the same place, May
2, 1735. Their son, Solomon Kenyon, grandfather of the doctor, was
born in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, and there resided until his death.
September 1, 1857, during his active career having been prosperously
engaged in agricultural pursuits. Both he and his wife, whose maiden
name was Eunice Sheffield, were birthright Quakers and reared their
children in that faith.

Solomon H. Kenyon was born in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, May 19,
1793, and there acquired the rudiments of his education. A natural
mechanic, he learned the trade of a carriage maker, and subsequently
earned enough money as a carriage manufacturer to pay his way through
the state university at Burlington, Vermont, graduating first from the
literary department, and later from its medical department. After tak-
ing a post graduate course in Boston, he was for three years engaged
in the practice of medicine in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1829 Dr.
Solomon H. Kenyon started for Florida, making the journey in a sail-
ing vessel and being on the water six months, the voyage having been
long and rough. A very few years later he came to Georgia, settling
in Irwin county, where he became engaged in the practice of his pro-
fession and with a Mr. Bowen improved a water power on House creek,
near Ocilla. South Georgia then had comparatively few inhabitants,
neither the Indians or the wild beasts of the forest having yet fled be-
fore the advancing steps of civilization. A few years later he moved to
Talbot county, where he practiced medicine until 1852, when he bought
land in Stewart county, seven miles west of Lumpkin, and turned his
attention to farming, retiring from his professional labors. He was a
great reader and student, and when, after he had passed the allotted
three score and ten years of man's life, a new grammar was introduced
into the county schools, he attended school once again, and memorized
the work. He died at the advanced age of four score and four years.

The maiden name of the wife of Dr. Solomon H. Kenyon was Lutieia
Pierce. She was born, August 18, 1820. a daughter of Allen and Sarah
(Mulkey) Pierce, and died in 1895, at the age of seventy-five years. Her
paternal grandfather, John Pierce, was a native of Ireland and a pioneer
of Burke county, Georgia, of which her Great-grandfather Mulkey was
also an early settler. Of the union of Dr. S. H. and Mrs. Kenyon. ten
children were born, as follows: John. Solomon. Allen. Mina, Greorge,
Sally, Amos Hoxie, Martha, Eunice, and Owen Thomas. The four older
sons served in the Confederate army, John and Solomon losing their
lives while in the service.

Laying a substantial foundation for his future education in the
public schools of Lumpkin. Owen Thomas Kenyon was graduated when
young from its high school. Having inherited in no small measure the
mechanical talent of his father, he earned enough money while yet a
student to pay his college expenses, and in 1S86 was graduated from
the medical department of Tulane University, with the degree of M. D.
Commencing the practice of his chosen profession in Webster county.
Doctor Kenyon remained there until 19(10. when he removed to Dawson,
where he has since continued, having built up an extensive and highly
remunerative practice, and has won an enviable reputation as a physician
and surgeon. An attentive reader and close observer, the doctor has
kept pace with all of the important advances made in medical and
surgical science, and has taken a post graduate course at Tulane Uni-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 855

versity, a course of six weeks in the Rhode Island state hospital, a special
course at the Atlanta Medical College, and a course in the New York
City Polyclinic.

Doctor Kenyon married, February 14, 1889, Mary Almira Kimbrough,
who was horn at Weston, Webster county, Georgia, a daughter of C. A.
Kimhrough. Her paternal grandfather, Stephen P. Kimbrough, was
born in Greene county, Georgia, but when a young man removed to
Webster county, where he bought a large tract of land, which he oper-
ated with slave labor, owning a large number of slaves. He subsequently
settled in Stewart county, where his death occurred when he was eighty-
three years old. He married Agnes Peak, who lived to the age of eighty-
nine years. C. A. Kimbrough enlisted in the Confederate army in 1864
and with his command went to Florida. At the close of the war he lo-
cated in Webster county, where he still resides. He married Matilda
Paschal, who was born in Putnam county, Georgia, where her father
was an extensive farmer and a slave owner, who married Mary Ingram,
a life-long resident of Putnam county.

Dr. and Mrs. Kenyon have two sons, namely : Stephen P. Kenyon,
who was graduated from Mercer University in 1912 and now fills the
chair of science in the Gainesville high school; and John C. Kenyon. a
student. The doctor and Mrs. Kenyon are members of the Baptist
church. Fraternally the doctor belongs to P. T. Schley Lodge, No. 229,
Free and Accepted Masons.

George L. Duren. Representing a family whose members have been
identified by residence and citizenship with Georgia for more than a
century, George L. Duren is one of the enterprising merchants of Meigs
in Thomas county. Beginning when the present flourishing little city
was a village, he has built up a large business, and has performed his
share of the development which has been so notable in Southwest Geor-
gia during the last cjuarter century.

This branch of the Duren family is of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and the
great-grandfather of Mr. Duren came from the north of Ireland, the seat
of the Scotch-Irish, and settled in Augusta, Georgia, where he spent the
remainder of his days and followed his trade of blacksmith. He reared
two sons, Thomas and George, but the former left Augusta and disap-
peared from the knowledge of the family. Mechanical skill has been
almost a family asset of the Durens. The grandfather, George, was a
skilled worker in wood and iron, and in his generation manufactured
looms, spinning wheels, churns, carts and wagons. And his son, the
father of the Meigs merchants, inherited the same genius but did not
follow it as a regular gainful occupation, though he built the first wagon
he ever owned.

George Duren, the grandfather, was born in Augusta and when a
young man drove stages from Augusta to interior points, and later moved
to Gwinett county, where he bought land and engaged in farming and
resided until his death. He was known as a man of sterling charac-
ter and was thoroughly honest in all his dealings. The maiden name of
his wife was Sneed, and they reared ten sons and one daughter. All of
the sons who were living at the time served in the Confederate army,
and few families of the south were better represented at the front than
the Durens.

W. N. Duren, the father, was born in Gwinett county on the 27th of
September, 1824, was reared in his native county, and after attaining
manhood bought a farm in the same county and also became proprietor
of a grist mill on Yellow river. Being a miller, he was exempt from mili-
tary service until the last call during the war, and was given what was



856 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

really a greater responsibility, that of caring for the families of those
who had gone to the front and supplying them with flour and meal for
their daily bread. But in 1864, when Georgia became one of the princi-
pal centers of armed invasion, he joined the state militia and went to the
defense of Atlanta. In 1865, having sold his possessions in Gwinett
county, he came to Southwest Georgia, and bought land in the eastern
part of Thomas county, where he spent the remainder of his years. He
married Miss Elizabeth Flowers, a native of Gwinett county and daugh-
ter of James and Minerva (Chandler) Flowers. Both her parents
were natives of Scotland and on coming to America first settled in North
Carolina and later in Gwinett county, where they spent the rest of their
lives, the mother being upward of seventy-six years at the time of her
death. A few years after the Duren family moved to Thomas county
the mother was left a widow with ten children to her care. She suc-
ceeded in keeping them all together until they were grown and had
homes of their own. She spent her last days with a daughter in Thom-
asville, her death occurring at the age of seventy-six. The names of her
ten children were: Mary J., Charlotte A., Eeno M., William A., Emery
G., Thomas C, Pinckney F., George L., Ella M. and Buna V.

Throughout practically all of his life George L. Duren has been
a resident of Thomas county, and since childhood has witnessed the
changes made by half a century in this part of the state. He was born
in Thomas county, September 27, 1866, and when a boy attended the
school in the neighborhood of his home. Up to the age of nineteen he
assisted in the work of the farm, and then with a capital of three hun-
dred dollars, given him by his mother, he opened a small store in
Thomasville. That was the start of his long and successful career as
a merchant. He was in business at Thomasville one year, then two
years at Stone Mountain and five years at Cairo, after which he lo-
cated in Meigs and as a merchant and public-spirited citizen has ever
since been closely identified with this community. On coming here
there were several frame but only one brick building in the village, and
his own enterprise had a small frame structure for its first home. In
1905 he erected a commodious brick store, in which he caiTies a stock of
general merchandise including almost everything in daily use in the
house and on the farm. In 1913 he erected a large brick store in addi-
tion, in which he will carry a large stock of hardware, machinery, bug-
gies and all kinds of feed stuffs.

Mr. Duren has been twice married. He was married in Gwinett
county to Miss A. L. "Williams, a native of that county and daughter of
Pittman and Sally. (Rowe) Williams. Mrs. Duren died at Cairo in
1895. By the second mai'riage, which was celebrated near Meigs, Miss
Rosetta Vick became his wife. She was born in Colquitt county, this
state, a daughter of James and Martha J. (Carlton) Vick. One daugh-
ter, Ola Belle, was born of the first marriage and the two children of
the present union are Schley and Ella Vernon.

Mr. and Mrs. Duren are active members of the Missionary Baptist
church. He is a prominent Mason, being master of Meigs lodge, F. &
A. M., No. 459 ; Pelham chapter, R. A. M.. and the Crusader Commandery
K. T., No. 17, Bainbridge, Georgia. He is also a member of the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Wood-
men of the World. Mr. Duren has always been one of the influential
Democrats in his locality, lias been a member of the district executive
committee, and in Meigs has done his share of public service as mem-
ber of the town council.

James X. [SLER, M. D. Both as a physician and an enterprising
business m;:n. Dr. Isler has takes a prominent part in the improvement



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 857

and development of the town of Meigs and its environs during the last
fifteen years. It is due to the work and influence of such citizens that
Southwest Georgia. owes its rapid material progress of recent years.

James N. Isler has spent most of his life in this section of the state.
Born on a farm in Calhoun county on the 21st of July, 1874, he was a
son of Becton Isler, who was born in the same county in 1844. The
grandfather, John Isler, was a native, it is thought, of Wilkinson county,
this state, and a descendant of Swiss ancestors. The name is found in
different states of the Union, sometimes being spelled Izler. The grand-
father moved from Wilkinson county to Baker county during the early
forties and settled in that part now included in Calhoun county. He
bought land and devoted the rest of his career to the clearing and till-
ing of the soil. For many years after his settlement no railroads had
penetrated into Southwest Georgia, and the farmers had to market their
products at the river or gulf ports many miles away. It was a pioneer
epoch in this region, when deer, turkeys and all kinds of game were plen-
tiful. Calhoun county was the home of the grandfather until his death.
He married a Miss Bailey.

Becton Isler (the father), though not sixteen years old when the
war broke out, enlisted in a Georgia regiment, was for a time assigned
to duty in guarding the magazines at Macon, and then took the field with
his regiment and served until the end of the war. He then bought
land in his native county and has ever since been identified with the
agricultural interests of that locality. He was thrice married, and the
maiden name of his first wife and the mother of the doctor, was
Elizabeth Smith. Of her four children, one died in infancy and the
others are named Judge Becton, James Nathaniel and Naomi Elizabeth.
From the third marriage there are four children living : Guery Beaton,
Louie, Jesse M. S. and Elsie.

Doctor Isler was reared and educated in his native county of Cal-
houn, attending the common schools and then the high school at Leary.
His determination to study medicine was adopted at an early age and he
began his reading when seventeen with Dr. W. R. Terry at Leary. In
the fall of 1894 he entered the Southern Medical College at Atlanta,
where he was graduated M. D. with the class of 1897. He chose for
his residence and place of practice the city of Meigs, which had then
had several years of slow growth. After two years he was induced to
remove to Pearson in Coffee county, where he remained three years,
and then returned to Meigs, which has been his home ever since. He
enjoys a large practice, and is one of the most popular and successful
physicians in Thomas county. Dr. Isler was married at Pearson in 1902
to Miss Lena, daughter of Louis and Phoebe (Simmons) Holtzendorff.

His part in the advancement of modern improvements and in civic
and social affairs is not less important than his work in his profession.
Realizing the need of the modern facilities of telephone service, a few
years ago he established the Meigs Telephone Company, of which he is
now sole owner. The service was at first confined to a small area about
Meigs, but has been since extended to Mitchell and Grady counties, and
in 1912 his system was established at Ochlochnee. In 1905 the doctor
started a drug store in Meigs, and has since conducted one of the well
appointed stores of the county. He is a stockholder in the Bank of
Meigs.

Doctor Isler is a charter member, past master and was first .-junior
warden of the Meigs Masonic Lodge, No. 459, F. & A. M., and is affiliated
also with Pelham Chapter, R. A. M., and Crusader Commandery, K. T.,
at Bainbridge. His other fraternal associations include membership
with the John B. Gordon Lodge, No. 163, K. of P., at Pelham. of which



858 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

lie is a charter member ; member and past grand of Meigs Lodge,
No. 241, I. 0. 0. F., and is one of the charter members; and past
council, commander and camp physician of Meigs Camp, No. 157, W.
0. W., and also one of the organizers. As a Democrat he has never
taken any part in practical politics, but has done his duty as a voter
and goocl citizen.

<

Andrew Jones Bond, who belongs to one of the old families of
Southwest Georgia, is a well known and prosperous citizen of Meigs.
He is a native of Stewart countv, having been born on a farm there
the 1st of May, 1864.

His grandfather, Thomas Bond, a farmer by occupation, who so far
as known was a life-long resident of Elbert county, reared seven sons
and two daughters. John Rafe Bond, the father of Andrew J., was the
seventh son, and was born at Elberton, Elbert county, in 1833. "When a
very young man he came to South Georgia, buying land in Stewart
county, and was there successfully engaged in farming and stock rais-
ing until his death, which occurred in 1899. The maiden name of his
wife was Martha Frances Broach, and she was a daughter of Thomas
and Elizabeth Broach. She is still living, at a good old age, on the
home farm in Stewart county, her son, John "Willis, being manager of
the estate. Her five children are Josephine, Andrew Jones, Eliza Cor-
nelia, John Willis and Dora.

Andrew J. Bond was reared and educated in his native county, and
has always been an industrious worker and good business manager.
At the age Of twenty-three he moved out to Texas, where he bought a
tract of land in Hunt county and developed it as a farm, selling it at the
end of three years. After six years' residence in Texas he returned
to Georgia and for a time lived on the home place in Stewart county.
In 1899 he bought land in Mitchell county six miles from Pelham. sell-
ing this in 1902, and during the following six years was a resident of
the town of Pelham. After a sojourn of about six months in Florida he
selected as his next place of residence the town of Meigs, where he is
now owner of seventy-five acres within the corporate limits, and he
also has a farm of 125 acres in Grady county. Most of his land is
operated by tenants. He has been very successful in business, has de-
veloped a good deal of country property, and is a man of much enter-
prise. In 1905 he became a civil service employe of the government,
and is still in charge of a rural mail route from Meigs.

Mr. Bond was first married in July, 1904, to Miss Eula Hand,
whose father, Amos F. Hand, is a well known resident of Meigs. Mrs.
Bond died in June, 1905. In 1907 he was united in marriage with
Miss Vera May Young, daughter of "William J. Young, of Meigs. The
two children of Mr. Bond and wife are named Edgar E. and Velma
Eilene.

Joe McHancock. Up to the time of his election to the office of ordi-
nary of Turner county, Joe McHancock had devoted himself with all
diligence to the farming industry, wherein he had experienced a very
fair degree of success. His election to the office of oi'dinary came with
the organization of the county in 1906 and continued for a term of
four yearSj and as the incumbent of that office ho verified to the utmost
the expectations of his constituents, and proved himself a capable and
wise official. Mr. McHancock has not relinquished his farming activi-
ties, but owns and operates a small and productive place, though his
residence has been maintained in Ashburg since 1906.

Born on the 11th of September, 1859. in Pulaski county, Joe McHan-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA ' 859

cock became a resident of Wilcox county in 1863. This county later was
subdivided and Turner county was formed as a result, as was also Ben
Hill county, in 1907, by act of legislature. The parents of Joe Mc- /
Hancock were Joseph J. and Sarah (Watson) Hancock. The father
was born in 1818 and died in 1879. He was a farmer and divided
his time between that work and the vocation of a Baptist minister, of
the denomination known as Hard Shell. He was a pioneer preacher
of his time, and was a resident of this community during the war.
His wife was a daughter of Frederick Watson, one of the old settlers
living in the vicinity of Houston county, near Perry, Georgia.

The early days of Joe McHancock were passed on his father's farm
on the Allapha river, in Wilcox county, and there he early learned
the business of farming under the insistent instruction of his parent.
As a consequence, he turned his attention to that business when he
reached years of manhood, and up to the time when he was elected
ordinary of Turner county, had continued to devote himself to that
industry. Mr. McHancock has been identified with the county in an
official capacity since it was organized in 1905 and was chief clerk of the
first ordinary of Turner county up to 1908, elected to that office with a
majority of three to one. Since 1906 Mr. McHancock has maintained
a residence in Ashburg, but he still conducts his farm in the vicinity of
the city.

On February 22, 1870, Mr. McHancock was married to Mary W.
McCall, and to them eight children were born. Mrs. McHancock died
on June 11, 1905. The children are named as follows, in the order of
their birth : John, of Lake Kerr, Florida, is assistant postmaster
at that place and bookkeeper of a large lumber company • Dave is en-
gaged in the livery business in Rebecca, Turner county, Georgia ; Charles
is a farmer of Rebecca ; Samuel, also in the livery business ; Essie, living
at Atlanta, Georgia ; Joe, Jr., Estelle and Domer are all students and
living at home. In 1909 Mr. McHancock married Miss Nettie Barron-
ton, the daughter of Mrs. J. W. Barronton, of Lafayette county,
Georgia.

Mr. McHancock is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows and the Rebekahs, and is also identified with the Masonic fra-
ternity, Sycamore Lodge, No. 210, with membership in the Chapter,
R. A. M. He and his wife are members of the Baptist church. Mr. Mc-
Hancock is the youngest member in a family of eleven children. His
brothers and sisters ai'e named as follows: Martha, Elizabeth, Amanda,
J. G. B., E. L., Catherine, Jane, John, Ellen and W. J. The latter is
clerk of the supreme court of Wilcox county. J. G. B. McHancock was
sheriff two terms in Irwin county, in 1876 and 1878, and E. L. McHan-
cock was county treasurer of Irwin county two terms, in 1882 and
1884. All the family is yet living except Amanda, E. L. and Martha, and
the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren number over 420.
The family is an old and well known one in this section of the state
and many of the name have given valued service to the county and
state in various capacities.

Joseph Wesley Cameron, clerk of the superior court of Telfair
county, is a native of Georgia, born in the same county in which he
now lives. His birth occurred on March 14, 1852, and he is the son of
A. J. and Margaret Cameron, the father a native of Telfair and the
mother of Tattnall county. The father was a gunsmith by trade and
was foreman of the Georgia state army during the war, and for twenty-
four years thereafter he was messenger of the Georgia senate, a position
which he was filling when his death occurred, in 1888. The Cameron



660 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

family is one which has heen prominent in Georgia for a number of
generations, and representatives of the family have ben identified with
the fortunes of Telfair county since its organization in .1807. Duncan
Cameron, the grandfather of Joseph Wesley Cameron, of this review,
represented this county in the legislature five terms. He was a native of
North Carolina, and the family is one of Scottish extraction. He also
represented the county in the senate three terms and in the house two
terms. The father, A, J. Cameron, was a member of both constitutional
conventions after the close of the war. He was born in 1826 and died in
1888, as mentioned previously. The mother, who was born in 1825, died
in 1898.

Mr. Cameron was the only child of his parents. He was educated
primarily in the schools of McRae. On reaching years of maturity, he
engaged first in the merchandise and timber business in this section,
and he continued in that line of enterprise with more or less success
until in 1890, when he was elected assistant doorkeeper in the house of
representatives for a term of four years. In 1891 he was elected assist-
ant doorkeeper in the senate for a five years' term, and on January 1,
1899, he took charge of the office of clerk of the superior court of Telfair
county, his election to that position coming in the latter part of 1898.
Mr. Cameron is still the incumbent of that office, a fact which is elo-
quent of ability and fitness for such a position.

Mr. Cameron is a member of the blue lodge of the Masonic fra-
ternity, and with his family, is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
church.

On May 11, 1876, Mr. Cameron was united in marriage with Mollie
J. Paschal, daughter of William Paschal of McDuffie county. Georgia.
William Paschal was a veteran of the Civil war, having served in the
Georgia army. Twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Cameron,
of which number nine are yet living. Their names are here given in
the order of their birth : Minnie Lee, the wife of W. H. Turner of
Telfair county, is deceased; Annie Laurie, who married C. A. Graham.
a contractor of McRae, is also deceased, her death occurring in 1898;
Alice Jane, is the wife of W. W. Simmons, an architect and contractor
of McRae ; Maggie Mae is the wife of M. A. Birch, a farmer of Dodge
county; William J. is a pharmacist of Montgomery county; Josie L. is
a teacher in Glenwood ; M. A. and Lillie Endell, living at home ; Earl
Duncan, Max Lamer and Joseph Terrill are still attending school in
McRae.

Robert Lee Groover. One of the many enterprising men extensively
engaged in farming in Brooks county, Robert Lee Groover has brought
to his chosen calling superior knowjedge, excellent judgment, and fine
business methods, and his labors are crowned with success. A native of
this county, he was born October 27, 1862, in Hickory Head district, not
far from the birthplace of his father, Allen W. Groover.

His grandfather, James Groover. w r as born, reared and married in
Bulloch county, Georgia. From there he came to Southwestern Georgia,
making his way thither with teams, bringing with him all of his worldly
possessions, including his household goods, his stock and his slaves.
He located in that part of Irwin county that was later made into Lowndes
county, and has since become a part of Brooks county. Buying a tract of
timber, he erected a rude log house in the wilderness, and later sawed
boards to seal the house and floors. For many years thereafter there
were no railroads in this section of the country, all of the cotton pro-
duced being hauled to the srulf ports, fifty miles away, it taking a week
to make the round trip. Indians were then numerous, and deer, bear



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 861

and wild game of all kinds inhabited the deep woods. Clearing quite a
tract of land, he was busily employed in cultivating the soil until his
death, at a good old age. To him and his first wife, whose maiden name'
was Elizabeth Denmark, twelve sons and four daughters were born, and
by his second wife, one son was born.

Born in Hickory Head district, Brooks county, September 4, 1832,
Allen W. Groover was brought up in what is now Brooks county. In-
heriting a tract of land, he engaged in agricultural pursuits as a young
man, continuing thus employed until the fall of 1862. Enlisting then in
the Georgia Volunter Infantry, he served with the Confederate forces
until the close of the war. Returning home, he resumed farming on
an extensive scale, becoming owner of about two thousand acres of land
in Brooks county, where he continued a resident until his death, Septem-
ber 4, 1907. He married Martha McMullen, who was born in Brooks
county, Georgia, a daughter of James McMullen. She died in 1892,
leaving six children, as follows : Feliz R., Frank C, Robert Lee, Hattie,
Eliza L., and W. Blewett.

An excellent scholar as a boy, Robert Lee Groover acquired a prac-
tical business education in the common schools, and until twenty-five
years of age remained beneath the parental roof, being in the employ
of his father. He then purchased land in the Nankin district and was*
there successfully engaged in tilling the soil until 1903. He then bought
the place on which he is now living, it being the R. I. Denmark homestead
property of seven hundred acres, and still retains the eleven hundred
acres in the Nankin district.

In 1890 Mr. Groover married Peggie Wyche, who was born in
Madison county, Florida, a daughter of James L. and Mary (Rossiter)
Wyche. Five children have been born of their union, namely: Robert
Lawrence, Allen W., Vaun, Rossiter, and Frank Clayton. Religiously
Mr. Groover is affiliated with the Missionary Baptist church, and Mrs.
Groover is a member of the Presbyterian church. Politically a Democrat,
Mr. Groover served for fourten years as county commissioner. He be-
longs to the Hickory Head Farmers' club, of which he has been presi-
dent. He is a man of much ability and is now vice-president of the
Bank of Quitman.

Albert Jackson Hodges, a successful merchant and farmer at Mor-
ven, Georgia, was born in Brooks county of this state on September 9,
1867. His father, Joseph J. Hodges, was born in Bullock county.
Georgia, in 1836, and his grandfather, James C. Hodges, was a native of
the same county, where he was born of ancestors that were of English
descent and were numbered among the early settlers of that county.
James C. Hodges removed to southern Georgia in 1838 and located in
that part of Lowndes county that is now included in Brooks county. At
that time the greater part of southwestern Georgia was a wilderness,
deer, bear, turkeys and many other kinds of game were still plentiful,
and the Indians yet contested this as their hunting ground. He pur-
chased a tract of timbered land five miles north of the present site of
Quitman and began to hew a farm from the wilderness. There were no
railroads in this section for many years afterward. He went to New-
port, Florida, to market his products and on the return would bring
back supplies for the house and farm, it requiring several days to make
the trip. After clearing quite a tract of land there he sold his hold-
ings and purchased land in Brooks count v in the locality known as
Okapilco, where he spent the remainder of his life and passed away
during the war between the states. His wife, who was Miss Sarah New-
ton before her marriage, survived him many years and died at the ad-



862 SAVAXXAII AND SOUTH GEORGIA

vanced age of ninety-three. They were the parents of six children,
namely : J. Lafayette, Robert L., Joseph J., Margaret, Mary and Mag-
gie. All of the sons served in the Confederate army. Joseph J. Hodges,
the father of Albert J., was reared on the farm. After he had attained
his majority he went to Florida, where he clerked for an elder brother
until the breaking out of the Civil war, when he enlisted in a regiment
of Florida cavalry in which lie served until the close of the war. He
then returned to Brooks county, Georgia, the fortunate possessor of
^200, which was his entire capital. With more valuable assets, however,
in the way of energy, ambition and undaunted courage, he began anew
his campaign for success. Purchasing the interests of the other heirs
in the homestead of his father, he began farming in a small way and
prospered from the start. As his* means accumulated he invested in
land until his holdings comprised about three thousand acres, besides
outlying tracts, and he was also a stockholder in the banks at Pavo and
Quitman, Georgia. He continued to reside on his estate until his death
on July 25, 1910. The maiden name of his wife was Rachel Caroline
Delk. She was born in Brooks county, Georgia, a daughter of John and
Jane (Hodge) Delk, and still resides at the old homestead. Joseph J.
and Rachel C. (Delk) Hodges became the parents of eight children, viz.:
Albert J., Wesley, Sally, Charles W., James C, Eugene E., Judge R.
and Mary. Wesley died at the age of seventeen and Charles passed to
the life beyond when thirty years of age. Both parents were consistent
members of the Methodist Episcopal church and the father was an ardent
advocate of prohibition.

Albert Jackson Hodges, the eldest of his family and the immediate
subject of this review, received his education in the common schools of
Brooks county. Reared to habits of industry, he began in early youth
to assist in the duties of the home farm and gained thereby a knowledge
and a training that have been the foundation of his subsequent success-
ful business career. He remained with his parents until twenty-three
years of age and then purchased land near the old home, where he
followed farming ten years. At the end of that period he removed to
Morven to engage in the mercantile business and so continued there,
carrying a large stock of general merchandise, including everything in
daily use in the home and on the farm, until January 1, 1913. when the
store and all the goods were burned. Since then he has been farming,
his place of 350 acres adjoining the corporation of Morven, and is a
stockholder in the Citizens banks at Quitman and at Morven. Mr.
Hodges is also a member of the legislature and has been mayor of
Morven two years.

At the age of twenty-three he was united in marriage to Mamie
Griffin, who also is a native of Brooks county and is a daughter of
Simeon and Emma Griffin. Mr. and Mrs. Hodges are both members
of the Methodist Episcopal church. They have seven children : Euler
F., Joseph J., Maude, Edwin D., Marion, Claude W. and Laura.

Ashley Lawson. A life-long resident of Georgia. Ashley Lawson
gained distinction not only for the active part he took in the develop-
ment of the agricultural interests of the southern part of the state, but
as a splendid representative of those brave men of old. who out of the
dense forests of what is now Brooks county established for themselves
permanent homes. A son of John Lawson, be was born in 1810, in
Lawrence county, coming, probably, of Scotch ancestry. Lawson is a
common and an honored name in all parts of the Union, many members
of the family tracing their lineage back to one Roger Lawson. who re-
sided in Xew York state during the Revolution, and was murdered by



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 863

the Tories, he having reared eleven stalwart sons, who, as they grew to
manhood, separated, settling in different localities in the north, south,
east and west.

Born and bro\;ght up in North Carolina, John Lawson came when
young to Georgia, traveliug thither in his own conveyance. He located
first in Laurens county, later coming south, and settling in that part
of Irwin county which was subsequently converted into Lowndes county,
and now forms a part of Brooks county. Purchasing land in the part
now included in the Barney district, he began the improvement of a
homestead." The wild and heavily wooded country roundabout was
habited by wild animals of many kinds, and Indians were still numer-
ous and troublesome. He began the pioneer labor of clearing the land,
and raised his first crop on soil that had previously been used for the
same purpose by the redskins. There being no railways in this vicinity
for years after he came to Georgia, all surplus productions of the land
had to be hauled to either Saint Marks, Georgia, or to Newport, on the
Tallahassee, the general custom of marketing the goods being for a
few of the neighbors to combine, and start with a number of teams
loaded with produce, taking along with them provisions and cooking
utensils, and camp by the way, on the return trip bringing home the
household supplies needed. Having improved quite a tract of land,
John Lawson occupied it several years, but later in life removed to
Colquitt county, where he spent his declining days, passing away at
the age of eighty-seven years. His wife, whose maiden name was Rachael
Green, was born in North Carolina, and died, at a good old age, in Col-
quitt county. They reared four children, as follows : Eliza, Ashley,
Greene, and Daniel.

The oldest son of the parental household, Ashley Lawson, began in
his youthful days to assist in the arduous labor of redeeming a farm
from the forest, sharing both the pleasures and hardships of frontier
life. Little do the people of this day and generation realize what they
owe to those brave spirits of old, who first uprooted the trees, ploughed
the sod, and made a broad track for the advance of civilization. As a
young man, Ashley Lawson joined a company organized for protection
against the redskins, and was an active participant of the wars of 1836,
when the Indians made their last stand in this part of Georgia. He
was past military age when the war between the states broke out, but in
1864 he was called to the front, and, with the old and the young valiantly
opposed the advance of the Federal army into Southwest Georgia.

Soon after attaining his majority, Ashley Lawson purchased land
in Lowndes county, and on the farm which he reclaimed from its virgin
wildness spent the remainder of his four score and four years of earthly
life. During Ids active career he saw Lowndes county grow from a wil-
derness into a quite well developed farming country, with a railway
passing through his own estate. He married Cynthia Folsom, who was
born in Burke county, Georgia, a daughter of Lawrence A. Folsom, and
granddaughter of William Folsom, who was born in England, and who,
as far as is known, was the only member of his family to come to Amer-
ica. He settled in Virginia, and having purchased land lying on the
Potomac river there spent his remaining years.

Born on the Virginia plantation. Lawrence Armstrong Folsom spent
his early life with his parents. Lured southward as a young man.
he lived for a time in Burke county, Georgia. In 1815, accompanied
by three other enterprising and adventurous young men, James Roun-
tree, Drew Viekers and Alfred Belote. he came to that part of Irwin
county now included within the boundaries of Lowndes county, blazing
his wav through the wilderness on horseback. After exploring a consid-



864 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

erable portion of South Georgia the quartet invested in government land,
Mr. Folsom buying a tract about a mile from Little river ; Messrs. Roun-
tree and Vickers located near by ; and Mr. Belote purchased land that
included the present site of the village of Mineola. Going back to Burke
county for their families, these gentlemen returned to Brooks county
with their wives and children, making the overland trip in carts drawn
either by horses or mules, following Indian trails a part of the way, at
other times making their own path through the trackless woods. When-
ever they came to a stream too deep to ford, they swam their stock
across, and built rafts on which to take their carts and household
goods across. Those four families were pioneers in very truth, being
the first permanent white settlers of Lowndes count}', more especially of
its northern portion. There were no mills in that section of the country
for several years thereafter, all the grain being ground in mills operated
by hand. They kept sheep and raised cotton, and the women used to
card, spin and weave the homespun material from which she fashioned
all the garments worn by the family. The wild game found in the for-
ests furnished the early settlers with a large part of their subsistence,
while acorns, beech nuts and walnuts were so plentiful that the only need
of feeding hogs was to keep them from growing wild, an occasional meal
serving for that purpose. Very little ready money was then in circu-
lation in the south, and in the newer settlements few store goods were
used, salt, sugar and coffee being the principal articles brought in.

In the development of the community in which he located, Lawrence
A. Folsom took an active part, and on the homestead which he built up
spent the remainder of his life, passing away at an advanced age. His
wife, whose maiden name was Rachel Vickers, was born in Virginia,
and died on the home farm, in Lowndes county. They were the par-
ents of nine children, as follows : William ; John ; Maston ; Randall ;
James ; Elijah ; Cynthia, who became the wife of Ashley Lawson ; Ra-
chael, and Betsy.

Mrs. Ashley Lawson attained the age of seventy-two years, having
reared a large family of children, namely : William, John, Hardy.
James, Hugh, Greene, Nancy, Lawrence, Ivey, Martha, Irvin, Susie and
Jane. Six of the sons, William, John, James, Hugh, Greene and Law-
rence served during the war between the states in the Confederate
army. Hugh and Greene died while in service, and Lawrence was se-
verely wounded in battle.

Lawrence F. Lawson. A prominent and prosperous agriculturist
of Brooks county, and the proprietor of one of the most attractive
estates in the Morven district, Lawrence F. Lawson is distinguished not
only as a successful farmer, but as a veteran of the Confederate army,
and as the descendant of an honored pioneer of southern Georgia. He
was born January 29, 1849, in Lowndes county, Georgia, a son of Ash-
ley and Cynthia (Folsom) Lawson. of whom an extended account is
given elsewhere in this volume.

Growing to manhood on the homestead, Lawrence F. Lawson gleaned
his early education in the rural schools, and under the wise instruction
of his father acquired a proficient knowledge of farming. At the out-
break of the war between the states, lie enlisted in Company II, Twenty-
sixth Regiment of Georgia Volunteer Infantry, and at Staunton. Vir-
ginia, joined Stonewall Jackson's army. With his regiment he partici-
pated in many engagements of importance, at the second battle at
Manassas being severely wounded. He lay upon the field between the
two armies for several hours, seeing many of his comrades shot down.
General Lawton having been standing by his side when he was wounded,



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 865

while Lieutenant Colonel Griffin fell dead at Mr. Lawson's feet. Of the
twenty-eight men of his company that went upon the battlefield, four,
only, escaped unhurt, the others being either killed or wounded.

After the battle was over, Mr. Lawson was taken to the field hospital
for treatment, and for twelve months was unable to rejoin his command.
Being then transferred to Liberty, Virginia, he remained there in duty
until the close of the conflict. Returning home, he assisted his father,
in the summer of 1865, in harvesting his crops, and then began life for
himself as an independent farmer. Buying land in the Hahira district,
Lowndes county, he lived there two years, and then sold and purchased
two hundred and twenty-five acres in the Morven district, Brooks county.
Mr. Lawson cleared one hundred acres of that tract, meeting with such
encouraging success in his operations that he bought other tracts in that
vicinity, obtaining title to upwards of two thousand acres. In 1881 he
bought his present property, which borders on Lawson's pond, in the
Morven district, it being one of the most beautiful and desirable loca-
tions in South Georgia. Near his house, which stands on high land, is a
magnificent grove of oak, pine, and other trees native to this section,
and within one hundred yards of his residence is a well of pure, cool,
and sparkling water, none better to be anywhere found.

Mr. Lawson has been four times married. He married first Josephine
Scruggs, who was born in Brooks county, a daughter of Richard and
Mary (Goldwire) Scruggs. She died in early womanhood, leaving two
children, Edwin and Luther. Mr. Lawson married second Mary Jones,
who was born in Talbot county, Georgia, a daughter of Fennel and Susan
(Brown) Jones. At her death she left one child, William. For his third
wife Mr. Lawson married Laura Scruggs, a sister of his first wife, and
to them six ehildern were born, Roberta, John Pleasant, James Bennett,
Armsted, Richard Garland, and Mamie. After her death Mr. Lawson
married Fannie King, who was born in Berrien county, Georgia, a daugh-
ter of James and Celia (Myers) King. Mr. and Mrs. Lawson are the
parents of five children, namely: Yeatman, Sned, Hugh, Celia, and
Rachael. Mr. and Mrs. Lawson are members of the Missionary Baptist
church, to which his first and third wives also belonged, while his sec-
ond wife was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. South.

Irvin Lawson. As an active, enterprising, and industrious farmer,
Irvin Lawson materially assists in maintaining the reputation of Brooks
county as a superior agricultural region, having a well-appointed and
productive farm in the Morven district. A member of the well-known
and much respected Lawson family, and a descendant of the first
settler of Southwest Georgia, he was born August 6, 1854, in Lowndes
county, a son of Ashley and Cynthia (Folsom) Lawson, of whom a
sketch may be found on another page of this work, and a grandson
of John Lawson, the pioneer.

Acquiring his education in the public schools, Irvin Lawson was
trained to habits of industry and thrift on the home farm, and re-
mained with his parents as long as they lived, caring tenderly for them
in their later years. His father gave him one-half of the old home-
stead property, and he, having purchased the remaining half from
the other heirs, lived there until 1888. Selling out in that year, Mr.
Lawson bought his present farm in lot number 225, Morven district,
and has now three hundred acres of good land, on which he has im-
provements of a substantial character, including a comfortable set of
farm buildings.

Mr. Lawson married, at the age of thirty-seven vears, Lillie Scruggs,
who was born in Brooks county, Georgia, a daughter of Richard and



866 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Margaret (Home) Scruggs, both natives of Georgia, her father having
been born in the vicinity of Savannah, and her mother in Burke county.
Mr. and Mrs. Lawson have four children, namely : Richard Ashley,
Roy, Ernest, and Maggie.

An intelligent reader, taking a genuine interest in everything per-
taining to his native state, Mr. Lawson is very familiar with the early
history of Georgia, having acquired a large part of his historical knowl-
edge first hand from his parents and grandparents, and through the
reading of current literature keeps himself well informed on all the
leading questions of the day.

Angus Morrison. Devoting his time and energies to the develop-
ment and advancement of the agricultural interests of Brooks county,
Angus Morrison has for several years been actively and successfully
engaged in general farming in the Morven district, where his property
is finely located. He is distinguished as a native-born citizen, his birth
having occurred in that district, February 9, 1864. He is a son of
the late Angus Morrison, Sr., and a grandson of John Morrison, a
pioneer of Georgia.

Born and educated in Scotland, John Morrison came to America when
a young man, and after spending a brief time in North Carolina daunt-
lessly pushed his way to Montgomery county, Georgia, which was then
but thinly populated. Buying a tract of wild land, he engaged in farm-
ing and stock-raising, remaining on the homestead, which he cleared and
improved, until his death, while yet in the prime of a vigorous man-
hood. He married Catherine McCrimmon, who was also a native of Scot-
land. She was a woman of much ability and courage, and on being left
a widow with a family to care for she immediately assumed the man-
agement of the home farm, on which she reared her children, giving to
each a good education. She continued her residence on the farm, which
is now owned by her great-grandson, until her death.

Angus Morrison, Sr., born in Montgomery county, Georgia; June 13,
1819, was but two years old when left fatherless. Receiving an excel-
lent education, he embarked upon a professional career at the age of
fourteen years, teaching first in Montgomery county, and later in
Lowndes county, where he had charge of schools in various places. In
1857 he bought a tract of land in lot number 362, in what is now Morven
district, Brooks. county, and erected the house in which his widow now
resides. Engaged both in teaching and farming, he was a resident of
the district until his death, October 28, 1873.

On February 7, 1857, Angus Morrison, Sr., married Louisa Pike, who
was born in that part of Lowndes county now included in Brooks
county, March 22, 1834. Her father. Hon. John Joseph Pike, was born
in Saint Augustine. Florida. His father being murdered by the In-
dians, he was taken, with the other children to the home of his grand-
father, in Charleston, South Carolina. When large enough to care for
himself he returned to Florida, where he took an active part in va-
rious Indian wars. Coming from there to Georgia, John Joseph Pike
was one of the early settlers of that part now called Brooks county.
Purchasing land north of Morven. he built a log house in the forest
and began to clear a farm. There were no railways in this vicinity
for many years thereafter the most convenient markets being either at
Savannah or in the gulf ports, the round trip taking from one to two
weeks. Deer, bear, panthers, wolves, wild turkeys, and game of all
kinds were plentiful, and every man went armed as a protection against
the hostile Indians. Mr. Pike had slaves and with their assistance
cleared a large portion of the land, and until his death continued to
reside on his farm, which is now owned by his great-grandson.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 867

Hon. John Joseph Pike married Nancy Hall, who was born in Mont-
gomery county, a daughter of Sion Hall. Her grandfather, Enoch Hall/
came from North Carolina to Georgia, settling first in Montgomery
county, but later removing to Appling county. His wife, whose maiden
name was Jennie Jackson, was born and reared in North Carolina. Their
son, Sion Hall, accompanied them to Georgia, and when ready to settle
in life bought land in that part of Irwin county that was later made
into Lowndes county, and is now a part of Brooks county. Purchasing
large tracts of land he operated it with slave labor, and was also engaged
in milling, having a grist mill and a sawmill on Little river, and a saw-
mill on Mill creek. Sion Hall, who lived to be nearly a hundred years
old, continued a resident on the home farm until his death, and many of
the descendants of him and his wife, whose maiden name was Mary
Morrison, are still living in Brooks county. Hon. Joseph Pike was
prominent in public affairs, serving as an officer in the state militia, and
representing his district in the state legislature. Both he and his wife
were influential members of the Primitive Baptist church.

Brought up and educated in Brooks county, Angns Morrison began
life for himself as a railway employee, being first employed in the shops
of the P. C. & P. Railroad Company, and later being an engineer on
the same road, which is now called the Seaboard Air Line. After fifteen
years' experience in that work, Mr. Morrison returned to Brooks county,
and having purchased the estate which he now owns and occupies has
since been prosperously engaged in farming and stock-raising. His farm,
containing three hundred acres of rich land, is located at the Four Cor-
ners, five miles west of the village of Morven, and is one of the more
desirable farms of that vicinity.

Mr. Morrison married, February 14, 1892, Anna Morrison Alder-
man, who was born in Marion county, Florida, a daughter of Hiram
Alderman. Her grandfather, Samuel M. Alderman, was born and reared
in North Carolina. He married Sarah Chestnut, and on coming to
Georgia settled in Bulloch county, where he cleared and improved a
homestead, on which they both resided during the remainder of their
lives, her death occurring at the age of eighty-seven years. One of a
large family of children, Hiram Alderman was reared in Bulloch county,
Georgia, but as a young man went to Marion county, Florida, bought
land, and in the log cabin which he built in the midst of the forest kept
bachelor's hall two years. Returning then to Bulloch county, he married
Emeline Jones, a daughter of Basil and Deborah (Bowen) Jones, who
moved from North Carolina to Bulloch county, Georgia, in pioneer days.
Returning with his bride to Florida he installed her as mistress of his
cabin. Fifteen years later he disposed of that property, and purchased
a farm in Bradford county, Florida, where both he and his wife spent
their remaining days. They were the parents of nine children, as fol-
lows : Harmon ; Deborah ; Alice ; Jane ; Anna Morrison, wife of Angus
Morrison ; Laura ; John ; Basil ; and Susan. Mr. and Mrs. Morrison
have one child, Emma Lou Morrison, a student at the Norman Park
Institute. Both Mr. and Mrs. Morrison are members of the Missionary
Baptist church.

Mr. Morrison's mother is still living, a bright and active woman of
seventy-eight years, with her mental faculties unimpaired. In her younger
days she used to card, spin and weave, and for many years did all of
her cooking by the fireplace. She is one of the few now living who have
watched with pride the growth of Brooks county from a wilderness to
a country in which are flourishing towns and cities, and rich agricul-
tural regions. In the days of her girlhood the wild beasts of the forest
had not yet fled before the advancing steps of civilization, but, with the



868 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

dusky savage, inhabited the vast wilderness. Railroads, telegraph and
telephone lines were then unknown, and the primitive cart, the only
wheeled vehicle known by the early pioneers, has given way to the
expensive carriages and automobiles now seen everywhere, not only in
the streets of the cities and villages, but on the rural highways.

Llewellyn Robinson Dixon. A long and prosperous career was that
of Mr. Dixon. Born in Georgia seventy-seven years ago, he had been
identified with the southwestern part of the state since pioneer times
when there were no railroads. He is a veteran of the Civil war, and
for many years has successfully managed a large estate in Brooks county,
his residence being in the village of Morven.

Llewellyn Robinson Dixon was born on a farm in Sumter county,
August 26, 1836. His grandfather was a pioneer of Washington county,
and there, it is thought, Pleasant Dixon, the father, was born and reared
to manhood. From Washington he moved to Houston county, and after
a few years to Sumter county and then to Pulaski county. Pleasant
Dixon was a plantation overseer and managed a number of large estates
in Georgia. He was overseer on Major MeCormick's plantation until
about 1846, when he settled in Dooly county and bought a farm of his
own. In 1854, coming to that portion of Lowndes county now included
in Brooks and buying land in the Morven district, he there devoted him-
self to the quiet pursuits of the farm until his death at the age of seventy-
two. The maiden name of his wife was Fanny Lycett, and she was born
in Washington county and her death occurred at the age of about eighty-
six. She reared five children, Caroline, Moses, William, Lewellyn R.
and Jimmie.

Mr. Dixon was a youth of eighteen when the family settled in Lowndes
county (now Brooks), and at that time Troupviile was the county seat.
There was yet no railroad transportation for the products of this region,
and the nearest markets were Tallahassee or Newport. Florida. His
father often hauled his crops to one of these ports, and it required four
or five days to make the round trip. Mr. Dixon lived at home most of
the time until his marriage, when he settled on land inherited by his
wife. When his brothers went into the war he returned to the home
farm to care for his parents. But when practically all the youth of the
South was needed to sustain that giant struggle he also left home in
August, 1862, enlisted in Company A of the Second Florida Battalion.
His command was soon sent to northern Virginia and placed in A. P.
Hill's corps. He was engaged in many of the greatest battles of the war
and served until the end. At the surrender at Appomattox he was a near
observer of Generals Grant and Lee in their meeting, and was thus one
of the actual witnesses of that culminating event in the war between
the states. On being paroled he marched with his command to the James
river, took boat to Fortress Monroe, was there transferred to a steamer
which carried him to Savannah, and from there walked to Jessup and
thence came by railroad the rest of the way to Lowndes county.

After nearly three years' absence in the army he resumed farming
on the old homestead for five or six years, and then bought land about a
mile northwest of Morven. Possessed of energy and good judgment, as
the years went by he added to the sum of his material prosperity and
has long since acquired a position of comfort and moderate affluence.
He owned upwards of twelve hundred acres, and some years ago retired
from the personal supervision of his property and lived retired in the
village of Morven.

Mr. Dixon was married at the age of twenty-three to Miss Mary
Beasley. She was born in Lowndes county, a daughter of Isaiah and



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 869

Polly (Campbell) Beasley, pioneer settlers of that county. Mrs. Dixon
died at the age of twenty-five and left three children : Pleasant, Frankie
and May, and he then married her sister, Catherine, his faithful com-
panion for many years. Her death occurred in 1909. Mr. Dixon then
married Mrs. Julia (Devane) Alderman. She was born in Brooks county,
a daughter of John and Martha (Hicks) Devane, and her paternal grand-
parents were Benjamin and Mary (Rogers) Devane, and her maternal
grandparents, Benjamin and Mosley (Brice) Hicks. Mrs. Dixon's first
husband was Timothy Alderman, a Confederate soldier and until his
death a farmer of Brooks county. Mr. Dixon's daughter Frankie mar-
ried Moses Dixon, and their children are Pleasant, Llewellyn, William,
Katie Lou and Temperance. Mary married Isom Walker and has one
daughter, Mollie, who is the wife of Herbert Purvis, and their son Her-
bert is a great-grandchild of Mr. Dixon. By his second wife Mr. Dixon
had seven children, namely : Jimmie, Emma, Annie, Alice, Mattie, Brax-
ton and Estelle. Jimmie married Katie Briggs and has seven daugh-
ters, named Rachel, Inez, Jimmie, Julian, Estelle, Annie Lou and Reba.
Emma is the wife of John Wiggins. Annie became the wife of John
Moody, and their five children are Catherine, Braxton, Ina, R. F. and
Frankie. Alice married George Edwards and has two children, Sally
and Thelma. Mattie is the wife of William Council, and their three
children are Emma Lee, Ralph C. and Alma. Braxton died at the age
of twenty-one years. Estelle, who married John Hammett, died leaving
an infant daughter, Estelle, who now lives with her uncle, John Wig-
gins. Mr. Dixon died December 20, 1912, and was buried at Mount
Zion camp ground near Morven.

James Madison Scarborough. An active factor in the development
of the agricultural resources of Brooks county, James Madison Scar-
borough has been industriously engaged in his useful vocation in the
Morven district many years, by means of his ability and practical ex-
perience having become familiar with this branch of industry. A son
of James Scarborough, he was born June 14, 1856, in Emanuel county.
He is of pioneer stock, his grandparents having come from North Caro-
lina to Georgia at an early day. They settled first in Bulloch county,
from there moving to Emanuel county, where they spent their closing
years.

Born and reared in Bulloch county, James Scarborough seized every
opportunity to acquire an education, and being a diligent student ac-
quired sufficient knowledge while young to begin life for himself as a
teacher. He was also a natural mechanic, especially skilled as a wood
worker, and in his leisure hours used to make chairs, spinning wheels,
and other needed household articles. Industrious and thrifty, he accumu-
lated some money, and made frequent investments in land, becoming
owner of large tracts, which he devoted to farming and stock-raising.
Disposing of all his Georgia property soon after the close of the Civil
war, he bought land in Columbia county, Florida, where he lived and
labored for nine years. Coming back to Georgia he purchased a farm
in Colquitt county, seven miles from Moultrie, and continued his agri-
cultural work a few years. Selling out then, he bought another piece of
land in the same county, and on the farm which he improved resided
until his death, at the age of seventy-four years. He married Elizabeth
Lanier, who was born in Emanuel county, Georgia. She died at the
age of forty-eight years, leaving a large family of children, as follows :
Susan, Allen, Mary, Elizabeth, Miles, Nancy, James Madison, and Mis-
souri and Mazelle, twins.

Acquiring a good common school education in Georgia and Florida,



870 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

James Madison Scarborough began when quite young to assist his father
in the work incidental to life on a farm, remaining with, his parents
until twenty years of age. Accepting then a position as superintendent
of a large plantation in Brooks county, he retained it for five years,
managing it in a most satisfactory manner, the land yielding abundant
harvests under his care. Mr. Scarborough then purchased his present
farm of two hundred or more acres, it being finely located in lot number
329, Morven district, and as a farmer he has since met with character-
istic success.

Mr. Scarborough married, in November, 1881, Catherine Morrison,
who was born in Morven district, a daughter of Angus and Louisa (Pike)
Morrison, of whom a brief sketch is given elsewhere in this volume. Two
children have been born of their marriage, namely: Clara, living with
her parents ; and Lubie, wife of Frank Devane. Mr. Scarborough is not
a politician in any sense implied by the term, but for twenty years he
has served as justice of the peace. Fraternally he belongs to Morven
lodge, F. & A. M. Mr. and Mrs. Scarborough are both valued members
of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Kendeick J. Hawkins. The appointment of a lawyer to the bench
always calls forth a storm of comment and often occasions warm dis-
cussions and criticism, but in the case of Kendrick J. Hawkins, who is
now judge of the superior court of the Dublin circuit, composed of the
counties of Johnson, Twiggs and Laurens, Georgia, the approval was prac-
tically universal, and with the exception of his few enemies which fall
to the lot of any strong man, everyone agreed that no one could have
been selected who would fill the place to the greater satisfaction of
the people. The faith which was thus reposed in him has been amply
fulfilled, for his decisions have been made by a mind free from prejudice,
and with a background of a wide and deep knowledge of the law and its
puzzling technicalities, he has been able to make his court an example
of real justice, and was re-elected in the primary of August. 1912, carry-
ing every county in his circuit over strong opposition and a bitter fight.

Kendrick J. Hawkins is a native of the state of Georgia, having been
born in Washington county, on the 6th of January, 1871. His father
was William A. Hawkins and his mother was Mary (Mayo) Hawkins.
His father was also a native of Washington county, where he was born
on the 6th of November, 1836. His mother was born in Dougherty
county, in 1851. Judge Hawkins' father was a veteran of the Civil
war, having served throughout the long four years, and who came out
of the conflict bearing the marks of the wound which he received at
Chickamauga. When Kendrick Hawkins was but a lad his parents moved
to Hancock county, Georgia, and here he attended school until he was
fourteen years of age. His family not being so very rich in this world's
goods, he was then forced to stop school and learn the printer's trade.
He went to Warrenton and here he became master of this trade, later
moving to Gibson, Georgia. At the age of seventeen he went into the
newspaper business, and attained considerable success in this field, hav-
ing many of the qualities necessary to the composition of a good news-
paper man. He continued in this line of work until lie was twenty-four,
at which lime lie took up the study of law iiuder the tutelage of Judge
B. F. Walker, of the Toombs circuit court. His newspaper experience
stood him in good stead in this study and after two years of close appli-
cation he was admitted to the bar. in 1S96.

Id' began to practice immediately after his admission in Gibson,
Georgia, removing to Dublin. Georgia, in 1902. Here he proceeded to
build up both a lucrative practice and a good reputation as a lawyer.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 871

His arguments were always forceful, and his treatment of his eases was
so clear and simple that he was seldom involved in useless technicalities'.
He was recognized as an unusually brilliant and clever attorney, and his
appointment as judge of the city court in December, 1908, occasioned
little, if any, surprise. A further triumph was in store for him, the
more to be remembered as it was the last act of Governor Hoke Smith.
This was his appointment by the governor on the 1st of January, 1912,
as judge of the superior court of the Dublin circuit, which circuit was
created by the legislature of 1911.

Some people attribute Judge Hawkins' success to their belief that
talent of a certain order may run in a family. They point to the late
Judge W. A. Hawkins, of the supreme court of Georgia, who lived at
Americus, Georgia, before his death and was a relation of Judge Kend-
rick J. Hawkins, and say that the ability along legal lines is an inherit-
ance of the Hawkins family. This is no doubt true to some extent, but
the success of the judge is largely due to his own hard work and to the
painstaking care which he exercised in all the work which he did.

Judge Hawkins was married on the 26th of February, 1900, to Mary
Leola McNair, the daughter of L. F. McNair, of Jefferson county. No
children have been born to the judge and his wife.

The subject of fraternal relationship has always been regarded with
much interest by Judge Hawkins, and he is a member of various fra-
ternal organizations, in which he takes an active part. He is a member
of the Knights of Pythias, of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks,
of the Royal Arcanum, and of the Woodmen of the World.

Little & Phillips. The firm of Little & Phillips, contractors, have
been located in Cordele, Georgia, since 1906, but they have been asso-
ciated together since 1900. The firm, which is well and favorably known
in and about this section of the state, was, during the early years of
its existence, located at Fitzgerald, where they carried on a general con-
tracting business, and where they buildcd not only houses and business
structures, but a fine reputation for competence, fair dealing and gen-
uine business integrity. This reputation they have continued to deserve
in the years of their association in Cordele, and nowhere may be found
a firm more worthy of the fair reputation which this concern has won
to itself. In Quitman and Fitzgerald the finest and best buildings of
both a public and private nature have come into existence under the
master supervision of this firm. Schools, churches, business blocks, resi-
dences, alike, have been reared to bear witness to the ability of these
men in their constructive capacity, and the same is true of their years
of activity in Cordele. Many neighboring towns, such as Americus
and McRae, have called upon them when important building proposi-
tions were being planned, and scarce a town in south Georgia but offers
material evidence of their prowess in their chosen field of labor.

Of the private life and origin of these men a few words will not be
out of place in this brief review.

William Harmon Little, of the firm of Little & Phillips, was born
in Schley county, Georgia, on October 16, 1870. He is the son of Joseph
H. and Martha Francis (Harman) Little, natives of Meriweather county,
Georgia. The father has followed farming all his life and lives now in
Valdosta, Georgia. Their son, William H., was educated in the public
schools of Schley and Terral counties, to the latter of which places the
family moved when William was eleven years old. The father was a
member of Company A., Twenty-seventh Georgia, Colquitt Brigade, dur-
ing the Civil war. As a young man, William II. Little engaged in con-
tracting, first as an employe until he had learned the trade, and later on



872 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

his own responsibility. By constant study and diligent application to
the subject, he has mastered every difficulty, and has reached the high
place in the building world which he now occupies. 'Mr. Little is a
.Pythian knight and a member of the Masonic fraternity. He is a Baptist
in his religious belief, while his wife is of the Methodist denomination.

Mr. Little was united in marriage with Miss Sallie Jones, the daugh-
ter of Thomas Anderson Jones, of Brooks county, Georgia. Four chil-
dren have been born to them. They are : Miriam Nadine, aged ten years ;
Wilma, aged six ; Fannie Joe, now three years of age, and an infant of
three months, William H., Jr.

Wendle Councile Phillips, the partner of William H. Little, was born
March 22, 1867, in Robinson county, North Carolina. He is the son of
E. R. and Rose Ann (Mercer) Phillips, both of whom were of Irish
descent. They came to North Carolina when young, settling in Robin-
son county, and there married. The father was a country school teacher
and preacher of the Baptist church. During the Civil war he served in
the army as a first lieutenant in a regiment of the army of the Confed-
eracy. He still lives in North Carolina, where he and his wife reared
a family of thirteen children, but six of whom are now living. They
are J. R., Nettie, Mary Jane, Lula, Wendle C. and E. R., Jr. All are
residents of North Carolina with the exception of W T endle C. Phillips.
Such education as he received came to him through the avenues of the
public schools of his home town, and at an early age he became responsi-
ble for his own progress in the world. He eventually entered the build-
ing and contracting field, first as a workman, but later as a contractor,
and the present partnership between Mr. Phillips and his partner, Mr.
Little, is a matter of thirteen years duration. Their association has ever
been of the most agreeable nature, their natures blending to the extent
that constant association in a business way only makes each the more
valuable to the other.

Mr. Phillips married Miss Tommy Smith, the daughter of Thomas
Smith, of Americus, Georgia. One child has been born of this union :
Wendle Councile, Jr., born October 16, 1911.

Charles Paine Hansell. For nearly half a century a member of
the Georgia bar and prominent in the civic life of Thomasville, Charles
P. Hansell has himself been a successful lawyer and represents a name
and family which have been notable in the law and public affairs of
Georgia for fully a century. Mr. Hansell was born at Milledgeville on
the 14th of September, 1844. A brief outline of his family antecedents
is as follows :

South Carolina was the home of the Hansells previous to their removal
to Georgia, and the great-grandparents were, so far as can be ascer-
tained, lifelong residents of the Greenville district in that colony. The
grandfather of Charles P. Hansell was William Young Hansell, a native
of the Greenville district. When he was a child he lost his father, and
at the age of twelve came to Georgia to make his home with his uncle.
William Young. Making'the best of his opportunities he acquired a
common school education and then studied law in Milledgeville, and
after admission to the bar engaged in practice there. He was one of
the eminent attorneys of his time, and his name appears in the Georgia
supreme court reports. His active practice continued until I860, and
he then lived retired until his death in 1S67. The maiden name of his
wife was Susan Byne Harris, representing another prominent family of
this state. She was born on a plantation about two miles from Milledge-
ville, aiid her father, Augustin Harris, a native of Burke county, was
directly descended from one of four brothers who came to America dur



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 873

ing early colonial times and settled in Virginia. Augustin Harris was
a Baldwin county planter, having numerous slaves and being one of
the prosperous men of his section. Susan (Harris) Hansell survived
her husband until 1874, and she reared two sons, Andrew J. and
Augustin H., and five daughters.

Augustin Harris Hansell, father of Charles P., was born at Milledge-
ville, August 17, 1817, and being reared in one of the prosperous homes
of Georgia, was given excellent advantages. Prof. Carlisle Beaman was
one of his tutors in general subjects, and he studied law under R. K.
Hines and Iverson L. Harris. After admission to the bar he began
practice at Milledgeville, and for a time served as private secretary for
Governor Gilmer. In 1847 he was elected solicitor general, and two
years later judge of the southern circuit, then embracing the greater
part of south Georgia. Railroads had not yet penetrated to this region,
and he journeyed from court to court in his private carriage. He re-
signed as judge in 1853 but was again elected to the same office in 1859.
For some years, until 1850, he was a resident of Hawkinsville, then in
Scottsboro two years, and in 1852 came to Thomasville, being one of
the most prominent among the early settlers of this locality. During
the war he served on the relief committee, and in 1864 spent three months
distributing supplies to the soldiers around Atlanta and Marietta. In
1868 he left the bench, resuming private practice for four years, but
in 1872 was again appointed judge of the southern circuit and continued
in this office until 1903. For more than forty years he honored the
bench with his character and ability, and his is one of the foremost
names in the Georgia judiciary during the last half of the nineteenth
century. On retiring from the bejich he lived retired until his death
in 1907.

Judge Hansell married Miss Mary Ann Baillie Paine, who was born
in Milledgeville. Her father was Charles J. Paine, a native of Peters-
burg, Virginia, and a physician. As a young man he came to Georgia
and was engaged in practice at Milledgeville until his death in 1857.
Dr. Paine married Ann Baillie Davies, the daughter of William Davies,
a native of Savannah, and granddaughter of Edward Davies, a native of
Wales, who was one of the early settlers of Georgia. William Davies
also conferred honor upon the legal profession of Georgia, and served
as judge of the superior court and was mayor of the city of Savannah
during the War of 1812. William Davies married Mary Ann Baillie,
the maiden name of whose mother was Ann Mcintosh, a daughter of
John Mohr Mcintosh, the immigrant ancestor of the noted Mcintosh
family. Judge Hansell's wife died in 1906, and her five children were
as follows: Susan V., Charles Paine, Mary H., Frances B., and Sally H.

As a descendant of these conspicuous citizens and families of Geor-
gians, Charles P. Hansell has himself borne a not inconspicuous part
as a man and citizen. His early education was obtained in the common
schools and in Fletcher Institute, and later in the Georgia Military Insti-
tute at Marietta. He was a young man of about eighteen when the
Civil war came on, and on the 15th of May, 1862, he enlisted in Company
B of the Twentieth Georgia Battalion of Cavalry. After two years en-
gaged in the coast defense of Georgia and South Carolina, his command
joined Lee's army in northern Virginia and served with Young's
Brigade in Wade Hampton's division. He saw arduous service in the
campaigns, marches and battles until the close of the war, and was
paroled at Greensboro and returned home. In 1865 he was admitted to
the bar, and has been continuously engaged in the practice of his pro-
fession from that time to the present, having won many honors in this
long career. He has served as judge of both the county and city courts,



874 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

and for two terms was mayor of the city of Thomasville. In polities he
is a Democrat, and he and his family are members of the Presbyterian
church.

Mr. Hansell was married in 1869 to Miss Margaret Charlton, who
died October 5, 1889. She was born in Savannah, a daughter of Robert
and Margaret Charlton (see sketch of AValter G. Charlton elsewhere in
this work). Mr. Hansell 's present wife is Mary (Glover) Hansell, who
was born in Marietta, a daughter of John H. and Sarah E. (Brumby)
Glover. Mr. Hansellhas two daughters, Mary H., by his first wife, and
Sarah G., by the second marriage.

Col. William A. McDonald, deceased, was one of the gallant sons
of the South that served in its defense as a soldier of the Confederacy
in the great struggle of 1861-65, and during his lifetime was one of
Georgia's prominent and worthy citizens, for many years a resident of
Ware county.

Born in Bulloch county, Georgia, in 1817, he was a son of Dr. Randall
McDonald, whose nativity had occurred on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.
Donald McDonald, the father of Dr. McDonald, also was a native of
Scotland, but in 1805 brought his family to America and became an
early settler in Bulloch county, Georgia. There he purchased a tract
of land and began its improvement, but a few years later was bitten by
a rattlesnake and died from the effects. He left a widow and two chil-
dren, a son and a daughter. The son Randall finally became an overseer.
Through the large acquaintance he formed in this manner with wealthy
planters he gained access to books and by self-instruction acquired a good
general education and a practicing knowledge of medicine and surgery.
Later he bought land in Ware county and became a successful planter,
operating with slave labor. In those days there were no railroads in
Georgia and the country was sparsely settled. Centreville was the prin-
cipal market and depot for supplies. Indians were numerous and oft-
times troublesome, so that each settlement had a fort to which the women
and children could repair for safety. Dr. McDonald continued a resident
of his plantation until his death at the age of sixty-eight years. His
wife was a Miss Catherine Miller before her marriage, a native of Bul-
loch county, Georgia, and a daughter of Henry Miller. Her grandfather
was William Miller, one of the first settlers in Georgia, and her great-
grandfather was D. J. Miller. She survived her husband several years
and both are buried in the Kettle Creek cemetery in Ware county.

Col. William A. McDonald was largely reared in his native county
but was still a boy when he accompanied his parents to Ware county.
After he had begun his independent career he purchased large tracts
of land there which he operated with slave labor. Upon the breaking
out of the war between the states he entered the Confederate service
and was commissioned captain of Company H of the Twenty-sixth Regi-
ment of Georgia Volunteers, which was organized with C. W. Styles as
colonel, and W. A. Lane as lieutenant colonel. This regiment was for
a time on the Georgia coast under Lawton. accompanied that officer to
Richmond, Virginia, in time to share in the seven days' battles, thence-
forward serving in the army of northern Virginia until Appomattox,
where, in the division commanded by Gen. Clement A. Evans and the
corps of John B. Gordon, it shared in the last charge of that illustrious
army. During this long and honorable service E. N. Atkinson suc-
ceeded Colonel Styles in the command of the regiment and William A.
McDonald was a brave and able successor of Lieutenant Colonel Lane.
Colonel McDonald remained in the service until the close of the war.
His slaves were faithful and cultivated his land until his return from



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 875

the conflict. His estate three miles from Waresboro, Ware county, re-
mained his home until his death in his eightieth year. He was thrice
married. His first wife was Tabitha Sweat, a native of Ware county
and a daughter of Capt. James A. and Elizabeth (Newburn) Sweat,
and to their union were born ten children. His second marriage was
to Mary Ann Deen, who bore him seven children. The maiden name of
his third wife was Rebecca Thompson and five children were reared from
this marriage. Colonel McDonald left to his descendants the record
of a brave soldier, a loyal son of the South and a citizen of worth, integ-
rity and high respect.

Colonel McDonald served his district several terms in the state senate,
and he was also a representative of his county in the legislature of his
state. He was a member of the state senate at the time of his death,
and served in all about forty years in the senate and in the house.

Alfred Jackson Powell. An industrious and prosperous tiller of
the soil, Alfred Jackson Powell, living in the Dixie district, owns and
occupies a well-managed farm, on which he has a substantial set of farm
buildings, located just outside the corporate limits of the town of Dixie,
these with their surroundings having an air of neatness and prosperity
that never fails to attract the attention of the passing traveler. He was
born September 23, 1856, in Arkansas, where his father, Dr. Alfred
Jackson Powell, was then engaged in the practice of his profession.

Dr. Powell was born in North Georgia, his parents having been farm-
ers, who spent the later years of their lives in Wilkes county, Georgia.
After his graduation from the Jefferson Medical College, in Philadel-
phia, Dr. Powell took a special course of study in the Baltimore hos-
pitals, acquiring knowledge and experience of great value to him in his
work. Returning then to his native state, he practiced medicine for
awhile in Worth county, and then located in Arkansas, about twenty-
five miles from Little Rock. Soon after the outbreak of the Civil war,
the doctor came back to Georgia, settling his family in Dougherty county,
and enlisted in the Confederate service as hospital surgeon, a position
winch he filled acceptably until the war was ended. Going then to
Chihuahua, Mexico, Dr. Powell learned the language of the natives, and
there continued his residence as a physician and surgeon until his death.

The maiden name of the wife of Dr. Powell was Georgiana Elizabeth
Jordan. She was born in Bibb county, Georgia, a daughter of Joshua
and Elizabeth (Hays) Jordan, being of Scotch-Irish descent. Remov-
ing from Bibb county to Worth county, Georgia, Joshua Jordan bought
land on the Flint river, twenty-two miles from Albany, and was there
extensively engaged in agricultural pursuits, operating his large plan-
tation with slave labor, both he and his wife spending their last days
there. For some time after the close of the war Dr. Powell's wife re-
sided on her farm in Dougherty county, Georgia, but her later years
were spent in Moultrie, Colquitt county, where her death occurred when
she was about seventy-five yeai*s of age. She reared five children, as
follows: Mary, Cynthia, Elizabeth, Alfred Jackson, and Florence, all of
whom, with the exception of Elizabeth, are now living.

Acquiring his early education in the rural schools, Alfred Jackson
Powell began when young to perform his full share of the manual labor
incidental to life on a farm, becoming familiar with the theory and prac-
tice of agriculture. When twenty-two years of age he began work as
a woodsman, and for twelve years was engaged in the turpentine busi-
ness. Investing then his money in land, Mr. Powell bought sixty-five
acres in the Dixie district of Brooks county, the improvements on the
place consisting of a cleared and improved plot of a little more than



876 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

twenty acres, cm which stood a small board house. Beginning farming
on a modest scale, Mr. Powell met with very encouraging success from
the first. From time to time he has purchased other tracts lying near
by, and now has a fine farm of three hundred and twenty-five acres,
which he devotes to mixed husbandry, his land being under a good state
of tillage, and yielding profitable harvests each season.

Mr. Powell married Alice McKinnon, who was born in Brooks county,
Georgia, a daughter of William G. and Mary Jane (Groover) McKinnon,
and a granddaughter of James Groover, one of the first settlers of Brooks
county. Two children have been born of the union of Mr. and Mrs.
Powell, Wallace and Mary E. Both Mr. Powell and his wife are identi-
fied by membership with the Missionary Baptist church.

Rev. William R. Talley. A fine representative of the professional
and agricultural circles of Brooks county, Rev. William R. Talley, of
Dixie, has gained distinction not only for the honorable ancestry from
which he traces his descent, but for his industry, ability and integrity
of purpose. He was born at Mount Zion, Hancock county, Georgia,
February 16, 1844, a son of Rev. John Wesley Talley.

His grandfather, Caleb Talley, a native of Hanover county, Virginia,
was a descendant of one of three brothers who came to America in colonial
days, one of whom located in North Carolina, on the Roanoke river, one
settling in Hanover county, Virginia, while the other took up his resi-
dence on the Susquehanna river, in Pennsylvania. Leaving Virginia
in 1797, Caleb Talley traveled across the country by private conveyance
to Georgia. He bought land in Lincoln county, but as it proved impos-
sible to raise tobacco there-at an advantage he moved to Greene county,
leased manual labor school lands, and there raised tobacco on an exten-
sive scale. Packing his tobacco when harvested into hogsheads through
which he had drawn an axle, he attached shafts, and drew his entire
crop to Augusta, seventy-five miles distant, where he received top prices
for his loads. While yet a young man he served as a soldier in the Rev-
olutionary war. He married Elizabeth Stuart, who was born in Vir-
ginia, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. She passed away at the age of seventy-
five years, while his death occurred when he was but fifty-five years old.
They were both members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Walker,
Greene county, it being one of the oldest churches of that denomination
in the state. They reared one daughter and five sons, the sons being
named William, Nicholas, Alexander, Caleb, Elkanah, Nathan, and John
Wesley. Caleb and Elkanah became farmers, and the other five became
preachers in the Methodist Episcopal church.

On December 6, 1800, the birth of Rev. John Wesley Talley occurred
in Greene county, Georgia, where he was reared. There having been in
that early day no free educational institutions, he had but little oppor-
tunity to attend school, but through his own efforts he secured a fair
education, and began life for himself as a merchant in Washington,
Georgia. A man of deep religious convictions, he entered the ministry
in 1827, and in 1828 joined the South Carolina Conference, which em-
braced the western part of North Carolina, and all of South Carolina.
Florida, and Alabama. His first two appointments were in North Caro-
lina, and his third was at Pensacola, Florida. There were then neither
railways nor public roads of any account in this section of the country,
and lie made his rounds on horseback, following Indian trails, mostly,
and preaching, generally, in log houses. In 1835 he was assigned to
Macon. Georgia. A man of advanced ideas, broad-minded and liberal
in his views, fully appreciating the value of a good education for girls
as well as boys, he was one of the leaders in the movement of offering the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA «77

girls the same facilities for acquiring knowledge that was as a matter
of course afforded the boys. During his pastorate in Macon he agitated'
the subject, and, supported by Elijah Sinclair, proposed the establish-
ment of a female college in that city, and the two leaders in the move-
ment worked to such good purpose that the Wesleyan College, for which
they selected the site, was established in Macon. It was at first called
the Georgia Female College, but was later changed to the Wesleyan
Female College, a name which it still bears. During the Civil war he
served as chaplain of the First Georgia Hospital, in Richmond, Virginia.

Being superannuated in 1871, Kev. Mr. Talley spent a few years
with his son William, but in 1878 removed to Corsicana, Texas, where
he resided until his death in 1885. He married Rosetta Ralston, who
was born in Savannah, Georgia, a daughter of John Ralston, who came
from Ireland with two of his brothers just after the close of the Revolu-
tionary war. She died at the home of her daughter in Corsicana, Texas,
at the advanced age of eighty-five years. They reared four children,
namely : Elizabeth Stuart ; John Shellman, a soldier in the Confederate
army, died from the effect of wounds received at the second battle of
Manassas; William R., the subject of this brief biographical record;
and Sally C.

Completing his early education at Emory College, in Oxford, Georgia,
Rev. William R. Talley began his professional career, at the age of
twenty-two years, as a teacher in the Hancock county schools. Licensed
as a local preacher in 1876, he preached in different places in Georgia,
in addition to teaching and preaching turned his attention to farming.
In December, 1880, Mr. Talley purchased his present farm in Dixie,
where he has since resided. His one hundred and forty acres of land
are under a high state of cultivation, and he has a substantial set of
buildings, his house being most pleasantly located on a knoll overlook-
ing Dixie valley. As a farmer and stock raiser he is meeting with well
merited success, and as a man and a citizen he is held in high regard
throughout the community.

Mr. Talley married, in 1872, Carrie Harvey, who was born in Marion
county, Georgia, a daughter of Benjamin and Mary Harvey. Seven
children have blessed their marriage, namely : Lizzie, John S., Eunice
S., Ben H, Charles R., Sally Lee, and Elmer. Lizzie, wife of L. L.
Stevenson, has two children, William and Shellman. Eunice, wife of
W. L. Watkins, has three children, William Talley, Ruth, and Harrison.
Ben married Mattie Stuart, and they have two children, Ben Harvey and
Martha. Charles married Luella Hurt.

John Obed Stanaland. A skilful and practical agriculturist, sys-
tematic and thorough in his methods, John Obed Stanaland is meeting
with notable success in his pleasant and profitable calling, his farm, which
is located in the Dixie district, having excellent improvements, the build--
ings being conveniently arranged, while his machinery is of the latest
approved manufacture. He was born April 1, 1868, in Thomas county,
Georgia, a son of Daniel B. Stanaland, and grandson of John Obed
Stanaland, the first.

The pioneer ancestor of the Stanaland family in Georgia was Buz
Stanaland, Mr. Stanaland 's great-grandfather, who was born, it is
thought, in South Carolina. Migrating to Georgia in early life, Buz
Stanaland lived for awhile in Bulloch county. Later he came to south-
west Georgia, making the removal with teams of his own, bringing his
cattle and household goods with him, and settling on the old county road,
ten miles north of Thomasville. Purchasing a tract of timbered land,
he erected a log cabin in the wilderness, and began in reality to hew a



878 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

homestead from the forest. He was the first to raise stock in this sec-
tion of the state, and found the industry quite profitable. Successful
in his work, he cleared a large part of his land, and in due course of
time built a good hewed log house, sealing it inside and out, and there
resided until his death, in the seventy-fifth year of his age. His wife,
whose maiden name was Dolly Hollingsworth, survived him, being up-
wards of eighty years old at the time of her death. They, with one son
and one daughter, lie buried in the family lot, on the old homestead.
They were typical southerners in their generous hospitality, their latch
string being always out. They reared five children : John Obed, Prissy,
Zebulon, Thomas, and Amy.

John Obed Stanaland, the first, was born during the residence of
his parents in Bulloch county, and with them came to the southwestern
part of the state. He was early drilled in the branches of agriculture,
and began farming for himself by renting a piece of land lying one mile
from Thomasville, on the old Coffee road. Thomasville had then but
one dwelling, a log house owned by James Kirksey, who was the only
merchant in that vicinity, his store being also in a log building. "While
living on that land, he dug for Mr. Kirksey, the first well dug in Thomas-
ville. After renting for a year, he bought land in Jefferson county.
Florida, where he tilled the soil several years. Returning, however, to
Georgia, he located in Thomas county, about a mile from the town of
Boston, and in the log cabin which he erected lived a few years. He
not only tilled the land, but he kept the family larder well supplied with
the fruits of the chase, deer, bear, and wild game of all kinds being plenti-
ful, and made all the shoes worn by his family, tanning all the leather
used himself. His wife, who was a true helpmeet, used to card, spin
and weave, and make all the clothing worn by her household. There
being no railroads in those early days he used to market all of his sur-
plus produce either in Tallahassee or in Newport, Florida, with teams,
the round trip to the first mentioned place taking, if the roads were very
good, three days, while a trip to Newport and back, under the same con-
ditions, required a full week. He continued a resident of that farm until
his death, at the advanced age of seventy-eight years. John 0. Stana-
land, the first, married Susan Melton, who was born in Bulloch county.
where her father spent his entire life. The maiden name of the mother
of Susan Melton was Davis. She survived Mr. Melton, and after his
death came from Bulloch county to Thomas county, locating in the south
part, where she bought a farm which she operated with slave labor,
living upon it until her death, when over one hundred years of age.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Melton were of New England ancestry. Of the union
of John 0. and Susan Stanaland, seven children were born and reared,
as follows: James Alfred, John H., Benjamin, Daniel B., Jephtha C.
Simeon, and Julia. All of these sons took an active part in the war
between the states, Benjamin dying while in the service.

Daniel B. Stanaland was born in Thomas county, Georgia, near Bos-
Ion. October 15, 18.'?!), and there grew to man's estate. In 1861 lie enlisted
in the company known as the Dixie Boys, which was attached to the
Fifty-seventh Georgia Regiment of Volunteer Infantry, which became
a pari of the Western army. With his command he participated in many
important battles, and when Vicksburg surrendered was captured by
the enemy. Exchanged about three weeks later lie rejoined his regi-
ment, and with it took part in various campaigns, continuing with his
command until the close of the war. He served under Generals Joseph
E. Johnston and J. B. Hood, toward the close of the conflict, being sent
with his regiment to Virginia, marching through Georgia and the Oaro-
linas to Virginia, and then fell back to Greensboro, North Carolina..



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 879

where he surrendered. After returning home, he farmed for a number
of years in Thomas county, and then came to Brooks county, to the home,
of his son, John Obed Stanaland. He married Elizabeth Mountain, who
was born near Tallahassee, Florida, in 1845, a daughter of Jonathan and
Martha (Lively) Mountain, natives, respectively, of Georgia and South
Carolina. Three children were born of their marriage, namely: John
Obed; William Henry, who died in the eighteenth year of his age; and
Walter. The mother was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church,
and in her daily life exemplified its teachings.

Educated in the district schools, and early initiated into the mysteries
of farming, John Obed Stanaland remained a member of the parental
household until twenty-two years old. Entering then the employ of the
S. F. & W. Railroad Company, now the Atlantic Coast Line, he was for
fourteen years identified with its roadway department. Lured back to
the soil, Mr. Stanaland next purchased a tract of land in the Dixie dis-
trict, near the Pidcoek station, and has since been here actively and
prosperously engaged in general farming and stock-raising, his success
placing him among the wide-awake and 2^rogressive farmers of his neigh-
borhood.

Mr. Stanaland married, November, 1891, Jimmie Alderman, who was
born in Brooks county, Georgia, a daughter of Elias Alderman. She is
of pioneer stock, being a granddaughter of James and Jane (Roberts)
Stanaland, of whom a brief account is given on another page of this
volume, in connection with the sketch of Ezekiel Alderman.

Elias Alderman was born in Thomas county, Georgia, in 1846, and
was there reared to agricultural pursuits. Grown to manhood, he bought
land near Pavo, lived there a number of years. Disposing of that prop-
erty, he purchased a tract of land in lot No. 467, Tallokas district, Brooks
county, and on the farm which he improved spent the remainder of his
life, passing away in 1899. He married, in 1870, America Beaty, who
was born in Brooks county, Georgia, a daughter of William Beaty, Jr.,
and granddaughter of William and Mary (Drew) Beaty. Born and
brought up in Washington county, Georgia, William Beaty, Jr., came
as a young man to Brooks county, locating near Harmony church, where
he bought a tract of timber land. Clearing a space in the forest, he
first erected a double log house, and then began the .pioneer labor of
redeeming a farm from the wilderness. There being no railways in the
state at that time, he was forced to take all of his farm produce to Talla-
hassee for marketing purposes, making the round trip with a four-mule
team, and being several days on the road. Clearing and improving a
large farm, he was there a resident until his death, at the age of seventy-
nine years. The maiden name of the wife of William Beaty, Jr., was
Elizabeth Self, who was born in Telfair county, Georgia, where her par-
ents, Thomas and Mary (Moore) Self, were early pioneers. Six children
were born of their union, as follows : William ; James ; Berrien ; America,
who became the wife of Elias Alderman ; Jackson ; and Elizabeth. Mi-,
and Mrs. Elias Alderman reared eight children, namely: William; Jim-
mie, wife of Mr. Stanaland ; Anna ; Wessie ; Shelby ; Ona ; Birdie ; and
Rupert.

Mr. and Mrs. Stanaland are the parents of four children, Ollie. Mat
Hazel, Tinnie Lee, and Elias Alderman. Both Mr. and Mrs. Stanaland
are faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

James M. Patterson. For nearly a score of years a resident of
Brooks county, James M. Patterson has during that time been associated
with the development and advancement of its agricultural resources.



880 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

his farming property being located in Dixie district. A son of the late
John W. Patterson, he was born in 1853, in Muscogee county, Georgia.

His grandfather, John Patterson, was born, it is supposed, in North
Carolina, and was of Scotch-Irish parentage. Soon after assuming the
duties and responsibilities of a married man he migrated to Georgia,
becoming an early settler of Burke county. In 1835 he moved to Mus-
cogee county, Georgia, and having bought a tract of land near Boxspring
was there engaged as a tiller of the soil during the remainder of his life.
He married Sarah "Wright, who was likewise of Scotch-Irish ancestry,
and of their union seven children were born, as follows : Robert, Daniel,
John W., Ruth, Margaret, Cornelia, and Catherine. True to the relig-
ious faith in which they were so strictly reared, both of the parents were
communicants of the Presbyterian church.

John W. Patterson first opened his eyes to the light of this world in
1825, his birth occurring in Burke county, Georgia. When he was ten
years old he accompanied the family to Muscogee county, which was his
home for many years. In 1856 he came with his own family, and with
that of his father-in-law, James MeMurray, to Thomas county. Buying
a tract of unimproved land lying three miles east of Boston, he erected
a double log house in the timber, and immediately began the pioneer
labor of clearing and improving a homestead. Five years later his work
was interrupted by the breaking out of the war between the states.
Hastening to the support of the Confederacy, he enlisted, in 1861, in
the organization known as the Dixie Boys, a company which was at-
tached to the Fifty-seventh Georgia Volunteer Infantry. Serving under
Generals Johnston and Hood, he was with his regiment in all of its
battles, including its many engagements on Georgia's soil against Sher-
man's forces, and in the battles at Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee.
After the latter fiercely fought battle, his regiment was ordered to Vir-
ginia to join Lee's army, and had got as far as North Carolina when
Lee surrendered. The Fifty-seventh Regiment then surrendered, and
Mr. Patterson, with his comrades, returned to Georgia. Resuming his
former occupation, he continued the improvements already initiated on
his farm until 1870, when he sold out, although he continued a resident
of Thomas county many years thereafter. In 1893 he moved to Brooks
county, where, three years later, in 1896, his death occurred.

The maiden name of the wife of John W. Patterson was Cornelia
MeMurray. She was born in Muscogee county, Georgia, and was there
brought up and married. Her father, James MeMurray, was born in
North Carolina, of Scotch-Irish parents. As a young man he came to
Georgia, living first in Burke county, then in Muscogee county, from there
coming, in 1856, as mentioned in the preceding paragraph, to Thomas
county, buying land three miles east of Boston, and there living until
his death, at the age of four score years. Mrs. Cornelia Patterson died
at the early age of thirty-eight years, leaving five sons and two daugh-
ters, all of whom are now living, as follows : Harriet, James M., Robert
C, Theodora M., Liia, John B., and Ernest E. She was a faithful and
valued member of the Presbyterian church, to which her husband also
belonged, and in which he served for several years as an elder.

But three years old when his parents settled in Brooks county, James
M. Patterson here acquired a practical common school education. Early
initiated into the secrets of good farming, he proved a faithful worker
and remained with his parents until attaining his majority. He sub-
sequently tried clerking for awhile, but on his marriage again turned
his attention to farming, being located near Boston. Thomas county,
until 1893. Since that time Mr. Patterson has been a resident of Brooks
county, and has been busily employed in cultivating and improving his
farming property.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 881

In 1883 Mr. Patterson was united in marriage with Georgia Wat-
kins, a native of Whitley county, Kentucky. Her father, Clark Wat-
kins, came from Kentucky to Georgia in 1870, settling first in Colquitt'
county, from there coming, in 1884, to Thomas county, where he spent
the remainder of his life. He was of honored ancestry, his mother,
whose maiden name was Buchanan, having been a kinswoman of Presi-
dent James Buchanan. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson have nine children,
namely: Edith I.; Cornelia, Eunice, Ruby, Deborah, Robert C, Frank,
Edwin, and Georgia. Both Mr. and Mrs. Patterson are worthy mem-
bers of the Presbyterian church and have reared their children in the
same religious faith. Mr. Patterson is active in denominational work
and for twenty years has served as an elder in the church. He is a Dem-
ocrat in politics, and for a number of years has been secretary and
treasurer of the West Side Farmers' Club.

Capt. Thomas Neal Gandy. Occupying an honored position among
the substantial business men of Brooks county, Capt. T. N. Gandy for a
quarter of a century was actively identified with the advancement of the
mercantile interests of Dixie as one of its leading general merchants. A
son of Book A. Gandy, he was born December 30, 1836, in Thomas
county, Georgia, of pioneer stock. According to tradition, the immi-
grant ancestor of the Gandy family came from England to America in
colonial times, settling in South Carolina. He was twice married, his
first wife bearing him twelve daughters, while his second wife became
the mother of twelve sons, from whom the Gandys of the present genera-
tion are descended.

Brinkley Gandy, the captain's grandfather, was born and reared in
South Carolina. In 1803, accompanied by his family, he came to Geor-
gia, locating as a pioneer in what is now Montgomery county, where he
bought land, and was subsequently engaged in farming until his death.
His wife, whose maiden name was Leah Nasworthy, was born in South
Carolina, of English ancestry.

Born in Darlington district, South Carolina, in September, 1801,
Book A. Gandy was but two years old when his parents brought him to
Georgia. Growing to manhood in Montgomery county, he remained on
the home farm until 1825, when he became one of the earlier settlers of
Thomas county. Buying a tract of land five miles east of Thomasville,
he began the pioneer labor of hewing a farm from the forest. Four of
his brothers came with him to Thomasville, and each subsequently mar-
ried, and raised large families. After clearing quite a portion of his land,
he sold, and bought another tract twelve miles east of Thomasville, and
was there a resident until his death, in the seventy-fifth year of his age.
He married Elizabeth Browning, who was born in Montgomery county,
Georgia. Her father, Daniel Browning, a native of North Carolina,
settled in Montgomery county, Georgia, in 1803. In 1827 he removed to
Thomas county, and having purchased land four miles east of Thomas-
ville was there engaged in tilling the soil a number of seasons. Retiring
then from active pursuits, he spent the remainder of his long life of
four score years with his children. He married Honor Grace, who was
born, it is thought, in Tattnall county, Georgia. Seven sons and three
daughters were born into their household, all of whom were living at
the breaking out of the Civil war, at its close the mother, one daughter
and four sons had joined the silent majority on the other side. Of the
marriage of Book A. and Elizabeth (Browning) Gandy, ten children
were born, as follows: Thomas N., Henry, Book, Brinkley and Maria,
twins, Fatima, Albert, Taylor, Mary and William. Five of the sons
served in the Confederate army during the war between the states, four



882 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

of whom, Henry, Book, Brinkley and Albert, lost their lives in the
service.

Brought up in Thomas county, T. N. Gandy acquired his early
education in the public schools, and was well trained in the different
branches of agriculture as a youth. About 1859 his father gave him a
farm, and two years later, at the outbreak of the Civil war, he enlisted
in the company known as the Thomas County Volunteers. He was mus-
tered in as first sergeant of his company, and six months later was pro-
moted to the rank of lieutenant. The company was attached to the
Twenty-ninth Georgia Volunteer Infantry, which was first sent to the
Atlantic coast, and later to northern Georgia to oppose Sherman's forces.
In the summer of 1864 Mr. Gandy was commissioned captain of a com-
pany of Georgia Reserves, which was assigned to the Twelfth Georgia
Volunteer Infantry, and of that company he had command until the
close of the conflict.

Returning then to Georgia, Captain Gandy resumed work on the
farm which his father had given him. He subsequently sold out. pur-
chased eleven hundred acres of laud in the same county, and for eight
years successfully managed his large plantation. Selling that property.
Captain Gandy was for a few years engaged in the livery business at
Thomasville. In 1887 he opened a general store in Dixie, and here, by
his systematic business methods, his strict attention to all of its details,
and his thoroughly upright dealings, he met with most gratifying re-
sults, winning for himself an honorable record as a merchant. He sold
out his place of business in August, 1912.

. Captain Gandy married, January 26. 1859, Miss Maggie Kemp,
daughter of Peter and Alley Kemp, of Thomas county. Both the cap-
tain and Mrs. Gandy are members of the Methodist Episcopal church,
South. Politically the captain was formerly a Whig, but is now an
earnest supporter of the principles enunciated by the Democratic party.
Although not an aspirant for public office, he has served as justice of the
peace the past nine years.

Frank M. Austin. Heredity and environment, says Dr. Newell
Dwight Hillis of Brooklyn, are but half truths and the part they play in
determining a man's career are as nothing compared with the influence
he can himself exert if he so prepares himself that he is ready when
opportunity knocks at his door, and this statement of the noted divine
is well borne out in the life history of Frank M. Austin, one of the fore-
most farmers of Brooks county. He was born in Dougherty county,
Georgia, March 26, 1854, being the youngest child in a family of sixteen
boys and girls born to John and Catherine Austin.

Mr. Austin was but seven years old when the war between the states
occurred, and during the ensuing four years chaos reigned supreme. His
opportunities for advancement in any direction were of the most meager,
hard work, only, being in store for him. He had learned to read when
quite young, and though he scarce saw the inside of a schoolhouse. he
acquired a practical business education, and by extensive and intelli-
gent reading lias added to Ins store of knowledge until now but few
are better informed in regard to the topics of the day than Mr. Austin.
Inheriting a rugged constitution and an inclination for work, he entered
the employ of the A. & G. Railroad Company, and for a number of
years was connected with its roadway department. Resigning that
position in 1SS2. Mr. Austin located in Dixie. Brooks county, where
he was engaged in mercantile pursuits for seventeen years. Buying
land in 1900. Mr. Austin embarked in farming, an occupation with
which he lias since been prominently identified, in addition to the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 863

care of his farm running a farm commissary. Mr. Austin owns 446
acres of rich and productive land, which he operates by tenants, cotton,,
corn, melons, and pindars being his principal crops, and bringing him
a good annual income.

