Barbour County AlArchives Biographies.....Eli Sims Shorter March 15 1823 - 
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Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 12, 2004, 8:03 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
    ELI SIMS SHORTER, SR., was the third son of Reuben C. Shorter, and was born
in Monticello, Ga., the 15th of March, 1823. He was graduated from Yale in the
class of 1843, delivering the salutatory oration. The following year he
graduated in the law department of the same institution, and, returning to his
home in Eufaula, began the practice of his profession, in which he soon attained
a reputation equaled by but few in the state. He enjoyed a large and
remunerative practice during his service at the bar, his strong points as a
lawyer - being his comprehensive grasp of the case in hand, and its clear and
eloquent presentation before judge and jury. Col. Shorter early evinced a lively
interest in the political arena, his prominence at the bar and readiness of
speech making him a valuable member of his party. The congressional district of
which Barbour was a part had always been a stronghold of the whips, a democrat
never having represented it. In 1855 it was determined to change the existing
order, if possible, and Col. Shorter was elected as the standard bearer of the
democracy. The contest was close, but when the returns came in, it was found
that the tide had turned and the candidate of the democracy had triumphed. Col.
Shorter took his seat in the national congress, where he acted with the southern
rights wing of his party, and was again elected in 1857. At the close of his
second term he voluntarily retired, private business requiring his attention. In
the fall of 1860 he was an elector on the Breckinridge ticket and earnestly
sup-ported the doctrine of that wing of the party. The cause of the Confederacy
found in Col. Shorter an earnest supporter, and early in the preparation for the
conflict he was appointed colonel of the Eighteenth Alabama regiment. This
regiment he commanded in the field the first year of the war, but the rigors of
camp life were such as to make his resignation imperative. During his
congressional experience Col. Shorter had acquired a national reputation as a
brilliant and convincing platform speaker, and when the presidential campaign of
1868 came on he was prevailed upon to canvass the northwestern states for the
Seymour ticket. Again, in 1876, he performed the same service for the party, at
the earnest request of his close personal friend, Thos. A. Hendricks, confining
his labors mostly to Indiana. In the event of the success of the ticket, it was
Mr. Hendrick's expressed intention to have secured for Col. Shorter one of the
cabinet portfolios. The death of his eldest son, William, which occurred in
1877, while on the threshold of a brilliant career, and in whom the father had
centered his fondest hopes, was a blow from which Col. Shorter never recovered,
and which marked the decline which ended in his death on the 29th of April,
1879. He was a knight templar Mason, and a life-long member of the Baptist
church. During the latter years of his life he engaged a great deal in active
church work and at the time of his death was vice-president of the Baptist
church state association.

