Sadie Stone Strickland
Yesterday, there were 30 living daughters of Confederate veterans. As of 11:00 last night, that number dropped to 29 and The South is poorer for that loss. Sadie Stone Strickland is the grandmother of a dear friend of ours – Dale Clegg. When I have written in the past about the Lee-Jackson dinner and the Confederate Day dinner we have held at our home, Dale and his family were there. Dale and I served as officers in our local SCV camp where Mrs. Strickland was an honored guest.
Stop and think about this for a moment. She was the daughter of a man who fought in the Confederate Army to defend our land from the invading North. That is a mere two generations ago. I think of my own great grandfather, who also fought for the Confederacy – three generations ago. We are still so close to a time that seems so far away.
The July 2010 issue of Officer’s Call (the newsletter of the Military Order of The Stars and Bars) reports that as of the publication date, there were 29 real sons still with us. What an amazing link to the past and to our great Southern heritage.
As they pass away, they will be deeply missed – not only as a Southern treasure but as the flesh and blood of those they love and those who love them. For those of us who are Saved through faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ, we look forward to seeing them again in Heaven. For those who are not – there is no better time than right now to accept God’s free gift of salvation to those who repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ alone. Sadie Stone Strickland will certainly be missed, but only for a while until her reunion with her fellow saved Christians.
Sadie Stone Strickland (Bunnell, FL) was born October 27, 1909 in Pine Grove, Georgia, to William Mitchell and Mary Etta Hall Stone. The Stone’s had a small farm where they grew crops and raised hogs and cattle, and raised eight children. William Mitchell (and brother Absalom) enlisted with Co.F (Appling Rangers) of the 47th Georgia Infantry on Mar.4, 1862, at Holmesville, Georgia. The 47th fought in the Army of Tennessee as well as the Dept. of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, and the Dept. of North Carolina; they took part in fights such as Jackson, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, James Island (’62 and ’64), Honey Hill and Bentonville. Mitchell, as he was known, surrendered with the army at Greensboro on April 26th, 1865. He first married Marjorie Spell (of Appling Co.) and they raised six children; she died and he later married Mary Etta in 1891 . He rarely if ever talked about the fighting to young Sadie and her siblings, but she remembers him telling about foraging, and he sang some of the old soldiering songs to them. He died Dec. 8, 1920, in Appling County.
Sadie married Marcus Strickland from west Florida, and the two moved to Flagler County in 1927 where they raised cattle and produced turpentine. They had five children, all of whom still live in Flagler County. The children are Christine Deal, Wilda Hargett, Odell Clegg, M.C. Strickland, Jr., and Marvin Strickland.
I am amazed to learn that we still have sons and daughters of Civil War soldiers. Once you tell me, it is obvious, the math is obvious, but I never thought of it.
I remember in 1954 visiting the Elkhorn Tavern with my 6th grade class, from Rogers, Arkansas. There was a bed-fast woman in a room, and she was there during the battle. She said the women and children were in the basement, and blood from wounded soldiers would run down on them. She must have been in her late 90’s.
Two people can span a long time in history. Thanks for reminding us of that.
Prayers for this family; We are less cause of this loss.