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1800
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F341
Book 92
Copyright N.ยบ.
COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT.
A HISTORY
-- OF-
MISSISSIPPI,
70 - -FROM THE --
DISCOVERY OF THE GREAT RIVER
BY HERNANDO DE SOTO,
- -- INCLUDING THE ----
EARLIEST SETTLEMENT MADE BY THE FRENCH,
UNDER IBERVILLE.
- -TO ---
1400
THE DEATH OF JEFFERSON DAVIS,
By ROBERT LOWRY and WILLIAM H. McCARDLE.
7
JACKSON, MISS .: R. H. HENRY & CO. I891.
100%
F341 .L.92
Entered according to Act of Congress, April 22d, 1891, by Lowry and McCardle, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C.
A FEW WORDS PREFATORY.
It is the custom in the preface to a new book-"a custom more honored in the breach than the observance" __ to set forth the causes which have induced the publication. The authors of the present volume have nothing of the sort to offer in ex- tenuation of their rash endeavor. They are without even the poor apology of "the solicitations of numerous friends," and the yearning desire to supply "a long-felt want," to "fill an aching void," so to speak.
It is not proposed to deprecate criticism of any sort, whether reasonable or unreasonable. In the free land of America critics- do much abound, and they have the unquestioned right to criticise whatsoever and whomsoever they please.
The preparation of the volume now presented to the people of Mississippi has been a genuine labor of love. Each of the. authors has spent the best years of his existence in the State ... They have shared with their fellow-citizens the days of their prosperity and their years of poverty. They have rejoiced with them in their gladness, and have mourned with them in their. long years of sorrow. Each is bound to the State by the dearest of human ties. Each has his dead reposing in her soil, and the- hope of each is that when the last "tattoo" is sounded for them, they, too, may rest in the bosom of Mississippi beside those who. have preceded them to the shadowy land of the hereafter.
If the authors know anything about the matter-and they think they do-their dominant desire has been to perpetuate the memory of the sturdy pioneers of the State-those rugged, stalwart men of courage, patriotism and virtue, who laid the foundations, broad, deep and strong, of civil liberty, social order, sound morality, and who reared a splendid fabric of civili- zation in the land. Another desire has been to rescne from ob- livion the names and deeds of a few men who have adorned and illustrated the annals of the State. Trusting that they have, in some small measure, succeeded in the ends aimed at, they
PREFACE.
venture to express the hope that when the youth of Mississippi, of both sexes, come to read these pages they will have no occa- sion to blush for those to whom they trace their lineage.
It is only necessary to add that the authors of the History of Mississippi have consulted every available source of informa- tion, and the hope is expressed that more than an ordinary de- gree of accuracy has been obtained.
To the friends in every county who have furnished informa- tion of persons and events, and the conductors of the public press, the authors desire to return their most grateful acknowl- cdgments.
In conclusion, the authors have to say in the language of an- other, "What is writ, is writ, would it were worthier !" And to the readers of this volume, gentle, or ungentle, as the casc may be, they can only add, "and so farewell."
JACKSON, MISS., April, 1891.
THE AUTHORS.
. 1
1
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
THE DISCOVERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN A. D. 1541.
The March of Hernando De Soto Through the Territory of Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, 1539 to 1541-His Discovery of the Mississippi River in 1541-He Crosses that Mighty Stream, and after Wandering Through Portions of Arkansas and Western Louisiana, Dies near the mouth of Red River on the 21st day of May, 1542-His Followers, under the lead of Muscoso de Alverado, Build Boats, and thus are enabled to descend the River to its mouth, Plunge into the Gulf of Mexico, and reach the Coast of Mexico in a state of utter Destitution-The Early Navigators of the River- Marquette and Joliet descend it from the mouth of the Illinois to the mouth of the Arkansas, in 1673-In 1683 La Salle and Chevalier De Tonti descend the River to its mouth-La Salle claims all the Territory Watered by the Mississippi and its Tributaries, in the name of the King of France, Louis XIVth, and in honor of his Sovereign, calls it Louisiana-Death of La Salle in 1687 ; pages 5 to 19.
