The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-01
ADDRESS OF HON. THOMAS M.
OWEN

| For the benefit of the many interested
readers of the U. d. c. columns we have
| Owen, which he delivered before the u
d. c, convention at Demopolis, accept
| ing for the State Department of Ar
| chives and History. the portrait of EN-
| ma SAMSON, Alabama's heroine. a gem
| of oratorial beauty and eloquence:
EMMA SAMSON. THE ALABAMA GIRL
| HEROINE.
The emotions of personal pleasure
| have in taking part in these exercises
| are lost in the suggestions of noble
| purpose which underlies and gives them
meaning. This occasion is one of rare
and deep significance. and doubt wheth-
| er you-all of you at least-appreciate in
the fullest sense its wide import. We
I are the participants In the formal office
of giving and receiving, but back of this
| and looking beyond ii Is the exalted SEN
| timent and resolution for which your
organization stands. that heroism and
| heroic conduct and the memory of them
shall not perish from the earth. The
| full meaning of this lesson gained, and
| we have a value in life beyond heroic
\ incidents themselves, or their preserva-
| ton on canvas.
| Federals, advancing from Tennessee, in
| vaded North Alabama. and excepting a
| few months, continu I'd IT'S occupation
until 1865. To their shame be 1t said they
| burned and pillaged the homes of de-
| fenceless women and children. whose
| shrieks could oftentimes be heard as by
| the light of their burning dwellings they
were turned. half clad and starving, into
| the snowy midnight. During these years
| of occupation with their horrors OF
| foray and ra.d occurred numbers of un-
| parallel incidents of personal bravery.
| And one of these we now commemorate
In the latter part of April, 1865. Colonel
| A. d. Streight. with picked command OF
| about ZOO officers and men left Tuscum-
bia for the interior of Alabama and
Georgia for the purpose of destroying the
| railroads in that country" His objective
| point was Rome. Ga. The expedition
had been deliberately planned by the
| Federal comma lders and was considered
| of much Importance by them. Advised
| of the enemy's movements General BraX
| ton Bragg directed General Nathan Bed
| ford Forrest to check their advance
| This was what Colonel Streight mos
| dreaded, because he knew that Forres
| was lat the head of a determined lot OF
| fighters. made veterans under his iror
hand and absolutely devoted to his ser
| vice"
1t may be of more than passing inter
est here to take glance at Forres
| through the pages of DR.. John Aller
| Wyeth, whose superb biography of hin
| is more thrilling than the pages of no
nance. He says that some of the no
| table features In Forests method o
warfare were: the reckless courage il
attack the almost invariable movemen
| on the flank and rear, so demoralizing t.
an enemy and especially so Wnen mace
| as he usually did it, under cover, whicl
| concealed the strength of the hankini
forces; the quick dismounting of his mel
| to fight under cover of every object which
afforded protection; the use of his ar
| tillerv which he often carried alon'
with the troops in line and always place
close to the enemy; and, finally. tn
| fierce and relentless pursuit when hi
| antagonist Yielded.
| The raiding party having set out. they
pushed boldly through the mountains o
| Lawrence. Blount and Cherokee nov
| Etowah) counties. with the relentles:
wizard of the saddle" at their back
| harrying them. and so interrupting thei'
m rch that thcv made but slow progress
| Within my limits ] cannot recount thu
many thrilling engagements which tool
| place. and the numberlesS daring deeds
| of pursuer and pursued.
On the morning of the md of May. de
| spite FORESTS persistent rush al
| Streights rear guard. the latter hac
| reached Black Greek in the present Eto-
wdh county and had crossed that
! crooked. deep and sluggish stream. witt
| preciptous clay banks and mud bottom
| on the only safe bridge in this section
| The Federal commander had built hif
| hope Of escape on the destruction of this
bridge; and lust as Forrest came dash