The Tupelo journal., 1908-01-24
James NJ. Williams.
BY COL. w. L. CLAYTON.

You know it is sometimes said
| of an author, He WRITE himself
in his book" the thoughts and
sentiments are.so much like the
author. And so when I come tc
think and write of my old friend,
James M. Williams, ] am coming
near home.
You know when a writer wish.
es to be rather indefinite as tc
time, he generally beei S his
narrative by, "Once upon 9
time" But my memory is more
accurate in relation to my first
acquaintance With Mr.. Williams.
The first ;. ,nday of September,
1856, | began my attendance al
the school OF Henry w. Martin
at old Richmond, tss.l the most
f1ourishing town i'll the county OF
old Itawamba, and during that
week | first knew Mr.. Williams.
He was then an unmarried man
and was engaged in selling goods
in a house just north of the store
then occupied bv Raymond and
Trice. From the beginning OF
our association | fell in love with
him. He was a very quiet and
the most modest man / think !
ever knew. Through all the
years of his young manhood there
was never a word escaped his
lips calculated to disturb the
most fastidious for correct de
pertinent. was with him a
great deal before he married, and
lived just across the fence from
him for twenty years, and can
verify his department through
all the years. He married Miss
Martha Lindsey, at old Van Bu-
rem, in February, 1856. Although
| had only known him since the
first week in September previ-
Gus, l had gotten close enough to
him to be one of the few who
were hcnored with that ride to
the River. 1t was a bleak, cold
time, and on that Friday night =
for it was on Friday-the beau
tiful snow came down until ev-
erything was covered for several
inches deep, and thus We had to
ride through it and the cold for
twelve miles on our return to
Richmond, the home of t,,,e bride
and groom.
James. for | always thus called
him-and his bride settled down
to life in that hustling old town,
and feel sure they had their
cup as full of joy as comes to
the common lot Miss Martha
as everybody called her-was full
of life and fun, like the young
girls for many years, and James,
in his quiet and modest way en-
enjoyed himself in listening and
laughing those snbdued laughs
we all remember so we'll. All!
James, | remember we'll the OIL
den times when we used to gath
er the boys and girls together,
and hunt for the wild grape,
hickory nut and the golden rod,
in the beautiful glade east of old
Richmond, where the trees had
not then been touched by the
woodman's axe, and where the
breath of autumn had turned the
green of the forest into gold and
carnation. How we heard the
birds sing and saw them fit
from limb to limb and tree to
tree, and watched the squirrel
pairing the hickory nut and acorn
from his perch on the tree, and
how laughter and merriment
filled the woods. But those boys
and girls have been called away
one by one, and now, James, af-
ter having lived almost two years
after celebrating thy golden we'd
ding, thou, too, hast been called.
IF man die shall he live
again?' All! James, Matte is
waiting for the golden glow of
the sunset to realize what thou
already knowcst about the things
of God.
After / left Richmond in the
fall of 1856, Mr.. Williams drop
ped out of my life and knowledge
for some years. / moved to Full
ton to begin the practice Of law
and James remained at old Rich
mond and sold goods. | OCCASION
ally visited there or went there
on professional business, and
thus once and awhile met my old
friend until the war separated
us. | have not been able to learn
but little of his history during
the war. In the latter part Of
the war, from about August,
1864, Mr.. Williams was a men,
ber of Co. |. 18th Miss. Cavalry,
in Gen. Armstrong; Division.
He must have been in the army
previous to that, but | have not
been able to learn where nor un-
der whom. The record which
he made as soldier is good. AL
though quiet and unassuming,
he was brave and chivalrous, and
discharged every duty required
Of him without a complaint.
After tha war and about 1896