Athens Weekly Review
June 5, 1924
Confederate Vets Leave For Memphis Monday

Confederate Veterans from Athens and surrounding country gathered here Monday 
to take the special train to the reunion at Memphis, which left Athens at 2:55 p. m. 

Captain W. T. Eustace, dean of the old soldiers of this county was in charge of
 the delegates from this county.

The old soldiers began gathering early and were conducting "fanning bees" on 
the days of old until the train arrived.

Colonel Bradley (Red Shirt) Miller, was among the early arrivals.  Incidentally for the 
first time Mr. Miller gave the reporter the true facts on the why and wherefore of the 
celebrated red shirt.  He has been wearing a red shirt since 1873.  It has been 
reported on various occasions that Mr. Miller woned the red shirt directly after
 the war and said that he would never wear no other until Yankee's were defeated.  
Mr. Miller admits he may have made the assertion but says the real reason he put 
on the red shirt  has worn it for these fifty odd years, is that a physician in Palestine 
advised him to do so in 1873 when he was in very poor health.  He said that he did 
make the remark one time when the late Dan Donnell was running for office in this 
county that he would never change the color of his shirt until Uncle Dan sprouted a 
new leg.  Uncle Dan lost the leg during the war in the same company with Mr. Miller.  
Mr. Miller was a member of Company F and enlisted from Athens under Captain 
Jordan.  He served under General Green. 

W. E. Barnes, with Virgil Brunner, Mrs. Annie Pritchett and Mrs. Fitzgerald of Tolosa 
were here today to board the special.  Mr. Barnes enlisted from Tennessee and was 
on detached service.  He was in no important battles of the war.

Uncle Dave Lamance, 80 and still spry, was among those to board the train today.  
Mr. Lamance enlisted at Tyler under Captain Sharp.  He served under General Walker 
and was in the battles of Mansfield, Pleasant Hill and Saline River.  Eighty years falls 
lightly on Mr. Lamance and he is looking forward to the big time in Memphis.  He is 
being accompanied by his grandson Ervan Knowles.

Other veterans and visitors attending the reunion were Robert Petrey, Bob Miller, 
Joe Reynolds, L. V. Wyrick, H. B. Miller, D. J. Cummings, Mrs. W. T. Eustace and 
Mrs. C. L. McGaughey, Dave Dickerson and Rev. M. Reeves.

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