Clement A. Evans

GENERAL CLEMENT ANSELM EVANS, famous Georgian whose brilliant and devoted service on the field of battle for the Confederacy during the four years of the Civil War is well-known to Georgians. Atlanta Georgian, 12/19/1906, General Evans says:

"I enjoyed as a soldier the four Christmas seasons of the Confederate war in the immediate presence of the enemy without being engaged in battle or even in a skirmish. You ask, Did the Confederate soldiers observe and enjoy the Christmas season? Of course they did."

"I may also mention that my personal enjoyment of the Christmas of 1862 was increased by the visit to our army at Fredericksburg at that time of my eldest son, then about two months old, who was promptly enlisted for the war' in Co. E, Thirty-First Georgia Infantry, and was under fire in the first battle of the early spring, behaving very gallantly considering that he was not aware of any danger. The adjutant general of my brigade, Colonel Ned Lawton, an officer of rare merit whom I loved as a brother, was mortally wounded by my side in the midst of the Fredericksburg battle and the young recruit just referred to was named in his honor."

General Evans was born 1833 in Stewart Co., Ga. In 1880 he was a resident of Oak Street in Atlanta, according to the census. He was a graduate of the law school in Augusta, Georgia and was elected to the Senate at the age of 26, then a Major, then General, in the 31st Georgia Regiment. He m. (1) 2/8/1854 Stewart Co., 29., Mary A. Walton, and (2) 10/14/1886 Mrs. Sallie A. Howard, DeKalb Co., Ga.

When Jeff Davis, aged former President of the Confederacy, was in Atlanta on May 1, 1886, attending the unveiling ceremonies of the Ben Hill monument, the editor of the DeKalb Chronicle wrote on April 29th:

"Everybody in DeKalb, who can will go to Atlanta next Saturday to see Jeff Davis one more time before the Grand Old Man passes from earth to heaven. We hope on that day to hear the real, old fashion rebel yell, having never heard it. We reckon it will offend no one, but if so, let it offend."

A great column of veterans marched down Peachtree Street, and when the head of the column reached the platform, they opened ranks and left a lane between, for Mr. Davis' carriage. The second carriage contained Governor McDaniel, General Clement A. Evans, Mayor W. S. Reese of Montgomery, and Mayor George Hillyer of Atlanta. Many other carriages followed. It was General Clement A. Evan's soft, tender voice, which opened the exercises with prayer. Afterwards, the life-size statue of Senator Hill was unveiled, and ceremonies began. Children:

LAWTON B. EVANS b. 1863 in Georgia.
PAUL H. EVANS b. 1867 in Georgia.
CLEMENTS b. 1873 inFulton Co., Georgia.
MARTHA L. EVANS b. 1880 in Fulton County, Georgia.