Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 54

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 54

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).

His term as governor expired January 7, 1822.

Point, a post-hamlet in the western part of Lauderdale county, on Chunkey creek, and a station on the Alabama & Vicksburg R. R., 15 miles by rail west of Meridian. Population in 1900, 27.

Point Leflore. An extinct village in what is now Leflore county, which was built during the 30's by Col. Greenwood Leflore, two and one-half miles above the present city of Greenwood. We are told that he expended not less than $75,000 all told in the construc- tion of a turnpike and some twelve or fourteen bridges, in order to make the town readily accessible. Flatboats and barges came through the Yazoo Pass and aided materially in maintaining the business life of the place. Besides the large steam sawmill built by Col. Leflore, it had a church, a hotel and a number of other buildings. Leflore & Godfrey, Milton & Company, and S. P. La -. cock were merchants at Leflore during its prosperous days. After Col. Leflore built his beautiful home, Malmaison, in the hills, just before the Civil War, his interest in his town largely ceased, and the village rapidly decayed. He willed it to some of his heirs, and

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it was finally allowed to be sold for taxes. A cotton field now cov- ers the old site.

Pokal, a post-hamlet in the southwestern part of Simpson county, one mile from the Pearl river, and about 18 miles southwest of Mendenhall. Newhebron is the nearest banking town. Popuation in 1900, 54.

Political Parties. See Administrations for discussion of politi- cal events of that date, also Know Nothing party and Agricultural Organizations.

Polkville, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Smith county, 15 miles from Raleigh, the county seat. Population in 1900, 45.

Pollock, Oliver, was attached to a great mercantile house at Havana in 1763, mastered the Spanish language and became ac- quainted with General O'Reilly. Afterward he lived at New Orleans, establishing his family there, but made trading voyages. In 1769, after O'Reilly had taken possession of New Orleans, Pollock arrived there in the brig Royal Charlotte, with a cargo of flour, the colony being so destitute of that food that it sold at $30 a barrel. Pollock asked only $15 a barrel of the governor, and O'Reilly thereupon promised that he should have free trade in the port as long as he lived.

Before Galvez became governor, Unzaga gave Pollock powder privately to deliver to Colonel Gibson.

Galvez declared that if Spain took sides against England, Pol- lock was the one American he could confide in. He accompanied Galvez in his expedition against Manchac and Baton Rouge in 1779. During the Revolution he received $74,000 from the Span- ish treasury, "as very secret service money; it was for the use of the United States; I received it as their agent, but chiefly on my own credit, and I received it generally at night, and generally at the hands of John Morales, Don Galvez's private secretary." (Evidence in Wilkinson court martial.) When he heard in 1787 that Wilkinson had been granted a monopoly of the Kentucky tobacco trade, Pollock, "wishing to have that exclusive privilege myself." inquired of Governor Miro, and was assured that the con- cession had been made to pacify the Kentuckians and prevent a rupture between Spain and America.

Polygamous Teaching, Law Against. Missionary efforts in the State by representatives of the Mormon church caused much ex- citement and induced the legislature in 1886 to pass an act "to define and punish the crime of teaching polygamous doctrines and principles, and of persuading persons to adopt or embrace the same." The activity of these missionaries was the subject of criti- cism by Governor McLaurin in his message of 1890.

Pond, a post-hamlet of Wilkinson county, 4 miles east of Fort Adams, and 12 miles west of Woodville, the county seat, and near- est railroad and banking town. Population in 1900, 36.

Ponta, a hamlet of Lauderdale county, about 14 miles north of Meridian. It has rural free delivery from Lauderdale, 6 miles east on the M. & O. R. R. Population in 1900, 36.

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Pontotoc, the county seat of Pontotoc county, is located near the center of the county on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R., 50 miles southeast of Holly Springs, and 18 miles south of New Albany. It was incorporated in 1837, and the United States land office was located here for a number of years, as was also the Chickasaw Land Bank; and the United States District Court sat here for some years. A few miles to the east of Pontotoc were lo- cated the principal settlements of the Chickasaws. Pontotoc was named for a Chickasaw Indian chief, the word meaning "weed prairie." It has telegraph, express and banking facilities, a female seminary, (The Chickasaw Female College) five churches and two newspapers. The Bank of Pontotoc was established in 1889 and now has a capital of $40,000; the Merchants & Farmers Bank was established in 1900 with a capital of $25,100 which has since been increased to $30,000. The Sentinel is a Democratic weekly established in 1893, and owned and edited by A. F. Herman ; the Advance is an Independent weekly paper established in 1900, E. T. Winston being the editor and publisher. Pontotoc lies in a good agricultural region and is a trading center of importance. Popula- tion in 1900, 1,010, an increase of nearly 100% in the preceeding ten years; while in 1906 the population was estimated at 1,600. The following religious denominations have churches here-Meth- odist, Presbyterian and Baptist; and the following fraternities have lodges-Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, The Woodmen of the World and the Knights and Ladies of Honor. The town has a large cotton seed oil mill and ginnery ; also a grist-mill, a large brick mf'g. plant, a planing mill, an electric light plant, 3 hotels, a livery and sales barn, and a splendid graded high school.