CHAPTER II.
MISSISSIPPI AS A FRENCH PROVINCE-FROM 1699 TO 1717.
Arrival of Iberville-He anchors his Ships in the Harbor of Ship Island-He ascends the Mississippi in barges as far as the mouth of Red River-Return- ing he descends as far as the Manchac-From thence he makes his way to his Ships, Crossing Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain-He builds Fort Maure- pas at Biloxi, and establishes the Seat of Government there-Sauvolle, the first French Governor of the Province of Mississippi-Sauvolle dies within a year, and is succeeded by his brother, Bienville-He in turn is succeeded by Lamothe Cadillac, and he is succeeded by De L'Epinay-Louis XIV farms out Louisiana to Anthony Crozat for fifteen years ; pages 20 to 45.
CHAPTER III.
MISSISSIPPI AS A FRENCH PROVINCE FROM 1717 TO 1730.
John Law, with his Banque Royal and his Mississippi Company succeeded An- thony Crozat in Controlling the entire Louisiana country-Bienville again appointed Governor-He removes the Seat of Government to New Orleans- Bienville is succeeded by M. Perier-Failure, flight and death of John Law- The frightful Massacre of the Garrison at Fort Rosalie by the Natchez Indians-Murder of the Garrison at Fort St. Peter in Warren county, on the Yazoo River-Murder of the settlers around Fort St. Peter ; pages 46 to 79.
II
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IV.
MISSISSIPPI AS A FRENCH PROVINCE-FROM 1730 TO 1763.
The Battle of Ackia-The Disastrous Defeat of the French by the Chickasaw Indians-Horrible Atrocities of the Chickasaws-Bienville asks for his recall- Indians burned in New Orleans-A number of Natchez Indians sent to San Domingo and sold as slaves-France and Spain cede Florida and Mississippi to England-Thus ends French domination in Mississippi ; pages 80 to 106.
CHAPTER V.
MISSISSIPPI AS AN ENGLISH PROVINCE-FROM 1763 TO 1781.
Under the Meteor Flag of England-Liberal grants of land made by the British Crown to the soldiers-Influx of population-Increasing prosperity of the Province-War with France and Spain-Don Bernardo de Galvez, at the head of a Spanish force captures Fort Bute, at Manchac, and Fort Panmure, at Natchez-Later he captures Mobile and Pensacola, and thus gains possession of the whole of Mississippi-He establishes garrisons at Forts Bute, Panmure and Nogales; pages 107 to 127.
CHAPTER VI.
MISSISSIPPI AS A SPANISH PROVINCE-FROM 1781 TO 1798.
Abortive Revolt against Spain-Flight of the Principal Parties Engaged in it- Great Suffering among the Fleeing Fugitives-Heroism of a Woman-Liberal Grants of Land-The Cultivation of Cotton-Introduction of Mexican Seed -The first suggestion of Cotton-seed Oil-Georgia Establishes the County of Bourbon, andAppoints County Officers-The Marriage of Andrew Jackson, in Jefferson County-The Yazoo Fraud and the Indignation it Aroused- The Records ordered to be Publicly Burned-Spain Cedes the Territory to the United States-Arrival of Captain Isaac Guion, in Command of United States Troops to take Possession of the Country when the Spanish Authority shall be withdrawn-Arrival at Natchez, of Louis Phillippe, Duke of Or- leans, and future King of France-Final Surrender of the Territory to the United States ; pages 128 to 162.
CHAPTER VII.
MISSISSIPPI AS A TERRITORY-FROM 1798 TO 1801.
The Administration of Governor Winthrop Sargent-His austere manners and arbitrary acts, coupled with his seemingly close connection with Andrew Ellicott, the Astronomer of the Boundary Commission, led him into many troubles and rendered him exceedingly unpopular with the people-Presi- dent Jefferson removes him and appoints Wm. C. C. Claiborne as his suc- cessor; pages 163 to 180.
III
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII.
