The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-03-21
GENERAL PARTRIDGE WRITES OF
BEILAIR HEROES and HEROINES
Confederate Veterans Letter Bitch Bridge
Monument dwelling Is Interesting Historical
DOcum

continuous cavalry service, packed my
haversack with rations consisting of
boiled ham and good pone corn bread
and from the Bradfordville neighbor-
hood, followed the road into Tallahas-
see. There I learned for the first time
of the landing from the fleet Of the
Yankee expedition that threatened so
seriously the capital of our state. I
reported TO a Lieutenant Houston who
armed me with a rifle and supply of
ammunition and directed me to re-
port for duty in the trenches about the
city. / have never seen the trenches
yet. learned that a cavalry company
from jefferson county composed of old
men and boys; commanded by Gen.
William J. Bailey, was encamped on
the st. Augustine Branch, awaiting
order TO march to the front. Orders
came about 10 p. m. to report at
Newport We marched through the
night, reaching Newport about sun
rise on the morning OF the Z. After a
brief rest to feed our men and horses
we received orders to proceed to Shell
Point and bivouac on Spring Creek.
All observations confirmed the belief
that the Yankees, badly beaten in bat
tie, routed and sorely disappointed in
their high hopes of retrieving their lost
! fortunes at OIustee, had taken refuge
abroad their fleet.
| The memory of the event is well
worth while. The expedition was well
planned, the surprise feature of it a
remarkable success, the mobilizing of
! the fragments that met the invasion.
military wonder, based upon that
desperate courage peculiar TO the Con-
federate men and boys of the COS.
! All honor to those few organized
troops who met the invasion at the
water line and stemmed the tide,
awaiting the consolidation of the gath
ering fragments; all honor to the old
men and boys who became veterans in
day: all honor to the corps of
cadets from the seminary at Tallahas-
see, who were quick to form ranks and
march to the front. 1 shall always
feel an interest in this corps and its
history when remember that it's COM
mander. Captain John Wesley Weth-
ington, was my comrade in Co. II, 3rd
Fla. Inf, that he was desperately
wounded at the battle of Perryville.
KY, before he was 16 years old; that
he was discharged on account of his
disability and that he showed up in
the right place when men were in
demand
I m ght close this rambling effort
right here-fuIl of the consciousness
of its human frailty, its egotism if
you please-but fair play is a jewel so
let me attempt to sequel to the MARIA
tive.
There be some living-very few
and there be the children and the chill
dren's children who at the name of
Bellair will rise up and say God Bless
Her" Bellair is four miles south of
Tallahassee and eight miles north of
Natural Bridge. Before the war it
was the home Of culture and refine
ment the all of social joy of some Of
the most distinguished families Of our
state. 1t was the home of business
and professional men of Tallahassee,
that peaceful village center where the
planter turned for rest after the weary
day on the plantation. There We're
the homes of Ex-Governor Brown, the
Maxwells, the Footmans, the Bur
rough's, the Chaires' the family of
Judge T. Archer, Judge Douglas, the
Screvens, Col. George t. Ward, the
Crooms, Randolphs, the Denhams. the
Houstons, the Adams, the Duvals, the
Parkhills, the Boards and kinred souls
that have demonstrated Florida in
every field of worthy achievement
The booming of cannon awakened
this slumbering village to vigorous
consciousness and that spirited action
that is the peculiar glory. especially of
Dixie's daughters. Under the leader
ship Of DIR. James H. Randolph and the
matrons Of the village, inspired by the
nearby noise of battle, maidens and
matrons met at the little railway sta
ton and with prayers to God and hope
! in Him, piled their busy fingers in the
work of scraping lint and rolling ban
dages. And are they less veterans?
All honor and God bless the memory Of
| Bellair and these noble people whose
! lives gave 1t a name so wonderfully
| fair. and an unforgettable place In the
lives of their children and their chill
dren's children.
AS I sit in this chamber and pen
these thoughts, / turn to one of these
former Bellair girls-one of these Re
lief Corps Veterans of March 9Th, who
honors me by bearing my name and
has followed me now for AZ years al
ways on duty, responsive to the call for
service as wife and mother. She should
| be with you if L could accept your
| cordial invitation.
Yours most cordially,
| (Signed) BENZ. w. PARTRIDGE.