Carey Wentworth Styles
Carey Wentworth Styles | |
---|---|
Member of the Georgia State Senate from District 10 | |
In office 1873–1874 | |
Mayor of Brunswick, Georgia | |
In office 1858–1860 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Spartanburg, South Carolina, US | October 7, 1825
Died | February 23, 1897 Stephenville, Texas, US | (aged 71)
Political party | Democratic |
Occupation |
|
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States of America Confederate States of America |
Branch/service | United States Army Confederate States Army |
Years of service | 1846–1848 (USV) 1861–65 (CSA) |
Rank | Sergeant (USV) Colonel (CSA) |
Unit | Palmetto Regiment (USV) 26th Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry (CSA) |
Battles/wars | Mexican–American War |
Carey Wentworth Styles (October 7, 1825 – February 23, 1897) was an American lawyer and journalist who either founded or wrote for "at least" 21 newspapers in his career. He is best remembered as the founder of
Early years and education
Carey W. Styles was born October 7, 1825, near Spartanburg, South Carolina, the son of Gabriel and Rebecca Farrow Smith Styles.[1] He spent his early years on his father's plantation, which prospered from cotton farming and cattle.[2] In 1846, when he was 21 years old, Styles enlisted in the Palmetto Regiment of the South Carolina Volunteers, to fight in the Mexican–American War.[1] His regiment suffered heavy casualties in fierce fighting around Chapultepec, where Styles distinguished himself, as one of only two survivors from his unit.[2] He was awarded a silver medal by the state of South Carolina, and discharged in June 1848, with the rank of Sergeant.[1] Returning to his home, Styles read the law and was admitted to the bar. He established a law practice in Edgefield. On November 23, 1852, Styles married Frances Jean Evans. The couple had two children, Louisa Gabriella (Vincent) (1853), and Frank Evan Styles (1856).[2][3]
Journalism
While living in Edgefield, Styles became convinced that a railroad was needed to link Columbia, South Carolina, with Augusta, Georgia. In an effort to bring the matter to public attention, and to rally support for the proposal, Styles began publishing a pro-railroad weekly newspaper, the Edgefield Informer. It marked the beginning of a career in journalism that would consume Styles for the rest of his life. It also marked the decline of his interest in the practice of law.[2]
In 1857, Styles moved the family to Brunswick, Georgia. It is unknown what prompted the move. The city was developing a seaport, which held the promise of business opportunities. More likely, however, Styles was attracted to the area by a series of recent events which pitted powerful interests, headed by state representative Jacob Moore, against the common citizenry. Moore, and others, had managed to persuade the Georgia General Assembly to pass legislation giving them control over significant amounts of local real estate. The resulting civil strife, as one writer noted, left the citizens of Brunswick in "need of a defender". Styles quickly became embroiled in the dispute, siding with the citizenry. He announced his intention to run for mayor, and organized a mass protest rally for the evening of December 24. In spite of bad weather, a crowd gathered at the protest point, where Styles delivered an impassioned speech against the powerful interests, and the legislative act giving them the power to seize local property. Styles called the legislation "dishonorable", at which point Moore (the bill's sponsor and beneficiary) jumped to his feet and shouted at Styles, calling the accusation a "falsehood". In the files of the Glynn County courthouse, still preserved, is recorded testimony of what next transpired. Styles is said to have yelled back at Moore, saying "You are a damned liar!", to which Moore replied "You are a damneder liar!". A brief exchange of gunfire left Moore mortally wounded. Witness accounts had Moore firing first, and though Styles was subsequently arrested for manslaughter, the charges were eventually dropped.[2] On March 1, 1858, Styles was elected mayor of Brunswick.[2][4]
After finishing his term as mayor, Styles moved the family inland to nearby
After the war, Styles ran unsuccessfully for Congress, while living in
The Atlanta Constitution
It was in this period of political strife that Styles made his next bold move. While on a trip to
Legislative service
Styles returned to Albany as editor of the News. In 1872, he was elected to the
Return to journalism
After his legislative service, Styles sold the Albany newspaper in 1876 and returned to Atlanta as editor of the Georgia Daily Commonwealth and later as publisher of the Atlanta Telegraph. Both failed. Styles next tried his hand at the Gainesville Eagle, but that also failed. Whereupon Styles fell back on his legal training, establishing a law practice in Canton, Georgia. But the siren song of journalism called him back to Brunswick in November 1879, where he established himself as the editor of the weekly Seaport Appeal. After that newspaper floundered, Styles moved the family to Texas in 1881.[2][5]
Texas
In Texas, over the next 16 years, except for a brief period when he was managing editor of the Birmingham Herald, Styles continued his journalistic ways, as editor, managing editor, or special writer for "more than a dozen Texas dailies and weeklies".[1][3][5]
Death and legacy
Carey Wentworth Styles died at his home in Stephenville, Texas on February 23, 1897, and is buried in West End Cemetery.[1][2][3] In 1945, an investigative reporter from The Atlanta Constitution contacted Styles' grandson, while researching an article on the paper's founder.[2] The grandson was able to locate numerous trunks of papers and other material, in an attic, which were later donated to Emory University in Atlanta, becoming the University's Carey Wentworth Styles collection.[2][15] In the late 2010s, Styles' silver Mexican-American War medal, which was either misplaced or lost to one of Styles' many creditors during his lifetime, was sold in an online auction.[16] Other Styles war mementos and papers are retained in a collection held by the University of Texas at Arlington Special Collections archive.[1][3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f C. Richard King (June 15, 2010). "Carey Wentworth Styles". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Raymond B. Nixon (June 17, 1945). "Constitution's Founder Fought for Georgia with Pen and Sword". The Atlanta Constitution. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Styles, Vincent, and Day family papers". University of Texas – Special Collections Library. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-8203-2447-0.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8071-3907-3.
- ^ "Confederate South Carolina Troops 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Hagood's)". National Park Service. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- ^ "Roster of the Confederate soldiers of Georgia, Volume 3". Georgia State Division of Confederate Pensions and Records. p. 264. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "AJC History: The Story of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 2019. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ a b c "About The Constitution. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1868–1869". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ a b c "The Atlanta Constitution". Fishwrap. June 16, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "The Founders of the Atlanta Constitution at Oakland Cemetery". Historic Oakland Cemetery Foundation. June 18, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ Scott's Monthly Magazine. J.J. Toon. 1869. p. 304.
- ^ Wallace Putnam Reed (1889). History of Atlanta, Georgia: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. D. Mason & Company. p. 409.
- ^ Fourth Estate: A Weekly Newspaper for Publishers, Advertisers, Advertising Agents and Allied Interests. Fourth Estate Publishing Company. 1917. p. 16.
- ^ a b "Carey Wentworth Styles papers, 1860–1945". Emory University – Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ "Palmetto Medal (of) CSA Officer". WarTimeCollectables.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
External links
- Carey Wentworth Styles papers, 1860–1945 – Emory University
- Photograph of Carey Wentworth Styles and family
- Sale of Sgt. Styles' Medal from the Mexican-American War
- Carey Wentworth Styles at Find a Grave
- Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University: Carey Wentworth Styles papers, 1860–1945