Senate in 1877. He was named the first chairman of the new Georgia Railroad Commission, serving a 6-year term. Returning to his legal career, his former Civil War commander, John B. Gordon appointed him as Judge of the Chattahoochee Circuit of the Superior Court from 1888 until 1890. Personal life, death and legacy Smith was married twice, first to Sally Marshall Welborn, then after her death to Hester Ann R. Brown. Smith died on November 25, 1890. He was buried in Alta Vista Cemetery in Gainesville, Georgia. The Atlanta Constitution eulogized James Milton Smith as "one of the boldest and most fearless men in the history of Georgia." The James M. Smith Science Hall at the State Normal School in Athens was named for him. See also List of speakers of the Georgia House of Representatives References External links Photo Gallery of Georgia Governors Two Georgia Governors 1823 births 1890 deaths People from Twiggs County, Georgia Confederate States Army officers Members of the Confederate House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) 19th-century American politicians American white supremacists Democratic Party governors of Georgia (U.S. state) History of Atlanta