Biographical and historical memoirs of Mississippi, embracing an authentic and comprehensive account of the chief events in the history of the state and a record of the lives of many of the most worthy and illustrious families and individuals, Vol. II, Part 110

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed
Number of Pages: 1314

USA > Mississippi > Biographical and historical memoirs of Mississippi, embracing an authentic and comprehensive account of the chief events in the history of the state and a record of the lives of many of the most worthy and illustrious families and individuals, Vol. II > Part 110

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MEMOIRS OF MISSISSIPPI.

number of years, until forced to resign on account of advanced age and declining health. He is now retired from active work. Dr. Rohmer was born in 1812, and married Alena Bell, of East Feliciana. To them were born six children, of whom Dr. W. B. Rohmer is the eldest son. He received his literary education at Spring Hill college, but in 1861, when there was a call for volunteers to go out in defense of the South, he abandoned his studies and went into the battlefield. He enlisted in the Mobile Cadets, which was the first com- pany that left Mobile for service. He was in General Lee's army. After the surrender he entered Tulane university, resuming his studies as a resident student of the charity hospital, having been admitted into that institution, an unsurpassed school of clinical medicine, through the influence of Dr. Warren Stone, the world-renowned surgeon and noble-hearted man, with whom Dr. Rohmer was in the greatest bonds of friendship. He was graduated from this college in 1866 and began his professional work in Mobile, Ala. He was there but a short time when he was appointed assistant surgeon of a government hospital, a position he filled one year. At the end of that time he returned to Mobile, and practiced there and in that vicinity until 1888. As before stated, he came to Bay St. Louis in that year, and has been successfully engaged in professional duties. He is a physician to St. Stanislaus college and St. Joseph Female academy, and has won a large practice outside of these insti- tutions. He is ambitious to keep up with the times in all medical discoveries, and is well posted on the various leading questions under discussion by the members of the profession. Dr. Rohmer was married in 1864 to Miss Octavia Duval, and they have six children.

Emanuel Rose is one of the substantial German-American citizens of Washington county, Miss., and since coming to America he has indentified himself with every interest of his county, and his inherited characteristics of honesty, industry and thrift have been put to good use. His parents, Simon and Caroline (Rose) Rose, were also native Germans, and his father was a successful grain speculator and died in his native land in 1875. the mother hav- ing passed from life in 1844. Emanuel Rose came to this country in 1852 and began deal- ing in horses and cattle, a calling he followed for a few years, after which he began mer- chandising and has continued in that capacity ever since. He was educated in the common schools of Germany and in 1864 began business for himself, but prior to this, in 1861, he enlisted in the Twenty-seventh Louisiana infantry and was in the battle and siege of Vicks- burg, in which engagement he was also wounded. In 1863 he received an honorable dis- charge and returned home. He was married in 1887 to Mrs. Caroline Kaufman, a native of Louisiana, and a daughter of Jacob Sartovins, a native German. She was reared in Louis- iana, and educated in Memphis, Tenn., and by her first husband became the mother of six children: Cora, Ike, Alfred, Mozart, Sophia and Birdie. By Mr. Rose she has no family. Since his Twenty-second year Mr. Rose has been making his own way in the world, and all of the property of which he is now the owner he has earned by the sweat of his brow and by his own good management. He is one of the pioneers of Leland, and almost ever since the town was organized he has been a member of the city council. He has a considerable amount of land in the county, some real estate in Leland and carries a stock of general mer- chandise valued at $18,000. Mr. Rose possesses excellent business qualifications, is a kind and considerate husband and is considered by all to be one of the substantial, progressive and enterprising residents of the county. He was a warm supporter of the Confederate cause, and until disabled fought bravely under the stars and bars. As he has resided in the South since coming to this country he has made her interests his own, and can at all times be relied upon to support any enterprise tending to her advantage.

