Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 26

Author: Dunbar Rowland
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Madison, Wis. : S.A. Brant
Number of Pages: 1020

USA > Mississippi > Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II > Part 26

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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by the cyclone of March 3, 1906. The cyclone also destroyed the fertilizer factory, two or three blocks of stores, many residences, two white and three colored churches, and killed and injured about 50 persons. One of the first advances of Meridian to city life was the introduction of mule street cars, and then gas lights. In due time these were merged into electric lines and electric lights and power. But the most notable improvements were made during the administration of Mayor E. H. Dial. These were the adoption and installation of a fine system of sewerage, the paving of streets and the laying of sidewalks. He also prepared and secured the adoption of a number of excellent ordinances. Meridian now has ten miles of electric street railway, and many miles of gas pipes, water pipes, sewerage, paved streets and paved sidewalks.

It is the metropolis, and the most important railroad and in- dustrial center of eastern Mississippi. Its rapid growth and development have taken place since the war, and chiefly during the past two decades. It is to-day a modern city in every sense of the word, with its modern improvements, excellent schools, fine church edifices, varied commercial and industrial enterprises, and its splendid transportation facilities. The city transacts an enormous wholesale business, and possesses the largest wholesale grocery house in the state, while the Meridian Fertilizer Factory claims the largest output of any similar plant in the State. Among its other important industries are the Southern Oil and Fertilizer Co., cotton, furniture, sash and blind factories, railroad repair shops, foundry, machine shops, two daily, and four weekly newspapers ; the Press is a morning daily and the Star is an evening daily. Five strong banking institutions supply the city's commercial needs. The Meridian National Bank was established in 1884; the First National Bank, in 1883; the Citizens Bank, in 1888; the Southern Bank, in 1898, and the Peoples Savings Bank, in 1902 ; the combined banking capital of the city being in the neighborhood of $1,000,000. In addi- tion to the many beautiful and ornate residences of the city, its streets are embellished by many fine church buildings and modern business blocks. Still other noteworthy buildings are the new Union Depot, and the stately courthouse.

The U. S. census for 1900 yields the following statistics for Meridian : Number of industries, 119; capital, $1,923,590 ; average number of wage-earners, 1,416; total wages, $555,409; cost of ma- terials used, $1,700,655 ; value of products, $2,980,217; population, 14,050. The census ranked it first among the manufacturing cities of the State, and next to Vicksburg in point of population. Since 1900 its growth in population has been very rapid, and it now claims the largest number of people of any city in Mississippi.

Meridian Campaign, 1864, see War of 1861-65.

Meridian Riot, 1871. The trouble had been brewing for several months, said Robert J. Mosely, the sheriff. (Testimony before legislative committee, Journal appendix, 1871, p. 1129.) Joseph Williams, a negro member of the county board of supervisors, had been called out of his house and killed, a negro road supervisor

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had been shot from ambush; Burton and Kaiser, negroes, had been shot by persons in disguise. There were charges of official misconduct against Williams. No arrests had been made. The political conditions-offices filled by negroes and Northern men who affiliated with them, and the disposition of the negro popula- tion to run the town,-bred race hostility that was dangerous. According to Judge Robert Leachman, there were some men "that may be called desperadoes," from Alabama or Mississippi, who had followed the railroads and committed outrages at Lauderdale and other places. Daniel Price was arrested under the State Ku Klux law on the charge of taking a band of colored men to the house of Adam Kennard, and abusing him. Price and Kennard were in a feud, and Kennard was charged with enticing negroes to Alabama. When Price was tried an armed party came over from Sumter county, Ala., where Kennard lived, and was said to be deputy sheriff, for his protection. This Alabama party of about 50 was headed by one Renfrau; they were boisterous, made several as- saults, and carried several colored men away, saying they had es- caped from Sumter county. The Meridian authorities permitted Price to escape, to avoid trouble. The sheriff desired to arrest their leaders, but was dissuaded by old citizens. It was doubted if the Alabamians had a requisition, to authorize their action. Out of these troubles grew a white movement to have the city marshal, William Sturgis, removed. A petition was sent to Gov- ernor Ames by the colored people to have Sturgis retained in office. Representative Aaron Moore returned to Meridian with William Dennis, who took the petition. Saturday, March 4, there was a meeting of negro men at the courthouse, addressed by Warren Tyler, a negro school teacher, William Dennis (alias Clopton), and Aaron Moore. The report was spread that they advised the negroes to arm and protect themselves. It is certain that Dennis, who was a dangerous character, advised violence on the part of the negroes. The white citizens resolved that William Sturgis, Bill Dennis and Warren Tyler must leave the town. Trouble began that night, and armed men were hunting for Dennis, the sheriff trying to collect a posse to preserve order. The store of Theodore Sturgis, brother of the mayor, was fired, and the flames did not stop among the frame buildings until two-thirds of the business houses of the town were consumed. Some negroes were also out firing guns, and Dennis was heard to urge them to prepare to fight. It was a night of terror. Moore preached in his Methodist church next day, and the sheriff notified him that the negroes must all disarm. On Monday there was a meeting of white citizens. That morning Moore and Tyler were arrested, and with Dennis, were taken before Judge Bramlette, who was a Southerner and a Re- publican. When the second witness, Brantley, was about to leave the witness stand, Tyler remarked that he would call some wit- nesses to impeach him, whereupon he seized a stick on the judge's bench, and started toward Tyler. The marshal caught Brantley, and Tyler made for the sheriff's office. Then the firing began.

