Ware County, Georgia Biographies

Georgia Genealogy Trails

"Where your Journey Begins"

Ware County, Georgia

Hon. Charles Gordon Edwards.
Now in his fifth consecutive term as a Georgia representative in Congress, Charles G. Edwards is one of the brilliant and resourceful public men of Georgia, and has shown real ability as a leader and successful worker in the domain of national politics. A lawyer by profession, he comes of one of the finest families of Tattnall County, where the name is one of the most respected in that section of Georgia. Congressman Edwards himself is a resident of Savannah, where he began his law practice fifteen years ago.

Born in Tattnall County July 2, 1878, he was one of a family of nine children, seven boys and two girls. One son, Robert H. Edwards, died two years ago leaving six sons. The brothers and sisters of Congressman Edwards are: J. C., Dr. T. M., Robert H., W. L., Dr. S. 0., and Grover Cleveland Edwards; and Mrs. Jennie Hendricks and Mrs. Dr. B. E. Miller. All his brothers are highly respected citizens and are all living in the county of their birth, engaged in farming and other business and professional pursuits.

The first American ancestor of Congressman Edwards was Willis F. Edwards, who came from England to Virginia, moved from that state to North Carolina, and was one of the substantial farmers and planters in those states during colonial and early statehood times. The distinguishing part of his record was his service as a soldier in the Continental line during the Revolutionary war. He enlisted from North Carolina. The old powder gourd which he carried in the war is now in the National Museum at Washington, D. C. This patriot and first settler of the Edwards family married Sarah O'Neal. Her family first settled in Virginia, later moving to North Carolina, and her father, John O'Neal, was likewise a soldier in the Revolution, and as the name indicates came originally from Scotland. One of the sons of the Revolutionary soldier was also named Willis F. Edwards, and lived in North Carolina. In the next generation was Dr. William H. Edwards, grandfather of the Georgia congressman. He came to Georgia as a mere boy, settling in Tattnall County, where he earned the distinction of casting the first democratic vote in that county. He was a prominent physician and also a citizen and served as member of two constitutional "conventions in this state. He was a member of the Methodist Church. He owned large tracts of land in Tattnall, Bryan and adjoining counties. Doctor Edwards married Miss Sands of Tattnall County. She was of Irish extraction, with some Scotch admixture. They reared a large family, only two of whom are now living: Hon. Willis F. Edwards, third, and Hon. Thomas J. Edwards of Tattnall County.

Hon. Thomas Jefferson Edwards, father of Charles G., was born in Tattnall County and in business lines has followed farming and merchandising. His early education was limited because of the fact that the war broke out in his early manhood and he was one of the boy soldiers of the Confederacy, He served throughout the war from 1861 until the close as a private in the ranks, and for a time was a courier with Gen. Bob Anderson. He and five brothers entered the war, one of them was killed on the battlefield and two wounded. Thomas J. Edwards represented Tattnall County two terms in the House of Representatives, and is an active democrat and Methodist. He married Miss Ann Conley, who died two years ago, and is buried in the Brenton Cemetery in Tattnall County (now Evans County). Her father was the late Rev. William Fletcher Conley, while her mother was a Miss Boring, who came from the vicinity of Ringgold, Georgia. Rev. William F. Conley was one of the ablest ministers of the Methodist Church in Tattnall County, and he likewise served as a member of the constitutional convention many years ago. The Conleys were also among the earliest American settlers and some of them saw service in the Revolutionary war.

With the example of so many courageous and worthy ancestors before him and around him, Charles Gordon Edwards may be said to have been fortunate from his very birth. As a boy he attended the common schools of Tattnall and Bryan counties, the Gordon Institute at Barnesville, the Florida Agricultural College at Lake City, Florida, and in 1898 took his degree LL. B. from the law department of the University of Georgia. He was a member of a graduating class in law school of forty men, and a number of others in the same class have since risen to distinction. Among them might be mentioned Richard M. Lester, prominent at the bar and in state politics, now a partner in the law practice with Mr. Edwards under the firm name of Edwards & Lester; Congressman J. R. Walker; Railroad Commissioner J. A. Perry; Representatives Fowler of Bibb County, J. F. Mitchell of Thomas County, J. 0. Adams of Gainesville, Georgia, and Assistant United States Attorney Charles Akerman.

