Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1910-08-12
AN iowa LETTER
Tazewell Man Writes OF
Former Days in -Tazewell
County.
Cnderw cod, Iowa.
July 3lst, 1910.


Dear Old Clinch Valley News:
AS my subscription is out | will
try and renew. We are always so
glad when you come. We ALWAYS
find you In our mail box on Monday
morning. 1t is surely welcome WIS.,
itor, though there are SO many sad
things in the dear paper. L felt so
sadst hear of the death of Mrs. Geo.
Gillespie and Mrs. Margaret Harris
son; they were daughters of VIM.
Nj. Gillespie, of Richlands. lie and
his good wife were noble people aud
they raised a noble family. He was
n grand old Democrat. In my fir. I
voting, he instructed me how TO
vote. | will never forget my first
voting. Ii was, Henry a. Wise, Nc
Cormick, Bocock, McMullen and
Gillepsie. They we've all elected.
That was long time ago. TazeweIl
was nearly all Democrats. There
were few Wings. i often think of
the grand old men OF TazeweIl i'm
! those days, such as Gen. Reese L
Bowen, old uncle Bill Barnes, Bob
Gillespie, Hugh Young, Shads
White, and the Thompsons and Wit
tens and Peerys and Cecils and
| Higginbothams and many others. |
was born in the Cove. NV father
was Milton Ward aud his farm
Joined Gen. Bowen's farm, so | was
raised among those grand old men
that have long since passed on to
their reward. When l saw in the
paper an account of the Memorial
services at Tazcwell, | did not know
the name of any of the old soldiers.
L remember the first two companies
of Infantry Volunteers THAT went in
TO camp at old Camp Ground be-
tween Plum Creek and Liberty Hill, |
Col. Harvey Georges place. They /
were Capt. +. V. Williams company |
and Capt. Jos. Harrissons' company.
Williams company was from the .
Jacksonville district and Harris (
sons company as from the Indian
district. They were grand, noble,
brave young men, and many gave
their LIES blood for the cause that
was so near 20 all OF us. left NV
home in buchanan county and came
90 their camp and joined Capt. Will
liams' company the 10th day OF May
1861. Many of that company were
relatives of mine and the Capt. and
/ had been boys together. l was nc
qnainted with many OF both compa-
mics. | often think of the dear BOYS
and feel SO sad that we can nele
meet again in this world, but thank
God there will be "Roll Call" over
yonder and we will all he there.
] was born in Tazewell county,
Oct. 18th, 1887. After grew up
moved To Buchanan county, where
Nov. 18th, 1861 | married Miss jamie
Ratlifr, daughter OF a bednego Rat
lif, VITO lived five miles above
buchanan county. In 1870 ,
we moved to Iowa. We landed with
our two children, the last days OF
May. We went TO housekeeping in n ,
dug out After we bought scan-
~ odtiit TO go 10 housekeeping, we
R"' hiAS CChAS lClls w Z lGli ' lIHlllla
in the days of Reconstruction, so we
had no mcney To bring with us and
none to leave behind. had seven
hundred acres and more of land i'm
Buchanan. | couldn't give IL away
so IL Is there, mine still. / suppose
ii will sell for something, sometime.
Iowa Is ii good country and / and
my dear wife went 10 work OH the
railroad. We worked there five years;
saved enough TO pay for eighty acres
of land, so we have made n comfort
able living ever since.
After time she had poor health.
In 1902 we decided to visit our old
home in Virginia, and see the old
places once more. 1t was too sad 10
think about, so many of the dear ones
dead and gone. Nothing looked nat
ural. L would liked so much to have
stopped in TazeweII but it seemed
that we could not, so with wife and
our two daughters, Rosalie and Re-
becca, we went OH to Bluefeld. The
train was four hours late so we
found Capt. ID. B. Baldwin aud his
good wife and noble family. Had
supper with them. 1t reminded me
of old Virginia hospitality. From
there we came straight home. Five
Naara oOO fOJou mo- baor