Henry Gray Turner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromGeorgia's2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1893 | |
| Preceded by | William Ephraim Smith |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin E. Russell |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromGeorgia's11th district | |
| In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897 | |
| Preceded by | Vacant |
| Succeeded by | William Gordon Brantley |
| Member of theGeorgia House of Representatives | |
| In office 1874-1876 1878-1879 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1839-03-20)March 20, 1839 |
| Died | June 9, 1904(1904-06-09) (aged 65) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Lavinia CalhounMorton[1] |
| Alma mater | University of Virginia |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Confederate States |
| Branch/service | Confederate States Army |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 23rd North Carolina Infantry[1] |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Henry Gray Turner (March 20, 1839 – June 9, 1904) was an American politician, teacher, jurist and soldier. TheHenry Gray Turner House inQuitman, Georgia is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
Turner was born nearHenderson, North Carolina. He attended theUniversity of Virginia (UVA) inCharlottesville in 1857 before moving toBrooks County, Georgia, in 1859 to teach school.[2]
During theAmerican Civil War, Turner enlisted as a private in theConfederate States Army and eventually rose to the rank of captain. At theBattle of Gettysburg in July 1863 he was struck in the left shoulder by a rifle ball and taken prisoner.[1] After the war, he studied law, gained admittance to the state bar in 1865 and began practicing law inQuitman, Georgia. In 1874, Turner was elected to theGeorgia House of Representatives in theState Assembly and served in that capacity until 1876. He also served as a delegate to the 1876Democratic National Convention.[2]
After two more terms in 1878 and 1879 in the state house, Turner was elected to the47th United States Congress as aDemocraticRepresentative. He was re-elected to Congress for seven additional terms until deciding not to run in 1896.[2]
After his political service, Turner returned to his law practice in Quitman. In 1903, he was appointed as an associate justice of theSupreme Court of Georgia. Turner died the next year inRaleigh, North Carolina and was buried in West End Cemetery in Quitman.[2]Turner County, Georgia is named in his honor.[3]
Turner is the great-grandfather of a fictional character, Henry Gray Turner II, in a book by author Rob Morton,God, Forgive These Bastards.[4] The book places Turner's great-grandson in the early twenty-first century and reads like his memoir. "In the late 1970s," the book jacket reads, "Henry Turner went from being a local hero and star pitcher of theGeorgia Tech Wildcats to an abusive, alcoholic drifter. After spending his later years in homeless encampments and psych wards, Turner turned his demons to his advantage and became a kind, beloved street story-teller, a friend of the down-and-out, and a public transit angel."
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | U.S. Representative for Georgia's 2nd Congressional District March 4, 1881 – March 4, 1893 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by New seat | U.S. Representative for Georgia's 11th Congressional District March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
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