Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/326

 GILMER

GILMER

measure which he had advocated during his first administration. He was a presidential elector in 1836 and in 1840 was president of the electoral ooUege. He then retired to private life upon his farm in Lexington, became interested in geology and gathered a valuable collection of the min- erals of Georgia. He was a trustee of the Uni- versity of Georgia from 1826 to 1857 and at his death bequeathed to that institution 815,000 for the purpose of improving the " schoolmasters of Georgia," the interest of which was appropriated by the trustees in 1884 to the support of the state normal school. In 1833 he was married to Eliza Frances, daughter of Maj. Robert and Elizabeth (Thornton) Grattan, and a descendant of Henry Grattan, the Irish oi'ator. He published (ieor- fliaiia. an historical work (1855). He died in Lexington. Ga., Nov. 15. 1859.

QILMER, Jeremy Forbis, soldier, was born in (Juilford county, N.C., Feb. 33, 1818; son of Capt. Robert Shaw and Anna (Forbis) Gilmer; and brother of John Adams Gilmer. He was graduated at the U.S. military academy in 1839, liigh in his class. He was assigned to the engi- neer corps, was promoted 1st lieutenant and captain and was on duty at the engineers" bureau, Wasliington, D.C., under General Totten at the outbreak of the Mexican war. He was attached to the expedition under Col. A. W. Doniphan wliich marched from Santa Fe by way of Chi- huahua to Saltillo, Mexico, reaching that place May 31, 1847, after the capitulation of the city of l\Iexico. He was then employed in charge of works on the coast of Georgia, 1847-57, and at San Francisco harbor, Cal., 1857-61. He I'esigned from the army on the secession of his state and being detained while awaiting the arrival of his successor, he did not reach the Confederate capital till September, 1861, when he was com- missioned major of engineers and made chief engineer on the staff of Gen. A. S. Johnston in Kentucky. He was present at the battles of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson and Shiloh. He was severely wounded at the battle of Shiloh while in charge of the engineer corps and on his recovery was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general and made chief engineer of the Confederate States army with headquarters at Richmond. He strengthened the fortifications at Charleston, S.C., 1863-64, and made them practically invul- nerable against the combined naval force of the United States. He was promoted to the rank of major-general, but declined to supersede Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in command of the Confeder- ate army in Georgia in June, 1864, and returned to Richmond, resuming charge of the engineering bureau. After the surrender he engaged in com- mercial enterprises in Savannah, Ga., and %vas a director and for a time acting president of the

Central Railroad and Banking company of Georgia. He was married to Louisa, daughter of Gen. E. P. Alexander of Washington, Ga. He died at Savannah, Ga., Dec. 1, 1883.

QILMER, John Adams, representative, was born in Guilford county, N.C., Nov. 4, 1805; son of Capt. Robert Shaw and Anna (Forbis) Gilmer. He received a good education, taught school, stud- ied law and in 1833 was admitted to the bar and practised in Greensboro, N.C. He was a state .senator, 1847-56, when he resigned to accept the Whig nomination for governor of North Caro- lina, but was defeated by Thomas Bragg, then serving as governor, by 13,628 votes. He was a Wliig representative in the 35th and 36th con- gresses, 1857-61, serving in the 36th congress as chairman of the committee on elections. He was prominently named as a suitable southern representative for a seat in the cabinet of Mr. Lincoln, but when North Carolina withdrew from the Union, May 20, 1861, Mr. Gilmer cast his fortunes with his state and was a representa- tive in the 1st and 3d Confederate States congresses, 1863-65. When the Confederate congress adjourned, March 16, 1865, Mr. Gihner returned to North Carolina and with Mr. Graham favored an interview between Governor Vance and General Sherman, looking to an ari-angement for peace. The question of the right of the state to act was in consideration when Sherman re- ceived the surrender of Johnston's army near Durham Station, and closed the incident. Mr. Gilmer died in Greensboro. N.C, May 14, 1868.

QILMER, Thomas Walker, governor of Vir- ginia, was born in Gilmerton, Albemarle county, Va., April 6, 1803; son of George and Eliza (Hud.son), and grandson of Dr. George and Lucy (Walker) Gilmer of "Mount Air,"' Albemarle county, Va. He was instructed by private teachers, studied law under his imcle, Pendy R. Gilmer of Liberty, Va., and by correspondence with another uncle, Francis W. Gilmer; was admitted to the bar and settled to practice in Charlottesville, Va. He was a delegate to the constitutional convention at Staunton, 1825, and was a member of the house of delegates of Vir- ginia, 1829, 1830, 1832. 1833, 1835, 1838 and 1839, being speaker of the house through the last two sessions. He was governor of Virginia, 1840^1. He re.signed. March 1, 1841, and took his seat as a representative in the 27th congress. May 31, 1841. He was re-elected to the 38th congress and resigned, Feb. 18, 1844, to accept an appomtment as secretary of the navy, made by President Tyler, Feb. 15, 1844. He was killed by the burst- ing of a gun on the U.S. steam frigate Princeton, while on an excursion with the President and other members of the cabinet down the Potomac river, when opposite Mt. Vernon, Feb. 28, 1844.