Governor Stephen Heard | |
|---|---|
 A portrait of Governor Heard | |
| Governor of Georgia | |
| In office May 24, 1780 – August 18, 1781 | |
| Preceded by | Humphrey Wells |
| Succeeded by | Myrick Davies |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives | |
| In office 1779–1795 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Stephen Heard November 1, 1740 Hanover County, Virginia |
| Died | November 15, 1815 (aged 75) Heardmont, Elbert County, Georgia |
| Political party | American Whigs |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Germany (-1778), Elizabeth Darden Heard (August 25, 1785- November 11, 1815) |
| Residence | Heardmont |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Great Britain United States |
| Branch/service | Colonial Militia Continental Army |
| Years of service | 1754–63 (British Militia) 1775–79 (Continental Army) |
| Rank | -Collar_Insignia.svg){kind=small} Captain (Great Britain)
Lieutenant Colonel (United States) |
Stephen Heard (November 1, 1740 – November 15, 1815) was an American planter, politician and military officer who briefly served as president of Georgia and was sometimes called "governor". Born in Virginia, Heard fought in the French and Indian War in the Virginia militia under George Washington, then with his father and brother moved to the Georgia colony based on a land grant for such service, and built two forts in Wilkes County called "Fort Heard". During the American Revolutionary War Heard served as a lieutenant colonel in the Georgia militia under Lieutenant John Dooly.[1] He fought with Gen. Elijah Clarke at the Battle of Kettle Creek where he was captured but escaped. Voters elected Heard to the Georgia House of Representatives, where he served from 1779 to 1795 (the war officially ending in 1783). Heard's Fort was designated the seat of government for Georgia on February 3, 1780 and remained such until 1781, then developed into the town of Washington, Georgia (still the county seat). Fellow legislators elected Heard as the state's executive, where he served from May 24, 1780, until August 18, 1781. One source records Heard as resigning as president in 1782.[2]
- ^ Davis, Robert Scott (2006). "A Frontier for Pioneer Revolutionaries: John Dooly and the Beginnings of Popular Democracy in Original Wilkes County". Georgia Historical Quarterly. 90 (3). Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ^ Candler, Allen Daniel (1 January 1908). The Revolutionary Records of the State of Georgia ... Franklin-Turner Company. ISBN 9780404073008. Retrieved 27 July 2016 – via Google Books.