History of Macon, (Bibb County) Georgia United States of America

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Local History Notes:

MACON, a flourishing city, capital of Bibb county, Georgia, is situated on both sides of the Ocmulgee river, where it is crossed by the Central railroad, 191 miles W. N. W. from Savannah, 100 miles S. E. from Atlanta, and 30 miles S.W. from Milledgeville. The Macon and Western railroad connects with the Central railroad at this place, which is also the terminus of the South-western railroad, leading to Oglethorpe. Macon is the third city of the state in population and importance, and is the centre of an active trade. Steamboats can ascend the river as high as this place, which is the head of navigation. The city contains a commodious court house, a market house, 7 churches, 4 banks, 1 academy, and the Georgia Female College. The latter is a four-storied brick building, 160 feet by 60, finely situated on an eminence. Five or six newspapers are published here. A bridge, about 380 feet long, connects the opposite banks of the river. Rose Hill Cemetery, situated on the Ocmulgee, half a mile above the city, is much admired by visitors. On the bank of the river, a few miles below Macon, is an isolated eminence, known as Lamar's Mound, which appears to be the work of nature, although several artificial mounds occur in the vicinity. The western front of this is rugged and precipitous, and the summit is occupied by a level area of 50 acres. Population in 1850, 5953; in 1853, about 7000.

Biographies:

Harry Stillwell Edwards, author, was born in Macon, Ga., April 23, 1855; son of James Corson and Elizabeth (Hunt) Edwards; grandson of Capt. James Edwards of Philadelphia, and of Daniel Hunt of Portland, Maine, and a descendant of Jasper Griffing, Southold, L.I.; of Josiah Edwards, Philadelphia, and of Nicholas Stillwell of New Jersey. He was graduated from the law department of Mercer university in 1876. He was assistant editor and then editor of the Macon Telegraph, 1881-87, and of the Evening News and Sunday Times, 1887-88. He is the author of Two Runaways and Other Stories (1888); Sons and Fathers (1896) (which received the prize of $10,000 from the Chicago Record in a worldwide contest); The Marbeau Cousins (1898); and some poems and songs.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Walter T. Colquitt, senator, was born in Halifax county, Va., Dec. 27, 1799; son of Henry and Nancy (Holt) Colquitt. He was educated at the schools of Hancock county, Ga., whither his family had removed in his infancy, and he attended the College of New Jersey for a time. In 1820 he was admitted to the bar at Milledgeville, Ga., and began to practise at Sparta, later removing to Columbus, Ga. Late in 1820 he was chosen brigadier-general of militia. He was licensed a Methodist preacher in 1827. He was circuit judge, 1826-32, presiding over the first court held in Columbus; and in 1834 he was elected to the Georgia senate, being returned in 1837. In 1838 he was elected a representative in the 26th congress as a State Rights Whig, resigned his seat in July, 1840, having transferred his allegiance to the Democratic party, and was elected to the 27th congress, serving from February, 1842, to March, 1843. He was elected a U.S. senator in 1842 and resigned in February, 1848, Herschel V. Johnson completing his term. He was a delegate to the Nashville convention of 1850. He was married first, Feb. 23, 1823, to Nancy H., daughter of the Hon. Joseph Lane; secondly in 1841, to Mrs. Alphea B. (Todd) Fauntleroy, and thirdly in 1842, to Harriet W., daughter of Luke Ross. He died at Macon, Ga., May 7, 1855.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Pinckney Benton Stewart Plnchback, politician, was born in Macon, Ga., May 10, 1837; son of William and Eliza Pinchbeck. His father was white and his mother a mulatto. He removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, with his parents, and his father dying when he was eleven years old, he found employment on a river steamboat. He was married in 1860 to Nina, daughter of Ann Hothorn, a native of New Orleans, La. Upon the outbreak of the civil war he was within the Confederate lines, ran the blockade in 1862, at Yazoo City, and enlisted in the 1st Louisiana volunteers at New Orleans. He was appointed captain in the 2d Louisiana native guards in 1862, and resigned on account of the existing prejudice against colored officers. General Banks, however, authorized him to recruit a company of cavalry from his own race, but refused to commission him in it on account of his color. He was a delegate to the reconstruction convention of 1867; state senator in 1868; a delegate to the Republican national convention of 1868 and in April, 1869, was appointed register of the land office at New Orleans. He established the New Orleans Louisianian Dec. 25, 1870, and organized a company to establish a steamboat line on the Mississippi river. He was elected president pro-tempore of the state senate, became lieutenant-governor on the death of Lieut.-Gov. Oscar Dunn, Dec. 6, 1871, and acting governor during the impeachment trial of Governor Warmoth, December and January, 1872-73. He was nominated for governor by the Republican party in 1872, but withdrew in the interest of harmony, and was nominated and elected representative to congress from the state at large in November, 1872. He was chosen U.S. senator by the Republican legislature in 1873, but his seat was refused him by the senate, and was vacant, 1873-77, although he received the pay due a senator from Louisiana for the time he was before the senate. He was commissioner from Louisiana to the Vienna exposition in 1873; a member of the state board of education, 1877-80; a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1879, and surveyor of customs of New Orleans in 1882. He was graduated from the law department of Straight university, New Orleans, La., in 1886; was admitted to the bar the same year, and practised in New Orleans, where he was a trustee of Southern university, 1883-86, and afterward in Washington, D.C. He was a delegate to every Republican national convention from 1868 to 1900.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

George Brown Dandy, soldier, was born in Macon, Ga., Feb. 11, 1830; son of James Hervey and Charlotte (Collins) Dandy; grandson of Benjamin Dandy; great-grandson of Thomas Dandy; and a descendant of Edmund Dandy of Ipswich, Suffolk county, England. He removed with his parents to New Jersey, where he was educated, and in 1847 enlisted in the 10th U.S. infantry, serving throughout the Mexican war. He left the U.S. military academy in 1852 and in 1857 he was commissioned second lieutenant, 3d U.S. artillery. He accompanied several expeditions against hostile Indians in the west and received honorable mention for gallantry from General Scott. In March, 1862, he was promoted captain and was stationed at the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac until August, 1862, when he was appointed colonel of the 100th regiment N.Y. volunteers. He participated in the capture of Folly Island, Morris Island, and Battery Wagner, S.C., 1863, and in the battles at Port Walthall Junction, Drewry's Bluff, Deep Bottom, Deep Run, Fussell's Mill and the siege of Petersburg, Va., in 1864. In March, 1865, in command of the third brigade, first division, 24th army corps, he took part in the capture of Fort Gregg and was present at the surrender of Lee's army at Appomattox court house. He was brevetted brigadier-general of volunteers March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services in the field. He built Fort Phil Kearny, Big Horn Mountains, 1866-67; Fort Abraham Lincoln, N.D., 1873-75; was in charge of the depot at Yuma, Ariz., 1868; and after that was stationed at Buffalo, N.Y., Portland, Ore., Vancouver, W.T., St. Louis, Mo., Omaha, Neb., and in 1887 was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and placed in charge of the general depot quartermaster's department, Washington, D.C. In 1892 he was transferred to San Antonio as chief quartermaster, department of Texas and to Omaha, Neb., in 1893 as chief quartermaster, department of the Platte. He was retired by operation of law, Feb. 11, 1894.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor