Does anyone have any data on this Georgia Harris Family? Does anyone know if this John Harris was a Georgia senator as stated? This data comes from the book "The New Jersey Branch of the Harris Family, Sarah Harris Kiefer, 1888. JOHN HARRIS, son of Joseph Harris and Martha RYAN was born 01 Dec 1802 in Washington County, PA. He was educated in the common schools of those days, but having a strong desire for education, he entered as a student and graduated at Washington College in Washington County, Pa., in 1827. After graduation he went south and taught school in South Carolina for one or two years. From there he went to Covington, Georgia where he became acquainted with, and married Susan Ann Henderson of Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 8 December 1831. They had eleven children ---six sons and five daughters. In Covington, Georgia, Mr. Harris went into merchandising for a while then gave it up and bought a farm and a number of Negroes, and commenced raising and buying cotton, which occupation he followed the rest of his life. He was a man who took an active part in politics and in Masonry. He took a great deal of interest in institutions of learning. He shared the first honors with Henry R. Wise who was afterwards Governor of the State of Virginia. He was a man of considerable consequence in Georgia. He held many offices of trust and honor. He was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the State of Georgia for six years. He was in the Legislature a number of times, and at one time a President of a bank. His life was mainly devoted to farming and buying cotton, in which he amassed quite a fortune. He owned 140 slaves at one time, but almost everything he had was swept away by the consequences of the war. He made himself very unpopular in the section in which he lived, during the war, ! by his firm Union principles. He was always a Republican, and after the war was over, he was elected Senator to the Legislature from his district, in spite of the great opposition to him. He was a very well informed man, and a man of great energy and resolution, and a very fine conversationalist. He was a large, robust man, weighing from 225 to 240 pounds. He was afflicted with apoplexy, and the last attack he had caused his death. He died 16 June 1878. I found John Harris and family on the 1840 Census, Newton County with wife and two children both under five years of age. 1. John P. Harris b. 17 Feb 1836 m. 1st Susie E. SLACK 6 Jne 1860 d. 7 Mar 1863 m. 2nd Lucy C. ANDERSON 30 Nov 1865 d. 26 Oct 1869 m. 3rd Elizabeth A. GROVES 14 Jne 1871 2. Martha Harris b. 29 Aug 1838 d. 1841 3. Joseph Harris b. 4 Jne 1842 4. Isaac P. Harris b. 4 Nov 1844 m. Susan EVANS Jan 1866 5. Susan Ann Harris b. 12 Sep 1847 twins 6. William Harris b. 12 Sep 1847 d. 24 Nov 1877 m. Virginia E. DANIELS 8 June 1873 7. Aerie Melissa Harris b. 20 Feb 1849 d. 31 Aug 1882 m. Jacob A. HENRY 19 Feb 1878 8. Henry Harris b. 10 Aug 1851 d. young 9. Sarah (Sallie) Eudocia Harris b. 8 Feb 1853 m. Bliss ANDERSON Dec 1872 10. Jack Nehemiah Harris b. 11 Oct 1855 11. Dora Adel Harris b. 12 May 1858