Author and journalist Harry Stillwell Edwards was born in Macon, Georgia.

His formal education was cut short by the Civil War, but he read extensively in the Library of Congress while working as a clerk in the U. S. Treasury.

He returned home to Macon in 1874, studied law at Mercer University, and was admitted to the bar, but never actively practiced due to his passion for writing. He published several short stories and novels. He eventually became editor and owner of the the "Macon Telegraph."

The Harry Stillwell Edwards collection deals primarily with his projects and literary works.  The literary works consist of 19 books on-shelf in Special Collections and one in-box. The books and stories all display similar themes: a simple southerner, the rustic south, and typically a humorous misunderstanding.  However the collection also contains several newspaper articles, biographical content, and documentation of his involvement with the creation and minting of the Stone Mountain half dollar, which is kept in the director's office.

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