R.A. Lambert & Verdelia Busey Lambert

Following is an article from The Mobile Register from Sunday 24 April 1927 on the occasion of their 60TH wedding anniversary. The text is reproduced here exactly as it appeared originally, spelling and punctuation intact. There appears to have been some type missing in the middle of the long paragraph about his war record. They are the maternal great-grandparents of David Lambert Allen. At this time we do not know what the initials “R. A.” stand for. The photo at right is thought to have been taken on their anniversary.

Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Lambert, above, today will celebrate their 60th year of marriage life, having been married on April 24, 1867.

Only a few couples who start out on the voyage of married life live to celebrate their golden wedding, and very few indeed live happily together for 60 years, as have Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Lambert, of 1654 Center street, who were born and reared near the old town of Claiborne in Monroe county of this state, where they were married on the 24th day of April, 1867.

Mrs. Lambert was Miss Verdelia Bussy. Both of their male parents were cotton farmers.

Mr. and Mrs. Lambert moved to Mobile a little more than 45 years ago, expecting later to move down into south Florida, but on account of the public school advantages here they decided to let good enough alone and to remain in the Gulf City, where they have reared seven children, Robert Eugene, a successful livestock farmer near Camden, Ala., and who is widely known; Dr. S. E. Lambert, of Spokane, Wash., who was in the World War with the rank of lieutenant-colonel; Joe O. Lambert, of Shreveport, La., who is a landscape architect contractor; Miss Etta E. Lambert, who is in Grand Rapids, Mich., at the head of the history department in the South High school, where she is holding that position now for the eleventh year; Mrs. Lillie Belle McFadden and A. Busey Lambert reside in Portland, Ore., and Mrs. Daisy L. Brown lives here in the city with her parents.

There has not been a death of a single direct offspring of this aged couple, excepting two of their infants in the earlier years of their marriage covering a period of about 50 years since the loss of the last one. Their total offspring now numbers 37.

Mrs. Lambert is now nearing her 82d milestone, while Mr. Lambert is well into his 84th year, and yet in excellent health and active in business.

Both are of the 23 charter members of the Dauphin Way Baptist church, where Mr. Lambert is the senior deacon, and both attend Sunday school and church when Mrs. Lambert is able to go out.

Mr. Lambert is a member of Raphael Semmes Camp of Veterans of the Lost Cause and is their chaplain.

Mr. Lambert’s war record began practically at the beginning of that memorable event, attaching himself to the first company composed of about 85 men which volunteer from his native county and the second regiment of the state of Alabama, and answered to the last roll call of his company’s unit at Greensboro, N. C., on the 11th of April, 1865, which had been trimmed down from 85 in number to just 12, which was a similar reduction in the ranks of all units which served through from the beginning principally at the front.

To mention specially of the principal points and places where Mr. Lambert participated. viz.: Was first in the siege of Vicksburg of 44 days under General Pemberton, then after being paroled and exchanged was placed on the Georgia campaign under that great and safe General Joseph E. Johnson in front of General Sherman from Dalton to Atlanta of four months to get 99 miles with more than twice our own strength in every way. After falling back from Dalton our battles with Sherman’s army before reaching Atlanta were at Resacca, New Hope Church, Kennisaw Mountain (where General James K. Polk was killed), Powder Springs, Marietta, and at the Chattahoochie river, where during the second day’s engagement around Atlanta Mr. Lambert was wounded, but was back with his command in about 65 days, and was finally thrown in front of General Sherman again in North Carolina. and at the battle of Bentonville, where his position in the front line happened to be about the center of a general charge on open ground, and the center of our line of gray jackets numbering only about 1,000 men, went over the top on a stretch of about 200 yards, after which we advanced until we were practically in a hollow square of blue jackets where many of our advancing line were captured in our exciting mix-up where the fleetest of foot of course stood the best chance of escape capture. All told during the four years of war service this old rebel figures that he was on the firing line right about 100 days, but has only two scars to show.

Today old acquaintances and friends are joining relatives in extending congratulations to this happy old couple.

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