Mr. Austin married, at the age of twenty-four years, Mary Daniel.
She was born in Thomas county, Georgia, a daughter of Aaron and
Martha (Ivey) Daniel, and is of pioneer stock, her grandparents on
both sides having been among the earlier settlers of southwest Georgia.
Of the eleven children born to the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Austin,
three have passed to the life beyond and eight are now living, namely:
Guy Leslie, Regina Frank, Frederick Lyle, Roy Coleman, Olah Mated,
Mary Nadine, Elra Marion, and Annie Leone. Guy Leslie, a well-known
physician of Berlin, Colquitt county, married Opal Elizabeth Smith, and
they have one son, Philip Leslie. Regina Frank is successfully engaged
in teaching. Frederick L. is in the employ of the Railroad Terminal Com-
pany at New Orleans. Roy, living in Brunswick, Georgia, is an em-
ployee of the Southern Railroad Company. The other four children are
still in school. Mr. and Mrs. Austin are both identified by membership
with the Methodist Episcopal church, South. Fraternally Mr. Austin
is a member of Dixie Lodge, No. 242, Free and Accepted Masons. He
cast his first presidential vote in 1876, for Samuel J. Tilden, and has
since been a stanch supporter of the principles of the Democratic party.
He has never been an office seeker, but has served as tax collector in
Brooks county.

George W. Austin. For many years prominently identified with
the advancement of the mercantile and agricultural prosperity of Dixie
district, Brooks county, George W. Austin is numbered among the rep-
resentative men of Brooks county, and is well deserving of special men-
tion in this biographical work. A native of Georgia, he was born in
Laurens county, the date of his birth being June 7, 1849.

His father, John Austin, was a native of Georgia, and grew to man-
hood in Hancock county. Marrying at an early age, he lived for a time
in Laurens county, going from there to Florida, where he was employed
for a number of years as an overseer on large plantations. On his re-
turn to Georgia he located in Brooks county, where he spent the remain-
der of his long life, dying at the age of eighty-six years, at the home of
his son, George W. Austin. His wife, whose maiden name was Catherine
Bray, was born in North Carolina, and died in Brooks county, Georgia,
at the age of four score and four years. Of their sixteen childi*en, thir-
teen grew to years of maturity, as follows: William M., W. B., Joseph,
Elizabeth, J. T., Mary, R. F., Lucinda, Newton J., Rachel, Crosby, George
W., and Frank M.

Although there were no free schools in his vicinity when he was a
boy, George W. Austin improved every opportunity for acquiring use-
ful knowledge, securing largely through his own efforts a practical busi-
ness education. At the age of nineteen years, having previously formed
an intimate acquaintance with the numerous branches of agriculture on
the home farm, he began life as a wage-earner, and for five years was
in the employ of the A. & G. Railroad Company, now the Atlantic
Coast Line, as section master in the roadway department. He was then
made station agent at Dixie, Georgia, a position which he resigned at the
end of five years. In the meantime Mr. Austin, who was a man of energy
and enterprise, had embarked in the mercantile business in Dixie, start-
ing with a fine stock of general merchandise. Accumulating consider-
able money as a merchant, he wisely invested it in land, buying at first
one hundred acres, and in addition to conducting his store successfully

Vol. n— 2 3



884 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

was also engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1909 Mr. Austin trans-
ferred his mercantile interests to his son, Hugh B., and is now devot-
ing his time and energies to the management of his farm and of his
private affairs. He has added to his landed possessions at different
times, and now 7 has title to about 650 acres of land, three hundred of
which are under a high state of cultivation, producing good annual crops.

On February 15, 1877, Mr. Austin was united in marriage with Julia
J. Benton, who was born in Dixie district, Brooks county, Georgia, a
daughter of Shout Judson Benton. Mrs. Austin's grandfather, Joseph
Benton, was born in North Carolina, where his father, Hugh Benton,
settled on coming from France to this country. Brought up on a farm,
he became an expert in the art of raising rice, and for many years was
an overseer on rice plantations. He married Hannah Blocker, a native
of North Carolina. Shout Judson Benton was born January 10, 1832,
in Colleton county, South Carolina, and as a young man learned the car-
penter's trade. Beginning work for himself in Brooks county, Georgia,
he followed his trade in this section of the state many years, in the
meantime buying and selling several different pieces of realty. He is
now living retired in Dixie. Mr. Benton married Manira Maulden, who
was born September 30, 1835, in what is now Brooks county, Georgia,
where her parents, Holmes and Dicey (Millin) Maulden, were pioneer
settlers. They reared a large family of children, as follows : Hugh,
Elizabeth ; Julia J., wife of Mr. Austin ; Henry 0. ; Fanny ; Viola ; James ;
Jesse ; Claudia ; and Thaddeus, who lived but seven years, he having been
the second son in succession of birth.

Eight children have been born of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs.
Austin, namely : George R., Hugh B., Julia Ethel, Manira E., Mary
Elizabeth, Winnie Davis, Harry Murray, and Alia Tutela. George R.,
who studied law, and was admitted to the bar, is now a bookkeeper for
the Standard Supply and Fuel Company of Savannah ; he married
Stella Gibson, and they have three children : Catherine, Robert and
Margaret. Hugh B. Austin, also a lawyer by profession, is one of the
leading merchants of Dixie, where he is also engaged in the cross tie busi-
ness ; he married Josie Stewart, and they are the parents of five chil-
dren : Christine, Manira, Stewart, George W., Jr., and Virgil. Julia
Ethel died at the age of twenty-four years. Mary Elizabeth, wife of
Ned B. Jones, has one son, Austin Jones. Mr. and Mrs. Austin are
both trustworthy members of the Methodist Episcopal church, South,
and fraternally Mr. Austin belongs to Dixie Lodge, No. 242, Free and
Accepted Masons.

Gbover Cleveland Edmondson. A rising young attorney of Quit-
man, Grover Cleveland Edmondson has started in life with brilliant
pi'ospects for a successful career, and, continuing his present course, is
sure to make for himself an enviable reputation, not only in legal circles,
but in the business and social affairs of the community. A son of Simp-
son D. Edmondson, he was born in Tallokas district. Brooks county,
Georgia, September 10, 1891. on the homestead cleared and improved by
his grandfather. Rev. John Edmondson.

His great-grandfather, Isaac Edmondson, was a native of either Eng-
land or Scotland. Immigrating to America in early manhood,. he served
as a soldier in the Revolutionary army, and at the close of the war
settled in Bulloch county, Georgia. His health subsequently failing, he
went to Savannah to consult a physician, and died in that city. His
widow. Nancy Edmondson. survived him several years, and spent her
las! days in what is now Brooks county, Georgia, passing away in 1842.
she was the mot In r of six children, as follows: Susan. Elizabeth, Sally,
•James, John and David.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 885

Rev. John Edmondson was a lad in his teens when he came with his
widowed mother and her family to Brooks county. All of southwestern
Georgia was then a. wilderness, inhabited by wild beasts of all kinds,
and by the Indians, who at times were very troublesome. His educa-
tional advantages were exceedingly limited, although he attended school
four months, earning the money to pay his tuition by splitting rails. He
was an intelligent reader, however, and acquired a good knowledge of men
and things. Beginning life even with the world, he invested his first
money in land, buying a timbered tract, and for several years there-
after he and his faithful helpmeet occupied the humble log house which
he erected, his little cabin having neither windows nor floors. In com-
mon with her few neighbors the wife used to card, spin and weave the
homespun material with which the family was clothed, while he kept
the family larder well supplied with wild game from the forests. He
was quite successful, clearing and improving a farm with the help of
slaves, and was there a resident until his death, in 1865.

The maiden name of the wife of Rev. John Edmondson was Martha
Strickland. She was born November 13, 1814, in Tattnall county, Geor-
gia, and at the age of fourteen years, on November 27, 1828, she was
married. Her father, Archibald Strickland, came from one of the Caro-
lines to Georgia, and after living for awhile in Tattnall county removed
to what is now Brooks county, becoming one of its earlier settlers. Buy-
ing land in the Tallokas district, he redeemed a farm from the wilderness,
and here spent the remainder of his life, dying at a good old age. Mrs.
Martha Edmondson survived her husband a number of years. Both she
and her husband were active members of the Primitive Baptist church,
he being one of its local preachers. They reared a family of ten chil-
dren, as follows: Mary, Nancy, James, Martha, Louisiana, John A.,
Orpha V., Simpson D., Sally Ann, and William W.

Born in what is now Brooks county, Georgia, June 23, 1842, Simp-
son D. Edmondson was educated in the district schools, and as a youth
was well trained in the various branches of agriculture. In 1861 he
enlisted in Company C, Sixty-first Georgia Volunteer Infantry, which
was assigned to the Army of North Virginia, and did gallant service
under "Stonewall" Jackson. Taking part in all of the campaigns and
battles in which his regiment was engaged, he was five times wounded
at the battle of Antietam, four of the injuries being slight, and the last
one, when he was bit by a minnie ball in the knee, being very serious.
For eight months he was forced to use crutches, and was afterwards
detailed to the commissary department, with which he was connected
until the close of the war. He was present at the siege of Atlanta, and
was one of the last to leave that city. Returning home at the cessation
of hostilities, he resumed farming on the parental homestead, on which
he is still living, having succeeded to its ownership.

On February 26, 1866, Mr. Simpson D. Edmondson married Mary
A. Wade, who was born July 16, 1848, in Dooly county, Georgia, a
daughter of Elijah Wade. Mr. AVade removed from Dooly county to
Brooks county, and having bought land in the Tallokas district for many
years engaged in both agricultural and mercantile pursuits, having a well
stocked store on his farm, on which he resided until his death, at the
age of seventy-five years. He married first Elizabth Recldick, who died
at a comparatively early age, leaving three children, as follows: Mary
A., wife of Simpson D. Edmondson ; Fanny, and Lucy. Mr. Wade mar-
ried for his second wife Mrs. Mary Peacock, who bore him four chil-
dren, namely : Philip. Mitchell, Bury, and Wesley W. Mr. and Mrs.
Simpson D. Edmondson are the parents of nine children, as follows:
James W., Mattie, Fannie. Lucy, Jennie, May, Pearl, H. Turner, and



886 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Grover C. They are valued and consistent members of the Methodist
Episcopal church, and have reared their family in the same religious
faith.

Gleaning his first knowledge of books in the rural schools, Grover
Cleveland Edmondson afterwards continued his studies in the public
schools of Quitman, and for a while read law in the office of his brother,
James W. Edmondson. Subsequently entering the law department of
Mercer University, he was there graduated with the class of 1908 and
1909. Being then admitted to the bar, Mr. Edmondson has since prac-
ticed law in Quitman and during the intervening three years has estab-
lished one of the best practices in this section. A close student of
criminal and constitutional law, Mr. Edmondson makes a specialty of
criminal practice.

. Keeping well informed on all topics of the day, governmental ques-
tions and political economies, he bids fair to become a state leader in
political matters. He is a loyal Democrat and cast his first presidential
vote for Oscar W. Underwood, and was appointed as a delegate to the
Atlanta convention, which named the distinguished son of Alabama as
Georgia's choice for the presidency.

In 1912 Mr. Edmondson announced his candidacy for representative
from Brooks county in the general assembly, and after one of the most
bitter local campaigns known to the county he received more votes than
his five opponents combined.

During the campaign he was bitterly assailed by the legal organ of
the county, opposed by every member of the bar, excepting Judge J. D.
Wade and Hon. S. S. Bennet ; every court house official, whom he desig-
nated as ' ' Court House Ringsters, ' ' yet his support from the country was
so overwhelmingly strong that nothing could defeat him.

On July 4th he addressed a gathering of over two thousand people
at Quitman, and Hon. Joe Hill Hall, then a candidate for governor,
being present, declared the speech to be the best stump speech he had
ever heard.

Recognizing the necessity for a new constitution for the state, he
started the agitation, which has met with tremendous encouragement from
the leading newspapers and politicians of the state, and proposes to intro-
duce at the next meeting of the legislature a bill calling a constitutional
convention.

As a lawyer, politician and orator the merited success of this young
man places him in that small circle of men in whom we find the mature
thought of middle life combined with the energy of youth.

He is a devoted reader of the best literature, and in his library at
Quitman the best works of the noted authors are found. Mr. Edmond-
son owns the largest private library in South Georgia, numbering over
six thousand volumes of all kinds of books. His law library is the best
equipped in the section.

Hon. Clark Howell, editor of the Atlanta Constitution, has termed
Grover C. Edmondson as the "comer"' in Georgia politics.

James W. Strickland. Eminently deserving of representation in
this biographical work is James W. Strickland, who for the past ten
years has served as clerk of the city council in Waycross, "Ware county.
performing the obligations of his office with ability. He was born June
7, 1847. on a farm near Blackshear, in that part of Ware county now in-
cluded within the limits of Pierce county. Georgia, his father. Capt.
Allen C. Strickland, having been born in the same locality.

James Strickland. Mr. Strickland's grandfather, came from North
Carolina, his native state, to Georgia, at an early day. settling in what



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 887

is now Pierce county. He first purchased 490 acres of land, which are
now included within the limits of the city of Blackshear, the land being
then in its primitive wildness. He bought other lands in that vicinity,
and engaged in farming on an extensive scale, being assisted in his opera-
tions by slave labor, and there resided until his death. His wife, whose
maiden name was Nellie Smith, survived him, passing away on the old
homestead, near Blackshear. They reared a large family, and their
descendants are now living in different parts of Georgia and Florida,

Soon after attaining manhood, Allen C. Strickland bought land in
what is now Pierce county, and having acquired other land through
inheritance, was employed in tilling the soil until after the breaking out
of the Civil war, when he was commissioned captain of Company G,
Fourth Georgia Cavalry, and went to the front with his command. Being
taken ill, he returned to his home and there died in, 1862, while yet in
the prime of life. Captain Strickland married Cassie Sweat, who was
born in Ware county, Georgia, a daughter of Capt. James A. and Eliza-
beth (Newburn) Sweat, of whom a more extended account may be found
on another page of this volume, in connection with the sketch of Carey
M. Sweat. She survived him many years, and married for her second
husband William Davis. By her first marriage she reared six children,
and by her union with Mr. Davis became the mother of three children.

Brought up on the parental homestead, James W. Strickland at-
tended school whenever opportunity offered, in the meantime becoming
familiarly acquainted with farm work. In June, 1864, inspired by
patriotic motives, he enlisted in the company formerly commanded by
his father, Company G, Fourth Georgia Cavalry. Joining his command
at Screven, Georgia, he served with his regiment in all of its engage-
ments until the close of the conflict. Returning home then, Mr. Strick-
land farmed for a few months, and then attended school. In 3868 he
embarked in the mercantile business at Blackshear, where he remained
until 1890. Coming then to Waycross, Mr. Strickland was for twelve
years proprietor and manager of a hotel, being very successful and popu-
lar as a host. In 1902 he was elected clerk of the city council, and con-
tinued in the office until 1913, discharging the duties devolving upon
him in that capacity promptly and efficiently. He is a loyal Democrat
in politics, and, with his family, belongs to the Methodist Episcopal
church.

In 1870 Mr. Strickland married Annie E. Hendry, who was born
in Savannah, Georgia, on the paternal side being a descendant of the
pioneer family of that name that settled in Liberty county, Georgia,
at an early day, and on the paternal side belonging to the Lee family
of Virginia. Her father, Capt. E. D. Hendry, a native of Liberty county,
Georgia, was commissioned a captain in the Confederate army, and after
serving in the field for a year or two became a government official.
Prior to his enlistment he had been engaged in mercantile pursuits in
Blackshear, Georgia, and after its close he was engaged in business in
Savannah for about four years. Returning to Pierce county in 1869.
he remained in Blackshear until 1890, when he removed to Waycross,
where he spent his remaining days, passing away at the venerable age
of eighty-seven years. The maiden name of Captain Hendry 's wife was
Caroline Staley. She was born in Savannah, Georgia, her mother hav-
ing been an Atkinson from North Carolina. Mr. and Mrs. Strickland
have one daughter, Carrie E. Strickland.

John Lott Walker, M. D. One of the best known members of the
medical fraternity of Ware county. John Lott Walker. M. I)., is devoted
to his practice, and well deserves the reputation he enjoys of being one of



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

the most skillful and faithful physicians of Waycross. A son of Elisha
Walker, he was born on a farm in Washington county, the home farm hav-
ing been located ten miles south of Tennille, and twelve miles west of
Wrightsville. He comes of early colonial stock, the immigrant ancestor
of the branch of the Walker family from which he is descended having
come to America prior to the Revolution, locating very near the northern
boundary line of North Carolina.

Lott Walker, the doctor's grandfather, was born in Laurens county,
Georgia, in 1801, his father, also named Elisha Walker, having settled
there on removing from North Carolina. During the earlier part of his
active career, Lott Walker resided in Henry county, Georgia, from
there removing to Johnson county, where his wife owned a tract of land
that had come to her through inheritance. He purchased land adjoin-
ing hers and, with slave help, carried on general farming until his
death, in 1880, at the age of seventy-nine years. He married Polly
Walters, who was born in that part of Laurens county now included in
Johnson county, being a daughter of Richard Walters, a farmer, who
came from Virginia to Georgia. Eight children were born to Mr. and
Mrs. Lott Walker, three of them being sons, Elisha, William and Moses,
and five being daughters, as follows: Gatsv, Ann, Melissa, Mary and
Eliza.

Born in Henry county, Georgia, in 1832, Elisha Walker settled in
Washington county, Georgia, soon after his marriage, being there em-
ployed for a time in general farming. Subsequently buying land in
Johnson county, he farmed with the help of slaves until the war between
the states, and afterwards there continued his labors until 1906. Re-
moving then to Wrightsville, he has since lived there retired from active
pursuits, enjoying the fruits of his earlier years of toil. His wife, whose
maiden name was Martha Webb, was born in what is now Johnson
county, Georgia, in 1831, a daughter of Rev. John and Charlotte (Cov-
ington) Webb, and granddaughter of Rev. Covington, her father and
maternal grandfather having both been ministers in the Methodist Epis-
copal denomination. Eight children were born of their union, namely :
John Lott, Ann, Minta, Tabitha, Dolly, Nora. William, and Joseph.

Receiving his early education under private tutors, John Lott Walker
first attended medical lectures in Louisville, Kentucky, at the Kentucky
School of Medicine, and in 1879 was graduated from the Atlanta Med-
ical College with the degree of M. D. The following seven years Doc-
tor Walker was engaged in the practice of his profession at Wrightsville.
Johnson county. In 1886 he removed to Waycross, where he has been
in continual practice since, being one of the longest-established and
most successful physicians in this part of the county. During the quar-
ter of a century or more that the doctor has lived in Waycross, he has
seen the city grow from a village of one thousand souls to a wide-awake,
prosperous community of fourteen times as many inhabitants, while
the surrounding country, which was but sparsely settled when he came
here, has increased its popidation in a corresponding ratio.

Doctor Walker has invested largely in city property, wisely buying
in the business section, where, on Jane street, he owns a commodious
building. He has served three years as a member of the state board of
medical examiners, and is now a member of the Wavcvoss board of edu-
cation and is a member of the state board of health. Fraternally the
doctor belongs to Blackshear lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Order
of Masons: to Waycross Lodge. No. 27. Knights of Pythias; and to Way-
cross Lodge. No. 99. Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Doctor Walker married, in 1883, Miss Laura Sin<rleton. who was born
and educated in Milledgevjlle, Georgia, being a daughter of Samuel and



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Ann (Christian) Singleton, who reared four sons and four daughters,
as follows: Samuel, Stewart, Charles, Robert, Bettie, Ellen, Martha,
and Laura. Her father was in the employ of the state, and was also
engaged for several years in the mercantile business at Eatonton, where
his last days were spent. The doctor and Mrs. Walker have four chil-
dren, namely: John S., Robert C, Annie Laurie, and Samuel E. The
doctor and his wife are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church,
and Mrs. Walker is a member of the Daughters of the American
Revolution.

James H. Latimer, M. D. A well-known and successful physician
of Ware county, and one of the foremost citizens of Waycross, James
H. Latimer, M. D., has built up a large and lucrative practice in this
section of the state and has here fully established himself in the esteem
and confidence of his fellow men. A son of Dr. James Latimer, he was
born September 9, 1869, in Coffee county, Georgia, of early colonial
stock. His grandfather, Fleming Latimer, who, so far as known, was
a life-long resident of South Carolina, was a lineal descendant of Lord
Latimer, who fled from his native land to this country to escape religious
persecution, settling in Manhattan Island, New York.

Dr. James H. Latimer's birth occurred June 10, 1829, in South
Carolina. Receiving excellent educational advantages in his youthful
days, he early determined to enter upon a professional career, and while
yet a young man was graduated from the medical department of the
state university, at Augusta, with the degree of M. D. After practicing
medicine for a short time in Decatur county, Georgia, Dr. James Latimer
subsequently spent a very few years in Appling and Coffee counties,
and then removed with his family to Jeff Davis county, in 1872, locating
at Hazlehurst, where he gained a fine reputation as a skillful and able
physician, remaining there until his death, in 1907. The maiden name
of his wife was Aleph B. Girtman. She was born in Coffee county,
Georgia, in 1848, and is now living in Hazlehurst. Her father, Benjamin
F. Girtman, owned a large plantation in the northern part of Georgia,
and carried on farming with slave labor until his accidental death when
less than forty years of age. The maiden name of his wife was Mary
Simmons. Eleven children blessed the union of Dr. James Latimer and
his wife, as follows : James H., the special subject of this brief bio-
graphical review; Ann Eliza and Mary Louisa, twins; Clem F. ; Martha
E. ; Charles Albert ; Aleph Letitia ; Edgar F. ; Ida Kate ; Sarah, and
Jennie.

Acquiring his rudimentary education in the public schools of Hazle-
hurst, James H. Latimer began the study of medicine with his father,
and subsequently attended the Atlanta Medical College, on March 2,
1892, being graduated from that institution. Immediately beginning
his professional career in Hazlehurst, Doctor Latimer continued there
six years. Coming then, in 1898, to Waycross, which was then a com-
paratively small city, with a population of four thousand people only, '
he has remained here ever since, being a successful and popular phy-
sician. Keeping pace with the growth of the city, the doctor has been
an important factor in advancing its material interests, in the mean-
time bending all of his energy towards making a success of his pro-
fession. He belongs to both the Ware County Medical Society and to
the Georgia State Medical Society.

Fraternally the doctor is a member of Waycross Lodge, No. 305,
Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons ; Waycross Chapter, No. 9,
Royal Arch Masons; Damascus Commandery, No. 18, Knights Temp-
lar; and of Alee Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the
Mystic Shrine.



890 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Doctor Latimer married, November 24, 1892, Tallulah Estelle Brin-
son, who was born in Pierce county, Georgia, a daughter of David W.
and Mary K. Brinson, natives of this state. The doctor' and Mrs. Lati-
mer are the parents of four children, namely: Tallulah Elizabeth. Eva
Grace, Marion, and Mary B. Both are members of the Baptist church.

Daniel Marcus Bradley, M. D. Actively engaged in one of the
more important professions to which men devote their time and ener-
gies, Daniel Marcus Bradley, M. D., of Waycross, is numbered among
the rising young physicians of Ware county, his skill in the diagnosis
and treatment of diseases having gained for him the confidence of the
people, and an extensive patronage. He was born November 7, 1884, in
Liberty county., Georgia, which was likewise the birthplace of his father,
Daniel Milton Bradley, Sr.

The doctor's great-grandfather was Ely Bradley. His grandfather,
John S. Bradley, came with his parents from South Carolina, his native
state, to Georgia when a child, locating in Liberty county. The country
round about was then in its virgin wildness. Indians being numerous,
and often troublesome, and deer, bear and wild turkey were plentiful,
the pioneers of that day living largely on wild game. There were neither
railroads nor convenient markets near, the surplus products of the farm
being hauled many miles with teams. The pioneer women as well as the
men had to make good use of every minute of their time, carding, spin-
ning and weaving the homespun cloth, which they fashioned into gar-
ments for the family, and the yarn from which they knit the stock-
ings, in the meantime doing all the cooking by the open fire. John S.
Bradley succeeded to the occupation of his father, and becoming a land-
holder was engaged in farming in Liberty county until his death. The
maiden name of his good wife w r as Jane Daniel.

Born in Liberty county, Georgia, January 24, 1850, Daniel Milton
Bradley, Sr., there as a young man began his active career as a mer-
chant, dealing in general merchandise for several seasons. Moving to
Tattnall county, Georgia, in 1889, he has since been there successfully
engaged in mercantile business, being one of the longest-established
merchants of Hagan, and a citizen of prominence. He married Janie
Brewton, who was born February 28, 1859, in Bulloch county. Georgia,
a daughter of Simon and Matilda (Tippins) Brewton. natives respec-
tively of Bulloch county. Georgia, and of Tattnall county. Seven
children were born of their marriage, as follows : Rosamond N., John
D., Bessie F., Daniel Marcus, Janie C.. Willie D., and Waldo.

Being fitted for college in McRae, Georgia. Daniel Marcus Bradley.
Jr., entered the medical departmnet of the University of Georgia, at
Augusta, and was there graduated with the class of 1907. The following
year Doctor Bradley was engaged in the practice of his profession at
Guyton, Georgia, where he gained not only a fair share of practice,
but experience of value. Coming from there to Waycross in 190S. he is
here making ra}">id strides in his professional career, his wisdom and
skill in dealing with difficult cases having placed him among the physi-
cians of repute in this locality. He takes an intelligent interest in
municipal affairs, and since 1910 has served as city health officer.

Fraternally the doctor is a member of Waycross Lodge. No. 305,
Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons: of Waycross Chapter.
No. 9. Royal Arch Masons; of Damascus Commandery. No. 18. Knights
Templar; and of Alee Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of
the Mystric Shrine.

On August 17. 1910, Doctor Bradley was united in marriasre with
Alary Gertrude, daughter of Ohauncev G. and Mary Wallace (Moore)



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 891

Costin, of Pender county, North Carolina. She was adopted by Mr. and
Mrs. Major L. Moore at the age of two years. They were formerly of'
Pender county, North Carolina, but now Waycross, Georgia. The doe-
tor and Mrs. Bradley have one child, Daniel Marcus Bradley, third.

Arthue Merrill Knight. A man of pronounced business ability
and acumen, Arthur Merrill Knight holds an assured position among
the useful and highly esteemed citizens of Waycross, and has been a
potent power in aiding the city's growth and improvement. A son of
the late Albion W. Knight, he was horn at "White Sulphur Springs,
Florida.

He comes of substantial New England ancestry, his paternal grand-
father, Major Peter Merrill Knight, having been a lil r e-long resident
of Maine. He was a ship builder and planter, and was quite prominent
in military circles, serving as major in a company of militia, a position
to which he was appointed by King George. He married Sally Buxton,
a native of Maine, and they reared two sons and two daughters, as fol-
lows: Albion W., father of the subject of this sketch; George A., a
traveling salesman, who located in Florida, and whose son, Albion W.
Knight, second, is now Bishop of the diocese of Georgia; Amanda M. ;
and Eliza J.

Albion W. Knight was born and reared in Maine, and was educated
at Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine, being graduated from both
the literary and medical departments of that institution. Coming south
after receiving his degree of M. D., Doctor Knight was actively and
successfully engaged in the practice of medicine at White Sulphur
Springs, Florida, until 1870, when he removed with his family to Jack-
sonville, Florida, where he continued the practice of his profession
until his death, in 1889. Doctor Knight married Caroline Demere, who
was born on Saint Simons Island, Georgia, a daughter of Raymond
Demere, who was the third in direct line of descent to bear that name.
The Demere family originated in France, the immigrant ancestor hav-
ing been a Huguenot, who fled from his native country to America,
settling in South Carolina, thence moving to Saint Simons Island, Geor-
gia, which subsequently became the home of four generations of his
descendants. The Demeres were extensive planters, very prosperous
in their operations, at one time owning 360 slaves. Seven children
blessed the marriage of doctor and Mrs. Knight, namely: Ann, Augus-
tus Demere, Annie Elizabeth, Louis Buxton, Raymond Denery, Arthur
Merrill, and Fraser Sinclair.

Completing his early studies at Saint John's church school, in Jack-
sonville, Florida, Arthur Merrill Knight began life as a wage-earner
at the age of sixteen years, for two years clerking in a tobacco store,
and for three years in a grocery. He was afterwards employed in the
railroad service at Jacksonville until 1887, when he located in Way-
cross, Georgia, where he continued in the same line of work for thir-
teen years. Severing his connection with the railroad company in 1900,
Mr. Knight engaged in banking. Close confinement and strict atten-
tion to business, however, did not agree with him, and on account of ill
health he was forced to abandon active pursuits and go to the mountains
to recuperate. Returning to Waycross after resting a few months,
Mr. Knight embarked in the real estate and insurance business, with
which he has since been identified, in his transactions being exceed-
ingly prosperous.

Mr. Knight is likewise connected with various other enterprises of
importance. He is secretary and treasurer of the Waycross Invest-
ment Company ; secretary of the Waycross Reality and Improvement



B92 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Company; has been president of the board of education and also of the
Waycrcss board of trade; is president of the board of trustees of the
owners of the Young Men's Christian Association property; one of the
directors of the Young Men's Christian Association, and senior warden
of the Episcopal church.

Having cast his first presidential vote for General Hancock, Mr.
Knight has since been a stanch adherent of the Democratic party. In
the days when Waycross had but twenty-five hundred inhabitants, Mr.
Knight was elected mayor of the city, and, through successive re-elec-
tions, held the position fifteen years. During that time the city schools
were organized ; streets were paved ; and water and sewer systems were
inaugurated ; while the growth of the city was especially notable, dur-
ing his administration the population being increased to nineteen thou-
sand people. Fraternally Mr. Knight is a member of Waycross Lodge.
No. 369, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Religiously he and
his family are members of the Grace Episcopal church.

In 1884 Mr. Knight married Susan Fatio, who was born in Jack-
sonville, Florida, a daughter of the late Col. Daniel Fatio, who com-
manded a Florida regiment in the war between the states. Mr. and Mrs.
Knight are the parents of three children, namely : Jaquelin. who was
graduated from the literary department of the University of Georgia,
and from the Atlanta College of Physicians and Surgeons and was en-
gaged in the practice of medicine at Waycross up to the time of his death,
November 18, 1912; Arthur M., who was educated at the University of
Georgia, is now in business with his father; and Gerald, attending the
Waycross schools. The older son is a member of the Ancient Free and
Accepted Order of Masons, as was also the deceased son.

Gustavus P. Folks, M. D. Prominent among the best known and
most highly esteemed residents of Waycross, Ware county, is Gustavus
P. Folks, M. D., a retired physician, now carrying on a substantial busi-
ness as an agriculturist, horticulturist and real-estate dealer. A native
of Ware county, he was born in Waresboro, a son of Hon. William B. and
Mary J. (Miller) Folks, and a brother of Hon. Frank C. Folks. M. D.,
in whose sketch, which appears elsewhere in this volume, further parental
and ancestral history may be found.

Having laid a good foundation for his future education in the public
schools of Lowndes county, and at Waycross, Gustavus P. Folks naturally
turned his attention to the study of medicine, acquiring his first knowl-
edge of that science under the tutorship of his father. Subsequently
going to Louisville, Kentucky, he was there graduated from Louisville
Medical College with the class of 1889. Locating at Dupont, Clinch
county, Doctor Folks remained there ten months, meeting with encourag-
ing success in his profession. Returning to Waycross, he was here ac-
tively employed as a physician for twelve years. Having in the mean-
time become specially intei"ested in matters pertaining to the produc-
tions of the soil, the doctor retired from his professional labors and
turned his attention to farming and the growing of fruit, in that in-
dustry planting the first peach orchard in Ware county. In addition
to his agricultural and horticultural labors, he deals extensively in real
estate, principally in timber lands, having now a well-established and
profitable business. In 1910, Doctor Folks erected his present fine home
on College Hill, a new residential part of Waycross. and there takes
pleasure in welcoming his many friends and acquaintances.

Politically Doctor Folks invariably supports the principles of the
Democratic party by voice and vote. Fraternally he is a member of
Wakefield Lodge. No. 27, Knights of Pythias; of Waycross Lodge, No.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 893

99, Independent Order of Odd Fellows ; and of Waycross Lodge, No. 369,
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He also belongs to the Hoo
Hoos, an organization composed of dealers in lumber and timber lands.
Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Doctor Folks married, in 1889, Belle C. Knox, who was born in
Wayne county, Georgia, which was likewise the birthplace of her father,
Capt. James Knox. Her paternal grandfather, Reddick Knox, was born
in Pitt county, North Carolina, where his parents, who were of Welsh
and Scotch ancestry, settled on coming to America. Brought up in his
native state, he migrated to Georgia in pioneer days, he and his family
making the removal with teams. At the end of two years of frontier
life, he and his family went back to their old home, but later returned
to Georgia, settling in Wayne county. Buying a tract of wild land, he
improved a farm and there spent the remainder of his life. He mar-
ried Ruhanna Taylor, who was born in North Carolina, and died on
the home farm, in Wayne county, Georgia.

Born in 1830, Capt. James Knox grew to manhood beneath the paren-
tal roof-tree, and upon the breaking out of the war between the states
offered his services to the Confederacy. Being commissioned captain of
Company G, Twenty-sixth Georgia Volunteer Infantry, he went with
his regiment to Virginia, and as a part of the Army of the Potomac was
at the front in many engagements of importance. Being paroled at the
close of the war, the captain turned his face homeward, and walked,
barefooted, the greater part of the distance. Resuming his former occu-
pation, he was for a while successfully engaged in farming, but later
embarked in mercantile pursuits at Lulaton, Wayne county. In 1879
the captain came to Waycross, which was then a quiet village of about
five hundred souls, and, having opened a general store, was here a resi-
dent until his death, in 1899.

Captain Knox married Mary Jane Jones, who was born in what is
now Pierce county, near Big Creek, not far from the birthplace of her
father, James Jones. Her paternal grandfather, the great-grandfather
of Mrs. Folks, was born in North Carolina, of Welsh ancestry, and
came to what is now Pierce county, Georgia, in pioneer times, when the
Indians made such frequent raids upon the newcomers that it was neces-
sary to have in each county one or more large log forts to which the
settlers might flee for safety when the redskins became too troublesome.
Securing title to extensive tracts of land, he carried on farming with
slave labor until his death. James Jones, the father of Captain Knox's
wife, became owner of a large plantation near the east end of the Oke-
finokee swamp, and was there profitably engaged in farming and stock-
raising the remainder of his life, passing away in 1850, being murdered
by a slave belonging to one of his neighbors. The maiden name of his
first wife, Mrs. Folk's grandmother, was Sarah Mizell. She spent her
brief life in Georgia, dying in early womanhood. The wife of Captain
Knox survived him several years, her death occurring in 1907, at the
advanced age of seventy-five. She reared eight children, as follows :
Sarah, who married Rev. John Strickland ; Kate, deceased, was the wife
of J. L. Courson ; Mary died at the age of twenty-five years ; Dora, wife of
Andrew J. Miller; Belle C, wife of Dr. Gustavus P. 'Folks; William L. ;
Edward W., and James J. Dr. and Mrs. Folks have one child, Dorothy
Mildred Folks.

Hon. Frank Clingman Folks, M. D. A prominent and successful
physician of Waycross, Hon. Frank Clingman Folks, M. D., has not only
gained marked prestige in his profession, but is known as a progressive
and public-spirited citizen, and as a man of the highest principles of



894 SAVANNAH AND SOUTII GEORGIA

honor and integrity. A native of Jefferson county, Georgia, he was born
on a farm that is now included within the corporate limits of the city of
Wadley, his father. Hon. William Bardon Folks. M. D., having been
born, in 1830, in the same place, while his grandfather. Amos Folks, was
a native of North Carolina.

His paternal great-grandparents were of English birth, or of Eng-
lish ancestry. After living for many years in North Carolina, they mi-
grated to Georgia, making the removal with private conveyances, bring-
ing with them their household goods, stock, and slaves. Buying land in
Jefferson county, he improved a homestead, and there both he and his
faithful helpmeet spent their remaining days.

A young boy when his parents moved to Georgia. Amos Folks assisted
his father to some extent in the pioneer labor of improving the farm, and
during his active career was a successful planter. He died while yet in
manhood's prime, in Jefferson county. His wife, whose maiden name
was Celia Lofly, was a life-long resident of that county. Three sons and
one daughter were born of their marriage, as follows : Green, the oldest
son, enlisted during the Civil war in the Confederate army, and died
while in service, in Virginia ; Solomon died in early manhood ; "William
Bardon, father of Frank C. Folks, M. D., and Catherine, who married
Dr. Seaborn Bell, of Emanuel county.

Acquiring his literary education in the schools of his native county,
Dr. William Bardon Folks began the study of medicine under Dr.
William Hauser, of Jefferson county, and was graduated from the
Savannah Medical College with the class of 1855. Practicing but a
short time in Jefferson and Washington counties, he located, in 1856, in
Waresboro, then the county seat of Ware county. At that early day
neither railroad, telephone or telegraph lines spanned the country. Ware
county, and all of the nearby counties, being then in their pristine wild-
ness. As the population grew, his practice increased, his visits, which
extended many miles in either direction, were made on horseback, often-
times the trails which he followed having been those made by the Indians.
At the outbreak of the Civil war, he offered his services to the Confeder-
acy, and being made surgeon of the Twenty-sixth Georgia Volunteer
Infantry, he went with his regiment to Virginia, joining the Army of the
Potomac. He continued with his regiment until the close of the conflict,
when he resumed his practice in Waresboro. He subsequently settled in
Yankee Town, afterward in Tibianville, where, in addition to his practice
he engaged in mercantile business. Removing from there to Whigham,
Decatur county, he was station agent on the Atlantic and Gulf railroad
for two years, and during the next two years practiced medicine at
Valdosta, Georgia, after which he lived for a while in Savannah.

When Wayeross was first started. Dr. W. B. Folks was the first
physician to locate in the new town, and built the fourth house erected
within its limits. Here he was actively and prosperously engaged in the
practice of his profession until about two years prior to his death, which
occurred in 1886. Energetic and public-spirited, he became exceedingly
influential in public affairs, and served two terms as mayor of the city,
and represented the fifth district, which included Ware, Clinch and
Coffee counties, in the State Senate, to which he was elected in 1878.

Dr. William B, Folks married Mary Jefferson Miller, who was born,
in 18:50. in Jefferson county, Georgia, whose parents were life-long resi-
dents of Jefferson county. Pier grandfather. Thomas McWatty. immi-
grated from Scotland to America, settling in Jefferson county, Georgia,
in pioneer days. She survived her husband many years, passing away in
1906. Five children blessed their union, as follows: Rosa, who died at
the age of eighteen years; Frank Clingman, the special subject of this



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 895

brief sketch; Chauncey M. ; Gustavus P.; and William B., Jr. The
father was a stanch Democrat in politics, and both he and his wife were .
members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

After completing the course of study in the public schools of Ware
county, Frank Clingman Polks read medicine first with his father, and
later with Dr. William Duncan, of Savannah. Then matriculating at the
Savannah Medical College, he was there graduated with the class of
1876, receiving the degree of M. D. Immediately entering upon private
practice of his profession, Dr. Polks was for four years located at Homer-
ville, Clinch county, where he made rapid progress along the pathway of
success. In 1880 he returned to Waycross, where he has since continued
in his field of labor, having won a noteworthy position in the front rank
of the medical fraternity of Ware county.

The doctor has taken quite an active part in public affairs, in addition
to having served two terms as mayor of Waycross has represented the
fifth district in the state senate, to which he was elected in the fall of
1888, just ten years after the election of his father to the same position
from the same district. Fraternally he is a member of the Ancient Free
and Accepted Order of Masons, and to the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows. Religiously both the doctor and Mrs. Folks are valued mem-
bers of the Methodist Episcopal church. Soutb.

In 1877 Dr. Folks was united in marriage with Emma A. Morgan,
who was born in Clinch county, Georgia, a daughter of Jonathan L. and
Susan (Hargreaves) Morgan, who were born in Georgia, Mr. Morgan
having been of Welsh lineage, and Mrs. Morgan of English ancestry.
Eight children have been born to Doctor and Mrs. Folks, namely : Ada,
who died in infancy ; Rosa ; Mabel ; Frankie ; Willie ; Fleming ; Robert,
and Louise. Rosa married first George Bell, who died in early life, leav-
ing one child, Sarah Bell; she married for her second husband P. K.
Groff, of Akron, Ohio, and they have one son, Philip Folks Groff. Mabel,
who married Charles Newton, has two children, Frances and Charles.
Frankie, who became the wife of Walter P. Rivers, died March 1, 1912.
AVillie Folks, the doctor 's oldest son, is a graduate of the Atlanta College
of Physicians and Surgeons, and is now engaged in the practice of medi-
cine at Waycross. Fleming was graduated from the Atlanta School of
Pharmacy. Robert and Louise are both pupils in the Waycross high
school.

Edward Jerome Berry. Eminently capable, courteous, painstaking
and accommodating, Edward Jerome Berry, of Waycross, clerk of the
superior court, is administering the affairs of his office so wisely and
conscientiously, and with such complete thoroughness as to win the
approval of all concerned. A son of Francis C. Berry, he was born in
Lexington, South Carolina, December 16, 1869, of English lineage, his
great-grandfather Berry, a native of England, having immigrated to
this country in colonial days, settling in South Carolina.

Alexander Berry, Mr. Berry's grandfather, was reared and educated
in South Carolina, the larger part of his life having been spent in
Charleston, where for many years he was employed as an accountant.
His wife was a native, and a life-long resident, of that state.

The only son of his parents, Francis C. Berry was born, in 1829, in
Charleston, South Carolina. Scholarly in his tastes and attainments, he
embarked in a professional career when young, and after teaching school
in various places in his native state, came, in 1882, to Georgia, and here
continued his profession, teaching first in Appling county, and later in
Ware county, where he spent the later years of his life, passing away in
1901. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Higgs, was born in Beau-



896 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

fort, South Carolina, being one of a large family of children born to
Jacob and Sarah (Smith) Higgs, of whom but two are now living. She
died in 1902, leaving three children, as follows: William Alexander,
Francis M. and Edward Jerome.

Acquiring an excellent education in the schools of Ware county,
Georgia, Edward Jerome Berry taught school from the age of eighteen
years until twenty-three years old. He was afterwards employed for a
time as a bookkeeper, and subsequently served for eighteen months as
school commissioner. In 1901 Mr. Berry was elected clerk of the superior
court, and has been confirmed in the office by successive re-elections ever
since, performing the duties devolving upon him in that capacity to the
absolute satisfaction of all with whom he is officially brought in contact.

Mr. Berry married, December 11, 1894, Miss Nellie Mizelle Cason,
who was born in Ware county, Georgia, a daughter of J. Alfred and
Nancy (Migell) Cason, natives respectively of Ware county, Georgia, and
of Charlton county, they having been the parents of thirteen children,
six sons and seven daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Berry have two children,
namely : Ruby Irene and Edward James.

Fraternally Mr. Berry is a member of Wakefield Lodge, No. 27,
Knights of Pythias; of Waycross Lodge, No. 99, Independent Order of
Odd Fellows ; of Waycross Lodge, No. 305, Ancient Free and Accepted
Order of Masons; of Waycross Chapter, No. 9, Royal Arch Masons; of
Damascus Commandery, No. 18, Knight Templars ; and of Allah Temple,
Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Mrs. Berry
is a member of the Ladies of the Modern Maccabees. Both Mr. and Mrs.
Berry belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Thomas Jefferson Darling. Prominent among the leading lumber
manufacturers and dealers of Ware county is Thomas Jefferson Darling,
of Waycross, who was for many years identified with the upbuilding and
growth of this section of the state, and has contributed his full share
towards advancing its material interests, as proprietor of the Darling
Construction Company being associated with one of its most valuable
industrial enterprises. A son of Dr. Thomas Jackson Darling, he was
born, June 25, 1868, in Blaekshear, Pierce county, Georgia, of New Eng-
land lineage.

His grandfather, Joseph Darling, was born in 17S4, either in Rhode
Island, or in Georgia, of Rhode Island ancestry. For many years a resi-
dent of Richmond county, Georgia, he owned a large plantation on the
Washington road, eight miles from Augusta, where both he and his wife
spent their last years, at the close of life being buried side by side on the
old home plantation, his death occurring October 4, 1844. He married
Mary Manning Dunevan. who was born March 5, 1783, and died April
14, 1847, having survived him two and one-half years.

Born in Richmond county, Georgia, in 1828, Thomas Jackson Darling
laid a solid foundation for his future education in the days of his youth,
and was subsequently graduated from the Augusta, Georgia, Medical
College with the degree of M. D. Beginning the practice of medicine in
Blaekshear, Pierce county. Dr. Darling continued there until the break-
ing oil) of the war between the states, when he offered his services to the
Confederacy, and as a surgeon in the army continued in active service
until the close of Hie conflict. Resuming then his practice in Blaekshear,
he remained there until his death, June 14. 1873, being one of the fore-
most physicians and surgeons of that part of the county.

The maiden name of the wife of Dr. Darling was Bashabee Elizabeth
Godbee. She was born in Alabama. July 29. 1829. a daughter of Samuel
rsaac Ivy Godbee, ami grand-daughter of Samuel Godbee. who married



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 897

Elizabeth Moore, a daughter of Abner Moore. Samuel Isaac Ivy Godbee,
who removed from Alabama to Georgia in 1830, and spent the remainder
of his years in Richmond county, married Elizabeth Mobley, a daughter
of James Alexander and Sarah (Whnberly) Mobley. The Moores,
Mobleys and Wimberlys were among the early and prominent settlers of
Richmond county. Dr. Darling's wife outlived him many long years,
passing away October 9, 1903, leaving eight children, as follows : Rena,
Mina, Dora, Will, Emma, A. C., Thomas Jefferson, and Edward Lee.

Receiving his preliminary mental training in the public schools of
Blackshear, Thomas Jefferson Darling afterwards continued his studies
at the Johnsonville High School. Apprenticing himself to a firm of
builders at the age of seventeen years, in Orlando, Florida, he remained
with his employers three years, and was afterwards foreman of a carpen-
tering gang for four years, in Blackshear, Georgia, and in Waycross.
Embarking then in business on his own account in Waycross, Mr. Darling
built up a patronage that extended throughout southern Georgia, and
into Florida, as" a contractor and builder, filling many large contracts.
In Jacksonville, Florida, Mr. Darling erected the magnificent Dyal
Upchurch office building, and in Waycross has had the supervision of
the building of many of its most substantial and handsome business
blocks. He erected the Young Men's Christian Association Building, the
Bunn Bell College Building, and many others of note. He has built three
court houses, numerous school houses, and hundreds of dwellings in
South Georgia, creations of his brains and hands being in evidence in
many places. Retiring from the building industry in 1908, Mr. Darling
has since been prosperously employed in the lumber business, having an
extensive yard in Waycross, and a finely equipped planing mill.

On August 8th, 1895, Mr. Darling married Laura Le Count, who was
born in Kekoshkee, Wisconsin, May 25, 1868, a daughter of Charles Le
Count, and grand-daughter of John Hendrix Le Count. Her great-
grandfather, John Le Count, was born at New Rochelle, New York, of
French Huguenot ancestry, and served, so it is supposed, as a soldier in
the Revolutionary war. John Hendrix Le Count, a native of New
Rochelle, New York, served in the War of 1812, and Mrs. Darling now
has in her possession his papers giving him an honorable discharge from
the service. He subsequently removed to Wisconsin, locating at Hart-
ford, where he spent his remaining years. He married Esther Smith,
who was born in Dutchess county, New York, a daughter of Stephen and
Deborah (Bashford) Smith, both' of whom were life-long residents of
Dutchess county, his birth occurring in 1770, and his death in 1845, while
she was born in 1783 and died in 1851.

As a young man Charles Le Count migrated to Wisconsin, and until
1869 was there engaged in the hardware business. In that year he settled
in Nebraska, in York, which was then a frontier town, seventy miles from
a railroad. Opening a hardware store there, he built up a good business,
and became prominent in public affairs, serving as treasurer of York
county, as treasurer of the city of York, and as treasurer of the County
Agricultural Society, and of seven other organizations of minor import-'
ance-. On account of impaired health, Mr. Le Count sold out his Nebraska
interests in 1885, and purchased an orange grove at Anthony, Marion
county, Florida, where he lived until 1906. Coming then to Georgia, he
resided in Waycross until his death, in February, 1907.

Mr. Le Count married Jane Amanda Littlefield, who was born,
August 20, 1824, in Readsboro, Vermont, a daughter of Elisha Alvin
Littlefield. Her grandfather, Asa Littlefield, who was born May 6, 1762,
and died June 19, 1845, married, March 24, 1782, Lois Stark, whose birth
occurred May 15, 1755, and who died April 25, 1740. In 1820 Elisha



898 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Alvin Littlefield married Lydia Maria Parsons, a daughter of Joseph and
Rachel (Battles) Parsons, who removed from Canada to Vermont, and
they subsequently left New England, going to Kekoshkee, Wisconsin,
where both spent their remaining years. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Le Count
were people of sterling worth and integrity, highly esteemed in the busi-
ness and social circles of Kekoshkee, and were valued members of the
I'niversalist church. They reared four children, namely: Adelaide,
John, Charles, and Laura, now Mrs. Darling. Mr. and Mrs. Darling are
the parents of four children, namely : Thomas Jackson Darling, Charles
Le Count Darling, Dorothea Darling, and Sunshine Darling. Politically
Mr. Darling supports the principles of the Democratic party in state and
town elections, and in national affairs is a Prohibitionist. Religiously
both Mr. and Mrs. Darling are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church.

Pratt Adams Williams, a recent acquisition to the town of Vidalia,
Georgia, was born October 5, 1878, at Ellabell, Bryan county, this State,
one of the family of twelve children of Judge P. AV. and Mrs. Sarah
Frances (Duggar) Williams, both natives of that county, and now resi-
dents of Lyons, Toombs county, Georgia. The other members of the
family, including six sons and five daughters, are as follows: Pem-
broke C., Robert T., James J., Garland, Osgood, Teddy, Mrs. W. I. Gray-
bill, Mrs. J. D. Bradley, Mrs. Charles Garbutt, and Miss Duluth and Miss
Letha. Two of Mr. Williams' brothers, Pembroke C. and James J., are
attorneys, the former a resident of Silver City, Idaho ; the latter asso-
ciated in practice with his father at Lyons.

Pratt A. Williams received his primary education in the common
schools. Afterward he attended Bryan Institute and Hogan Academy,
where he fitted himself for college. He is a graduate of Emory College,
with the class of 1898, and of the law department of the University of
Georgia at Athens. On the completion of his law course, he opened an
office at Pembroke, Georgia, where he practiced his profession for a
period of ten years, having large experience with criminal eases and
practicing in all the courts. Four years he served as solicitor general
of the Atlantic circuit.

On coming to Vidalia in August, 1911, he associated himself with
Judge C. C. Curry in the practice of law, and soon afterward put on foot
the organization of the Vidalia Loan & Trust Company, of Vidalia, of
which he is president, and which will be in operation early in the summer
of 1912, with a capital stock of $50,000.00.

In 1912 he entered the race for congress from the Twelfth District.
opposing Hon. Dudley M. Hughs, M. C, and waged a heated campaign,
but withdrew from the race before the election, because of a death in his
family.

In 1901, Mr. Williams and Miss Annabelle Mathews were united in
marriage. Mrs. Williams is noted for her musical attainments, and is a
member of one of the distinguished families of the State. She is a
daughter of Captain and Mrs. L. A. Mathews, of Dublin. Laurens county,
and a grand-daughter of General Blaekshears of both Indian and Civil
war fame. Mr. Williams' grandfather. James T. Williams, also served
in the Civil war. and as a soldier in the Confederate army proved himself
loyal to the southern cause.

Fraternally, Mr. Williams is identified with the Junior Order of
American Mechanics, and the Sigma Xu. the latter having membership
in both the Emory and the University of Georgia chapters. He and his
interesting family are a valued addition to the town of Vidalia.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 899

William Neyle Colquitt. Among the popular and talented young-
citizens of Savannah is William Neyle Colquitt, secretary to ex-Mayor
Tiedman of the city and former lawyer and journalist. He comes of
distinguished southern ancestry and has succeeded admirably in living
up to the traditions of his antecedents. Mr. Colquitt is one of Savan-
nah 's native sons, his birth having occurred within the boundaries of the
beautiful city, March 8, 1878. He is the son of Walter Wellborn and
Lilla (Habersham) Colquitt. He received his preliminary education in
the public schools of Savannah and then matriculated in the University
of Georgia, being graduated from that institution in 1898 with the degree
of LL.B. He hung out his maiden shingle in Atlanta, but dabbled in
journalism, and rinding it most congenial work, gave more and more of
his attention to the affairs of the Fourth Estate. He came back to
Savannah, and soon thereafter was proffered and accepted the city edi-
torship of the Savannah Press. In 1907 he became secretary to the
mayor of Savannah, and continued in that capacity until January, 1913.

Mr. Colquitt has always been active in the military life of his native
city, although he declined an appointment to Annapolis, proffered to him
on account of his having saved the life of the son of Hillary A. Herbert,
formerly secretary of the navy. He was successively a member of the
infantry, cavalry, artillery naval reserves and the governor's staff, and
he is now secretary of the Savannah Volunteer Guards.

Mr. Colquitt has decided literary ability, having a forceful and inter-
esting style. He has been the author of numerous magazine articles,
mainly historical in their nature. He was formerly secretary of the
board of managers of the Savannah public library, and he is still a mem-
ber of the board, being chairman of the finance committee. He is a mem-
ber of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and is secretary and treasurer of
the Savannah Alumni Association. He was the author of the movement
to erect a monument to Generals Screven and Stewart in Midway Ceme-
tery, for which Congres^ has made available $10,000, and he is now sec-
retary of the monument commission. In recognition of his services in
this matter he was elected an honorary member of the Midway Society,
the first in the history of the society, which has existed for more than a
century.

Mr. Colquitt is everything that is patriotic and public-spirited. Being
naturally enthusiastic, they are passionate emotions with him, and he has
the gift of making fine realities out of his visions. He is a very popular
citizen, his honorable life and commendable characteristics, combined
with charming manners, having won him hosts of friends.

In 1905, Miss Dolores Boisfeuillet, daughter of Adrian S. Bois-
feuillet, of Macon, became the wife of Mr. Colquitt, and their abode is
now the center of gracious hospitality of the most charming southern
type.

Walter Wellborn Colquitt, father of the foregoing, was born at Macon,
Georgia, where he was reared and educated. About the time he became
of age he located in Savannah, and was married in this city. He has been
prominently connected with commercial affairs all his life, and at present
Ins main interests are in the phosphate industry in Florida. During the
first Cleveland administration he was chief of the revenue service of the
United States, with headquarters at Washington. He is a half-brother of
the late Alfred Holt Colquitt, who died in Washington City, March 26
1894. Alfred Holt Colquitt was born in Walton county, Georgia. April
20, 1824 ; he graduated in the College of New Jersey in 1844, and in that
year returned to Georgia and began the practice of the law. He served
in the Mexican war and was elected to Congress in 1852 as a Democrat.
In the war between the states he was a captain in the Army of the Con-

Vol. 11—24



90C SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

federacy. In 1876, this veteran of two wars was elected governor of
Georgia and served one term. He was elected United States senator in
1882 and re-elected in 1888, his death occurring shortly 'after the close of
his second term.

Governor Colquitt was the son of Walter T. Colquitt, one of the most
distinguished lawyers of Georgia of the earlier days. He was born in
Halifax county, Virginia, December 27, 1799, and died at Macon,
Georgia, May 7, 1855. He was educated at Princeton College and
admitted to the bar in 1820. About that time he came to Georgia, and in
1826 became a district judge, holding the first court ever held in Colum-
bus, Georgia. He was a highly successful lawyer, and especially in crimi-
nal practice he was without a peer in the state. He was a member of the
Georgia state senate from 1834 to 1837 ; a member of congress from
Georgia from 1829 to 1843, and United States senator from 1843 to 1849.

The subject's mother, Lilla Neyle (Habersham) Colquitt, who passed
away in Savannah in 1805, was a member of one of Georgia's distin-
guished families. She was the daughter of William Neyle Habersham,
who was the grandson of Joseph Habersham, the first postmaster gen-
eral of the United States, previous to which he had been acting governor
of the colony of Georgia. Three of the Georgia Habershams were sol-
diers in the Revolutionary war.

Joseph Thomas Ragan. Widely and favorably known in the com-
mercial circles of Terrell county, Joseph Thomas Ragan. of Dawson,
holds a noteworthy position among the leading business men of his com-
munity, being officially connected with some of its more substantial and
important industrial organizations. He was born, March 3, 1858, on a
farm in Terrell county, a son of the late Dr. Spann Ragan.

His paternal grandfather, Joseph Ragan, was, it is thought, a life-
long resident of North Carolina, where he died while in manhood 's prime.
His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Spann, married for her sec-
ond husband Reddick Bryan, and came with him and her family to
Georgia, in pioneer days, making the removal with teams. After living
for a time in Houston county, the family removed, in the forties, to
Louisiana, and there both Mr. and Mrs. Reddick Bryan spent their
remaining days, her death occurring at the age of eighty-five years. By
her first marriage she reared two children, Spann Ragan and John
Ragan. By her union with Mr. Reddick Bryan she reared six children,
as follows: Joseph, Tillman, Terrell, Dolly, Amanda, and Georgia.

Spann Ragan was born in Greene county, North Carolina, and was a
lad in his 'teens when he came with his mother and step-father to
Georgia. He subsequently accompanied the family to Louisiana, where
he began life for himself as a school teacher. Taking up the study of
medicine while thus employed, he afterwards attended lectures in New
Orleans, and still later was graduated from the Georgia Medical College,
in Augusta, with the degree of M. D. Dr. Ragan then began the practice
of his chosen profession in what was then Lee county, but is now Terrell
county, settling ten miles east of the present site of Dawson. Being a
physician, lie was exempt from military duty during the Civil war. but
in its last year he entered the Confederate service. He afterwards
resumed the practice of his profession, in which he was actively engaged
until his death, in 1874, at the comparatively early age of fifty-six years.

The maiden name of the wife of Dr. Spann Ragan was Jnlia Lou
Speight. She was born in Greene county. North Carolina, which was
likewise the birthplace of her father, Rev. Thomas Speight. In early
life. Rev. Thomas Speight, who was a preacher in the Methodist
Episcopal Church, came with his family to Georgia, locating in what is



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 901

now Terrell county, in the eastern part. He bought land bordering on
Kinchafoonee creek, and with slave labor improved a farm, on which he/
spent the remainder of his days. " He married Julia Lou Pope, also a
native of North Carolina, and they reared seven children, as follows:
Thomas L. ; John S. ; Cicero C. ; Skidmore ; Mary ; Eliza ; and Julia Lou,
who became the wife of Dr. Spann Ragan. The oldest son, Thomas L.,
became a preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church, and the others
became successful agriculturists. Mrs. Spann Ragan survived her hus-
band, passing away in 1884, aged fifty-five years. She reared five chil-
dren, namely : Joseph Thomas, the special subject of this brief sketch ;
Elizabeth Lou, who has been postmaster at Bronwood the past eighteen
years ; Charles C, deceased ; Mollie P., wife of C. N. Bryan, and Ter-
rell B., who died in early manhood.

As a boy Joseph Thomas Ragan received ample opportunities for ob-
taining a practical common school education, and on the home farm was
well trained in agricultural arts. When he was sixteen years of age his
father died, and the care of the farm and the family devolved largely upon
him. Equal to the task thus imposed, he continued the management of the
parental acres until 1885, when he embarked in mercantile business in
Bronwood. Meeting with well-deserved success in his undertakings, Mr.
Ragan soon engaged in the warehouse business, continuing his residence
in Bronwood until 1900. In that year he removed to Dawson, and when,
a year later, the Southern Cotton Oil Company was formed, he became
associated with that organization in an official capacity, and for the past
ten years has been sole manager of its affairs. Mr. Ragan is also presi-
dent of the Dawson Square Bale Gin and Mill Company, which is doing a
flourishing business.

Mr. Ragan married on the 20th of September, 1889, in Bronwood,
Georgia, Miss Mattie M. Moore, a daughter of Dr. Charles Reuben
Moore, of pioneer ancestry, her great-grandfather, Richard Moore, who,
it is said, was a native of North Carolina, having been one of the very
early settlers of Burke county, Georgia. Mrs. Ragan 's paternal grand-
father, Henry Turner Moore, moved from Burke county, to Houston
county, where he spent the later years of his life. He was twice married,
by his first union rearing four children : Nancy, Seaborn, Dora, and
Charles Reuben. By his second marriage he was the father of two chil-
dren, Benjamin and Rebecca.

Charles Reuben Moore was born in Burke county, Georgia, and
acquired his preliminary education in the district schools. His tastes and
inclinations leading him to choose a professional career, he entered the
Atlanta Medical College to pursue his studies, and after his graduation
from that institution practiced first in Jefferson county, from there
going to Starksville, Lee county, where he remained a short time. He
subsequently removed to Weston, Webster county, from there going to
Dawson, where he was successfully engaged in the practice of medicine
for eight years. Returning then to Weston, he remained there in active
practice as a physician and surgeon until his death, in 1882. He was
highly esteemed, not only in his profession, but as a man and a citizen.
He was prominent in public affairs, filling various local offices, and repre-
senting Webster county in both branches of the state legislature.

Dr. Charles R. Moore married Amelia Wynn Sharpe, who was born in
Tattnall county, Georgia, and died in Webster county, aged fifty-two
years. Her father, John Sharpe, was a Virginian by birth, and in his
young manhood was captain of a steamboat, commanding, it is supposed,
a vessel engaged in coastwise trade. On settling in Georgia he purchased
land in Tattnall county, improved it with the assistance of slaves, and
there carried on farming until his death. His wife, whose maiden name



902 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

was Rebecca Lassater, was born in Burke county. Georgia, and died in
Tattnall county. Mrs. Charles R. Moore. Mrs. Ragan 's mother, died
August 16, 1884. She reared nine childri n. as follows: Eudora, Fannie,
Ora, Susie, Lula, Gertrude. Charles. Mattie. and Clarence. By a former
marriage. Dr. Moore had three children. Emma. Jimmie, and Georgia.
The doctor was a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Order of
.Masons, and both he and his wife belonged to the Methodist Episcopal
church.

Six children have been born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Ragan.
namely: Joseph Thomas, Jr.; Charles Ellis; Clarence Spann : Terrell
Moore; Mattie E.. who died in infancy, and Dorothy. Of the four sons.
Joseph T., Jr., is in Atlanta with the Southern Cotton Oil Company. He
is a noted musician, and is and has been for the past three years organist
and musical director of the North Avenue Presbyterian church. Charles
Ellis is connected with the Southern Cotton Oil Co. as traveling auditor.
Clarence Spann is with G. W. Dozier & Co.. dry goods merchants.
Terrell Moore, the youngest son, is associated with his father in business
at Dawson. The youngest is a daughter, Dorothy, now six years. The
four sons, like their forefathers, are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ragan, true to the religious faith in which
they were reared, are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, Mr.
Ragan being assistant superintendent of the Sunday school in the church
at Dawson for eight years. Mrs. Ragan is a valued member of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Missionary Society. Mr. Ragan belongs to P. T. Schley
Lodge, No. 229, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons. Dawson,
Georgia ; to Forest City Lodge, Savannah, Knights of Pythias, and to
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Lee C. Hoyl. A prominent citizen and well-known lawyer of Daw-
son, Avhere he has an extensive practice, Lee C. Hoyl has won for himself
an honorable name in the legal fraternity of Terrell county, his profes-
sional skill and ability being widely recognized. A native of Georgia, he
was born in Dawson, where his fatber. the late Levi Clarke Hoyl. was for
several years engaged in the practice of law.

Mr. Hoyl's grandfather, Rev. Thomas Latimore Hoyl, a native of
Tennessee, was a preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church in that
state until late in life, when, his wife having passed to the life beyond, he
came to Dawson, Georgia, and spent the last years of his life with his
son Levi. He reared seven children, as follows : John, Thomas. James B..
Levi Clarke, Mahlon P., Andrew J., and Susan, who married E. H. Sco-
velle. Three of the sons, Thomas. Levi Clarke, and Mahlon P.. served in
the Confederate army during the Civil war. Thomas losing his life
while in the army.

Born and bred in East Tennessee. Levi Clarke Hoyl acquired his
education at Hiwassee College, and after bis admission to the bar began
the practice of law in Athens. Tennessee. Coming to Georgia in 1860. he
opened an office in Americus. and continued his professional labors.
Returning to Tennessee after the breaking out of the war between the
states, he enlisted, at Cleveland, in Company E. Sixty-third Tennessee
Volunteer Infantry, under command of Capt. Thomas Brown and
Col. .1. II. Rogei-s. Soon after entering the army, he was captured,
and taken to Johnson's Island, in Lake Erie, where be was confined as a
prisoner six months, when he was exchanged, and returned home. He
had previously contracted rheumatism, at the time of his exchange having
been helpless, and he never fully recovered his health. At the close of
llic war he again came to Georgia, and having purchased a tract of land
six miles west of Dawson, embarked in farming. His health improving.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 903

he moved with his family to Dawson, and, in partnership with Major
('. B. Wooten, was there actively engaged in the practice- of his chosen*
profession until his death, Septemher 1, 1898.

On August 8, 1867, Levi Clarke Hoyl married Mary Elizabeth Ozier,
who was horn in Harris county, Georgia, April 17, 18*42, a daughter of
Rev. Jacob Ozier. Her paternal grandfather, Jacob Ozier, Sr., was
born in North Carolina, of French Huguenot ancestry, and died at the
home of his son, in Randolph county, Georgia, when well advanced in
years. Rev. Jacob Ozier, a native of North Carolina, studied for
the ministry, and in earlier life was a Methodist Episcopal preacher in
various places in South Carolina. About 1840 he came to Georgia, and
having joined the Georgia Conference, held pastorates in different parts
of the state. His health failing, he purchased a farm lying thre'e miles
south of Cuthbert, and there resided until his death, at the age of
seventy-three years. He was twice married, his first wife having been a
Miss Winn, who died in early womanhood. He married, second, Eliza-
beth Kaiger, who was born in South Carolina, and was educated in the
city of Charleston. Her father. Major David Kaiger, was born, it is
thought, in South Carolina. Coming to Georgia in early life, he bought
land lying thirteen miles northeast of Dawson, and with slave labor
improved a large farm, on which he spent the remainder of his years.
Both he and his wife, whose maiden name was Barbara Crapps, lived
long and useful lives, and at their deaths were buried on the home planta-
tion. Mrs. Elizabeth (Kaiger) Ozier, Mr. Hoyl's maternal grandmother,
died at the age of fifty-eight years. She reared eight children, as follows :
Mary Elizabeth, widow of Levi Clarke Hoyl ; Martha Matilda ; Fredonia
Pierce ; Anna Capers ; Florella Bascom ; De Laura Zeuline ; Hilliard, and
David Henry. Mrs. Mary Elizabeth (Ozier) Hoyl was educated at the
Andrew Female Seminary, in Cuthbert, and prior to her marriage taught
school three years. She now resides in Dawson, and is the mother of five
children, namely: Lee C, the special subject of this brief sketch;
Thomas C. ; James B. ; Walter H, and Mary Lou. She is a faithful mem-
ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which her husband also
belonged, and has reared her children in the same religious faith.

Lee C. Hoyl received his early education in the South Georgia Male
and Female College, in Dawson, later attending the University of Georgia.
Subsequently studying law with his father, he was admitted to the bar
by the late Judge J. M. Griggs, on^ December 3, 1894, and immediately
became associated with his father in the practice of his profession. In
1898 Mr. Hoyl enlisted in Company G, Third Regiment, United States
Volunteer Infantry, for service in the Spanish-American war. Being
commissioned lieutenant of his company, Mr. Hoyl went with his com-
mand to Cuba. On the death of his father he resigned from the army,
returned home, and has continued in active practice of his profession in
Dawson ever since, at the present writing, in March, 1913, being city
attorney.

Mr. Hoyl married, January 17, 1906, Elizabeth Peddy, a daughter of
John W. Peddy, of Dawson. Mrs. Hoyl's paternal grandfather, Thomas
B. Peddy, was born in Georgia in 1815, a son of Bradford Peddy, a
farmer in Muscogee county. Removing to Alabama when a young man,
he purchased land in Macon county, and was there prosperously engaged
in tilling the soil for many years, residing on the home place until his
death, in 1886. He served as a brave soldier in the Indian wars, but was
too old for military service when the war between the states occurred.
He married Nancy Holly, a native of Stewart county, Georgia.

John W. Peddy was born, October 19, 1851, in Alabama, in that part
of Macon county now included within the limits of Lee county, and was



904 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

reared on the home farm, and educated in the rural schools. Beginning
life for himself at the age of twenty-one years, he was clerk in a mercan-
tile establishment for two years, and the following season conducted a
general store on his own account in Bulloch county. Locating then in
Lee county, Georgia, he was there engaged in business two years. The
ensuing ten years Mr. Peddy was a resident of Sumter county, Florida,
during which time he was assistant postmaster and express agent. Com-
ing from there to Dawson in 1890, he clerked in a store for three years,
but has since been successfully engaged in the mercantile brokerage busi-
ness. While living in Alabama and in Florida Mr. Peddy served as
justice of the peace, and has held the same office in Dawson for eighteen
years.

John W. Peddy has been twice married. He married first, in 1875,
Mary Lizzie Harris, a daughter of Edmond Jackson and Martha Ann
(Bryan) Harris, and a sister of Mrs. T. J. Hart, in whose husband's
sketch, which appears elsewhere in this work, further parental history
may be found. Mrs. Mary Lizzie ( Han-is ) Peddy died February 22,
1893. Mr. Peddy subsequently married for his second wife Anna Maria
McFarland. Of the eight children born of his first marriage, five grew to
years of maturity, as follows : Susie Evelyn ; Cecil Harris ; Daniel Callo-
way ; Bessie, now Mrs. Hoyl, and Annie Theo.

Mr. and Mrs. Hoyl have one son, Levi Clarke Hoyl. Fraternally Mr.
Hoyl is a member of P. T. Schley Lodge, No. 229, Ancient Free and
Accepted Order of Masons ; of Lawrence Chapter, No. 96, Royal Arch
Masons ; of the Woodmen of the World ; of the Royal Arcanum ; and
Sigma Nu Fraternity, Mu Chapter, University of Georgia.

Capt. William Count Dillon. Especially worthy of note in this
volume among the many capable and intelligent men who have been
actively associated with the agricultural interests of Terrell county is
Capt. William Count Dillon, late of Dawson, who brought to his inde-
pendent calling good business methods and excellent judgment, and
whose labors were crowned with success. He was a native of Georgia, his
birth having occurred in Augusta, November 5, 1836.

A small boy when his father died, he was brought up by an aunt, and
began when young to be self-supporting. He was naturally a studious
lad, but as he had little opportunity to attend school he obtained his edu-
cation, principally, evenings, by the light of a candle. Industrious and
thrifty, he saved his earnings, and when he had accumulated a sufficient
sum to warrant him in becoming a landholder he purchased a farm in
Baker county, Georgia, where he was soon busily and profitably engaged
in raising cotton and corn. As his means increased. Mr. Dillon bought
other land, and carried on farming on an extensive scale.

Renting his Baker county lands in 1879. Mr. Baker located in Terrell
county, purchased a farm lying two miles east of Dawson, and was there
a resident until his death, February 15, 1896.

While living in Augusta Mr. Dillon served as chief of police, in that
capacity performing his duties faithfully and fearlessly, to a noticeable
extent clearing the city of desperadoes. While thus employed the cap-
tain was shot, and carried the bullet in his body as long as he lived.
Public-spirited and liberal, his influence and assistance were ever sought
in behalf of undertakings for the public good and for the advancement
of the best interests of his community. Although Captain Dillon acquired
a large property, he did not obtain his wealth by penury, but by his
business tact and ability, as is shown in his farming operations and in his
wise investments.

Captain Dillon married Mrs. Mary Virginia (ElliotU) Wdkinson, who



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 905

was born January 6, 1845, in Baker county, where her father, James
Elliott, was a farmer. By her union with her first husband, Dr. W. W.
Wilkinson, Mrs. Dillon had one son, Walton Wilkinson, who died unmar-'
ried. Three children blessed the union of Captain and Mrs. Dillon,
namely: George Crawford Dillon, who is an invalid; William Count
Dillon, Jr., who died unmarried ; and Susan Wright, who married Walter
Aloisius Mercer, of Dawson, and has two sons, William D. Mercer and
Walter A. Mercer.

Mrs. Mercer received her education first by private tutors in Dawson,
then in Union Female College, under Mrs. James; then in Lake View
University, at Birmingham, Alabama ; then back to Eufaula, under Mrs.
Simmons ; then to Wesley Female College, at Macon.

Mrs. Mercer and her husband are both members of the Methodist
Episcopal church, to which Mrs. Dillon, who died June 6, 1881, also
belonged.

Bynum H. Hood. Resolute and earnest in purpose, energetic and
progressive, Bynum H. Hood, late of Dawson, was for many years
actively associated with the industrial and business prosperity of Terrell
county, his death being a loss not only to his immediate family and
friends, but to the entire community. He was born, November 11, 1836,
in Meriwether county, Georgia, and was there reared to agricultural
pursuits.

Joseph Hood, his father, was for many years engaged in agricultural
pursuits in Meriwether county, Georgia. Coming from there to Terrell
county, he purchased land lying one and one-half miles northeast of
Dawson, and was there employed as a tiller of the soil during the
remainder of his life.

An ambitious student, Bynum H. Hood received excellent educational
advantages, completing his early studies in Forsyth, in Professor Mor-
gan H. Looney's school. Public-spirited and patriotic, he enlisted, in
April, 1862, in Company I, Forrest Cavalry, which became a part of
Forrest's command, and was with his regiment in its many campaigns
and battles. On July 23, 1863, he took part in the raid on Murfreesboro,
when several Confederate prisoners there confined in jail were released,
Congressman Richardson, who was under sentence of death as a spy, hav-
ing been of the number. Mr. Hood also participated in the Battle of
Perryville, Kentucky, and in the engagement at Chickamauga. In 1863,
on account of physical disability, Mr. Hood was released from service by
General Foster, but he continued with the army, and later was placed, by
General Hood, on detached duty to obtain supplies for the army, a posi-
tion which he filled until the final surrender, in May, 1865.

Returning to Georgia, Mr. Hood taught school in Meriwether county
until January, 1866, when he accepted a position as teacher in the schools
of Dawson. Obliged on account of ill health to resign his position in
1867, Mr. Hood did not remain idle, but with characteristic pluck and
courage became successfully engaged in various enterprises, including the
warehouse and lumber business. For many years there was but one rail-
road in Dawson, and Mr. Hood, perceiving the urgent need of better
transportation facilities, conceived the plan of establishing a railway
extending from Columbus to Albany. The project at the time seemed a
big undertaking, but he, nothing daunted, began working at it with his
customary vigor and zeal, interesting capitalists and influential business
men, and through his untiring efforts the road was completed in 1889.
Mr. Hood continued his residence in Dawson until his death, in 1905.
Fraternally Mr. Hood was a member of P. T. Schley Lodge, No. 229,
Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons, and he also belonged to
Tom Brantley Camp, No. 404. Confederate Veterans.



906 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

On November 11, 1866, Mr. Hood was united in marriage with Miss
Amanda A. Lasseter, a native of Sumter county, Georgia. Mrs. Hood's
father, David Lasseter, was born, it is supposed, in Jasper county,
Georgia. He was a pioneer of Sumter county, where he bought a tract
of wild land near the present site of Plains, and with slave labor improved
the homestead on which he spent his remaining days. Mr. Lasseter mar-
ried Elizabeth Asbury Speer, who belonged to a prominent family of
Georgia, of which she was a life-long resident. She passed to the higher
life November 4, 1861, leaving eleven children, as follows : John H.,
Martha G., William F., James A., Simeon N., Jeremiah C, Henry M.,
Margaret J., Mary E., Amanda A., and Sarah C. All of the sons, with
the exception of the elder one, served in the Confederate army. Henry
lost his life in the service, having died the same date of his mother, but
the others served throughout the entire war.

Mrs. Hood acquired her preliminary education in Dawson, attending
first the school taught by Professor Tom Brantley, and afterwards was a
pupil in Professor McNulty's school. Completing her early studies at
the Americus Female College, she came to Dawson at the age of twelve
years to open a private school. Her brother, Simeon F. Lasseter, M. D.,
was there engaged in the practice of medicine, and she started her school
in his office, which was located on Stonewall street, adjoining the present
site of the Presbyterian church. Very successful as a teacher, she con-
tinued in her chosen occupation several years, her school being well
attended and very popular. Mrs. Hood is well educated, having been a
reader of good literature, and a student all of her life. She is an inter-
esting conversationalist, fluent in language, and a forceful writer when-
ever occasion requires it.

Mrs. Hood's parents were Methodists, but she departed from the
faith in which she was reared, and before her marriage united with the
Baptist church, of which Mr. Hood was also a member. In 1901 Mrs.
Hood invited the daughters of veterans of the Confederate army to
meet at her house, and there the assembled group of ladies organized the
Mary Brantley Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy. Mrs.
Hood was elected president of the chapter, and was continued in office,
by re-election, until 1911. Mr. and Mrs. Hood had no children of their
own, but they assisted many young people to acquire an education, aud
since the death of her husband Mrs. Hood has continued the good work,
in many ways assisting those less fortunate than herself.

Francis M. Whittle. Conspicuous among the foremost citizens of
Savannah is Francis M. Whittle, who as division manager of the Virginia-
Carolina Chemical Company is identified with one of its more important
industries, at the same time being an active member of the public-spirited
group of young men that are fostering the progressive movement for the
greater development of the city. A son of the late Rev. Francis M.
Whittle, he was born at Berryville. Clarke county, Virginia, on the
paternal side tracing his ancestry back to John Rolfe and Pocahontas,
the Indian princess, from whom were also descended the Randolph.
Boiling, and other noted Virginian families.

Two of Mr. Whittle's uncles, the late Lewis M. Whittle, of Macon,
and Col. Powhatan Whittle, settled in Georgia prior to the Civil war.
both being lawyers. Colonel Whittle enlisted as a soldier in that con-
flict. and while serving as colonel of a Georgia regiment lost an arm
a! the battle of Gettysburg. A civil engineer in his earlier life. Lewis
M Whittle became a cripple as the result of an accident which befell
him while he was assisting in the building of the railroad between
Atlanta and Chattanooga. Going then to Macon. Georgia, he took up



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 907

the study of law, was admitted to the bar, and became one of the most
distinguished lawyers of the state. He was also prominent in public,
affairs, serving as member of the Georgia state senate under the Con-
federate regime.

Born in Mecklenburg county, Virginia, Rev. Francis M. Whittle,
D. D., came from a family that for many generations had been prominent
in the history of the Old Dominion. Admitted to the priesthood of the
Episcopal church in Virginia, he was made rector of an Episcopal church
in Louisville, Kentucky, prior to the Civil war. Soon after the outbreak
of that conflict, on account of his unqualified adherence to the Confed-
erate cause, he was taken prisoner by the Federal authorities and con-
fined in prison for some time. Elected bishop of Virginia in 1868, he
subsequently served in that capacity until his death, in 1905. He mar-
ried Emily Carey Fairfax, who passed to the higher life. She was
born in Virginia, a descendant of George Fairfax, a nephew of Lord
Thomas Fairfax, one of the landed proprietors of Virginia, George
Fairfax having married a Miss Carey, who was sister to the wife of
Lawrence Washington.

Francis M. Whittle was educated, principally, in Richmond College,
Virginia, and was early trained to business pursuits. Since 1897 he has
been connected with Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company, during the
first five years being located in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1902 he came to
Savannah as division manager for the company, which is among the
world's largest manufacturers of fertilizers, and whose Savannah plant
is one of the city's greatest industries.

Progressive and enterprising, Mr. Whittle has ever evinced a warm
interest in local progress and improvements, heartily endorsing all en-
terprises conducive to the welfare of the community. He is a member,
and one of the directors, of the chamber of commerce ; a member of the
cotton exchange ; of the yacht club ; and of the automobile club. He
is an Episcopalian and a vestryman of Saint John's church.

Mr. Whittle married Louise T. Hansell, of Roswell, Georgia, and
into their home four children have been born, namely : Lucy, Mary
A., Lulu T., and Emily Fairfax.

John Golaspy Stanley. A man of marked enterprise and ability,
John Golaspy Stanley is numbered among the substantial and prosper-
ous agriculturists of Brooks county, and is also actively associated with
various important enterprises in Quitman. A native of Georgia, he was
born December 9, 1855, in Houston county, which was likewise the birth-
place of his father, William Haddock Stanley.

Leary Stanley, his grandfather, was born in Goldsboro, North Caro-
lina, November 24, 1802. As a boy he had no opportunity to attend
school, but having mastered the alphabet he learned to read, and being
a diligent student acquired a medical education without attending any
educational institution. Coming to Georgia in early manhood, he bought
timber land near Perry, Houston county, and on the farm which he
reclaimed from its pristine wildness lived a number of years. Removing
in 1857 with his family to Lowndes county, he purchased a tract of wild
land lying four miles north of the present site of Quitman, in what is
now included within the boundaries of Brooks county, and in addi-
tion to clearing and improving a farm was actively engaged in profes-
sional work, practicing medicine throughout Brooks and adjoining coun-
ties. He was very successful both as an agriculturist and a physician,
and on the farm which he improved resided until his death, November
6, 1865, while yet in the prime of life. He married Charity West, who
was born September 17, 1798, and died at the home of her oldest son.



90S SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

William H. Stanley, April 26, 1878. Eight children were born to them,
as follows: William H., John, James B., Sarah, Mattie, Susan, Ann,
and Mary. All of the sons served in the Confederate army during the
war between the states. John, who was then teaching in Texas, enlisted
in a Texas regiment and was never again heard from. James B., a
practicing lawyer, enlisted as a soldier, went to Virginia with his regi-
ment, which was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, and bravely met
his death on the field of battle.

Born on the home farm in Houston county, Georgia, November 24,
1831, William Haddock Stanley received a common school education,
and soon after attaining his majority bought land in Houston county
and was there employed in tilling the soil until 1856. Coming then to
what is now Brooks county, he purchased a tract of timber situated
eight miles south of the site of Quitman, a very few acres of his land
having been previously cleared, and in the opening a set of buildings
had been erected. All of southwest Georgia was then a wilderness,
with comparatively few public highways and no railroads, Tallahassee
and Newport, in Florida, being the nearest markets and depots for
supplies. With the help of slaves he began the improvement of his
land, continuing his agricultural labors until the outbreak of the Civil
war, when he offered his services to the Confederacy.

Returning home at the close of the conflict, he continued the im-
provements previously begun on his homestead. The commodious frame
house which he then erected was burned soon after its construction,
and he then put up a less pretentious structure, in which he resided
until his death, January 2, 1894. He married Mary J. (Baskin) Had-
dock, who was born in Houston county, Georgia, a daughter of William
Baskin, and widow of William Haddock. She survived him, passing
away February 26, 1896, leaving four children, namely : John Golaspy,
Millard L., George W., and Mattie A. By her first marriage there were
two sons, Franklin L. and James W.

After leaving the public schools John Golaspy Stanley entered the
University of Georgia, in Athens, and was there graduated with the class
of 1879. Not caring to adopt a profession, he embarked in the peace-
ful pursuit of farming. His father being in poor health, he returned
home and for ten years superintended the work on the parental home-
stead. Buying then six hundred acres of land south two miles from the
old home, he spent five years in adding to its improvements, living there
until 1895. In that year Mr. Stanley bought the interests of the re-
maining heirs in the old homestead, which he has since managed with
unquestionable success. He has now one thousand acres of valuable
land, a good set of farm buildings, the improvements which he has
made upon the place being of a substantial character.

Possessing excellent business tact and judgment, Mr. Stanley is v
identified with various organizations of importance. He is a director
and vice-president of the First National Bank of Quitman, and one of
the directors of the Alliance Warehouse Company. He is now presi-
dent of the Hickory Head Agricultural Club, an old and influential
society: a life member of the State Agricultural Society and a member
of its executive committee: and is a trustee of the Eleventh District Agri-
cultural School. He also belong to the jury commission. He has al-
ways been a stanch supporter of the principles of the Democratic party
and for ten years a member of the county board of education.

In 1S91 Mr. Stanley married Frances Alberta Kinnebrew. who was
born in Floyd county, Georgia, near Rome, a daughter of Newton Kin-
nebrew. Mrs. Stanley's grandfather Kinnebrew. who was of Scotch-
Irish ancestry, was engaged in farming in Elbert county. Georgia, in



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 909

his early life. He subsequently spent a few years in Chambers county,
Alabama, but returned to Georgia, and spent his last days in Oglethorpe/
county. Born and reared on a farm in Elbert county, Newton Kinne-
brew succeeded to the occupation which he became familiar with in
boyhood. He was a natural mechanic, and though he never learned a
trade he could make anything in the line of furniture, wagons, or
fashion any of the wood-work connected with farm machinery, being
a skillful workman. He farmed for himself first in Oglethorpe county,
Georgia, later in Chambers county, Alabama, finally settling on an
estate in Floyd county, Georgia, where he resided until his death. The
maiden name of the wife of Newton Kinnebrew was Mary E. Pinson.
She was born in Oglethorpe county, a daughter of Thomas and Nancy
(Patman) Pinson. Nine children blessed their marriage, as follows:
Henry T. ; Nannie S. ; Sarah J. ; Martha A. ; J. Edwin ; Olivia ; Albin ;
Petty Alberta, now Mrs. Stanley, and J. Shannon.

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley are the parents of four children, namely :
William K. ; Baskin and Pinson, twins ; and Nannie Belle, who lived
but eighteen months.

Dr. Charles Hyatt Richardson, practicing physician in Monte-
zuma, and well known to the medical profession as well as the laity in
this county, has been a resident of this region all his life. He followed
in the footsteps of a worthy father, and in his capacity has carried on
the good work that he laid down in 1886. Doctor Richardson has taken
a notably important place in the communal life of Montezuma, and has
given service in more than his medical capacity. As mayor of the city
for three years and as alderman for seven years, much good has accrued
to his community as a result of his whole-souled and honest services
in those offices, and he occupied a sure place in the esteem and confi-
dence of the people of his town and the surrounding region.

Born on March 3, 1859, Charles Hyatt Richardson is the son of Dr.
Charles Hyatt Richardson and his wife, Margaret (Bettles) Richardson.
Doctor Richardson was born in 1829 in Sumter county, South Carolina,
and came from that place in 1855, locating at Fort Valley, Georgia, later
engaged in practice in Byron. He died in 1886, after many years of
faithful service in his medical capacity, and his name and fame is being
carried on in the activities of his son, the subject of this review. The
mother was born in Sumter county, South Carolina, also, and is still
living at the age of eighty-six and makes her home in Byron, Georgia.

Doctor Richardson received his early education in the common schools
of Byron and was later graduated from Mercer University with an
A. B. degree, in 1878. He later entered the College of Physicians and
Surgeons at Baltimore, Maryland, and was graduated in 1883, taking
a post-graduate course in 1900 at the New York Post Graduate Col-
lege. Following his graduation from Baltimore, he established himself
in practice in Montezuma, where he has since carried on an active prac-
tice, and where he has gained reputation as a medical man of splendid
ability.

His public service has been of a most praiseworthy nature, and it
was during his administration as mayor, in which office he served three
years, that Doctor Richardson brought about the establishment of the
Carnegie library fund. Doctor Richardson was made chairman of the
building committee and handled the fund thus donated. The building
was erected at a cost of $10,000 and the library has about $5,000 worth
of books. While he was alderman in 1889 the steel bridge spanning
the Flint river was built by the city at a cost of $10,000, and the same
has been a big source of growth to the city in that it has made possible



910 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

easy access to the city from towns on the other side of the river, as a
result of which trade has been on the continuous increase since that
time. He was mayor of Montezuma while the A. & 'B. R. R. was in
course of construction through the town, and upon its completion a
banquet was held at Atlanta, at which Doctor Richardson, as mayor
of Montezuma, was one of the principal speakers.

Doctor Richardson has always been held in high esteem by his
brother physicians throughout the state, which is evidenced by the fact
that he was elected vice-president of the State Medical Association in
1911. In 1912 he was elected president of the Third District Medical
Association. This association will convene at Fort Valley, Georgia, on
the third Wednesday in June under his presidency.

Recognizing his ability in pulmonary diseases, he was appointed by
the president of its session in Augusta, Georgia, in 1912 (while he him-
self did not attend the meeting), as chairman of the committee on
tuberculosis to write a series of articles on the great white plague.

In 1909 Doctor Richardson was appointed by Governor Smith as a
member of the board of trustees of the state tuberculosis sanitarium to
be established. At the first meeting of this board Doctor Richardson
was appointed one of the five members of the executive committee whose
duties were to select a location, build the sanitarium, and start it in
operation. The terms of office of this board expired in January. 1913,
and Doctor Richardson and three others were the only ones of the old
board reappointed by Governor Brown, with tweuty new members.
Again Doctor Richardson was appointed one of the five members on
the executive committee to control this sanitarium.

In 1889 the Central of Georgia Railroad decided to employ railroad
surgeons on its road. Doctor Richardson was one of the first to be ap-
pointed as local surgeon for Montezuma and he has the honor of re-
taining this position to this day, twenty-four years of continuous service.
Only two or three still hold the office now that were originally appointed.

In the spring of 1912, the political year in Georgia, it became Macon
county 's time to name the senator from the thirteenth district. The pro-
gressive element of the Democratic party in that county prevailed upon
Doctor Richardson to enter the race. His opponent had represented the
county twice in the house and was a gentleman of large and influential
family connections. Doctor Richardson was elected in this race, carry-
ing five precincts out of the seven precincts in the county. He will
enter the Georgia senate as a progressive Democrat of the Woodrow
Wilson type.

In addition to his many other interests. Doctor Richardson is deeply
concerned in farming and on his eight hundred acres under cultivation,
twenty plows are pressed into service in the preparatory seasons. He
has twelve hundred acres in all, and his agricultural operations furnish
employment to twenty families. He is a director in the First National
Bank, owns a prosperous drug store in Montezuma, as well as other
business property, and is a stockholder in a well known fertilizer com-
pany of the city.

In 1879 Doctor Richardson married Alice Cullen, the daughter of
Dr. A. C. Cullen. of Sandersville, Georgia, a practicing physician of that
place. Three children have been born to them : Dr. Charles Hyatt
Richardson, 111, a practicing physician of Macon. Georgia: Carrie, the
wife of George W. Chastain, of Montezuma: ami Augusta Cullen. who
will gradual e from Emory College in -I line. 1913. Doctor Richardson
has one brother, C. C. Richardson, an attorney of Byron, who served as
a member of the stale legislature from his county for three terms, and
a sister, who married Dr. C. Warren of Byron. Georgia, and who died
in 1891.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 911

David William Pittman. A man of mark and of recognized worth
as a citizen, David W. Pittman, of Waycross, sheriff of Ware county/
enjoys the confidence and esteem of his fellows to a high degree, and
is filling the position to which he has heen chosen with credit to himself
and to the satisfaction of all. A native of Georgia, he was born De-
cember 10, 1872, in Ware county, which was likewise the birthplace
of his father. Rev. Travis Pittman.

His paternal grandfather, Linsey Pittman. was horn in Robinson
county, North Carolina, and there "did his growing." Attaining his
majority, he boldly struck out for himself, coming to Georgia and
settling in Ware county, which was then a frontier region. Indians
still inhabited the woods, far outnumbering the whites, and frequently
terrorized the new settlers. He first purchased a tract of wild land on
Kettle creek, and later bought land including the present site of the
Congregational church. After improving a part of his land, he moved
to the southern part of the county, and on the farm which he there
bought and improved spent the remainder of his long life, passing
away at the age of four score and four years.

Born in Ware county, Georgia, Travis Pittman assisted his father
in the pioneer labor of redeeming a farm from the wilderness, and well
remembered through his life many of the thrilling incidents of those
early days. As a boy he heard the report of the guns when the Wilds
family was massacred, and saw the soldiers rushing madly by in their
pursuit of the fleeing savages, that having been one of the worst crimes
committed by the redskins within his memory. On reaching man's
estate, he bought land near the old homestead, and by dint of heroic
labor cleared and improved a farm from its original wildness. In his
early days, there being no railroads in this section of the country, he
was forced to team all of his surplus farm productions to Centerville,
and on the Saint Mary's river, forty miles away, that being the nearest
market and depot of supplies. Selling his farm in 1886, he explored
Florida, looking for a more promising location. After a thorough
search in the more fertile parts of that state, he became convinced that
Georgia had much greater advantages and resources, and came back
to his native county. Purchasing land near Waresboro, he subsequently
resided there until his death, in 1906.

