James Zachariah George

Background

James Z. George was born in Monroe County, Georgia, but moved to Mississippi when his widowed mother remarried.

Education

On his return, George studied law and was admitted to the Barometer

Career

He was known as Mississippi"s "Great Commoner."

He served as a private in the Mexican-American War under Colonel Jefferson Davis. In 1854 he became a reporter of the Supreme Court of Mississippi and, over the next 20 years, George prepared a 10-volume digest of its cases. A Confederate colonel of the 5th Mississippi Cavalry during the Civil War, he was captured twice and spent two years in a prisoner of war camp, where he conducted a law course for his fellow captives.

After the war, he returned to Mississippi and resumed the practice of law.

In 1879 he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Mississippi and immediately was chosen chief justice by his colleagues. From 1881 until his death, George represented Mississippi in the United States Senate, where he was recognized for his skills in debate, helped frame the future Sherman Anti-Trust Acting, introduced the bill for agricultural college experiment stations, and encouraged the establishment of the Department of Agriculture.

George died in Mississippi City, Mississippi, where he had gone for health treatment. George"s wife Elizabeth was the granddaughter of Colonel

William Martin Junior. of Tennessee, and the great-granddaughter of General Joseph Martin, an early Virginia explorer and Revolutionary War commander.

In 1931, the state of Mississippi donated a bronze statue of George to the United States Capitol"s National Statuary Hall Collection. The J. Z. George High School in North Carrollton, Mississippi is named in his honor, which is less than two miles from his burial place. In addition, George County, Mississippi, is also named in his honor.

Views

He also served as a member of the Mississippi Constitutional Convention of 1890 and successfully defended the constitution before the Senate and the Supreme Court.

Membership

As a member of the Mississippi Secession Convention, George signed the Ordinance of Secession.

Connections

Father:

Joseph Warren George

Mother:

Mary (Chamblis) George

Spouse:

Elizabeth Young