Death of Roanoke's Last Confederate Veteran in 1941: James Washington Gwaltney

Fromthe October 3, 2016, Roanoke Rimes (Va.) "Looking Back."

"James Washington Gwaltney, Roanoke's last surviving Confederate veteran and the city's oldest resident died at 4:45 p.m. at his home."

He was 96 years old and lived in Roanoke's Virginia Heights neighborhood.  Enlisted at age 16 in Tennessee and fought at Chickamauga.  He attended the veteran's reunion at Gettysburg in 1938, the 75th anniversary of that battle.

--CootConfed

A World War I Reunion in 1967

From the April 3, 2017, Roanoke (Va.) Times  "Looking Back."

1967, 50 Years Ago.

"Members of the 1st Company, Virginia Coast Artillery, who served with General Douglas MacArthur's famed Rainbow Division in France in World War I, will hold a 50th anniversary dinner at the Patrick Henry Hotel Saturday night."

--Cooter

Slave Reunion in 1914

From the April 12, 2014, Wilmington (NC) Star-News "Back Then." //// This is a look back at past papers. From the January 1, 1914, paper: "The first reunion of the ex-slaves of New Hanover (NC) County was held at St. Stephen A.M.E. Church. Some 300 were in attendance, including some white citizens. //// The article seemed to infer that most of the former slaves had been house servants in Wilmington. //// I'd never heard of former slave reunions. I wonder if this happened other times? The youngest ones would have been about 49. //// Something I Didn't Know.