A HISTORY OF
SAVANNAH
AND
SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN
VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK 1913
History of Savannah and South Georgia
ANCESTORS OF WYMBERLET 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.
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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 Fallowfield a*re 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 Manchicolas 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, and 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 there 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 regiment 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-
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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 Duribar 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 fires 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, 184243. 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
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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 Frederica in his charge. He had a small detachment of ten or twelve men and said that he was on his way to Frederica 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 Frederica. 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 July 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
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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 in April, 1741), Patrick Graham became president. His assistants were James Habersham, Noble Jones, Pickering Eobinson 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
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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 he, my Lords, Your Lordships' most obedient and obliging servant,
JAMES WEIGHT, 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- Wymberley 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. f~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. 'J 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 issued 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. Aud. 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,
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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 10th 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-
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fare. Re-elected to this position in 1770, so pronounced 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
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other cast his lot with the Revolutionists and 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 a'cted 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 ciispassionate 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.
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"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, either 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."
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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 Wymberley 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 llth 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 said1 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 with 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, 1781, 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. Joaes 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 Wash ington with an address of welcome upon the occasion of his visit to
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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 Wymberley-
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
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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 indissolubly 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
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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 Isle of Hope the literary tastes of Mr. De Renne found expression in the following publications, with one exception bearing the imprint of Wormsloe, and executed in the
highest style of the printer's art. "In 1847 he reprinted the rare and valuable political tract by
George Walton, William Few. and Richard Howley, 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
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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. De 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. Glair'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, fortynine ; 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 Wormsloe, 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 he 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.
Vol. II 2
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"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, President. S. C. WILLIAMSON, Treasurer.
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
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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 his place in the Congress of the United States, 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 H. 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.
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Alexander. The latter partnership existed until his election to Con
gress. In the election of 1906, Mr. Edwards 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 be 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 in commercial life has substantial interests in naval stores, saw mills, farming and banking. He was formerly a member of the Oglethorpe 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 (Hinson) 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 1894-95. 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. H. 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.
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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 Louet!e 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 Mariah (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. His 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 he is one of the financial bulwarks of Savannah. He is chairman of the Sinking Fund
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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 corporatons. 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 greater 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 llth 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 he 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 he came to
Savannah. He went into the wholesale grocery business on his arrival in the
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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, the 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. Bonaventure cemetery was developed and put in its present beautiful con dition, and Baffin 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
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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.
Here he remained until the age of sixteen when, owing to his father having encountered business reverses, he determined to become selfsupporting, a resolution which he carried out absolutely.
Securing a position with Padleford & Fay, then one of the leading houses on the Bay, 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.
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James H. 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 with 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' struggle.
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,
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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 fcnis. 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 fled 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 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, 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.
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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 Oglethorpe'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 grandsire'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 Oglethorpe 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, and 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
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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 twentythree 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 first years of its establishment. Judge Charlton was not only a learned lawyer and an orator, but a writer and poet. In his mind the wit of his father was tempered with a fine 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 of his brother, appeared in 1839, and another edition in 1842. 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, and in Hancock county, Georgia, and Baltimore county, Maryland, under Richard Malcolm Johnston. In 1869 he matric-
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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 Maryland 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 faeen 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 Mclntosh 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, was 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, Mclntosh county. Throughout almost the entire period of the war between the states, Colonel King served as a gallant soldier
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and officer in the Confederate army, his activities being mostly in the Army of Northern Virginia. Promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in Cobb's Georgia Legion, he made a distinguished record for daring and fearless bravery, and on March 10, 1865, was killed at the head of his command, in Kilpatrick's charge, in the battle of Averysboro, North Carolina.
The maiden name of the wife of Colonel King was Sarah Elizabeth Macleod. She is a lineal descendant of Francis Harris, who emigrated from England to Savannah in 1733. Francis Harris was prominent in the Colonial service of Georgia, having been elected speaker of the first colonial general assembly, which met in Savannah January 15,1751. When the trustees of the colony surrendered their charter in June, 1752, and the lords commissioners of trade and plantations provided for the appointment of a governor and a council of twelve, Francis Harris was a member of the council under Gov. John Reynolds, who assumed charge on October 30, 1754. He was also a prominent factor in the commercial development of Savannah, having in 1744 associated with himself James Habersham, under the firm name of Harris & Habersham, and established one of the first exporting houses in Sa vannah, which business was continued up to the time of his death. She is the daughter of the late William Harris Macleod, and a grand daughter of Francis Harris Macleod, whose father, Dr. Donald Mac leod, of the distinguished Macleod family of Skye, Scotland, served as a surgeon in the British navy in the war against the colonists. After the war, however, Doctor Macleod became a loyal American citizen, settling in Savannah, Georgia, and here marrying Elizabeth Harris, only daughter of the Francis Harris alluded to above, who had been an ardent supporter of the colonists, while his only son, Francis Henry Harris, was captain of the first company raised in Savannah to fight the British. l
Brought up in Cobb county, Georgia, Harris Macleod King obtained his elementary education in the local schools, afterwards continuing his studies at Marietta, Georgia, and at Amherst, Virginia. Since early youth he has been connected with the naval stores industry of Georgia, coming to Savannah when but sixteen years old as an employe of a naval
stores concern. Going to Brunswick, Georgia, in 1890, Mr. King was for twenty years a resident of that city, being identified with the John R. Young Company of Savannah, as manager for their Brunswick branch office. When this office at Brunswick was discontinued, he returned to Savannah May 1, 1910, and entered upon the responsible duties of his present position on that date, and has since been super vising inspector of naval stores for the state of Georgia, an office to which he was appointed by Gov. Joseph M. Brown. In this capacity Mr. King has the entire supervision and direction of all the naval stores inspectors in the state, an office requiring rare tact, ability and discrimination.
Mr. King is a communicant of St. John's Episcopal church, and is a member of various social organizations, including the Society of Colonial Wars, the St. Andrew's Society, the Hibernian Society, Sons of the Revolution, Sons of Confederate Veterans, the Society of the Cincinnati and the Order of Washington.
At Marietta, Georgia, Mr. King married Miss Georgia H. Baker, who was born in South Carolina of distinguished ancestry belonging to that state, but was brought up and educated in this state. Mr. and Mrs. King have four children, namely, Harris M. King, Jr., Irene Trenholm King, Barrington King and Pauline Trenholm King.
