The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-08-29
A Trip From Montgomery
To South Carolina in 1917


q point in Georgia where there was
gentleman who wished 10 travel In
the direction We were going. He was
assigned to our coach and that neccs-
Stated Bess occupying q seat beside
the driver. I was sitting beside my
mother on the rear seat, when the
stranger entered the coach and sat In
front Of me. He had the heaviest
black beard ! have seen q man wear.
and with big black plume on the
other side.
On each shoulder he wore an epan-
lette OF material that seemed like gold
to me. To save my life. I couldn't
keep my eyes OF that man. Noticing
! had been mesmerixed. he said to my
mother: Madam. your iittlee boy
doesn't know what to make OF me. I
am Col. Henry r. Jackson Of the
First Georgia volunteers, have been
serving with the army In Mexico,
While with the army II Is not customs
airy for the officers to shave and after
leaving hosne thought would post
pone doing so as wish to see II my
iam4ly, WIZ recognize me on my ART
val. He then stated that his wife and
baby boy were In Savannah but that
We would soon arrive at the home OF
his widowed mother and his two
maiden sisters who resided on their
plantation. Somewhere In middle
Georgia, the stage drew up In front
of a gate to the yard OF . residence
typical OF those occupied by planters
OF modern means. Before Jackson
could enter the gate an elderly lady
ana two young ones came running
from the house, and screaming at the
top of their voices: Henry has comet
Henry has GOMEZ
When they reached him, all threw
their arms around his neck and seemed
as though they would smother him
with their embraces.
The Negroes welcome.
The negroes, who were hoeing OF
dence, threw down their hoes or aband.
oned their ploughs and came running
toward the house screaming at the
top OF their voices: "Marse Henry has
comet" Marse Henry has comet" The
returning soldier attempted at play
Ing "incog." had been failure. After
our return to Montgomery, several
months later. my mother read TO me
from The Advertiser q very pretty
poem and told me that 1t had been
written by Col Jackson the officer with
whom We had travelled as related
above.
The final line of each verse OF thai
poem. was. 20. God. protect my wife
and child!" The child" Of that poem
is Captain Harry Jackson OF Atlanta.
one OF the most prominent lawyers
Of Georgia.
The engines had no eow-catchera
attached. On one accession and car
there were no trains--ran over
yearling and there were q big commc-
tion among the passengers. The men
rushed out to see what had occurred
Ny mother was very much excited and
whatever excited her. excited me- The
mishap detained US some time. The
engine, suppose, was deraiIed.
No checks for baggage were given
passengers. At the terminus OF q
line each passenger would go forward
and Identify his or her baggage. nv
mother had her trunks marked ana she
had no dificulty In locating them. But
the lamentations Of poor old Irish
woman. whose "chist" was missing
when she went toward to claim bag
gage. were heart rending. She would
exclaim to the conductor. oh. man
what have you done vita my chsstesI
couldn't understand what she had lost.
but from her wailings. I thought soms-
thing very distressing had happened
and my sympathy was enlisted In her
behalf.
1t was years. before knew what
her chist was. 1t. perhaps. contained
all Of her earthly possessions. In
the midst OF her distress. the driver
OF our coach popped his whip and
we moved forward. I have always
wished 7 could have known that tha
poor woman found her chist
Atlanta was not the hub" in that
day and "Marthasville" was beneath
the notice OF stage men consequently
our course was Snapped toward
Griffin. At or near that town we
took car that was drawn up a steer
Incline In q style that today, would
seem unique. Large iron wings were
attached to upright posts that stood,
at intervals near the car track.
Through those wings. q huge cable,
larger than a mans arm. extended. One
end Of that rope. suppose. was at.
tached to the engine which put forth
enough locomotive power to land US
at the top of the hill.
The process was very slow. ana my
mother was Uneasy for fear that the
cable might break and send us whirl-
ing down the incline.
We remained in Sumterville until
the following September. Among the
little boys OF that village. whom I
learned to know, was Franklin ].
Moses Jr.. who. during the days Of
reconstruction was the renegads
governor Of South Carolina.
My younger brothers had three
cousins Leonard Bartlett. Morritk,
Dick and Frank Deelome as playmaft
The four were born 1s42 each at the
age OF twenty, was killed In battle In
ptnta