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 158

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 158

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BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL

lady, a sister of Hon. John M. Taylor, of Tennessee, and niece of Hon. Christopher Will- iams, of Tennessee. His father became a planter, and identified himself thoroughly with the people of the South. His qualifications as a man of business were of the highest order, and he possessed a comprehensive intellect, boundless self-reliance, unflagging industry and energy, and withal was strongly armed with honesty and integrity-a conjunction of qualities which, employed in his orderly and exact methods, could not fail to bring him into the foremost ranks of honorable and successful planters. Wheeler Watson's boyhood was spent partly in Monroe county, Miss., and in traveling over the North. He was educated in Columbus, Miss., at La Grange college, in Alabama. He is a worthy descendant of a long line of honorable ancestors, and in him is a happy mingling of the best traits of the North and the South, for he has all the genial, courteous kindness and chivalry of a Southern gentleman, combining the untiring energy, industry and sterling character- istics of his Northern ancestors. He is progressive, hospitable and a good liver. In his home life he is indulgent. He enjoys the esteem of his friends, and is an altogether honest, useful citizen of whom his neighbors may well feel proud. He has been for years extensively engaged in cotton planting. He is now very much interested in planting large pecan groves and in seeding a large tract of land in grasses. He is an enterprising and progressive planter. In 1871 he married Miss Alice Clay, of Monroe county, a daughter of Thomas and Caledonia (Oliver) Clay. In the early part of 1863, when he was only sixteen years of age, he entered the army, enlisting in the Seventeenth Tennessee battalion, which consoli- dated with Stied's battalion, forming the Thirteenth Mississippi regular cavalry. His serv- ice began below Tupelo, Miss., whence he went into the north Alabama campaign. Later he served near Vicksburg, participating in the fights about there, and went thence to Jackson and Canton, whence he went to Rome, Ga. Still later he served under Johnston and Hood in Georgia. He went from there to Savannah, and later served under General Johnston, in North Carolina. After the surrender of Lee and Johnston, he returned with his regiment to Greensboro, N. C., waiting for President Davis, with whom the regiment went as a body- guard to Washington, Ga., where the members were paid $25 each in specie, and the regi- ment was disbanded. He was a gallant soldier and did his duty faithfully and well. Mr. Watson is of an inventive turn of mind, and has originated several useful machines. His first patent was granted September 25, 1888, on a fruit gatherer; the next, granted January 20, 1891, was for a plow; another, granted February 3, 1891, was upon a peanut picker. These are practical working machines invented as aids in carrying on the work on his home plantation. He has never made any effort to bring them into general use, being so deeply engrossed in the affairs of his plantation that he has no time to attend to outside business. He is thoroughly posted upon current events, and enjoys a wide acquaintance with promi- nent men.

Robert H. Watt belongs to that sturdy, honest and independent class, the planters of Mississippi, and is now engaged in cultivating an estate comprising about three thousand six hundred acres, of which some one thousand acres are under cultivation, on which are annually raised four hundred bales of cotton and three thousand bushels of corn. He was born in Warren county, being the second of four children born to Hugh and Nancy S. (Clark) Watt, the former of whom was a native of Ireland, and came to America about 1829, settling in Pennsylvania, where he met and married his wife. He was a carpenter, and worked at his trade in Pennsylvania, and also after coming to Mississippi, but in 1835 opened a car- riage, wagon, plow and general repair shop, near where Dr. Naylor is now living, nine miles southeast of Vicksburg, where he conducted his business affairs with success for eight years,

