Joseph "Henry" Persons (January 30, 1834 – June 17, 1910) was an American politician, lawyer and soldier.

Early life

Persons was born near Smarrs, Georgia, in Monroe County; however, his family moved to Talbot County, Georgia in 1836. He attended the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1855.

Civil War

During the American Civil War, Persons served as a cavalry captain in the Third Georgia regiment of the Confederate States Army.

Postbellum

After the war, he was elected as a Representative to the 46th United States Congress as an Independent Democrat. Persons lost his bid for re-election in 1880 and returned to Geneva, Georgia. He studied law, gained admittance to the state bar in 1885 and began practicing law in Talbotton, Georgia. After his political service, Persons served as a UGA trustee from 1894 until 1910. He died that year in Talbotton and was buried in that city's Rose Hill Cemetery.