The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-07

country the mamma hurriedly passed
among the other negroes, servants ana
field hands, on the large farm. In day
or two she brought in to her young mas
ter a small and weighty sack, bidding
him to count it, Before him he spread
in small silver coin the sum of $50 NO
obligation to return the money was
asked.
To Mr.. and Mrs. Tayloe was born one
child. a daughter, reared to womanhood
and matrimony at Walnut Grove.
IvEY FOREMAN LEWIS.
Mr. Lewis was one of the later arrivals
among the planters of the Canebrake
In the year 1858 he made a tour OF Eu-
rope with his bride, Miss Kate Rhodes,
and his young maiden sister, Miss Mary
Returning he built the handsome resi-
dence "Bleak House," on a picturesque
spot on his plantation in the upper cane
brake belt He and Miss Mary collected
In Europe large number of paintings IN
oil, copies from several of the world
famous artists. The design was to build
a gallery. The pictures, however, were
crowded upon the walls OF BLEAK
House, making a display of great ele-
gance and beauty, when the bugle of the
Canebrake Legion called the master to
distant fields for a public service so ex-
acting that the gallery was never com
pleted.
Richard Henry Lewis came from Edge
combe county, North Carolina. In 1880,
with many slaves, and purchased large
bodies of land In the northern part of
Marengo county, now Hale. he had
graduated from the University Of North
Carolina with first honor. He was one
of the planters who in early times raft
ed cotton down. Big Prairie creek to It's
confluence with the Warrior river In
1882 Richard Henry Lewis married In
North Carolina, Miss Mary Foreman To
them were born the two children who
lived at Bleak House. Mrs. Lewis, nee
Miss Foreman, died at Greensboro, Ala,
in 1910. Years later Richmond Henry
married in North Carolina and to them
was born the eminent physician of
Raleigh, DR.. Richard Henry Lewis, Jr.
| Ivey Foreman Lewis was born in 1888
in North Carolina, and was graduated
from the university of that state. His
wife was a native of the southern part
of Alabama, educated at st. Mary's
(EpiscopaD school at Raleigh.
| Bleak House at once We'd with the
earlier homes in the practice of Cane
brake customs No family contributed
more to the peculiar society than the
Lewises. A memorable event under the
roof must have claim to recognition here.
General Hardee came to Demopolis after
the fall of Vicksburg, July, 1868, In COM
mand of an army There he met Miss
| Mary B. Lewis of Bleak House. The
general was a widower with several
children, unmarried Miss Lewis was
perhaps Is years of age, of slight figure,
rather below medium size, black hair and
countenance very expressive of inteli-
gence and high character. The general
was feet, perfectly erect, with close
| cropped white hair and mustache, the
beau ideal of a.soldier.
| An engagement to marry was an
nounced by the two, the wedding to come
| off at Bleak House in February, 1864.
Preliminary to this memorable occasion
! Miss Lewis went to Mobile, then closely
| beleaguered by the enemy, to search for
a trousseau.
| On the return trip the eliza Battle
sunk in the Bigbee river before the voy
age was half completed. Miss Lewis
and Miss Shackleford OF Sumter county,
| the only ladies among the passengers,
were rescued with great difficulty. The
mate of the boat swan through the in
undated saloon and drew the former
| through the skylight, and also saved her
negro maid. Miss Shackleford was saved
by Mr.. Nathan B. Whitfield of Demopo-
| lis, but her negro maid was lost
The night for the wedding came and
never was so splendid a company as
sembled in the Canebrake. The parlors
and halls overflowed. The groom brought
with him Gen. Pat r. Cleburne and
Gen. a. C. Deas from the army then at
Dalton, Ga. Other officers were there
all in their brilliant Confederate uni
| form. sword-belts, silk sashes, top boots
and glistening spurs
| The groom took his bride back to the
army at once. Sherman was already
facing Johnston to begin the March
through Georgia. The bride took along
her pair of matched bay harness horses,
Not long after their arrival both were
shot under Hardee at Resaca
| Captain Lewis was promoted major,
commanding The jeff Davis Legion,
while Major Mathis was promoted brig
| adler general and sent to General Wheel
| err Major Lewis's name is associated
with some of the hardest fought battles
of Hampton's cavalry in honor. He was
severely wounded in the last of those
battles on the Fayetteville road, North
Carolina, March 10, 1865. He was a
handsome officer nearly six feet tall,
and a fine horseman.
Major and Mrs Lewis reared a large
family of sons and daughters at Bleak
House.
Illustrative further of the confidence
which controlled the relations of the
slaves with their masters, Wilson's raid
ers having already burned the University
at Tuscaloosa were known to be march
ing southwark for the great plantations.
Mrs Lewis at Bleak House alone with
several small children ordered the six
mule wagons from the several planta-
tions to assemble hastily in the back
yard There the thousands of dollars of
pictures, ETC., were loaded and the stock
of family groceries. The negro drivers
were instructed to strike out in a north
easterly direction, seeking to escape cap
ture Some progress on the road had
been made when a squad of the raiders
met the caravan. The groceries were
scattered by hostil hands In wanton
waste along the highway. The wagons
with the art treasures were next at
tackled and utter destruction promised
One of the teamsters interposed. He i'm
plored the soldiers not to burn "Missis
pictures, for the loss would break her
heart" The plea was successful. The
wagons returned home unframed.
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The Vocal Art In Boston
From the Albany IN. Y.) Journal.
Boston comes forward with another