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 141

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 141

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BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL

when he was made deputy sheriff under Capt. R. N. Hall, continuing in that capacity until 1879, when he was in the brokerage business for a short time. He formed a partnership with his brother, A. V. B. Thomas, in the grocery business in 1882, and this they still con- tinue. In 1889 they took charge of the Chamberlain hotel, and are now keeping one of the best and most popular houses in the state, our subject having full charge of the same and his brother, A. V. B., of the store. B. F. Thomas was married first to Miss Flora Lewis, daughter of John Lewis, a native of Tennessee and the niece of J. M. Dunkin (see sketch). She was born in 1847 and died in 1869, leaving one child, Effie. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Effie Lewis became the wife of R. W. Mullin, but is now deceased, leav- ing one child, Mary Mullen (see sketch of R. W. Mullin). Mr. Thomas was married the second time to his present wife, whose maiden name was Annie Poston, of Shelby county, Tenn., and who was the daughter of William King and Mary (Park) Poston, both decend- ants of wealthy and distinguished families. Mrs. Thompson was educated at the Female college, Memphis, and is a lady of culture and high social standing. Her father was a very eminent lawyer, but had never held public office, except that of member of the legislature in 1866-7. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas was born two children: Frank and Morrison. Mrs. Thomas is a member of the Methodist church. Mr. Thomas entered the Confederate army, during the last eighteen months of the war, in Ballentine's regiment, Armstrong's brigade, Jackson's division, and participated in all the battles fought by that regiment from that time until the retreat from Resaca to Atlanta. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., Grenada lodge No. 6, Knights of Pythias No. 8, and the Masonic lodge No. 31, in which he is a Knight Templar. Mr. Thomas has been treasurer of the grand lodge of Knights of Pythias for eleven years, and in 1889 he was elected past grand chancellor of the state of Mississippi. He takes a great deal of interest in society work. In politics Mr. Thomas is a democrat and is well posted on all the political issues of the day. He attends closely to business and is popular and highly respected by all. He is a descendant of one of the most prominent families in the state.

J. Talbert Thomas, cashier of Grenada bank, chancery clerk of the county and secretary of the Central Fair and Livestock association, the meeting of which was held at Grenada, Miss., and which embraces the counties of Grenada, Montgomery, Carroll, Le Flore, Talla- hatchie, Yalobusha, Calhoun, Choctaw and Webster, is a native of Mississippi, born in what is now Grenada county and reared in the city of Grenada. He is a son of Adrian V. B. and Mary E. (Nason) Thomas, grandson of Morrison and Patience (Horn) Thomas, and great- grandson of Theopolis Thomas, who was of Edgefield county, N. C. Morrison Thomas was born in the Old North state in 1802, and moved to Mississippi in 1849. He was a stanch whig in politics, and after moving to the last named state settled on what was afterward known as Whig island, on the Yalobusha river, where he reared his family and opened a large farm. He soon became the owner of large tracts of land, many negroes, and was one of the representative citizens of the county. Although a man of prominence and very active in political affairs, he was no officeholder. He was a leading member of the Presbyterian church, and died on the 17th of April, 1872, at the age of seventy years. His wife was born in North Carolina in 1805, died on the 31st of December, 1869, at the age of sixty-four years. She was also a member of the Presbyterian church. Of their eight children Adrian V. B. Thomas was the eldest, and is one of the three now surviving. His birth occurred on the 31st of March, 1835, and he was educated in Grenada. He served during the last three years of the war in Ballentine's regiment, Armstrong's brigade, Jackson's division, Mississippi cavalry, and was wounded and captured at the battle of Selma, Ala., on the 1st of April, 1865. He

