Brooks-Bulloch-Tattnall County GaArchives Biographies.....Edmondson, Grover Cleveland 1891 - living in 1913 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 21, 2004, 2:55 pm Author: William Harden p. 884-886 GROVER CLEVELAND EDMONDSON. A rising young attorney of Quitman, Grover Cleveland Edmondson has started in life with brilliant prospects for a successful career, and, continuing his present course, is sure to make for himself an enviable reputation, not only in legal circles, but in the business and social affairs of the community. A son of Simpson D. Edmondson, he was born in Tallokas district, Brooks county, Georgia, September 10, 1891, on the homestead cleared and improved by his grandfather, Rev. John Edmondson. His great-grandfather, Isaac Edmondson, was a native of either England or Scotland. Immigrating to America in early manhood, he served as a soldier in the Revolutionary army, and at the close of the war settled in Bulloch county, Georgia, His health subsequently failing, he went to Savannah to consult a physician, and died in that city. His widow, Nancy Edmondson, survived him several years, and spent her last days in what is now Brooks county, Georgia, passing away in 1842. She was the mother of six children, as follows: Susan, Elizabeth, Sally, James, John and David. Rev. John Edmondson was a lad in his teens when he came with his widowed mother and her family to Brooks county. All of southwestern Georgia was then a wilderness, inhabited by wild beasts of all kinds, and by the Indians, who at times were very troublesome. His educational advantages were exceedingly limited, although he attended school four months, earning the money to pay his tuition by splitting rails. He was an intelligent reader, however, and acquired a good knowledge of men and things. Beginning life even with the world, he invested his first money in land, buying a timbered tract, and for several years thereafter he and his faithful helpmeet occupied the humble log house which he erected, his little cabin having neither windows nor floors. In common with her few neighbors the wife used to card, spin and weave the homespun material with which the family was clothed, while he kept the family larder well supplied with wild game from the forests. He was quite successful, clearing and improving a farm with the help of slaves, and was there a resident until his death, in 1865. The maiden name of the wife of Rev. John Edmondson was Martha Strickland. She was born November 13, 1814, in Tattnall county, Georgia, and at the age of fourteen years, on November 27, 1828, she was married. Her father, Archibald Strickland, came from one of the Carolinas to Georgia, and after living for awhile in Tattnall county removed to what is now Brooks county, becoming one of its earlier settlers. Buying land in the Tallokas district, he redeemed a farm from the wilderness, and here spent the remainder of his life, dying at .a good old age. Mrs. Martha Edmondson survived her husband a number of years. Both she and her husband were active members of the Primitive Baptist church, he being one of its local preachers. They reared a family of ten children, as follows: Mary, Nancy, James, Martha, Louisiana, John A., Orpha V., Simpson D., Sally Ann, and William W. Born in what is now Brooks county, Georgia, June 23, 1842, Simpson D. Edmondson was educated in the district schools, and as a youth was well trained in the various branches of agriculture. In 1861 he enlisted in Company C, Sixty-first Georgia Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to the Army of North Virginia, and did gallant service under "Stonewall" Jackson. Taking part in all of the campaigns and battles in which his regiment was engaged, he was five times wounded at the battle of Antietam, four of the injuries being slight, and the last one, when he was bit by a minnie ball in the knee, being very serious. For eight months he was forced to use crutches, and was afterwards detailed to the commissary department, with which he was connected until the close of the war. He was present at the siege of Atlanta, and was one of the last to leave that city. Returning home at the cessation of hostilities, he resumed farming on the parental homestead, on which he is still living, having succeeded to its ownership. On February 26, 1866, Mr. Simpson D. Edmondson married Mary A. Wade, who was born July 16, 1848, in Dooly county, Georgia, a daughter of Elijah Wade. Mr. Wade removed from Dooly county to Brooks county, and having bought land in the Tallokas district for many years engaged in both agricultural and mercantile pursuits, having a well stocked store on his farm, on which he resided until his death, at the age of seventy-five years. He married first Elizabth Reddick, who died at a comparatively early age, leaving three children, as follows: Mary A., wife of Simpson D. Edmondson; Fanny, and Lucy. Mr. Wade married for his second wife Mrs. Mary Peacock, who bore him four children, namely: Philip, Mitchell, Bury, and Wesley W. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson D. Edmondson are the parents of nine children, as follows: James W., Mattie, Fannie, Lucy, Jennie, May, Pearl, H. Turner, and Grover C. They are valued and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and have reared their family in the same religious faith. Gleaning his first knowledge of books in the rural schools, Grover Cleveland Edmondson afterwards continued his studies in the public schools of Quitman, and for a while read law in the office of his brother, James W. Edmondson. Subsequently entering the law department of Mercer University, he was there graduated with the class of 1908 and 1909. Being then admitted to the bar, Mr. Edmondson has since practiced law in Quitman and during the intervening three years has established one of the best practices in this section. A close student of criminal and constitutional law, Mr. Edmondson makes a specialty of criminal practice. Keeping well informed on all topics of the day, governmental questions and political economics, he bids fair to become a state leader in political matters. He is a loyal Democrat and cast his first presidential vote for Oscar W. Underwood, and was appointed as a delegate to the Atlanta convention, which named the distinguished son of Alabama as Georgia's choice for the presidency. In 1912 Mr. Edmondson announced his candidacy for representative from Brooks county in the general assembly, and after one of the most bitter local campaigns known to the county he received more votes than his five opponents combined. During the campaign he was bitterly assailed by the legal organ of the county, opposed by every member of the bar, excepting Judge J. D. Wade and Hon. S. S. Bennet; every court house official, whom he designated as "Court House Ringsters," yet his support from the country was so overwhelmingly strong that nothing could defeat him. On July 4th he addressed a gathering of over two thousand people at Quitman, and Hon. Joe Hill Hall, then a candidate for governor, being present, declared the speech to be the best stump speech he had ever heard. Recognizing the necessity for a new constitution for the state, he started the agitation, which has met with tremendous encouragement from the leading newspapers and politicians of the state, and proposes to introduce at the next meeting of the legislature a bill calling a constitutional convention. As a lawyer, politician and orator the merited success of this young man places him in that small circle of men in whom we find the mature thought of middle life combined with the energy of youth. He is a devoted reader of the best literature, and in his library at Quitman the best works of the noted authors are found. Mr. Edmondson owns the largest private library in South Georgia, numbering over six thousand volumes of all kinds of books. His law library is the best equipped in the section. Hon. Clark Howell, editor of the Atlanta Constitution, has termed Grover C. Edmondson as the "comer" in Georgia politics. Additional Comments: From: A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA BY WILLIAM HARDEN VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY CHICAGO AND NEW YORK 1913 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/brooks/bios/gbs389austin.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 8.6 Kb