   Col. Shorter was married in LaGrange, Ga., January 12, 1848, to Marietta
Fannin, a niece of Col. Fannin of "Alamo" fame. To this union were born four
children: Annie Bell, born on the 25th of December, 1848, was educated in the
best schools of the north. Her intellectual qualities and remarkable beauty made
her a reigning belle. She was married on the 7th day of December, 1871, to Col.
A. H. Leftwich of Lynchburg, Va. They now reside at Spartanburg, S. C. William
A. was born on the 5th of November, 1850, and was educated at Georgetown
college, Chapel Hill, Emory and Henry, and at the universities of Georgia and
Tennessee, and in every school he took the gold medal for oratory. He settled
for the practice of his profession in Louisville, Ky., but shortly formed a
partnership with a cousin in Brooklyn. The climate not agreeing with his health,
a change was made to Atlanta after two years. Here he soon became prominent in
affairs, but a better opening offering at Rome, he located there. He soon became
a leading light of the Rome bar, and in connection with his legal duties assumed
control of the editorial department of the Rome Courier. In the full use of his
powers, and with a life of rich promise before him, the grim Reaper cut him
down, his death occurring on the 28th of September, 1877. From resolutions
adopted by his fellow-members of the Rome bar, the following is taken "Though
but in his twenty-seventh year, his industry had given him learning as a lawyer;
and his experience, knowledge of the ways of men. He was social as a companion
and warm as a friend, and had the promise of his youth been allowed to attain
the maturity of years, we feel assured that his life would have been covered
with honors, and his name have become a power in the nation." Clement C., born
February 1, 1856 graduated in the academic course from the university of Alabama
in 1877 and the following year in the law course. He practiced in Eufaula until
his death, on the 16th of June, 1890. His untimely death cut him off in a career
of most marked promise. Entering political life when very young as assistant
secretary of the house, in 1882 he was elected to a seat in the in the same
body, and was successively returned in 1884, 1886 and 1888. In 1886 he had made
an all but winning fight for the speakership, and in 1888 was chosen unanimously
to that responsible position, "being the youngest member ever tilling that
office, and the only one from whose decisions not an appeal was taken." So great
was he held in esteem by his fellow-members that, as a token of that feeling, he
was presented with a most beautiful gavel. A prominent newspaper, in speaking of
his service as speaker, said: "He discharged the duties of speaker so admirably
that, when the session was over, there was a general recognition of the fact
that he had become a gubernatorial quantity." The first session of the
legislature following his death dedicated a page of their printed journal to a
memorial of him, and passed appropriate resolutions, in which the following
occurs: "That we cherish the memory of Clement C. Shorter as one who moved among
us, and without pride or ostentation made himself felt as endowed with peculiar
genius for legislation - in fact, it was his birthright, and as the presiding
officer of this assembly, he has had few equals and no superiors."

   Eli Sims, Jr., is the youngest of this justly celebrated family. He was born
on the 21st of March, 1858, and educated at Howard college, where he graduated
with honors in the class of 1874. Since that time he has devoted himself to the
management of his father's estate, and to his own business interests, though his
recognized ability and his own taste and inclination point to a more public
career. In the last year at school an ambition to excel caused the fatal mistake
of his life, and he has ever since been mourning a partial loss of sight. This
has closed the gate to political life, but it is but fair to say that his career
has been no less interesting than that of his talented and lamented brothers.
Mr. Shorter is regarded in his community as a connoisseur in classical
literature, having one of the most complete libraries in the city. He possesses
in a marked degree the oratorical talent that has been a distinguishing feature
of his family and is the recipient each season of numerous invitations to
deliver formal addresses. It will not be out of place to mention the reception
of a few of these. In 1883 he delivered the address before the graduating class
at Howard college, being the first member of his class to be thus honored. The
subject of his address was "literature," and so ably and eloquently did he
present it, that he received the special congratulations of the president, and
an earnest request from the citizens to repeat it in the public hall. Of a like
address on the "Indispensability of a Well-selected Library" before the Southern
Female college, La Grange, Ga., the Atlanta Constitution said: "He proved
himself a true knight, not yet mature, but matchless; and overwhelmed us with
cataracts of eloquence. It was decidedly the best literarary treat LaGrange has
experienced in many days." His addresses before the Atlanta Library association,
Andrew Female college, at Mercer university, Macon, and various other places,
were highly complimented, while a Memorial day address delivered at Americus,
Ga., will long remain with those who heard it. In writing of it a news
correspondent said: "It was a splendid effort, and one well worthy the occasion.
Its sentiments could be adopted with good effect by northern Decoration day
orators, who too often mar the occasion by splenetic diatribes against their
late opponents. His eloquent tribute to the Confederate princple was one that
did honor to his heart and the land of his birth, while his equally eloquent
tribute to the stars and stripes and our common country, did honor to a
patriotic heart and a loyal American."

   In the event of the restoration of his sight, Mr. Shorter expects to enter
his chosen profession of the law, where his solid attainments will soon win for
him a foremost place. Socially, Mr. Shorter is an honored member of the K. of
P., while the Baptist church embodies his ideas of religious life. He was
married in Macon, Ga., December 6th, 1883 to Wileyna, the accomplished daughter
of Col. Henry J. Lamar, and to the marriage three children have been born,
Alberta, Fannie Rankin, and Eli Sims, Jr.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama" Vol I, p. 457-460

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