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the three following years being spent at the same calling near the home of Ninion Klein. He then purchased the plantation of Dr. Crawford, which consisted of four hundred and eighty acres, and on this plantation resided until his death, which occurred, very suddenly, in Vicksburg. His wife was a Canadian by birth, and moved to Pennsylvania when young. She died July 3, 1870. He was a whig in politics, and was a strong Union man prior to the war. He died February 14, 1862. Robert H. Watt attended a private school until seventeen years of age, the two subsequent years being spent in college in Springville. N. Y. At the end of this time, on account of his father's enfeebled condition, he returned home to look after the interests of the plantation. In 1862 he dropped his farming imple- ments to don the weapons of warfare in defense of his home, and became a member of com- pany H., Capt. L. C. Moore's Forty-seventh Mississippi infantry, army of Virginia, and was in the battle of Seven Pines and other engagements around Richmond, in one of which he was wounded in the thigh by a shell, which produced permanent injury. After remain- ing in the hospital two weeks he was furloughed home, and although he made an effort to rejoin the Confederate army in April, 1864, at Petersburg, he was rejected, and was com- pelled to return home. He was at once captured by a Wisconsin regiment, and was incar- cerated at Vicksburg for two months, but was paroled and discharged by General Dana, and returned at once to his home, where he set himself to work to improve his mother's war- worn plantation, preparatory to an energetic era of planting. In 1868 he purchased part of the Randall Gibson place, and continued to make purchases from time to time, until he now owns the entire tract, with the exception of ten acres. In 1874 he bought the Gibson place of over three hundred and seventy acres, and has at different times purchased land from the Hilderbrands, the Whittingtons, Stocktons, Hulloms and Stevenses, aggregating fully three thousand six hundred acres. On this admirably conducted plantation he raises a sufficient amount of stock for his own use. He takes no active part in politics, much pre- ferring to devote his attention to his plantation. He is very highly esteemed in the section in which he resides, and is unmarried.

David S. Watts, M. D., of Madison county, Miss., was born in Wilkes county, Ga., on the 29th of December, 1833, and is the only child born to the union of David S. and Martha C. (Billingslea) Watts, both natives of Georgia also. The father died one month before David S., Jr., was born, and the latter remained in Georgia until twelve years of age with his grandfather Billingslea. The grandfather then removed with him to the Lone Star state in 1845, and two years later came to Mississippi. David remained with his grand- father until eighteen years of age, received his education in Canton, and subsequently spent one session in a medical institution in Louisville, Ky. He then finished his course at Georgia Medical college, Augusta, and in 1856 began the practice of medicine in Madison county, where he has since, a period of about thirty-five years, carried on a successful country practice. He was married in November, 1859, to Miss Ana N. Sutherland, daughter of P. R. and Louise (Olive) Sutherland, and this union resulted in the birth of eleven living children, one having died in infancy, viz .. Mattie L., wife of C. J. Dancey, of Greenville, Miss. ; Aurelia S., wife of J. W. Brown, of Sunflower county; Anna Bell, wife of O. H. Billingslea, Sunflower county; Walter W., at home; Ollie E., wife H. T. Cassell, of Canton; David S., of Bolivar county; Charles D., at Mississippi college; Hallie M .; Clifford P. (deceased); Bertha M .; Johnson Olive and James Reid. In December, 1861, Dr. Watts volunteered as a private in the state service under Capt. R. B. Campbell, and was detailed to the hospital service, but on account of ill health was discharged at the end of one year. He is now the owner of about twelve hundred acres of fine land, has about six hundred

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acres under cultivation and three hundred acres in pasture. He raises improved stock of all kinds. He takes an active interest in politics, but has never aspired to office, and just lately declined the nomination to represent Madison county in the legislature. Dr. Watts was master of Camden Royal Arch lodge No. 74 during the time of its greatest activ- ity, is a member of the Knights of Honor, and has held numerous offices in the Farmers' Alliance. He and Mrs. Watts are members of the Baptist church of Canton. The Doctor has seen the full development of the country, has contributed liberally to all laudable public enterprises, and is one of the county's best citizens.