MISSISSIPPI AS A TERRITORY-FROM 1801 TO 1804,
The Administration of Governor Claiborne-The Contrast between Sargent and Claiborne greatly in favor of the latter-The advance in Population, Prosperity and Good Order under the rule of Governor Claiborne was most marked-Wlien the President called him to other duties, the People regret- ted to lose him ; pages 181 to 193.
CHAPTER IX.
THE ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR WILLIAMS FROM 1805 TO 1809.
The excitement occasioned by Spanish encroachments on the Frontier of Louis- iana-The arrival and arrest of Colonel Aaron Burr by acting Governor Cowles Mead-His examination before the Court-His flight and subse- quent arrest in Alabama-His trial and acquittal at Richmond, Virginia- A tempest in a tea-pot-Some account of Herman Blannerhasset, the man made famous by the eloquence of William Wirt ; pages 194 to 212.
CHAPTER X.
MISSISSIPPI AS A TERRITORY-FROM 1809 TO 1817.
The Administration of Governor Holmes-The Indian War-The Massacre of Fort Mims, and the excitement and consternation this disaster produced throughout the Territory-The war with England-The Battle of New Or- leans-Heroic conduct of the Mississippi Troops in that great battle -They win the loftiest praise from General Andrew Jackson-The Constitutional Convention of 1817-The close of the existence of the Territorial Govern- ment-The names of the Territorial Governors-The names of the dele- gates in the National Congress, and who they were; pages 213 to 245.
CHAPTER XI.
THE INDIAN TRIBES OF MISSISSIPPI.
The Natchez, the Chickasaw and the Choctaw Tribes-The Biloxi and the Pas- cagoula Indians and other small Tribes on the Mississippi Sound-The Yazoo, the Tallahatchie, and the Chocchuma Indians-Pushmataha, the famous Choctaw Brave-The "Eagle" of his Tribe-His Death and Burial at the National Capital-He has "the big guns fired over him" at his own re- quest-Pushmataha, like the first Napoleon, "the founder of his dynasty"; pages 246 to 258.
IV
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XII.
MISSISSIPPI AS A STATE-FROM 1817 TO 1838.
The Administrations of Governors Holmes, Poindexter, Leake, Brandon, Scott, Runnells and Lynch-Poindexter's Code-The establishment of the Plan- ter's Bank-The Constitution of 1832-The era of Banking and Speculation runs wild ; pages 259 to 278.
CHAPTER XIII.
FROM 1838 TO 1842.
The Administration of Governor McNutt-The Establishment of the Union Bank-The Issue and Sale of the Bonds of the State for Five Millions of Dollars-The Bank Commences Business, and in Less than Three Years it is a Helpless Wreck-Bankruptcy and Ruin Extended Over the Entire State-General Jackson Visits the Capital, and is Received by a Vast Multi- tude of People from Every Quarter of the State-He is Received at Natch- ez, and is Welcomed in an Eloquent Address by Col. Adam L. Bingaman- He is Received at Vicksburg by the Civil and Military Authorities -- Mayor Folkes Welcomes Him-The Grand Reception Tendered the Old Hero by Hon. Wm. M. Gwin; pages 279 to 298.
CHAPTER XIV.
FROM 1842 TO 1848.
The Administrations of Governors Tucker and Brown-The Great Graves Defal- cation-Col. Johnson, of Kentucky, Visits the Capital and is Entertained by Governor Tucker-Governor Brown Exerts Himself to Have a Public School System Inaugurated in Mississippi-The " Great Commoner," Henry Clay, of Kentucky, Visits the Capital, and Receives an Ovation from His Friends-The Mexican War and the Immortal Mississippi Regiment Com- manded by Col. Jefferson Davis ; pages 299 to 318.
CHAPTER XV.
FROM 1848 TO 1858.
The Administrations of Governors Mathews, Quitman, Foote and McRae-Four Governors During a Single Year-Death of Henry Clay, and, the Eloquent Address Delivered at the Capitol by Col. Alexander K. McClung-The High Court of Errors and Appeals Declares the Union Bank Bonds to be a Legal and Binding Obligation During the Administration of Governor Foote-The Same Year the People Refuse to be Taxed to Pay the Planters' Bank Bonds -Louis Kossuth, the ex-Governor of Hungary, Visits the Capital and is Entertained by Governor Foote; pages 319 to 340.
