George Hillyer

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George Hillyer
Mayor of Atlanta
In office
January 1885 – January 1887
Personal details
Born(1835-03-17)March 17, 1835
Company C of the Ninth Regiment of Georgia Volunteers (CSA)
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

George Hillyer (March 17, 1835 – October 2, 1927) was an American politician, serving as the 29th Mayor of

Atlanta, Georgia, as well as a state representative and senator. He was also an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War
.

Biography

Early years and education

Hillyer was born in

United States Congressman and solicitor of the U.S. Treasury, and Jane Selina Watkins. He graduated from Mercer University in July 1854, "securing honors in all branches of study".[2] He then studied law under the supervision of his father, Judge Hillyer, in Monroe, Georgia, and in 1855 was admitted to the state bar.[2] For the first two years of his legal career he practiced with his father, then set up a partnership with the Hon. Hope Hull until the start of the Civil War.[2]

Georgia House of Representatives

At the age of 21, Hillyer ran for a seat in the state legislature, and was elected to the

Chicago, Illinois, where he supported the nomination of Howell Cobb for President.[2]

Military service

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Hillyer raised a

Gettysburg Campaign, and wrote the official report of the 9th Georgia's service in the battle. Union General Joseph Hooker remarked that Confederate Captain Hillyer was "a most able, efficient & gallant officer".[1]

The Wheatfield

The afternoon of July 2, 1863, left the “Wheatfield” and nearby woods strewn with more than 4,000 dead and wounded Union and Confederate soldiers. Thousands of troops fought in this area and veterans compared it to a whirlpool--a stream of eddies and tides that flowed around the 19-20 acres of wheat owned by farmer George Rose; it is said to have changed hands six times.[1]

Patricia A. Kaufmann

Hillyer resigned his captain's commission in November 1863 to become an auditor for the

Atlanta Campaign, Hillyer performed well, but the railroad eventually fell to the Union Army
. He and his remaining men surrendered to Federal officers on May 10, 1865.

Legal career and political office

After the war, Hillyer set a law practice in Atlanta with his brother, Henry. The two worked together for a number of years before George eventually joined the law firm of Hillyer, Alexander & Lambdin.[2][3]

In June 1867, at the age of 32, Hillyer married Ellen Emily Cooley, and together they undertook to raise a family, eventually having 8 children (three of whom died in infancy).[2]

Starting in 1870, he served four years as a

Superior Court by Governor Alfred H. Colquitt, serving from 1877 to 1883.[3]

The city of Atlanta

In 1885 Hillyer served one term as mayor of

Atlanta University System to provide higher education to the freed slaves. He was on the board of trustees for Spelman Baptist Seminary, as well as Vice-Chairman for the Georgia Railroad Commission.[3]

Death and legacy

He died at the age of 92 and was buried in Atlanta's

Oakland Cemetery
.

Writings

My Gettysburg Battle Experiences (edited by Gregory A. Coco), 2005, Thomas Publications (Gettysburg, PA)

References

  1. ^ a b c Patricia A. Kaufmann. "Hillyer Correspondence Delivers New Finds" (PDF). The Confederate Philatelist. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Lucian Lamar Knight (1917). A Standard History of Georgia and Georgians. Lewis publishing Company. pp. 1910–1912.
  3. ^ a b c "Judge George Hillyer papers". Atlanta History Center - Galileo. Retrieved April 20, 2019.

External links

Preceded by
Mayor of Atlanta

January 1885 – January 1887 		Succeeded by
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