Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 40

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 40

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).

In 1828 there were six papers published in Mississippi, and in 1834 there were thirteen. These were the Courier and Journal, and the American Standard at Natchez; the Correspondent at Port Gibson ; the Advertiser at Grand Gulf; the Intelligencer at Gallatin; the Southern Telegraph at Rodney; the Advocate at Columbus; the Register at Vicksburg; the Republican at Wood- ville ; the Bulletin at Pittsburg; the Herald at Manchester. News- papers at that time were projected, if not published, at Canton and Clinton. The Pittsburg Bulletin was published at the present site of Grenada by John J. Hamilton in 1835. Grenada's first paper was the Bowie Knife, published also by Hamilton. This was be- fore the town was given its present name. The Yazoo City Whig, a strong political paper, was started at Yazoo City about 1835. It was edited by J. A. Stevens.

Between 1830 and 1840 the Intelligencer, the True Issue, the Constitutionalist, the Southern and other creditable papers were published at Vicksburg, with McCreary, Hurst, Miller, Buck and McCardle and others as editors. The Southwestern Journal was established in 1837 at Natchez. It was a creditable literary maga- zine and was published semi-monthly by the Jefferson College and Washington Lyceum.

At Jackson, a short time after the city was founded, in 1823, the Pearl River Gazette was started by G. B. Crutcher, and the State Register by Peter Isler. The State Rights Banner and The Mississippian were later. The Mississippian was first established at Vicksburg and afterwards moved, first to Clinton, and then to Jackson. It was at one time edited by Henry S. Foote, assisted

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by his brother-in-law, F. H. Catlett. It was one of the strongest and most influential Democratic papers in the State until the out- break of the war. Among its editors in later years were the How- ards, Price, Fall and Barksdale. The capital city had other strong political papers before the war. The Southern Flag of the Union and other papers were edited by A. B. Johnston, Thomas Palmer, Dr. Pickett, H. V. Barr and Col. Purdom, all supporting the Whig party. About 1848 Price and Fall brought the first power press to Jackson. Thomas Palmer, who had been elected State printer, brought another in 1852, on which he printed the Flag of the Union. John Marshall was editor of the Reformer. He was a bril- liant man, and his paper stood high in the esteem of both polit- ical parties.

The Eastern Clarion was established at Paulding between 1830 and 1840. It was edited by John J. McRae, afterwards governor and congressman. He was succeeded by Simeon B. Adams, who made the Clarion a power throughout the State. Under its leader- ship East Mississippi began to dominate the politics of the State. Col. J. J. Shannon bought it in 1862 and moved it to Meridian, and at the close of the war it was moved to Jackson, where it became the Clarion and later the Clarion-Ledger.

Marschalk, Mason and Morris were the pioneer editors of Port Gibson.

The first paper at Macon, the Mississippi Star, was established by Col. A. G. Horn in 1836. Col. Horn afterwards published the Meridian Mercury, and was one of the ablest newspaper men of his day.

S. T. King started a paper, The Public Echo, at Raymond before a house was completed. It was succeeded in 1836 by the Raymond Times. George W. Harper and S. T. King established the Ray- mond Gazette, which still exists, in 1844. It was edited for forty years by George D. Harper. He was succeeded by his son, Samuel D. Harper.

Andrew Harper established the Brandon Republican, which in 1852 became the property of A. J. Frantz.

