The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-20
MARRIED THE RooSEvELTS.
The Venerable Preacher who United
Presidents Father and Mother.

Columbia, S. c., Oct. 19.-If President
Roosevelt should visit the house of his
mothers girlhood at Roswell, Ca, as
it is said he will, distinguished South
Carolina preacher viii cross over the
Savannah river to see him-a man in
whom the President will doubtless take
great interest. Besides being. perhaps,
the oldest Presbyterian minister in
South Carolina, both as to years and
time Of service, and being the Presi-
dents cousin, Rev. j. b. Dunwody was
the man who forty eight years ago pro-
nounced a benediction upon the Presi-
dents parents whom he had just made
man and wife.
Although they were married in Geor-
gia, the record of the event is to be
found in a South Carolina Church reg
lister. Here it is, as copied from the
register in the Presbyterian Church at
McPhersonville, the handwriting being
that of Mr.. Dunwody:
Married At Roswell Ga, Dec. IS,
1853 Mr. Theodore Roosevelt of New
York city to Miss Martha Bulloch of
Roswell" The entry was made when
the preacher returned 10 his parish,
having made a journey into Georgia to
perform this service.
Mr.. Dunwody is eighty-six years old
and lives in WATERFORD, the county
seat of Collector this state. He is
man very generally beloved by those
without as we'll as within his church.
Despite his age he is in full possession
Of his faculties and reads great deal
When It was rumored that the vener-
able preacher had this unique con-
nection with the President of the
United States, Mr.. Dunwody was call
~, firrf -. 80 ~
report. He promptly gave 1t and re-
lated a few incidents of the wedding.
Il was pastor of the church at Nc
Phersonville," he said, when invited
10 perform the marriage ceremony to
unite my cousin, Miss Martha Bull
loch, and Mr.. Theodore Roosevelt of
New York. I went over to the home
of my uncle, James Stewart Bulloch,
at Roswell in Cobb county, Ga He
was the father of the bride. There the
ceremony was performed Dec. is, 1858.
1T was in the good old days before
the war when everything was plentiful
and everybody happy. The palatial
mansion of Col. James S. Bull
lOch was beautifully decorated.
The simple form of the Presbyterian
church was used in the ceremony;
there was nothing SNOWY or elaborate.
After the service there was the usual
supper luI lHG guests. ne DIluG anu
groom remained there for a few days
and then left for New York, and I re-
turned to my charge in South Caro-
lima"
Mr.. Dunwody has never persuaded
himself that the South was not right
and he does not think that the country
has profted by the defeat. When the
war came he went in as a chaplain,
but soon decided that the most effec-
tive work could be done in another
field so he took up a musket and
fought till the surrender His cousin,
the Presidents mother, was an ardent
Southerner. and believed in the justice
of this sections cause, and she main
tanned her opinion. Mr.. Dunwody says
of the Presidents father: "Mr Roose-
welt was a strong believer in the right
of the Northern side. though be it said
TO his credit while he expressed him
self when occasion demanded, he re-
spected the views of his wife and re-
quired others to do the same"
Among those whom DR.. Dunwody re-
members as being at the Roosevelt
wedding were his daughter, Mrs. j.
A. Waddell, Col. harrington King and
Miss Evaline King. The latter one of
the bridesmaids. She afterwards mar
ried DR.. Baker of Roswell and is now
living in that little town with her hus-
band.