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Junius Hillyer memoirs

 Collection
Collection number: ahc.MSS156f

Scope and Content

This collection contains the memoirs of Junius Hillyer, a political leader and judge. In his memoirs titled Memoirs of the Early Life and Times of Judge Junius Hillyer he describes his family genealogy; his boyhood and schooling, including his years at the University of Georgia, and growing up in Georgia. He also records his opinions on slavery. He believed that slavery "is the normal condition of the negro race." He talks about the customs of his times and the lifestyle of the rural South. The last chapter deals with his memories of the removal of Cherokee Indians from Georgia and in the southeast generally.

Dates

  • 1937

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. All requests to publish, quote, or reproduce must be submitted through the Kenan Research Center.

Administrative/Biographical History

Junius Hillyer was a political leader and attorney who served two terms in the United States Congress. Born in Wilkes County, Georgia in 1807, he graduated from the University of Georgia in 1828 and began a law practice in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He was elected as the Solicitor-General of the Western Circuit of the state in 1834 and became Judge of the Superior Courts of the Western Circuit in 1841. From 1841 to 1845, he presided as a circuit judge. Initially elected to U.S. House of Representatives in 1850, Hillyer was re-elected in 1852. After his congressional career, Hillyer was appointed by President James Buchanan as Solicitor of the United States Treasury from 1857 through 1861. Hillyer died in Decatur, Georgia, in 1886 and was buried in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta.

Extent

1 folder(s)

Language

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift, 1937

Title
Junius Hillyer memoirs
Author
Paul Crater
Date
February 2014
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center Repository

Contact:
130 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta GA 30305
404-814-4040