Converted in his youth, Travis Pittman joined the Methodist Episco-
pal church, and having been licensed preached for some years in Ware
and adjoining counties. He subsequently united with the Congrega-
tional Methodist church, which later became the Congregational church,
and continued a preacher in that denomination, being for many years
an earnest and zealous worker in the Master's vineyard.

Rev. Travis Pittman married Kate Mills, who was born in Milledge-
ville, formerly the capital of Georgia, being a daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. George Mills. She is now living on the home farm, near Wares-
boro, where she is enjoying all the comforts of modern life. To her
and her husband seventeen children were born.

An ambitious scholar when young. David W. Pittman attended the
public schools of Ware county, in his thirst for knowledge oftentimes
walking a distance of six miles to attend school. Assistin» his father
on the farm, he received an excellent training in habits of industry and
economy, and when ready to begin life on his own account bought land
in the vicinity of Waresboro. and was for several years actively en-
gaged in agricultural pursuits. Removing to Waycross, he opened a
grocery, which he managed for two years, and was afterwards simi-
larly employed at Fort Meade. Florida, for a year. Returning then to



912 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

his farm, which he still owns, Mr. Pittman continued general farming
for some time, being quite successful as a tiller of the soil. In 1910 he
was elected sheriff of Ware county and has since been a resident of
Way cross.

Mr. Pittman cast his first presidential vote for William J. Bryan,
and has always been a stanch adherent of the Democratic party. Fra-
ternally he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Order of
Masons ; of the Knights of the Modern Maccabees ; and of the Wood-
men of the World. Religiously both he and his wife are valued and
active members of the Missionary Baptist church.

At the age of twenty-five years Mr. Pittman was united in mar-
riage with Ida Rigdon, who was born in Waresboro, Georgia, a daugh-
ter of John and Sally (McQuaide) Rigdon, and into their home two
children have been born, namely : Geneta ' and Bradford.

John Madison Cox. A man of energy and brains, honest, efficient
and progressive, John Madison Cox has been a dominant factor in
the development and promotion of the mercantile prosperity of Way-
cross, as one of its leading merchants having the distinction of being
the second to establish a wholesale grocery business in this section of
Ware county. A son of James Madison Cox, he was born on February
27, 1868, in Woodville, Greene county, Georgia. His great-grandfather,
Captain Stemridge Cox, a Virginian, born of Scotch-Irish ancestors,
served as an officer in the Revolutionary war, having command of a
company.

. The grandfather of Mr. Cox, who was J. S. Cox, a life-long resident
of Virginia, was not old enough to bear arms during, the Revolution,
but he entered the employ of the government, being engaged in the
manufacture of guns in a government factory.

James. Madison Cox was born and brought up in Mecklenburg county.
Virginia. As a young man, seized by the Wanderlust, he migrated to
Georgia, locating in Greene county, where he engaged in farming,
and also in mercantile pursuits, opening a store at Woodsville. Al-
though past military age at the breaking out of the war between the
states, he enlisted during the second year of the struggle, went with his
command to Virginia, where he took an active part in many battles of
note. Returning to Woodville, at the close of the war, he resumed his
occupation of farming and store-keeping, continuing both until well
advanced in years, when he gave up all connection with business and
thenceforward lived retired until his death, which came at the vener-
able age of ninety-two years. He married Sarah Ann Newson. who
was born on a farm at Union Point, Greene county, Georgia, where her
parents spent their last years. Four sons and three daughters were
born of tbeir marriage.

Obtaining his elementary knowledge in the common schools of Wood-
ville, John Madison Cox completed his early studies at the Penfield
high school, in Greene county. Industrious and self-reliant, he deter-
mined to become self-supporting, and with that object in view went to
Brunswick, Glynn county, where he secured a position as traveling
salesman for a wholesale house with which he was subsequently con-
nected for eight years. Coming from there to Waycross. Mr. Cox was
engaged in the brokerage business until 1901, when, realizing that this
city was fast becoming a distribution point for a very large section of
both Georgia and Florida, he established himself in business as a whole-
sale grocer, and the large trade which he now commands in that line
shows conclusively that lie made no mistake in the enterprise.

As a man and a citizen Mr. Cox possesses the highest regard of all



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 913

who know him. An active worker in the Democratic ranks, he exerts
much influence in local affairs, and for two years served ably and ac-
ceptably as mayor of Waycross. Fraternally he is a member of Way-'
cross Lodge, No. 369, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and of the
Knights of Pythias. He was for two years president of the Waycross
board of trade.

.Mr. Cox married on December 29, 1897, Miss Willella Lockhart, who
was born in Opelika, Alabama, a daughter of Jesse Hamilton Lock-
hart. Her paternal grandfather, Richard Puryear Lockhart, was born
in Virginia of colonial and revolutionary stock. Migrating to Ala-
bama while a young man, he settled in Chambers county, becoming
owner of a large plantation, which he managed successfully until his
death. He married Sarah Hamilton Harris, a daughter of Judge Ed-
mund Harris, a prominent lawyer of Lagrange, Georgia, and a grand-
daughter of Absolom Harris, whose father, Lieut. Benjamin Harris,
was an officer in the Revolutionary war. The Harris family came from
Greensville county, Virginia, to Georgia, settling in Hancock county,
seven miles from Sparta. Judge Harris married Mary Rollins, who
was a graduate of a Baptist college in Lagrange, and a woman of much
culture and refinement.

The only child of his parents, Jesse Hamilton Lockhart, the father
of Mrs. Cox, was educated in Lagrange, Georgia, and during his active
career was identified with the railway service of the state, for a num-
ber of years serving as superintendent of the Louisville & Nashville
Railroad. He is now Jiving retired from active business. He married
Ella Hurt, who was born in Hurtsboro, Alabama, and was educated in
Georgia, having been graduated from the Wesleyan University, at Ma-
eon. She died at the early age of thirty-two years, her death occurring
'in Birmingham, Alabama, and her body being laid to rest in the ceme-
tery at Auburn, Alabama. Her father, AVilliam Chappel Hurt, was
born in Alabama, a son of Henry Hurt, who spent his entire life in
Hurtsboro, where his ancestors settled on coming from Virginia to the
South. William Chappel Hurt was a prominent and wealthy planter
of. Auburn, Alabama, and an active worker in the Methodist church,
being especially interested in Sunday school work. He married Jane
McTyeire, a sister of Holland Nimmons McTyeire, who was for many
years the senior bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and
from the time of the establishment of Vanderbilt University at Nash-
ville, Tennessee, was one of its board of trustees, and lived on the
university campus. Three children were born of the union of Jesse
Hamilton and Ella (Hurt) Lockhart, namely: Willella, now Mrs. Cox;
Jessie, the wife of G. W. Smith, of Brewton, Alabama ; and Edith, the
wife of Cecil Valentine Staton, of Waycross, Georgia. Mr. and Mrs.
Cox are the parents of five children, as follows : John M., Jr. ; Virginia
Hurt, who died at the age of two years ; Sarah McTyeire ; William, and
Elizabeth.

The wife and mother, who is one of the refined and cultured women
of Waycross, received her education in the schools of Birmingham,
and finished at Dr. Price's Female College at Nashville, Tennessee.
Mr. and Mrs. Cox maintain a very pleasant home in which they enter-
tain their friends with true southern hospitality, extending to them
a most gracious and cordial welcome.

Simon Wood Hitch. An active and well-known member of the
legal profession, Simon Wood Hitch has for many years been success-
fully engaged in the practice of law in Waycross, Ware countv. where
he has gained a large patronage. A son of the late Sylvanus Hitch, he



914 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

was born in Clinton, Jones county, Georgia, coming on the paternal
side of New England ancestry.

Born in N< w Bedford, Massachusetts, Sylvanus Hitch was left an
orphan in childhood and was brought up in the home of his grandpar-
ents. Learning the tailor's trade in the old Bay state, he subsequently
worked as a journeyman, and while yet a young man came south in
search of a favorable opening. He located in Jones county, Georgia,
at Clinton, which was then, although without railroad facilities of any
kind, a place of considerable commercial importance, heing a large
cotton market. Opening a merchant tailor's establishment, he carried
on business there until 1855, when he migrated to South Georgia, 'and
purchasing a tract of land bordering on the Saint Mary's river, in
Charlton county, he was employed in tilling the soil in that vicinity
for ten years. Moving then to Clinch county, Georgia, he there lived
retired from active business until his death, which occurred in 1880,
he being seventy-two years of age at that time.

Sylvanus Hitch married Ann A. Nichols, who died in 1898, in
Loudon county, Georgia, leaving seven children, as follows: Sylvanus;
Simon Wood; Margaret Ann; Charles; Radford and Nannie. Her
father, Simon Wood Nichols, was born in South Carolina. Coming from
there to Georgia in early manhood, he was for several years a general
merchant in Savannah, from there moving to Clinton. Jones county.
Georgia. Instead of continuing in mercantile pursuits, he invested
largely in real estate, buying extensive tracts of land in Appling, Ware
and Clinch counties. Subsequently settling in Dupont. Clinch county.
Mr. Nichols carried on farming for a while, but afterwards resumed
mercantile business, in which he continued until his death, which came
when he had attained a good old age. Mr. Nichols married Margaret
Waver, who was. born on one of the West India islands, of French
parents, and she was a sister of John J. Waver. During one of the
insurrections in the West Indies, she was carried by her parents to
Savannah, Georgia, where she was brought up and educated. She sur-
vived her husband a few years.

Making good use of his time and advantages. Simon Wood Hitch
attended Professor Landrum's school in Oglethorpe county, and after-
ward taught school in Clinch county for a few months. Desirous of
entering upon a professional career, he subsequently studied law with
his uncle. Congressman J. C. Nichols, and after his admission to the
bar at the age of eighteen, located first in Clinch county. He later
opened an office in Blackshear, Pierce county, where he practiced law
for ten years. In 1887 he settled in Waycross. and in the practice of
his chosen profession has here achieved well-merited success, his legal
patronage being an extensive and remunerative one.

Mr. Hitch married, in Macon, Georgia, at the Wesleyan Female
College. Miss Fannie Alice Myers, who was born in Augusta. Georgia,
Her father. Dr. Edward Myers, was horn in Orange county. New York,
and was a son of Selim and Mary ( Howell ) Myers. Becoming a preacher
in the Methodisl Episcopal church, he was for a while a member of
the Florida conference, later being associated with tin' Georgia and
South Carolina conferences, and preaching in differenl parts of those
states. For a time he was one of the professors of the AVesleyan Fe-
male Seminary, in Macon, later serving as president of that institution.
an ofliee of which he was the incumbent at the time of his daughter's
marriage to the subject, (living up that position, Doctor Myers he-
came pastor of the Trinity Episcopal church in Savannah. Georgia,
When, in 1876, yellow fever became epidemic m Savannah, he was at
Cape May. attending a joint meeting o\' the Methodist Episcopal and



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 915

the Methodist Episcopal church, South, looking to a national union.
Returning to the stricken city to care for his flock, he was himself
taken ill with the disease, and lived but a short time, having given up his'
own life in an attempt to save others. He married Mary Mackie, who
was born of Scotch ancestry, in Augusta, Georgia, where her father
was for many years a banker. Mr. and Mrs. Hitch have four chil-
dren, namely: Mary, the widow of Elbert P. Peabody, who has four
children, Elbert P., Francis, Walton and Mary E. ; Frank, who lived
but twenty-one years; James, a missionary of the Methodist Episcopal
church, South, to Korea; he married Reubee Lillie and has two chil-
dren, Simon Herbert and Frances Elizabeth; Edward Sylvanus is the
fourth child of Mr. and Mrs. Hitch. The wife and mother departed
this life on November 6, 1912, after having reared to honorable man-
hood and womanhood her four children. In the foreign missionary
work of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, she was most active,
holding at the time of her death the position of conference secretary
of the foreign department of the South Georgia Conference Missionary
Society. She inherited her father's fine business ability and a deep re-
ligious experience made her a notable character as a wife, a mother
and as a leader in all church work.

An active and influential member of the Democratic party, Mr.
Hitch has served in various official positions. He was appointed by
Governor Bulloch a member of the election board at the time of the
three-days' election. Just following his admission to the bar he was
appointed as solicitor general of the Brunswick judicial district, and
served in that capacity for ten consecutive years. He has rendered
appreciated service as a member of the Waycross board of education,
having been a member when the present system of graded schools was
adopted, and when the present fine school building was erected.

Hon. John May Hopkins. Elected a member of the Georgia state
legislature, in his twenty-second year, and thoroughly equipped for
the profession of law, a business life, with its healthy problems and
perplexities, has seemed to more closely appeal to him and in this field
he has met with what must be gratifying success. He was born in
Thomasville, Georgia, April 20, 1875, and is a son of Octavius and
May Kell (Holmes) Hopkins.

The history of the Hopkins family is interesting and its earlier rep-
resentatives were men of military prowess. Gen. Francis Hopkins,
the great-grandfather of John May Hopkins, was a son of Rear Admiral
Hopkins, of the British navy. General Hopkins commanded a regiment
in the "War of 1812, and to his marriage with a Miss Sears a family
was born, one being named Thomas Spaulding.

Thomas Spaulding Hopkins was educated as a physician at the
Charleston Medical College and during the Mexican war he served as
assistant surgeon of a Georgia regiment of infantry, which was sta-
tioned at Fort Brock. After the close of the war he practiced medicine
in Glynn and Wayne counties, Georgia, but when the war between
the states became a fact he put aside his professional ambitions and
raised a company which was known as the Wayne Rangers, of which
he was commissioned captain and served as such until 1864, when he
was appointed to the position of surgeon at Andersonville. Georgia.
There he continued until the close of the war, when he removed to
Thomasville, Georgia, where he continued the active practice of medi-
cine and surgery for many years, his death occurring in his eischtv-
sixth year. He was twice married, first to Juliet Defoe, who, at death,
left three children : Louise, Francis W. and Cecelia B. The second

Vol. n— 25



916 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

marriage of Doctor Hopkins was to Elizabeth Gignilliat, who was born
at Oak Grove, near Brunswick, Georgia, and was a daughter of John
May Gignilliat (who belonged to one of the old settled families of the
state, and whose great-great-grandfather, Jean Francois de Gignilliat,
and great-great-grandmother, Suzanne Le Sururier (Huguenot), were
married in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1696). She died at the age
of sixty-five years, and was the mother of the following children :
Thomas W. ; Octavius ; James G. ; Mary E. ; John M.. and Juliet.

Octavius Hopkins, second son of Doctor Hopkins and father of
John May Hopkins, was reared and educated in Thomasville and at the
age of twenty-one years embarked in the lumber business in which he
continued his active interest at Darien, Georgia, until 1911, when he
removed his field of operations to Wilmington, North Carolina, where
he now operates a handle factory on an extensive scale. He married
May Kell Holmes, who is a daughter of James and Susan (Clapp)
Holmes. The father of Mrs. Hopkins, Dr. James Holmes, was a physi-
cian of Mcintosh county, Georgia, born in Liberty county, Georgia, and
of the Holmes family of Massachusetts. Her mother, who was born
at Boston, Massachusetts, was a daughter of Derastus Clapp, and his
wife Susannah (Bowditch) Clapp. Susannah Bowditch was descend-
ant in the sixth generation of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins. De-
rastus Clapp was a lineal descendant in the seventh generation, from
Roger Clapp, who came to America in 1630. He was born in New
Hampshire and in early manhood went to Boston, Massachusetts. He
was captain of a militia company and a member of the Ancient and
Honorable Artillery. Thomas Clapp, who was president of Yale College
for twenty-seven years, beginning 1739, was descendant of Roger Clapp 's
brother, Thomas. Five children were born to Octavius Hopkins and
wife: John May; James Holmes; Thomas Spaulding; Lucile Clark,
and Octavius, Jr.

John May Hopkins was educated at Thomasville in a branch school
affiliated with the Georgia State University, and after completing his
course in that institution, engaged in the study of law and subsequently
was admitted to the bar. Although thus qualified, Mr. Hopkins prac-
ticed but a short time, having become interested in another direction.
He was in charge of a survey party that explored the Okefenokee swamp
and made surveys and estimated the amount, condition and quality
of timber. After completing this survey he went to northern Michigan
to gain a practical knowledge of the lumber business, entering the em-
ploy of Charles Hebard & Sons, lumber company, at their plant in Ba-
raga county, Michigan, and remained there until 190S, when he returned
to Georgia, to establish the plant of The Hebard Cypress Company, at
Hebardville, two miles from Waycross, in Ware county, and here in-
stalled one of the most complete plants of the kind in the whole country.
This is a stupendous enterprise, 750 men being constantly employed,
and the mills having a capacity of 125,000 feet of lumber per day of
ten hours. Of this plant Mr. Hopkins is the general superintendent,
and additionally he is general superintendent of the "Waycross & South-
ern Railroad.

Mr. Hopkins was married first in February. 1913. to Miss Lily Schmidt
Payne, who was born at Darien, Georgia, a daughter of W. H. Payne,
and died in November, 1909. In June, 1911. Mr. Hopkins was married
second to Miss Emily Walker, who was born at Fort Smith, Arkansas,
and is a daughter of Alexander Walker, who was a resident of New
Orleans, Louisiana. Mr. Hopkins had two children born to his first mar-
riage: John May, Jr., and Lily Payne. Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins are
members of Grace Episcopal church at Waycross. Through birth, rear-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 917

ing, education and association, Mr. Hopkins is a Democrat in his polit-
ical attitude and that he should have been chosen as a state representa-,
tive so early in his political career indicates a large measure of public
confidence. He is identified fraternally with Damascus Commandery,
No. 18, Wayeross, Georgia.

Hon. James J. Slade. Prominent and noteworthy among the tal-
ented, cultured and enterprising men who are, or have been in times
past, identified with the educational, agricultural and business advance-
ment of western Georgia, is Hon. James J. Slade, of Columbus, Musco-
gee county, who for many years was widely known as a popular and suc-
cessful teacher. A son of Thomas B. Slade, a noted educator, he was
born April 28, 1831, in Jones county, Georgia, coming from patriotic
stock, his paternal great-grandfather, who was a life-long resident of
North Carolina, having served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war.

Jeremiah Slade, his grandfather, was born on a farm in Martin
county, North Carolina, and was there brought up and educated. Be-
coming a tiller of the soil from choice, though an attorney by profession,
he succeeded to the ownership of the old home plantation, which was lo-
cated six miles north of Williamston, and bordered on the Roanoke river,
the locality being known as Marshpoint. There he spent his entire life,
carrying on farming with slave help. His wife, whose maiden name was
Janet Bog, was likewise a life-long resident of North Carolina. Of their
union seven children were born and reared, as follows : Alfred, who be-
came prominent in public affairs, was appointed United States consul
to Buenos Ayres, and there died while in office ; Jeremiah, although an
expert swimmer, was drowned in the Roanoke river in early manhood;
William succeeded to the ownership of the home plantation, and there
spent his entire life; Thomas B., Mr. Slade 's father; James, the young-
est son, a physician, was appointed a surgeon in the United States army
during the Mexican war, and died in Mexico during the war ; Mary, the
oldest daughter, married Dr. Pleasant Henderson ; and Elizabeth, who
became the wife of Mason L. Wiggins, of Halifax, North Carolina.

The birth of Thomas B. Slade occurred in Martin county, North
Carolina, on the same plantation as did that of his father. Fitted for
college at a preparatory school in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he was
subsequently graduated from the University of North Carolina, and
was admitted to the bar. Locating soon after in Clinton, Jones county,
Georgia, he began the practice of his profession. At the earnest solici-
tation of friends, however, he retired from the law and opened a school
for girls in Clinton, where he met with great success as a teacher. He
afterwards accepted the chair of philosophy in the Macon Female Col-
lege, now the Wesleyan Female College, at Macon, and held the position
until Bishop Pierce severed his connection with that institution. He
then resigned his position, and for two years taught in a female col-
lege in Penfield, Georgia. Coming then to Columbus, Muscogee county,
he established a female school, which he conducted successfully until
the outbreak of the war between the states. Locating on his farm in
Alabama after the close of the conflict, he remained there a few years
and then returned to Columbus, and here continued his residence until
his death, at the venerable age of eighty-two years.

The maiden name of the wife of Thomas B. Slade was Ann Jacqueline
Blount. She was born in AVashington, North Carolina, a daughter of
James Blount, who migrated from his native state to Georgia and settled
permanently in Blountsville, Clinton county. She survived her hus-
band, attaining the advanced age of eighty-six years. She reared a fam-



918 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

ily of eleven children, as follows: Janet E.; Mary; Anna; James J.;
Emma ; Thomas ; Martha ; Stella ; Helen ; John, and Fanny.

An ambitious student when young, James J. Slade prepared for
college under his father's tuition, and in 1848 entered the University
of North Carolina, from which he was graduated in 1852, with an excel-
lent record not only for scholarship, but for promptness, having, like
his father, never missed a roll call while there. Fitted for a profes-
sional career, Mr. Slade then taught school in Columbus for four years,
and having in the meantime been admitted to the bar subsequently there
practiced law for three years. Going then to Louisiana, he bought a
plantation near Delhi, and managed it for a time with the assistance of
slaves. At the breaking out of the Civil war he raised a company, of
which he was elected captain, and took the entire company to camp and
offered it to Governor Moore, who said that he could not accept the com-
pany, as already there were more men enlisted than were needed, and
added that the war would soon be over. The company therefore re-
turned to Delhi and disbanded. Soon after, Mr. Slade went back to his
old home in Columbus, Georgia, and enlisted in Company A, Tenth Geor-
gia Volunteer Infantry, and went with his command to Virginia. With
the army of North Virginia he took part in the invasion of Maryland
and in the battle of Antietam. Being taken ill after the last engage-
ment, he was granted a furlough. On recovering his strength he was
placed on detached duty, working between the western and eastern
armies. Wool was then very much needed to make clothes for the sol-
diers and there was an ample supply in Texas. Quantities of it were
started north in wagons, which were invariably captured by the Federals
before it was taken across the Mississippi. Mr. Slade devised a means
by which it might have been safely and surely transported to its point
of destination, but the war terminated before his plan was put into execu-
tion. He was in Shreveport, Louisiana, when the war closed, and went
immediately with his negroes to his plantation.

Deciding a short time later to return to Georgia, this being in 1866,
he resumed his first occupation, that of a teacher, opening an inde-
pendent school, which became an immediate success, and which he con-
ducted until 1888, it being one of the leading institutions of the kind
in this section of the state. He then embarked in the insurance busi-
ness, in which he was also quite successful.

In 1878 Mr. Slade purchased from the General Benning's estate the
Seaborn Jones homestead, which he has since owned and occupied. Lo-
cated at Saint Elmo, two and one-half miles from the court house, it is
a typical southern plantation home. The house, a commodious frame
structure, sits well back from the street, and is surrounded by large
shade trees.

Mr. Slade has been twice married. He married first Annie Graham,
who was born in northern Georgia, a daughter of John Graham. She
passed to the life beyond and her only child died in infancy. Mr. Slade
married second Miss Leila B. Bonner, who was born in Columbus, Georgia,
a daughter of Seymour K. and Marion (Huguenin) Bonner. Ten chil-
dren have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Slade, namely: William
B.; Mary Janet; Thomas B. : Nora H. : Louisa: Marion: Charles; Effie
May; Florence, and Seymour. William B. married Mary Brown, and
they have four children. Roberta. Rhodes, Mary and Leila. Thomas,
who married Miss Thirza Kirven. has two sons. Kirven and Thomas.
Nora, wife of R. H. Scriven, six children, Leila, James. Nora, Maude.
Thomas, and Marion. Louisa, wife of Dr. Theophilus West, has two
sims. Slade and Marion. Charles married Miss Constance Thill and they
have three children, Blount. Suzanne and William. Effie May. wife of



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 919

J. Lawrence Dozier, has four children, Anna, Lawrence, Florence and
Seymour. Seymour Slade, the youngest son of the family, died in early,
manhood.

Always taking a keen interest in anything pertaining to the public
welfare, Mr. Slade has served as a member of the city council, and has
twice had the distinction of being elected to the mayor's chair. He is
a member of the Order of Cincinnati. Both Mr. and Mrs. Slade are
members of the Missionary Baptist church, to which his parents also
belonged, and in which his father was a licensed preacher.

Alexander Shaw Pendleton. One of the prominent commercial
men of southern Georgia is Alexander Shaw Pendleton, a wholesale
grocer at Valdosta, in whose veins is mingled the blood of several of
of the South 's leading families and whose lineal connections reveal the
names of many able men, some of high position in government, others
leaders in military affairs, and a number who have become eminent in
professional life, especially in the field of literature. The Pendletons
were originally an old and honored family of Norwich, Lancashire, Eng-
land. The American branch originated with Philip Pendleton, who was
born in England in 1650 and came to America in 1674. After six years
here, or in 1682, he returned to England but later turned once more
toward the New World and took up his residence in King and Queen
county, Virginia. He married a Miss Isabella Hart, or Hurt, and died
in 1721. Henry - Pendleton was a son of Philip x Pendleton, the emi-
grant, and the father of James 3 Pendleton. Henry 2 Pendleton
was born in 1683 in Caroline county, Virginia, and died there in 1721, the
same year his father died. Henry - Pendleton married, 1701, Mary Tay-
lor, daughter of James x Taylor and Mary Gregory, his wife, ancestors
of President Zachary Taylor. Their son, James Pendleton, was the great-
great-grandfather of Alexander Shaw Pendleton, whose name intro-
duces this review. James Pendleton, born in Virginia and a life-long
resident of that commonwealth, served as high sheriff of Culpeper county
in 1738. He married Elizabeth Clayton and their son, Capt. Philip
Pendleton, born in Caroline county, Virginia, in 1732, was the next lineal
ancestor of our subject. He commanded a company in the Revolutionary
war and a valued heirloom in this family is the old Bible in which is
preserved a record of his services as a patriot. He and his wife, Martha
Aubrey, both life-long residents of Virginia, were the parents of Cole-
man Pendleton, the grandfather of our subject. Coleman Pendleton,
born in Culpeper county, Virginia, August 4, 1780, migrated to Georgia
and became an early settler in Putnam county, where he resided many
years. Late in life he removed to Alabama and spent his last years in
Tallapoosa county of that state, passing away there on May 31, 1862.
He was married June 6, 1808, to Martha Gilbert, a daughter of Captain
Benjamin and Hannah (Butler) Gilbert. They were married in 1779
in Bedford county, Virginia. Captain Gilbert entered the Revolution
as a private in the command of Col. Charles Harrison, who served under
General Washington, and in 1778 he was promoted to a captaincy. He
was severely wounded at the battle of Monmouth, New Jersey, where
his ankle was shattered by a musket ball, and as evidence of his valorous
services during that great struggle for liberty he bore to his grave scars
of wounds inflicted by British sabres. Coleman and Martha (Gilberl I
Pendleton reared three sons and two daughters. The sons were Will-
iam, who died in young manhood ; Edmund, a well-known writer in his
younger days, who successively became a successful physician, a profes-
sor of agriculture in the State University of Georgia, and finally late in



920 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

life a wealthy manufacturer at Atlanta, Georgia; and Philip Coleman,
the lather of our subject.

Philip Coleman Pendleton was born in 1812 in Batonton, Putnam
county, Georgia, and for many years was prominently connected with
the press of Georgia. Associated for a time with C. R. Hanleiter in the
publication of the Southern Post at Macon, he severed his connection
with that paper in 1836 to serve in the war against the Seminole Indians
in Florida. About 1810, with Rev. George F. Pierre, afterward a bishop
in the Methodist Episcopal church, he began the publication of the
Southern Ladies' Book in Macon, but later changed the name of the
periodical to that of The Magnolia and published it first in Savannah,
Geoi'gia, and then later in Charleston, South Carolina. Upon ceasing
the publication of The Magnolia, which was the first magazine ever pub-
lished south of Richmond, Virginia, he took up the practice of law in
Sandersville, Georgia, and also published the Central Georgian until
1857, when he removed to Ware county and there bought a large tract of
wire grass land which included the present site of Waycross, Georgia.
He named his estate "Tebeau, " after his wife's family name, and here
he gave himself up wholly to agricultural pursuits for a few years. In
the great issue between the South and the North he did not favor seces-
sion, but when war had actually begun he responded to the call of the
Southland, enlisted for its service and was made captain of his company.
When the Fiftieth Georgia Regiment was organized he was elected a
major and served in that capacity through several of the Virginia cam-
paigns. In 1863 he was obliged to resign on account of ill health. Dis-
posing of his estate in Ware county, he then removed to Lowndes county,
where he purchased a farm ten miles south of Valdosta. In 1867 he began
the publication of the Southern Georgia Times, which he continued
until his death in 1869 as a result of injuries received when thrown
from a carriage. While living in Savannah he married Miss Cath-
erine Tebeau, daughter of Frederick E. Tebeau, and a descendant of
James Tebeau, one of the first settlers in Savannah. John, the son
of James Tebeau, just mentioned, married Catharine Treutlen, daughter
of Frederick Treutlen. The Tebeaus were French and the Treutlens
were English. Frederick Treutlen was a native of Holland, but for polit-
ical reasons tied that country with his wife and two sons, John Adam and
Frederick, locating in London, England, where they resided a few years
and where the wife and mother died. From there the father and his two
sons embarked for America, but France and England being at war at
that time, their vessel was captured by the French and all on board
were taken to France and put in prison. There the father died. The
sons were released after several months and returned to England,
whence they once more turned toward the New World. Landing on
St. Simons island, off the central coast of Georgia, they made their
way from there to Savannah, where they arrived about two years after
Governor Oglethorpe first settled there. The son John Adam finally
settled in Effingham county and was governor of Georgia from May.
1777, to January, 1778. Frederick Treutlen, the other son. married
Margaret Schadd, daughter of Col. Solomon Schadd. who settled on
Wilmington island at the mouth of the Savannah river, in a very early
day. His estate is still in the possession of descendants of his and t\u
house winch he built there in 1718 is said to be the oldest building yet
remaining in Georgia. Frederick and Margaret (Sehadd) Treutlen
were the parents of Catherine, the wife of John Tebeau. who was a son
of James, the early settler in Savannah, and father of Frederick E. Te-
beau. the maternal grandfather of our subject. To Philip Coleman and
Catherine (Tebeau) Pendleton were born the following children: Will-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 921

iam F. ; James A. ; Philip C. ; Chas. R. Pendleton ; Eniline T. ; Mary Z. ;
Lonis B., and Nathaniel D., of whom James and Philip are deceased.
William F. Pendleton, the eldest son, a captain of the Fiftieth Georgia'
Regiment during the Civil war, served three years and participated in
nine of the hard fought battles of that conflict as well as in a number
of minor engagements. He is now a bishop in the Swedenborgian church.
Charles Rittenhouse Pendleton, who is well known throughout Georgia
as the editor of the Macon Telegraph, ranks among the best journalists
of our country and is well known for his independent views on political
issues and for his fearless advocacy of them. Louis Beauregard Pendle-
ton is a well known author and some of his novels and juveniles have
been translated into four different languages. Nathaniel D. Pendleton
is a minister in the Swedenborgian church.

Alexander Shaw Pendleton was born at Sandersville, Washington
county, Georgia, March 17, 1855. He was educated at Valdosta In-
stitute, Valdosta, Georgia, and after his father's death assisted his elder
brother in the office of the Valdosta Times for a while. In 1878, then a
youth of eighteen, he began his independent business career by opening
a small grocery store at Valdosta, small because his means were very
limited. His business steadily prospered and increased until 1897, when
it had reached those proportions justifying a more effective business
arrangement and one that would permit the business to branch out
along more extensive lines. For this purpose there was organized The
H. S. Pendleton Company, a wholesale grocery company, of which Mr.
Pendleton has been president from the time of its organization to the
present. He is a man of business ability and has not only achieved a
gratifying personal success but has built up one of the most prosperous
business enterprises of his city. Aside from his commercial interests he
is interested in real estate and both agriculture and horticulture. At
his city home he has a tract of five acres that is devoted to the raising
of vegetables and fruits and he also owns a farm of one hundred acres
located but a short distance from Valdosta.

In November, 1881, Mr. Pendleton was united in marriage to Susan
Parramore, who was born in Thomasville, Georgia, a daughter of Noah
Parramore and a granddaughter of John and Nancy (Brinson) Parra-
more. Noah Parramore was for some time an extensive farmer in
Thomas county, Georgia, but after the war removed to a farm he pur-
chased in Lowndes county, where he continued to reside until his death.
His wife was Susan Dasher, a daughter of Christian and Elizabeth
(Waldtheur) Dasher. Mr. and Mrs. Pendleton have six children living,
namely: Philip Coleman; Elizabeth P.; Gertrude A.; Albert 0.; Fred-
erick W. and Alexis R. Francis, the sixth child in order of birth, died
at the age of twenty. Their oldest son, Philip G, married Susan Hickey
Corner and lias two children, Catherine and Elizabeth ; and Gertrude,
their second daughter, is now the wife of Charles I. Harrell. Mr. Pendle-
ton is a member of the Swedenborgian church and Mrs. Pendleton is
affiliated with the Church of Christ.

Thomas Jerome Hart. Conspicuous among the active and enter-
prising men who settled in Dawson while it was yet a small village, ami
who became an important factor in developing and advancing its manu-
facturing and mercantile prosperity, was the late Thomas Jerome Hart,
whose death on January 25, 1904, removed from the city one of its mosi
respected and esteemed business men. Mr. Hart was born in Tuscum-
bia, Alabama. December 1, 1827, coming from honored New England
stock.

His father, Thomas Jerome Hart, Sr., was born in Connecticut, of



922 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

early English ancestry. When a young man he migrated to Alabama,
settling in Tuseumbia, where he was engaged in manufacturing until
his death, a few years later. He married Susan Allen, who was of
Virginian ancestry. She was quite young when left a widow, with three
small children, Thomas Jerome, the subject of this sketch; "William; and
Robert. Robert died unmarried. AVilliam, who died in early life, left
a family, and his descendants are now living in Alabama.

Brought up and educated in Alabama, Thomas Jerome Hart served
an apprenticeship at the carriage-maker's trade, making excellent use
of his native mechanical ability. Subsequently locating in Dawson, Geor-
gia, he established a carriage factory in the village, and subsequently
erected the first brick building in the place. Making a specialty of man-
ufacturing buggies, the products of his factory found a ready sale, and
he became known far and Avide as the manufacturer of the "Hart
Buggy," which was recognized as the very best in the market. Suc-
cessful from the start, Mr. Hart continued in active business in Dawson
until called from the scene of his earthly labors to the life beyond.

Mr. Hart was twice married. He married first, soon after coming
to Dawson, Sally Lassater, a native of Sumter county, Georgia. Her
father, David Lassater, presumably a native of Jasper county, moved
from there to Sumter county in pioneer days, and having purchased land
near Plains carried on farming with slave help. Mr. Lassater married
Elizabeth Asbury Speer, who died November -4, 1861, leaving eleven
children, as follows : John H. ; Martha G. ; William F. ; James A. ;
Amanda A., wife of Bynum H. Hood, of whom a brief personal record
may be found on another page of this work ; Simeon M. ; Jeremiah C. ;
Henry F. ; Margaret J. ; Mary E. ; and Sarah C., more familiarly known
among her friends as "Sally. " Mrs. Sally Hart died at an early age,
leaving one son, Willie, who died in early manhood.

Mr. Hart married second, September 4, 1890, Mrs. Mattie (Harris)
Keith, who was born in Terrell county, Georgia, a daughter of Edmond
Jackson Harris and granddaughter of Edmond Harris, a pioneer
settler of La Grange, Troup county. Edmond Jackson Harris was
born in La Grange, and having received excellent educational advan-
tages was admitted while young to the bar. Instead of entering
upon a professional career, he chose the more peaceful pursuit of agri-
culture. Locating in Terrell county soon after its organization, he
bought a tract of land lying twelve miles east of Dawson, and began its
improvement. During the war between the states he served in the Con-
federate army, through exposure and privations while a soldier losing
his health, and never fully recovering his former physical vigor. At the
close of the war he sold his plantation and purchased land a mile and a.
half west of Dawson. For a while thereafter he was engaged in the
Avarehouse business in Dawson, but he maintained his residence on the
farm until his death, at the age of seventy-tAVo years. The maiden name
of the Avife of Edmond Jackson Harris A\as Martha Ann Bryan. Avho A\as
born in Thomas county. Georgia, of pioneer ancestry, her parents, Loverd
and Edith (Wytch) Bryan, having been the first couple married in
Thomas county, Avhile her grandfather. Clement Bryan, was one of the
first settlers of that county. She died at the age of seventy-five years,
having outlived her husband. She reared eight children, as folloAvs:
Edmond S. ; Mary Elizabeth, who became the first wife of John W.
Peddy. and the mother of Mrs. Lee Clark Hoyl : Susan R. : GoodAvin
Hall; Mattie, now Mrs. Hart: Clare B.; Theo. Jackson; and Clementine
Bryan.

Mat lie Harris, now Mrs. Hart, married first Robert Anson Keith,
who A\as born in Dalton. Georgia, a son of John W. Keith. ayIio



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 923

came to Terrell county many years ago, and having purchased land
lying a mile west of Dawson resided there until his death. Robert Anson
Keith was reared and educated in north Georgia. Coming to Georgia'
with his father, he became associated with him in the ownership of the
land they bought, and in its management, living on the home farm until
his death, which occurred three weeks after his marriage with Miss
Harris. Mrs. Keith subsequently married, as previously stated, Mr.
Hart. Of the union of Mr: and Mrs. Hart two children were born,
namely: Thomas Jerome Hart and Edmund Harris Hart. Mr. Hart
was reared an Episcopalian, but while a resident of Dawson attended
the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mrs. Hart is a member.

Jeremiah Calvin Carter. A substantial and prosperous planter of
Americus, and a successful manufacturer, Jeremiah Calvin Carter is
numbered among the esteemed and useful citizens of Sumter county,
where a large part of his life has been spent. A son of the late L. B.
Walker Carter, he was born April 4, 1855, in that part of Warren county,
Georgia, now included within the limits of Glascock county. His grand-
father, Wiley Carter, was a son of James Carter, of whose history very
little is known excepting the fact that he was a pioneer settler of Warren
county, Georgia, and that he died at the home of one of his sons, in
Quebec, Schley county, at a ripe old age.

Wiley Carter removed from Warren county to Schley county, where
he purchased a large tract of land, which he operated with the help of
slaves, and on the plantation which he improved spent the remainder of
his life of three score and ten years.

L. B. Walker Carter was born on the home farm in Warren county,
obtaining his education in the district schools. Coming to Sumter
county in 1859, he located on land belonging to his father, situated near
the present site of Bagley Station, and on which a few improvements
had been previously made, a few acres of the tract having been cleared,
and a log house having been erected. With the assistance of slaves, he
continued the improvements already inaugurated and had placed
a large part of the land under cultivation when his labors were inter-
rupted by the breaking out of the Civil war. Enlisting then in Cutt's
Battalion, he went with his command to Virginia, and subsequently was
an active participant in many of the more important battles waged dur-
ing the conflict, including those at Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, and
the numerous engagements in and around Richmond and Petersburg,
being at Appomattox at the final surrender. Returning home from there,
he resumed farming, and continued in his free and independent occu-
pation until his death, in 1873. The maiden name of his wife was Mary
Ann Seals. She was born in Warren county, where her father, William
Archibald Seals, was an early settler. Mr. Seals improved a water
power on Rock Comfort creek, and in addition to managing a large
plantation with slave labor owned and operated a large merchant flour
mill, continuing a resident of that county until his death, in 1863. He
married Eliza Ann Harris, who survived him several years. Mrs. Mary
Ann (Seals) Carter outlived her husband but four days. Four chil-
dren were born of their union, as follows: Jeremiah Calvin, of whom
we write ; Annie, now deceased, married N. A. Ray ; William A., de-
ceased ; and N. I., wife of D. A. Jenkins.

As a small boy, Jeremiah Calvin Carter attended first the rural schools,
afterwards being a pupil in the public schools of Americus. He received
a practical training in agriculture while young, and at the age of eigh-
teen years, being industrious and self-reliant, he began farming on his
own account. He succeeded to the ownership of one-half of the par-



924 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

ental homestead, the other half being in the possession of his brother-in-
law, to whom he subsequently sold his share. As an agriculturist Mr.
Carter has met with exceptional good success, owning- upwards of six-
teen hundred acres in Sumter county, Georgia, and having valuable
tracts of lands in both Orange and Gadsden counties, Florida. Mr. Car-
ter's sons manage his Sumter county farms, which are devoted to general
fanning, while his Florida lands are especially devoted to the culture
of tobacco. In 1900 Mr. Carter established a cigar factory in Americus,
and has since built up a good business in that line of industry.

On January 4, 1883, Mr. Carter was united in the holy bonds of
matrimony with Mittie C. Wallace, who was born in Sumter county, a
daughter of John B. and Eleanor W. Wallace. Mr. and Mrs. Carter
are the parents of ten children, namely : John W. ; Eleanor Brownie ;
William Edgar ; Mamie ; Walter G. ; Calvin ; Sallie Estelle ; Otis ; Os-
car ; and Nathaniel. Both Mr. and Mrs. Carter are members of the Meth-
odist Episcopal church.

James A. Davenport. A man of pronounced ability, intelligence and
much enterprise, James A. Davenport is numbered among the success-
ful business men of Americus, and is a worthy representative of its
native-born citizens, his birth having occurred in this city. He is a son
of the late Col. Walter and Mary (Frederick) Davenport, and a brother
of Daniel F. Davenport, in whose sketch, which appears elsewhere in
this volume, further parental and ancestral history may be found.

Obtaining his preliminary education in the public schools of Ameri-
cus, James A. Davenport was subsequently graduated from Bryant &
Stratton's Business College, in Baltimore, 1874. Returning home he
was afterwards for a time engaged in the drug trade with his father
and brother, but for several years has carried on an extensive and highly
remunerative business as an insurance agent, representing many large
and well-known companies.

Mr. Davenport married October 23, 1895, Miss Chloe Belle White,
who was born in Albany, Dougherty county. Georgia. Her father. John
J. AYhite. a Virginian by birth and breeding, entered the Confederate
service while a boy in his teens, and served as a courier on the staff of
Gen. Robert E. Lee. Subsequently coming to Sumter county. Georgia,
he located at Albany, and purchasing a nearby plantation resided there
a number of years. Going then to Chicago and St. Louis, be was there
engaged in the brokerage business until his death. His wife, whose
maiden name was Dora Hutchinson, was a native of Kentucky. Mr.
and Mrs. Davenport are the parents of five children, namely: Cather-
ine; James; Gertrude; Chloe Belle: and Virginia.

Public-spirited and actively interested in local affairs. Mr. Daven-
port has rendered excellent service as an alderman, and as a director
of the Carnegie public library. Fraternally he is a member of Council
Lodge. No. 95, Free and Accepted Masons: of Wells Chapter. Royal
Arch Masons; and of DeMolay Oomniandery. Knights Templar.

LAURENCE Jefferson Blalock. Possessing a large measure of ver-
itable talent, a distinctive intellectuality, and keen mental powers. Lau-
rence Jefferson Blalock, of Americus. is a distinguished member of the
Sumter county bar. and one of the leading criminal lawyers of Georgia,
his success being due to a systematic application of his abilities to the
profession of bis choice. A son of Rev. David Blalock. he was born in
Louisville, Jefferson county, Georgia, of pioneer stock, his paternal grand-
parents, natives of South Carolina, having been among the early set-
tlers of Wilkes county, Georgia.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 925

Rev. David Blalock was born, it is thought, in Wilkes county, and
as a young man embarked in mercantile pursuits in Augusta, Georgia./
Uniting with the Methodist Episcopal church in early manhood, he be-
came a preacher in that denomination, and having, in 1850, joined the
Georgia Methodist Episcopal conference held pastorates in different
localities. In 1867 the state was divided, and he became a member of
the South Georgia Conference, and remained active in the ministry until
his death, which occurred in Americus, in 1881, at the age of seventy-
two years. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Lalledsteded. She
was born in Augusta, of French Huguenot ancestry, and died at the
age of fifty years, leaving four children, namely: Emma; Laura; Lau-
rence J. ; and Mary.

Acquiring his education in the different places in which his father
was settled as a minister, Laurence J. Blalock began earning his living
at the age of eighteen years, and for four years was in the employ of
the Houston & Texas Central Railroad Company, being located in Texas.
Returning then to Georgia, he was engaged in business at Americus as
a general merchant for two years. His tastes and ambitions leading
him to choose a professional career, Mr. Blalock then began the study of
law, for which he was well adapted, and in October, 1875, was admitted
to the bar. Locating in Americus, he met with encouraging success
from the start, and now holds high rank among the foremost lawyers of
the state, his specialty of criminal law having brought him into promi-
nence in legal circles, and won for him an enviable reputation for profes-
sional skill and ability.

Mr. Blalock married in 1875, Mary A. Cobb, who was born in
Americus, a daughter of Joseph A. Cobb, of wfyom further account is
given elsewhere in this volume. Fraternally Mr. Blalock is a member
of Americus Lodge, No. 13, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons,
of which he is past master ; a member and "past high priest of Wells
Chapter, No. 42, Royal Arch Masons; and a member, and past noble
grand of Sumter Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Preston B. Willipord. A man of excellent business tact and judg-
ment, Preston B. Williford. of Americus. is widely known throughout
Sumter county as a dealer in city and farm property. A son of John
Williford, he was born on a farm in Stewart county, Georgia, where his
boyhood days were passed. His grandfather. William Williford, was.
as far as known, a life-long resident of north Georgia. To him and his
wife five children were born and reared, as follows : John ; Henry ;
Samuel ; Rachael ; and another daughter.

A native of Madison county. Georgia. John Williford was there
brought up on a farm, and while young was well drilled in the vari-
ous branches of agriculture. Removing to Stewart county in early
manhood, he purchased a tract of land, the greater part of which was
covered with a heavy growth of pine, ash. and hickory timber. Putting
up a small log cabin for himself and wife, he began the pioneer task
of hewing a farm from the wilderness. Laboring with indomitable en-
ergy and perseverance, he met with very satisfactory success in his opera-
tions, being enabled in the course of a few years to erect a substantial
set of frame buildings in place of the log structures that for a time
answered the purpose of sheltering the family and the stock. He had
cleared a goodly part of the land when his earthly labors were brought
to an end, his death occuring in 1860, when he was but forty-four years
of age.

The maiden name of the wife of John Williford was Elizabeth Allen
Burke. She was born in Elbert county. Georgia, a daughter of William



926 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

P. Burke, and died at the age of seventy-six years, the latter part of her
life having been spent with her children. Left a widow, in 1860, with
twelve small children, the youngest but two years aid, she assumed
management of the home farm, carrying it on with great success, and
keeping her family together until all were self-supporting. She reared
five daughters and seven sons, as follows: Ann ; Sarah ; William ; Mary ;
Henry; Louisa; John; Luther; Joseph; James; Preston B. ; and
Elizabeth.

The youngest son, and eleventh child, of the parental household,
Preston B. Williford lived with his widowed mother until he was six-
teen years old, when he went to Green Hill, in Stewart county, where
he was for three years clerk in a general store. Returning then to the
homestead, he assisted in its management for four years, after which
he bought a farm five miles from his old home, and was there engaged
in farming for a year. Going from there to Columbus, Muscogee county,
Mr. Williford was clerk in a cotton warehouse for six years. On giving
up that position, he was engaged in the retail shoe business in Americus
until 1896, when he began selling real estate on commission, an industry
in which he has since continued, being now an extensive dealer in city
and farm property.

March 26, 1878, Mr. Williford was united in marriage with Sarah
Matthews, who was born in Marion county, Georgia, a daughter of John
L. and Frances J. (Herndon) Matthews. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs.
Williford, four children have been born, namely : Amzie ; Fannie Mae ;
Preston B., Jr. ; and Lousie Mildred. Angie married Ralph Xewton,
and they have one child, Elizabeth Newton. Mr. and Mrs. Williford
are members of the First Baptist church.

Rev. William Washington Webb. The prosperity and advancement
of a community depend upon the social character and public spirit of
its members, and in every prosperous town or country center will be
found citizens who take the leadership and give their energies not alone
to their own well-being but to the things that mean better and fuller
life for all. Such a citizen at Hahira in Lowndes county has Mr. W. W.
Webb been recognized for a number of years.

William Washington Webb, who represents an old and prominent
south Georgia family, was born on a plantation in Dooly county, the
6th of August, 1853. His father was John AVebb. born in that portion
of Washington county now Johnson county. The grandfather was
Giles Webb, who it is thought was a native of North Carolina. Accord-
ing to a Avell authenticated family tradition, the father of Giles, known
as General Webb, was an associate and traveling companion of John
Wesley during his American tour. Grandfather Giles Webb came to
Georgia and became a pioneer of Washington county, which at that time
comprised a great scope of country in central Georgia. He bought a lot
of land in what is now Johnson county, and with the aid of his slaves
cleared and improved it into a fine plantation, where he was engaged
in general farming until his death. He married a Miss Askue. and
she survived him until 1861. The names of their five children were
William. Thomas, Giles. John and Eli. Of these. Thomas and Giles
died before the war. William died while a prisoner of war at Point
Lookout, and Eli went through four years of service without wounds
or capture.

John Webb, the father, after being reared to manhood in his native
county, purchased land in Dooly county and was engaged in general
farming there with slave labor up to the time of the war. As a Georgia



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 927

soldier he participated in the defense of Atlanta and was so severely
wounded that he lost a leg. As soon as he was able he returned home,,
Having sold in 1868 his interests in Dooly county and also part of the
where he was convalescing when the end of the great struggle came.
old homestead in Johnson county, he settled in Lowndes county in
1869. He located here before the era of modern development had
begun, and was able to buy seven hundred acres three miles southwest
of the present site of Hahira for the sum of five hundred dollars. His
first home was a log house, and he had to haul the lumber for floor and
doors from the nearest sawmill, twenty-five mi]ps away. By the con-
tinuous labor of years he improved a large part of this land, erected
good buildings, and resided there until his death at the age of seventy-
six in 1898.

John Webb married Elizabeth Lamb, who was a native of Houston
county, this state, and a daughter of Luke and Mary (Burnham)
Lamb. Luke Lamb was a son of Arthur Lamb, and both were born in
North Carolina. Elijah Burnham, the father of Mary, was a native of
North Carolina, and both the Lamb and Burnham families were pio-
neers of Houston county, Georgia, where they settled in 1826. Luke
and Mary Lamb had the following children: Washington, Elizabeth,
Mary Ann, Solomon and Laura, Mrs. John AVebb, whose death
occurred in 1900, was the mother of the following children : William
W., of this sketch ; Luke Lamb ; Laura, who married J. B. Miley ;
John E. ; Lula, who married Thomas Folsom ; Eli D. ; Harriet, who
married John L. Redding; Thomas W., and Charles W.

William W. Webb was about eight years old when the war between
the states was precipitated. That conflict swept away nearly all his
father's wealth, and as a consequence all the boys had to work, and
little opportunity was afforded for the education and advantages to
which families of their position were accustomed. But he was able to
get considerable knowledge in the neighboring schools, and the lack of
earlier years his subsequent industry has largely supplied. While a
youth he learned the trade of blacksmith, and that was his regular
occupation for some years. In 1876 he established a business of his
own at Thomasville, and conducted it four years. In the meantime he
bought land three miles from the present town of Hahira, his four
years at the forge giving him the money to pay for this property, and
in 1881 he began his career as an independent farmer. For ten years
he resided on his country place and did well in general farming, and
in fact has been one of the enterprising agriculturists of this county
ever since, directing his farm from his residence in town. In 1891 he
moved to Hahira, where he has taken a very important part in the
town life and activities.

Mr. Webb has been a member of the town council, and upwards of
twenty years has served on the town board of education, and at the
present time is also a member of the county board of education. Partly
owing to his own early deprivations in schooling and also to his public-
spirited interest in all that concerns the general welfare, he has devoted
himself earnestly to the provisions for public education. To his efforts
as much as to the efforts of any other citizen, the town is indebted for
its present admirable school system. The Hahira schools are absolutely
free to all, and in efficiency they are probably not surpassed in any
town of the size in Georgia. His influence and efforts contributed in
great measure to the erection of the present school building at a cost
of twenty thousand dollars. Mr. Webb was also for some years a
member of the Farmers Alliance, and was one of the promoters and
still a useful member of the Farmers Union. He is president of the
Georgia, Alabama & Western Railroad Company.



928 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Mr. Webb was reared in the Methodist faith, and in 1895 was
ordained a local preacher. He has been active in the ministry ever
since. A fluent and forceful speaker, both in the pulpit and on social
occasions he has used his talent for the advancement of righteousness
and better ideals in his community. Mr. Webb has served eighteen
years as worshipful master of Hahira Lodge, No. 346, F. & A. M.,
and is a member of Valdosta Chapter, R. A. M., and the Valdosta Com-
mandery, K. T., haying filled chairs in both these branches of Masonry.
Another important public service by which he is perhaps best known
to the citizens of Hahira is his management of the local postoffice, his
duties as postmaster having been continuous since 1891.

In 1874 Mr. Webb was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Jane
Vickers. Mrs. Webb was born in Lowndes county, a daughter of
Henry and Malinda Vickers. They are the parents of seven children,
named Solomon Wesley, Valeta, Henrietta, Ira E., Frankie Elizabeth,
Minnie Lee and John A. Solomon W. married Lucy Lawson, and
their four children are Willie Briggs, Louise, Roger and Dennis.
Valeta is the wife of G. K. Johnson, and has two children, Emmett and
Ira Edgar. Henrietta is the wife of M. M. Parish. Ira E. married
Mattie Rowntree and has two children, Carrie Lou and Eugene.
Frankie E. is the wife of Henry B. Lawson, and their children are
Lillian, Hollis E. and Blanford. Minnie L. is the wife of Turner
Folsom.

Ivey P. Crutchpield, as architect and builder, has made a name for
himself in his locality in southeastern Georgia, and as he is yet a young
man he has prospects for a broader, greater work.

Mr. Crutchfield was born at Irwinton, Georgia, in 1878, son of J. I.
and Celia (Smith) Crutchfield, both natives of the Empire State of the
South ; and when he was a small boy the family moved to a farm near
Cochran, where he lived until he was seventeen. Then he began life for
himself. He learned the builder's trade in its every detail, beginning
with hammer and saw, and while he contracted for and built houses of
various descriptions he studied architecture; he was not content merely
to erect according to the plans and specifications of others, he was ambi-
tious to follow his own plans. For four years he made his home at
Vidalia and previous to that time Coelu-an was the seat of his operations,
at both of which places and others are to be found monuments of his
skillful workmanship. As a contractor he erected seven of the principal
mercantile buildings of Cochran, also the oil mills and a number of the
most prominent residences of that town, among them being the $14,000
residence of P. L. Peacock. At Soperton he built a sale stable and cotton
warehouse and fifteen mercantile buildings, and later on he planned a
$20,000 bank building at Soperton, Georgia. His first work of note as
an architect was the building occupied by the large store of Leader &
Rosansky, Vidalia. Among his other architectural works are the First
National Bank Building, the Thompson & Hamilton Building, the Cres-
cent City Barber Shop Building. Vidalia Furniture Company Building,
the Bank of Vidalia, the New Vidalia Cafe Building, the building occu-
pied by the buggy business of S. B. & E. L. Medows. the annex of Vidalia
College Institute, G. N. Mathews & Sons Store, and many residences in
Vidalia. He drew the plans and erected the $16,000 residence of R. M,
Garbetl of Lyons, the county seat of Toombs county, and other buildings
erected hy him at that place are those of Moses Coleman and I. Q. Cole-
man respectively, and the school annex, also the home of F. M. Smith
at Lyons. He was the architect of the Bank of Nashville, the Mount Ver-
non Bank of Blount Vernon, the 1'valda Bank of Fvalda. Georgia, the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 929

Farmers-Merchants Bank of Nunez, and the Bank of Soperton. In Jan-
uary, 1913, he moved to Savannah and opened an office in the Germania/
Building.

June 10, 1906, Mr. Crutchfield married .Miss Annie Renfroe, daugh-
ter of Thomas Renfroe of Cochran, and they have two children: Lawrin
and Ivy Thomas.

Mr. and Mrs. Crutchfield are members of the .Methodist church, and,
fraternally, he is identified with the Knights of Pythias.

William H. Gurr. An able and worthy representative of the legal
fraternity of Terrell county, William H. Gurr, one of the leading
attorneys of Dawson, is a fluent, earnest and convincing advocate, and
through his industry and ability has built up a large and remunerative
practice in his adopted city. A son of Edward M. Gurr, he was horn
in Bibb county, Georgia, February 9, 1871. His grandfather, Samuel
Gurr. was horn in South Carolina, a sou of John Gurr, who is supposed
to have been the founder of the American family of Gurr.

Samuel Gurr grew to man's estate in South Carolina, and was there
reared to habits of industry and thrift, Early in life he migrated to
Georgia, settling in Houston county in pioneer days, bravely daring
all the privations and hardships of life in a new country, in order to
pave the way for those who followed, and to establish a home for his
children. Buying land that was in its original wildness, he was there
engaged in agricultural pursuits during the remainder of his years.
He married Elizabeth Bishop, a native of South Carolina, and she
survived him, passing away at the age of four score years. They reared
eight children, as follows : Elvira, Thomas Jefferson, Robert, Mattie,
Edward M., James P., John W., and Samuel D.

Edward M. Gurr first opened his eyes to the light of the world on
a farm in Houston county, Georgia, where he lived until sixteen years
old. Then ambitious to become a wage-earner, he entered the employ
of the Central Georgia Railroad, with which he was connected as an
employe until thirty years old, in that capacity having been exempt
from military service during the Civil war. After the death of his
father, he purchased a part of the old homestead, and managed it for
three years. He then traded that property for a farm in Crawford
county, where he resided until his early death, at the age of forty-two
years in 1887. His wife, whose maiden name was Nancy Balkcom.
was a native of Quitman county. Her father, Ichabod Balkcom, who
died in the Confederate army during the war between the states, moved
with his family from Jones county to Quitman county, and on the
farm which he purchased his wife, nee Caroline Moore, spent her re-
maining years. Both the Moore and Balkcom families were reared in
Monroe county, and moved to Quitman county about the same time.
Mrs. Edward M. Gurr survived her husband four years, dying in 1891.
She was the mother of eight children as follows: James W., William
II.. Thomas Edward, Frank B., Mattie L., Fanny G., Ophelia, and Belle.
As a hoy. William H. Gurr, in his efforts to obtain an education, used
to walk three miles to the rural schools of his native county. The knowl-
edge thus acquired was further advanced at higher institutions of learn-
ing, he having attended first the Cuthbert Military College, and later
Emory College in Oxford, Georgia, from which he was graduated with
the class of 1897. In June, 1898, Mr. Gurr enlisted in Ray's Regimeul
of Immunes, designated as Third Regiment United States Volunteer
Infantry, and went with this command to Cuba, where he remained
eight months, being stationed at Santiago, Baracoa, and Sagua de Tan-
amo. He was honorably discharged with his regiment, May 2, 1899,



930 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

and on his return home turned his attention to the study of law. a
profession for which he is well adapted. In January. 1900. Mr. Gurr
was admitted to the bar, and immediately located at Dawson, where he
has been in continuous practice ever since.

In September, 1900, Mr. Gurr married Helen H. Giles, who was
born in Stewart county, Georgia, a daughter of William H. and Martha
(Boyette) Giles. William H. Giles was born on a farm seven miles
west of Lumpkin in Stewart county, February 5, 1851. His father was
John Frank Giles, who it is thought, was a native of Baldwin county,
this state. Anyhow he came from that portion of the state about 1835,
and located in the wilderness of south Georgia. He was one of the
men who bore the pioneer burden in a country sparsely settled without
railroads, where wild game of all kinds was in abundance, and where
the Indians roamed through the forest still claiming the privileges of
hunting as they had for generations. Grandfather Giles was in south
Georgia in time to participate in the final overthrow of the Indian
tribes of Florida and Georgia, and fought in the battle of Roanoke in
1836. He was subsequently for a number of veal's an overseer on
plantations in Stewart county, and his death occurred when about
sixty-five years of age. He married Mary Armstrong, who was born in
Baldwin county, a daughter of James H. and Mary (Davis) Armstrong.
Her death occurred at the age of seventy-two. Their seven children
were named Mary F., Sarah A., J. Alexander, William H., George P.,
John F., and Robert F. William H. Giles was reared on a farm, re-
ceived his early education in some of the Stewart county schools, and
a considerable part of his early youth was spent during the troublous
times of the Civil war. He became one of the prosperous farmers of this
county, and continued actively in those pursuits until 1893, at which
time he removed to Richland, where he has since been proprietor of
the principal hotel of that town. When twenty-two years of age he
married Miss Maggie Boyett, who was born in Clay county, Georgia,
a daughter of James and Sarah (Adams) Boyett. Mr. Giles and wife
reared two children, the first being Helen Holmes, wife of Mr. Gurr,
and the second being Willard James.

Mr. Gurr has served for five years as city attorney, and is now solic-
itor of the city court of Dawson. An active and influential party
since casting his first presidential vote for William J. Bryan, Mr. Gurr
has since served as a delegate to two state conventions, and was a dele-
gate to the national Democratic convention held in Baltimore in 1912.
Fraternally Mr. Gurr is a member of P. T. Schley lodge Xo. 229, Ancient
. Free and Accepted Order of Masons, and belongs to the Sigma Alpha
Epsilon college fraternity.

Alexander J. McKinnon, the prominent farmer and stock grower
of the Way district of Thomas county, can boast descent from two fam-
ilies who have been gentry in Scotland for many hundred years, the
Mcintosh and the McKinnon families. The grandfather of the subject
of this sketch, John McKinnon, was the first representative of the family
to make his home in Georgia. He was born in Robeson county. North
Carolina, about two years after his parents had come to the United
Slales from Scotland, about 1773. He spent his early youth in the
locality of his birth, and was there married to Mary Mcintosh, whose
natal day occurred in Scotland in the year 1775. and who came to
the United States with her parents when she was but six years old.
Mary Mcintosh McKinnon had two brothers. Daniel and Murdoch.
Daniel had three children, John Anderson. Roderick, and Margaret
Mcl.oed. The offspring of Murdoch were John. Caroline, Benjamin,



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 931

Daniel, Mary and Charlotte. John McKinnon had two brothers, Hec-
tor and Kenneth, who passed their lives in Robeson county, North/
Carolina, and whose descendants still live in the turpentine and lumber
district of that state.

After his marriage, John McKinnon left the community where he had
been born, and migrated to Montgomery county. Georgia, in which local-
ity he was a pioneer. He resided there as a farmer and stock raiser
until about 1830, in which year he moved to Thomas county, settling
about six miles east of Thomasville, on timbered laud. He was quite
a large slave holder, and used slave labor in clearing his new prop-
erty, and engaging in farming and stock raising. He died five years
after coming to Thomas county, in the spring of 1835, of measles. He
had been raised in the faith of the Presbyterian church, but on coming
to Thomas county, where there was no church of his denomination,
he had united with the Methodist congregation, and in that church
he died. A pious, God-fearing man all his life, it is said that almost
with his dying breath he repeated snatches of the old hymn, com-
mencing,

"Jesus, and shall it ever be, a mortal man ashamed of Thee."

And so passed to his eternal reward with his Master's name upon
his lips.

After her husband had been laid away in the plot of ground which
he had set aside for the family cemetery, the cares of a large family
of children, and of the farm as well, devolved upon Mary Mcintosh
McKinnon. She did her duty well, managing the business of the farm
so efficiently that when her children reached the age of maturity, she
was able to start each one out in life with a plot of ground and two or
three slaves. She fell asleep in the year 1857, after a life devoted to all
that is loveliest and best in Christian womanhood.

John and Mary Mcintosh McKinnon had twelve children, many of
whose descendants are now honored and prosperous citizens of southern
Georgia. They were Malcolm, who was born in the year 1799, and
married Margaret McArthur; Roderick, whose natal day occurred in
the year 1801, and who died unmarried ; Neil, whose birth took place
in 1803, and who married Sarah Rains Mitchell ; Elizabeth, born in
1805, who became the wife of Thomas Pugh ; John, born in 1807, whose
wife was Mary Louise Jordan ; Nancy, who married Murdoch McKin-
non; Kenneth, husband of Ann McRae: Daniel, who died as a young
man ; Margaret, who became Mrs. Malcolm McKinnon ; Murdoch, whose
wife was Mary Ann McArthur ; Mcintosh, who married Margaret
McArthur, sister to Mary Ann, and niece of the Margaret McArthur
who married Malcolm McKinnon ; Mary, who became the wife of Alex-
ander McRae, the brother of Ann McRae.

The father of the subject of this history, Kenneth McKinnon, was
born in Montgomery county. Georgia, July 14, 1814. He accompanied
the family to Thomas county, and after his father's death continued
to live with his mother on the old homestead until his marriage, when
he settled on a tract of land in what is now the Way district of Thomas
county. There he engaged in general farming and stock raising. In
1861, when the AVar of the Rebellion broke out, he joined the Georgia
Reserves, and served until honorably discharged on account of physical
disability. He was not the only one of John McKinnon 's descendants to
take part in the great straggle. At the very beginning of *the conflict
between the states, twenty grandsons of John McKinnon gave their
lives in the aid of the Confederate cause, and later, two more grandsons
died in the service of the stars and bars. Seven of these young men
were unmarried, but the rest left wives to mourn them.

Vol. II— 2 G



932 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

When the war was over, Kenneth McKinnon continued farming on
his old farm, and remained there until his death, which occurred in
the year 1882. His wife survived him by nearly twenty years, departing
this life on the twenty-eighth of May, 1900. Mrs. Kenneth McKinnon,
who was Ann McRae before her marriage, was born in Telfair county,
Georgia, April 10, 1819. Her parents, Philip and Elizabeth McRae,
w'ere natives of Scotland, and pioneers of the county in which Mrs.
McKinnon was born. Ann McRae McKinnon bore her husband seven
children, by name, Mary, Isabelle, Philip, Margaret, William D., Alex-
ander J., and Julia F.

Alexander J. McKinnon was born on the farm where he now makes
his home on March 4, 1857. He attended the schools of the
neighborhood, and resided with his parents until he gradually succeeded
into the active management of the property, after which they made
their home with him. He has continued to farm the home tract of
eight hundred acres, but, as his prosperity has increased, he has added
to it from time to time until he now possesses about twelve hundred
acres.

Mr. McKinnon was married on May 8, 1882, to Mattie Dukes, the
daughter of John W. and Wealthea (Peacock) Dukes. Six children
are the issue of this marriage, namely, Frank L.. Clara May, Wealthea
Elizabeth, Lucy Alexander, George Remer, and Howell Edward.

Mr. McKinnon shares the dominant characteristics of the McKinnon
family, and is a quiet, law-abiding citizen of his community. He and
his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and are
valued workers in the congregation.

William Ridgely Leaken. Distinguished not only for the high
position which he has attained in legal circles and in public life, but for
the honored ancestry from which he traces his descent. William Ridgely
Leaken is widely known as collector of customs for the port of Savannah,
and as special assistant attorney general of the United States. A son of
Rev. George Armistead Leaken, he was born, February 13, 1859, in
Baltimore, Maryland. Of Irish and English lineage, he' comes of good
old colonial stock, his great-grandfathers on both sides of the family
having served in the colonial wars. One of them, Theodore Middleton,
his mother's grandfather, having raised and equipped at his own ex-
pense two companies of soldiers, after which he served as lieutenant
of Maryland troops in the Continental army, under Gen. Mountjoy
Bailey.

Rev. George Armistead Leaken was named for Gen. George
Armistead of Maryland, with whom his father, Gen. Sheppard
Church Leaken, of Maryland, an officer in the War of 1812, was asso-
ciated in the engagement at Fort MeHenry, both having command of
troops at the bombardment of that fort. He was born in Baltimore. Mary-
land, in 1818, and died July 10, 1912. Educated in Princeton College,
he entered the priesthood of the Episcopal church in early manhood,
and for half a century was rector of Trinity church in his native city.
This long continuous period of useful activity, in the intimate relation
naturally existing between pastor and parishioner, made him a greatly
loved and revered character in Baltimore. Dr. Leaken is an author of
several valuable books of a scientific and religious nature, one of which,
'The Law of Periodicity," is known the world over. His wife, whose
maiden name was Anna Maria Middleton, died several years ago.

Acquiring Ins rudimentary education in the schools of Baltimore,
William Ridgely Leaken entered Trinity College, in Hartford, Connec-
ticut, in 1876, and was there graduated in July. 18S0. with the degree of



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 933

Bachelor of Arts, his alma mater subsequently conferring upon him the
degree of Master of Arts. Removing soon after his graduation to Albany,/
Georgia, Mr. Leaken was there engaged in tutoring for two years, in
the meantime taking up the study of law. Coming to Savannah in the
autumn of 1882, he completed his legal studies in the office of Chisholm
& Erwin, in 1883 being admitted to the bar. In 1885 he was admitted
to practice in the United States courts of Georgia, and in 1897 to the
supreme court of the United States. Prom 1883 until 1890 Mr. Leaken
was associated with the firm of Chisholm & Erwin, but since that time has
continued his practice alone.

Mr. Leaken 's talents, skill and efficiency as a lawyer have received
wide recognition, particularly in official circles. In 1897 he was ap-
pointed assistant district attorney for the southern district of Georgia,
in which capacity he rendered satisfactory service for seven years. In
1904 he was made special assistant attorney general of the United States,
a position that he is still filling most acceptably. On July 9, 1909, Mr.
Leaken was appointed by President Taft collector of customs for the
port of Savannah, and immediately entered upon the important and
responsible duties of the position, which he still holds. His able ad-
ministration of this post is greatly appreciated by the commercial and
shipping interests of Savannah, which are constantly increasing in mag-
nitude and value, while the city's status as the principal port of entry
on the south Atlantic seaboard is each year being advanced with the
continued development of the South.

In 1898, at the beginning of the Spanish-American war, Mr. Leaken
enlisted as a private in the Second Georgia Regiment, United States
Volunteers, and was subsequently promoted to second lieutenant of
his company. He is now an honorary member, for service, of the Savan-
nah Volunteer Guards, and formerly he was judge advocate of the Pirst
Battalion of Infantry, National Guard of Georgia.

Prominent in political life, Mr. Leaken was a delegate to the na-
tional Republican convention of 1900, and in 1897 was a Republican
presidential elector from Georgia. He is identified with various patri-
otic, social and fraternal organizations, and does much to promote their
good. He is a charter member, and former historian, of the Georgia
Society of the Sons of the Revolution ; governor of the Georgia Society
of Colonial Wars ; a member of the Oglethorpe Club ; of the Savannah
Board of Trade ; of the Hibernian society ; of the Ancient Free and Ac-
cepted Order of Masons, he is a Knights Templar, and a member of the
Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Religiously he is
affiliated with Christ church, Episcopal, and is president of the choir
guild.

Mr. Leaken has acquired note as an author, a series of romances from
his facile pen having been published from time to time in the Savannah
Morning News, the series including "The Romance of Oglethorpe and
His Birth;" "The Romance of Salzburg and Ebenezer;" "The Romance
of the Shamrock and the Lily," accounting for the presence of Irish
regiments as assistants in the American cause at the siege of Savan-
nah ; and of other interesting stories.

At Savannah, in 1894, Mr. Leaken married Ruth, daughter of Maj.
James T. Stewart, of Savannah. She was and is an ai-complished
leader of Savannah social set and engaged largely in charitable and
literary work in the various organizations of her native city.

David Fleming Chapman. A resident of Brooks county whose career
of usefulness has extended through many years is David Fleming Chap-
man, now living in Barwick village. At the beginning of his career he



934 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

was a soldier of the Confederacy, has served more than forty years as
a justice of the peace and for shorter periods in other office of honor and
trust, and has spent many profitahle years in farming or in business.

Mr. Chapman was horn in Liherty county, Georgia, April 5. 1840.
and represents one of the oldest families of this state. Of the original
stocks that settled in Georgia during the colonial period, the Scotch-
Irish contributed many fine qualities of industry and civic ability, and
it was to this racial. stock that the Chapmans belonged. Mr. Chapman's
great-grandfather was born in the north of Ireland, where the Scotch-
Irish originated, and was one of seven sons. The oldest got the ances-
tral estate and all the other six emigrated to America, two settling in
New York and the others in the Carolinas and Georgia. The great-
grandfather located in Mcintosh county, Georgia, and from there volun-
teered his service to the forces fighting for the cause of independence,
and lost his life in a battle that occurred two miles from Savannah. He
was twice married, having three sons by his first wife, and by his sec-
ond had one, named Francis, who was an infant when his father was
killed in battle.

Francis Chapman, the grandfather, was born in Mcintosh county,
and after reaching manhood's estate became one of the pioneer settlers of
Liberty county, where he secured a large tract of land and was en-
gaged in farming and stock raising until his death which occurred when
he was seventy-two years of age. He kept a number of slaves and was
one of the prosperous planters of his time. He married Mary Leigh,
who was born in Tattnall county and who died in Liberty count}' aged
eighty-six. She had ten children, all of whom grew up, and their names
were Keziah, John, Mary, Jemima, Emily, Nancy, James. Nathaniel,
Sheldon and Rosina. The descendants of Francis and Mary (Leigh)
Chapman are now scattered through various localities of Georgia and
elsewhere. They formerly held occasional reunions.

John Chapman, one of the children of Francis and Mary Chapman,
was born in Liberty county, April 15, 1810, and was reared on the home
farm in that county. He possessed a genius for mechanics, and with his
own hands fabricated many of the tools used on his farm, and did all his
own blacksmithing. He took up state land and also bought large quan-
tities until at one time he was the owner of upward of six thousand acres.
AA 7 ith the aid of his slaves he carried on general farming and stock rais-
ing on an extensive scale. He was eighty-six years old when he died.
The maiden name of his wife was Elizabeth Delk, who was born in
Liberty county and died at the age of seventy-five. Her father. David
Delk, a native of Scotland, came to America and at the age of fourteen
enlisted in the continental army as a drummer boy, serving seven years
in the struggle for American independence. Among other campaigns he
was present at the siege of Quebec. John Chapman and wife reared
thirteen of their fifteen children, named as follows: Martha. Francis.
John, Samuel N., Thomas J., Mary, Columbus. Elizabeth. Sheldon W.,
Ferdinand, Ann Eliza, Clifford. Talnlah and David F.

Reared and educated in his native county. David F. Chapman be-
gan his career by teaching school for three terms. He had barely at-
tained his majority when the war broke out, and on the 14th of August.
1861, he enlisted in Company 1 of the Twenty-fifth Georgia Infantry.
He served in the const defense of this state until honorably discharged
on account of ill health. Returning home he was for some time station
agent and express agent and also postmaster at Ludowici station in
Liberty comity. In 1866, having resigned from these positions, he
moved to Brooks county and went into the merchandise business with
his Eather-in-law and later by himself at Okapilco. He held the office



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 935

of postmaster there for the long period of twenty-four years, and during
that time was also engaged in farming. His residence at Okapilco eon-/
tinned until 3 906, in which year he moved to Barwick, his present home.
In 1868 Mr. Chapman was elected a justice of the peace. During a few
months' residence in Quitman he had resigned this position, but with
that brief exception has served continuously as a justice for the past
forty-four years. In 1900 and 1910 he was census enumerator for his
district, and has taken the census for three decades, having been sub-
stitute enumerator in 1890. He is a Democrat in politics and has
long been one of the influential citizens of his community. He and his
wife are members of the Primitive Baptist church, with which he has
been identified for a period of thirty-seven years.

Mr. Chapman married in 1866 Martha Frances Wade. She was
born in Dooly county, Georgia, and her parents, Judge Elijah and
Elizabeth (Reddick) Wade, who were natives of Screven county, moved
from Dooly county to what is now Brooks county in 1854, settling on a
farm in Dry Lake district, where they spent the rest of their lives. After
the death of Mrs. Chapman's mother, her father married for his second
wife Mrs. Mary Peacock, widow of Dr. Peacock. Mrs. Chapman 's broth-
ers and sisters were named as follows : Mary, Lucy, Philip, Mitchel,
Wesly Beaureguard, and her children named : Cornelia, John W.,
Mary J., David S., James E., William Francis, Samuel N., Henry V. and
Anna C. All are married with the exception of two sons, and all are
doing well.

Hon. Mercer Lafayette Ledford. One of the ablest attorneys and
most prominent men in public affairs in Grady county, is the honorable
Mercer Lafayette Ledford, who has been a resident of Cairo since the
organization of Grady county, and who has for many years enjoyed suc-
cess as a lawyer and numerous distinctions in political life.

Mercer Lafayette Ledford was born on a farm in Union county,
Georgia, September 24, 1865. His father was Silas Ledford, born near
Asheville, in Buncombe county, North Carolina, October 22, 1821. The
grandfather was Benjamin Ledford, born in the same county of North
Carolina, and a son of John Ledford, a native and life-long resident of
North Carolina, and said to have been a soldier in the Revolutionary
war. Grandfather Benjamin Ledford owned and occupied a farm upon
which the town of Candler has since been built. In 1839 he immigrated
to Georgia, coming overland with teams and wagons, and bringing his
household goods, and his livestock. He located in Union county, buy-
ing land on Ivy Log creek, six miles northwest of Blairsville. There he
built a log house in the woods, and at once began the heavy toil con-
nected with creating a homestead of the wilderness. He resided on that
estate until his death at the age of ninety-three years. He married a
Miss Owensby, who was born in Buncome county, North Carolina, and
her father, Porter Owensby, married a Miss Morgan. The grandmother
died at the age of sixty-five, and Grandfather Ledford married again
when he was sixty-eight years of age, Mrs. Salina (Chapman) Miller,
becoming his second wife. She bore him three children, whose names
were Solomon, Mary and Willie. By the first marriage the five children
were Silas. Martha. Porter, Amy and Benjamin. The sons all gave ser-
vice to the Confederacy during the war.

Silas Ledford, the father, was educated in the rural schools of Bun-
combe county, North Carolina, and on beginning his career his father
gave him a tract of timbered land near his own home. On that he built
a log house, and that was the home of his family for some years. Silas
Ledford served the Confederate army for a time during the last year



936 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

of the war. He finally sold his first homestead and bought a place a
mile and a half east of Blairsville, which continued to be his home until
his death in 1891. Silas Ledford married Eliza Arminda Bowling. She
was born in Union county, Georgia, in Februai-y, 1837, and her father,
Thomas Bowling, Mas born near Greenville in South Carolina. Thomas
Bowling in 1833 settled in Union county, Georgia, buying land a mile
and a half east of Blairsville, and clearing a farm which Mercer L.
Ledford now owns. Thomas Bowling took a very active part in the
early affairs of Union county, and assisted in clearing the land for the
courthouse and in cutting and hewing the logs for the first building. He
was also distinguished as one of the first sheriffs of Union county.
After the death of his first wife he married the second time and moved
to Fulton county, where he spent his last years. The maiden name of the
first wife was Mary McDonald, and her children were Lewis, Gabriel,
Elmira, Elliott, Jackson, Van Buren, Eliza, Arminda, Evlyn and Martha.
The two older sons served in the Mexican war, and both died in service at
Vera Cruz. Mrs. Silas Ledford died on January 2, 1897, and her eight
children were Andrew J., Jane, John S., Alice, Mercer Lafayette, Ida,
Virgil C, and Sarah Isabelle.

Mercer L. Ledford first attended school in Blairsville and subse-
quently was a student in the Ivy Log high school, whose principal was
at that time Professor M. L. Mauney. When seventeen years of age he
was licensed as a teacher, and his first school was at Ebenezer Church,
the school house being situated on land where his father had first located.
He subsequently taught in Gwinett county and there took up the study
of law with Julian & McDonald. Mr. Ledford was admitted to the bar
in 1892 and practised for some time in Lawreneeville, moving from
there to Blairsville. His first case in Union county was at Ebenezer
Church, where he had taught school a number of years ago, and where
his father first settled. He was engaged in practice at Blairsville until
1905, and then upon the organization of Grady county he located at
Cairo and has enjoyed a large practice in this new county.

In 1897 Mr. Ledford married Florence Iowa Christopher. She was
born in Union county, a daughter of John A. and Sarah (Martin)
Christopher, her parents being natives of North Carolina and South
Carolina respectively. Mrs. Ledford received her education at Blairs-
ville and in the Baptist school in Hiawassee. She was a well educated
woman and taught school for some time before her marriage. The four
children of Mr. and Mrs. Ledford are Sarah. Ina, Curtis and Louisa.

Mr. Ledford 's public services have been numerous. He served as a
member of the board of education in Union county, and was also a county
school commissioner. In 1902 he was elected to the office of state sen-
ator from Union county, and served during 1902-3-4. As senator he
served on the committee on special and general judiciary, and the com-
mittee on finance, chairman on the committee of education, and also
was a member of the committee on mines and mining and on public
printing. He was influential in the passage of the franchise tax bill,
a bill which imposed a tax upon the franchises of public utility corpora-
tions in this state. He was also author of the bill regulating the sale of
domestic wines. For seven years Mr. Ledford served as county attor-
ney of Grady county, and for two and one-half years as president of
the county board of education, and was a prominent member of the Demo-
cratic party, has been on the congressional district executive committee
and also the state executive committee. In 1904 be was a presidental
elector from the ninth congressional district. Fraternally Mr. Ledford
is past master of Allegheny lodge. A. F. & A. M.. at Blairsville. and is
now a member of Cairo lodge. No. 299. A. F. & A. M. He is also affili-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 937

ated with the Cairo lodge of Odd Fellows, the Woodmen of the World
and the Knights of Pythias. He and his wife are both members of the
Missionary Baptist church and he has served as moderator of the Bap-
tist Association.

Philip Newbern, now serving his second term as mayor of the city
of Ocilla, Georgia, is a native of the state, his birth occurring in Brox-
ton, Coffee county, on October 2, 1880. He is the son of Lawrence and
Elizabeth (Douglas) Newbern, both natives of Coffee county. The
mother was a daughter of Robert Douglas, and the town of Douglas, in
Coffee county, was named for that gentleman. The early education of
Philip Newbern was received in the public schools of Broxton, and when
he had completed the curriculum of the high school of that place he
entered the state normal at Athens in the autumn of 1899. Later he
attended the Southern Normal Institute of Douglas and was graduated
from that institution in 1902, after which he was engaged as a teacher
in the school for a term of two years. In June, 1904, he resigned and
became a candidate for election to the office of clerk of the superior
court, but was defeated. He then taught school for one season in 1905
and in the autumn of that year entered Mercer Law School at Macon,
Georgia, from which school he was graduated in June, 1906, and im-
mediately thereafter admitted to the bar. He located in Broxton where
he began the practice of his profession, remaining there until 1907,
moving in that year to Ocilla, where he has since continued to live, and
where he has conducted an ever growing practice, winning a prominence
-in his profession and as mayor of the city, holding the esteem of all who
come within his influence.

On June 28, 1903, Mr. Newbern was united in marriage with Abbie
Meeks, the daughter of Malcolm Meeks. One child was born of their
union, a daughter named Ineva, born August 23, 1906. Mr. Newbern
married a second time, Mrs. Margaret Brooker becoming his wife, a
daughter of T. J. Tanner of McDonald, Coffee county, Georgia. They
have one daughter, Varnelle, born on February 7, 1909.

Mr. Newbern is one of a family of ten, all living, as follows : Aleph,
wife of H. V. Johnson of Broxton, a printer by trade, now engaged as
a traveling salesman. J. Wesley, a minister, located in AVashington,
D. C. Laura, the wife of J. H. Long of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Bessie,
the wife of Henry Parks, Inverness, Florida, where he is engaged as an
engineer. J. L., a teacher in the schools of Brooklet, Georgia. D. F.,
living in Florida, where he is employed at the Phosphate mines. Maybel,
Emma and Cloyce, at home with the mother.

In addition to his other interests, Mr. Newbern is occupied to some
extent in farming, and is quite a successful man in that as well as in
his legal work. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Both
he and his wife are of Irish parentage.

W. L. Pierce Clower. Prominent among the energetic, wide-awake
young men who are so ably conducting the agricultural interests of
Brooks county is W. L. Pierce Clower, who resides with his widowed
mother in the Morven district. He was born at Rays Mill, in Berrien
county, Georgia, on January 22, 1880, and is a descendant in the fourth
generation from Daniel Clower, who was born in Germany, July 18,
1762, immigrated to America as a youth, and fought with the colonists
in their struggle for independence.

Daniel P. Clower, the next in line of descent, was born on May 13,
1805, and died on his farm in Gwinnett county, Georgia, while yet in
manhood's prime. He married Parthene Brandon, a daughter of Wil-



938 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

liam Brandon. She too died in early life, leaving four children as
follows: John Thomas, father of the subject of this review; William
P. ; Mary Elizabeth ; and Nancy J. Very young when their parents
died, all of these children spent their early youth with an uncle. Joseph
Brandon.

John Thomas Glower, M. D., the eldest child of the household, was
horn in Gwinnett county, in Georgia, May 13, 1830. He availed him-
self of every opportunity afforded him for the acquiring of an education
while young, and subsequently went to Bartow county, Georgia, as an
overseer on the plantation of his uncle, Thomas Brandon. Then, after
working at the carpenter trade for a short time, he entered the Atlanta
Medical College, from which he was graduated just as the war between
the states was declared. Immediately enlisting as a soldier, he was
made second lieutenant of his company, which was attached to Major
Laden 's Battalion, in the Ninth Georgia Regiment, and with his com-
mand joined the Western army. Later Dr. Glower was appointed
surgeon, and was with the army in its many compaigns and battles until
the last of the conflict.

Locating in Gwinnett county when he returned to Georgia, Dr.
Clower was there engaged in the practice of medicine until 1870. The
next seventeen years he practiced at RaVs Mills, Berrien county, Georgia,
from there coming to Brooks county in 1887. Buying a plantation in
the Morven district, he carried on farming in connection with his pro-
fessional work, becoming noted both as an agriculturist, and as a
phvsician of skill and ability, and continuing- thus until his death, March
12," 1893.

Dr. Clower married in January, J 869, Delusky Ann Brogdon. who
was born in Gwinnett county, Georgia, on March 7, 1819, a daughter of
Hope J. Brogdon. Her grandfather, George Brogdon, was born, it is
supposed, in one of the Carolinas. Coming to Georgia at an early
period of its settlement, he located first in Jackson county, from there
going to Gwinnett county, where he took up land and from the virgin
wilderness hewed a farm. Both he and his wife possessed the true
pioneer grit and courage, and thrift indoors and out brought success to
them. They started their wedded life without means, and by dint of
persevering labor acquired sufficient property to be called rich in those
times. Both he and his wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Jackson,
lived long and happy lives. George Brogdon reared eight children as
follows : Wiley, George, William. Noah, Charity, Faith, Hope J. and
Sarah. He gave each of his children a tract of land.

Locating on the land presented to him by his father, Hope J. Brogdon
erected a typical pioneer log cabin for his first home, and immediately
began clearing a farm. There being no railways in those early days,
he marketed his produce at Augusta, one hundred miles away, on the
homeward trip bringing the needed supplies, including salt, molasses
and iron for use in the making of farm implements. His wife, who for
many years after her marriage cooked by the fireplace, became the
proud possessor of one of the first stoves carried into Gwinnett county.
Well versed in the domestic arts, she used to card, spin and weave cloth
for the garments in which she clothed her family. He died on the farm
he had improved, at the age of sixty-nine years, being survived by his
wife, wlio reached the age of about seventy years. The maiden name
of the wife of Hope Brogdon was Emily Bogan. Her lather. Shadrach
Bogan, removed from Augusta. Georgia, to Gwinnett county, becoming
a pioneer of Lawrenceville, where he was wont to trade with the Indians,
lie huilt the lirst grist mill in that comity, and also the first gin.
Prominent in public affairs, he served Tor one or more terms as counsellor



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 939

general of the state. Late in life he moved to Alabama, and his last days
were spent at Cedar Bluff. Mr. Bogan married Ann Fee. Her father,,
Captain Fee, a native of England, sailed the seas as captain of a vessel.
He brought his family to Georgia, locating in Augusta, and soon after
started on an ocean voyage, but neither he nor his ship nor his crew
were ever heard from again. Mrs. Hope J. Brogdon lived a few years
after the death of her husband. She was the mother of thirteen chil-
dren, as follows: Caroline, Frances, Mary, Elizabeth, George, Daniel,
Noah, William, Wiley, Delusky Ann, Jackson, Emery and John.

Dr. Glower was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church
South, to which Mrs. Clower also belongs, and for a number of years
served as a member of the county school board. Mrs. Clower has never
forgotten the art of spinning and weaving which she learned as a girl,
but occasionally gets out her wheel and spins the yarn which she later
knits into stockings. The doctor and Mrs. Clower reared three sons,
namely : John P., R. Jackson and W. L. Pierce Clower.

John P. Clower, of Moultrie, Georgia, is employed as a bookkeeper
by one of the leading firms of that place. He has been twice married.
His first wife, whose maiden name was Fannie Lou Edmondson, died in
early womanhood, leaving two children, Bamma and Warren Candler.
He married for his second wife Mamie Pruitt, and to them two children
have been born. Young and Lovic.

R. Jackson Clower, M. D., a practicing physician in Mowen, married
AVillie Brice and they are the parents of three children, named Mary
Thomas. Emily Jackson and Tim Brice.

W. L. Pierce Glower, the immediate subject of this biographical
sketch, resides with his mother on the old homestead, where he is carry-
ing on general farming with excellent results.

Charles Scriven Jones. Showing marked ability and enterprise in
the management of his agricultural interests, Charles Scriven Jones
occupies a noteworthy position among the leading farmers of Brooks
county, his large estate, which is located in the Dixie district, being well
improved, and furnished with an excellent group of farm buildings, and
all of the latest approved kinds of machinery for carrying on his work
successfully. A son of Andrew Jackson Jones, he was born, March 13.
1866, in Brooks county.

His great-grandfather, Abraham Jones, was born and reared in
Wales. Crossing the Atlantic in his search for fortune, he lived for a
few years in Virginia. Coming from there to Georgia, he purchased
wild land in Putnam county, and on the farm which he cleared and
improved both he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives.

James A. Jones, grandfather of Charles Scriven Jones, was a natural
mechanic, and as a young man learned carpentering and cabinet making,
becoming well skilled in each. For many years he followed these ti'ades
successfully, his home being in Putnam county, about seven miles north
of Eatonton, where his death occurred while yet in the prime of life.
His wife, whose maiden name was Nancy Banks, spent her entire eighty-
three years of life in Putnam county, living with her children during
her later days. In her girlhood she became well versed in the domestic
arts and sciences, learning to card, spin and weave, and to cook by the
open fireplace. After her marriage she did her full share of the pioneer
labor devolving upon the mistress of a household, clothing her family
in garments fashioned by her own hand from the homespun material
which she had herself manufactured with the wheel and the loom. It is
needless to say that she must have had very few leisure minutes while
cooking and earing for her husband and eight children.



940 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

i

Born in Putnam county, Georgia, December 27, 1836. Andrew Jack-
son Jones was reared amid pioneer scenes, when people lived in a very
primitive manner, with few modern conveniences. Travelling was
mostly performed on horseback, by private conveyance, or by stage,
railways being nowhere in evidence, while wild beasts and game of all
kinds was abundant. But ten years old when his father died, he spent
the next eight years at the home of a relative, where he was well drilled
in the various branches of agriculture. Coming from there to Brooks
county, he was plantation overseer until the breaking out of the Civil
war, when he enlisted in the "Brooks Rifles," a company which was sent
to Virginia to join the army of North Virginia. He continued with his
command, taking part in its various marches, campaigns and battles,
serving under Generals Joseph M. Johnston, Magruder and Longstreet.
When the end came he was with other of his comrades on detached duty,
striving to keep the cattle away from the Federals. Finding that he
and his associates were nearly surrounded, with no chance of further
saving the cattle, and not wanting to surrender, he started on foot for
Georgia, and was fortunate to secure a ride a part of the way. At
Macon, he and his companions met an officer of the Confederate army
who told them that it was useless to continue their flight, and advised
them to surrender, advice which they heeded. Returning to his old
home, Andrew J. Jones resumed farming on rented land. A short time
later he bought a tract of land in Dixie precinct, and was there success-
fully employed as a tiller of the soil for many years. He is now living
retired from active pursuits, making his home with his son Charles. At
the age of twenty-one years he married Catherine Norwood, who was
born in Houston county, a daughter of Theodore and Hannah (Hicks)
Norwood, who settled in that county in pioneer days, but later removed
to Brooks county, where they spent their later years. She passed to
the higher life in June, 1909, leaving five children, as follows : Mary
Frances, James Jackson, Charles Scriven, Theodosia C, and Ada
Virginia. Both parents united with the Missionary Baptist church
when young, and were most faithful and valued members.

