The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-13

ASt1AAACAAA ptDIlt lGdiHtu QuIili5 tnC wa
to be content with simple refreshments
for their guests and. even. to have a
crowd of young people to dance without
any refreshments at all At the par
ties ii the "old times regular suppers
were served consisting of meats, salads,
pickles, jeliies, waffes, beaten biscuits
Chat never since have been beatenD,
cakes of many kinds whose recipes
We're handed down from mother to
daughter and then from friend to friend.
Oh, the charlotte russo, the syllabub and
the homemade wines of those days!
In that memorable FEBRUARY OF 1861,
what stately dinings were gwen in honor
OF lne distinguished visitors. lhey were
too Numerous to mention" BAT we can
look Upon a typo. Tile al ie was laden
with 4 wealth of 4 = u en- silver VITA
a history attached, cut glass aud state
ly creation Of flowers and delicious fruits
When the soup had been served, oysters,
fresh from Mobile by boat followed;
then the turkey Qatted at the plantation
on ssxory aeorns); then the other meats
usually four knds-dishes that would
have been the envy of French chef, as
sisted the rice, the other vegetables, the
salads, jellies, pickles and condiments In
making the guests as well as the taple
groan with the wealth q good cleer.
Ffnen these had been ENJOY Gu the cloth
was slxilfully removed by the black
walters; another and moro elaborate
napery was revealed upon which the des-
sert was to he served. This course con-
sisted of charlotte russo, syllabub, jellies
made of calves feet favored with VINE,
fruits, nuts rai2iDs ana champagne. This
but gives a faint obt.ire of the royal
hospitality that rIey allied in Montgomery
and found elimination at "talfYleW, the
home of Montgomerys princely planter,
Peter Mastin, whose annual income
edualled the salary of President Lin
coin.
Before the war Henry W. Hilliard en-
tertained in European style in his home
at the head OF Washington street. This
house and It's drIple grounds were mod
eled after Il Belgian lone. Here every
liant and flower, foreign and domestic.
which was suited to alabama soil ana
climate, was carefully tended, ana anna
whose foliage statuary cleaned Ihest
grounds occupied more than large
square of the city's modern measure
ment. Now is glory has departed, the
flower plats are ciiy lots, covered with
commonplace hnuses-tne heuse has sur
vived the many changes and sui pos
sesses a pathetic dignity inseparaDle
from those days. 1t Is now the property
of j. b. Nicrosi. Here 1t was that Mi.
billiard introduced the style of having
the desert placed on the table with floral
feast. This innovation caused quite
ripple of excitement among the elite OF
Montgomery.
Among those who entertained with
greatest bounty and elegance during the
war were Judge Goldthwalte, Hon. Al
bert Picket. Col. Thomas, Charles l.
Pollard, Dr. VIM Baldwin, Hon. Gus
Baldwin, Col. Thomas Clanton, Mr. Far
ley John Whiting, Or. Rush Jones, the
Fitzpatricks and Judge b. S. Bibb
The home of Mrs. Albert Picket, still
standing at the corner or Motion and
Clayton streets, was the headquarters of
the young people during the war-as was
the plantation home also-twelve miles
in the Autauga country-gave the guests
sometimes twenty-five In number) mere
ly a fine drive. The beaux went out TO
stay from Friday to Monday-just like
Il e weekend" parties of today.
No man in the state was more beloved
Than Albert Picket: while he roamed the
world of thought and speculation in his
library, greatly to the glory and proht
of his state, his faithful wife managed
household farming interests and imam
cial affairs of the family with rare abil-
ity. The first military wedding OF thE
war to occur in Montgomery was that or
their daughter, Mary Picket, to Capt.
Samuel Harris (afterward a bishop or
the Episcopal church,. Col David Tana-
ferro Blakey was best man. while all
the other men attendants were captains
or lieutenants and were in full Confed-
crate uniform-all of them being attached
TO Clanton's command, then in camp at
Red Bridge race track, on the eastern
outskirts OF town. The marriage had
been once postponed, the elders deciding
that II would be better to wait until tho
war should be over-"such little whlie
but the wishes of the lovers finally pre-
vailed. The ceremony took place IN st.
Johns, Rev. Mr. Mitchell officiating A
reception followed at the residence OF the
brides mother. Some of the sweet girl
attendants were Misses Florence Holt,
Rebecca Halls, Bette Bell, Ann Gold
thwait, Sallie Julia Picket, Lizzie Holt,
Sallie Buggy, Laura Judge, while the GAL
liant men who accompanied them were
Capt. VIM. Bryant, Lieut.. Prince morn
ton and Lieut.. Arthur Whiting. MIS-.
Reuben Chapman of Livingston, WISHING
in Montgomery recently, spoke of TINS
Wedding and said it was the most beauti-
full she had ever witnessed she, Mrs.
Chapman, was a Miss Arlington, and had
come on the occasion to attend not only
the Pieket-Harris marriage, but that of
her cousin, Tom Arlington, TO Mollle
Goldthwait.
Later in the war, when sister OF TINS
bride, Miss Sallie Julia Picket, and Mr..
-
scarce. and so the only attendants were
her girl friends. These attendants fol-
lowed the bride in couples wearing Whlte
carleton dresses, while on their heads
were coronets of blue ribbon with dia-
mond in the rosette of each coronet.
These girls were Annie Randolph Lizzie
Holt, Bettie Bell, Mary Birney, FLORENCE
Holt, Rebecca Halls, Mary Bellinger,
Eliza Baker, Virginia Corbn and Libbie
smith Miss Ann GoldthWait was to have
been one of the attendants, but her
brother was in the sege of Vickshurg
and her heart failed her when she
thought what Il day might bring forth.
Many were the times when social gain
erings were postponed or abandoned al
together on account of battle news from
the front.
on the Picket plantation, In the closing
DAYS of the war, 10000 Yankee soldiers,
attracted by the magnificent oak grove.
paused here, gathering the available
crops, burned the gin, defaced the nome
in which so much had been done Tor MIS-
tory by Mr. Picket. despolng his mag
niicent library, carrying off many OF It's
volumes. 49,. -
Damage to the amount of $4,000 was
DONE for which an account was fehuc' ea
TO Mrs. Picket by the AUTHORITIES OF
Smith and Glrard's division, which was
encamped on her fertile acres but-no
indemnity has ever been paid
These acts of vandalism seemed to
these helpless women outrages ON hu-
mainly. Mrs. Picket drove out to mead
quarters and asked to be above TO
bring into town one milk COW for the use
81 her infant grandchildren, just one out
of forty cows "confiscated' by the IN
vaders, but her modest request was re-
fused. Years after peace was restored
a, again in possession