Senator Biographies 1889

Fiftieth Congress. (Second session.)
Official Congressional Directory for the use of the United States Congress

Senators

Joseph E. Brown, of Atlanta, Georgia, was born in Pickens district, South Carolina, April 15, 1821; when he was a boy his father moved the Georgia; he was educated at Calhoun Academy, South Carolina; he taught school in Canton, Georgia; he was admitted to the bar in August 1845; he afterwards graduated in Yale College Law School, and returned to Georgia and commenced the practice of law in 1846; in 1849 he was elected to the State Senate; in 1852 he was a Pierce elector; in 1855 he was elected Judge of the Superior courts of the Blue Ridge Circuit; in 1857 he was elected Governor by the Democratic party over Hon Benjamin H. Hill; re-elected in 1859 over Hon Warren Aiken.  He was a Secessionist in 1860, and was active and energetic as a war Governor after the State had seceded.  In 1861 he was again elected Governor over the Hon Eugenius A. Nisbet; in 1863 he was again a candidate for governor, and opposed by Hon Joshua Hill, an original Union man and Hon Timothy Furlow, an original Secessionist; Governor Brown was elected over both by a handsome majority.  During the war Governor Brown opposed the policy of President Davis on the conscript act, but threw no obstacles in the way of the execution of the law by the confederate Government; he simple discussed with the President the constitutionality of the measure.  After the surrender he advocated acquiescence in the reconstruction measures, and became very unpopular on account of his recommendation that the people acquiesce and carry them out in good faith.  As the Democratic Party opposed these measures, as a reconstructionist he voted for General Grant, who favored them.  During the Legislature in 1868 he was nominated by the Republicans for United States Senator, and defeated by Hon. Joshua Hill, which was the only defeat of his life; in every instance when he has been a candidate before the people he has been successful.  After his defeat for Senator he was appointed by Governor Bullock Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, which position he held till December 1870, when he resigned and accepted the presidency of the Western Atlantic Railroad Company.  He then devoted his life to business pursuits, being a candidate for no office, but acting with the Democratic Party since 1872 upon the reconstruction platform.  When General Gordon resigned his position in the Senate Governor Brown was appointed to fill the vacancy; he was afterwards elected over General A. R. Lawton, his opponent, by over a two-thirds majority of the Legislature.  He was re-elected in 1884 by the unanimous vote of the Legislature with the exception of a single vote cast for General Robert Toombs.  His term of service will expire March 3, 1891.

Alfred Holt Colquitt, of Atlanta, was born in Walton County, Georgia, April 20, 1824; graduated at Princeton College, New Jersey, in the class of 1844; studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1845; served as a staff officer, with the rank of Major, during the Mexican war; was elected and served as a member of the Thirty-third congress; was a member of the Georgia Legislature in 1859; was a Presidential Elector for the State at large on the Breckinridge ticket in 1860; was a member of the Secession convention of the State of Georgia; entered the confederate service as Captain; was subsequently chosen Colonel of the Sixth Georgia Infantry; served as a Brigadier-General and was commissioned as a Major-General; was elected governor of the State of Georgia in 1876 for four years, and was re-elected to the United States Senate as a Democrat, to succeed Pope Barrow, democrat, for the full term commencing March 4, 1883.  His term of service will expire March 3, 1889.

Representatives

First District

Counties – Appling, Bryan, Bullock, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, clinch, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Glynn, Liberty, McIntosh, Pierce, Scriven, Tatnall, Ware, and Wayne.

Thomas M. Norwood of Savannah, was born in Talbot county, Georgia, April 26, 1830; received an academic education at Culloden, Monroe county, Georgia; was graduated at Emory College, Oxford, Georgia, in 1850; studied law and was admitted to practice in February 1852; removed to Savannah in March 1852 where he as practiced law ever since; was a member of the Georgia Legislature in 1861-’62; was elected alternate Democratic Elector for the State at large in 1868 on the Seymour and Blair ticket; was elected to the United States Senate in November, 1871; after a contest for his seat with Foster Blodgett, he was admitted to his seat December 19, 18871 and served until March 3, 1877; was elected to the Forty-ninth congress and was re-elected to the Fiftieth Congress as a Democrat, receiving 2.061 votes against 17 votes for Groover, Republican.