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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 natives 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; 190910, 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
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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 twentyseven 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 was 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. Mi?. 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 reelection, 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 bill and voted for it. I told the senate committee that what defeated him was the fact
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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
Vol. II--3
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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 Greenfield ; & 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 war 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 young 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. In testimonial of his services' he was presented with the medal of the Legion of Honor, having distinguished himself in the siege of Paris. Two cousins of the subject's father Captk Robert Habersham Wylly and William
C. Wylly, were also in the Confederate army and one of George W. WTylly'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
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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 Oglethorpe in 1733. Their descendants, as noted above, have resided 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 conquered, 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.
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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 Queen
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-
aeters in Caledonian annals. The mother of the immediate subject of
this review was the daughter of Andrew Mclntire, who came to1 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
;*f.
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.
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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 Savannah board of trade has 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, Ijowever, 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. AVith the foundation of expert knowledge as a statistician, whicft forms an important feature of the board's work, he is in addition a thoroughly live, resourceful and efficient official in carrying otit 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
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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 day 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, Capt. 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 officer 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. He 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 he was not able to leave with Company
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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 sergeantmajor 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 lieute'nancy 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
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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 West 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 McKinley and his cabinet to the city in 1899, and Admiral and Mrs. 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 in 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, South Carolina, November 4, 1818, and died at Clifton Springs, New York, July 2, 1896. He ,was the son of Alex ander James Lawton and Martha Mosse, natives of South Carolina and Georgia, respectively. The Lawton family was an old one in South Carolina, and General Lawton was the grandson of Joseph Lawton, a planter of Edisto Island, that state, who later removed to Beau fort District, South Carolina, where he passed the remainder of his life. He 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 West
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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 ambassadorial 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. GordonHe 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
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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 H. 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. Lawton 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 Sunbury, 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 Boggs, 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
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behalf of the bar of Savannah, and ordered to be filed in the archives of 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.
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'' 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 he 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 that the judge of the Superior Court be requested to adjourn his court in honor of General Lawton's memory.
SAMUEL B. ADAMS,
POPE BARROW,
WILLIAM GARRARD,
WALTER G. CHARLTON,
P. W. MELDRIM,
Committee."
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COL. ALEXANDER RUDOLF LAWTON. The history of the legal profession in the South presents a chronicle of importance and dis
tinction and the state of Georgia has assuredly contributed its quota t'o 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 University 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
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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 wellknown 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 Regiment of Infantry. During the SpanishAmerican 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. Lawton 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 AVEEY 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 yea,rs 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 Hevitree, 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 born 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
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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 governorgeneral 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 whiteplumed helmet of the Knight Templar. He is a member of the Oglethorpe 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 Lavihia (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
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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. William 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 from 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, after 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 1760 received a grant of land from King George III. She died in Savannah October 11,1794, at the age of ninety-three years.
J. Florance Minis, the eldest of the children of Abraham and Lavinia
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(Florence) 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 "Rockwood '' 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 Ogiethorpe Monument Commission, which had in charge the erection of the Ogiethorpe 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
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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 casliier of the new bank. In 1890, the Citizens' Bank was reorganized and $300,000 was added to its capital, making its
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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 tihe 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 twentysix 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 with 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
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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 preparation, 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 lastnamed 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 with 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 of 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
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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 he was again 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 outof-town companies. Colonel 0 '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, 1876, 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
'PPI
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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. HOGAN. 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,
Georgia, 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 Gumming & 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
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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 a1 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
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Virginia family of that name. She is the daughter of Dr. Richard Chandler and his wife, whose maiden name was Harrietta (Alien) 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, 1854. 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 to 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."
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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 service, 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 H. 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, 18347 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.
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Waring Russell, Jr., the son of Judge Philip M. and Elizabeth (Ferre) Russell, was brought up and educated in Savannah, attending first the public schools, and later the private school taught by Prof. James F. 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 spoken, 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 Bluffton, 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 Wilmington 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
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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 marriage 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 Waddell, 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
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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 toParis, 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 mecum 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. C., 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. He and his brother-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,
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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 was 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-
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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 the states, 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 (Herman) Thompson, and great-granddaughter of Augustin Herman and Janetia
Herman, daughter of Casper and Judith Varleth.
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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 llth 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 ineorporators of Flushing in 1645, which was then governed by the Dutch, but the ineorporators 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 Stuyve&ant 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 Augustina, 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 lierrman 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, Misissippi, 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 Herman, 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 Hen-man 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.
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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 November 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 with 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 administrations 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 system. 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.
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Dr. Screven having died in Virginia in July, 1859, Ms 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 Abercorn 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.
Tol. H-5
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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 apt 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 White 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 Cavalry, 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 February, 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
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six months at Fort 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, 1864, 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
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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 24, 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 report 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, 1898, upon the death of our then lamented president, the distinguished Henry R. Jackson, he was unan-
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imously chosen president of the society, and filled the office up to the day of his death. For this position he 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 fortiter m 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-
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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 the darkling patter where timid feet Faltered 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 he bore,
"Resolved, that the secretary inscribe upon our minutes this testi-
r
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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 Sereven 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 Capt. 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 aiid 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-
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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 Steamship 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 together 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 suitable memorial to the late vice-president was unanimously adopted. The chair appointed Vice-President Young and Comrades Pope Barrow 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 1640, 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 Sereven, 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 the 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
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his several callings, he was always ready to serve family, friend, city, country; and many and various were the places of honor and trust to which he 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 Shopman 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, Who spake no slander, no, nor listened to it.
We have lost him, he is gone.
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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 trfe slender, graceful form and gentle face
S"SA&?
which had been so familiar on the streets of Savannah. Mr. Barrow
-.' ^Oflh,'.
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
Mm. 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 judgment 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 us 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
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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. E. 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
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usefully applied in treating the various ailments of the negroes belong ing to the Sereven family.
In 1852 Captain Screven had joined the Savannah Volunteer Guards, of which he 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 the 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. BLOODWORTH, 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, 1842, that Francis D. Bloodworth was born, son of Solomon W. and Lucy (Thornton) Bloodworth, both natives of this state. He completed his education in
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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. Ftor 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 Erne, wife of Mr. F. M. Butler of Savannah. Mrs, Bloodworth, formerly Miss Sarah Alien, was born
in Meriwether county, Georgia.
