Lewisburg Tribune issues from Aug 10, 1899 to May 2, 1902
MARSHALL COUNTY NEWSPAPERS

OLD SOLDIERS REUNION

Surviving Members of Company G Held Their Seventh Annual Reunion Last Tuesday

ADDRESS BY REV. J. R. HARRIS

[Details as Gathered by a Staff Representative — Mr. and Mrs.
Endsley’s Generous Hospitality–Many Visitors]

The surviving members of Company G, Thirty-second Tennessee Infantry held their seventh annual reunion at the home of J.B. Endsley, two miles southeast of Belfast, last Tuesday. The day, as it can be said of all of their previous reunion days, was an ideal one, and the only regrets expressed were that some of the old comrades were absent on account of sickness. The old soldiers fell into line at 11:30 and the following answered the roll call:

J.D. Adams, A.D. Armstrong, C.S. Chapman, M. Cannon, J.B. Endsley, J.T. Gambill, A.L. Calahan, W.H. Hooten, Wm. Barron, A.N. Crawford, W.T. Jones, H.T. Barron, J.A. Smith, J.W. Woodward, J.P. Wood, C.L. Coffey, E.A. McCool, G.W. Yarbrough, M.W. Twitty, J.C. Leonard, J.H. Brown, and M.W. Allison.

Prayer was then offered by Rev. Jno. Royal Harris, of Lewisburg, after which all of the company and other visiting veterans marched out to dinner. There were over one hundred fed at the long table beneath the canvass on the east side of the house and after all had partaken heartily of the good things, there was an abundance left.

All joined in the endorsement of resolutions adopted by the old soldiers in expressing their thanks for the elegant manner in which Mr. and Mrs. Endsley, who were so kindly assisted by other ladies of the community, entertained them. And, by way of parenthesis, the Tribune representative offers high praise for the young ladies who attended to the wishes of those at the table and also those who assisted in securing a list of the guests.

Among those present were Misses Daisy and Sadie Orr, Maggie and Sallie Woods, Hettie Smiley, Maggie Cummings, Bertie C. Neely, of New Market, Ala., Velna and Nannie Leonard, Vinie Wood, Martha and Mary Leonard, Phenton McCollum, Angie Covvey, Maggie McCool, and Mesdames W.R. Cummings, W.P. Irvine, of Lewisburg, William Neely of Newmarket, Ala., Mr. and Mrs. Thos. McAdams, Mr. and Mrs. John Smiley, Mr. and Mrs. Alva Endsley, Mr. and Mrs. John Alder, Mr. and Mrs. Rufe Endsley, Mr. and Mrs. Jno. Woodward, of Bedford County, and Mr. and Mrs. Lee Calahan, Mr. and Mrs. J.P. Wood, Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Woodward, Mr. and Mrs. William Jones, Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Calahan, Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Leonard, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Twitty, Dr. T.B. Leonard and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Doolin, Mr. and Mrs. Ozro Chapman, Mr. and Mrs. B.F. Chapman, Mr. and Mrs. James Moseley, Mr. and Mrs. W.S. Coffey, Mr. and Mrs. R.S. Walker, and others.

Among the visiting veterans of other companies were: W.R. Phillips, W.T. Jones, B.F. Chapman, James Endsley, Thos. Sherrin, R.S. Walker, James Adams, Ed. Woodward, Sam Leonard and James Moseley.

There were also present many little bright-eyed girls and boys, grand-daughters and grand-sons of those gray haired veterans, and the day was one continuous round of pleasure. Small groups of the old comrades of ’61 – ’65 could be seen seated in the yards and their rehearsal of the scenes as experienced in the dark days of war was, indeed, entertaining.

There are not many of the old soldiers left in Company G., and it will be but a few more years until the small number remaining will have passed over the river to meet in that grand final reunion on the other shore.

But while the remnant of this once large Company remains, it is right that they should be made to enjoy life, and in no better way can this end be accomplished than to gather together as they did last Tuesday and renew the friendships formed on the battlefields and around the camp fires. It
is always with pleasure that we attend these reunions, for it is then that we feel that the hearts of these old men are, for the time, made young, and in memory the gray-haired veterans go back to the days of their young manhood and they enjoy the sensation of being boys again.