Gaining his early education in the district schools of Brooks county,
Charles Scriven Jones worked on the home farm until becoming of age.
Entering then the employ of the S., F. & W. Railroad Company, now
the Atlantic Coast Line, he continued in its roadway depai"tment until
1892. Resigning his position in that year, Mr. Jones embarked in fann-
ing and in mercantile pursuits, and in his undertakings has met with
signal success. He now owns four hundred and fifty acres of land,
which includes the old homestead on which he was born and brought
up. He has made improvements of value on his property, including
the erection of a substantial set of buildings, his estate now ranking as
one of the most desirable in the vicinity.

Mr. Jones married, in 1889, Lula E. Ward, who was born in Brooks
county, a daughter of William H. and Lurana ( Albrittou 1 ) Ward. Eight
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Jones, namely: Wesley Foy,
Charles Hunter, Riva Annette, Lula Eunice. Bernice, Carl Leon. Nellie
Ray, and Sam Scriven. Mr. and Mrs. Jones, true to the religious faith
in which they were reared, are members of the Missionary Baptist
church. Fraternally Mr. Jones belongs to Mount Horeb Lodge. Free
and Accepted Masons.

.1 SlMES Fame, Jr. One of the oldest and most prominent men in the
naval stores industry a1 Savannah, Mr. Farie has for more than a cpiarter
of a century been a resident of this city ami engaged in the exportation
of turpentine and rosin. During his early career he had experience in



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 941

the same business in England, and on first coming to this country was
representative of an English house dealing in naval stores. Both the/
business career and the family record of Mr. Farie have a proper place
in the history of Savannah.

James Farie, Jr., was born on the twenty-seventh of July, 1857, at
Bridge of Allan, county of Perth, Scotland, his birthplace being a well
known resort in Scotland and quite famous for its curative waters.
His parents, James and Agnes (Liddell) Farie, of Glasgow, Scotland,
and later of London, England, are both deceased. James Farie, Sr., was
originally engaged in the pottery business near Greenock, Scotland ;
later, he was interested in the manufacture of shale oil near Edinburgh.
After the discovery of petroleum in America, he gave up this business
and removed to London. In his tastes and inclinations he was more of
a scientist than a business man, and he devoted considerable time to
original research, particularly in geology. He was a prominent member
of and honorary secretary for some time of the Geological Society of
Glasgow, Scotland, which city was his home for many years. He was
a juror on awards in Class C in the Glasgow Exposition of 1865-66.
After his removal to London, England, he became a member of the
Geological Society of that city, and took an active interest in various
scientific subjects. The Farie family of Scotland is related to a number
of well known families of that country, among them the Reids, Hamil-
tons, Adamses and Liddells.

James Farie, Jr., received his education in the schools of Glasgow,
Edinburgh and London, and entered commercial life in the last named
city. In 1881 he came to America and took up his residence at Wil-
mington, North Carolina, where he was a representative of English in-
terests which were large distributors of turpentine in the United King-
dom and the continent of Europe. He remained at Wilmington two
years, following which he was in Charleston, South Carolina, with the
same business connections for nearly four years and in 1886 he came
to Savannah. Since that date this city has been his home, and during
this time he has devoted his attention to the turpentine and rosin busi-
ness, thus having gained the distinction of being one of the oldest and
most successful exporters of these products in Savannah.

On settling in Savannah he actively assisted in the reorganization of
the Young Men's Christian Association in this city and for many years
was chairman of the finance committee and treasurer and one of the
board of directors and also for several years vice president of the asso-
ciation. He is also a member of the Savannah Baptist church, and
served on the board of deacons of that church for many years and also
for several years as honorary secretary of the board. Mr. Farie has
been a member of the Savannah Board of Trade since 1886 and has
given many continuous years of service as one of the board of directors
of that corporation, having rendered valuable assistance throughout
this period on several of its most important committees in connection
with the naval stores ti'ade interests. During the earlier years of the
naval stores business in Savannah when the rosin and turpentine were
exported in sail tonnage, he chartered a large number of sailing vessels
each season to move these products to the various markets in the United
Kingdom and the continent of Europe and in this way materially as-
sisted in building up Savannah as the leading port for the exportation
of naval stores.

Mr. Farie in 1892 was married to Miss Mary Harris Turner, daughter
of Dr. John D. and Elmira C. (Weaver-Adams) Turner, of Atlanta,
Georgia. Dr. Turner was one of the pioneers in the upbuilding of At-
lanta, and at the time of his death he was president of the Exposition



942 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Cotton M ills of that city. An interesting fact is that Mrs. Farie, through
her father, is descended in direct line from Rev. William Turner, who
was bora in Scotland, not far from the home of Mr. Farie 's ancestors,
in Aberdeenshire in the year 1645. He married Mary McLemore, who
was born in the same shire m 1650. On account of the persecution of the
covenanters, he fled from Scotland with his young bride and settled in
the north of Ireland. Persecution followed him, and he with his co-
believers, who composed quite a colony, came to America in 1680, and
settled in Worcester county, Maryland, not far from Snow Hill. His
descendant, Zadoc Turner, who was the ancestor of Dr. Turner of At-
lanta, immigrated with his family in 1793 to the state of Georgia. They
left Chesapeake Bay on a sailing vessel, and after a rough and stormy
voyage were driven by strong winds to the West Indian Islands, and
finally landed in Savannah. One of Zadoc Turner's daughters died on
the voyage, and would have been buried at sea but for the strong objec-
tions made by her brothers. Instead, her body was placed in a cedar
chest and preserved until the vessel reached Savannah, where she was
buried in the colonial cemetery. From Savannah the Turner family
took boats on the Savannah river for Augusta, whence they crossed the
country and settled in Hancock county east of the Oconee river soon
after the Indians had been removed to the west. They settled at Mount
Zion and took up land and cleared it and began planting. They were
pioneers of that section of the state.

Zadoc Turner was a strong character. He was a soldier in the
Continental army of the Revolutionary war, belonging to the Second
Maryland Regiment, and took part in the battles of Brandywine and
Trenton, and in the compaigns around New York and Philadelphia.
He was also at A r alley Forge, and with the Continental army until the
surrender of the British at Yorktown. Zadoc Turner died in 1820.

Mr. and Mrs. Farie are the parents of two children : Cynthia Farie,
born in 1895, and James Gilbert Farie, born in 1898.

Hon. Patrick Henry Herring. A former representative of Decatur
county in the state legislature and a well-known citizen and business
man of Cairo, Mr. Herring has had a long and honored career in this
section of Georgia, and belongs to a family which did pioneer work in
the development of this section of the state.

Patrick Henry Herring was born on a farm near Calvary, in Decatur
county, June 5, 1845. His father was Hanson William Herring, born
in Sampson county, North Carolina, in 1808. and the grandfather was
Jackson Herring, also a native of North Carolina, and so far as known
a life long resident of that state. Hanson William Herring was reared
and married in his native state, and then in 1836. soon after his mar-
riage, migrated 1o Georgia, making the journey aci'oss the country with
teams and wagons and bringing his household goods, slaves and other
possessions. He settled in the south part of Decatur county and bought
a tract of land in the woods. He hewed out the timbers and constructed
a double pen log house, a structure in which Patrick Henry Herring
was born. The father directed his oavii labors and those of his slaves
and dependents in clearing up the woods and brush from a large estate,
;ui(l was engaged as a prosperous planter and farmer until his death
in 1SS0, at the age of seventy-two years. The maiden name of his wife
was Amy Caroline Anders, who was born in Bladen county. North
Carolina, and who lived until 1891. being also seventy-two years of age
at her death. The eleven children in the family were named Thomas
YW. Mary ('.. Julia, Anne E.. Patrick Henry. Miles C. John A.,
Margaret, Counsel, Joe and Amelia.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 943

Patrick Henry Herring grew up in Decatur county, attended the
rural schools and the Calvary high school, and as a youth assisted in all
the labors of the plantation. In 1863 when he was eighteen years of age
he enlisted in the Confederate service and was stationed at St. Marks.
He remained in the army until the close of the war and then returned
home and assisted his parents until he was twenty-three years of age.
At that time his father gave him a plantation situated two miles from
the old homestead, and he turned his attention to its cultivation, and
occupied his time until 1906. In that year he moved into Cairo, 'where
he has since lived largely retired from strenuous activities, and enjoying
the well earned competence of his early career. '

Mr. Herring was married September 24, 1868, to Margaret Ann
Maxwell. Mrs. Herring was born on a plantation in the southeastern
part of Decatur county, a daughter of James G. Maxwell, who was born
in Sampson county. North Carolina. He was reared and married in
his native state and with bis young bride came overland to Georgia.
His location was in the southeastern part of Decatur county and in the
wilderness which existed at that time he built a log house in which his
daughter Mrs. Herring was born. He operated his large estate with
slave labor, and enjoyed a generous prosperity and the esteem and
respect of the community until his death in his ninety-fourth year.
James G. Maxwell married Molcy Butter of Sampson county, North
Carolina. Her death occurred at the age of seventy. The eight chil-
dren in the Maxwell family were John R., Elizabeth, Thomas, William,
James, Daniel, Margaret Ann and Mary. The sons Avere all soldiers in
the Confederate army, and Thomas died while in service.

The eleven children including the large and happy family of Mr.
and Mrs. Herring are named Thomas W., Ida Alice, Mary Ellen, Lillie
May, Marvin, Ola, Pierce, Lochie, Maggie, Henry II., and Kedar.
Thomas W. married Lucy Snider and has one son, George Ward. Ida
Alice married A. E. Bell, and there are six children in this family,
named Marion, Leta, Emery. Catherine, Elmer and Margaret. Mary
Ellen is now deceased, and was the wife of Dr. George B. Carter, leav-
ing one daughter named Margaret. Lillie May married Joseph Higdon
and has five children named Grace, Lois, Sarah, Robert Henry and
Thomas. Marvin married for his first wife Mattie Higdon, and for
his second wife married Ida Waller, having one son named Ernest.
Ola married Thomas AVight, and her five children are George, Henry,
Carrie, Elizabeth and Mabel. Lochie married George L. Snider, and
their three children are Leota, Lloyd and George J. Maggie married
Ira Higdon, and they have three sons, John Buryl, Samuel Parrott and
Patrick Henry. Henry II. married Annie May Maxwell.

Air. Herring's official career began a number of years ago, when he
was made overseer of roads in his district. He was at that time a boy
in his teens, and has ever since taken an active part in local government
and has been an influential man in his community. He served in the
office of tax collector of Decatur county two years, and was subsequently
elected county commissioner, an office in which he was continued by.
reelection for twenty years. He was in that office until Grady county
was organized in January, 1906, and is prominent in the first government
organization of this county in connection with the office of judge of
ordinary, and he is still judge, having been reelected to the present
term. In 1897 Mr. Herring was further honored by his district in elec-
tion to the state legislature, and he served during the session of 1898-99.
Mr. and Mrs. Herring are active members of the Methodist church at
Cairo, and he is affiliated with Cairo Lodge No. 299, A. F. & A. M., with
Cairo Lodge, I. 0. 0. F., and with Cairo Lodge, Knights of Pythias.



944 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

William Philip Schirm. Savannah has known few citizens more
worthy of the unqualified esteem and regard of the people as a whole than
was the late William Philip Schirm, and it is a matter of great pleasure
to record here that lie never failed to receive his just meed of appreciation
and esteem at the hands of the citizenship of the city and of the surround-
ing community. Foreign horn, he came to these parts in early manhood,
and at no time in his remaining years did he fail in his duty toward the
country of his adoption. His life was from first to last one of the utmost
usefulness and when he died on May 31, 1896, Savannah lost one of her
most honored and loved citizens.

William Philip Schirm was born in the year 1836 in Schernern hei
Nassau a/d Lahn (now known as Hessen-Nassau) Germany, where was
also born his father. He came to America in 1857, and settled in
Georgia in that year. He was a young man of excellent education and
had served in the German army. After coming to Savannah his occu-
pation was that of a teacher, and he was identified with a private
institution in north Georgia of some repute, where ' he was known as
an educator of exceptional ability. Some well known citizens of Sa-
vannah and other Georgian cities were his pupils in those early days. '
With the outbreak of the Civil war Mr. Schirm enlisted in the Con-
federate army and he served with distinction and valor throughout
that conflict. Concerning his military career, it may be further said
that he entered the service in February, 1862, with the rank of first
lieutenant, Troop A, Georgia Cavalry, Clinch Light Battery, and was
later detailed ordnance officer for the City of Savannah under Gen-
eral Anderson. Maj. G. W. Anderson, commander of Fort McAllister,
says of him in his official report: "Lieut. William P. Schirm fought
until the enemy entered the fort, and, notwithstanding a wound in the
head, gallantly remained at his post, discharging his duties with a
coolness and efficiency worthy of all commendation." He was taken
prisoner on December 13, 1864, and was in prison at Hilton Head and
Washington, and was released on June 6, 1865, at the close of the
hostilities. He later became a member of Camp Xo. 756 Confederate
Veterans, of which he was elected secretary, on March 6, 1894, and
was re-elected on April 26, 1895.

Mr. Schirm was a director in the Chatham Real Estate & Improve-
ment Company, and at the time of his death was a member of the
Savannah Benevolent Association, a society the members of which are
loved and respected by every true Savannahian. The following resolu-
tions were adopted at the time of his passing by this well known so-
ciety :

"The life he had led and the services he performed are all the
legacies he could bequeath to us who remain, and when we examine
these legacies and find that the life has been active, correct, exemplary
and consistent, and the services well timed, practical and useful, we
hold them in kindly remembrance and pay willing tribute to their
worth.

"As a member of this association, Mr. Schirm was active and faith-
'ful, and as one of its directors he aided by his sound judgment and
conservative business methods in advancing and establishing the pros-
perity and present financial strength of our Association. Quiet, modest
and unobtrusive in all his ways, he never sought to attain higher po-
sitions than those allotted to him. and in every position acquitted him-
self honorably and well, always exhibiting those strong and command-
ing trails of character, which, through his long and eventful life, se-
cured for him from time to time marked and substantial evidence of
confidence.

"We mourn his loss and cherish his memory."



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 945

On January 20, 1876, Mr. Schirm married Ellen M. Lovell. Her
parents were Edward and Mary (Bates) Lovell, both of whom passed
away these many years gone. Mrs. Schirm is still living in Savannah.

After the close of the war, William P. Schirm returned to the quiet
of civilian life and at the time of his death was connected with The
Willcox and Gibbes Guano Company. He was a prominent member of
the First Presbyterian church of this city, and a deacon of that body.

Among the sons of William P. Schirm may be mentioned in further
detail, Edward L., the eldest son of his parents. He was born in
Savannah in 1877 ; he was here reared and here he has passed all his
life thus far. In 1900 Mr. Schirm entered The Citizens Bank of Sa-
vannah, beginning his labors there as junior clerk. In 1904 The Citi-
zens Bank of Savannah established a branch office at Liberty and
Montgomery streets and chose Mr. E. L. Schirm to be assistant cashier
thereof, from which position he was in 1910 advanced to be cashier of
the Liberty street branch of The Citizens and Southern Bank, which
responsible office he now holds to the entire satisfaction of that insti-
tution.

On December 19, 1899, Mr. Schirm was married to Miss Elizabeth
Brady. They have two children, Ellen L. and William Philip Schirm.

Moses B. Linton. Few families have been longer represented by
residence in south Georgia, and none have contributed more industrious
effort and worthier manhood and womanhood than the Lintons. One of
the bearers of this name,* Moses B. Linton, has for many years been suc-
cessfully identified with the farming interests of the Everett district in
Thomas county.

Mr. Linton was born in the southwest corner of Thomas county,
October 18, 1850. His great-grandfather, a native of the north of Ire-
land and of Scotch ancestry, brought his young wife to America and
settled in the Abbeville district of South Carolina, where they reared
their family and spent the rest of their days in quiet industry and
honor. Their four sons and two daughters were Moses W., Thomas,
Sidney, Ben, Rebecca and Margaret.

Moses W., the grandfather, was born in Abbeville district. For some
probably interesting reason that has escaped the knowledge of his
descendants, when he was sixteen he became dissatisfied with home and
ran away, finally reaching southwest Georgia. It was this boyhood ad-
venture which brought the name of Linton so early into Georgia and
accounts for the establishment of the family in this part of the state.
Soon after his arrival the grandfather married Lucy Lanier, a native of
Decatur county, her parents being pioneers there. She had some money,
and with this capital the young people bought a tract of land in the
southwest part of Thomas county. A small patch had been cleared by
Indians, but all the rest was primeval forest. After getting this land
into productive condition the grandfather had to haul his surplus crops
to Tallahassee or Newport in Florida for market, the trip requiring
several days, and many years passed before railroads were built to this
region. By industry and good management he and his wife became
very prosperous, and had a large amount of land and many slaves. At
the close of the war he freed over a hundred of the blacks. Late in life
he moved to Thomasville and lived retired until his death, which
occurred at the age of seventy-eight, followed three days later by that
of his wife. They reared four children, whose names were Benjamin F.,
James A., John L. and Margaret.

Benjamin F. Linton, the father, was born on the homestead in
Thomas county, and at the time of his marriage bought land two miles



946 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

from his birthplace. That was still a number of years before the war
and before railroads brought modern conditions, so that he had the same
difficulties of marketing as his father before him had encountered. In
the household all the cooking was done by the fireplace, and the mother
taught her slaves to card, spin and weave the wool and cotton, all mem-
bers of the household being cfressed in homespun. In 1865 the father
sold his farm and for a time worked some of the lands of his father.
Finally in 1880 he moved to Jefferson county, Florida, where he died
at the age of fifty-two years. Benjamin F. Linton married Rebecca
Rountree, who was born in Lowndes county of a pioneer family there,
and she survived her husband by thirteen years. Their three sons and
one daughter were Moses B., Frank J., Oscar R. and Lona E.

When Moses B. Linton was twenty-one his father gave him a pair
of mules and a pair of oxen, a horse and buggy, a year's supply of
material and the use of land for a crop. For an industrious worker
this was a fair amount of capital, and he used his talent wisely, making
a good crop the first year. Then after renting land for two years, he
bought at the place where he still resides, in lot 153 in the locality known
as Aucilla, in Everett district of Thomas county. For some years he
was proprietor of a grist and saw mill and cotton gin. and for twelve
years was engaged in merchandising, so that he has been identified
with a varied enterprise and has won a commendable prosperity. His
farm now consists of five hundred and eighty acres, devoted to general
agriculture and stock raising.

Mr. Linton was married at the age of twenty to Miss Florence Vir-
ginia Kemp. She was born in Grooverville district of Brooks county,
a daughter of Asa and Emily (Bryan) Kemp. Her mother was a native
of Spring Hill, Florida. Tier father was born in what is now Brooks
county, where his father, Peter Kemp, was a pioneer settler. Mr. and
Mrs. Linton reared two children, Lawrence E. and Maude. The son
for a time conducted a store in Thomas county and later a saw mill in
Brooks county. He came to his death by an accident in the mill when
he was twenty-four years old, just when his promising career was fairly
started. He married Marcia Austin, daughter of Robert Austin, and she
with her two sons Russell and Lawrence survives her husband. The
daughter Maude is the wife of Hecton L. Cook, and they have two sons.
Emmett and Irvin. Mrs. Linton is a member of the Methodist church.

Mathew James Harrell. Noteworthy among the native-born cit-
izens of Brooks county who have spent their lives within its precincts,
aiding in every possible way its growth and development, whether relat-
ing to its agricultural, manufacturing or financial interests, is Mathew
James Harrell, an extensive land-owner, living on the Grooverville road,
about four miles from Quitman. He was born in Brooks county. March
13, 1859, a son of Samuel J. Harrell.

His paternal grandfather, John Harrell. was born, reared, and mar-
ried in North Carolina. Accompanied by Ins family, he subsequently
migrated to Georgia, the private conveyance in which he made the
journey, which was accomplished before the days of railways, was a cart
made entirely of wood, their being no tires on the wheels. Bringing
his provisions with him. he camped and cooked along the way. and on
arriving in what is now Brooks county purchased land three miles west
Of the present site of Quitman. After settling on the land, he followed
to some extenl his trade of shoemaker, visiting the different plantations
in this locality, and making shoes for the slaves. lie spent a part of
bis time in farming, living in different places, but finally locating about
three miles from Barwick, where he spent his remaining days, outliving



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 947

the allotted three score and ten years of man's life. His wife, whose
maiden name was Nancy Ausley, was born in North Carolina, and died
before he did, leaving eight sons and one daughter.

Born in Brooks county, Georgia, Samuel J. Harrell at the age of
nineteen years took upon himself the responsibilities of a married man,
and began his independent career without other means than willing
hands, a brave heart, and unlimited stock of energy and courage. At
the breaking out of the war between the states, he enlisted and went
through the war in the Confederate service. At the close of the conflict
Mr. Harrell resumed his agricultural labors. Purchasing a small farm
in Brooks county, he operated it for a time, but subsequently, desirous
of enlarging his activities in that line, he rented a large plantation in
the southern part of the county, and embarked in general farming on
an extensive scale, in his undertaking being reasonably successful. A
lifelong resident of Brooks county, he died at his home on the Groover-
ville road, at the age of sixty-four years. The maiden name of the wife
of Samuel J. Harrell was Laura Jane Albritton. She was born in Brooks
county, a daughter of Rev. George W. and Jane (Allen) Albritton.
Mr. Albritton, who was a native of Georgia and a preacher in the
Primitive Baptist church, enlisted during the Civil war for service in the
Confederate army, and with his command took part in various cam-
paigns and battles during the earlier part of the conflict, but in its last
year was captured by the enemy and died from exposure while a prisoner
of war. He carried with him as a soldier his bible and hymn book,
saying he wanted to loan these to his comrades one and all. Capt.
George AV. Albritton was also a first lieutenant of the Florida Volunteers
in the Indian wars of 1835, being commissioned by the governor before
Florida was admitted as a state. His widow, who reared several chil-
dren, survived him. Other members of the Albritton family were
Mathew James and Isaac Abraham Albritton, both prominent lawyers
of Brooks and Thomas counties and both reared near Quitman. Mrs.
Samuel J. Harrell is still living on the homestead on the Grooverville
road, and is the mother of eight children.

Having by diligent study acquired a practical education in the dis-
trict schools, Mathew James Harrell remained with his parents until
his marriage. Beginning then the struggle of life on his own account,
he purchased seventy-five acres of land, fifteen acres only of which had
been improved. His natural ability, early training and energetic spirit
counted much in his favor, and through his own efforts he won success
in his agricultural labors. Since that time, Mr. Harrell has bought and
sold several tracts of land, and now has title to upwards of seven hun-
dred and fifty acres, some of which is heavily timbered, while large fields
are under a high state of cultivation, yielding abundant harvests each
year. On his home place, situated four miles from Quitman, on the
Grooverville road, Mr. Harrell has lived for the past fifteen years. Here
he has a fine set of farm buildings, and in addition to carrying on mixed
husbandry he has a well equipped saw mill, which he erected primarily
for his own use. For a number of years he operated a threshing machine
in various parts of the county.

Mr. Harrell first married, when but twenty years old, Annie Olive
Winter, a daughter of Jeremiah and Lizzie (Boring) Winter, and grand-
daughter of Dr. Thomas and Martha (Le Noir) Boring. She passed
to the higher life one short year after their marriage and her babe fol-
lowed a few months later. Mr. Harrell married second Miss Addie
Groover, who was born in Brooks county, Georgia, a daughter of
Thomas and Susan (Joiner) Groover, and grand-daughter of James and
Elizabeth (Denmark) Groover, pioneer settlers of Brooks county. Her

Vol. 11—2 7



948 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

mother died when she was but an infant, and her father subsequently
married Sarah Joiner, a sister of his first wife, and an aunt of Mrs. Har-
rell. Eight children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Harrell,
namely: Bennet, a well-known farmer; Walter, a clerk' in the Quitman
postoffiee; Samuel T. ; Annie Laurie, wife of W. D. Long; Ida Olivia,
who was killed by a runaway horse at the age of fifteen on her way from
school ; Mathew J., Jr., Alma, and AVallace Eugene. Samuel T. Harrell,
the third son, is a lawyer in Quitman, being in the firm of Bennett & Har-
rell. Mr. Harrell is a member of the Hickory Head Agricultural Soci-
ety, and both he and his wife are faithful members of the Methodist
Episcopal church.

John Henry Emanuel. Since 1909 sheriff of Decatur county, Mr.
Emanuel has been known to the citizens of this county since childhood,
has been recognized as an industrious, independent man of action, and
few men have entered office in this county with so thorough a confidence
on the part of their supporters.

John Henry Emanuel was born on a farm five miles southwest of
Faceville. His father Hilliard Marion Emanuel was born in the same
locality, March 3, 1843. The father was reared on a farm and when a
young man bought a tract of timbered land which is still included in
his land holdings. There he built a log cabin, surrounded by the woods,
and a primitive home it furnished to his family. He was one of the
men who hewed out of the wilderness a fertile well developed farm,
and thus added to the general prosperity of this section of the state.
After a few years he built a more pretentious log house, and subse-
quently a good frame house which he still occupies as his residence.
The maiden name of his wife was Martha J. Gray, who was born in
Decatur county, a daughter of James and Jane (Cartledge) Gray. All
the nine children of the parents were born in one of the log houses just
mentioned. Their names are as follows : Martha F., James H., John
Henry, Ella V., Hattie E., Amanda E., Letitia, William Lee and Daisey.

During his youth Mr. John Henry Emanuel was given the privileges
of the neighborhood district schools, and at the same time assisted in
the work of the home farm. When he was eighteen his father gave him
his time and he started out for himself. He earned his first regular pay
by cutting wood at fifty cents a cord, and later was for a time in the
employ of the S. F. & W. Railroad Company, after which he returned
to farming, which he followed for several years. He was clerk for a
time and in carpenter work, and at various occupations until 1909, in
which year he was elected to the office of sheriff, and his efficient record
has caused his retention in that office to the present time.

In October 14. 1894. Mr. Emanuel married Miss Nancy Cora Camp-
bell. She died June 8, 1902. In 1904 Mr. Emanuel married Emma L.
Smith. The one daughter by the first marriage is named Dottie Lea,
and the four children of the second union are Essie Pavdine, John IT.,
Jr., Frank W., and Woodrow.

Robert Fritz Zeigler. Talented, enterprising, and progressive,
Prof. Robert Fritz Zeigler is one of the more successful of the younger
generation of educators in Ware county, as proprietor of Waycross
Business College, at Waycross, helping many a young Georgian fit him-
self for a career of usefulness in industrial, business and professional
fields. A native of South Carolina, he was born Aug\ist 21, 1889, in
Orangeburg county, where his father. Jesse Littleton Zeigler, was also
born. His grandfather, George Josiah Zeigler, a life-long farmer in
South Carolina, was a son of George John Zeigler, who was born in



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 949

Germany. He married Caroline Narcissus Averheart, who was the
daughter of John Averheart, who came from Ireland during the Revolu-'
tionary war.

Brought up and educated in Orangeburg county, South Carolina,
Jesse Littleton Zeigler was well drilled in agricultural pursuits as a boy,
and as a young man, worked for several years in a mercantile establish-
ment. Subsequently forming a partnership with Mr. F. J. Buyck, he
became junior member of the firm of Buyck & Zeigler, farmers, mer-
chants and millers, whose mills were located in and around Pine Grove
township, at the same time being interested for awhile in a mercantile
establishment at Fort Motte, owning that store with his oldest son, who
had charge of it. The part of Orangeburg county in which he has lived
for many years has been detached from that county, and now forms a
part of Calhoun county, which he served as supervisor during the years
1909-12 inclusive.

Mr. Jesse Littleton Zeigler has been twice married. He married first
Mary Fredonia Gaffney, who was born in Richland county, South
Carolina, a daughter of William M. and Alice Euphenia Gaffney. She
died in February 1904, leaving eight children, as follows : Jesse Mc-
Lennan, Alice Euphenia, Ida Lee, Noland Theobald, Robert Fritz, Euna
Fredonia, Jorene Buyck and George Josiah. Jorene Buyck and George
Josiah are now attending Orangeburg College, Orangeburg, S. C. Jesse
M. and Noland T.,who was a teacher for a few years, were engaged in
the motor business for a short while at Orangeburg, after which Jesse
M. accepted a position, which he now holds, with the International Har-
vester Company, as salesman and demonstrator. Noland T. is at present
a traveling auditor, making Atlanta, Georgia, headquarters. Jesse M.
married Maude Paulling Carroll, and they have three children, Sally
Fredonia, Maude Carroll, and Myrtle May. Mr. J. L. Zeigler married
for his second wife, in 1906, Lillian O. Jones, and they have three chil-
dren, Capers Hayne, Jennie Lorene, and William Klauber.

Growing to manhood in Orangeburg county, South Carolina, Robert
PYitz Zeigler was educated in the public and academical schools, later
entering the Southern Business College, then at Orangeburg, for the
study of book keeping and phonography. Under the instruction of
Prof. A. H. White, a master penman and teacher of business science, he
advanced rapidly, displaying unusual skill and ability. Recognizing
in Mr. Zeigler those qualities that make a successful teacher, Prof. White
organized the Orangeburg Business College, and offered him a position
in the Shorthand Department, which he accepted and later became
Principal of that department, which position he held for about two
years. With the desire to better qualify himself, he took advantage of
the, home course offered to teachers of Pernin's Universal Phonography,
by the Pernin Shorthand Institute, Detroit, Michigan.

Going then to Columbus, Georgia, he continued as a teacher there for
a short time, when, having an opportunity to enter upon a broader
sphere of action, he came to Wayeross to assume charge of the Way-
cross Business College, which was then, in March 1908, owned by Ben-
jamin J. Ferguson. Four months later, in July, 1908, Prof. Zeigler
purchased the school from Mr. Ferguson, which he has since conducted
with marked success. This institution is one of the leading ones of the
kind in southeast Georgia, and under the efficient teaching of the pro-
fessor and his assistants, the many pupils who come from various parts
of Georgia and adjoining- states, become familiar witli typewriting,
shorthand, bookkeeping, business mathematics, penmanship, English
correspondence, office practice, and other branches of study used in the
commercial world. As a penman, Mr. Zeigler has- reached a high state



950 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

of perfection, and his pupils find that he possesses not only the ability
to write well himself, but that still rarer talent, which enables him to
impart his knowledge to others.

True to the religious faith in which he was reared, Prof. Zeigler
united with the Baptist church, and is now a deacon in the First Baptist
church of Waycross, and the superintendent of its Sunday school.

Nathan Atkinson Brown. A well-known and highly esteemed
resident of Muscogee county, Nathan Atkinson Brown, of Columbus,
Georgia, has served as deputy clerk of the United States circuit and
district courts, and United States commissioner, for many years, and
during the time has administered the affairs of his office so wisely and
conscientiously, and with such thoroughness as to win the approval of
all concerned.

He was born March 6, 1866, in Camden county, Georgia, on the
same plantation that his father, the late Capt. Nathan Atkinson Brown,
first drew the breath of life.

His grandfather David Brown was born in Pickens district, South
Carolina. Coming to Georgia in pioneer days, he bought land in Cam-
den county, and on this plantation, which he redeemed from its original
wildness, spent the remainder of his life. He married Elizabeth At-
kinson, and they reared a large family of children.

Capt. Nathan Atkinson Brown received his early education under
the instruction of private tutors, later attending the Marietta Military
Institute of Georgia. Although fitted for a professional career he chose
the independent occupation of an agriculturalist, and with the assistance
of slaves carried on farming successfully. During the war between the
states, he entered the Confederate service on the fifth day of August.
1861, as a first lieutenant "Camden Rifles" in Company "I" of the
13th Georgia Regiment, Georgia Volunteers, C. S. A., commanded by
Colonel Styles. He was honorably discharged from service by Col.
Duncan L. Clinch on or about the 15th day of April, 1865, at which
time he held the rank of captain of Company "C," -ith Georgia Cavalry.
He was on duty the greater part of the war in south Georgia and
Florida. The sword which he carried during the war was also used in
the Revolutionary war by his grand-uncle John Atkinson, and in the
War of 1812 by his uncle Nathan Atkinson, and is now one of the
cherished possessions of his son Nathan A. Brown, of whom we write.
He lived but a short time after the close of the war, his death occurring
on February 23d, 1866.

Capt. Nathan Atkinson Brown married Louisa Tupper Nicholes.
who was born in Beaufort district. South Carolina, a daughter of Dr.
Henry J., and Eliza Witter (Turner) Nicholes. natives of the same state.
Dr. Nicholes was a successful physician, and also an extensive planter.
He operated his lands with his slaves' help, owning valuable rice planta-
tions in Camden county, and cotton plantations in Glynn county.
Georgia. During, or soon after the war, he removed from Camden to
Cobb county, buying a home in Marietta and running a farm a few
miles from that town. After spending a useful life, he departed this
life for a more glorious one above. Left a widow when young. Mrs.
Louisa Nicholes Brown, who had three small children. Eula. Lillie and
Nathan Atkinson Brown, joined her father in Marietta. After his
death she moved to Atlanta where she has resided up to the present
time.

But an infant when his father died. Nathan A. Brown was partly
brought up and educated in Marietta. After moving to Atlanta, he
studied stenography, and secured a situation with the Richmond &



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 951

Danville Railroad Company, and was for several years stationed at
Atlanta. Subsequently accepting a position with the Atlantic & Pacific
Railroad Company he went to New Mexico, and was in the railway
office at Albuquerque until 1890, During that period Mr. Brown spent
his leisure time in reading law, and in that year returned to Georgia
to still further pursue his legal studies. He entered the Atlanta Law
School, and was among the first graduates receiving his degree of B. L.,
June 29, 1892. After completing his course he was admitted to the bar,
and subsequently entered the office of Judge Henry B. Tompkins, for-
merly of the Savannah circuit. In 1897, Mr. Brown was appointed
deputy clerk of the United States circuit and districts courts at Colum-
bus, Georgia, and also United States commissioner, and he has continued
in office ever since ; his long record of service in those positions being
ample proof of his ability and efficiency.

Mr. Brown first married in 189)!, at Danville. New York, Miss Rose
Hopkins, of Clay City, Illinois, a daughter of Win. Hopkins and Miriam
(Kelly) Hopkins. She bore him three sons, Donald Vincent, Nathan
Atkinson, ami William Hopkins Brown. The former was a beautiful
child of four years when he died of scarlet fever. His devoted mother
followed him to the beautiful mansion above in September, 190-1. Mr.
Brown's second marriage, which took place at Macon, Georgia, June 4,
1908. was to Miss Annie Daniel, of Macon, Georgia, a daughter of Wil-
liam Brantly and Urquhart (Evans) Daniel, and of this union two
children have been born, namely: Mildred Daniel Brown and Louise
Evans Brown. Religiously Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members of the
Baptist church. Fraternally he belongs to Mount Hermon Lodge No.
304, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons.

William T. China. A capable and intelligent business man of
Lyons, Toombs county, William T. China, cashier of the Toombs County
Bank, has long been identified witli the best interests of the community,
and has proved himself a valuable and worthy citizen. Born at Wil-
liamsburg, South Carolina, April 28, 1874, he was reared in the homes
of relatives, his parents having died when he was a child.

Growing to manhood in his native state, Mr. China acquired a prac-
tical education in the public schools, and was early trained to habits of
industry and thrift. Coming to Georgia in 1898, he first engaged in the
turpentine business, and was afterwards bookkeeper for the Lyons
Trading Company for a year. In 1906, Mr. China was elected cashier
of the Toombs County Bank, a position which he has since filled ably
and satisfactorily. This institution has a capital stock of $30,000, and
is under the management of men of tried and true integrity and ability,
Enoch J. Giles being its president ; R. L. Page, vice-president ; and Mr.
China, cashier. Mr. China has never shirked the responsibilities of
public office, but is now serving most acceptably as a member of the
city council, and as city treasurer.

On December 28, 1899, Mr. China was united in marriage with Mamie
J. Parker, a daughter of J. P. Parker, of Troy, Alabama. She is a most
estimable woman, and a member of the Baptist church.

AYillia.m E. Davis. One of the oldest residents of the town of Meigs,
and a representative of a family which has been identified with Georgia
for several generations, Air. Davis has had a long and interesting career.
He is a native of Oglethorpe county, where he was born December 19,
1839.

His father, William J. Davis, who was born in Virginia, December
14, 1802, at an early age was left an orphan and then went to live



952 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

with an uncle, Middleton Pope. Soon afterward the Pope family came
to Georgia, and he was reared on a farm in Oglethorpe county, his
uncle being one of the first settlers there. Middleton Pope acquired large
tracts of land in that part of the state, operating them with slave labor.
His wife survived him and spent her last days in Athens. Their only
child married David C. Barrow, of which union was born Pope Barrow.
Early in his career William J. Davis bought land in Oglethorpe county,
having slaves to work it, and lived there until his death on September
8, 1858. He married Angelina Lumpkin on the 24th of Decemher, 1827.
She was born in Oglethorpe county, June 28, 1801, and belonged to one
of the most prominent families in Georgia during the first half of the
last century. Her father was Rev. George Lumpkin, a native and life-
long resident of Oglethorpe county, where he conducted a farm and
also performed the duties of a pioneer minister of the Missionary
Baptist church. A brother of this minister was a governor of the state
of Georgia, and another brother was Judge Joseph Lumpkin. Mrs.
William J. Davis died on December 21, 18-17. Both she and her hus-
band were members of the Missionary Baptist church. They were the
parents of eleven children, named as follows : George, Middleton,
Sarah, Annie J., Matilda, Martha A., William E., Mary, Lucy Pope,
Howell Cobb, and Josephine.

William E. Davis was sixteen years old when his father died, and
his older brother Middleton then returned home and became head of
the family until its members had found homes of their own. Not long
after attaining manhood and taking up the serious duties of life, the
war broke out and William E., then a young man of twenty-two. en-
listed in May, 1861, in Company K of the Eighth Georgia Infantry
under Colonel Barton. The command went to the front and was attached
to Longstreet's corps in the army of North Virginia, pai'tieipatinu iu
many of the campaigns and battles in the principal seat of the civil
conflict. He was in the first battle at Manassas Junction, and a few
days later was within a few miles and in plain sight of the city of
Washington. The seven days' fighting around Richmond, the Wilder-
ness, Williamsburg, Martinsburg, were other notable engagements in
which he did a soldier's part. At Mechanicsburg. Company K and
another company were sent out to meet the Yankees. All were lying
on the ground when a shell burst above them. Mr. Davis was stunned
by one of the fragments while the men on each side of him were killed
outright, and he Avas covered with their blood. The companies re-
treated and he was left for dead among his slain comrades. After a time.
when he recovered consciousness, he observed that the enemy had occu-
pied the field all about him. Keeping still and watching his opportunity,
he finally crawled into a swamp, and at night found his way back to
camp, where he was passed by the pickets. He then lay down among
his sleeping comrades, and the next morning afforded them a surprise
as though returned from the dead, and they hailed him as the dead
man. His captain had already dispatched a letter informing Mr.
Davis' sister of his death on the field of battle, and it was some time
before the truth came to end her bereavement. Mr. Davis performed
a strenuous service as a southern soldier until the spring of 1864, when
on account of disability he was honorably discharged and returned
home. As soon as he had recovered, however, he was back in service,
this time in the Twenty-ninth Battalion of Georgia Cavalry, and was in
the coast defense until the close of the war.

In May. 1865. his duty to the southland had been discharged and
he went to his sister's home in Decatur county. He arrived so destitute
of clothing that she tore up one of her dresses to make him a shirt. Mr.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 953

Davis is one of the honored citizens who, at the close of the war, set
to work in the reconstruction of their own fortunes and the rebuilding
of a new industrial society. His first employment was as overseer on a
Decatur county farm, where he remained two years. He then paid
six hundred dollars for sixty-two and a half acres of land in Mitchell
county, rebuilt a log: house that stood on the place, and there commenced
his career as an independent farmer. From that time to the present,
through much hard labor and careful management during the earlier
years, he has been on the highroad to material prosperity. In a few years
he sold his first place and bought two hundred and fifty acres fifteen
miles southwest of Camilla, which continued to be his home for about ten
years. He then sold and bought a farm of one hundred and twenty-
five acres six miles southeast of Camilla, and lived there until 1884.
In that year he transferred his residence to Thomas county and the
vicinity of the present town of Meigs, buying one hundred and twenty-
five acres close to the present townsite. A sawmill, a turpentine, still
and a commissary then comprised all the activities at the point, and
he has witnessed every important addition to the town. He afterwards
increased his land to three hundred acres, and continued to operate it
and make it his home until 1911, in which year he moved into town
and built a comfortable residence for his declining years. His home
is surrounded by a considerable tract of land in the cultivation of
which he keeps himself busy.

Mr. Davis was married in 1867 to Miss Martha Evans. She was
born in Baker county, this state. Her father, Alfred Evans, a native of
Alabama, who was left an orphan, came to Georgia, settling in Baker
county, where he lived some years, then moved to Decatur and later
to Mitchell county, and finally to Cairo, which was then in Thomas
county but is now the county seat of Grady county. At Cairo he bought
a farm now included in the town limits, and lived there till his death
at the age of fifty-two. Alfred Evans married Grace Ann Smith, who
died at Cairo aged seventy-two years, and she reared ten children.

Mr. and Mrs. Davis are the parents of eleven children, namely:
William M., Alfred, Leonora, Russell, Mattie, Gordon, Lucy, Haggard,
Clifford, Herbert and Rossa. William has been twice married, his first
wife being Delia Adams and his second Bessie Brandage. His eight
children, all by the first wife, are Roscoe, Annie, Emma, Meda, Johnnie,
Ernest, Ruby and George. Alfred, the second son, married Katie
Wilkes, and their children include Lois, Wilkes, Edwin. Harrold and
Kathleen. Leonora married J. J. Boswell, and they have one son,
Julian. Russell married Nabbie Grant, and they have four children,
Jewell, John, Evans and Nina. Mattie is the wife of J. D. Atkinson,
and her two children are Grace and Clifford. Gordon married Mittie
Lay. Lucy is the wife of J. A. Sasser, and their three children are
Lucille, Ina and Mildred. Haggard married Hattie Redfern. Clif-
ford is the wife of Hayward Singleton, and has two children, Huldah
and Ha°rar. Herbert married Jimmie Golden, and they have one son,
Frederick.

Mr. and Mrs. Davis have enjoyed long and prosperous lives, have
provided well for themselves and children, and in the evening of life
their greatest pleasure is in the large family of children and grand-
children who honor and venerate them. All the family are members
of the Baptist church.

Robert E. Barpield. The present mayor of the town of Hahira has
for a number of years been one of the progressive farmers of this vi-
cinity and represents a pioneer family in Lowndes county. Mr. Bar-



954 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

field was born on the farm where he now resides on the 6th of March,
1878, his residence being within the corporate limits.

His grandfather was Frederick Jones Barfield. who was probably
born in Jones county, this state, and in 1858 moved to Lowndes county,
which was then much larger than at present, with the county seat at
Troupville. No railroads had yet penetrated to this section, and he
was one of the pioneers in development of the country. He bought a
tract of timber land four miles south of the present site of Hahira,
and with his slaves was engaged in general farming up to the time of
his death, which occurred when he was fifty-five years old. The maiden
name of his wife was Bethany Brewer, who was born either in Jones
or an adjoining county, and she survived her husband several years.

The father of Robert E. Barfield was named Gen. Lafayette
Barfield, and he was born in Jones county in 1857, but lived in
Lowndes county from the time he was one year of age. On beginning
life for himself he purchased a tract of land, part of which is now
included in the town of Hahira. About thirty-five acres of it was
cleared, and the log cabin in which Robert E. was born constituted the
principal improvement on the place at the time. On the death of the
grandfather he left this place and took charge of the old home estate in
the interest of the other heirs, and later bought the other interests and
became sole owner. There he lived until his death in 1896 at the age
of thirty-nine. He married Feddie Wilson, a native of Lowndes county
and daughter of Solomon and Sarah "Wilson, pioneers of this county.
She is now a resident of Arizona. She reared nine children, named
as follows: Navie E., Robert E., Sally, Frederick, Maggie Gordon,
General L., Jr., Maude, Pearl and Hester Eugene.

Robert E. Barfield, the oldest son of this family, was reared on
the old homestead south of Hahira and attended school in Mineola.
Being eighteen when his father died, the care of the estate devolved
upon him, his father's will making him executor, and on coming of
age he took full charge. The farm was his home until his marriage,
and he then moved to Valdosta and served twenty-one months as deputy
sheriff. After this official service he lived on the farm again for a
year, and then managed the farm two years from his home in Valdosta.
He was engaged in sawmilling for two years, at the end of which time
he located in Hahira and the following year built his present residence
in town, located on the same farm on which he was born. He has been
chiefly occupied in general farming. As a resident of town he takes an
active part in its affairs, and is now serving his second term in the
office of mayor.

Mr. Barfield was married in 1898 to Miss Eula Belle Newton, who
was born in Brooks county, a daughter of James and Sarah J. Xewton.
Mr. and Mrs. Barfield have one son, Robert E., Jr. Mrs. Barfield is a
member of the Baptist church, which her husband also attends. Fra-
ternally he affiliates with Valdosta Lodge No. 346. A. F. & A. M.. and
with Adele Chapter, R. A. M. In politics he is a Democrat.

John Elijah Webb. Now one of the most prosperous planters of
Lowndes county and a citizen whose services have often contributed
to the general advancement and public welfare of his community. John
Elijah Webb began his career practically without any of the material
equipment and capital which are supposed to be necessary to success-
ful endeavor, lie is one of the substantial men upon whom the solid
prosperity and civic progress of south Georgia depend.

John Elijah Webb was born in Macon county, Georgia. July 16,
1861, a son of John and Elizabeth (Lamb) Webb. The Webb family



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 955

with its connections has been identified with this state for nearly a,
century, and its members have been honorable and productive factors
in the civic and material life of the state. A brief history of Mr. Webb's
antecedents is published elsewhere in this work in the sketch of W. W.
"Webb, and hence need not be repeated here.

The war all but destroyed the fortunes of Mr. Webb's father, and
as his childhood fell during the years of that struggle and the recon-
struction period he was without many of the advantages which youths of
the best families enjoyed before the war and in the modern era of pros-
perity. To the education supplied by the neighborhood schools he has
since added by extensive reading. His assistance was early required
on the farm, and when still a very young man the entire management
of the home place devolved upon him through the retirement of his
father from active labor on account of ill health. In meeting the re-
sponsibilities of this situation, his first act was to sell all the mules to
pay off indebtedness, and this heroic measure left him without stock
to run the place. Giving his personal note for $40.00 to a colored
man in payment for a blind horse, he thus began his independent
career at farming. He had his parents to support and a younger
brother and sister to educate, but his industry and courage never failed
to meet the responsibilities. Finally he sold his horse for $25.00 and
bought a mule for $100.00. With $75.00 cash he gave his note for
$40.00 for the balance. ^ This brief sketch will not take up the details of
the way in which he worked out success, and the above facts are men-
tioned merely to show some of the difficulties in his start. AA r hat he
has accomplished from such a beginning is illustrated in his present
possession of a plantation of eight hundred acres in one body, well
stocked and with excellent building improvements, and he also owns an
interest in a tract of four hundred acres. Mr. Webb is a director in the
Hahira Bank, is a member of the Senith Mercantile Company, and a
stockholder in the Tennessee Oil & Gas Company.

At the age of twenty-four Mr. Webb was married to Miss Anna P.
Nichols, who was born in Lowndes county, a daughter of Thomas and
Mary (Wickers) Nichols. Mr. and Mrs. Webb are parents of the fol-
lowing children : Mary, Elizabeth, Everett, Pearl, Vesta Van Buren,
Minnie Eugenia. Mr. Webb and wife are members of the Methodist
church.

In politics he is a Democrat, and has long taken an active part
in public affairs. For four years he was member of the county board
of education, and also did good service on the county board of road and
revenue commissioners. He was a member of the latter when the court
house was constructed, when the first definite steps were taken to
straighten the county roads, and when the bridges at Troupville and over
the Little river were built. These bridges can now be crossed at any
stage of water, and are considered among the best improvements of
the county.

C. C. Curry. A man of distinctive energy and much force of char-
acter, C. C. Curry, of Vidalia, head of the law firm of Curry & AVilliams,
possesses a natural aptitude for the work of his profession, being indus-
trious, earnest and persistent in the advocacy of his client's cause, while
his record gives evidence of his wide legal knowledge and his broad rea-
soning powers have won him success in his labors. A native of Wash-
ington county, Georgia, he was born May 7, 1871, near Curry's old
mill site, in the vicinity of Warthen Station. His father, A. G. Curry,
served in the Confederate army during the Civil war, enlisting in a com-
pany of Georgia Volunteer Infantry, and for awhile being a prisoner-
of-war.



956 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Leaving the old home farm at the age of twenty-one years, C. C.
Curry began work for himself as a bridge constructor on a railroad in
Florida, for three years standing guard over a gang of convict laborers
in Dutton. During that period he attended school for the first time.
and by night study progressed from the primer to the third reader.
Going then to Hague, Florida, he found himself so far behind in his
studies that he became somewhat discouraged, and returned to the
convict camp, where he remained a year. Having while there made good
use of his every leisure moment, Mr. Curry entered the Normal institute
at Jasper, Florida. A year later the professors of that school established
the Georgia Normal College and Business Institute, and Mr. Curry
became one of its first pupils. For three years he paid his way through
that institution by janitor service, and the succeeding two years by
tutoring. Going then to Valparaiso, Indiana, he entered the Law depart-
ment of the Northern Indiana Normal school, and by working as a
waiter in a restaurant, and selling books, he maintained himself until
his graduation, with the class of 1901, with a good record for scholar-
ship.

Returning to Georgia, Mr. Curry began the practice of his profes-
sion at Abbeville, and as a lawyer has been eminently successful. He is
now located at Vidalia, being senior member of the firm of Curry &
"Williams, attorneys, and has here built up a substantial and remunera-
tive patronage. A man of pleasing address and personality, with a gift
for oratory, Mr. Curry has won quite a reputation as a platform dialect
entertainer, lecturer, elocutionist, humorist and musician, in the latter
capacity being an expert banjo player. Fraternally he is a member of
the Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons.

Mr. Curry married, at Abbeville, Georgia, Mattie Doster. a daughter
of A. J. and Caroline Doster, and into their home four sons have made
their advent, namely : Clifton, born in 1902 ; Olin Wimberlv. born in
1904; A. J. (Jack),' born in 1906; and Joe Brown, born in 1908.

Walter Edward Bradley. Realizing the fact that the editor and
proprietor of a newspaper occupies a vantage ground which may make
or mar a reputation, or build up or break down a cause worthy of sup-
port, the citizens of Baxley have reason for congratulation that the
Baxley News-Banner is in such safe, sagacious and thoroughly clean
hands. It is considered one of the best general newspapers in the
county, as well as an outspoken, fairplay exponent of all measures
for the benefit of the community, and is in all respects well worthy of
the care and sound judgment displayed in its columns, and reflects
credit on its owner, Walter Edward Bradley. Mr. Bradley is a native of
Appling county, and was born near the town of Graham, August 2-4,
1888, a son of Elijah and Annie (Downs) Bradley. His grandfather.
Edward Bradley, was a native of Chatham county, where he was a
large slave holder and planter, and his maternal grandfather. D. M.
Downs, also came from that locality. Elijah Bradley was born and
reared in Liberty county, served as second lieutenant in a Georgia regi-
ment during the war between the states. Tinder General Lee. and after
the close of hostilities became a prominent merchant. He and his wife
had the following children : J. R., who is thirty-four years of age ;
Walter Edward; Joseph, who is sixteen years old; Susie, the wife of
T. M. Brown, a merchant of Tifton, Georgia ; and Ruby, who married
J. K. Kinzey, a locomotive engineer residing at Tallahassee, Florida.

Walter Edward Bradley was three years of age when his parents
removed to Eastman. Dodge county, and there he resided twelve years,
his early education being secured in the public schools of that place. He



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 957

was graduated from the Eastman high school in 1900, and after attend- /
ing Emory College for one term started to learn the printer's trade
in the office of the Eastman Times-Journal, with which he was associated
until coming to Baxley in the latter part of 15)09. He then became the
successor of D. M. Parker as editor and publisher of the News-Banner,
which he has succeeded in making one of the most popular and reliable
sheets in the county. This is a flourishing, bright, attractive and well-
edited newspaper, and enjoys a large circulation in Baxley and the
surrounding country. The office is fitted with all modern appliances
found in first-class establishments, and the job ' printing department
has a large and rapidly growing patronage. Mr. Bradley supports all
movements which he believes will be of benefit to his community, and
is recognized as wielding a great deal of influence in forming public
opinion in public matters.

On April 28, 1910, Mr. Bradley was married to Miss Sallie Maie
Melton, daughter of the late G. T. Melton, a planter and merchant of
Baxley, and they have a bright, interesting son, Edward Melton, now
aged two years. Mr. and Mrs. Bradley are popular in social circles, and
are well known in religious work as members of the Methodist church
South. He is fraternally connected with the Masons, the Odd Fellows,
the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen of the World.

George Fletcher McLeod. The people who constitute the bone
and sinew of this country are not those who are unstable and unsettled,
who fly from this occupation to that, who do not know where they
stand on political questions till they are told how to vote, and who take
no active and intelligent interest in affairs affecting their schools, church
and property. The backbone of this country is made up of families
which have made their own homes, who are alive to the best interests
of the community in which they reside, who are so honest that it is
no trouble for their neighbors to know it, who attend to their own busi-
ness and are too busy to attend to that of others, who work steadily on
from day to day, taking the sunshine with the storm, and who rear a
fine family to an honest name and comfortable home. Such people are
always welcome in any community and any country. Among such
people is the valiant ex-soldier and successful business man, who is
the subject of this brief review — George Fletcher McLeod.

Mr. McLeod was born November 23, 1842, in Macon, Georgia, and
when a child of four years removed with his parents John Fletcher and
Harriet (Smith) McLeod. to near Abbeville, Wilcox county, Georgia.
He resided upon his father's farm until about the age of seventeen
years, giving over the roseate days of youth to obtaining a schooling,
assisting his father in the work of the farm and in the usual pursuits and
recreations dear to boyhood. He was the first young man to enlist in
the Confederate army from Wilcox county, becoming a member of
Company C, Eighth Georgia Infantry, of Genei"al Bartow's command.
He participated in the first battle of Bull Run, was severely wounded
in the head with a minnie ball and remained in the hospital at Char-
lottesville, Virginia, for about a year. As soon as he was able to leave
the hospital he went back to service and served throughout the re-
mainder of the great conflict as captain of the commissary department.

After the termination of the Civil war, Mr. McLeod accepted the
new conditions with manly courage and fortitude and at once took his
place in the business world, engaging in the saw-mill, lumber and timber
business at Abbeville, Georgia, for a number of years and since then has
been engaged in other pursuits. He has fine executive ability and fine
business principles and has proved successful. He has also had impor-



958 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

taut financial connections and was at one time president and is now
director of the Bank of Abbeville, no small part of the high standing of
this monetary institution being due to his discrimination. Mr. McLeod
had five brothers and two sisters, but he is now the only surviving
member of his family.

On December 20, 1881, the subject was united in marriage to Martha
Wimberly, daughter of Lewis Dawson and Juliet (Powell) Wimberly,
of Macon. Mrs. McLeod's family is a representative one of the South,
her maternal grandfather, Hugh Powell, and his wife. Martha (Cottrell)
Powell, having been well-known Virginians. The subject and his admir-
able wife have reared three fine sons and two charming and accomplished
daughters to young manhood and womanhood. John Lewis is now
located in Savannah ; George Fletcher is in Abbeville ; Wimberly is a
student in the State University at Athens, Georgia ; and Julia and Irene
reside at home. Miss Julia is a rarely gifted elocutionist and teacher
of the art and has given many dramatic readings for the benefit of
churches, schools and societies. Irene is a gifted vocalist and is a much
sought soloist and member of local choirs.

Mr. McLeod is a popular Mason and exemplifies in his own living the
ideals of moral and social justice and brotherly love for which the
order stands. He is also affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows and the S. D. Fullen Camp. United Confederate Veterans
with whom he renews the old comradeship of other days. Mrs. McLeod,
one of Abbeville's representative ladies, has been president of the Abbe-
ville Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy since its organiza-
tion some twelve years ago. The subject and his family are helpful
members of the Methodist Episcopal church, South.

V. L. Darby, M. D. A rising young physician of Denton, V. L.
Darby, M. D., where he has a good practice, is fast winning for himself
an honored name in the medical profession. He was born. February
29, 1884, on a farm near Monroe. Walton county, Georgia, and this
year, 1912, had the pleasure of celebrating his natal day the seventh
time. His parents, W. L. and Lulu (Hale) Darby, were both natives
of Walton county, having been born on neighboring plantations.

Completing his early education in the Vidalia High school. V. L.
Darin* spent two years in the Medical department of the University of
Georgia, in Augusta, and at the age of twenty-one years, in 19(1.3. was
graduated from the Maryland Medical College, in Baltimore, there re-
. ceiving the degree of M. D. Then, after practicing medicine in Vidalia,
Georgia, for a year, he took a post graduate course in New Orleans,
while in that city spending some time at the Central America Yellow
Fever Quarantine station for the state of Louisiana, gaining profes-
sional knowledge and experience impossible to acquire elsewhere. Re-
turning to Georgia, Dr. Darby settled first in Iloschtou. from there
coming again to Vidalia, where he built up a good patronage, and
about February 1, 1913, he moved to Denton; his success in dealing
with difficult eases having won for him the confidence and good will
of the people.

Dr. Darby lias the distinction of being a charter member of the Chi
Zeta Chi medical fraternity, which was organized at the University of
Georgia in 190:5, being the first Greek Letter society of that institution.
He also belongs to several of Vidalia 's fraternal lodges, including the
Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows: and the
Woodmen of the World. Both he and his wife are members of the
Baptist church.

Al Iloschton. Georgia, Dr. Darby was united in marriage with Ruth



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 959

Hosch, a daughter of Hon. John R. Hosch, her father having been a
man of prominence and influence, and one of the leading lumber manu-
facturers and dealers of his community. The doctor and Mrs. Darby
have one child, Virgil Hosch Darby, born in 1909.

Rev. Joseph N. Smith. An ardent believer and upholder of the
truths of the Holy Scriptures, Rev. Joseph N. Smith, of Hazlehurst, Jeff
Davis county, is known far and wide as a man of strong convictions,
and deep consecration, and as one who is bound heart and soul to the
work of the Christian ministry. A native of Georgia, he was born,
March 31, 1852, in Emanuel county, on the farm of his father, John
G. Smith.

Born in North Carolina, John G. Smith was but a small lad when
brought by his parents to Georgia, where he grew to manhood, and sub-
sequently made farming his chief occupation. During the Civil war
he served bravely in a Georgia regiment, being commissioned as lieu-
tenant of his company, and acting as captain in time of need. He took
part in many engagements of note, and in a hard-fought battle just
above Atlanta, was severely wounded. Two of his brothers, W. D.
Smith and George W. Smith, also took part in the Civil war, serving
in the Thirty-second Georgia Regiment, under Colonel Harrison. George
W., the younger brother, died while in the army, at Mount Pleasant,
South Carolina, while the elder brother, W. D., served as a private
throughout the entire war, and at the engagement at Ocean Pond being
severely injured by the falling of a tree.

Spending the first forty years of his life in Emanuel county, Joseph
N. Smith acquired his early education in the district schools, and as a
boy and youth became familiar with farm work. In early life he mani-
fested strong religious tendencies, and almost as a matter of course
entered the ministry, becoming associated with the Primitive Baptist
church. In 1877 he was licensed to preach, and in November, 1878,
Mr. Smith was ordained to full work in the denomination, and even now
serves from one to four churches regularly. He also does contract work
as a carpenter and builder, making good use of his natural mechanical
ability and genius. Leaving his native county in 1891, Mr. Smith spent
four years in Laurens county. Going then to Telfair county, he remained
in Helena eight years, but for the past six years has maintained his
home in Hazlehurst, and has here continued active work in the ministry,
meeting with a due need of success in his labors.

Rev. Mr. Smith married, in 1873, Miss Georgia Gillis, a daughter of
A. J. Gillis, who served as a member of the Georgia Cavalry in the Civil
war, and of Elizabeth (Ricks) Gillis. Of the eleven children born of
the union of Mr. and Mrs. Smith one child, Dora, has passed to the
higher life, and ten are living, and all are married, namely : J. A., born
in 1878; J. T., born in 1880; C. O., born in 1885; W. L.,* born in 1894;
Ililrie. born in 1898; Lizzie, Mollie, Mamie, and Vernie. The family
are all members of the Primitive Baptist church, and active workers
therein.

Andrew Gill, who is road-master for the Gulf Line Raih-oad at
Sylvester, Georgia, was born on February 10, 1854, near Troupville,
(Lowndes) now Brooks county, Georgia, on the farm of his father, John
Gill. His mother was Nancy (McLeod) Gill, a native of Virginia, while
his father was a native of South Carolina. Both were of Scotch ances-
try. John Gill served in the Volunteer army of the Confederate states
of America during the Civil war and saw much active service throughout
its duration. He was wounded at Gettysburg and came home in January,
1865.



960 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Until he was nineteen years of age, Andrew Gill assisted with the
work of the farm, his actual school attendance in those years not aggre-
gating nine months. After leaving the farm he went to work as a
track hand, beginning October 3, 1873, in the employ of the Atlantic
& Gulf Railroad, remaining thus employed for four months. At the
end of that time he was promoted to the position of section foreman, a
post which he held for sixteen years with that road and its successors,
the Plant System and the Atlantic Coast Line. In 1890 he was pro-
moted from the position of track foreman to that of conductor of a
construction train, and he served three years in that capacity. In 1893
he was made supervisor of the Fifth Division of the Plant System,
serving thus for nine years, after which he was promoted to the position
of road-master, in which important position he continued for two years,
making his entire service with this company, as measured by time, to
cover a period of thirty years. In 1904, Mr. Gill emit the railroad ser-
vice and engaged in business for himself as the operator of a naval store,
and in this enterprise he continued through a period of seven years.
In October, 1911, he took service as superintendent of construction
with the Cotton State Construction Company in railroad building, the
work being in connection with the Gulf Line Railroad where he is at
present employed as road-master.

• Mr. Gill has been twice married. On March 9, 1875, he was united
in marriage with Sarah Martin, the daughter of A. V. Martin of Georgia.
She died on October 20, 1877, leaving two children, — Mary, who died in
her nineteenth year of life, and W. D., who died in infancy. On Janu-
ary 22, 1879, he was married to Mollie Poster, the daughter of Hampton
C. Foster, a native of Tennessee, and Sarah (Smith) Foster, of Georgia.
Of this latter union ten children were born, of which number nine are
living. They are: Andrew W. ; Fannie L. ; Hampton C. ; Lewis M. ;
Anna Vashti ; M. W. Roy; Katie; Peter, and Robert L. Mr. Gill had
two brothei*s, — Daniel and Angus, both of whom are deceased, and his
sisters, Jane and Laura, are both married and make their homes in
Georgia.

The Gill family is one held in high esteem in their community, where
they have been well known for years. They have no definite church
affiliations, but attend all churches impartially. Mr. Gill is a Mason of
the Royal Arch degree.

R. Lee Moore. The South perhaps more than any other region has
been famous for the public-spirited men it has produced. Its lawyers
have attained to the highest eminence in the jurisprudence of the nation ;
its publicists have determined wisely and well questions of public policy,
and its military men have for their gallantry achieved undying fame
in the hearts of the people. In this region and from such honored fore-
bears resides R. Lee Moore, one of Statesboro's leading citizens and a
former mayor of the community. In him there runs a strain of all these
chai'acteristics, which combined in splendid manhood have enabled him
to attain to the position he occupies in the hearts of his fellow townsmen.

Mr. Moore has not yet attained to the meridian of life, despite the
attainments which he bears and which usually mark the man of more
advanced years. He was born at Scarboro. in Screven county. Georgia,
on November 27, 1867, his parents being Zacariah and Mary (Jackson)
Moore. The former was a native of "Washington county, Georgia. Octo-
ber 2, 1825, being the date of his nativity. He died in 1887. His wife,
who was born in "Wilkinson county, Georgia, in 1840. is still living.

Reared on the home plantation in Screven county. R. Lee Moore
was carefully educated for a profession. His early educational training



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 961

was in Scarboro Academy, after which he continued his studies at the
Middle Georgia Military Academy at Millidgeville, of which Gen.
D. H. Hill was then president. Passing from college to active life he
taught school for a time in Screven county, and later was employed as
a salesman in a mercantile establishment at Millen.

His ambition beckoned him onward, however, and he went to the city
of Savannah, whose larger field afforded the opportunity he so greatly
desired. He found employment as a clerk and bookkeeper, and at once
set about the study of law, the privilege of practicing at the bar being
the goal toward which he set his course. He finally entered the law de-
partment of the University of Georgia, in which he graduated as a mem-
ber of the class of 1890, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He
was admitted to the bar of his native state at Athens, June 18, 1890 by
Judge N. L. Hutchinson.

He located at Statesboro, the county seat of Bulloch county, and has
resided there continuously ever since. His natural aptitude and com-
prehensive education were recognized and he met with pronounced suc-
cess. He has been found equally at home in the various division of law
practice and has achieved a high rank in the profession. Mr. Moore is -
known abroad as well as in his home community as one of the ablest
lawyers in Middle Georgia. Besides his large practice he has a success-
ful business in farm loans.

Always a stanch adherant of the principles of the democratic party,
Mr. Moore has taken an active part in its affairs in his section of Georgia.
His judgment is excellent as regards political situations and in the
counsels of the party his advice is always sought. In 1912, Mr. Moore
was promiently mentioned as a candidate for congress from the first
congressional district, but he declined to enter the race. In December,
1905, his fellow townsmen gave significant evidence of their esteem by
electing him to the office of Mayor, to which place he was re-elected for
for the succeeding term. His administrations are spoken of in the
highest terms by all.

On June 22, 1893, Mr. Moore was united in marriage with Miss Laura
Alderman, daughter of Hiram and Emma (Jones) Alderman, of Mel-
rose, Florida.

Charles Wynne Attwill, attorney at law, and fast forging to the
front in his profession, is a native born Georgian, his birth taking place
at Savannah, on December 15, 1879. He is the son of Charles Wesley
and Lupina Rebecka (Horn) Attwill. The father was a native of West
Moreland county, Virginia, while the mother was born in Laurens county,
near Dublin, and reared in Thomasville, Thomas county. Charles W.
Attwill, the elder, was employed in Savannah by the Hogan Dry Goods
Company until the time of his death, which occurred on March 20, 1881.
They were the parents of two children : Charles W. of this brief per-
sonal review and Susie, who died at the age of four years.

The son, Charles W., attended school in Savannah until he was ten
years of age, the old Chatham Academy being the scene of his studies,
and he then came to Eastman accompanied by his mother and her step-
father, Dr. D. Cox, and in Eastman high school completed his studies
and was graduated therefrom in 1896. In 1898 the young man took a
business course at Ozark, Alabama, and later studied law at Mercer
University in Macon, Georgia, from which institution he was graduated
in 1904. On June 8th of that year he began the practice of his pro-
fession in Mount Vernon, in which he has since made continuous and
consistent advance. In the years 1905, '06 and '07 Mr. Attwill was
official stenographer for the city courts of Eastman, McRae and Baxley,



962 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

a position which he filled most admirably, as a result of his efficient
business training, and on January 1, 1910, he was appointed by Gov.
Joseph Brown to fill out the unexpired term of ' W. M. Morrison
as solicitor of the city court of Eastman, which he retained until the
expiration of the term, on June 1, 1911. He has conducted a general
law practice with most pleasing results, and is the legal representative
of the Dodge Fertilizer Works, also the First National Bank of Eastman.
Mr. Attwill is unmarried, and makes his home with his mother, who
still lives in Eastman.

Sidney Douglas Dell. Broad-minded, talented, and progressive,
Sidney Douglas Dell, a young and leading attorney of Hazlehurst, has
acquired distinction in legal circles, both at the bar and the bench, his
advancement along professional paths having been swift, while each step
has been creditable to him both as a man and as a lawyer. A native
of Georgia, he was born, August 18, 1885, in Sylvania, Screven county.

His father, John C. Dell, was for many years a prominent attorney
of Screven county, and a citizen of influence. A stalwart supporter of
the principles and policies of the Democratic party, he contributed
largely towards the advancement of its cause, representing his district
in the state legislature ; serving as chairman of the Democratic executive
committee of Screven county, and, in 1896, being delegate at large to
the convention that first nominated William J. Bryan for the presidency.
He married Fannie Sharpe, of Screven county, and to them seven chil-
dren were born, as follows: Jesse, private secretary to the quarter mas-
ter general at Washington, District of Columbia ; E. P., who is reading
law at Hazlehurst with his brother Sidney; Nellie P., wife of Dr. W.
B. Mell, formerly of Effingham county, but now residing in Sylvania ;
Mary, who conducts a circulating library at Sylvania, Georgia ; Sidney
Douglas ; and two that have passed to the higher life.

After a thorough preliminary course of study in his native town,
Sidney D. Dell was sent to Washington, District of Columbia, and was
there graduated from the academic department of the Georgetown Uni-
versity. While in that department, he spent his evenings in reading
law, and subsequently entered the law department of that institution,
from which he was graduated in 1908. The years previous to that date,
Mr. Dell had, in addition to keeping up with his academic and legal
studies, served as stenographer for the Southern Railway Company's
treasurer, a position which he retained until November. 1908, when, on
account of the illness and death of his mother, he was called home. Re-
maining to settle up the family estate, Mr. Dell concluded to locate per-
manently in Georgia. On January 24, 1909, he continued his studies
at Mercer University, in Macon, where he was graduated on June 2,
1909, and on the same day was admitted to the Georgia bar. and likewise
to practice in the United States circuit court before Hon. Emory Speer.
On June 15, of the same year. Mr. Dell was admitted to practice in the
appellate court of Georgia, and he has, in addition to all this, license to
practice in the courts of the District of Columbia.

On June 7, 1909, Mr. Dell began to practice of his profession at
Hazlehurst, and about a month later was appointed trustee in bank-
ruptcy by the referee of bankruptcy of the eastern division of the south-
ern district of Georgia in the celebrated Gilmore case, which, on account
of the many intricate legal points involved, was one of great importance.
In January, 1910, Mr. Dell became associated with Judge H. A. King,
becoming junior member of the firm of King & Dell, which was recently
dissolved. In November, 19 — , Mr. Dell was made judge of the city
court of Hazlehurst. and has the honor and distinction of being one of



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 963

the youngest judges on the bench. Especially well informed in regard t
to the law of bankruptcy and insolvency, Mr. Dell is prepared to handle
bankruptcy cases in both Baxley and McRae.

Mr. Dell married, June 30, 1909, Miss Sadie Norman, daughter of
Rev. Robert R. and Mary Norman, of Wilkes county, Georgia. Both Mr.
and Mrs. Dell are valued members of the Methodist church. Fraternally,
Mr. Dell is a member and the secretary of his lodge of Ancient Free
and Accepted Order of Masons; and belongs to the Knights of Pythias.

J. Wade Johnson, vice president and general manager of the
Southern Loan and Investment Company, Vidalia, Georgia, was born
November 29, 1882, fifteen miles from Vidalia, in what was then Mont-
gomery, now Toombs county, son of J. C. and Anna (Sharp) Johnson,
both natives of Georgia. His grandfather Sharp is said to be the oldest
man now living in Montgomery county. J. C. Johnson is one of the
representative farmers of Toombs county. He is a veteran of the
Southern army, for two years, 1863 and 1864, having tented and
marched and fought with the boys in gray, his command being Com-
pany F, Sixty-first Georgia Infantry.

His father a farmer, young Johnson was reared to farm life and
received his education in the common schools of his native county. He
remained with his father until he was twenty-two years of age. On
leaving the homestead, he accepted a position as deputy clerk of the
supreme court of Montgomery county, which place he filled acceptably
for a period of five years. He was elected vice president of the First
National Bank of Vidalia at the time it was organized, and occupied this
position for some time. Meanwhile he became identified with other
enterprises, and on account of the press of other business he resigned
his place in the bank. The Southern Loan & Investment Company, of
which he is vice president and general manager, and of which A. M.
Moses is president, does a general real estate and loan business, lending
large sums of eastern capital to the Georgia farmers. In 1911, this
company placed loans to the amount of .+262,000, and handled 20,000
acres of Georgia land.

Mr. Johnson has made his home in Vidalia the past five years. In
1906, he and Miss Mable Morrison, daughter of P. Morrison, were united
in marriage, and to them have been given two children : J. Wade, Jr.,
and Margaret.

Mr. Johnson has fraternal relations with the Knights of Pythias, and
he and Mrs. Johnson are members of the Baptist church.

Carlton J. Wellborn. A man of wide research and learning, pos-
sessing a comprehensive knowledge of law, Carlton J. Wellborn occupies
among the leading attorneys of Jeff Davis county, having a large and
remunerative practice, and is well known in public life. He was born,
September 7. 1868, in Blairsville, Union county, Georgia, coming from
a family of much prominence.

His father, Carlton J. Wellborn, Sr., was born, bred and educated
in Union county, Georgia, and as a young man was admitted to the bar.
He served during the Civil war as commissary general under Gen.
Joseph Brown, and was afterwards engaged in the practice of law, for
a number of years being judge of the superior court of the northeast
circuit. He was very prominent in the affairs of state and nation, and
during the second administration of President Cleveland served as as-
sistant secretary of the interior under Hoke Smith. He was also state
librarian under Gov. Allen D. Candler. His wife, whose maiden name

was Sarah M. Candler, was born in Milledgeville, Georgia, a daughter
voi. n— 2 s



964 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

of E. S. Candler, who was comptroller of the state of Georgia during the
Civil war.

Being fitted for college at Dahlonega, Georgia, Carlton J. Wellborn
turned his attention to the study of law, and was graduated from the law
department of the University of Georgia, at Athens, with the class of
1889. Immediately locating at Blairsville, he remained there in active
practice for upwards of a score of years, meeting with unmistakable
prestige in his profession, and being influential in public affairs. In
August, 1911, he removed to Hawkinsville, where he is continuing his
legal work, having a lucrative patronage.

Mr. Wellborn has represented his district in the state legislature
three terms, having been elected in 1898, 1899, and again in 1905, and
was assistant clerk of the house of representatives under John T. Boi-
feuillet.

Mr. Wellborn married Lula, daughter of T. P. Griffies, of Greens-
boro, Georgia, and into their household six children have made their
advent, namely: William J., born in 1891, is editor and proprietor of
the Hazlehurst News; Charles G., born in 1894, is also a journalist, being
connected with the McRae Enterprise, in Telfair county ; John P., born
in 1898 ; Sarah, born in 1900 ; Osman, born in 1903 ; and Minnie Lee,
born in 1910. Mr. Wellborn and his family belong to the Methodist
church.

Cason F. Adams. Industriously engaged in one of the most useful
and independent callings to which a man may devote his energies,
Cason F. Adams, of the Tallokas district, is carrying on general farm-
ing with much success, performing his full share in rendering this dis-
trict one of the finest agricultural regions of Brooks county. A son of
the late Lasa Adams, he was born September 12, 1853, in Madison
county, Florida.

His paternal grandfather, Dennis Adams, migrated from one of the
Carolinas to Florida at an early day, when that portion of our country
was almost entirely a wilderness, the red skins being much more plenti-
ful than white men. Purchasing a tract of land, he erected a set of
buildings, and began to clear a homestead. One old Indian, "Sam,"
was a frequent caller at his house, and proved his friendship for the new-
comer by telling him that the Indians were that night to make a raid
on the white settlers. The family made preparations to receive the
savages when they attempted to drive away the stock. One of the sons,
Lasa Adams, started out with his gun, the other members of the family
being likewise armed, and when the battle that ensued was over there
were three dead Indians lying upon the ground. The following day,
Dennis Adams, believing discretion to be the better part of valor, came
with his wife and children to Georgia, which was much further from the
Indians' headquarters, and where the protections against the dusky
savages were much better, and here spent his remaining days. He was
twice married, his second wife surviving him about twenty years. By
his two marriages he was the father of ten children, as follows : Joshua,
Lasa, Dennis, Caswell, Cason, Sally, Rachel, Irene Louisa, and Jane.

Born in one of the Carolinas, Lasa Adams was but a small boy when
the family settled in Florida, where he experienced all the hardships
and privations of pioneer life, and where he had his first scrimmage
with the Indians. On coming to Georgia he joined the force organized
for protection against the wily red man, and took an active part in the
engagement at Brushy creek, in 1836, when the Indians took their last
stand in Georgia against the advance of civilization. On attaining his
majority, Lasa Adams bought a tract of timbered land in Madison



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 965

county, Florida, and on the farm which he improved spent a few seasons v
He subsequently lived for four years in Jefferson county, Florida, from
there coming to Georgia, and settling first in Thomas county, and later
in Brooks county. Here purchasing a grist mill, he operated it with
water power a number of years, the mill then, and now, being known
as Adams's Mill. He did much to develop the industrial resources of
this part of the country, and was here a resident until his death, at
the age of eighty-three j'ears, one month, and fourteen days.

Lasa Adams married Orpha Lee Holloway, who was born in what
is now Brooks county, Georgia, where her father, William Holloway, a
native of Bulloch county, Georgia, settled in pioneer times, and was
afterwards extensively engaged in agricultural pursuits, operating his
plantation with slave labor. She died September 28, 1887, aged sixty-
five years. She reared four children, namely : Rhoda ; Jane ; James C.,
of whom a brief sketch appears elsewhere in this volume ; and Cason F.

Commencing as a boy to assist his father on the farm, Cason F.
Adams remained beneath the parental roof-tree until twenty-seven years
of age. In the meantime he had visited Brooks county in his search of
a permanent place of location, and had purchased a part of the land
now included in the farm he owns and occupies, it being situated in
lot number three, Tallokas district. Here Mr. Adams has a fine farm
of two hundred and fifty acres, which he is managing successfully, as a
general farmer being quite prosperous. He has a comfortable set of
farm buildings, which are amply shaded by fine forest trees, which add
much to the attractiveness and picturesque value of the place.

Mr. Adams married, at the age of twenty-six years, Texas Smith.
She was born in Lowndes county, Georgia, where her father, J. R. M.
Smith, located on coming to Georgia from Arkansas. Her mother,
whose maiden name was Martha Smith, was born in Lowndes county, a
daughter of Owen Smith, a well-known pioneer of that county. Mr.
and Mrs. Adams have lost one child, Claon, who died at the aee of
sixteen years, and have four children living, namely: Leila, wife of
Harris J. McGraw, has two children, Alwilda and Eugene ; Olivia ; John
B. ; and William Lasa. Politically Mr. Adams is a straightforward .
Democrat, and religiously he and his family attend the Bethel Baptist
church.

Martin V. Miller, M. D. A skillful and successful physician of
Barney, Brooks county, Martin V. Miller, M. D., has through his rec-
ognized ability and professional knowledge acquired a large and lucrative
practice, and gained an honored name in the medical fraternity. He
was born, September 8, 1870, in Decatur county, Georgia, a son of John
Harrington Miller.

Buck Miller, the doctor's grandfather, was for many years a wealthy
planter and slave holder of eastern Georgia. He subsequently removed
to Florida, and spent his last years in Jackson county. He reared three
sons, as follows : Elias, Henry, and John Harrington.

Born on his father's plantation, John Harrington Miller was reared
and educated in the eastern part of Georgia. On attaining manhood
he migrated to Decatur county, Georgia, where he was a pioneer settler.
At that time nearly the whole of southwestern Georgia was in its virgin
wildness, deer, bear, and wild game of all kinds being abundant. There
were no railroads then in evidence in the state, the few settlers market-
ing their produce in the Gulf ports. He located thirteen miles north-
west of Bainbridge. which was a small hamlet, its one store being kept
in a log house. Buying a heavily timbered tract of land, Mr. J. H. Miller
built a small log cabin, and began the clearing of a farm. As his means



966 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

increased, he added to the improvements already inaugurated, and
later erected a substantial double house of hewed logs, into which he
moved with his family. During the war between the states he enlisted
in a Georgia regiment, and for a time was stationed along the coast.
He was later sent to the defense of Atlanta, and with his brave comrades
fought Sherman's forces. Returning home at the close of the war. he
resumed his agricultural labors, residing on his farm until his death,
in 1885, at the age of sixty-five years.

The maiden name of the wife of John Harrington Miller was
Margaret Rebecca Godby. She was born in Lee county. Georgia, in
1835, a daughter of William and Betsey (Williams) Godby, and died
in 1911, aged seventy-six years. Eight children were born of their
union, as follows: Henry Luther, engaged in the practice of medicine
at Palatka, Florida ; Caroline ; Martin V., the subject of this brief
sketch ; Elias M., engaged in farming in Decatur county : Lura E. ;
Thomas M., a physician in Hampton, Florida ; Evie J. ; and Wesley
Sherman, a well-known physician of Ocala. Florida.

Completing the course of study in the public schools, Martin V. Mil-
ler turned his attention to the study of medicine, which seemed to be a
favorite one in the family, having for his tutor Dr. E. B. Bush, of Col-
quitt county. Subsequently entering the Atlanta Medical College, he
was graduated from that institution with the class of 1893. Beginning
the practice of his profession at Jakin, Early county, Dr. Miller re-
mained there a year, and the following ten years was employed as a
physician at Whigham, Georgia. A close student, ambitious to keep
abreast of the times in his profession, Dr. Miller then spent a year in
Atlanta, where in addition to his work as a physician he attended med-
ical lectures. In 1909, he came to Barney, Brooks county, where he has
since been actively and successfully engaged in the practice of his pro-
fession, having built up an extensive and remunerative patronage. He
is a member of the Brooks County Medical Society.

Dr. Miller married, January 26, 1898, Maggie Grace Jones, who was
born at Climax, Decatur county, Georgia, a daughter of Zoar Robert
and Mary (Evans) Jones, natives of Georgia, her father having been
born in Decatur county, and her mother in Mitchell county. Her
grandparents, pioneer farmers of Decatur county, were Silas and Sally
(Williams) Jones, and Albert and Grace (Smith") Evans. Mrs. Miller's
father is now living retired from agricultural pursuits, his home being
in Cairo, Grady county. Mrs. Miller is a woman of culture and refine-
ment, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Henry A. Emerson, whose well-managed farm lies in Brooks county.
about five miles from Quitman, is numbered among the enterprising and
skillful agriculturists who are using excellent judgment and good busi-
ness methods in their work, and are meeting with satisfactory results.
He was born in Liberty, Florida, a son of Charles Warren Emerson.

He is of English ancestry, his grandfather. Joseph Emerson, having
emigrated from England to Massachusetts, settling in the near vicinity
of Boston, where he spent the remainder of his years.

Charles Warren Emerson was born and reared near Boston. Massa-
chusetts, and there acquired his early education. While in his 'teens he
spent two years on board a whaling vessel, and afterwards followed the
sea for seven years. Feeling the lure of the South, he made his way
to Florida, becoming a pioneer of Leon county. At that time there
were no railroads in either Florida or Georgia, and the forests were
inhabited by wild animals, game of all kinds, and the Indians were
numerous and sometimes vicious, causing the newcomers much trouble.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 967

He lived in various counties in Florida, but spent the closing days of
his life in Lafayette county, dying in 1894. His wife, whose maiden
name was Diana Byrd, was born, in 1824, in Liberty county, Georgia, a
daughter of Aleck and Nancy (Sykes) Byrd, who removed from that
county to Florida, locating as pioneers in Madison county, and there
living until called to the life beyond. Charles Warren and Diana
Emerson were the parents of seven children, as follows : Nancy, Susie,
Joseph AV., Henry A., Charles, Mary and John. Joseph W. and Henry
A. are the only survivors of this family. Joseph W. Emerson, the oldest
son, has been twice married. He married first Nancy Shaw, who died
in early life, leaving five children : Katie, Susie, Lewis, Charles W.,
and Jeremiah. His second wife, whose maiden name was Sarah A.
Starling, died in 1887, leaving two children, Lulu and Sophia.

Although his educational advantages were limited, Henry A. Emer-
son availed himself of every opportunity for advancing his knowledge,
thus obtaining a good stock of general information. He was reared to
habits of honesty, industry and thrift, and at the age of nineteen began
earning wages as a farm laborer, finding employment in Brooks county,
Georgia. In 1877, Mr. Emerson went to Jefferson county, Florida, where
he remained as a plantation overseer until 1886. He then entered the
roadway department of the Savannah, Florida & Western Railroad Com-
pany, now the Atlantic Coast Line, and remained with the company for
twenty years, faithfully and capably performing all the duties connected
with the position until handing in his resignation. In 1906, having
previously bought land in lots four hundred and seventy-three and four
hundred eighty-six, Dixie district, within five miles of Quitman, Mr.
Emerson turned his attention to agriculture, assuming possession of the
farm where he is now living. Successful in his new industry, he now
owns four hundred and sixty acres of land, and now has a goodly portion
of his farm in cultivation, and improvements of an excellent character,
his buildings being substantial, commodious and convenient.

In 1879, Mr. Emerson was united in marriage with Mary Emma
Johnson, who was born in Brooks county, Georgia, a daughter of AVilson
Johnson. Her grandfather, Jared Johnson, who married Elizabeth
Eckels, moved from Washington county, Georgia, to Brooks county in
pioneer days, and built a grist mill at Water Lillie Pond, and operated for
a time. He afterwards moved south, settling near Ancilla river, where he
resided until his death. Born in Washington county, Georgia, AVilson
Johnson came with his parents to Brooks count y, and in this part of the
state spent his active life as a tiller of the soil. He married Alary
Dean, a daughter of John and Jane (Albritton) Dean, who came to
Brooks county from Laurens county, her father having been a man of
culture, and one of the pioneer school teachers of this part of the state.
Air. and Airs. Emerson have seven children, namely: Azubah V., who
married Bailey T. AValdron, and has two children, Nellie and Alma ;
Carrie V. ; Susie R. ; Lucy I. ; Nancy AV. ; Henry B. ; and Russell AV.

In state and local affairs Mr. Emerson is a straightforward Democrat,
but in national affairs he is independent, voting for the best men regard-
less of party restrictions. Fraternally he is a member of Dixie Lodge,
No. 242, Free and Accepted Alasons.

George AVebster Quinn. A prominent member of the agricultural
community of Hickory Head district, George Webster Quinn holds an
assured position among the successful and progressive farmers and stock-
raisers of Brooks county, where he was born, his birth having occurred
March 10, 1877.

His father. Dr. Gideon Quinn, was reared in Georgia, in the vicinity



968 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

of Augusta, and there received his elementary education. Leaving home
at the age of eighteen years, he spent three years in Mississippi, and on
returning to Georgia entered the Atlanta Medical College, from which
he was graduated with the degree of M. D. He subsequently practised
a short time in Warren county, Georgia, in Alabama, and in Louisiana.
On his return to Georgia, Dr. Quinn located in Montezuma. Macon
county, and during .the Civil war gave up his local practice to serve as
a surgeon in the Confederate army. Removing to Brooks county in
1867, the doctor purchased a plantation in the Hickory Head district,
and was here a resident until his death, in 1888.

Dr. Quinn married Araville Concord Aminta Ivey, who was born
about forty miles from the city of Augusta, a daughter of Thomas and
Rebecca (Buckholten) Ivey. Her father was a native of Virginia, his
mother of south Georgia, and both spent the closing year of their lives
near Augusta. She survived the doctor nearly a quarter of a century,
passing away March 16, 1911. Eight children were born of their union,
namely : Charles, deceased ; Ada ; Eula ; Terry, deceased ; David,
deceased ; Cora ; Samuel ; and George Webster.

Acquiring a good education in his youthful days, George Webster
Quinn began his active career at the age of eighteen years, for awhile
being bookkeeper for a naval stores company in Tallahassee, Florida.
Returning to Brooks county, he accepted a position in a mercantile
establishment in Quitman. Tiring of clerical work, Mr. Quinn came back
to the soil, beginning life as an independent farmer on rented land.
Energetic and wide-awake, he paid close attention to his chosen work,
and was well rewarded for his labors. He had in a comparatively brief
time saved a sufficient sum to warrant him in buying one hundred and
forty acres of land, and he has since continued buying at intervals, and
now has title to two thousand acres of good land in the Hickory Head
district. Fourteen hundred acres of his property are fenced, and well
stocked with cattle, horses, sheep and hogs, while all of his farms are
amply supplied with the machinery and implements required by an
up-to-date agriculturist. Well educated, and an intelligent reader, Mr.
Quinn keeps apace with the times in regard to current events, and takes
much interest in local matters.

John Dougal McCallum, now one of the enterprising young mer-
chants of Boston, Thomas county, began his business career here in a
clerical capacity, and by industry and commercial ability has won a
place among the independent business men of this community.

He was born at Alfordsville, Robeson county. North Carolina, April
22, 1878. His father, Joseph Brown McCallum, was a native of the
same vicinity. The grandfather was John McCallum. who was born in
Bladen county. North Carolina, of Scotch ancestors that were among
the early settlers there. From Bladen county he removed to Robeson
county, where he became an extensive planter and at the conclusion of
the Civil war freed seventy-eight slaves. He resided in that county
until his death. He married a Miss Brown and they reared a large
family.

Joseph Brown McCallum, the father, who is still living in North
Carolina, has had a varied career as educator, soldier and farmer. He
was educated in common schools and at college, and then began teach-
ing. The war broke into upon the pursuit of this profession, and he
enlisted in the Twenty-fourth North Carolina Infantry, and fought in
Virginia under General Beauregard in Jackson's corps. In one of its
many battles the regiment was captured, and Mr. McCallum was the
Only member of it that escaped. He was then transferred to the Thirty-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 969

fourth Regiment, with which he served to the end of the war. His long
and arduous services included many of the memorable battles and cam-'
paigns of the Army of North Virginia, including Manassas. Fredericks-
burg, the Wilderness, Gettysburg, and the engagements around Rich-
mond and Petersburg. He was present at the surrender at Appomatox,
after which he returned home. He has since refused a pension or any
form of remuneration for his soldier's duty, and says that he served
out of pure patriotism and not for pelf. After his military experience
he spent two years more at teaching, and then engaged in farming on
his land adjacent to Alfordsville, where he has since resided.

Joseph B. McCallum married Mary Elizabeth Mclntyre, a native of
Robeson county. Her father, Dougal C. Mclntyre, who was born in
Scotland and accompanied his parents to North Carolina, was a farmer
throughout his active career and spent his last days in Robeson county.
Joseph B. McCallum and wife reared the following named children:
Gustavus A., John Dougal, Mary Edna, Rufus B., Lamar, Joseph B., Jr.,
William Duncan and Katie Blanche.

After his graduation from the Alfordsville high school, John D.
McCallum prepared for a business career by attending Massey's Busi-
ness College in Columbus, Georgia, where he graduated in 1901*. In the
same year he located at Boston, with which town he has been identified
throughout his practical career. He was first a bookkeeper for the
Comfort Trading Company a year, then in the same capacity with J.
B. Way Company two years, and with J. B. and J. S. Norton until
1905. In that year he established a general store of his own, and has
since built up a very prosperous business.