When only twenty years of age Mr. Edwards began practice at Reidsville in Tattnall County, but from there moved to Savannah and has been a member of the bar of that city since January, 1900. In these fifteen years he has had three partnerships. While at Reidsville he was with Judge J. V.. Kelley under the firm name of Kelley & Edwards; at Savannah was with Col. Robert J. Travis, under the firm name of Travis & Edwards; and then was associated with Mr. A. L. Alexander, of Savannah, under the firm name of Alexander & Edwards until their relationship was dissolved when Mr. Edwards went to Congress. Mr. Edwards has recently formed a co-partnership with Hon. Richard M. Lester. All the firms and the individuals named have been very successful as lawyers in Georgia. Mr. Edwards has, after ten years of congressional service, declined a re-election to Congress in order to resume his law practice at Savannah, with his old schoolmate and friend, Richard M. Lester. Mr. Edwards was the youngest man in the Sixtieth and Sixty-first congresses ever elected from Georgia.

From early youth Mr. Edwards has taken a studious and practical interest in politics, and after his admission to the bar and before his removal to Savannah he was nominated by the democrats for representative of Tattnall County. He declined the nomination, though there was no opposition and the nomination practically assured an election, for the reason that he was preparing to move to Savannah. His natural leadership among men, and an inheritance of political talent derived from his ancestors on both sides, kept Mr. Edwards in the center of things political at Savannah, even while he was busy in establishing his reputation as a lawyer. On October 11, 1906, at Savannah he was nominated for Congress by the democrats, and was elected in the general election of November, 1906. He took his seat in the Sixtieth Congress, and has since been re-elected to the Sixty-first, Sixty-second, Sixty-third and Sixty-fourth congresses, serving continuously from March, 1907, with his present term expiring in March, 1917. Those who are best informed on the subject of individual values in the current congresses at Washington place a high estimate upon the influence and leadership of Charles G. Edwards in the House of Representatives. He is a member of some of the most important committees, including the committee on rivers and harbors, and has studied to make of himself a valuable representative not only of his home state but of the country at large in the solution of all national problems. It will be recalled that it was Congressman Edwards who secured the appropriation with which the handsome monument to Generals Screven and Stewart were erected at Midway Cemetery in Liberty County, Georgia. He is also a member of the National Good Roads Congress. There are many organizations and movements which have claimed his attention and which are the stronger by his membership. He belongs to the Georgia Bar Association, the Savannah Bar Association, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the various fraternal and benevolent orders, and shows a keen interest in all charitable work, was a member of the Sigma Nu college fraternity of the University of Georgia Chapter, is affiliated with the Masons, the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Mystic Shrine, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, etc. He served in the Savannah Volunteer Guards of the Georgia Militia as a private, as corporal and as sergeant, and was later a lieutenant in the Oglethorpe Light Infantry, First Georgia Regiment.

On December 17, 1902, Congressman Edwards married at Waycross, Georgia, Miss Ora Beach. Mrs. Edwards gained her education in the high school of Waycross, in Cox College at College Park, Georgia, and is a graduate from the latter institution. She is a daughter of the late Hon. W. W. and Mrs. Margie (Hinson) Beach of Waycross. The Hinsons are one of the oldest and best known families of Coffee and Jeff Davis counties, Georgia. Her father, Hon. W. W. Beach, represented his native County of Appling in the Georgia Legislature, and subsequently removed to Ware County, Georgia. He was a popular and progressive citizen, and at the time of his death was a man of considerable wealth and a large land owner. Mr. and Mrs. Edwards have one son, Master Charles Beach Edwards, born October 30, 1904.

Judge J. L. Sweat.
For a little more than forty-five years Judge Sweat has had a secure and substantial position as a member of the Georgia bar. During the greater part of this time his home has been at Waycross in Ware County. His career has not only been one of unusual length but of variety of experience. He was a Confederate soldier and has served his country and state in many ways aside from his work as a lawyer.

