Thomas Echols Hightower

In 1860 he was a 16 year old on his father Joel W Hightower's large plantation at Octavia in Early County, GA. He enlisted as 2nd Sergeant of Company G, 13th Georgia Infantry on 5 August 1861.

He was wounded in action at Sharpsburg on 17 September 1862.

He was on furlough from 16 October 1862 to 13 March 1863. He was wounded by a gunshot to his right leg at Spotsylvania Court House, VA in May 1864. He was in a hospital in Richmond, VA to 28 (or 23) May then on furlough. He was elected 2nd Lieutenant on 9 July 1864 and was in command of his Company at the surrender at Appomattox Court House, VA on 9 April 1865.

From 1869 to at least 1920 he was a dry goods merchant and grocer at Damascus, Early County, GA, initially in a partnership with Giles D. Webb (1846-1911) as Webb & Hightower (1869-86), then on his own as Hightower & Co. He served "several terms" in the Georgia House and one in the Senate.

His service from his Compiled Service Records,1 online from fold3, also as Nicholas E Hightower, S.E. and T.E. Hightower, and from Henderson,2 as T.E. (Nick) Hightower. Personal details from family genealogists, the US Census of 1860 and 1880-1920, and his obituary in the Early County News of 20 August 1925, page 1, online from the Georgia Historic Newspapers database. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

He married C. Laura Herrington (1839-1924) and they had 8 children between 1859 and 1882.

05/21/1843 in GA

08/15/1925; Atlanta, GA; burial in Damascus Cemetery, Old Damascus, GA