Before the war newspapers flourished in almost every town and village. They were full of political matter and intensely partisan. There was a demand for such papers, but neutral papers found favor nowhere. But the war brought a time of great trials and difficulties for the newspapers. The first of these was the want of practical printers. Almost to a man the able bodied printers of the State answered the call of their country and went to the front. Their places could be filled to some extent by women and children, but the South was cut off from its paper supply. No paper could be brought into the State, and no machinery for its manufacture. Some papers appeared printed on common brown paper, leaves of ledgers and wall paper. During the war printing offices were sometimes burned by invading armies. Sometimes the Union sol- diers would destroy the press, and dump the type into a river or an old well, or scatter them about the streets, as in the case of

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the Jackson Mississippian. The Vicksburg Citizen, the Natchez Courier and a Corinth paper, after the occupation of those towns, were continued under the supervision of the Federal officers. At the beginning of the war there were 50 papers in the State. At its close, 1865, there were only 14. When peace came new papers were started, or old ones revived, in all parts of the State. There was new printing machinery, new type and new editors to take the place of the old, which had passed away. At Jackson E. W. Yer- ger published the Mississippian ; Shannon the Clarion edited by Ethelbert Barksdale; Power, Hamilton and Jones the Standard, which was edited by A. R. Johnston and others. The Her- ald was published at Vicksburg by Swords and Partridge; The Times by McCardle, Manlove and H. Shannon. At Natchez there was the Democrat by Botto; the Courier by Hillyer, and others. Meridian had the Mercury and the Tropic. There were many creditable papers in other towns.

The Mississippi Press Association was organized in June 1866. The meeting was held at the capitol at Jackson, and J. M. Part- ridge, of the Vicksburg Herald presided. The membership, limited to the publishers of papers, was as follows: Jackson Clarion and Standard-J. J. Shannon, Jones S. Hamilton, B. F. Jones, J. L. Power. Jackson Mississippian-E. W. Yerger. Christian Watch- man-A. N. Kimball, H. M. Aiken. Brandon Republican-A. J. Frantz. Meridian Tropic-Jere Gibson. Vicksburg Herald-J. M. Partridge, J. M. Swords. Vicksburg Journal-T. B. Manlove. Handsboro Democrat-P. K. Mayers. Lexington Advertiser-J. D. Houston, Canton Mail-Singleton Garrett. Brookhaven Jour- nal-S. W. Dale. Panola Star-M. S. Ward. Natchez Democrat -J. F. Mead. Mississippi Conservative-J. L. McCullum, F. T. Cooper.

By 1870 there was a newspaper in almost every county in the State. Many of them were defiant, from 1865 to 1876 of the reconstruction policies, and after the close of the military adminis- tration in 1869, there was no restraint. The public printing, how- ever, was given, lavishly, to a number of Republican newspapers that were published throughout the State, and supported in that manner until 1876.

In 1874 the Press Association, organized in 1866, was revived, and in 1875 its membership, which consisted of editors, publishers and reporters, was as follows :

Jackson Clarion-E. Barksdale, J. L. Power. Jackson Sunburst - S. R. Jones. Jackson Vidette-E. G. Wall, D. Denneit, E. Elli- ott. Jackson Banner-Rev. C. B. Galloway. Vicksburg Herald- W. H. McCardle. Brandon Republican-A. J. Frantz. Yazoo Herald-J. L. McCullum. Summit Sentinel-H. S. Bonney, N. P. Bonney. Mississippi Democrat-J. D. Burke. Crystal Springs Monitor-J. S. Harris, C. N. Harris. Raymond Gazette-George W. Harper, Samuel D. Harper. Southern Homestead-J. J. Shan- non. Enterprise Courier-W. J. Adams. Forest Register-S. Davis. Calhoun Democrat-I. T. Blount. Columbus Index-G.

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C. Tucker. West Point Citizen-D. L. Love. Winona Advocate -H. D. Money, B. F. Jones. Canton Mail-E. L. Ross. Holly Springs Reporter-W. J. L. Holland. Holly Springs South-H. C. Myers. Oxford Falcon-I. M. Howry. Rural Gentleman-J. M. Davis. Durant Advertiser-J. S. Hoskins. Central Star-R. Walpole. Newton Ledger-R. H. Henry. Hernando Press-Ira D. Oglesby. Handsboro Democrat -- P. K. Mayers. Tallahatchie Cartaginian-L. W. Garrett. Panola Star-J. A. Pope. Winona Pioneer-C. M. Ewing. Water Valley Courier-F. M. Morris. Senatobia Times-G. D. Shands.