Born September 21, 1847, in the Northeastern portion of Ware, afterwards included in the formation of the County of Pierce, he was still a youth when his parents died, and he lived with his Grandmother Strickland on the old plantation immediately north of where the Town of Blackshear was built up and which became the county seat of the new County of Pierce. He attended the Blackshear Academy until April, 1862, when at the age of about 14 1/2 years he enlisted in the Confederate army. He served three years, until the surrender in April, 1865, a portion of the time with Wheeler's Cavalry. Since the war Judge Sweat has taken a deep interest in the United Confederate Veterans Association", having organized a camp at Waycross of which he has frequently been commander, and for several years was commander of the South Georgia Brigade.

After the war he located at Homerville, in Clinch County, where he followed different pursuits until the April term, 1869, of the Clinch Superior Court, when he was admitted to the bar, and for about twenty years engaged in the practice of law with an office in Homerville.

Just a short time before he was admitted to the bar, in January, 1869, Judge Sweat married Miss Maggie M. Hitch. There were two children: Lee L. and Lulu M., the latter dying in her early womanhood. The son, after graduating from the State University, became his law partner under the firm name of J. L. Sweat & Son, although never taking an active part in the practice. Judge Sweat removed with his family from Homerville to Waycross, Georgia, in the early part of 1887, where he has since lived. Mrs. Sweat died in January, 1914.

With the exception of the time he was on the bench, Judge Sweat has from his admission to the bar been actively engaged in the practice of law throughout South Georgia, and is regarded as one of the most competent and successful members of the legal profession. He has also been very successful in business affairs. At present he is a director and the attorney for the First National Bank of Waycross and the Waycross Savings & Trust Company, and also an attorney for the Waycross Street & Suburban Railway Company and attorney at Waycross for the A. B. and A. Railway Company. In addition he is connected in a business way or as an attorney with other important enterprises.

He was twice elected representative from Clinch County, serving as a member of the Legislature in 1880-1-2-3. In 1912 he was elected senator from the Fifth District, serving in the Georgia Senate during 1913 and 1914. During all his legislative career he took a leading part as a lawmaker. Having previously been connected with the clerical department of the Legislature and for a part of the year 1871 a clerk in the executive department under Governor James M. Smith, he was elected and served as chief clerk of the House of Representatives in 1875 and 1876. In April, 1892, he was appointed judge of the Brunswick Judicial Circuit, then composed of nine counties, including Ware, in which his home town of Waycross is located. He succeeded in that office Judge Spencer R. Atkinson, who had resigned. After having been twice elected by the General Assembly and serving altogether about seven years on the bench, Judge Sweat retired, his administration of public justice having met with strong approval by the bar and people.

Always a democrat, Judge Sweat has taken a prominent part in political affairs, being a member of the Georgia delegation to the National Democratic Convention that first nominated Grover Cleveland for President at Chicago, and afterwards at St. Louis, and was frequently a member of congressional and state conventions and a leader in their work and deliberations. Judge Sweat is a member of the Methodist Church and of the Masonic Order.

Throughout his residence at Waycross no one perhaps has done more than Judge Sweat towards the upbuilding of his city, county and section, along all material and civic lines. While now advanced in years, he has a prospect of long continued usefulness for himself and country.

Hon. Harry Manassas Wilson.
The career of Hon. Harry Manassas Wilson, justice of the Waycross Circuit, is strongly entrenched in the judicial history of Ware County. The City of Waycross, which witnessed the beginning of his professional career in 1907, offered a promising field for the young man of twenty-two, and the citizens who have watched his advancement have had no cause to regret the faith they placed in his energy, enthusiasm and ability. In his career he has reflected dignity, genuine worth and sincerity upon a profession for which he is singularly equipped.

Judge Wilson was born at Waycross, Ware County, Georgia, October 31, 1885, and is a son of William Manassas and Sarah (Pinkney) Wilson, the latter of whom is a daughter of Eustace Pinkney, a native of Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina. William M. Wilson was born at Waresboro, Ware County, Georgia, a son of William Wilson, who emigrated from his native Germany as a young unmarried man and located at Columbus, Georgia. At the outbreak of the Civil war William Wilson turned over his mercantile interests to other hands and offered his services to the Confederacy, fighting throughout the entire period of the struggle and taking part in many important battles. When peace was once more declared he located at Waresboro, at that time the county seat of Ware County, but when it was changed to Waycross he went to the latter place and there continued to be engaged in successful general merchandising operations until his death at the age of eighty-six years. William Wilson married Miss Martha J. Smith, who was born in 1835, in Ware County, and who has always lived here.

