(The following article appeared in the Saturday, January 6, 1973 edition of The Green River Sprite, Columbia, Ky., with the notation the article was "From an old Adair County News.")

Gaither Bryant visits Columbia

Mr. Gaither Bryant, who was a gallant soldier in the Confederate army, belonging to Gen. Joseph H. Lewis' command, was in Columbia Friday. While at the News office he told several little incidents of the war.

He said, among other things, "My command was surrendered at Washington, Georgia, but before the surrender every man of us received two dollars in silver, money that had been shipped in by Gen. John C. Breckenridge. When my regiment was informed would be surrender[ed] one hundred men, myself being one of the number, registered an oath that they would never lay down their arms, would fight until the last man was killed.

"This determination would have been followed had it not been for General Lewis, who met us and said such a course would be suicidal, that General Lee had surrendered, vertually ending the war, and that we must do likewise. His advice was taken and when the time came we laid down our arms, and started homeward.

"The two dollars in silver that I received was in four pieces. Two of them are yet in my possession. Soon after the close of hostilities I married in this county and I am the father of nine children, every one of whom cut their teeth on the half dollars I brought home from the Confederacy."

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[Mr. James Gaither Bryant, 29, married Miss Mary Loy, 20, in Adair County in the spring of 1869. He departed this vale of sorrows on August 1, 1920, aged 80 years, and his mortal remains were laid to rest in the Loy Cemetery, near Gadberry, Adair Co.]