There have been many changes in the Mississippi newspaper field since that time, but the press of the State is stronger today than ever before in its history. Among the leading dailies are the Jackson Clarion Ledger (morning daily), edited and managed by R. H. Henry ; the Jackson Evening News, edited by Frank L. Bel- lenger and managed by Walter G. Johnson ; the Vicksburg Herald, edited by J. S. McNeely; the Meridian Evening Star edited and managed by Chas. P. Dement; the Vicksburg Post edited by J. G. Cashman; and the Hattiesburg Progress edited by A. C. Ayles- worth.

The present officers of the Mississippi Press Association are : Robert Lewis, of Woodville, president : John G. McGuire, of Yazoo City, secretary, and P. K. Mayers, of Pascagoula, treasurer.

Newton is an incorporated post-town in Newton county, located at the crossing of the Alabama & Vicksburg R. R. with the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R., 64 miles east of Jackson. It is the most important town between Jackson and Meridian, having tele- graph, telephone, express and banking facilities. It contains many substantial brick business houses, and a number of fine residences. The Bank of Newton was established in 1899, with a capital of $25,000, and the Merchants & Farmers Bank was established in 1905, capital $25,000. The "Newton Record" is a Democratic weekly, established here in 1901; C. E. Cunningham, editor and proprietor ; the "Mississippi Baptist," a church weekly, is also published here with W. B. Sansing, editor. The Newton Oil and Manufacturing Co's. plant was established in 1904. It manufac- tures cotton-seed products, fertilizers, ice and electricity for both its own plant and for the town of Newton. It is capitalized at $175,000, all paid up, and is a prosperous institution. Its officers are : J. N. Carpenter, of Natchez, Miss., President ; J. W. McRaven, Vice-President and Treasurer; W. V. Fant, Secretary. The plant operates 8 system ginneries, and is located on both the A. & V. and M. J. & K. C. R. R's. Newton is admirably situated to become a good manufacturing town as the M. J. & K. C. R. R. has opened up valuable timber lands both north and south of the town. There is now located here a wood-working plant, with prospects for other establishments of a similar nature in the near future. The town has a good steam laundry, bottling works, 3 hotels excellent schools, and handles annually more cotton than any other point between Jackson and Meridian, the number of bales being estimated at 60,-

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000. Its population is growing rapidly and in 1906 was estimated at 2,000. There is a prosperous wholesale grocery firm located here, and others are contemplating similar establishments owing to the excellent railway facilities to be had.

Newton County was established February 25th, 1836, and was a part of the extensive region ceded to the United States by the Choctaws in the treaty of Dancing Rabbit, 1830. The county has a land surface of 561 square miles. It was named in honor of Sir Isaac Newton. The county is a square, containing sixteen town- ships, and is bounded on the north by the county of Neshoba, on the east by Lauderdale county, on the south by Jasper county and on the west by Scott county. It originally formed the lower half of Neshoba county, townships numbered 5, 6, 7, and 8, of ranges numbered 10, 11, 12, and 13, east of the basis meridian, being taken from that county to form its area. Besancon's Annual Register for Mississippi (1838) gives the following list of county officers for that year: N. Bright, Sheriff ; Geo. W. Parris, Judge of Pro- bate; Wm. Gregg, Clerk of the Circuit Court; Geo. Armstrong, Clerk of Probate; Mercer M. Booker, Surveyor; Thos. P. Redwine, Assessor and Collector ; Thos. Maulden, Treasurer; Jessey Henry, Coroner ; Dudley H. Thompson, Ranger ; Thos. J. Runnels, Free- man Jones, Benjamin Bright, Roland Williams, Joshua Tatnum, Members of the Board of Police. A most interesting and instruc- tive account of the antiquities of the county will be found in Vol- ume 6. Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society, by Capt. A. J. Brown whose valuable "History of Newton County" is also very instructive and complete. Speaking of the old town of Pink- ney, he says: "The name Pinkney dates as far back in the history of Newton county, as any other name in it. It is not known from what the town derived its name; the probabilities are it was set- tled as early as 1837, probably earlier, and was a place of some im- portance and trade. Lane & Boyd, merchants of that place, are re- ported to have had a stock of goods of $10,000, who issued a frac- tional currency called 'shin-plasters,' and were correspondents of the Decatur bank, and when the bank failed it naturally carried the business of Lane & Boyd with it. . About twenty years ago Mr. S. D. Daniel commenced a general merchandise bus- iness and sold a large amount of goods and made money. The place has a good mill seat. The name of Pinkney gave way to Stamper," and Stamper has given way to Stratton, which is rapidly growing, owing not only to the fine water power to be obtained, but also to the excellent farming lands surrounding the town. This region, long the home of the Choctaw Indians, re- ceived a considerable influx of hardy settlers early in the last cen- tury. By the year 1837, there were in the county 1,506 whites and 426 slaves and during the last decade the region has taken on a new and more rapid growth, and while it possesses no towns of much size, it now has a population of about 21,000 souls. The county seat is the old town of Decatur, located near the center and having a population of 250. Its two largest towns are Hickory (pop. 626)

