Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

2810 GEORGIA AND GEORGIANSdemocratic party, takes loyal interest in all that touches the welfare of hisnative county and state, is affiliated with the blue lodge and chapter of thetime-honored Masonic fraternity and his 'wife holds membership in theMethodist Episcopal Church, South.On the 5th of October, 1910, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Callawayto Miss Ruth Ellington Smith, who was likewise born and reared in WilkesCounty. Her father, George Blakey Smith, a prominent and honored citizenof this county, was a gallant soldier of the Confederacy during the entireperiod of the Civil war, and both he and his wife continued their residence inWilkes County until the time of their death. Mr. and Mrs. Callaway have fourchildren, whose names and respective dates of birth are here noted: FrancisEugene, Jr., and Martha Lucy, twins, August 28, 1911; Richard Dowdy, May27, 1913, and Ruth, October 20, 1914.BRIG.-GEN. PAUL J. SEMMES was, prior to the war, a citizen of Columbus,Georgia, and having a partiality for military affairs, was a captain of one ofthe best drilled volunteer companies of that city. Upon the outbreak of thewar his knowledge of tactics led to his election as colonel of the SecondGeorgia Regiment, and he led his regiment to Virginia in the summer of 1861.In 1862 he was promoted to be brigadier-general and "Semmes Brigade"achieved prominence among the fighting units of the Confederate army atSeven Pines, Malvern Hill, Sharpsburg, Predericksburg, Chancellorsville andGettysburg. During the first day of the last-named great battle he wasmortally wounded, while leading his brigade. He was carried back to Virginia, where he died July 10, 1862.CLAUDIUS C. WILSON, whose commission of brigadier-general reachedheadquarters a few days after his death, was born in Effingham County,Georgia, October 1, 1831. In 1848 General Wilson entered the sophomoreclass of Emory College at Oxford, and was graduated in 1851 with the highesthonors. He read law under Col. James M. Smith, and was admitted to thebar in Savannah in 1852. In 1860 he was elected solicitor-general of theEastern Circuit of Georgia, but only served a few months, when he resignedto resume general practice as member of the firm of Wilson, Norwood andLester. In August, 1861, he entered the Confederate army and was electedcolonel of the Twenty-fifth Georgia, which he had been chiefly instrumentalin raising, his commission bearing date September 2, 1861. He served asacting brigadier in the movements around Vicksburg and in the battles aroundJackson. In August, 1863, Walker's Division was ordered to join GeneralBragg's army, and in the desperate battle which, raged for three days atChickamauga, Colonel Wilson, at the head of his brigade, made a record ofwhich any man might be proud. Immediately after the battle he was attackedwith camp fever, to which he succumbed at Ringgold, Georgia, November 26,1863. Both because of his gallantry and seniority he was commissionedbrigadier-general, but the papers reached headquarters after his death.VERNON CLARE BOURNE. Head of the wholesale produce house that bearshis individual name, Vernon C. Bourne has made a truly creditable ascent inthe business career he chose for himself and has long occupied a place of nolittle prominence in Brunswick. He began his career as a clerk and by closeattention to work and with exceptional ability in the handling of the complications of business has promoted himself to a place of leadership among themerchants of Southern Georgia. He is as progressive in his citizenship as inhis private business and while never in politics, has endeavored to make hisown interests correspond with the best welfare of his city.When it came time for him to start out in life on his own account he hada good education, but neither capital nor influential friends. His self reliance