Capt. James Watts was born in, Wayne county, Miss., May 1, 1829, a son of John and Elizabeth (Chapman) Watts, the former of whom was a North Carolinian by birth and came to Mississippi when a boy, where he grew to manhood and married. He became a prominent and well-known citizen of Wayne county, filled the position of district attorney for a number of years and was circuit judge for twenty-five years. He was also a member of the state senate for some time and throughout his life was a warm personal friend of Judge Sharkey. He was a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he had long been a member, and died in full communion with that church at Newton, in Newton county, Miss., in 1875. He was a son of Josiah and Margaret (Evans) Watts. His wife was a South Carolinian by birth and a daughter of Thrashley and Catherine (Edwards) Chapman, with whom she came to Mississippi when a child of six years. Her marriage was celebrated in Wayne county in 1826, and resulted in the birth of ten children: Josiah, James (the immediate subject of this sketch), John B., Thomas, Julia, Cornelia, Olcott S., William S., Mary and Elizabeth A. The early life of Capt. James Watts was spent in Jasper county, his education being obtained at Paulding academy, but left school in 1846 and began the study of law, being admitted to the bar of Mississippi in 1850. He com- menced practicing at De Kalb, Kemper county, but during 1866-8 he was one of the ablest lawyers of the city of Meridian. He is now a resident of Scooba, Kemper county. He was married in 1851, to Miss Eleanor Bell, a daughter of Dr. Samuel Bell, of Kemper county, of which he became a resident in 1844. Her mother, Jane Parke, was a native of England. Mrs. Watts was born in North Carolina in 1832 and has borne her husband four sons and six daughters: Elizabeth, wife of B. F. Ormond of Meridian; Ella W., wife of W. H. Ormond, of Meridian; John B., at Lauderdale; Clifford H .; Mamie L. wife of J. W. Brooke, of Meridian; Julia B. ; James E. ; Hallie A., wife of J. P. Lipscomb; Florence C. and Samuel T. Mr. Watts and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and although he was formerly an old line whig, he is now a member of the democrat party. Socially he belongs to the I. O. O. F., of which he has been a member since he was twenty-one years of age, and he has attained the thirty-second degree in the A. F. & A. M. fraternity. In 1862 he organized what was known as company A, of the Thirty-fifth Mississippi infantry, commanded by William S. Berry, of Moore's brigade, Maury's division, Price's command, army of the West, and one of the principal engagements in which he took part was the battle of Corinth, Miss. He afterward resigned and returned to his home on account of ill health.

John B. Watts, the third child born to Captain James and Eleanor (Bell) Watts, whose sketch appears above, was born in Kemper county, Miss., in the month of April, 1856. He began life for himself at the age of sixteen years (after he had obtained a fair education), as a clerk in the store of B. F. Ormond & Bro., at Lauderdale, Miss., with whom he remained four years. At the end of this time he entered the University of Mississippi, at Oxford, and after remaining in that institution for one year he returned home and engaged in farming, which calling he followed with fair success for three years. He then went to the Lone Star

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state and worked for the Texas Pacific railroad company for nearly two years, returning to Lauderdale county, Miss., in 1882, and for some time thereafter kept books for J. L. Simmons, whose daughter he married in 1882. They have two sons and two daughters: Kitty B., Eleanor, John and James. Mr. Watts began the mercantile business for himself in Lauder- dale in 1887, and by honest toil, persistent endeavor, upright methods of conducting his affairs and desire to please his patrons, he has established for himself a lucrative business. In 1891 he was elected mayor of Lauderdale, but respectfully declined the position, as his business occupied his time and attention. The stock of goods that he carries amounts to about $6,000, and he does an annual business of $20,000, besides which he owns four hun- dred acres of good land near the town of Lauderdale, of which one hundred and fifty acres are improved and under cultivation, and some good and valuable residence property within the corporation. He is superintendent in the Methodist Episcopal Sunday-school, of which church he is an active member, and he is also one of the working members of the A. F. & A. M. and the K. of H. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian church, and they are highly esteemed in the social circles in which they move. They are hospitable, generous and liberal and are among the worthy, useful and substantial citizens of the county.

