Francis H. Cone

Francis Hiram Cone (September 5, 1797 – May 18, 1859) was a judge of the Georgia Superior Courts and a Georgia State Senator, who is primarily remembered for fighting and severely wounding U.S. Representative and future Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens at the Atlanta Hotel in 1848.

Early life and career Francis H. Cone was born on September 5, 1797, to Joshua Cone and Chloe Chapman in East Haddam, Connecticut. He graduated from Yale University in 1818, and subsequently moved to Greene County, Georgia to practice law. During this time, Cone came to know Alexander Stephens, who practiced law in nearby Taliaferro County. On January 8, 1829, Cone married Jane Williams Cook, a ward of US Senator William Crosby Dawson.

In 1841, Cone was elected judge of the superior court of the Ocmulgee district. Four years later, he was elected to the position once again.

In September, Cone encountered Stephens on the piazza of the Thompson's Hotel in Atlanta. Cone approached Stephens and again demanded that he apologize, to which Stephens responded coldly. Cone proceeded to verbally insult Stephens, and in response, Stephens struck Cone in the face with his walking cane. The enraged Cone drew a knife and started slashing at Stephens. As Stephens was extremely small in stature, Cone immediately gained the advantage in the fight. Cone was eventually pulled away from Stephens' body by a crowd of bystanders, but not before he had stabbed Stephens six times.

Stephens was seriously wounded in the fight, and had to be immediately treated in the hotel. He was forced to stay in bed for several weeks, and never regained full use of his right hand.

Later life In 1856, Cone was elected State Senator of Georgia. He served three years before his death on May 18, 1859.