Edward Fenwick Tattnall

Edward Fenwick Tattnall (June 3, 1788 – November 21, 1832) was an American politician, soldier, and lawyer who represented Georgia in the United States House of Representatives during the early decades of the nineteenth century. Born in Savannah, Georgia, on June 3, 1788, he was a member of a prominent Georgia family and spent part of his youth abroad. He was educated in England, an experience that provided him with a formal grounding in the law and the liberal education typical of the period, preparing him for a career in public service upon his return to the United States.

After completing his education and returning to Georgia, Tattnall read law and entered the legal profession. His abilities as a lawyer and his standing in the community led to his appointment as solicitor general of Georgia, a senior prosecutorial office, in November 1816. He held that position until September 1817, during which time he was responsible for representing the state in criminal matters and advising on legal questions of public concern. His work as solicitor general helped establish his reputation as a capable attorney and public official in Savannah and the surrounding region.

Tattnall’s legal career soon broadened into legislative service at the state level. He was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, serving in 1818 and 1819. In the state legislature he participated in debates over Georgia’s internal development and the broader political issues of the post–War of 1812 era. His service in the Georgia House of Representatives further increased his visibility and influence in state politics and laid the groundwork for his subsequent election to national office.

In addition to his legal and political pursuits, Tattnall was active in military affairs and local defense. He served as first captain of the Savannah Volunteer Guards, a prominent militia company in Savannah. In this role he bore responsibility for the training, discipline, and readiness of the unit, reflecting both his leadership within the community and the importance of citizen-soldiers in the early republic. His militia service complemented his public career and contributed to his standing as a soldier as well as a lawyer and legislator.

Tattnall entered national politics as a member of the Jackson Party and the broader Democratic-Republican tradition that dominated Georgia in the 1820s. He was elected as a Democratic-Republican Representative from Georgia to the Seventeenth Congress and took his seat on March 4, 1821. He was subsequently reelected to the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Congresses and was again chosen for the Twentieth Congress, giving him four consecutive terms in office. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by growing sectional tensions, debates over internal improvements, tariffs, and the expanding role of the federal government. As a member of the Jackson Party representing Georgia, Edward Fenwick Tattnall contributed to the legislative process during his four terms in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Tattnall served in Congress from March 4, 1821, until his resignation in 1827, which occurred before the formal start of the Twentieth Congress to which he had been reelected. During his tenure he aligned with the emerging Jacksonian movement that supported Andrew Jackson and advocated for a more populist, states’ rights–oriented vision of national policy. Although detailed records of his individual speeches and votes are limited, his repeated reelection indicates sustained support from Georgia voters and a recognized role in advancing their concerns at the national level during a transformative era in American politics.

After leaving Congress, Tattnall returned to Savannah, where he continued to be regarded as a leading figure in legal, civic, and military circles. He remained associated with the community in which he had been born and had built his career, maintaining the social and political connections that had characterized his life in public service. His later years were spent in his native city, where he continued to be identified with the legal profession and the legacy of his legislative and military service.

Edward Fenwick Tattnall died in Savannah, Georgia, on November 21, 1832. He was buried in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, a resting place for many of the city’s notable citizens. His career as an attorney, state legislator, militia officer, and four-term member of the United States House of Representatives placed him among the significant Georgia political figures of the early nineteenth century, and his life reflected the intertwined legal, military, and political paths common to public men of his generation.