William Manassas Wilson, who was born in Ware County in 1861, is the active head of one of the leading mercantile establishments of Waycross, and president of the William M. Wilson Grocery Company. He served as clerk of the Superior courts of Ware County for ten years and has always taken an active part in those movements which have served to advance the welfare of his community, moral, educational and commercial. He is a steward of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is fraternally identified with the Knights of Pythias. William and Sarah (Pinkney) Wilson have been the parents of five children, as follows: Harry Manassas; Marie, deceased, who was the wife of Charles E. Harper; Julia, who is the wife of Charles J. Colcock, of Columbia, South Carolina; William B., a resident of Waycross; and Miss Sarah.

After attending the graded and high schools of Waycross, Harry M. Wilson took up the study of law in the legal department of the University of Georgia, from which he was graduated with his degree in 1907. At that time he formed a partnership with his cousin, Herbert Wilson, forming the firm of Wilson & Wilson, but after about two years the concern was dissolved and Mr. Wilson practiced alone until his election to the office of justice of the Waycross Circuit, in 1909. This position he has retained to the present time, and in the discharge of the important trusts committed to him by the people has manifested eminent legal ability, unswerving integrity and absolute impartiality. He holds membership in the Georgia State Bar Association. A stanch democrat, he has taken an active interest in county politics, and as a stump speaker his dignified presence and earnest and convincing utterances have always commanded respect. Fraternally he is identified with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Woodmen of the World and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. Like his brother and sisters, he was reared in the faith of his parents, that of the Roman Catholic Church, and has lived up to the teachings of Catholicism.

On December 25, 1909, Judge Wilson was married at Athens, Georgia, to Miss Lena Hinton Brightwell, daughter of Joseph W. Brightwell, a leading citizen of Athens. Judge and Mrs. Wilson have one child, J. Brightwell, who was born at Waycross, October 15, 1915. Mrs. Wilson is widely known in church circles, and takes an active and helpful part in the work of missionary societies.
Source: Men of Mark in Georgia

Walker, John L., M. D., a prominent and successful physician and surgeon of Waycross, Ware county, was born in Washington county, Ga., Aug. 27, 1854,-a son of Elisha W. and Martha (Webb) Walker, who were likewise born in Washington county, the former on Jan. 19, 1832, and the latter on June 12, 1831. The father served a short period as a soldier in the Confederate ranks during the Civil war, but withdrew upon his election to the office of treasurer of Johnson county, an exacting position during the turbulent epoch of the war between the states. Doctor Walker took a course in the high school at Wrightsville, Johnson county, and thereafter began the work of preparing himself with all thoroughness for his chosen profession. He attended the Atlanta medical college and the Kentucky school of medicine, securing his degree of Doctor of Medicine from the former and he has since done effective post-graduate work in leading medical schools and hospitals in New York city and Chicago. Since his graduation he has been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession, the greater portion of the time in Waycross, where he now has a representative and extended clientage. He is a member of the American medical association, the Medical Association of Georgia and the Ware county medical society. In a fraternal way, he is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, The Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In politics he exercises his franchise and influence in support of the Democratic party, and both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church South. On Dec. 19, 1883, was solemnized the marriage of Doctor Walker to Miss Laura Singleton, daughter of Samuel and Ann (Christian) Singleton, of Eatonton, Putnam county, Ga., and they have four children, namely: John S., Robert C, Annie Laurie, and Samuel E.
Source: Men of Mark in Georgia

