George Walton
| George Walton | |
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United States Senator from Georgia |
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In office November 16, 1795 – February 20, 1796 |
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| Preceded by | James Jackson |
| Succeeded by | Josiah Tattnall |
| Acting Governor of Georgia | |
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In office January 7, 1789 – November 9, 1790 |
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| Preceded by | George Handley |
| Succeeded by | Edward Telfair |
| Delegate from Georgia to the Continental Congress | |
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In office 1776 – 1777, 1780–1781 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 1749 Cumberland County, Virginia |
| Died | February 2, 1804 (aged 54–55) Augusta, Georgia |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican |
| Relations | The Walton family of Atlanta, Georgia; North Carolina. |
| Signature |  |
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| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/branch | Georgia Militia |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | |
George Walton (1749 – February 2, 1804) signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia and also served as the second Chief Executive of Georgia.
George Walton was born in Cumberland County, Virginia.The exact year of Walton's birth is unknown; it is believed that he was born in 1749. Some research has placed it as early as 1740, others as late as 1749 and 1750. The biographer of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Della Gray Bartholomew, uses the date of 1741. His parents died when he was an infant, resulting in his adoption by an uncle with whom he entered apprenticeship as a carpenter. Walton was a studious young man, but his uncle actively discouraged all study, believing a studious boy to be an idle one. Walton continued studying and once his apprenticeship ended, he moved to Savannah, Georgia, in 1769 to study law under a Mr. Young, and was admitted to the bar in 1774. His brother was John Walton.
By the eve of the American Revolution he was one of the most successful lawyers in Georgia. He became an advocate of the patriot cause and was elected Secretary of the Georgia Provincial Congress and became president of the Council of Safety. In 1776 he served as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, a position he held until the end of 1778. On July 2, 1776, he voted in favor of the Declaration of Independence for Georgia along with Button Gwinnett and Lyman Hall.
During the American Revolutionary War, he was in the battalion of General Robert Howe. On January 9, 1778, Walton received a commission as colonel of the First Georgia Regiment of Militia. During the Battle of Savannah in 1778 led by Archibald Campbell, Walton was injured in the battle and taken prisoner. He was hit in the thigh by a ball that threw him from his horse. He was subsequently captured by the British, who allowed his wound to heal before sending him to Sunbury Prison, where other colonial prisoners were held. Walton was eventually exchanged in October 1779.
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Wikipedia