In my humble opinion, whoever wrote the copy for the July 23, 1989 Tuscaloosa News article that the late McIlwain cited in his book Alabama 1865 and Ward Hubbs used in his Tuscaloosa Bicentennial book to assert that "contrary to local lore", the Carpenter Leach wedding occurred in the Jemison house, had absolutely no documentation to support such an assetion.

 The  25, 1906 Montgomery Advertiser contains a description of the interrupted wedding by Mrs. Ellen Peter Bryce Ellen Pet1865er “Nellie” Clarkson Bryce (1841-1929) - Find a Grave Memorial

, the wife of Dr. Peter Bryce, namesake of Tuscaloosa's Bryce Hospital.

"Wedding that Took Place in Tuscaloosa the Night Before Croxton's raid.

 "It was about 11 o'clock at night, April 3rd. 1865. The old Leach mansion was brilliantly  illuminated with candles and decorated with vines and flowers. The drawing room and hall were crowded with the beauty and the fashion of Tuscaloosa society, The occasion was the marriage of Miss Emily Leach, one of Tuscaloosa's fairest daughters to Captain Carpenter of the Confederate Army, The parish minister, Rev. R. D. Nevins. had just pronounced the solemn words of the Episcopal service, 'Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder.' Bridesmaids and friends were offering their congratulations, and in the dining room the table was laden with sumptuous repast. Bright eyes looked love to other eyes and all went merry as a marriage bell. 

"When suddenly the loud reports of guns were heard, and firing just at the door, then in rushed the Federal soldiers, and captured the bridegroom, and the other men escaped. The prisoner was taken across the bridge over the Warrior River to Northport, where the Yankees had encamped. The ladies were left with no way to get to their homes, for the Federals had captured the horses that were hitched to the carriages at the door and the drivers had fled. The bridesmaids tried to comfort the disconsolate bride, but after a few hours of dreary waiting and suspense they brought her husband back to her.

"It seems that one of the officers recognized Captain Carpenter as an old schoolmate of his and under the circumstances ordered his release, and he was soon restored to the arms of his lovely bride.

The Federals had 1,500 regular troops and they sent out spies ahead of them Tuscaloosa. Croxton himself said in his report that his spies told him just where our two pieces of artillery were and he sent fifty picked men to take them. The State had placed these pieces here at the disposal of the University authorities and the Home Guard. When the cadets came down to get the artillery it was gone.

Only a few volleys were fired on either side, one man was wounded on the Confederate side, Capt. Howard Murfee, who was shot in the foot. General Croxton says In his offcial report that the Federals lost twenty-three men killed and wounded. The Federals so far outnumbered the cadets that the Colonel ordered a retreat. At the bridge it was far worse, Croxton with 150 picked men of the 2nd Michigan Cavalry, moved down to the bridge over the Warrior River from Northport, and attacked our home guard.

John Carson, who was then only 14 or 15 years of age, was severely wounded. This wound made him an invalid for the rest of his life. Capt. Ben Eddins, who had but recently returned from the Virginia army, was killed at the bridge. After this the Federals went out to the University grounds and destroyed the bulldings. It seems that the Yankee officer who was sent to burn the University was a man of culture and of literary taste, and when Professor De Laffre, acting Librarian, plead with him to spare the Library, he said: "It is a pity, I will at any rate take this as memento of the occasion," and saying this he took a copy of the Koran, the Mohamedan Bible, for himself, then ordered the buildings fired. Immediately they began to throw a species of torpedo against the walls, and as those were of an explosive nature, the fine buildings were soon in flames. Then they blew up the powder magazine, that seemed to shake the earth. They burned the saltpetre factory, or nitre works. This was established by the Confederate Government. They destroyed the cotton factory, the tan yard, the foundry, the large cotton warehouse and the hat factory, They carried away a great number of horses and mules. The only harm they did to the Insane Hospital was to take its horses and mules. Only a few stragglers came prowling around the Insane Hospital, They seemed afraid to go in, for fear of some plan to entrap them. They, went to the door and asked for the Superintendent. Dr.Bryce, who was keeping guard, met them. The man said, "Good morning, I am glad to see you." The •Doctor replied, "I am sorry I can't say the same to you." The man then said, *Where are your horses?" (they had evidently been looking in the stables.) The Doctor replied, "'They are hid where you can't find them." The man replied, "Well, if I was sure Jackson was not near here, I would find them pretty quick." The Doctor told him Jackson was not far off, for he and his staff were in town a few days before. The Yankee then unbuckled an old battered tin coffee pot from his saddle, throwing it down, said, 'I would like to press some coffee pots from here.' The Doctor replied, 'Would you press anything from an institution of this kind, filled with helpless, afflicted people?' The Yankee said, "\'No. I once had an aunt in an asylum,' With that he galloped off. 

