Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 3111ordinated by the instinct of loyalty that caused him to respond, with hisservices, for defense of the Confederacy. The war broke out a brief periodbefore his graduation from the university. After the war, his class were givendiplomas, but he, himself, never applied for one.June 7, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Cojipany C Eleventh GeorgiaRegiment, which later was reorganized as the Fourteenth Georgia VolunteerInfantry. With this command, the young student soldier proceeded to thestage of active operations in Virginia; and, with it, he gave a splendid accountof himself in the battles of Seven Pines, the seven days' fight around Richmond, and the ever memorable battles of Mine Run and Cedar Mountain, andhe was under fire at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. With his regiment he wascontinuously under fire from May 3 to June, 1862, and was a participant inmany engagements, major and minor, in which his company took part. AtPetersburg, Virginia, he was captured by the enemy on Sunday, April 2, 1865,in a hand to hand fight in front of Battery Gregg. He was taken to theFederal Prison, at Fort Delaware, where he was confined until the 17th of thefollowing June, when he received his parole. His army service was, thus,continuous from the beginning of the war until its close. He was alwaysfound at the post of duty, and his military record is one that reflects enduringhonor upon his name, and is worthy of perpetual place in the history of theConfederacy. His vital interest in his old comrades in arms has never abated.The more gracious memories and associations of his army life are perpetuatedby affiliation with that noble organization, the United Confederate Veterans.In this he has received high honors and, in 1915, was commander in chief of theDepartment of Georgia United Confederate Veterans, with the rank of majorgeneral. At the battle of Seven Pines, General Preston received a slightwound in the neck. It did not, however, incapacitate him for active service.He was wounded late in the afternoon. Going to the field hospital, he had thewound treated and dressed, and reported for duty to his commander the nextmorning. In 1864, at the request of Capt. R. Paul Lester, he was appointedadjutant of his regiment and, in that capacity, continued to serve until thetime of his capture.At the close of the war General Preston began the diligent study of thelaw. Possessed of strong mental powers he made rapid and substantial progressin acquiring a broad and fundamental knowledge of the science of jurisprudence. He was admitted to the bar of his native state in October, 1867,and for forty-seven years thereafter was engaged in active and successfulpractice. For many years he was located at Monticello, county seat of hisnative County of Jasper. While there he gained prestige as one of the mostresourceful advocates and well fortified counselors in the bar of that circuit.In 1873 he was appointed by Governor J. M. Smith to the office of solicitorgeneral of the Oemulgee Circuit, and was reappointed to this position byGovernor A. H. Colquitt. In 1878-79 he represented the twenty-eighth districtof the state in the Georgia. Senate, declining to become a candidate for re-election at the expiration of his term. His place was that of a leader in thedeliberations of the Upper House of the Legislature. Leadership comesnatural to such a man, and in every relationship of his long life there havebeen special distinguishing characteristics. His broad views, dominant personality and unqualified loyalty admirably fit him for the directing of sentiment and action. He was chairman of the committee of thirteen, selected bythe Senate to investigate and pronounce upon the conduct and motives ofGovernor A. H. Colquitt in appending his signature to what were knownas the Northeastern Railroad bonds. As a member of the Senate, GeneralPreston was, likewise, chairman of the first committee appointed by the Legislature to confer with the Mayor and City Council of Atlanta, relative to thematter of the state accepting the site of the present beautiful capitol ofGeorgia.