Chatham County GaArchives Biographies.....Lester, Rufus E. 1837 - 1906
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 13, 2004, 5:51 pm

Author: William Harden
p. 618-620

   RUFUS E. LESTER. Especially fortunate in the eminence and character of her
citizens, it may be truly said that Savannah has no more honored name enrolled
upon her list of representative citizens than that of the late Rufus E. Lester,
who won distinction as a lawyer, and as a congressman, a brilliant and
distinguished record. He was born in Burke county, Georgia, December 12, 1837,
and died in Washington, District of Columbia, June 16, 1906.

   Colonel Lester, as he was familiarly known, received his education
principally in Mercer University, at Macon, Georgia, being there graduated in
the twentieth year of his age. Subsequently studying law in Savannah, he was
admitted to the bar in 1858, and in 1859 began the practice of his profession in
that city, which continued to be his home as long as he lived.

   Enlisting in the Confederate army in the spring of 1861, he remained in
service throughout the war, going from Savannah to the front as an adjutant in
the Twenty-fifth Georgia Regiment, which was first encamped in the vicinity of
Savannah, near Tybee and Avondale. Going with his command from there to
Mississippi, the colonel took part in the campaign of that state, afterwards
meeting the enemy at the battle of Chickamauga, where he had two horses shot
from under him, and was himself slightly wounded. Following this engagement, he
was very ill for eighteen months, and remained in such poor health that he was
assigned to the duty of inspector general under General Mackal, at Macon,
Georgia, where he was stationed when the war closed. He had attained the rank-of
captain while in service, but after the war was always known as Colonel Lester.
The colonel made a splendid record as a soldier, and in the book which he
published Gen. N. B. Forrest commended Colonel Lester for extraordinary bravery
and gallantry.

   Resuming the practice of his profession in Savannah after the close of the
conflict, Colonel Lester became active in public affairs, and in 1870 was
elected to the state senate, representing the first senatorial district. Through
successive re-elections, he continued a member of that body until 1879, during
the last three years of that time serving as its president. From 1883 until 1888
he rendered excellent service as mayor of Savannah. In 1888 he had the honor of
being elected to congress as a representative from the first congressional
district of Georgia, which comprised ten counties, namely: Burke, Bulloch,
Bryan, Chatham, Emanuel, Effingham, Liberty, McIntosh, Screven, and Tattnall.
His services as congressman gave such general satisfaction that he was
continuously re-elected every succeeding two years up to and including 1906, the
year of his death.

   Colonel Lester won a splendid record as congressman, and rendered services of
great usefulness to his district in particular, and to the entire country in
general. Honored by an appointment during his first year in congress upon the
important rivers and harbors committee, he remained a member of that committee
during his entire period of service, that comprising his most prominent and
valued work. It was through the efforts of the colonel that Savannah received
its continuous appropriation for harbor improvements, and this has proved the
leading factor in the modern growth and development of the city. He also
obtained the appropriation for the beautiful marble Federal building in which
Savannah's postoffice is housed, and was likewise instrumental in having the
Marine Hospital erected in Savannah, and in having the revenue cutter "Yamacraw"
assigned for permanent duty in Savannah harbor.

   Greatly beloved by his home people throughout his district, Colonel Lester
was also held in the highest esteem and affection by the leading representatives
of every section of the Union in the national congress. He was of large
influence in that august body, and in the social and political affairs of
Washington achieved, early in his career, a place of the highest rank. In the
special proceedings in the house and senate on June 18, 1906, held in
commemoration of Colonel Lester, memorial addresses were delivered by more than
a score of the most prominent congressmen and senators, all eulogizing him in
the most glowing terms. Within the limits of this sketch it would be difficult
to condense those fine addresses, and, indeed, it mayhap will be more
appropriate to here quote some excerpts from a tribute paid him by one of his
own intimate friends and fellow citizens, Judge Samuel B. Adams, of Savannah,
who said in part:

   "Rufus E. Lester was admitted to the bar of Savannah when twenty-one years of
age, and remained a member until his death. His professional career was
interrupted by the war between the states, in which he was a Confederate soldier
of gallantry and devotion from the beginning to the end of the struggle. He
resumed his practice after the cessation of hostilities, and at once took a
front rank at the bar which had more than its share of able and successful
practitioners. Notwithstanding the fact he was often called into public service,
he was always a lawyer, loving his profession and preferring its duties to those
of office.

   "I was a member of the bar with Colonel Lester for more than thirty years and
had abundant opportunity of learning his power as a lawyer at our bar, and
certainly no other lawyer lost fewer cases. He had a legal mind, one thai saw
quickly the strong points of his case, separated without delay the weak points,
and pressed home those most worthy of consideration. Before a jury, if, under
the charge, it was at liberty to find with him, he was almost invincible. He
knew the men, knew how to talk with them, possessed their confidence, which he
never abused, and, generally, secured their verdict. He was also strong before
judges in purely legal arguments. When Mr. Lester urged a contention, judges
knew he did it sincerely, and his ability and standing secured for its
consideration an attentive and respectful hearing. I have often heard him make
legal arguments of a high order of merit.

   “He always practiced and illustrated the best ethics of an honorable
profession, scorning always the arts and tricks of the shyster and pettifogger.
While he struck hard blows in the courtroom and was a 'foeman worthy of any
man's steel,' his blows were fair, never unworthy or unprofessional. His
brethren of the bar trusted him absolutely without fear or misgivings, and
rested securely upon any agreement that he would make, whether binding under the
rules of the court or not. I knew him well, was honored with his friendship, and
my deliberate conviction is that I never met a more honorable or trustworthy
lawyer, or man, and a comparatively few who equaled him in his absolute
sincerity, frankness and manliness.

   "Mr. Lester was elected mayor of Savannah for three successive terms, and
brought to the discharge of his duties the same efficiency and fidelity which
distinguished him in all the relations of life. He was emphatically the mayor.
His influence on his board was potential. This was due to his positive and
virile character and the complete confidence reposed in his judgment .and
sincerity. He possessed to an extraordinary extent the elements of leadership,
and these elements were manifest in the administration of the municipal government.

   "An incident in his career as mayor illustrates the man and the officer. Some
negroes were incarcerated charged with the murder for robbery of a family of
white people living on the outskirts of the city. Feeling ran high. There was
talk of lynching, and we were threatened with this unspeakable disgrace. A crowd
gathered at the jail for the purpose of lynching. Mr. Lester was notified. He
went to the jail immediately, personally took charge of the police present,
mounted the steps, pointed out to the crowd the 'dead line' in front of the
steps, and warned them that if a single member of the mob crossed that line he
would order the police to shoot, and to shoot to kill. The crowd knew that he
meant what he said, was utterly fearless, and would die before he would permit a
lynching. The crowd quietly dispersing, it was not necessary to injure anyone,
and Savannah's record remained unstained by that crime."

   Perhaps Colonel Lester's most notable characteristic was his overflowing
kindness and charity toward every human being, however poor or humble, with whom
he came in contact. It was this trait that rounded out a beautiful character. He
frequently did acts of thoughtful kindness, and did them so unobtrusively that
they were never known to others, not even by his own family. It seemed perfectly
natural for him to be a good and true man.

   Colonel Lester married, in 1859, in Savannah, Miss Laura E. Hines, who was
born in Burke county, which was likewise the birthplace of her father, James J.
Hines, who was for many years a prominent business man of Savannah, where she
was reared and educated. Mrs. Lester's mother, whose maiden name was Georgia
Bird, was born in Liberty county, Georgia.


Additional Comments:
From:

A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME I
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913


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