Georgia:  Coweta County:  Biography of R. L. Y. LONG, M.D.

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R. L. Y. LONG, M.D., one of the old and leading citizens of Newnan, Ga., and 
a son of John and Charlotte (May) Long, both natives of Tennessee, was born 
in east Tennessee Aug. 20, 1822. His father, son of Robert Long, a native of 
Virginia, was a soldier in the revolutionary war with Gen. Sevier and Gen. 
Shelby, and in the Creek Indian war. John Long was the second clerk of 
Carroll county superior court, and served thirty-two years. The mother of 
Dr. Long was the daughter of John May, who was a native of Virginia, but a 
pioneer settler of east Tennessee. Dr. Long was reared at Carrollton, Ga., 
where he received his education by the fireside after his day's work. On 
Jan. 13, 1839, he began the study of medicine with Dr. A. B. Calhoun, and 
read with him one year. In 1839 he, in company with three other students, 
started to Charleston, S. C., to attend college, graduated from the 
Transylvania university in 1841, and located the same year at Greenville, 
Ga., where he remained one year. Then he came to Newnan, where he remained 
until 1844, when he went into the country and formed a partnership with Dr. 
Ira E. Smith; after four years he went to Louisiana and practiced until 1848, 
when he returned to Newnan, where he has since remained and has had a large 
and lucrative practice. June 1, 1836, he enlisted in Capt. W. S. Parr's 
company in the Creek Indian war, and on Nov. 2, 1837, he went into the 
Seminole war in Florida as captain of the Carroll Rangers cavalry, and with 
one exception was the youngest of the company and was mustered out May 13, 
1838, by Maj. Churchill of the United States army. In 1861 he enlisted in 
Company D, Phillips' legion cavalry, as first lieutenant, but was chosen 
captain a short time after. Capt. Long was engaged in many very hard 
conflicts, some of which were: Spottsylvania court house, Gettysburg, 
Williamsburg, battle of the Wilderness and many others. At Williamsburg he, 
with 250 men, captured 1,100 men under Col. Campbell, the captain riding the 
same horse 125 miles in twenty-five hours. He served throughout the entire 
war without receiving a wound or being captured. His company was noted for 
bravery and was called upon for all particular and dangerous work. After the 
war he returned to Newnan, began the practice of medicine, and Oct. 23, 1849, 
Dr. Long was united in marriage with Martha Ann Powell, a daughter of James 
and Sarah A. (Summerlin) Powell. To this union five children have been born: 
Edgar H., James J., Charles D., Helen A. and R. Y. Mrs. Long was born and 
reared in this county, but her parents both died while she was yet a child 
and she had no way of gathering their history. Dr. Long has always been a 
stanch democrat, but would never consent to have his name used for public 
office. He is a member of the masonic fraternity, having become a member at 
Newnan in 1845, and is one of the leading citizens of the county.

Transcribed from MEMOIRS OF GEORGIA published by the Southern Historical 
Association, 1895.