Second District

Counties – Baker, Berrien, Brooks, Calhoun, Clay, Colquitt, Decatur, Dougherty, early, Lowndes, Miller, Mitchell, Quitman, Randolph, Terrell, Thomas, and Worth

Henry G. Turner, of Quitman, was born in North Carolina March 20, 1839; was elected to the Forty-seventh, Forty-eighth, and Forty-ninth congresses and was re-elected to the Fiftieth congress as a Democrat, receiving 2,411 votes.  No opposition.

Third District

Counties – Coffee, Dodge, Dooly, Houston, Irwin, Laurens, Lee, Macon, Montgomery, Pulaski, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Telfair, Webster, and Wilcox.

Charles Frederick Crisp, of Americus, was born on the 29^th of January, 1845, in Sheffield, England, where his parents had gone on a visit; was brought by them to this country the year of his birth; received a common school education in Savannah and Macon, Georgia; entered the Confederate Army in May 1861; was a Lieutenant in Company K, Tenth Virginia Infantry, and served with that regiment until the 12^th of may 1864 when he became a prisoner of war; upon his release from Fort Delaware in June 1865, he joined his parents at Ellaville, Schley County Georgia; read law in Americus, and was admitted to the bar there in 1866; began the practice of law in Ellaville, Georgia; in 1872 was appointed Solicitor-General of the Southwestern Judicial Circuit, and was reappointed in 1873 for a term of four years; in June 1877, was appointed Judge of the Superior court of the same circuit; in 1878 was elected by the General Assembly to the same office; in 1880 was re-elected Judge for a term of four years; resigned that office in September 1882 to accept the Democratic nomination for Congress; was Permanent President of the Democratic Convention which assembled in Atlanta in April 1883, to nominate a candidate for Governor; was elected to the Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth congresses, and was re-elected to the Fiftieth Congress as a Democrat, receiving 1,704 votes, no opposition.

Fourth District

Counties – Coweta, Chattahoochee, Carroll, Harris, Heard, Marion, Meriwether, Muscogee, Talbot, Taylor, and Troup

Thomas Wingfield Grimes, of Columbus, was born and raised in Georgia; is by profession a lawyer; served as a private in the Confederate Army during the last eighteen months of the way; was a member of the Legislature in 1868-’69 and re-elected in 1875-’76; served at State Senator 1878-’79; was a member

of the National Democratic Convention in 1880; was elected by the Georgia legislature, in 1880, Solicitor- General of the Chattahoochee Circuit for the term of four years; was re-elected without opposition in 1884, resigned upon being nominated for congress and was elected to the Fiftieth Congress as a Democrat, receiving 2,909 votes against 300 votes for Carmichael, Republican.

Fifth District

Counties – Campbell, Clayton, De Kalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Henry, Newton, Rockdale, Spalding and Walton

John D. Stewart, of Griffin, was born in Fayette county, Georgia, August 2, 1833; received a common school education; attended Marshall college two years; taught school two years in Griffin, during which time he read law, and was admitted to practice in 1856; was elected Probate Judge and served as such five years; was Lieutenant and Captain in the thirteenth Georgia Regiment during the late war; was a member of the Georgia legislature, 1865 until 1867; was ordained a Minister of the Baptist church in 1871; was Mayor of Griffin, 1875-’76; was Judge of the Superior Court from November 7, 1879, until

January 1, 1886; was twice elected Judge by the Legislature without opposition; resigned to become a candidate for Congress; is Trustee of Mercer University, Georgia and of Theological seminary, Louisville, Kentucky; and was elected to the Fiftieth congress as a Democrat, receiving 2,999 votes. No opposition.