CAPT. FRANCIS P. MC!NTIBE. 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
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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 Katherine (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 Eevolution 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.
CAPT. 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
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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 f' 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. Loami 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. McCoy, of New Jersey; Mrs, A. L. Alexander, of Savannah; and George J.
Baldwin, of Savannah.
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George J. Baldwin was born 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 numerous 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, and 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 Muscogee 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 Sjerra 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 H. Hull, of Atlanta,
Georgia, and they have two children, namely: George H., born in Sa vannah, April 23, 1883; and Dorothea C., born in this city, February
22, 1889. Mr. Loami Baldwin, Mr. Baldwin's great uncle, established himself
in business in Savannah prior to his marriage, which was solemnized in 1823, and since his coming here, nearly a hundred years ago, there has been a Baldwin continuously in business in Savannah.
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JOHN JACOB EAUEBS. 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 ofthe 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
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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 O'BYBNE. The law firm of which Michael A. O'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. 0'Connor, with the firm name of 0'Connor & O'Byrne. In 1896, Mr. Walter C. Hartridge was admitted to the firm, which then became 0'Connor, O'Byrne & Hartridge. Mr. 0'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 O'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. O'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. O'Byrne has many other inter ests that are of marked importance. He is the president of the Hibernia Bank, a successful financial institution of constantly growing pros perity, with capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $350,000. He has 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
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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. O'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. O'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. O'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. 0 '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. O'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. O'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. O'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. 0 '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 O'Byrne. Mr. 0 '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.
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CHARLES 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 fine 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, 1834, 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 of the southern contention for independence, and as early as January, 1861, enlisted in the Pulaski Guards, with which he served in garrison at Fort Pulaski. In August, 1861, he entered the regular Confederate service as first sergeant of the Washington volunteers, under Capt. John McMahon, which became a company of the First Regiment of Georgia, commanded by Col. Charles H. 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 fleet and batteries, April 10 and 11, 1862, and which
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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 one 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
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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 ML 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 of 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.
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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. Dqwsey,
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. Bajrer holds the welfare of the city closely at heart and his
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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 Landrmn 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. 0. 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 Mclntosh 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.
RUFUS 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 Chickamauga, 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 Gen. N. B. Forrest commended Colonel Lester for extraordinary bravery and gallantry.
Resuming the practice of his profession in Savannah after the close of the conflict, Colonel Lester became active in public affairs, and in
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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, Mclntosh, 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 in 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 quote some excerpts from a tribute paid him by one of his own 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 weak 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
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\
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.
i ' 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 element's 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 C. Lebey counts among his ancestors some of the more noteworthy families of the South. He was born in
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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
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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 1906 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, D. 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. Mackall, 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 corporations of which Mr. Mackall 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. Mackall 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.
Few 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 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 threechildren, 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 Oglethorpe Club, the Yacht Club, the Guards Club and the Golf Club.
DAVID CRENSHAW BARROW, JR. The name borne by David Crenshaw 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 set 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
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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 Brandywine 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.
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Sarah Church (Craig) Barrow, the mother of David Crenshaw Bar row III., was the daughter of Col. Lewis Stevenson Craig, of Virginia, 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 born 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 military 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 honorable discharge from that organization, he accepted a second lieutenancy 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 regiment at the time of his resignation in January, 1899. Upon his return to Savannah he joined the Oglethorpe Light Infantry, one of the companics 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. Fraternalry, 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 Company, 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.
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625
Dr. Semmes was a son of Thomas Semmes, 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 fof 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 from 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
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later one of those who stood on the scaffold with this unfortunate king
when he was beheaded. He was a descendant of Hugh 0 '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 and 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
Mono 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. MclNTOSH. One of the most prominent and popular of the younger citizens of Savannah, Olin T. Mclntosh, 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) Mclntosh, he was born, in 1881, in Mclntosh county, Georgia, which was named in honor of one of his ancestors.
He is a lineal descendant in the sixth generation of John Mohr Mclntosh, 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.6
John Mohr l Mclntosh, a native of Scotland, immigrated to this country in colonial days, settling in what is now Mclntosh county, Georgia. Two of his sons, Gen. Lachlan Mclntosh and Col. William Mclntosh, served in the Revolutionary war, being officers in the Con tinental army. Col. William 2 Mclntosh married Mary Mackay. Their son, John 3 Mclntosh, who was a lieutenant colonel in the War of 1812, married Sarah Swinton. John Nash 4 Mclntosh, major in United States army, who spent his entire life in Mclntosh county, married Sallie Rokenbaugh. William Swinton 5 Mclntosh, was a life-long resident of Mclntosh county, his death occurring there in 1903.
Brought up and educated in Mclntosh county, Olin T.6 Mclntosh 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. Mclntosh was an active member of the Savannah Volunteer Guards, serving as lieutenant of Company A, of that famous organization. Fraternally, Mr. Mclntosh 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. Mclntosh married Miss Janie Lawton, daughter of Asbury Lawton, of Lawtonville, who was born in South Carolina, Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mclntosh 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
Vol. 11--7
628
SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEOEGIA
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 patron.
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 TYLEE 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 Johnstbne, 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,"
680
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 \lf!
of the Mutual Life Insurance Company, comprising all the southern v |C
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
;cH'
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.
J
M. S., a member of the Oglethorpe Club, the Yacht Club, the Cotillion
S;;
Club, and the Golf Club, being secretary of the last mentioned club, . '-J|
and an enthusiastic golfer.
if|
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 Brothers. The business of
;fjf
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
|f
for their stills MacMillan Brothers maintain branch establishments at
|
Jacksonville, Mobile and Pensacola.
&:
The products of the MacMillan plants are notable throughout the
turpentine regions for first-class material, honest, durable workman-
;
ship, and resultant satisfactory service to the user. In addition to
W
the making of seamless stills, the MacMillan copper shops in Savannah,
:|?
and the branch shops in Jacksonville, Mobile and Pensacola, manufac-
If
ture other appliances used in the turpentine industry, doing general
Jjji
coppersmith work.
