Pike-Lamar-Spalding County GaArchives Obituaries.....Doyal, Col. Leonard T.    July 5, 1874
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Lynn Cunningham http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002535 February 21, 2007, 11:13 am

The Atlanta Constitution, 8 July 1874, pg. 3
Death of Col. L.T. Doyal
{From the Griffin Messenger}
This distinguished lawyer and Christian gentleman passed quietly away from 
earthly scenes on Sunday, the 5th instant, at his beautiful residence in the 
southern suburbs of Griffin.

A few minutes before his death he was talking quietly with a couple of friends 
upon the usual topics of the day. Suddenly he became cramped for breath, asked 
for water to be poured on his head, and in a few minutes breathed his last 
without struggle. His disease was an affection of the heart, with various 
complications, and his death was not unexpected, although on the day previous 
he took a small party of his daughter’s friends to a fishing picnic to 
Towaliga, some eight miles form town. All had a good time and Colonel Doyal 
appeared to enjoy the occasion with unusual zest. He was as well on Sunday as 
he had been for a long time, and was unusually cheerful.

Colonel Doyal was a remarkable man, mentally, physically and socially. He was 
born in Columbia county, Georgia, in May, 1816, and at [the] time of his 
demise was in his 59th year. His early opportunities for education was very 
limited, and he told the writer of this, that he never went to school a day in 
his life. He married when in his eighteenth year and without a cent in the 
world commenced the battle of his life. His first wife was a Miss Thompson, 
whom he represents as a girl of rare intelligence, who assisted him vastly in 
his search after knowledge, and for many years was his “guide, counselor and 
friend.”

Colonel Doyal read law under Colonel Amos W. Hammond, of Culloden, now of 
Atlanta, and upon his admission to the bar, rapidly rose to the front ranks of 
the profession. He removed from Culloden to McDonough, where he soon took the 
leadership of the bar there, and was considered among the first lawyers of the 
Flint Circuit. From McDonough he removed to Griffin and immediately took the 
front rank here, which position he held to the day of his death. It is not our 
province to speak of him as a lawyer; his brethren whom he loved and who loved 
him, will perform that sad but loving office.

After many years of happy married life, Colonel Doyal was called upon to lay 
in the silent grave the bride of his boyhood. A few years after he married 
Mrs. Brown, the mother of our present county Judge, who, however survived but 
a short time. His last wife and widow was Mrs. Bettie Battle, who was present 
to administer to him the last sad offices of the dying, and who was a most 
devoted and affectionate wife whom the Colonel loved with the ardor and 
affection of early boyhood. Few married people ever lived so happily together.

Colonel Doyal had been a faithful and zealous Missionary Baptist for thirty 
years, and for over twenty years a licensed preacher. He was powerful in the 
pulpit, as he was at the bar, and was sent for great distances to attend 
revival meetings.

In public life Colonel Doyal had little aspiration for office, and up to the 
breaking out of the war held no office except Judge of the Inferior Court of 
Henry county. When the war broke out the patriot soul of our deceased friend 
was fired with military ardor; he volunteered in the Spalding Grays, and was 
unanimously elected Captain of the Company. From Captain he speedily rose to 
the rank of Colonel of the Fifty-third Georgia Regiment, which position he 
held with credit an honor until compelled by ill health to resign.

After the war Colonel Doyal was elected by an overwhelming vote to represent 
Spalding county in the Constitutional Convention, and was a leading member of 
that body. His health has been gradually declining for a number of years, but 
he has held up bravely and retained his practice to the end. But for his 
feeble health Governor Smith publicly stated that he should have appointed him 
Judge of this judicial circuit.



Additional Comments:
Col. Leonard T. Doyal was married three times:
(1) Matlida Thompson on 16 Jan 1834
(2) Eliza P. Eason on 2 Sept 1858
(3) Ann Elizabeth (Bettie) Davis Battle aft 1859

His second wife Eliza P. Eason was a daughter of Parker Eason and Penelope 
Milner. Eliza's grandparents were Pitt Milner and Apsilla Holmes.

Name: Leonard T Doyal
Residence: Spalding County, Georgia  
Enlistment Date: 20 April 1861 
Side Served: Confederacy  
State Served: Georgia  
Service Record: Enlisted as a Captain on 20 April 1861
Commission in Company D, 2nd Battn Infantry Regiment Georgia on 20 April 1861.
Promoted to Full Colonel on 12 May 1862; Discharged for promotion Company D, 
2nd Battn Infantry Regiment Georgia on 12 May 1862; Commission in Company S, 
53rd Infantry Regiment Georgia on 12 May 1862. Resigned Company S, 53rd 
Infantry Regiment Georgia on 08 October 1862.


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