V
CONTENTS. CHAPTER XVI. FROM 1860 TO 1864.
The Administrations of Governor Pettus and the Secession Convention ; pages 341 to 350.
CHAPTER XVII.
FROM 1864 TO MAY, 1865.
The Administration of Governor Clark-He is Arrested and Sent to Fort Pulaski -The President Appoints Hon. Wm. L. Sharkey Provisional Governor ; pages 350 to 359.
CHAPTER XVIII. FROM 1865 TO 1868.
The Administration of Governor Humphres; pages 360 to 371.
CHAPTER XIX. FROM 1869 TO 1874.
The Constitutional Convention of 1868-Adelbert Ames as Military Governor- The Administration of Governor Alcorn-The Administration of Acting Gov- ernor Powers ; pages 372 to 386.
CHAPTER XX.
FROM 1874 TO 1876.
The Administration of Governor Ames-He' resigns under Charges of Impeach- ment, and abandons the State forever ; pages 387 to 416.
CHAPTER XXI.
FROM 1876 TO 1890.
The Administrations of Governors Stone and Lowry ; pages 413 to 416. 1
CHAPTER XXII.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS IN THE STATE.
Early efforts to inaugurate the Public School System-Jefferson College-Chicka- saw School Fund-Oakland College-The University of Mississippi-The
VI
CONTENTS.
Agricultural and Mechanical College-The Memorial of Miss Reneau in favor of an institution for the Education of the Daughters of the State-The culmination of her idea in the establishing of the Industrial Female College at Columbus-The introduction of Protestanism in Mississippi-Reverend Samuel Swayzee, the first Protestant Minister-Rev. Adam Cloud the second, and Rev. Tobias Gibson the third ; pages 417 to 435.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES.
The early settlement and the organization of Adams, Alcorn, Amite, Attala, Benton and Bolivar counties, with the names of many of the early pioneers; pages 436 to 448.
CHAPTER XXIV.
The organization and settlement of Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Claiborne and Clarke counties ; pages 449 to 462.
CHAPTER XXV.
The settlement and organization of Clay, Coahoma, Copiah, Covington, DeSoto and Franklin counties ; pages 463 to 477.
CHAPTER XXVI.
The organization and settlement of Greene, Grenada, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes and Itawamba counties ; pages 478 to 495-
CHAPTER XXVII.
The settlement and organization of Issaquena, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson and Jones counties ; pages 496 to 508.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
The settlement and organization of Kemper, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lauderdale, Leake and Lee counties ; pages 508 to 521.
CHAPTER XXIX.
The settlement and organization of Leflore, Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Marion and Marshall counties ; pages 522 to 537.
CONTENTS. VII
CHAPTER XXX.
The settlement and organization of Monroe, Montgomery, Neshoba, Noxubee, Newton and Oktibbeha counties; pages 539 to 551.
CHAPTER XXXI.
The settlement and organization of Panola, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Pontotoc and Prentiss counties ; pages 552 to 562.
CHAPTER XXXII.
The settlement and organization of Quitman, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Sharkey and Smith counties ; pages 563 to 578.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
The Settlement and Organization of Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo and Tunica Counties ; pages 579_to 589.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
The settlement and organization of Union, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Web- ster and Wilkinson counties ; pages 590 to 607.
CHAPTER XXXV.
The settlement and organization of Winston, Yalobusha and Yazoo counties ; pages 608 to 616.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
The establishment of Jackson as the Permanent Seat of Government ; pages 617 to 623.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
The Men Who Have Served the State in the Senate of the United States, and in the House of Representatives ; pages 624 to 633.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
The Judiciary of Mississippi, and the Men Who Have Honored the Bench ; pages 631 to 639.
1
VIII
CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXXIX.
The Great War Between the States ; pages 637 to 639.
