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

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, as well as a state representative and senator. He was also an officer in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Biography

Early years and education

Hillyer was born in

Athens, Georgia Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...

, one of eight children of Judge

Junius Hillyer Junius Hillyer (April 23, 1807 – June 21, 1886) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician who served two terms in the United States Congress. Early years and education Junius Hillyer was born in Wilkes County, Georgia, on April 23, 180 ...

, a

United States Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

and solicitor of the U.S. Treasury, and Jane Selina Watkins. He graduated from

Mercer University Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,000 ...

in July 1854, "securing honors in all branches of study". He then studied law under the supervision of his father, Judge Hillyer, in

Monroe, Georgia Monroe is a city in Walton County, Georgia, United States, serving as the county seat. It is located both one hour east of Atlanta via US 78 and GA 138 to I-20 and east of Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport and is one of the exurban ci ...

, and in 1855 was admitted to the

state bar A state bar association is a bar association that represents or seeks to represent the attorneys practicing law in a particular U.S. state. Their functions differ from state to state, but often include administration of the state bar examination fo ...

. 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.

Georgia House of Representatives

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

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. T ...

in 1856. He was sworn in the following January and served one two-year term. Hillyer then served as Clerk of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1859 to 1860. In 1860 he was selected as a delegate to the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, where he supported the nomination of

Howell Cobb Howell Cobb (September 7, 1815 – October 9, 1868) was an American and later Confederate political figure. A southern Democrat, Cobb was a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives and the speaker of the House from 184 ...

for President.

Military service

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Hillyer raised a Walton County company known as the "Hillyer Rifles" in the late spring of 1861. The men were mustered into the Confederate Army on June 13, with Hillyer elected as the

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of what became Company C of the 9th Georgia Volunteer Infantry. He and the

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

were sent by train to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and assigned to the newly created

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

of George "Tige" Anderson in the newly organized

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...

. Hillyer saw extensive fighting at Fredericksburg (briefly commanding the regiment) and Gettysburg, where he fought at the famed "Wheatfield" on July 2, 1863. The 9th Georgia lost half of its 340 men in the fight, and Hillyer's company suffered considerable losses. With all the senior officers wounded or killed, Hillyer assumed command of the regiment for the rest of the 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". Hillyer resigned his captain's commission in November 1863 to become an auditor for the

Western & Atlantic Railroad The Western & Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia (W&A) is a railroad owned by the State of Georgia and currently leased by CSX, which CSX operates in the Southeastern United States from Atlanta, Georgia, to Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was fo ...

at the request of Governor

Joseph E. Brown Joseph Emerson Brown (April 15, 1821 – November 30, 1894), often referred to as Joe Brown, was an American attorney and politician, serving as the 42nd Governor of Georgia from 1857 to 1865, the only governor to serve four terms. He also se ...

, who preferred a military man for the role as the railroad was the main supply route for General

Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia seceded ...

's Confederate army. Early in 1864, Hillyer organized the State Road Battalion (consisting mainly of railroad men) and he was placed in command of the defenses of the railroad with the rank of

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. Seeing action against

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

raiders during the Atlanta Campaign, Hillyer performed well, but the railroad eventually fell to the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

. 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. 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). Starting in 1870, he served four years as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

in the

Georgia Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Legal provisions The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, with the lower house being the Georgia Ho ...

, representing the 35th District, which included

Fulton Fulton may refer to: People * Robert Fulton (1765–1815), American engineer and inventor who developed the first commercially successful steam-powered ship * Fulton (surname) Given name * Fulton Allem (born 1957), South African golfer * Fult ...

, Clayton, and Cobb counties. He served as the Georgia delegate to the United States Centennial Commission that planned and organized the country's Centennial celebrations and the International Exhibition of 1876. He was appointed to the

Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat: *Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton *Fulton County, Georgia *F ...

Superior Court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...

by Governor

Alfred H. Colquitt Alfred Holt Colquitt (April 20, 1824March 26, 1894) was an American lawyer, preacher, soldier, and politician. Elected as the List of Governors of Georgia, 49th Governor of Georgia (1877–1882), he was one of numerous Democrats elected to offi ...

, serving from 1877 to 1883.

The city of Atlanta

In 1885 Hillyer served one term as mayor of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, during which time he became an expert on municipal water services, publishing several related articles and serving on the Atlanta Water Commission for many years. Hillyer played an active role in the establishment of the 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.

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

External links

Judge George Hillyer papers - Atlanta History Center

Two letters and a telegram from Capt. Hillyer to his father - ''Hillyer Rifles'' stationary

Confederate Army Captain George Hillyer Print Wall Art - at WalMart
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hillyer, George 1835 births 1927 deaths Members of the Georgia House of Representatives Georgia (U.S. state) state senators Mayors of Atlanta Confederate States Army officers People of Georgia (U.S. state) in the American Civil War Burials at Oakland Cemetery (Atlanta)