Pen Pictures of the Olden Time - July 14, 1905 This article was written in the Tupelo Journal on July 14, 1905 by Col. W.L. Clayton, a former resident of Old Richmond:


When the tocsin of war sounded, Henry Martin, the teacher of the old Male Academy, but who had then gone into the mercantile business, was living happily in the bosom of his family at Richmond, having married, in the fall of 1856, Miss Lou Williams, daughter of Owen Williams, and sister to our townsman, James M. Williams; but he raised a company, and was elected its captain, and entered the service of the Confederacy, and offered up his life upon her altar.  If my memory serves me right, he was not killed in battle, but sickened and died in the service.  But nevertheless, he was and is as truly a hero as if he had died on the field of conflict.  His widow afterwards married W.H. Parks, of Shannon, Miss., where she now sits a second time in her widowhood.

The Female School at old Richmond was under the control of Miss Martha Lindsey when I went there to school to Martin.  Miss Martha was a rather remarkable woman in many respects.  She was firm and determined, yet gentle and loving to her pupils.  Strong of purpose, strong in the hearts of her pupils and strong in her hold upon her patrons; apt to teach and loving her profession, it goes without saying that she made a success of the school, and turned out many young ladies who have been ornaments to society and helpful to the world.  But however strong she may have been in many respects, she was not proof against cupid's arrow, and so, like other women, she was weak enough to be caught in his toils, and on Feby. 1, 1856, she was led to hymen's altar by James M. Williams at old Van Buren, on the Bigby river, at the home of her brother, James W. Lindsey.  I can remember the circumstance very well, having attended the marriage, going from Richmond, where the bridegroom lived, amid the snow of winter.  It was a surprise wedding, and placed on Friday evening to more effectually hide the discovery of the purpose of the gathering, it being given out as a party gathering for young people for social intercourse, and not even the young ladies who acted as bridesmaids knew of the purpose of the meeting till after they arrived at the place for the marriage.  And from then on till now, through sunshine and shade, joy and sorrow, hope and fear, sickness and death, they two have been one.  For many years they were our nearest neighbors, and my wife and Mrs. Williams spent many pleasant social hours together, and for all those years the gentle and loveable Mr. Williams was in business in Tupelo, and no man ever made a better record for upright dealing and business integrity than he, and now, when the business time of life has passed with them, they have returned to their old home town to wait and watch and look and hope.  May their declining years be the mellowing ones of their lives, so that when the reaper comes, he that soweth and they that reap may rejoice together.

Living near Richmond in those olden days was a man in public life I must not fail to mention, George W. Stovall, who was elected to the legislature from old Itawamba just after I left school there, and I think in 1858.  He ran on the Democratic ticket.  He was not a brilliant speaker, and in fact till he was nominated by his party, I had never heard of his making any public speeches at all.  But he carried his party's cause well and ably, being well posted in the principles of his party and that of his adversary, and while not an eloquent speaker, he was a forceful one.  He made an acceptable member of the legislature and stood for re-election in 1860, but was defeated by James C. Gilstrap by one vote, and such counting, recounting, and still counting on, to see if the ONE could not in some way be changed, but it always came out the same old ONE, as potent for defeat as if it had been a thousand, and as good for success as if it had been many.  G.W. Stovall kept open house for all his friends, living about two miles south east of Richmond where Robt. Burt now owns, and later built him a new house and moved to within a mile of town, where W.C. Burt now lives.  I remember to have attended a party for young people given by Miss Annastasia, the daughter, when they lived at the old place, and as I pen these lines the scene comes fresh to my mind, and I see the good lady, tall and graceful, grand and queenly in her carriage, but gentle, loving and attentive to her guests, and such a time as we had there was only to be enjoyed in this olden time hospitality and in the country, where plenty reigned, and the latch string hung on the outside.  Miss Annastasia afterwards married, first Nim McGaughy, and after his death, R.S. Thomas, now of Plantersville, in Lee county, a man who has done as much to keep alive the memory of the old soldier of the Lost Cause as any, and more than most, ever ready to show the right as we saw it, and to scatter the flowers of remembrance o'er their last resting places, commend their virtues and honor their hard service for their country, attend all the gatherings in their honor and interest, and give of his means to relieve the destitute among them.

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