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There was testimony that Tyler fired at Brantley and killed the judge, others testified that they saw no weapon in his hands. The judge was killed, with several wounds in his head and body. Tyler was followed to the home of Sam Parker and shot to death. Den- nis was badly wounded in the court-room and left under a guard, who, tired of waiting, threw him into the street from the upstairs window. Moore escaped, and went to Jackson. He was not seri- ously accused of mischief, but was pursued for some distance when he escaped. Several negroes were killed in the court room and others the next day, when Moore's house was burned and the Baptist church near by, which had been donated by the United States government for a negro school. This act was blamed upon the visiting Alabamians, who were also credited with raising money to replace the church. (W. H. Hardy.) Mayor Sturgis, promising to never return, was escorted to the train by a guard of citizens, who accompanied him some distance, until he was out of danger. Judge Robert Leachman ascribed the trouble largely to his im- prudent policy, as manager of the political machine, and his in- fluence upon Gen. W. S. Patton, the marshal. W. H. Hardy (Miss. Hist. Soc. Publs., VII, 206) estimates the number of negroes killed at 25 or 30. He adds, "When the white people failed, after every possible appeal to argument, reason, justice, or a sense of public weal, they brought into play the lesson learned in the Meri- dian riot, and it proved efficient in the campaign of 1825."

Merigold, a post-hamlet of Bolivar county, on the Yazoo & Mis- sissippi Valley R. R., 8 miles north of Cleveland, one of the two county seats of justice, and the nearest telegraph and banking town. It has a money order postoffice. Population in 1900, 62; population in 1906 estimated at 400.

Merit, a postoffice of Simpson county, on the Columbia branch of the Gulf & Ship Island R. R., 4 miles southwest of Mendenhall. It has two saw mills, a cotton gin, two stores and a school.

Merrill, a post-village in the southwestern part of Greene county, situated on the Chickasawhay river, 15 miles southwest of Leakes- ville, the county seat. It is a station on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R., 50 miles by rail from Mobile, the nearest bank- ing town. It has a money order postoffice. Population in 1900, 300.

Merwin, a post-hamlet of Amite county, 6 miles west of Liberty, the county seat, and nearest railroad and banking town. It has a money order postoffice. Population in 1900, 40.

Mesa, a village in Pike county, on the Fernwood & Gulf R. R., 15 miles east of Magnolia, the county seat. It has large lumbering interests and a fine cotton gin.