Capt. S. B. Watts, a prominent lawyer of Lauderdale county, Miss., residing at Meridian, was born in Jasper county, Miss., April 13, 1843, a son of Samuel B. and Mary A. (Mayers) Watts, natives of Mississippi. His paternal grandfather was one of the pioneers of Wayne county, Miss., where he became a well-known and successful planter and merchant. He died in 1843, leaving two sons, Maj. A. B. Watts and Capt. S. B. Watts, both of whom are now residents of Meridian. Captain Watts, who was but an infant at the time of his father's death, received his primary education in the private schools in Jasper county, and later attended a school at Brandon, Miss. In 1861, when but eighteen years of age, he enlisted in the Rankin rifles, with which organization he served until the reorganization of the army, when he entered the Confederate service and served until the close of the war. He entered the struggle as a private and rose to the rank of captain. At Franklin, Tenn., he was taken prisoner and surrendered his sword to Captain Knapp, of Martin, Ohio. He was confined at Johnson's island, Ohio, until June, 1865, about six months altogether. Twenty-two years after the war, while he was visiting in Ohio, his sword was returned to him by Captain Knapp's daughter. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Murfreesboro, Mumfordsville, Resaca, Jonesboro, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge and Franklin. He was three times wounded by gunshot at Mumfordsville, Chickamauga and near Marietta. After his return home he began reading law and was admitted to the bar at Brandon, Miss. He located at Meridian, Miss., in 1867, and there he has been engaged principally in the practice of his profession. He was United States commissioner for about fifteen years, and is now candidate for the office of state senator. He has been a member of the city council of Meridian, and has otherwise taken an active interest in the growth and development of the city. He has been for many years president of the board of trustees of the East Mississippi Female college, which he was largely instrumental in founding. He is also president of the board of trustees of the state insane asylum, which is located at Meridian. Politically he is a democrat. He is a communicant of the Methodist Episcopal church, a member of the I. O. O. F., of the Knights of Honor and of the Knights and Ladies of Honor. He was married in 1868 to Kate McLaurin, of Rankin county, Miss., by whom he has five children: A. M., Sadie Z., Kate McL., Mary I. and Louise L.

Hiram E. Weatherbee is a leading merchant of the town of Greenville, and has, by his keen business foresight, built a business second to none within the limits of Washington KKK

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county, Miss. He was born in Boone county, Ky., December 31, 1842, to Tarable W. and Sally A. (Woodberry) Weatherbee, both of whom were born in the state of New York, the former being a mechanic by trade. He moved to Kentucky in 1844, and of this state he has since been an honored, industrious and esteemed resident. The paternal grandfather, Oliver Weatherbee, and the grandmother, formerly Miss Willard, were born in some of the New England states, the paternal great-grandparents having come from England in the pioneer days of America, taking up their abode in New England. Hiram E. Weatherbee was reared principally in Indiana and Illinois, but his schooldays were very much broken up on account of the war, which was in full progress at just the time when he should have been devoting his attention to his studies. Since that time, by close application, he has become one of the most intelligent and best informed men in the county. He began the battle of life for him- self at the age of eighteen years, but his capital consisted solely of a good constitution, pluck and a knowledge of the tinner's trade, which he followed closely for six years. He then opened an establishment of his own in Greenville, Miss., and since that time has been one of the leading hardware merchants of the place and is doing a thriving business on Wal- nut street. He is the owner of about three thousand acres of land in Washington, Sun- flower and Bolivar counties, six hundred acres of which land are under cultivation, and besides this he is the owner of a considerable amount of real estate in the city of Greenville, including three of the best business houses in the place. He carries a stock of goods valued at about $1,200, his annual sales being large and netting him a handsome profit. He erected a handsome residence in Greenville in 1882, on Washington avenue, and in this pleas- ant and comfortable home he and his estimable wife dispense hospitality with true Southern liberality. In 1862 he enlisted in the Union army, becoming a member of company E, One hundred and Twentieth Illinois regiment, for he believed that the Southern states had no right to secede, and remained true to the stars and stripes until the war closed. The most important engagement in which he took part was the siege of Vicksburg. He was in Memphis, Tenn., when the news reached him of the surrender of Lee. Miss Dora McCoy, a native of Illinois, became his wife in 1874, she being a daughter of Job W. and Eliza (Richey) McCoy, the former a Virginian and the latter a native of Tennessee. Mr. McCoy was a merchant. To Mr. Weatherbee's union two children have been born: Harry L. and Edna, both of whom are at home with their parents. The town of Greenville has been Mr. Weatherbee's home since 1867. He is interested in the banks of the place, the Street Rail- way Compress company, and, in fact, all worthy enterprises have received encouragement from him. Notwithstanding the fact that he commenced life a poor boy, he has made a com- fortable fortune and is considered by all a leading and substantial citizen of Greenville. He is a man of whom it might well be said he has not lived in vain, but with a purpose ever before him, and with a full knowledge of the fact that one has a mission in life, he has not passed his days in idleness, or, like Micawber, waited for something to turn up, but has man- fully put his shoulder to the wheel, and as a reward has become possessed of an ample income and has a kindly and charitable feeling toward all men; while he has been diligent in business, and is, as are also his wife and son, a zealous member and worker of the Presbyterian church, socially he also belongs to the A. F. & A. M., the K. of P. and the K. of H. In personal appearance he is above medium hight, is of graceful and easy address, and is an intelligent and entertaining conversationalist. He was the fourth of nine children born to his parents, all of whom attained maturity, five of whom are now living in different parts of the Union. He lost two brothers during the yellow-fever epidemic of 1878.