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was shot in the leg, below the knee, and from this injury he has never fully recovered. Soon after the war he settled at Grenada as a merchant, and was elected chancery clerk in 1876, holding that position in a satisfactory and creditable manner for eight years, or two terms. He is one of the best and most popular men in the county, as well as one of its oldest citizens; has a host of warm friends, and his uprightness and integrity are proverbial. He is social, kind, and very charitable. He is one of the leading merchants of Grenada, owns a one-half interest in Chamberlain hotel, is a director of the Merchants' bank of Grenada, and is also engaged in planting. He married Miss Mary E. Nason, of Grenada county, who was left an orphan when a child. Her grandfather was of Irish ancestry. This union was blessed by the birth of six children, five of whom are now living. The parents are leading members of the Presbyterian church, in which Mr. Thomas has been an elder for many years. He has been a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge No. 6, for nearly thirty years, and in politics is a democrat, having been very active in political affairs in early life. J. Talbert Thomas, the second in order of birth of the above mentioned children, is a selfmade man. At the age of sixteen years he commenced clerking in a store, and one year later was made deputy chancery clerk under his father, and at the early age of twenty-one years he was made circuit clerk. In 1887 he was elected chancery clerk and this office he is holding at the present time. The Grenada bank was organized in July, 1890, with J. W. Griffis, B. C. Adams, Edgar Wert, Walter Trotter and Judge A. J. Roane as directors, and Mr. Thomas was made cashier in September, of the same year. This bank has a paid-up capital of $60,- 000. Mr. Thomas is not only one of the county's most energetic, thorough-going business men, but, having the public interest in view, is foremost in the support of charitable, pro- gressive and praiseworthy enterprises. In politics he is strictly democratic. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge No. 6, and is at present deputy grand master of the state of Missis- sippi, having attended all the meetings of the grand lodge since his election to the office. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias. Like his father and grandfather before him, he is a worthy member of the Presbyterian church. He was married to Miss Ruth A., youngest daughter of Dr. and Mrs. R. L. Jones, on May 19, 1891.

J. V. Thomas, of Cardsville, ex-sheriff of Itawamba county, was born in Hickman county, Tenn., August 30, 1819. He is a son of Samuel and Nancy (Sparks) Thomas, who were natives of Georgia. His parents were members of the Missionary Baptist church, and they had six sons and two daughters, seven of their eight children living to be grown. Of this family, J. V. Thomas was the first born. He was educated in Hardeman county, Tenn., and began life for himself, as a mechanic, at an early age. December 28, 1843, he married Miss Martha A. Bourland, who was born in Mississippi, a daughter of James S. and Mary (Hudspeth) Bourland, and who has borne Mr. Thomas six children, five of whom lived to maturity: Samuel J., Mary E., Rebecca, Eulalia, Eliza and Fleming H., who is deceased. Mr. Thomas has lived on his present homestead since 1844, and was one of the early settlers of this part of the county. He accumulated considerable property, and his influence in local matters is recognized by all his fellow-citizens. Politically he is a democrat, and on the democratic ticket was elected to the office of sheriff of Itawamba county, a position which he held with great credit during a period of seven years. His wife is a member of the Pres- byterian church, and he is a Master Mason of long standing. Liberal and progressive in his views, and generous and helpful by nature, he has done much to aid all worthy local causes, and has contributed his full share to the establishment and maintenance of churches, schools and other means of public advancement and enlightenment.

Rev. R. S. Thomas, D. D., the present pastor of the Cumberland Presbyterian church of