Methodist Church. Mississippi was first entered by a Methodist missionary in 1799. Bishop Asbury, while traversing the length and breadth of the United States in his annual visitations to every department of his church work, turned his practical eye to the new Territory of Mississippi, and as soon as the Natchez country was ceded to the United States he determined to select a volunteer missionary and send him to that far off frontier. Accordingly,

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at the conference which met at Charleston on January 1, 1299, he selected Rev. Tobias Gibson for this hazardous, but all important mission. The missionary reached his new field in the spring of that year. Mr. Gibson had held some of the most important places in his conference and was in every way qualified for the work before him. He reached Natchez by traveling through the wilderness, a distance of 600 miles to the settlements in East Tennessee and then taking a canoe and making a solitary and perilous voyage down the Cumberland and Ohio rivers to the Mississippi, where he was picked up by a flatboat and carried to his destination, and he at once with zeal and energy betook himself to his itinerant work. He soon visited all the settlements of any note. There was but one protestant church in Mississippi and this was a small one, built of logs, on Cole's Creek, and known as Salem. Many of the younger people had never seen a Methodist preacher, but soon after Mr. Gibson began his work he had a church established at Washington, the seat of the Territorial government, the only one of his denomination within 400 miles. Before the end of the year Mr. Gibson had established six or eight other churches, and the Natchez circuit was the largest ever known in Mississippi. As early as 1806 there was another circuit called Wilkinson.

It is more than probable that Mr. Gibson formed a society in Claiborne county, six or eight miles southeast of Port Gibson. This neighborhood in a few years became a stronghold of Metho- dism and sent many workers into the field. It also became the scene of Lorenzo Dow's troubles in connection with a watermill, and of Peggy Dow's deep affliction over a backslidden sister, re- ferred to with so much sorrowful solicitude in their journals. Mr. Gibson was continued until 1802 in charge of the Natchez district, and at the end of that year severed his connection with the confer- ence and adopted the itinerant system as the best means of spread- ing the Gospel in the new country.

The coming of the Revs. Samuel Sellers and Miles Harper from the Western Conference in the autumn of 1809 was a signal event in the history of the Methodist church in Mississippi, for they left a lasting impression on their field of work. Newton Vick was another noted preacher of the time. He was zealous and public spirited, and had an interesting family, which was a blessing in social as well as church life. He was the founder of the city of Vicksburg. In his house near Spring Hill the first conference was held in 1813.

John Ford moved from South Carolina and settled on Pearl River about 1808. He is described as "a model citizen of com- manding and sanctifying influence." Four of his sons became Meth- odist preachers, and, at his home, which was a rallying point for Methodists, the second conference was held. His son, Thomas Ford, organized the society and built the first Methodist church in Jackson.

Among the preachers who did valiant service in the early days were Richmond Nolley, John Shrock, John Ira Ellis Byrd, who

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preached in Mississippi 50 years, and Lewis Hobbs, John Lane and Thomas Griffin.

The most difficult post of all was held by Griffin-the Ouachita circuit, but he was an able and zealous man, well fitted for his work. He had no education and was poor, but he studied by the camp fire and the forest path, and he mastered the hardy elements of frontier life. In 1820 he represented Mississippi in the General Conference and was not pleased with certain expressions of North- ern delegates on slavery, or the defensive attitude of those of the South. He made a speech which was not lacking in energy of ex- pression. "It appears," he said, "that some of our Northern breth- ren are willing to see us all damned and doubled damned, rammed, jammed and crammed into a forty-six pounder, and touched off into eternity." He presided over districts in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, that are now Annual Conferences.

The fate of Richmond Nolley shows something of the trials and the hardships of the pioneer preacher. The Pearl River Conference of 1814-15 sent him back to Attakapas. He started on his way back and on a cold, rainy day in November came to a swollen stream. He was on horseback and tried to ford the stream, but was borne down by the swift current and thrown from his horse; he grabbed the limb of a tree and crawled out, while his horse got out on the opposite bank-the one from which he started. As it was impos- sible to reach his horse he left the animal in charge of an Indian and continued his journey on foot. He was thoroughly drenched and chilled, and soon sank exhausted at the roots of a pine tree, where he was found next morning dead.

The conference of 1816 was held at Pine Ridge, near Natchez, at the home of Wm. Foster, and was presided over by Bishop Roberts. The membership was at that time 1,703 white and 540 colored. The salary of a preacher was less than $50 per year. This was the first conference presided over by a bishop, and the first one to ordain elders.

After the Indian troubles were settled the church increased much more rapidly, and in a few years separate annual conferences were set for Alabama and Louisiana, which had been a part of the Mis- sissippi Conference.

Among the great preachers of this period were Charles K. Mar- shall (q. v.) and John Newland Moffet.

