TAYLOR COUNTY, GA - NEWSPAPERS Col W.L. Grice Visit to Butler - Memorial Day ***************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm *********************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Carla Miles Historycam@wmconnect.com Letter, to the editor of the Butler Herald from Col. W.L. Grice, on the subject of who authored the poem amongst other things. The Butler Herald Tuesday, April 27, 1915 Page One Distinguished Visitors Col. W.L. Grice and Mrs. Grice arrived in the city Sunday and during their delightful stay in the city are guests of Col. and Mrs. H.P. Wallace. Yesterday was a memorable day with Col. Grice when it was that he mingled with and received the warm handshake of so many of his old war-time comrades here in attendance upon memorial day exercises. Although in his 83rd year, Col. Grice is a well-preserved man. Providence has smiled abundantly upon him, has never been sick a day in his life, and is today a remarkably active man for one of his age. Mrs. Grice, who is herself in the 75, is a charming lady of the antebellum type. This venerable and esteemed couple have the congratulations of their many Taylor County friends. The Butler Herald Tuesday, May 11, 1915 Page Seven Butler In The Olden Time By Col. W.L. Grice Mr. Editor: On a recent visit to your town, the first in many years, I was the guest of Henry P. Wallace, who is the son of my old friend and law partner, Wm. S. Wallace, than whom Taylor County never produced a better citizen. It has occurred to me that a rambling sketch of the town and people as I saw them sixty years ago might be interesting to some of your readers, and hence by your leave, I will undertake to give from memory a short account of some of the men and things of the antebellum times. Butler was incorporated in the year 1854, and the commissioners designated in the charter were: C.Y. Perry, Ezekiel Royal, James T. May, Isaac Mulkey and P.C. Carr. I settled there in the fall of the next year, and the law card of Grice & Wallace which was published in the Macon Telegraph for several years bore the date of December 10, 1855, as I remember it. I have been a subscriber to the paper from that day to this except while in the army. Four preachers and five lawyers had preceded me to the newly settled county site. The preachers were James T. May, Dr. James Griffith, Wm. W. Corbitt and E.H. Wilson. All of these were Methodists except the last, but none of them had the care of churches. The lawyers were Hopkins Holsey, Daniel W. Miller, W.W. Corbin, Benjamin F. Reese and X.B. LeSeuer. Col. Wallace and Julius H. Holsey came to the bar soon after my arrival. W.H. Caldwell and John Walker were the practicing physicians. Dr. A.L. Edwards and Dr. Dugger came later. John Sturtevant was ordinary of the county; James T. Harmon, clerk; and W.W. Wiggins, sheriff. If I remember correctly Sanders W. Durham was pastor of the Baptist church and Wyatt Brooks of the Methodist. The Justices of the Inferior Court were T.J. Riley, Hiram Drane, A.M.K. Swift, R.B. Rucker and ------. (line drawn, no name given) The Judge of the Superior Court was E.H. Worrill and Col. Jack Brown was Solicitor. Brown was succeeded by Thaddeus Oliver. His son, the Rev. Hugh F. Oliver, now deceased, always insisted that his father was the author of "All is Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight," and that he and his brother, now Capt. James Oliver, of the U.S. Navy, were "the two in the low trunnell bed." Hugh Oliver investigated the matter as far as possible and he published the result of his investigation in a newspaper. There was much evidence including letters from men who read the verses in manuscript, going to show that Thad Oliver was the author of the verses, and that Mrs. Ethel L. Beers obtained them from a fugitive copy which was carried to the north presumably by some returning prisoner. Mrs. Beers first published the poem in a Philadelphia paper over her own name. Of course nearly all northern publishers ascribe the authorship to her; but Hugh Oliver's investigation satisfied many that his father wrote the poem while in the camp in the early part of the war; and not appreciating its merits, he died before it was given to the public and before any question was raised as to its author. But some copies had been taken by Mr. Oliver's friends in (paper torn) it was said a few (paper torn) leaflets and distri (paper torn). Among the (paper torn) Butler were J. (paper torn) Smith, J.B. Wright and John H. Bruce. Robert Scandrett was railroad agent, James R. Hudson kept the principal hotel, and Wm. A. Graham taught the town school. There was no public school in those days. Still other prominent citizens whom I knew and remember were Jesse Stallings, the Montforts, Willis McLendon, Thos. H. Brown and Wm. H. Heard. The Neislers, Batemans and McCrarys were also prominent families in the town and county. I think the late John A. Childs was about the last business man who was identified with the early history of the place. Political feelings ran high in the county before the war and the two parties were about equally divided. The American or Know Nothing Party in 1855 sent A.H. Riley to the senate and A.J. McCants to the house of representatives. Every county then had a senator. At the next election in 1857, the democrats elected T.J. Riley (brother of A.H. Riley) to the senate and J.J. McCants (brother of A.J. McCants) to the house, thus reversing the politics of the county in two years as expressed in the legislative election. A few of the original houses in the town remain. The courthouse still stands, but the interior has been somewhat changed. The old wooden jail is gone. I ought to remember that building for I spent a night in it. A client of our firm (W.R. Lowe by name) was ordered by the Judge on an exparte showing to turn over to a Receiver certain valuable papers or else go to jail. My partner and I thought it important for our client to retain possession of the property; and we advised him to go to jail assuring him the judge would turn him out as soon as he heard our side of the case, but the judge could not hear it under ten days. Our client finally agreed to go to prison, provided one of his lawyers would stay with him at night. It struck my youthful mind that it was not right for me to prescribe medicine for another which I was unwilling to take myself, so I agreed to the terms of my friend, and late in the evening I was locked up with him. Before retiring for the night some of our friends on the outside informed us that the sheriff had gone to a party some distance in the country, carrying the jail keys with him. This news disconcerted my room mate and we discussed our situation in case of fire or sickness or other emergency. My friend became nervous. What my feelings were is none of the business of the reader. Suffice it to say that the next morning our client surrendered the property and was liberated from prison. Let me add in justification of the opinion and advice of Mr. Lowe's counsel that at the end of ten days the judge heard our side of the case and promptly discharged the Receiver and restored the property to my client. My visit to Butler was exceedingly pleasant. There have been many changes for the better - better streets, better houses, better stock. The people are friendly and hospitable. But I found more familiar names in the cemetery than familiar faces on the street. Still there were a few left of the friends of my early manhood. These met me with a cordial grasp of the hand, and (paper torn) from me with a fervent (paper torn) bless you." W.L. Grice (paper torn) lle, Ga. (Hawkinsville) NOTES: Burial: Houston County Evergreen Cemetery Washington L. Grice (b 22 Feb 1832, d 9 Mar 1925). CSA. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Martha V. Warren Grice (b 18 Jul 1840, d 1 Jan 1926). The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/houston/cemeteries/evergr.txt