Marx Rosenbaum, De Kalb, Kemper county, Miss., was born in Germany in 1813 and

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died at Meridian, Miss., in 1883. He was married in his native land to Caroline Heyman and soon after bade farewell to the scenes of his childhood and sailed away to the new world to seek the fortune which is always the portion of the industrious and temperate. He landed in New York and left his wife there while he came to the South. He was first employed as a traveling salesman and thus had an excellent opportunity to judge of the true merits of the country. He finally settled in Sumter county, Ala., and started a store at Patton Hill. In 1845 or 1847 he removed to Kemper county, and in 1852 he established a general mercan- tile trade in De Kalb; this he conducted until 1878, when he went to Meridian, where he passed the remainder of his days. In addition to his other possessions he owned a large tract of land in Kemper county, which was cultivated under his supervision. When the Civil war broke out he was too old to enter the service, but for a short time was in the state service. In his political opinions he occupied an independent position and after the war was identified with the republican party. He reared a family of ten children: Nannie died at the age of thirteen years; J. was killed in the battle of Gettysburg; Aaron was killed in Georgia during the war; Abraham is a dealer in real estate and resides at Meridian; Charles; Henry is in the general mercantile business at Scooba; William has a general store at De Kalb; Lewis and Joseph, twins, are planters in Kemper county; Isaac died in infancy. The mother of these children died in 1876, in De Kalb, Miss.

Charles Rosenbaum was born in Kemper county, Miss., and was educated at Summer- ville institute and in his native county. When a young man he entered his father's store, where he clerked until 1871. In that year he was appointed deputy sheriff and for five years held the position, W. W. Chisholm being sheriff. Since leaving the office he has been engaged in general speculations. He is a heavy real estate dealer and owns four thousand acres of land. He also has some commercial interests which are valuable. Politically he affiliates with the republican party. He is unmarried.

George W. Ross, a prominent merchant and planter of Calhoun county, Miss., owes his nativity to Monroe county, of that state, his birth occurring July 1, 1839, and is a son of John Leland and Mary Thompson (Boyd) Ross, natives of South Carolina. The parents were married in Monroe county, Miss., and there the father died October 11, 1850, at the age of forty years. They were members of the Primitive Baptist church, and in politics he adhered to the whig party. The mother was born on July 4, 1818, and was the daugh- ter of Samuel Boyd, who was originally from South Carolina, Mr. Boyd moved to Monroe county, Miss., in 1826, and there resided until his death in 1850. He was the father of a large family of children. After the death of her first husband Mrs. Ross was united in mar- riage to his brother, Cyrus L. Ross, April 12, 1856, who died on May 20, 1890. To the first union were born six children, two besides our subject yet living: Frances Malinda (widow of Gilbert Garner), and Mary E. (wife of Thomas Garner). Those deceased are Lydia Caroline (who married James Sikes and both died, leaving one child), William L. (killed at the Peach Tree creek fight during the war) and Newton F. (took the measles at Bowling Green, Ky., and died while on the way home). To the second union were born these children: John C. (residing in Monroe county), Sarah C. (also a resident of Monroe county and the widow of Samuel Gregory), Margaret E. (wife of J. J. Sealey) and Ebby (wife of John Cain). The paternal grandfather, John Ross, was born in Spartanburg, S. C., and with his son, John Leland Ross, moved to Monroe county, Miss., in 1837, taking a large number of slaves with him. He began clearing a farm, a small portion of which had been opened by the Indians, and the following year he brought his family from South Carolina. He made his home in Monroe county until his death in 1880 at the age of ninety-three years. He had been hale and

