Birmingham age-herald., 1894-11-25
Social and Otherwise.
IAll items Of social interest will be gladly noted in thls column il sent to Mrs. George C. Ball, 2lsf Highland avenue.

Although Alabama is still comparatively young state, yet she has produced many msn who have made an impress upon the history of the nation. Stltesmen and warriors who have won renown because of glorious achievement were born within her borders. Men, in the various walks ot life, who have become successful and fa
 nous, first saw the light within her limits. No state so young has longer list of dis tinguished sons, and none a people more appreciative of the deeds of their great Ineu. When the booming cannon aud changing bells announced, that fateful day in January, 1851, that Alabama no longer owed allegiance 10 the govern ment at Washington, the splendid youth of the state off -red their services to the commonwealth. Virginia and Carolina blood coursed through their veins, and they counted no costs and estimated no sacrifice. The four years of suffering, death and disaster that followed developed men who have since been known to all familiar with the history of those aud later times as patriots and heroes. Each year the list of the brave, true m sn who survive grows smaller as the angel of death gently leads them one by one to a higher and better existence.
 Soon there will be only few left to gather about them their children and to tell them of deeds surpassing those who fought ip any other wars. Since the end ing of hostiIities in 1865 the southern sol ders have beeu the most loyal citizens, and 10 American history belongs their deeds of glory. But when ons dies it is meet aud right that Il recuri of his services rendered to his state should b enumerattd d that the youth ot Alabama may know of what stuff they come. When Gen. Will
 liam Wirt Alien died on Wednesday mora
 ing at Sheffield, Ala, one ol the few rs- maining Confederate officers of high rank went to his reward. He was born in Mont gomery, Ala. and was prepared for college in the best schools of that city. When quite young he entered the college of New Jer- sey at Princeton and graduated in the class of 1854. Among hls contemporaries and associates at Princeton were William Preston Hiliiard Of Montgomery and Gov. Daniel Fowls of North Carolina, of the class of '51; Don Cameron of Pennsylvania and Judge James Taylor Jones of Alabama of the class of '52; Hon. Thomas W. Cole man of the supreme court of Alabama, Dr. E. H. Sholl of Birmingham, Ala, Col. William A. Percy of Mississippi, father of Mir. Walker Percy of tnis city; Prof. Joseph Jones, NJ. D. of New Orleans, and Col. John Morehead of the Forty fifth North Carolina regiment, all of the class of Virginia, Dr. W. T. Murrell of Mobile and William Henry Goldthwaite of Mont- gomery of his own class of '54. AS soon as Alabama seeded young William w. Allen went to Pensacola with the Mont- gomery Mounted Rifles, of which company he was lieutenant. He remained at Fort Pickens until the state troops were re- placed by the regular confederate troops. He then enlisted with General ClHnton's regiment, and was engaged in the battle of Shiloh. He took active and conspicuous part in the campaigns in Kentucky and Tennessee, and step by step from his first position as lieutenant of the Mounted Rifles be rose to the rank of major general be- cause of remarkable and magnificent ser vice on the field of battle. He was chiefly in General Wheeler's command, but never on his staff, being always in the line. At Chickamauga he was wounded, and on many fields his horses were shot from under him. He was made brigadier- general after the battle of Murfreesboro because of gallant conduct during that fight, and later the rank of major general