Tattnall County, Ga Biographies  John Hughey

Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb
Archives by: Sandria G Swope (Swobunny@msn.com)


Table of Contents page: 
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/tattnall.htm
Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm

HUGHEY, John, retired teacher, and county school commissioner,
Riggton, Tattnall Co. Ga., son of John and Elisha (Perry)
Hughey, was born in Tattnall county, Sept. 1,1837. His father
was born in South Carolina in 1794, and when quite a young man
came to Georgia and settled in Morgan county. He was a soldier
in the war of 1812, and was twice wounded. In 1820 he removed
to Tattnall county, where, in addition to farming, he followed
mill-wrighting. His mother was born in Virginia, and was the
daughter of Dr. James Perry, who moved from Virginia to
Tattnall county, Ga., early in the present century, and was the
first practicing physician in the county. He was also clerk of
the superior court from 1812 to 1828. Mr. Hughey’s parents had
ten children born to them, of whom four are now living, John,
the subject of this sketch, being the youngest of the family.
His mother died in 1838. Mr. Hughey's father married for his
second wife Miss Hannah Pearson, daughter of John Pearson, who
migrated from Pennsylvania to Tattnall county. This lady was
the sister of John Pearson, now a citizen of the county, and is
reputed to have been one of the most intellectual women every
born in the county. By this second marriage Mr. Hughey's father
had eight children born to him, of whom five are now living. He
removed to Orange county, Fla., in 1846, where he died in 1883.
In early life -during childhood and youth- Mr. Hughey had the
great benefit of the superior advanced instruction under his
accomplished stepmother, and later attended an academy of high
reputation in Heard county two years, whose then principal is
now professor of Greek in the university of Wisconsin. Mr.
Hughey began life as a teacher in Orange county, Fla., where he
taught one year. He then engaged for a year in steamboating on
the St. John’s river. From that he embarked on a sea-faring
life, and followed that until 1860, when he suffered shipwreck
at Cape Canaveral on the Atlantic coast of Florida. He then
came to Appling county, Ga., and engaged in teaching. When the
war between the states began he enlisted (in 1861) in Company
B, Fifty-fourth Georgia regiment, which was assigned to duty in
the army of the west, and served successively under Gens.
Beauregard, Johnson, Hood and others until the last gun was
fired. After the surrender he returned to Appling county, and
resumed teaching, adopting it as a profession. He taught in
Appling and Tattnall counties nine years. Retiring from his
profession he turned his attention to farming, in which pursuit
his intelligent care and attention has been followed with most
satisfactory results. Progressive farming and his public duties
fully occupy his time and give employment to his mind, while
gratifying his public spirit. In 1874 he was elected county
commissioner of education and has continuously held it,
unopposed, until the present time. He has the teachers and
schools better organized and the schools under better
discipline than is found in any other county in what is known
as the "wire grass" portion of the state. Mr. Hughey was
married Nov. 23, 1870, to Miss Nannie Tillman-born March
11,1847-daughter of Col. Joseph Tillman, of Appling county.
Seven children are the offspring of this happy union: Eliza,
born in August, 1871, teacher, Tattnall county; Lena, born May,
1873, married to W.H. Faulk, Tattnall county-two children;
Lillian, born June, 1875; Edna, born October, 1877; John G.,
born February, 1880; Virginia, born May, 1883; and Geneva, born
November, 1890. Mr. Hughey is one of the most prominent and
influential citizens of Tattnall county. He is held in high
estimation, is public-spirited, and a useful member of the
community-well up on all important topics of the day. With fine
and extensive farming interests, comfortably situated
monetarily, and surrounded by an interesting family and
possessing the good-will and respect of his fellow-citizens,
the down-hill of life bids fair to be pleasant to him.