Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-01-16

NWbIToW w lISOll DtlIS IntIl
k611TsSei two years old. the family
G4eg~zel moved to Augusta. Ga. where
the father was to be pastor of the
Presbyterian church for the next four
years
With his entrance upon the Augusta
passionate. the Rev. Mr. Wilson became
one Of the most noted ministers of the
south. Thoroughly equipped in the the
Ology Of his denominations n pulpit ora
tor of great power and n personality Of
extraordinary force. he early reached
and long maintained Il position Of much
influence When the war came on he
embraced with all the strength of his
character the southern side. At the d-
vision of the Presbyterian church into
northern and southern branches he in.
vited the first general assembly of the
latter to meet In his church and became
its permanent clerk.
In 1865 Or Wilson was styled stat
ed clerk" Of the southern Presbyterian
general assembly. and he continued to
be such until 1899 when he resigned
being then seventy seven years old and
having kept the southern Presbyterian
records for nearly forty years. He was
moderator of the assembly In 1870 He
died at Princeton. n. j., In his eighty
first year
Mr. Wilson had been a professor Of
rhetoric, and he always remained one
taking very seriously and practicing
with Il sense of it's sanctity the art of
words. He read his sermons. every
one of which was marked by high
literary finish. although in no sense
unduly rhetorical
Mr. Wilson used to speak with con-
tempt OF the f1orid style of oratory.
and even early In life his son was
trained to consciousness of the no
surdity of highfalutin rhetoric
Tommy Wilson's earliest recollected
impression had to do with the break
Ing out of the civil war. On certain
day In November. 1860, the little boy.
playing on the gate before his fathers
house. saw two men meet on the side
walk and heard one of them cry, Lin
coin Is elected. and therell be war;
This Is the earliest recollection of
Woodrow Wilson. Something I'm the
shrll tone of the speaker struck for
the first time chord of lasting mem
Dry.
Yet Woodrow Wilson remembers lit
tie. almost nothing. Of the war. Au.
gusta was on an island around which
flowed the current of the conflict. 1t
was never occupied by Federal troops
until reconstruction days. No refu.
gees ever fled to 1t. The man does re-
member that the boy saw n troop Of
men In every sort of garb mounted on
every sort OF horse ride past the house
one day on their way to join the Con
federate army. They were not n terri
flying or glorious spectacle The boy
cried after them In slang exclama
ton of the day. Go get your mule"
| He does remember the scarcity OF
the food supply that came on as the
war progreSSed-not that there was
not enough food, but 1t was greatly
restricted in variety
There was another war event that
made its impression upon the boy-in
, the summer OF 1865 he saw Jefferson
Davis ride by under guard on his way
to Fortress Monroe
! After 1865 DR. Wilson's church was
occupied temporarily by Federal sol
diers However. such hardships rs the
city OF Augusta suffered through tn,
war We're nothing compared with those
endured in most parts of the south. II
is to this fact that is to be attributed
! the small part in Woodrow Wilson,
education played by the passions o'
the great conflict He was only min,
years old when the war ended IL,
was. too, apparently boy who some
what tardily developed strong convic
lions In short. he was Il real boy
while he was n boy. more concerne,
In the games of his crowd than in tn,
principles of n war OF which they SAW
little
The Wilson boy was, his companions
say, AN active little fellow, II was
popularity that he was always run
ming He seemed incapable of proceed
ing from point to point otherwise. H.
can scarcely be said to have Wake,
until he was fourteen or fifteen wear
old
One of the thrilling moments ot IN
boys early life was the day and even
ing when the first street car raM
down the streets cot Augusta tn
cars We're OF the nohtail variety WY
box for nirkfls M IN front Nv ulyN
the electric light had not then tprnr
night into day the glimmrrn& rr,
purple and green lights carried h> 81,
cars afforded endless pleasure ~ iGa
approached and rr,edrd rhe uu'.,
too, made friends with the drivers i.
weHt along with theu M ih"tt &C.