Henry Dickerson McDaniel

Henry Dickerson McDaniel (born September 4, 1836 in Monroe , Walton County , Georgia , † July 25, 1926 ) was an American politician and governor of Georgia from 1883 to 1886 .

Early years

Henry Dickerson was the son of Ira Oliver McDaniel and his wife Rebecca Walker. At the age of eleven, he and his family moved to Atlanta . He attended the Mercer Institute in Macon , which later became Mercer University . After graduating in 1856 and admitted to the bar, he worked with his uncle in a law firm in Monroe.

In the civil war

As in most southern states , a congress was held in Georgia in 1861 to decide the future of the country. The question was whether the state should stay with the Union or join the confederation . McDaniel was a delegate at this congress and initially spoke out in favor of Georgia remaining in the Union. In the final vote, however, he voted for the confederation with a majority. As a result, he joined the Confederate Army and made it major by 1863 . He was involved in several battles. In 1863 he was wounded and taken prisoner. He spent the rest of the war in hospital and in captivity.

Political rise

After the war he returned to his office in Monroe. In 1865 he took part in the Georgia Constituent Congress. In 1872 he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives. Two years later he became a state senator . He held this office for three consecutive terms . When Governor Alexander Stephens , the former Vice President of the Confederation, died in office in 1883 , Senate President James Boynton was promoted to acting governor. This immediately announced new elections for the office of governor. However, the Democratic Party was unable to agree on a candidate at its election congress. A committee eventually proposed McDaniel as a compromise candidate. After a successful election, McDaniel was able to complete Stephens' term of office; he was subsequently confirmed for a regular full term in that office.

Georgia Governor

His tenure from 1883 to 1886 was relatively quiet. At that time the Atlanta Capitol was completed. McDaniel campaigned for the establishment of institutions for the blind, deaf and mentally handicapped. He promoted economic growth and worked to reduce national debt.

Old age and death

After his tenure was over, McDaniel returned to practice as a lawyer in Monroe. He also took care of his private business interests. He died there in July 1926 at the age of almost 90. McDaniel had been married to Hester Felker since 1866, with whom he had two children.

literature

James F. Cook: The Governors of Georgia, 1754-2004. 3rd edition, Mercer University Press, Macon (Georgia) 2005.
Anita B. Sams (Ed.): Henry D. McDaniel: With Unabated Trust: Major Henry McDaniel's Love Letters from Confederate Battlefields as Treasured in Hester McDaniel's Bonnet Box. (np: Historical Society of Walton County, 1977).

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	McDaniel, Henry Dickerson
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	September 4, 1836
PLACE OF BIRTH	Monroe , Georgia
DATE OF DEATH	July 25, 1926
Place of death	Monroe , Georgia