Sweat, Frank L., a prominent and influential citizen and business man of Douglas, Coffee county, and an ex-member of the state senate, was born in the vicinity of Waycross, Ware county, Ga., March 19, 1866, a son of Capt. James A. and Serena (Miller) Sweat, the former born near Blackshear, Pierce county, Ga., and the latter at Waresboro, Ware county. Captain Sweat was in command of a company during the Indian war and thus gained his title, but was too old to be eligible for service in the Civil war, prior to which he had been a large slaveholder. He was a man of influence and of sterling character and died at the age of sixty-one years. He had large plantation interests and also engaged in the raising of live stock upon an extensive scale. His wife survived him by a number of years. Frank L. Sweat was educated in the common schools of Ware county, Ga., and at Madison, Fla. He has been identified with the turpentine and timber business since he was twenty years of age and has been very successful in his business operations. He now has interests in turpentine production and lumbering in Georgia, Florida and Alabama, and is also concerned in banking, wholesale grocery business and railroad enterprises, his reputation, both as a citizen and business man, being unassailable. He became interested in the Douglas, Augusta & Gulf railroad at the time of its organization, took stock in the company, of which he is now a director and general superintendent. In a fraternal way he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias. In politics he is an uncompromising Democrat, and is an active worker in the party cause. He represented the fifth district in the state senate from 1902 to 1904 and proved a valuable working member of that body. He was the author of the bill providing that only pure spirits of turpentine be permitted to be manufactured in the state, and this act has worked to great advantage in doing away with the adulteration of such products. He also introduced various other bills and was a member of a number of important senate committees. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church South. On Feb. 3, 1897, Mr. Sweat was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Lee Lott, daughter of John M. Lott. They have no children.
Source: Men of Mark in Georgia

Sweat, Joel L., one of the prominent members of the bar of Ware county, is established in the practice of his profession in Waycross, the county seat. He is a veteran of the Civil war, an ex-member of the state legislature and served seven years on the bench of the superior courts of the Brunswick circuit. He was born in that part of Ware county which is now included in the county of Pierce, Sept. 21, 1847, a son of Samuel and Maria (Strickland) Sweat, both of whom died when he was a boy. His paternal grandfather, Nathaniel Sweat, was a soldier in the Continental line in the war of the Revolution, with the North Carolina troops. Judge Sweat secured his early education in the schools of his native county and about four months prior to his fifteenth birthday he tendered his services in defense of the Confederate cause. In May, 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company G, Fourth Georgia cavalry, with which he* served, under Colonel Clinch, along the Georgia coast, and later was with General Wheeler in the memorable campaign around Atlanta, following Sherman to Savannah. The youthful but loyal soldier took part in a number of hotly contested engagements and continued with his command in active service until the close of the war. He had attended Blackshear academy prior to his enlistment, and after the close of the war he located in Homerville, Clinch county, where he was identified with mercantile pursuits until 1869, having in the meanwhile given careful attention to the study of law, and was admitted to the bar in that year. He then engaged in the practice of his profession in Homerville, where he remained until 1887, when he removed to Waycross, where he has since been actively and successfully engaged in the general practice of his profession, save as his official duties have placed demands upon his time and attention. Judge Sweat has ever been found aligned as a stanch supporter of the principles of the Democratic party, and in 1875-6 he was chief clerk of the house of representatives of Georgia; in 1880-81 he represented Clinch county in the state legislature, and was chosen as his own successor in 1882, thus serving two terms. He was judge of the superior courts of the Brunswick circuit for seven years and made an admirable record as a jurist. He retired from the bench on Jan. 1, 1899. He is attorney for the Atlantic & Birmingham Railway Company, the First National bank of Way-cross, the Waycross Electric Light and Power Company and the South Atlantic Car and Manufacturing Company. He is identified with the lodge and chapter of the Masonic fraternity and with the United Confederate Veterans, and both he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church South. On Jan. 10, 1869, Judge Sweat was united in marriage to Miss Margaret M. Hitch, daughter of Sylvanus and Annie A. (Nicholls) Hitch, of Homerville, and they became the parents of two children,—Lee L., who is now a practicing attorney in Waycross, and Lulu M., who died in young womanhood.
Source: Men of Mark in Georgia

