born Sept. 7, 1815, Jefferson county, Ga., U.S.
died Oct. 9, 1868, New York, N.Y.
U.S. politician.
He served in the U.S. House of Representatives (184351, 185557), where he promoted Southern interests by supporting the annexation of Texas and the Mexican War. Nevertheless, he also supported the Compromise of 1850 , which was favoured by the North. He served as governor of Georgia (185153). He supported the presidential candidacy of James Buchanan , who appointed him secretary of the treasury (185760). An opponent of Abraham Lincoln , he became a spokesman for secession. He served as chairman of the convention called to organize the Confederacy, then organized his own regiment and led it to the front in the American Civil War .