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hearty all his life until a few years before his death. He was a soldier in some of the early Indian wars. As long as he continued farming he was very successful, but later in life he embarked in the milling business and lost considerable property. At the time of his death he was living with his fourth wife. His son, John Leland Ross, was born to his first mar- riage with a Miss Furguson and was one of the following children: Nancy C. (single and resides in Mississippi), George (resides in Monroe county, where his death occurred), Eliza (married John Miller and is now deceased), Miles F. (died near Water Valley), Frank (resides in Texas) and Cyrus L. (who married the mother of our subject, and thus became bis stepfather, died in Monroe county). The father of these children took for his second wife a Miss Ross, who bore him two children: William F. (died of measles during the war) and Francis M. (who also died during the war). Mr. Ross' third wife was a Miss Fowler, and after her death he married a Mrs. Angland, who was formerly a Miss Wells. She was born in Lowndes county, Miss., and is still living. By her first husband she had four chil- dren-two sons and two daughters: Almeta (married a Mr. Johnson and resides in Monroe county, Miss. ), the other daughter married a Mr. Webb and is now deceased; Thaddeus A. and William H. (both reside in Tippah county, Miss.). George W. Ross began for himself as a farmer in Monroe county, Miss., in 1858, and in 1860 he moved to Calhoun county of this state. In 1861 he entered the Confederate army, served in the Magnolia guard corps and later in company K, Seventeenth Mississippi regiment, participating in all the engage- ments in which his regiment took part. He was captured at Knoxville, Tenn., and was carried to Rock Island, Ill., where he was confined for eighteen months and twenty days, or until the close of the war. At the time of his capture he was holding the rank of sergeant. Returning to Monroe county after the war he continued to reside there until September,. 1865, when he moved to Calhoun county of that state, and there he has since made his home. His principal occupation has been farming, but in 1872 he began merchandising in Banner,. and has continued this in connection with planting up to the present time. He held the position of postmaster from 1873 to 1877, and is the present mayor of Banner, which office he has held since 1886. He was appointed by the governor and then elected at the general election of 1889. Mr. Ross was married on March 4, 1866, to Mrs. Sarah C. Brown, nee Tedford, a native of Mississippi, born and reared in- Monroe county. She came to Calhoun county in 1854, and was first married to L. W. Brown, of Mississippi, by whom she had one son, William J. (who died in Arkansas on May 1, 1889). . To Mr. and Mrs. Ross have been born the following children: Mary C. (wife of J. H. Gors, of Banner, Miss.), Ulor B. (mar- ried and resides in Banner), Dennis V. (at home), Eleanor H. (resides in Belle county, Tex. ), George Hicks (at home), Tapy (at home), Eva (at home) and three children that died in infancy. Mrs. Ross is a member of the Primitive Baptist church. Mr. Ross is a member of Banner lodge No. 329, A. F. & A. M., and in his political views is strictly democratic. He comes of a prominent family and is one of the substantial men of the county.

Benjamin Row, a distinguished planter of Wilkinson county, residing near Fort Adams, was born in West Feliciana parish, La., and was educated at the Brandon academy, in this county, with the Brandons, Pettibones and others. He is the son of Jacob Row and Sarah Gustavus, natives of Mississippi and Tennessee, respectively. Jacob was born in 1784 in Natchez, and was the third child born to John and Margaret Row, natives of Germany, born near Strassburg, the principal town of Alsace, on the Rhine. They came to America and settled in the Natchez district, where they resided for some years. To them were born five children: John, George, Jacob, Mary and William, all of whom lived to be grown and married. Three of the sons reared families, and Mary, the daughter, had one son who also

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passed away at the time of her death. She first married a Mr. Thompson, by whom the son was born, and after his death she married James Tanner. William married and settled in Louisiana, where he lived until his death. John died, leaving a large family in Louisiana. George also died in Lonisiana, leaving a fine family. Jacob settled in West Feliciana par- ish, La., where he resided until his death in 1845, at the age of sixty-one years and nine months, and during life was an active, successful and extensive planter. He lived a quiet, unostentatious life, and died in comparatively early years full of honors with the highest respect of his neighbors. He was eminently a self made man, having educated himself, and built up his own career of usefulness and honor. His father, John Row, died about 1791, while the family were on the way to Louisiana, and lies buried at Clarksville, Miss. The mother of Benjamin died in 1868; she was born abont 1786. To the parents of Benjamin were born ten sons: John G., George S., Micajah, William, who died an infant; Jacob A., Lewis, Henry, Francis, who died an infant; Vincent and Benjamin. John G. died in 1863 and left two sons. George died in 1850 but left no family. Micajah died in 1883, leaving four sons and two daughters. Three of his sons served gallantly in the Confederate army. Dr. Lewis Row, his eldest son, is deceased, but the others are yet living. Jacob died in 1872 leaving a family of ten children. Lewis died single in 1840. Henry died at twenty- one years of age. Vincent died in 1886 leaving eight children. He moved to Wilkinson county in 1849, where he resided and reared his family. Benjamin Row, the subject, just after the death of his father, was called home to take care of the property, and since that time has been engaged in planting. He settled on the present home place in 1853, where he has since lived. He continues to cultivate his land in Louisiana and in this county. Dur- ing the war he was detailed by the secretary of the Confederate cabinet, under Majors Ewell and Mathews, to carry the mail across the Mississippi river from Fort Adams. While thus serving the South he had at one time $20,000,000 of Southern money in his house that belonged to the Confederate government, the same having been brought to this place from Richmond, Va. It was delivered to parties waiting on the river opposite who took it on to Alexandria, La., and sent from there to Kirby Smith, at Shreveport, to be used to pay the military expenses of the trans-Mississippi department. Since the war Mr. Row has devoted his time to his home. He has been an invalid since 1860, takes no active part in politics. but is well informed on public affairs. He was married in 1851 to Miss Eliza E. McNulty, a native of this county, the daughter of John and Evelyn (Orr) McNulty, natives of Missis- sippi and Pennsylvania, respectively. Her father came to Mississippi when a young man and engaged in merchandising in Fort Adams, where he was married to Miss Orr, who was born and reared in this county, her parents having been among the first settlers here. The grandfather of Evelyn Orr was Ruffin DeLoach, of French-Huguenot descent, who came to South Carolina at an early day. Mrs. Row died in 1855, leaving two little daughters, Ella Evelyn and Sarah Eliza, the latter now the wife of Darling Babersa, a prominent merchant of Fort Adams. Benjamin was again married in January, 1859, to Miss Sarah George, of Rapides parish, La. She was the daughter of Richard George, a native of Tennessee, who came to Louisiana early, and was married to Mrs. Lewis, nee Jones. William Jones, the father of the latter, was one of this county's very early settlers and prominent men. He married Miss Ogden, of this county, and moved to Louisiana. The Ogdens were also very early settlers and were very wealthy. To Benjamin and his second wife were born five chil- dren: Herbert, the eldest, died in 1864; Toly, married J. M. Lessley, a son of Dr. Lessley; Benjamin, died in 1868; Stella is yet single, living at home, and Bennie, Jr. The elder daughter was educated at Summit Lee college, and the younger, at home, by private tutors. Bennie is attending Jefferson college.

