Upson county, GA Genealogy and History

John B. Gordon
Lieut.Gen. John B. Gordon was born in Upson County, Georgia. July 6, 1832, and died in Florida, where he had gone for his health, on January 9, 1904. Young Gordon was well educated. In 1852 he was graduated from the Georgia State University, and a few months later was admitted to the bar. His career from that time up to the outbreak of the war in 1861 differed in no respect from that of the average young lawyer.

In 1861, he became a Confederate soldier and was elected captain of a company known as the "Raccoon Roughs." His natural talent for war was such that he won almost immediate promotion, first to major and then to lieutenant-colonel. In December, 1861, during his first year of service, he became lieutenant-colonel of the Sixth Alabama Regiment and in April, 1862, was promoted colonel. At Seven Pines, Malvern Hill and other engagements he led a brigade and in November, 1862, was promoted to the regular grade of brigadier-general. At Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness campaign and Spottsylvania Court House, he added to his fame, being promoted to be major-general for the part he took in the last named battle. He afterward commanded either a division or a corps, was commissioned a lieutenant-general and during the later portion of the war was at times in command of fully half of Lee's army. At Appomattox he is said to have led the last charge against the Federal army.

At the close of the war General Gordon returned to Georgia to assist in the work of Southern re-construction, and in 1866 represented his state in the National Union Convention. He was elected to the United States Senate in 1873 over Alexander Stephens. He was re-elected in 1879, but, on account of his financial circumstance, resigned during the second year of his second term, in spite of a widespread protest, and not long afterward became identified with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. Still later he was active in the building of the Georgia Pacific Railroad. His two terms as governor of Georgia covered the years 1886-90, and in the latter year was sent to the United States Senate. Also from 1891 until his death in 1904, General Gordon was at the head of the United Confederate Veterans.
Source: "A Standard History of Georgia and Georgians", Volume 4
By Lucian Lamar Knight, 1917
Transcribed by Brenda Wiesner

STOUGH, THOMAS JEFFERSON, physician, city commissioner of Montgomery, 1915-1919, and legislator, was born June 7, 1865, at Highland Home, Crenshaw County; son of Daniel Jackson and Mary Allen (Cox) Stough, the former was a native of Upson County, Ga.; grandson of Jacob and Sophy Stough, and of William and Clementine Cox, all residents of Dadeville. He was educated in the common schools; at Highland Home college; and graduated M. D., March 24, 1893, from the University of Tennessee. He entered upon the practice of his profession in April, 1894, at Petry, Crenshaw County, but later removed to Montgomery. He represented Montgomery County in the legislature of 1915. He was one of the city commissioners of Montgomery from 1915 to 1919. He is now engaged in the practice of his profession. He is a Democrat; a Methodist; and a Knight of Pythias. Married: at Moss Point, Miss., to Carrie Bell, daughter of Jerold and Hortense Reed, of Evergreen. Children: 1. Vivian, m. Stuart May; 2. Bernard Hill. Residence: Montgomery.
[History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume 4 By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, 1921 - Transcribed by AFOFG]

Gordon, Gen. John Brown, a distinguished soldier in the confederate army during the Civil war, and governor of Georgia from 1886 to1890, was a native of that state, having been born in Upson county, July 6, 1832. Some years prior to the Revolutionary war seven brothers named Gordon came from Scotland and settled in North Carolina and Virginia. One of these brothers was the great-grandfather of General Gordon. All of them served in the Colonial army in the Revolution, and after the independence of the United States was established some of the family found their way into Georgia. General Gordon’s grandfather was for many years a prominent citizen of Wilkes county, N. C., and his father, Rev. Zachariah H. Gordon, was a minister of some note. John B. Gordon attended the state university of Georgia, leaving that institution in 1852 with a high standing in his class. A few months afterward he was admitted to the bar as an attorney and formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, L. E. Bleckley, afterward chief justice of the Georgia supreme court. Although he soon achieved prominence at the bar he gave up his practice after a short time to assist his father, who was then engaged in coal mining in Tennessee and Georgia, and continued in this line of employment until the breaking out of the Civil war. Early in 1861 he enlisted in the Confederate service and was made captain of his company. His dauntless courage and military skill soon won him promotion and he was made a major of the regiment. Before the close of the year he was again promoted and the beginning of the year 1862 found him as lieutenant-colonel of the Sixth Alabama infantry. The regiment was assigned to duty as part of Rodes’ brigade, D. H. Hill’s division, in the Peninsula of Virginia, and on April 28, 1862, he was promoted to the colonelcy of his regiment. At the battle of Seven Pines General Rodes was severely wounded and the command of the brigade fell upon General Gordon. He proved equal to the demand, however, and again at Malvern Hill he commanded the brigade, leading it against the Federal position in one of the most magnificent charges of the war. On Nov. 1, 1862, he was commissioned brigadier-general and placed in command of a brigade composed of six Georgia regiments, the flower of the Georgia troops. With this brigade he took part in the Pennsylvania campaign, led Early’s advance upon Harrisburg, reached the Susquehanna at Wrightsville, the most northern point gained by the Confederates during the four years struggle, and played an important part in the battle of Gettysburg. From that time until the spring of 1864 he was on the firing line in Virginia, winning laurels on various fields. On May 14, 1864, he was made major-general and commanded a division until the winter of 1864-5, when he was assigned to command of a corps as acting lieutenant-general, in which position he served to the close of the war. After the return of peace he settled in Atlanta. In 1866 he was a delegate to the national Union convention at Philadelphia, and in 1868 was a delegate to the Democratic national convention that nominated Seymour and Blair. The same year he was one of the Georgia presidential electors. Again in 1872 he was a delegate to the national convention if his party and opposed the nomination of Greeley. The following year he was elected to the United States senate and in 1879 was reelected. He resigned his seat in the senate in 1880. In 1886 he was elected governor of the state, was reelected in 1888 and in 1890 was again elected United States senator. In addition to his military and political career General Gordon was one of the most popular lecturers in the country. His death occurred, after a brief illness, in Florida on Jan. 9, 1904, and he was buried in Oakland Cemetery near Atlanta.
(Georgia: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. VOL III Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Marilyn Clore)

Gove, Samuel F., was born in Weymouth, Mass., in 1822, was educated in the public schools of his native town, after which he removed to Georgia. He was one of the first Congressmen elected from the state after the Civil war and served from July 25, 1868, to March 3, 1869.
(Georgia: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. VOL III Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Marilyn Clore)