The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27
Chronicles of The Conceivable
BY JOHN w1THERspooN DUBosp
CHAPTER XVI

ROBERT WALKER WITHERS, M. D.
 Probably no cotton planter in the Cane brake lived more happily or lived on higher plane of citizenship than Dr. Withers. He was the incarnation of en- ergy. He touched various enterprises with the wand of his high purpose and practical ability. He was a gentleman Of handsome person, wide intelligence and captivating. His native energy and im- pulsive spirit discovered themselves even when subordinated to a fascinating po- liteness of address.
 The Withers name In Virginia appears at an early date. King Charles II. made grant of land on the Potomac to one of the name, who remained yet in Eng land. In 174S William Withers arrived from England to possess the estate. Chotauk, which had been bequeathed to him by John withers of Stafford county, Virginia, who died in 1898. William With CTS, having settled at Chotauk, became secretary to Governor Dinwiddie.
 Robert Walker Withers was son of Thomas Withers. who married Miss | Walker of Popular Creek, Dinwiddie county. She was of Scotch origin.
 pr. Withers came from Virginia to Huntsville. Ala, whither his uncle, Thorn as Withers, father of Gen. Jones M. Withers. a distinguished citizen of Mo bile and general officer in the Confeder- ate army, had preceded him. Huntsville seems to have been the rendezvous of young men from Virginia. who had come
 to settle in Alabama. Some time in the year 1923 Dr. Withers set out on horse back from that point for the French grant. He was accompanied on the ride | by Dr. Charles Lucas, a young Virgin
 ian. Withers stopped at Greensboro,
 while Lucas rode on to Montgomery
 county, settling at Mt. Meigs. where he
 became a physician of the first rank and
 a wealthy cotton planter.
 l Withers was 25 years of age when he
 arrived at Greensboro. He had been
 graduated from Yale in 1877 and from the University of Pennsylvania, in medicine, | in 1919. He practiced first at Greenville, Va but dropped his profession on con- | ing to Alabama. Ten years after settling
 in Alabama he married Miss Mary Dor othy. daughter of his uncle Thomas
 Withers of Huntsville, young woman
 Of singular elegance of manners and handsome person.
 | Upon arrival in the vicinity of Greens
 boro, pr. Withers purchased the allot- ment of the Bonapartist, Frenaye. He took others of those allotments, all on
 conditions imposed by the United States on the original French allotees. that the
 grape and olive should be cultivated. The Frenaye property became his sum- mer home, Retreat.
 | Frenaye had prospered, an isolated ex- ample among the Bonapartist settlers. He desired to return to Philadelphia to live. Urging Dr. Withers to purchase his land, he assured him that the Bona partist allotments were better invest ment than the valley of the Tennessee lands. In support of this allegation, he | said 16 negroes sold for as much money in Greensboro as 25 would bring at Hunts vile. The reason for this difference in values of chattel slaves was, he said, the reduced cost of transportation of cotton by the Warrior over the Tennessee river. Five steamers were already plying the Warrior carrying cotton to Mobile. With CTS paid the allotee $S an acre for the land the government had sold for s2. Of the 4s0 acres of the allotment, Frenaye had deadened the timber on 80 acres, but stipulation of the sale was the vendor must deaden 80 acres more, and leave 400 grape vines and four olive trees on the open land. He was also to build a double log cabin. Another feature of the transfer was, the Frenchman made an irrevocable last will and testament, con-