Veteran walking to Reunion

[CSA Today]

On April 14, the Columbus Daily Enquirer of Columbus, Georgia, ran a story on Williams under the bold headline, "FROM TEXAS TO GEORGIA ON FOOT." The article noted that the footsore veteran was the guest of Mr. A.A. McLeod while in was in the city. Evidently the old soldier did not have trouble finding places to sleep while on his journey. When interviewed by the paper Williams noted that: "I didn't have to lie out but one night, I was refused a place to sleep at a certain place in Alabama, because some former lodgers had imposed upon the generosity of the people of the house to which I applied for lodging."

Word of Williams' trip had already reached Macon, and the local citizens had arranged to put him up in style. In the April 22 edition of the Macon Telegraph, the paper noted that he would be a guest of the R.A. Smith Camp, United Daughters of the Confederacy, and would, "Be shown a royal good time during his stay here. This was decided at a meeting of the camp held yesterday afternoon."

On May 2, 1912, James C. Williams completed his journey by walking into the city limits of Macon. The Macon Telegraph quoted him as saying, "I walked all the way to Macon! Last January three old soldiers declared they could walk to Georgia. Two backed out, but I undertook the journey, and made it on foot. I walked the railway tracks, as a rule. I left Texas on the 26th of February, but rested along the way twenty-one days in all, and have been sixty-five days on the journey. My health is good."

In saying that he had walked the entire distance, Williams may have stretched the truth a bit. The Columbus Daily Enquirer had noted on April 14 that "With the exception of the distance between Monroe, La., and Vicksburg, Miss., he had walked all the way." The Columbus Ledger noted that same day that Mr. A.A. McLeod had met Williams at Hurtsboro, Alabama and came to Columbus with him, strongly implying that he had been given a ride. I suspect that well-wishers all along the route helped Williams, making his 65-day march to Macon possible. Regardless of how much assistance he received, it was an amazing display of stamina, and the veteran of the 20th Mississippi should be lauded
for it.

http://mississippiconfederates.word...lliams-to-the-1912-macon-confederate-reunion/

 

[bdietzler73]

Interesting story. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Floridaman1985]

Wow. I guess you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

 

[Custers Luck]

ITs a great story and he must have been a great man to do what he did at that age.Just think what he must have been like in his younger years.

 

[Championhilz]

I'm glad you like the story - it was a lot of fun to research and write.

 

[Custers Luck]

ITs a great story one of those you wouldnt get to read or know about unless some one posted it. I bet his family was very proud of him, There are times I dont want to walk across a field, he had some true grit!!

 

[Karen Lips]

I think this would make a good movie. You know it could be about the people he encounters along the way , his memories of the war and why it was so important for him to make it to the reunion.

 

[Custers Luck]

good Ideal Karen!!! that would be interesting to know. A story with in a story .

 

[AUG]

Amazing, although at the same time its not so surprising because these soldiers marched for miles upon miles every day, so even at that age walking such a distance may not be so hard. There are quite a few stories of men after the war was over having to walk for miles just to get back home, although usually not at this age.

 

[TinCan]

That is a great story.

 

[donna]

This is a great story. Thanks for posting.