William as well. George's father was a practicing attorney and George availed himself to the well-stocked personal library of his father while homeschooling his education. Peter Crawford also entered Georgia politics himself – beginning as Columbia County's first clerk of courts and becoming a 10-term representative in the state legislature. George Crawford's cousin, William H. Crawford, was also becoming well known for his political service, and was the subject of local legend for two famous duels he had been a principal of. George Crawford built on his homeschooling at the College of New Jersey's school of law (later becoming Princeton University). Crawford graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1820, and subsequently completed an internship under the tutelage of Richard Henry Wilde. Crawford was licensed to practice law in 1822, and started a legal practice in Augusta partnering with Henry H. Cumming. He went on to obtain a master's degree from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, the founding college of the University of Georgia. After graduating Franklin, Crawford served from 1824 to 1825, as a second lieutenant in the 10th Regiment of the Georgia Militia. In 1826, George Crawford married Mary Ann MacIntosh, having four children of the marriage: William Peter, Sarah MacIntosh, Anna Elizabeth, and Charles. George W. Crawford embarked on his political career the following year, accepting a gubernatorial appointment to become Georgia's attorney general. Attorney General of Georgia Governor John Forsyth appointed Crawford to succeed Thomas F. Wells as Georgia's attorney general in 1827. The following year, Crawford challenged Georgia state legislator Thomas E. Burnside, Ambrose Burnside's uncle, to a duel over published defamation Burnside had written about Crawford's father. The code duello When George Crawford read the anonymous letter to the editor published in The Augusta Chronicle he was incensed by the prose – sharply criticizing the political views of his father, then declining in health. Crawford regarded it as an attack on his father's good name. Crawford demanded the newspaper editor give him the author's name but the editor refused, protecting Burnside's identity by telling Crawford the letter was from a woman, and that for this reason, he would not release the person's name. Inexplicably, Burnside contacted Crawford telling him that he was the author. Crawford immediately challenged Burnside to a duel which Burnside accepted, although with reluctance. The code duello was waning in vogue but it was still held as a measure which