History of Rome, (Floyd County) Georgia United States of America

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Biographies:

John Henry Lumpkin, jurist, was born in Oglethorpe county, Ga., June 13, 1812; son of George and Sarah (Pope) Lumpkin; grandson of John and Lucy (Hopson) Lumpkin, and of Henry Pope of Oglethorpe county, Ga. He was reared on his father's farm, and assisted John Landrum, clerk of court of Oglethorpe county for one year. He attended Franklin college, University of Georgia, 1829-30, Yale college, 1830-32, when an epidemic of yellow fever broke up the class and he returned to Georgia. He served as secretary on the staff of his uncle, Gov. Wilson Lumpkin, 1832-33, and studied law with his uncle, Joseph Henry Lumpkin, 1833-34. He was admitted to the bar in March, 1834, and settled in practice at Rome, Floyd county, Ga. He was a representative in the state legislature in 1835, where he secured an appropriation of $10,000 to build academies in the Cherokee country. He was solicitor-general of the Cherokee circuit, 1839-42; Democratic representative in the 28th, 29th and 30th congresses, 1843-49, and in the 34th congress, 1855-57; and judge of the Cherokee circuit court, 1849-52. He was the Democratic candidate for governor in 1857, but was defeated by Joseph E. Brown. He was appointed a delegate to the Southern Commercial convention at Montgomery, Ala., in 1858, by Governor Brown, and was a delegate at large to the Democratic national convention held at Charleston, S.C., April 23, and at Richmond, June 21, 1860, and to the state Democratic convention in June, 1860. He was married in February, 1836, to Martha Antoinette, daughter of Robert M'Combs, of Milledgeville, Ga. She died in September, 1838, leaving one son. He married secondly in May, 1840, Mary Jane, daughter of Thomas Crutchfield, of Athens, Ga. He died at Rome, Ga., June 6, 1860.

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

Elias Cornelius Boudinot, soldier, was born near Rome, Ga., Aug. 1, 1835; son of Elias Boudinot, a Cherokee Indian, descended from a long line of tribal chiefs. His father was educated at a mission school in Cornwall, Conn., and his mother was a daughter of Benjamin Gold, a well-known citizen of Connecticut. His father's Indian name was Kille-kee-nah, and being an unusually intelligent boy, he attracted the attention of Elias Boudinot, the philanthropist, who gave him permission to adopt his name. In 1839, having removed to Arkansas, he was assassinated by a rival faction of the Cherokees, known as the Ross party, and an uncle of young Boudinot sent him to Manchester, Vt., where he acquired a thorough education, and entered the corps of civil engineers. In 1853 he returned to Arkansas and became very prominent as a lawyer, and in Indian politics. At the outbreak of the civil war he joined the Confederacy, and was made major of a regiment of Cherokee Indians, whose operations included the battles of Oak Hill and Elk Horn, and the campaign in the Red river country. He was also secretary of the Secession convention in 1861, and represented the Cherokee nation in the second Confederate states congress, 1864-'65. After the war he devoted his energy to securing peace between the Indian tribes and the United States. He was a talented musician and a fine linguist. He was a member of a prosperous law firm at Fort Smith, Ark., where he died, Sept. 27, 190.

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

Martin Luther Smith, soldier, was born near Ithaca, N.Y., Sept. 9, 1819; son of Luther Smith, who removed from Maine to Western New York. He attended the district schools until 1838; was graduated from the U.S. Military academy and brevetted 2d lieutenant of topographical engineers, 1849; served as engineer on surveys in Florida, 1843?45; was commissioned 2d lieutenant, Nov. 1, 1843, and was engaged on topograpbical surveys in Georgia and Texas, 1846?47. He was married about July 28, 1846, to Sarah, daughter of John and Harriet (Cooper) Nisbet of Athens, Ga. He took part in the war with Mexico, in the army under Scott, being engaged in making a reconnoissance and map of the Valley of Mexico; was brevetted first lieutenant May 30, 1848, for gallantry at the capture of the City of Mexico, and upon the evacuation of the city he was detailed, at the request of the Mexican government, to establish a system of drainage for the city. He made surveys for the Savannah River improvement, and for a ship canal across the Florida peninsula; was promoted 1st lieutenant, March 3, 1853, and captain, July l, 1856; was in charge of the coast survey office at Washington, D.C., 1857?59, and resigned April 1, 1861, and was appointed major of engineers in the Confederate army. He planned the defences of New Orleans and commanded a brigade in its defence. When Farragut's fleet passed the forts, he commanded the two batteries of the Chalmette that it was hoped would stop the Federal fleet. He was commissioned brigadier-general April 11, 1862, and was ordered to Vicksburg to assume command and strengthen the defences of that place. He arrived May 12, 1869, and found one regiment, one battalion and three batteries complete. On May 18, 1869, the advance of Farragut's fleet arrived from Baton Rouge and bombarded the works, firing 9,0.000 charges of shot and shell; but although supported by 5,000 troops on land, the twenty-seven ships of Farragut and Porter were unable to effect a landing, and passed under the bluff and by the batteries. The Confederate loss was only seven killed and fifteen wounded; no gun was disabled and no battery injured. General Smith was assigned to the command of the 3d military district, department of Southern Mississippi and East Louisiana, June 26, 1862; to the 2d military district, department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, Oct. 21, 1862, and was promoted major-general, Nov. 4, 1862. He directed the defences of Chickasaw Bayou in command of a division which, on Dec. 31, 1862, consisted of eleven regiments of infantry, six battalions of heavy artillery, one battalion of cavalry, being largely the brigades of Vaughan, Barton and S. D. Lee. The Federal loss was nearly 2,000 killed, wounded and prisoners, and this was said to be the only defeat experienced by General Sherman during the war. After the arrival of General Pemberton, Smith's division occupied the northern lines during the second siege. He surrendered with the army at Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, but at the request of General Grant, remained in charge of Confederate sick and wounded until Aug. 1, He was exchanged about February, 1864, and was assigned to temporary duty as chief of the engineer bureau, March 9, 1864: and was promoted chief engineer, Army of Northern Virginia, April 6, 1864. He established the lines on which all the battles from the Wilderness to Petersburg were fought. At the battle of the Wilderness he was ordered by General Lee to report to General Longstreet, who had just arrived with the 1st army corps, and planned and executed the flanking movement that turned the Federal extreme left, on the Brock road. On Oct. 19, 1864, he was made chief engineer, Army of Tennessee; and on Jan. 4, 1865, was ordered to duty as chief engineer of the Military division of the West. He retired to Athens, Ga., after the war, and was chief engineer of the Alabama and Tennessee railroad, and in 1806 was elected professor of engineering in the University of Georgia, the chair having been occupied by Charles Phillips until the war closed the university. He had not assumed the duties of his office when he died at Rome, Ga., July 29, 1866.

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

Milford W. Howard, representative, was born in Rome, Ga., Dec. 18, 1862. He was admitted to the bar in 1881, and began practice at Fort Payne, Ala. He was prosecuting attorney for DeKalb county four years; was also city attorney of Fort Payne two terms; chairman of the DeKalb county Democratic executive committee, and a Populist representative from the seventh Alabama district in the 54th and 55th congresses, 1895-99. He opposed trusts, advocated the confiscation of accumulated wealth above a reasonable amount, and prepared a bill demanding the impeachment of President Cleveland. He is the author of The American Plutocracy (1896).

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