
Henry Dickerson McDaniel (4 September 1836 – 25 July 1926) was the Governor of Georgia from 10 May 1883 to 9 November 1886, succeeding James S. Boynton and preceding John Brown Gordon.
Biography[]
Henry Dickerson McDaniel was born in Monroe, Georgia on 4 September 1836, the son of a Mercer University professor. McDaniel graduated at the head of his class, establishing a law practice in his hometown and becoming the youngest delegate at Georgia's secession convention in 1861. McDaniel led the 11th Georgia Infantry at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War, and he was wounded on 11 July 1863 at Funkstown, Maryland and captured by the Union forces. After the war, McDaniel entered state politics as a US Democratic Party member, and he became Governor of Georgia after the death of Governor Alexander Stephens in 1883. He established the Georgia School of Technology, signed pro-temperance laws, and began construction on the State Capitol during his term. McDaniel returned to Monroe and died 40 years after leaving office, passing away at the age of 89.