Atlanta Daily World

MAN, 105, WHO SERVED LEE IN CIVIL WAR TELLS OF EMANCIPATION
By BILL ANTHONY
Rev. J. C. Clark. Of 142 Lamar Street. who claims to be 105 years old. told interesting tales of the Civil War and Reconstruction days Tuesday. when he visited the city police station.
The aged Atlantan. who moved with the speed and certainty of a much younger man, said he was born on a plantation in the Borough District of Elberton County. As a young man in the service of his master. Alfred Oliver. white. deceased, Rev. Clark said he cut trenches for General Robert E. Lee. from Chickamauga to Richmond. Of the battle around Peach-tree Creek, he Said it was "a hot one. sure as you're born."
Married twice. the ex-slave said he had four children by his second wife. His "slavery time" wife didn't produce him children. he stated with a smile. His youngest child is ten years of age.
"Rev." said he could remember the day he heard of freedom, as well as if it were yesterday.
"I was hoeing cotton along with about. twenty. others." he reminisced. "when out of the woods rode four Yankees on horseback. We all started to run, We were so frightened. But. they got around us and wouldn't let us get away.
"The man in charge began asking who was working us and didn't we know we were free. Of course we didn't know anything about it.
They made us put down the hoes and come to the big house. The old marster had fled and they couldn't find out where he went. I believe he went into a nearby cave to escape the Yankees.
"The blue coats had us roll several kegs of whiskey out of the storehouse and gave us all we wanted, telling us we were free like everybody else. They later divided the cured meat among us and told us to eat anything on the place until the master returned. The master did not return for fifteen days. The Freedmen's Bureau saw to us that we got land and a Start.'Our first crop was good and we got along well afterwards."
The old man's eyes twinkled as he stated that he was proud that he had spent his young life in the cause of Christ, and that he only stopped preaching two years ago, when he became a "little too feeble."
(Continued on Page 6, Col. 6)
Fulton service means much more than the mere handling of your banking matters in a satisfactory manner. We want our customers to feel the interest we have in working with them--in making every department of our complete banking service truly helpful.
FULTON NATIONAL BANK
MARIETTA STREET
FOUR OFFICES IN METROPOLITAN ATLANTA
Bank PETERS STREET BUCKHEAD DECATUR