Daniel Newnan

Biography

Daniel Newnan (c. 1780 – January 16, 1851) was an American politician and physician.

Born in Salisbury, North Carolina, around 1780, Newnan attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1796 and 1797. He was commissioned as an ensign and second lieutenant in the Fourth United States Infantry on March 3, 1799, promoted to first lieutenant the following November and resigned on January 1, 1801. During the Creek War, Newnan commanded a group of Georgia Volunteers, he fought the British at the Battle of Fort Peter and was a major general over the third division of the Georgia Militia in 1817.

From 1823 to 1825, Newnan was the superintendent over the Georgia State Penitentiary. From 1825 to 1827, he served as the Secretary of State of Georgia. In 1828, the city of Newnan, Georgia was named in his honor. Newnan was elected as a Jacksonian Representative of Georgia to the 22nd United States Congress and served one term from March 4, 1831, until March 3, 1833, as he lost his bid for reelection in 1832 to the 23rd Congress. He died near Rossville, Georgia, on January 16, 1851, and was buried in the Newnan Springs Churchyard in Georgia.