Henry County GaArchives News.....Under the Mulberry Tree October 24, 1902 ************************************************ 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 November 6, 2007, 10:21 am The Henry County Weekly October 24, 1902 Mr. Editor, It was a very warm day in July that I was sitting in my front yard. Sam JOHNSON, a well known negro about town, came along and threw himself upon the grass. Sam was very much fatigued and he remarked that he was getting old. I asked Sam if he ever took anything stronger than water, he nodded in the affirmative. I went into the house and brought out an old-fashioned decanter full of good, old peach brandy that was given to me just forty years ago by an old friend of my grandfather. Strange, as it may appear, it had never been touched. I gave Sam just two table spoons full, it was not long before the old negro found himself in a reminiscent mood. As the liquid drops went plowing through Sam Johnson’s old, feeble frame his mind reverted back to the many long years ago; while lying on the grass he pointed to an old mulberry tree standing partly on Mr. Cam TURNER’S land and in front of Mr. Lige OGLESBY’S residence. Sam said, “Just seventy-five years ago this month I was plucking the leaves from that tree to feed to the silkworms, which was quite an industry here at that time.” Sam JOHNSON was born near Richmond, Va., nearly one hundred years ago, he came to McDonough when about grown, and during the time the old court house was being constructed. He remembers Judge CREW, a Mr. CUMMING and others that assisted in the construction of the court house. He says that Dr. MANSON once owned the home now occupied by Mr. Cam TURNER and that it was no uncommon thing to see the Doctor sitting under the old mulberry tree preparing his sermons for the following Sunday. As Sam would tell of the many good traits of Dr. MANSON’S character you could see the tears coursing down the old negro’s cheeks. It was very plain to see the admiration of the old negro to his ever faithful, docile and benevolent master. Sam said the old tree was noted for its many social and political events. He said that under this old tree, at the dead hours of night, the old Whig Party had planned the defeat of the Democratic party time and time again. It was possibly under this old tree that Mr. Levi H. TURNER laid out his plans that made him sheriff of Henry County for nearly thirty years. He was an old line Whig and possibly loved his party as well as a Hardshell Baptist loves the doctrine of predestination and salvation by “grace” through faith. Mr. TURNER lived to be an old man in public service and was loved and honored by all classes of people. The late Q. R. NOLAN and other old time Whigs doubtless drew inspiration from this old tree, for he was Ordinary of Henry County consecutively for over twenty years; he resigned the office, on account of ill health, and was succeeded by his brother, Col. G. M. NOLAN, who is now a retired wealthy capitalist of Jacksonville, Florida. Q. R. NOLAN was no ordinary man, he would rank well up with the brainiest men in Georgia of the day. His life was an open book, and his home, so gracefully presided over by his loving and intelligent wife, Mrs. Net NOLAN, who is now living, was one of open hospitality; no seeker of charity was ever turned away empty handed from that lovely Southern home, and there was no death that ever occurred in Henry County that caused more genuine sorrow than when the big, open-hearted Q. R. NOLAN was laid to rest. Sam said that when some hard-fought political battle was on hand that it was no uncommon thing to see David KNOTT, Allen W. TURNER, Adam SLOAN, Levi H. TURNER, Q. R. and G. M. NOLAN and some others congregated under the old mulberry tree, planning for the defeat of their opponents. I asked Sam why it was that such noted men as Dr. L. M. TYE, Mr. Able A. LEMON and others never visited the old mulberry tree and he said that was because they were Democrats and usually met in Dr. TYE’S office. Sam said that it was in the thirties or forties that McDonough had Henry CLAY for a visitor. He said that he was a waitman at the hotel and Mr. CLAY was a candidate for President and that Mr. CLAY came to town, put up at his hotel and made a great speech. Sam said that when Mr. CLAY went away that he (CLAY) gave Sam a silver dollar and that Mr. CLAY’S ten attendants gave him fifty cents each, making in all six dollars. Sam, I think, still has in his possession the silver dollar that was given to him by the big American citizen, but will possibly deny it in order not to be bothered with cranky relic hunters. When Sam had finished this last story he had fallen asleep upon the grass and had left me to finish the story of the old tree. I was just seven years old. IN 1861, I was passing the old mulberry late one afternoon, I