Logan Edwin Bleckley
Encyclopedia
Logan Edwin Bleckley was an American
lawyer
and jurist
.
Born in 1827 on Screamer Mountain
in Rabun County
, Georgia
, Bleckley became a self-taught lawyer. At age eleven, he started working in his father's office (Clerk of the Court in Clayton
. He was admitted to the bar in 1846 at age nineteen. During this period of his life, he authored a state bill
that outlawed the imprisonment of women for debt and worked with state legislators to have it passed into law.
Two years later, he became a bookkeeper for the State Railroad Office in Atlanta, Georgia
. In 1851, he was appointed as a secretary to the governor of Georgia, George W. Towns
in Milledgeville
(the capital of Georgia at that time), but he left later that year when the new governor, Howell Cobb
took office. Bleckley opened his own practice in Atlanta in 1852 at the age of twenty-four.
Bleckley partnered with Basil H. Overby in 1854 to form the firm of Bleckley and Overby. The following year, they added John Brown Gordon
, but he left in 1856 to pursue other interests. An interesting note is that all three gentlmen married daughters of General Hugh A. Haralson
, a former major general in the state militia, a state congresstional representative
and a U.S. representative
for the state of Georgia. Bleckley married Clara Caroline Haralson, the General's third daughter. Their son, Haralson Bleckley, became an architect
and designed the University of Georgia
Library Building built in 1904.
In 1857, Bleckley was elected to the office of Solicitor General in his judicial circuit covering eight counties and served in that capacity for the next fours years while still maintaining his practice.
In 1861, Bleckley briefly joined the Confederate Army but was discharged due to health reasons and returned to his law practice in Atlanta. He was appointed to office of Supreme Court of Georgia Reporter
in 1864. He resigned that position in 1867 and returned to his private practice.
In 1875, he was appointed an Associate Justice
of the Supreme Court of Georgia by his former law partner, John Brown Gordon, the governor of Georgia at the time. He resigned in 1880. When presiding Chief Justice
James Jackson
died, Bleckley was appointed as the Chief Justice of the court in 1887 and presided until his resignation in 1894.
Bleckley died in Clarkesville
, Georgia on March 6, 1907 and is buried at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta. Bleckley County
is named in his honor.
His son, Logan Bleckley Jr. would later be appointed the first Clerk of Court
to the Georgia Court of Appeals
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
.
Born in 1827 on Screamer Mountain
Screamer Mountain
Screamer Mountain is a mountain in Rabun County, Georgia near Clayton, Georgia and is the birthplace of Logan E. Bleckley. Screamer Mountain has an elevation of 3,000 feet. The entire mountain was purchased in 1971 by Modern States Life Insurance Co....
in Rabun County
Rabun County, Georgia
Rabun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 15,050. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 16,519...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Bleckley became a self-taught lawyer. At age eleven, he started working in his father's office (Clerk of the Court in Clayton
Clayton, Georgia
Clayton is a city in Rabun County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,019 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Rabun County and is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains.-History:...
. He was admitted to the bar in 1846 at age nineteen. During this period of his life, he authored a state bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
that outlawed the imprisonment of women for debt and worked with state legislators to have it passed into law.
Two years later, he became a bookkeeper for the State Railroad Office in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. In 1851, he was appointed as a secretary to the governor of Georgia, George W. Towns
George W. Towns
George Washington Bonaparte Towns was a United States lawyer, legislator, and politician.Towns was born in Wilkes County, Georgia to Margaret George Hardwick and John Towns in 1801...
in Milledgeville
Milledgeville, Georgia
Milledgeville is a city in and the county seat of Baldwin County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is northeast of Macon, located just before Eatonton on the way to Athens along U.S. Highway 441, and it is located on the Oconee River. The relatively rapid current of the Oconee here made this an...
(the capital of Georgia at that time), but he left later that year when the new governor, Howell Cobb
Howell Cobb
Howell Cobb was an American political figure. A Southern Democrat, Cobb was a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives and Speaker of the House from 1849 to 1851...
took office. Bleckley opened his own practice in Atlanta in 1852 at the age of twenty-four.
Bleckley partnered with Basil H. Overby in 1854 to form the firm of Bleckley and Overby. The following year, they added John Brown Gordon
John Brown Gordon
John Brown Gordon was one of Robert E. Lee's most trusted Confederate generals during the American Civil War. After the war, he was a strong opponent of Reconstruction and is thought by some to have been the titular leader of the Ku Klux Klan in Georgia during the late 1860s. A member of the...
, but he left in 1856 to pursue other interests. An interesting note is that all three gentlmen married daughters of General Hugh A. Haralson
Hugh A. Haralson
Hugh Anderson Haralson was an American farmer and lawyer from Lagrange, Georgia. He represented Georgia in the U.S. Congress from 1843 to 1851. He was the father-in-law of the famous Confederate General John Gordon....
, a former major general in the state militia, a state congresstional representative
Georgia House of Representatives
The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly of the U.S. state of Georgia.-Composition:...
and a U.S. representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for the state of Georgia. Bleckley married Clara Caroline Haralson, the General's third daughter. Their son, Haralson Bleckley, became an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and designed the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
Library Building built in 1904.
In 1857, Bleckley was elected to the office of Solicitor General in his judicial circuit covering eight counties and served in that capacity for the next fours years while still maintaining his practice.
In 1861, Bleckley briefly joined the Confederate Army but was discharged due to health reasons and returned to his law practice in Atlanta. He was appointed to office of Supreme Court of Georgia Reporter
Reporter of decisions
The Reporter of Decisions is the official responsible for publishing the decisions of a court. Traditionally, the decisions were published in books known as case reporters or law reports...
in 1864. He resigned that position in 1867 and returned to his private practice.
In 1875, he was appointed an Associate Justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
of the Supreme Court of Georgia by his former law partner, John Brown Gordon, the governor of Georgia at the time. He resigned in 1880. When presiding Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
James Jackson
James Jackson (congressman)
James Jackson was a United States Representative from Georgia, a judge advocate in the American Civil War, and a chief justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. Jackson was also a trustee of the University of Georgia...
died, Bleckley was appointed as the Chief Justice of the court in 1887 and presided until his resignation in 1894.
Bleckley died in Clarkesville
Clarkesville, Georgia
Clarkesville is a city located in the center of Habersham County, Georgia. It is also the county seat.-Geography:Clarkesville is located at ....
, Georgia on March 6, 1907 and is buried at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta. Bleckley County
Bleckley County, Georgia
Bleckley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population is 11,666. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 12,306. The county seat is Cochran.- History :...
is named in his honor.
His son, Logan Bleckley Jr. would later be appointed the first Clerk of Court
Court clerk
A court clerk is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining the records of a court. Another duty is to administer oaths to witnesses, jurors, and grand jurors...
to the Georgia Court of Appeals
Georgia Court of Appeals
The Georgia Court of Appeals is the intermediate-level appellate court for the U.S. state of Georgia.-Founding of the court:The genesis of the Court of Appeals began with a report by the State Bar of Georgia in 1895, suggesting that the Georgia State Legislature create a new intermediate appellate...
.