The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-04-04
General Woodward Recounts
Some Scenes and Incidents
lin the Life Of One Of the
Great Political Leaders Of
the State.

/ laH Il f 81
A note OF sadness runs through the
accompanying letter of General Wood
ward, discussing at II does, in his old
age, the deaths Of three distinguished
Alabamians whom he had known when
he and the state were young. He
pays tribute to the strength and merit
| OF Colonel Pickett with whom he had
direred. Arthur p Bagby. with whom
he had also differed and Charles NC
| Lemore OF Chambers.
His aliusions to Governor Bagby are
Of particular interest to students OF
| Alabama history. Governor Bagby be-
longed to period Of the States his
tory in which public speaking was the
honored art and in which writing was
without honor or reward The period
10 therefored. dark except to persistent
searcherr
Governor Bagby remarkable man
| In many respects. not the least OF
which. that belonging as ne did to the
strength and roughness Of q pioneer
| period In which culture as Ii 10 known
now was not recognized, then he be-
came q man of polished address and
| wide in formation. He was Governor
and United States Senator and he serv-
ed his country in an important diplo-
matte post. He was said to have been
one of the handsornest men. that was
L
not only suave and polished. In a
pioneer period. but he was a forceful
| speaker and q leader for many years.
General Woodward.s "Reminiscences
| which do not present him In any toe
favorable light. nevertheless have a
special interest-in that they are FIRST
| hand information about one OF the
large figures of the ante-bellum period
and they show which 10 more. the Pc
culiar customs and ways Of these re-
mote days.
wheeling. winn Parish. La,
Nov. 81. 1866
To j. u. Hooper. ESQ:
Dear Sir:--My health has been bad Of
late--so much so. that I have been I'M
| able to write. sent you few days
back little document containing some
corrections of errors In my printed
letters. You will ind that in the hand
writing OF my son Thomas. and be-
| iieve without date.
Your paper makes Its appearance &C.
casionaily, and ind many good things
In 1t. besides much useful information
But am truly sorry to find II the
messenger of SO much sad intelligence
learn from 1t, that my old acquain-
tances. land I think they were my
| frfends) Col. A. ,. Pickett. Ex-Gover-
| nor Bagby. and Col. Charles McL.emore
are no more.
Col Pickett knew when q small
| hoy, at the time when his father ennis
| grated to Alabama. think in 1913.
was then in the prime OF manhood
| Col VIM. r. Pickett settled In iAutauga
| County, near HAYNES Bluff. the blufl
| taking It's name from it's original own
err, Col. Arthur p. Hayne. That por-
| tion OF the country between Autauga
creeek and the mouth OF the Coosa
river, just before and at the same time,
ana little while after Col. VIM II
Pickett settled in Alabama, was occu-
pied by more intelligent, sensible. prac.
tical. and may say talented men, (not
to be professional men) then any por-
ton OF South Alabama which was ac-
quainted with. Among them was DR..
Bibb. the first man ! ever heard make.a
political speech. think-jt was In
1904, at Gilbert Court House. Ga. ! was
too young TO, understand anything Of
politics at that time. but remember
hearing the speech and recollect the
man. and knew him from then until
his death. ! also recoiIsct thatthat at