;f||
Mr. MacMillan has other interests of note, also. He established
lj|
and for eight years was president, of the Savannah Blow Pipe and
:|j
Exhaust Company, manufacturers of blow pipes systems. Withdraw-
il
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 , f|
Pipe and Sheet Metal Company, of which he is president, the head-
fj
quarters of the company being in Savannah, with branch establish-
|j
ments at Jacksonville and Atlanta.
J
SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
631
Mr. MacMillan is one of the directorate of the Citizens and Southern Bank; he is a member of the 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 publicspirited 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 & Lattimore, 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 1884, 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. Sehrim, 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. Among1 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. He 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
I
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 df 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 F. 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 Wm. 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 merchant's. 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 up 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 was moved to its present position, 14-18 State street, West.
Both Edward F. 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 "\yilliams 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
well 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, 1815. 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, about 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 War 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 Mr. 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,
j
New York, from which he was graduated in 1869.
SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
635
In January, 1870, Mr. .Thomson came to Savannah, which has since
been his home. His first position was in charge of the books 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 has 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-
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cist and thoroughly skilled in merchandising methods. Since his father's death he has been 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 Masons 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.
Mr. Shuptrine laid one of the most important stones in the founda-
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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
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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 important 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-Ameri 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 Germania 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, when 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 partially 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, yand 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 York. Mary Fairlie was the granddaughter of Gov. Robert Yates of
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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 comrrercial enterprises of importance. He has lived in Savannah con tinuously since 1881, with the exception of eight years, from 1886 to 1894, 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 has 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.
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ADAM COPE HARHON, 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 Washing 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.
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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 of 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, Mclntosh, 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 Wm. 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
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a writer of note, both of prose and poetry; his literary qualifications being of particularly high order. He was a member of 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: lola, 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 services 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 respected 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 REMSHART 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
Salzburgers and among the early settlers of the colony of Georgia, As a child, a delicate constitution and imperfect sight interfered
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with Mr. Thomas' education. In 1862 he enlisted in the Confederate army with the Tatthall 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.
v. 1. II S
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Thomas being defeated. The following strong endorsement of him is from an editorial in the Morning News appearing during that campaign: "Mr. Thomas is a man of fine business qualifications. He has proven himself to be one of the most competent and progressive coun,cilmen 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-on^ 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 Murchison 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 establishments 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.
WILLIAM 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 institutions 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, experienced 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
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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 moved 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 0. 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 0. 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 0. passed his boyhood and youth, with very meagre educational advantage. At the age of twentyone 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 car 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.
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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 VirginiaCarolina 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., undertakers. 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. of 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 tjie 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, who 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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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 McAlpins 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 Georgia. 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.
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But as modern days are strenuous, so the modern man has something
of power in his makeup which works best 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,
Mclntosh 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 Darien in Mclntosh 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 LaRoehe 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
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at New Orleans, and served in this position during the same year that
Gen. Clement A. Evans was eommander-in-ehief. 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 sharing1 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 Stillwell, 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.
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The family, which had during the war period "refugeed" pretty much all over the state, moved back to Eome 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 Millen & 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. Millfti 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 Wayeross 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 eontinously 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
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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
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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. Dorsett 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
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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 greatgreat-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
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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. Mclntyre, 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 Potomac 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, to which city he came in 1885, and where he has siirce 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.
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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 0 '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, buta 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
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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, requiring1 ,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.
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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 Bluffton, 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, who 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
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more uniformly loved and respected in Savannah than any cue 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, wrho 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 1904, 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 Coiner, 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 he remained
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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 Millen & Southwestern Railroad with headquarters at Millen, Georgia. In
February, 1900, he became superintendent of the Offerman & AVestern 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 quarters 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 Alary 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
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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 Postell 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 Postell Williamson's home in Savannah was the rendezvous for army officers following the Mexican war and the Indian wars in Florida Sherman, Pope, Bragg, Ridgeley, Wade, Beckwith and Eankin 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 Postell AVilliamson 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 o]d 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 u leading merchant" of Charlestown, 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. Jarnes Moore AVayne, 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 the success of the firm is the logical outcome.
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Major Williamson went through the public schools of Savannah; 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 twentytwo 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 fellowcitizens. 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 vicepresident 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. Iloke' 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 Fort 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, HendersonHull 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
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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 Williamson 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 constitute/i 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 Colonel Elliott and later as aidede-camp and major on the staff of General Mclntosh. 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
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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 life-long 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 nourishing 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 1897 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 Fbrsyth, 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
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Miss Mary Adeline Andrews, a member of one of the old families of that county. Rev. Myrick's mother, who was Elizabeth A. (Candler) Myrick, 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, Blackstock Farm and King's Mountain. Mr. Myrick, 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. Myrick 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. Myrick 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 Oglethorpe 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.
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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 Revolutionary 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
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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 & 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 Westmorland 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 has
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 to his present rank, that of major of the medical department.
On January 8, 1913, Dr. Martin was united in marriage to Annie,
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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.
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Dr. Robert Godfrey Norton was born in Robertville, South Carolina, on the l'7th of March, 1841, and died in Savannah in 1900. 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 AMI. 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 Sanatarium. 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 1899.
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-in-law, 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
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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 1820 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 AVest 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 1845 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-
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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 stable, 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. He was eleven years old when the family removed to Waycross, 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 Blackshear high school, and on being graduated therefrom became a student
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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
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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 Morton'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, since 1906, Mr. Lewis began his public career at the age of twenty-one as deputy sheriff in Columbia county, 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 has furnished a number of. soldiers, civil officials, and men of ability to the nation and communitv.
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"William J. Lewis was born 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 Te,rrell county, and also as mayor of Dawson.
William Turner Lewis married Frances Cora Bell, who was born 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. Susa*n (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 William 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 Neivs, 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 White, 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 News 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
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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 war and in the hardships of reconstruction and resided there until 1869 when he went to Darien. Like his brother he has been connected with the Hilton & Foster Lumber interests, now known 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 with 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, where the company had, two mills and from that point moved to a home on St. Simon's Island, where his family resided until the removal to Savannah in 1907. Mr. Foster's long experience in the lumber industry has given him a vast and comprehensive 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 now negotiating with the government of Nicara gua for timber properties and a transcontinental railroad franchise, which looks very favorable. 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 devoted, 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 wife 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 wife, Mr. Foster was married to Miss Augusta Russell, and they have five children, whose names are Georgia, Elizabeth Lachlison, Rosa Lee, Floyd and John.
