James Milton Smith
| James Milton Smith | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 48th Governor of Georgia | |
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In office 1872–1877 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 24, 1823 Twiggs County, Georgia |
| Died | November 25, 1890 (aged 67) Columbus, Georgia |
| Political party | Democratic |
James Milton Smith (October 24, 1823 – November 25, 1890) was a Confederate infantry colonel in the American Civil War, as well as a post-war Governor of Georgia. He was noted as an ardent opponent of Radical Reconstruction.
Smith was born in Twiggs County, Georgia and was educated at the Culloden Academy in Monroe County. He was admitted to the bar in 1846 and opened his first office in Columbus, Georgia. In 1855, he unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Representative from his district.
With the onset of the Civil War, he entered the Confederate Army as a captain in the 13th Georgia Infantry. He was promoted to major, then to the regiment's colonelcy in 1862. He led his regiment through the Gettysburg Campaign, and marched to the banks of the Susquehanna River before returning to Gettysburg to participate in the Battle of Gettysburg. He was severely wounded in the 1864 Battle of Cold Harbor and returned to Georgia to recuperate.
He resigned from the army to enter politics and was elected a Democratic delegate to the Confederate Congress until hostilities ceased in 1865. He established a very successful law partnership in Columbus, Georgia, and was elected to the Georgia Legislature in 1870 as an outspoken opponent of Radical Reconstruction. The following year, he became Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives.
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