Sessoms, Alexander, a prominent business man of Waycross, Ware county, and an honored veteran of the Confederate service in the war between the states, was born in Cumberland county, N. C, Jan. 2, 1834, a son of Amos and Margaret (Antry) Sessoms, both of whom were likewise born in Cumberland county and passed their entire lives in North Carolina, where the respective families were early founded, the Sessoms family being of Welsh extraction. Alexander Sessoms was reared to manhood in the old North state, and his youthful training was that of the plantation. In February, 1862, about one month after celebrating his twenty-eighth birthday, he enlisted as a private in Company .C, Thirty-sixth North Carolina heavy artillery, was stationed for some time at Fort Fisher, and later took part in the siege of Savannah. He rose to the rank of sergeant, was with his command at Fort Fisher when captured by the Union forces, Jan. 15, 1865, and was paroled at the end of the war. He maintains a lively interest in his old comrades and signifies the same by his membership in the United Confederate Veterans. Mr. Sessoms has been a resident of Georgia since 1877 and has been successful in his business operations, as a manufacturer and producer of naval stores. He has ever retained the confidence and esteem of his fallow men and is one of the representative citizens of Waycross, where he has made his home since 1893. In politics he is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, but has never been an aspirant for public office. In February, 1869, Mr. Sessoms married Miss Hannah Jane Bul-lard, who died in 1879, and who is survived by three children— Blanch, Albert Henry, and John Gordon. In November, 1880, he was united in marriage to Miss Lou W. Cogdell, and of their eight children seven are living—Alexander K., Pauline, Ruby, Ralph, Robert Lee, Lewis and Dorothy.
Source: Men of Mark in Georgia

Redding, Joseph Henry, M. D., a prominent and honored physician and surgeon of Waycross, Ware county, has here been successfully established in the practice of his profession since 1881. He was born in Monroe county, Ga., Nov. 26, 1848, a son of James Tarpley and Sarah Ann (Dickson) Redding, the former born in Monroe county and the latter in Crawford county, Ga. James Tarpley Redding was a son of William Chambliss and Margaret (Flewellyn) Redding, the former of whom was a son of Anderson Redding, who was a valiant soldier in the Continental line during the war of the Revolution and who was present at the surrender of Lord Cornwailis at Yorktown. Doctor Redding's parents removed to Louisiana in December, 1858, and were refugees to Texas in 1863. In April, 1865, Doctor Redding, who was then sixteen years old, donned the Confederate uniform and rode on horseback a distance of forty miles, in Texas, to visit the nearest postoffice to learn where he could join the Confederate army. Great was his dismay and disappointment when he there received the information concerning the surrender of General Lee. Doctor Redding secured his more specifically literary education in Emory college, Oxford, Ga., the family having returned to this state after the close of the war. In 1878-9 he attended medical lectures in Louisville, Ky., and in 1881 he was graduated in the College of Physicians & Surgeons, of Atlanta, receiving his degree of Doctor of Medicine and being valedictorian of his class. His standing as a student may be comprehended when it is stated that he took every prize offered by the faculty. He has since taken several post-graduate courses in New York city and keeps in close touch with the advances made in both departments of his exacting and humane profession. He was engaged in practice in the city of Macon until 1884, when he took up his residence in Waycross, where he controls a large and important professional business and is held in high regard as a citizen and physician. He is a member of various medical associations, is a Democrat in his political adherency, and both he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church South. On Feb. 2, 1873, he was married to Miss Lucy C. Storey, daughter of Col. Richard L. and Jane (Dickson) Storey, of Hancock county, Ga. She was summoned to the life eternal on Aug. 1, 1882, survived by two children—Henry Storey, born May 25, 1875; and Charles Leonidas, born July 31, 1879. On April 28, 1892, was solemnized the marriage of Doctor Redding to Miss Isabella C. Remshart, daughter of John W. Remshart, of whom specific mention is made in this compilation. Of this second marriage no children have been born.
Source: Men of Mark in Georgia

