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'{{other people}} {{More footnotes|date=April 2010}} {{Infobox Governor |name =George Walton |image =George Walton.jpg |order =[[United States Senator]] from [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] |term_start =November 16, 1795 |term_end =February 20, 1796 |predecessor =[[James Jackson (politician)|James Jackson]] |successor =[[Josiah Tattnall (Senator)|Josiah Tattnall]] |birth_date ={{birth-date|1749}} or 1750 |birth_place =[[Cumberland County, Virginia]] |death_date = February 2, {{Death year and age|1804|1749}} |death_place =[[Augusta, Georgia]] |nationality = |party =[[Patriot (American Revolution)|Whig]] |spouse = |relations =The Walton family of Atlanta, Georgia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Colorado; and Western North Carolina |signature = George Walton Signature.svg |footnotes = }} '''George Walton''' (1749 &ndash; February 2, 1804) signed the United States [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] as a representative of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] and also served as the [[List of Governors of Georgia|second Chief Executive]] of that state. ==Life and work== '''George Walton''' was born in Virginia. His parents died when he was an infant, resulting in his adoption by an uncle with whom he entered apprenticeship as a carpenter. Walton was a studious young man, but his uncle actively discouraged all study, believing a studious boy to be an idle one. Walton continued studying and once his apprenticeship ended, he moved to [[Savannah, Georgia]], in 1769 to study law under a Mr. Young, and was admitted to the bar in 1774. His brother was [[John Walton (1738-1783)|John Walton]]. He became an advocate of the patriot cause and was elected Secretary of the Georgia provincial Congress, and became president of the [[Council of Safety]]. He was elected to the [[Continental Congress]], a position he held until the end of 1778. He was commissioned a Colonel of the First Regiment of the [[Georgia Militia]]. He was put in the battalion of General [[Robert Howe (soldier)|Robert Howe]]. During the [[Capture of Savannah|Battle of Savannah]], Walton was involved in the defense of the city. However a slave showed the British, led by Colonel Campbell, a path to the rear of the city, by which they were able to take the city, attacking from the front and the rear. Walton was injured in the battle and taken prisoner. He was freed through a prisoner exchange in 1779. Soon after this in October 1779, Walton was elected [[Governor of Georgia]], a position he held for only two months. In January 1780, he was appointed to the [[United States Senate]] to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of [[James Jackson (politician)|James Jackson]]. Walton only served in that position from November 16, 1795, to February 20, 1796, until a successor, [[Josiah Tattnall (Senator)|Josiah Tattnall]], was officially elected. He was a political ally of Scotch-Irish General [[Lachlan McIntosh]] and a foe of [[Button Gwinnett]]. He and Gwinnett's political battles resulted in his expulsion from office and indictment for various criminal activities. He was censured for his role in a [[duel]] which resulted in Button Gwinnett's death. He became Chief Justice of Georgia, 1783–89, Governor of Georgia in 1789, and [[U.S. Senator]] in 1795. Walton also was colonel in the army and when he was riding his horse a cannonball was fired and it hit him in the leg. With a broken leg Walton was held captive for the British army for two years. He was exchanged for a British naval officer and released, despite his having been a signer of the Declaration, which, technically, made him a traitor to the British crown. ==Offices held== The offices he held were: * Continental Congress (1776–78) * Colonel of the First Georgia Militia (1778) * Governor of Georgia (1779–80) * U.S. Congress (1780–1781) * Chief Justice of Georgia (1783–89) * Governor of Georgia (1789–90) * U.S. Senator (1795–96) George Walton was born in Virginia. His parents died when he was an infant, resulting in his adoption by an uncle with whom he entered apprenticeship as a carpenter. Walton was a studious young man, but his uncle actively discouraged all study, believing a studious boy to be an idle one. Walton continued studying and once his apprenticeship ended, he moved to Savannah, Georgia, in 1769 to study law under a Mr. Young, and was admitted to the bar in 1774. His brother was John Walton. He became an advocate of the patriot cause and was elected Secretary of the Georgia provincial Congress, and became president of the Council of Safety. He was elected to the Continental Congress, a position he held until the end of 1778. He was commissioned a Colonel of the First Regiment of the Georgia Militia. He was put in the battalion of General Robert Howe. During the Battle of Savannah, Walton was involved in the defense of the city. However