Sketches of old Confederate soldiers still living in 1929

In 1929, in celebration of its 50th year of publication, the ATLANTA CITIZEN’S JOURNAL published a special edition that dealt with Cass County and its history. THE JOURNAL honored Confederate soldiers that were still living by publishing a short bio and the battles they participated in.

T. L. CROMER, AGE 83

T. L. Cromer, of Bryan’s Mill, Cass County, age 83, enlisted in South Carolina, July 1863 at the age of 15 years. He fought in several battles, among them The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Petersburg.

Mr. Cromer received only one flesh wound. He was a private in the army and was discharged on April 11, 1865, at Berksville, Va.

W. S. STEWART. AGE 82

W. S. Stewart, 82, of Bryan’s Mill, Texas came to Cass County in 1859 and settled three miles east of that place. He joined the Confederacy near the close of the war and was stationed at Shreveport, La.

Mr. Stewart was one of the founders of Bryan’s Mill, operating a sawmill, gin and general mercantile business and farming interests.

JOHN REYNOLDS, AGE 8

John Reynolds, 87 years old, joined the Confederacy in 1861, enlisting in the 29th Mississippi Regiment, Walthales Brigade. He fought in the battles of Shiloh, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, and was captured on Lookout Mountain.

Mr. Reynolds has been a citizen of Cass County for the past twenty-eight years, living near Hughes Springs.

J. R. FINLEY, AGE 83

J. R. Finley of Bryan’s Mill enlisted in the Confederacy and served three years. He was a member of Co. B, Lanes Regiment. Received an honorable discharge at the close of the war. Mr. Finley has been a leading citizen of Cass County for many years.

G. C. FOUNTAIN, AGE 80

G. C. Fountain enlisted in the Confederacy in Co. K, 10th Georgia militia and was paroled at Macon Ga., in 1865 by order of Gen. Wilson. He came to Texas 45 years ago and has been in Cass County the past ten years

J. N. BRAY, AGE 86

J. N. Bray, Bivins, joined the Confederacy in April 1862, near Atlanta, Ga. He served in the 30th Ga. regiment under Gen. Johnston, and was in all the fighting from Lookout Mountain to Atlanta, Ga., and was taken prisoner after the fall of Atlanta, and carried to Camp Douglass, Ill., where he was a prisoner for several months, receiving his discharge in May 1865, making his way back home walking most of the time. He came to Cass County in 1892.

W. D. LANIER, AGE 82

W. D. Lanier, enlisted in the Confederacy at the age of 17 in April 1864, under Captain Wm. Oliver, in Co. B, State troops and was later transferred to the 2nd Texas Infantry under K. Smith. He helped guard the Union soldiers. Was captured at the Battle of Mansfield, La. The prison camp was located in Tyler, Texas. He has been one of Cass County’s leading citizens since boyhood up and took a leading part and was true blue in the days of reconstruction.

D. B. TOMBERLAIN, AGE 85

D. B. Tomberlain, 85 years old, of Hughes Springs Texas, enlisted in the Confederacy on July 26, 1861, at the age of 17 years, from Tennessee in Co. C, 25th Tenn.

He was in the battles of Richmond and was captured at Drewley’s Bluff, May 16th, in 1864 and was sent to Point Lookout, Maryland and put in prison for three months and then sent to New York in prison for seven months; prison paroled June 9, 1865.

Mr. Tomberlain was hit twice in the battle of Murfreesboro, Tenn., both flesh wounds. He has since plowed the field in which he was wounded and picked up many balls.

He came to Texas in 1894 and lived at different points and in Cass County for the past 32 years.

T. E. ELLINGTON, AGE 87

T. E. Ellington, 87, of Cooper, Texas was raised in the Almira community west of Linden, living in that community from 1854 to 1910. He joined the Confederacy Feb. 1863 and was discharged in May 1865. He was a member of Co. K, 15th and 32nd Texas dismounted cavalry. He was captured at the Battle of Chickamauga and sent to federal prison for 21 months in Chicago.

He recently visited his friends and relatives in Hughes Springs.

F. M. JENKINS, AGE 86

F. M. Jenkins, 85 years old of Hughes Springs, Texas enlisted in the Confederacy in 1863 from Alabama in Co. A Waddles Batallion of Artillery. He was under Wheeler, Jackson, Forrest, Hood, and Johnston in battles around Atlanta, Chicamaugua, Rhome, Missionary Ridge, wounded in the left hip in the Battle of Chickamauga and the battle of Tunnel Hill was knocked down by an exploding shell. He was discharged in 1865.

G. K. WILLIAMS, AGE 81

Rev. G. K. Williams, 81, enlisted at Troy, Ala., Oct. 1, 1864, age of 16 in Co. H. 47th Ala., Scotts Brigade, Loreno Division, Stewarts Corps in the Tennessee Army.

Mr. Williams came to Cass County in 1872 and was ordained in 1880. Has been a Baptist minister for 49 years. For many years he was the only Baptist minister int the Hughes Springs section. He held the first protracted meeting in the Turkey Creek community. He assisted in the organization of the Baptist church, Hughes Spring, as well as others in that part of the county. He is still very active.

HENRY DENNIS. AGE 86

Henry Dennis was born Nov. 14th, 1843, in Troupe County, Ga., moving to Cass County with his parents in 1854 settling where Cornett now is. He volunteered and joined the Confederacy in Oct. 1861, making the trip up into Missouri and Kentucky under Gen. Price.

Then back to Little Rock, Ark., and then across the Mississippi and was in the battle of Corinth; to Montgomery, Ala., back to Lauden, Tenn., and then into Kentucky under Gen. P Bragg.

Then back to Corinth and fought in the battle of Iuka and then to Lauden, Tenn., for a few days rest before the battle of Murfreesboro, Tenn., which lasted two days and nights. The first day of the battle Mr. Dennis lost his shoes and being the next day after Christmas you can imagine how cold it was. "The next day while walking around after a night’s rest I found a dead Yankee, and drug him up to a cedar tree, pulled off his shoes and put them on."

"The next battle was fought at the Battle of Chickamauga, where Lee’s army joined us. Then back to Mississippi and then marched back through Alabama to Rhome, Ga., and joined Johnson’s Army, May 14th, 1863. Then went to Jonesboro; here we divided, Hood taking part of us to Tennessee and the next battle was fought at Franklin, Tenn. We went from there to Nashville then to Mississippi again. We surrendered at Spanish Port, Mobile, Ala., April 26th, 1865."

"In all of my rounds, I did not get wounded, but a cannonball came by me at Nashville knocking my gun out of my hands, knocking me down and covered me with dirt. After the war, I walked from Mobile, Ala., home, making the trip in double time."

Mr. Dennis married Miss Victory Leftwich, in Nov. 1867 and moved to his present place, having lived 62 years, which is a fine old fashioned two-story Colonial home. His wife died in 1916.

He is 86 years old, still enjoying reasonably good health, but says he has his monument up for the past year.