King, Thomas Butler, lawyer, statesman, diplomat, was born at Palmer, Mass., Aug. 27, 1797, and died at Waresboro, Ga., May 10, 1864. He was the son of Capt. Daniel King, born at Palmer, Mass., Sept. 2, 1749, and died March 15, 1815, and of his wife, Hannah Lord, born at New London, Conn., in 1747, and died in 1814. They were married in New London, Conn., in 1780. Capt. Daniel King was an officer in the Palmer company of minute-men, who responded to the Lexington alarm on April 19, 1775, fought at Bunker Hill and was engaged at other points in the war for independence. Thomas Butler King's great-grandfather, John King, came from Suffolk, England, to Boston in 1710, married Sarah Allen and was first proprietor of Kingston, Mass., afterwards called Palmer. His mother, Hannah Lord, was of the fifth generation of descendants from Thomas and Dorothy Lord, who came from England in 1635 and were among the first landed proprietors of Hartford, Conn. Their eldest son, Richard Lord, was at one time secretary of the colony; was captain of the first troop of horse (1657-1660) ; served as a member of the assembly; was a patentee of the Charter of Charles II, and was "one of the most energetic and efficient men of the colony." His tombstone still stands in New London, with its quaint epitaph beginning "The flower of our Cavalry here lieth". Thomas Butler King studied law in Philadelphia and after being admitted to practice removed to Georgia where he married Miss Anna Matilda Page, the only child of Maj. William Page, of St. Simons island, Ga., who had served in the Revolution in his native state,—South Carolina. After his marriage on Dec. 2, 1824, Mr. King identified himself with his adopted state and devoted himself to her interests. He was a man of exalted character and masterful intellect; sound in health of body and mind; of temperate habits and great energy; with beauty of person and peculiar charm of manner, in private life his conduct was stainless. In the management of his large plantation and his justice and kindness to his negroes, who loved him with enthusiasm, he was an example of a strong and noble nature. In politics he was a Whig and was one of the leaders of his party; a friend of Webster and Clay and accompanied Clay in his southern canvass for the presidency. Mr. King entered public life in 1832 as a member of the state senate, and continued in the legislature until 1837. The following year he was elected to Congress and was reelected in 1840; he was again elected in 1844 and 1846. In Georgia he worked with enthusiasm for all public improvements. In Congress, as chairman of the committee on naval affairs, he secured the establishment of the "Collins Line", "The Pacific Mail", and other important maritime legislation. For his work in this direction he was publicly complimented and sent home on a naval cruiser. After the Mexican war he was sent to California to make a report on the newly acquired territory and given a military escort. His report to the government gave great impetus to the tide of emigration. He was afterwards made first collector of the port of San Francisco, and having been given discretionary powers he was an important factor in establishing law and order in that wild community, and by his fairness won high esteem. He was defeated for the United States senate from California by only one vote on party lines. He was one of the originators of the Southern Pacific railway, securing by his persistent efforts, the right of way through Texas, and immense grants of land, insuring thereby the final completion of that national enterprise. Like other eminent Georgians he was opposed to secession, but when it came he gave his loyal support to his state and was sent by Governor Brown as a commissioner to Europe. There he initiated important negotiations for the aid and recognition of the Confederacy, but requiring further authority for these, he returned, narrowly escaping capture by the blockade, himself and crew saving themselves in an open boat after setting fire to their vessel. In the meantime his noble wife and eldest son had died, and the family were compelled to abandon the home on St. Simons island. The four remaining sons enlisted in the Confederate service. His efforts were then directed to securing war vessels for the Confederacy, but before he attained this object he died on May 10, 1864.
King, John Floyd, fifth son of Thomas Butler King, left the university of Virginia to enter the Confederate army and enlisted as a private in the Albemarle Rifles, of Virginia; was appointed second lieutenant in the Georgia regulars; transferred in Virginia to the artillery; served with distinction in campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia; was promoted to various grades of company and field rank; when detached from main army, commanded as -chief of artillery in the armies under Generals Heath and Loring in Western Virginia, Generals Buckner and Jones in East Tennessee and of the army commanded by General Breckenridge on the Shenandoah; was artillery division commander under Early in the campaign against Washington City, throughout the valley of Virginia and into Maryland; was appointed brigadier-general of artillery by official certificate, by General Breckenridge, secretary of war of the Confederacy, on retreat of Lee's Army from Richmond. After the war he resided in Mississippi and Louisiana, in which states he became a prominent factor in reestablishing white domination and social order, his slogan ever being, "The white man must and shall rule"; studied law; engaged extensively in the production of cotton in Louisiana; was first to conceive and inaugurate the use of chemical poison (Paris-green) for the destruction of the army worm (the cotton caterpillar), making a practical success of the operation on thousands of acres of cotton at the first trial. He was made brigadier-general of state troops (white) by Governor John McEnery and subsequently by Governor Nichols, serving actively in deposing carpet-bag military and negro government and in the establishment of white supremacy in Louisiana and throughout the lower Mississippi valley. He was elected to Congress from Louisiana and served eight years, initiating measures for the creation of the Isthmian Canal, and of legislation for the improvement of the Mississippi river and the protection of its banks from overflow, by the General Government; was one of the initiators of the laws of the national quarantine against yellow fever and other epidemic diseases, declaring "Public Health to be Public Happiness." From its creation he waged relentless war against the "Louisiana Lottery," never ceasing until the final destruction of that monster of immorality—a struggle which continued for over twelve years. Though not a candidate he received many votes for the United States senate by the Nichols, white, legislature of Louisiana. During the Spanish-American war his name was held by President McKinley for appointment of major general of volunteers, but the war closed before the opportunity came to announce the appointment. He is now engaged in mining operations and in the promotion and development of public industries.
(Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Tracy McAllister)

