Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 3267saluted as the American Cicero. He was attorney-general in President Jackson's cabinet and declined the mission to England on account of domesticaffliction, having very recently lost his wife by death. Doctor Burroughshas in his possession the original letter from President Andrew Jackson,tendering to him this important office. Joseph Hallett Burroughs, the fatherof Doctor Burroughs, was a successful factor and commission merchant atSavannah, served as paymaster of the first regiment of Georgia militia andwas a member of the Presbyterian Church. He died at Savannah, in 1854.Doctor William Berrieu Burroughs was born at Savannah, Georgia, April7, 1842, and comes of a family of physicians. His oldest brother, Dr. R. B.Burroughs, late surgeon of the Southern Air Line Railroad, was president ofthe Florida Medical Society, and his youngest brother, Dr. Charles J. Burroughs, was late health officer of J acksonvillc and president of the JacksonvilleMedical Society. 'Another brother, John W. Burroughs, is a practicinglawyer of Savannah, while Dr. Henry Kollock Burroughs was for many yearsmayor of that city. Dr. William Bcrrien Burroughs received his primaryeducation at Chatham Academy, Savannah, and was in the junior class atOglethorpe University, near Milledgeville, then the capital of Georgia, whenwar's rude shock closed its doors. The students formed a company and electedofficers and then transferred themselves from the peaceful joys of the oldcampus to the bloody fields of battle. The university, like thousands of othervaluable buildings, was destroyed by the army under Sherman. Afterwards,Doctor Burroughs joined the Randolph. Rangers, which became a part of theSeventh Georgia Cavalry, Young's Brigade, Hampton's Division, Army ofNorthern Virginia. He served all through the war, participating in the battles of Borden's Plank Road, Dinwiddie Courthouse, Stouey Creek and otherpoints, established an excellent record as a brave;, faithful and devoted soldier,and received his parole at Appomattox.Doctor Burroughs graduated in medicine at Savannah Medical College, inMarch, 1867, and for fifteen years was engaged in active practice in CamdenCounty, Georgia, where he accumulated a considerable fortune by his professional services. His health then failed, and in 1881 he moved to Brunswiek,-which has continued to be his home..For fifteen years Doctor Burroughs has been president of the Georgia SlateAgricultural Society. He has held a directorship in the National Bank ofBrunswick, in the Brunswick Savings and Trust Company, in the KenuonCotton Factory and in the board of trade, in which body lie was chairman ofstatistics. He is grand vice chancellor of the Knights of Pythias of Georgia.Doctor Burroughs was appointed by Governor Northern as delegate to theNational Nicaragua Convention, which assembled at New Orleans, in 1893,and at St. Louis, in 1892, and at each convention was elected the executivecommitteeman for his state by the Georgia delegation. For five years lie hasbeen lieutenant-governor of the Society of Colonial Wars of Georgia, and holdsthe important, and honorable office of historian-general of the Order of Washington, the only order of its kind in the United States, being one of sixcharter members for the State of Georgia. He was director and superintendent of the department of education at the Georgia State fairs held at differenttowns in the state, and was appointed by Governor Joseph M. Terrell ofGeorgia to the office of director of history, and made exhibits at Jamestown, in1907. Doctor Burroughs has made many historical contributions to currentperiodicals on cotton and on the early history of Georgia. Not the least ininterest of the latter was an article which appeared in the Savannah MorningNews, and which we here reproduce in part, as being of interest in regard tothe Berrien family as well as in connection with the pioneer history of thestate"At the northwest corner of Broughton and Habersham streets stands atwo-story dwelling house with long steps extending to the portico and known