Chatham County GaArchives Biographies.....Hartridge, Walter C. 1870 - 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 15, 2004, 12:59 pm Author: William Harden p. 712-714 CAPT. WALTER C. HARTRIDGE, solicitor general of the eastern circuit, superior court, and a member of one of the strongest law firms of Savannah—0’Byrne, Hartridge & Wright—is a native of the city in which he lives. He was born in 1870, a son of distinguished parents, Hon. Julian and Mary M. (Charlton) Hartridge. Julian Hartridge was born in Savannah, Georgia, September 9, 1829, and died in Washington, District of Columbia, January 8, 1879. At the age of nineteen, he graduated with honors in the class of 1848 at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, and he studied law in the Harvard Law School, from which he received the degree of LL. B. in 1850. Returning to his home in Savannah, he entered the law office of Judge Robert M. Charlton and began the practice of his profession. Soon thereafter he was elected by the legislature to the position of solicitor-general of the eastern judicial circuit, in which office he proved his abilities as a lawyer of the first class. In 1859 he was elected to the general assembly of Georgia, and in 1860 was sent as a delegate to the national Democratic convention. At the breaking out of the war between the North and the South in 1861, he entered the service of the Confederate army, as second lieutenant of the Chatham Artillery of Savannah, and served in that capacity until 1862, when he was elected a member of the Confederate state congress. He served with distinction in this capacity until the close of the war and the consequent breaking up of the Confederacy. Then he returned to Savannah and resumed the practice of law, in partnership with Judge Walter S. Chisholm. In 1874 he was elected a member of the forty-fourth congress from the first district of Georgia. In that year also he presided over, as chairman, the first Democratic convention which gave to Georgia its first governor elected by her own people, following the reconstruction period. This convention made him also the chairman of the state Democratic executive committee. In 1876 he was an elector on the Tilden and Hendricks ticket, and in the same year he was elected to the United States congress. He had served out this term and was preparing to return to his home in Savannah, where it was his ambition to resume the practice of his profession and devote his time exclusively to it, when death overtook him, his demise occurring, as above stated, at Washington, on January 8,1879. Among the people of his native city and state Julian Hartridge was universally accorded a place of the highest distinction. He was handsome in person, accomplished in intellect, polished in manner; withal he was kind, gentle, considerate and generous, and he had a keen sense of honor. Endowed by nature with an intellect adapted to the discernment of truth, and embellished by literary attainments of the most liberal description—this, together with an honorable ambition and a persevering industry, rarely equipped him for the practice of law. As an orator his language was unusually chaste and elegant, as well as easy and fluent; his delivery, correct and impressive; his logic, clear and concise; his voice, musical and magnetic. As a legislator he was pre-eminently conservative and just, and although a Democrat of the strictest sort, he did not hesitate to disregard the demands of mere party exigency whenever there was a conflict between them. His broad views of life and his sterling traits of character made him a man admired by the people among whom he lived—admired and looked up to and loved. The wife of Julian Hartridge was before her marriage Miss Mary M. Charlton, eldest daughter of Judge Robert M. Charlton. Walter C. Hartridge was reared in Savannah and received his education in the public schools and in Chatham Academy. He studied law in the office of Charlton & Mackall, was admitted to the bar in 1890 and began the practice of his profession, and he practiced alone for six years. In 1898 he became identified with the firm of O'Connor & 0'Byrne, and the name was changed to O'Connor, 0'Byrne & Hartridge. This firm style continued until January 1, 1910, when Mr. O'Connor's name was dropped, he having died in November, 1909; Anton P. Wright was then admitted to the company and the name became 0'Byrne, Hartridge & Wright, which today represents one of the strongest legal firms in Savannah. From time to time Captain Hartridge has been honored with important position. He was city recorder (police judge) of Savannah for four years, from 1897 to 1901. In November, 1908, he was elected solicitor general (prosecuting attorney) of the superior court, eastern judicial circuit, for a term of four years, and took charge of this office on January 1, 1909. Here he has proved his efficiency; his service has received the high approbation of the people. Before the Spanish-American war, Mr. Hartridge was an active member of the Savannah Volunteer Guards, Company D. This company enlisted for service in that war, in which it became Company B of the Second Georgia Regiment of Volunteers, of which company he was second lieutenant. Subsequent to the war he was made captain of Company D of the guards, which rank he held for about two years, until he tendered his resignation. Captain Hartridge has been twice married. His first wife, who was Miss Bessie D. Hartridge, was a cousin. She died, leaving him with one son, Julian Hartridge. The present Mrs. Hartridge was before her marriage Miss Catharine McIntire, and is a daughter of James W. and Catharine (Foley) Mclntire of Savannah. Additional Comments: 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/chatham/bios/gbs242hartridg.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 6.3 Kb