CAPT. HENRY GUMMING CUNNINGHAM. A man of distinctive culture and forceful individuality, Capt. Henry Gumming Cunningham is an able and influential member of the Savannah bar, and a citizen of promi nence. He was born April 5,1842, in Savannah, a son of Dr. Alexander and Anna Frances (Mayhew) Cunningham, and in the city schools
acquired his first knowledge of books.
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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 Bentonville, 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 (Barren) 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
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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 O'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 Shellman, is a daughter of Maj. W. F. Shellman.
GRANTHAM I. TAGGART. 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. Grantham 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 army 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 1845 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, but it is certain that after the Third Regiment was sent back 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
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677
in partnership with two other young men, embarked in the hat, cap and
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.
During 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
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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, Wales 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 lack1 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 devo'ted 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 Kailway, 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. Grim shaw 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 he 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. (Morton) 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 United 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 business 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. 0. N, M. S. of Savannah.
Mr. Hubert's wife, formerly Miss Josephine Boulineau Hodges, was 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
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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 'pf 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.
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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,
<s:!4>**
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
lola 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. Andersen'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
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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 Gottingen 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 "Final 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 Mackall 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 1905-06, 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
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SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEOEGIA
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 Gdlf 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
PI':-
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 1841 until 1845,
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.
1
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 Order 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, v 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 William 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
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SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
Schley; Sara Schley; Anna Maria Schley; and Mary Ann Schley. Dr. James Montfort 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 Meld rim.
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 1854 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. Sehley 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. Sehley 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 West Point, in 1903, 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. Mr. 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, "Beanlieu."
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, exchairman 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 M 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 190.1, 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 tcmpore 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-
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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 gfficer.
Mr. Heyward'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., was 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. He 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 Heyward, Jr. From White Hall, Washington was escorted
by Thomas Heyward, Jr., to Purysburg, South Carolina, on the Savan-
nah river, where the distinguished general was received by an escort
from Savannah. Later in life, Thomas Heyward, Jr., became a judge
of the circuit court in South .Carolina. He died in April, 1809, at the
age of sixty-three years. His grave is at "Old House" cemetery near
Gfrahamville, South Carolina, The portrait 'of this distinguished man
hangs in Independence Hall, Philadelphia.
.
Thomas Heyward, Jr., married Elizabeth Savage for his second wife,
eldest daughter of Col. Thomas and Mary Elliott (Butler) Savage, and in
this way the Heywards are connected with the well 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. Heyward's great-great-grandfather, Daniel Heyward, a wealthy
planter, was a son of Capt. Thomas Heyward, of the British army, who
for a time was stationed at Fort Johnson on James Island, and who, for
his distinguished service in the army, particularly in fighting the Indians
in America, was granted large tracts of land in St. Luke's parish, Beau
fort district, South Carolina, in which was included the "Old House"
tract, the family homestead. He also owned land on James Island; and
in Charleston, from the corner of Meeting street to King street, on the
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SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEOEGIA
' 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 Alien 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 Howkins and Mrs. Arthur Overton and Miss Maud Heyward and Frank 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.
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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 pf 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 judge 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 Company 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 six 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.
4 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 bom 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, Non sibi, sed 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 Fort 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
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prisoner until the close of the war, when he was paroled and returned to Savannah.
Upon returning to Savannah after the war he became 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 perception 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. W. 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 Terrell, the great-grandfather of Robert Jesse Travis, 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
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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.
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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.
TPIE 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,
was the wife of Edgar AVilliams; 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. Alien.
ISAAC 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
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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 able 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 life-long 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 Roehe, 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 one 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 meltingpot 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 Germania 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
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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 cargo 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 he 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
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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 publicspirited, 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. Henry 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-
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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 Capt. William G. Austin 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
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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 Eegiment 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 Guyton, 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 vof one of the eastern families which have 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 its 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 the 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
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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 wasthere 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
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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 Sidneyham 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 WILTBEEGER 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-
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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 peopk 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.
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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. Henry R. and Caroline (Harris) Casey, of Columbia county, Georgia, and a grand-niece of Maj. John McPherson Berrien, who was one of Savannah's distinguished citizens of former years. General and Mrs. Meldrim have four children, namely: Caroline Louise, Frances 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, 1864.
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
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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 1866, 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. Chisholin, 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 has important bearing upon the progress and stable prosperity of the community, he 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 parents 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
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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 arid 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. AA7hen his fellow citizens in Randolph county speak of
Mr. Move 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
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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. Alien 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
Falttatcher 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.
Alien 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 1834 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, Alien 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. Alien 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, Alien, and
Sarah.
*
Andrew Jackson Moye since he was two years 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
time, after which he returned to the farm for a few months, and then
moved into Cuthbert, where he was clerk in the store of Mr. Jesse E.
Key until the latter's death. Then in 1859 he bought a plantation ad
joining the old homestead and devoted all his time and attention to
agricultural activities until after the war.
In 1864 Mr. Moye enlisted in Company B, of the Tenth Georgia
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Infantry, and was engaged with this 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 bom 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
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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 ttye 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 SpanishAmerican 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 Bavarian 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 trade, his being that of a tanner. His father died in 1861 and the family removed
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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. 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.
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Although he has given "his honors to the world again, his blessed 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. Pie 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 he 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, he wrote a public letter on the subject of world-wide peace which received prominent space in the Paris edition of the New York Herald. 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 banking 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 July, 1911, he married Mrs. Nellie Simmonds, of New York.
