Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-05-27
By the Assoeiotsd Press

By the Associated Press
There are the old soldiers of
the old war.
gOnce there were 4 million Of
them. Last year there 43. Last
March there were Is. Now there
are only ia shrinking bridge
head in time.
They sit on their porches, smoke
their pipes, nod drowsily to re-
porters who every year around
this time come out to the Old
Soldiers Home or the cabin up
the road for a Memorial Day
story.
Dutifully. the old soldiers give
their annual advice on longevity.
Patiently. they make the long
journey back in memory to Shiloh,
Gettysburg, Vicksburg-to the last
time Americans fought Americans.
Every year they remember a
little less of the Civil War. Every
year there are fewer of them to
remember. Now. IS years after
Appomattox there are IL Confed-
crate and seven Union veterans
left.
There We're 20 Civil War veter-
ans until Friday. Then John A..
Marcum, SO. the youngest of the
survivors. died at Birta, Ark. He
had served in Gen. Robert E. Lee S
army in Virginia at the age of 8.
A final reunion for the Con-
federates will be held at Norfolk
Wednesday through Saturday.
Only 3 Vets Expected.
only three veterans are ex-
pected to be able to attend. One
will come from Virginia, one from
Georgia and one from Louisiana.
A fourth, from South Carolina,
may make the trip.
Among the notables who have
said they will attend the reunion
are elder statesman Bernard Ba-
ruch. Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey
Director of Selective Service. and
Brig. Gen. R. j. Marshall, Super
i1tendent of Virginia Military
Academy. A number of Members
of Congress also are expected.
Here is sketch OF each Civil
War survivor:
CONFEDERATE.
Thomas Evans Riddle, los
Texas Confederate Home for Men
Austin. Spends time playing DOM
inoes with attendant, listening to
war news on the radio or taking a
slow walk around the yard, using
O cane.
A private in the 18th Tennessee
Infantry, Mr.. Riddle fought under
Gen. Lee at Gettysburg. Made an
honorary Texas Colonel SO years
later, along with States two other
surviving Confederate veterans.
people still argue about Gettys-
burg" Mr.. Riddle says. Some
say as many as 1000 were killed.
But I know how many were killed.
Thirteen. that's all. I was there
and we buried every one of them
right there in the field"
Walter W.: Williams, 108, Frank
lin, Tex, blind, almost totally deaf
rerely leaves front porch. Lives
with 77-year-old second wife, Ella
Mae, on isolated farm quarter mile
away from nearest neighbors, in
Guiding some of their children
What do they do when they need
help in a hurry?
Why, just blow the COW
horn" Mrs. Williams says. Die
that last winter when Walter
caught the flu. My son came right
over"
Mrs. Williams milks their COWS
tends the chickens and horses
does her own planting and gard.
ening and keeps up an orchard.
Mr.. Williams served in Hood,
cavalry Brigade as forage master
or chief of food. Scrounging de.
partment, in Mississippi. Death OIL
first wife left him with seven chill.
dren, three surviving. Second mar.
riage in 1895 brought him IL chill.
dren, nine still alive.
Joseph Haden CUncle Habe)
Whitsett, 1903, Bonham, Tex.
blind. almost deaf and bedfast. Ur
till three years ago enjoyed {
noisy, knee-slapping round O
checkers.
Served 10 months in Shelby
Escort, Missouri Cavalry, bu
never fired a shot. only thinl
that bothered me in the who'll
war;" he used to say, was tn,
itch. The itch and the creepers
Did you ever see body louise
Well, in those days we called then
creepers.
John Sailing, 104, Slant, Va
lives with daughter in mountain
cabin. Teeth gone but not sense O
humor. H clips tend livestock
Daughter reports:
Course, he still likes prett
girl. You ought to see the shine
he cuts when he sees one comm
up the read. When he gets spoon
full of kker in i'm, he's equal t