The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1913-05-22
CONFEDERATES
FROM BRAZIL
Southerners Who Left the United
States After War Invited
to the Re-UniOn.

Chattanooga, Tenn, Nav 21.-W hen
The local Daughters of the Coniedracy
issued an invitation TO The ex- Conieder-
ates Of Brazil oaltend u reception here
during the reunion, May 2T-29 they
sent great many people to the history
books for information. 1t was the
first time that an invitation had been
addressed to those exiles in South
Ame RIGA TO attend social function at
q Confederate. reunion.
| AT the close of the war quite num-
Der of Southerners refused to take the
oath of allegiance and begin life anew
under conditions that they did not like.
Brazil appealed to them, and they
went from nearly every southern state
and planted colony in'that country.
They have a neat, prosperous village,
known as Villa Americana, situated
something more than 100 miles west
of the city of Sac Paulo. Some mem
bers of the colony grew tired of the
Brazilian life and returned home, put
there are some 600 members OF the col
ony now, al within "a radius of few
miles.
Nevin G.. Winter, in one Of his books
on Brazil, says that THESE southerns
are still Americans at heart, but they
have become citizens of Brazil by birth
or proclamation. They are thrifty anil
well to do people. The following ex-
crepts from Mr.. Winters book will be-
of interest just now: "Some one had
old me that the war was taboosed
subject; that the few Older members
left were fighting the battles over.
| When / met the oldest member OF the
colony, who had left the United States
+. in 1855, the impulse came to test this
subject. | mentioned the fact that
my own father had served in the Tn.
ion army and fought for his country
on that side This old man, who was
past the allotted three.score, and-ten,
and had fought with that intrepid
warrior. S9onewall Jackson, then told
me the whole history of the colony
and the causes that led to its establish
ment. IT was mistake he said,
| shut we did not realize it then, ana
afterward it was tooiate TO sacrifice
what we had and move BACK. We still
love the old flag
"W hen Senator Root, to take up
the thread at another point, "the Sc
cretary of state, visited Brazil four
years ago, a new station was named
Elihu Root in his honor or the Paul
ista Railway, and his name stands out
conspicuously on every time table Of
that line. The special train conveying
him passed through the Villa Amer
leans, and he was asked TO stop and
address the Americans. When the
train stopped many OF the Older resi-
! dents met him with tears in their eyes
and, was told, the eyes of Inc dis
tinguished American were not dry;
and he has said that it was The most
pathetic incident IN his trip. He was
asked whether it would be better for
the colony to- remain in Brazil or re-
turn to the Tinted States. Stay where
you are. he said, and be good Brazil
ians. You will find the states so
changed that they would no longer
seem like honey
"1he secretary was right. A few
mouths De!ore my visit Gne of The pros
porous members Of the colony went,
with his. family, 10 his old home in
Texrs, with The Intention of remaining
there. Helefl his property in the hands
of an agent tor sale. "A few weeks after
his arrival in Texas ne cab!ed to his
agent nof TO self his prperty. as heo
was coming back. Ina few months he
and his family returned to the Viii,
giving MS his reason hat the old neigh
borhood had changed so much that
ii did not seem so much like home as
BRAZIL