Mr. McCallum manned, in 1905, Miss Jemmie Way. Mrs. McCallum
is a native of Thomas county, and her grandfather, Moses Way, was
one of the pioneer settlers of south Georgia. Mr. McCallum and wife
are members of the Presbyterian church, in which he is elder, and he
is affiliated with Boston Lodge No. 138, I. 0. 0. F. In polities he is a
Democrat.

Thomas Adams. A retired merchant of Boston, Georgia, and at
present an extensive farmer of Thomas county, Thomas Adams has
acquitted himself throughout his life in a manner worthy of his ances-
tors who were among the brave pioneers who cleared the way for civiliza-
tion in southern Georgia. The grandfather of the subject of this history,
also named Thomas Adams, was born in North Carolina, and came
among the earliest settlers to that part of Irwin county, now called
Thomas county. At the time of his coming, the Indians had newly
ceded the territory included in southern Georgia to the state, but they
did not always act in good faith, and Thomas Adams, and the other
white men who had settled in the vicinity lived in constant fear of the
depredations of the redskins. They united into a band to protect their
homes from the savages, however, and erected a log stockade in each
settlement, for the purpose of affording refuge to the women and chil-
dren. Thomas Adams cleared a farm from the wilderness with the
help of his slaves, and on this property he lived until his death. He
and his wife, who was a Miss Swilley, reared a large number of chil-
dren, one of whom was Thomas Adams, Junior, the father of the man
whose name appears at the head of this sketch.

Thomas Adams, Junior, was born in the year 1818, on his father's
plantation in Thomas county. Reared as he was amid the perilous scenes
of frontier life, and growing up in constant fear of marauding savages,
it is no wonder that he was ready and eager to enlist in the Indian war
at the early age of eighteen years. He fought in three hard-won battles.



970 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

including the one at Brushy creek, where the Indians made their last
stand against their civilized masters. When he was ready to start out
in life for himself, Mr. Adams bought some land in the southern part
of the county, where he cultivated a large farm, using slave labor. He
employed at this time more than one hundred slaves. After a few years,
he sold this plantation, and bought land north of Thomasville. He only
remained in that locality a few years, however, before he disposed of
the property and purchased a tract situated on the south side of the
railroad, and now included in the town of Boston. He had surveys
made of this land, and had it subdivided into town lots, which he sold,
buying a plantation on the Sevilla river in Thomas county, where he
remained for the rest of his life, passing away in the year 1906, after
a long and useful career as public and private citizen. His services to
his community in private capacities were rewarded with the office of
county judge, in which capacity he acquitted himself with great credit.

The wife of Thomas Adams, Junior, was Georgia Everett, a native
of Bulloch county, Georgia. Her father, Jesse Everett, was one of the
pioneer settlers of Thomas county. Mrs. Adams died at the age of
seventy-eight years, having reared a family of nine children to be
honest 3nd industrious citizens of their country.

One of these children was Thomas Adams, III. He first saw the light
of day at his father's farm, four miles north of Thomasville, January
3, 1860. He attended school at Boston, and partook of the excellent
tutelage of Professor Moody, an educator well-known in that district.
Mr. Adams resided with his parents until he had reached the age of
twenty- four years. At that time, he started out for himself, embarking
in the mercantile business at Boston. He remained in that town for
ten years, and is still remembered there as an enterprising merchant.
At the end of a decade, however, having previously purchased the
homestead upon which his wife was born, located in Lot No. 236. of
Thomas county, he entered upon the pursuit of agriculture, and now
has acquired the reputation of being one of the most substantial and
progressive farmers of the locality.

In the year 1887, Mr. Adams was united in the bonds of holy matri-
mony with Alice Ida Minis, a native of Thomas county, and the daughter
of Wilke Minis, also born in Thomas county. Mrs. Adams' grandfather,
David Mims, came to Thomas county from Montgomery county, Georgia.
He was one of the first settlers in southern Georgia, and bought a large
tract of six hundred acres, which he cleared and cultivated. After
residing on this property for several years, he sold out and moved to
Colquitt county, where he remained until his death, at the age of eighty-
four years. His wife, Sally Kemp Mims, had died some years before
in Thomas county, having reared eight sons and eight daughters.

Wilke Mims was raised and educated in Thomas county. At the
beginning of the struggle between the states, he enlisted, with six of his
brothers, in the Confederate army. He was detailed for service in the
quartermaster's department. lie contracted some disease during the
war, and died in June, 186."), only a month after his return home. Wilke
Mims Mas married in !Sf>l, to Belle Moore, who was a native of Leon
county, Florida. Mrs. Minis' father, Howell Moore, was born in Wash-
ington county, (leorgia, and was one of the pioneers of Leon county.
He owned a farm about eighten miles from Tallahassee, cultivating it
by means of slave labor. He was a carpenter by trade, and at length
became a contractor, building many churches and dwellings in the dis-
trict in which he spent his life. His wife, the grandmother of Mrs.
Adams, was a .Matilda Coleman, the daughter of Jacob and Betsy Cole-
man. She also died on the Florida farm, having spent a life in harmony



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 971

with the precepts of the Methodist Episcopal church, in the congrega-
tion of which faith both she and her husband were members. Mr. and >
Mrs. Moore reared a family of eight children, including Mrs. Adams'
mother.

Left a widow with a family of five children on her hands, Mrs. Minis,
like so many of the brave and noble women whom the Civil war de-
prived of their natural protectors, managed to keep her family together
until they had all found homes of their own. She still lives on the farm
to which she came as a bride, and although she is very old, and has
seventeen grandchildren, as well as eleven great-grandchildren, she is
quite active, working in the garden, and doing many of the tasks that
have been hers so long. She has an excellent memory, and it is with
undimmed faculties and cheery spirit that she awaits the call of the
Master.

James William Duren. Representing some of the oldest and best
known families of Thomas county, James William Duren is one of the
progressive and successful young farmer citizens near Thomasville. His
forefathers were pioneers of this region, clearing and developing homes
out of the wilderness, and he in his turn has taken up the tasks of
modern agriculture and has applied to it the energy and skill which
make the twentieth century agriculturist the most independent citizen
of America.

He was born on a farm in the Oak Hill district of Thomas county
on the 23d of December, 1S74. His father was Reno Duren, who was
born in Gwinnett county April 6, 1853. The grandfather was William
Duren and the great-grandfather George Duren, both identified with
earlier generations of Georgians, and the history of the Duren family
in greater detail will be found in a sketch of George L. Duren elsewhere
in this work.

Reno Duren, the father, was a boy of twelve when he came with the
family to Thomas county. At the age of twenty he was married to
Miss Susan S. Hall, and they then resided at her father's farm a few
years. Her father then gave her a tract of land in lot 128 Oak Hill
district, and there Reno Duren located and was engaged in general
farming until his death, which occurred in 1908. The mother, Susan
S. Hall, was born in Leon county, Florida, in 1852. Her father, David
J. Hall, a son of Juniper and Serena Hall, pioneer settlers of Florida,
was himself a native of Florida, and afterwards settled at Thomasville
when it was a village and all the surrounding country little improved
from wilderness conditions. After a few years he bought a large tract
of land in the Oak Hill district, and there engaged in farming and stock-
raising until his death in 1881. David J. Hall married Harriet Wilson,
a native of Thomas county and daughter of Allen Wilson, who was
also a pioneer settler here. Allen Wilson owned a large amount of land
five miles northeast of Thomasville, cultivating with slave labor, and
lived there till his death at a good old age. He was three times married
and reared a large family of children. Susan (Hall) Duren, the
mother, died in 1891, and her seven children are named as follows:
Eva, James W., Clarence, Scellie, Maude, Lottie and Reno.

James W. Duren had the advantages of a good home and received
a substantial education first in the common schools and later in the
South Georgia College at Thomasville. He assisted in the labors of the
home farm until his marriage, and then lived two years on his father-
in-law's place, after which he bought the old Duren homestead, where
he has since been prosperously engaged in general farming, horticulture



972 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

and stock raising. He has built a comfortable residence and otherwise
improved the farm since it came into his hands.

In 1900, he was united in marriage with Miss Bama Bulloch. Mrs.
Duren is a native of Thomas county, and her parents were James N.
and Susan (Singletary) Bulloch. Mr. and Mrs. Duren 's six children
are : Joseph D., James N., Susan, Evelyn, Ollie and Ray. Mr. and
Mrs. Duren are members of the Missionary Baptist church.

"William Albert AValker, M. D. For more than twenty years suc-
cessfully engaged in practice and the proprietor of a large and well
equipped sanitarium at Cairo, in Grady county. Dr. "Walker has repre-
sented the highest ability and best personal qualities of the medical
profession. He is the type of physician whose work has been quietly
performed, and whose services, while without the conspicuous qualities
of men in public life, have been none the less valuable to society and
deserving of the mention which is bestowed on conscientious and efficient
work. Dr. "Walker is a physician who is always apace with the develop-
ments and discoveries of his profession, and has enjoyed a practice that
has absorbed all his time and energy.

Representing an old family of southern Georgia, William Albert
Walker was born on a plantation four miles from Thomasville. His
father was Jonathan Walker, and his grandfather was Talton Walker.
The latter, a native of North Carolina, where he was reared- and married,
came to Georgia and became an early settler in Banks county. At the
time of his settlement the greater part of Georgia was a wilderness, with
the forest untouched, game of all kinds in plentiful quantities, and the
Indians still living here and claiming the region as their hunting
ground. Talton Walker and his brother Jonathan both participated in
the Cherokee Indian wars. He had a large plantation, cleared out of
the wilderness, operated it with slave labor, and remained a resident
there until his death at the age of seventy-six years. His wife also lived
to a good old age, and they reared twelve children, nine sons and three
daughters, namely: Jonathan, Thurman, Samuel. Benton. Lumpkin.
Polk, Byron, Augustus, Obie, Mary, Ellen, and Margaret. All of these
sons, except Obie, served in the Confederate army. AYhen Governor
Brown, toward the close of the war, called out all the boys and old men,
the mother wrote the governor that she already had eight sons in the
army and only one at home, who was just old enough for service under
that call, and saying that she needed this son at home, and requested
the governor to release him from military duty. She quickly received
a letter from Governor Brown, granting her desire.

Jonathan "Walker, the father, was reared in Banks county, and about
1850 moved to Thomas county, buying a farm four miles east of
Thomasville. In 1862, he entered the Confederate army and went with
his command into Virginia, where he was attached to Longstreet's corps,
participating in many of the more important battles of the Virginia
campaign. He escaped capture and was wounded but once and then
not seriously. When the war was over he made his way back home as
best he could, and resumed the quiet pursuits of agriculture. He resided
on his farm until a few years before his death, when he came to Cairo,
where he lived retired until death came to him in 1902, when he was
seventy-six years of age. The maiden name of his wife was Nancy Jane
Kitchen, who was born in Banks county, and who died in 1908 at seven-
ty-nine years. She reared seven children whose names are Casper, Alice,
Caledonia. Cornelia, Janie. Laura and William Albert. Both parents
were members of the Methodist church.

Dr. Walker attended the rural schools of Thomas countv until he



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 973

was seventeen years old, and then became a student in the high school
at Cairo. Two years later he entered the Louisville Medical College at
Louisville, Kentucky, where he was graduated M. D. in February,
1889. In the same year he took a post graduate course at the New York
Polyclinic. His ambition to keep his accomplishments abreast of the
growing knowledge in medical science has caused him to take a post
graduate course in the New York Polyclinic every tw r o years since he
began actual practice. He opened his first office in Cairo, and has been
in the enjoyment of a large practice in this locality for nearly twenty-
four years. In 1905 he established a sanitarium at Cairo. The build-
ing at first had only three rooms, but its popularity has grown and its
equipment in proportion, so that in 1912, the doctor erected a commo-
dious brick building with twelve rooms and in the best style of archi-
tecture and arrangement and furnishings to serve its purposes.

In 1893 Dr. Walker married Jessie Powell, who was born at Cairo, a
daughter of Rev. William and Lucretia (Brockett) Powell. Dr. and
Mrs. Walker have six children, whose names are Wyeth, Agnes, Ellen,
William Wayne, Mae, and Martha. The doctor and wife worship in the
Methodist church.

John McKinstry Hendry. A representative farmer of the Morven
district, Brooks county, John McKinstry Hendry stands as a true type
of the energetic, hardy and enterprising men who have actively assisted
in the development and advancement of this fertile and productive agri-
cultural region. A son of Rev. John McPhail Hendry, he was born,
December 2, 1859, in Hamilton county, Florida.

William Hendry, his paternal grandfather, who was of Scotch-Irish
ancestry, was one of the earlier settlers of Liberty county, Georgia.
Migrating to the southwestern part of the state about 1825, he took up
land not far from the present site of Barwick, in what is now Brooks
county, improved the water power, and there erected the first mill in
this part of Georgia. Clearing a part of his land, he was there en-
gaged in farming and milling the remainder of his life, both he and
his wife dying from typhoid fever. Her maiden name was McPhail.
They were people of sterling character, and faithful members of the
Methodist Episcopal church. To them ten children were born, as fol-
lows: Ely, James, William, Neal, John, David, Mary, Harriet, Betsey,
and Nancy.

Rev. John McPhail Hendry was born in Liberty county, Georgia,
July 5, 1822. Of a naturally religious temperament, he was converted
in his youth, and at the age of eighteen years was licensed as a preacher
in the Methodist Episcopal church. Subsequently going to Gadsden
county, Florida, he bought land, and built a mill, which he operated for
a time. Joining then the conference, he held pastorates in different
parts of Florida. Afterwards, having joined the South Georgia confer-
ence, he preached in various parts of this state. Later lie went back
to Florida, once more became a member of the Florida conference, and
for a number of years thereafter was active in the ministry. When
ready to give up his ministerial work, he returned to Georgia, and spent
his last days in Brooks county, passing away at the age of seventy-five
years. Progressive and enterprising, ever interested in educational mat-
ters, he established, in 1850, an advanced schools for girls in Macanopy,
Florida, the first institution of the kind in the state. The maiden name
of the wife of Rev. Mr. Hendry was Caroline Matilda Bell. She was
born, October 20, 18:55, in Hamilton county, Florida, where her parents,
James and Matilda (Johnson) Bell, natives of Georgia, were pioneer
settlers. Five children were born of their union, as follows: John Mc-



97-4 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Kinstry ; James Edward ; Caroline, who was called Minnie ; George
Pierce ; and Marvin E.

Attending school, in both Florida and Georgia, John McKinstry Hen-
dry obtained a practical education in the public schools. Choosing
for himself the independent life of a farmer, he began work on his ac-
count on land belonging to his mother. In 1889 he purchased a tract of
timber in the Morven district, Brooks county, Georgia, and in the midst
of the fragrant woods built a small, two-room house, and immediately
began the arduous task of redeeming a farm from the wilderness. Sell-
ing that property in 1899, Mr. Hendry bought his present farm, which is
advantageously located on the Quitman and Adel road. It contains
two hundred and forty acres of land, with a good set of buildings, and
he is here profitably engaged in general farming and stock raising.

On March 17, 1889, Mr. Hendry was united in marriage with Susan
Martha Wilkins. She was born in Florida, a daughter of John and
Susan Ellen (Taylor) Wilkins, and a granddaughter of Rev. Richard
Taylor, a pioneer preacher of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr.
and Mrs. Hendry have three children living, namely : John F., Olin
McKinstry, and Clara Lee. In his political affiliations, Mr. Hendry is a
Democrat, and fraternally he is a member of the Woodmen of the
World. He also belongs to the Morven Farmers' union. Both. Mr. and
Mrs. Hendry are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and con-
tribute generously towards its support.

Prof. William Green Avera. The career of a man who for the
greater part of a life time has been identified with the training and edu-
cation of the youth is always one of the most valuable assets of a com-
munity. Probably no educator in south Georgia has been so long or so
closely connected with educational progress and the practical work of
the schools as the present superintendent of the Berrien county schools,
Prof. William Green Avera. He belongs to a family of pioneer Geor-
gians, and was born on a farm in Clinch county, the 1st of August. 1855.

His great- grandfather, Moore Avera, of Welsh ancestry, was born in
Robeson county, North Carolina, and after arriving at mature years
emigrated to Georgia, making the journey with his private conveyance
and becoming a pioneer settler of Wilkinson county. There he bought
land and was engaged in farming and stock raising until his death.

Daniel Avera, son of this pioneer and grandfather of Professor Avera,
was a native of Wilkinson county, was reared on a farm, and in 1845
moved from that locality into south Georgia, establishing the name and
family fortunes in Lowndes county. It may lie remembered that all
of south Georgia was then sparsely settled, much of the land still in state
ownership and its value counted in cents rather than dollars per acre.
The grandfather's purchase of land was near what was then the center
of Lowndes county, the area of which has since been materially reduced
by the organization of other counties. As railroads and market towns
had not yet become features of this part of Georgia, the planters took
their surplus products to the St. Mary's river or to the gulf ports. In
1858 the grandfather, having sold his possessions in Berrien county,
(Berrien having been organized in 1856,) moved to the southern part
of Clinch county, where he engaged in cattle grazing on the borders
of the Okefenoke swamp, and lived in that neighborhood until his death
at Hie age of eighty. The maiden name of His wife was Tabitha Cook,
and she was a native of Wilkinson county, and she also reached the
age of eighty years. Their (en children were named Cynthia. Nancy,
William M.., Stephen W., Elizabeth, Rebecca J-. Mary Ann. Sally. John
R. and Zanie.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 975

Stephen Willis Avera, the father, was horn in Wilkinson county,
January 5, 1836, was reared on the farm and trained in its pursuits,
and after his marriage settled in the western part of Clinch county,
where he resided until 1856, and then came to Berrien county, which
had just been organized that year. During the war he enlisted and he-
came a soldier of Company E of the Fifty-fourth (ieorgia Infantry.
His command joined the western army under Generals Joseph E. John-
ston and Hood, and stubbornly resisted Sherman's advance all the way
from Dalton to Atlanta. After the fall of the latter city he went to
Hood's army, participating in the battles at Jonesboro, Franklin, Mur-
freeshoro and Nashville, and after the last named engagement he was
sent home on detached duty, the war closing before his recall to the
front.

Laying aside the musket lie again put his hand to the plow, and was
engaged in farming in Berrien county until 1887, wlien he sold out and
bought a farm in Colquitt county which he still occupies, having reached
the good old age of seventy-six years. He married Martha Elizabeth
Aikins, who was born in Clinch county, a daughter of William Green
and Winnie Ann (Moore) Aikins. Stephen W. Avera and wife reared
eleven children, whose names are William Green, Winnie Ann, Polly
Ann, Sarah O'Neal, Daniel M., Lyman H., Phebe V., Lou, Junius 11. ,
Cordelia and Martha.

Reared in a good home and trained to habits of industry, William
G. Avera early manifested special inclination for study and the pursuit
of knowledge, and made the best of his early opportunities of school-
ing. He has been a lifelong student, and when he was eighteen he was
entrusted with his first school, located three miles east of Nashville.
For thirty-three years, an entire generation, he was in the active work
of the schoolroom, and he taught children and children's children during
that time. The aggregate length of his service out of those thirty-three
years was twenty-five full years, a third of a long lifetime.' In 1907
Professor Avera was elected superintendent of the Berrien county
schools, and by re-elections has since served continuously in that office.
His administration has been marked by many improvements in the
county educational system.

In 1877 Professor Avera was united in marriage with Miss Eliza J.
Simians. Mrs. Avera was born in Berrien county, daughter of Abner
and Frances (Sutton) Simians. She died at Sparks in 1905. In 1911
Professor Avera married Margaret McMillan, a native of Berrien county
and daughter of Randall McMillan. The following children were born
to Professor Avera by his first marriage, namely : Simian W., Marcus
D„ Bryant F., Aaron G., Alice J., Homer C, Abner J., Willis M., Lona,
and Lula. Marcus D., Homer C, Abner J., and Lula are now deceased.
Aaron G. married Fannie Key, now' deceased, and has one son, William.
Simian W. married Annie Young and has a daughter named Georgia.
Bryant F. married Mary Patton. Alice J. is the wife of William T.
Parr, and has four children, J. W., Stella, Saren and Gladys. Lona
married Austin Avera, son of I. C. Avera, sheriff of Berrien county.

In 1878 Professor Avera settled on a farm eight miles southeast
of Nashville, and that was the home of his family until 1904, when it
was temporarily removed to Sparks that the children might have the
benefit of the superior educational advantages available in the Sparks
Collegiate institute there. Prof. Avera 's present home is at Nashville,
the county seat of Berrien county. He still owns the old home where
all of his children were born and reared, and where his beloved deceased
wife and children are buried. Sacred is the memory of this home to the



976 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

man who has given the best years of his life to the educational and
moral upbuilding of this section of Georgia.

Professor Avera and wife are members of the Primitive Baptist
church, and in politics he is a Democrat.

William Forest Locke. One of Terrell county's best known citizens
and business men was the late W. F. Locke, who died at his home in
Dawson, in 1910. He had been a merchant, farmer, warehouseman for
a number of years, and with material success also won high personal
esteem. Mrs. Locke, who survives him, belongs to one of the oldest and
most prominent families of southwestern Georgia.

William Forest Locke was born in Eufaula, Alabama, June 13, 1865.
His father was William H. Locke, who for many years was engaged in
business at Eufaula where he kept a clothing store and had a large
trade. He was also a large land owner and farmer, his lands being lo-
cated near Eufaula. When the Civil war broke out, he entered the Con-
federate service as a member of the Eufaula Rifles. Being a man of
unusual education and a fluent writer and frequent correspondent of
newspaper, while in the army he often wrote his wife accounts of his
experiences, and these letters were published by the press, and the little
volume of them is now highly treasured by the descendants of this
worthy man. His home remained in Eufaula until his death. His wife,
before her marriage, was Ann Judson Sylvester, who was a native of
Georgia, and a daughter of DeMarquis Sylvester. The latter removed
from Georgia to Alabama and bought land five miles from Eufaula,
which he operated with slave labor and continued a resident in that com-
munity until his death. Mr. Sylvester married a Miss Rembert, a native
of South Carolina. Mrs. William H. Locke survived her husband for
many years and died at the age of seventy-five. She was the mother
of ten children, all of whom grew to maturity, namelv : Ella Estelle,
Liila. Clifford A., Nettie L., William F., Charles C, Pearl D., Judson S.,
Mattie B., and Leslie Roscoe.

The late Mr. Locke of Terrell county was. reared and educated at
Eufaula, and at an early age began his independent career as a clerk
in a wholesale grocery store in that city. After a few years as clerk he
moved to Montgomery, where he was clerk in a hotel for a few months,
after which he returned to Eufaula and opened a fancy grocery store and
conducted it for one j r ear. At the end of that time he came to Dawson,
where he established a men's furnishing store, and also became inter-
ested in farming on land which was his wife's inheritance, located two
and a half miles from Dawson. As a merchant and farmer he pros-
pered during all the remaining years of his life. As a farmer he raised
large quantities of cotton and corn, and for several years was engaged in
the warehouse business at Dawson, handling large quantities of cotton.
The late Mr. Locke had unusual business talent, and succeeded in almost
everv venture to which he put his hand.

On October 10, 1888, lie married Miss Lillie Belle Rogers. The
Rogers family have long been prominent in this state. Her father,
Harrison Rogers, was formerly a resident near Dalton before the war,
and was a large planter and operated his plantation with slave labor.
When the slaves were freed, as a result of the war, the bulk of his wealth
was swept away, but he did not lose the courage and enterprise which
were the essential features of his character, and moving to Dawson
when it was but a village he bought land nearby and began once more
as a farmer to build up his prosperity. He became one of the most suc-
cessful men in this region, and as his means increased, he invested in
land until he became a very large holder of Dawson property, where he



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 977

resided until his death at the age of eighty-two. The maiden name of
Harrison Rogers' wife was Lucy Hood, of Meriwether county, Georgia,
daughter of Bynum Hood, of the same county and the cousin of Bynum
Hood of Dalton, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. The
five children in the Rogers family were named William, who died at the
age of thirteen ; John C. ; Lee H. ; Ella Elizabeth and Lillie Belle.

Mr. and Mrs. Locke were both members of the Baptist church. The
five children in their family were William Harrison, Mamie Ailene, Ruth,
Lillie and Rogers. William H. married Olive Thornton, and they have
a son named William Forest.

William Mills Lewis, attorney in Vidalia, is a native of the state of
Georgia, born in Warren county on November 7, 1869. He is the son
of Nathan Augustus and Sicily (Rogers) Lewis, the former of Green
county and the latter of Warren county. Mr. Lewis lived in Green
county until 1859, at which time his family moved to Alabama, and
there he attended the Eastern Alabama Male College, from which insti-
tution he was graduted in June. 1861. Immediately thereafter he
joined the Fifty-first Alabama regiment and was with Gen. Joseph E.
Johnston until the close of the war. Returning then to Georgia he was
engaged for some time in teaching school in Warren county. It was
there he met the girl who later became his wife and the mother of Wil-
liam Mills Lewis of this personal review. He was one of the three chil-
dren of his parents, the others being Marvin Lewis, a manufacturer of
Coca Cola, in Dothan, Alabama, and Mariana, wife of Henry R. Hall
of Warren county.

The son, William, attended school in Warrenton, and was duly gradu-
ated from the high school of that place. He thereafter engaged in
farming until he was twenty-one, when he took a position as clerk
and continued in that work for two years. Later he taught school in
Jefferson county for a year and the same length of time in Warren
county, following which lie returned to his farming again and was thus
occupied for another term of two years. He then decided to study law,
with a view to entering the profession, and for nine months was a stu-
dent under E. P. Davis of Warrenton, after which he successfully passed
his examinations and was admitted to the bar. He initiated the active
practice of his profession in Milledgeville, Baldwin county, and after
two years in that place he located at Vidalia, and here he enjoys an ever
increasing clientage, and is regarded as one of the important citizens of
the city. He was judge of the city court of Mt. Vernon in 1901 and
1902 and solicitor of the city court in 1907 and 1908, and a member of
the board of commissioners of roads and revenues of Montgomery
county.

On January 16, 1898, Mr. Lewis was married to Miss Sallie Meadows,
the daughter of S. B. Meadows, mayor of Vidalia, and the representative
of Toombs county in the legislature in 1909-10. Two children have been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, — Mattele, born October 17, 1899, and Urma,
born April 1, 1902.

Mr. Lewis is a member of the Knights of Pythias, but is not further
affiliated with any fraternal organization. Mrs. Lewis is a member of
the Baptist church.

Doolly Dewitt Gilmore. Even in an age which recognizes young
men and places responsibilities upon them which in the past have been
laid only upon the shoulders of those of more mature years, and in a
part of the country noted for its young men of ability and sound judg-
ment, we seldom find one who in so short a time has attained the promi-



978 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

nence in financial circles thai has come to Doolly Dewitt Gilmore, cashier
of the ( litizens Banking Company of Baxley, Georgia, one of the soundest
institutions of Appling county. That the trust placed in his hands is
well merited lias been proved by the universal confidence in which he is
held by the citizens of the community in which he has discharged Ins
duties. Born March 11, 1886, in McRae. Telfair county. Georgia, he is
a son of. lames II. and Mary Elizabeth Gilmore, natives of Butts county,
the hitter of whom died when he was an infant.

dames II. Gilmore, a prominent planter, merchanl and lumberman,
served Hie Confederacy in a regimenl of Georgia volunteers during the
War between the Slates, lie had the following children: Jesse M., who
is thirty-seven years of age; Henry Cephas, who died at the age of thirty-
two years; dames Ernest, who is twenty-nine years old; Doolly Dewit't ;
Annie, the wife of Dr. Dan Morrison of Waycross, Georgia; Sarah
Etta, living a1 Baxley and caring for her dead brother's children; and
Edna Belle, the wife of Roberl L. While, a prominenl merchanl of Live
Oak, Florida.

Doolly I). Gilmore was seven years of age when he was taken by his
father to a farm near Lumber City, on the Ocmulgee river, where he
resided for eighl years, obtaining his education in the public schools.
He then relurned 1o McRae for one year, where he was employed as a
clerk in a (\ry goods store, and spent a like period in Hie dry goods estab-
lishment of his brother in Baxley. Subsequently he became engaged m
railroad clerical work at Macon Cor the Southern and Central Railroads,
but after three years went to Live Oak, Florida, and for a short time
acted as a bookkeeper in a furniture and jewelry store. During the
year that followed he was bookkeeper for the Intel-national Harvester
Company, at Atlanta, and then returned to Baxley and entered the
Citizens Banking Company as assistant cashier, serving in thai capacity
from November, 1906, until January, 1907, when he was elected cashier,
a, position which he has held to the present time.

The Citizens Banking Company, an institution with an authorized
capital of $50,000, is now installed in a new reinforced concrete and
steel building, erected in 1912, where it has large, modern and eleganl
quarters, including brick vaults and safety deposit department. It has
been in operation for five years, during which lime it has paid yearly
dividends, and has accumulated a surplus of *!).()()(). The deposit's have
grown rapidly and now amount to more than $100,000, and the bank is
the state depository for A.ppling county. Mr. Oil more is a young man of
fine character and excellent abilities, and takes a greal interest in every-
thing that tends toward the welfare of his adopted community, lie be-
longs to the blue lodge, chapter, commandery and Shriner degrees of
Masonry and is also connected with the Knights of Pythias. He and Mrs.
Gilmore are consistent members of the .Methodist Episcopal church
South, in which he is at present serving as steward.

Iii December, 1908, Mr. Gilmore was married to Miss Madena Oriner.
who was horn at Attopulgas, Decatur county. Georgia, daughter of the
Rev. d. B. Griner of the Methodist Kpiseopal church South. They have

had one daughter, Dorothy, who was horn December 4. 1910.

di:ui;v I). Tn, i, man. Belonging to a Southern family of prominence

and worth, and a representative of the agricultural community of
Brooks county, deny D. Tillman is eminently deserving of mention in a
work of this character. A Georgian by birth, he was born. December 28,
1828, at Berlin, Colquitt county, a place then known as the K'obinson
district, Irwin county, in the log cabin erected by his father, John Till-
man.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 979

His grandfather, Jeremiah Tillman, a native of South Carolina, was
there a resident when the War of 1812 was declared. Enlisting as a sol-
dier, he came with his regiment to Georgia, where he was stationed until
receiving his honorable discharge at the close of the conflict in Savannah.
Being then joined by his family, he lived for awhile in Ware county,
Georgia, subsequently becoming one of the original householders of that
part of Irwin county now included within the limits of Colquitt county.
Buying a tract of wooded land, he cleared a portion of it, and was there
industriously employed in tilling the soil until his death, at the age
of seventy-five years. To him and his wife, whose maiden name was
Dicey Brown, six children were born and reared.

Born in South Carolina, John Tillman was brought up and educated
in Georgia, where his parents settled when he was a small child. Becom-
ing a farmer from choice, he bought land in Colquitt county, and with
slave help cleared and improved the homestead upon which he spent his
remaining years, passing away at the venerable age of four score and six
years. He married Sally Mercer, who was born in Robinson county,
North Carolina. Her parents, John and Fereby (Musclewhite) Mercer,
came from their native state, North Carolina, to Georgia in 1836, settling
as pioneers in Ware county, where they both spent their last days. Mrs.
Sally (Mercer) Tillman died at the age of seventy -five years. She
reared a large family of children, eleven in number, as follows : Jerry
D., the special subject of this brief sketch; Henry; Sarah; Sally; Elijah;
John; Harrison; Elizabeth; Fereby; Roxie; and Rachel. The sons all
served throughout the war between the states, Elijah, who was com-
missioned captain of his company, being the only one of them that was
wounded.

Born in a rude log cabin, Jerry D. Tillman grew to manhood among
pioneer scenes. The dusky savages still frequented the forests, often-
times going on the war path, in 1836, when he was a lad of eight years,
making their last fight on Georgia soil. The people in his boyhood days
lived chiefly on the wild game so abundant in this section, and the pro-
ductions of the land, and his mother, who was accomplished in the do-
mestic art and sciences, did her cooking by the open tire, and from the
cotton grown on the plantation, and the sheep raised, carded, spun and
wove the homespun in which she dressed her family. Jerry D., the oldest
son, was fourteen years old before he wore shoes, not because he was
not allowed to, but because he preferred to go barefooted. There being
no railways in those times, he, in common with his neighbors, used to
team produce to Saint Marys. Georgia, or to Newport, Florida, being a
week or more on the round trip, and invariably taking along a stock
of provisions, and cooking and camping on the way.

As a youth Jerry D. Tillman acquired a very good education, and
at the age of twenty-one started for himself as an overseer on a large
plantation, a position which he filled acceptably for five years. He
then bought land on Mule creek, in Lowndes county, and was there em-
ployed in tilling the soil five years. Selling out at the end of that time,
he bought land in Madison county, Florida, and continued his former
occupation. In 1861 he enlisted in the Second Florida Cavalry, under
Captain Paramour. AVith his company, which was attached to General
Finnegan's Brigade, he took an active part in numerous important cam-
paigns and battles, remaining with his command until the close of the
war. In November, 1869, Mr. Tillman disposed of his Florida land,
returned to Georgia, and settled on lot number 196, Briggs district,
Brooks county, where he has since resided. This plantation contains
five hundred acres of land, pleasantly located on the Morven and Val-
dosta road, and is under a good state of cultivation, with attractive

Vol. 11—29



980 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

improvements, the residence sitting back from the road, and having
a beautiful grove in front of it.

On September 1, 1852, Mr. Tillman married Elizabeth Allen, who
was born in Thomas county, Georgia, a daughter of Isaac and Easter
(Harrell) Allen, natives of North Carolina, and pioneers of Thomas
county. Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Tillman, namely :
Robert, Amelia, Sally, Jimmie, Ella, Ida and Idella, twins, Charlotte,
and Gordon. Amelia, widow of A. D. Bass, resides in Quitman. Sally,
wife of Charles Freer, of Florida, has five children, Mabel; Leon and
Leonora, twins ; Tillman ; and Helen. Jimmie, wife of W. C. Dampier,
of Brooks county, has seven children, Gertrude, Missiebob, Blanche,
Glenn, Valora, Jim, and Duncan. Gordon married Elizabeth McPher-
son, and they have one child, Gordon Isaac. Ella lives in Morven.
Robert superintends the management of the homestead farm, his sis-
ters, Charlotte and Idella living with him on the old home farm, keep-
ing house for their father and brother, their mother having passed to
the life beyond at the age of seventy-two years. She was a woman of
much force of character, and a valued member of the Methodist Episcopal
church. Mr. Tillman was formerly a Whig in polities, but since the
Civil war has been identified with the Democratic party.

Oliver C. Cleveland, the prosperous and progressive farmer of
Thomas county, has had a life rich in the adventures both of war and
peace. When a mere youth of eighteen years, he saw service in the
Mexican war. A few years later, he joined the great tide of men that
surged toward the gold fields of California, and came safely home after
a perilous journey thither and home again, only to find his country on
the eve of a great Civil war. The South had need of such valiant young
men and strong fighters as Oliver C. Cleveland was, and he knew no
more of peaceful days until the war was over, and the cause for which
he had given so much of his youth, was lost. It is fitting that after the
hardships of his early days, Mr. Cleveland should spend the remainder
of his life as an agriculturist in his native state, and it is doubly fitting
that his biography be included in the annals of his community, not
only because of the part he played in the historical events of the nine-
teenth century, but because of the place he has won for himself in the
hearts of his fellow citizens, in the neighborhood of his home, by his
kindly spirit and true manhood.

Mr. Cleveland first saw the light of day in Franklin county, Georgia,
March 30, 1829. His father, Benjamin Cleveland, was born in the same
county in the year of 1792, the son of John Cleveland, who was a native
of the Greenville district of South Carolina, and was descended from
English ancestors who settled in the colonies in early times. John
Cleveland moved to Georgia from South Carolina as a young man, and
he was among the first to settle in Franklin county. He resided in that
locality for a great many years, and then moved to Mobile, Alabama,
where he died at a good old age. His wife was a Miss Gilbert before
her marriage, and she bore him one daughter, and six sons, of whom
the father of the subject, of this history was one.

Benjamin Cleveland was reared and educated in Franklin county.
He was married in the district in which he had spent his boyhood, and a
few years later moved to Troop county, where lie purchased a tract of
land, cultivating it by means of slave labor. He also engaged in the
mercantile business in the same district for several years, but finally
sold out. and. moved to Stewart county, where he remained until his
death, at the age of eighty-seven years. His wife, Amelia Hooper Cleve-
land, died at the age of seventy-five years. She was a daughter of



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 981

Richard Hooper, and reared five sons and four daughters. All of these
sons afterward served in the Confederate army. Their names were
James M., Richard H., Benjamin F., John W., and Oliver C.

Reared and educated in the county to which his parents moved soon
after his birth, that is Troop county, Oliver C. Cleveland received in
its schools, as well as in its woods and meadows, the foundation of that
education which he has since acquired, guiding a natural intelligence by
wide reading and keen speculation. In the year 1847, he enlisted in
Company B, Georgia Battalion of Mounted Infantry, of which Lieu-
tenant-Colonel James S. Colhoun was commander. He was mustered in
for service in the Mexican war at Mobile, and then set sail with his
company over a difficult and circuitous route to Mexico City, which
had surrendered before the arrival of the forces of which he was a part.
After a few weeks in the City of Mexico, he was transferred to Cuerna-
vaca, where he remained until peace was declared, and on his return
home, he was honorably discharged from the army.

In 1850, the year after the famous gold-craze was inaugurated, Oliver
Cleveland went to California. He chose to travel via the Isthmus, and
was one hundred and twenty days en route. He landed at San Fran-
cisco, then a city of tents nestling among the sand hills, and from thence
he went to the mines. He remained in California, engaged in mining
and other occupations until the year 1860. At that time, he rehirned
home, choosing the southern route, this time. He travelled the entire
distance of 2,760 miles by stage, the trip consuming nineteen days and
nights.

He had been home just a year when the war between the North and
South broke out. On the nineteenth of April, 1861, he enlisted in Com-
pany A, Second Georgia Battalion, and was sent at once to Virginia to
save the Gossport navy at Norfolk. From Norfolk, he went to Golds-
boro, North Carolina, to drill new recruits to the Confederate ranks. His
first term of enlistment expired in April, 1862, and he reenlisted in the
same company. He was sent to Virginia, then, and served under Gen-
erals Welthers and Mahone in Longstreet's corps, and took part in many
of the great battles of the war, including the battle of Gettysburg. A
few days before Lee's surrender he was granted a furlough, and re-
turned home, and was there when peace was declared.

After the war, Mr. Cleveland engaged in farming in Stewart county,
until 1872, when he moved to Terrell county. He remained at the latter
place until 1885, in which year he came to Thomas county, and settled in
the Oak Hill district, on the farm where he has since resided. Mr.
Cleveland has been twice married. His first wife was Martha L. Armour,
and he was thirty-nine years of age when he was united in marriage
with her. She was a native of Troop county, and a daughter of William
and Sarah (Harper) Armour. She died in 1879, and later Mr. Cleveland
married Mrs. Sarah Grace. Mrs. Sarah Cleveland was a native of
Sampson county, North Carolina. Her father was John Shearman, of
Scotch-Irish ancestry, and a life-long resident of North Carolina. Mrs.
Cleveland was first married to John S. Herring, of Sampson county,
North Carolina. Her second husband was Thomas Grace, who died in
1880. Mr. Cleveland had one son by his first wife. This is Monroe E.
Cleveland, who is married and now resides in Oklahoma.

Frank U. Garrard. A lawyer of Columbus whose practice has
brought him into relationship with many of the largest corporations
and business concerns of the state, Mr. Frank U. Garrard represents
an old family and his father before him was one of the ablest members
of the Columbus bar.



982 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Frank U. Garrard was born at Columbus. January 1, 1876, a son
of the late Louis F. and Annie (Foster) Garrard. As a boy he attended
private schools in Columbus, and when seventeen years old began the
study in the law offices of his father. He continued in this way for
several years, and on December 4, 1897, was admitted to the bar. He
practiced law alone for several years and then was taken into partner-
ship with his father under the firm name of Garrard & Garrard. This
firm was counsel for many of the larger corporations of Columbus, and
also had a large general practice, the ability of the firm being recog-
nized both as trial and as counsel lawyers. On the death of the senior
Garrard the son has continued the business formerly conducted by the
joint firm, and now enjoys a large and successful business. Mr. Gar-
rard is attorney for the Columbus Investment Company ; The Columbus
Railroad Company; The Muskogee Real Estate and Investment Com-
pany ; The Columbus Power Company ; The Gas Light Company of Co-
lumbus ; The Stone & Webster Engineering Syndicate ; and the Third
National Bank and the Columbus Savings Bank. Mr. Garrard was mar-
ried December 12, 1900, to Miss Sara Gardiner of Sparta. They are the
parents of four children, namely : Louise Gardiner, born December 2,
1902 ; Margaret, born February 3, 1906 ; Frank. Jr.. born January 5.
1910 ; and Gardiner, born May 14, 1912. Mr. Garrard is affiliated with
Mt. Harmen lodge, No. 304, A. F. & A. M. ; Darly Chapter No. 7. R. A.
' M. ; and is a Knights Templar Mason and a member of the Alee Temple
of the Mystic Shrine. He is also affiliated with Columbus lodge. No. 67,
I. O. O. F., and with R. E. Lee lodge, of the Knights of Pythias, and
belongs to the Improved Order of Red Men. He also has membership
in the Georgia State Bar Association. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner wor-
ship in the Presbyterian church of which he is an elder in the church at
Columbus. His chief recreations are automobiling and hunting.

Dwight L. Rogers, practicing attorney at Ocilla. Georgia, and one
of the leading men of that place, is a native of Georgia, born at Shiloh.
near Reidsville, Tattnall county, on August 17, 1886. He is the son of
William and Isabella Augusta (Lang) Rogers. The father was a native
of Tattnall county and the mother of Liberty county. William Rogers
was a merchant and conducted a mercantile business for years in Reids-
ville. They were the parents of six children, named as follows: San-
key C, a merchant of Reidsville; Beulah C, the wife of Judge Collins,
judge of the city court of Reidsville ; J. M., engaged in the hotel busi-
ness at Hazelhurst ; Dwight L., of this review ; Annabel, the wife of M.
E. Flanders; and Henry Levy a student in the University of Georgia,
who is now in his junior year and will graduate with the class of 1913
in law. The parents, who were both of Irish birth, are now deceased.

As a boy and youth, Mr. Rogers attended the schools of Reidsville
finishing the high school at that place and then entering Locust Grove
Institute. He finished his education with a course at the University of
Georgia, graduating from the law department with the class of 1909,
and receiving at that time his B. S. degree. He was one of the popular
and prominent young men of his class, and was a member of the debat-
ing team representing the University of Georgia, versus the University
of North Carolina, honors being carried off by the University of Georgia
contingent. He was a member of the Sphinx fraternity, and also the
captain of a company of militia while at the university, lie finished
his law studies at Mercer University at Macon, and was graduated in
1910. being admitted to the bar in June of the same year.

Mr. Rogers immediately located at Ocilla. where he formed a part-
nership with a Mi'. Jordan, which partnership has endured up to the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEOEGIA 983

present time, and Mr. Rogers is fast forging to the front in the practice
of his chosen profession.

Elijah Mack Daniel Littlefield. One of the prosperous farmers
and influential citizens of Decatur county, Elijah Mack Daniel Little-
field, began his career with limited opportunities, and has acquired one
of the best country estates in Decatur county, and is a man of substantial
position and influence.

He was born in Kershaw, district of South Carolina, October 15,
1848. His father was John Littlefield, who so far as known was born
in South Carolina, and about 1850 went west, expecting to find a loca-
tion and take his family out to the western country. He died of cholera
in Mexico. His wife, thus left a widow, with two children, in 1860,
removed to Florida, settling in Calhoun county where she married
Samuel Etherid.ye, a planter of that county. Mr. and Mrs. Etheridge
spent their last days in Florida. By her second marriage she reared one
daughter, named Mary Drusilla, who now lives with Mr. Littlefield in
Decatur county, and presides over his household. Mr. Littlefield has one
brother, John Wesley Littlefield. who owns and occupies a farm only a
short distance from Elijah's home. John Wesley married Jane Clinard,
and has seven children whose names are Ida, Rosa, Cera, William C,
John Daniel, Bertha and Eugene.

Elijah M. D. Littlefield as a boy made the best of limited opportu-
nities to attain an education in the rural schools, which were much broken
up by reason of the war, and his own time was largely required at home.
During the latter part of the war he enlisted as a boy soldier in the
State militia, but was never called out for active duty. When a young
man he came to Decatur county, and began his career on rented land.
He got a start, succeeded in practically every venture he undertook and
after ten years bought four hundred acres comprising the fine farm
which he now owns. This land he has improved and brought to a high
state of cultivation. He has built a comfortable home, besides houses for
his tenants, a large tobacco barn, and sheds for stock. Mr. Littlefield
has recently planted an orange grove on his farm. He and his sisters
are members of the Christian church and he affiliates with the Masonic
lodge.

John West McMullen. A life-long resident of Brooks county,
where his birth occurred on January 6, 1838, John West McMullen is a
fine representative of those brave pioneers of old, who in their efforts
to establish homes for themselves and their descendants endured hard-
ships and trials difficult for the people of this generation to realize.
How well they succeeded in their undertakings the broad expanse of
cultivated fields to be seen in every direction, the commodious dwellings
that have replaced the humble log cabins, and the long trains of palace
cars used for transportation in place of the carts drawn by oxen or
horses bear visible evidence. Mr. McMullen 's paternal grandfather was
one of the earlier settlers of Georgia, having located in Thomas county
while that section of the country was in its pristine wildness. He was
of thrifty Scotch ancestry, and a man of sterling integrity. His chil-
dren, which included a son named James, who became the father of
John West McMullen, were all born and reared in Georgia.

James McMullen was trained to habits of industry, and early showed
natural ability as a mechanic. Although he never learned a trade, he
became an expert with tools, and could do general blaeksmithing, or
make either a barrel or a wagon. After his marriage he lived for awhile
in Thomas county, from there removing to that part of Lowndes county



984 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

that is now a part of Brooks county. Purchasing land in the Hickory
Head district, he was there a resident until his death, at the age of
sixty years. He married Harriet Rountree, who was horn in Lowndes
county, where her father, a pioneer settler, was murdered hy negroes
while taking the produce of his farm to one of the marketing points in
Florida, either Tallahassee or Newport. She, too, died at the age of three
score years. To her and her husband eight children were born, as fol-
lows: Henrietta, William. Martha, John "West, Josephine, Robert.
George, and Margaret. In his political affiliations James McMullen was
a Whig, and long before there were any railways in Georgia he served
as a representative to the state legislature.

Brought up on the home farm, John West McMullen gleaned his
knowledge of the three "R's" in the district schools, and as a boy be-
came familiar with the various branches of agriculture. In June, 1861,
he enlisted in Company H, Ninth Georgia Volunteer Infantry, which
was assigned to Longstreet's Corps, Army of North Virginia. Continu-
ing with his regiment in all of its engagements, he was at the front at the
Battle of Antietam, where, on September 17, 1862, he was severely
wounded, a minie ball lodging in his shoulder. Later the ball worked
downward, and in 1864 his father extracted it, cutting it out. Having
been incapacitated for active duty for nearly two years. Mr. McMullen
then rejoined his regiment, and continued with his command, in Vir-
ginia, until the surrender of General Lee. Mr. McMullen and a few of
his comrades refused to surrender, and having made their escape walked
to their homes in Georgia. Resuming farming in Hickory Head pre-
cinct, Mr. McMullen resided there for many years, but is now living
retired in Quitman.

In 1868 Mr. McMullen was united in marriage with Sarah J. Lee,
who was born in that part of Thomas county now included within the
boundaries of Brooks county, March 20, 1844, where her parents, John
and Eliza (Groover) Lee, were pioneer settlers. His wife, who survived
him, died in Thomasville. Mr. and Mrs. McMullen are the parents of
four children, namely: Margaret, James, Florrie, and John Lee.
Maggie, wife of Walter Avera, has three children. Mary Mee, Walter and
James. James, son of John W. McMullen, married Hattie Arrington.
and they have one child, James. Florrie, who married Charles Avera.
died at the age of twenty-nine years, leaving two children, Daisy and
Charles. J. Lee married Julia Arrington, and they have two children.
John Lee and Thomas Briggs. Mr. and Mrs. McMullen are worthy
members of the Hickory Head Missionary Baptist church.

James Frederick Souter. For twenty years a member of the
Georgia bar, and since 1902 located in practice at Preston, the county
seat of Webster county, Mr. Souter easily stands in the very front rank
of his profession in his home county, and has a large practice in all the
courts and as large a general business as any other lawyer in that sec-
tion.

James Frederick Souter who was born on a farm in Macon county.
Georgia, June 8, 1865, on both his father's and mother's side represents
old and respected families in this state. His father was John W.
Souter, who was born near Columbia, South Carolina, in 1828, and his
grandfather was Cullias Souter. who came from South Carolina to
Georgia, and settled in Macon county about 1849. The grandfather
bought a tract of land, ten miles west of Oglethorpe, and cleared away
the wilderness and created an excellent farm and homestead. He died
on that old estate, and was the father of several children.

John W. Souter, the father, was reared and educated in his native



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 985

state, and after moving to Georgia, bought land in the same locality
as his father had. He possessed a number of slaves, and employed their ,
labor in operating his plantation until the breaking out of the Civil
war. He was one of the loyal sons of Georgia, who responded to the
call of the Confederacy, and he joined Ry lander's Battalion, with which
command he went to the front and was in many of the great battles of
the war. He was wounded only once and that not severely, and escaped
capture. Resuming his farm operations after the war, he continued in
the quiet industry and substantial prosperity of his homestead until his
death at the age of eighty-four years. The maiden name of his wife was
Eliza Barfield. She was born in North Carolina, a daughter of Jesse
Barfield, who was a native of the same state, and who came to Georgia,
about 1835. This migration from North Carolina to Georgia was ac-
complished in real pioneer style. Several wagons and teams were
required to haul the household goods, and many of the slaves either rode
horseback or walked by the side of the wagons. The Barfields located in
what is now Macon county and at that time nearly the entire western
half of Georgia was in the condition it had been from the beginning of
American history. No railroads were built for a number of years, and in
all that vast district, devoted almost entirely to plantation, Macon was
the one great market and depot for supplies. Mr. Barfield in this
county became a farmer and remained there until his death. Mrs.
Souter, the mother, died at the age of sixty-eight years. She reared four
children, whose names are Nancy C, Mary, John M., and James
Frederick.

Mr. James F. Souter when a boy attended the schools which were
then found in the country district of Macon county, and was given a
little better than ordinary educational equipment by attendance in the
Tazewell high school. Reared on a farm he continued in that occupa-
tion until 1893. In the meantime he had taken up the study of law and
pursued it industriously, and on being admitted to the bar he located
at Oglethorp where he was engaged in practice until 1903. In that year
he moved to Preston, where his office has since been, and where he has
acquired a liberal share of professional business.

Mr. Souter in 1895 married Eliza Brooks, who was born in Macon
county, a daughter of Benjamin C. and Sarah Brooks. Mr. and Mrs.
Souter 's four children are Laverne, Lester, Mary and Hoyle. As an
able lawyer Mr. Souter has naturally been honored with public position
and responsibility. He served as a member of the city council, and was
mayor of Preston, and in 1911 was elected by the county board of edu-
cation as county superintendent of schools, his choice and appointment
being confirmed by election of the people during the same year. Fra-
ternally he is a member of the Patriotic Order Sons of America.

James Berrien Finch. For many years intimately associated with
the advancement of the mercantile interests of Quitman, the late James
Berrien Finch, one of the most respected and highly esteemed citizens
of his community, passed his later years retired from all business ac-
tivities. His earliest association with this place was in the latter part of
the Civil war, where he did service in the conscript department for some
time, and when peace was finally restored, he opened a mercantile estab-
lishment in the city, and there continued to be actively engaged in that
field of enterprise until his retirement in 1909. Mr. Finch was ever one
of the most loyal and public-spirited of men, and one whose connection
with Quitman was one of the fortunate circumstances of that place.
He gave most praiseworthy service to the city as a public official in
many and varied capacities, and to him may be traced directly the insti-



986 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

gation of many an innovation in the communal life of the place. His
death proved a loss indeed to the entire community, and one that will
long he felt in the places where he was known, esteemed and honored.

James Berrien Finch was horn in Madison county, Florida, on the
plantation of his father, Charles Finch. Details concerning the parent-
age and ancestry of Mr. Finch are all too meager, but it is known that
his father was of Scotch-Irish stock, and that his Grandfather Finch,
was one of the early planters of Screven county, Georgia.

Reared and educated in Screven county, Charles Finch migrated as a
young man to Madison county, Florida, where he bought land, and with
the assistance of his slaves, tilled the soil there for a few years. Selling
out his Florida interests in 1846, he returned to Georgia, and located
some twelve miles south of the present site of Quitman, in what was then
Lowndes county. Clearing a part of his purchase, here he continued
a resident until his death, at the age of fifty-eight years. He married
Rebecca Jones, who was born in Screven county, and who died in Brooks
county a year or two after his death, at the age of sixty years, her death
being resultant from an injury she sustained when thrown from a car-
riage. She was the mother of the following children : Andrew, Henry,
Martha, James Berrien, and Hilliard J.

A boy of ten years when he came with his parents to Brooks county.
James Berrien Finch became familiar with the different branches of
agriculture on the home farm, but as a young man he embarked in mer-
cantile pursuits at Nankin. At that time Tebeauville. now called Way-
cross, was the nearest railway station, and whenever his business called
him to New York, where he replenished his stock, he had to travel by
stage to that place, thence by rail to Savannah, where he took boat for
New York City.

When the alarm of war rang throughout the land. Mr. Finch
promptly enlisted in Company K, Fiftieth Georgia Volunteer Infantry,
and as second lieutenant of his company went to the front, his regiment
being assigned to the Army of the Potomac. He participated in many
campaigns, marches and engagements, continuing in active service until
after the battle of Sharpsburg, where he was hit on the head by the frag-
ment of a shell, receiving a wound that resulted in his losing the sight
of one eye. Thus disabled, Mr. Finch was not again eligible for active
army service, but he was detailed for conscript work in Georgia, with
headquarters at Quitman. After the close of the war he continued in
Quitman, there opening up a mercantile establishment, and he continued
to be actively and successfully engaged in that enterprise until 1909,
when he retired from active business interests and took his ease as long
as he lived.

Public-spirited and progressive, Mr. Pinch was a man who ever
manifested the most intelligent and wholesouled interest in the affairs
of the public, and he was among the foremost in the inauguration of
beneficial enterprises. For fifteen years he served as a member of the
village and city council, a part of that time being president of the board.
While he was thus active in the management of the affairs of the com-
munity, the first artesian well was opened, and the first opera house
built, while other improvements of a similar value were made possible.

In 1865, Mr. Finch married Mary McCall. who was born in Screven
county, Georgia, and who was a daughter of Francis S. and Ann (Dob-
son) McCall, of whom a more extended notice may be found elsewhere
in this work. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Finch, namely:
J. L., Frank, George S.. Nina A.. Rebecca and Herbert. The first born,
now the wife of Dan Boone, married for her first husband Dr. Will
Wood, who at his death left her with one son. Will AVood. Jr. Frank





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SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 987

attended Mercer College for two years and in his twentieth year was
graduated from the University of Georgia. Entering then upon a pro-
fessional career, he taught school but four months when he was thrown
from a horse and killed, thus bringing to a sad end what promised to
be a life of brilliant record and achievement. George S. Finch married
Berta Griffin, and they have two children: Le Roy and Xina. Nina
A., who married Thomas E. Hampton, has one child, Mary Lee. Rebecca
married E. D. Lambright, and they have one daughter. Mary Wallace
Lambright.

Capt. James Lachlison Poster. A distinguished soldier and officer
of the Confederate army during the Civil war, and for more than forty
years prominent in the Georgia lumber industry, Captain Foster is one
of the best loved citizens of Savannah.

Captain Foster was born in the city of Philadelphia, June 2. 1841,
and was twelve years of age when brought to Savannah, Georgia, by his
parents. After securing his education at Chatham Academy, Savannah,
and Paris Hill Academy in Screven county, Georgia, he served an ap-
prenticeship in the machine shop and foundry of his uncles R. and J.
Lachlison. He was twenty years of age when the Civil war broke upon
the country and, becoming a soldier, he attained distinction both as a
member of the land and the naval forces of the Confederacy. In 1861,
he answered his country's call for volunteers by enlisting in Company
B, Oglethorpe Light Infantry, under Capt. Fred Simms.

He was captured in the fall of Fort Pulaski and was a prisoner at
Governor's Island, Fort Columbus, and Fort Delaware, and after his
exchange was commissioned in the Confederate navy in 1863. He was
appointed to duty as third assistant engineer No. 8-4 on board the iron-
clad "Isondiga," Captain Kennard, in the fleet of Commodore Tatnall
at Savannah, later becoming its chief engineer, and in December, 1864,
when the Confederate forces evacuated that city he took a prominent
part, his gunboat covering the retreat at the pontoon bridges on the
Savannah river. He directed the burning of the bridges immediately
following, thus preventing immediate pursuit by General Sherman's
forces. He also burned the gunboat before leaving for Charleston.
For this and other distinguished services he rose rapidly in the navy,
being appointed chief engineer of the ironclad "Palmetto State" and
afterwards the "Chicora," two of the most formidable gunboats in the
Confederate navy. Early in 1865, he was placed in charge of the ram
"Jackson" at Columbus. Escaping capture when the latter city fell,
he reported for duty at Augusta a few days before the surrender at
Appomattox. Mr. Foster attained the rank of first assistant engineer
in the navy (assimilated rank of major in the army).

In 1869, Captain Foster joined his cousins, Thomas and Joseph Hil-
ton, and formed the company of Hiltons and Foster to manufacture lum-
ber at Union Island near Darien, Georgia. He has been associated with
this company and its successors as superintendent, director and vice
president in all its expansion and various changes since that time. Dur-
ing this time he resided first in Mcintosh county, Georgia, and then on
St. Simon's Island, Glynn county, Georgia. While living in Glynn
county he was one of the commissioners for that county.

Captain Foster was for several years captain of the Mcintosh Light
Dragoons, and served with distinction as senator for the second
senatorial district in the state legislature in 1904 and 1905. His genial-
ity, sturdy Scotch determination, English courage and Yankee industry,
to which was added the southern pride of the only home of his memory,
were qualities which, when fused in the patriotic crucible of a most



988 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

devastating- and levelling- war and in the face of depressing reconstruc-
tion demoralization, have redeemed the old South t and brought this
beloved section forward with strides to the forefront. Captain Foster
has earned and honored his position as a prominent citizen of the re-
habilitated south.

Captain Foster was first married in 1867 to Miss Lettice Austin of
Savannah. She died in 1888, and he was subsequently married to .Miss
Elizabeth Laehlison. Captain Foster has by his first marriage one
daughter, Lettice Elizabeth, who is married to Mauley B. Tharin.
Captain Foster also had a son, Robert Laehlison Foster, who married
Miss Emma L. Mitchelson. The son died in 1899, leaving one daughter,
Roberta Wymore Foster.

Joshua Barrow. An old resident and representative of one of the
old families of Thomas county, Joshua Barrow died at his home in that
vicinity, February 19, 1910. The record of the family has an appro-
priate place in this history, and is briefly as follows :

Joshua Barrow was born in Thomas county, Georgia, June 19, 1827.
His father was John E. Barrow, who was born in North Carolina, March
14, 1798. The grandfather was Joseph Barrow, a native of North Caro-
lina, who came to Georgia late in life and spent his declining years in
Thomas county. John E. Barrow, the father, came to Georgia when a
young man and located in Camden county, where for some years he was
employed on the estate of General Coffee as overseer. After his mar-
riage he came into southwest Georgia, accompanied by his bride, and
made the journey with a horse and cart, bringing along all their earthly
possessions. He traded the horse, saddle and bridle for a tract of land
about three miles southwest of the present site of Boston, and began
life in the unbroken wilderness. By his industrious efforts he cleared
up a large tract of land and was a prosperous citizen of Thomas county
until his death at the age of seventy-seven. The maiden name of his
wife was Mary McCann, who was born in North Carolina, December 11,
1807. Her father was Joshua McCann, who came from North Carolina
and lived on a farm in Camden county, Georgia, and then moved to
Thomas county, locating southwest of the present city of Boston, where
he remained until his death at a good old age. The maiden name of the
wife of Joshua McCann was Sophie Passmore, who survived her hus-
band several years. Mrs. John G. Barrow died at the age of ninety
years.

Joshua Barrow, an only child of his parents, was reared and educated
in Thomas county, and a few yeai-s after his marriage moved to Florida,
where for a time he was engaged in the merchandising business. lie
then returned to Georgia, bought land in what is now Grady county,
about two miles east of Cairo, and lived there until his death on Febru-
ary 19, 1910.

Mrs. Barrow, who survives her husband, was before her marriage
Emeline E. Ramsey, and was born in Bladen county. North Carolina.
January 20, 1830. Her parents were William S. and Flora McPherson
Ramsey. Her grandfather was John W. Ramsey, oue of the pioneers of
southwest Georgia. Flora McPherson, her mother, was a daughter of
John and Abigail Mulford McPherson. Mr. and Mrs. Barrow reared
eight, children named Joseph, John, Mary. Thomas. .Tames. William C.
McCullough and Foster.

Thomas Hutson Harden. Now city engineer of Dawson, Terrell
county, Mr. Harden represents the Harden family in a younger genera-
lion and his forefathers were among the most prominent citizeus of



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 989

south Georgia from the time of the Revolution down. Thomas Hutson
Harden was born in Terrell county, was a son of Daniel McWhir
Harden, a native of Bryan county, and a grandson of Thomas Hutson
Harden, and a great-grandson of William Harden, the founder of this
branch of the family in Georgia.

William Harden was born in South Carolina. He served as captain
of the Beauford Artillery from 1743 to 1785. In March, 1786, he was
commander at Port Lyttleton. He was promoted colonel of militia under
Gen. Stephen Bull, and in 1779 attacked the British at Wiggins Hill.
He served as colonel under Gen. Francis Marion during the campaign
of 1780 and 1781, and was in a number of skirmishes with the British
and captured Fort Balfour with one hundred prisoners.

Thomas Hutson Harden, grandfather of the city engineer of Dawson,
was also prominent in military affairs, and was lieutenant colonel and
division inspector with Gen. John Mcintosh. Thomas II. Harden mar-
ried Matilda Baker. She was a daughter of Col. John Baker of Liberty
county, Georgia, and in whose honor Baker county, Georgia, was named.
He was a colonel in Marion's command during the Revolution, and one
of the most prominent of Georgia leaders during that war. He served
as a member of the committee appointed by the convention at Savannah,
on July 20, 1774, to prepare resolutions expressive of the sentiments
and determinations of the people of the colony with regard to the Boston
port bill. He was a member of the provincial congress from 1775 to
1777, and was on the Georgia council of safety in 1776. He subse-
quently was in active service and participated in the capture of Augusta
during May and June of 1781.

Daniel McWhir Harden, the father, was ten months old when his
father died, and he then was taken to live in the home of his grand-
mother, then the wife of Rev. Daniel McWhir in Liberty county, where
he was reared and educated. He studied medicine, but owing to his
deafness he never practiced. He inherited a large amount of land and
slaves in Bryant county, and was engaged in farming there for a num-
ber of years until his removal to Lee county with his brother,
Thomas H. They bought a large tract of land, seven miles southeast of
Dawson, and were engaged in operating the plantation with the aid of
their numerous slaves. A short time before the war they sold their land
and returned to Bryant county, where they bought a plantation called
Egypt. Daniel Harden 's family remained in Terrell county, and he
spent part of his time in each county looking after his interests. During
the war his wife was one of a committee appointed to solicit clothing
for the soldiers, in May, 1863, and she continued in that charitable
undertaking until the fall of 1864. In 1867, Daniel Harden established
a mercantile business, which he conducted for a year, and then sold
out and moved to Bryant county. Four years later he. returned to Ter-
rell county, and made his home in Dawson until his death in 1886.

Daniel Harden was married in Columbus on July 18, 1854, to Mary
Ann Foster. She also brings some important names into the family
relationship. She was born on a farm five miles south of Dawson, which
was then in Lee county, Georgia, on November 11, 1838. Her father
was Newit Foster, who was born in South Hampton county, Virginia,
a son of Christopher C. Foster. Christopher C. Foster, the maternal
great-grandfather of Thomas H. Harden, of Dawson, was a Revolu-
tionary soldier. A remarkable fact of his life was that he was one hun-
dred and twelve years of age at his death, which occurred in Virginia.
His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Ann Jordan, was almost equally
remarkable for her longevity, since she attained the age of one hundred
and eight years. One of the sons of this centenarian, named James,



990 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

went to Ohio, while another son named Moses was a physician and came
to Georgia, spending his career in Lee county. Newit Foster came to
Georgia with his uncle Benjamin Jordan, being fourteen years old at
the time. Benjamin Jordan was quite wealthy, and bought large tracts
of land in what is now Dougherty county, and Newit Foster continued
in his employ for about twenty years. He finally settled in that part
of Lee county which is now Terrell, and bought large tracts of timbered
land on which he built a one-room log house. It was an exceedingly
crude shelter, having a chimney constructed of earth and sticks, and
all its furniture and equipment were in accordance with the rude style
then prevailing in many homes of south Georgia. Two of his children
were born in that log cabin. He worked his land with slave labor, and
cleared up a large area to the sunlight, and for many years raised crops
and surrounded himself and his family with all the essentials of material
prosperity. He later built good frame buildings, and continued to
reside there until his death at the age of fifty-nine years.

Newit Foster married Catherine Woolbright. She was born in
"Wilkes county, a daughter of Daniel Woolbright, who had come to what
is now Terrell county, in 1836, and settled seven miles southeast of the
present site of Dawson, where he bought large amounts of land, and
with his slaves improved a large plantation. That remained his home
until his death in 1850. Daniel Woolbright married Mary McKnight,
who died in 1837. The wife of Newit Foster died at the age of seventy-
eight years. She was the mother of seven children, whose names are
Mary A., Sarah J., Frances, M. William, James, John, and Emma. The
son William Foster was a soldier in the Confederate army.

Mary Ann (Foster) Harden, the mother, is still living, making her
home in Dawson. She reared six children, named Catherine. Rosa,
Mamie, Neta, Thomas H., and William Edward. Catherine and Wil-
liam are now deceased.

Mr. Thomas H. Harden was educated in the South Georgia Male
and Female College at Dawson, and remained at home on the farm
until he was eighteen years of age. He is a civil engineer by profession
and was trained for that work by practical experience. He began as
a rodman, and has had a large and successful experience in different
departments of the profession. In 1908, he was commissioned to make
the surveys for the map of Terrell county, and in the same year was
elected to the office of city engineer of Dawson, official responsibilities
which he has since discharged most capably. W T illiam E. Harden, the
youngest son of the family, was educated in the public schools of Daw-
son and, when seventeen years old, was given the responsible task of
editing and publishing a newspaper at Newton, known as the BaL< r
County News. William Harden, who was familiarly known as "judge"
to his friends, was a humorist and an artist of rare genius. He had
high aspirations in his chosen work, and in order to find a larger field
moved to Atlanta, where he worked as an engraver and as cartoonist
for the Constitution and the Journal of that city. Many of his cartoons
and illustrations were as comical as those associated with the Uncle
Remus pictures, and through his artistic work he represented many of
the current events and political and social issues of the times. He pos-
sessed a genial nature, and ready wit. and had a host of friends in south
Georgia. He was a man of fine Christian character, a member of Dr.
Broughton's Tabernacle in Atlanta, and also acted as class reporter
and as artist for the Baraca Class, of which he was a member. In the
summer of 1904 his health failed, and he returned home, where he died,
January 28. 190"), at the age of twenty-four years.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 991

George W. Ard, whose death in 1904 removed one of the hest known
and most highly respected citizens of Stewart county, was a Confederate
soldier and long identified with the official life of his home county in
Georgia.

He was born in Dale county, Alabama, in 1833, was reared on an
Alabama farm, and in young manhood came to Georgia, where he was
employed for several years as a farm superintendent. At the outbreak
of the war between the states he enlisted in Company K of the Second
Regiment of Georgian Volunteers, this regiment being attached to
Toombs' Brigade, and with that command went into Virginia. He fought
in all the battles in which his regiment was engaged, and at the crucial
conflict at Antietam, in 1863, he was severely wounded, one ball passing
through his elbow and another through his thigh, which caused the loss
of his left leg. After the battle he fell into the hands of the Federals,
and a member of the Ninth New York Infantry cared for him until he
was exchanged. This strange friendship between two soldiers of the
opposite armies was continued by correspondence until the death of the
Federal soldier. After his exchange Mr. Ard returned home and was
soon afterwards elected tax collector of Stewart county. He was con-
tinued in that office by reelection until his death in 1904.

In 1867. Mr. Ard married Sarah Whitten, who was born in Heard
county, Georgia, a daughter of Reverend Arphax and Matilda (Bennett)
Whitten. The Reverend Whitten was born in the Spartansburg district
of South Carolina, and was the son of Rev. James Whitten, a missionary
Baptist preacher, who carried the gospel in the early days to the in-
habitants of Harris and Muskogee counties, and who died in Columbus,
Georgia, about the beginning of the Civil war. Mrs. Ard's father was
also a Baptist preacher and held pastorates in both Georgia and Ala-
bama, and his death occurred at Smith Station in Lee county, Alabama.
Mrs. Ard's mother died in Heard county, Georgia. Mrs. Ard reared
eight children, namely: Annie, Clifford, Charles R., Sai-ah, Mary,
Georgia, Arphax, and John.

Robert Hamilton Harris, A. M., D. D. With a long and distin-
guished career in the law, as an educator and in the ministry. Dr. Harris,
who is now residing in Cairo, Georgia, but purposes to return
about November 1, 1913, to Columbus, is one of the eminent
Georgians whose lives extend over the greatest epochs of the last and
present century, and his beneficent activities are a matter of pride to all
residents of the state. Both his own career and the record of his family
have unusual interest, and the following paragraphs will treat these
subjects as fully as possible.

Robert Hamilton Harris was born on the Holly Springs Plantation,
the country home of his father, Dr. Bennett Harris, an Augusta physi-
cian, in Jefferson county, Georgia, April 19, 1842.

Going back to the founder of the family in America, it is believed,
from the best information obtainable, that the first ancestors were
natives of either England or Wales, and during colonial times came and
settled in Virginia. In Virginia, was born the head of the next genera-
tion, John Harris, who removed from his native state to Sampson
county, North Carolina, where he spent the rest of his life. Benjamin
Harris, grandfather of Dr. Harris and son of John, was born in Samp-
son county, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, enlisting while a
lad, and some time after the close of that conflict removed to South
Carolina, and later to Georgia, becoming a pioneer settler in Walton
county. He secured land there, which was virgin soil, cleared a planta-
tion and made his home at Social Circle until his death. The maiden



992 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

name of his wife was Bethany Odom, who had three brothers, named
Elkanah, Halatia and Deldatha. She survived her husband and lived
to be about ninety years of age.

Dr. Bennett Harris, father of the Rev. Dr. Harris, was born in Edge-
field district, South Carolina, in 1805* Though his early life was spent
in a period marked by a dearth of good schools and in a country just
emerging from the wilderness state, he made the best use of his scant
opportunities to secure a good education and became a student in the
state university in Athens, Georgia, where he was contemporary of the
Cobbs and Hillyers. He undertook to work his way through the latter
institution, by manual service about the buildings and grounds ; but his
strength failed him, and he was prostrated by fever. He was beginning
to despair of completing his education, when Major "Walker, a prom-
inent citizen of Athens, became interested in him and advanced him the
necessary amount of money to carry him through school to graduation.
He then became a teacher, and after paying off his indebtedness and
accumulating some earnings, entered the Pennsylvania School of Med-
icine in Philadelphia. After receiving a full diploma in medicine and
surgery from that institution he took a post graduate course in medicine
at the Eclectic School. Cincinnati, Ohio. He subsequently went abroad,
studied and accruired extensive experience in clinics at the noted medical
institutions of Paris during two years, and later spent one year of like
work in London. Returning to America, in 1839, he located in Augusta,
Georgia, and was in that city when its first great epidemic of yellow
fever occurred. He and Dr. Turpin, with the two Doctors Eve. were
the only physicians with such a sense of devotion to duty as to remain
in the plague-stricken city. Dr. Harris was, himself, vdtimately stricken
down with the fever, but recovered and continued in practice until
his death in 1845. Dr. Harris was married, in 1840, to Rebekah Ann
Baldy, who was born in Beaufort District, South Carolina, a daughter of
Stephen and Elizabeth (Dixon) Baldy.-

Many interesting things might be said about the family of Elizabeth
Dixon. Her grandfather was James Smithson, one of the first land-
graves of the province of South Carolina. It is related that an English
sea captain was compelled to put his ship into Port Royal harbor for
repairs and, while waiting, was entertained in the home of Governor
Smithson. When the captain left he gave the governor a sack of seeds
from India. Those seeds were grains of rice in the rough, which were
planted by Governor Smithson ; and the tradition is that from that
little planting originated rice culture in America. The mother of Eliza-
beth Dixon was a lineal descendant of Gilbert Hamilton, of Scotland,
a friend of William Wallace and Robert Bruce, whose cause for the
liberation of Scotland he espoused, participating, as a soldier and
prominent officer, in the great battle of Bannockburn. which resulted
in seating Bruce upon the throne. For his distinguished services in that
cause, Robert Bruce gave him a patent of nobility, by virtue of which
he became progenitor of the noble line of Dukes of Hamilton. The
present title-holder of that line is Duke Frederick Hamilton, residing
on his Irish estate at Baroncourt.

Dr. Robert Harris has now in his home at Cairo, Georgia, among
his family heirlooms, a beautiful collection of solid silver pieces, of
inestimable value, upon all the large pieces of which is engraved the
Hamilton "crest" — a saw cutting into an oak, with the word "through."
in capitals above. This silver service has been handed down from gen-
eration to generation for many centuries, and is one of the rarest and
most interesting collections to be found in America. Dr. Harris also
possesses the original family coat-of-arms, beautifully hand-painted on



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 993

parchment and containing no bar-sinister — a fact of which he is justly
proud. He also has the little christening stole, with hood and mittens,
worn by the Hamilton babies during that church ceremonial for ages
in the past. Those heirlooms came down to him through his mother,
who in her orphaned girlhood went with her aunt, Miss Elizabeth
Hamilton, to reside with a great-aunt, Miss Margaret Hamilton, in
Dublin, Ireland, by invitation and until the death of the latter, of whom
she became the heir. At the death of Miss Margaret, Miss Baldy re-
turned with her aunt, Miss Elizabeth, to America, and the two set up
housekeeping in Augusta, Georgia, in 1839, where Miss Elizabeth died
of yellow fever and where Miss Baldy met and was married to her first
husband, Dr. Harris. In the death of Dr. Harris his wife was left a
widow with two little children, Robert and Bennetta, the latter of whom-
died in 1861. Some years later Mrs. Harris was married the second
time, to Rev. Robert Fleming, a distinguished teacher, a noted author
and a prominent minister of the Baptist denomination. Her death
occurred in Thomasville when she was sixty-one years of age, leav-
ing as survivors her husband, Mr. Fleming, and three children, her son
and two daughters, Alice and Adela Fleming. Alice and her father
died a few years later. Adela, now Mrs. Smith, for the second time a
widow, resides in Waco, Texas.

When the Civil war came on, Robert Hamilton Harris was in college
at Mercer University, but he left school to join the Newman Guards,
Company A, First Georgia Regiment. He was soon transferred, how-
ever, to the Thomasville Guards, Company F, Twenty-ninth Georgia,
serving with that command twenty months, along the Atlantic coast, at
Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington and Jacksonville. In March, 1863,
he was promoted to a lieutenancy, in Company A, Fifty-seventh Georgia
Regiment. The captain being absent and the first lieutenant hors de
combat, he was placed in command of his company and so continued
until the close of the war, the first lieutenant soon dying and the captain
being promoted to major. Mr. Harris received in order two more promo-
tions — to first lieutenant and brevet captain. In that command, he
went through the entire Vicksburg campaign, ending with that dread-
ful siege; in Johnston's campaign from Dalton to Atlanta; in Hood's
campaign, from Atlanta to Nashville, Tennessee, and back to Corinth,
Mississippi. He was under fire on scores of occasions, many of them
extremely bloody and sometimes when he lost nearly all of his men ; but
although ballets frequently pierced his clothing, he never received more
than a scratch or two in the nature of wounds. Besides the service
mentioned, he fought Stoneman at Macon, commanding a regiment part
of that day, and starting that general's defeat by turning his right
flank. He was not with his regiment when it surrendered, under Johns-
ton, at Bentonville, North Carolina, being on detached service in com-
mand of a lunette in defense at Macon against Wilson. He declined
to surrender there, and, breaking through the swarms of Federal
cavalry, made his way home to Thomasville, with only two men who
escaped with him.

While a paroled prisoner, after the siege of Vicksburg, Dr. Harris,
then just twenty-one, was married to Mary Martha, daughter of Hon.
Peter E. Love, of Thomasville. On reaching home he read law under his
father-in-law, was admitted to the bar and soon secured a good practice.
He was elected mayor of his city, then after serving two or three years
became solicitor of the county court, and later was appointed counsel
for the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad, which extended from Savannah to
Bainbridge and Albany. His health having become greatly impaired
in that service, he decided to abandon the practice of law and later,



994 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

in 1876, entered upon the next important phase of his career, as an
educator. He was elected principal of the chief sch,ool in Cairo, and
spent six years as a teacher in the local academy. In the meantime he
had entered the ministry of the Baptist denomination. In 1882, he was
called to the charge of the school at Calvary, and, consolidating four
rival schools at that point, established the Calvary High School.

In 1883, he was called to the pastorate of the Baptist church at La
Grange, Georgia, where he continued for two years. From that city he
was called to the great First Church in Columbus, and during his
ministry of eight years there added six hundred members to his charge.
His next location was at Troy, Alabama, where he remained for two
years, whence he was called to Thomasville, where he served the Baptist
church for five years. In the meantime and since, he has received calls
and overtures from a number of prominent churches in large cities that
he has not felt at a liberty to consider.

While pastor in La Grange, Dr. Harris was elected a member of the
faculty of the Southern Female College, an institution which was later
removed to College Park, near Atlanta, and became known as Cox Col-
lege. Being reelected to a leading chair in Cox College, Dr. Harris
resigned his pastorate at Thomasville and went to that institution, where
he remained over three years. There his health broke down, and he
went to Tampa, Florida. While in Tampa, in 1906, after he had some-
what recuperated, he was called to the Baptist church at Cairo, which
town has since been his home.

Soon after taking charge in Cairo, Dr. Harris commenced a cam-
paign, among his own members only, to raise funds for the erection of
a new church building, and the result is the present beautiful edifice
in that city. The church is built in the English abbey style of architec-
ture, of the finest pressed brick, the interior being most unique and
very beautiful, with exceedingly handsome furnishings, and it was
finished and equipped without a dollar of debt.

Dr. Harris continued his pastorate in Cairo until March, 1912, at
which time he resigned, in order to become apostolic messenger to the
churches of the Mercer Association.

The degrees of A. M. and D. D. were conferred upon him years ago
by Mercer University, and he has been for many years, as he still is.
in great demand as a speaker on various important occasions in many
sections of the country. In addition to other distinctions, he is also
chaplain and major on the staff of the South Georgia Brigade. U. C. V.

Hon. Peter E. Love, the father of Dr. Harris' wife, was a lawyer
by profession, occupied the superior court bench for many years, was
a member of the United States congress at the time of secession and
used his influence in vain effort to prevent Civil war. He was the
Georgia member of the committee of thirty-three, one from each state
of the Union, appointed some time prior to the outbreak of hostilities.
to arrange some compromise which might avert the imminent war. He
died, honored by all who knew him — ami there were thousands — in
November, 1866.

Mrs. Harris passed away in 1900, leaving, besides her husband, two
sons and one daughter. Of the sons, dames Hamilton Harris is an ex-
pert accountant, resident in Texas, and is unmarried. The other, Amos
Dove Harris, is in the real estate business in Tampa. Florida, and was
married in 1902 to Mattie Ward Henderson, a daughter of W. B. Hen-
derson, late deceased, and one of the wealthiest and most prominent
citizens of that city. They have two children, named Robert Hamilton
and Caroline Henderson. Mamie Anne, the third child and only
daughter, was married in 1S94 to Edgar Duncan Hurts, a prominent



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH -GEORGIA 995

young attorney of Columbus, of brilliant promise, who died in January,
1905, leaving three children, Mamie Love, Edgar Duncan, Jr., and
Sarah Caroline. Besides the two sons and daughter named there have
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Harris five other children, all boys, and all
dead before 1888.

Malcolm B. Council. Noteworthy among the energetic and enter-
prising men who have contributed largely towards the development
and advancement of the agricultural and industrial prosperity of
Sumter county is Malcolm B. Council, of Americus, a well-known
capitalist, and one of the more extensive landholders of southwest
Georgia. A son of Solomon B. Council, he was born June 26, 1838,
near Fayetteville, Cumberland county, North Carolina.

His paternal grandfather, Michael Council, a native of Nansemond
county, Virginia, migrated to North Carolina in early life, locating
first in what is now Anson county, from there going to Robeson county,
and finally settling permanently in Cumberland county, that state,
where his death occurred at the venerable age of ninety years. He mar-
ried a Miss Barlow, and they reared five sons, Solomon B., Thomas, Mat-
thew, John and Jordan, and three daughters. Nothing definite is known
of the Barlow family, to which his wife belonged, but history tells us
that one of Sir Walter Raleigh's ships that sailed from England in
April, 1584, was commanded by Capt. Arthur Barlow, who landed in
North Carolina in that year.

Reared on his father's farm, Solomon B. Council remained a res-
ident of Cumberland county, North Carolina, until 1842. Then, ac-
companied by his wife and children, he made an overland journey to
Georgia, bringing with him all of his worldly possessions, camping and
cooking by the wayside. Locating in Sumter county, he bought a tract
of heavily timbered land lying three miles northeast' of Americus, and
immediately began the pioneer task of hewing a home from the forest.
This part of the state was then in its primeval wildness, deer and other
wild game native to this section being plentiful, and roaming at will.
Americus was a small place, with but three or four stores, and there
were no railways in the state. Hawkinsville and Macon, on the Ocmul-
gee river, and Columbus, on the Chattahoochee, were the principal
trading points, although salt was obtained at the Gulf. For his first
habitation in his new home, Solomon B. Council built a rude log-house,
with a stick and earth chimney. In due course of time that was
replaced by a more commodious structure, other substantial buildings
were erected, and on the farm which he improved he spent the re-
mainder of his life, passing away at the advanced age of eighty-four
years.

Solomon B. Council married Elizabeth Blue, who was born in Cum-
berland county, North Carolina, and died on the home farm, in Sumter
county, Georgia, when but seven days less than eighty-eight years old.
Her father, Malcolm Blue, married Nancy Jacobs, a daughter of Henry
and Sarah (Brown) Jacobs, grand-daughter of Neal and Barbara
(McMillin) Brown, and great-granddaughter of Governor Brown, of
Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. Solomon B. Council reared six children, as
follows : Mary, Margaret, Maria, Sarah, George, and Malcolm B.

A child of four years when he was brought by his parents to Sumter
county, Malcolm B. Council was brought up in true pioneer style, at-
tending a subscription school, which was kept in a small loghouse,
furnished with home-made seats and benches, while he, in common with
the members of all the families in the vicinity, wore garments made of

homespun, and fashioned by the women of the households, each woman
vol. n— 30



996 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

and girl doing her regular daily stint of carding, spinning and weaving.
At the outbreak of the war between the states, he enlisted as a private
in Cutt's artillery, and was subsequently made adjutant, with rank of
lieutenant. He went to Virginia with his company, which was at-
tached to Longstreet's corps, and took part in many of the hard-fought
battles of the conflict, including the engagements at Centerville. Chan-
cellorsville, the seven days' fight around Richmond, the battles at An-
tietam, Sharpsbiarg, the Wilderness, the second engagement at Manas-
sas, the battle of Gettysburg, at Spottsylvania Court House, and in the
many skirmishes in the vicinity of Richmond and Petersburg, later
surrendering at Appomattox.

Returning to Americus at the close of the war, Mr. Council taught
school for awhile, and was afterward employed as clerk in a cotton
warehouse. Entering then the employ of Capt. John A. Cobb, who
owned five large plantations, and worked more than one hundred and
twenty-five negroes, he became overseer of the Cobb property, making
his home on the plantation which had the nearest white neighbors, they
being three miles distant, and retained the position eight years. Going
then to De Soto, Mr. Council carried on general farming there for two
years, and on returning to Americus at the expiration of that time,
embarked in the warehouse business, with which he was prominently
and successfully connected for thirty years. In the meantime he was
also interested in agricultural pursuits, and now owns and operates
several valuable plantations. Among his holdings are the old Council
homestead, one of the finest plantations in Georgia ; a plantation on
the river, fourteen miles southeast of Americus ; an estate lying sixteen
miles northwest of the city ; another situated fifteen miles to the south ;
one in Lee county; and another plantation in Dooly county. Mr. Coun-
cil has always been a lover of the chase, keeping a well-trained pack
of hounds, and owns a game preserve of five hundred acres, sixteen
miles from Americus.

Mr. Council married, February 5, 1S67, Martha Maria Harris, who
was born in Houston county, Georgia, two miles east of Fort Valley, a
daughter of Isaac C. Harris. Samuel Harris, her paternal grandfather,
a life-long resident of Georgia, died in 1814, at a comparatively early
age. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and for his services
therein was given a grant of land in Washington county, the grant
bearing date of September 30, 1784. Isaac C. Harris was born in War-
ren county, Georgia, July 30. 1813, and was brought up on a farm.
After attaining manhood he lived for a short time in Jones county, but
from 1842 until 1863 was engaged in farming in Houston county, where
he owned land. Coming to Sumter county in 1863, he bought a farm
lying ten miles south of Americus, and occupied it for a time. Selling
out, he purchased land in Lee county, and was there a tiller of the soil
until 1877, when he returned to Warren county, where he remained a
resident until his death, in 1879. He was a local preacher in the Meth-
odist Episcopal church, and reared his family in that faith.

Isaac C. Harris was twice married. He married first Provvie Also-
brook, who was born November 19, 1811, in Jones county, Georgia, a
daughter of Amos and Sarah (Jones) Alsobrook, the former of whom
spent his entire life in Jones county, while his wife, who survived him,
spent her last years at the home of a daughter, in Florida. Mrs. Provvie
Alsobrook Harris died September 22. 1862. Mr. Harris subsequently
married for his second wife Mary Pullen, who is now living on the old
Harris homestead, in Warren county. By his first marriage Mr. Harris
reared twelve children, as follows: Mary; Noffleet ; Augustus: Samuel;
John; Sarah: Martha Maria, wife of Mr. Council: Eugenia; Joseph;



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 997

Robert ; Alonzo ; and James. Of his second union, three children were,
born, Anna, William, and George.

Mr. and Mrs. Council are the parents of six children, namely : Lena
Harris ; Emma Eugenia ; John Malcolm ; Elizabeth ; Nell Lenoir and
Harris Solomon. Lena Harris married John T. Argo, and has six
children, Martha Helen, Hersehel Council, Christine Elizabeth,
Catherine, Malcolm Blue, and John Thomas. Emma Eugenia,
wife of Elton C. Parker, has four children, Leonard Council,
Mary Elizabeth, Martha Eugenia, and Elton Council. John
M. Council married Luetta Cochran. Elizabeth is the wife of Dr.
Stephen H. MeKee. Nell L. married S. E. Statham. Fraternally, Mr.
Council is a member of M. B. Council Lodge, No. 95, Free and Accepted
Masons; of Wells Chapter, No. 42, Royal Arch Masons; and of De
Molay Commandery, No. 5, Knights Templar.

Capt. John Peel Beaty. For upwards of thirty years, Captain
Beaty has served in the responsible office of treasurer of Webster county.
Captain Beaty is one of the oldest citizens of Preston, being now in his
eighty-eighth year, and with a long and varied career, stretching behind
him in retrospect.

Capt. John Peel Beaty was born in Jefferson county, Georgia, August
18, 1825. His grandfather was Henry Beaty, a native of Ireland, who
came to America, landing at Savannah, and thence made his way to
Jefferson county, where he bought land, but some years later moved to
Houston county, and then, in 1836, to what is now Webster county.
In Webtser county he spent the rest of his days, and was about one
hundred years old at the time of his death. Robert Beaty, the father
of Captain Beaty, was born in Jefferson county, Georgia. He was
reared and married in that county, and in 1828 moved to Houston
county where he remained until 1836, and then came to that portion
of Stewart county, which is now included within the limits of Webster
county. He bought a large quantity of land near Preston, and cleared
it and operated it with the aid of his large retinue of slaves. For a
number of years no railroads penetrated this section of Georgia, and
the father hauled all his cotton and other produce to Macon or to Colum-
bus to market. In transporting the cotton or other goods, six mules
were hitched to each wagon. Robert Beaty lived in that vicinity until
his death when eighty-four years of age'. The maiden name of his wife
was Sarah Peel. Her father, John Peel, a native of Ireland, where he
married Miss Gamble, came to America and located in Jefferson county,
Georgia ; Mrs. Robert Beaty died at the age of eighty-three, and the
five children were named Margaret, Sarah, John P., Nancy and Eliza-
beth.

John Peel Beaty was reared in a far-off and pioneer epoch of
Georgia, and became thoroughly familiar with all the old-time planta-
tion life before the war. He attended rural schools and assisted in the
work of the home farm. After he was twenty-one, he became associated
in managing the estate with his father. In March, 1862, he enlisted
in Company F of the Forty-sixth Regiment of Georgia Infantry, and
spent the first year at Charleston, South Carolina, and then joined the
western army. He was in many of the important engagements which
took place in the Mississippi valley, beginning with the great battle of
Chickamauga, and in the various engagements leading up to Atlanta,
taking part in the defense of that city. After the fall of Atlanta, he
was with Hood's regiments, and later was at Wainsborough, Buck
county, Georgia, at the final surrender. He then made his way back
home as best he could. On arriving home he again took up farm life,



998 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

but after several years moved to Preston, which has been his home ever
since. Captain Beaty has had one unique experience. Without any
moving of residence, he has lived during his lifetime in three different
counties of Georgia, first Stewart county, second Kinchafoonte, a county
not now in existence under that name, and in Webster county. He has
represented the county three different times in the Georgia legislature.
For the past Thirty years he has been, honored with. the office of county
treasurer, and the people of Webster county feel a matter of pride in
this venerable and faithful county official.

Captain Beaty has been twice married. In 1853, he married Eliza
R. Prim, and his second marriage was with Mrs. Fannie C. (Snelling)
Bell. The six children of the first marriage are named : Martha. Robert.
John, Albert, Susie and Katie. Captain Beaty and wife are both mem-
bers of the Baptist church.

Adam Jones Cumbest. As farmer and miller and a useful citizen
of his community, Mr. Cumbest has been identified with south Georgia
for many years. He was born in Wilkinson county, this state. August
14, 1846, the Cumbests being an old family of that vicinity. His grand-
father was, so far as known, a lifelong resident of Wilkinson county.
where he was a farmer.

Mr. Cumbest 's father, James Cumbest, was a native of Wilkinson
county, and spent all his active' career in agricultural pursuits. From
Wilkinson he moved to Lee county, thence to Irwin, and finally to
Mitchell county, where he bought a farm and resided until his death
at the advanced age of eighty-six years. He married Bethany Williams,
who was born in Wilkinson county and died in Lee county. She reared
six children, named Thomas, Adam J., Frances, Elizabeth. Ellafarr and
Angeline.

Spending the early years of his life on the home farm first in Lee
and then in Mitchell county, Adam Jones Cumbest was still a boy when
the war between the states came on. He enlisted in Company E of the
Seventeenth Georgia Infantry and went up into Virginia to join Lee's
army. During many of the campaigns and battles he did his soldier's
duty, and in 1864 was captured at Port Harrison and held a prisoner
at Point Lookout, Maryland, until near the close of the war. Being
released on parole, he was not exchanged before the surrender. The
life of a soldier he exchanged for that of farmer, and after his marriage
in the spring of 1865 he settled on a farm belonging to his wife in
Mitchell county. Two years later he moved to Decatur county, buying
a farm fifteen miles from Bainbridge ; then bought a farm in Colquitt
county, two years later bought one in Mitchell county, where he resided
five years, and then came to Thomas county, where he owned and
operated a farm three years. He was theu made superintendent of the
Thomas county infirmary, an institution which he capably managed for
a period of twelve years. On retiring from that public responsibility,
he bought his present farm and homestead in the Boston district.
Located on this place, near his house, was a grist mill, which he has
operated in addition to his general farm enterprises.