CHAPTER XL.
The Life, Services and Character of Jefferson Davis, the First and only Presi- dent of the Confederate States of America-His Death and Burial ; pages 640 to 648.
CHAPTER I.
DISCOVERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI BY HERNANDO DE SOTO, A. D., 1541.
THE HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI commences with the dis- T covery of the Imperial River whose name it bears, by Hernando De Soto, and his steel-clad warriors of Spain. in the month of May, A. D., 1541.
There can be no question that this band of hardy and in- trepid adventurers were undeniably the first Europeans whose feet ever pressed the virgin soil of what is now known as the independent commonwealth of Mississippi.
The vain search of the knightly Ponce de Leon for gold and the f: led Fountain of Life, in Florida, in the year 1513 ; his wastrous defeat by the native Indians, and his tragic death, are facts well known to all students of history.
The next expedition to Florida, in order of time, was that led by Pamfilo de Narvaez, a Hidalgo of Castile, of the loftiest lineage and the bluest blood of old Spain, in the year 1528. Having received from Charles the Fifth a grant of Florida as far as the River of Palms, de Narvaez sailed in 1527 with five ships and a force of some six hun- dred well equipped men. He debarked in what is now known as Tampa Bay, in the mouth of April, 1528, and marching inland with three hundred of his followers. reached Apalache in the following June. The hope of finding gold and acquiring vast wealth, having proved a vain and i lisory dream, a return to the coast was deter- mined on, and the Bahia de los Caballos, presumed to be near what is now known as St, Marks, was reached during the month of July. Having constructed a number of frail vessels, they sailed September 22d, in the hope of reach- ing the coast of Mexico. The vessel which bore de Nar- vaez, and his fortunes, was driven to sea in a storm, and the bold adventurer perished beneath the waves. His Lieutenant, Cabeza de Vaca, succeeded, with three com-
6
HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.
panions, in reaching land, and made their way through what is now known as Texas, to the Gulf of California.
The disasters of Ponce de Leon and Pamfilo de Narvaez, so far from dulling the appetite of the daring and ad- venturous spirits of that day for dangerous explorations in America, seemed to lend additional interest to Florida, the beautiful land of flowers. Spain was then one of the most powerful nations of Europe, and her soldiers were recog- nized as among the bravest and best. The thirst for glory, and the desire for amassing great wealth, which all hoped to find in the New World, was then as great as it is to-day. and has ever been.
The first in fame and fortune to follow in the footsteps of Ponce de Leon and Pamfilo de Narvaez, came in the person of Hernando De Soto, a native of Xeres de Caballe- ros, in Estremadura. De Soto was born in A. D., 1496, only four years after Christopher Columbus, " the world-seek- ing Geonese," had made his name immortal by the dis- covery of America. He was descended from a decayed and impoverished family, yet one highly respectable and of good position. The young explorer was poor, as a mat- ter of course, but not less ambitious and aspiring than the fallen angel, Lucifer himself. He was indebted to the gen- erous kindness of Pedrarious Davila for the means of pros- ecuting his studies at one of the universities of Spain. In 1519, then in the twenty-third year of his age, he joined his patron Davila, then Governor of the Island of Cuba, in his second Darien expedition, where he became con- spicuous for courage and soldierly qualities. He is next heard of in 1528, engaged in exploring the coasts of Guate- mala and Yucatan, and four years later, in 1532, he is found at the head of some hundred soldiers, accompany- ing Francisco Pizarro-the discoverer of Peru, and finally its conqueror-in his invasion of the land of the Incas.