Albert G. Webb, Columbia, Marion county, Miss. John H. Webb, deceased, was born in

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the state of Georgia about the year 1801, but in his youth removed to Mississippi, where he grew to manhood. He settled in Marion county, and there married Miss Elizabeth Ham- mond. They reared a family of ten children, seven of whom lived to maturity: Mary S. married Thomas Edmonson, a prominent man, and at one time sheriff of Marion county (he died and she married Thomas Allen); Walter B., the eldest son, died a few years since; Will: iam T., M. D., who became captain of company D, Seventh Mississippi infantry; Courtney A. married W. J. Sones, of Lawrence county; Henry W., who was killed in the battle of Murfreesboro; Albert G., the subject of this notice; and Louie E., who married W. J. Bass; the other three children died in infancy, and all of this family are dead except Mrs. Mary S. Allen, who is now a widow, and Albert G. Webb, the subject of this notice. The maternal grandparents, Benjamin and Mary (Cooper) Hammond, were both natives of Ten- nessee, and were among the early settlers of Marion county ; they reared a family of twelve sons and one daughter; Gordon and Jackson Hammond are still residents of this county. Albert G. Webb, son of John H. Webb, was born in Marion county, Miss., October 23, 1843. When the Civil war broke out, he enlisted in the first company that went from Marion county, and served until the surrender. He was in the battle of Shiloh, and went through the Kentucky campaign with General Bragg. When the war was ended he returned to his home and embarked in the mercantile trade as bookkeeper and salesman. This he continued six years, in the employ of W. B. Webb and A. E. Foxworth, taking a course of instruction in the business college at New Orleans, from which he was graduated. In 1874 he was married to Miss Nannie H. Regan, and taught school that year in the original Pearl county. For three years, from 1875 to 1878, he served as clerk of this county, but at this time its exist- ence as a county ceased. Captain Webb then removed to Marion county, and took charge of the clerk's office at Columbia, as deputy. He discharged the duties of this position until 1879, when he was appointed clerk of the county to fill the unexpired term of Paul L. Gus- man. In the autumn of the same year he was elected to the office, and has held it continu- ously since that time. In the summer of 1890 he was elected a delegate to the constitu- tional convention. He is a man of excellent business ability, and has always worked for the success of his party. As a citizen he is loyal and public-spirited, and has contributed both his means and influence to those enterprises which have tended to the growth of the county and its general development. Captain and Mrs. Webb have a family of six children-five daughters and one son. He is a member of the Masonic order, and of the Knights of Honor. The family belong to the Methodist Episcopal church.