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EDWARD J. THOMAS of Savannah is one of the representative civil 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 II. (Huguenin) Thomas; the former was born in Mclntosh county, Georgia, and the latter in Charleston, South Carolina. Maj. John A. Thomas was a planter by vocation, established in Mclntosh 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) Huguenin, 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 Jolmston'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 fight 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 things, 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 peculiarly 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. lie 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,
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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., has 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 December 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 0"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 he 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-
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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 0 'Connor & 0 'Byrne, and the name was changed to 0'Connor, 0'Byrne & Hartridge. This firm style continued until January 1, 1910, when Mr. 0'Connor's name was dropped, he having died in November, 1909; Anton P. Wright was then admitted to the company and the name became 0'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 years, and took charge of this office on
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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 with one son, Julian Hartridge. The present Mrs. Hartridge was before her marriage Miss Catharine Mclntire, and is a daughter of James W. and Catharine (Foley) Mclntire 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 car 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, and 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 Capt. Michael Pierce, who was distinguished for his service in King Philip's war. Jacob Millar himself was of English
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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 could 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.
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Born 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 Mclntosh Guards, of which he was made captain, andwhich, 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. Lachlison & 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 Darien; 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 at 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
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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 1853. 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 the 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 Broxton, 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
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aged nine, while Mary, six years old, and Will, a babe of one 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 Salkehatehie, 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 a,t the Stanley Business College, in Thomasville, 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, roofing, 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, and at the age of nine years, during the Civil war, accompanied his parents to Boston, whither they fled as refugees. On October 15,1878, Mr. Harman married Sophronia Groven-
stein, who was born, March 23, 1857, 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,
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namely: Agnes Lucile died at the age of twelve months; Asbury liarman, 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. Eeligiously 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 Yidalia, 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. He 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-
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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 II, 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 Fort 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, From there they were transferred to Fort 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 Johnsfon's army at Greensboro, North Carolina, when in the summer of 1865 the war ended. General Bourne enlisted with Company H, 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
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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.
CAI>T. 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. He 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 AVest, 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, 1864. 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 wellknown 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
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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
llth of November, 1874. He is the son of Charles William Weddington 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 be 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
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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 AVexford, 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 Leaven worth, 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 24, 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, 1.911. 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. II--13
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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.
ROBEKT 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 McIntosh 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 1852. 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, Mclntosh 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
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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 & Foster. 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
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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 long1 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 13. Davis was born in Montgomery county, Georgia, on the 19th day of March, 1881, his parents being Ishain J. and Delilah Davis. His father was born in 1841 in Montgomery county and his mother was a native of Laurens county, Georgia. liis 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 sou 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. dark'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, 1904, 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 eases, 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-
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sonal 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. 0. Johnson & Company, general mercantile establishment, Vidalia, Georgia, ranks Avith 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 Avay in the world, he found employment at Millian, Georgia, in the general merchandise store of T. Z. Daniels, Avhere he filled a. clerkship for eighteen months. The next' eighteen months he Avas 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, Avhieh 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 A^7as organized in 1907, and which has since conducted a prosperous business.
Mr. Johnson has been twice married. By his first wife, Avho was Miss Roxie Gay, and whom he married March 8, 1900, he has one child, George Walton. This Avife 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. 0. 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 Avith 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.
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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 Laiirens 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, 1880, 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 farmer. 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
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 Herald. Later the Heraid-Tribune 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 Clarkesville, 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 Clayton, 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
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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 born 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, in 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 ] 898; Lila, born in 1900; and Lucille, born in 1904. 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. PARRISH. An able and influential member of the bar, 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 his 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, "William, 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.
Fraternally Mr. Cleveland is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons; and religiously he and the family belong to
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SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
the Missionary Baptist church. In 1899, Mr. Cleveland married Mrs. Rahabtuten, of Emanuel county.
JOHN GOLDWIRE McCiLL, 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 was 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 sparsely populated, while deer, bear, wild turkeys, and other game was plentiful, furnishing the new-comers 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 tanninsr all the leather used 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 1876, at the age of sixty-six
years.
Francis S. McCall married Ann Dobson. She was born in Beaufort, South Carolina, where her father, an extensive and wealthy planter, was a lifelong resident. She died in 1901, a^red eighty-five years.' Thir teen children were born into their household, as follows: John. Goldwire, James H., 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 Murfreesboro, Tennes see. A few months later he was made professor of Greek and Hebrew
r
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, Eosa 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 LeeJ 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
'tp
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SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEOKGIA '
'>
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,
v
Thereafter he engaged in school teaching, in the state, and as previously
mentioned, his pedagogical work extended over a period of a score f
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 Eochelle, 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 strength 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. He 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 wageearner 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. Alien, 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 Americus, 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 CM 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 years 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.
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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 Rochelle. 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 Rochelle.
. Mr. Brown was postmaster at Seville, under Graver 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 Rochelle.
JAMES ALEXANDER BUSSELL, M. D., has been engaged in the practice of medicine since 1893, and since 1896 he has been located at Rochelle, 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 (Raffield) 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 Rochelle; 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 Rochelle 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 Rochelle, Dr. Bussell completed a course in phamaceuties, 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. H. Coffee. Four children were born to Dr. and
SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
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
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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 Kinghom. 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 miles 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 sendee, 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. Miteliell'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 his 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, Air. 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 & Gulf 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, and a saw mill in
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Liberty county, Georgia. The latter plant Mr. Mitcliell operated until it burned, six years later. Captain Dale died about that time, and Mr. Dixon and Mr. Mitcliell 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 Waycross, 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 "Waycross Lodge, No. 305, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons; Waycross Chapter, No. 9, Royal Arch Masons; Damascus 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 Brace. 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 Wileox, 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
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SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
SEABORN WALTER JOHNSON, M. D. Long familiar with the rudi ments of medicine and surgery, Seaborn Walter Johnson, K. 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, for1 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 Ybrk 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 u 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 Hazlehurst 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. Bascom 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, born in 1900;
and Grace, born in 1904.
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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
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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 DOW Mrs. Francis H. Ramsey, of Valdosta, 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 esteemed1 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, further1 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 Mclntosh county, Georgia, where both spent the remainder of their lives as farmer people. Their son Augustus Myddelton, born in Mclntosh 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 Mclntosh 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 Mclntosh 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 and 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 Flemington, 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
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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 Euphemia Smith, who was born in Lowndes county to Duncan and Margaret (Dasher) Smith. They have reared eight children, as follows: Smith, Mary, Robert B., Effie, 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.
CARET 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 feajr 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
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*
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 vicepresident, 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, he 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 E. 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
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Lucille, Lillian Marie, Carey McDonald, Ralph Franklin, Juniatta Rebecca, and Norman Ancil.