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and Newton (pop. 2,000), located at the crossing of the Alabama & Vicksburg Ry. with the M. J. & K. C. R. R. Some of the other villages are the old settlement of Union in the northern part, Chunkey's Station, Conehatta and Lawrence. The Alabama & Vicksburg Ry. runs across the southern part of the county from east to west and gives it direct communication with Jackson and Meridian, and the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R. traverses the county from north to south. This railroad has opened up some fine timber lands, which afford an excellent opportunity for man- ufacturers at Newton. A short line known as the Tallahatta Ry. from Meehan Junction on the A. & V. Ry. taps its eastern border. The county is well watered by numerous creeks, which flow south from the Chickasawhay River. The timber of the region consists of pine, oak, sweet and black gum, cedar, magnolia, beech and cypress. It lies in what is known as the central prairie belt and its surface is level, undulating and hilly; the soil varies in character, con- sisting of prairie, pine and bottom lands and "reed brakes." It produces cotton, corn, oats, sorghum, tobacco, sugar cane, rice, potatoes, field peas and all kinds of vegetables and fruits suitable to the latitude. Many fine beds of marl are to be found in the county and an extensive use of fertilizers is made; in the year 1900 $41,710 was expended in this direction.

The industry of stock raising has proved profitable and this item is a large one in estimating the resources of the county. The fol- lowing statistics from the twelfth United States census for 1900, relate to farms, manufactures and population :- Number of farms 3,277, acreage in farms 299,641, acres improved 114,928, value of land exclusive of buildings $1,135,760, value of buildings $543,230, value of live stock $605,696, total value of products not fed $1,165,- 741. Number of manufactures 63, capital invested $162,102, wages paid $44,141, cost of materials $130,085, total value of products $285,297. The population of the county in 1900 was whites 11,659, colored 8,049, a total of 19,708 and an increase of 3,083 over the year 1890. The population in 1906 was estimated at 21,000. Artesian water has been found at Hickory, at Chunkey's Station and along the eastern border of the county. The total assessed valuation of real and personal property in Newton county in 1905 was 82,435,291 and in 1906 it was $3,765,433 which shows an increase of $1,330,- 142 during the year.

Newtonia, a postoffice in the southern part of Wilkinson county, 6 miles south of Woodville, the county seat, and nearest banking, express and telegraph town. Population in 1900, 26.

Newton Landing. a post-hamlet of Warren county. on the Mis- sissippi river, about 16 miles south of Vicksburg. Population in 1900, 24.

Newtonville, a postoffice of Attala county, 13 miles east of Kos- ciusko, the county seat. Population in 1900, 22.

Newzion, a postoffice in the southeastern part of Pike county, 25 miles east of Magnolia, the county seat.