After 1830 the church increased very rapidly both in its mem- bership and the number of its ministers, and at the outbreak of the war there was scarcely a township in the State not occupied by the Methodist ministry. Methodists and Baptists were the most numerous in 1835. The Methodists had 53 preachers and about 10,000 members. The preachers moved every two years, were paid a salary of $100 a year and expenses, $100 additional when married, and $16 additional for each child. Members were forbidden to sell intoxicating liquors. and no slave holder was eli- gible for office in the church if the laws of the State permitted emancipation.

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About this time J. H. Ingraham wrote (The Southwest) that the prevailing Christian denomination was the Methodist. "This denomination embraces all ranks of society, including many of the affluent and a majority of the merely independent planters, through- out the State. Some of the assemblages here, in the Methodist churches, would remind the stranger rather of a fashionable New York audience, than a congregation of plain people, soberly ar- rayed, such as he is accustomed to behold in a Methodist church in New England."

In 1858 the church had eight colleges; Centenary college with seven professors, an endowment worth $150,000 and a library of 7,500 volumes; Sharon Female college with a building worth $10,- 000; Feliciana Female institute; Port Gibson Collegiate academy ; Southern Female college; Mount Herman Female institute and Madison college.

The first Sunday school in the United States south of Philadel- phia was organized in 1827 in the Methodist church at Natchez.

In 1855 the conference established a book and tract society at Vicksburg, which had a business of about $7,000 at the beginning of the war, but was destroyed after the fall of that city.

Before the war, where the negroes were numerous, separate churches were built for them, and ample galleries in almost all churches for their accommodation. The large plantations were supplied with missionaries.

When the Methodist church divided at the General Conference at New York in 1844, the Mississippi Conference allied itself with the other Southern conferences. This made no change in the annual conferences, and the church continued to grow and prosper until rudely interrupted by the tramp of hostile armies.

After the war there was desolation everywhere. Church build- ings had been used as hospitals and sometimes destroyed. But the Methodists went to work with such zeal and energy that in 1870 it became necessary to divide the Mississippi Conference into two conferences. The Southern portion retained the name of Missis- sippi Conference, while the northern part took the name of North Mississippi.

The Methodists of Mississippi now have numerous educational institutions, among which is Millsaps college (q. v.) Besides this the State has five Methodist schools for girls. Whitworth Female college, Port Gibson Female college, Meridian Female college, Grenada Female college, and Edward McGee College for Girls.

The two conferences now have more than 600 preachers, a mem- bership of nearly 80,000 and more than 900 churches. The value of these church buildings is $905,858.

Mississippi has furnished two bishops for the church: Bishop Robert Paine, elected and ordained in 1846, and Bishop Charles B. Galloway, the youngest man ever ordained bishop in the Meth- odist church (1886), and one of the ablest.

Mexican War. While the boundary line between Texas and Mexico was yet unsettled, Governor Brown addressed the secre-

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tary of war in August, 1845, asking a part for Mississippi in "any fight that might be going on," and was informed that no serious difficulty was expected, but in case of trouble the first honor was reserved for Texas, and next would come Louisiana and Alabama. Later, Gen. Zachary Taylor was ordered to the Rio Grande. The New Orleans Bulletin said in March, 1846: "The movement under General Taylor is important. The troops under his command, in 'a delicate service', will take up a position on the Rio Grande, near to Matamoras, almost within sight of the Mexican forces, cutting off their communication with the Brazos of Santiago, the port where goods destined for Matamoras are disembarked. Mata- moras is fortified, though not strongly, and the garrison at the present moment is too weak to act against the forces of General Taylor." At the same time President Polk gave out what was called his war message, asking for an increase of the army and navy, on account of frontier disputes with Great Britain and Mex- ico. Mexico reinforced her military position on the south side of the river. She claimed both sides. Taylor began fortifying oppo- site Matamoras, whereupon, on April 23, some Mexican troops crossed over, below, and cut his communications. A cavalry re- connoissance, led by Captains Thorton and Hardee, was taken into camp by the Mexicans, Hardee among the prisoners. So the war began.