JAMES EVEBETT 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
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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 Yaldosta 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 Yal 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 Yaldosta 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 Yickers. 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 until 1875, in which year he located in Yaldosta. In association with Hon. A. T. Mclntyre of Thomasville he engaged in banking, a business with which his name has been substantially identified ever since, and he is one of the oldest bankers of south Georgia. In 1889 he organized the Mer chants Bank of Yaldosta, 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 Brinson. 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 five children are Kemer 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 PL, 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 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 Twentysixth 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 1864, 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 he 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, he 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. as1 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. PEEBLES. 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 ahd 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 "People'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, Cincinnati^, 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 he began helping 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 he 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, whose 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. 0. 0. F. Mr. Peeples died October 6, 1912, and was buried in the Valdosfa cemetery. Their
adopted daughter is Mrs. T. B. Converse of Valdosta,
RANDOLPH AVEEA. 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 born in the same county, February 2, 1800, where he was reared and mar ried, and in 1828 moved to Crawford county, where he bought a planta-
RESIDENCE OF MRS. RANDOLPH AVERA BUILT IN 1859
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 LaGrange.
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
f||
five. After the death of her husband Mrs. McElbeen with her three
^
children returned \o her parents in Thomas county. In 1857 coming U:
to what is now Brooks county, where a brother had previously settled, *.i
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 '3
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 r:
more than half a century has been on the estate which she thus under
took to develop. Log houses w.ere 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, v|
Leila, Josie and Hugh. Susan Tallulah, who was born May 29, 1855, II
and died in 1895, married Joel K. Hodges, and left four children ||
Mary Effie, Clara Mec, Lula Me. and Joel K.
i
Mr. and Mrs. Avera have reared four children Clara Lavinia, ; ;?
James Walter, John Randolph and Charles Young. James W. married t
Maggie McMullen, and their three children are Mary Mec, Walter and ~yr
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 Florrie 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. Home, 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 tern, and has been in charge J
of the municipal water and lights departments, and in all those lines j
of activity he has shown himself an ideal citizen and an excellent man ;
of business.
/
Erasmus Douglas White was born in Screven county, near what is ;
now called Middleground Postoffice, 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
0. 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 their1 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, serving 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 interests 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 Stalesboro, is a fine 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 five children Roscoff, 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 Eochelle. 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 Vidalia, 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-i 5
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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, GeorgiaJohn 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
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married Mary Henderson, and both he and his wife were buried on a hill overlooking the valley of the Ogeechee 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. lie 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 Wales, 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
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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. lie 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 occurring
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 founders 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 begun 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 his practical knowledge of journalism, a knowledge that after wards aided him in making a success of his newspaper enterprises,
For a number of years Mr. Hilton worked for this newspaper, also
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759
for the consolidated Dublin Courier-Dispatch, and in 1907 lie pur chased the Dublin Times. In 1910 Mr. Hilton was appointed clerk of 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 14, 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 born 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 was 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 Whitfield, and she was born in Putnam county, and her brother William 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 llth 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, Effingham 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.
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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, South 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 which 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. His 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.
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761
His 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 Richland 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 o| 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. Watkms, 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 politics 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
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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 #t 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- N
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 great-grandfather, 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
ilsi
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 Ware 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 successful 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
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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 Waycross, 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, 1847, 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 Naylor 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 Taylor 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 Mattie 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
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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. STANFILL. 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 v 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 product's 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-brick 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 politics 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. Wilkinson, 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 t 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 was 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 Grout, also born in that 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 lic 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 No. 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 wife 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 llth 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 this 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 last 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 iiad 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. Lawson. 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
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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 H., 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, he 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, he has 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 born 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
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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 reached a high state of efficiency. For the past five years Mr. Powell has been 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 street's, 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 interest's of the community, and Mr. Cooper
has proved himself a citizen of a high order in the years of his residence
in Vienna.
f|
On Octo'ber 2, 1896, Mr. Cooper was united in marriage with Miss fl
Ella Lytle, the daughter of Thomas T. Lytle and M. T. (Smith) Lytle. If
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
Vol. II-l 0
772
SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
lineage being thus traced: lin 4 and James Mathews.5
William, 1
John,2
Wesley,3 Augustus Frank
he
William 1 Griggs was born and reared came to America, accompanied by a
in Wales. In early manhood brother who settled in New
England, while fought with the
he located in Virginia. During the Revolution he 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, maiden
and his name of
body was there buried on his son's plantation. The 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.
AHnenime a(rBrieeadsleNya)ncByrowElni,zalbifeet-hlonBgrorwesni,deantsdaoufghCtlearrkofcouJenrteym, iGaheoragniad,
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 between
Mercer University. Soon after the breaking out of the the states, he enlisted in Company E, Forty-first Georgia
war Vol
unteer Infantry, Murfreesboro he
under joined
command Capt. C.
of B.
Capt. Charles A. McDaniel. Ferrell's Artillery Company,
At in
which he served faithfully until the close of the conflict. He subse
quently embarked in in Atlanta, Georgia,
mercantile where he
pursuits, continued
first at La Grange, and later in business until his death,
m 1870. Stewart
He married Elizabeth Rebecca Mathews, who was county, Georgia, of distinguished ancestry, having
born in been a
descendant in the fifth generation from Isaac Mathews, who was a
grandson of Sir Thomas Mathews, of Mathews county, Virginia, lineal descendant of Sir David Mathews, of Llandaff, Wales.
and
a
Isaac 3 Mathews, third in descent from Sir Thomas Mathews, the
immigrant, a Virginian
married his by birth.
cousin, Mary Mary Mathews
Mathews, was the
who, fifth
like himself, was in line of descent
from uel, 2
one Samuel Mathews, the line being thus traced: Samuel,1 John,3 Samuel,4 and Mary.5. Samuel1 Mathews was born in
Sam Eng
land, a son of Tobias Mathews. the First to Virginia, and by
When young him appointed
he was sent by commander of
King James the British
army, later being made governor of the colony of Virginia. This Gov
VerinrogriniSaa,muTehl e1irMsaotnh,ewSsammuaerlr2iedMaathdeawusg,hrteeprreosfeSntierdThWoamrawsicHkinctoounntoyf,
in in
the years 1652 and 1655, in military and public affairs,
the Virginia assembly. He having served as lieutenant
was active colonel in
the King's army, and as a member of the King's council. John 3
Mathews, a citizen
the of
next in line prominence.
of descent, was born in Virginia, and became He married Elizabeth, the only daughter,
and the heiress, of Michael Taverner, of York county, Virgina, and
subsequently Blunt Point,
occupied the old Mathews homestead, Virginia. Samuel 4 Mathews, father
"Denbeigh," near of Mary Mathews,
married a Miss Braxton, became the wife of Isaac
and their daughter Mary, as mentioned 3 Mathews, and their son Moses was the
above, great
grandfather of Elizabeth Rebecca Mathews.
