Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

3174 GEORGIA AND GEORGIANSJAMES HABEBSHAM. An Englishman of Yorkshire, James Habersham, amerchant, cooperated with Rev. George Whitefield in founding the OrphanHouse of Bethesda, Georgia. He was the practical manager of it for sixyears, but in 1844 entered into a partnership with Col. Francis Harris toestablish Savannah's first commercial enterprise of importance. Connectionswere established with the North, London and the West Indies, and Mr. Habersham himself raised and shipped the first cotton from America. He promotedsilk culture; was secretary of the Province of Georgia, president of the UpperHouse of the General Assembly and acting governor. He died at New Brunswick, New Jersey, in August, 1775, while temporarily residing there in questof health. His remains were buried in the Colonial Cemetery, Savannah.MAJ. JOHN HABEESHAM, son of James, was born on one ofhis father's plantations near Savannah. Though the elder Habershamremained loyal to the king, the son joined the cause of the patriots, and wasmade a prisoner at the capture of Savannah by the British in December, 1778.He had been a major under Colonel Campbell, in command of the AmericanArtillery. When the British evacuated the town in 1782 Major Habershamtook charge of its affairs until civil government could be restored. In 1784he was elected president of the Executive Council; was a member of the Continental Congress in 1785-86; was on the first board of trustees which established the state university, and held the position of collector of the port ofSavannah for ten years before his death, which occurred in November, 1799.JOSEPH HABEESHAM, who was a native of Savannah and a son of JamesHabersham, was a young business man of that city when the War of theRevolution opened, and gained quite a name in July, 1775, as a leader in thecapture of a British ship laden with gunpowder and military supplies whichhad anchored at the mouth of the Savannah River. Five thousand poundsof the captured powder were sent to Philadelphia to be distributed to theContinental armies. Mr. Habersham was a leading member of the ProvincialCongress, major of battalion raised to protect Georgia, was a member of theCouncil of Safety, participated in the siege of Savannah, at the close of thewar served in the General Assembly (twice speaker of the House), and in1785, 1786 and 1788 was a delegate to the Continental Congress and of theconvention which ratified the Federal Constitution. He was mayor of theCity of Savannah and served several years as postmaster general of the UnitedStates. Afterward he resumed his commercial and financial activities and atthe time of his death in November, 1815, was president of the Branch Bankof the United States at Savannah.H. F. LAWSON. The legal profession of Pulaski County has no more progressive, thorough or energetic member than H. F. Lawson, who since thebeginning of his practice, in 1904, has been located at Hawkinsville. Herehe is the representative of large and important interests, his connection withwhich bespeaks the possession of superior talents and abilities, and these giftshe has always used as a good citizen in forwarding movements for the publicwelfare.Mr. Lawson was born in Pulaski County, Georgia, October 4, 1879, andis a son of S. B. and Emma (Adams) Lawson, also natives of the Empire Stateof the South. S. B. Lawson was born in 1841, grew up in Pulaski County,and here enlisted for service in the Confederate army during the war betweenthe states. He fought as a private in Anderson's Battery in the GeorgiaLight Artillery, and participated in many hard-fought engagements, at alltimes conducting himself in a brave and valiant manner. When the war wasclosed he returned to Hawkinsville, where he established himself in businessas the proprietor of a cotton warehouse, a business in which he made a decided