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Coffeeville, Miss., is one of the most highly respected citizens of Yalobusha county. He was born in Wilson county, Tenn., in October, 1820, and is the son of Jacob and Mary (Donnell) Thomas. The parents were born in the state of North Carolina, and removed with their parents in childhood to Tennessee, settling in Wilson county; there they grew to mature years and were married. They had born to them fifteen children, thirteen of whom lived to be grown; there were nine daughters and six sons, all of whom are now deceased, excepting our subject and Mrs. McLean. Thomas D. and G. B., two of the brothers, also entered the ministry. R. S. Thomas was the fifth child born, and was educated in the University of Lebanon, Tenn. He did his first ministerial work at Dryesburg, Tenn., and thence came to Coffeeville, Miss., where he has since been engaged in the work of the Master. He has preached upward of sixteen hundred sermons and has been actively interested in educational affairs. He was the founder of the Coffeeville academy in 1852; this institution flourished until the breaking out of the war, Dr. Thomas being president and Misses Patton and Ingals assistant teachers. The school was re-opened, and continued until the present school was founded in 1870. Dr. Thomas had the degree of A. M. conferred upon him in 1859, and that of D. D. in 1877. He was married in Coffeeville to Miss Elizabeth L. Carr, a native of New Hampshire, who came to Mississippi in her childhood with her parents; she was reared and educated in Yalobusha county, and was a most efficient worker in the Cumberland Presbyterian church. She died in 1871. Dr. Thomas was married a second time to Miss Annie Rayburn, a daughter of D. M. Rayburn, one of the very earliest settlers and founders of Coffeeville. He donated the land for the site of the place in 1834. He was the first clerk of Yalobusha county, and held the office for a number of years. He was the first merchant to do business in Coffeeville. He was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and was one of its most liberal supporters; he was an elder at the time of his death. Mr. Ray- burn was a native of Obion county, Tenn. He married Miss Harriet L. Buntin, a Virginian by birth, who came with her parents to Mississippi. She died in 1866, having had born to her five children, three of whom lived to maturity, and only one of whom now survives, the wife of Dr. Thomas. One of the sons, Rutilius, died in the war in Tennessee. Mrs. Thomas is the eldest child, she was reared and educated in Coffeeville. The Doctor and his wife are among the most highly respected people of the county, and rank with the leading citizens of Coffeeville. Dr. Thomas at one time was a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to the Blue lodge and chapter.

William B. Thomas is a native of Dinwiddie county, Va., where he was born on the 5th of December, 1858, the fifth in a family of six, born to Edward and Agnes E. (Thompson) Thomas, natives of Virginia. Edward Thomas was a planter, a calling he followed until the opening of the Civil war, when he enlisted in the Confederate service, serving until his death, which occurred in 1863, at the age of forty-seven years. The paternal grandparents, David and Annie Thomas, were also Virginians, their parents having been early settlers of that state, and among its most prominent citizens. William B. Thomas was educated in the private schools of his native state, and in 1880 became a resident of Mississippi, where he has since made his home. When only fifteen years of age he began to fight the battle of life for himself, and owing to his pluck, perseverance and energy he is now worth about $50,000. He is the owner of some eleven hundred acres of land, of which he has five hundred acres under cultivation, and is worthy the reputation he has won as a progressive, industrious and enterprising agriculturist. He is very practical in his views, keeps fully apace with the progress made in his calling, and is ever ready to adopt new and improved methods upon his plantation. In 1887 his marriage to Miss Pattie Connell was celebrated, and their union

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has been blessed in the birth of two little daughters: Eveline P., who died August 3, 1888, and Agnes E., who is an interesting and promising child. Mrs. Thomas is a daughter of W. C. Connell, who was born in Wilkinson county, Miss., November 26, 1821, in which state he is still making his home, having thoroughly identified himself with its interests. 'Mr. Thomas is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. As a citizen his reputation is untarnished, and in all the affairs of life he has borne himself in an upright manner, and is now recognized as a man of true worth. He is extremely well informed and naturally intel- ligent, and as a conversationalist is very interesting and entertaining. His manners are easy, courteous and pleasant, and he has the grace and tact of putting all at their ease who enter his presence. He is a member of the Knights of Honor, of which he is a warm sup- porter, and he thoroughly approves of worthy secret organizations. He is of medium stature, and is of rather fair complexion.