Pontotoc Battle, 1541. De Soto went into winter quarters 1540-1 at the town of Chicaca, a village of the Chickasaws. Here says the narrative of Elvas, "The country was very well peopled. and the houses scattered like those of Mavilla, fat and plentiful of maize, and the most part of it was fielding." The Spaniards were able to secure plentiful supplies of food and remained here from December to the following March. According to one ac- count, Chicaca was a small town of 20 houses, while another reports it to be a town of 200 fires, situated on a hill leading north and south, which was watered by many little brooks. Competent authorities have located Chicaca about one mile northwest of Red- land, in Pontotoc county. De Soto having decided to continue his march in search of some wealthy province, he demanded porters and guides of the cacique Miculasa ('Mingo lusa', Black chief) by March 4th, but, the crafty chief put him off with prom- ises for several days, and then suddenly attacked and surprised the town at a very early hour in the morning. They attacked from four sides, dashing into the place and setting fire to the houses. The Spaniards were unable to arm themselves or mount their horses, by reason of the surprise, and the Indians not only killed and wounded many of them, but completely destroyed the town and escaped with the loss of only one of their number, said to

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have been killed by the lance of Soto himself. Says Elvas: "There died in this hurly burly eleven Christians, and fifty horses; and there remained a hundred hogs, and four hundred were burned. If any perchance had saved any clothes from the fire of Mayilla, here they were burned, and many were clad in skins, for they had no leisure to take their coats. The Christians were so spoiled, and in such want of saddles and weapons which were burned, that if the Indians had come the second night, they had overcome them with little labor."

Pontotoc County was established February 9, 1836, and is one of the twelve large counties created at this time out of the Chicka- saw cession of 1832. The county has a land surface of 496 square miles. It originally embraced parts of the present counties of Lee and Union. The act creating the county defined its limits as fol- lows :- "The territory within the townships, seven, eight, nine, ten, and eleven, of ranges one, two, three, four, and five, east of the basis meridian." Oct. 26, 1866, it contributed from its eastern ter- ritory townships eleven, ten, nine, and eight and part of seven, in range five, to assist in forming the county of Lee; and July 7, 1870, it was shorn of township seven and the upper half plus 6 sections of township eight, in ranges one, two, three, four, together with fractional parts of townships seven and eight, in range five, to assist in the formation of Union county. Its present area is about fourteen townships. The name Pontotoc is an Indian word, signifying "weed prairie" and was the name of a Chickasaw chief. The county is located in the northeastern part of the State and is bounded on the north by Union county, on the east by Lee county, on the south by Chickasaw and Calhoun counties and on the west by Calhoun and Lafayette counties. It was in the southeastern part of this county, near the little creek Chowappa, that the treaty of Pontotoc was concluded, whereby the Chickasaws relinquished all their remaining lands in the State. In the year 1834, T. C. Mc- Mackin, the celebrated hotel keeper, who had kept a hotel at the original location of the Pontotoc land office, came into possession of the present site of Pontotoc town. He laid off the town and was of sufficient influence to move the old town of Pontotoc to the present site. Emigrants from Tennessee, north Alabama and Geor- gia, as well as from the older parts of Mississippi, rapidly poured into the region, attracted by the cheap and fertile lands of the new cession. Pontotoc is the county seat and was incorporated in 1837. It had in 1900 1,010 inhabitants, an increase of 475 in one decade. The U. S. land office was located here and the town obtained a prosperous start. It is on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R. running from Mobile to Middleton, Tenn. and is the center of a thriving trade from the rich country about it. Other settlements of importance are Ecru, Sherman, Algoma, Troy, Toccopola. Ran- dolph and Thaxton. The region has few manufactures of impor- tance, but has many natural resources and is a good farming coun- try. Two-thirds of its area is well timbered with different kinds of oak, hickory, elm, beech, walnut, poplar, ash, gum and pine.