The selection of officers, place of meeting and other business of the reunion was taken up in the afternoon. The old officers were re-elected as follows: C.S. Coffey, President, G.W. Yarbrough, Vice President, J.C. Leonard, Secretary; J.H. Brown, Chaplin. The home of C.L. Coffey was chosen as the place and October 15, 1901, as the date for their next meeting. Rev. Jno. Royal Harris was elected honorary Chaplin and C.H. Christopher an honorary member of the Company.

After the business of the reunion was over Rev. Jno. Royal Harris delivered an eloquent and impressive address upon “Heroism.” The social attractions of the day were very striking and the music rendered by the Woods Brothers Stringed Band from Belfast added melody to the occasion. Alex Crawford was present and rendered his famous “gobble.”

There were probably various sayings and actions which helped strengthen the courage of the old soldier during the trying conflicts of bloody war, but it is claimed that none had as ready and telling effect upon Company G., in a skirmish as did Alex Crawford’s “gobble.”

There were present last Tuesday, twelve members who were mustered in and went out with the Company upon its first service. This Company was made up by Capt. W.P. O’Neal from the counties of Marshall and Bedford and these annual reunions are held alternately in each county.

Following is a list of the officers:

W.P. O’Neal, Captain, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel; died since the war;
L.D. Stockard, First Lieutenant, died since the war;
H.L. Custer, Second Lieutenant, promoted to Assistant Surgeon, died during the war;
F.R. Wade, Third Lieutenant, died at Murfreesboro during the war;
John Leonard, First Sergeant, died since the war;
M.R. Allen, Second Sergeant, living on Snake Creek;
Wm. McLean, Third Sergeant, died since the war;
J.W. Alexander, Fourth Sergeant, killed in 1864;
W.C. Denham, Fifth Sergeant, history not known;
J.G. Sanford, First Corporal, promoted to Third Lieutenant, history not known;
W.L. Stilwell, Second Corporal, died in prison;
J.R. Jewell, Third Corporal, died in Georgia;
A.D. Armstrong, Fourth Corporal, living near Belfast

MR. & MRS. J.B. ENDSLEY, the host and hostess, were JAMES BURGESS ENDSLEY and wife, MARY AMNA (BELL) ENDSLEY.

MR. & MRS. RUFE ENDSLEY were J.B. & Amna’s son, GEORGE RUFUS ENDSLEY and his wife, GERTRUDE (WOODS) ENDSLEY. “Gert’s” family, the JOHN BEDFORD WOODS family, is listed next to the J.B. Endsley family in the 1900 and 1910 Census of Marshall County. “Gert” was a sister to “The Woods Brothers String Band” members.

Mr. & Mrs. JAMES ALVA ENDSLEY were son & daughter-in-law, NORA (WOOD) ENDSLEY.

Mr. & Mrs. JOHN ALDER were J.B. & Amna Endsley’s daughter, HATTIE NEAL (ENDSLEY) ALDER & her husband, JOHN C. ALDER. They lived near Jasper, Marion County, TN. They had one daughter, DAISY LEE ALDER. HATTIE ALDER ( _?_ Jan 1880 – 24 Oct. 1908) died of typhoid fever and is buried at Pine View Cemetery north of Jasper.

WILLIAM NEELY of Newmarket, Ala., was a son-in-law of J.B. & Amna Endsley. He was married to their daughter, IDA MAY ENDSLEY.

J.B. & Amna’s sons not listed in the article were William McGee Endsley (b. 24 Dec 1866, age 33, the eldest son),
Charles Ross Endsley, Sr. (age 15), John Lee Endsley (age 12, b. 22 Nov 1887)

J.P. WOOD was JOHN PAISLEY WOOD, father of Nora Wood (Mrs. Alva Endsley) and had served in G Company, 32nd Tenn. Inf with J.B. Endsley.

JAMES ENDSLEY ( visiting member of another unit) was JAMES KIDD ENDSLEY who had served in the 8th Tennessee Infantry, another regiment raised in the Marshall/Lincoln/Giles county area. To date, no kinship connection between his line of Endsleys and the James Burgess Endsley line has been recognized. Several of his descendants remained in the Marshall County TN area and there are many descendants there today.

The Endsleys were neighbors of and related to many of those present. Notably, the CUMMINGS, SMILEYS, WOODS, COFFEYS.

REV. JOHN ROYAL HARRIS, minister of the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Lewisburg at the time, was very much in demand as a gifted public speaker.

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This article was transcribed and generously donated by Dick Wood.