Vintage

 (continuation from Chapter one)

EARLY NORTHERN ALABAMA

(while part of the Mississippi Territory)

From Recollections of Mississippi and Mississippians

 By Reuben Davis 1889

Note*(Names have been capitalized by the transcriber to assist the reader)

Chapter Two

About this time a young man, T. M. TUCKER, came to Hamilton to study law under DANIEL W. WRIGHT, a prominent lawyer of that place. Circumstances threw us together, and a certain similarity of position and a strong mutual sympathy under the embarrassments of our first social failures, combined to make us early and fast friends. We passed all our leisure hours together, and both of us studied hard, and avoided all dissipation. DANIEL W. WRIGHT was very kind to us both, and I have to record my gratitude to him for much friendly notice and encouragement. He was profoundly read as a lawyer and really a brilliant speaker. I passed many hours at his house, which was made charming by the gentleness of his wife. Speaking of WRIGHT naturally suggests his friend and compeer, AMES L. TROTTER one of the noblest and best of men. There are no words too strong to express the veneration and admiration I felt for him, and it was one of those rare instances where the enthusiastic judgment of early days was fully endorsed in the calmer period of later life. He was a good scholar and a fine speaker, kind and generous above measure; incapable of fear, treachery, or meanness, he was the ideal Southerner of that day. He had a sister in all respects worthy of such a brother, and from both of them I received great and considerate kindness.

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Then there was GENERAL STEPHEN COCKE, a lawyer of great ability, but destitute of any power of oratory. While equal to the best in mere conversational ability, he appeared to lose all power of expression as soon as he rose to speak. Like " Blass," in " Flush Times," he knew all the law there was, but couldn't " norate it from the stump " to save his life. I knew him intimately for many years; and if he had any failing which his friends could not tenderly condone, loving him the better for sharing our common frailty, I never found it out. I suppose there never was a better man than STEPHEN COCKE, and his generosity was proverbial. His two nieces — the MISSES BUCKINGHAM — lived with him, and were great friends of mine. They were lovely women, and no sisters could have been kinder than I always found them, nor more painstaking in their efforts to improve me. The position they occupied in society gave them frequent opportunities of drawing out such young men as were so fortunate as to be noticed by them, and they had the kindness and tact to smooth many rough places for us. Some years older than myself, they have long since gone to those Elysian fields for which their amiable lives here were a fitting preparation.

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Small as the population of Hamilton was, it contained many other ladies and gentlemen of excellent gifts and attainment, and was the scene of many festive occasions which we regarded as brilliant social events. One of these I remember well, it being the first public ball I ever attended. We had suffered from a long, hot summer, and the prevailing malarial fever had been universally severe and depressing in its effects. At last, fresh breezes cooled the air, and heavy frosts dispelled the poisonous emanations which had oppressed us. In the gladness of our hearts it was determined to give a grand ball, and the finest beaux and gayest belles of old Monroe were to be in attendance. Any gentleman of fair social standing, who could procure a decent suit of clothing and five dollars for his ticket, was welcome. Ah, what a night that was, and with what a beating heart I donned my best attire for the festival! In those days young fellows were more showy in their outfit than they are now, and I put on with great satisfaction a swallow-tailed coat of bright blue cloth and brass buttons, buff doeskin trousers, white waistcoat, ruffled shirt, silk stockings, and pumps.

The young ladies were gorgeous. They were plainer in their every-day apparel than girls of this day, but on great occasions they wore frocks of rich silk stuffs and fine gay colors, and they had all sorts of lace tuckers and frills, and wore their hair curled and frizzed in a very artful manner. I won't go so far as to say that women are less handsome nowadays, but I never see any of them look as radiant as they did in the year eighteen hundred and — never mind what. It is sometimes a mistake to be too particular about dates. We danced reels in those days, and generally kept it up all night. I remember how carefully I walked through my first attempt, and how proud I was when my partner got through all right. It was, no doubt, more owing to her skill than my own; but I felt the triumph all the same, and a delicious sense of escape from failure and disgrace. Poor TUCKER was more ambitious and less fortunate. He tried to cut some flourishes, got his pumps tangled up in the ladies' dresses, and was dreadfully mortified by the confusion that ensued. I was sorry for him, but not so sorry as I should have been if I had felt less complacent over my own escape.

There was a MISS WALKER present, a niece of GENERAL WINFIELD SCOTT, with whom I danced a great deal. I wanted to dance with the beautiful MISSES WALTON, sisters of the late MR. JOE WALTON; but they had just come home from boarding-school, and were said to be- so tremendously accomplished that I was afraid of them. They belonged to a remarkably handsome family, and I thought then, as I think now, that there never lived more beautiful creatures. Afterwards I knew them well, attended the weddings of both sisters at Cotton Gin several years later, and had the honor of dancing the first reel with each fair bride after the marriage ceremony. Gone, alas, are the old familiar faces, but out of the past they still shine upon me with the old friendly lustre, and I feel how pleasant and mournful to the soul are the memories of joys that are gone.

(Continued in Chapter Three - Early Northern Alabama)