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The other day I purchased from a used book store a copy of "The Life of Johnny Reb". The inscription inside the cover read, "Merry Christmas... To Dusty from Ralph 1952". On the first page was a second inscription that read, " For Olive Franklin, recalling a pleasant meeting in Detroit. Bell Irvin Wiley 23 Oct 59 ". I did'nt realize that Mr. Wiley had signed it until I got home. I glanced at it in the bookstore but thought it was a gift to the second owner of the book. After realizing this I quickly went back and purchased the companion piece, "The Life of Billy Yank". It bore the same inscriptions. The Billy Yank book was a first edition. Evidently "Ralph gave Dusty the set for Christmas.
The other thing that I discovered when I got home was a series of newspaper articles that chronicled the lives of the last remaining Civil War veterans. I'm assuming that this was done by "Rusty" and the practice was continued by the second owner, Olive. The first was an article from the Washington Star dated Sunday May 27, 1951.
ONCE 4 MILLION STRONG, ONLY 19 CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS REMAIN
By the Associated Press
There are the old soldiers of the old war. Once there were 4 million of them. Last year there were 43. Last March there were 26. Now there are only 19- a shrinking bridgehead in time.
They sit on their porches, smoke their pipes, nod drowsily to reporters who every year around this time come out to the Old Soldiers Home or the cabin up the road for a Memorial Day story.
Dutifully, the old soldiers give their annual advice on longevity. Patiently, they make the long journey to Shiloh, Getysburg, Vicksburg- to the last time Americans fought Americans.
Every year they remember a little less of the Civil War. Every year there are fewer of them to remember. Now, 86 years after Appomattox there are 12 Confederate and seven Union veterans left.
There were 20 until Friday. Then John A. Marcum, 98, the youngest of the survivors, died at Birta, Ark. He had served in Gen, Robert E. Lee's army in Virginia at the age of 9.
A final reunion will be held at NorfolkWednesday through Saturday.
Here is a sketch of each Civil War survivor:
CONFEDERATE
Thomas Evans Riddle, 105, Texas Confederate Home for Men. Spends time playing dominoes with attendant, listening to war news on the radio or taking a slow walk around the yard, using a cane.
A private in the 12th Tennesee Infantry, Mr. Riddle fought under Gen. Lee at Gettysburg. Made an honorary Texas Clonel 89 years later, along with State's other surviving Confederate veterans.
"People still argue about Gettysburg," Mr. Riddle says. "Some say as many as 2,000 were killed. But I know how many were killed. Thirteen, thats all. I was there and we buried every one of them right there in the field."
Walter W. Williams, 108, Franklin Tex., blind, almost totally deaf, rarely leaves front porch. Lives with 77 year old second wife, Ella Mae, on isolated farm quarter mile away from nearest neighbors, including some of their children. What do they do when they need help in a hurry?
"Why I just blow the cow horn," Mrs. Williams says. "Did that last winter when Walter caught the flu. My son came right over."
Mrs. Williams milks their cows, tends the chickens and horses, does her own gardening and planting and keeps up an orchard.
Mr. Williams served in Hood's calvary brigade as forage master, or chief of food scrounging department, in Mississippi. Death of first wife left him with seven children, three surviving. Second marriage in 1895 brought him 12 children, nine still alive.
Joseph Haden (Uncle Habe) Whitsett, 103, Bonham Tex., blind almost deaf and bedfasr. Up till three years ago enjoyed a noisy, knee-slapping round of checkers.
Served 13 months in Shelby's escort, Missouri Cavalry, but never fired a shot. "Only thing that bothered me in the whole war," he used to say, "was the creepers. Did you ever see a body louse? Well, in those days we called them creepers."
John Salling, 104, Slant Va., lives with daughter in mountain cabin. Teetrh gone but not sense of humor. Helps tend livestock. Daughter reports:
"Course he still likes a pretty girl. You ought to see the shines he cuts when he sees one coming up the road. When he gets a spoonful of likker in "im, he's equal to a Holston preacher. He can preach a sermon then."
Mr. Salling never got a Confederate uniform but when the boys in gray came through Scott county he joined them for a year. His job was digging saltpetre for gunpowder. Never out of State except for 75th Gettysburg Anniversary.