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The surface is undulating, broken and level. The soil is sandy yellow loam, with considerable black prairie and hammock land. In the eastern part is the limestone formation. It produces good crops of cotton, corn, oats, wheat, sorghum, potatoes, melons, field peas and all kinds of vegetables and fruits suitable to the latitude. Pasturage, especially in the western part of the county, is good and considerable attention is being given to the live stock industry during the last few years, and the industry has proved to be profitable.

The following statistics, taken from the twelfth United States census for 1900, relate to farms, manufactures and population :- Number of farms 3,368, acreage in farms 240,326, acres improved 85,333, value of the land exclusive of the buildings $1,172,560, value of the buildings $407,530, value of live stock $573,898, total value of products not fed $1,097,450. Number of manufacturing estab- lishments 55, capital invested $69,132, wages paid $7,357, cost of materials $26,947, total value of products $62,608. The population in 1900 consisted of whites 13,477, colored 4,827, total 18,274, in- crease over 1890, 6,342; in 1906 the population was estimated at 20,000. Land values have increased in the last 5 years fully 100 per cent. Manufactures have also increased in a like ratio. The county is being rapidly settled up. The total assessed valuation of real and personal property in the county in 1905 was $1,726,- 530 and in 1906 it was $2,248,848, which shows an increase of $522,318 during the year.

Poolville, a hamlet of Union county, 6 miles west of New Albany. the county seat. Its postoffice has been recently discontinued, and it now has rural free delivery from the county seat.

Pope, an incorporated post-town in the southern part of Panola county, on the Illinois Central R. R., 66 miles south of Memphis. It received its name in honor of B. H. Pope. It has two churches, a good school, a grist mill, a saw mill and a cotton gin with the Munger system. It ships annually some 2,000 bales of cotton. Population in 1900, 172; estimated at 300 in 1906. The Bank of Pope, a branch of the Bank of Batesville, was established in 1904. The assessed valuation of town property, both personal and real. is about $50,000, and the tax rate is 3 mills. The town was estab- lished in 1858 on the land of B. H. Pope. The first merchants were Broome & Betts; the Methodists built the first church ; Dr. L. S. Gartrell was the first practicing physician; the first school was taught by Mrs. Bethel about 1866. Among the pioneers of Pope were B. H. Pope, C. F. Chapman, Thos. Pugh, Benj. Bynum, Sanford Sparks, Dr. L. S. Gartrell, Maj. D. B. Arnold, Dr. J. J. Houston, Frank Pugh, and Wm. Hawkins.

Pope's Visit. In the year 1791, John Pope of Virginia, jour- neyed down the Mississippi, and his observations of the region are published in a book entitled "A Tour Through the Southern and Western Territories of the United States of America, the Spanish Dominions, Floridas, Creek Nations and many Uninhab- ited Parts." Following are brief quotations from his work: "At

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break of day espied the Walnut Hills about ten miles below the Yasous River, which his Catholic Majesty limits as his boundary, and below which, his vicegerents say, that citizens of the United States shall not inhabit, unless, they throw themselves under the Laws, Banners, and Protection of the King of Spain. At ten o'clock espied a single roofed house, occupied by a family of New- Yorkers. Near this spot the Governor of the Natchez hath fixed upon an eminence for the erection of a Fort. The family informed, that the intended garrison were at the Natchez taking in military stores and provision."

Of the soil about Natchez he says "The soil of this District is better adapted to the growing of corn, rice and indigo, than of tobacco, the cultivation of which is gradually falling into disuse ; as an admittance of it into the King's store is now positively re- fused, from some political motives, which the governor thinks himself under no obligation to communicate; though the present crop was raised under a confidence reposed in his promise, to receive and allow eight dollars per hundred for it."

Of the Spanish governor, Gayoso, he says "This gentleman has a majestic deportment, softened by manners the most engaging and polite."

Poplar Creek, a hamlet of Montgomery county, about 16 miles southeast of Winona, the county seat. Kilmichael is the nearest banking town. It has a money order postoffice. Population in 1906, 75.

Poplar Springs, an incorporated post-town in the southeastern part of Union county, 16 miles northwest of Tupelo, the nearest banking town. Bluesprings, on the K. C., M. & B. R. R., is the nearest railroad station. It has two churches, two stores and a steam grist mill. Population in 1900, 89.

