Chatham-Brooks-Thomas County GaArchives Biographies.....Stephens, William Berry 1870 - living in 1913
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 30, 2004, 9:10 pm

Author: William Harden
p. 1002-1004

   MAJOR WILLIAM BERRY STEPHENS. A record of well won success has been made by
Major William Berry Stephens, a stalwart member of the Chatham county bar, who
has proved his remarkable fitness for the profession he adorns in the heat of
constant litigation. Among his many claims to distinction is his prominence in
Georgian military affairs, for he holds the office of major of the Savannah
Volunteer Guards and is a veteran of the Spanish-American war, in which he
served as sergeant of Company B, of the Second Georgia Infantry, United States
Volunteers. Major Stephens is the scion of one of the oldest and most
distinguished American families, with the members of which through many
generations patriotism has stood for far more than a mere rhetorical expression.

   Major Stephens shares his natal day with the Father of the Country, his birth
having occurred near Morven, Brooks county, Georgia, February 22, 1870. He is a
son of John Hugh and Sarah C. (Hendry) Stephens, the former born at Society
Hill, Darlington county, South Carolina, September 19, 1842, and the latter at
Morven, Brooks county, August 19, 1846. It is a matter of well-confirmed
tradition that Major Stephens' maternal great-great-grandfather, Robert Hendry,
who came from Virginia to Georgia and lies buried at Taylor's Creek, Liberty
county, served under "Lighthorse Harry" Lee in the Revolutionary war. The
paternal, grandfather of Major Stephens served with the South Carolina troops in
Florida during the Seminole Indian war of 1835-42 and two maternal grand-uncles,
AVilliam Hendry and Normal Campbell, are known to have served against the
Indians in Georgia, participating in the battle of Brushy Creek. Major Stephens'
maternal grandfather, Neal Hendry, was one whose conscientious conviction of the
supreme right of the states to sever their union with the national government
led him to give his influence and service to the Confederacy, at the time of the
Civil war. - He was major in command of a detachment in middle Florida, guarding
salt works along the coast and supplying cattle to the southern armies. The
subject's father, as a youth of twenty, entered the service of the South,
enlisting on August 1, 1861, at Madison, Florida, as a private in Company C,
Fourth Florida Volunteer Infantry and he served in turn in the brigades
commanded by Preston, Palmer, Anderson, Finley, Stovall and Smith. He was in the
thick of events; was wounded at the battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and later
participated in the battles of Jackson, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge, as
well as at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, April 9, 1865, thus serving until the
close of the war. This highly respected gentleman now resides in Jacksonville,
Florida, and finds pleasure in renewing associations with the comrades of other
days as a member of Robert E. Lee Camp, No. 58, United Confederate Veterans. The
Stephens family is a race of soldiers and three of the sons of the foregoing
upheld its military prestige at the time of the war with Spain. John Hugh, Jr.,
and Robert D. were members of the First Florida Infantry, United States
Volunteers, and the former lost his life by disease while in the service.

   Major Stephens received his early education in the public schools of Thomas
and Mitchell counties, Georgia, and his higher academic studies were prosecuted
under the direction of private tutors. In early youth he became imbued with the
desire to enter the law and in 1889 he became a clerical assistant in the law
office of Chisholm & Erwin, of Savannah, under whose able preceptorship he
prosecuted his legal studies. In 1896 he was admitted to the bar and his
excellent preliminary training having given him a grasp upon essentials which he
utilized to the last degree, he at once entered upon a career, which has given
him both success and high renown. From 1898 to January 1, 1900, he was division
counsel for the Plant system of railways and then, upon the dissolution of the
firm of Erwin, DuBignon, Chisholm & Clay, he resigned the aforementioned office
and entered into a professional partnership with Hon. Fleming G. DuBignon, under
the firm name of DuBignon & Stephens, this association continuing until the
latter part of the year 1902, when it was dissolved upon the removal of Mr.
DuBignon to the city of Atlanta. Since that time Major Stephens has conducted an
individual professional business in Savannah.

   Major Stephens' connection with affairs military dates from May, 1890, when
he became a private in Company B, Savannah Volunteer Guards, and was later
promoted to corporal and sergeant. On May 2, 1898, he was enrolled as a private
in Company B, Second Georgia Infantry, United States Volunteers, for service in
the war with Spain. He was appointed sergeant as soon as mustered and proceeded
with his command to the reserve camp at Tampa, Florida, where he remained in
service until the close of the war. He was honorably discharged at Huntsville,
Alabama, August 29, 1898, in compliance with his own request. Upon his return to
Savannah he immediately re-enlisted, as a private in Company B, Savannah
Volunteer Guards, serving as such until he was commissioned captain of his
company, February 1, 1900. In March, 1904, he resigned the captaincy and
re-enlisted as a private, serving as such until the following November, when he
was commissioned major of battalion of the Savannah Volunteer Guards, the
battalion having been converted into heavy artillery by act of the general
assembly, December 18, 1900. He still holds the office of major of this
battalion and is also a member of Francis S. Bartow Camp, No. 95, United Sons of
Confederate Veterans in Savannah.

   Major Stephens has always been loyal to the principles of the Democratic
party. In 1906, he was urged by a strong representation of Savannah's best
citizenship to become a candidate for the state senate in opposition to an
already nominated candidate who, although personally a man of the highest
character, represented a political element in the city that a great many people
deemed dangerous and inimical to Savannah's best interests. Major Stephens,
responding to this call in a spirit of patriotism, entered the race just seven
days prior to the election, and after a spirited and exciting contest, was
elected by a majority of about six hundred, as a member of the state senate,
representing the first senatorial district, embracing the counties of Chatham,
Bryan and Effingham. Major Stephens' most notable achievement in the senate was
his success in bringing the senate and the lower house together in the passage
of the law which terminated the convict lease system in Georgia, thus taking the
hire of convicts out of the hands of corporations and putting them to work on
the public roads. Public opinion upholds this as one of the most beneficent
enactments of legislation that has taken place in Georgia in many years. Major
Stephens accomplished this by skillful parliamentary tactics and a final speech
in the senate, in the face of the strongest and most bitter opposition.

   The following tribute to Major Stephens is contributed by Judge Walter G.
Charlton, of Savannah, judge of the supreme court, and one of the ablest jurists
in the state:

   "In the pursuit of his profession, Major Stephens has not only attained to
success, but his career has also been marked by a thorough devotion to the
highest ideals of his calling. This has been the dominant purpose of his life,
to which his active participation in public affairs has been the natural
incident. Of a singularly open and candid nature, rapid in conclusions and
entirely bold in expression, he has been an effective soldier because he has
been a consistent and fearless lawyer."

   Major Stephens was happily married on September 6, 1899, his chosen lady
being Miss Clifford B. Dasher, daughter of Frank W. and Grace B. (Lovell)
Dasher, of Savannah. Into their household, one of the favorite social
gathering-places in the city, has been born one son, William Hugh, the date of
whose birth was December 18, 1900.

   Major Stephens is identified with the following organizations: Ancient
Landmark Lodge, No. 231, Free and Accepted Masons; Georgia Chapter, No. 3, Royal
Arch Masons; Georgia Council, No. 2, Royal and Select Masters; Palestine
Commandery, No. 7, Knights Templar; Alee Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of
the Mystic Shrine; Alpha Lodge, No. 1, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite; the
Savannah Bar Association; the Guards' Club; the Oglethorpe Club; the Savannah
Yacht Club, and the Forest City Gun Club. He and his wife are members of the
Methodist Episcopal church, South, and are active in church and philanthropic work.

From:

A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

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

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