The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1908-06-19
The BIRMINGHAM Reunion.

. which was held at Birmingham, Ala,
b. ON the 9th 10th and lth Of this month
was So enjoyable. I wish, with your
5 permission, TO comply with my friends
request and tell them something Of IT,
TO begin / will say at 1925 p. m,
, on Sunday, the eth inst, with my
. friend Watt Angela and his good wife,
we boarded the Norfolk 4 Western
train and started ON our way TO Biz
mingham. We arrived at Chatlanoo-
"a. Ten D., on the next day at 10
O'Clock a.. m Here we decided To lay
over and visit the battle fields Of
Lookout Mountain and Chickamauga.
We boarded trolly ear and went 10
Chickamauga, about fifteen miles dis
lant. here We employed hack and
guide and had a most delightful drive
over this historic battle field. The
point ON this field OF most interest TO
me was the ground on which my old
corps, Gen. Longstreets, penetrated
and broke through the federal lines
near the foot of Snodgrass Hill, there
by making the capture Of the entire
/ federal force possible. and which ! am
/ told would have been accomplished
I had Gen. Bragg followed the advice Of
/ Gen. Longstreet Any one looking
over this field and al this particular
point would say at once that no sol
dlcr, save those Of the Army Of North
/ cm Virginia could have made that
eight and succeeded as Longstreets
corps did.
Returning 90 Chattanooga my old
friend needed rest, so left him in
charge of his better half and proceeded
% Lookout Mountain. Arriving at
foot of the mountain boarded a ear
on the incline cable road and started
for the top, which is 400 feet from
the bottom 10 the top, the grade Is 80
feet ia 100. There is a queer and SEN
sauonal feeling IN going up this incline,
sitting yet feeling as if standing and
looking down 400 feet almost perpen-
dicular and yet it pays for the risk run.
Arriving at the top you behold one Of
the most beautiful views permitted
man 20 see. In the valley Chattanoo-
ga lies before you with the lennes-
see river winding and curing for
miles, finally forming the Moccasin
Bend, one of the most beautiful sights
90 be seem ON top Of the mountain is
Lookout Inn, aG5 feet long aud con-
tans $50 rooms ! could tell you Of
many more places Of interest TO be
Seen, but fear / may tire you or take
up too much of your valuable space.
returned Ia Chattanooga and picking
zap my friend Watt and his wife we
repaired 10 the depot. Here we had
the good fortune to meet some Of our
toNn people who had gotten in on
later train Ihi. party consisted Of
Mrs. Fila Morgan, Miss Agnes Burger
and their lady friend, also II. A. VIII
bourne, Lawrence and Tom Smith.
ATS p. m we resumed our journey 10
Birmingham. ll3 miles distant. We
arrived az our destination at 1920 a. m.
Here at the station Watt and his wife
found friends awaiting them and the
old Reb and others had to scuille for
themselves. Wilbourne, the two
Smiths and myself found sleeping
quarters at the City Hall for the night.
The next morning we separated going
our several ways looking up perma-
nont quarters Near the Courthouse
ran into the arms of my bOyhood
friend, $. T.. Mcdonnell, who was
more than glad 10 see me, and insisted
should go home with him, which ]
did. You know ga blind hog will
pick up am acorn sometimes Ina his
home ! found his genial wife and chill
dren, all of whom gave me cordial
welcome. Never IN my life did !
meet a kinder reception or a more hos
pitable family shall always appre-
ciate and never forget their loving
kindness to me. Emmit is the same
old Emmit and hi- wife the JOY Of his
heart
Now as 20 the reunion. have at
tended an or the most Of them, but
never IN my life have seen the sold
Vets better treated or more handsome
ly entertained. The city and It's peo-
pie belonged 10 u- from first 10 last.
Birmingham with lis suburbs has be-
tween 10000 and 2OOOoO people.
With these aud the visitors made up
about as large a crowd as ] ever saw
atany OF our reunions. ON the day
of the parade the street had the appear
ance Of one solid mass of human be-
ings. The street ears ceased to run
aud the streets in which we marched
belonged to as and other people. To
those who have never attended one Of
these great reunions I say 90 and for
NiNN lH 1NNl JIG "'N NiAN hA''AhN "'f
greeting and hugging between the old
boys of lS6l-6j You will never for
get it SD long az you live. One, If
not the greatest of pleasures ] bad at
this reunion, was the meeting with
two of my boyhOod friends whom !
had not seen for more than forty years.
one Of them was llampden Osborne,
with whom J said goodbye 10 on
Main street in 1861, AS I took the train
for field service The other was VIM.
A. Miller, Lieutenant in my COM
pany and whom last sawas wecrossed
Sailcr Creek on the 9Th Of April, 1868,
and went into battle. Here ] was
wounded and never saw him again un-
Cd we met iu Birmingham. Osborne