Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 2987and Odd Fellow, and his wife is a member of the Eastern Star and Rebekahs.They were the parents of ten children: Ethel, the wife of Oran G. Wright,of Floyd County; Amy, a teacher in the public schools at Lindale, FloydCounty; John C,; George B., a Floyd County farmer; Miss Lucy, a teacherof music; James Olney, a student; Charles E., Marie, Phil J., and LewisClark. All tflfese children were born in Floyd County and most of them inthe City of Rome. .John Camp Davis acquired his early education in the public schools,attended the Hearn Academy at Cave Spring in Floyd County, and thenentered the literary department of the University of Georgia. Mr. Davisbegan the study of law under Charles A. Thornwell at Rome, and wasadmitted to practice in 1909. After several years of independent effort anda'rising reputation as a lawyer, he became associated in 1912 with Mr. "WilliamS. Rowell in the present firm of Rowell & Davis.Mr. Davis takes much part in democratic politics, and in his lodge.of Odd Fellows has passed various chairs. He and all his family are membersof the Baptist Church.CHARLES II. SMITH was born in Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia,June 15, 1826, and died in Cartersville, Bartow County, Georgia, August 24,1903. His father, Asahel Rejd Smith, came from Vermont to Georgia in1817, seeking the fortune which was denied him at home, and after the usualinterval of school teaching became a merchant and a most valuable citizen ofold Gwinnett. His mother was Caroline Maguire, daughter of James Maguire,an Irish refugee, a friend and co-conspirator of Emmet, who fled the realmof Britain after the rebellion attempted by his leader, and found a newhome in Charleston, South Carolina. The strange vicissitudes of fortunewhich beset his daughter in her early days make up a tale stranger thanfiction, but the record is that after her marriage "she was happy, veryhappy." This union of the incisive, enterprising scion of New England withthe warm hearted daughter of Ireland, brought up on Southern soil, found itslegitimate result in the character of their son, Charles, who, to a clear, comprehensive and analytical mind, added a warmth of feeling and an impulsiveness of charity which respected neither creed nor person. Marrying earlyin life a daughter of Judge N. L. Hutehins, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, Mr.Smith was soon thereafter admitted to the bar and began to ride the circuit,as he expressed it, "at the tail of the procession," in the company of theJackson, the Cobbs, the Hillyers, the Hulls, the Doughertys, and others ofthat ilk, when Lumpkin and Nesbit and Warner sat upon the Supreme benchand all were making and moulding the laws which have so much conducedto the prosperity of their state.In 1851 Mr. Smith removed to Rome, Georgia, and entered upon thepractice of law with Hon. John W. H. Underwood, afterward Superior Courtjudge, and noted the state over for his overflowing wit and humor. Thispartnership continued until the breaking out of the struggle between thestates, which the subject of this sketch always denominated the "UncivilWar," in 1861.He entered the Confederate army of course, did his full duty and leftthe service with the rank of major, and consoling himself with the reflection"that he had killed as many of the Yankees as they had killed of him."lie found his home devastated by the enemy and for some months he andhis family subsisted largely upon the proceeds of a chunk of gum opium anda bolt of cotton cloth, which was bartered to the country people for provisions.He began again the practice of the law, this time in partnership with Hon.Joel Branham,' and the firm endured until Mr. Branham was elevated tothe bench of the Superior Court. This partnership was peculiar, and characteristic of the men, in that it kept no books, and there was no accounting