Gen. Taylor on April 28 called on Texas and Louisiana for eight volunteer regiments, and Gen. Gaines, in command of the Western department of the army, also called for troops which he received and organized and sent forward, all on his own authority. Later the war department repudiated his action and relieved him of com- mand. Many Mississippians joined "Gaines' army," and were subjected to great hardships because no provision had been made for them. Gen. Quitman wrote the delegation in congress (May) that Mississippi was in the highest excitement; all were ready to volunteer; they fear Mississippi will not have a fair chance. "We have been ready from the beginning to raise 5,000 men · . but the door is closed to them. We were fore- most in the measure of annexation. We regard the present as our own quarrel. We feel strong enough to fight it out; aye, if need be, to carry our eagle to the Pacific. We desire no aid from the Abolitionists. The Northern States question our strength in war. Then let this war be the test."

Anticipating a call from Taylor, Gov. Brown on May 9 addressed the militia colonels, advising them to promptly enroll the men with a view to sending volunteer companies to the front on a day's notice. It was expected that companies (of 64 to 100 men) would be allowed to elect their own officers, and regiments of ten com- panies to elect their colonels. Maj .- Gen. John M. Duffield was ap- pointed drill officer to visit the counties and assist in this work. At the same time the governor settled a contest of seniority be- tween Maj .- Gen. William L. Brandon and Duffield in favor of the

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latter. Volunteer companies were drilling on the streets of all the important Mississippi towns by the middle of May.

Taylor, immediately after the Hardee affair, withdrew his troops to Point Isabel, his base, leaving a garrison at his fort. The Mex- icans crossed over to separate the two forces, and an artillery at- tack was made on the fort, to which the American artillery, includ- ing Bragg's battery, responded effectively. The next news to reach Mississippi was of the battle Taylor fought in marching back to his fortifications, May 8, on the plains, Palo Alto. The Ameri- cans suffered severely, but Taylor ended a council of war by orders to prepare to advance in thirty minutes, and there followed the victory called the battle of Resaca de la Palma. There were no great battles, about 3,000 on a side, but the popular effect was great. Taylor crossed the river and occupied Matamoras May 18. without opposition.

Cadmus M. Wilcox, a cadet at West Point then, went to Wash- ington with the other cadets, to volunteer, and talked with Gen. Jesse Speight, senator from Mississippi. "Referring to the war, the Senator said the President seemed to have been taken by sur- prise when he heard of fighting on the Rio Grande; but he might have known, having ordered General Taylor to that river, that such would be the case. Diplomatic intercourse having been sus- pended, and the two armies confronting each other, separated by only a narrow river-it could hardly have been possible for them not to fight-he deplored the heavy expense to be incurred by the government in carrying on this war." The Whigs were generally opposed to the war, or at least questioned the wisdom and justice of it, but it ceased to be a party matter after the first shock of arms, and as the war progressed, it made the great Whig heroes, Taylor and Scott; and in Mississippi, McClung and Bradford, while the Democrats gained but one hero of national fame, Col. Jefferson Davis, son-in-law of Gen. Taylor.

Supposing the requisition on the State would be for at least 2,500 men, Gov. Brown accepted conditionally 28 companies orga- nized under his orders. He also, acting on the advice of Gen. Gaines, began the organization of a cavalry regiment. But he carefully held the troops for orders from Taylor or from Washing- ton, because he was at this time in correspondence regarding a military expenditure made by the State in 1836, for the Seminole war, on the authority of Gaines, which had not yet been recognized by the United States authorities. Not understanding, or ignoring Gaines' eccentricities, the political opponents of the governor made a great clatter about his refusing to honor the requisitions of Gaines. When the call for troops arrived from Washington May 29, the governor replied that no troops had been yet sent from the State by his order and would not be sent except on regular authority, but he was greatly disappointed to find that only one regiment was asked. Later he wrote to Secretary Marcy: "There is very general dissatisfaction in this State at the smallness of the requisition. We are all astonished to see three regiments called

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from Tennessee, for instance, and one from Mississippi. Was it because we had waited for orders instead of rushing un- bidden into General Taylor's camp, as did Tennessee? Was it be- cause we had shown any backwardness in this Texas struggle? The truth is you have not given Mississippi 'a fair shake,' and she want's to know the reason."

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Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 26

Author: Dunbar Rowland Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Madison, Wis. : S.A. Brant Number of Pages: 1020

Author: Dunbar Rowland
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Madison, Wis. : S.A. Brant
Number of Pages: 1020