Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1901-08-24
NOxubee Rifles.

D
the exset date OF Is organization, and ann
even a little mysuiej as to the wear OF
course I DO not remember sd Of its meme
bers; but can recall the names Of a good
many Of them. and, doubtless, if had The
aid Of our good old friend, Capt, Thomas > +.
Ssokes, we could bring up the names o. al
most an, II not ait. OF IFS original members.
There ale now very few Of them len, and
they who survive are scattered Tar and wide
My wife tells me that never forgot any,
thing u my life, and while I confess that
she knows me pretty well, must say that
in this instance, at least she is mistaken
10 call up memories that had their origin
in persons and things nearly half half cen.
fury ago, is like "oslIing spirits from the
Vastly deep, and be who has the faeultyfor
dong it is essed beyond most Of bis tal.
lows.
However, reckon that know rs much
Of the early history Of that immortal band
Of heroes as any man now living was
the first secretary Of the company ana 'o5
q year Kept its records, and was au active
participant in all its acts and doings,
The proposition 10 organize the company
was made by Capt, Abner Perrin, lawyer
from South Carolina, who then lived INNS
con, whose wife was The daughter az The
famous Col Pierce Butler, who commanded
the Palmetto regimentin the Mexican war.
an d which gained great glory ard renown
for gsllaniry in all the battles in which It
fought.
The organization wasln SIS, in the spria-
or summer. The suggestion mettbe warm
approval oI the then prominent young men
Of Macon, amongst whom were John 5,
I Medium. T. Il. Dunn, j LmdJ. u. Gray,
Thos, Rupert, Dr. ". r. strobe, Isaac Bell
DR.. o. J.. Orr. J. II, and j, T. Rlyes sank
Baker. Ed and sam Sparrow, A. Il. and
Terrell Bush, sam Tarraut Vim. French
Geo, T. Wier, Dr. Ben Wier, W, Lock-
ets. Geo. Il, Spooner and others, who met
in Capt, Perfin's Office in the OLD Harrison
block, determined to organize and went im.
mediately to work to do These yoU
men, all unmarried except Perriu, received
the active cooperation Of number ofmJr
ridd men, then still young and vigorous,
and with ease obtained the requisite mum
Der of names FOR organizing Tht, mar.
ried list embraced W. y. Longstroat W.B.
Lucas, Dennie Mcintosh, Sheriff Bill Will
liams, Chas Belts, W. G Bedding, Jacob
Faser, Cub Williams, Geo. Edwards, Joe
Buck. Dave Word, Capt, Duck and Il. G..
Ferris OF these only one is now living,
w, G, Bedding, who married Miss Sslie
Spooner, ant WAC now resides at Austin,
Texas, in atluence and ease ID theseli,,s
may have omitted few names bat Do
not think that have forgotten many
The other original members Of the com.
pany were frem the country, AID embraced
the three Stokes brothers, Joe. Billy ana
Tom, Wilborn Tate, VIM, May, Van Con
nor, Dick Featherston, Tom and Nose Cock
rell and Tom Williams. OF these only Capt
Tom Stokes and Nose Coc5relI are living
had the pleasure Of glasping their hands
at the unyeiling Of The monument to the
memory Of the dead soldiers Of NoNuhee,
at Macon on June 18th, and felt When dld
SO that was enjoying blessed privilege
which seldom falls to the lot Of man.
Ofthe town member, whom have named
only four are now living, believe These
are W. G. Bedding, a. H.Bush, Geo, spoon
er and myself George became a Captain
IN the 4lst Miss. in the late war and distin-
guished bis name for gaahtry. Hemount.
ed the breaStworks at Franklin, Tenn. and
ore himself with conspcuou, gaIlanlry IN
several other battles lie married Mis-,
Mary Barker, Walters sister, and is now
living near llillsboro, Texas, He hlsreared
large family, like Gus and myself, and is
sum haie anu hearty old man.
AT the organization of the company, Alb
ner Perrin was chosen Captain Juo. S Mel
drum LIST, Lieut., and, ! think J. Il. Riyes
ID. Lieut.. A barber, Jack Rabb, was the
| tier, and Horace Ladd, a muatto who be-
longed to our venerable friend, Geo, LAID
and Dick Gray were the drummcrs.S The
| first Thursday in each month was parade
day and there was genera ly q good attend,
ance The drills Of officers and men were
held in the upper story Of The old Town