St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-12
TOOMBs IN OLD AGE.
Some Interesting Incidents In the Life
of the Celebrated Southern Fire
Eater--HOw He Came to Be
a Convert to Method
ism.

the district Methodist Conference at Harmo-
ny Grove, mark new era in his life, writes
a correspondent from Augusta, GA, to the
Louisville Comr.er-Journal. 1t is an era in
strange contras with the stormy career OF
one of the most brilliant men American has
ever produced, and is the closing scene in
biography which must soon become COM
plete volume
The manner of his conversion was char
acterfstic of the man. Bishop George f.
Pierce has been a college-ma ate of Toombs.
Together these two young students-the one
from Wilkes County, the other from Greene;
the one the petted, self-willed son of sub
stantial gentleman, the other the thoughtful
child of a laborious Methodist minister-pur-
sued their studies, winning scholastic victor
les, yet by different methods. With Toombs,
the answers came instinctively: with Pierce,
it required the burning of the midnight oil.
Toombs was ever under the rod of correction,
which, tradition tells us, required his remoy-
al to Princeton and even there his rebelious
spirit would brook no dictation. Pierce
turned his back upon the friyolities of youth,
and engaged In the revival services in the
little church of which his father, Lovic
Pierce, was pastor.
Yet Toombs and Pierce were the closets of
friends, and in the long career which subse-
quently opened to both of them, in which
one dritted into politics, and became the
maelstrom of one of the most exciting cpl
sodes of history, and tho other found prefer
ment in the church, becoming an honored
bishop, there never ceased for moment that
attachment born of college association.
Meeting Bishop Pierce one day about year
ago religion was mentioned
George exclaimed Toombs, impetuous-
ly, II want you to baptize me. When l am
dead / do not want these young men who
drift SO naturally into infdelity to claim me
as an unbeliever.''o
This determination caused sensation
throughout the state. 1t sent astonshment
through that class which laughs at holy things,
while it brought joy to.every christian heart.
Once more there was tender feeling for
Toombs such as had not been felt since the
days when he was the pride Of Georgia man
hood. It was tenderness more full of SYM
pathy than ever went out to him before.
When the appointed Sunday came it found
the old statesman, surrounded by his neigh
bors OF fifty years, among whom was his
brother, whose JOY at the event about to take
place found vent in tears. Toombs him
self was affected, and for once found hest.
tatiancy in speech when Bishop Pierce, taking
him by the hand, greeted him as a brother in
in Christ.
Toombs great grief, leading up to this pro
fession of faith, was great bereavement.
Full fifty years before the handsome young
chevalier won the heart and hand of Miss
Sarah Du Bose, a lady distinguished for her
accomplishments and family name. Ever
after she was indeed his better half. She
went with him on his political missions; sh e
was with him on his tours of observation, and
she was his confidential friend in the fullest
meaning of the word in all his Transactions.
When he entered congress she went with
him, and the home life which the pair enjoyed
in the quaint little village of Washington
was maintained in the greater Washington
which was the scene of his political triumphs,
The two grew old together, more like coup
lie of confiding children than like the people
of the world They always kept faith with
each other. Mrs. Toombs had been for years
a membes of the Methodist church. 1t was
Mr. Toombs habit, when speaking iocularly,
to claim that he was in consequence broth
er-in-law to the church. With increasing
age came failing health. The fond wife was
kindly, tenderly nursed by her distinguished
husband. When they went to their Clarks
vile Mountain home, in the early spring of,
year ago, Mrs. Toombs was living her last
days. Her death was the great blow which
sobered Toombs. His thoughts turned from
the grave to God, and he made his peace.
Looking the other day from the bent figure
which stood the other day on Greene street,
though yet bearing traces of former years,
one instinctively turns to the prints which
give the shadow of the Toombs of 1855. He
was then in the zenith of his physical beauty
and intellectual strength He had already
won the attention of the republic; his fiery
eloquence had made him hated in the home
of abolitionism as he was worshiped by his
followers in the south. When he spoke
nation listened. With the impetuosity of
Niagara, he precipitated the events which led
to the great struggle in which cannon took
the place of the ballot. From the confeder-
ate senate and the cabinet of Jefferson Davis
he sought post in the field, esteeming that
the place of every man was in the front. The
quantities however, which made him formid-
able in debate made him weak in the field.
He was not Born to obey. General Toombs
was not destined to become one of the mill
tary heroes of the age. The stories of his
slider himself under arrest are numerous,
some of them incredible were they not
vouched for.
AS if by the irony of fate, the struggles
which Toombs had done so much to bring
about was destined to come to an end at his
home 1t was within few miles of Toombs
residence that jefferson Davis held his last
Cabinet council, when Colonel Pritchett's
fo11r
ehieftain overlook him in Irwin county.
Toombs was informed of the presence of the
federal soldiers just in time to seek fight on
that most unromantic creature-the mule.
For few days he found refuge with Colonel
E. A. Tate, in the lower part of Ebert coun-
ty in Colonel Tate's residence there was a
iife-sixed engraving of Toombs, and so great
was the resemblance that one seeing the pic
ture could not mistake the man. The col
ored people noticed the similarity between
the mysterious stranger and the picture. The
plantation was soon overrun with federal
spies, who offered large rewards for the fugi
tive-yet, though hundred colored people
could Law their hands on him, not one re-
vealed his hiding place, wonderful example
of colored fidelity. For some months after
his final escape he lived in Paris Here it
was that be made his memorable answer
when asked how he lived: 81 am eating an
acre of ground day.
His expenses were S. day. He had sold
quantity of Texas land at S. an acre, which
explained his answer.
On his return home he lived quietly, but
was much annoyed By tie visits of numerous
correspondents. One Of the worst of this
class was George W. Smalley, now the Lon
don correspondent of the New York Tribune.
The Kuklux sensation was at its height when
Smalley arrived in the village. The CORE
spondent soon found Toombs, who deter
mined to have a little fun at his expense,
SmaIley asked the general about the Kuklux
.'Yes, yes,' said Toombs; 'sIll tell yon all
about them, but first let US get safe place.
Taking him off some distance. General
Toombs pointed out an unsuspeeting Jewish