The Dawson journal., 1884-03-27
TALK WITH TOOMBS.

| 'OOlIIe OplnlOnS W hlch a Man
Long in Public Life Now
Has.
Phila. Times.
WASHINGTON, GA, Feb. 80
The village, or, as we say in this
state, the town of Washington, is
one of the oldest and most beauti-
tul IN what is known as Middle
Georgia. The country around it
IS Tiled with substantial and
wealthy planters. Into this coun-
try over a hundred years ago
came Major Toombs. He had
been revolutionary officer
Pleased with the new land, when
he returned to Virginia he brought
out his old father and settled a
plantation, and on this place, still
owned by the family in 1911,
Robert Toombs was born. His
father died before he was five
years old. He was educated by an
old Scotchman until he was ff-
teen and then, well prepared for
college, he went to the University
OF Georgia, then franklin Col
lege. George, now Bishop Pierce,
the Cobbs and, I think, Mr.. Ste
phens were in college with him.
He was handsome, wealthy, roll
hcksome youth, and got into some
trouble with the faculty and left
Athens for Union College, New
York, where he graduted at eieh-
teen. He then went to the Uni
versity of Virginia, just then es-
tabIlshed, and studied law, and
was admitted to the bar in 1899,
when he was not twenty-one years
old. Not long after he married
the lovely woman who died last
summer, and settled in Washing
ton, and few years after he locat-
ed there he built the elegant man
sion in which I found him.
GENERAL TOOMBs' HOME.
His home is a typical Southern
home; beautiful flower garden of
an acre.. thanked by barley lots,
fronts a three-story wooden house
with large chambers, wide halls
and roomy piazzas. The Gener-
ais Office is in his dwelling, has
he generally receives his company
in the cosy sit5ing-room Of thesec-
ond story. He is always corlial
ana gives al, friend and stranger,
a kindly welcome. Sitting in a
large arm chair, with his books
within easy reach and the we'll
used Bible among them, he sat the
last Of the old line. He is "a and
he is broken considerably since
the death Of his wife, but is still a
vigorous old man. Our CONVERSE
tion took a wide range, and with
out claiming the accuracy of q
professional reporter in our inter
view / give such parts of it as
remember. We were in the army
together and we wandered over the
same fields again, and | reminded
him of the last time | saw him be-
fore | was myself wounded as he
rode beside us in the battlefield OF
the second Manassas, and SO the
conversation drifted on and I said
to him: "How did you get out Of
this country after the WARP"
"Well," he said, "when Mr..
Stanton issued the order for my
arrest [ was living quietly in
Washington, protected by the
terms Of capitulation. The FEEDER
al officer who received the order
was indignant at the breach OF
faith and let an old comrade, then
an ex-Confederate know Of it. He
sent courier to me. L kept my
fine mare saddled and standing in
the stable, The soldiers came
and Mrs Toombs went to the
front door, while / went out of the
back door and through the plan
tation.
HOW TOOMBS GOT AWAY.
81 then went up into Ebert and
over to Tallulah, where | spent
the time until | could get out of
the state | went to Cuba, then
to England and finally to Paris,
where | remained till l returned
to America"
"Where are the Toombs' from
originally, General?"
"The family are English, but
bova bnno IN Virc,i,,io e., - lowe