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Confederate Memorial Day 2016 At
Soldiers' Rest |
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Remembering |
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Major William Thomas Walthall was born in Virginia in 1820. The Family migrated to Alabama while he was a youngster . Before the war he worked as a newspaper man. When the Civil War descended upon the South, Major Walthall immediately became a member of the Confederate Army. He was an older man, and thus served as Adjutant and operated the School of Instruction at Telledaga, Alabama, for the duration of the war. After the surrender, Major Walthall accepted employment with the “Mobile Register” newspaper as the editorial writer. He remained there for seven years. In 1873, he was recruited to move to Beauvoir and assist Jefferson Davis with his writings, including the “Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government.” In 1878, he was in Memphis and as a member of the Howard Society was very heavily involved in the horrible yellow fever epidemic. Somewhere along the way, he met and married Miss Dorr of Vicksburg. The marriage produced at least two children. In 1887 he gave a tour of lectures across the South to raise money to purchase a monument in Mobile for Admiral Semmes. The title of the lecture was “The Sword of the Sea.” He spoke in Vicksburg in November, two nights at the Opera House and was held over for a third night at Magnolia Hall. The cost of a ticket was fifty cents per person. On June 1, 1888, President Grover Cleveland appointed him as Minister to British Guiana. After this tour of duty, he and his family returned to Vicksburg. Major Walthall died in 1899 and was buried in his wife’s family lot in Vicksburg City Cemetery. Dr. Samsome, an old friend, preached his funeral at Christ Episcopal Church. The pall bearers were Captain D A Campbell, General E S Butts, Dr. J B Askew, Major Coleman, Captain Worrell, Henry Yoste, A Warner and Dr. J D Mimms, all Confederate veterans. Also, perhaps of interest, Confederate veteran Captain M W Hughes suffered a stroke during the funeral service and died a few months later. On Major Walthall’s coffin were placed the cap and sword he wore and carried as a Confederate officer and the plain lamb skin apron of a Master Mason. The Masonic Service was conducted by Federick Speed, a Past Grand Master, Yankee Captain, and Vicksburg business man. Use back button to return
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