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Nicholson, a station on the New Orleans & North Eastern R. R., 34 miles northwest of Bay St. Louis, the county seat of Hancock county. Picayune is the nearest banking town. A money order postoffice is maintained here. Population in 1900, 100; in 1906 the population was estimated at 300.

Nicholson, Isaac R., a native of Georgia, was a lawyer in North- ern Alabama before his coming to Mississippi. In 1822 he was colonel on the staff of the governor. In 1825-27 he represented Copiah county in the legislature, and was elected speaker in 1827. Upon the organization of a new judicial circuit in 1828 to include the Choctaw cession of 1820 and the upper Tombigbee country, he was elected by the legislature as judge of the circuit and the fifth member of the supreme court. In this position he served with notable ability until the change of the judicial system under the constitution of 1832, when he resumed the practice and contin- ued in it until his death at Natchez.

Nick, or Malone Station, a postoffice of Marshall county, on the Illinois Central R. R., 14 miles by rail south of Holly Springs.

Nile, a postoffice of Attala county, 10 miles southeast of Kos- ciusko, the county seat.

Nirvana, a postoffice of Panola county.

Nittayuma, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Sharkey county, on Deer creek and on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., 10 miles north of Rolling Fork, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice. Population in 1906, 125.

Nixon, George H., colonel of militia, distinguished in the Creek war (q. v.) "was born in Virginia, and, living some years in South Carolina, removed thence in 1809 to the Mississippi territory." He was lieutenant-colonel commanding the militia of his county, before the Creek war, when he was selected by Governor Holmes, in October, 1813, to command a battalion organized for duty in the field. It is said of him in Pickett's history of Alabama: "During the Creek war, Colonel Nixon, at the head of a considerable force, scoured the swamps of the Perdido and other streams, and fre- quently killed and captured Indians. After he had accomplished all he could, he marched to the head of the Perdido, where he divided his command, sending Maj. William Peacock, with the troops of the 39th, (Col. John Williams' regiment) to the Boat- yard, on Lake Tensaw, while he marched the remainder of his command to Fort Claiborne. He was an excellent officer and served in the war until its conclusion. [He was a member of the first state legislature in 1817, and was appointed colonel of the Seventh regiment, (Marian and Hancock) in the same year.] He died in Pearlington, Miss., in 1824. He was a large and fine-look- ing man, with fair complexion, and was very popular."

Noah, a postoffice in the northeastern part of Lafayette county, about 14 miles from Oxford, the county seat.

Nod, a postoffice of Yazoo county. It has two stores, a church and school, and a population of about 60.

Noel Amendment-See Judiciary (1870-1905.)

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Nola, a postoffice in the western part of Lawrence county, about 10 miles northwest of Monticello, the county seat. It is a station on the Illinois Central R. R., running from Brookhaven to Monti- cello.

Nolan, Philip, was a Kentucky Irishman who became famous through his association with Gen. Wilkinson. In his ingenious defense before the court martial of 1811, Wilkinson said of Nolan : "It is true, this extraordinary character was first my protegé, and afterwards my agent, in Louisiana, and that he took charge of my affairs in the years 1789-90 and 1791. To this gallant, meritorious, unfortunate young man's letters, I appeal with confidence for his and my own political principles and attachments. . . Not- withstanding all my management and influence Mr. Nolan had cause to be jealous of the Spaniards and considered Governor Gayoso his mortal enemy."

