The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-24
WAS BANJO|ST
Of lees. ARMY
Samuel Nj. Gregory Comedian,
But Brave as a Lion, Is En-
joylng His Old Age.
DROVE DULL CARE AWAY
When the Days Long March
Was Over He Was Ever
"a Welcome.
tsncc,al Il rhe rimes. Dispatch. !

q Il
lITNA MILLS, VA, March 23.--san-
uel Norman Gregory, banjo,st OF Lees
army. now visiting relatives here, was
born in King William county, March 8,
1888. His father was john Pcgram Greg
DRY. born May IA, 1906, In the same
county, and was grandson Of Roger and
Richard Gregory. of tho same county.
At the outbreak of tho war he was
living in Petersburg, and from that city
enlisted In May of that year In the
Forty-nrst Regiment, Mahone's Brigade.
He was q sharpshooter, wounded at tho
battle OF tho Crater and participated In
I'LL the engagements of that brigade up
to that ime.
Mr.. Gregory IS frequent guest Of
friends In the city and country, who are
always glad to welcome the merry old
gentleman, whose anecdotes never grow
stale, and whose joval nature only mel
lows under the frosts OF timo. With his
Jolly songs and banjo solos, he per-
formed valiant service during the war
in cheering the spirits of soldiers worn
and weary almost beyond human cndur-
ance.
and sing throughout the conflict. In Its
closing days. when Lees lines were worn
to a FRAGILE and despair clutched all
hearts. Gregory's banj 10 and voice were as
merry in the trenches around Richmond
and Petersburg as they had ever been.
Gun and Banjo.
Gregory marched with his gun and his
banjo. Whenever the trops stacked arms
his jolly camp tunes and stirring martial
airs cheered tho hearts of the weary
men. Strange az 1t may seem. he ended
his military career almost on the spot
where he learned to pick the banjo
strings. Even now, when Gregory picks
I'm his beloved banjo and bursts into a
war song. which stirred his hearers
hearts in tho Wilderness or In the
trenches IL in the midst of old veterans,
YOU can hear the rebel yell echo again
as OF old In war-times.
Gregory may have been self appointed
TO the position OF banjoist to General
Lees army. but he won fame that Is
inseparably connected with tho annals
OF that great fighting machine.
Old-Time Comedian.
Mr.. Gregory is known TO the Confcd-
crate veterans as "the only original old
time Southern comedian OF Lees army, :
and now with tho infirmit!es OF old age
&. ScSEnty-iOuTt years Olu ttIo otH VI Lilo
present nonth--he IL tho happicst OF
amiable, cultured Virginia gentleman.
Long may he live.
a very few know that General Lees
army stacked their arms on the Sweeney
Farm, one and n half miles from Apo
mattox Courthouse. The famous apple
tree under which Lee was sitting while
notes we're passing between him anc
General Grant was In old Joe Swecney's
yard.
Old Joe Sweeney.
Old Joe Sweeney had the honor o.
playing before the Queen OF England
+ He died some years prior t. the grca
struggle between the States, and wa:
not Stuarts banjoist, as many supposed
There were three brothers and two sis,
ters. None ever married--Joe, Dick ant
sam. Dick died In Washington. D. G.
from hen,orrhage of the lungs, while
performing on the stage. sam. tn
youngest. was with General J. ~ y
stuart. he died at Orange Courthous
during the war. His banjo was Genera
stuart's favorite instrument. and hi
fayoritc song was iii You Want to Hav
Good Time Jine the Cavalry" 1t wa
In 1s45. when Mr.. Gregory was bo
visiting Appomattox county, guest o
the Sweeney family that he got his frs
idea OF playing the banjo from old Joe
the elder brother. and he plays Swee
ney,s original songs to-day with mimi
table grace and spirit.