Milledge, John, 1757-1818

John Milledge, II (1757-1818) was born in Savannah, Georgia, the only son of John Milledge (1721-1781) and Ann (Smith) Milledge. A prominent lawyer, Milledge sided with the patriots and fought in the Revolutionary War, served as Attorney-General of Georgia in 1780, as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives (1782-1790), as a member of the United States Congress (1792-1801), as Governor of Georgia (1802- 1806), and as a United States Senator (1806-1809). In 1801, Milledge purchased a 633 acre tract of land for $4,000 and named it "Athens" in honor of Greece's ancient center of culture and learning. He was a key figure in the establishment of the University of Georgia. Not only was he on the committee that decided the location of the institution, but he donated the 633 acre tract of land where the university and the city of Athens now stand. The Georgia state legislature called for the establishment of a town to be named after Milledge in 1803 and one year later Milledgeville became Georgia's fourth capital. Milledgville, located in Baldwin County, served as Georgia's state capital from 1804 until 1868. Milledge resigned his Senate seat in 1809 and returned to Georgia to be with his wife, Martha Galphin Milledge, who was very ill and later died. John Milledge died at Sand Hills, his plantation near Augusta, Georgia, on 9 February 1818 and is buried in Summerville Cemetery in Augusta, Georgia.

From the description of John Milledge letter, 1793. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 297537446

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