WARD, John Elliott, lawyer, born in Sunbury, Liberty County, Georgia, 2 October, 1814. He entered Amherst in 1831, but left on account of the indignation that was manifested toward Georgians after the imprisonment of two Cherokee missionaries, studied law in Savannah, Georgia, and was admitted to the bar in 1835. He attended the lectures in the Harvard law-school before beginning practice, and on his return to Savannah was appointed, in January, 1836, solicitor-general for the eastern district of his state, to fill an unexpired term, at the close of which the legislature continued him in the office. He was appointed United States district attorney for Georgia in 1838, but resigned in the following year in order to enter the state legislature. He returned to the house in 1845 and in 1853, when he was chosen speaker, and in 1854 was elected mayor of Savannah. In 1856 he presided over the Democratic national convention that met in Cincinnati, in 1857 he entered the state senate, and was chosen its president and acting lieutenant-governor of the state, resigning in 1858 on being appointed United States minister to China. He departed for his post in January, 1859, and remained till April, 1861, when he returned and resigned in consequence of the adoption by Georgia of the ordinance of secession, although he was strongly opposed to that measure. In January, 1866, he removed from Savannah to New York city, where he has since practised law.