Henry County GaArchives News.....ELLIOTT REUNION HELD AT SHINGLE ROOF September 21 1923
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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.
     

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