Henry Persons

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Joseph "Henry" Persons (January 30, 1834 - June 17, 1910) was an American politician, lawyer and soldier.

Persons was born near Smarrs, Georgia, in Monroe County; however, his family moved to Talbot County, Georgia in 1836. He attended the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1855.

During the American Civil War, Persons served as a cavalry captain in the Third Georgia regiment of the Confederate States Army. After the war, he was elected as a Representative to the 46th United States Congress as a Independent Democrat. Persons lost his bid for re-election in 1880 and returned to Geneva, Georgia. He studied law, gained admittance to the state bar in 1885 and began practicing law in Talbotton, Georgia.

After his political service, Persons served a UGA trustee from 1894 until 1910. He died that year in Talbotton and was buried in that city's Rose Hill Cemetery.

Preceded by Henry R. Harris

U.S. Representative for Georgia's 4th Congressional District March 4, 1879 - March 3, 1881

Succeeded by Hugh Buchanan

[edit] References

• This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• History of the University of Georgia, Thomas Walter Reed, Imprint: Athens, Georgia : University of Georgia, ca. 1949, p.588