About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (April 28, 2017)
Page A2 Lake Oconee News Friday, April 28,2017 PUTNAM COUNTY PETE NANCE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB TICKETS: Advanced Tour - $25.00 Tour with Lunch $35.00 *Lunch by The Yesterday Cafe WRAP, CHIPS, DRINK & BUTTERMILK PIE Day of T our Tour - $30.00 Raffle Tickets - $5.00 ea. or 5 for $20.00 Learn More & Purchase Tickets at www.PeteNanceBGC.org JIM BOYD & l ASSOCIATES INSURANCE & BONDS 120 E. Washington St. Madison, GA • 706-342-2411 JimBoydAgency.com uto-Owners INSURANCE LIFE • HOME • CAR • BUSINESS Vince Dooley premieres latest book in Eatonton Justin Hubbard justin@msgr.com In front of a large crowd gathered inside the Eatonton Cotton Warehouse last Sunday, Vince Dooley debuted his latest book, “The Legion’s Fighting Bulldog.” Dooley, best known as the legendary head coach of the University of Georgia football program, seemed to charm the audience with his wit and humor all the while providing an effec tive overview of the book. This isn’t Dooley’s first foray into writing - he’s published a handful of other books, including some about UGA and one about gardening. According to Dooley, his inspiration for publishing “The Legion’s Fighting Bulldog” emerged when he read a book, written by famed attorney Kent Mas- terson Brown, about the Confederate army’s retreat from the Battle of Gettys burg. Brown mentioned a man named William Delony in his book. His story piqued Dooley’s interest. A large crowd is gathered inside the Eatonton Cotton Warehouse for a guest lecture by book, "The Legion's Fighting Bulldog." Justin Hubbard/Staff Vince Dooley, who was in town to premiere his latest Delony was injured during the second day of the battle and, while traveling away from the battle site in an ambu lance “train,” he and other injured soldiers learned a Union platoon was closing in on them. In an effort to stave off the Union’s attack, Delony rounded up a group Its your move. As the #1 real estate company in Georgias Lake Country, we attract more buyers...period. Serious about buying or selling? Call Coldwell Banker. COLDWELL BANKER COMMERCIAL LAKE COUNTRY cbcLakeCountry.com cbLakeOconee.com/Previews Trji« BANIteR □ cbLakeOconee.com Each office is independently owned and operated. This mailing is not intended to solicit properties already listed with another brokerage. of about 200 soldiers who were well enough to fire rifles. They were success ful. “I’m thinking, ‘Oh, I like this guy. He’s a hero,”’ Dooley recalled thinking when he read Delony’s story. “This had me excited, but I had to finish the (UGA) history books so I couldn’t get started on it.” More than five years later, Dooley’s book about Delony is complete. As he’d done in the past, Dooley collaborated with another person to produce “The Legion’s Fighting Bulldog.” Sam Thomas discovered a collection of nearly 200 letters written during the war between Delony and his wife, Rosa. Thomas contacted Dooley, and the duo began working together from that point on. “He called me and we got together and decided if These could HISTORIC GREENSBORO RAMBLE Saturday April 29, 2017 ( 7ouv 10:00 am - 4:00 pm The tour includes many local historic sites, churches, and gracious homes WHOSE HISTORY TELL OUR STORY. COME HEAR LOCAL STORY TELLING OF HEROES, GHOSTS AND FAMOUS PEOPLE, AND EVENTS, THEN RAMBLE THROUGH HISTORIC SITES BROUGHT TOGETHER BY THE RAILROAD IN NEARBY Union Point. Add a lunch from Yesterday Cafe and indulge in their famous buttermilk pie to top off your day. we’d do the book together,” Dooley said. “For five and a half years, we’ve been working on the book. We’d go to Hilltop Grille in Athens at least once or twice a month. We met for five and a half years; we planned the strategy of what we were going to do. So it’s a great feeling to finally finish the book.” Dooley learned a ton of information about Delony during the process of col lecting the letters for pub lication. Delony grew up on a plantation in St. Marys, Georgia, and his family’s wealth allowed him the op portunity to attend college. He graduated near the top of his class at UGA in 1846. Later, Delony was brought on as a teacher at UGA. While he worked there, he earned a law degree, too. Dooley learned that Delony was a fierce commander who made it a point to fight at the front of every battle he faced. “All of his troops loved him,” Dooley said. “He had a great ability to create this loyalty and they followed him because they believed in him because he would never ask them to do anything that he didn’t do first. If he led, he led from the front. He was out front for every battle, and he was in 50 battles throughout the war.” In his research, Dooley found a colorful character ization of Delony written by another commander in the army. “Ray Hampton, who Justin Hubbard/Staff Vince Dooley displays one of his older books, "History and Reminiscences of the University of Georgia," which was available for purchase and signing during Dooley's visit to Eatonton. became the commander of the army of northern Virginia, said about Delony that what he had, among other things, was ‘the courage of a bulldog,”’ Dooley said. “That made for a great name of the book. He actually was the first fighting bulldog at the University of Georgia.” The finished product is available now for purchase. “The Legion’s Fighting Bulldog” includes the letters written by Delony to his wife and her to him. When discussing the letters, Dooley slid in a joke that got the audience laughing. “Delony’s wife, Rosa, saved every [letter] that he wrote, and he saved every one that she wrote,” he said. “They don’t write love letters like that today. What do you put in a text? You put a heart in there and that takes care of it. But some of these early letters are really beautiful.” Dooley’s appearance, which was hosted by and raised money for the Georgia Writers Museum, was capped off with a book signing by him and his wife, Barbara. Most lecture attendees lined up and waited patiently for their turn to purchase one of Dooley’s books and greet the couple. Protection you need, service you deserve. Since 1916, Auto-Owners has partnered with independent agents to provide local service and trusted protection.