saw a magnificent specimen of manhood, bowed down in deep thought, nestling under the shade of the old tree. The bombardment of Fort Sumpter had already taken place, war had been declared and Abraham LINCOLN had called for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion. When that young man under the old tree rose up to go he was heard to exclaim, “ I will now gather around me the brave of the land and go to the front and battle for the cause of the South.” Before the summer was over this same brave and courageous southerner could have been seen in the streets of McDonough waiving a beautiful silk Confederate flag over the heads of about 100 as brave young men as ever went to do service for the cause of liberty and right. This brave and fiery champion of southern homes and southern principles was none other than Captain Tilman W. FLYNT, who now resides at Griffin, Ga. He left McDonough on July 1, 1861, and went into camp at Big Shanty for a few days, after which he took his company of 80 men and went direct to Virginia and was at once attached to the 19th Ga Regiment, to which it remained until the surrender at Greensboro, N. C. Captain Flynt’s company was known as company “G.” This famous company of men met the enemy on many bloody battle fields, some of which are well known in history. They lost heavily in the first fight around Richmond, Va. I can recall a number of battles they fought, which are as follows, Seven Pines, Mechanicsville, Cold Harbor, York River, White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill, Cedar Burr, 2nd Manassas, Harper’s Ferry, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Siege of the Wilderness, Ocean Pond, Drewrey’s Bluff, Cold Harbor, 1864; Siege of Petersburg, Charge of Fort Harrison, Kingston, Weldon Railroad and Bentonville, N. C. Company “G” was in a number of smaller engagements, that I cannot recall. It was at the charge of Fort Harrison that a French officer, who was a spectator at the fight, remarked after the battle that the 19th Ga. fought like demons, and it was probably such fighting as this that caused General Sherman to say, “War is Hell.” Captain FLYNT was shot down at the battle of Sharpsburg, both of his legs were broken and one of his soldiers told us that when the Captain was being carried from the field that he spoke in no uncertain tones about the Yankees. Lieutenant John R. ELLIOTT, a brave and fearless man, succeeded Captain FLYNT. He made a good commander and was considered one of the best officers in the 19th GA. Captain ELLIOTT was killed at the Weldon Railroad fight. It was then that Lieutenant Henry H. KELLEY took command of company “G” and remained as its captain until the close of the war. He, too, made a good officer and was well liked by his men. There are many brave deeds and amusing incidents and sad stories connected with company “G” that I would like to tell about, but space forbids. Many of that gallant set that went with company “G” are buried in Virginia’s soil, where their friends would rather have them be rather than have them shirked their duty in 1861. Captain FLYNT is now an old man, living a quiet life at Griffin, Ga., loved and respected by his people and looked upon as being as brave an officer as ever done service for the Southern Confederacy; when time here is no more with the old Captain, he will, no doubt, appear at the great white throne, when he will be assigned to the headquarters of Robert E. LEE, Stonewall JACKSON and Albert Sydney JOHNSTON and there repose forever. I give below a list of company “G” that went out in ‘61 and those that went to the company later. This list furnished to me from memory by Captain FLYNT and others, there is no data that I could find and there may be some omissions of names and other facts: Captain TILLMAN W. FLYNT First Lieut. HENRY STOKES Second Lieut. JOHN R. SELFRIDGE Third Lieut. JOHN R. ELLIOTT First Sargeant M. J. LOVE Second Sargeant JOHN W. MOSELEY Third Sargeant JAMES PHILLIPS Corporals: First, Color Bearer, JOHN MADDOX Second, BROTHER ELLIOTT Third, HENRY ALEXANDER Fourth, SYDNEY SMITH **Privates** JOHN I. TOMLINSON JOHN B. HAMBRICK GEORGE CRABB ALF UPCHURCH JESSE JOHNSON THOMAS ELLIOTT HIRAM ELLIOTT JOHN JOSEPH ELLIOTT JOHN A. PHILLIPS Rev. JACOB SIKES WILLIAM BLEDSOE JEFFERSON ALLUMS CLEM COLE JOHN A. PUCKETT JOHN TOWNSEND JOSEPH MOSELEY ROBERT L. OGLESBY JOHN RICHARDS GEORGE WALKER MADISON MADDOX AUGUSTUS OWENS ISAAC GRANT W. J. CRABB LUKE JOHNSON JOHN HARPER JAMES SHAVER JAMES HAND JOSEPH KELLEY LIGE ROWDEN WILL VERNER HARDY PHILLIPS Dr. MARK JOHNSON NELSON GRAY JOHNSON HAND ALLEN JOHNSON W. H. H. MCCORD JABEZ COOK WILLIAM COOK LEWIS LEWIS JOHN N. BOYNTON SILAS M. OGLESBY GEO H. or TOBE OGELSBY FRANK GOSHEN PETER RAPE WILLIAM MOSELEY JACOB MADDOX JOSEPH TOMLINSON JOHN SETZER MACK SYKES WILLIAM JOHNSON JOHN N. STEWART