History of Sparta, (Hancock County) Georgia United States of America

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Biographies:

Ethan Allen Hitchcock, soldier, was born in Vergennes, Vt., May 18, 1798; son of Judge Samuel and Lucy (Allen) Hitchcock; grandson of Noah and Abigail (Lombard) Hitchcock, and of Gen. Ethan Allen; and a descendant of Matthias Hitchcock, who came from London, England, and settled in Boston in 1635. He was graduated from the U.S. Military academy in 1817, and was assigned to the artillery corps as 3d lieutenant, being commissioned 1st lieutenant in 1818, adjutant in 1819, and captain in 1824. From February, 1824, until April, 1827, he was assistant instructor of military tactics. After two years of recruiting service he was commandant of cadets and instruction in military tactics, 1829-33. In 1833 he was placed on frontier duty, and served in the Seminole war, being promoted in 1838 to the rank of major. In 1842 he was made lieutenant-colonel and was ordered to the Texan frontier, serving for a time as inspector-general on General Scott's staff. For gallantry at Contreras and Churubusco, he was brevetted colonel, Aug. 20, 1847, and for Molino del Rey, brigadier-general, Sept. 8, 1847. He was promoted colonel of the seoond infantry in 1851, and was in command of the military division of the Pacific, 1851-54. He resigned from the army in 1855 on account of personal differences with Jefferson Davis, secretary of war, and made his home in St. Louis, Mo. In February, 1862, he again offered his services to the government, was commissioned Major-general of volunteers, and was stationed in Washington, D.C., where he helped to revise the military code, and acted as military advisor to President Lincoln. He was also commissary-general and commissioner for the exchange of prisoners. He was stationed on the Pacific coast, 1865-67, and resigned on account of failing health in October, 1867. He was married to Martha Nichols, of Washington, D.C., in 1868. He was called the "pen of the army." He is the author of: Remarks on Alchemy and the Alchemists (1857); Swedenborg, a Hermetic Philosopher (1858); Christ the Spirit (1860); Red Book of Appin and other Fairy Tales (1863); The Sonnets of Shakespeare (1865); Spenser's Colin Clout Explained (1865); Notes on the Vita Nuova of Dante (1866). He died at Sparta, Ga., Aug. 5, 1870.

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

George Foster Pierce, M.E. bishop, was born in Greene county, Ga., Feb. 3, 1811; son of the Rev. Lovick and ? (Foster) Pierce. He graduated at Franklin college, Athens, Ga., A.B., 1829, A.M., 1832, and studied law under his uncle, Col. George Foster, in Greensborough, 1829-30. In January, 1831, he was admitted into the Georgia conference of the Methodist church, and was later a member of the South Carolina conference. He was presiding elder of the Augusta circuit, 1837-39, president of the Georgia Female college, which became the Wesleyan Female college, at Macon, Ga., 1839-40, and agent of this institution in 1841. He was engaged in pastoral work, 1842-48; was a delegate to the general conference at New York city in 1844; to the convention at Louisville, Ky., which organized the Methodist Episcopal church, South, in 1845, and to its first general conference at Petersburg, Va., in 1846, and to those of 1850 and 1854. He was president of Emory college at Oxford, Ga., 1848-54, and was elected and ordained bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, at Columbus, Ga., in 1854. He built St. John's Methodist church at Augusta, Ga., 1843-44; made an overland journey to San Francisco on a stage coach in 1859, in the interests of his work, and received the degrees D.D. from Transylvania university, LL.D. from Randolph-Macon college in 1867, and was a trustee of the University of Georgia, 1867-84. He is the author of Incidents of Western Travel(1857). He died at Sparta, Ga., Sept. 3, 1884.

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