Tn April, 1865, Mr. Cumbest was married to Eliza (Grinner) Hud-
son, whose family is one of the oldest in southwest Georgia. She was
born in Decatur county, a daughter of John Grinner and granddaughter
of John Grinner, both of whom were natives of South Carolina. The
grandfather moved from his native state to Georgia about 1822. being
one of the pioneers of what is now Decatur county. He and his family
made the migration with horses and wagons and brought all the house-
hold goods and implements for their settlement in the wilderness.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 999

Grandfather Grinner bought timbered land about five miles from the,
present site of Whigham. That region was still the hunting ground for
Indians, who soon viewed the arrival of the increasing number of whites
with distrust and hostility. The Grinners and other settlers built a fort
for the protection of their families, and at one time the mother of Mrs.
Cumbest spent four weeks in that structure. After clearing quite a
tract of land, the grandfather moved to Mitchell county, where he
bought other timbered land five miles northeast of the present site of
Camilla, and lived there until his death. He had served in the Indian
wars and was in every sense one of the pioneers to whose enterprise
and hardihood later generations were indebted for the advantages which
they enjoyed. The maiden name of his wife was Susan Mills, also a
native of South Carolina, and she died in Mitchell county. The father
of Mrs. Cumbest, John Grinner, was about twelve years old when
brought to Georgia, and was reared amid pioneer scenes. On beginning
his own career he bought land in Decatur county, but after some years
bought another farm five miles from Camilla in Mitchell county. His
settlement there occurred a number of years before railroads had been
built, and for a number of years he hauled his products to Albany or
to Tallahassee to market. His wife, the mother of Mrs. Cumbest, plied
all the domestic arts of that primitive period, including the spinning
of cotton and wool, the making of all clothes from homespun, and cook-
ing at the fireplace until the introduction of cookstoves. The father
changed farms several times, and spent his last years in Colquitt county,
where he died at the age of eighty-seven. He married Lottie Ford, a
native of South Carolina, and her father, James Ford, came from that
state and was also a pioneer of Decatur county. The mother of Mrs.
Cumbest died at the age of about eighty, and she reared ten children.

Mrs. Cumbest was first married at the age of fourteen to Levi Butler,
who was a native of Mitchell county and enlisted in the first company
that went from that county to the war. He died in the service while
at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1862. After his death Mrs. Butler married
David Hudson, a native of middle Georgia. In 1864, he also enlisted
and five months later sacrificed his life to the southern cause at Macon.
Mrs. Cumbest was one of the martyrs to the tragedies of the great war.
After losing two husbands she married a third who had recently re-
turned from a northern prison, and she and Mr. Cumbest have had a
happy wedded life of upwards of a half century.

By her first marriage Mrs. Cumbest had three children : William,
John and Louisa Butler. She and Mr. Cumbest reared six children :
Elias, Seaburn, Mary Anna, James, George and Mittie. Elias married
Marzilla Shiver and has one son, Elias. Seaburn married Ophelia Hol-
land and has four children : Lonnie, Eunice, John and Ellis. Mary
Anna married Jeff Busby, and has eight children : Gordon, Henry,
Ira, Annie, Frank, Ola, Charles and Ruby. James married Arrilla
Holland and has one son, Lee. George married Annie Purvett and has
two children : Mittie and Viver. Mittie, the youngest child of Mr. and
Mrs. Cumbest, died at the age of two years. William Butler, the first
of Mrs. Cumbest 's children, married Ida Douglas and have the follow-
ing children : Audrey, Mamie, Louis, and William. John Butler mar-
ried Ida Smith, and their seven children are : Levi, Nonie, William,
Calvin, Mamie, Lois and Jewell. Louisa Butler married George Wil-
liams and has six children : Lonie, Betey, George, Trudie, Eliza and
Ola. Mrs. Cumbest has seven great-grandchildren.

Fletcher W. Griffin. Ranking high among the live, enterprising
and successful business men of Sumter county is Fletcher AV. Griffin,



1000 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

of Americus, a well-known cotton dealer, and an extensive land owner.
He was born in 1857, on a farm lying eight miles east of Americus, a
son of Thomas Griffin, and comes of substantial pioneer stock.

Mr. Griffin's grandfather, Dempsey Griffin, was born near Raleigh,
North Carolina, of Welsh ancestry. Joining the little bands of immi-
grants that were steadily pushing their way westward, he left his native
state in 1849, accompanied by his family. With wife and children he
made his way through the almost pathless woods with teams, bringing
his household goods, and driving his stock, to Georgia. After a tedious
journey of several weeks, he arrived in Sumter county, and on Line
creek, east of Americus, bought a tract of forest-covered land. Clearing
an opening in the woods, he built a loghouse, which, with its stick and
clay chimney, and large fireplace, was the first home of the Griffin
family in Georgia. He lived in the typical pioneer style, his wife doing
all of her cooking by the open fireplace, and dressing her family in
homespun material, which she wove herself, having first carded and
spun the wool. Clearing quite a patch of the land, he lived there with
his family until after the close of the war between the states, when he
sold out, and moved to the south part of the county, where he purchased
land, and was a resident until his death, at the advanced age of eighty-
seven years. His wife, whose maiden name was McCurkadle, died when
but sixty-five yeai's old, leaving seven children, as follows : Bryan,
Caleb, Thomas, John, Nancy, Hannah, and Catherine.

Thomas Griffin, the third son in succession of birth of the parental
household, was born near Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1837, and at the
age of twelve years came with the family to Sumter county, where he
assisted in the pioneer labor of reclaiming a farm from the wilderness.
At the time of his marriage he began farming on his own account on a
part of his father's homestead, continuing thus engaged until 1862.
Early in that year he enlisted in the Confederate army, and went with
his command to Virginia, where, in June of that same year, he died,
his death occurring at Orange court house, in the twenty-fifth year of
his age. His wife, whose maiden name was Eliza Gammage, was born
in Macon county, Georgia, a daughter of Alsey Gammage, a native
of South Carolina, and a pioneer of Macon county, where he resided
several years, although he later bought land in Sumter county, three
and one-half miles from Americus, where he spent the remainder of his
life of sixty-eight years. Mrs. Thomas Griffin subsequently married
for her second husband Jesse Chembliss, who died while yet in the prime
of life, before she did, her death occurring when she was but forty-three
years of age. By her first marriage she was the mother of two children,
namely: Fletcher W. Griffin, the special subject of this sketch; and
Thomas W. Griffin. By her second marriage she had one child, Jesse
Lee Chembliss.

As a boy and youth, Fletcher W. Griffin attended the rural schools
of his district, and assisted in the various labors incidental to life on a
farm, remaining with his mother until attaining hs majority. He then
began his career as an independent agriculturist, renting land on shares
until he accumulated a sufficient sum to warrant him in buying. Mr.
Griffin's first purchase of land consisted of a one hundred and forty
acre tract ten miles east of Americus. Going to Plains, Sumter county,
in 1887, he there carried on a successful business as a merchant until
1903, when he located in Americus, where he has since been profitably
eimaged in the cotton business. Mr. Griffin has always been extensively
interested in" agriculture, and having an abiding faith in the future of
Sumter county, has invested largely in land, being now the owner of
upwards of one thousand acres.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1001

Mr. Griffin married, in 1885, Nancy Lelia Merritt, who was born in
Marion county, Georgia, a daughter of Wade H. Merritt. Into their
home four children have made their advent, namely: Leon C., Mazie
M., Inman W., and Fletcher. Leon C. married Mamie Brooks, and they
have one child, Edith. Mazie M., wife of James Walker, has two chil-
dren, Griffin and William J. Mr. Griffin is a director of the Commercial
City Bank. Religiously both Mr. and Mrs. Griffin are members of the
Methodist Episcopal church South.

WhjEY M. Lewis. Industriously engaged in the prosecution of one
of the most useful callings to which a man can devote his time and
energies, Wiley M. Lewis holds a noteworthy position among the more
active and progressive agriculturists of Brooks county. He was born
June 18, 1847, in that part of Lowndes county now included within the
boundaries of Brooks county, of pioneer ancestry.

His father, Irvin James Lewis, was born in Bulloch county, Georgia,
and, when a small child, lost both of his parents. He subsequently
made his home for many years with his uncle, Abner Groover, one of
the very first settlers of what is now Brooks county. As a youth he
became familiar with the various branches of agriculture, and on at-
taining manhood bought a tract of land lying seven miles northwest of
Quitman, and was there engaged in general farming until his death,
which was the result of a snake bite, his death occurring while he was
yet in the prime of a vigorous manhood.

The maiden name of the wife of Irvin James Lewis was Susan Thig-
pin. She was born in Wilkes county, Georgia, where her father, Rev.
Meles Thigpin, first settled on coming from one of the Carolinas to
Georgia. He was a preacher in the primitive Baptist church, and an
active worker in the Master's vineyard. From Wilkes county Rev. Mi-.
Thigpin removed to what is now Brooks county in pioneer days, the
tedious journey through the woods being made with ox teams. All of
south Georgia was then a howling wilderness, through which bear, deer,
panthers, and wild game of many kinds roamed at will, while the Indians
far outnumbered the whites, who were forced to build log forts in
which the women and children would take refuge whenever the savages
started out on the war path. Securing four hundred and ninety acres
of land ten miles northwest of the present site of Quitman, Mr. Thigpin
there spent his remaining years, as did his wife, whose maiden name
was Sarah Whaley. Mrs. Susan (Thigpin) Lewis survived her husband
many years. She was his helpmeet in every sense of the term, perform-
ing her full share of the pioneer labor, carding, spinning and weaving
all of the homespun in which she clothed her family, in the early days
of her marriage, doing all of her cooking by the open fireplace. She was
the mother of six children, as follows: Mary, Sarah Blanche, Caroline,
Janie, Valeria and AViley M.

But two years old when his father died, Wiley M. Lewis was by his
mother reared to habits of industry, honesty and thrift, and with her
remained for several years after attaining his majority. He was after-
wards engaged in tilling the soil on and near the old homestead until
1898. In that year Mr. Lewis formed a partnership with his nephew,
I. E. Bozeman, and having purchased eleven hundred acres of timbered
land on the Tallokas road, seven miles from Quitman, he erected a saw-
mill, and was there extensively engaged in the manufacture of lumber
until the timber supply was exhausted. He and his partner have since
put large tracts of the land which they cleared under cultivation, and
he is there now engaged in general farming, in his operations being
exceedingly prosperous.



1002 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Mr. Lewis married, in 1885, Ophelia Folsom, who was horn in Jef-
ferson county, Florida, where her parents, Isaac and Painelia (Woods)
Folsom, w T ere pioneers. Eleven children have hlessed'the union of Mr.
and Mrs. Lewis, namely : Wiley, James, Susie May, Pamelia Gertrude,
Blanche S., Irvin Lee, Rosebud Folsom, Ernest W., Carlos, Clara Belle,
and Wallace. Fraternally Mr. Lewis is a member of Shalto lodge, No.
237, Free and Accepted Masons, with which he united at the age of
twenty-one years. He is also a member of the Farmer's Alliance, and of
the Farmer's Union, No. 1406.

Major William Berry Stephens. A record of well won success
has been made by Major William Berry Stephens, a stalwart member of
the Chatham county bar, who has proved his remarkable fitness for the
profession he adorns in the heat of constant litigation. Among his
many claims to distinction is his prominence in Georgian military affairs,
for he holds the office of major of the Savannah Volunteer Guards and is
a veteran of the Spanish-American war, in which he served as sergeant
of Company B, of the Second Georgia Infantry, United States Volun-
teers. Major Stephens is the scion of one of the oldest and most dis-
tinguished American families, with the members of which through many
generations patriotism has stood for far more than a mere rhetorical
expression.

Major Stephens shares his natal day with the Father of the Country,
his birth having occurred near Morven, Brooks county, Georgia. Febru-
ary 22, 1870. He is a son of John Hugh and Sarah C. (Hendry) Ste-
phens, the former born at Society Hill, Darlington county. South Caro-
lina, September 19, 1842, and the latter at Morven, Brooks county,
August 19, 1846. It is a matter of well-confirmed tradition that Major
Stephens' maternal great-great-grandfather, Robert Hendry, who came
from Virginia to Georgia and lies buried at Taylor's Creek. Liberty
county, served under "Lighthorse Harry" Lee in the Revolutionary war.
The paternal grandfather of Major Stephens served with the South
Carolina troops in Florida during the Seminole Indian war of 1835-42
and two maternal grand-uncles, William Hendry and Normal Campbell,
are known to have served against the Indians in Georgia, participating
in the battle of Brushy Creek. Major Stephens' maternal grandfather,
Neal Hendry, was one whose conscientious conviction of the supreme
right of the states to sever their union with the national government led
him to give his influence and service to the Confederacy, at the time of
the Civil war. He was major in command of a detachment in middle
Florida, guarding salt works along the coast and supplying cattle to the
southern armies. The subject 's father, as a youth of twenty, entered the
service of the South, enlisting on August 1, 1861, at Madison, Florida,
as a private in Company C, Fourth Florida Volunteer Infantry and he
served in turn in the brigades commanded by Preston, Palmer. Ander-
son, Finley, Stovall and Smith. He was in the thick of events : was
wounded at the battle of Murfreesboro. Tennessee, and later participated
in the battles of Jackson, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge, as well
as at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. April 9. 1865, thus serving until the
close of the war. This highly respected gentleman now resides in Jack-
sonville, Florida, and finds pleasure in renewing associations with the
comrades of other days as a member of Robert E. Lee Camp, No. 58,
United Confederate Veterans. The Stephens family is a race of sol-
diers and three of the sons of the foregoing upheld its military prestige
at the time of the war with Spain. John Hugh. Jr.. and Robert D. were
members of the First Florida Infantry. United States Volunteers, and
the former lost his life bv disease while in the service.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1003

Major Stephens received his early education in the public schools
of Thomas and Mitchell counties, Georgia, and his higher academic
studies were prosecuted under the direction of private tutors. In early
youth he became imbued with the desire to enter the law and in 1889 he
became a clerical assistant in the law office of Chisholni & Erwin, of
Savannah, under whose able preceptorship he prosecuted his legal studies.
In 1896 he was admitted to the bar and his excellent preliminary train-
ing having given him a grasp upon essentials which he utilized to the last
degree, he at once entered upon a career, which has given him both suc-
cess and high renown. From 1898 to January 1, 1900, he was division
counsel for the Plant system of railways and then, upon the dissolution
of the firm of Erwin, DuBignon, Chisholm & Clay, he resigned the afore-
mentioned office and entered into a professional partnership with Hon.
Fleming G. DuBignon, under the firm name of DuBignon & Stephens,
this association continuing until the latter part of the year 1902,
when it was dissolved upon the removal of Mr. DuBignon to the city
of Atlanta. Since that time Major Stephens has conducted an indi-
vidual professional business in Savannah.

Major Stephens' connection with affairs military dates from May,
1890, when he became a private in Company B, Savannah Volunteer
Guards, and was later promoted to corporal and sergeant. On May 2,
1898, he was enrolled as a private in Company B, Second Georgia In-
fantry, United States Volunteers, for service in the war with Spain.
He was appointed sergeant as soon as mustered and proceeded with
his command to the reserve camp at Tampa, Florida, where he remained
in service until the close of the war. He was honorably discharged at
Huntsville, Alabama, August 29, 1898, in compliance with his own re-
quest. Upon his return to Savannah he immediately re-enlisted, as a
private in Company B, Savannah Volunteer Guards, serving as such
until he was commissioned captain of his company, February 1, 1900.
In March, 1904, he resigned the captaincy and re-enlisted as a private,
serving as such until the following November, when he was commissioned
major of battalion of the Savannah Volunteer Guards, the battalion
having been converted into heavy artillery by act of the general assem-
bly, December 18, J900. He still holds the office of major of this bat-
talion and is also a member of Francis S. Bartow Camp, No. 95, United
Sons of Confederate Veterans in Savannah.

Major Stephens has always been loyal to the principles of the Demo-
cratic party. In 1906, he was urged by a strong representation of
Savannah's best citizenship to become a candidate for the state senate
in opposition to an already nominated candidate who, although per-
sonally a man of the highest character, represented a political element
in the city that a great many people deemed dangerous and inimical to
Savannah's best interests. Major Stephens, responding to this call in
a spirit of patriotism, entered the race just seven days prior to the
election, and after a spirited and exciting contest, was elected by a
majority of about six hundred, as a member of the state senate, repre-
senting the first senatorial district, embracing the counties of Chat-
ham, Bryan and Effingham. Major Stephens' most notable achieve-
ment in the senate was his success in bringing the senate and the lower
house together in the passage of the law which terminated the convict
lease system in Georgia, thus taking the hire of convicts out of the
hands of corporations and putting them to work on the public roads.
Public opinion upholds this as one of the most beneficent enactments
of legislation that has taken place in Georgia in many years. Major
Stephens accomplished this by skillful parliamentary tactics and a final
speech in the senate, in the face of the strongest and most bitter oppo-
sition.



1004 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

The following tribute to Major Stephens is contributed by Judge
Walter G. Charlton, of Savannah, judge of the supreme court, and one
of the ablest jurists in the state :

"In the pursuit of his profession, Major Stephens has not only
attained to success, but his career has also been marked by a thorough
devotion to the highest ideals of his calling. This has been the dominant
purpose of his life, to which his active participation in public affairs
has been the natural incident. Of a singularly open and candid nature,
rapid in conclusions and entirely bold in expression, he has been an
effective soldier because he has been a consistent and fearless lawyer."

Major Stephens was happily married on September 6, 1899, his
chosen lady being Miss Clifford B. Dasher, daughter of Frank W. and
Grace B. (Lovell) Dasher, of Savannah. Into their household, one of
the favorite social gathering-places in the city, has been born one son,
William Hugh, the date of whose birth was December 18, 1900.

Major Stephens is identified with the following organizations:
Ancient Landmark Lodge, No. 231, Free and Accepted Masons ; Georgia
Chapter, No. 3, Royal Arch Masons; Georgia Council, No. 2, Royal and
Select Masters ; Palestine Commandery, No. 7, Knights Templar ; Alee
Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine ; Alpha
Lodge, No. 1, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite ; the Savannah Bar Associa-
tion; the Guards' Club; the Oglethorpe Club; the Savannah Yacht
Club, and the Forest City Gun Club. He and his wife are members of
the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and are active in church and
philanthropic work.

Charles Wood Gunnell. A man of marked business capacity,
intelligence and enterprise, the late Charles Wood Gunnell, of Bron-
wood, did much towards advancing the agricultural prosperity of Ter-
rell county, through his wise experiments clearly demonstrating the
advantage and profit to be derived from growing pecans for commercial
purposes. A native of Terrell county, he was born on a farm near
Bronwood, May 28, 1862, and his death, which occurred in Bronwood.
November 13, 1908, was mourned as a loss not only to his immediate
family and friends, but to the entire community.

William Henry Gunnell. his father, was engaged in agricultural
pursuits in Terrell county when the war between the states broke out.
Entering the Confederate army, he went with his command to Vir-
ginia, and was killed in the engagement at Maryland Heights. His
wife, whose maiden name was Mary Powell, survived him a few years,
passing away in 1875.

Industrious and studious. Charles Wood Gunnell acquired a prac-
tical education when young, and until his marriage was employed as a
bookkeeper for Sheffield & Bell, at Albany, Georgia. Returning then
to Terrell county, he located at Bronwood. and there maintained his
residence during the remainder of his life. Mr. Gunnell was for many
years engaged in the warehouse business in Bronwood, and while thus
employed purchased land in and near his home, and embarked in agri-
cultural and horticultural pursuits. In 1891 he planted pecan nuts,
and the trees, which he patiently watched and nurtured, four hundred
in number, on twelve acres of land, constitute one of the best and
most highly productive pecan orchards in the entire Union. An expert
from the United States Department of Agriculture inspected this large
orchard, and five pounds of nuts from each of two trees were taken to
Washington for exhibition. In competition with the best nuts elsewhere
grown, the nuts from each of those two trees were awarded a silver
loving cup. Those same two trees are now officially named, one being



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1005

the "Gunnell," and the other being named "Bronwood. " Mr. Gunnell
was one of the very first to experiment with the culture of pecan nuts
in this section of the country, and he proved most satisfactorily that
nuts of that variety are a profitable crop to raise. In 1912 the Gunnell
orchard yielded three thousand, five hundred pounds of nuts, a large
and valuable crop.

Mr. Gunnell married, October 18, 1888, Rushie Geise, who was born
in Dawson, Georgia, a daughter of Reuben and Jerusha (Wood) Geise,
of whom a brief sketch may be found on another page of this volume.
Three children were born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Gunnell, namely :
Charles Will, who was graduated from Mercer College, and is now
studying law in the University of Georgia, at Athens; Martha R., who
possesses great artistic talent, is a student at Andrews College, in Cuth-
bert ; and Ralph Leighton. Mrs. Gunnell is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church, to which Mr. Gunnell also belonged ; she is likewise
a member of Mary Brantley Chapter, United Daughters of the Con-
federacy; of Stone Castle Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolu-
tion ; and of the Order of the Eastern Star.

Reuben Geise. A former highly respected resident of Dawson, the
late Reuben Geise was for many years successfully engaged in the lum-
ber business, and contributed his full share in advancing the industrial
interests of this part of Terrell county. A son of George Adam Geise,
Jr., he was born, September 8, 1821, in Newmanstown, Pennsylvania,
of substantial German ancestry.

His paternal grandfather, George Adam Geise, Sr., was born, June
4, 1725, in Hanover, Germany, and was there bred and educated. At
the age of twenty-nine years he came to America in the good ship
"Peggy," and located in Bern township, Pennsylvania. He there
bought land, and was engaged in farming until his death, June 29, 1784.
He proved himself loyal to his adopted country, bravely assisting the
colonists in their struggle for independence. He married Barbara Haag,
who was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, July 31, 1738, and there
died in August, 1814, having survived him thirty years.

George Adam Geise, Jr., was born in Bernville, Berks county, Penn-
sylvania, June 17, 1772. He married April 15, 1797, Susanna Bright,
who was born in Bern township, Berks county, a daughter of John
and Anna Maria (Xeis) Brecht, as the name was then spelled, though
it was later changed to Bright, and a granddaughter of David Brecht.
Her great-grandfather, Stephen Brecht, emigrated from Germany to
America in colonial times, coming to this country a widower with three
small children. Settling in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, he bought
a tract from three Pennbrothers, John, Thomas and Richard, the
land having been a part of their original grant. David Brecht, whose
birth occurred in the Fathei'land, September 8, 1719, was one of the
three children that came with his father to this country. He served
in the Revolutionary army, after which he resumed farming at his old
home in Berks county, residing there until his death, September 22,
1783. John Brecht, or Bright, as he spelled his name, and his wife were
both life-long residents of Berks countv, his death occurring February
9, 1834, and hers on May 24, 1842.

George Adam Geise, Jr., and wife were also life-long residents of
their native county. He died March 29, 1858, while her death occurred
October 9, 1856. Both were buried in the Lutheran cemetery, at New-
manstown, Pennsylvania. They were the parents of fourteen children,
and when her death occurred they had sixty-three grandchildren, and
twentv-nine great-grandchildren.



1006 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

While a boy in his teens, Reuben Geise joined his brother George,
in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Learning the trade of a miller, he subse-
quently built a flour mill at Big Spring, Tuscumbia,' Franklin county,
and operated it as a merchant mill. Being thus employed during the
war between the states, he was exempted from military duty, but dur-
ing the last year of the conflict he entered the Confederate service, and
was assigned to duty in the transportation of leather. He went with
the army from Dixon Station, Alabama, to Rome, Georgia, from there
refugeeing to Dawson, Georgia. At the close of the war, Mr. Geise es-
tablished a saw mill in Dawson, and embarked in the lumber business,
subsequently furnishing the Central Georgia Railroad Company with
lumber. Meeting with w r ell merited success, he continued in the lum-
ber business until his death, October 25, 1880.

Reuben Geise married Jerusha Halsey Wood, who was born in
Huntsville, Alabama, November 16, 1831, a daughter of Lewis Wood.
Her paternal grandfather, Joseph Wood, was born in Newark. New
Jersey, October 14, 1760, of English lineage. He was well educated,
and taught school in different places in his native state, and also served
as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He married April 2, 1780, Jo-
anna Tuttle, whose birth occurred June 12, 1762. He was a personal
friend of George Washington, with whom he served as a soldier. Lewis
Wood was born in Newark, New Jersey, April 10, 1794, and as a young
man migrated to Richmond, Virginia, from there going to Huntsville.
Alabama, where he resided until his death, in 1836. Lewis Wood mar-
ried, in Huntsville, Alabama, February 27, 1822, Mary Ann Woods.
who, though of the same name, was not a relative. Her father. Leighton
Wood, third, was a native of Richmond, Virginia, a son of Leighton
Wood, second, who was born in England, in the city of Bristol, where
his father, Leighton Wood, first, was, as far as known, a life-long resi-
dent. Leighton Wood, second, immigrated to America, and settled in
Virginia, where he fought with the colonists in their struggle for inde-
pendence. Elected auditor of Hanover county, Virginia, in 1780. he
served from May until November, of that year, when the Virginia as-
sembly elected him solicitor general, an office which he filled most effi-
ciently until 1791. In 1801 he returned to England, and there died in
1805. He married a daughter of Rev. Benjamin Franklin Blagrove.
an Episcopalian rector, and chaplain of the Virginia assembly in 1781.

Leighton Wood, third, served in the War of 1812. He married Mary
Younghusband, whose father, William Younghusband. a resident of
Richmond, Virginia, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. while
her grandfather, Isaac Younghusband, was captain of a company of
soldiers in the same war. After his marriage, Leighton Wood, third,
went with his wife to Kentucky, where his death occurred. His widow
subsequently moved to Huntsville, Alabama, where she spent her re-
maining days.

Mrs. Reuben Geise passed to the higher life September 3, 1885. To
her and her husband five children were born and reared, namely: Owen
Nelson, Mary Wood, Susie Bright, James Deshler. and Rushie Lee.
Mary Wood is the wife of D. J. Ray. of Atlanta. Georgia. Susie Bright
married Walter -S. Dozier. of whom a brief sketch may be found else-
where in this biographical work. Rushie Lee is the widow of Charles
Wood Gunnell, of whom a brief sketch also appears in this volume. Mrs.
Walter S. Dozier is a genealogist, and to her the Geise and Dozier fam-
ilies are greatly indebted for their family histories, she having devoted
much lime in searching records, and in corresponding with members
of the different branches of both families.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1007

Benjamin F. Evans. A merchant at Fowlstown, formerly a sub-
stantial farmer, and a veteran of the Civil war, Mr. Evans has spent
practically all his life in Decatur county, and is a resident well known
to all the citizenship of this community.

Benjamin F. Evans was born in Decatur county, February 24, 1843.
His father was William Evans, born in North Carolina, and came to
Georgia accompanied by his wife and five children. The trip to this
state was made with team and wagon, and William Evans located at
Attapulgus Creek, buying timbered land there. All the country in this
section was sparsely populated, and he had his share of pioneer labors
and experiences. He participated in the battle of Roanoke, where the
Indians made their last stand in contending for this country. He im-
proved a part of his land, then sold and bought other land on the same
creek, and remained a resident in that vicinity until his death at the
age of eighty-five. The maiden name of his wife was Martha Pope of
North Carolina. She died at the age of seventy-five. The nine chil-
dren reared by them were Nathan, John, Nancy, William, Feth, Mary
A., Martha, Benjamin F., and Margaret E.

Benjamin F. Evans attended the neighborhood schools and assisted
on the farm while growing to manhood in this county. In April, 1862,
when nineteen years of age he entered the Confederate service as a
member of Company D in the Seventeenth Georgia Infantry. He was
with the command in Virginia, and his record of battles includes many
of the most important of the war, among them being the seven days'
fight around the Richmond, the second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fred-
ericksburg, Gettysburg, Seven Pines, and others. At Chickamauga he
was severely wounded and spent some time in a hospital at Macon.
When able for duty he was placed on detached work in the enrolling
service at home and so continued until the close of the war. After the
war he rented a piece of land and engaged actively in farming until
1884. He then came to Fowlstown and opened a stock of goods and
has been engaged in merchandising to the present time.

In 1867, Mr. Evans married Harriet Eliza Callahan, who was born
in Gadsen county, Florida, a daughter of William and Eliza Cooper
Callahan. She was left an orphan at the age of two years, and was
reared in the home of her maternal grandparents, Samuel and Sarah
Cooper. Mr. and Mrs. Evans have five children now living, whose names
are Annie, Callie, Oliver, Ada and Lilla. Annie married W. M. Wells,
and her six children are named Malory, Deloy, Thelma, Caroline, Ethal
and Tula. Callie married F. C. Cooper and her two children are Agnes
and Grace. Lilla is the wife of M. F. Laing, and has two children named
May Lilla and Carleton.

Elijah A. J. Rich. The following sketch contains the important
facts in the life and family record of a Georgian, whose name in
Decatur county stands for all that is honest and of good report for
successful thrift and business integrity, and for a position in the com-
munity which all must respect. The Rich family were among the
pioneers of southwest Georgia, and made homes out of the wilderness,
and later descendants fought for their homes and the Southland in the
great war between the states. Mr. Rich himself spent his early life in
the pioneer epoch of this region, and none would deny that the com-
forts and blessings of good children that now surround himself and
wife were merited rewards to worthy and well spent lives.

Elijah A. J. Rich was born in Randolph county, Georgia, November
16, 1840, a son of Thomas J. Rich, who was born in North Carolina, and
a grandson of Martin Rich, who was also born in North Carolina, and



1008 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

came from there to Georgia, as an early settler in the southern part of
the latter state. The grandfather spent the remaining years of his life
in Decatur county. The maiden name of his wife,' the grandmother,
was Sarah Overstreet, who survived her husband many years.

Thomas J. Rich, the father, was a youth when he came to Georgia,
and for a time after his marriage he lived in Randolph county, and
then in 1841 moved to Decatur county, buying a tract of timbered land
ten miles northwest of Bainbridge on the Bainbridge & Blakely road.
In the midst of the woods he built a log house, and after providing
pioneer comforts for his family began making a farm out of the wilder-
ness. In 1858 he sold out and bought a place in Miller county, but after
a year's residence there, sold and returned to Decatur county, where
he bought land five and a half miles northwest of Bainbridge. He was
past military age at the time of the Civil war, but in 186-4 enlisted in
the Georgia Reserves, and went with that command to the defense of
Atlanta. He was severely wounded in the battle of Grizzleville Station,
and was taken to Macon, where he died a few weeks later at the age of
fifty-five. His remains were brought back to Miller county and interred
m the Fann cemetery. Thomas J. Rich married Lettie Fann, who was
born in North Carolina, a daughter of Elijah Fann, of the same state.
The Fann and Rich family came to Georgia at the same time, in com-
pany with other immigrating families. They made the removal over-
land, with teams and wagons and camped along the roadside every
night. In their wagons they brought their household goods. This
colony settled in the southern part of Decatur county, buying land
six miles south of Colquit on Spring creek, where he resided until his
death. After coming to Georgia, he had participated as a volunteer in
the Indian wars. The mother of Mr. Elijah A. Rich died when forty
years of age, and left ten children, namely : Martha J., Sarah. Elijah
A. J., Susan L., Augustus M., Washington, John T., Charles F., Riley B.,
and Caroline. Of these Elijah A. J., Augustus M., AYashington and
John T., served all through the Civil war as soldiers, Charles going out
as a boy in the last year of the struggle.

Elijah A. J. Rich was but one year old when his parents settled in
Decatur county. At that time and for some years later, all southwest
Georgia was sparsely settled, and all kinds of game abounded through
this section. There were no railroads then nor for many years to
come, and Bainbridge was the market for the settlers over a wide
radius of country. Though the Rich family was probably as prosperous
as any of their neighbors, they had all the privations and inconveniences
of pioneer existence. The mother was a most diligent housekeeper and
either by her own hands or with the aid of her house slave, spun and
wove all the cloth and dressed all her children in homespun garments.
As a boy, Elijah A. J. attended the pioneer schools, kept up in the
neighborhood by subscriptions of the residents who were able to give
their children such advantages. He had at an early age taken an active
part in the farm, and soon after the breaking out of the Civil war he
enlisted in Company A of the Fifty-ninth Georgia Infantry, with
which he went into Virginia, and joined Lee's army. His regiment
was assigned to General Longstreet's corps, and participated in many of
the important battles of the Virginia campaign, including that at
Seven Pines, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, and the numerous struggles
around Richmond and Petersburg. For his excellent service to the
South he was elected first lieutenant in Company A. A short time
before the surrender of General Lee. he was wounded, and was granted
a furlough, and before its expiration, peace was declared, so that he
never rejoined his command. lie soon bought a piece of land about



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1009

five miles from Bainbridge, and went in debt in order to secure this
start in life. There he built a small log house, and it was to that rude
shelter that he took his young bride on their marriage. All the furniture
of the establishment was home-made, and Mr. Rich went to the mill and
bought rough lumber, with which he made with his own hands all the
furniture for his home, doing this of mornings before work, and at
noon hour. In April, 1867, Mr. Elijah A. J. Rich, married Mrs. Hattie
Pierce. She was born in Baker county, and at an early age was left an
orphan, and was reared by her aunt, Harriet Bryant. Mrs. Rich, as a
girl, received a very practical training and learned to card, spin and
weave. She spun and wove and cut the cloth and made clothes for all
her family, and sewed it all by hand. She also wove the sacks in
which Mr. Rich was accustomed to carry corn to the local mill, and in
which he brought the meal which furnished the great staple food of
corn bread.

Mr. Elijah A. J. Rich was elected to the Georgia legislature in 1886
on the Democratic ticket from Decatur county, defeating his opponent
with an overwhelming majority.

One among the many things Mr. Rich did for the good of his state
and county, was to support the bill, leasing the Georgia railroad run-
ning from Atlanta to Chattanooga. Tennessee. He served two years
with credit to himself and state, and was offered a second nomination
but refused. Thrift indoors and without, brought its reward, and in
a few years Mr. and Mrs. Rich were on the high road to prosperity.
After paying for the first tract of land, he secured other tracts, and
improved these and sold them out for a profit.

In 1875 Mr. and Mrs. Rich founded a school, known at this date,
1913, as the Bethel high school. This school is a living monument to
Mr. and Mrs. Rich. When Mr. and Mrs. Rich first started up this
school it was for the benefits of their own children, but later others
joined them. This big-hearted man and woman not only desired a good
education for their own children but that other children not so fortunate
should have the same advantage. Mr. and Mrs. Rich maintained this
school with their own funds, letting the poorer children go without any
cost to their parents. One very poor boy, William H. Griffin, came to
Mr. Rich and asked that he be admitted to this school, saying that he
was a poor one-armed boy and wished to get an education so he would
be able to make his own living. Mr. Rich seeing that the boy was very
desirous of learning, allowed him to attend school. This man is now
a professor of one of our southern colleges.

In 1895 Mr. Rich bought the land where he now resides in lot 391, in
Bethel district. There he has built a most comfortable frame house, and
various farm buildings for the shelter of his stock. Mrs. Rich is a very
careful and tasteful housekeeper and their home is furnished nicely,
and is a place showing the refinement and thrift and good cheer of the
entire family. Mr. and Mrs. Rich have eight children, whose names
are: Euzema, Minnie, Emory G., Arthur J., Dola, Hunnewell, Perry
D., and Thomas E.

Euzema married Menla Powell, and their nine children are named,
Leroy, Jewell, Lloyd, Ross, Jennings, Emory G., Gladys, Lois, and
James Clay.

Minnie, now deceased, married Willie Powell, and has six children,
named Lamar, Ellis, Dewey, Mable, Adonis and Willie G.

Emory G., married Cornelia Powell, both of whom are now deceased,
leaving three children, named Kate, Lucile, and Clyde. Mr. and, Mrs.
Rich, in addition to raising their own large family, have raised these
three grandchildren, taken when the youngest was four years old.



1010 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Kate married W. F. Wynn, and they have one child named Irene.
Lucille has completed school and is now teaching. Clyde, the youngest,
is now in college. Mr. and Mrs. Rich have been able to give these chil-
dren more advantages than their own children received.

Arthur J. married Florence Powell, and their one son is named
Charles.

Dola, married William J. Bush, and their two children are Myrtle
and Hoke.

Hunnewell, married J. T. Powell, and their four children are Curtis,
Jesse T., Louise, and Minnie.

Perry D., married for his first wife Julia Bush, and their four chil-
dren are, Hattie Sue, Ruth, Forest, and Julia. By his second mar-
riage to Huron Powell, he has one child, Mazie.

Thomas E., married Rosa Arline, and their three children are.
Thomas E., Pauline, Alee Frank.

Mr. and Mrs. Rich are both members of the Missionary Baptist
church, as are all their children. Mr. Rich and his sons are affiliated
with the Masonic fraternity, he and three sons being Knight Templars.

That while we have done these things, we feel like it's not of our-
selves but of the Holy Spirit has guided and directed us through this
life.

George Emory Thornton. The thirty years' service of Mr. Thorn-
ton as clerk of Webster county is a record rarely equalled in the annals
of county officials of Georgia, and his long continuance in one of the
most important local positions is due to his faithful and intelligent ser-
vice in behalf of the people and the relations of his office to the public
welfare. Mr. Thornton is by profession a lawyer and practiced for
ten years in Webster county before he became clerk. He represents
one of the old families of this section of the state.

George Emory Thornton was born in Carroll county, Georgia, Janu-
ary 4, 1849. His parents were John J. and Emeline (Darnell) Thoi-n-
ton. The father was born either in Putnam or Monroe county. Georgia,
in 1818. The founder of the family in this section of the state was the
grandfather, William Thornton, who was born in Virginia. The father
of William Thornton, and the great-grandfather of the Webster county
clerk, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. and a lifelong resident
of Virginia. Grandfather William Thornton emigrated from Virginia
into Georgia, as one of the pioneers of the central portion of this state.
He was a very energetic business man, and when all the country was
new he secured large tracts of government lands in different counties.
One of his plantations bordered upon the Oemulgee river in Monroe
county. He was survived for many years by his widow, whose maiden
name was Tempy Briggs, and who married a second time and died when
one hundred and seven years old. She was the mother of six children
whose names were Rakdum, Harrison, Robert F., Isham. Lucy and Millie.

Isham J. Thornton, the father, received his education in the country
schools. He had a nativral skill as a mechanic, and following the incli-
nations of this ability he became a machinist and a very skilled work-
man. In 1852 he removed to Roanoke, in Alabama, where he followed
his trade and remained a resident until his death in 1896. His wife,
Emeline Darnell Thornton, was born in Putnam county, Georgia, daugh-
ter of J. A. and Polly (Autry) Darnell, both of whom had been born
in North Carolina, and had come to Georgia as early settlers of Putnam
county, subsequently moving into Alabama and settling at Roanoke,
where Mr. Darnell died. His widow subsequently moved to Lafayette
in the same state, where she died at the remarkable age of one hundred



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1011

and four years. Mrs. Thornton, the mother, died in 1907. The eight
children in her family were Robert F., Louisa, Annie, Emma, George
Emory, Laura, Eugene and Lueile May.

George Emory Thornton spent his early life at Roanoke, Alabama,
where he obtained his education. When he was sixteen years old, he left
school and home, and has ever since been self-supporting and is a self-
made man in the best sense of the term. He became a clerk at Mont-
gomery, and also at Union Springs, but at the end of three years re-
turned to Roanoke and scon turned his attention to the study of law. He
was admitted to the bar in 1872 at the age of twenty-three years, and
soon afterwards located at Preston, where he opened an office and had a
large share of the practice during that decade in the local courts. Then
in 1883 he was elected to the office of clerk of Webster county, and has
been retained in office by successive elections almost too numerous to
mention.

At Americus, Georgia, in 1871, Mr. Thornton married Ludie E.
Birdsong, who was born in Talbot county, Georgia, a daughter of Charles
and M. E. (Daniel) Birdsong. The children of Mr. Thornton and
wife are named as follows : Mackie E., Jennie, Nannie, Sallie, Minnie,
Claude and David B. Mackie E. married D. H. Smith, and they have
six children of their own. Jennie is the wife of D. E. Hutchins, and
she died leaving one son, George E., who lives with his grandparents.
Nannie married S. T. Wilson, who died leaving three children, the young-
est named Mamie, being but an infant at the time of her mother's death,
and now being reared in the home of her grandparents Thornton.
Minnie is the wife of R. L. Nickerson. David B. is now a resident of
New York City, where he is office manager for the Giess Manufacturing
Company. Mr. and Mrs. Thornton are members of the Methodist church
and he is affiliated with Preston Lodge No. 188, A. F. & A. M., and with
the Tri-County Chapter of the Royal Arch Masonry at Richland.

Benjamin R. Harrison. A career of unusual accomplishment and
success has been that of Benjamin R. Harrison of Grady county. When
he was ready to take up the independent responsibilities of life, he had
no capital and found his opportunities by working land on the crop-
sharing plan. By thrift and industry he passed several successful
seasons, and with the accumulations of his diligence he was able to make
his first purchase of land. He bought a tract situated within the limits
of his present splendid farm, and after that beginning his prosperity
has been steady and undiminished until he ranks as one of the foremost
farmers of Grady county.

Born in a log cabin about twelve miles south of Thomasville, Geor-
gia on the twenty-eighth of October, 1849, Mr. Harrison belongs to a
family which has been identified with Georgia for three generations.
His father was Henry Jackson Harrison, born in Pulaski county, and
the grandfather was Benjamin Harrison, who came from Pulaski county
to Decatur county, becoming one of the early settlers in the latter
vicinity. His settlement was at a time when all of south Georgia
was a wilderness, and deer, wolves and wild turkeys were plentiful
in the woods which covered nearly all the country. Another source of
meat supply was fish, and in those days the Georgia streams were
not "fished out" as they are now. As there was hardly a fence over
the entire region, this portion of the state made an excellent range
for cattle. The grandfather bought a tract of timbered land, and
erected a log cabin about twelve miles southwest of the present site of
Cairo. On that place he remained until his death.

Henry Jackson Harrison was a child when brought to Decatur

Vol. II— 3 1



1012 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

county, and was reared on a farm, and after reaching manhood bought
a piece of woods land, south from the present site of Cairo. He lived
there a few years and then moved into Thomas county, where he re-
sided until his death in 1889 in his seventy-first year. He married
Patsy Jones, who was born in Decatur county, a daughter of Robert
Jones. Robert Jones came from Pulaski county at the same time
with the Harrison family, and bought land five miles west of the pres-
ent site of Cairo. The farm which he cleared out of the wilderness
in that location is now owned by one of his grandsons, and it Avas his
home until his death. Robert Jones married, as his second wife, Patsy
Hawthorne, who was the grandmother of Benjamin R. Harrison. She
survived her husband, and both are now buried in the family burial
plot on the old farm. The ten children in the elder Harrison's family
were Elizabeth, Martha Jane, William S., Benjamin R., Nancy, Temper-
ance, Seely, John, Mary and James.

Many of the pioneer conditions still prevailed in this section of
Georgia, during the youth of Benjamin R, Harrison. There were no
railroads in this part of the state and Bainridge and Tallahassee were
the principal markets and depots for supplies. As a boy he has hunted
nearly all kinds of wild game, and knew the hardships and privations
of early life in south Georgia. As already mentioned, he began life
without capital.

His purchase of land was fifty acres, covered with woods and
without anything that might be called a permanent improvement upon
it. "When he had cleared out a space in the midst of the timber and
had built a log cabin, he brought his young bride to the humble home
and there they started housekeeping and home making. During the
succeeding years he cleared off the timber from the rest of the land,
and with the aid of his thrifty wife he enjoyed a progressive prosperity
from the start. As means increased he bought other land until Mr.
Harrison is now known as the owner of more than eight hundred acres
of fine farming land in Grady county, and one of the most subtantial
land owners and citizens in this vicinity. In recent years he has erected
a comfortable frame residence, and on the outskirts of the family home
has situated barns and sheds for the shelter of stock and machinery,
and all the equipment and improvements are in keeping with modern
standards of Georgia agriculture.

Mr. Plarrison married Miss Elizabeth Clay. She was born in Ter-
rell county, Georgia, daughter of Augustus and Isabelle (Sligall) Clay.
Her father, a native of north Georgia, and her mother, a native of Ter-
rell county, were married in Terrell county, and from there moved
into Thomas county, where both spent their remaining years. Mrs
Harrison died November, 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison reared the
following children: Melinda, Leona, William Robert. Benjamin F.,
Evvie, and Eula. Another child. Jack, died at the age of fifteen. Me-
linda married Seab Sutten and has four children named Mattie. Belle,
John Benjamin, Seba A. and Edna J Leona married Charles Con-
nollv and their three children are named Ruth. Mary and Roberta.
Evvie is the wife of Levi Harper.

Willis J. Duke. Now in his early forties. Mr. Duke of Decatur
county is one of the largest land owners and crop producers of this
part of Georgia. His career has encouragement for young men who
start without resources except those contained in themselves. He was
,i renter for several years, prospered in every undertaking, and thriftily
turned his surplus into more land until lie found himself independent
and witli better provision for the future of himself and family than
most men have at the close of a long lifetime.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEOKGIA 1013

It is an old family of Georgia that is represented by Mr. Duke. He
was himself born in Decatur county, December 8, 1870. His father
was Maston Hendricks Dnke, who was born in Butts county, Georgia,
September 4, 18-45. The grandfather was Weekly W. Duke, and it is
thought that he also was a native of Butts county, where he was reared
and married. From there the grandfather moved into Randolph county,
buying land about eight miles north of Cuthbert. He built up a large
plantation and had numerous slaves to do the work of the fields and
the household. That remained his home until his death when he was
about fifty years of age. The maiden name of his wife was Penelope
McClenden, who was born in Butts county, and died in Randolph
county. They were the parents of several children and both were
members of the Baptist church, and the grandfather was a Mason.

Maston Hendricks Duke, the father, was a small boy when his fam-
ily moved into Randolph county, where he was reared and married.
When eighteen years old he enlisted in the Twenty-eighth Georgia
Battalion, first accompanying the command to Florida, and subse-
quently to North Carolina. He participated in several of the cam-
paigns and battles of the closing years of the war, the last engagement
being that at Bentonviile. He also fought at Ocean Pond in Florida,
and was the great struggle at Chickamauga. He was never wounded
or captured, and went with his command until the final surrender. On
returning home he found that his father was dead, and he then took
charge of the home farm. In the fall of 1866, he bought a farm of
seven hundred acres in lots 382, 384, 264, 383, and 182 in the Faceville
district. There he carried on general farming and made his home until
his death on October 23, 1909.

By marriage, Maston H. Duke became connected with another old
and prominent family of Georgia. He was married to Miss Frances
Elizabeth Mounger, who was born in Stewart county, Georgia, January
11, 1847. Her father was Edwin Mounger, who was born in Jefferson
county, Georgia, in 1806. Her grandfather, Edwin Mounger, was years
ago treasurer of the state of Georgia, was also trustee of University of
Georgia for years, and married Frances Clark, daughter of Gen. Elijah
Clark. He was also cousin of Thomas Jefferson and was offered a posi-
tion in his cabinet but refused on account of relationship. Edwin
Mounger was left an orphan when a boy, and was reared by his uncle,
Governor Clark, and for a time was a student in the State University.
He then took up the printers' trade, becoming an expert compositor,
and set type on the first newspaper published at Marianna, Florida.
He subsequently taught school at Perry in Houston county, Georgia.
After his marriage he bought a farm in Stewart county, where he lived
three years, then sold out and moved into Randolph county, where he
bought a plantation five miles north of Cuthbert, cultivating its broad
acres with the aid of his slaves and remained there until his death. The
maiden name of the wife of Edwin Mounger was Elizabeth Jane Ball,
whose relationship has been traced back to Gen. George Washington. She
was born in Milledgeville, a daughter of William Ball, who was a Vir-
ginian and said to have been a Revolutionary soldier. Coming to Georgia,
he bought a home in Milledgeville and a plantation near by, and remained
there the rest of his days. W r illiam Ball married Elizabeth Grey. Their
daughter, Elizabeth Jane, first married a Mr. Allen, and was the mother of
five children by her first marriage and seven by the second. The Allen
children were named William H., Julia, John R., Thomas and Mai'cus.
The children of Edwin Mounger and his wife, Elizabeth Jane, were
Sarah A., Edwin O., Frances E., Mary Jane, Annie E., Selma, and
Clara 0.



1014 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Maston H. Duke and wife reared nine children, named as follows :
Momelus W., Edwin Mounger, Willis J., Oscar Clark. Elizabeth P.,
Julia Frances, Clara P., Maston H., and Annie Pearl.' The parents were
both members of the Methodist church.

As a boy Willis J. Duke received such education as the rural schools
could furnish, and remained at home and worked for his father until
he was twenty-four years old. He then began an independent career
on rented land. His industry and good management brought him suc-
cess from the start, and for several years he continued as a renter. In
the meantime, however, he had bought a tract of land in the south
part of the county, and also bought a tract in lot No. 370 in the
Bethel district, seven miles northwest of Bainbridge. and in 1901 took
up his residence on that farm. Mr. Duke is a Progressive farmer, and
has a homestead which in its improvement is equalled by few others
in district. He has built a good frame house as a residence, has erected
barns for the shelter of stock and shed to protect all his farm machinery,
and from time to time has bought other tracts of land so that he now
owns upwards of one thousand acres. He engages in farming, raising
a variety of crops and feeding a large number of hogs and cattle each
year.

In 1894, Mr. Duke married Martha Elizabeth Sunday, who was born
on the south line of Decatur, Georgia. Her father was Joseph Larue
Sunday, who was born in the same vicinity, but across the state line
in Gadsden county, Florida, where his father, George Sunday, had been
one of the early settlers. About 1873, George Sunday moved to Mont-
gomery county, Texas, which was his home until his death. The maiden
name of his wife was Martha Johnson. â–  Both parents lived to a good
old age. Joseph L. Sunday, the father of Mrs. Duke, lived in Decatur
county for a few years after marriage and then returned to Gadsden
county, Florida, where he now resides. Joseph L. Sunday married
Nancy Ann Johnson, who was born in Decatur county, daughter of
Noah and Nancy (Lewis) Johnson. The eight children in the Sunday
family were named as follows: Jesse W., Martha E., Nannie J., Bera
and Burrus, twins, Joseph Jarius, Jeptha L., and Mary Lou. Both Mr.
and Mrs. Sunday were members of the Methodist church. Mr. and
Mrs. Duke are the parents of five children, whose names are Vasta
Elizabeth, Bernard Lamar, AVesley Allen, Fannie Mae. Annie Ruby.
Mr. and Mrs. Duke are both members of the Methodist church.

Dr. Thomas Franklin Bivins has been in active practice in Vienna.
Dooly county, Georgia, for more than twenty years. This statement is
almost enough to call to the vision of people just what sort of a man Doc
tor Bivins is, for when a man occupying his position of family counselor
and friend to people for a period of twenty years, remains in the same
place during this time, he must be of a noble character, and of a sincere
heart, else his clientele would have found him out long ago. We all
admire and exclaim over the wonderful feats of the surgeons in our great
hospitals, and of those medical investigators who are continually an-
nouncing remarkable discoveries from their laboratories; do we ever
think that the practitioner in the small town or city runs just as great
risks and has practically as great a number of calls upon his nerve
force as has the city surgeon .' In the first place what work could be
more taxing than a general practice, where the physician does not have
to know everything about something, hut what is much more impossible.
something about everything. Again when he has a critical case the
patient is not simply a human being whose life must be saved but as a
rule some one whom he has known for years so he has the same strain



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1015

on his nerves that he would have if lie were operating upon one of his
own family. It is this type of hero that Doctor Bivins is, though he,
himself, very likely, would never think of himself as doing anything hut
his duty.

Doctor Thomas Franklin Bivins was born on the 13th of September,
1862, at Haynesville, in Houston county, Georgia. He was the son of
Franklin Ward Bivins, whose birthplace was in Jones county, Georgia.
Franklin Bivins had the opportunity of giving his service to the cause
he thought was right, and of becoming one of that splendid body of
men, the veterans of the army of the Confederacy. He was a private
soldier in a company of infantry, and after the war was over he returned
to' his plantation and set to work to build up again his shattered for-
tune. His wife was Betzy Blackshear Walker, a daughter of a Mr.
Walker, a planter of Houston county, Georgia. The father of Franklin
Ward Bivins was Stephen Bivins, who was a native of Maryland. He
came with his family to Jones county, Georgia, when only a small lad,
so the family has been closely identified with the state for a long time.
Dr. Bivins has one brother, Stephen Fillmore Bivins, who is a planter
in Houston county, Georgia. His sisters number four: Mrs. Ella
Tiguin, who is the wife of Samuel Tiguin, of El Paso, Texas ; Betzy
Bivins, who lives in Macon, Georgia ; Mrs. Georgia Baskin, who is the
wife of J. D. Baskin, of Moultrie, Georgia, a farmer; Mary W., who mar-
ried C. E. Mathis of Macon, Georgia, her husband being a locomotive
engineer.

Dr. Thomas Franklin Bivins grew up on his father's farm, helping
with the work of the place and attending the near-by school. He early
determined upon his future profession, for even as a boy he saw the
need of a good doctor in all the country communities through the South.
There was a dearth of physicians, just as there was a dearth of every-
thing else. When he was about sixteen he began to attend the country
high school, and from that time he was so busy with his books that he had
no time for anything else. After finishing his high school work, he
attended the Louisville Medical College, in Louisville, Kentucky, and
here he was graduated, with the degree of M. D. in 1886.

True to his determination the young doctor returned to the state
of his birth, bent on goving his services to help the people among whom
he had been reared. This was no small sacrifice for the young man ,for
he realized the opportunities to advance himself in his profession would
be very few. While he had been in college he had been in constant con-
tact with the leaders in his profession, and now he would have to strug-
gle along by himself with neither the inspiration or the wise counsel
that they could have given him, had he gone for example into hospital
work in Louisville. However, if his career was not to be as brilliant
as it might have been had be remained in the city, he was to receive a
training and experience that would broaden his character and give
him an insight into the real problems of this complex life such as no
hospital practice could have done. He was to learn the souls of men, and
to go through trials and tribulations with his people, as he would never
have had the opportunity to do as a hospital physician. He first lo-
cated in Eureka, in Dooly county, Georgia. After remaining here for
five years he moved to Vienna, in the same county, and here he has
been in practice ever since. His practice is general, and that means that
he has to cover many miles a day, through every sort of weather, but
he never falters, and his reward is in the devotion of the people whom
he has served so well and so faithfully. Who shall not say that friends
are better than fame.

Dr. Bivins married Mary E. Gammage, a daughter of James M. and



1016 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Winnifred (Lock) Gammage. She was also a native of Georgia. Law-
rence county being her birthplace. Dr. Bivins is a member of the Ma-
sonic order, and the A. A. 0. N. M. S., and he also belongs to the Knights
of Pythias, and to the Odd Fellows. Both Dx*. Bivins and his wife are
members of the Baptist church in Vienna, Georgia.

William Robert Gignilliat. The subject of this sketch passed to
his eternal reward on November 25, 1885, at Darien. Mcintosh county,
Georgia, at the comparatively early age of forty-five years, having
entered upon this life at Baisden's Bluff, in the same county, on June
21, 1839. During this brief period came the great crisis in the history
of the South, and with quiet modesty he faced the issue and rendered
heroic services to his native state during the trying days of the four
years' struggle, and even more notably during the fateful days of re-
construction which followed.

Delicately nurtured and accustomed to every luxury, the outbreak of
the war found him in a state of health which his physicians assured
him would terminate fatally, unless he turned his back on the impend-
ing struggle and sought the restorative influences of southern France.
Casting to the winds such advice as unworthy the consideration of a
man in the hour of his country 's need, he enlisted promptly at Savannah
in the Chatham Artillery, but soon afterward, in connection with his
lifelong friend, Capt. John M. Guerard, organized the company known
as Guerard 's Battery. He was first lieutenant, but often was in active
personal command, Capt. John M. Guerard being detailed to staff duty
and other important service from time to time. At the battles of
Olustee, Florida, and Honey Hill, South Carolina, under his command
the battery rendered conspicuous service and took its full part through-
out the campaign in the Carolinas and Virginia. A short time prior to
the surrender, Lieutenant Gignilliat was promoted to the rank of
captain and served on the staff of Gen. J. Lamb Buist.

Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, Mr, Gignilliat completed his
collegiate and legal education at the University of Georgia and the
University of Virginia, and entered upon the practice of his profes-
sion at Savannah, Georgia. Strikingly handsome and possessing great
charm of manner, he formed many warm friendships at college and in
business. His natural inclination at the close of the war was to return
to Savannah or locate in Atlanta, so as to continue these attractive asso-
ciations, but the country of his birth needed him most and. barkening
to the call of duty, he located in Darien to take an active part in re-
deeming Mcintosh county from carpet-bag rule and negro domination.
The notorious negro leader, Tunis G. Campbell, there held an undisputed
sway as any crowned monarch, being backed by a negro population
outnumbering the whites at least five to one. and by the bayonets of the
Federal troops encamped at Darien. The scenes enacted in Darien and
its vicinity from this time until Campbell's deposition and imprisonment
in the State Penitentiary were as trying as in any place in the South.
Bloodshed was not infrequent, and but for the unflinching determina-
tion and bravery of a lew ox-Confederates, acting under Mr. Gignilliat's
advice and leadership, the situation would have been even worse and the
bringing order out of chaos long delayed.

.Mr. Gignilliat was chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee,
senior warden of the Episcopal church, and master of the Masonic
lodge, and all these positions were used by him with rare tact and good
judgment to allay race prejudice and restore good order. He was
elected to the state senate and was a member of the Constitutional Con-
vention of 1887. lie was chairman of the famous Congressional Conven-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1017

tion of the First district, held at Jesup in ]876, and was tendered the
nomination by a conference committee appointed after hundreds of
ineffectual ballots had been taken. His instant reply was that he was
there as the friend and delegate of Hon. Julian Hartridge, and would
stand by him to the last, and in a few more ballots Mr. Hartridge won.
This incident, as well as Mr. Gignilliat's course at the outbreak of the
war and at the termination of hostilities, serve to illustrate the high
sense of duty and absolute Loyalty to country and friends, which were
his predominant traits of character. These qualities, inherited from
ancestors who had been of the best citizenship of England, France and
Scotland, and who had much to do with the establishment of this Re-
public on a firm foundation, were carried by him to full fruition in a
life of devoted unselfishness around the sacred hearth of home as well
as in the wider arena of public life. He has left to his children a herit-
age of high character, patriotism and zeal which they would do well
to emulate and transmit to generations yet unborn.

His death was the occasion of universal sorrow and his funeral
probably the most largely attended of any that ever took place in the
county, the Masonic services being conducted by his devoted friend,
Hon. Rufus E. Lester. Numerous obituaries and tributes of respect were
penned at the time. From one we quote as follows:

"We shall miss him — we, the people of Mcintosh county, for whose
advancement and interest he was always ready to work and did work,
when days were dark and friends were few."

From another: "The State and county have sustained a loss which
will be felt by every good citizen, since by his death comes the want of
wise counsel, always directed to the best interest and welfare of the pub-
lic, an absence of one whose words were strong, forcible, magnetic, a
parting from a man whose heart was always full of sympathy toward his
fellow men." And from the resolutions of the Masonic Lodge: "An
affectionate and beloved father, a zealous and proficient craftsman, a tal-
ented, eloquent and honest lawyer, an enterprising and public-spirited
citizen, a courtly, educated and polished gentleman. ' '

To such men is the South indebted for the halo of glory, which,
notwithstanding the defeat in battle, was the outcome of the terrific
struggle of the early sixties, and is still more indebted for her recon-
struction. Much has been said and written regarding the New South,
but the fact that its development is in large measure the work of the
men who made the Old South a civilization beyond compare, and who
fought and bled in defense of her constitutional rights, and that this
work is being carried forward by their descendants, rather than any
new element from other parts of our common country or from abroad,
and that these younger sons of the South have also gone out and are
potent, factors elsewhere in the nation, has not yet been sufficiently
recognized or presented with the clearness and force which it merits.

It is not within the scope of a brief biographical sketch like this
to do justice to such a theme and the thought is only suggested here
with the hope that some worthy writer of the Southland may take up the
subject broadly and with an abler pen give it due place in history.

A brief notice of the descendants of the subject of this sketch may
serve to give further point to the thought above presented, particularly
wdien it is considered that every community in the south furnished to
the cause just such men as William Robert Gignilliat — modest and faith-
ful — letting their light shine serene, and differing from each other only
as one star differeth from another in glory ; and that their descendants,
even more numerous, are today in every slate from Canada to Mexico,
and from the Atlantic to the Pacific, working out under the hand of



1018 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

God, which guided their forefathers, not only the destiny of the south,
but of the entire nation.

The subject of this sketch was survived by six sons and one daugh-
ter, and the tenor of their lives is only one of many instances in point.

The oldest son, William L. Gignilliat, born at Savannah. Georgia,
April 21, 1861, following in the footsteps of his father, adopted the
legal profession. On account of the war and its aftermath, his edu-
cation was obtained with difficulty, and he was compelled to content
himself with the facilities offered by the public schools at Savannah.
He graduated on the seventh of June, 1881, and after a brief visit to
the family home in Mcintosh county, he returned to Savannah and
entered the law offices of Tompkins & Denmark, afterwards becoming
a member of the firm of Denmark & Adams. He was compelled to
withdraw from this firm by ill health and sought the pine lands of
Effingham county, in 1890, where he has ever since made his home.
Upon recovering his health he resumed the practice of his profession
in Savannah, becoming associated with Mr. W. B. Stubbs. under the
Arm name of Gignilliat & Stubbs. After this pai'tnership was dissolved,
he practiced alone for several years and then entered into partnership
with Daniel G. Heidt. Jr.. under the firm name of Gigrnilliat & Heidt,
which firm is still in active practice. During this period of over twenty-
five years, he has enjoyed a large practice in the surrounding counties,
as well as in the city of Savannah, and is universally liked for his con-
siderate and courteous treatment of all with whom he comes in contact.

Mr. Gignilliat manifested but little military spirit in times of peace,
but promptly on the outbreak of the war with Spain, volunteered for
service and joined the Effingham Hussars. He was spoken of as cap-
tain in case that command went to the front, but the United States
Government, declining to enlist additional cavalry companies, he turned
his attention in another direction, and at his own expense organized
the Second Battalion, Georgia. Naval Reserves, with the expectation of
having a ship manned by Georgia men, and under the command of
his brother, who was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy.
take part in the struggle, but the battle of Santiago was fought before
they were fully mustered in, and more than 200 men which he then
had in various squads at Savannah, Brunswick, Waycross and Thomas-
ville, were disbanded.

He has for many years been a member of the New church (Sweden-
borgian), actively identified with the society at Savannah, and often
conducting the services at the chapel in this city in the absence of
the regular minister. Shortly after his removal to Effingham county.
Mr. Gignilliat became chairman of the Democratic Executive Com-
mittee, and he has been an active participant in various congressional
and state conventions. He is recognized as one of the most effective
workers and public-spirited citizens of this section of the state, and
could obtain any position within the gift of the people, but he has
avoided rather than sought public preferment, declining the judge-
ship of the county and the superior court and the collectorship of the
port, of Savannah, and avoiding nomination for the legislature and
state senate and for congress, he has devoted his time with unflagging
zeal to developing the natural resources of this section.

Mr. Gignilliat is thoroughly identified in the public mind with
the town of Pineora, which was named and founded by him during the
period of his retirement above mentioned, and which he has ever since
carefully Fostered. Besides the building up of the town. .Mr. Gignil-
liat is interested in a large sawmill enterprise at this point, but his
chief field of endeavor is the scientific development of the fine agri-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1019

cultural possibilities of that section, and the encouragement of the
settling of the best type of fanners on a ten thousand acre tract of
land in which he is largely interested and which adjoins the town.

Thomas Ileyward Gignilliat, who was born at Aiken, South Caro-
lina, February 10, 1863, and departed this life July 5, 1911, attained
distinction in the arts of war and peace. He was a graduate of the
United States Naval Academy, but retiring soon after his gradua-
tion, he spent years in the study of aeronautics and the actual con-
struction of a Hying machine at Hartford, Connecticut. He was a
mathematician of unusual talent, the formulas of flight worked out
by him during the two rears, cruise following his graduation from
the Naval Academy, and which he embodied in his machine, coming to
the attention of the leading institutions of learning in the country
and leading to the revision of the text of that portion of the mathe-
matical works then used in dealing with that subject. In company
with his brother, William L. Gignilliat, and Air. William B. Stillwell,
E. F. Bryan, T. F. Johnson and other prominent Savannah men, he
organized the American Aeronautic Machine Company, which was
the first corporation of its kind in the world, but for lack of funds,
due to one of the financial panics, which swept over the country shortly
after the incorporation of this company, he would have won the laurels
in this field of endeavor which have since fallen to others, the correct-
ness of the calculations and plans upon which he was working, having
been since demonstrated by their achievements.

Following these experiments he spent some years in the United
States Corps of Engineers and in the War Department at AVashington,
D. C. He was closely associated with Gen. John M. Wilson, then chief
of engineers of the United States Army immediately prior to the out-
break of the Spanish-American War, and it is interesting to know that
much of the designing of the Atlantic Coast fortifications and the
proper equipment of the same with suitable ordnance and ammunition,
involving the expenditure of large sums of money, devolved upon him.
The energy displayed by him and his singular aptitude for the work,
was highly appreciated by General Wilson and found expression in a
letter written by him shortly afterwards.

After remaining in the War Department long enough to finish his
work and complete the necessary details of the equipment of the forti-
fications, on the designing of which he had worked so well, Mr. Gignilliat
resigned in order to take part in active hostilities, and was assigned to
the fleet in the West Indies with the rank of lieutenant. From this
service he received an honorable discharge, with the thanks of congress,
and returned to his position in the War Department. His health had
been impaired by a long attack of fever, contracted in the Spanish-
American war, and at his request he was transferred to outdoor work
and did good service at various points from New England to Florida,
as a member of the United States Engineering Corps. He resigned from
that organization to accept the position of principal of one of the public
schools in Savannah. His career as principal of the Barnard school
demonstrated his faculty for discipline and organization. During the
earlier years of his stay in Savannah he assisted in reorganizing the
naval reserves and became its commander.

His next effort combined both military and educational features,
being the establishment of the Culver Summer Naval School at Culver,
Indiana, in collaboration with his younger brother, Leigh R. Gignilliat,
hereinafter mentioned. This service has been duly recognized by both
national and state authorities, and though his stay in that state was
only during the summer vacations of the Savannah school, the rank



1020 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

of commander of Naval Reserves was conferred upon him by the state
of Indiana. Noting his demise, the Savannah Press of July 6, 1911, says
of him :

"Passing from such matters as rest under the public gaze, to matters
connected with the inner life, and which constitute the real man, it may
be said that from earliest boyhood he was noted for a disposition sin-
gularly sweet but coupled with unflinching resolution. Not aggressive,
but of unfailing physical and moral courage, he sought in a quiet way
to impart to all with whom he came in contact his own love for all that
was noble, true and beautiful in life, and his aversion to everything
that tended to lower and degrade.

"Thus lived and thus has passed away, too soon, a son of the south,
true to its best traditions — 'un chevalier sans peur et sans reproche.'

Helen Mary Hart Gignilliat, the only daughter of the subject of this
sketch, born at Aiken, South Carolina, June 23, 1865, possesses the
notable traits of the southern gentlewoman, and is a devoted wife and
mother. Her husband, Hon. Livingston Kenan, was for many years
solicitor general of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit and a resident of
Darien, but is now a resident of Milledgeville. Georgia, where he
occupies the position of both city and county attorney.

Arthur Mathewson Gignilliat was born at Walthourville, Liberty
county, Georgia, March 26, 1868, and died at Hampton county. South
Carolina, December 11, 1890, from a gun-shot wound. He had spent
several years in Texas in bridge building and other railroad work, but
had returned to his native state and was a civil engineer on the con-
struction of the bridge across the Savannah river, now a part of the
Seaboard Air Line System, at the time of his death. He was noted for
his great physical strength and for bravery amounting almost to reck-
lessness, as well as for unusual energy and aptitude in his line of work.
But for his untimely death he would, no doubt, have kept equal pace
with his brothers in the endeavors of life.

Robert Deas Gignilliat, born in Mcintosh county. (Georgia, February
25, 1873, has shown ability of a high order as a civil engineer, and
more particularly in the line of concrete construction. It fell to his
lot to superintend the work on the fortifications at Fort Screven. Tybee
Island, Georgia, which were in process of construction immediately
preceding and during the war with Spain, and for months he worked
night as well as day to put this important outpost in condition to make
an effective defense of the city of Savannah, in case of attack by the
Spanish fleet. The concrete construction at this fort has been pro-
nounced unsurpassed by any work done during that period. Preceding
and following this public service, he was actively engaged in river and
harbor work and railroad construction, holding important positions
which he filled with zeal and efficiency. About four years ago he re-
moved to Milledgeville, Georgia, where he opened and still maintains an
office as an engineer, surveyor and contractor in concrete construction.

Leigh Robinson Gignilliat. horn at Savannah. Georgia. July 4. 1875.
more nearly resembles his father than any of the sons, ami has the
same faculty for making friends and winning his way along paths
calling for talent of a rare order. Tie graduated with distinction suc-
cessively from the Emerson Institute at Washington, D. C, and from
the Virginia Military Academy. At the latter institute he was private
secretary to the superintendent, captain o\' one of the companies, presi-
dent of the literary society, editor of the college publication and
valedictorian of his class.

His lirst service in active life was with the corps o\' United States
engineers engaged in road work ami bridge building in Yellowstone



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1021

National park. Returning to the family home in Georgia, he spent a,
few months there before accepting the position of commandant of the
Culver Military Academy, at Culver, Indiana, an institution then but
newly founded. He spent considerable time in architectural study while
in Washington, and on the house drainage system for the city of
Savannah, and other practical work while in Georgia. This varied
experience, as well as the positions held by him at the military academy
in Virginia, stood him in good stead at Culver in directing the laying
off of the grounds, the erection of larger and finer buildings as the
school developed, as well as in the higher work of discipline and organi-
zation. It was his good fortune at the outset of his career at Culver to
be thrown in close contact and intimate companionship with Col. A. E.
Fleet, a Virginia gentleman of the old school and of the highest type
of southern manhood, as well as one of the most prominent educators
of his day. Their combined efforts placed the Culver Military Academy
second only to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Mr.
Gignilliat, upon Colonel Fleet's retirement, became superintendent of
the institution, and has carried forward the work with great ardor and
success, the annual enrollment numbering many hundreds of scholars
and the equipment being now uusurpased. Not content with the regu-
lar work, almost herculean, of the Culver Military Academy, his
energy and mental activity have found expression from time to time in
writing for the leading magazines and periodicals, as well as in the
establishment, in connection with his brother, Thomas Hey ward
Gignilliat, of the Culver Summer Naval school.

So much has been said and written in current publications- of the
Culver schools and of the active spirit that controls and directs them,
that further elaboration in a sketch of this kind is unnecessary.

Ravenel Gignilliat, the youngest son, was born in Mcintosh county,
Georgia, January 9, 1879, and still has ample time to add a higher
record to the good beginning which he has made. He was educated in
the public schools of Savannah and at Emory College, after leaving
which he engaged in civil engineering. Though still young in years,
probably no one in his profession has seen more active or varied serv-
ice. He has served with the United States engineering corps, also in
the laying out and constructing of several railroad lines, in water and
factory construction, besides miscellaneous surveying and engineering.
He now has an office in Savannah, Georgia, where his proficiency and
untiring energy are fully recognized, and he bids fair to win an envia-
ble reputation in his chosen work.

To those who, noting family traits, are interested in tracing them
back to their origin, a brief sketch of the family history will prove
interesting.

The ancestry of the Gignilliat family can be traced in a direct line
to Jean Francois Gignilliat, a French Hugenot, whose people fled from
France to Switzerland, where Jean Francois was born. He came to
America early in the eighteenth century, with the Ravenels, Porchers
and other Hugenot families, and was granted a tract of 5,000 acres of
land in South Carolina, at Purysburg, on the Savannah river, a short
distance above Savannah, "he being the first of the Swiss nation to
emigrate to these colonies," according to the records of the South
Carolina Historical Society. It was not long afterwards that his
descendants removed to the new colony of Georgia and the family be-
came identified with the Scotch settlers in the early history of Mcintosh
county. Each succeeding generation has been represented by strong
men who took a prominent part in the history of the state' and left to
their descendants the heritage of an honorable name, notable among



1022 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

them being James Gignilliat, a member of the first constitutional con-
vention of Georgia in 1777.

The father of William Robert Gignilliat, for whom he was named,
received his education at the state university in Athens. He was a
typical ante-bellum rice planter, possessing culture and refinement, as
well as wealth. His other sons. Thomas Hart Gignilliat and Gilbert
West Gignilliat, were twins, who at the early age of nineteen years
entered the service of the Confederacy and were with the Fifth Georgia
cavalry, the former as lieutenant and the latter as private and non-
commissioned officer, until the close of the war. both being noted for
that daring and utter disregard of personal danger so generally mani-
fested by young volunteers in those days.

The mother of William Robert Gignilliat was Helen Mary Hart, of
an old English family, settling first in New Jersey and Pennsylvania,
and afterwards spreading to the Carolinas and Georgia. This family
was noted for men of vigor and eminence, furnishing to the nation one
of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, besides several army
officers and noted pulpit orators. She was a native of Liberty county,
Georgia, but spent several years at Athens pursuing her studies in
music, botany and astronomy. Possessing a nature absolutely spiritual,
and retaining throughout her lifetime a deep interest in scientific study.
the family residence at Greenwood plantation attracted kindred spirits,
even from a distance — one of them, a native of Connecticut and grad-
uate of Yale college, has of late years (recalling the visits of his early
manhood to the old plantation) referred to the home life there as a
"veritable paradise on earth."

The wife of William Robert Gignilliat was Hattie W. Heyward. also
descended from an old English family, which settled in South Carolina
and which, likewise, furnished a signer of the Declaration of Independ-
ence, as well as army officers, both in the Revolutionary war and the
War between the states, a chief magistrate of the state of South Caro-
lina and many minor public officials — being, in fact, one of the best
known families in the south. She, like her mother, was endowed with
noble traits of mind and soul and even amid hardship and adversity
made her home a refuge and delight for her husband and a large circle
of relatives and friends.

Other lines of ancestry are traced to the highlands of Scotland and
particularly to the clans of Campbell and McDonald. To this triple
twist of English, French and Scotch ancestry, many of the traits of
character, as well as the indomitable energy of the various members of
the family, may well be ascribed.

Sampson B. Barfield. Among the planters of south Georgia, few
families have been for a longer time or more actively engaged as crop
producers and contributors to the agricultural and civic wealth of
this section than that of Barfield. Several generations of this family
have been residents of the state, and one of its prosperous and worthy
members is Sampson B. Barfield. whose home for many years has been
in the Club House district of Lowndes county.

He was born in Twiggs county, this state, on the 28th of Novem-
ber, 1853. His great-grandfather was a native of England and on
coming to America settled in South Carolina, but according to the
best information at hand Later settled in Georgia, being one of the pio-
neers of Twiggs county, where he spent the rest of his days. In the
same county the grandfather, William Barfield. who was a native of
South Carolina, owned and operated a farm and lived there until his
death, which occurred before the war. 1 1 is four sons and three daugh-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1023

ters were named as follows : John, Richard, Sampson, Frederick,,
Betsey, Polly and Patsy.

Frederick Barfield, the father, was born in Twiggs county, was
reared on a farm and began his independent career on a tract of land
about seventeen miles from Macon, where he lived until 1856. In that
year he settled in Lowndes county, which was then a much larger civil
division than at present and the county seat was located at the old town
of Troupville. The Barfields came here after the manner of emigrants
to a new land, bringing in wagons their household goods, farm imple-
ments, etc. During their first year's residence the trading center was
Troupville, but all the surplus products had to be hauled on wagons
to Tallahassee or Newport and Jacksonville, Florida. Frederick Bar-
field bought land about four miles south of the present site of Hahira.
A clearing of twelve acres and a log house constituted the improve-
ments, and he at once began the task of clearing more land for the plow
and engaged in general farming. At the time of the war he was past
the military age, but in 1864 joined the state militia and went to the
defense of Atlanta, where he was soon discharged on account of dis-
ability. His death occurred in 1872. He married Bethany Brewer, a
native of Twiggs county, and she died in 1889. They were the par-
ents of thirteen children, named as follows : William, Mary, Sarah,
John, Carrie, Frank, Emeline, Epsie, Columbus, Sampson, Lafayette,
Tempy and Belle. Of these, Belle died in childhood and William at
the age of twenty-four. John and Frank both served in the Confed-
erate army.

Sampson B. Barfield spent his early youth in Lowndes county,
being reared in habits of industry and thrift, and after the removal
of the family to Lowndes county he bought two hundred and twenty-
five acres of timbered land that is included in his present farm. There-
he built a substantial log house, which continued the dwelling of him-
self and family for twenty-seven years, when it was replaced by a
commodious and attractive residence of frame. From the beginning of
his independent career he succeeded and with increasing means bought
lands until his present holdings aggregate about fourteen hundred
acres, all located in the Club House district.

Mr. Barfield married Miss Lizzie Lawson, a native of Lowndes
county and a member of one of the old families of this section. Her
parents were William and Malcy (Vickers) Lawson, and her grand-
father was Ashley Lawson (see sketch of Lawson family elsewhere").
Her father served in the army of- northern Virginia and saw arduous
service as a soldier of the south, and was captured and held prisoner
at Point Lookout several months before the end of the war. For sev-
eral years he owned and operated a farm, a part of which is now included
in the village of Hahira. Mr. and Mrs. Barfield have reared
ten children, namely : Willie, Carrie, Charlie, Eddie, Zeno, Hum Mason,
Ruth, Rosa, Ethel and Christelle. Mr. Barfield has been a director of
the Bank of Hahira since its founding, is a member of the Farmers'
Union, and affiliates with Hahira Lodge No. 346, A. F. & A. M.

Rev. Walter C. Jones. Born in one of the early homes of south
Georgia. Rev. Jones represents a family which had a pioneer part in
the settlement and development of this section of the state, and dur-
ing his own career has followed a life of service and benefit to the com-
munity as well as for his individual welfare. He has spent many years
in the ministry of the Methodist church, and since retiring has become
noted as a fruit grower and nurseryman at Cairo.

Walter C. Jones was born in the Hickory Head section of Brooks



1024 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

county, Georgia, June 26, 1855. His father was Malachi, who was bom
in the Black Creek section of Bulloch county, in 1809. The grand-
father was Thomas Jones, horn and reared in Warren county. Georgia,
going to Bullock county when a young man and rearing his family
and spending his last days in the latter vicinity. Thomas Jones mai'-
ried a Miss Denmark. Malachi Jones was reared and married in Bul-
loch county, and from there came into southwestern Georgia, accom-
panied by his wife and three children. The journey was made across
the country with team and wagon, and his first location was the pres-
ent site of Dixie, which was then located in Thomas county. Buying
a tract of timbered land, he cleared a space among the trees and there
built a log cabin, which was the first shelter of himself and family in
southwestern Georgia. Indians and wild game were still plentiful
in the almost unbroken forest areas which surrounded his home on
every side, and his labors contributed one more plantation to this sec-
tion of Georgia.

About 1845 he sold his land and bought a place in the Hickory Head
section of Lowndes county, now in Brooks county. There he again
built a home and it was in that house that Rev. Walter C. Jones was
born. For many years after the settlement of the family, no railroads
were built through this country, and the father marketed his cotton
either in Tallahassee or St. Marks. One year he sold his cotton at
St. Marks for 3y 2 cents per pound, and then turned and invested part
of the proceeds of the crop for a stock of salt for which he had to pay
$2.00 per sack. Malachi Jones improved the fine farm and spent the
remainder of his life in Brooks county, where he died at the age of
seventy-one. The maiden name of his wife was Sarah Reissier Groover.
Her father was Charles Groover, a native of Savannah, and her ances-
tors came to America with the Salzburgers. At that time the family
name was spelled Gruber, and was subsequently changed to the present
form. Charles Groover, clerk of court of Bulloch county, spelled his
name Gruver until 1837, as shown by the records, and then changed
it to Groover, and so far as known all other members of the family adopt
this spelling. Charles Groover from Savannah moved to Bulloch county,
where he bought a plantation, was soon afterwards elected clerk of the
court, and served several years in that official capacity. He remained
a resident of Bulloch county until his death. The maiden name of his
wife was a Miss Reissier, who survived him and later married Nathan
Jones, and spent her last days in Bulloch county. Her sons were Sam-
uel of Statesboro ; Charles E., a well known resident of Savannah, and
Daniel who died a young man. Mrs. Malachi Jones died at the age of
sixty-nine years, and of her fourteen children, eleven grew to maturity,
named as follows: Sophronia, Nathan. Julia. Charles E., William
M., M. Franklin, Andrew J., Thomas T., Clinton R.. Walter. Colquit,
and Sally A. The son, Nathan, enlisted at the breaking out of the war
in the Confederate service and died while a soldier. Charles E., Wil-
liam M., and M. Franklin served all through the war. and Andrew
entered the army when a boy in 1864. remaining until the final sur-
render.

Walter C. Jones attended the rural schools in Brooks county and
the Hickory Head High School. The beginning' of his career was as a
merchant, engaging in that business at Quitman at the age of twenty-
two and continuing in that line for nine years. In 1887 he joined the
south Georgia conference of the Methodist church, and for nearly a
quarter of a century was active in the ministry with pastorate in dif-
i\ rent sections of the state until failing health compelled him to retire,
and lie is now a superannuated minister. However, he still engages



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1025

in the active work as preacher, when his health will permit, and is
teacher of a fine Bible class of ninety members at Cairo.

On leaving the regular work of the ministry, Mr. Jones located
at Cairo, and turned his attention to farm life. He established a nur-
sery and has made a specialty of the culture of pecan trees and for
several seasons has sold as high as 12,000 to 15,000 trees. He
also has a large and profitable pecan grove of his own, and his farm
located close to Cairo is considered one of the best in Grady county.
In 1912 he erected an attractive and comfortable home, built in the colo-
nial style, and located on Gordon Heights one mile from the court house
in Cairo.

Rev. Walter C. Jones, on January 20, 1892, married Miss Martha
Melvina Powell. Mrs. Jones is a native of Cairo, and a daughter of
Rev. William Powell, who was born in that portion of Decatur county,
which is now included within the limits of Grady county. The grand-
father of Mrs. Jones was Kedar Powell, who was born in Decatur county,
a son of parents who were natives of North Carolina, and among the
first settlers of southwest Georgia. Kedar Powell established his home
about six miles south of Cairo, where he improved a farm out of the
wilderness and lived there until late in life, when he moved into Cairo,
and spent his last days in this town. Rev. William Powell was one of
the first merchants in Cairo, and after the railroad had been built
through, he was appointed' station agent, an office which he held until
his death. He was also interested in farming, and his place was partly
included with the incorporate limits of Cairo. AVilliam Powell mar-
ried Lucretia Brocket, a daughter of Capt. Lemuel Brocket, a large
planter of Florida. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have five children named Wal-
ter Colquit, Jr., Margaret, William Powell, Joseph Mabbett, and Lu-
cretia.

Honorable Germanicus Young Tigner. A man of broad capabili-
ties, resourceful, and quick to grasp a situation and utilize opportuni-
ties, Honorable Germanicus Young Tigner has for many years been
an important factor in the public life of Muscogee county, serving his
fellow-men in various capacities, at the present writing, in 1913, being
judge of the Columbus city court of Columbus. A native of Georgia,
he was born in Haralson, Coweta county, of excellent English ances-
try, being a descendant in the fifth generation from the immigrant
ancestor, George Tigner, his lineage being thus traced : George Tigner,
Philip Tigner, Young Fletcher Tigner, William Archelaus Tigner, and
Germanicus Young Tigner.

About. 1750 George Tigner, accompanied by his brother Thomas,
came from England, their native country, to America. They were
seafaring men, engaged in the merchant marine service, and both located
in Baltimore, Maryland. A year later Thomas Tigner returned to his
old home in England, but George Tigner remained in Baltimore, and
kept his ships in active service until the Revolution, when they were
seized by the British government. After his marriage he lived for a
time in Anne Arundel county, Maryland, from there moving to Accomac
county, Virginia, and settling near Drummondtown, where he spent
his remaining days, being engaged in farming. He was twice married,
by his first wife having three children, namely: William, who reared
a family, and has descendants living in Virginia, and in various other
parts of the Union ; Hannah married a Mr. Houghton, and settled in
New York State ; and Philip, the next in line of descent.

Philip Tigner was born in Accomac county, Virginia, December 25,
1760. Leaving home in the seventeenth year of his age, he went first



10^6 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

to Norfolk, Virginia, from there going to Salisbury, North Carolina,
where he married. With his bride, he came to Georgia, and after spend-
ing a short time in Greene county removed to that -part of Franklin
county that was later a part of Jackson comity, and is now included within
the boundaries of Clarke county. Purchasing a tract of land through
which a creek flowed, he improved the water power, built a saw mill
and a grist mill, and was there prosperously employed in farming and
milling until his death, at the age of fifty-nine years. A devout Metho-
dist in religion, he erected one of the first Methodist Episcopal churches
in North Georgia, it having been known as Tigner's Chapel. He mar-
ried first, March 7, 1780, in Salisbury, North Carolina, Nancy For-
bish, who died in Green county, Georgia, May 28, 1792. He married
second Nancy Hall, a daughter of John Hall, a native of Ireland, who
came to America in colonial times, locating first in North Carolina, later
coming to Georgia as pioneers. By his first marriage he reared five
children, Sarah E., James, William, Elizabeth, and Hope H. His sec-
ond wife, to whom he was married in 1793, bore him eight children,
namely: Nancy; Innocence; Pamelia ; Freeborn G. ; John Wesley:
Young Fletcher, through whom the line of descent was continued ;
Urban Cooper; and Philip Gillen.

Young Fletcher Tigner was born August 22, 1805, on a plantation
located about three miles north of Salem, Clarke county, Georgia. Con-
verted when young, he joined the Methodist Episcopal church, and
became a preacher in that denomination, as a member of the Georgia
conference, filling the p'ulpits of churches in various places. In Meri-
wether county he purchased a plantation near Durand. which was his
home for many years. Late in life he removed to Columbus, and lived in
that vicinity until his death.

Rev. Young Fletcher Tigner married Sarah Frances Tinsley. who
was born in Clarke county, Georgia, a daughter of James Tinsley, and
granddaughter of Thomas Tinsley, a native of Hanover county. Vir-
ginia. She was a lineal descendant, it is thought, of one Edward Tins-
ley, who came from Yorkshire, England, to America in the early part
of the seventeenth century, locating in Virginia. Seven of his broth-
ers, according to tradition, served, and were killed, in the Revolutionary
war. James Tinsley was born near Richmond. Virginia, in 176-4. Dur-
ing the progress of the Revolutionary war. he went to South Caro-
lina, and settled on the Cooper river, ten miles from Chesterton, from
there coming, in 1790, to Georgia, where he afterwards spent his remain-
ing years, his home having been in Columbia county. He married first
Elizabeth Zachery, of South Carolina. He married for his second
wife Mrs. Lucy Ann (Crawford) Richards, a sister of Hon. William
Harris Crawford, who served as secretary of war under President
Madison, as secretary of the treasury under both President Madison
and President Monroe, and minister to France, and who. in 1821. as
candidate for president of the United States, shared the electoral vote
with John Quiney Adams, Andrew Jackson, ami Henry Clay. Of the
union of Rev. Y. F. and Sarah F. (Tinsley) Tigner. nine children were
born, namely: James Andrew. Eliza Boring. William Archelaus. Wes-
ley Fletcher, Lucy A. E.. Samuel Hodges, and Sarah, Julia, and Young
Fletcher. Dr. Wesley Fletcher Tigner, uncle of G. Y. Tigner. is a well
known Confederate veteran, having fought in all the leading battles of
Lee's army from Bull Run to Appomattox: engaged in thirty pitched
battles, and now a retired dentist, in comfortable circumstances, and
lover] by all who know him.

William Archelaus Tigner was born in Meriwether county, Georgia.
Julv 13. 1832, and received his rudimentary education in the rural



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1027

schools, afterwards studying under Prof. Thaddeus Oliver, of Buena
Vista. He was graduated from Emory College, in Oxford, Georgia, '
with the class of 1854, and soon after began teaching in Haralson,
Coweta county. Succeeding well as an educator, he was made president
of a Male and Female College at Chunnenuggee Ridge, Alabama. He
afterwards taught in a Lutheran settlement, both in Oglethorpe county.
Georgia, and in Macon county. While thus occupied, he studied law
in his leisure moments, and after his admission to the bar located
as a lawyer in Vienna, Dooly county. After practicing awhile in
both Dooly and Oglethorpe counties, he removed to Atlanta, where
he formed a partnership with William H. Hulsey, under the firm
name of Hulsey & Tigner. He was later associated with W. D. Ellis
as senior member of the law firm of Tigner & Ellis. In 1884 he was
elected as senator from the Thirty-fifth district, and took an active
and intelligent part in the work of legislation. He was reared a Metho-
dist, but when about thirty-five years old united with the Lutheran
church, and became a preacher in that denomination, filling pulpits in
Ebenezer and other places, and serving as president of the South Caro-
lina, Georgia and Florida Synod. For several years prior to his death
he lived in Jonesboro, his death occurring there February 19, 1894.

William Archelaus Tigner was twice married. He married first
Eugenia R. Dozier, who was born in Marion county, Georgia, in 1834,
a daughter of Thomas H. and Martha Thomas (Davie) Dozier. She
died March 19, 1872, leaving three children, namely : Germanicus
Young, the special subject of this sketch; Martha, wife of A. 0. Os-
borne, now of AVilmington, North Carolina ; and William A. Tigner,
Jr., an attorney now in Jonesboro, Georgia, He married for his second
wife Miriam Byington, who is now living in Jonesboro, Georgia.

Germanicus Young Tigner was carefully educated under his father's
and mother's tutorship, attending private schools in Atlanta, and the
Jonesboro Academy. A young man of excellent mental attainments,
eminently capable and intelligent, he was appointed, in 1876, by Judge
Martin J. Crawford, official stenographer of the superior court at
Columbus, and met every requirement of that responsible position so
efficiently and satisfactorily that he was continued in office for sixteen
years. In 1888 Mr. Tigner was elected as a representative to the state
legislature, and later was appointed stenographer of the supreme court.
At the end of two years he resigned that position, and returned to Colum-
bus. In 1902 he was again elected to represent his county in the state
legislature, and served in the sessions of 1902, 1903, and 1904. In 1908
Mr. Tigner was appointed, by Gov. Hoke Smith, judge of the city court
of Columbus, and served by appointment until 1912. when he was
elected to the position by an overwhelming majority, receiving a flat-
tering vote that proved his popularity with all classes of people.

Mr. Tigner married, June 27, 1889, Johnny Lindsay. She was
brought up and educated in Columbus, and at the Moravian Institute
at Bethlehem. Pennsylvania, being a daughter of John B. and Helen
(Slade) Lindsay, and granddaughter of Rev. Thomas Slade, father of
Hon. J. J. Slade. of whom a brief biographical sketch appears else-
where in this volume. Two children have been born of the union of
Mr. and Mrs. Tigner, namely: Helen; and John Lindsay, who died
at the early age of seventeen years. Religiously Mr. Tigner belongs to
to the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mrs. Tigner is a member of the
Baptist church.

Wesley Fletcher Tigner. After a career of forty years as a
dental practitioner in Georgia, Dr. Tigner now lives retired at his home



1028 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

in Columbus, and is one of the most highly esteemed citizens of that
locality.

