Remembering Stephens, 1812-1883

Alexander H. Stephens - February 11, 1812 - March 4, 1883

On February 11 each year we stop to remember the life of a legendary Georgia political leader. While it has become fashionable in these modern days to malign the character of the men who built this nation, particularly The South, we choose to focus on the entirety on their lives and their contributions before passing judgment.

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Alexander Hamilton Stephens was a moderating voice in American politics during some of its most heated years. While he is often (erroneously) lumped in with the secessionists, Stephens actually spent a large part of 1860 touring the state to appeal to cooler heads, begging them to prevail. He gave a level-headed address on the floor of the Georgia Capitol in Milledgeville, pleading with the delegates to the Secession Convention to act reasonably and seek to advance their grievances through Congress rather than the war he knew secession would start.

​During The War he communicated with the Lincoln Administration, searching for ways to bring peace and end the costly and tragic conflict.

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At the war’s close, as other Confederate leaders fled the nation or were caught trying, Stephens was found at his residence, playing cards in the parlor. With a military unit assembled on his lawn he calmly explained to the arresting officer “had you sent word for me, I’d have saved you a trip.”

After The War, Stephens returned to Congress where he continued to represent Georgia, despite continued failing health.

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He was approached by Alfred Colquitt and asked to run for governor to help reunify the Democratic Party, the only real political party in Georgia then. Colquitt knew that in a divisive time, Stephens could be a voice of reason. Stephens served as governor for only a few months before dying in office, March 4, 1883.

​Initially buried in a borrowed spot in a mausoleum in Atlanta’s Oakland Cemetery, Stephens’ body was relocated to his estate in Crawfordville where it rests today alongside his brother, Linton.

Stephens Represents Georgia In Statuary Hall, US Capitol, Washington

Portrait of Stephens, Georgia State Capitol

Engraving on the Stephens Monument, Liberty Hall, Crawfordville

Stephens’ Capstone, Placed By The Old Guard of the Gate City Guard