FOSTER, Thomas Flournoy, lawyer, born in Greensborough, Georgia, 23 November 1790; died in Columbus, Georgia, in 1847. He was graduated at Franklin College in 1812, attended law lectures in Litchfield, Connecticut, was admitted to the bar in 1816, and practiced in Greensborough. He was for many years a member of the Georgia legislature. In 1828 he was elected a representative in congress, and was twice reelected. In 1835 he removed to Columbus, and in 1841 was again sent to congress, and served out his term. He delivered a notable speech in defense of state rights, in answer to a memorial for the release of the missionaries Worcester and Butler, who were imprisoned under a judgment of the state courts, and still held in custody, although the Supreme Court of the United States had reversed the decision. This speech was published (Washington, 1832). He took a prominent part in the controversy over the removal of the deposits from the U. S. bank, and in other questions before congress.