Wesley Fletcher Tigner was born in Meriwether county, Georgia,
August 13, 1834, and is thus one of the oldest native sons of the state.
His parents were Rev. Young Fletcher and Sarah (Tinsley) Tigner,
concerning whom and this interesting family, further details will be
found in the sketch of G. Y. Tigner, in other pages of this work. Dr.
Tigner was reared in a rural community and his earliest education was
that afforded by one of the neighborhood schools which existed in
Georgia before the war. He was very liberally educated for his time,
and from the common schools attended Collingsworth institute and in
1856 graduated from Emory College. The following years were spent
in teaching, up to the beginning of the Civil war. Then in May. 1861,
he enlisted in a company first known as the Henry Grays, and subse-
quently designated as Company A and attached to the Sixth Regiment
of Alabama infantry. Few Georgia soldiers saw a more active and
strenuous career as soldier than Dr. Tigner. His regiment was sent
into Virginia, and became part of the army of northern Virginia, Its
campaigns were many, and the doctor's service can be briefly suggested
by referring to the important battles which were Gettysburg, Fredericks-
burg, Seven Pines, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Yorktown, Williams-
burg, Winchester, Kernstown, the Seven Days Fighting around Rich-
mond, and the battles about Petersburg, concluding with the surrender
of Lee's forces at Appomatox. He was paroled with the rest of the
southern forces and made his way south riding on a pony. He passed
through North Carolina and South Carolina in this way. and reached
the banks of the Savannah river at Barksdale Ferry, and thence to his
father's home in Chattahoochee. He soon afterwards began the study
of dentistry at Baltimore college. After a term of two years he began
active practice in Columbus, and subsequently returned to Baltimore,
where he was graduated in dentistry. Dr. Tigner was for a great many
years the family dentist for hundreds of the best people in Columbus
and vicinity, and it is of interest to note that he occupied one office in
this city for a period of forty years. He has since retired from his
active profession and now lives quietly surrounded by family and friends
in Columbus.

In 1869 he married Mary Eliza Cunningham, who was born at
Talbotton, Georgia, a daughter of James D. and Caroline (Sallie)
Cunningham. The two children of the doctor and wife are Mary
Frances and Annie Louise, the latter being the wife of J. Ralston
Cargill.

Walter S. Dozier. Clerk of the court of Terrell county at Dawson,
Mr. Dozier is one of the most popular officials of the county, and has
had a long and active career in business and public life in this section of
the state. He represents one of the oldest and most prominent families
of the south.

Walter S. Dozier was born in Warrenton county, Georgia. March ii.
1857. His American ancestry goes back tor four or five generations.
The family originated in France, among the Huguenots. Leonard
Dozier was born in France, was a Hugucuot in religious faith, and
immigrated to America early in the eighteenth century, locating in
Virginia. He was married in that colony in 1733 and died there in
1785. His son was James S. Dozier. who served as sergeant of artillery
during the Revolutionary war. and later in life located in Georgia,
dying in Warrenton county. January IS. 1808. He married Elizabeth
Staples, who was also born in Virginia. Five of their sons were amoug
the settlers and workers who did so much to develop the country in



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1029

Warren county. James S. Dozier, the founder of the family in Georgia,
just mentioned, was born in Lunenburg county, Virginia, in 1769.
Leonard Wesley Dozier, the head of the next generation, was a native
of Virginia, and married Nancy Staples. He was one of the early
settlers of Warren county, where he died. John Dozier, son of Leonard
Wesley and grandfather of the Dawson clerk of courts, was born in
Warren county, Georgia, about 1796, and married Antoinet Parham, a
daughter of Richard Parham, who was a Virginian who served in the
Civil war. John Dozier and wife, so far as known, were lifelong resi-
dents of Warren county.

Nathaniel Wesley Dozier, father of Walter S., was born in Warren
county, August 12, 1826, was reared and educated in his native locality,
and when a young man moved to Stewart county, where he taught
school for some time. He entered the Confederate service in 1864,
going with the other Georgia troops to the defense of Atlanta. After
the fall of that city, he participated in the battle at Griswold's Station,
where he was wounded. _ He was then granted a furlough and returned
home and the war closed before he had recovered from his wound. After
the war he located in Webster county, where he taught school at
Weston for some time. In 1872 occurred his removal to Dawson, where
he became identified with merchandising, and was later in the ware-
house business and engaged in the sale of fertilizer, which continued
until his death on May 4, 1910. Nathaniel W. Dozier, married Mary M.
Fuller, who was born in Warren county, Georgia, January 26, 1832.
She was a daughter of Spiney and Sarah (Harden) Fuller, and a grand-
daughter of Spiney Fuller, Sr. Sarah Harden, her mother, was a
native of Warren county, and a daughter of Benjamin Harden, who
was married in Warren county in 1796 to Mary Smith, whose mother
was the widow of a revolutionary soldier, who had come to Georgia, and
located in Warren county in 1789. Mrs. Nathaniel W. Dozier, the
mother, is now a resident at Dawson. She reared four children whose
names are Walter S., Mary C, George Wesley and Alice.

Mr. Walter S. Dozier and wife have six sons and one daughter,
namely : James C, Raymond E., Walter C, Owen W., Oliver V., Wil-
son P., and Susie May. Mr. Dozier is affiliated with P. T. Schley lodge,
A. F. & A. M. His wife belongs to the May Brantly Chapter of the
United Daughters of the Confederacy, is a member of the Daughters of
the American Revolution and an Eastern Star. Mr. and Mrs, Dozier
both are members of the Methodist church.

Byron Alonzo Alderman. A retired business man and one of the
leading citizens of Pine Park in Grady county, Mr. Alderman is a life-
long resident of southwest Georgia, and beginning his own career in
the woods and in a log cabin home he has used thrift and dilligence in
acquiring a generous measure of prosperity and has provided well for
his family, at the same time performing with fidelity his obligations
to his community.

Byron Alonzo Alderman was born on a farm eight miles northwest
of Thomasville, November 15, 1854. His father was Hon. Isaac Alder-
man, a man of unusual influence and ability. He was born December
5, 1826, in Sampson or Duplin county, North Carolina, where his par-
ents were life-long residents. He was reared in his native state by his
widowed mother, and acquired a better education than the ordinary.
His great-grandfather, Daniel Alderman, married Abigail Harris and
came to New Jersey from England about 1750; removed to North
Carolina in the year 1755. Daniel Alderman had three sons: John,
who married Mary Cashwell ; Daniel, who married Sarah Newton, and



1030 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

David, who married Jemima Hall. David Alderman, Jr.. who was Isaac
Alderman's grandfather, had three sons: David, who married Nancy
Morgan; Isaac, who married Elizabeth Morgan, and Elisha. who mar-
ried a cousin, Rebecca Alderman. Daniel Alderman also had live
daughters: Jemima, who married James Bland; Rachel, who married
Bryant Buxton; Sarah, who married James Newton: Mary, who married
John Grumpier, and Elizabeth, who remained single. Elisha Alderman
and Rebecca Alderman were the parents of Hon. Isaac Alderman, and
they had ten children, whose names are: James, Jemima. Sarah. Amos,
Joseph, David, Isaac, Daniel, Susan, William. Hon. Isaac Alderman
when a young man, took the vocation of teaching and on coming to Geor-
gia he followed that line of work for a number of years. His first resi-
dence was in Thomas county, where he taught school and bought a piece
of land eight miles northwest of Thomasville, where he built a log house
in which his son, Byron A., was born. He continued to teach while
superintending the improvements of his land, and in time had acquired
a substantial home and the means to provide well for his family. In
the year 1863, he enlisted in the Confederate army and was in the
struggle until the close. After the war he again took up teaching and
farming, and remained on the old homestead until his death, September
24, 1900. The maiden name of his wife was Susan Alderman, daughter
of Timothy and Sally (Williams) Alderman, and distantly related to
the family of which Isaac Alderman was a member. She was born
August 30, 1832, and died November 29, 1897. Timothy Alderman was
a native of North Carolina and his wife, Sally, a native of Georgia.
Isaac Alderman had a number of public honors during his career, serv-
ing as a member of the Thomas County Board of Education and also
as a member of the board of county commissioners. He was also
honored by election as a representative of Thomas county in the state
legislature. Both he and his wife were members of the Baptist church.
Their six children were : Byron Alonzo, Laura, Virginia, Marcas E.,
Fannie and Mattie.

Byron Alonzo Alderman, as a boy, attended the rural schools and
was later given the privilege of attendance in the high schools at
Warsaw, North Carolina. Though well-educated he did not adopt a
learned profession, but chose the peaceful pursuits of agriculture.
Early in his career he bought 250 acres of land covered with timber,
and cornering upon his father's homestead. He went into the woods
and at an eligible site cleared off some of the trees, erected a log cabin.
and it was in that home that he and his young wife began married life.
In time he effected the clearing of a large amount of land, and was a
prosperous and successful farmer there until January. 1899. and in
that year he moved into Pine Park and in September of the same year
established himself in the mercantile business. In 1908 ill health com-
uelled him to give up the close confinement of the store and he was
then succeeded by his son. Early L.

Mr. Alderman was first married in 1878 to Janie "Walker, who was
born in Thomas county, a daughter of Jonathan and Mary (Kitchen)
Walker. (See sketch of Dr. W. A. Walker.)

Mrs. Alderman died in the year 1881. In 1885 he married his
present wife, .Martha llarman Kemph. She was born near Camilla, in
.Mitchell county, Georgia. Her father was Jacob Henry Kemph. a na-
tive of Georgia, and a son of Faulton Kemph. Faulton Kemph was
born in Germany and when a young man spent fourteen weeks on a
sailing vessel, which brought him to Georgia. He lived tor a time in
Burke county, and thence moved to Lee county, lie was a well educated
man and was honored by official preferment in Lee county, where he



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1031

spent his last years. He married a Miss Lewis, and reared two sons, of
whom John enlisted in the Confederate service at the breaking out of
the war and lost his life in battle. Jacob Henry Kemph, father of Mrs.
Alderman, lived in Dougherty county for some years after his marriage
and later moved to Mitchell county, buying a farm about three and
one-half miles south of Camilla. That was his home and scene of labors
when the war came on, and in 1863, the month not now being known,
he entered the service of the Confederacy, and remained until the close.
He returned home very ill, and died on the third day of May, 1865,
three days after he reached home. The maiden name of his wife was
Eveline Sapp, who was born in Mitchell county, daughter of DeLain
and Mary (Chastain) Sapp, natives and lifedong residents of Georgia.
Mrs. Aldermans mother, who died at the age of seventy-two, reared
five children, whose names are : Mary F., John Morgan, Julia L.,
Martha Harman and Henry DeLain. Mr. Alderman has just one son,
by his first wife, named Early Lenwood. He is now engaged in the
mercantile business as successor to his father at Pine Park.

Mr. Early 'Alderman married Miss Maybelle Sanford, and has three
children named : Lenwood, William S. and Elizabeth Jane.

Mr. and Mrs. Alderman worship in the Baptist church in which he
is a deacon. In the year 1912, he was honored by appointment as a
member of the board of county commissioners of Grady county to fill
a vacancy, and in the fall of the same year, he was elected by the people
to the same office.

John R. Carter. An industrious and well-to-do agriculturist of
Brooks county, John R. Carter is the proprietor of a fine homestead,
which in regard to its appointments compares favorably with any in the
neighborhood. He is a native of Georgia, his birth having occurred in
Appling county, June 24, 1857. His father, Richard Carter, came as
a young man from Robinson county, North Carolina, his birthplace, to
Georgia. He was accompanied by his brother, Philip Marion Carter.
Both served in the Indian wars, and the brother, it is supposed, lost
his life while fighting the dusky savages. Richard Carter purchased
land in Appling county while it was yet on the extreme frontier line,
and in the wilderness built the log cabin which the family occupied
several years and in which his children were born. Although too old for
military service in the war between the states, he joined, near the close
of the conflict, the Georgia reserves, which was composed of boys and
old men, and was called out for home protection. During that period
he served as sheriff of Appling county, but soon after the close of the
war resigned the position. Selling his Appling county land, he moved
to Brooks county, and after living on rented land for a while, purchased
a farm in the western part of Dixie district, and was there a resident
until his death, at the age of seventy-six years. His wife, whose maiden
name was Elizabeth Elliott, survived him but a few years. They
reared ten children, as follows: George M., Jane, Philip Marion, Har-
riet E., Nancy A., Samuel W., Frank R., John R., C. H. and Martha L.
The two oldest sons, George M. and Philip M., served throughout the
Civil war. They enlisted at Holmesville, Appling county, Georgia,
about sixty miles from Savannah, and were paroled at Thomasville, this
state.

Growing to manhood beneath the parental roof-tree, John R. Carter
assisted in the work of the home farm until he entered the employ
of the S. F. & W. Railroad Company, now the Atlantic Coast Line, with
which he was identified for twelve years, doing section work for eight
years and being in the bridge building department four years. Resign-



1032 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

ing his position, Mr. Carter turned his attention to agriculture, having
previously purchased five hundred acres of hand, two- hundred and
five acres lying in Brooks county and the remainder' just across the
line in Thomas county, the tracts adjoining. He has now one hun-
dred and fifty acres of his estate in a good state of cultivation, and has
erected a substantial set of farm buildings, these being situated on high
land, about four miles from the flourishing town of Boston.

Mr. Carter married April 26, 1896, Bertha Maddox, who was born
in Thomas county, a daughter of Carey M. and Melissa (Singletary)
Maddox. Mr. Maddox was born in Randolph county. Georgia, March 2.
1829. He removed to Thomas county, and was there married to Miss
Melissa Singletary on the 11th of December, 1868. He served four years
in the war between the states, and during his services therein received
one wound. Mrs. Maddox was born and reared in Thomas county.
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Carter, namely : Bama
Louis, John Russell and Bertha Vivian. In his political relations Mr.
Carter is a stanch supporter of the principles of the DemocTatic party,
and has served three terms as a county commissioner, a position to
which he was elected in 1903, re-elected in 1907 and again in 1911 to
serve for four years, making a total of twelve years in the position.
Fraternally he is a member of Mount Horeb lodge, Free and Accepted
Masons. Religiously both Mr. and Mrs. Carter belong to the Missionary
Baptist church.

Milton H. Edwards. One of the wealthiest and most influential
citizens of eastern Georgia was the late Milton H. Edwards, land owner
and capitalist, whose death occurred at his home on the morning of
October 8, 1912. Coming to this place as a small boy, he spent all of
his active business life in building up productive enterprises that not
only brought prosperity to himself, but materially aided the town and
surrounding country. A man of energy and wide interests connected
with many of the largest business concerns of the city, he was a promi-
nent figure in social and commercial circles of Eastman.

Milton Henry Edwards, the son of William Henry and Eliza Ball
Edwards, was born near Glenville, Tattnall county. Georgia on May 20,
1862. His father was a native of Tattnall county and his mother of
South Carolina. Their son, Milton H., of this review, was one of the
twelve children born to them, seven of whom, three sisters and four
brothers, survive. James M. and T. H., of Eastman : Virgil of Lake
Butler, Florida, and \V. J., of Lake City, Florida ; Ursula, the wife of
the late Judge D. M. Roberts, of Eastman; Ophelia, the wife of C. H.
Peacock of Macon; Melissa, the wife of E. P. Miller, deceased, of Wal-
thourville and Virginia, deceased, the wife of S. A. Foster, deceased.
who was for many years a resident of Eastman.

Mr. Edwards came to Eastman and attended the schools of that city
and after completing the high school course, engaged in the mercan-
tile business as a clerk in the store of C. H. Peacock. In 1884. he. with
his brother, T. H. Edwards, formed a partnership under the name of
M. H. Edwards & Bro., and throughout their long and active career were
partners in every business undertaking, large or small. A large ami
lucrative business was established and for many years this firm was the
leading mercantile house in this section of the state. In 1905 this
business was dissolved only to become a real estate firm, of which he
was president, and in which enterprise he was actively engaged at the
time of his death. In connection with this he was vice-president of the
Oconee River Cotton Mills at Dublin, vice-president of the Eastman
Cotton Mill, secretary and treasurer of the Improved Fertilizer AVorks



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1033

of Eastman, a director of the Citizens' Banking Company of Eastman
and also of the Ocmulgee Fertilizer Works of Hawkinsville and the/
Farmers' Fertilizer Works at Milan. Mr. Edwards was the leading
figure in the establishing of most of these.

Milton Edwards joined the Baptist church in early manhood and
ever remained a loyal and consistent member. He assisted in building
the present edifice and was always one of the most liberal supporters.
For a number of years he was superintendent of the Sunday school and
faithfully served as one of the deacons until the time of his death.
Although successful in every business undertaking, kindness and
generosity were his dominant traits and rich and poor, black and white
always found in him a true friend and wise counselor.

Twenty-eight years ago he was married to Orlena, daughter of John
Council and Mareia McCulloch Czar of Elkton, Kentucky, who yet sur-
vive him. Eleven children were born to them, seven of whom are still
living, viz : Carrie Belle, Nelle, Milton Carr, Christine, Edwin Mc-
Culloch, Willard Theodore, and Fannie Harris.

Hon. Mark Hardin Blandford. A former justice of the supreme
court of Georgia, a veteran of two wars, and a member of the
Confederate congress, the late Mark Hardin Blandford, who died Jan-
uary 31, 1902, was one of the most eminent men of south Georgia.

He was born in Jones county, Georgia, July 13, 1826, being in his
seventy-sixth year at the time of his death. His father was Clark
Blandford. and his grandfather was also named Clark Blandford. The
grandfather was a native of England and came to America in young
manhood, during the colonial era, and was married in this country. At
the breaking out of the Revolutionary war he returned to England,
where he owned some property and was never heard of again by any
of his family or friends. He left a wife and three children in America.
These children were Clarke, Champion and Polly. Polly married a Mr.
Hardison of Florida. Champion died unmarried.

Clarke Blandford, the father, moved from Trenton, New Jersey, to
Georgia, and for a time lived in Warrenton, Jones county, and from
there came to Harris county, where he served as one of the first clerks
of the court. The maiden name of his wife was Nancy Hardin, who
belonged to the Hardin family of Kentucky. The three children of
the parents were named Francis, Mark Hardin and Carrie.

The late Judge Blandford attended school in Pennfield, known as
Murphy University of Georgia. He was less than twenty years of age
when the war with Mexico was declared, and without the knowledge of
his parents he slipped away and enlisted in Captain Scott's Company,
going into Mexico with that command and serving with the company
in all its various marches and battles until the war was over. Return-
ing home a veteran of this conflict, he took up the study of law in the
office of Col. Hardeman of Macon, and was admitted to the bar by
special act of the legislature.

He began practice at Tazewell, which was then the capital of Marion
county. He rose to distinction in the law, and after a few years his
practice was again interrupted by war. With the outbreak of the
war between the states, he raised a company for the Confederate serv-
ice, and this company took the name of the Buena Vista Guards, and
was attached to the Twelfth Georgia Regiment. He went to the front
in command of this company, and was severely wounded and lost his
right arm at MeDower in the Allegheny mountains. Thus being disabled
for further active service as a soldier, he returned home and was soon
afterwards elected to the Confederate congress, defeating Col. Hines



1034 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Holt. He continued in the Confederate congress until its dissolution
at the close of the war, and then resumed the practice of law in Colum-
bus, Georgia. In 1869 he formed a partnership with 'B. II. Thornton.
This firm was dissolved later, and he was associated with Lewis Garrard,
under the firm name of Blandford & Garrard.

In 1874 Mr. Blandford was elected associate justice of the supreme
court of Georgia to fill an unexpired term, and at the next regular
election was chosen- for the full term. He served as associate justice
for ten years, making an admirable record as judge of the highest
court of the state, and on leaving the bench returned to Columbus, and
formed a partnership for practice with Thomas W. Grimes. He con-
tinued in that association and in active practice until his death on
January 31, 1902.

Judge Blandford married Sarah Daniels, daughter of John Daniels,
of Talbot county, Georgia. They were the parents of eight children,
three of whom survived their father, namely : Robert Hall, since de-
ceased ; John W. and Lucy Mary, who now occupy the old homestead
near Columbus.

Asahel A. Willett. At this writing Asahel A. Willett of Americus
has completed nearly a century of human life. He is one of the re-
markable and venerable men of southwest Georgia.

Asahel A. Willett, was born at Norwich, Connecticut, May 4. 1814.
His father was Capt. Jedediah Willett, who was born at Norwich, and
the grandfather was Jedediah Willett, who married Sarah Rogers. The
family is lineally descended from the first governor of New York.

Grandfather Jedediah Willett was a shipbuilder and built some
vessels for the government during the Revolutionary war. He later
came into Georgia, locating at Macon, where he died. His son, Joseph
E., was one of the first settlers of Macon, and it is said, cut the first
tree ever felled on that site.

Capt, Jedediah Willett, the father, was reared in Norwich, Connecti-
cut, and worked with his father in the ship yard. He early took up the
life of a sailor, and in time reached the position of captain. His father
then gave him a ship, and he was engaged in the coast-wise trade, mak-
ing his home in Savannah, Georgia, during the winter and in Brooklyn
in the summer. He died of yellow fever about 1827. The maiden
name of his wife was Mary Adgate, who was born in Norwich, daugh-
ter of Asahel and Mary (Rogers) Adgate. She lived to a good old age
and reared three children, whose names were Burnham. Asahel and
Jared.

Asahel A. Willett, the almost centenarian, attended school at Pen-
field and Norwich, Connecticut and in his youth acquired the trade of
carpenter. He worked at that trade in Connecticut a short time and
then moved to Macon, Georgia, where his grandfather and uncle were
living. At that time Macon was only a village, and all the surrounding
country a wilderness. He lived in Macon until about 1840. and then
came to what is now Sumter county, but then a part of Lee county. At
that time there were four log cabins in Americus. and Indians lived in
the woods near by. The first store was opened a few years after his
location there, and a man named Montgomery was one of the first, if
.iot the first, merchant, He worked at his trade in this little settle-
ment, and subsequently entered the merchandise business himself in
this north part of the county. There were no railroads and he had to
bring in all his goods with teams and wagons. His store was located on
the stage route from Macon to Tallahassee and from .Macon to Lumpkin.
After about three years he traded his store property for other property



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1035

in Americus, and there built the first house which was erected for the
purpose of renting. He engaged in business as a merchant and also
in real estate, and conducted farming for many years.

When the Mexican war broke out he raised a company for service,
and during the first year of the war between the states, manufactured
salt in Florida for the Confederate government. In 1862 he enlisted
as a private and was soon put on detach duty at headquarters, being
on the staff of Generals Wright and Cummins. He remained until the
close of the war, and then resumed mercantile business and farming.
After several years in Americus, he moved to the plantation where he
now resides, a mile and a half from the courthouse.

He married on October 1, 1844, Elizabeth White, who was born in
Virginia, a daughter of Peter and Permelia (Andrews) White. Mrs.
Willett died at the age of sixty-eight. Their eight children were :
Adelaide, Hattie, Jedediah, James, Augustus, Mollie, Amanda and
Joseph.

Walter B. Cheatham, M. D. Of a Georgia family resident in
this state since the beginning of the nineteenth century, Dr. Cheatham is
one of the ablest representatives of the four generations which have
lived and furnished their honorable activities to the civic and economic
welfare of Georgia.

Walter B. Cheatham was born August 25, 1853, in Webster county,
Georgia. His early life was surrounded by good home influences and
he was trained in the public schools. For his career he prepared at the
Louisville Medical College, from which he was graduated M. D. with
".he class of 1877. His first two years in practice were spent in Macon,
Georgia, after which he returned to Dawson, and in the subsequent
thirty-four years has built up an extensive patronage among the best
families of Terrell county. He was in active practice as a physician
until 1906. In that year he was elected judge of the Terrell county
Court of Ordinary. To this office he brought not only the ability and
experience which belonged to every capable physican, but also a com-
petent knowledge and interest in public affairs and a common sense
efficiency which have done much to promote the fiscal welfare of this
county. For many years Dr. Cheatham was an influential member of
both the Terrell County and the State Medical Association. He has
taken a leading part in municipal affairs, having served as mayor of
Dawson and as member of the Dawson board of education. He is now
president of the Dawson Telephone Company.

Dr. Cheatham married in 1878 Miss Sallie G. Farrar. Mrs. Cheatham
was born in Jackson county, Georgia, in June, 1856, a daughter of G. W.
and Fanny (Day) Farrar. Their two children are Lillian G. Cheatham
and Walter B. Cheatham, Jr. Dr. Cheatham takes much interest in
social and fraternal work. He is affiliated with P. Schley Lodge No.
229 A. F. & A. M., with Lawrence Chapter No. 96 R. A. M., with Cuth-
bert Counsel R. & F. M., with the De Molay Commandery No. 5 Knights
Templar, with Yaraab Temple of the Mystic Shrine, and also with the
Dawson Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

If wholesome character and mental and moral endowment in ancestry
count for anything in the lives of descendants, as science asserts, Dr.
Cheatham owes much of what he is and what he has accomplished to
forebears of whom any one might be proud. Virginia was the original
family seat in America of the Cheathams. Dr. Cheatham's great-grand-
father was Arthur Cheatham, who spent his earlier years in Charlotte
county, Virginia, then moved to Pittsylvania county, and in 1800 came
southward to Georgia, and in the pioneer days located with his family
in Jefferson county.



1036 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

The head of the next generation in descent was grandfather Obadiah
P. Cheatham, who was horn in Charlotte county, Virginia, in 1794. He
was a child when his parents migrated to Georgia, and he grew to man-
hood in Jefferson county, where he learned the trade of a millwright.
Puhlic spirited and patriotic he served in the War of 1812 and in the
Indian wars of 1836 and 1837. He participated in the hattle of Echa-
way Nochaway. For some time his residence was in Butts county, Geor-
gia, then in Stewart county, where he followed his trade, and aiso
engaged in farming until his death in 1850. Obadiah C. Cheatham
married Charity Bryan, who was born in Meeklenberg county. North
Carolina. The Bryan family thus introduced to the Cheatham relation-
ship was distinguished for soldierly qualities and solid civic worth.
Clement Bryan, the father of Mrs. Cheatham, was a native of North
Carolina, and her grandfather was Col. Needham Bryan, who was a
Revolutionary soldier and while serving in the colonial army fought in
the battle of Allemance. Col. Bryan subsequently settled in Smithfield,
North Carolina, where he spent his last days. Clement Bryan from
North Carolina became a pioneer of Randolph county. Georgia, and
until his death was identified with the advancement of that county's
agricultural and industrial interests. He married Edith Smith, a daugh-
ter of Col. David Smith, who was a soldier of the Revolution. Colonel
Smith's wife was Charity Whitfield. The founder of the Smith family
in America was John Smith, father of Colonel David, who was born in
England in 1700, and came to America after reaching manhood, finally
in 1742 locating in North Carolina at what is now the town of Smithfield.
which was named in his honor. John Smith married Elizabeth Whit-
field, also a native of England, and they both died in Smithfield. where
their bodies were laid to rest in the churchyard.

The third generation of the Cheatham family in Georgia is repre-
sented by Clement A. Cheatham, father of Dr. Cheatham. Clement A.
Cheatham was born in 1822 in Butts county, Georgia, acquired his ele-
mentary education in the public schools, finished preparation for his
profession in the Charleston Medical College and immediately on leav-
ing college located in Stewart county, Georgia. He next moved to Wes-
ton in Webster county, where he practiced and lived until the organiza-
tion of Terrell county in 1856, in which year he took up his residence
in Dawson, and was actively identified with the practice of medicine until
his death at the age of sixty-six years. Dr. Clement A. Cheatham mar-
ried Elizabeth Irwin, a daughter of Jared Irwin, the third, and the
descendant of a pioneer family of Georgia. Concerning the Irwin family
the following authentic information was written by Jared I. Irwin of
Sandersville: — "The founder of the Irwin family in America was Hugh
Irwin, a native of Ireland who came to this country in colonial days,
and settled in Mecklenburg county, North Carolina, where he lived sev-
eral years. He then removed to Burke county. Georgia, accompanied by
his family, being an early settler of that locality. His three sons, John.
William and Jared removed to Washington county. Georgia, and secured
large tracts of land a few miles southwest of Sandersville. The son
Jared, who became prominent in public affairs, was brigadier general of
militia, and represented Washington county in the state legislature for
several years, being president of the Senate. lie was a member of the
Constitutional Conventions of 1789 and 1798. serving as president of
the latter body, and was governor of Georgia from 1796 to 1798. and
from 1806 to 1809. He also had the honor of signing the act rescinding
the Yazoo Law, and had the infamous Land Law, that was an imposition
upon the people, burned in the public square at Louisville, which was
then the capital of the stale." Gov. Hugh Irwin died March 1, 181S,



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1037

and his remains are buried at his old home in Union Hill, Washington
county, where the state has erected a monument to his memory. Jared'
Irwin, the third, father of Elizabeth Irwin, was born and reared in
Washington county, where he lived until after his marriage with Ann
Williams. When the country lying between the Oconee and Chatta-
hoochee rivers was surrendered to the settlers he removed to Stewart
county, and there met his untimely death during the battle of Shepards
Plantation after the massacre at the Battle of Roanoke.

Mrs. Clement A Cheatham survived her husband several years, pass-
ing away at the age of seventy-six years. She reared eight children as
follows: Loverd Bryan, Thomas A., Walter B., Annie I., Isabella, Katie,
Fanny E., and Charlie V.

John Wright Wheatley. An early and honored resident of Sumter
county, John Wright Wheatley, of Americus, has for many years been
prominently identified with the leading business and public interests of
that city, and influential in promoting its material growth and prosperity.
He was born, June 30, 1833, in Northumberland county. Pennsylvania,
which was likewise the birthplace of his father, John Wheatley, Jr.

His paternal grandfather, John Wheatley (1), was born and reared
in the city of Nottingham, England, where as a young man he was engaged
in mercantile pursuits. His sympathy with the French Revolutionists
becoming the subject of warm discussions, he decided to seek a
home on foreign shores, and in 1788 immigrated to America, locating
in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, carrying with him a stock of
merchandise, which he afterwards traded for a farm. A man of much
ability, he soon became prominent in public life, and served as justice
of the peace and scrivener. He lived to a venerable age, passing away
in 1840, at the age of eighty-eight years.

John Wheatley (2), who died in 1873, aged seventy-six years, mar-
ried Harriett Withington, a daughter of Martin Withington, whose
grandmother, Rachael Thornton, was the only female survivor of the
Wyoming Massacre which occurred July 3, 1778.

Gleaning his early education in the village schools, John Wright
Wheatley remained beneath the parental roof-tree until seventeen years
old. A manly, self-reliant youth, full of pluck and determination, he
bade good-bye to friends and relatives in 1850, and started forth in quest
of fortune. On December 24th, of that year, he made his appearance in
Americus, Georgia, which was then a small village, giving scant promise
of its present prosperous condition, while the country roundabout was
but thinly populated. There were few railways in the state, and he made
his advent on foot, walking part of the way from Macon to Americus.
Industrious and capable, he soon found employment with his cousin,
Mr. R. T. McCoy, as a clerk in his general store, which was located on
the corner of Lee and Lamar streets. When Mr. McCoy sold out, Mr.
Wheatley, in partnership with Mr. McCoy's brother, H. Kent McCoy,
embarked in the drug business in Americus. Subsequently Mr. H. Kent
McCoy entered the legal profession, and was later made chief justice of
the state of Georgia. In 1855 their store was burned, and Mr. Wheatley
accepted a position as bookkeeper for P. H. Oliver, a general merchant,
whose store stood at the corner of Colton avenue and Lamar street, near
the site now occupied by the Commercial City Bank building. The
firm failing in 1857, Mr. Wheatley took charge of the stock, which was
later purchased by Nelson Tift, of Albany.

Being out of a situation. Mr. Wheatley returned to his old home in
Pennsylvania, but his sympathies were so evidently with the South that
he thought best to come back to Georgia, and on his return to Americus
he entered the employ of Kendrick & Johnson, general merchants, as



1038 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

bookkeeper, and ere long bought out the entire business. Early in 1S61
the building and stock were destroyed by fire, anil during the same year
he was elected clerk of the Court of Ordinary of Sumter' county. During
the latter part of the war Mr. Wheatley was appointed aide-de-camp, with
the rank of major, on the staff of General McCoy, and with him went to
the defence of Atlanta, and after the fall of that city was an active par-
ticipant in the engagements at Jonesboro and Griswoldville. At the
close of the war, his sole possessions consisted of about a hundred bales
of cotton, for a part of which he received twenty-five cents a pound.

Forming a partnership with his brother-in-law. W. H. C. Dudley, in
1866, Mr. Wheatley, as senior member of the firm of J. \Y. AYheatley &
Company, engaged in the banking business, being affiliated with William
Bryce & Company, of New York. This firm continued successfully until
1887, when it was merged into the Bank of Southwest Georgia, of which
bank Mr. Wheatley was elected vice president. In 1897 he was made
president of that institution, and continued in that position until 1905,
when he retired from active business. Upon the organization of the
Commercial City Bank, he was made honorary president, an office which
he has since filled most acceptably to all concerned. His beautiful home,
"Harmony Hall," is pleasantly located on the Oglethorpe road, about
two miles from the court house, and its hospitable doors are ever open
to his many friends.

The record of Mr. Wheatley 's public service has been as honorable
and distinguished as his business achievements. For thirty years he
rendered faithful service as secretary of the board of county commis-
sioners. During that period the county buildings were erected, and
much to the surprise of the majority of people in the county, all were
paid for in full without any increase in the tax rate, payment being
made from the sinking fund which Mr. Wheatley had created.

Mr. Wheatley married, May 10, 1855, Mary E. Dudley, who was
born in Lexington, Georgia, November 20, 1835. Her father,
George Edward Dudley, who settled in Americus in 1840, was one of
the most prominent lawyers of the South, and the author of Dudley's
Law Reports, which were the first records of the supreme court ever
published, and which are standard authority today. Mr. Dudley mar-
ried Caroline Crawford, whose father, Honorable William H. Crawford,
a well-known statesman, served as secretary of the treasury in the cabi-
net of President Monroe, and was also minister to France, and was a
presidential candidate in 182-4 with Adams. Jackson and Clay. Four
children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Wheatley, namely:
Caroline Susan, wife of L. C. Smith, of New York City ; John W. Wheat-
ley, Jr., who married Emma Bird ; George Dudley Wheatley. who mar-
ried Maggie Calloway ; and William H. Crawford Wheatley, of whom
a brief personal account may be found on another page of this work.

Hon. William Harris Crawford Wheatlev. Enterprising, pro-
gressive, and possessing the attributes that would make him a leader in
any sphere he might select, Hon. William H. C. Wheatley. of Americus.
has long been an important factor in the development and promotion of
the industrial, mercantile, manufacturing and agricultural prosperity
of Sumter county, and a commanding figure in its financial circles. He
was born December 6, 1866. in Americus, a son of John Wright and
Mary (Dudley) Wheatley. of whom a brief sketch may be found else-
where in this biographical volume.

. Obtaining his elementary education in Hie public schools of his native
city, "Crawford Wheatley." as lie is familiarly known, further
advanced his studies at the Lehigh University, in South Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania, and later entered Steven's Institute of Technology, at
Iloboken. New Jersey, from which he graduated, in 1887. with the degree



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1039

of Mechanical Engineer. Returning' then to Americus, he was here city
engineer for a year. In 1888, becoming superintendent of the Americus'
Oil Company, he built a large oil mill in the city, it being one of the lead-
ing industrial plants of that time. Subsequently he entered the firm of
C. M. Wheatley & Company, architects and builders, with which he was
identified for three years. In 1891 Mr. Wheatley organized the Americus
Construction Company, of winch he was vice-president until 1893, at the
same time serving as president of the Americus Refrigerating Company.
During those two years both firms, aided by Ins untiring energy and
activity, rapidly increased and extended their operations and their busi-
ness. From 1893 until 1896 Mr. Wheatley was a member of the firm of
T. A. Klatz & Company, architects, and carried on a substantial business.
Giving up active labor in 1896, he spent four years in rest, recreation
and observation, in the meantime visiting the AYest Indies, and traveling
extensively throughout Europe.

Returning to Americus in 1900, Mr. Wheatley was elected treasurer
of the Sheffield-Huntington Company, a position for which his executive
and financial ability amply qualified him. Resigning from that firm in
1905, Mr. Wheatley accepted the position of vice president of the
Americus National Bank and in 1908 organized the Commercial City
Bank, of which he is vice president and the principal stockholder, and
which is housed in one of the finest buildings in the city. He has also been
officially connected with various other organizations of prominence,
having served as president of the Americus Manufacturing and Improve-
ment Company; as president of the Carnegie Library Association; and
as president of the local Board of Trade, under whose auspices the auto-
mobile road extending from Andersonville to Thomasville was estab-
lished.

Mr. Wheatley has likewise been a dominant power in public affairs,
and has rendered his fellow-citizens valuable assistance in positions of
trust and responsibility. He served on the staff of Governor Terrell,
holding the rank of lieutenant colonel, and in 1905 and 1906 represented
the thirteenth senatorial district in the state senate, in which he served
as chairman of the joint committee on new counties, and was the author
of the Lieutenant Governor Bill of that session.

He was a delegate to the Democratic national convention held in Den-
ver, Colorado, in July, 1908, which put in nomination the name of Wil-
liam J. Bryan for presidential candidate, and in 1912 was delegate at
large to Democratic national convention held in Baltimore, Maryland. In
November, 1912, he was elected as a repi-esentative to the Georgia legis-
lature without any solicitation on his part, his election being a proof
of his great popularity as a man, and as a citizen. Mi 1 . Wheatley is a
member of the library commission of the state of Georgia, and is
treasurer and fiscal agent of the third district agricultural and
mechanical school, an organization of great value to the young men and
boys of this section of the state. He is greatly interested in the advance-
ment of the agricultural interests of the state and county, and is him-
self an extensive owner of real estate.

On October 12, 1S!)7. Mr. Wheatley was united in marriage with Miss
Helen Huntington, a daughter of Charles A. and Virginia (Wyatt)
Huntington, and of their union one son has been born, Charles Hunting-
ton Wheatley. Socially Mr. Wheatley is a member of the New York Ath-
letic Club, of the Capital City Club, and the Piedmont Driving Club, of
Atlanta. Fraternally he is a member of the M. B. Council Lodge, Free
and Accepted Masons; of Wells Chapter, No. 4-2, Royal Arch Masons; of
De Molay Commandery. Knights Templar; and of Alee Temple, Ancient
Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and has served as potentate
in the southwest district.



1040 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

John F. Cocke. A well-known and highly esteemed resident of Daw-
son, Terrell county, John F. Cocke is distinguished hoth for his own life
and work and for the honored ancestry from which he traces his descent.
The member of a Georgia family that dates back to colonial times, he
was born June 16, 1857, on a plantation in Lee county, Georgia. He
is a descendant in the fifth generation from Caleb Cocke, the immigrant
ancestor, his lineage being thus traced : Caleb, 1 Zebulon,- John, 3 Isaac
Perry, 4 and John F. 5

Caleb 1 Cocke, said to have been a lineal descendant of Lord High
Admiral Cocke, of France, immigrated to America from England about
1710, settling in North Carolina. It is said that he was a very large
man, and was called the "Great Hunter." Zebulon 2 Cocke was born and
bred in North Carolina. Coming from there to Georgia in 1764, he
located in Burke county on a two-hundred-acre tract of land granted
him by King George. During the Revolution he fought with the colonists
in their struggle for independence. At the opening of that war he had
upwards of five hundred head of cattle on his farm, and at its close
he had but one ox left with which to do his farm work, all of the other
cattle having been taken by the British. He was one of the very first
Baptists in the state, and a charter member of the Back Camp Baptist
church, which was organized in 1788, and to which he donated four
acres of land. He was twice married, his second wife, great grandmother
of Mr. Cocke, having been Mrs. Sarah Field, nee Perry.

John 3 Cocke was born on the parental homestead, in Burke county,
Georgia, September 4, 1784. Inheriting the patriotic ardor of his father,
he served as a soldier in the War of 1812. About 1828 he removed to
Lee county, Georgia, where he bought land that was in its pristine wild-
ness, and with the aid of his slaves cleared and improved a fine planta-
tion, on which he spent the remainder of his life. The maiden name of
his wife was Lydia Davis. She was a daughter of Benjamin and Eliza-
beth (Daniel) Davis, and a granddaughter on the paternal side of Rev.
Elnathan Davis, a noted Baptist preacher of Virginia. On the maternal
side, she was also of honored ancestry, her Grandfather Daniel having
been governor of the Carolinas before they were divided, and afterwards
governor of South Carolina. All of her gi'andparents spent the closing
years of their lives in Lee county, Georgia.

Isaac Perry 4 Cocke was born in Burke county, Georgia, and subse-
quently went with the family to Lee county. There he began life for
himself, working as a farm laborer at low wages. Industrious and econom-
ical, he accumulated quite a sum of money, which he invested in land,
later buying slaves with which to work his property. D\;ring his earlier
life in Lee county deer and other kinds of wild game were abundant, and
often did much damage to the growing crops. There being no railways
in the state, he used to team his cotton to Macon, one hundred miles dis-
tant, the trip being a long and tedious one. He did not depend entirely
upon cotton as a crop, but raised various other things, including cattle,
hogs and poultry. He was very successful in his operations, and as his
means allowed invested in other tracts of land, at his death having title
to five thousand acres of choice land. His home plantation, located eight
miles west of Liberty, was furnished with substantial buildings, and
well stocked. He maintained a summer home at Griffin, but otherwise
lived on his home farm until his death, in 1863.

Isaac Perry 4 Cocke married Almeda Griffin, who was born in Henry
county. Georgia, where her parents, "William and Martha I Harnett)
Griffin, were, as far as known, life-long residents. She survived her
husband, and married a second time. By her first marriage she reared
three children, namely: John Franklin, the special subject of this brief
biographical review; Alniira Florine : and Isaac Perry. Jr.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1041

John F. 5 Cocke obtained his rudimentary education in the public
schools of Carterville, later attending' Bowdon College, in Bowdon, '
Georgia. Completing his studies, he settled in Lee county on land that
had come to him by inheritance, and was there extensively and profitably
engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1899. In order that his children
might have better educational advantages, Mr. Cocke then rented his
large plantation, and settled in Dawson, buying an estate of four acres,
with good buildings thereon, in the village. He still lives on that place,
but has since bought another plantation, consisting of two hundred and
fifty acres of highly productive land, in Terrell county.

Mr. Cocke married, in 1877, Annie Eliza Moreland. She was born
in Lee county, a daughter of John and Eliza (Sikes) Moreland, natives
of Baker county, and lifeJong residents of Georgia. Mr. and Mrs. Cocke
are the parents of five children, namely : Annie Elouise ; diaries Dud-
ley; Stephen Moreland; and John Edwin and Julian Franklin, twins.
Annie E., wife of James Bascom Hoyle, has three children, Annie Elou-
ise, Mary Elizabeth, and Myra. Mr. and Mrs. Cocke are both members
of the Methodist Episcopal church. Fraternally Mr. Cocke belongs to
P. T. Schley Lodge, No. 229, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of
Masons.

Colonel, Robert Lee Colding. Savannah has a legal fraternity of
which she has every reason to be proud, some of the members of the
profession having achieved nation-wide prominence. Among its eminent
representatives is Col. Robert Lee Colding, whose excellent equipment
has given him high standing and a practice of large proportions. As his
Christian name indicates, Colonel Colding comes of staunch Southern
origin and a glance at the history of his forbears reveals a number of
soldiers and patriots. He himself is a public-spirited citizen of the best
type, ever ready to give his support to any measure which in his judg-
nient will be likely to advance the general welfare.

Colonel Colding, who has lived Ins entire life in the city of Savannah,
is the son of Capt. Silas M. and Laura Frances (Sibley) Colding. The
father, who died in 1886, when the subject was still a lad, was born in
Screven county, Georgia, and came to Savannah a bare-footed boy. He
served in the Confederate army throughout the war between the states,
becoming a regimental staff captain in the Fiftieth Georgia Infantry,
in the army of northern Virginia. For a long number of years he was
a successful cotton merchant ; in his latter career as such, however,
suffering financial reverses. The mother of Colonel Colding was born
in Bridgeton, New Jersey ; when she was a year old her parents removed
to Florida and later to Georgia. She was the daughter of Samuel Shute
Sibley, a widely known newspaper man of the earlier days. Long before
the war he was the proprietor of the Savannah Georgian, which was the
predecessor of the present Morning News. The paternal grandfather,
Henry Colding, was born in Screven county, Georgia, of parents who
came from Barnwell District, South Carolina. Henry Colding 's father,
Blanchard Colding, of South Carolina, was a Continental soldier in the
Revolutionary war. The family originated in Denmark, migrating
thence to Scotland and in Colonial days coming to America. They
located first in New York after their arrival in the land of the stars and
stripes and subsequently came to South Carolina.

On account of the parental financial reverses above referred to.
Colonel Colding was early in life throw T n upon his own resources. But
although in those early days the doors of the schools were locked in his
face, the doors of education were not and he found in the school of life
a training quite invaluable. After some attendance in the public schools



.



10-42 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

of the city, he entered the Savannah Military Academy, paying for his
tuition out of his own earnings. Meantime a long gathering desire to
become a lawyer reached the point of crystallization and he began his
legal studies here, being duly admitted to the bar on June 18, 1898. lb-
has since been admitted to practice in the state, supreme and federal
courts and in the United States supreme court. He has a Hue legal
mind and is a hard-working and successful lawyer, always having a
large amount of legal business, and his conduct of his law business being
notable for thoroughness and efficiency.

He is the sound and substantial type of citizen who wins the well-
deserved confidence of the people and he has been called to serve in
several public capacities. He was county attorney of Cheatham county
for five years, from 1903 to 1908. He is an ex-member of the city council,
of which body he was vice chairman and chairman of the fire committee.
He was colonel on the staff of Governor Terrell and is now on the list
of retired officers with the rank of lieutenant commander.

Colonel Colding is one of the most prominent Masons of the state.
He is past master of Solomon's Lodge, No. 1; deputy grand master of
the Grand Lodge of Georgia; past high priest of Georgia Chapter No.
3 ; past grand high priest of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Georgia ;
past thrice illustrious master, Georgia Council No. 2. Royal and Select.
Masters ; past grand master, Grand Council of Georgia ; past com-
mander, Palestine Commandery, No. 7, Knights Templar. He is now
preceptor of Richard Joseph Nunn Consistory, 32nd degree, A. and
A. S. R. He is also a high priest and prophet and representative of
Alee Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He is also past exalted ruler of the
local lodge of Elks. Colonel Colding has been connected with the forma-
tion of many lodges and has been instrumental in spreading the fine
principles of Masonry, especially in southeastern Georgia. During his
progress through Masonry many honors have been conferred upon him.
each succeeding honor bringing increased satisfaction to the brethren
of Savannah. He enjoys a great degree of popularity and is well worthy
of the success he has achieved and the honors that have been conferred
upon him.

Colonel Colding married Miss Annie E. Mclntyre. daughter of
Edward Mclntyre, of Savannah, who was for many years comptroller
of the Central of Georgia Railroad. The demise of this lady occurred
in 1898.

John T. Chastain. The Chastains. father and son. have taken part
in the most important events of southern Georgia. The father was one
of the early settlers of the district, and figured in the pioneer struggles
with wild land and wilder men. The son. who is the subject of this brief
history, not only fought with the hundreds of Georgia's brave sons for
the cause of the Confederacy, but has given his later life in the interests
of peace and good citizenship.

John T. Chastain was born on a plantation in Thomas county. Geor-
gia, on the twenty-fourth of November, 1841. His father. John Chastain,
came into the world in North Georgia, in 1798, the son of James Chas-
tain, whose wife was a Miss Morgan before her marriage. James
Chastain was of French Huguenol ancestry. His son. John, though he
had but limited opportunities, managed, to obtain a pretty fair educa-
tion I'or those days, and migrated to southern Georgia as a very young
man. Like him. his four brothers all left the home neighborhood to set-
tle other parts of the country. James and Morgan going to Dougherty
county, Georgia, Thomas locating in Thomas county, and the fourth mak-
ing his way southwest to Texas.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1043

When John Chastain, Senior, reached the southern part of Georgia,
the country thereabouts presented a very different appearance from
what it does now. The territory then comprised in Irwin and Early
counties, but now suhdivided into several additional counties, including
Thomas county, was wild and uncultivated. The woods were full of
game, and although the Indians had ceded the land in the district to the
state, some few still lingered in the vicinity, though ostensibly making
their home in Florida, across the line. No one felt much anxiety con-
cerning the redskins, however, since they were supposed to be friendly,
and under the complete control of the state. John Chastain, then single,
settled with two other young men in a cabin which they built a few miles
south of Thomasville. On Saturday they journeyed a short distance
northward to a settlement to spend the Sabbath, and on their return,
they found that their cabin had been looted, and everything of value
stolen, including their guns, which they had very unwisely left behind
them. Naturally, they were very angry, and started in pursuit of the
marauders, and by nightfall came upon a camp of Indians.

For caution's sake, the young men waited until morning, and then
entered the camp of the Indians. While the red men were at break-
fast, they entered the camp, and John Chastain, who could talk Indian,
asked them if they had seen a stray horse. The Indians of course had
not seen any such animal, but the young men, looking about, saw their
guns in the possession of some of the braves, and knew that they were
on the track of the thieves. When the Indians invited them to partake
of their fare, they accepted the offer, but complained that they had no
knives to eat with. The Indians gave them knives, and they commenced
to eat. They watched their chance, however, and finally made a rush,
securing their guns, and putting the thieves at their mercy. The Indians
confessed to the theft, but promised to return everything they took, if
the young men would promise not to report the offense to the governor,
who, they feared, would deprive them of their bounty. The youths
assented to this, and the Indians packed the stolen goods on the back of
a horse, and sent a warrior to accompany John Chastain and his com-
panions on their homeward journey.

Unsuspecting, the little party set out, jubilant at having recovered
their property so easily. They did not allow for the treacherous nature
of the savages, however, and before they had gone far, they found them-
selves in the midst of an ambush. The two comrades of John Chastain
were murdered, but he escaped with only the loss of an index finger.
He made his way back through the woods to Thomasville, where a party
of irate settlers at once started in pursuit of the savages, armed for
vengeance, but unfortunately, the Indians made good their escape. The
crime was reported to the governor, however, and he demanded the
appearance of the tribe at Tallahassee, where John Chastain identified
five of the band which had beset him and his two comrades. These
Indians were sentenced to suffer the extreme penalty, and though one
died in captivity, and one escaped, the other three were hanged as an
example to all red men who contemplated molesting the white settlers.
The trial and hanging took place at Thomasville, and the sentence of the
Indians was the first death penalty ever executed in Thomas county.

After his adventure with the Indians, Mr. Chastain lived for some time
at Thomasville. A natural mechanic, he was by trade a carpenter, and
helped to build some of the first houses ever erected in Thomasville.
After his marriage, which occurred in Thomasville, he lived on at that
town for a while, and then bought land about nine miles north, where
he engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1851. Even
after he was settled on his own farm, he was frequently called upon to



1044 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

exercise his knowledge of carpentry in the repair and erection of houses,
for in that newly settled country, artisans were much in demand.

Mary Carlton Chastain, the mother of the subject of this sketch, was
a native of Sampson county, North Carolina. Her father. John Carlton,
was also born in North Carolina, of early English ancestry. John Carl-
ton moved from his native state to Georgia, first sojourning a short time
in Bulloch county, and then going on to Thomas county, where a son
and daughter had already taken up their abode. He bought land in
lots Nos. 85 and 86, now adjoining the city of Thomasville He built
a house on this property, and cleared a farm, upon which he resided for
several years. There were many settlers from North Carolina in the
community, and to them as to all comers, Mr. Carlton dispensed open-
handed hospitality. He was noted in his community not only for his
kindliness and generosity, but also for his true Christian character.
Himself a faithful Methodist, he educated two of his sons to spread the
Gospel as preachers of that denomination.

After spending several years as a resident of the Thomasville dis-
trict, Mr. Carlton sold out, and moved across the river, where he resided
a few years before going to the home in Taylor county, Florida, where
he lived until his death at the ripe old age of ninety-four years. His
wife also reached an advanced age, departing from this life at the age
of ninety-three. Her name was Nancy Alderman Carlton, also a native
of North Carolina. Mr. and Mrs. Carlton had a large family, one of
the members of which was Mary, the mother of John T. Chastain. Mrs.
Chastain survived her husband by a number of years, dying at the age
of eighty-seven. She reared six children to take their places as useful
and efficient members of the community. These are Hardy M.. Sarah A..
Elizabeth, Sophronia, John T., and Julia E.

After attending the Thomasville schools, and taking a course in
Fletcher Institute, John T. Chastain learned to set type in the office of
the Southern Enterprise, a paper published by L. C. Bryan and R. R.
Renlah. Previously, while still a student at the Institute, in 185:3. he
had inked the type to print the first paper ever issued in Thomas county,
the Thomasville Watchman, of which Freeman W. Johnson was editor
and proprietor. In 1862, Mr. Chastain enlisted in Company E, of the
Fiftieth Regiment, of Georgia Volunteer Infantry. He remained with
this regiment for, a time, as part of the Coast defense, and then was sent
North, where he joined the Army of North Virginia. Late in the year
1862, he was detailed for hospital service and entered on detached duty
until after the close of the war.

Upon his return home from his military duties in 1865. John Chas-
tain secured a position in the office of the Southern Enterprise, remain-
ing upon the staff of that paper until shortly before it was merged with
the Times. Previous to leaving the employ of the newspaper. Mr. Chas-
tain had purchased the old homestead which had belonged to his grand-
farther Carlton ; he has resided upon this property ever since. His dwell-
ing is a commodious frame one, set well back from the street in a grove
of fine live oaks, magnolias, holly and pecan trees, with palms and flow-
ering shrubs lending to the attractiveness of the place.

In 1865, Mr. Chastain was married at Farmville. Virginia, to Tishia
Davis, who was born at Farmville. the daughter of Sheldon and Mary
(Meadows) Davis, both life-long residents of the Old Dominion state.
The union of Mr. and Mrs. Chastain was blessed with six children. Olin
S., Gorinne, Elmo. Minnie. Mattie. and Arthur T. Of these. Olin mar-
ried Maude Fallen: Corinne. now dead, became the wife of E. R. West
of Albany, Georgia; Elmo married Annie Smith, and has live children.
Catherine. Shelton, Margaret, Elmo, and Fred; Minnie, who was the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1045

wife of Judge T. H. Parker, of Moultrie, Georgia, died leaving three
children, Aileen, Thaddeus Hall, and John Chastain ; Mattie passed
away at the untimely age of seventeen; Arthur T. is married to Aileen
Wade, and has four children, Vivian, Josephine, Minnie and Madie.

Mr. and Mrs. John T. Chastain are passing their declining years hap-
pily at their beautiful home. Although a Democrat, and an ardent one, Mr.
Chastain does not, nor has lie ever, taken any active part in the political
game, preferring to serve his country as a good citizen and a faithful
voter. Both he and his wife are recognized as factors for good in the
life of the community, and are valued workers in the Missionary Bap-
tist church, of which they are members. Mr. Chastain has farming inter-
est and the acres he has under cultivation yield him a substantial income.

Vivian L. Stanley. Now that men are too busy to gather around
the stove in the country store, or in the post office at meal time, for the
discussion of politics, and weighty decisions as to how the government
should be run, the newspaper has become of supreme importance, not
only as a disseminator of news, but as a powerful influence on the minds
of the people. The power of the written word ! How little people real-
ize its subtile influence, and how often one hears the words, "I believe
nothing the newspapers say." But this very person though perhaps
not believing the papers is yet unconsciously influenced by them, and
herein lies the power of the editor. Therefore when people are as for-
tunate as the people of Dublin, Georgia, they should give thanks. Vivian
Stanley, general manager and editor of the Courier-Dispatch , of this
city, is a man who is fully conscious of the responsibility that rests upon
his shoulders and in every crisis will be found standing on the side of
the progressives, working for the cause that will benefit the greatest
number of people, an eager champion of the right and quick to condemn
the tricks and clever schemes of those who are working for self aggran-
dizement. Mr. Stanley has had a life-long experience as a newspaper
man, and has won during this career the friendship of all classes of
people.

The birth of Vivian L. Stanley occurred in Dublin, Georgia, his par-
ents being Capt. Rodin A. Stanley and Martha (Lowthen) Stanley.
His grandfather and father were both men of prominence in the state
of Georgia, the former having been the first surveyor general in the state
of Georgia, and the latter having been the first solicitor general in the
Oconee circuit. Capt. Rollin Stanley won his military title through his
service in the army, as a captain in one of the Georgia regiments. He
was a lawyer by profession and both he and his wife were natives of
Georgia. He was a successful lawyer, and his children were brought up
amid the influences of a cultured home life. The family consisted of
eight children, five of whom are alive. Of these Ira L. is interested in
the newspaper work in Dallas, Texas ; Frank L. lives in Midville, Geor-
gia ; Florrie is the wife of W. R. Haynes of Macon, Georgia, who is there
engaged in business. Augusta married Judge J. S. Adams, and Rollin
and Mattie died in infancy.

After the completion of the education of Vivian Stanley he went at
once into the newspaper business, serving in various capacities and learn-
ing the profession of journalism from the bottom upward. He has been
in this profession ever since save for the few years in which he gave up
his work to serve the interests of the people. This was during the
administration of President Cleveland, when he held the office of post-
master of Dublin, also serving two years at this post during the admin-
istration of President McKinley. After his resignation from this public
office, he once more took up his newspaper work. At this time there



1046 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

were two others beside himself who were interested in the work, namely,
his brother, H. M. Stanley, and Mr. Hilton, of the Commercial Bank.
At the time of the organization of the committee of commerce and Labor,
H. M. Stanley retired from the newspaper business to take charge of
this new office. The Courier-Dispatch is now owned by a stock company.
and the increase in circulation during the years that Mr. Stanley has
been in charge is sufficient proof of his able management. The circula-
tion now amounts to five thousand, and Mr. Stanley has added greatly
to the revenue of the paper by establishing an up-to-date job printing
department, which has a reputation of doing unusually good work. The
Courier-Dispatch is the result of the combination of three papers, the
Courier, the Dispatch and the Times. The Courii r and the Dispatch
were consolidated about fifteen years ago, and about two years ago. in
June, 1909, the Times was taken over, thus making a strong combina-
tion, but one that required a keen mind and a willing hand to manage
successfully.

In addition to his newspaper work Mr. Stanley has been active in
other fields. From constant study of the political outlook, both local and
national, he became fitted to play an important part in such affairs, and
though he never cared for political preferment, yet he was elected alder-
man and was also made clerk of the city council, serving one term in the
first mentioned office and three years in the latter position. His honesty.
and conscientious endeavor to obey the will of those who put him in
office, as well as his knowledge of the economic and social evils of the
times made him an invaluable servant to the people.

Mr. Stanley was married to Ella Martin, a daughter of "William and
Julia A. Martin, of Sandersville, Georgia. Four children have been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, namely: Martha, Vivian. Elenore and
Rollin. Both Mr. and Mrs. Stanley are members of the Baptist church,
and Mr. Stanley is affiliated in a fraternal way with the Knights of
Pythias.

Doctor Algerine T. Summerlin holds an important position in Dub-
lin, Georgia, not only in a professional way, but as an able business man.
well known for his good management and his common sense. He is a
dentist of high order of ability and is an honor to the profession that
is now beginning to assume so much importance in the eyes of the pub-
lic, and for which science has done so much in the last decade or so. As
an extensive landed proprietor, Doctor Summerlin has the responsibility
of the many people, men, women and children who live on his planta-
tions, for the relationship between master and servant in this section
of the country is still more or less a paternal one. It is in this relation
that Doctor Summerlin has proved himself a man of more than average
ability, and in thinking for others he has developed those traits of char-
acter that have so endeared him to the community.

Doctor Summerlin was born in Bulloch county. Georgia, near the town
of Statesboro, in 1860. His father was James Summerlin and his mother
was Eliza (Lanier) Summerlin. both of whom were natives of Bulloch
county. The great-great-grandfather of Doctor Summerlin on the pater-
nal side was a native of North Carolina, and came to Georgia when Bul-
loch county was more or less of a wilderness. The family* has therefore
been in this county since pioneer days and has become thoroughly iden-
tified with the interests of this section. James Bulloch was a farmer, but
his peaceful life on the old plantation was interrupted by the call to
arms and the outbreak of the Civil war. lie eidisted in a Georgia regi-
ment and served with a division of the army that caught deserters and
punished renegades and carried on a kind of guerrilla warfare. His



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1047

career was brought to a sudden termination by his death at the hands
of bushwhackers in Coffer county and here he was buried.

The youth of Doctor Summerlin was spent on his father's planta-
tion where lie grew up, the eldest of a large family. Both his father
and his mother were twice married. His father had four children by
a previous marriage and three by his marriage with the doctor's mother,
Eliza Lanier. After the death of James Summerlin, his widow married
G. Green and became the mother of six children. Doctor Summerlin was
the eldest of his mother's children. His sister Alice is now the wife of
II. B. Kennedy, a successful farmer of Bulloch county, and his brother
Willie A., is his partner in the dental practice in Dublin. Doctor Sum-
merlin received his education in the schools near- his home, and for his
professional training entered the Baltimore Dental College, from which
he was graduated in 1886. He at once began the practice of dentistry
in Bulloch county, and the following year came to Dublin, where he
has since resided, and where he has been so successful.

The confidence which his friends and neighbors and fellow towns-
men repose in him has been shown by the fact that they have twice
elected him mayor of Dublin. He proved an able executive, but with
this exception, could never be induced to enter the political arena.
Fraternally, he is a member of the Royal Arcanum. His wife is a
member of the Christian church, but he believes in the creed of no
especial denomination. His landed estates comprise about one thou-
sand acres and of this large area five hundred acres are under cultiva-
tion.

Doctor Summerlin was married on the 10th of April, 1900, to Gallic
Prince, the daughter of Mrs. A. M. Prince, of Washington county.
They have become the parents of three children, as follows : Carolyn
was born in July, 1903, A. T., Junior, whose birth occurred in July,
1906, and George, who was born on the 8th of May, 1909.

Rev. George T. Hurst. Among the ministers of the gospel in south
Georgia few have equaled the record of service and experience of Rev.
George Thomas Hurst, now living retired at Cairo in Grady county.

George Thomas Hurst was born seven miles northeast of Thomasville,
Georgia, December 1, 1833, so that he is now in his eightieth year.
His father was John W. Hurst, born in Screven county and the grand-
father was Thomas Hurst. The latter moved from Screven to Thomas
county and became one of the early settlers in that vicinity. He bought
land seven miles northeast of Thomasville, built a log cabin in the woods
and cut and cleared a farm out of the wilderness. When he began
raising cotton he had to find a market for it at Tallahassee. He spent
all the rest of his life on that homestead, and his remains now rest in
the family lot on the farm. His wife survived him several years. In
their family were children named William, Thomas, Betsy, Susie,
Serena, John W. and Harriet.

John W. Hurst, the father, was a boy when his parents moved to
Thomas county, and after his marriage he settled on a tract of land
one mile away from his father's home. A few years later, in 1842, he
bought other land one mile east of Thomasville. and conducted his
plantation with the aid of slave labor up to the time of the war. He
continued to make his home there until his death at the age of thirty-
nine. Soon after his marriage, he had engaged in one of the Indian
campaigns, which marked the final struggle between the whites and the
red man in Florida and Georgia. He participated in two battles with
the Indians, and in the latter was severely wounded. John W. Hurst
married Maria Hicks, a daughter of George Hicks, one of the first



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1049

gia, the son of Stephen A. and Tahitha A. (Edwards) Wilson. The sub-
ject's great-grandfather, James "Wilson, came from North Carolina to
Georgia immediately after the Revolutionary war. He was the holder of ,
land grants in Effingham and Wilkes counties. He was a Continental
soldier in the Revolution and the records show quite clearly that he had
the rank of captain.

Elihu Wilson, grandfather of Horace Emmet Wilson, was born in
Effingham county, where he resided until his death. His son, Stephen
A. Wilson, lived in the same county, and was ever loyal to the institutions
of the South. He served in the army of the Confederacy throughout the
war between the states, in which service he attained the rank of captain
of Company I of the Forty-seventh Georgia Infantry. Captain Wilson
was by occupation a merchant and farmer.

Mr. Wilson, the subject of this brief record, was reared in Effingham
county where he received his preliminary education. He graduated from
the North Georgia Agricultural College with the class of 1880, and in
the fall of the same year located in Savannah. Later he matriculated at
the University of Virginia and graduated from the law department in
the class of 1885, in which year he returned to this city and began the
practice of the law. In 1893 he formed a copartnership with James M.
Rogers, his brother-in-law, under the firm name of Wilson & Wilson,
and this copartnership has continued until the present time. Mr. Wilson
is interested in public affairs, and has been an alderman, city attorney
and captain in Savannah Volunteer Guards. He married Miss Tallulah
(Lula) Rogers, a native of this city, and from this union a son, Rogers
Murchison Wilson, has been born.

Robert Mark Hitch, of the Savannah bar, was born at Morven,
Brooks county, Georgia, on February 14, 1872, the fourth son and sixth
child of Dr. Robert Marcus Hitch and his wife Martha Serena (Fall)
Hitch. He was educated at the Morven Academy and at Mercer Uni-
versity, graduating at the latter institution with the degrees of Bachelor
of Arts in the class of 1892 ; studied law under private instructors at
Quitman, Georgia, was admitted to practice in the Superior courts of
this state by Judge A. H. Hansell, at Thomasville, Georgia, November
3, 1892, practiced law at Quitman for the next several months, and in
June, 1893, moved to Savannah, where he has since resided and prac-
ticed his profession.

At the present time (1913) Morven is the junction point to two local
lines of railroad. In 1872, however, and for a number of years there-
after, it was the country place of Dr. Hitch, at which was located the
local postoffiee, voting place and general store, a cotton gin, lumber
plant and other establishments of minor importance. Near at hand was
the public school and in the immediate neighborhood were Methodist,
Baptist and Presbyterian churches and a Masonic lodge. From this
point radiated several of the most important public roads of the county
and the surrounding territory was inhabited by an unusually thrifty and
intelligent class of farmers. Dr. Hitch was prominent in the community
as a physician, merchant, farmer and business man, was active in
church and educational matters and in all movements of public inter-
est. He was born in Laurens county, South Carolina, on June 6th, 1832,
graduated at the Augusta Medical College, was married to Martha Se-
rena Fall, daughter of Dr. Calvin J. Fall, in Fayette county, Georgia,
April 27th, 1859, at which time he was a practicing physician of that
section. At the outbreak of the Civil war he was active in the organi-
zation of a military company in Henry, Fayette and adjoining counties;
which afterwards became Company B of the Thirtieth Georgia Regi-



1050 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

ment. A history of that command has been recently written and pub-
lished by one of its members, Mr. A. P. Adainson. Dr. Hitch served as
captain of that company during- a large part of the war and participated
in numerous battles, including the battle of Chickamaugua and the bat-
tles around Atlanta. His services as a surgeon were necessarily required
very frecpiently following engagements in which his command took part
and during the latter part of the war he was detailed as regimental sur-
geon for a considerable part of the time and at the close of the war was
mustered out with the rank of major. In commemoration of his services
as a Confederate soldier, his son and namesake, the subject of this
sketch, was awarded a Confederate Cross of Honor by the Savannah
Daughters of the Confederacy on April 26th, 1912. He died at his
home at Morven, Georgia, on April 15th, 1888, as the result of constitu-
tional infirmities growing out of exposures to which he was subjected
during the war.

The parents of Dr. Hitch were William Winder Hitch and his wife
Nancy (Hunter) Hitch, both of Laurens county, South Carolina. AVil-
liam Winder Hitch was the son and oldest child of John Hitch, who was
born February 4, 1773, in Somerset county, Maryland, lived there until
he was of age, then moved to Laurens county, South Carolina, where he
married Katharine Hanna, who became the mother of William Winder
Hitch and a number of other children. John Hitch was county treasurer
of Laurens county, South Carolina, for twenty years and over, and was
well known in that section. He was a son of Louther Hitch, of Somer-
set county, Maryland, who moved to Laurens county, South Carolina, in
his latter years and died there at the age of eighty-eight. The Revolu-
tionary annals of Maryland disclose the names of nine members of the
Hitch family on the muster rolls of that commonwealth, including Lou-
ther Hitch and Captain Robert Hitch. Several members of the Hanna
family in South Carolina were likewise enrolled in the Revolutionary
commands of that state. The Christian name of Robert has been handed
down through many generations of the Hitch family and recurs with
great regularity in the family records in England, particularly in the
public records of Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Berkshire, Worcestershire,
Oxfordshire and Bedfordshire, where various branches of the family
have resided for several centuries.

On the maternal side the grandparents of Robert M. Hitch were Dr.
Calvin Jones Fall, born in Jasper county, Georgia. March IS, 1S15, died
at Senoia, Georgia, April 10, 1879, and his wife Sarah Battle (.Stroud)
Fall, born in Clarke county, Georgia, September 21. ISIS, died at Senoia,
Georgia, January 10, 1891. Dr. Fall and his wife were married in Clarke
county, Georgia, November 21, 1839, by Dr. Alonzo Church, at that time
president of the State University. Dr. Calvin J. Fall was a son of Dr.
John Strader Fall, born in Guilford county, North Carolina, July 22,
1777, and his wife, Martha (Barnett) Fall, born in Mecklenburg, North
Carolina, July 19, 1780. Their marriage took place on October 27.
1812. Dr. John Strader Fall lived for a great many years at Decatur.
Georgia, died May 3, 1863, and is buried at Fayetteville. Georgia. .Mar-
tha Barnett Fall died February 19. 1851. and is buried al Decatur, Geor-
gia. Apparently the Fall family were of Scottish origin. Dunbar. Scot-
land, according to the best information, being the central point of the
family in the old country. The Stroud line appears to be purely Eng-
lish, the family records indicating that the earliest settlers in America
of that name came to this country shortly after the great civil conflict
which grew out of the struggle between Charles I and the Parliament,
and were either descended from or closely related to William Stroud,
of the English House of Commons, who with Hampden. Pym. Holies



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1051

and Heselrig constituted the celebrated "Five Members" who led the
anti-royalist forces in resisting the encroachments of the Crown. Sarah
Battle Stroud, who became the wife of Dr. Calvin J. Pall, was a daughv
ter of William Stroud, who was born in North Carolina and reared in
Hancock county, Georgia, and of his wife Serena Ragan Battle, who was
a daughter of William Sumner Battle, of Hancock county, Georgia, but
who was originally from North Carolina. William Stroud was a son of
Mark Stroud and Martha (Strother) Stroud, of Orange county. North
Carolina, and Mark Stroud was a son of John Stroud and Sarah (Con-
nelly) Stroud. The Strouds, Stf others and Battles came to North Caro-
lina from Virginia and were all of Revolutionary stock. William Sum-
ner Battle was a member of the noted family of that name, which ap-
pears to have been originally of Norman-French origin, and which in
both England and America claims among its numbers a numerous and
distinguished array id' scholars, ministers, lawyers and statesmen. At
the present time the family is most numerous in Virginia, North Caro-
lina and Georgia, but various branches of it have achieved distinction
in numerous other states North, as well as South. Eight generations of
that family are buried in Hancock county, Georgia.

During the year or two immediately prior to his matriculation at
Mercer University, Robert M. Hitch was fortunate in having as his in-
structor Professor Howe, a graduate of Brown University, Rhode Island,
and a pure and noble, type of Christian gentleman. Being a man of
genial, gentle and kindly manners, superior mental endowments, wide
reading and profound scholarship, the impression which he made upon
his pupils was naturally of a most lasting and elevating nature. Enter-
ing the freshman class at Mercer University in January, 1889, and being
compelled to leave college in March, 1890, on account of illness, the
record made by Mr. Hitch in the first two years of his college career was
somewhat irregular. He secured a sophomore speaker's place, but was
unable to take part in the speakers' coldest at commencement because
of illness. In his junior and senior years, however, he improved his
record by making the highest average standing in his class. In his
junior year he also won the medal for oratory and was one of the cham-
pion debaters of the Phi Delta Literary Society at commencement. In
his senior year he was elected anniversary speaker for his society.

The first two years of his professional life in Savannah he spent in
the offices of Garrard, Meldrim and Newman, where he received splen-
did instruction under capable lawyers who enjoyed a large and varied
practice. In the fall of 1896 he opened law offices on his own account
and practiced alone until January, 1898. At that time he formed a co-
partnership with the late A. L. Alexander, under the firm name of Alex-
ander & Hitch. That co-partnership was continued until March. 1904,
and at that time he entered into his present co-partnership with Dr.
Remer L. Denmark, under the firm name of Hitch & Denmark.

Mr. Hitch was admitted to the Supreme Court of Georgia on Decem-
ber 15, 1897; to the United States Circuit and District Courts on Febru-
ary 11, 1895; to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals on August
S, 1901 ; and to the Supreme Court of the United States on January 31,
1908. He is a member of the American Bar Association and of the
Georgia Bar Association. Mr. Hitch is a hard worker, a constant stu-
dent, and a wide reader. He is general counsel and a director of a num-
ber of railroad and banking institutions and commercial corporations,
some of state and some of national importance, besides representing
a large miscellaneous clientage.

For several years Mr. Hitch was prominent in local military organ-
izations. He first enlisted as a private in June, 1892, in the Quitman



1052 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Grays, of Quitman, Georgia, remaining as such until his removal in
the following year to Savannah. In January, 1894, he enlisted as a
private in Company A of the Savannah Volunteer Guards and was pro-
moted to the rank of corporal on November 7, 1894. Later he was ap-
pointed sergeant. Upon the outbreak of the Spanish-American war
he promptly volunteered and was largely instrumental in persuading the
majority of his company to enlist in a body. The Savannah Volunteer
Guards became merged with the Second Georgia Regiment, and Mr.
Hitch served in the same as a member of Company M, first as k a private
and later as sergeant. He was stationed with the Second Georgia Regi-
ment at Tampa, Florida, and at Huntsville, Alabama, and was honor-
ably discharged from service at the latter named station after the sign-
ing of the peace protocol by the two countries. On December 28, 1898,
he was elected second lieutenant of Company A, Savannah Volunteer
Guards, and served as such until June 8, 1900. During this term of
service he was for several months recorder of the military examining
board and from April 24, 1903, until October 24, 1904, he was captain of
the Oglethorpe Light Infantry.

Mr. Hitch was a member of the state legislature from Chatham
county in the years 1900 and 1901, and as such gave excellent repre-
sentation to his constituents. He was a presidential elector from Geor-
gia on the national Democratic ticket in 1908, and he is and has been a
prominent and active figure in politics and public life.

Mr. Hitch is widely known as an orator and speaker, and is fre-
quently sought for alumni addresses, club and social banquets and anni-
versaries, college and high school commencements, etc. Some of his
addresses have been of a serious and thoughtful nature, discussing vital
questions, and have been printed for general distribution by the several
organizations before whom they were delivered. Among these may be
mentioned his address on "The Power of Thought," the alumni address
at Mercer University, in Macon, on June 1, 1909; the address on "Geoi--
gia Secession Convention of 1861 and its Causes," delivered before
Francis S. Bartow Camp, United Sons of Confederate Veterans, Sa-
vannah, January 21, 1903 ; and the address delivered at Midway. Liberty
county, Georgia, April 29th, 1904, upon the occasion of the marking of
certain graves of Confederate soldiers by Liberty Chapter, Daughters
of the Confederacy.

Mr. Hitch is a member of a number of clubs and societies. He is
past chancellor commander and a charter member of Chivalry lodge,
Knights of Pythias, and a member of Live Oak lodge. Independent
Order of Odd Fellows. He is a past master of Ancient Landmark lodge,
A. F. & A. M. He was twice master of this lodge and at the end of his
second term was presented by the lodge with a beautiful past-master's
jewel. He is a Royal Arch Mason, a Knight Templar, a thirty-second
degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner.

Mi'. Hitch was married at Cedar Spring. Spartanburg county. South
Carolina, November 20, 1900, to Miss Virginia Eppes Walker, the young-
est child and only daughter of Dr. Newton F. Walker. L. L. D.. and
his wife Virginia (Eppes) Walker, of Cedar Spring. On both paternal
and maternal sides Mrs. Hitch is related to a number of the leading
families of South Carolina and Virginia. They have two children:
Virginia Eppes and Robert M., Jr. In 1911 Mr. Hitch completed a
handsome home on the southwest corner of Estill and Atlantic avenues,
in Savannah, where he has since resided.

Daniel Frederick Davenport. Prominent among the successful
business men of Sumter county is Daniel Frederick Davenport, for



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1053

many years one of the leading druggists of Americus, where he is at the
present time, in 1913, engaged in the insurance and Teal estate business.
He was born in Americus, a son of Colonel Walter Davenport, a pioneer'
settler of this part of Georgia, and comes of Revolutionary stock, and
of substantial Virginian ancestry. His grandfather, Hon. Thomas
Davenport, and his great-grandfather Davenport were both life-long
residents of Virginia. His great-grandfather, a soldier in the Revolu-
tionary army, took part in several engagements of the war, and on one
occasion, when pursued by the British made his escape by running into
a swamp, and burying himself, all but his head, in the mud. For ser-
vices rendered during the struggle for independence he received from
the United States government a grant of land, and though he secured
a tract of land in Georgia, he never assumed its possession.

Hon. Thomas Davenport, whose birth occurred in Halifax county,
Virginia, became one of the largest landholders and tobacco raisers of
that county, owning a. large plantation, which he operated with slave
labor. A man of strong personality, sound judgment and great influ-
ence, he was prominent in public life, and was five times honored with
an election to Congress, in which he served acceptably for ten years. He
married and reared three children, two sons, George and Walter, and a
daughter.

Walter Davenport was born in 1817, at Halifax Court House, Vir-
ginia, and in his native state received a liberal education. Beginning his
active career as an educator, he taught school for a few years, both in
Virginia and in Tennessee. Coming to Georgia in 1842, he located in
Sumter county, which was then in a state of comparative wildness,
deer, wolves, bears, and other wild beasts of the forest being plentiful,
often terrorizing the few inhabitants of that locality. There were at
that time no railways, and all goods were transported by teams from
either Maeon or Savannah, the round trip to and from those places con-
suming several days, and being especially hard when the roads were in
a bad condition. Settling in Americus, then a mere hamlet, he was first
engaged in the dry goods trade, and later in the hardware business. At
the outbreak of the war between the states, he recruited a regiment, of
which he was commissioned colonel, but having been appointed tithing
agent he did not go to the front. Soon after the close of the conflict,
Colonel Davenport established an insurance business, now conducted
by two of his sons, and continued a resident of Americus until his death,
in 1910, at the venerable age of ninety-three years.

Colonel Davenport married Mary Frederick, a native of Orange-
burg, South Carolina. Her father, Daniel Frederick, was born, reared,
and married in South Carolina. Subsequently coming with his family to
Georgia, he purchased a plantation in Houston county, and operated it
successfully, with the help of slaves for a few years. Selling that prop-
erty, he bought land in Macon county, and there lived until his death,
when upward of eighty years of age. His wife, whose maiden name was
Caroline Rumph, died at the age of four score years. They reared a
family of six children, as follows : Elvira ; Ann ; Olivia ; Mary, who mar-
ried Colonel Davenport; Clara; and James D., who served as a major
in the Confederate service. Colonel Davenport's wife died several years
lie lore he did, passing away in May, 1892. They were the parents of
nine children, as follows: Florence, wife of Benjamin P. Hollis; Vir-
ginia, wife of A. W. Smith; Fanny, wife of Dupont Guerry ; James A.,
of whom a brief personal sketch may be found on another page of this
work : Addie, who married D. J. Baldwin ; Anna, a twin sister of Addie,
married Thomas Dickson; Daniel Frederick, the subject of this brief
sketch : Thomas Edwin ; and Leila, wife of Lawrence Stapleton.



1054 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

After leaving' the public schools of Amerieus, Daniel F. Davenport
further advanced his education by an attendance in an academy, and
at the Agricultural and Mechanical College in Auburn. Alabama. On
returning home, he became associated with his father and brother in the
ding business, with which he was connected for twenty-eight consecu-
tive years, having built up a large and lucrative patronage in that line.
In 1910 Mr. Davenport embarked in the real estate, and the life and acci-
dent insurance business, in company with his brother, James A. Daven-
port, and in his undertakings is meeting with good success.

On November 21, 1890, Mr. Davenport was united in marriage with
Miss Leila Crisp, who was born in Ellaville, Georgia, a daughter of
Honorable Charles F. and Clara (Burden) Crisp, of whom a brief ac-
count may be found elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport
have two children, namely: Clara Belle, and Mary Ella. Both Mr. and
Mrs. Davenport are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr.
Davenport is a member of the college fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon;
and also belongs to the Woodmen of the World ; and to the Patriotic
Order Sons of America.

Eugenius A. Nisbit, attorney and prominent citizen of Albany. Geor-
gia, was born in Macon, on September 20, 1861. He is the son of James
G. Nisbit, born in Madison county, on February 20. 1828. and his wife,
Mary Winfield, born in Eatonton on August 18, 1837. The father en-
listed in the Jacksonville Artillery and served three months. He was
later appointed judge of inferior court of Macon. James G. Nisbit was
the son of Eugenius A. Nisbit, the first, who was at one time judge of the
superior court of Atlanta.

Eugenius A. Nisbit, of this brief review, was educated in Macon high
school and Mercer College, graduating from the latter in 18S0. lie then
engaged in railroad business and came to Amerieus with the old S. M.
Railroad. He read law in the meantime, and in 1897 was admitted to
the bar, since which time he has given his entire attention to the legal
profession. In 1910 he was elected to the legislature by the Democratic
party, to which he gives his political allegiance.

Mr. Nisbit is a Mason of the Royal Arch degree, and has twice been
master of the blue lodge. He is a member of the Presbyterian church,
and is not married.

John Byron Wight, proprietor of Pecan Grove farm, nursery and
orchard at Cairo has been a man of much prominence, and among the
pioneers in the agricultural development of this state. He was one of the
very first, some twenty-five years ago, to undertake pecan culture on a
commercial basis. His accomplishments as a successful grower of pe-
cans are now known all over the southeastern states. He has had a career
of varied and valuable service. Mr. Wight was born at Sofkee, in
Decatur (now Grady) county. September 28. 1859.

His early life was spent during the decade of the Civil war and re-
construction. From the rural schools he entered Emory College, gradu-
ating with the degree of A. B. in 1881. For a brief while he taught in
Sofkee; then in 1882 entered Yanderbilt University at Nashville, and
spent two years preparing for the Methodist ministry, graduating from
thai institution in 1884. In the meantime he taught a year and a half
at Cairo, and in December. 1886, joined the South Georgia Conference
and served consecutively the Trinity circuit. Darien Station, and the
Eden circuit. Tn 1888 he was chosen principal of the Macon District
High School at Snow. He was there for one year, and then taught as
principal of the Cairo high school for eigld years.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1055

The professions of teacher and minister were not to keep him per-
manently from his career as an agriculturist and pomologist. While at
work in the school room he had become interested in farming and fruit
growing. In 1887 he planted his first nuts for the cultivation of pecans
on a commercial scale, and his first pecan grove was among the pioneer
groves in Georgia. In a paper read by Mr. Wight before the American
Pomological Society, February 11, 1911, he gave the productive
records of a tree, a budded Frotscher, which had been set at his home
in Cairo in January, 1892. Mr. Wight explained that it was an ex-
ceptional tree, by situation and care bestowed upon it, but its production
is not less interesting as showing the possibilities of Georgia pecan cul-
ture. The first pound of nuts was gathered in 1897. In the ten year
period from 1903 to 1912 inclusive, the average production of the single
tree was one hundred and sixty-seven pounds, the largest seasonal yield,
352 pounds, being produced in 1909. The average value of the crop
during the last five years has been one hundred dollars. The last three
paragraphs of Mr. Wight's paper deserve quotation: — "The bugbear
of overproduction has been haunting some who are afraid that more
nuts will be produced than can be profitably marketed. With a product
as nutritious and palatable as pecans, this generation nor the next will
ever see a glut in the pecan market. As nuts become more plentiful,
and consequently cheaper in price, there will not only be more consumed
but those who are already eating them will use more. Furthermore, they
will be introduced into the markets of the world, and hundreds of mil-
lions of people will be consuming them where there are now only mil-
lions. Our physicians and scientists are telling us that if more nuts
and fruits were eaten and less meats, that we would be healthier, and if
healthier, then happier. Pecans are getting to be more and more a staple
product. Future generations may see over-production ; but when that
far distant time is reached, wheat will be a glut in the market, and
porterhouse steak will go begging for a buyer.

"I cannot close this paper without urging that every person in the
pecan belt, which is practically commensurate with the cotton growing
region should grow at least a few pecan trees. The unfortunate dwel-
lers in the most crowded parts of 'our cities may not have room. But
there are few homes, even in our cities and large towns, where there is
not enough space to accommodate one or more trees. One tree, when
well established, will furnish nuts sufficient to last the average family for
a year. And a farmer, though he may have only a few acres of land,
is neglecting a most profitable money crop when he fails to set out a
few pecan trees around his garden and yard. These trees will furnish a
shade in summer, nuts in the winter, and will add beauty and stateli-
ness and comfort all the time. There are few New England homes that
have not their apple and other fruit trees; and the day should not be far
distant when the same can be said of pecan trees growing about the
homes in our Southland. As shade trees they are beautiful; and there
are none that yield more in pleasure and profit than do pecans.

"Twenty-three years ago I read this advice from a veteran pecan
grower, who still abides with us: 'Young man, set a pecan grove, and
when you are old it will support you.' I believed then that the advice
was sound ; I now know it is so. And so I will pass the word along :
Young man, plant a pecan grove. It will help to make your days hap-
pier and your pockets heavier. It will lighten your burdens while here ;
and when you are gone, your children ana children's children will rise
up and call you blessed."

Mr. Wight has prospered and built up a splendid enterprise as a
farmer and nut grower. He is now owner of eight hundred acres of



1056 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

laud, of which one hundred and fifty are planted in pecans. As a suc-
cessful fruit and nut grower, he has a prominent place among Georgia
horticulturists. He is a member of the Georgia Horticultural Society,
and is now its treasurer. He is prominent in the National Nut Growers'
Association, has served two years as president of the Association in
1908 and 1910, and is now its secretary.

On July 25, 1888, Mr. Wight married Miss Alice Slater. She was
born in Bullock county, Georgia, June 20, 1864, daughter of John G.
and Susan (Cone) Slater. Mr. and Mrs. Wight's seven children are
George Ward, John Slater, Robert Pratt, Laleah Adams. Warren Cand-
ler, Edward Allen and John Byron, Jr. Mr. Wight has a beautiful
home in Cairo, built in modern colonial style. Mr. Wight is a member
of Cairo Lodge No. 299, A. F. & A. M., of which he is now worshipful
master; and is also a Royal Arch Mason.

For more than eighty years the Wight family has been represented in
southern Georgia. The first generation was among the earliest pioneers
in the settlement and development of Decatur county. In the second
generation were worthy men and women who bore with equal fidelity
their responsibilities to the world, and several representatives of the
name were soldiers in the Confederate army during the great struggle
between the states.

The original American ancestor was Thomas Wight. He was born
on the Isle of Wight, came to America as early as 1635.. remained *f or
a short time at Watertown, in Massachusetts, and in 1637 became a resi-
dent and free holder in Dedham, Massachusetts. He moved to Medheld
about 1650, spending the rest of his days on a farm in that town. One
of his descendants, William Ward Wight, of Milwaukee. Wisconsin, has
compiled a very interesting history of the Wight family. Its pages state
that Thomas Wight and his four sons and a son-in-law contributed to
the fund for the erection of the first brick college on the campus in
Cambridge, which is now Harvard University. Thomas Wight's contri-
bution was four bushels of Indian corn, which was good legal tender
in those days.

The more immediate ancestry of the Georgia family begins with Rev.
Henry Wight, D. D., who was a student in Harvard University, when
the Revolutionary war broke out, and left his studies for a time to serve
in the patriot army. He subsequently was graduated from Harvard, and
became a minister of the Congregational church, and served as pastor
of the church in Bristol, Rhode Island, for fifty years.

His son, Henry Wight, transferred the family history to Georgia.
Born at Bristol, Rhode Island, November 5. 1791. in early life he fol-
lowed the sea and was later commander of vessels in the coastwise trade.
Leaving the sea, he engaged in the mercantile business, and in 1S29
came South and located in Georgia. A boat brought him as far as
Savannah. From there he used teams to convey his goods and family
across the state to Decatur county. Decatur county at that time lay in
the almost unbroken wilderness of Georgia. There were no regular roads
except the trails cut out among the trees by the pioneers. The woods
teemed with wild game of all kinds; and in the hills and valleys the
Indians still lingered, Loath to quit this country which had so long been
their hunting ground. Mr. Wight bought a large tract of timherland;
and in the first clearing built the log house which was the original home
of the Wight family in Georgia. Henry Wight, in keeping with the
traditions of New England where he was born and reared, was a man of
superior education; and after coming to South Georgia, taught school,
lie later opened a store at Sofkee. His stock of goods was drawn over-
land in carts from St. Marks. Florida, wagons being then almost an-






SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1057

known as vehicles of transportation. Henry Wight was a resident of
Sofkee. until his death in February, 1885, when in his ninety-fourth
year. He had married in Bristol, Rhode Island, Miss Abby Wardwell. ;
Her father, Capt. Samuel Wardwell, was a large ship owner, and eighteen
of his vessels were destroyed by French privateers in 1798 and 1799,
when there was a quasi state of war between France and the United
States. In reparation for this loss payment was demanded from the
French government, and the claim was still pending when the Louisiana
purchase was made. At that time, in addition to the sum paid for the
western territory, the United States assumed responsibility for the set-
tlement of all claims against France. But in this case, an entire cen-
tury passed before settlement was made, a remarkable illustration of gov-
ernment delay. In 1899 the heirs of Captain Wardwell were awarded
payment for the loss of one ship destroyed a century before, and Mr.
J. B. Wight, as one of such heirs, got a two hundred and fortieth part
of the total sum, his share amounting to $8.33. Abby (Wardwell)
Wight died in October, 1871, and her children were named: William
Henry, Abby Wardwell, Samuel Bowen, John, Byron Diman, and
George Alden.

George Alden Wight, father of John Byron, established a store at
Sofkee, when nineteen years of age. In 1863 he enlisted in the Georgia
Volunteers, and was in service with his company and regiment in Georgia
and Florida until the close of the war. In 1871 he began business at
Cairo, being one of the earliest merchants in the town. When he located
there, business was conducted in two small stores kept in log cabins.
Mr. Wight himself erected a good frame building and put in a stock of
general merchandise. Wight & Powell was the first business title, and
subsequently G. A. Wight & Sons. He continued as a merchant at
Cairo until his death occurred on August 21, 1894. In the meantime
having bought the property of White Springs, Florida, he erected a hotel
which was operated by a lessee. George Alden Wight was married
November 11, 1858, to Julia Florence Herring, who was born in Decatur
county, Georgia, July 7, 1845, a daughter of Hanson and Amy C.
(Anders) Herring. Her death occurred September 7, 1860. For his
second wife he married Margaret Louisa Powell, a daughter of Kedar
and Amanda Melvina Powell. John Byron Wight was the only child of
the first marriage, and of the second union there were children named
Henry, Kedar Powell, William Samuel, Carrie Bell, Thomas. Walter Lee,
Alice Pearl, George Alden, and Margaret Augusta. All these ten chil-
dren of George A. Wight have grown to maturity. Most of them are
still living in Cairo where they are prominent factors in the social and
business life of their section. The parents were both members of the
Methodist church, and the father belonged to the Masonic fraternity.

James Whitley, ordinary of Irwin county, and a resident of Ocilla,
is a native born Georgian, born in this state in August, 1875. He is the
son of John H. and Martha V. S. (Henderson) Whitley. The father was
a native of h-win county and the mother of Worth county.

