Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1917-05-12
Judge W.. P. Winfree to Stop
in Richmond to See ''That
Old Sweetheart"
BUT WILL NOT GO ALONE
Parted on Eve Of Chickamau-
ga and Never Met again
For 80 Years.

A romance of 81 years ago will be
recalled by the visit Of Judge VIM. p.
Winfree, Commandant of Ned Merri-
wether Bivouac, u. G. ", to the
Confederate Reunion in Washington,
June 2.
In 1868, Judge Winfree, then Is
years old, and a soldier under Gen.
N. B. Forrest, was at Powhatan, Va,
twenty miles from Richmond, on a
visit to his grandmother during a
brief furlough. While there he met
Miss Olivia Magruder, pretty girl
of 16 years of age. She was fair to
look upon, with a wealth of dark
curls that clustered about beautiful
face,- and the young soldier boy
speedily fell victim to Cupid's darts.
Their love affair was advancing rap
idly, when the call to duty came
and the lovers had to part. Young
Winfree's last act before leaving
Richmond for the South was to write
a lengthy and ardent love letter to
his Powhatan sweetheart, which wa
sent back to her by a soldier friend.
If this story was merely romantic
fiction, the reader would at once
guess that the young couple, after
many vicissitudes, were married when
the war was over. Such, however,
was not the case. Or rather, they
were not married to each other.
They never met again until 80 years
afterwards.
Mr.. Winfree hurried back to his
command and arrived the night before
the bloody battle of Chickamauga.
AS one of Forests cavalrymen, he
was in the thick of that fight for two
days and followed that intrepid leader
iuto many subsequent battles. After
the war, still a beardless boy of 20,
he came home, studied law, became
a successful lawyer and Judge and in
due time married a Kentucky girl,
and hand in hand the happy couple
are descending LIES hill together.
In the meantime the fair Olivia had
ceased to grieve over the absent low
er and as Mrs. H. B. Pollard, she toe
was happily married. In 1893 Mr.
and Mrs. Pollard lived in Louisville
land while attending Confederate re
union in that city, Judge Winfree wa:
entertained in their hospitable home
80 years after the fearful parting OIL
the eve of battle.
| Mrs. Pollard's husband died two
years ago,and she now lives in Rich
mond, Va. Judge Winfree accom-
panied by Mrs. Winfree and theil
daughter, will go to Washington mex
month and will stop over in Richmond
to be entertained by the judge
former sweetheart. 1t will be OBJ
|served that this time Mrs. Winfree i
lgoing with the Judge. They will als'
visit Beaureguard Winfree, a cousin
who lives at the old home, Powhatan
In recent letter from his Virgins
cousin the old romance was thus re
lferred to:
ooh, lovely souls like some we'v
/ known,
u The changing scenes Of time cal
sever;
| But some, whose memories, Xix
new-mown hay
| These will linger around forever J
Judge Winfree at 72 years of ag
is still in active business and enjoy
vigorous health for a man of his age
He is one OF Hopkinsville's leading
citizens and no man in the city stand
higher. Although a soldier OF tn
Lost Cause" he is an ardent patrio
and his soul thrills with military an
dor by the call to arms, as he sees tn
young men marching away to figh
for the flag of our reunited country
Too old to fight himself, his son an
grandson are both enlisted, Capt
Ben S. Winfree an officer of IN
Third Kentucky, and Harry Ware a
: a soldier in Co. ID, of the same reg
: ment Both are ready and anxious l
follow the flag into France and on I
Berlin. They come of fighting stoc
: land the blood OF heroes is in thei