The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-27
OLD TIME NEGRO IS CALLED ID REWARD Bob Wilson Had Passed the
 Century Mark BORN IN JEFFERSON He Was Born a Slave But Fought With Southern Army in Civil
 War-Was Infirm for
 Many Years
BORN IN JEFFERSON

Bob Wilson, aged 1O4 years. ne- gro slave of the old south, died yes terday afternoon.
 Born In 1S0S on the Wilson planta- ton near the present suburb of Bir- mingham. called East Lake. Bob lived q life of the true and traditional ola southern darSey, a life covering years | in which many of the thrilling events of the souths history occurred, life | true and loyal to the south and which ended yesterday afternoon because the illness which strikes white and black, rich and poor, high and lowly. all alike, the inevitable illness of old age, had come to- him.
 l Uncle Bob fought with the southern army in the conflict of fS61 he lived as slave on the traditional southern plantation: he saw the battle of Mo- | bile he witnessed the fall of Nicks- l burg, and many other minor slxirmishes | and engagements he drove herds of | live stock to pasture and to market across Jones valley when there was no Birmingham; he saw the first log building constructed at old Elyton he saw the first furnace blast missing flames into the night and covering Jones valley with the soft, deep red glow that since has become one of the | famous sights of the city of Birming- ham; he saw and heard and felt and | lived many things of great interest 10 he modern Birmingham citizen. and he loved to tell stoiSes about them. Uncle Bob was born August 28, 1908, ons the Wilson plantation in Jefferson county and about seven miles east of where the Terminal station now stands He was tSe slave of Jim" Wilson, the owner of the plantation. and the father of Dr. Cunningham Wilson, the well known physician who lives at Five Points. South Highlands. He married E. slave girl. Lisa, and is the ia ather of nine children. Six of his children are now living. one of whom Is a Meth odist preacher at Jacksonville, Ala, one a school teacher and the remainder farmers.
 At the outbreak of the civil war Uncle Bob was taken to Mobile. where hc helped to build the breastworks used to guard the city which was then the metropolis of Alabama. He work cd in that section of the south during tho war. being transferred to different places at diffeernt times once during the war he walked from Mobile to the Wilson plantation in order to see his wife and family, returning a few days later to the scene of action.
 
 came free. he became attached to Dr John w Sears, one of the pioneers of Birmingham. Mrs. John D. Elliott cf this city was the adopted daughter of I)r. Sears. pr. Sears at one time owned the lot upon which is situated the present newspaper plant of Tho Bir- mingham Age Herald and at that time he gave to Uncle Bob enough space rpon which to build cabin for his home. This cabin originally sat along Fifth avenue, but, in later years when Birmingham changed from a village to a city 1t was moved back to mako room | for a residence. He occupied his cabin on Fourth alley up to the time of his death
 | For the last several years Uncle Bob became so infirm with old age that he was unable to work and he made his | living by going to the woods and gath . ering herbs, which he boiled and mixed and sold to negroes as medicine. Tn all his life. 1t is stated, neither he nor his family were ever in court or in any trouble. They were peaceable, cour- teous, real negroes of the south. The old darkey will be buried this after noon at "The Place in Enon Ridge cemetery.