A half-witted negro man had been sent to carry food to the man who had care of the horses, and to take the horse feed. On his return to the hospital the enemy had thrown around a picket line, and the negro was halted by the Yankee soldiers on duty, 'Where have you been?' 'I have only been to carry feed to the horses.' 

'Where are the horses?"'said the Yankee.

 'Oh, I can't tell you,' said the poor negro, 'the Doctor would not like it.'

 'Well,' replied the Yankee, 'you had better, for we have a gallows ready for the doctor and we will hang you up with him today if you don't just come along and show us where those horses are.' 

The poor negro led them right to the horses, and I saw them as they crossed the lawn with the horses going to their camp. The Yankees told our gardener that he could take all the old condemned horses they left, So the gardener went over after they broke camp, and got seven old sore-back, raw-bone, broken down horses. They were pitiful looking but they soon improved and carried on the work of the farm.

The first time we could we mounted two of them and went to see Captain Murfee, who was wounded in the foot. The Doctor dressed his wound. The Yankee horse was decidedly the best of the lot, but he was always pricking his ears and looking in the fence corners for rebels. He was branded in large letters. "U.S." on one hip, and "C. S. A." under his mane, and a large "C" for condemned on his other hip, showing that he had been captured.

 E. P. B.

. More About the War.

 During the war the troops were frequently moved from one point to another, and at one time in 1864 a large regiment was encamped about Tuscaloosa. In those days we wore our homespun dresses, and plaited our palmetto hats and tried to keep up bright and cheerful, giving our soldier boys the best we had to eat, but there was much sickness in camp and our Soldiers' Aid Society found that we had something else to do besides clothing whole companies upon the shortest possible notice, as on one occasion our good women had to get out soldiers clothes all day Sunday. We found we had to get a place for our sick soldiers to stay.

We soon secured the east wing of the Insane Hospital, secured a matron and a cook, and five ladies undertook to nurse in five wards. We had men detailed from camp to assist us, and one or two of the surgeons of the regiment had their quarters in the first ward. It was truly a labor of love to nurse these soldier men and boys. We felt that while doing this for these men, some good women were doing the same for our brave brothers in Virginia and Tennessee, it they needed it. With eight of my own brothers in the army, beside my husband's four brothers, and my four sisters' husbands, I know that some of them were in almost every engagement.

Our hearts were always full, and often, after an engagement, when we heard with blanched faces and palpitating hearts the list of killed and wounded, our blood would seem to congeal, with brave hearts we went on carding lint, making bandages and clothes  to be sent to the front, I writing letters for those poor dying men to their  wives. There was a fearful fever broke out in camp that April, and men were brought in to us very sick, and in their delirium they would call on their dear ones for mercy, and many a one we buried at the old cemetery here. These graves have always been decorated as April comes around, and each has a headstone. I received such a sweet letter from the married sister of a dear young soldier boy of 17 years of age whom I nursed back to life, and he had a furlough and went home, and after he returned to his command in Tennessee he was killed in battle. Our gallant Major General Robert Emmet Rodes was killed at the battle of Winchester, Va., on the 19th day of September, 1864.

In Early's book, "Memoirs of the last year of the war," that General says that General Rodes was a most accomplished, skillful and gallant officer, upon whom he placed great reliance,' At the very first call for troops he raised a company at Tuscaloosa called the Warrior Guards. He went out as their captain, but he soon rose rapidly and was made Major General. Dr. Lafayette Guild, reared in Tuscaloosa, became Medical Director of Lee's Army. Both he and General Rodes married Tuscaloosa girls.

These ladies were for the most part of the time, with their husbands in Virginia, during the war. General Rodes's widow is still living here, she was for years President of the Ladies' Memorial Association, but is now Honorary President of the R. E. Rodes Chapter, U. D.C. About thirty companies of infantry of about 100 men each, went from Tuscaloosa, also Lumsden's, Fowler's and Fanank's batteries, and Col. Joe Pegues, who is still living here, raised regiment of cavalry from this county. I could go on writing about Tuscaloosa, but I guess this is sufficient for columns from the R.E. Rodes Chapter.