Mitchell County was created from Baker County in 1857. The Act creating the county noted that it was named after General Henry Mitchell. He had been a state senator from Warren County, president of the Senate, a presidential elector, and commander of the Georgia troops after the Revolutionary War. The widely held view among historians, however, was that the county was named for General David B. Mitchell, who was twice governor of Georgia.

Camilla, the county seat, is named for General David Mitchell’s daughter. Pelham was named for Major John Pelham, the “boy artillerist” who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Kelly’s Ford in 1863.