"Me and a coupla Yankees." he recalls, "set together and listened to President Roosevelt. He did'nt have nothin' to start from much, but he said he was going to see alight put up there that would burn forever,
"I set up close to one of them Yankee fellers and I said now ain't that amystery? This here Yankee took a drink of likker and said, "well, he won't never do it."
William D. Townsend, 105 Olla, La. walks without a cane, smokes battered pipe continuously. Ran away from home at 12, served with Confederates at Vicksburg where he was slightly wounded. Married his fourth wife 11 years ago. She's only 60 now.
On longevity: "Anything I thought was fun, I was ito it. I did a little drinking but never got drunk enough to kill anything or anybody. Even played the horses some.
John Greene Chisum, 103, resident of Jonesboro, Ark. lives with wife in abandoned house at old CCC camp. Joined Gen. Price's troops bivouacked near Newport, Ark. but memory of war is hazy. Suffered a stroke two years ago.
Reports his outfit still had plenty of fight left, when war ended. "My uncle, Tom Chisum," he recalls, " killed three men with a board the day we surrendered."
William W. Loudermilk, 103, resident of onesboro, Ark. for 70 years. At 16, he says, he joined Hood's Cavalry as a waterboy. Promoted to sharpshooter, fought at Chattanooga, Nashville, Marietta, and near Atlanta.
P>R> Crump, 103, Lincoln, Ala. Lives with grandson. Joined Confederates late in war. Recalls seeing Gen. Lee ride away to surrender to Gen. Grant at Appomattox in 1865. Three of his five daughters, all over 70, still living.
William Joshua Bush, 105, Fitzgerald, Ga. Served with Company B, 14th Georgia Regimant. Father and older brother also fought for South.
Arnold Murray, 104, Orangeburg, S>C>, live in cabin with son on farm several miles out of town.
"I volunteered when I was a youngster because my pa and brother were way up yonder somewhere in Virginia, fightin'. "They sent me to Sullivan's Island, near Charleston. I was only a trainee and the war ended before I could get into the fight."
William A. Lundy, 103, Laurel Hill , Fla., enlisted at 16 in Coffee County, Ala., Home Guards......
George Washington Keith, 102, Graceville, Fla.,enlisted in ome Guard company in Florida in 1863......
Column to be continued....
This column was interesting on many facets but especially that this was a time when insight into the war could be found firsthand, even though these men were failing.
The other thing that I discovered when I got home was a series of newspaper articles that chronicled the lives of the last remaining Civil War veterans. I'm assuming that this was done by "Rusty" and the practice was continued by the second owner, Olive. The first was an article from the Washington Star dated Sunday May 27, 1951.
ONCE 4 MILLION STRONG, ONLY 19 CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS REMAIN
By the Associated Press
There are the old soldiers of the old war. Once there were 4 million of them. Last year there were 43. Last March there were 26. Now there are only 19- a shrinking bridgehead in time.
They sit on their porches, smoke their pipes, nod drowsily to reporters who every year around this time come out to the Old Soldiers Home or the cabin up the road for a Memorial Day story.
Dutifully, the old soldiers give their annual advice on longevity. Patiently, they make the long journey to Shiloh, Getysburg, Vicksburg- to the last time Americans fought Americans.
Every year they remember a little less of the Civil War. Every year there are fewer of them to remember. Now, 86 years after Appomattox there are 12 Confederate and seven Union veterans left.
There were 20 until Friday. Then John A. Marcum, 98, the youngest of the survivors, died at Birta, Ark. He had served in Gen, Robert E. Lee's army in Virginia at the age of 9.
A final reunion will be held at NorfolkWednesday through Saturday.
Here is a sketch of each Civil War survivor:
CONFEDERATE
Thomas Evans Riddle, 105, Texas Confederate Home for Men. Spends time playing dominoes with attendant, listening to war news on the radio or taking a slow walk around the yard, using a cane.
A private in the 12th Tennesee Infantry, Mr. Riddle fought under Gen. Lee at Gettysburg. Made an honorary Texas Clonel 89 years later, along with State's other surviving Confederate veterans.
