Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-15
GEORGE G. SMITH, D. D.
VinsVllle, Macon, Georgia.


whom were David Longstreet and
William Longstreet. came to
Georgia. William Longstreet was by
trade builder and contractor. David
seems 20 have been a clerk. and OF him
we know nothing more than that he
was clerk OF the house for several
terms.
William Longstreet was married, and
had a small family, when he came TO
the sprightly growing town of Au-
gusta, then under the government OF
the trustees Of the Richmond academy.
His wife was Hannah Randolph, who
descended from a stanch New Eng
land Puritan, and was of the same
stock from which John Randolph, OF
Roanoke. descended. His new home
was on REYNOLDS street. not far from
St Pauls church. Augustus Baldwin
was rector OF the Richmond academy,
and died in Augusta. Whether he was
a kinsman OF the Longstreets or not,
cannot say, but when a baby was born
to William and Hannah, in 1890. the
. newcomer was named Augustus Bald
win Longstreet. William Longstreet
was net q very thrifty man. He was
over given to projects. He believed
that steam could be used to propel
boats. and. although it was somewhat
difficult in those days to construct
engines, he successfully made. one. and
crossed the Savannah In q steamboat
long before Fulton steamed up the
Hudson. Before Eli Whitney made his
cotton machine. he made what he
called a cotton picker, which was de-
signed to do the same work. None Of
these schemes made him rich and the
thrifty Hannah kept a boarding house
on Broad street
Little Augustus was quite lad when
one day Mr.. Meals, OF the firm OF
Meals & Calhoun, saw on a cotton
cart little red-headed country boy,
whose bright replies attracted him,
ard he asked him II he would like to
be a clerk in a store, and told him
n he would, to come TO Augusta and
he would give him a place. Ono day
soon afterwards little George McDuf-
ne. with all his belongings In cotton
handkerchief reported.
Little George was TO have his victu-
ais and clothes as his wages, and the
firm boarded him with Mrs. Long
street. and he was put I'm the attic
with her incorrigable boy, Augustus.
Augustus, 1 am sorry 70 say. At that
time was a sad little reprobate. lie
was bright as a dollar, active as
kitten and mischievous as a monkey
He was going to the Richmond acade-
my. where the old-time teachers used
the oid-time birch to but poor purpose
70 make him study. The little Scotch
boy Who Vas engaged 10 sell goods ana
attend the store paid scant attention
to his mercantile work. and gave much
time 70 reading and study. The old
Judge told me: 4 taught him Latin,
and ne taught me arithmetic" 1t was
soon evident to Meals & Calhoun that
while they had q genius IN the store.
they certainly did not have a prom
Using salesman; 50 one day James Cal
houn said 20 his brother John: I've
boy here who win never make a
merchant. but he will make a lawyer.
Let US give him an education. You pay
for his schooling to DR.. Waddell, and
william viii give him his board ana
will clothe him and give him his
books." And 50 George McDuhle and
Augustus Lcngstreet we're thrown to-
gsther at DR.. Wa6dell's school among
the beeches in Abbeville.
Young Longstreet was eighteen years
old when he went to Wellington and
twenty-one when he left Il for Yale.
In that inimitable book, 50 little APP
preciated. and now almost unknown,
william Mltten," he gives a graphic
picture OF this Rugby OF the. south
II was the one school Of Georgia and
South Carolina The finest youths Of
these states were sent to the doctor 70
be made ready for college. know
no more delightful chapter In Tom
Brown, Of Rugby. than the one which
Judge Longstreet tells of DR.. Wad-
dell and his boys in the seclusion Of
Abbeville There was no need Of the
a. Hra vrrfrn ION q At
study The old judge said to me;
when George McDufEle came to
wellington / was studying Virgil.
The doctor put him In the grammar,
he went through Il in four days,
though Of course he had studied II
before We were permitted to read
ell the Latin we could. One day when
the old doctor came to the school
room, the usher was far behind.
What's the natter said the doctor.
7 have been hearing that Virgil class
said the usher. How much did they
readr -Four hundred lines" said the
usher Augustus Longstreet can't
do that to save his life Well. he did
do IL today TN hear that class to-
morrow myself said the doctor. The
boys were thrown on their metal. The
doctor told them TO read. They read
one hundred, two, three. four, Eve,
six, seven, eight hundred lines. The
Domino looked at them In amazement.
Well he said, how much have you
readr Twelve hundred Inca He
nearly made me work myself 70
DEATH the old Judge said. when
Longstreet was twenty-one he went TO
Yale and graduated in 1913, when he
was twenty-three.
lie spent another year at Litchheld
studying law and in 1878 he returned TO
Georgia, and was admitted TO the bar.
He settled in Greensborough TO prac-
tice law. There was a fair young
maiden Of an old Virginia family,
lovely as a dream. and an heiress,
who lived IN the same small town. The
result might have been predicted. The
young lawyer and the heiress married.
He was made a judge when he was
thirty-two and a judge was az august
parsonage in those days. He was a
stanch Republican and there was a
fierce political fight going on, so he
entered the field as a candidate for
congress Life was all sunshine TO him
then. He had talents. wealth, youth.
popular favor. a wife he adored, and
a child he idolized. Then the shadows
fell and all the world was changed, for
his little boy died. No man who heard
his merry jests, who heard his witty
tales, who heard his notes on the flute,
could have dreamed Of the depth Of his
nature and the wiidness Of his grief at
this bereavement. He was living with
Mr.. Terrence. who was HIS wife's step
father. lie was a lovable man and was
a Christian and the young judge was
an infdel Mrs. Terrence died the
next day after his child died. The
judge was In such agony that he felt
~ A-a..lA % nd hut ALr Tnrranna