The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1901-06-12
VETERAN MWILLIAMS WRITES OF REUNION
An interesting Account OF the Trip Memphis
County Negro Who Is Now Wealthy Citizen of That CITY

| Professor Isiah Josephus Graham,
IN his magnanimity, took me in charge
and showed me the wonders and glo-
rles OF the city. wish to tell your
readers something of this colored man
who he was ana who he now is. He
was born at the old homestead of Da-
vld b. Chambers, June 8th, 1857. His
father, George Graham, once belong
ed to Major William H. Graham, well
known to early settlers of this coun-
ty. In 1901 George Graham worked
on farm on the 7. K. Cobb plantation
now owned by the Davidson brothers.
Later on he became master mechan-
lc and helped to build the NJ. H. Bald
win residence, together with MANY
of the first ever built in Dawson, and
in 1884 he helped to build the first
court house, which yet stands as a
monument to his memory. During
the war he made syrup barrels in a
shop near the spot were the shop now
stands at Graves Station. After the
war ended he went to Atlanta and
worked in the car shops, accumulated
u great deal of property, and was the
only cOlOred man who was ever men,
Der of the city council of Atlanta. My
father raised MS wife, Harriet, and
almost raised her parents, as he owned
her mother when she was child and
her father when he was Is or Il years
OF age. George and Harriet had one
child, son, Isaiah Josephus Graham,
who was, as stated, born June :, 1887,
and OF course is A years old. He was
educated in Atlanta principally. He
went to Memphis about 20 years ago
and for several wears has been princi-
pal of the finest cOlored school in
Memphis. When be was a little boy
many times did | dandle him upon
my knee and lull him to sleep in my
/ lap, little thinking at the time that
[ was nursing the future great scholar
of his race Nothing black about
Isiah but his skin; internally he is
the whitest of white men. [, as a
white man and Georgian, am proud
of Isaiah, I am proud of his ancestry,
as many times did his grand parents
dandle me upon their laps and caress
Isaiah gave me his picture and also
one for sister Mary, to whom he
once belonged. He too, gave me a
nice bow which | wore home.
He has promised to visit me during
his vacation, when | shall try TO treat
him as nicely as he did me. Among
many other places, we went TO the gI-
gantic iron bridge which spans the
mighty Mississippi, and while behold
ing ''the father of waters we talked
of the past, of the ''ante- bellum" days,
and, too, of the sanguinary struggle.
To be with this learned c0Lored man,
whose grandparents had nursed me
and whose mother had been reared
! with me ut the old family homestead
on my fathers plantation, was most
certainly treat. Much more could l
write, but will await another oppOrtu-
nifty. We babe each other good bye
and started for the old red hills OF
Georgia.
S. p. Chambers and | missed the
connection az Birmingham by about
two and a half minutes; SO we spent
the night in that 'hot blasted" city.
We left there next morning at 5: 20
and arrived in Montgomery just in
time to be left; so we took in this city
also. Here Colonel Crittendeu, Judge
Sasser and w. D. Murray, Esq, over
took US, and after dining at one OF the
best restaurants IN the south at 4: ~
we boarded the cannon ball for home.
The reunion was a grand success,
Notwithstanding Memphis was com
/ pletely overrun by overwhelming num-
| bers of old veterans, their wives aud
the sons and daughters of veterans.
| There were more people there than
ever saw before, and Peter says,
More pretty women than he ever
thought he'd see at one time The
next reunion will be held in Dallas,
Texas. God willing, my better three
fourths will accompany me to the
"Lone Star State" | do not intend to
miss another reunion if it is possible
for me to attend.
While ia Montgomery [ could but
think of May Il, 1861, when the Fifth
Georgia regiment marched distance
of two miles from one depot to the 9th
err lust about II o'clock and the beau
tv of the city waved their haudker-
chiefs and cheered and wished US COD
speed. Just a few of those dear old
boys are living. May they still rest IN
neace. T. A. MCWILLIAMS.