Jeptha Vining Harris (April 27, 1782 – 1856) was a brigadier general in the

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. He was a lawyer and wealthy plantation owner, who served in the

Georgia General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are directl ...

as both a representative and

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

. Harris was also a trustee of the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

from 1832 to 1856. He was the father of Jeptha Vining Harris (Mississippi general), a Mississippi (

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

) brigadier general during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

(Civil War). He was the grandfather of Dr. Jeptha Vining Harris, who served as a doctor with the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

and was a doctor, customs collector and school superintendent in

Key West, Florida Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Islan ...

after the Civil War.

Biography

Early years

Jeptha Vining Harris was born on 27 April 1782 in

Wilkes County, Georgia Wilkes County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,565. The county seat is the city of Washington. Referred to as "Washington-Wilkes", the county seat and ...

. He was the eleventh and youngest child of Walton Harris and his wife Rebecca (Lanier) Harris.Harris, Gideon Dowse
''Harris Genealogy''
Columbus, Miss., Keith Printing Co., 1914. . Retrieved September 23, 2012. p. 74. Harris graduated with first honors in the first class of the University of Georgia, in 1804. On October 11, 1804, Harris married Sarah Hunt (15 June 1789 – 1871), daughter of Richardson Hunt (1762-1813), of

Elbert County, Georgia Elbert County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,637. The county seat is Elberton. The county was established on December 10, 1790, and was named for Samue ...

. Jeptha and Sarah Harris had twelve children, six sons and six daughters, all of whom survived to adulthood, married and had a family. All six of Harris' sons graduated from the University of Georgia.

Law career

Jeptha V. Harris lived in

Clarke Clarke is a surname which means "clerk". The surname is of English and Irish origin and comes from the Latin . Variants include Clerk and Clark. Clarke is also uncommonly chosen as a given name. Irish surname origin Clarke is a common surname ...

, Elbert, and

Morgan Morgan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment'', also called ''Morgan!'', a 1966 comedy film * ''Morgan'' (2012 film), an American drama * ''Morgan'' (2016 film), an American science fiction thriller * ...

Counties. The Harris family also lived for a time in

Oglethorpe County, Georgia Oglethorpe County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,825. The county seat is Lexington. Oglethorpe County is included in the Athens-Clarke County, GA Met ...

. They moved to

Athens, Georgia Athens is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and an Research I university, ...

where Harris practiced law for many years. Of his law practice in the Northern Judicial Circuit, it is said that he became "a distinguished lawyer of the Georgia bar."

Legislative service and Georgia Militia

Harris became a prominent lawyer, planter and member of the Georgia House of Representatives, representing Elbert County in 1811 and 1812.Allardice, Bruce S
''More Generals in Gray.''
Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1995. (pbk.). Retrieved September 16, 2012. p. 120. On December 3, 1812, the governor commissioned Harris Brigadier general of the 1st Brigade of the 4th Division of the Georgia Militia, replacing Allen Daniel. After the war, Harris represented Elbert County in the

Georgia Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The Georgia State Senate and the lower house of the General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives, comprise the bicameral leg ...

, 1825. He was promoted to Major general of the 4th Division on 9 November 1829, resigning his commission in 1845.

Personal life and family

Harris accumulated a large fortune and eventually retired to a home near

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 ...

. Harris was the father of Jeptha Vining Harris, a

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

(Confederate) brigadier general during the

. He was the grandfather of Dr. Jeptha Vining Harris of

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, Mississippi and Florida, who served as a doctor with the

and was a doctor, customs collector and

school superintendent In the American education system, a superintendent or superintendent of schools is an administrator or manager in charge of a number of public schools or a school district, a local government body overseeing public schools. All school principal ...

for many years after the Civil War. Another son, William Littleton Harris (1807-1868), graduated from the University of Georgia in 1825. He became a lawyer, and about 1836 moved from Washington, Georgia, to Columbus, Mississippi. He served as judge of the Circuit Court, and subsequently became a justice of the

Mississippi Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Mississippi is the highest court in the state of Mississippi. It was established in 1818 per the terms of the first constitution of the state and was known as the High Court of Errors and Appeals from 1832 to 1869. The court ...

, despite the fact that he "shunned politics." He also declined an appointment to the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

. He died in Memphis, Tennessee, on 26 November 1868.

Death

General Harris died at his home, in Cobb County on 29 June 1856, and was buried in Old Madison Cemetery in Madison, Georgia. Of General Harris, Garnett Andrews said "he was a fine old gentleman with a fine family, of great wealth and greater hospitality." General Harris was the source of Garnett Andrews' information about George Cook and the origins of the Troup and Clark factions Troup-Clark Political Feud - Georgia Historical Markers
/ref> that dominated Georgia politics for so many years.

Notes

References

* Allardice, Bruce S. ''Confederate Colonels: A Biographical Register''. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2008. . * Blizzard, Dennis F., ed. ''The Roster of the General Society of the War of 1812, 1989'' and ''Supplement to the 1989 roster''. Reprinted for Clearfield Co. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1999. . * Born, George Walter. ''Preserving Paradise: The Architectural Heritage And History of the Florida Keys''. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2006. . * Coulter, E. Merton ''College Life in the Old South''. Originally published in 1928. Paperback reissue: Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 2009. * Harris, Gideon Dowse
''Harris Genealogy''
Columbus, Miss., Keith Printing Co., 1914. . Retrieved September 23, 2012. * Sherwood, Adiel. ''A Gazetteer of the State of Georgia: Embracing a Particular Description of the Counties, Towns, Villages, Rivers...'' Washington DC: P. Force, 1837. Reprint Baltimore: Clearfield Co., 2002. . * United States daughters of 1812. ''History of the National society United States daughters of 1812, state of Georgia, 1901-1942: Fiftieth anniversary of the National society''. Atlanta, J.T. Hancock, 1943. . * Volume I Campaigns and Generals page 393: 1st Brigade, 4th Division, G.M. (Elbert, Hart. Lincoln, and Wilkes Counties) Commanders:BG Jeptha Vining Harris, comm. 1812, prom. 1829 4th Division commanded by MG Jeptha Vining Harris, comm. 1829, res. 1845 {{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Jeptha Vining 1782 births 1856 deaths University of Georgia alumni Members of the Georgia House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Georgia General Assembly