The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-27
REMINISCENT A

In 1916, Raleigh had put 1000 popu-
lation, but it covered nearly as much
ground as now. There were many
able men permanently resident or tenn
porarily living there. AT the Raleigh
bar prope were to be seen Badger, H.
w. Miller, Charles Manly, James Ire
dell, D. Z. McRaes Perrin H. Busbee,
John H. Bryan, William Henry Hay
wood, Chen in the United States SEN
ate) n others. Among the resident
lawyers who did not practice were
Geo. w. Mordecai, Romulus NJ. Saun-
ders, Lou D.. Henry, James H.
Shepherd, and some others. Badger
went to the United States senate.
Manly was elected governor by wings
and Saunders became United States
minister to Spain, Louis d. Henry ran
for governor as the democratic nomi-
nee and was defeated. Shepherd was
the know nothing candidate for con-
gress and was defeated. When the
news of the battle of Buena Vista was
received, we heard Mr.. Badger read
an elaborate report of it from the New
Orleans Delta. He stood upon the
porch of the old one-story postoffice on
Fayetteville street, and a big crowd
gathered yelled and whooped as the
great reader gave the story OF the bat
tie, accompanied by amusing interjec-
lions of his own. Nc one knew who
wrote the account that filled some
three columns and was very complete.
1t was written the night after the bat
tie upon an empty powder keg, the
writer in his tent in the midst of the
dead and wounded. 1t a the regular
pen signature OF the late General
Charles P. Kingsbury, who went to
West Point from the Granville district,
and was graduated second in his class
in 1910. He served as volunteer aid to
General Taylor, in the battle as the
commander report shows. Lieutenant
Kingsbury belonged to the ordnance
department and had small opportunf-
ties for field service save as a volun-
teer, owing to the peculiar nature OF
his duties. The account of the battle
was necessarily written with much of
haste. for it was sent off before day
by a courier to catch a vessel, and was
the very first ccount of the battle
that appeared in any newspaper. 1t
was written with the scholarly elegance
and brilliancy of literary touch which
distinguished that able, accomplished
soldiers many productions. He pub
Iished it with some slight
and additions two or three years later
in the American Wing Review.
~ zlo-IiI chnrt CnapOI less
than an hours length-we ever heard
was from Hon. John Kerr, three weeks
after his defeat for governor by DaVld
S. Reid, of Rockingham county. n
wings were confident of the eloquent
Rew's election. He spoke in the large
,court room of oxford at September
superior court in 1852 held at the be-
ginning of the month. 1t was at night,
and he spoke with magnificent inn
n-ressiyeness, and with the dash of a
cavalryman in a charge against an
enemy. 1t was intense in emotion
rich in it's rhetoric, N flashed with a
most fervid, exciting eloquence. The
next most magnetic, snort
speech we recall was by the late Cow
ernor FewIe, in the front of the Ma
tional hotel at Raleigh the night OF the
nomination of Zebulon B. Vance Tor
governor. 1t was very remarkably
clever and impressive.
Let us say here lest we forget, that
it was a study to see MIR. Badger
handle a tines Some times 1t was
as good as a comedy, and now n then
it was quite farcical, as when he ex-
amined u. Bunyan Duncan, a school
master by trade n a by
profession" as he described himself to
Mr.. Badge when he was asked WHAT
was his name and what was his occu-
patton. That was in the fortles' anu
to this hour we remember some OF the
fun which was irrepressloiy rich aho
.xexurbant.
: Tn 1s45. there were two military