Bishop Hugh Miller Thompson, now at the head of the Episcopal church of Mississippi, was born in the city of Londonderry, Ireland, June 5, 1830. While he was yet a child his parents immigrated to the United States, locating first at Caldwell, N. J., where they remained eight years, when they removed to Cleveland, Ohio. John Thompson, the father of Hugh, was a contractor by occupation, and came to the United States with the view of having a better and a larger field for carrying on his business. The Thompson family were purely English, and belonged to the church of England. The mother, whose maiden name was Ann Miller, was of Scotch origin, and the family were strong Presbyterians. While on their way to the United States they were shipwrecked in the bay of St. Lawrence, losing every- thing they had. The father died in Columbus, Ohio; the mother is still living. The subject of this sketch received an academical education in the schools of Cleveland, and took his theological course at Nashotah house, Wisconsin. He was ordained deacon at that place June 6, 1852, by Bishop Kemper, and priest in St. John's church, Portage, Wis., August 31, 1856. During his deaconate he had charge of Grace church, Madison, Wis. In 1853 he removed to Maysville, Ky., where he remained one year, and then returned to Wisconsin, where he was assigned to mission work at Portage and Baraboo. Immediately on his ordina- tion to the priesthood, he became rector of St. John's church, at Portage. In 1858 he was elected rector of St. Matthew's church, at Kenosha, Wis., and after remaining there one year removed to Galena, Ill., and became rector of Grace church at that place. In 1860 he was made professor of ecclesiastical history of Nashotah and founded Kemper hall. In the same year he became editor-in-chief of the American Churchman, published at Chicago, Ill., and continued in this office until the Churchman was merged into the Churchman, at Hart- ford, Conn. In 1871 he became rector of St. James' church, at Chicago, which was burned in the great fire of that year. In January, 1872, he removed to New York and took charge of Christ church, and with these duties were added the editorship of the Church Journal and Gospel Messenger. In 1875 he became rector of Trinty church, at New Orleans, La., where he remained until he was consecrated assistant bishop of Mississippi, February 24, 1883. Four years later, upon the demise of Bishop Green, he succeeded to the position of bishop, and the following year attended the pan anglican conference, in London, and in August, of that year, delivered the funeral oration of Bishop Harris, of Michigan, which was received by the clergy and laymen with great favor. Bishop Thompson was united in mar- riage in February, 1853, at Madison, Wis., to Caroline Berry, and two children were in time born to them: Annie, now the wife of James Pearce, of New York; and Frank who is a min- ister of the Episcopal church, and is at present chaplain in the United States navy, assigned to the flagship Charleston. Mrs. Thompson died in 1857, and the Bishop's second marriage

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was consummated at Kenosha, in the year 1859, the maiden name of his wife being Anna Hins- dale, daughter of Henry B. Hinsdale, late secretary of the Northwestern Telegraph company. The issue of this union was the following children: Mary, wife of William T. Howell, of Wisconsin, attorney for the Northwestern railroad; and Hugh G., a planter in Mississippi. Bishop Thompson is a man of medium stature, with a solid frame, a large intellectual head, covered with a liberal growth of hair turning gray. He is a man of deep thought and exten- sive research, and as a pulpit orator ranks high, his equals in the state being few. His com- mand of language is excellent; his diction pure and engaging, and his conclusions forcible as well as logical. His imagery, when indulged in, is brilliant and captivating. He is a ready conversationalist, his thoughts which come quick, either sparkling with wit or laden with wisdom. He is genial in character, courteous in manner, and a good entertainer. In the suburbs of Jackson he has an elegant home, where he is surrounded with those attractions that are essential to the happiness of a gentleman of culture. The church which he repre- sents is indeed fortunate to have so able and so popular a man at its head. Notwithstanding the onerous duties, incumbent upon him as rector and bishop of his church, he has found time to enter the literary field and is the author of several valuable books. In 1860 he pub- lished "Unity and its Restoration," and in 1862, "Sin and its Penalty," following this, in 1868, was published "First Principles," and in 1872, " Absolution." In 1873 he brought out his work, "Is Romanism the Best Religion for a Republic?" also " The Kingdom of God," and a volume of lectures published in 1885. "The World and the Kingdom" was issued in 1888, and in 1890 "The World and the Man" was published, which. is now in its third edition.

Jacob Thompson, Lafayette county, Miss., was born in Caswell county, N. C., May 15, 1810. His father, Nicholas Thompson, was descended from a family which emigrated from England to the state of Pennsylvania, more than two centuries ago. In his youth Mr. Thompson was prepared for college at Hillsboro, N. C., and entered the university at Chapel Hill in his seventeenth year, graduating in 1831, with the first honors of his class. He was at once appointed tutor of the university, and discharged his duties faithfully for eighteen months, when he resigned and began the study of law in the office of Judge John M. Dick, of Greensboro. He was admitted to practice in 1835, when he removed to Missis- sippi and established himself at Pontotoc, where the United States land office had just been opened. His first political speech in the state was made at Pontotoc at a public meeting which was called for the purpose of favoring the policy of the state's endorsing the Union bank bonds for $5,000,000, and also for instructing the representatives in the legislature to vote for the endorsement. He was bitterly opposed to the proposition, and at the meeting in Pontotoc made a speech against it which attracted wide attention and brought him promi- nently to the notice of the people of the state. Banks at this time were springing up every- where over the state; banking had already become a craze. He predicted ruin and disaster to flow from it, and placed the Union bank in the same category with the rest. The current, however, could not be stemmed, and the resolution favoring endorsement was passed. This came to be one of the most vital questions that has ever affected the life of Mississippi, and much was heard of it in the years that followed. The general collapse of the banks came in 1837, and gloom brooded over the state. In 1839 Mr. Thompson was first elected to con- gress on the democratic ticket with Hon. Albert G. Brown. The public lands of Mississippi having but lately been settled there was much confusion in the perfecting of titles, and num- berless conflicts of various kinds. It being a new country there were a great number of contracts for surveying and for carrying the mails, new postoffices having been opened and

