Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

.3112 GEORGIA AND GEORGIANSGeneral Preston lias ever been consistently and persistently a straight-outJeffersonian democrat, and an earnest and effective exponent of the principlesand policies of his political allegiance. He was a delegate from Georgia to thedemocratic national convention of 1876, in the City of St. Louis, and earnestlysupported the nomination of Hon. Samuel J. Tilden. He has long been influential in the councils of the democratic party in Georgia. Now venerable inyears and virtually retired from the active practice of his profession, he nonethe less retains the virility of his mental and physical powers, and continuesto maintain a lively interest in the questions and issues of the hour. He isa man of broad and well fortified opinions concerning economic and governmental polity.In 1887 General Preston was appointed by President Cleveland to the position of land reservation and Indian school agent in the State of California.He remained in the efficient discharge of his official duties for about twoyears. Upon the election of President Harrison he immediately tendered hisresignation, and though offered the privilege of remaining in office, he resignedand returned to his home in Georgia. In March, 1890, General Prestonestablished his residence in the City of Macon, where he built up a large andrepresentative law practice, to the demands of which he continued to giveclose attention until his retirement in 1915.His religious faith is that of the Missionary Baptist Church, of which hehas been a member for many years. On October 3, 1865, General Prestonmarried Miss Yictoria V. Leeverette, of Shady Dale, Georgia. She died fivemonthslater. On May 20, 1869, occurred his marriage to Miss Carrie NatalieGreen, of Columbia, South Carolina. Her death occurred on the 22nd ofMay, 1886. Of this marriage were born five sons, two of whom died in infancy,and one was killed at the age of sixteen. The other two are the only survivingchildren of General Preston. One of them is Joseph W. Preston, Jr., whosehome and business are in San Francisco, California. The other is CharlesMcDowell Preston, whose residence is at 1008 Orange Street in Macon, Georgia.General Preston now divides much of his time between the homes of these twosons. In 1892 General Preston married for his third wife, Mrs. Katie (Shorter)Brown, of Columbus, Georgia. She died in 1914. She was a granddaughter ofCongressman Eli Shorter, of Alabama, on the paternal side, and of CommodoreWard in the maternal line. Her father was Maj. Reuben Shorter, late ofColumbus, Georgia. Mrs. Preston was a beautiful and an accomplished womanand a devoted wife and companion.From the foregoing brief sketch it will be seen that General Preston's lifehas not been without its misfortunes, which necessarily affected his career, anddoubtless his greater progress and success in life. Naturally modest, and byno means an office seeker, he declined to contest for honors when they wereeasily within his reach. Among his finest characteristics are his simple, candid, fearless manner. He is awed by none respected by all especially thepoor and the humble, who love him most. He still has promise of years. Hisfamily have been people of great longevity, many reaching above ninety, andone the great age of one hundred and six years. All his numerous friends andfellow citizens of Georgia sincerely desire that his length of years may not beabbreviated and that his kindly genial presence may be known in the statefor years to come.L. D. McGREGOR. A native of Warren County, Mr. McGregor has gainedthrough ability and effective service high standing as one of the representativemembers of the bar of this section of the state and is engaged in the successfulpractice of his profession at Warrenton, the judicial center of the countythat has been his home from the time of his birth and in which he stands asa scion of staunch old Southern stock, his lineage on the paternal side tracingback to Scotch origin, as the patronymic clearly indicates.