The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-05-23
Judge Foster, of wilcox.

Editor Advertiser.
 In your notice of my appointment as .. and sketch of myself, which appeared In your issue of May 18th, you placed honors upon my brow to which I am not entitled, as I Gss never an oiiicer of Alabama, being only eighteen years old at the breaking out of the civil war. Five years previous to that l was col, lecto- for the firm of Cox, Brainard and Company, a corporation owning some twenty-five, or thirty high pres sure steamers that piled not only the TstgTi ,Ss Misssspp Gs fns soand S1aDSma ss Rsi @ ~
 Entering their service at that early age, handled milllons of dollars per annum and at that t1me there, were many kinds of currency in ctrculation. Selma and Montgomery bank bills we're at a discount In Mobile, and Mobile money was at a discount in Selma ana Montgomery, while Georgia. soutn Car. olina and LouiStcna currency was more heavily discounte5.
 I was not at any time captain CT company in the famous 3rd Alabama Regiment. but only priyate m; tbs one os celebrated Mobile Rifles-afterwards 70. K. 3rd Alabama Regiment of Infantry Jones NJ Withers, Colonel; Tennent Lo- Battle, major. The Mobile Rifles left Montgomery on a special train and passed through Knoxville Ca hostile territory with loaded guns, and were the first troops to reach Virginia, oth- CT companies of that regiment leaving some hours later. Had the gallant Lo- max lived through the war Che fell at Seven Pines), a lieutenant generals badge would have adorned his collar. Human eyes never beheld more su- perb soldier, nor was commander ever so loved and honored as was he While Lees headauarters he heard Colonel Lomax speak of Robert F. Rodes as the only hope of filling the void created oy the death of Stonewall Jackson. mus with the peerless Gordon, whc was cap tain of an Alabama company and after~ wards colonel of the brave 9th Ala bama-Rodes's brigade-troops that la1d the foundation of his glorious rise ana the great cavalryman, Joseph Wheeler, Alabama's cup is filled to over flow
 But as to myself, was not a candi- date for the pSstalSn or the Eoy ernor at my instance. No letter reached him at my suggestion. wrote him only once, and that in recommendalloh of another. But business men and vel eran soldiers did write to him Tn my behalf and from one of those letters l copy the following tribute palu pS one of the great men or AianSnisS sad1a nS hat. Mo rose to distinction on the field or pdi- tIe and Is today a battle-scarreu soi- dier Of our Lost Cause" and who ls loved by every son of our great sIHte s; know about Fleet Foster, an old Mo billie boy. He and enlisted Tn the same sst retrine nent-3rd Alabama-in April. 1eo1. Fiset served all through the war; a gallant. faithful and patrioue soldlef. Since fhe war he has been the same modest. brave gentleman, doing ms duty in fuIl, In politics he has kept the faith. was for Jones, oates, Clarke, , Samford Jellss, the constitution and Tor Ia,y and order and is now for Cunning ham and good government.
 Si,ch letters as the aboVe, coupled xyith the fact that I was the only man wbo aver came near defeating the in- vinctbIe Beck this vote exceeding r1ine bv 1Ob) Impressed Governor Jelks with the fact that I was the logical successor of Judge Beck, and rom what thetr return from Montgomery, there was never any hope of other results Tn mv contest with Judge Beck the majority of the Camden bar supported me Including ths dean of the bar and our present circuit judge.
 On last Friday, about D. m, de- snatch came asking if l would accept the vacant judgeship, and after con suiting the gentleman whom I had en- out and there was no possible chance of his appointn ent, I sent this reply T will with thanks"
 My campaign expenses were 25c for that tel sgram and similar sum pre- viously spent in postage to inform the different beats of the county that l was out of the scramble. Now my hope is to live to honor the office, serve my party and meet the expectations of our
 Very respectfully,
 I