W. S. Webb, president of Mississippi college, was born in Le Roy, N. Y., on the 14th of November, 1825, the youngest of fourteen children born to Benoni and Betsey (Phil- lips) Webb, natives of Massachusetts, the father's ancestors being Welsh and the mother's German. The father, who was a blacksmith and farmer, died in 1867. After attending the common country schools until he was eighteen years of age, W. S. Webb left home to take a course of study in Kingsville academy, preparatory to a college course, after which he entered Colgate university in central New York, where he spent four years, graduating in 1849. He then went to Tennessee to engage in teaching in Stewart's Creek academy, near Murfrees- boro, and after remaining there two years was elected president of a female college in Gre- nada, Miss., taking upon himself the duties of this position in the fall of 1851, where he remained six years. While at that place the present large and commodious brick building was built under his direction and the attendance was built up from seventy-five to one hun- dred and eighty pupils. He left this institution in a flourishing condition, to take a position in the Starkville high school, but after two years spent in this place he removed to West

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Point, where he became pastor of the Baptist church. Six years later he removed to Craw- fordsville, remaining pastor of the church at that place for fourteen years, during which time he took a prominent part in organizing the Confederate Orphans' Home, located at Lauder- dale Springs, Miss., about 1864, and was corresponding secretary of the board of trustees. On the 1st of January, 1872, he came to Clinton to act as pastor of the Baptist church and to deliver lectures to the theological students. About one year after coming hither, Dr. Hillman, then president of the college, resigned and Mr. Webb was elected to fill his place and continued in the successful discharge of his arduous duties till July of the present year (1891), when he resigned the presidency of the college and was appointed emeritus professor of psychology and ethics. This is considered an honor and most worthily bestowed. There are, it is thought, but four such professorships held in the world and this is the only instance on record where such an honor has been bestowed by a Baptist institution of learning.' In 1882, the title of D. D. was conferred upon him by the Mississippi State university at Oxford, and also by the Howard college, Marion, Ala. Dr. Webb's struggles to build up the college while it had no endowment, in the midst of pestilences, political revolutions and financial crises, have been nothing less than heroic, and his success has been wonderful. Hehas proved to be the right man in the right place, and under his able and efficient management the col- lege has come to have a national reputation. During his administration about $60,000 has been secured toward an endowment fund for the college. President Webb possesses the entire confidence of the people, for, besides being an admirable disciplinarian, he is a talented, thorough and well-posted educator. The course of instruction is thoroughness itself, and the college seems now to have entered upon an era of unusual success. The grade of scholarship is being constantly raised, requiring a higher degree of proficiency to enter the institution. The present number of students attending the institution is about two hundred and fifty, which greatly increases their need of better facilities, and this fact is coming to be recognized and work in that direction is being pushed forward. President Webb was mar- ried in Tennessee, in 1850, to Miss Adelphia Wheeler, of New York, and their union resulted in the birth of two children: C. W., and Fannie A., wife of Rev. R. A. Venable, pastor of the First Baptist church of Memphis, Tenn. Mrs. Webb died in 1855, and in 1857 Mr. Webb married Miss Mary McMath, by whom he became the father of two children: Mrs. H. R. Granberry, whose husband is chancery clerk of Copiah county, and Mrs. S. M. Dodds, wife of Senator Dodds. The mother of these children was called from earth in West Point in 1863, and two years later President Webb's third marriage was celebrated at Marion, Ala., Miss M. J. Sherman, a sister of Professor Sherman, of Howard college, becoming his wife aud the mother of his six children: Maggie, W. S., Thomas L., Myrtle, Henry D. and Nel- son G. The eldest daughter is teaching in Kelhie college, Louisana. Sherman attended medical college in Louisville, Ky., and upon graduating took the highest honors in his class, being now a successful practitioner in the hospital. Thomas L. is in Coleman, Tex., and Henry is captain of the Mississippi College rifles.

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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 158

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