Sixth District

Counties – Baldwin, Bibb, Butts, Crawford, Jasper, Jones, Monroe, Pike, Twiggs, Upson, and Wilkinson.

James H. Blount, of Macon, was born in Georgia September 12, 1837;  was elected to the Forty-third, Forty-fourth, Forty-fifth, Forty-sixth, Forty-seventh, Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth congresses, and was re-elected to the Fiftieth congress as a Democrat, receiving 1,722 votes, no opposition. 

Seventh District

Counties – Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cobb, Dade Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Faulding, Polk, Walker and Whitfield

Judson C. Clements, of Rome, was born in Walker County, Georgia, February 12, 1846; was educated in the schools of that county, also in the law at Cumberland University, at Lebanon, Tennessee; was admitted to the bar and began the practice of law in 1869 at La Fayette, Georgia, and has continued in

the same till the present time; was elected Representative in the General Assembly of Georgia in 1872 for the term of two years and re-elected in 1874;

was elected State senator in 1877; was elected to the Forty-seventh, Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth congresses, and was re-elected to the Fiftieth congress

as a Democrat, receiving 5.043 votes against 1,5337 votes for Felton, Republican. 

Eighth District

Counties – Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Greene, Hancock, Hart, Madison, Morgan, Oglethorpe, Oconee, Putnam, and Wilkes

Henry Hull Carlton, of Athens, was born in Athens, Georgia, May 14, 1835, where he has always resided; received a common school and university education; graduated in medicine and surgery from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, in 1857, and with the exception of the four years of the war, practiced his profession till 1872; was elected a Representative to the General Assembly of Georgia in 1872, and was successively re-elected till 1877, when he declined re-elected; declined the Speakership of that body, preferring to more active duties upon the floor; was Speaker pro tempore and Chairman of Finance Committee; was State Senator, 1884-’85 and President of the Senate during that term; was editor and proprietor of the Athens Banner (now Banner-Watchman) until 1880 when he commenced the practice of law; was elected city Attorney of Athens; was four years in the Confederate Army, under General R. E. Lee, holding the rank of Lieutenant, Captain and Major of Artillery; and was elected to the Fiftieth Congress as a Democrat, receiving 2,377 votes against 55 votes scattering.

Ninth District

Counties – Banks, Cherokee, Dawson, Fannin, Forsyth, Golmer, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Milton, Pickens, Rabun, Towns, Union and White

Allen D. Candler, of Gainesville, was born in Lumpkin county, Georgia, November 4, 1934; he graduated at Mercer University, Georgia, in 1858; studied law, but the war coming on he never practiced; was successively a private, Lieutenant, Captain, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Colonel in the Confederate Army; was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives 1872-’77; was a member of the Georgia State Senate, 1877-’79; is a manufacturer and farmer; was elected to the Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth congresses and was re-elected to the Fiftieth Congress as a Democrat, receiving 2,355 votes against 11 votes for York, Republican.

Tenth District

Counties – Burke, Columbia, Glasscock, Jefferson, Johnson, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Taliafero, Warren and Washington

George T. Barnes, of Augusta, was born in Richmond County, Georgia, August 14, 1833; was educated at the Richmond County Academy and at Franklin College, University of Georgia, Athens, where he graduated in August 1853; studied law, was admitted to the bar, and has since practiced; was a member of the State House of Representatives of Georgia in 1860-’65; was a member of the National Democratic Committee from Georgia in 1876-’84; was elected to the Forty-ninth Congress and was re-elected to the Fiftieth Congress as a Democrat, receiving 1,944 votes, no opposition.

Fiftieth Congress. (Second session.) Official Congressional Directory for the use of the United States Congress

Date: 1889-01-01; Author: U.S. Congress. Senate
Serial Set Vol. No. 2614, Session Vol. No.1
50th Congress, 2nd Session
S.Misc.Doc. 1 pt. 1 & 2

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