Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1901-11-02
A Few Extracts from Col MontgOmery's

"REMINISCENCES.

In his interesting "Reminiscences
Of large part Of the worlds most
syentful century, Lieut.-Col. Frank A.
First Mississippi Cayal-
.y, Armstrong; brigade, offers, as one
of the many good reasons for the
books existence, the sad fact that SO
little true history has been written OF
the war between the States, and what !
mas been written of our side has dealt /
almost wholly with the great leaders /
and their work. He does not wish to
withhold from these great men one
ota Of the fame they earned, for he
believes that the great men who com
manded our armies, with few excep-
tons, deserve the honors they won;
but it is the unknown and forgotten
who won their honors for them. And
it is Of the unknown" to fame and
forgotten by history of whose gal
liant lives and glorious deaths Col
..ontgomery knew that he writes so
entertainingly in his book. He regrets
that so few of the men who made
sacred "the gray" have written their
experience as a contribution to his
tory,
1t has often been urged in this col
umn that the men who fought this
good fight and who recalled Incl
dents of special interest should write
them and give them publicity through
the various county papers, and In TINS
way their children and their children
children would learn of deeds of yalol
that would cause them to rejoice II
their fathers name and fame as sol
diers. In thes tories told around thu
I veterans camp fires now there II
enough of tragedy to wiring the hear
{ of the strong New South, as well a
{ of dear old Dixie; there is also a
c times much of laughter mingled WIT
& the tears. and the listeners heart beat
high and his blood runs quick a
1 deeds of heroism of which the Worl
A hears naught. The history of tha
. four years war and of the men an
women who made possible and glor
II GUS the unequal struggle should not |
= allowed to die. Save so much as is pr
y served between the lids Of the en-
il, mics" and few histories dealiI
p. largely with special events al
4, phases of the war and the careers
q certain of the leaders, there is all t.
n little for our children to read al
learn from. In speaking of this, @
is Montgomery says: There were M
OIL in the ranks who could, if they wou
as have told interesting stories and eV
ll' vet there are many who can do 1t
N they will. and l hope others may
IN do it. But whatever is done must
III done soon, for a few more years a
there will be none left to tell, es
cially what Mississippi and Mississ
IN. mans did in that great war and I'll
. aid the historian who is to come
writing the history of the war 6
of the State
ny The name of every man who foui
~ meath the Union flag is preserved
ana history and their dead lie in beautl
,er cemeteries which the people delight
mn. keep in perfect order. We are e
that this is so, for we would not "
rd. # to be otherwise. But it cuts to
,bu ouick to remember that so many
ur. our bravest sleep where they fell
and land bought only with their biz
hile and where kindly nature weayes
the only garlands that on "Decora
I'M dayo mark these lonely "unkno
Ills hits of sacred ground. With
non Montgomery we, too, believe that
anu AM tice may yet be done to many OF &
@ ssS brave men, but if it were done 'tN
.nao well twere done quickly"
aces DR.. Riley's recent publication
rov. cerning Mississippis lost villa
for recalls to our oldest inhabitants II
;ible incidents touching some of the tt
way that live now only in their memo
Col. Montgomery refers to one of
Ianl' oldest and most interesting sec
we're g a., c+o+e a neighborhood enri
Inc nv these memories, as follows y
~ horn in Jefferson county with
r to OolN C.,-on4or,r
-. nlace is twelve miles from Nat
49, and tavern was kept there for a
eoo time. perhaps is STILL though the
lose road which now runs near 1t,
A. to Jackson to Natchez, has nearly
II, as stroyed the usefulness of the hlg
can upon which it was situated. This
es to the road cut in the earliest histo
tbe territory of Mississippi
,e. Nashville, Tenn, to Natche2,
prist which Gen. Jackson rode whel
liver sought and found his bride a
( the nome of his friend, Col. Thoma
neck. Greene. on the banks of Coles
Sat and along which he marched nj
An torious troops when returning
owed tto bottle of New Orleans.
trac- then the great thoroughfare II
travel north from Natchez, and
ucT of that south to Natchez, for few
to risk the dangers of river ira
Il to those days. At intervals OF abo
ms miles along this road, in the ear
Element of the territory, little V
had been located as | ermemo
pooy tween Natchez and Port Gibson
VI ~ ~ Washington, once the capital
royed state' lhen ooie0. y nv ON
avn Greenville, Raccoon Box an
other the name Of which ha
4 fire. gotten (Red Lick, | believel, an
Ia in. port Gibson. All of these villas
no are gone. save only their names, ah'
forgotten save by few old m
myself. and except that Wasl
Aloh' still remains, preserved, perha
.obbed tho college which is located
rght The history of this part OF tn
has always possessed, and still
uel de romanuc interest iol iao' De0@a ~
! to be haps, when a poy ! MY" m
i tho those who had been either an,
he'd at earliest settlers or were theil Y
watch ants, then grown, and VINO ~
former tall, of their trials, Of the Ind
h bore the spaniards who owned the