The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-05
Men of Disttinetion Tn Alabsma's Ills tery Marched Out From Ciassic
 Tuscaloosa At The sound Of war. -a--t--.ss
BY WILL r. SIBERIAN.

On an April morning of the far year of 1865 q tall youth with his belt frightened, to ease the gnawing Of strong and healthy appetite which had no satisfaction for many hours made his way hopefully through the shady streets of Selma.
 The youth in later years under the name of Braxton Bragg Conner was destined to be Governor of Alabama, but in his concern as to where the next meal was coming from on this par ticular morning when the last one was so far in the past that 1t was only vague memory, he was entertaining no dreams of political preferment.
 He did not hope in vain for kindly hospitality. There were others of his own age and own class and they were bounteously fed by the good house. keepers of Selma. I heard him say In an address that the food and treatment he received on that April morning gave him an exalted opinion of Selmas nos pitality which endures~until this day. He and his associates went their way rejoicing, each to his home. The man who was to become Governor and who participated in this adventure safely made the beautiful plantation home or his family in Barbour county.
 schoolboys Met Croxton.
 A couple of days before his appear ance was made in Selma and before he accumulated the hunger he brought to Selma, he was a student at the University of Alabama. He had heard the long roll beat and he stood in the line of students formed by Col. J. TT. Murfee, commandant of cadets, to march against General Croxton's raid CTS when they crossed the Warrior River to capture the City of Tuscaloosa
 ttxr nf Ia a rnQ The future Governor was in the sktr- msh in which the students participa- , ted, under the command of President l.. c. Garland and Colonel J. T. Mur- fee, commandant of cadets. He marched away with his fellow students when the overwhelming force of the enemy had captured the town and ap- piled the torch to the University to Marion. At Marion the students were disbanded and instructed to go to their several homes.
 With a party of Montgomerians and East Alabamians, young Bragg Conner made his way to Selma and to Mont gomery. No member of that party. and least of all, he, dreamed that he was to become Governor. No man of them dreamed while the ashes of the Uni- versity were yet hot, that as Governor he would materially assist in the re- mobilization of that University-that he would materially help in the most eff fective movement for the rebuilding Of the University as 1t should be re- built.
 In those stragglers there were a number of students who are today among Montgomerys prominent citi- gems. It is a far cry to that April day of 1865 and the stripling students who escaped from Croxton's Raiders are either grandfathers or they are old enough to be- While these boys were hurrying from Marion Junction to Selma they found a wrecked hand car. The truck of the car was in ex- cellent order and few blanks for a body repaired the car until 1t was completely satisfactory to the boys. Whenever they came to an upgrade everybody hit the ties and showed. When they got to a down grade every body jumped aboard the blanks and