Moses 4 Mathews learned the trade of a gun maker in Virginia, his native state, and when ready to establish himself in business removed to Winfield, South Carolina, where, during the Revolutionary war he made guns for General Sumter. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Findley, 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 Wafford. He fought with the colonists in
their struggle for independence, and later, in 1785, migrated with his
family to Georgia, becoming a he spent his remaining days.
pioneer
settler
of
Wilkes
county,
where
Rev. James 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 pastorates in Lumpkin
farming with the help of slaves. He held 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 l Pope, Nathaniel 2
Pope, Nathaniel 3 Pope, John 4 Pope, John Henry 5 Pope, Capt. John
Pope, and Kiturah7 Pope.
Lieut. Col. Nathaniel l 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 Westmorland
county, Virginia, and immediately assumed its possession, naming his
new home colonel of
place Pope's Creek. In 1652 he was militia, and had among his officers, as
appointed major, his
lieutenant 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 married his cousin, Elizabeth
Virginia until his death. Their son Pope. John Henry 5 Pope, a native
John 4 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 6 Pope commanded a company of North Carolina troops
in of
the Revolutionary a body of soldiers
war, and after locating in Wilkes county. Pie
in Georgia had command married Elizabeth Smith,
and both spent their last years in Wilkes county. Kiturah 7 Pope, who
became the wife of Rev. James 0 Mathews, survived him, and married
for her second husband Henry Long. She died, at the age of seventysix years, in Senoia, Georgia,
Elizabeth Rebecca 7 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, Brown, and Augustus Pope.
the
special
subject
of
this
sketch;
Charles
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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 was 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 such 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 Theodosia 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 his own, he bought land in Randolph county, and was there engaged in general farming until his death, at 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 served until the close of the conflict. Two of his older brothers served throughout the entire war, and a younger brother was an active participant during the latter part 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 Dawson 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 land 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, AYilliam 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 twentytwo 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. (McCormack) 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, 1831. 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 after which he read law in the offices of his father, Judge Woodward, and Senator Crum. 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 GEOEGIA
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 Fenn, 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 Art's. 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. Bartlett, 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 force 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) Sumner, 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 L.; and Mrs. J. M. Williams; Mrs. M. C. 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 Crum & 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 LaGrange 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 WIMBERLY, 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 Wimberly 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. Wimberly 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
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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 Altmeyer & 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; Justine 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.
i 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, 1875. 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 H. 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 Mclntosh county of this state on June 24, 1842. His grandfather, Nathaniel Varnedoe, a native of South Carolina, on coming to Georgia settled in Liberty
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SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
county, where lie began Ms 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 York, 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 MeWhir, Nathaniel I.,
Leander L., Eufus 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 MeWhir 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 his 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 county. 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. James
Wilson.
,
After 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, taught 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 Valdosta, resigning that work to become
clerk and book-keeper for W. H. 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 transferred 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 postmasters-hip. 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 Robeson 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
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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 Robeson 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 farmer 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. 13. 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, tiie father of Mrs. Conoley, had the still stored in a corn crib. 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, Louvinia 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. Conoley. 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
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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 praeticed 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, he 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 Lovick, was born on Feb ruary 14, 1900, and is now employed by the government in the postoffice 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, SB. 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. Mr. Bishop believes firmly in the principles 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., Hawkinsville, Georgia, in the twenty-second year of his age, and a few years afterward he became a member of Constantine Chapter No. 3, Macon,
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 B. 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
Vul.Il--17
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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 Math rare and costly flowers. In his death the city, county and state lost a useful citizen. He was held in high 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, tie 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 seventythree. 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 down 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 holders his entire inheritance was almost completely wiped out, leaving him only a large body of land, a few horses and' mules, with nothing to feed them on, and no one to look after them but himself. 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 undiminished 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 Avith 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 Bishpp 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
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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. HQ was the eldest; next in order is Eugene W., who was born in 1868 and is now living in Galveston, Texas; Edward L, 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 born 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 his profession for a year, he came to Dublin, Georgia, where he has since remained.
He has never cared 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 his son, Geo. R. Black. Mr. and Mrs, Wade have one child,
Frederica, who was born 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
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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 AVilliam 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 Crawfordville, 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 Maeon, 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. H. 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 Johnston, 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 C., 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 Pensaeola, 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.
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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. Herman, 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 Ilerrman 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 they 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 vicepresident, and held this position until the bank was organized in 1910 into the First National Bank, 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. He 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 bales 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.
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Mr. Herman 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. Herman '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. Herman 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 in 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.1 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, J845. 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 seventytwo 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
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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 Quitman.
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 were 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 lauds. In 1858 he surveyed and platted the town of Quitman. A successful agriculturist, he 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 he 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 his 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, he 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 Barrington, Wayne county, and began life as a tiller of the soil. Moving with his wife and their three children to Lowndes county in 1834, he purchased land situated but two miles from Throopville, then the county seat, making the removal with teams of his 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 lan'd lying one mile west of Okapilco creek, Mr. Robinson erected a log house, and began the pioneer task of redeeming a farm from the forest.
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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, Frank; 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 surrounding 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 bom, 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 Welcome 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-
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ness until 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 aboriginal 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 McMullen, 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 this 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 he en listed in the reserves and went to 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 Huldah Bradford. A native of Irwin
county, she was a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Griffin) Brad ford. Her father afterwards came to Lowndes county, settling seven miles south of Hahira, where he was engaged in farming until the death
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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 it's 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 Hahira. In 1911 he retired from active pursuits, and has since resided in Hahira.
Though his energies