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new routes located. All these matters, in which Mr. Thompson's constituency was interested, needed adjustment and settlement, and he being in Washington, as their representative, was situated so he could give his personal attention to the many necessary demands upon him, a task which he undertook with diligence and determination and accomplished to the satis- faction of each and all who called upon him for his friendly aid. By this means he won many friends among the masses of the people at home, and "after this period," says one, "his popularity was greater than his party strength."

In 1840 he took an active part in the presidential canvass between Van Buren and Har- rison. He was an ardent supporter of the former. He desired to retire from public life on the expiration of his congressional term, but in 1841 he was unanimously renominated by his party convention, together with Hon. William M. Gwin. The great question of the states making good the Union bank bonds, which the state had rashly endorsed, forced itself into the canvass of this year. The bank had become bankrupt and its bonds dishonored. The catastrophe had come which Mr. Thompson had predicted and warned against. Payment of the bonds was refused by the governor on the ground that the state was not legally or mor- ally bound. Says Mr. Claiborne, in his history of Mississippi: "Mr. Thompson, being a can- didate for congress, was called upon for his views, and in a letter to Mr. Webster, of Vicks- burg, he maintained that the governor was right in his refusal to admit the binding obliga- tion of the state's endorsement. This letter," continues the same author, "stated the whole case with so much clearness, force and eloquence that it satisfied the public mind, and from that day to this no one has been or could be elected to any position of honor by the people of the state who did not endorse the sentiments of that letter. The succeeding legislature, in proclaiming the position it took in regard to the Union bank bonds, embodied in substance the whole letter." In November of this year, Mr. Thompson and his colleague, Mr. Gwin, on the democratic ticket, were elected to congress; and at each succeeding election thereafter Mr. Thompson was a candidate for congress, on the democratic ticket, and triumphantly elected until 1851, during which year, on the 4th of March, his sixth term closed, making for him twelve years of continued service in the house of representatives. For one term he was chairman of the committee on public lands, and for two terms was chairman of the commit- tee on Indian affairs. He reluctantly consented to become a candidate again in 1851, hav- ing previously published a letter announcing his intention not to run again. This time he and the entire democratic ticket were defeated. In 1852 he was a delegate to the Baltimore convention which nominated Franklin Pierce for president, and was one of the committee who officially notified Mr. Pierce of his nomination. The latter, during his presidential adminis- tration, tendered to Mr. Thompson the consulship to Cuba, but it was declined. Governor Brown, of Mississippi, offered him the commission of United States senator on the resigna- tion of Hon. Robert J. Walker, who, while Mr. Thompson was still serving as representative in congress, resigned his seat in the senate to accept a place in President Polk's cabinet. This commission was also declined. In 1855 he was prevailed upon to become a candidate for the United States senate, but in the party caucus it was decided to nominate Hon. Jeffer- son Davis. He was an active supporter of Mr. Buchanan for the presidency in 1856. After his election, President Buchanan tendered him a place in his cabinet, inviting him to take charge of the interior department, which position he accepted. As secretary of the interior he systematized the work of the department and infused new life into it. The treach- erous conduct of a trusted clerk in the interior department served at one time as sufficient foundation for false and malicious charges against Mr. Thompson. The secretary of the interior was the custodian of the Indian trust fund, which consisted principally of the bonds

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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 141

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