History of Jackson County Georgia United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for Jackson County Georgia, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

Biographies:

William Flake Perry, soldier and educator, was born in Jackson county, Ga., March 12, 1823; son of Hiram and Nancy (Flake) Perry, and a descendant of Edward Perry, who came from Devonshire, England, to Sandwich, Mass., in 1653. His parents removed to Alabama in 1834, and he attended Brownwood institute, Lagrange, Ga., 1841-43. He conducted a prosperous high school in Talladega, Ala., 1848-53, and in 1851 married to Ellen Douglass, daughter of George P. Brown and niece of Judge William P. Chilton. He read law under Judge Chilton and was licensed to practice in 1854. In February, 1854, he was elected superintendent of education for Alabama, which office he resigned in 1858 to become president of the East Alabama female college, Tuskegee. He joined the Confederate array as a major of the 44th Alabama regiment, Col. James Kent, in 1862; reached Richmond with the regiment in June, 1862. and was assigned to Wright's brigade, Longstreet's corps. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel in August, 1862, and colonel in September as successor to Colonel Derby who had been killed at Sharpsburg. In October his regiment, with the 4th, 15th, 47th and 48th Alabama regiments, formed Gen. E.M. Law's brigade of Hood's division. Colonel Perry opened the second day's battle at Gettysburg by storming and capturing "The Devil's Den" and aided by Benning's Georgia brigade defended the position. At Chickamauga on the evening of the first day's battle he made an independent charge which secured the first decided Confederate advantage in that battle. On the second day he commanded Law's brigade and was conspicuous in Longstreet's charge which broke the Federal right wing, and at Snodgrass Hill his brigade captured sixteen pieces of artillery. He was also conspicuous at the Wilderness, Spottsylvania and around Richmond and Petersburg and his brigade was on the last line of battle when the news of Lee's surrender suspended hostilities. He was recommended for promotion in January, 1864, but by some error the recommendation was not laid before the senate until January, 1865, and he received his commission as brigadier-general in February, 1865. His record names him as present in twenty engagements with the enemy, of which eight were the bloodiest battles of the war. He commanded a regiment, in nine and a brigade in ten of the engagements. He returned to his vocation as teacher, conducting a school at Lynnland, Ky., 1869-82, and was professor of English language and literature, elocution and history in Ogden college, Bowling Green, Ky., 1883-1900. He was commander of the camp of Confederate veterans. Bowling Green, where he died, Dec. 17, 1901.

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

Hiram Parks Bell, representative, was born in Jackson county, Ga., Jan. 27, 1827. After receiving an academic education he taught school for two years, studied law, and in 1849, after his admission to the bar, established himself as a lawyer at Cumming, Ga. He was a member of the Georgia state convention of 1861, and opposed the secession ordinance. He entered the Confederate army, resigning his seat in the state senate to do so, and rendered gallant and meritorious services, for which he was promoted colonel. He was dangerously wounded at the battle of Chickasaw Bayou, Miss., Dec., 1862, and resigned from the army soon afterward. In 1864 he was elected a representative to the 2d Confederate States congress, and in 1872 he was elected to the 43d U.S. Congress, and in 1876 to the 45th Congress. He served as delegate to a number of Democratic conventions, and took a prominent part in both national and state politics.

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

History of Jackson County Georgia

Biographies:

Local History and Genealogy Links: