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Georgia: State Governors: 1779-1865

Chairman (President) of the Committee
8 Jan 1779 - 21 Jan 1779 no presiding officer recorded [1]
President of the Executive Council
21 Jan 1779 - 24 Jul 1779 William Glascock
President pro tempore of the Supreme Executive Council
24 Jul 1779 - 6 Aug 1779 Seth John Cuthbert
President of the Supreme Executive Council
6 Aug 1779 - 4 Jan 1780 John Wereate
Captain General, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the State of Georgia
before 29 Nov 1779 - 7 Jan 1780 George Walton [2]
7 Jan 1780 - 23 May 1780 Richard Howly [3]
President of the Executive Council
23 May 1780 - ? ? 1781 Stephen Heard [4]
Captain General, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the State of Georgia
18 Aug 1781 - 3 Jan 1782 Nathan Brownson
3 Jan 1782 - 8 Jan 1783 John Martin
8 Jan 1783 - 9 Jan 1784 Lyman Hall
9 Jan 1784 - 7 Jan 1785 John Houstoun 
7 Jan 1785 - 10 Jan 1786 Samuel Elbert
10 Jan 1786 - 8 Jan 1787 Edward Telfair
8 Jan 1787 - 16 Jan 1788 George Matthews
President of the Executive Council (ex officio)
16 Jan 1788 - 26 Jan 1788 George Handley [5]
Captain General, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the State of Georgia
26 Jan 1788 - 7 Jan 1789 George Handley 
7 Jan 1789 - 11 Nov 1789 George Walton
Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the State of Georgia
11 Nov 1789 - 7 Nov 1793 Edward Telfair 
7 Nov 1793 - 15 Jan 1796 George Mathews 
15 Jan 1796 - 12 Jan 1798 Jared Irwin
12 Jan 1798 - 30 May 1798 James Jackson
Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the State of Georgia and of the Militia thereof
30 May 1798 - 3 Mar 1801 James Jackson 
President of the Senate and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the State of Georgia and of the Militia thereof
3 Mar 1801 - 7 Nov 1801 David Emanuel
Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the State of Georgia and of the Militia thereof
7 Nov 1801 - 4 Nov 1802 Josiah Tattnall, Jr.
4 Nov 1802 - 23 Sep 1806 John Milledge
President of the Senate and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the State of Georgia and of the Militia thereof
23 Sep 1806 - 7 Nov 1806 Jared Irwin 
Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the State of Georgia and of the Militia thereof
7 Nov 1806 - 10 Nov 1809 Jared Irwin 
10 Nov 1809 - 5 Nov 1813 David Brydie Mitchell
5 Nov 1813 - 10 Nov 1815 Peter Early
10 Nov 1815 - 4 Mar 1817 David Brydie Mitchell 
President of the Senate and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the State of Georgia and of the Militia thereof
4 Mar 1817 - 7 Nov 1817 William Rabun
Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the State of Georgia and of the Militia thereof
7 Nov 1817 - 24 Oct 1819 William Rabun 
President of the Senate and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the State of Georgia and of the Militia thereof
24 Oct 1819 - 5 Nov 1819 Matthew Talbot
Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the State of Georgia and of the Militia thereof
5 Nov 1819 - 7 Nov 1823 John Clark
7 Nov 1823 - 7 Nov 1827 George Michael Troup
7 Nov 1827 - 4 Nov 1829 John Forsyth
4 Nov 1829 - 9 Nov 1831 George Rockingham Gilmer
9 Nov 1831 - 4 Nov 1835 Wilson Lumpkin
4 Nov 1835 - 8 Nov 1837 William Schley
8 Nov 1837 - 6 Nov 1839 George Rockingham Gilmer 
6 Nov 1839 - 8 Nov 1843 Charles James McDonald
8 Nov 1843 - 3 Nov 1847 George Walker Crawford
3 Nov 1847 - 5 Nov 1851 George Washington Towns
5 Nov 1851 - 9 Nov 1853 Howell Cobb [6]
9 Nov 1853 - 6 Nov 1857 Herschel Vespasian Johnson
6 Nov 1857 - 9 May 1865 Joseph Emerson Brown [7]

[1] The Committee was elected (7 Jan 1779) by a Convention, probably a body consisting of a minority of the House of Assembly unable to achieve a quorum. The Committee held its inaugural session on 8 Jan 1779 and elected a President ("Chairman" in the minutes) whose name was not recorded (Georgia Revolutionary Records, 1:401-402; 2:129).
[2] In opposition to the Supreme Executive Council.
[3] Howly was elected to the office of Governor for the term term ending in Jan 1781 and was also elected to represent Georgia in the Continental Congress. Howly attended the meetings of the Executive Council of the State of Georgia to 23 May 1780 when he was given instructions to "retire to some place of safety" and never resumed exercising his functions. He took his seat in Congress on 6 Jul 1780. His term as Governor is presumed to have expired in Jan 1781.
[4] Heard was elected President of the Executive Council on 22 Feb 1780.
[5] Pending the swearing-in of James Jackson who declined to accept the election (Jackon was elected by the General Assembly on 7 Jan 1788; the message of Jackson was submitted to the General Assembly on 21 Jan 1788).
[6] Also in the Confederate States of America.
[7] Brown ceased to exercise the functions of office upon his capture by the armed forces of the United States, at Milledgeville, Georgia. His letter of resignation is dated 29 Jun 1865, Milledgeville.