1. George Hillyer was an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.
14 Facts About George Hillyer
1. 2.
George Hillyer graduated from Mercer University in July 1854, "securing honors in all branches of study".
3.
George Hillyer then studied law under the supervision of his father, Judge Hillyer, in Monroe, Georgia, and in 1855 was admitted to the state bar.
4.
At the age of 21, George Hillyer ran for a seat in the state legislature, and was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1856.
5.
George Hillyer then served as Clerk of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1859 to 1860.
6.
The 9th Georgia lost half of its 340 men in the fight, and George Hillyer's company suffered considerable losses.
7.
Early in 1864, George Hillyer organized the State Road Battalion and he was placed in command of the defenses of the railroad with the rank of major.
8.
In June 1867, at the age of 32, George Hillyer married Ellen Emily Cooley, and together they undertook to raise a family, eventually having 8 children.
9.
George Hillyer served as the Georgia delegate to the United States Centennial Commission that planned and organized the country's Centennial celebrations and the International Exhibition of 1876.
10.
George Hillyer was appointed to the Fulton County Superior Court by Governor Alfred H Colquitt, serving from 1877 to 1883.
11.
In 1885 George Hillyer served one term as mayor of Atlanta, during which time he became an expert on municipal water services, publishing several related articles and serving on the Atlanta Water Commission for many years.
12.
George Hillyer played an active role in the establishment of the Atlanta University System to provide higher education to the freed slaves.
13.
George Hillyer was on the board of trustees for Spelman Baptist Seminary, as well as Vice-Chairman for the Georgia Railroad Commission.
14.
George Hillyer died at the age of 92 and was buried in Atlanta's Oakland Cemetery.