The Georgia Historical Society recently processed two 1850s portraits that were donated to the collection by Tom Knapp of Salida, Colorado, on behalf of Frances Lewis Knapp.

“If you suddenly had to flee your house with only the items you could carry, what would you grab?” said Nate Pedersen, GHS Manager of the Archival and Reference Team. “For a lot of people, something like ‘family photos’ might make the cut.”

“It must have been the same for Elizabeth Southerland Haralson Overby, an Atlanta resident in 1864. As Sherman’s troops marched into Atlanta, Overby and her family fled the city. She grabbed two family portraits off the wall to bring with her, one of her husband, Judge Basil Hallam Overby, and one of her father, Major General Hugh Anderson Haralson. According to family lore, the portrait of Overby was slashed by a soldier’s bayonet in the chaos and later roughly repaired. The portraits subsequently passed down through the family, who eventually migrated west. Both portraits were donated to the Georgia Historical Society in 2023 by Tom Knapp of Salida, Colorado, on behalf of Frances Lewis Knapp.”

“After a dramatic departure from the state 159 years ago, the portraits have finally returned home,” Pedersen said.

Sitting against a dark background, Major General Hugh Anderson Haralson (1805-1854) is depicted from the waist up. Born in Greene County, Georgia, the University of Georgia graduate was admitted to the bar by a special act of legislature before he was twenty-one and practiced law throughout his life. Haralson also became involved in politics, serving in various roles throughout his career, including as a United States Representative from 1843 to 1851. Haralson County, Georgia, was named after him when it was formed in 1856, two years after his death. His eldest daughter, Elizabeth Sutherland Haralson, married Judge Basil Hallam Overby.

Similarly depicted, Judge Basil Hallam Overby’s (1814-1859) portrait was painted by William Harrison Scarborough around 1855. Overby, born in South Carolina, moved to Georgia as a young adult. He practiced law in Atlanta. In 1855, Overby ran for the office of the governor of Georgia and built his campaign solely on Prohibition.

Explore the Georgia Historical Society collection of portraits.

Image Credits:

“Judge Basil Hallam Overby portrait” Object. Savannah: circa 1855. From Georgia Historical Society: GHS 1361-AF-0641, Georgia Historical Society collection of portraits.https://7063.sydneyplus.com/archive/final/Portal/Default.aspx?component=AABC&record=ffc82897-3219-4fab-bbf0-350f169883c9.

“Major General Hugh Anderson Haralson portrait” Object. Savannah: circa 1852. From Georgia Historical Society: GHS 1361-AF-0642, Georgia Historical Society collection of portraits. https://7063.sydneyplus.com/archive/final/Portal/Default.aspx?component=AABC&record=baf6140e-0557-4bc6-a39b-f5d13c04012e.