PRESLEY ELLIOTT SEP ELLIOTT ARINGTON PHILLIPS JOHN PHILLIPS Dr. C. G. MCDANIEL WILLIAM UNDERWOOD JOHN ALLUMS LARKIN WILDER LOVING MORRIS JOHN KELLEY WILLIAM MOSELEY JOHN BONNER RUFUS AMOS GEORGE W. GLEATON PARKS MERRLIT JOHN GRANT PETER MOSELEY MACK WALKER JAMES JOHNSON HENRY HARPER MICHAEL THURMAN TOM HARPER JOHN TAYLOR JOHN R. WILLIAMS CICERO SIMS JOSEPH FERRIS ABE ROWAN JONATHAN GRAY JACK ENGLISH EDWARD WARD ANSON CARROLL BENJAMIN COOK FREDERICK STEIGAN SUG SPEER JAMES THOMPSON JOSEPH THOMPSON HENRY S. ELLIOTT JAMES GOSHEN ALVIN TEEL JAMES GUEST Of the men that went out in 1861 the following are now living: T. W. FLYNT G. W. WALKER LIGE ROWDEN MADISON MADDOX ANSON CARROLL M. J. LOVE W. H. H. MCCORD JOHN MADDOX WM. UNDERWOOD T. S. ELLIOTT Of those that went out in 1862 and later, the following are living: S. M. OGLESBY G. W. GLEATON THOMAS HARPER JOHN R. WILLIAMS JAMES HAND MACK WALKER JOSEPH KELLEY HENRY S. ELLIOTT HENRY HARPER W. J. CRABB There is another little incident connected with the old tree that has never been in print. Just after the war a Freedman’s Bureau was established in McDonough. The negroes were boisterous, insolent and unruly. A dozen or so Yankee’s were stationed here, the Bureau agent was himself repulsive to our people and public feeling was at fever heat, at that time there were two young men doing a little necessary colluding on their own hook; they both lived in Newton County, they had heard of this manner in which the Bureau was conducting himself and they came over to McDonough. It was a dark, rainy night, the thunders roared and the lightning flashed as those two brave young men stood under the old mulberry tree planning for an opportunity to take the like of the agent. The agent scented danger and placed around him every blue coat in the town, the young men left with broken hearts and soon after this occurrence, they both left for the west, where they are living today. There is another little incident to which I must briefly refer. It was in the summer of ‘68 or ‘69 that I was taking a walk with a young black-eyed youth of McDonough. We rested under the shade of the old mulberry tree, and during our conversation the boy remarked that some day he was going to make a big lawyer and have lots of money. I watched the course of that handsome boy, he grew into manhood and finished his education at the State University, he was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-two, he commenced to practice his profession in McDonough, he married one of Atlanta’s most beautiful women and a few years after his marriage he moved to Atlanta and continued to practice his profession, today, this man, who is just in the prime of life, is worth an even, $100,000.00, has an annual income of $20,000.00, owns a beautiful home on Peachtree Street and is now recognized as being one of the ablest lawyers south of Mason and Dixon’s line. This man is John L. TYE. When I had finished the story, the old man woke up to find that he had slept for the most of the day. I read this article to Sam and he said that it was true in every particular. Sam JOHNSON is a negro of strong personality. He has been a hard student of botany for over eight years. He does a good deal of practice, but of course does not charge anything for it. Sam claims to know how to apply the use of roots and herbs to all manner of human ills, and has made many cures where the modern doctor failed. When the old negro gets near a swamp and looks upon mysterious looking bushes and vines he becomes as nervous as a pointer dog after a covey of birds. Sam looks upon the young medical college graduate with his sharp and dangerous looking instruments with great horror. He says no young negro cuts any figure now in “upper ten” society, unless he has had an operation of some kind performed. After Sam had told me goodbye, he said he would go home by way of the swamp and see if he could find some remedy that would cure appendicitis without the use of a knife. Sam Johnson said that the Old Mulberry Tree had been bearing fruit for eighty years. It is a large tree and usually has fruit nearly three months in the year. Hundreds of children, both white and black, gather fruit from the old tree until they grow fat and healthy, and any of the children after “feeding” from it would easily take the prize at any county fair. In my ____ let me say to Mr. TURNER and the city _____: Please spare the axe from that Old Historical Mulberry Tree. Very Truly, J. T. OGLESBY Additional Comments: *The last paragraph of this article has an ink spot covering two words making it impossible to dechiper them. **Taken from Henry County Georgia Newspapers on Microfilm, Newton County Georgia Library. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/henry/newspapers/underthe2453gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 15.0 Kb