When Wilkinson, abandoning his monopoly of trade to New Orleans, in 1791, received a commission in the army of the United States, Nolan made a trip down the river, from which he did not return for several years. Then he wrote to Wilkinson, from Frank- fort, June 10, 1796: that he had been suspected for a spy by the Mexicans, and even by Gayoso and he dared not write. "A letter from a trader in horses, to a general of the Federal armies, would have confirmed suspicions that were nearly fatal to me." Miro's passport in Mexico, on his last trip, had not protected him from suspicion as a spy, and he was cheated out of all his goods, and re- duced to poverty. Disappointed and distressed, he went among the Indians, that wandered between the Illinois and San Antonio. "I was a favorite with the Tawayes and Cammanches, successful in the chase, victorious in little feats of activity, but I could not altogether Indianfy my heart." A sense of obligation drew him back; he turned hunter, sold skins, caught wild horses and made his way to Louisiana with fifty head. "At Orleans I was received as a person risen from the dead-protected by the Baron. Re- turned again to San Antonio and caught 250 head. I lost a great part of these by the yellow water; sold the best at Natchez, and arrived here yesterday with 42 head."

It was, perhaps, in this wild period of his life, that Nolan became associated with St. Gertrude, the wife of Anthony Leal, the record of whose depositions and denials, made in her dungeon, was among the Spanish archives of San Antonio.

After his return to Kentucky Nolan resumed his relations with Wilkinson. It was alleged that he received from Thomas Power, agent of Governor Carondelet, the $9,640 sent up to New Madrid for the general. In the winter of 1796 he started down the river with some boats loaded with Kentucky produce, and a cipher let- ter from General Wilkinson to Gayoso, at Natchez, with the fol- lowing recommendation :

"This will be delivered to you by Nolan, whom you know is a child of my own raising, true to his profession and firm in his

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attachments to Spain. I consider him a powerful instrument in our hands, should occasion offer."

Near the mouth of the Ohio river he fell in with Ellicott, on his way to survey the Spanish boundary. It is a curious fact that Ellicott depended upon him for advice as to his conduct, and re- ceived confidential information about the Spanish-American sit- uation, in ignorance that, to Gayoso, the governor at Natchez, Nolan was the agent of General Wilkinson. How much this had to do with the subsequent complications, or how much of accident there was in the meeting of Ellicott and Nolan, is an interesting subject of conjecture. Precisely what Gayoso thought of Wilkin- son it is difficult to conclude. But before this time the Spanish officials were disposed to believe that Wilkinson was utterly false, and it appears that they finally visited their vengeance upon the unfortunate agent of the chief intriguer. During the subsequent complications at Natchez Gayoso wrote to Carondelet to keep Nolan at New Orleans, because he feared his influence. Ellicott wrote in his journal: "A few days after we had encamped at the confluence of the rivers (Mississippi and Ohio), Mr. Philip Nolan, so well-known for his athletic exertions, and dexterity in taking wild horses, stopped at our camp on his way from New Madrid to fort Massac, having two boats at the latter place shut up in the ice. From him I obtained much useful information relative to the situations, and characters, of the principal inhabitants of Natchez; which at that time was a matter of mere curiosity, but which eventually I found extremely useful. Being pleased with his conversation, and finding that he had a very extensive knowl- edge of the country, particularly Louisiana, I requested the pleas- ure of his company down the river, as we were unacquainted with the navigation of it, to which he agreed. While in our camp he observed a number of Indians, who were from the west side of the Mississippi, and spoke to them in the several languages with which he was acquainted, but they could not understand him; he then addressed them by signs, to which they immediately re- plied, and conversed for some time with apparent ease, and satis- faction. This was the first time I had ever seen, or heard of this curious language, and being led by curiosity to speak to Mr. Nolan upon the subject, he informed me that it was used by many nations on the west side of the Mississippi, who could only be understood by each other in that way, and that it was commonly made use of in transacting their national congress concerns." A vocabulary of part of this curious language has been sent on to the American Philosophical Society by William Dunbar, Esq. When Francis Baily, afterward famous as an English scientist. visited New Orleans in 1797, he met Nolan at table. and learned that he was preparing for a trading expedition up Red river, on his way to Mexico. "He told me it was a life of extreme fatigue, and very difficult to be procured. as the Spanish governors were very jealous whom they admitted to this privilege: and it would be impossible to carry it on without their permission. His mode

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Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 40

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