Colquitt, Alfred Holt, 1829-1894

U.S. Congressman and Senator, Confederate major general, governor of Georgia, from Troup County, Ga.

Gov. of Georgia; U.S. Sen.

Alfred Holt Colquitt (1829-1894), lawyer, Confederate officer, U.S. Representative (1852-1854), Georgia Governor (1876-1882), and U.S. Senator (1883-1894), born in Walton County, Georgia.

Alfred Holt Colquitt (1824-1894) was born 20 April 1824 in Monroe, Walton County, Georgia. He was the son of Walter Terry Colquitt (1799-1855). He studied law at Princeton College (now Princeton University) and graduated in 1844. He retuned home to Monroe, Georgia. where he immediately began practicing law. He saw military action in both the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) as a major and the Civil War (1861-1865) rising to the ranks of brigadier general and major general. Prior to his service in the Civil War, Colquitt began his career in politics. In 1853 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served until 1855 and later served in the Georgia House of Representatives in 1859. Colquitt was an avid secessionist and supporter of states rights and was part of the 1861 Georgia Secession Commission. Following the war, Colquitt was elected governor of Georgia and served from 1876-1882. In 1883, Colquitt ran as a Democrat and was elected to the U.S. Senate. He served in this position until his death on 26 March 1894. He is buried at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia.