Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-09-03
Big Bad PCys Tribute to
Old Soldier and cOnsrade

l received phone message from Hor
Stacey Hibbler, of West Point, tellin
me the sad news Of the death Of hi
father. had known Tol Hibbler sine
we were boys. had met him for tn
first time In 1850. He was at his uu
ele's. Jim Hibbler's, near Cooksville
during his vacation, having attende
the famous Gathright school, at Sum
merville, with his cousins. Robert an,
Ed, and my uncle. Clate Conner. Macl
Tate. and other Noxubee boys. l wa
living In Selma at the time, and wa
on visit to my grandmother, Mrs
Rosa Conner. in this county.
What fine time we boys had tina
summer. riding fine horses. courtins
the girls, reading Ivanhoe, and memo
rizing the Lady Of the Lake, and un
consciously preparing ourselves for tn
War that was soon to break upon US il
all OF It's fury. mention this. for Sen
ator Summer said, zone reason th,
Souther, boys were so chivilaric wa
because they read Scott's novels, ant
tried to initiate Ivanhoe, James Fitz
james and brave old Reoderick Dhu."
Tol was the gayest Of all that splen
did set Of boys-wealthy. handsome
and brilliant-he was the life Of ever,
gathering.
The next year the War commenced
went to Virginia and served in that
magnificent army; Clate went with
Rogers company in the 4lst Mississip-
pi, and was killed at Jonesboro, Ga.
Bob also went with this company, but
was transferred to the Noxubee troop
ers, where Ed, Tol and Mack Tate had
already enlisted. There was little rom
ance In the infantry. nothing but the
stern realities Of war, but with the cav
airy, the eyes Of the army, it WIS DIFF
ferent. and when I read of the splen-
did raids and daring charges made by
this magnificent regiment, l longed to
be with them.
The 1st Mississippi Cavalry was part
Of Armstrong; Mississippi Brig ade and
this brigade with Ross Texas Brigade
made up Bufford's division. and what a
splendid division it wasl A brigade of
bra yes enthusiastic chivarous young
M,ssissipplans and similar brigade of
young Texans! And Of all these gal
liant young men. Tol was equal to the
bravest. Ever gay and cheerful. he
was the life of the camp, but all of our
. valor was in vain, and Appomattox had
to come.
Coming out of the War, as General
Lee said, with all lost save honor, Tol
found his property gone, but with
brave heart, he, like the rest of us.
set to work to build his fortune again
After few years he cast his lot with
the good people of West Point, then
only village as a part of Lowndes
county. Soon these ambitious young
men, by agreeing to name the county
Colfax, which has happily been chang
ed to Clay, got the black and tan legis-
lature to give them a new county, and
made the brave little city of West
Point the county site. From that day
until his death, Tol was a loyal and de-
voted son of this county.
When l received the message telling
of his death, l felt that l had to attend
his burial, even at the risk of failing to
vote for friends who had claims on me,
but to try to make sure | would get
back to vote, I went in splendid auto,
being joined in Macon, by Ed and his
wife. When we reached Crawford. and
told my good friend, George Waller, of
Tols death, he readily consented to
join us, as he had always loved Tol.
Arriving at West Point, we went at
once to the nome he had built and lived
in for 40 year,. Here his children
were born, and all of his associations in
life clustered around it reminding US o
|our old comrade of the long ago. We
were soon ushered into the parlor,
where lay all that was mortal of this
gallant soldier. Lying in beautiful
|grey casket, wrapped in the flag he
loved so we'll, and followed so gallantly,
covered with beautiful floral emblems,
Ehe looked so life-like, that we could
|2carely realize he was dead. The
|bamt pleasant expression and smile that
had so often greeted me, was on his
lace. "a l stood by his coffin, all OF
the glorious past that we had spent
together, rushed over me, and it was
hard to realize that this was the end.
He was buried from the First Baptist
church, of which he had so long been
consistent member. The services were
|conducted by his pastor and warm per-
|sonal friend, DR.. R. L. Motley, assist
led by our own Rev. j. L. Sykes and
(Rey. R. L. Phelps and Rev. E. c.
Moore. Each minister paid tributes to
the christian character and lovable at
tributes of our friend. While he was
D loval member of the Baptist church.
\ mos an fnll of love and charity for