a slave showed the British, led by Colonel Campbell, a path to the rear of the city, by which they were able to take the city, attacking from the front and the rear. Walton was injured in the battle and taken prisoner. He was freed through a prisoner exchange in 1779. Soon after this in October 1779, Walton was elected Governor of Georgia, a position he held for only two months. In January 1780, he was appointed to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of James Jackson. Walton only served in that position from November 16, 1795, to February 20, 1796, until a successor, Josiah Tattnall, was officially elected. He was a political ally of Scotch-Irish General Lachlan McIntosh and a foe of Button Gwinnett. He and Gwinnett's political battles resulted in his expulsion from office and indictment for various criminal activities. He was censured for his role in a duel which resulted in Button Gwinnett's death. He became Chief Justice of Georgia, 1783–89, Governor of Georgia in 1789, and U.S. Senator in 1795. Walton also was colonel in the army and when he was riding his horse a cannonball was fired and it hit him in the leg. With a broken leg Walton was held captive for the British army for two years. He was exchanged for a British naval officer and released, despite his having been a signer of the Declaration, which, technically, made him a traitor to the British crown. ==Death== He died in [[Augusta, Georgia]] on February 2, 1804, at his home, ''College Hill'', near Augusta. He was initially buried at Rosney, home of his nephew Robert Watkins; however, he was reinterred in 1848 beneath the [[Signers Monument]] in front of the courthouse on Greene Street in Augusta. [[Walton County, Georgia|Walton County]], east of [[Atlanta]], is named for him. There are also at least two schools that bear his name. [[George Walton Comprehensive High School]] is a highly-regarded public school near [[Marietta, Georgia]]. [[George Walton Academy]] is a private school in [[Monroe, Georgia]], the [[county seat]] of Walton County. His granddaughter, [[Octavia Walton Le Vert]], was a noted socialite and author.<ref name="madame">{{cite book |title=Madame Le Vert: A Biography of Octavia Walton Le Vert |last=Satterfield |first=Frances Gibson |year=1987 |publisher=Edisto Press |location=Edisto Island, S.C. |isbn=978-0-9618589-1-9 }}</ref> Many of his descendants have worked in the banking and legal industries in Georgia. ==References== *{{CongBio|W000114}} *[http://www.colonialhall.com/walton/walton.php Biography by Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, 1856] ==Notes== {{Reflist}} {{USDecOfIndSig}} {{Governors of Georgia}} {{USSenGA}} {{S-start}} {{s-off}} {{Succession box | before= [[William Ewen]] | title= [[List of governors of Georgia|President of the Georgia Council of Safety]] | years= 1775–1776 | after= William Ewen}} {{Succession box | before= [[John Wereat]] | title= [[List of governors of Georgia|Governor of Georgia]] | years= 1779–1780 | after= [[Richard Howly]]}} {{Succession box | before= [[George Handley (politician)|George Handley]] | title= [[List of governors of Georgia|Governor of Georgia]] | years= 1789–1790 | after= [[Edward Telfair]]}} {{s-par|us-sen}} {{U.S. Senator box|class=2|state=Georgia| before = [[James Jackson (politician)|James Jackson]]| after = [[Josiah Tattnall (Senator)|Josiah Tattnall]] | years =November 16, 1795 – February 20, 1796| alongside=[[James Gunn (senator)|James Gunn]] }} {{S-end}} {{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> | NAME =Walton, George | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = American politician | DATE OF BIRTH =1749 | PLACE OF BIRTH =[[Cumberland County, Virginia]] | DATE OF DEATH = February 2, 1804 | PLACE OF DEATH =[[Augusta, Georgia]] }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Walton, George}} [[Category:1804 deaths]] [[Category:Continental Congressmen from Georgia (U.S. state)]] [[Category:Governors of Georgia (U.S. state)]] [[Category:Signers of the United States Declaration of Independence]] [[Category:United States Senators from Georgia (U.S. state)]] [[Category:Members of the Georgia House of Representatives]] [[Category:Georgia (U.S. state) militiamen in the American Revolution]] [[Category:Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers]] [[Category:University of Georgia people]] [[Category:People of Georgia (U.S. state) in the American Revolution]] [[Category:Burials in Georgia (U.S. state)]] [[Category:People from Cumberland County, Virginia]] [[Category:American people of Welsh descent]] [[Category:1749 births]] [[Category:Georgia (U.S. state) Democratic-Republicans]] [[Category:Georgia (U.S. state) Whigs]] [[Category:Georgia (U.S. state) Federalists]] [[Category:Federalist Party United States Senators]] [[de:George Walton]] [[fr:George Walton]] [[it:George Walton]] [[la:Georgius Walton]] [[ja:ジョージ・ウォルトン]] [[no:George Walton]] [[pl:George Walton]] [[sv:George Walton]]'