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Allison Nelson
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 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (November 2025) |
Allison Nelson (March 11, 1822 – October 7, 1862) was the ninth mayor of Atlanta, serving from January until July 1855, when he resigned from office. He died of disease in Prairie County (present-day Lonoke County), Arkansas, during the American Civil War.
Key Information
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Early life
[edit]His father, John B. Nelson, was an early DeKalb County settler who operated Nelson's Ferry across the Chattahoochee River until murdered by John W. Davis in 1825.
Political career
[edit]In a close election for mayor, Nelson, running as a Democrat, defeated the Know Nothing candidate, Ira O. McDaniel, but resigned in July when the city council reduced a fine he had levied on two young men for destroying city property, thus leaving John Glen as the acting mayor. Nelson left for Kansas during the border disputes, then moved to Meridian, Texas, where he was involved with Indian affairs, serving under Lawrence S. Ross, and in 1860 was elected to the legislature.
Military service and death
[edit]During the Mexican–American War, Nelson served as a captain in the Kennesaw Rangers with another future mayor, Cicero C. Hammock, as well as the father of mayor John B. Goodwin – Williamson H. Goodwin. Nelson later served as a brigadier general under General Narciso López, in a failed attempt to free Cuba from Spain. He organized and served as colonel of the 10th Texas Infantry Regiment in the Confederate States Army. He was later promoted brigadier general but contracted typhus and died. He was buried in Mount Holly Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Legacy
[edit]Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery (established 1897) in Lonoke County, Arkansas, is named after him.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.
- Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts On File, 1988. ISBN 978-0-8160-1055-4.
- Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. ISBN 978-0-8071-0823-9.
- Allison Nelson from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Camp Nelson Cemetery
- TDGH - March 11
External links
[edit]- Allison Nelson at Find a Grave
- Birthplace of Allison Nelson historical marker
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry
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