"People still argue about Gettysburg," Mr. Riddle says. "Some say as many as 2,000 were killed. But I know how many were killed. Thirteen, thats all. I was there and we buried every one of them right there in the field."
Walter W. Williams, 108, Franklin Tex., blind, almost totally deaf, rarely leaves front porch. Lives with 77 year old second wife, Ella Mae, on isolated farm quarter mile away from nearest neighbors, including some of their children. What do they do when they need help in a hurry?
"Why I just blow the cow horn," Mrs. Williams says. "Did that last winter when Walter caught the flu. My son came right over."
Mrs. Williams milks their cows, tends the chickens and horses, does her own gardening and planting and keeps up an orchard.
Mr. Williams served in Hood's calvary brigade as forage master, or chief of food scrounging department, in Mississippi. Death of first wife left him with seven children, three surviving. Second marriage in 1895 brought him 12 children, nine still alive.
Joseph Haden (Uncle Habe) Whitsett, 103, Bonham Tex., blind almost deaf and bedfasr. Up till three years ago enjoyed a noisy, knee-slapping round of checkers.
Served 13 months in Shelby's escort, Missouri Cavalry, but never fired a shot. "Only thing that bothered me in the whole war," he used to say, "was the creepers. Did you ever see a body louse? Well, in those days we called them creepers."
John Salling, 104, Slant Va., lives with daughter in mountain cabin. Teetrh gone but not sense of humor. Helps tend livestock. Daughter reports:
"Course he still likes a pretty girl. You ought to see the shines he cuts when he sees one coming up the road. When he gets a spoonful of likker in "im, he's equal to a Holston preacher. He can preach a sermon then."
Mr. Salling never got a Confederate uniform but when the boys in gray came through Scott county he joined them for a year. His job was digging saltpetre for gunpowder. Never out of State except for 75th Gettysburg Anniversary.
"Me and a coupla Yankees." he recalls, "set together and listened to President Roosevelt. He did'nt have nothin' to start from much, but he said he was going to see alight put up there that would burn forever,
"I set up close to one of them Yankee fellers and I said now ain't that amystery? This here Yankee took a drink of likker and said, "well, he won't never do it."
William D. Townsend, 105 Olla, La. walks without a cane, smokes battered pipe continuously. Ran away from home at 12, served with Confederates at Vicksburg where he was slightly wounded. Married his fourth wife 11 years ago. She's only 60 now.
On longevity: "Anything I thought was fun, I was ito it. I did a little drinking but never got drunk enough to kill anything or anybody. Even played the horses some.
John Greene Chisum, 103, resident of Jonesboro, Ark. lives with wife in abandoned house at old CCC camp. Joined Gen. Price's troops bivouacked near Newport, Ark. but memory of war is hazy. Suffered a stroke two years ago.
Reports his outfit still had plenty of fight left, when war ended. "My uncle, Tom Chisum," he recalls, " killed three men with a board the day we surrendered."
William W. Loudermilk, 103, resident of onesboro, Ark. for 70 years. At 16, he says, he joined Hood's Cavalry as a waterboy. Promoted to sharpshooter, fought at Chattanooga, Nashville, Marietta, and near Atlanta.
P>R> Crump, 103, Lincoln, Ala. Lives with grandson. Joined Confederates late in war. Recalls seeing Gen. Lee ride away to surrender to Gen. Grant at Appomattox in 1865. Three of his five daughters, all over 70, still living.
William Joshua Bush, 105, Fitzgerald, Ga. Served with Company B, 14th Georgia Regimant. Father and older brother also fought for South.
Arnold Murray, 104, Orangeburg, S>C>, live in cabin with son on farm several miles out of town.
"I volunteered when I was a youngster because my pa and brother were way up yonder somewhere in Virginia, fightin'. "They sent me to Sullivan's Island, near Charleston. I was only a trainee and the war ended before I could get into the fight."
William A. Lundy, 103, Laurel Hill , Fla., enlisted at 16 in Coffee County, Ala., Home Guards......
George Washington Keith, 102, Graceville, Fla.,enlisted in ome Guard company in Florida in 1863......
Column to be continued....
This column was interesting on many facets but especially that this was a time when insight into the war could be found firsthand, even though these men were failing.
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