Henry County GaArchives News.....ELLIOTT REUNION HELD AT SHINGLE ROOF September 21 1923 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Phyllis Thompson http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002524 September 3, 2004, 11:36 pm The Henry County Weekly On last Wednesday at Shingle Roof Camp Ground was held the reunion of one of Henry County's pioneer families. This family in all of its connections has grown to large proportions and one almost felt as if one were attending a small camp meeting when the large gathering had assembled. A program had been arranged for the day. Mr. A. C. Elliott was master of ceremonies and in his characteristic happy manner introduced the speaker of the occasion. Mr. Bail Elliott, ____ editor, delivered the welcome address. Recounting the history of these pioneer Elliotts, he told of the Scotch ancestors who left Scotland fleeing to North Ireland to escape religious persecution and who afterward came to America to set up a government that would permit freedom of worship, thought and action. Settling in N. C. they moved to South Carolina and later to Morgan County Ga., where the father George Elliott died leaving a widow with ten children, five sons and five daughters. These, with the exception of one son, moved to Henry Co., and from them in the past century have sprung the large family connection. He welcomed all who were related by ties of blood, marriage or friendship. The next speaker on the program was Gen. H. D. Russell of Macon, a lineal descendant of this famly. Gen. Russell spoke of the bravery of these early pioneers, who braved dangers and defied hardships, set up their homes in the midst of forests and wrested from the wilderness their little patches that they might feed and clothe their families. The hardihood and courage of these forefathers with their thrift and uprightness have been bequeathed to the later generations. The trying days of the sixties were met with a courage and valor worthy of their noble sires. In the reconstruction period they were dauntless and determinedly put down the degrading conditions which a victorious foe would have imposed upon them, preserving in its purity the social and moral life of this great southland. He spoke of the pure Anglo Saxon citizenship of our common wealth, and the necessity of keeping our young men at home if we would preserve it entact, leaving no place for aliens to gain the inheritance of our forefathers. While other portions of America have been filling with aliens and alien ideas-boshelvism etc. which would undermine our government, we have remained the same hardy thrifty old stock. Our religious ideals and entegrity have remained and we should not release them lightly for foreign immigration. The greatness of any nation lies not in its manufacturies and wealth but in the quality of its people. Gen. Grant once said that the time would come when the U. S. must look to the South for salvation. Mr. W. H. Bryans next gave some definite facts in the history of this family as they left the old world to try out their fortunes in the new showing that many had distinquished themselves in all walks of life. Mr. W. H. Bellah spoke of the beauty of the women of this family and of their loyalty and bravery, of their faithfulness and devotion to duty. These were the ones who stood by and encouraged when everything seemed dark and who had their part in winning the victories. Rev. L. D. King spoke of the religious life of these early settlers who carried their religion and set up their altars and built their churches and who were the very warp and wool of our National greatness. Rev. J. A. Partridge spoke of the number in this reunion and of the possibility of a greater reunion "over there" where there would be no more separation. Mr. E. M. Copeland made some congratulatory closing remarks, after which the delightful picnic luncheon was spread for the delectation of the assembly. It was also borne upon the assembly that the Elliotts were past masters in the domestic arts as attested by the delicious viands. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/henry/newspapers/nw1463elliottr.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.5 Kb