Inzer, John Washington, 1834-1928

Inzer was born 1834 Jan. 9, near Lawrenceville, Gwinnett Co., Ga., to Henry and Phoebe Reid Inzer. He attended the common school of the vicinity, and then Gwinnett Institute in 1852. After teaching school a year, Inzer moved with his parents to St. Clair Co., Ala., in 1854. That same year he went to Talladega, Talladega Co., Ala., and entered the law office of John T. Morgan and A.J. Walker as a law student. He was admitted to the Ala. bar in 1855. He located in Ashville, St. Clair Co., Ala., and in 1859 was appointed probate judge of St. Clair Co. He was a delegate to the Ala. secession convention in 1861, and fought in the Civil War, rising from the rank of private to major, and fighting in the battles of Shiloh, Beach Grove, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge, where he was captured. After his release in June of 1865, Inzer helped establish civil government in St. Clair Co., Ala., and was elected probate judge in 1866, and married Salley E. Pope that same year. In 1874 and 1890 he was elected to the state senate to represent Jefferson, Walker, and St. Clair counties. He was elected to the Ala. constitution convention of 1875, and was appointed judge of the 16th judicial circuit of Ala., and he remained in that post until 1910, when he resigned due to poor health. He died in 1928.