John H. Whitley was a farmer, and his son, James, of this review,
passed his early days upon the farm ; in fact, he continued in his resi-
dence there until his election to the office of ordinary of the county,
which he now fills. He received his education in the public schools of
Irwin county, in common with other members of his family. He was
the eldest of a family of six children, all of whom are living but one.
They are Ella T., the wife of James Royal ; Delia, married to F. E.
Ewing; Thomas T., Jr.; Lula, who makes her home with James, and
Lillian, who is a student at Forsythe. All are residents of Irwin county.



1058 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

On July 29, 1897, Mr. Whitley was married to Mattie Royal, a daugh-
ter of William and Mary (Schinholsten) Royal, of Irwin county. Four
children have heen horn to them, named as follows: John William,
horn in 1899 ; LeRoy, horn in 1903 ; Russell, horn in 1905, and Troy E.,
horn in 1909. Mrs. Whitley passed away on August 1. 1910, leaving
her husband and little family of four to mourn her loss.

Mr. Whitley is a Mason of the blue lodge degree, and the family are
members of the Primitive Baptist church.

Duncan D. Peacock. One of the most prosperous small towns of
south Georgia is Pavo in Thomas county. It is on the Georgia Northern
Railroad and is seventeen miles from the county sites of the three
adjoining counties of Thomas, Brooks and Colquitt, viz.. Thomasville,
Quitman and Moultrie, and is surrounded by some of the most pi*o-
ductive farm lands in south Georgia, with turpentine and sawmill tim-
ber enough to keep these enterprises alive for many years to come. Pavo
has a naval stores factory, variety works, manufactory of yellow pine,
guano factory, two live banking institutions, two drug stores, one
dentist, four physicians, two hospitals, and one of the most skilled sur-
geons in the south. It also has a large cotton ginnerj" with capacity
of turning out one hundred hales of cotton, ginning both the long and
short staple, per day, and a large cotton warehouse that would do credit
to a town twice its size. The originator of the commercial enterprise
and one of the chief factors in its growth and development has been
Duncan D. Peacock, who was the first merchant of the place.

When the town of Pavo was incorporated he was instrumental in
having a prohibition clause inserted in the charter so that no intoxicants
can ever be sold there, not even cider. He is one of the charter mem-
bers of the Bank of Pavo and of the Planters Bank, and has served the
town as councilman. He was postmaster for nineteen consecutive years
until the spring of 1911, at which time the office was advanced to third
class, becoming a presidential office, and although he secured the
endorsement of ninety per cent of the entire patrons of the office, includ-
ing the business, professional and banking interests of the town, the
referee of the powers in control appointed his successor, against the
wishes of the patrons, because he had incurred the displeasure of that
official, in that he had failed to comply with his request to furnish him
with the names of the patrons of the office, while to have done so would
have been in direct violation of the postal laws and regulations. The
first name of this place was McDonald, having been named in honor
of Col. James McDonald, one of the pioneer settlers who represented
his district as a member of Congress.

The present name, Pavo, is the Latinized form of Mr. Peacock's
name. Duncan D. Peacock is a native of Thomas county, where he
was born February 24, 1859, and represents an old family resident from
colonial times in North Carolina and Georgia. His great-grandparents
were Simon and Zilpha (Pittman) Peacock, who were, according to the
best information at hand, lifelong residents of North Carolina, and
their children were named as follows: Stephen. Seth. Patience. Polly,
Noah. Demeris. Robert, Raiford, Zilpha and Simon.

Robert Peacock, the grandfather, was horn on a farm near the
present site of Gohlshoro, in Wayne county. North Carolina, in 1791,
lived in that vicinity until after his marriage and then became an early
settler of Macon county, Georgia, where he bought land and made his
home a few years. From there he migrated into south Georgia and
settled in that part of Lowndes, now Brooks county. This was in the
era of early settlement. He bought a tract of hammock land, heavily






SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1059

timbered with hard wood. His home was on the Coffee road, the main
thoroughfare between Thomasville and Savannah, and at the place of
his settlement has since grown up the little village of Okapilco. The
grandfather resided there until his death in 1860. The maiden name
of his first wife, the grandmother of Duncan D., was Wealthy Howell.
She was born in Wayne county in North Carolina, and at her death in
middle life left eight children, namely : Benajoh, Howell, Jane, Robert,
Delamar, Edna, Byron and Morris. For his second wife the grand-
father married America Howell and they reared ten children, named
Sarah, Patience, John, Tyler, Virginia, Letitia, Laura, Margaret, Jasper
and Eulalia.

Delamar C. Peacock, the father, who was born in Macon county,
Georgia, in 1824, spent his active career in farming. He bought land
east of Thomasville, where with the aid of slave labor he engaged in
the tilling of the soil, and resided there until his death, at the age of
forty-eight. He married Mary Ann McKinnon, a native Georgian and
of a pioneer family of this section of the state. Her father was Malcom
McKinnon, a native of Robeson county, North Carolina. Her grand-
father, John McKinnon, was also probably a native of North Carolina
and came to south Georgia and located in what is now Thomas county,
along with the first pioneers who blazed the paths of civilization in this
vicinity. He improved a farm five miles east of Thomasville, and his
remains now rest on that original homestead. John McKinnon mar-
ried Mary Mcintosh, a native of Scotland, who came to America with
her parents at the age of six years. She reared a large family of chil-
dren. Mary (McKinnon) Peacock, the mother, died at the age of fifty-
four, and her children were as follows : Malcom Robert, Rebecca,
Josephene M., Moselle, Duncan D., Daniel Clayton, Wesley and Wealthy
(twins) and John Howell. This family have gained particular dis-
tinction in the field of education.

Malcolm R. Peacock was for many years a teacher prominent in the
public schools of Georgia, having spent the major part of his life in the
schoolroom. Later he became one of the leading merchants of Thomas-
ville, with a branch store in what was then McDonald (now Pavo),
Georgia, and one in Boston, Georgia. In his old age he retired to his
farm near Pavo, where he could enjoy a more quiet life aside from
the heavy responsibilities and cares of the ever-hustling business mer-
cantile life. He married Miss Lelia Culpepper, a daughter of William
H. Culpepper, a native of Thomas county, who was a leading farmer in
Georgia for many years, but who later moved to Florida where he pur-
chased an orange grove. The children of Malcolm are : Emmitt,
Wallace, Wesley and Howell (twins) and Mabelle.

Daniel Clayton is a graduate of the University of Georgia and also
of Harvard, Massachusetts. He came from Harvard to Atlanta and
established his school, "Peacock's School for Boys," in 1898. He now
has a handsome three-story building in the finest residence part of the
city, the school numbering one hundred and and twenty-five to one
hundred and fifty boys from the age of twelve to eighteen, the annual
receipts from which are eight or ten thousand dollars. Professor Clay-
ton has a summer residence in Pavo, where he spends a part of the
summer and winter, hunting during the winter and fishing during the
summer and looking after his varied interests, including his large cot-
ton ginnery and cotton warehouse, etc.

Wesley Peacock, next to the youngest of the family of nine, was
born near Thomasville, Georgia, on December 24, 1865. At the age of
fourteen he entered the South Georgia College in Thomasville, where
after an attendance of four years, he was graduated in 1884 with first

Vol. 11—34



1060 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

honor of his class and with a commission as first lieutenant in the mili-
tary department. At the age of eighteen he taught school, the follow-
ing year in Okapilco and in Stockton, Georgia, and was thus prepared
to enter the University of Georgia in October, 1886.^ having received the
appointment as a beneficiary of the Charles McDonald Brown scholar-
ship fund by courtesy of ex-Governor Joseph E. Brown, of Georgia,
which enabled him to graduate in the university in 1887 with second
honor in his class. Mr. Peacock values a personal letter and a photo-
graph from Governor Brown, received while teaching school in Texas
two years after graduation, in recognition of his having been the first
beneficiary of the Brown fund to repay the obligation.

While attending the University he became a member of the Sigma
Alpha Epsilon fraternity and Phi Kappa Literary Society and in his
junior year he enjoyed the unusual distinction of having won three
speakers' places at commencement, one on oratory, another on original
essay and a third on scholarship.

Immediately upon graduation Mr. Peacock went to Texas to join
his older brother, D. C. Peacock, also a graduate of the University of
Georgia, who had preceded him to Texas by two years, and in Jasper
he was engaged for four years with his brother in conducting the South
East Texas Male and Female College, after which he superintended the
public schools of Uvalde, Texas, for three years.

On December 28, 1893, he married Miss Selina Egg, and in 189-i he
established the Peacock School for Boys in San Antonio, Texas, which
grew into the Peacock Military College, an institution enjoying the dis-
tinction of having been the first school in Texas or any gulf state to be
classed A by the war department.

One son, Wesley Peacock, Jr., survived the death of his wife on
November 28, 1898. On July 4, 1903, he married Miss Edith Wing in
Chicago.

In 1911, after persuading congress to name Corpus Christi. Texas,
as a site of a marine school under government patronage. Professor
Peacock established and maintained in that city the Peacock Naval
School in connection with the Peacock Military School of San Antonio,
obtaining from the navy department navy cutters and other naval
equipment.

Wealthy (Wessie), the twin sister of Professor Wesley, was edu-
cated at Young's Female College, Thomasville, Georgia, and died shortly
afterwards with typhoid fever, at the age of eighteen, in the bloom of
life. She was a devoted Christian and member of the Methodist church.
She contracted the fever while in the performance of her Christian
duties in attending the bedside of a sick neighbor, and was interred
in Laurel Hill cemetery, Thomasville, Georgia. Thus her life was sac-
rificed in the service of her Master, but not in vain.

John Howell Peacock was also a graduate of the University of
Georgia. He was head master for three years in Peacock's Military
College at San Antonio, Texas, after holding chair of mathematics in
San Antonio's Female College. He is now head master of Peacock's
School for Boys, Atlanta. Georgia. Professor Howell married Miss
Meda Perkins, of Alice, Texas, who was a graduate of San Antonio's
Female College. The names of their two children are: John Howell.
Jr.. and Evelyn Louise.

Duncan D. Peacock also began his career as teacher when eighteen
years old and continued four years. In 1879 he located at what was
then McDonald, in Thomas county, where for two years he was in charge
of the school. He was later appointed postmaster, and about the
same time established the first general store in the village. There being



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1061

several postoffices in the state similar to the name McDonald, viz.,
McDonald's Mill, Coffee county, McDonough, Henry county, McDaniel,
Pickens county, resulting in much confusion of mail and freight, the
patrons urged a change of name, and at the suggestion of the postoffice
department several lists of names were sent to Washington, D. C., all
the patrons who would do so having a part in the selection of the names
listed, all of which were considered unavailable for the same reason
that McDonald was unfit. In the last list Mr. Peacock added the name
Pavo, which is the Latin for Peacock, and the postoffice authorities
chose this as the designation for the postoffice, hence it was adopted for
the entire village. After he had been in business for a few years Mr.
Peacock was stricken with nervous prostration and rheumatism, which
kept him in bed for one year and in a wheel chair for several years,
then on crutches. Always a devout Christian, while suffering this
affliction Mr. Peacock covenanted with God, that should he be restored
to his former health he would thereafter direct his energies for the
benefit of the Lord's work in the world. When fully restored and con-
fronted with the problem how best to fulfill his promise, he resolved
that he would consecrate his entire life as well as his business and honor
Him in all of the same, in buying and selling, and all his transactions
with his fellow-man, and that he would henceforth have a higher
incentive in the prosecution of his business than the mere money rela-
tions accruing therefrom. God honored his consecration, his faith and
trust in Him, making it an epoch in his Christian experience, which
has ever since been predominant in his business. Having adopted
as his motto, "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do,
do all to the glory of God," and all his "merchandise shall be holiness
to the Lord," he therefore eliminated many articles formerly carried
in stock which had been a source of profit, but which he could not
now sell "to the glory of God," and which he thought the world would
be better off without. His business cards and letter heads were made
to read, "D. D. Peacock, Dealer in general merchandise of all kinds —
EXCEPT tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, playing cards, pistols and cart-
ridges." One morning after this, after he had made a fire in the
heater in his store, he noticed his little son Clayton, who was
only seven years old, with his arm full of books which he had
taken from the shelving, cramming them in the stove. Asked what
he was doing, the little fellow answered, "Papa, didn't you tell Mam-
ma last night that these books are not good books, and that God did
not want you to sell any more of them?" His father said: "Yes, son,
and Papa will help you burn them all up; go and bring the others."
So some seventy-five or one hundred novels which were being sold for
the profit there was in them, without a thought of giving value received,
were sacrificed, yes, "to the glory of God." A little later he purchased
an entire stock of goods, a bankrupt stock, including quite a lot of
playing cards, and a number of barrels of cider ; he refused to take
the cider, and reshipped it to the wholesale grocer, the merchant from
whom he had bought the stock of goods protesting all the while that
he had tried to get them to take the cider back and they had refused ;
but they were returned just the same and accepted, when they learned
why it was refused by Mr. Peacock. The playing cards were destroyed.
Mr. Peacock is a Prohibitionist in the full sense of the word. He
has never taken a drink of liquor nor a chew of tobacco, nor smoked
a cigar or cigarette in his life. He has never visited any place that he
could not consistently take his mother, sister, or wife, or daughter with
him, and does not claim any credit for it, but gives the credit to his pious
Christian mother and her training in his early life.



1062 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

His unique trade device obtained a wide note through the coun-
try, and he was known far and wide as "The Except Merchant." This
new name given to him by the commercial traveling salesmen,
he later adopted, and had his return envelopes printed, "If not called
for in five days, return to The Except Merchant." He frequently
received letters addressed to "The Except Merchant." Pavo. Georgia.
In April, 1912, he remitted his subscription to The Ham's Horn.
Chicago, Illinois, an independent weekly, which has since become The
Home Herald. This paper wrote an editorial, commenting and com-
plimenting him for having the moral courage of his convictions in
placing on the mast pole of his business cards and letter heads the line
of eliminations included under the word "Except." which "'indicated
strength of Christian character worthy of note." This brought a num-
ber of letters from business men all over the country asking for copies
of his letter heads; some desiring to emulate the example. One firm,
a wholesale and retail house, as well as manufacturer, in the state of
Maryland, wrote that they had never thought of printing their let-
ter heads to show that they drew the line on tobacco, but that they
would do so in future. Among other humorous comments he received
a letter from a Savannah liquor house, stating they had not noticed
wines as being "excepted" in his business and wanted to get him
to handle their wines. Another house in New York sent him samples of
playing cards. It w r as his custom in making remittances in liquida-
tion of his indebtedness to write some scriptural references or quota-
tions across the ends of the checks, such as John 3 :16. Matthew 7 :12,
Heb. 10 :14, 15. On one occasion the check was returned by the bank,
with the inscription on the back, "Irregular." "Returned." Mr. Pea-
cock wrote another check and mailed it to them with a new scriptural
reference as follows: "Mene, mcnc tekel, upharsin." This time the
bank kept the check, having concluded they "wanted the money"
whether they were "weighed in the balance and found wanting" or not.

In his business career, Mr. Peacock has prospered, but he has also
had his reverses. In 1905 having bought a large lot of cotton, the
price dropped suddenly from eleven cents to seven cents per pound,
and he was confronted with financial ruin. To make the situation
worse, he was so ill he could not attend to business, and at that time
his creditors offered him a settlement on a basis of thirty cents on the
dollar. He refused a compromise, declaring his intentions of paying all
his obligations in full. He paid part cash at the time, giving his notes
for the remainder, and has since liquidated the entire amount with
interest. It is this business integrity which has given him a high posi-
tion among his associates, and he is today one of the most influential
business men and citizens of Thomas county.

He has been an active member of the Methodist church, serving his
church as trustee, steward, and has been superintendent of the Sunday
School or teacher of the Bible class for a quarter of a century. He has
a cottage at the Indian Springs camp ground, near Indian Springs.
Georgia, where his family usually spends a part of the summer, he
always joining them during the month of August during the annual
Holiness Camp Meeting, which convenes during that month. He is
an ardent supporter and believer in the doctrine for which that camp
stands, and as taught by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, a
definite experience of holiness of heart in the believer instantaneously
received by faith.

Duncan D. Peacock was married in June. 1888, to Mary J. Red-
dick, a native of Brooks county, and a member of an old Georgia fam-
ily. Her grandfather. Nicholas Reddick, formerly a resident of



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1063

Screven county, became one of the early settlers of what is now Brooks
county. He improved a large farm in what is now Brooks county, in
the Tallokas district, employed a number of slaves to work the fields,
and remained a resident of this vicinity until his death at a good old
age. He was three times married, and his second wife, the grandmother
of Mrs. Peacock, was a Miss Lewis. Mrs. Peacock's father was Rev.
Moses Reddick, who was reared and educated in Brooks county. At
the breaking out of the war he enlisted in Company C of the Seventh
Georgia Battalion, was Later transferred to the Sixty-first Georgia In-
fantry, and gave long and faithful service as a soldier in the army of
North Virginia. He always carried his Bible in his breast pocket,
and at one time it was penetrated by a bullet to the very last leaf, thus
saving his life.

The Bible is now preserved by his descendants as a sacred relic.
He escaped capture and was with his regiment until the close of the
war, when he came home and took up farming. As a farmer and busi-
ness man he prospered, and he also devoted much of his time and
energies to his duties as a local preacher of the Methodist church. His
death occurred at the age of sixty-three. He married Sarah Allen,
who was born in the Dry Lake district of Brooks county, and they
were the parents of eight children, named as follows : Elizabeth, Mary
J., Sarah, James, Lucy, Virginia, Henry, and John Wesley. Sarah
Allen's parents were from Wilmington, North Carolina, and were of
Scotch-Irish descent.

Mr. and Mrs. D. D. Peacock have reared three children : Clayton
Wesley, Moselle, and Lois Elizabeth. Clayton was educated at Merid-
ian Male College, Meridian, Mississippi. He is a successful teacher,
and is at present the principal of the Union Point High School at
Union Point, Georgia. Clayton is quite a young man yet, and intends
to further complete his education at the University of Georgia, or at
Harvard, Massachusetts. Mosie Mae is a member of the graduating
elass of May, 1913, of Andrew Female College, at Cuthbert, Georgia.
Having studied harmony, history, interpretation, sight reading, and
having two years in practical pedagogy at Andrew College, she is well
qualified. Besides receiving the B. L. diploma, she was awarded a cer-
tificate in piano music and received a diploma in Sunday School ped-
agogy. She was an active member and officer in the college Y. W. C.
A. and president of the Kappa Gamma Literary Society. During her
college course Miss Peacock was a leader in all the college activities
and has at the same time taken a high rank in class work. She has
good natural gifts, well developed by faithful study at college, and is
an active religious worker. Lois Elizabeth is in school at Pavo. She
is only seven years old now. Mr. Peacock and wife are both active
members in the Pavo Methodist church.

Rebecca Peacock, the eldest daughter of Delamar Peacock, married
Anthony Wayne Ivey, who was a son of Robert Ivey, one of the pio-
neer settlers of Thomas county. He was reared on a farm six miles
east of Thomasville, Georgia. Wayne was a teacher in the public
schools of Georgia for a number of years and was a member of the
legislature for two years. He was also secretary and treasurer of the
Farmers' State Alliance of Georgia, during which time he moved to
Atlanta, where his wife died. After the death of his wife, he moved
to Thomasville, where he died. His wife, Rebecca, was an invalid for
several years and a patient sufferer, uncomplaining, and bore her sick-
ness with Christian fortitude and grace. At the approach of death,
she drew her loved ones around her, entreated them to meet her in
heaven, and departed this life with shouts of victory, having called



1064 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

for a favorite hymn to be sung while she passed over. Their children
were: Robert, Felton Bartow, Mamie, Elizabeth, Eula, Lee. and J.
Duncan. Felton Bartow, after holding the responsible position as
business manager for a large wholesale house in Savannah for a num-
ber of years, resigned this place in favor of his brother Duncan (who
holds that position now) to go on the road as traveling salesman for
the same company, viz., F. J. Cooledge & Bro., of Atlanta and Savan-
nah. Mamie married Mr. Robert Varnedoe, of Thomasville ; Lizzie
married Henry Reddick, a merchant of Morven, Georgia. Miss Lee
and Robert are living in Thomasville, where Felton B. makes his head-
quarters, his territory being south Georgia and Florida.

Josephene Peacock, the second daughter of Delamar Peacock,
married Abraham Foreman, son of Glover and Malinda Foreman, of
South Carolina. Her children are : Cora, James J., Delamar G..
Mary (deceased), Blanch, Floy, Marion, and Dudly F.

Abraham Foreman was a farmer in Thomas county and moved to
this place in the early days when it was called McDonald, with only
two stores, and purchased the place which was known as the old Mc-
Donald dowery farm. In later years after the name was changed to
Pavo and the place became an incorporated town, he opened up the
most of the farm into resident lots and placed them on the market in
one sale, thus offering the first big sale of land to those who were seek-
ing homes in Pavo. He served the town in capacity of mayor and was
always active at work in the development of Pavo. He is still one of
the substantial residents of the town.

Cora, the oldest daughter of Josephene and Abraham Foreman,
married P. A. Adams, a successful merchant of Pavo. who was one
among the first of the town. James J., the oldest son, was educated
in the public schools and graduated at the Stanley Business College of
Thomasville, Georgia. He held important positions with business firms
in Atlanta, Georgia, and was appointed a clerk in the pay department
of the United States army. He did seiwice in different departments
of the United States and in the Philippine Islands and resigned in
1907 and came to Pavo, where he entered the cotton warehouse busi-
ness. He has been an active citizen, having served as councilman.
clerk, treasurer, as well as mayor of the town. He married Miss Ethell
Mosely of Jakin, Georgia, in 1912. Blanch, the second daughter, mar-
ried W. F. Harrison, of Slocum, Alabama. Floy, the third daughter
of Abraham and Josephene Foreman, graduated at the Pavo high
school, was a student of the state normal of Athens. Georgia, and is
assistant teacher of the high school of Clayton, Georgia. Marion, the
fourth daughter, also graduated at the Pavo high school and also
at the state normal of Athens. She is now a teacher in the primary
department in the Pavo high school.

Moselle Peacock, the third daughter of Delamar and Mary Peacock,
married Hezekiah Roberts, a large landholder at Pavo. He is one of
the chief factors in the growth and development of the town of Pavo and
furnished many of the town resident lots on which are now erected the
residences of many of her citizens. Mr. Roberts has served the town
as mayor and councilman, and in many ways has been instrumental in
building up the town and community, a more complete account of which
is given in this volume in the history of Pavo.

To Moselle and Hezekiah Roberts were born: Mamie. Wessie.
Frank, and Jack. Miss Wessie married Hugh C. Ford, the cashier of
the Bank of Pavo. Mr. Ford is a graduate of Oxford and is of a prom-
inent family of Cartersville, Georgia. Mrs. Ford attended "Wesleyan



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1005

Female College and received a certificate in music. Jack is assistant
cashier in the Bank of Pavo.

Mrs. Moselle Roberts died in August, 1895, and was buried in Leb-
anon cemetery at Pavo.

William S. Mann, practicing attorney of McRae and senator from
the Fifteenth Senatorial District, is readily conceded to be one of the
most rapidly rising young professional men in Telfair county. Not yet
four years in the professional world, he has in that brief time accom-
plished what it has taken other men many years of effort to attain, and
those accomplishments give rich promise of the possibilities of his future
career.

Born in Berrien county, in 1884, Mr. Mann is the son of Frank R.
and Henrietta (Sykes) Mann. The father, a prominent turpentine op-
erator and lumberman, who also conducted a naval store's supply house
and did some farming, still lives in Berrien county, although his wife is
deceased. She was a native of Montgomery county, and her husband of
Tattnall county. When William S. Mann was an infant the family
removed to Telfair county, and there he was reared and educated. He
attended the common schools and later entered the University of Georgia
at Athens, pursuing a literary course. He concluded his studies there
with a course in law and in 1908 was graduated, receiving his degree.
He immediately began the practice of his profession in McRae, and such
progress did he make in his labors and so well did he impress the public
with his ability and progressiveness that in 1910 he was nominated for
the office of senator from the Fifteenth Senatorial District, comprising
the counties of Telfair, Montgomery, Dodge, Ben Hill and Irwin, and
his election duly followed. He is now discharging the duties of that po-
sition, and his labors thus far in behalf of his constituents have been
all that could be desired.

On August 15, 1909, Mr. Mann was united in marriage with Miss
Floris J. Perkins, daughter of J. W. Perkins, one time operator in tur-
pentine in Georgia. Both parents are now deceased. They were for-
mer residents of St. Louis, Missouri, and there Mrs. Mann was born.
One son, William S., Jr., was born to them on July 14, 1910.

The family affiliates with the Episcopalian church, of which Mrs.
Mann is a member. Mr. Mann is a member of the Knights of Pythias.
A sister of Mr. Mann, Aleph, is married to Oscar B. Burch and resides
in Jackson, Georgia, while a brother, Frank R., Jr., is a physician and
surgeon of Lumber City, Georgia

John Burch Roberts. A well-known and prosperous agriculturist
of Terrell county, John Burch Roberts, living near Dawson, is distin-
guished both for his own life and works, and for the honored ancestry
from which he is descended, the name of Roberts having been prominent
in Georgia for upwards of a century.

His grandfather, Reverend Burch M. Roberts, was a Baptist preacher,
holding pastorates in various places in Georgia, and meeting with a due
meed of success in his ministerial labors. He married Harriet Hardwick,
who also belonged to a well-known family of this state.

Honorable Joseph W. Roberts, father of John B. Roberts, was born,
it is thought, in Hancock county, Georgia, where his father was then
settled as a minister. Taking advantage of every offered opportunitv
for increasing his knowledge, he acquired a substantial education while
young:, but instead of entering upon a professional career chose the in-
dependent occupation of a farmer. He purchased land in Calhoun
county when all of that section of Georgia was in its pristine wildness,



1066 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

being but sparsely populated, and far from any railroad. With the
assistance of slaves he cleared and improved a good farm, upon which he
lived until 1866. Locating then in Terrell county, he purchased a farm
situated one and one-fourth miles west of the Court House, and was
there engaged in agricultural pursuits a number of years. When ready
to relinquish the management of his estate, he moved to Dawson, where
he continued his residence until his death, at the good old age of
seventy-eight years. He was long prominent and influential in public
affairs, from 1861 to 1865, during the entire time that Georgia was one
of the Confederate States, representing Calhoun county in the state leg-
islature. He also served as judge of the inferior court, and at the time
of his death was judge of the court of ordinary of Terrell county, a po-
sition which he had held for eighteen years. He married Mary J. Col-
ley, daughter of John Colley, a Calhoun county farmer. She died at
the age of sixty-four years, leaving six children, namely : John Burch.
James W., Louisa, George M., Mary Ella and Charles.

Educated in the rural schools, and brought up on the home farm, John
Burch Roberts acquired while young a valuable knowledge and expe-
rience in the art of agriculture, and naturally selected farming as his life
occupation. At the time of his marriage he bought land lying ten miles
east of Dawson, and managed it successfully for two years. The ensu-
ing three yeares he was employed in mercantile pursuits, after which he
returned to the soil, taking up farming near the old parental homestead,
which has since come into his possession, and which he now occupies. It
is a well improved estate, with substantial buildings, and under his wise
management yields a good annual income.

Mr. Roberts married, November 17, 1870, Catherine Simpson, who
was born in that part of Lee county now included within the boundaries
of Terrell county. Her father, John James Simpson, was born in North
Carolina, and when a small child was left fatherless. His widowed
mother subsequently married Daniel Kennedy, and they came with their
family to Georgia, locating in that section of Lee county that now forms
a part of Terrell county. John James Simpson was a young man when
he settled in Georgia, and he subsequently married Mary Elizabeth
Blanehard, who was born in North Carolina, and came with her mother
and her step-father, a Mr. Bradley, to Georgia. The Kennedy and Brad-
ley families left North Carolina about the same time, the Bradleys being
bound for Mississippi. While jorneying overland the two families met.
and the Kennedys persuaded the Bradleys to locate in Lee county. Geor-
gia, their point of destination. Four years later the two families became
more closely united, John James Simpson, stepson of Daniel Kennedy,
marrying Miss Blanehard, stepdaughter of Mr. Bradley. She died thir-
teen months after their marriage, leaving an infant daughter, Catherine,
now the wife of Mr. Roberts. Mr. Simpson afterwards married for his
second wife Florence Smith, daughter of Griffin Smith, a pioneer of
South Georgia, and she is now living in South Georgia, and is the mother
of four children, as follows: William, George. Edward and John. Mr.
Simpson took an active interest in public affairs, and during the trying
times of the Civil war served for four years as sheriff of Terrell county.

Ten children have blessed the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Roberts,
namely: Beulah, Blanehard, William, John James. Burch, Mary. George,
Oscar, Alice and Cortez. All are still living, several being married, and
having families of their own. .Beulah, wife of Charles Wilkinson, has five
children. Blanehard. wife of Sidney J. Cook, has three children, Ruth,
Blanehard and Sidney. William married Sarah Brown, and has three
children. Euzella, Catherine and Marion. John J., married Roxie Beck-
ham, and they have three children, Pauline. Catherine and John. Burch



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1067

married AYillie Joiner, and they have one son, Burch. George married
Bertha Haiston. Oscar married Nellie Kitchen. And Alice is the wife
of Foy Haines. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts are members of the Methodist
Episcopal church. Fraternally Mr. Roberts belongs to the Royal Arca-
num.

James D. AVade, Jr. A prominent and prosperous member of the
legal fraternity, James D. Wade, Jr., has been actively engaged in the
practice of his profession in Quitman, Brooks county, for upwards of a
quarter of a century, and during the time has gained for himself a fine
reputation, not only as an able and skilful attorney, but as a man and a
citizen. A son of Colonel James D. Wade, Sr., he was born, July 5, 1856,
in Screven county, Georgia, of pioneer ancestry.

His paternal grandfather, Jesse Wade, who was of English lineage,
was born in Green county, Georgia, where his parents, well-to-do farm-
ers, were pioneer settlers. Brought up and educated in his native
county, he began life for himself in Newton county, Georgia, but after
living there ten years removed to Murray county, buying land in that
part now included within the boundaries of Whitfield county, and on
the farm which he cleared carrying on farming with the assistance of his
slaves until they were freed. In 1863, being then well advanced in age,
he refugeed to the home of his son Archibald, in Pierce county, and
there resided until his death, in 1872, at the age of eighty-two years, his
death having been the result of injuries received in an accident at a
cotton gin. He married Bethany Middlebrooks, a daughter of Isaac
Middlebrooks, a pioneer settler of Morgan county, Georgia. She died in
1882, aged eighty-eight years. To her and her husband nine children
were born, as follows: Elizabeth, who married a Mr. White, and re-
moved to Texas ; Peyton L. ; Isaac M. ; James D. ; Archibald P. ; Edward
C. ; Seaborn H. ; William P. ; and Milton C.

James D. Wade, Sr., was born in Newton county, Georgia, February
13, 1826, and was brought up and educated in Whitfield county. Upon
the breaking out of the Civil war he organized a company for the Con-
federate service, and was commissioned as its captain. He remained
with his command until the close of the conflict, taking part in many
engagements of note, and for bravery on the field of battle was promoted
Prom rank to rank until receiving his commission as colonel of his regi-
ment. Returning home at the close of the war, Col. James D. Wade
remained in Screven county, where he had located prior to entering the
army, until 1870. Selling his plantation in that year, the Colonel came
to Brooks county, purchased land lying eight miles north of Quitman,
and there continued his agricultural labors. Several years later he sold
out, and subsequently lived retired in Quitman until his death, March 9,
1910, at the venerable age of four score and four years. Colonel Wade
married Sarah Bowie, who was born in Screven county, Georgia, in 1830,
and died in March, 1909. Her parents came from South Carolina, their
native state, to Georgia, locating in Screven county at an early day. and
there clearing and improving a farm, which they managed with slave
labor, remaining on their homestead the rest of their days. To Colonel
Wade and his wife five children were born, as follows: James D., Jr.,
the special subject of this biographical review ; Jesse P. ; Josephine F. ;
Seaborn H. ; and William C.

Obtaining his early education in the common schools of Screven
county, James D. Wade, Jr., subsequently attended the University of
Georgia. His natural talents leading him to choose a profession. Ik 1
then read law with Judge J. G. McCall, and being admitted to the bar
in 1882 immediately began the practice of law in Quitman. In 1888 Mr.



1068 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Wade was elected clerk of court, and was continued in that office by
continuous re-election for a period of twelve years. On retiring from
the clerkship, Mr. Wade resumed his practice in Quitman, where he
gained an extensive patronage.

Mr. Wade married, in 1888, Mary Jones, who was born in Thomas
county, Georgia, a daughter of James Y. Jones. Mrs. Wade's grand-
father. Thomas Jones, a native of Bulloch county, Georgia, was a pio-
neer settler of Thomas county, Georgia, and, it is said, was one of the
three men whose Christian name was "Thomas," and for whom Thomas
county and the city of Thomasville were named. Buying a tract of
timber land, he erected a log cabin in the wilderness, and with slave
labor cleared many acres of land, and carried on general farming with
most satisfactory pecuniary results. He made improvements of great
value, building a commodious brick house to replace the log structure in
which he and his family first lived, and putting up substantial farm
buildings. On the homestead which he wrested from the forest he spent
the remainder of his long life. He married Lavina Young, who was born
in Bulloch county, and died in Thomas county, at the venerable age of
ninety years. James Y. Jones, Mrs. Wade's father, came to Brooks
county many years ago, and in addition to buying a plantation bought a
home in Quitman. He never lived upon his plantation, but made his
home in Quitman until his death, at the comparatively early age of' fifty-
nine years. He married Margaret Holzendorf, who was born in Camden
county, Georgia, of Holland ancestry. She died at the age of sixty-one
years, leaving four children, as follows : Lavina ; Mary. Now Mrs. Wade ;
Margaret ; and James Y. Jones, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Wade are the parents
of nine children, all daughters, namely : Mary, wife of Wallace W. Hop-
per ; Lillie ; Maggie ; Freddie ; Sarah H. ; Willie ; Annie : Minnie ; and
Edna.

George Robert Christian. Occupying a noteworthy position among
the active and prosperous business men of Georgia and Florida, George
R. Christian is distinguished not only for his own sterling traits of char-
acter but for the honored ancestry from whom he descended. He was
born November 18, 1867, in Lowndes county, Georgia, nine miles south
of Valdosta. The Christians were natives of the Isle of Man. where they
had been prominent from time immemorial as the history of the Isle of
Man shows (Peveril of the Peak). He is a son of Thomas Johnson
Christian, whose father, Gabriel Christian, was the son of John Chris-
tian of Virginia, who came when a child with his father. Gilbert Christian,
from the Isle of Man. They landed first at Philadelphia, and from there
they came on down to the valley of Virginia, and were the second immi-
grants to settle there, John Lewis already being there, and having set-
tled near where Staunton, Virginia, now stands.

John Christian, who married Elizabeth Crawford, a woman of vig-
orous intellect, was captain of horse in the Colonial army and fought the
Indians along with Daniel Boone and Col. Wm. Christian, in whose
honor Christian county, Kentucky, was named. (Life and Times of
Caleb AVallace). John Christian was the only surviving member of a
party of twelve attacked by the Indians while attempting to survey
lands drawn by Col. Wm. Christian in western Kentucky as a bounty
for services rendered in fighting the Indians.

Gabriel Christian, born in Virginia, received excellent educational
advantages and was reared in the Presbyterian faith — he subsequently
embraced the Protestant Methodist religion and became a preacher in
that denomination. Coming to Georgia, he purchased a tract of wild
land in Monroe county, and with his slaves began the improvement of the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1069

plantation. Continuing his work in the Master's vineyard as a circuit
rider, he preached in numerous places in Georgia, remaining a resident
of Monroe county until his death. The marriage of Gabriel Christian
to Harrison Blair Gilmer also of Virginia was solemnized in Albermarle
county in that state in the year of 1800. Her father, John Gilmer, mar-
ried Mildred Merriwether, who was descended in the sixth generation
from Nicholas Merriwether. Mildred Merriwether, who was the daugh-
ter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Thornton) Merriwether and who became
the wife of John Gilmer was therefore a great-grandmother of George
Robert Christian. Gabriel Christian and his wife reared seven children
as follows: John Gilmer, Martha Taliaferro, Abner Hobbs, Julia Ann,
Nicholas Thornton, Hope Hull and Thomas Johnson.

Thomas Johnson Christian was born in 1822 in Monroe county, at
which place he remained until seventeen years of age. After the death
of his father in 1839, he and his mother moved to Florida, carrying with
them their slaves. He entered government land in Madison county and
improved a plantation. Having sold this in 1856 to his brother-in-law,
Dr. J. AV. Hines, he moved to Georgia, and purchased lot No. 82, a tim-
bered tract, eight miles south of Quitman, then in Lowndes, but now in
Brooks county. He was on the first jury drawn in Brooks county. Hav-
ing again sold in 1860, he moved to Hamilton county Florida, near
Belleville, where he bought lands. There in company with Green McCall
he built in the Withlacoochee river "a fall fish trap" from which he
hauled fish by the two-horse wagon loads. The trap is still standing,
having been in operation these many years. On account of failing health
he sold his possessions in that locality and settled in 1862 in Berrien
county, Georgia, four miles from Nashville, where he purchased Flat
Creek mills, consisting of gins and grist with several adjoining lots of
land.

During the war between the states he not being physically able to
render active military service was detailed miller, and in that capacity
did all that he could to help the Confederacy. He owned twenty-six
slaves, for whom he was offered real estate in Savannah to their full
value, but on account of the relation between master and slaves he re-
fused to sell, saying that he always had treated them well, and he be-
lieved they would never leave him, and some of them did, after freedom,
remain with him for several years. During the latter part of the war
Captain Sharpe, an enrolling officer, was his guest while performing his
duties for the Confederate army. The captain's whereabouts was dis-
covered by the Confederate deserters, by whom he was brutally mur-
dered. These deserters worked great damage to the property of Thomas
J. Christian by killing his stock, burning his kitchen, setting on fire his
dwellings, which would have burned had it not been for the prompt and
active service of his slaves — especially the negro Summer, who carried
the blankets into the well in order to wet them and smother the fire, the
buckets having been taken off by those who set the house on fire. His
life was constantly in danger. He was waylaid by the deserters who
were jealous of his kind treatment to the soldiers and loyal persons
connected with the Confederacy. His life was spared and he remained
until 1867 in this trying community, in the center of the collection of the
Confederate deserters, who congregated around this ten-mile bay and
large swamp. From here he went to Lowndes county, nine miles south
of Valdosta, at which place he remained for six months. He traded his
Berrien county property for land in Madison county, Florida, just across
the state line. Fifteen years later he exchanged that land for a farm lo-
cated in Brooks county, Georgia, ten miles south of Quitman, and there
he spent the remainder of his life, passing away January 6, ] 885.



1070 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Thomas Johnson Christian married Mary Susannah McCall, who was
horn in Telfair county, Georgia, July 12, 1832, and died in Brooks
county, 'Georgia, June 26, 1893. She was a daughter of Col. George
Robert Francis McCall, a granddaughter of Rev. Wm. McCall, and
great-granddaughter of Francis McCall, a native of Scotland who immi-
grated to America in Colonial days, settling in South Carolina. Rev.
AVm. McCall served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war and was for
many years a noted preacher in the Missionary Baptist church. Remov-
ing from Society Hill, South Carolina, to Screven county, Georgia, he
was there a resident until his death. He was twice married. His first
wife, Nancy Fletcher, the great-grandmother of George R. Christian,
was the daughter of William Fletcher, who died in southeast Georgia at
the advanced age of 132 years. The maiden name of his second wife was
Mary Pierce.

Col. George R. McCall was born July 28, 1794, in Screven county,
and was educated for a physician, having graduated at a medical col-
lege. Not caring for his professional life, he entered land in 1838 in
what is now Brooks county, Georgia, and Madison county, Florida. The
little Ancilla creek passed through his land and he improved the power,
huilding first a grist mill and later putting up the first sawmill in
South Georgia. He erected the first frame house in this section of the
state, painted it white, and it was known for many miles around as the
"White House." It was located about twelve miles south of Quitman
in Lowndes county, now Brooks county, near the state line. Colonel
McCall sold that estate to William Thomas, moved from there to the
Land place, eight miles south of Quitman. Then he sold this and moved
about one mile south of the state line into Madison county, Florida. On
the same little Ancilla creek he built a larger grist and saw mill, and
there resided until his death, November, 188-1, in the ninety-first year of
his age. The colonel was an important factor in the development of the
resources of his community and during his career witnessed many won-
derful transformations in the face of the country, villages and populous
cities springing up. He saw Savannah grow from a small hamlet, when
he first began trading there, to a large and enterprising city, one of the
foremost in the state.

On January 15, 1817, Col. George R. McCall married Luvincia Fain,
who was born in Telfair county, Georgia, January 15. 1801. She was a
daughter of Thomas Fain and granddaughter of William Fain, a Revo-
lutionary soldier who lies buried in Knoxville, Tennessee. William Fain
was a native of Ireland, his trade was a linen weaver, and he left a land
estate there when he came to America ; when the Tories land was con-
fiscated in this country he decided to give up Lis estate in Ireland.
Luvincia (Fain) McCall died June 26, 1885. They lived a long and
happy wedded life of sixty-eight years, and reared ten children.

Of the union of Thomas Johnson and Mary Susannah (McCall)
Christian ten children were born, namely: Mary Blair. Thomas Addison,
Rebecca Luvincia, Frank Gilmer, Moses Nathaniel, Hope Hull. Martha
Virginia, Georgia Robert, Julia Ann and Cora Hull.

George R. Christian, the special subject of this sketch, attended com-
mon schools whenever opportunity offered, acquired a practical educa-
tion when young, and assisted on the home farm until attaining his ma-
jority. He then went to a horological school at Oxford, North Carolina.
and mastered the trade of watch maker, in which ho engaged as watch
maker and jeweler for eleven years in different parts of Georgia and
Florida, during which time be permanently located at Quitman. Geor-
gia. In November. 1899. he changed his business into an installment.
furniture business in which lie was engaged seven years. Retiring from



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1071

that business in 1906. he is at present a successful dealer in real estate,
being one of the largest real estate owners in Quitman, Georgia, lie
is building a summer home on Pine mountain at Manchester, Georgia, /
and his winter home is on 15 Rhode avenue, St. Augustine, Florida, a
place which is surrounded by palms, oranges, figs, mulberries and plums,
trees and fruits which distinguish that section of the state. It is located
near the famous Matanzas Bay, from which he gets his fish, oysters and
deep-sea products. He has made a home for his unmarried sisters in
Quitman, Georgia, since 1896, who still remain with him.

Captain Christian has never married. He takes special interest in
his genealogy and has several relics handed from his ancestors.

Aaron Wiley Dowdy. Left fatherless when still a babe in arms and
forced at a tender age to begin to make his own way in the world to a
great degree, life presented to Aaron Wiley Dowdy no primrose path of
dalliance. With him it has been the order of the day to work and hus-
tle from early youth and to attain success not through any adventitious
chance, but by arduous effort and meritoi'ious, self reliant service. That
he has done this and has met with a large measure of success in his op-
erations is made evident to all who visit his finely cultivated farm in
Appling county, near Rockingham, where he has followed agricultural
pursuits for the past thirteen years. Mr. Dowdy was born March 8,
1862, near Reidsville, Tattnall county, Georgia, and is a son of Aaron
Wiley and America (Bacon) Dowdy.

Mi-. Dowdy's paternal grandfather, Ben F. Dowdy, served as sheriff
of Tattnall county during the war between the states, in which his son,
the father of Aaron W., lost his life while serving in the Confederate
ranks at Gettysburg. He married Emily Mattox. Mr. Dowdy's mother,
a native of Bryant county, Georgia, who now resides in Appling county,
is a daughter of Frederick and Emily (Stubbs) Bacon, farming people
of Georgia.

The educational advantages of Aaron Wiley Dowdy were secured in
the schools of the vicinity of the family home in Tattnall county, and
he was reared to the life and pursuits of an agriculturist. Brought up
under stern discipline, he early learned traits of self-reliance, industry,
integrity and clean living, characteristics which have helped him in
surmounting many obstacles and eventually achieving success. He con-
tinued to follow farming in his native county until he reached the age
of thirty-seven years, at which time he came to Appling county, at that
time locating on the farm which he now operates. Mr. Dowdy has been
a hard-working, industrious man, living a frugal, correct and useful life.
Whatever he has acquired is the result of his own thrift, energy and
business capacity. He is one of the men who, in making money, do not
so fall in love with it as to forget their duty to their fellow men. In all
matters pertaining to the welfare of the people he takes a deep interest,
and is one of the first to assist in promoting any good enterprise. In
consequence of this disposition, together with his general worth and use-
fulness, he is well esteemed and has many friends in his community.

Mr. Dowdy was married to Miss Frances Weathers, daughter of the
Rev. A. and Harriet (Smith) Weathers, the former a missionary Bap-
tist minister who filled various charges throughout Tattnall and Liberty
counties for a number of years. Mr. and Mrs. Dowdy have been the par-
ents of seven children, as follows: Byron McFarland, thirty years of
age, a farmer; Edward Cleveland, twenty-seven years old, who is also
engaged in agricultural pursuits; Fannie, who is twenty-three years of
age ; Sidney, twenty, the w T ife of Frank Anderson, residing in Appling
county, near Rockingham ; Georgia, a sixteen-year-old student who has



1072 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

read the New Testament through three times; and Luther McLain, aged
thirteen, and Henry, seven years old, hoth of whom are attending school.
Mr. Dowdy is a master Mason, and he and his family attend the Metho-
dist ehureh, South.

Walter Blair Roddenbery. Born on the plantation in Decatur
county, now in the new county of Grady, which he now occupies and cul-
tivates, and which his father attained years ago when all the land was
covered with forest, Walter Blair Roddenhery has unusual and promi-
nent relations with the agricultural and civic affairs of his locality. He
represents the third generation of a family which has resided in south-
ern Georgia, and the family is one that has furnished men of ability
not only to the agricultural and business affairs of the state, but also to
the larger public life.

A special distinction belongs to Walter Blair Roddenbery as one of
the prime movers in the formation and organization of Grady county.
This movement, which was brought to a successful termination in 1906,
met with a great deal of opposition from both Decatur and Thomas
counties, neither of which wanted to lose some of their hest territory.
Mr. Roddenbery worked unceasingly, being convinced that the best inter-
ests of the locality would be subserved by a new county, and after the
county had been created he became a member of the first board of county
commissioners and chairman of the board. In this capacity he had
much to do with the building of the present magnificent courthouse at
Cairo, and continued as chairman of the board until that structure was
built, and paid for. It is believed that no county in Georgia has a finer
eourthouse building than Grady. Mr. Roddenbery is also president of
the Roddenbery Hardware Company of Cairo, and of the Cairo Guano
Company. He is a scientific farmer and a very successful one. rais-
ing diversified crops, but principally sugar cane, and every year from
his own crop of cane he manufactures several thousand cases of syrup
which he markets under the brand "Nigger in de Cane Patch." In the
other important relations which he bears to his community. Mr. Rod-
denbery is chairman of deacons in the Baptist church, and for several
years has served as superintendent of the Sunday School.

Walter Blair Roddenbery was born on his father's plantation near
Cairo, on the twenty-eighth of April, 1862. His father was the late
Dr. Seaborn Anderson Roddenbery, who was born on a farm in Thomas
county, Georgia, in 1834. The paternal grandfather was Robert Rod-
denbery, a native of South Carolina, where for so far as known his par-
ents spent all their lives. Two of the brothers of Robert Roddenbery
also came south and located, one in Georgia, and one in Florida. Robert.
Roddenbery was a young man when he moved to Georgia, and began life
in this state just even with the world. He had been reared to habits of
industry, and after coming to Georgia, became a wage earner, saving his
earnings and with the money buying land which in those days sold at
very low prices, sometimes as low as $1.00 per acre. He bought ;i large
quantity of land near the south line of Thomas county, where he buiH a
log house in the woods, and with the labor of his own hand cleared land
and cultivated it. He was one of the successful men of his time, and
acquired a large estate. Before the war he owned many hundred acres
of well improved land, and worked the plantation witli the aid of slaves,
freeing nearly a hundred of them at the close of the war. Late in
life he moved into Thomasville, where he remained until his death, which
resulted from his being thrown from a carriage. The maiden name of
his wife was Vicey Anderson, who was born in Thomas county, where
her father was a pioneer and she survived her husband several years,



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1073

passing away in Cairo. They are both buried on the old home farm in
Thomas county. The seven children in that generation were named
Louisa, Mary Ann, Seaborn A., John K., Nancy, Margaret and Georgia.

Dr. Seaborn A. Roddenbery attained his early education in the rural
schools of Thomas county. It was his desire to become a physician and
there is a matter of curious interest in the disagreement between him-
self and father as to which school of practice he should adopt. The
father wanted him to study homeopathy, and offered to pay his way
through medical college, but the son was determined to follow the regu-
lar school of allopathy, and in consequence he cut himself loose from
dependence upon his father, and secured a clerkship in a Thomasville
store. After earning sufficient money he entered Oglethorpe Medical
College at Savannah, where he was graduated M. D. in 1858. He then
began practice in Decatur county, and engaged board and lodging in
the home of Samuel Braswell, a planter living four miles northwest of
the recent site of Cairo. He soon afterwards bought a tract of land at
the "cross-roads," two miles from the present site of Cairo, and there
built a log house. Into that humble shelter, he brought his bride and it
was in that home that Walter Blair Roddenbery and other of the children
were born. Dr. Roddenbery built up a very large and successful prac-
tice in his vicinity and like all the pioneer doctors he had to undergo the
hardships of almost constant riding and driving across the country with
few roads and with very inadequate accommodations for man or beast.
This exposure and hard work undermined his health, so that in 1870 he
moved into Cairo and engaged in the merchandise business. After that
he practiced only when called upon by the families whom he had doc-
tored for many years, and who refused to accept the services of any
other physician. He continued as a farmer and merchant, until his
death in 1896.' During the last year of the war Dr. Roddenbery was
called out with the Georgia militia.

Dr. Roddenbery married Miss Martha America Braswell. She was
born on the south side of Thomas county in 1837, and now resides at the
old homestead with her son Charles D. Her father was Samuel Braswell,
who came from North Carolina to Georgia, being one of the early settlers
in Thomas county. About 1845 he moved to Decatur county, and bought
land four miles northwest of the present site of Cairo. In that locality
he spent the rest of his day. Dr. Roddenbery and wife reared five sons
and two daughters, named Walter Blair, Bertha, Robert S., Seaborn
A., Jr., John W. and Charles D., and Kate. Bertha, now deceased, was
first married to Dr. A. B. Coffman, and second to Charles W. Beale.
Charles D. is a cigar manufacturer in Cairo. Robert S. is engaged in
the real estate and insurance business at Moultrie, Georgia. Seaborn
A. Roddenbery, Jr., an attorney at Thomasville, is one of the prominent
men in public life of Georgia, and is now representing his district in
congress for the third term.

Walter Blair Roddenbery as a boy attended school in Cairo, and was
then sent to Prof. 0. D. Scott's school in Thomasville, where he prepared
for college. He entered the University of Virginia, and was a student
there for two years. It was his intention to enter the law, but his father's
ill health turned him aside from professional life, and he returned home
to take charge of the store, a business to which he later succeeded. He
has also become owner of the old homestead. Since his proprietorship
he has supplanted the old residence with a comfortable and attractive
rural home, and with many excellent farm buildings and improvements
all of which are suitable evidence of the excellent manner in which he
does his farming. He keeps a home dairy of jersey cows, and each sea-



1074 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

son buys a number of stock cattle for fattening. He raises grain, cotton,
vegetables and fruits but as already stated sugar cane is his chief crop.
Mr. Roddenbery was married June 1, 1887, to Miss Maude Bost-
wiek. She was born in Homer, Louisiana, a daughter of Elijah and
Rebecca (Scaife) Bostwick. Her maternal grandfather was Rev. Jimi-
son Scaife, a pioneer of the Methodist ministry in Georgia. Mr.
and Mrs. Roddenbery have four sons, named Albert C, Julien B., Wal-
ter Blair, Jr., and Frederick W. Mr. Roddenbery is a member of the
Baptist church and his wife of the Methodist.

"William Berrien Burroughs, M. D. Bearing an old and dis-
tinguished name in Georgia, Dr. Burroughs has well performed the re-
sponsibilities and creditably lived up to the expectations of his family
history. During the war between the states he earned distinction as a
Georgia soldier. Fifteen years of his career were devoted to the exact-
ing profession of medicine. Resigning a large practice on account of
ill health he has since been in business in Brunswick. He has been
honored with many of those offices in civic affairs, where the opportuni-
ties of service are great, and the duties vitally essential to the general
welfare, but in which practically the only individual reward is the
sense of public duty well done.

William Berrien Burroughs was born April 7, 1842, at Savannah,
Georgia. The history of the family goes back to the Elizabethan days
of England's glorious maritime exploits. An old record names Capt.
Stephen Burroughs as captain of one of three vessels which attempted
to reach China by way of Nova Zembla in 1553. Captain Burroughs
published a book of his adventures, during which he reached "farthest
north" at that time (seventy degrees and three minutes), and was "the
first who observed the declination of the magnetic needle." In old
books of heraldry is described the Burroughs' coat of arms, and many
other records indicate the prominence of the name in England during
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Sir John Burroughs, who was
knighted in 1624, was an attendant and court official to King Charles I.
His descendants have been prominent in England from that time to
this, one of them having been in recent years head of the largest drug
house in the world at London.

The founder of the family in America was John Burroughs, who was
born in Dorsetshire, England, in 1617. and came to America to Salem.
Massachusetts, about 1642. As an adherent of Charles I, he had been
one of those who fled from England at the time to escape the religious
and political persecution after the dissolution of the long parliament
of which he had been a member. Soon after arriving in this country,
he located at Long Island, and was one of the original settlers of Middle-
burg in 1652, where he paid his share of the Indian rate. Being a lead-
ing man and skillful penman, he served as town clerk and clerk of
court, and made the first map of Newtown. He was one of the seven
patentees of Newtown in 1666, and continued in office as town clerk
until his death, when his oldest son succeeded him to that office. His
children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren moved to New York.
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.

Fourth in descent from this noted founder of the family in
America was Benjamin Burroughs, grandfather of Dr. Burroughs.
Benjamin Burroughs was born on Long Island at Newtown, March 31.
1770. and died at Savannah. Georgia, April 14. 1837. In 17515 he
brought the name south to Augusta., Georgia, and in the following year
moved to Savannah. On July 2, 1799. at the age of twenty he married
in Savannah, Miss Catherine Eirick. daughter of Alexander Eirick. a



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1075

member of the colonial parliament. Her youngest sister, Ruth, married
Captain Francis H. Welman, an officer of the British navy, and their
daughter, Mrs, John H. Reid, was long a prominent member of social
circles in Savannah. Alexander Eirick married Ruth Erwin, a daugh- '
ter of Christopher Erwin, who was born in county Antrim, Ireland,
January 8, 1754. One sister of Ruth Erwin married a Captain Loyer,
an officer of the French army, from whom is descended Capt. Richard
J. Davant, the present mayor of Savannah. Another sister married
Gov. Jared Irwin, her cousin, the letter being changed from e to i.

Grandfather Benjamin Burroughs was prominent as a cotton and
commission merchant in Savannah. His partner, Mr. Oliver Sturges,
and himself, owned a third interest in the steamship Savannah which
in 1819 was the first vessel to cross the Atlantic ocean under her own
steam. The partners shipped a large cargo of cotton to Liverpool on
the first voyage of the Savannah. The vessel sailed from Savannah
May 26, 1819, and reached Liverpool after a passage of twenty-five
days, during which the engine was employed eighteen days. Benjamin
Burroughs was an elder in the Independent Presbyterian church in
Savannah, and gave five thousand dollars to assist in building the
church in 1817. The names of the children of Benjamin Burroughs
and wife were as follows : Joseph H. ; William Howe, who married
Ann McLeod; Benjamin, who married Rosa Williams; Dr. Henry Kol-
lock Burroughs, a former mayor of Savannah, and who married Ella
Dessaussure; Oliver S., who married Ann C. Maxwell; Elizabeth Reed,
who married Dr. John S. Law ; and Catherine, who married Charles
Green.

Joseph Hallett Burroughs, father of Dr. Burroughs of Brunswick,
was born in Savannah, Georgia, June 3, 1803. He w T as graduated from
Yale College and then engaged in the cotton business with his father.
On June 26, 1828, he married Miss Valeria Gibbons Berrien, who was
born in Savannah, August 4, 1806. Her family was specially distin-
guished in the south and elsewhere. She was a daughter of John Mac-
pherson Berrien and Eliza Anciaux. Mr. Berrien was quartermaster-
treasurer of the French Royal Deux Fonts Regiment, and his commission,
signed by Louis XVI, is now in the possession of Dr. Burroughs at
Brunswick. Nicholas Anciaux was a son of Chevalier DeWiltteiseno,
who was born in Frankfort-on-the-Main in Germany.

The Berrien family in America was founded by a Holland-French
Huguenot, who settled on Long Island in 1669, and for several genera-
tions the family was prominent in the Dutch church and in the town
and civil affairs of Long Island. Several generations later in the Ber-
rien family was John Berrien, whose home was in Somerset county,
New Jersey. He was a judge of the supreme court of the colony.
General Washington made the Berrien home his headquarters for some
time and from the doorstep of the Berrien house was delivered the fare-
well address of Washington to the army. One of the children of this
Judge Berrien was John Berrien, the maternal great-grandfather of
Dr. Burroughs. John Berrien emigrated to Georgia in 1775, and at the
age of fifteen was lieutenant in the First Georgia Regiment, became
captain at the age of seventeen, and at eighteen was appointed brigade-
major in the Northern. Army, by General Lachlan Mcintosh. He served
with distinction in the battle of Monmouth and at Valley Forge as
well as in other engagements and continued to fight for independence
until the close of the war. He married Miss Margaret Macpherson. a
daughter of Capt. John Macpherson, an officer in the provincial navy,
the Macpherson family having been especially prominent in military
affairs during the Revolutionary war. One of the sons of Major John



1076 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Berrien was John Macpherson Berrien, the father of Valeria Gibbons
Berrien. He was an attorney-general in Jackson's cabinet and declined
the mission to England on account of domestic affliction.

Joseph Hallett Burroughs, the father of Dr. Burroughs, was a fac-
tor and commission merchant, was a member of the Presbyterian church,
and an old-line Whig in politics. He served as paymaster of the First
Regiment of Georgia militia. His death occurred in Savannah in 1854.
He and his wife were the parents of ten children, and Dr. Burroughs
has a brother, Richard B., who was also a physician, and Charles J., a
physician at Jacksonville, Florida. His brother, John W., was a law-
yer, in Savannah.

Dr. W. B. Burroughs received his primary education in Savannah,
and completed it at Oglethorpe University, near Milledgeville, then the
capital of Georgia. Oglethorpe University was destroyed during the
war. At the breaking out of hostilities between the states, Dr. Bur-
roughs left college and joined the Randolph Rangers as a private. This
company and others subsequently became the Seventh Georgia Cavalry,
and Dr. Burroughs was sergeant in Company G, of that regiment. The
regiment was in Young's Brigade, Hampton's Division, Army of North-
ern Virginia. "With this regiment Dr. Burroughs served all through
the war, participating in the battle at Borden's Plank Road, Dinwiddie
Courthouse, Stony Creek and other points, and received his parole at
Appomattox.

At the close of the war he took up the study of medicine under a
private preceptor in Savannah, and graduated in medicine at the
Savannah Medical College in March, 1867. For fifteen years he was
engaged in active practice in Camden county, and accumulated a con-
siderable fortune by his professional activities. When his health failed,
in 1881, he moved to Brunswick, and built one hundred houses, most of
them small, consisting of about four rooms, and from that enterprise
has ever since been engaged in the real estate and insurance business,
and a recognized authority on all real estate matters.

Dr. Burroughs for fifteen years has been vice president of the
Georgia State Agricultural Society, and for twelve years has been
president of the Brunswick Agricultural Society. He has held a direc-
torship in the National Bank of Brunswick, in the Brunswick Savings
& Trust Company, in the Kennon Cotton Factory, in the Board of
Trade, and chairman of statistics in the latter body. He is grand vice
chancellor of the Knights of Pythias of Georgia. Dr. Burroughs was
appointed by Governor Northen to the national Nicaragua convention
which assembled in New Orleans in 1893, and in St. Louis in 1892, and
at each convention was elected an executive committeeman for his
state by the Georgia delegation. For five years he has been lieu-
tenant governor of the Society of Colonial Wars of Georgia. He was
director and superintendent of the department of education at the
Georgia State Fairs held in different towns in the state of Georgia, and
was appointed by Gov. Joseph M. Terrell of Georgia, to the office of
director of history, and made exhibits at Jamestown in 1907. Dr.
Burroughs has made many historical contributions to c\irrent periodi-
cals on cotton and on the early history of Georgia.

Dr. Burroughs was reared in the Presbyterian faith, and now at-
tends all denominations. He has served eight years as a member of
the Brunswick board of education. On January 17, 1872, Dr. Bur-
roughs was married at Waynesville. in Wayne county, Georgia, to
Miss Elizabeth Pettingill W T ilson Hazlehurst, oldest daughter of Maj.
Leighton Wilson Hazlehurst and Mary J. McNish, of Savannah. Her
father was a wealthy rice planter of the Saltillo river, and during the



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1077

war between the states was commissioned major of the Fourth Georgia
Cavalry. Major Hazlehurst was a son of Robert Hazlehurst of Charles-
ton, South Carolina. The children of Dr. Burroughs and wife are men-
tioned as follows: Mary McNish Burroughs, born in Camden county,
Georgia, married Charles Walter Deming, who is in the oil and real
estate business at Tulsa, Oklahoma; Lilla Hazlehurst Burroughs, born
in Camden county, Georgia, and unmarried; Josephine Hallett Bur-
roughs, born in Camden county, married Capt. Clyde A. Taylor, chil-
dren, Clyde A. Taylor, Jr., and Lilla Hazlehurst Taylor; William Ber-
rien, Jr., born in Camden county, married Ida D. Hartfelder of Eliza-
beth, New Jersey ; Leighton Hazlehurst, born in Brunswick, unmarried ;
Mac Hazlehurst, born in Brunswick, married Miss Eliza F. Mcintosh,
of Mcintosh county, Georgia.

James R. Bourn. Noteworthy among the industrious and enter-
prising young agriculturists of Ware county, Georgia, is James R.
Bourn, who has brought to his chosen calling excellent judgment and
good business methods, and is meeting with signal success, his well-
tilled farm lying near Waresboro, not far from the place of his birth,
which occurred October 24, 1880. He is a son of John Bourn, of Ware
county, and grandson of the late Col. Richard Bourn.

His great-grandfather, Bennett Bourn, the immigrant ancestor, was
born in County Clare, Ireland, of Scotch ancestry. Coming when
young to America, he located permanently in Georgia, buying land
in Richmond county, and there being employed in tilling the soil until
his death. He married a Miss Musie, who spent her entire life in
Georgia, where her immediate ancestors were pioneer settlers.

Born in Richmond county, Georgia, Col. Richard Bourn grew to man-
hood on the home farm, as a boy and youth becoming well acquainted
with the various branches of agriculture. Settling in Ware county when
ready to begin life on his own account, he purchased a tract of unim-
proved land, and for a number of years was engaged in agricultural
pursuits, employing slave labor in his farming operations, remaining
there until 1859, when he migrated to Florida, At the outbreak of the
Civil war, he offered his sendees to the Confederacy, and was commis-
sioned colonel of a Florida regiment, which was assigned to the Army
of the Potomac, in Virginia. With his regiment, he subsequently par-
ticipated in numerous engagements, and was in Richmond when that
city surrendered. Peace being declared, he returned to Ware county,
Georgia, and was here a resident until his death, at the age of seventy-
four years. Colonel Bourn married Mary Ann Taylor, who was born
in Ware county. During the war between the states, she and two of
her sons died of cholera, and another one of her four sons died in the
army, the only survivor of her children being John Bourn, father of
James R. Bourn.

Born in Ware county, John Bourn here grew to man's estate.
Choosing for his life work the independent occupation to which he was
reared, he purchased a tract of wild land lying about three miles from
Waresboro, and soon after assuming its possession erected the sub-
stantial log house which he has since occupied. Having improved
quite a large portion of the land, he is carrying on general farming
to advantage. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Deen, was
also born in Ware county. Eight children were born of their union,
as follows: James R., the special subject of this brief sketch; Berry
D. ; John L. ; Mary; Amy; Eva; Ruth; and Sarah. Berry D. Bourn
and John L. Bourn both attended the Wareboro high school, John L.
subsequently completing his studies at the university of Georgia, in



1078 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Athens. Both are now ministers, preaching in the Methodist Epis-
copal denomination, and being members of the South Georgia Con-
ference.

Acquiring his rudimentary education in the rural schools of his
district, James R. Bourn was graduated from the Waresboro high
school, and for the next ten years taught school a part of each year.
In the meantime he bought a farm lying one mile from the parental
homestead, and in its management he is meeting with good success.

Mr. Bourn married, at the age of twenty-five years, Minnie North,
of Clinch county, Georgia, a daughter of William B. and Harriet
North. Mr. and Mrs. Bourn are the parents of three children, namely :
Thelma, Elva, and Homer. Both are members of the Methodist Epis-
copal church and are rearing their family in the same faith. In his
political relations Mr. Bourn is a Democrat and takes great interest in
local affairs. In 1909 he was elected school commissioner of Ware
county to fill out an unexpired term, and in 1910 had the honor of
being re-elected to the same position for a term of four years.

Ca.pt. John Flannery. The late Capt. John Flannery was born
November 24, 1835, in Nenagh, Count}' Tipperary, Ireland, and died
May 9, 1910, in Savannah, Georgia, in which city he had been a promi-
nent banker and cotton factor for many years. He was the eldest son of
John and Hannah (Hogan) Flannery. His maternal grandmother was
Catherine Fitzpatrick, descended from the prominent Fitzpatrick fam-
ily who were Earls of Ossory. His education was received in private
schools of his native town.

John Flannery, Sr., was a merchant in Nenagh and on account of
general depression caused by famine and revolutions, his business be-
came unsuccessful. The father and son determined to try their for-
tunes in America and together they landed in Charleston. South Caro-
lina, on October 26, 1851, when the son was in his sixteenth year. The
father soon decided to return to his home and died at sea on the
passage to Ireland.

John Flannery, Jr., obtained his first business position as a clerk in
Atlanta, but returned to Charleston as soon as he could find employment
there. He removed to Savannah in December, 1854. where he filled va-
rious positions as clerk or bookkeeper until the opening of the war be-
tween the states.

On May 30, 1861, he enlisted as junior lieutenant in the Irish Jasper
Greens, First Volunteer Regiment of Georgia, Confederate army, in
which company he had served his state at Fort Pidaski earlier during
the same year as a non-commissioned officer. Promoted January, 1862,
to first lieutenant on October 20, 1862, he became captain of that his-
toric company. He was in command of Lee Battery, Savannah River,
for a year and until his regiment joined the army of Gen. Joseph E.
Johnston. During the time he was stationed at Lee Battery the gar-
rison, consisting nominally of nine officers and two hundred privates,
was by illness reduced to nineteen privates and one officer, Lieut. John
Flannery, who during the remainder of his life suffered from the effects
of the malarial poison absorbed in the swamps around that post. He was
with Hood's army in the disastrous Tennessee campaign, but. being at
the lime on detached service with his command, was not present at the
battles of Franklin and Nashville. His activity in the war was brought
to an end by serious illness at Corinth. Mississippi, in January. 1865.
He was paroled in Augusta. Georgia, in May, 1865, and returned to
Savannah the same month.

Prior to its consolidation with the Citizens Bank, under the name




m^w




SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1079

Citizens & Southern Bank, he was for twenty-five years president of the
Southern Bank of the state of Georgia, which, during that period, was
Savannah's largest bank, and of which institution he was one of the'
organizers and incorporators in November, 1870. After the consolida-
tion he was made first vice president of the Citizens & Southern Bank,
which position he held up to the time of his death.

For nearly half a century he was the leading member of one of
Savannah's most prominent firms in the cotton trade. In July, 1865,
he entered the cotton business as a partner in the firm J. L. Guilmartin
& Co. In July, 1877, he bought out this business and changed the style
to John Flannery & Co., admitting John L. Johnson as a partner. On
June 1, 1901, he incorporated the business under the style, The John
Flannery Company, and was elected president, In 1906 he sold his
interest in this company, which still bears his name, and retired from
active business in the cotton trade, but up to the time of his death re-
mained one of Savannah's most public spirited citizens. Scarcely an
enterprise of magnitude was launched in Savannah during the last fifty
years of his life, which did not receive his aid or encouragement.

Captain Flannery was a director and vice president of the Chat-
tahoochee & Gulf R. R. and director of the South Bound R. R. and of
the Georgia & Alabama R. R. before they were merged into the Sea-
board Air Line. He was a director of the United Hydraulic Cotton
Compress Co., The Savannah Lighting Co., The Henderson-Hull Buggy
Co., The Southern Pine Co. of Georgia, The Semmes Hardware Co., and
the Savannah Hotel Co., owners of the magnificent Hotel DeSoto.

He was vice president, for Georgia, of the American-Irish Historical
Society and was president of the Jasper Monument Association which
erected the beautiful monument to the memory of Sergeant William
Jasper, which has adorned Madison Square since its unveiling on Febru-
ary 22, 1888.

He was a member of the Savannah Cotton Exchange from 1875 and
of the Hibernian Society from 1866 until his death. He was a member
of The United Confederate Veterans, The Georgia Historical Society,-
The Savannah Yacht Club and of the Reform Club of New York City.

He was a staunch Democrat and took a lively interest in municipal
affairs, but steadily refused to become a candidate for public office,
though he served as chairman of the Savannah Sinking Fund Com-
mission from 1878 to 1888, when he declined re-election.

He was a consistent member of the Roman Catholic church and con-
tributed largely of his time and means to the handsome cathedral of
St. John the Baptist erected in 1873 and burned in 1898. He was chair-
man of the building committee for the present magnificent cathedral
of the same name which was erected in 1899 and 1900. In 1873 and
1874 he was largely instrumental in the conversion of the old cathedral
into the present commodious home of the Catholic Library Association
on Drayton street.

Through gifts made in 1903 and others arranged for not long before
his death, he created a fund of one hundred thousand dollars known
as the Flannery Trust Fund to be managed by a board of trus-
tees, by whom the income shall lie applied in shares to various Catholic
institutions of Georgia.

His life was devoid of ostentation and filled with acts of charity.
His purse was always open to those in distress and to young men laying
the foundations for future success and to enterprises making for Savan-
nah's improvement.

Captain Flannery was married in Savannah on April 30, 1867. to
Miss Mary Ellen Norton, niece of Capt. John and Kate (Harty) Me-



1080 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Mahon, with whom she lived, and daughter of Patrick and Honora
(Harty) Norton of old Locust Grove (now Sharon), Taliaferro county,
Georgia, who with their relatives came from Ireland and cast their lots
with the Catholic colony in which were the families of Semmes, Brooke,
Scott, Thompson and others, who came from Maryland during, or
shortly before 1794, and established in that part of AVarren county
which later became part of Taliaferro county, the cradle of Catholicity
in Georgia.

Mrs. Flannery died on June 11, 1899. Of the issue of six children,
only two lived to maturity, John McMahon Flannery, who died De-
cember 29, 1900, and Kate Flannery, now the wife of Raphael T.
Semmes of Savannah, Georgia.

Hon. Henry Gray Turner. In the death of Henry G. Turner in
June, 1904, southwest Georgia lost one of its ablest public leaders and
most influential citizens. For sixteen years he represented the second
district in congress, was a successful lawyer, and had been identified
by residence and professional activities for many years with the city
of Quitman in Brooks county.

The late Mr. Turner was born in Granville, North Carolina, in 1839.
His father, Archibald Turner, was born either in North Carolina or
Dinwiddie county, Virginia, his parents having moved from Virginia
to North Carolina and spent the rest of their days in the latter state.
Archibald Turner was reared and spent his active life in North
Carolina,

Henry Gray Turner was a child when his father died, and it was
largely due to his self-reliant and purposeful efforts that he made
idvance to position and influence. He acquired a good education and
when yet in his teens went to Alabama, where he taught school a year,
and then taught for a time in Piscola Academy in the new town of
Quitman, Georgia. In this way he first became known in the com-
munity where he was later so prominent. At the breaking out of the
war between the states he returned home and offered his services to
his native state. Commissioned captain of a company in the Twenty-
third Regiment of North Carolina Infantry, he went to the front and
soon joined the Army of the Potomac. He led his company in many
of the hard-fought battles of the great war, and at Gettysburg was
wounded and captured. He was held in federal prisons until near the
close of the war, when he was paroled and returned south. The war
ended before he was exchanged, and he spent some time in recuper-
ating at Henderson, North Carolina, where his mother and sisters were
living. From there he came again to Quitman, where he took up the
study of law, and after being admitted at Nashville opened an office
in Quitman.

In a short time success in his profession and distinction in public
affairs came to him. He was elected and served several terms in the
state legislature, and in 1878 was honored by election from the second
district as its representative in congress. He served for eight con-
secutive terms until 1894. His adherence to the Democratic party
was stanch and consistent, but he was unable to support the free-silver
doctrine, and with the rise of that issue to dominance in the party he
quietly withdrew from party leadership. During his residence at
Quitman Mr. Turner had bought the land within the city limits which
he improved into a beautiful park as a setting for his home, which has
long been one of the most attractive places in this part of the state.
Many trees adorn the grounds, and the native birds and squirrels have
for years found a safe shelter among them. It was in tins ideal envir-




JAMES O.MORTON



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1081

onment that Mr. Turner spent his last years and where death found
him.

The late Mr. Turner married Lavinia Calhoun Morton, who was'
born in Brooks county, a daughter of James Oliver and Sarah (Young)
Morton. A sketch of her family follows. Mr. and Mrs. Turner were
the parents of five children: James Morton, Henry, India, S. Morton
and Archibald. The last named died in infancy, and James M. at the
age of eleven. India is the wife of Samuel Stevens Bennett, an
attorney in Albany, Georgia. S. Morton followed in his father's foot-
steps and is one of the rising young attorneys of Quitman. The late
Mr. Turner was a member of the Methodist church, as is his wife.

James Oliver Morton. One of the notable pioneers of south
Georgia was the late James Oliver Morton, who died at his homestead
in Brooks county in November, 1911, at the age of nearly ninety-one
years. He assisted in the development of the natural resources of this
region when almost the entire country was a wilderness. He was
identified with the public as well as the industrial and business affairs
of his community, and for many years as president directed the welfare
of the Bank of Quitman. He served as one of the first four justices
of the inferior court of Brooks county, and his name deserves a perma-
nent record in the history of this portion of the state.

He was born in Screven county on the 20th of December, 1820, and
by ancestry represented one of the oldest American families. He was
a lineal descendant of George Morton, a native of England, who early
in the seventeenth century, to avoid religious persecution, with others
fled to Leyden, Holland, and from there in 1622 sailed on the ship Ann
for America, joining the Pilgrim Fathers two years after their land-
ing at Plymouth Rock. The Mortons and other Pilgrim families inter-
married, and the Mortons of later generations have numerous relation-
ship with the descendants of other Pilgrim sires. Oliver Morton,
grandfather of the late Quitman banker, was born in Plymouth, Massa-
chusetts, and afterwards came south and was one of the early settlers
of central Georgia. The entire state was then sparsely settled, wild
game abounded throughout the forests and all the Indians had not yet
departed for their western homes and were sometimes troublesome to
the settlements. Oliver Morton, like other pioneers, acquired a large
amount of land and was engaged in farming in Jones county until his
death.

Silas Morton, his son, was born in Jones county, and moved from
there to Screven county, and bought a tract of land near Halcyondale
which had been granted under patent from King George. There he
managed a large estate with slave labor until his death. He married
Sabina Archer, of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and so far as known she was
a lifelong resident of Screven county.

James 0. was a son of Silas and Sabina Morton, and was reared
and educated in his native county. From there he moved to Bulloch
county, which was his home until 1843, when he came to what is now
Brooks county, then a part of Lowndes, the county seat being then at
Troupville. Few white settlers had yet ventured into this region, rail-
roads were not built for a number of years, and markets were many
miles distant. The land which lie first bought was located five miles
from the present site of Quitman, but a year later he bought land a
mile and a half from town. His settlement was in the midst of heavy
timber, and his first home, occupied for several years, was a los house,
in which his children were born. He owned a large number of slaves,
and when these were freed by the war the greater part of his wealth



1082 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

was swept away. He was never a man to be discouraged by obstacles
and reverses, and he continued steadily at producing the crops of the
soil, employing many of his former slaves. After fifty years have gone,
one of these old slaves, now blind and feeble, is being tenderly cared
for on the old homestead. From a generous prosperity gained by the
operations of his plantation Mr. Morton extended his interests into
various other lines, especially banking, and was for a number of years
president of the Bank of Quitman. It was his custom to drive into
town every day and attend to the affairs of the bank, and he paid his
last visit for this purpose just four days before his death. For more
than seventy years he was constantly active, and his long and honor-
able career was associated with much disinterested service and kind-
ness to those about him.

The late Mr. Morton was married on the 18th of August, 1843, to
Sarah Young. It was their unusual fortune to spend sixty-eight years
of wedded companionship, and she is still living on the old homestead,
being physically frail but mentally strong. Sarah Young was born in
Bulloch county, Georgia, December 7, 1825, and was a daughter of
James and Lavinia (Jones) Young. Her paternal grandparents were
William and Mary (Henderson) Young. William Young was a
Georgian who took an active part in the movements for independence,
was a member of the Council of Safety appointed at Savannah on June
22, 1775, and on the 4th of July following represented the town and
district of Savannah at the assembling of the provincial congress. He
was later a planter in Screven county, where he spent his last years,
and. the remains of himself and wife now repose on a hill overlooking
the Ogeechee valley. /

Mr. and Mrs. Morton were the parents of two children. The only
son, Simeon L., in early life was a student of the Quitman Academy
and when the war broke out enlisted with the Savannah Guards. He
served throughout the war, participating in many of the most notable
battles, and lost his life on one of the last battlefields of that four
years' struggle between the states. The daughter. Lavinia Calhoun,
is the widow of the late Henry G. Turner of Quitman.

William Harden was born in Savannah. November 11. 1S44. son
of Edward J. and Sophia H. (Maxwell) Harden.

As the war came on and young Harden, when less than seventeen
years of age, enlisted for service in the army, his education was not so
complete as otherwise it would have been, ruder the circumstances,
he received the best educational training available at that day in private
schools in Savannah. His first teacher was Miss Elizabeth Church ;
for about two years he was a student under Prof. Bernard Mallon. then
principal of the Massie school, and later superintendent of the public
schools of Atlanta. Also, for a time. Mr. Harden was a student under
W. S. Bogart, principal of Chatham Academy. His student days, how-
ever, did not end with his academy days. for. indeed, he has been a
student, all his life — a student of human nature — a student of the motives
and deeds of men and the histories of nations.

In April, 1861, Mr. Harden enlisted a1 Savannah in the Savannah
Cadets, composed of very young men, which organization became a part
of the state troops of Georgia, and of which, before it was mustered into
the regular Confederate army, he was made sergeant. It was known as
Savannah Cadets, and on account of the youthfulness of its members
was not mustered into the Confederate army until May. 1862. at which
time it was entirely reorganized, becoming Company F of the Fifty-
fourth Regiment, Georgia Volunteers, in which William Harden was a



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1083

private. This regiment was commanded by Col. Charlton H. Way. In
January, 1863, Mr. Harden was detached from his company and detailed
for service in the Signal Corps of the Confederate army, and was en-'
gaged in this capacity at Savannah till December 20, 1864, when he was
ordered to Charleston and assigned to duty as military telegrapher at
the headquarters of Geueral Hardee. Leaving Charleston February 18,
1865, he was put in charge of the telegraph service at St. Stephens Depot
for about ten days, after which he was sent to Florence, South Carolina.
On further duty he made the trip from Florence to Timmonsville, that
stale, and while attempting to return to headquarters at Florence he was
cut off by the enemy and turned back to Sumter. From there, accom-
panied by eleven men, he made his way to Augusta. Notwithstanding
this detached service in Signal Corps, Mr. Harden 's name was retained
on the rolls of Company F, Fifty-fourth Regiment, till the close of the
war.

Mr. Harden 's duties as military telegrapher, involving the handling
and transmission of secret messages of the greatest importance, were
tiled with many interesting incidents, sometimes tinged with romance,
and occasionally fraught with danger. One incident that occurred while
he was on duty at General Hardee's headquarters in Charleston in Feb-
ruary, 1865, affords an illuminating glimpse of the life of the signal
corps in time of war. On the afternoon of the 14th of that month, while
Mr. Harden was at the telegraph key, there came a call from the Rich-
mond office, and, the formal answer having been given, the Richmond
operator began to send a message to General Hardee. The apparently
unmeaning letters forming its beginning showed plainly at once that it
was a cipher message. It was, as usual in such cases, received with
much care, in order to be certain that no mistakes were made in so
important a communication. Before sending it upstairs to General Har-
dee's staff officers, he and another young telegrapher who was on duty
with him, John Mackay Elliott, decided that they would decipher it.
They began in the usual way, using the key word that was in their pos-
session as a basis of translation, but soon discovered that the message
was entirely meaningless when written out according to their cipher.
The key word on which the deciphering was based was "Complete Vic-
lory." The key word had been transmitted secretly to Mr. Harden
before he left Savannah, from headquarters at Richmond, and had been
used by him ever since in deciphering messages. On account of danger
of discovery by the enemy, however, Mr. Harden concluded that the
Richmond authorities had changed the key word, but that for some
reason he had received no notice of what the new key word, if any,
might lie. With young Elliott, therefore, he accordingly set to work
to figure out the new key so that the message might be deciphered, as
neither General Hardee nor any of the members of his staff knew any-
thing of a change in the key word, and they themselves could not have
read it. After laborious and painstaking effort, by first deciphering
the first word of the message and then each of the following words, Mr.
Harden and his associate finally discovered that the new key was "Come
Retribution," by using which they were overjoyed to find that they
could make a full and intelligent translation of the message. Later this
key was imparted to them in the official way, but if these two young
telegraphers had not been able to discover it on this occasion, it would
have been a serious matter to General Hardee. The message was from
President Jefferson Davis at Richmond and was addressed to Gen.
W. J. Hardee at Charleston, under date of February 14, 1865, the
following being a copy of the same :

"Your dispatch of the 12th received to-day. The enemy may and



1084 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

probably does intend to attack Charleston, but it is by no means mani-
fested by present operations. It is proper under the view presented,
to remove whatever is not needful for defense of the place, and then
to postpone evacuation as long as prudent. If General Beauregard
can beat the enemy in the field, the course herein indicated may preserve
the city and harbor for future use, and save us the pain of seeing it pass
into the hands of the enemy. General Beauregard and yourself are so
well informed of the condition of the armies and practicability of routes,
that I must leave you to the free exercise of your judgment. It however
seems to me that, the bridge over the Santee can be defended against
a boat expedition up that river, without materially interfering with
other operations, and a movement of the enemy overland from Bull's
Bay is hardly to be anticipated."

After the close of the war, Mr. Harden engaged in telegraph service
first at Jacksonville, Florida, and later at Savannah, until January.
1866, when he began the study of law under his father. Judge Edward
J. Harden, in Savannah. However, as he then gave only a portion of
his time to study, it was not until July 25, 1873, that he was admitted
to the bar. From that date until the summer of 1883, he practiced law
in Savannah. In the meantime he had been licensed to practice in the
state supreme and United States courts in Georgia, and on November
15, 1877, he was appointed United States commissioner, U. S. district
court, for the southern district of Georgia; which place he filled till
he discontinued the practice of law.

July 5, 1882, Mr. Harden was appointed assistant county treasurer
of Chatham county, which position he has filled ever since.

In 1902, upon the organization of the Savannah public library. Mr.
Harden was elected librarian, his present position, he having been in
charge of the library continuously since that time.

Mr. Harden was assistant librarian of the Georgia Historical Society
from 1866 to 1869 ; in the latter year he was made librarian of the
society and has filled this position ever since.

He is the custodian and treasurer of the Telfair Academy of Arts
and Sciences. He organized on May 22, 1891, the Georgia Society
of the Sons of the Revolution, and is secretary of the society. He is a
Democrat in politics, as such having been elected to and served as a
member of the Georgia house of representatives, his term being from
1900 to 1905.

He is a member of the American Antiquarian Society. American
Historical Association, National Geographic Society, and American
Library Association. Also he is a corresponding member of various
local and state historical societies throughout the United States. He
has contributed much valuable historical matter, particularly on Savan-
nah and Georgia to various magazines and journals. His deep inter-
est in the subject of history, together with the studious research he
has made extending over a long number of years, the painstaking
accuracy and devotion to truth in historical records which he has always
maintained, his illuminating literary style and gifts as a writer: all
these have combined to make Mr. Harden a historian of exceptional
ability.

Mr. Harden 's religious creed is that set forth by the Presbyterian
church, and since 1877 he has been a ruling elder in the First Presby-
terian church of Savannah.

December 11, 1879, in Savannah. Mr. Harden married Miss Mary
E. Davenport of this city.

From this brief resume of Mr. Harden 's own life, we turn back for
a glimpse at the ancestry from which be sprang.



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1085

Judge Edward J. Harden, his father, distinguished both as lawyer
and judge, was born at Republican Hall, Bryan county, Georgia,
November 19, 1813, and died at Indian Springs, Georgia, April 19/
1873. He was reared in Bryan county and received much of his educa-
tion under the noted educator, William McWhir, D. D., at Sunbury.
He studied law in Savannah and in 1837 was licensed to praotice in
the superior court, and was judge of the court of oyer and terminer
(now the city court) of Savannah, from November, 1845, to October,
1847, and his home remained in this city from that time till near his
death. Judge Harden was widely known as one of the ablest lawyers
of the Savannah bar. At the beginning of the war between the states
he was appointed by President Davis to the position of judge of the
Confederate state district court for Georgia, and served in that capacity
till the fall of the Confederacy. He was city attorney of Savannah both
before and after the war. At one time he was the junior partner in the
law firm of Jackson & Harden, Col. Joseph W. Jackson being the
senior member, and afterwards senior member of the firm of Harden
& Lawton, of which Alexander R. Lawton, later quartermaster general
of the Confederate states army and minister to Austria during the
administration of President Grover Cleveland, was the junior. When
the war between the states began he was senior partner of Harden &
Gnerard, the younger member being John M. Gnerard. After the war he
formed a law partnership with S. Y. Levy, with the firm name of Harden
& Levy, which continued till his death. He was president of the Geor-
gia Historical Society for two years, 1867 and 1868. He was the author
of a notable work, "The Life of George M. Troup" (the "States Rights"
governor of Georgia). This was a valuable contribution to the historical
records of the South, but on account of its having been piiblished at a
period (1859) when the country was in such an unsettled state, the
book did not receive as wide attention as otherwise it would have done.
Too much could hardly be said in tribute to the exalted character and
noble qualities of Judge Harden ; he was the type of gentleman that
represents all that was best of the old South. His passing away was
a cause of universal regret, which was fittingly expressed in a memorial
pamphlet compiled and issued by the Georgia Historical Society and
containing tributes to his memory by the newspapers of the city, and
various contributors thereto : the pastor of the First Presbyterian church,
the Session of the Church, the Savannah Bar Association, and the Geor-
gia Historical Society.

Mr. Harden 's grandfather, Thomas Hutson Harden, was born July
22, 1786, in Prince William's parish, South Carolina. Left an orphan
in his early childhood, he was brought to Georgia about 1792 or 1793
by a faithful old negro woman who had been one of his father's slaves.
He had a cruel g^uardian, and it was to escape from him that the negro
woman brought the young boy to Georgia and placed him in the care
of his uncle, Edward Harden, in Savannah. Later the youth went to
Bryan county, where he continued to live until his death on May 4,
1821. He was married there to Matilda Amanda Baker. When a
young man he had studied law and was admitted to the bar, but never
practiced his profession. He was a planter; was a colonel on General
Mcintosh's staff in the War of 1812. He died in the prime of life,
at the age of thirty-four years.

Mr. Harden 's great-grandfather was Col. William Harden, who
was a colonel of a regiment under Gen. Francis Marion, South Caro-
lina troops, in the War of the Revolution. He was born in Prince
William's parish, South Carolina. November 8, 1742. and died there



1086 SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA

November 28, 1785. He made a distinguished record as a soldier
and officer in the Revolution.

Tracing- back another generation, it is found that , Mr. Harden 's
great-great-grandfather was William Harden of Prince William's
parish, South Carolina. He was born November 22, 1720, and died in
Prince .William's parish September 12, 1760. His father, William Har-
den, was the first of the name that the family has any record of on the
American continent. While it is not of authentic record, it is the suppo-
sition that this William Harden was born in Kent, England, and that he
came to South Carolina from the Island of Barbadoes.

Mr. Harden 's mother, Sophia H. (Maxwell) Hai'den, died Decem-
ber 12, 1812. She was born February 29, 1820, at Belfast, Bryan county,
Georgia, daughter of Col. John Jackson Maxwell, who was born at Bel-
fast, Bryan county, Georgia, June 10, 1784, and died at Belair, near Tal-
lahassee, Florida, January 13, 1855. He was the youngest child of Capt.
William and Constant (Butler) Maxwell. Col. J. J. Maxwell married
Mary Ann Baker, the daughter of Col. John Baker of Revolutionary
renown. Col. Maxwell was a promient figui-e and a man of large atfairs in
his day. He was a planter of large resources ; he repeatedly represented
Bryan county in the legislature, and was for many years one of the
judges of the inferior (or county) court of Bryan county. He was
also at one time one of the presidential electors from Georgia. He
was one of the early members of the famous Midway Congregational
church in Liberty county, Georgia. In 1835, he removed to Savannah
and in this city became one of the ruling elders in the First Presby-
terian church. He removed to Belair, a resort near Tallahassee. Florida,
in January, 18-17, and this place was his home until his death. Capt.
William Maxwell, father of John J., Avas born in Amelia township,
South Carolina, in 1739, and died in 1807 in Bryan county. Georgia,
where he had come with his father in 1752. He was a member of the
provincial congress of Georgia from 1775 to 1777; was appointed
by the provincial congress one of the "trustees for taking into their
custody and management the (British) forfeited estates." May 4. 177S ;
privateersman commanding his own armed vessel, recovering property
taken by British, and attacking parties of the enemy engaged in col-
lecting forage and provisions for the Royal troops in Savannah, 177!) ;
arrested, tried for "treasonable practices" and convicted by British
authorities, January, 1780; fined 300 pounds and kept under parole
until the evacuation of Savannah, July 11, 1782. Capt. William Max-
well was the son of James Maxwell, who came from South Carolina to
Georgia in 1752 and settled on lands granted by the crown, on the Mid-
way river, in what was then St. Philip parish (now Bryan county).
He named his plantation "Belfast" and lived there all his life. He
was married September 7, 1722, to Mary Simons of South Carolina, the
daughter of Benjamin and Mary (DuPre) Simons. The Maxwell fam-
ily is of Scotch origin, but came to America from the north of Ireland.
where they had been established for two or three generations. The Max-
wells have been a prominent family in the history of Georgia. Audly
Maxwell, a brother of Mr. Harden 's great-great-grandfather Maxwell,
was a member of the first general assembly of Georgia, which met at
Savannah, January 15, 1751.

Col. John Baker, the father of Mrs. John Jackson Maxwell, died
in Savannah in 1792. He was a member of the committee appointed
by convention at Savannah July 20. 1774. to prepare resolutions ex-
pressive of the sentiments and determination of the people of Geor-
gia in regard 1o the Boston Port Bill; member of Provincial Con-



SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA 1087

gress of Georgia, 1775-1777 ; member of Georgia Council of Safety,
1776; colonel commanding a regiment of Liberty county (G.) militia,
1775-1783; wounded in skirmish at Bulltown Swamp, November 19, 1778 ;,
defeated Captain Goldsmith at White House, Georgia. June 28, 1779;
participated in battle of Augusta, Georgia, May-June, 1781.



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FOR REFERENCE

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