Closed for several years, Pond Springs has been restored and tours are available. The home, along with fifty acres, belongs to the State of Alabama. The home and grounds are available for weddings and other events. The General’s favorite cake is being baked and a recipe can be obtained at the gift shop.

General Joe Wheeler’s birthday celebration will be this coming Sat., Sept. 8, at Pond Springs, home of Fightin Joe Wheeler near Courtland. Festivities will begin at 10 a.m. with gun salutes and dignitaries speaking.

UDC members of Joe Wheeler #291 are looking forward to this opportunity to serve as docents to the home for this event. Bess Stark, Linda Edwards, Rita Birdsong, Sandra McVay, Bettye Moore, Beverly Bentley and friend Jo Ann McDaniels recently visited the home.

Melissa Beasley, site director reminded us that although the home depicts a time following the War Between the States today the home reflects the fact that Miss Annie turned it into a shrine or showplace dedicated to her father’s memory. Miss Annie was a member of the Joe Wheeler #291 United Daughters of the Confederacy, DAR and other heritage organizations. She never married and went with her father to Cuba and the Philippines volunteering as a nurse for the Red Cross. The home is unique in that the furnishings are original to the home. One can see the extravagant and working plantation items such as crystal candelabras, a venison dish and a spinning wheel. Men will particularly enjoy learning about the youngest General’s military history and viewing his uniforms on display.

UDC member reports have been completed and several will attend the Alabama’s UDC Division convention Sept. 13-15 in Mobile. Joe Wheeler #291 has several members serving in various capacities at the convention.