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MEMOIRS OF MISSISSIPPI.

Hon. Elias Alford Rowan, M. D., a prominent physician and business man of Wesson, Miss., a son of Samuel and Jeanette (Alford) Rowan, natives of North Carolina, was born near Crystal Springs, December 31, 1837. His parents came to Mississippi in 1833, and located in the woods near the present site of Crystal Springs, where Mrs. Rowan died about 1883, aged seventy-five years, and where her husband (who will be eighty-six September 1, 1891), is still living. During the greater part of his life his occupation was that of an architect and builder, and his success is connected with the growth and development of this part of the country. He became known during his active career as an honest, industrious and thoroughly reliable man, and is held in high esteem and veneration by his present gen- eration of friends, as possibly the only remaining pioneer whose fortunes have been identi- fied with the history and progress of the county for sixty years. His family was of French descent. James Alford, the maternal grandfather of Mr. Rowan, was born in North Caro- lina, and was of Scotch and Irish descent, and came to Mississippi with Mr. Rowan, was a planter here, and here ended his days. The Doctor is the third of four sons and five daughters, of whom two sons and four daughters are living. He was reared on his father's farm, but received quite a liberal education. After reading medicine with Mr. J. M. K. Alford he attended lectures at the University of Louisiana (now Tulane university) in the session of 1860-1. In May, 1861, he enlisted in the Twelfth Mississippi infantry, but was soon taken sick and had to retire from the service. It was not long, however, before he recovered health and joined company G of the Sixth Mississippi infantry, and was made first lieutenant at the reorganization of the army; was detailed but served as assistant surgeon about two years, when he was promoted to the captaincy of his company. He was in engagements at Baker's creek, Port Gibson, and other points in the Georgia campaign; came back under Hood to Franklin, was in the Franklin battle and fights in front of Nash- ville, where he was captured in 1864, and kept a prisoner on Johnson's island, in Ohio, where he suffered much until released in June, 1865. Returning home, he resumed his medical studies and graduated from Tulane university in 1866, and went into the practice of his chosen profession, locating on Pearl river, in Lawrence county. Here he remained for three years and then removed to Wesson, in his native county. He has aided largely here in building up the town for twenty-one years, financially, morally and religiously, where he still resides, and where he has built up a large practice and become a leading physician, and is a member of the Mississippi Medical association, and also of the American Medical associa- tion. He is a working member of the Baptist church in Wesson, and always on hand to assist his pastor and brethren in church labors. He has been superintendent of the Sunday- school of that church for fifteen consecutive years, and largely to his efforts and influence with the children is due to the fact that it is the largest Sunday-school in the state, numbering at present over four hundred pupils and teachers. Three years ago he aided in organizing the inter-denominational Sunday-school convention in the county, and has been its president for three terms, declining at its last meeting a reelection, wishing a president chosen from some one of the other denominations. He is a member of J. M. Wesson lodge, A. F. & A. M .; of the Harmony lodge No. 1851 of the Knights of Honor; of the Knights and Ladies of Honor; the I. O. O. F., and of the I. O. G. T. In the Odd Fellows he has served as noble grand, he has served as chief templar of the Good Templar's lodge of Wesson, and is at present grand chief templar of the State lodge.