Lott, Warren, who has been judge of the court of ordinary of Ware county for more than twenty years and who is one of the influential and honored citizens of Waycross, has passed his entire life in this county, where he has been prominent in business and civic affairs for many years. He was born Oct. 20, 1853, a son of Dr. Daniel and Susan (Mobley) Lott, the former born in Ware county, March 9, 1828, and the latter in Appling county, June 3, 1829. Dr. Daniel Lott was educated in the schools of his native county and finally took up the study of dentistry under an able preceptor, becoming a skilled workman in this profession, to which he devoted his attention for a number of years at Waresboro, where he remained until November 1871, when he retired from practice and removed to what is now the thriving little city of Waycross. His was the first family to locate here and he laid out the town, owning the greater portion of the land on which the same was platted. Here he engaged in the real-estate business, also owned several saw mills which he put into operation and then sold the plants. He died in Waycross June 24, 1880, his widow surviving until July 16, 1892. In 1852 he was elected to represent his county in the state legislature, served one year and was then elected to the state senate, of which he was a member one term. After the Civil war he served a short time as ordinary of the county. He was a man of sterling character, prominent and influential in local affairs. At the inception of the war he went forth as a loyal soldier of the Confederacy, as a private in the Fourth Georgia Cavalry. Shortly after his enlistment, however, he was elected judge of the inferior court, and through assuming the duties of this office he was exempt from military service. It was largely through his efforts that the county seat of Ware county was transferred from Waresboro to Waycross, to which latter town, of which he was the virtual founder, he donated the first court-house, and otherwise gave evidence of his liberality and public spirit. In his family were six children, namely: Mrs. S. J. Lightsey now resides in Keysville, Fla.; John A. resides in Waycross; Warren is the subject of this sketch; Mrs. J. S. Sharp also resides in Waycross; Walter T. died at the age of forty years; and Joel resides in Waycross. Judge Warren Lott secured his early education in the schools of Ware county and for a short time attended an academy at Valdosta, Lowndes county. In 1873 in partnership with his brother, John A., he engaged in the general merchandise business in Waycross, retiring from this enterprise one year later. Upon incorporation of the village, in 1873, he was elected its first clerk and treasurer, and he also served three terms as a clerk of the superior court of the county, having been first elected in 1877. In 1882-3 he represented the county in the state legislature, having been elected on the local prohibition issue. He introduced and carried to enactment the bill prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors in Ware county. In 1885 he was elected judge of the court of ordinary, and he has since remained incumbent of this office giving a most admirable administration. By virtue of this office he is also chairman of the board of county commissioners. He is a stalwart in the camp of the Democratic party, has attained the grade of Knight Templar in the Masonic fraternity and is a charter member and past chancellor of the local lodge of Knights of Pythias. He is vice-president of the Bank of Waycross; is a member of the furniture and undertaking firm of Lott, Fain & Co., also of Lott & Peabody, general fire insurance; a director of the South Atlantic Car Company, and a member of the city board of education. He and his wife hold membership in the Presbyterian church, of which he is a ruling elder. On June 29, 1881, Judge Lott was united in marriage to Miss Hattie J. Williams, daughter of Dr. Benjamin F. and Sarah F. (Hicks) Williams of Waycross. Her father was long engaged in the practice of medicine in Ware county and died in 1892, at the age of seventy-two years. His widow still maintains her home in Waycross. Judge and Mrs. Lott became the parents of seven children, of whom five are living: Warren, Jr., is a cadet in the United States military academy, at West Point; Mabel died at the age of four years; Edith is attending college, and Clyde is attending school in Waycross; Benjamin Williams died at the age of three years; and Arthur and John Henry remain at the parental home and are attending the local schools.
(Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Joanne Morgan)