George Paul Harrison (March 19, 1841 – July 17, 1922) was a

U.S. Representative 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 ...

from

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

Early life and education

Born at " Monteith Plantation," 12 miles from

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...

, George Paul Harrison, attended Effingham Academy and the Georgia Military Institute at

Marietta, Georgia Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 60,972. The 2019 estimate was 60,867, making it one of Atlanta's largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth largest ...

. His father, George Paul Harrison, was a wealthy planter, state legislator and

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

of Georgia militia 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 ...

. His mother was Thurza Adelaide (Guinn) Harrison.

Military service

On January 3, 1861, at the onset of tensions which would lead to the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

later that April, Harrison entered 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 ...

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

of the First Georgia Regulars. He later participated in the seizure of Fort Pulaski. In recognition of his actions in that battle, 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 ...

appointed Harrison as military commandant of the Georgia Military Institute, until he graduated in May 1861. Harrison then returned to the army and was successively promoted over the course of the war to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

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 ...

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

, and acting

. On May 15, 1862, he was elected colonel of the 32nd Georgia Infantry Regiment. He commanded Fort Johnson,

Morris Island Morris Island is an 840-acre (3.4 km²) uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War. The ...

and

John's Island Johns Island is an island in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States, and is the largest island in the state of South Carolina. Johns Island is bordered by the Wadmalaw, Seabrook, Kiawah, Edisto, Folly, and James islands; the Stono an ...

, where he was wounded twice, and reinforced Fort Wagner during the July 18, 1863 battle. He commanded a brigade at the Battle of Olustee, which resulted in the defeat of Federal forces. During the battle, the brigade suffered official casualties of 50 killed, 406 wounded and four missing. After reaching the rank of Brigadier General, Harrison commanded a brigade of A.P. Stewart's corps. At the time, he was 23 years old, the youngest Brigadier-General in the Confederate Army. During the course of the war, Harrison was wounded three times. The last time at the Battle of Olustee, where a horse was shot out from under him. Harrison commanded a prison camp at

Florence, South Carolina Florence is a city in and the county seat of Florence County, South Carolina, United States. It lies at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 and is the eastern terminus of the former. It is the primary city within the Florence metropolit ...

in late 1864, where 25,000 Union prisoners were interned. He was commended by Union prisoners for his humane treatment of them. During the war, Harrison undertook the command responsibility of brigadier general, leading a brigade during the Carolinas Campaign and at the Battle of Bentonville, and elsewhere. Although he received a provisional appointment to that rank, it was never officially confirmed before the end of hostilities.

Legal and political career

After the war, Harrison moved to

in 1865, where he studied law. He served as commandant of cadets at

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...

. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Auburn, Alabama, and also worked as a planter. He served as member of the constitutional convention of Alabama in 1875. Harrison served in the State senate between 1878 and 1884 and was its president in 1882–1884. He served as delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1892. Harrison was elected 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 ...

to the Fifty-third Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of

William C. Oates William Calvin Oates (either November 30 or December 1, 1835September 9, 1910) was a colonel in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, the 29th Governor of Alabama from 1894 to 1896, and a brigadier general in the U.S. Arm ...

. He was reelected to the Fifty-fourth Congress and served from November 6, 1894, to March 3, 1897.

Later years and legacy

After his final term in Congress, he resumed the practice of law in Opelika, Alabama. He served as delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1901. Harrison again served in the Alabama State senate in 1900 and 1902. Harrison served as general counsel for the Western Railway of Alabama and as Division counsel for the

Central of Georgia Railway The Central of Georgia Railway started as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company in 1833. As a way to better attract investment capital, the railroad changed its name to Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia. This railroad was cons ...

. He was major general of the Alabama Division of the

United Confederate Veterans The United Confederate Veterans (UCV, or simply Confederate Veterans) was an American Civil War veterans' organization headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was organized on June 10, 1889, by ex-soldiers and sailors of the Confederate Sta ...

Mary A. Harrison, the daughter of Hon. George P. Harrison, was born in Lee county, Alabama. She was graduated with first honors from the Wesleyan Female College, at Macon, Georgia, afterwards taking a musical course at the Cincinnati Conservatory, which was supplemented by two years' study in New York City with Ernani. Miss Harrison inherited her fine musical talent from her mother. Her voice is well adapted for sacred and dramatic music, and she was requested to sing at leading Washington churches. Harrison resided with her father at the Riggs, and was a prominent figure in the numerous receptions given there. George Paul Harrison, died in Opelika, Alabama, on July 17, 1922. He was interred in Rosemere Cemetery.

References

External links