In March, 1880, Dr. Rowan wrote and published in the county newspaper a strong arti- cle against intemperance, attacking the legalized liquor traffic prevailing at that time, when retail and pint saloons were common throughout the state. Many of his best friends

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thought that his attack on the saloons was an unwise step, but with a determination that nothing in the way of policy or the risk of personal popularity could shake his determi- nation and will to succeed, he pressed the subject on the attention of the people, and three years later, in the legislature of 1884, of which he was a member, secured the passage of a prohibition enactment on petition for his county, and two years later he was one of the leading members who carried through the local option act, permitting each county to decide by vote upon the question of license within its own limits. In the contest in Copiah county, in the matter of prohibition, the personal liberty party made a determined fight, and there were no available means spared to carry their point, but Rowan and the friends who rallied to his side in the contest had the gratification of counting a majority of twelve hundred and seventy-eight votes in their favor. Nor has he abated in his zeal in behalf of prohibition, but hand to hand with its leading advocates in the state he is labor- ing and hoping for the time when the blot of licensed iniquity shall be removed from Mississippi. Politically his motto might be, Independent in all things, neutral in noth- ing. A consistent and uncompromising democrat, through his whole political record he holds that democracy as well as democrats should be consistent and uncompromising, and in the late trouble brought on by the irresponsible and unauthorized action of a convention which was not appointed with any view to political control or even advice in reading out of the democratic party the element that was affiliated with the Farmers' Alliance, he promptly took sides with the laborers and producers in pressing their just demands, and largely by an active and persistent canvass made, if not a victory, a very honorable drawn battle in this first skirmish between organized capital and rapidly organizing labor. He was married in December, 1867, to Miss Mary Augusta Mobley, of Lawrence county, who died in May, 1869. In December, 1874, he married Julia L., daughter of Isham and Martha B. Lamb, natives of Tennessee, who removed to Copiah county, where Mr. Lamb became a well-to-do lumber- man, and died some years since. Mrs. Rowan was born in Tennessee, the second of seven children. She is connected with the Methodist Episcopal church. Dr. Rowan was elected to the state legislature in 1875, leading in the overthrow of radical and carpetbag rule in his county, and represented his county during the memorable sessions of the legislature in 1876 and 1877, acting as chairman of the committee on benevolent institutions, and aiding in the impeachment of Governor Ames and others. He was reelected in 1883, and again in 1885. Financially, politically, socially and professionally he has been largely successful. As an evidence of his unabated popularity and the undiminished confidence felt in him by the people may be cited the fact of his election by a very large majority, at the late primary, as chairman of the democratic executive committee of Copiah county for the ensuing four years, over his opponent, Hon. W. C. Wilkinson, one of the ablest, truest and most effectively zealous democrats of the state. Dr. Rowan is a medium-sized man, strongly built. An excellent constitution, unimpaired by excesses, enables him to perform an immense amount of work. There are few men, possibly none, in Copiah county, whose influence equale his, or who devotes more time to the public interests than he. Taking the lead in all measures for the upbuilding of the people financially, morally and religiously, he is well and favorably known, not only through his own and adjoining counties, where he has spoken and served in leading campaigns for prohibition, etc., but throughout the state at large, and this reputation he richly deserves.

James H. Rowan, planter, Natchez, Miss. Daniel Rowan, grandfather of James H., was a native of the Emerald isle but when a young man came to America, settled in Tennessee, and was there married to Miss Sarah Basley. Mr. Rowan was high sheriff of

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Biographical and historical memoirs of Mississippi, embracing an authentic and comprehensive account of the chief events in the history of the state and a record of the lives of many of the most worthy and illustrious families and individuals, Vol. II, Part 110

Author: Goodspeed Brothers Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed Number of Pages: 1314

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed
Number of Pages: 1314