Here De Soto became distinguished for daring courage and skill, and he it was who discovered the pass through the mountains to Cuzco, which led to the capture of that place. In the assault on Cuzco and other military opera- tions, he not only added to the high reputation he had previously acquired, but what was not less desirable in
7
HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.
his eyes, he accumulated enormous wealth, the ill-gotten spoil torn from the unfortunate and plundered Peruvians. Returning to Spain after the conquest of Peru, with a bril- liant reputation as a gallant and successful soldier, the possessor of immense wealth, the owner of a handsome person, and possessing fine manners, and a courtly, soldierly bearing, it is no marvel that he should have won the heart. and married the beautiful daughter of his early friend and patron, Governor Davila, the lovely and fascinating Donna Isabella Bobadilla, and was henceforth enabled to " main- tain," as the ancient chronicles tell us. "all the state that the house of a nobleman requireth." This serene and happy life was destined to be of brief duration. The young husband was soon to bid adieu to all quiet, to engage in a wilder enterprise, to follow two disastrous expeditions to Florida, to encounter greater difficulties and dangers than any he had previously met and overcome.
His sovereign, Charles V-to whom De Soto loaned large sums of money-to manifest, as well his confidence as his gratitude, made him a grant "ninety miles long by forty-five miles wide," in the land of flowers, with the appointment of Governor of the Island of Cuba, and Adelantado, or President of Florida, which was then regarded as a New Eldorado, another Peru, where were to be found vast treas- ures of gold, silver and precious stones, ready to be gathered by the hands of the first adventurous explorer who should land upon its shores. He sailed from Spain in November, 1538, and after touching at Havana, anchored his fleet in Santo Espiritu Bay, (now known as Tampa Bay,) on the west coast of Florida. Hon. Clarles Gayarre. the venerable and eloquent historian of Louisiana, thus describes the scene at the landing of De Soto and his steel- clad warriors:
"On the 31st day of May, 1539, the bay of Santo Espi- ritu, in Florida, presented a curious spectacle. Eleven vessels of quaint shape, bearing the broad banner of Spain, were moored close to the shore; one thousand infantry and three hundred and fifty cavalry, fully equipped, were land- ed in proud array under the command of Hernando DeSoto, one of the most illustrious of the companions of Pizarro,
8
HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.
in the conquest of Peru, and reported one of the best lances of Spain." * *
* * In sooth, it must have been a splendid sight. Let us look at the glorious pageant- ry as it sweeps by through the long vistas of those pine woods. How nobly they bear themselves, those bronzed sons of Spain, clad in refulgent armor. How brave that music sounds. How fleet they move, those Andalusian chargers, with arched necks and dilated nostrils."
Beyond all question the force with which De Soto landed in Florida, was the largest, the best appointed, the most richly furnished and better disciplined than any that had previously been seen in the new world. Among his follow- ers were some of the best known knights and approved soldiers of Europe. Among other illustrious names were to be found those of Don Juan de Guzman, Pedro Calderon, Gonzalvo de Cordova, Vasconcelles de Silva, of Portugal, without a superior in birth and courage, Nuno Tobar, and last, but not least, was Muscoso de Alvarado, who ranked next to De Soto himself, and whom the latter named for commander of the expedition previous to his death. These men, and many other bronzed veterans, had shivered lances on many a stricken field, and with these hardy men of war were a large number of cadets of the noblest families of Spain, beardless young fellows, who followed the standard of De Soto, in search of gold and glory, as eagerly as they would have trooped to a bridal feast. There were holy fathers, too, a retinue of priests, twenty-two in number, inflamed with an ardent desire to spread the gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and ready to grasp the crown of the martyr in His holy cause.
In the month of June, 1539, he put his command in motion for the interior, twenty-six horsemen and sixty infantry soldiers constituting the advance guard. It is not proposed to cumber these pages with the details of his tortuous and erratic marches and countermarches through a vast and untrodden wilderness, a primeval solitude, which with this brilliant and formidable force he proposed to explore and subdue. Even if his exact route could be traced it could serve no good purpose to follow him through trackless and almost impenetrable forests; to mark his
9
HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.
weary way over swamp and morass, through tangled brake and briar, or to cross with him many a broad and rushing river. To less purpose, even, would it be to recount the details of his innumerable battles with the red men of the forest in defense of their homes. The original owners of the soil they occupied, they held it by a title more inde- feasible than any parchment ever signed by the hand of an earthly monarch. The American Indians received a patent for their lands from the hand of the Creator of the world Himself.
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