The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-23
PORTRAIT OF SHORTER
LIKENESS OF WAR GOVERNOR
 PLACED IN ARCHIVES.
Picture of John CHI Shorter Done in Oil Presented to Director Owen by Mrs. Wiliingham of
 Georgia.

A handsome oil portrait of John Gill Shorter. one of the war Governors or Alabama, was received yesterday by the State Department of Archives and His tory from Mrs. Mary Shorter Wiling ham of Macon, Ga, only surviving child of Governor Shorter.
 The picture Is the original life size and shows a bust of Governor Shorter. It VIII be hung in the Senate Chamber along with pictures of other distinguished Ala bamians.
 John Gill Shorter was born In Monte- cello, Jasper County, Ga, April 23, ISIS, and was graduated at the University of that State .n 1ss7. Ills father. the late Gen. Reuben sC. Shorter, removed to Ala bama and settled at Eufaula (then Irwin ton1, in 1886. Ills mother was Mary Gill of Hancock County Ga.
 After course of law studies, he was admitted to the bar in 1888. He was app pointed in 1s42 by Governor Fitzpatrick. Solicitor of the judicial circuit in which he resided, to i'll a vacancy.
 Tn 1S45 Governor Shorter was sent to the Senate. being the first Senator elect ed from Barbour County after its -sep- aration from Russell. He was not again a candidate until 1s5t when he was elect ed to the House. During that session, Hon. George Goldthwaite was promoted from the Circuit to the bench of the Su- prerne Court and soon after the adjourn ment, Governor Collier appointed Gov ernor Shorter Judge of the Circuit Court to fill the vacancy. He was elected to the office by the people of his circuit in 1852. and reelected without opposition after a service of six years--in all, nine years on the bench.
 When the secession convention of Geor- gia was sitting. in January. 1861, Cover nor Shorter appeared before 1t as a commissioner from Alabama. He was a member of the Provisional Congress. and, in 1881. was brought forward as a candi- date for Governor and was elected with out any regular opposition In 1863 he was defeated in a contest for reelection by
 Hon. Thomas H. Watts, who had been the Attorney General of the Confederate States.
 Garrett's Public Men of Alabama" says:
 Tn justice to Governor Shorter. 1t may be said that 1t was utterly impossible for any man to fulfill the public expec- tations and to satisfy all complaints dur ing the war. So many difficult questions arose as the war progressed touching conscription, quota of State troops for the Confederate service, tax in kind for the support of the army, revenue and specific tax In kind for the support of the army, a revenue ana SpeclHc tax unQer acts of Congress a tax for the support of the State government, and for the re- demption of it's bonds .and the general supervision of State affairs. complicated by the war-all these endorsements to the Executive produced feeling of pop ular dissatisfaction which probably no wisdom could have prevented, under the circumstances. The sentence against him was harsh indeed. and 1t is believed that it was uncailed for and unauthorized on the principle of justice. Governor Short CT was a man of more than ordinary abilities, of considerable experience in public life and his honor was spotless. His administration was a good one. all the difficulties in his pathway fairly con- sidered."
 Governor Shorter was wealthy and pious. being a mf mber Of the Baptist Church. His wife was q daughter of Dr. Cullen Battle of Barbour and a sister of Gen. Charles Battle now of Raleigh, N. c. Tn addition to large planting in- terest after he left the executive office, he pursued the practice of the law at His death occurred at Eufaula May 20. 1872.
 Governor Shorter was an uncle of Mrs. | W. D. Jell1s and a brother of Eli Shorter
 who was an Alabama Congressman, Reu- ben Shorter, 8 distinguished lawyer, and
 of Henry R. Shorter. some time. 0 mem-
 Der of the Alabama Railroad Commission.