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Georgia Genealogy Trails "Where your Journey Begins" |
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Haralson
County,
Georgia Haralson County Biographies JOHN WILLIAM HUMPHRIES
Humphries,
John
William,
of Buchanan, is the able and honored incumbent of the office of
treasurer of
Haralson county and one of the sterling veterans of the Confederate
service in
the war between the states. He was born in Coweta county, Ga.,
Dec. 13, 1836, and is a son of John T.B. and Sarah (Brock) Humphries,
the
former of whom was born in South Carolina, in
1816, and the latter in Coweta county, Ga.,
in 1818. John Humphries, grandfather of the subject of this review,
passed his
entire life in South Carolina.
John T.B. Humphries came to Georgia
when a youth and settled in Coweta county, where he continued to reside
until
his death, in 1851. He was a farmer by vocation and served in the Creek
Indian
war, under Captain Greer, of Newman. Allen Gay, great-grandfather of
the
subject of this sketch, in the maternal line, was a soldier in the
Continental
army during the war of the Revolution. Mr. Humphries’ maternal
grandfather and
one of the sons of the latter were likewise in service in the Creek
Indian war,
and two uncles, David C. Humphries and Wesley Duncan, were Confederate
soldiers
in the Civil war. John W. Humphries was afforded the advantages of the
common
schools of Coweta county, and after the death of his father he largely
assumed
the responsibilities of caring for the family, being the eldest of the
children. He was married in the year 1858 and took up his residence in
Fulton county on a farm,
which had been given to his wife by her father. In the summer of 1861
he
enlisted as a private in Company A, Third Georgia volunteer infantry,
being
promoted to corporal. He served six months when he received an
honorable
discharge and returned to his home. In April, 1862, he re-enlisted,
becoming a
member of Company A, Ninth Georgia battalion of light artillery, in
which he
took part in the battles of Chickamauga and the
engagements at Sweetwater, Knoxville, Bean’s
Station, Rogersville, Winchester
and Appomattox Court House. He was captured with his command at
Lincolnton, N.C.,
and was there paroled at the close of the war. He then returned to his
plantation, in Fulton
county, where he continued to reside until 1874, when he sold the
property and
removed to Haralson county. Here he purchased another plantation, which
he
still owns and upon which he continued to reside until 1902, when he
was
elected treasurer of the county and removed to Buchanan, where he still
remains
in tenure of this responsible office, having handled the fiscal affairs
of the
county with much discrimination and acceptability. He was bailiff of
the
district court in Fulton
county for six years and since coming to Haralson county he has served
as
notary public. He is a member of the United Confederate Veterans, is a
stanch
supporter of the principles of the Democratic party, and both he and
his wife
are zealous members of the Primitive Baptist church. On Feb. 25, 1858,
Mr.
Humphries was united in marriage to Miss Rhoda C. Herring, daughter of
Joel and
Easter (Cheatam) Herring, of Fulton county, and following is a brief
record concerning
the children of this union: Dr. Robert D. is successfully established
in the
practice of his profession in the state of Alabama; Sarah Charlotte
Henry died
at the age of thirty-six years; Esther Waldrop died at the age of
thirty-five
years; John William died at the age of three months; Rhoda Caroline is
the wife
of Joseph W. Dean, of Haralson county; Mary Elizabeth is the wife of
A.R.
White, of Alabama; Martha Frances is the wife of W.H. Garner, of
Haralson
county; and Thomas D. and Amanda also reside in this county.(Source:
Georgia
Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II,
by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Kim Mohler)
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