Poplarville, the county seat of Pearl River county, located on the New Orleans and North Eastern R. R. 71 miles northeast of New Orleans, was named for Poplar creek which heads at or near the center of the town. It has a telegraph office, an express office, a newspaper office and 2 banks. The Free Press, a Democratic weekly was estiablished in 1890, and is edited and published by J. R. Oliphant. The Bank of Poplarville was established in 1899 with a capital of $11,600; The Citizens Bank was established in 1905 with a paid up capital of $35,200. The town lies in a poultry, truck and fruit-farming, grazing and lumbering district. Among its industries are a cotton gin, grist mill, 2 saw-mills, a sugar mill, a canning factory, a coal plant, 2 turpentine stills and a lumber yard. It has two public markets, several stores and 2 livery stables. It has increased very rapidly in population within recent years. Its population in 1900 was 990, in 1890, 232, and in 1906 the popu- lation was estimated at 1,500. There are 5 churches located here, 3 white churches and 2 colored. Its high school is one of the best in the State. Poplarville is the seat of Poplarville College. There are located here lodges of Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of

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Pythias, Woodmen of the World, and the Knights and Ladies of Honor. The town is supplied with an electric lighting system.

Porterville, a station on the Mobile & Ohio R. R. in the east- central part of Kemper county, about 12 miles from Dekalb, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice, and an express office. It has several stores, a church and a school. In 1906 it had a pop- ulation of 200.

Port Gibson, the county seat of Claiborne county, is a city on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., 29 miles south of Vicksburg and 40 miles northeast of Natchez. It is 20 miles from the mouth of Bayou Pierre, at a point where the old Natchez Trace crossed that stream. Robert and George Cochran kept a store here in the early days, and when Claiborne county was created in 1802, the residence of Mr. Gibson stood about three- quarters of a mile from the river, in what is now the upper part of the town. Grand Gulf, distant ten or twelve miles to the north- west on the Mississippi river, was for many years the shipping point for Port Gibson, and to facilitate communication between the two towns, the Grand Gulf & Port Gibson Railroad was built at an early date. A substantial courthouse of brick and stone was erected in 1839 at a cost of about $26,000, by William H. Faulkner and George Stockdill. In 1905 the court house was remodeled and a new jail built at a cost of $55,000. Each building is now equipped with all the modern improvements. A fertile cotton growing district surrounds the town, and among its manufacturing enterprises is a cotton seed oil mill, a large compress, a brick fac- tory and an ice plant. It has three banking institutions, the Port Gibson Bank, the Mississippi National Bank, and the Mississippi Savings Bank & Loan Company, the capital invested in banking being-capital stock, $125,000; surplus, 840,000. It has two hotels, two public schools, one endowed boys' academy, and one girls' college. There are five white churches; Presbyterian, Methodist, P. E. Baptist, Campbellite (or Christian) and Roman Catholic. The city has a complete system of water works and electricity, and an efficient fire company. It has the reputation of being one of the healthiest cities in the State. It is regularly laid out with wide, well shaded streets, lined with substantial residences and business blocks. Three of its noteworthy structures are the courthouse, jail, and the fine Masonic hall. Two publications are issued here; the "Reveille," a Democratic weekly, established in 1876, owned and published by H. H. Crisler ; the "Vidette," a local monthly, edited and published by Thomas Richardson. There is a city debt of $20,000; the assessed valuation of property is $1,000,000; the tax rate for the city is 11 mills; for the State and county, 14 mills; population in 1900, 2,113; estimated population in 1906 was 2,500.

Port Gibson, battle, see Vicksburg, campaign of 1863.

Port Hudson, siege of. This fortified post on the Mississippi was besieged May 24 by the United States army, and was sur- rendered by Gen. Franklin Gardner July 8, after the fall of Vicks- burg. The Mississippi troops at Baton Rouge were the 39th in-

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fantry, Col. W. B. Shelby ; Battery B, Capt. A. J. Herod; Battery F, Capt. J. L. Bradford; Battery K, Capt. George F. Abbey, of Withers' First Artillery regiment; and the batteries of Capts. Calvit Roberts and R. T. English.

Port Royal. This old landing place on the Mississippi river was one of the early county seats of Coahoma county, prior to 1848. In that year, what is known as the horseshoe "cut off" took place, the river forsook its old channel and left Port Royal stranded on the old river bank. The seat of justice was at once transferred to Friar's Point, five miles up the river, which had long coveted it. It was then customary to locate county seats for the Missis- sippi river counties on the bank of that stream, and Friar's Point had not been affected by the cut off. Port Royal was unable to weather these misfortunes and rapidly decayed. The present site of the old town is owned by Wm. H. Stovall & Son. It is related that the extensive plantations of Col. W. L. Oldham and David Gilehoist, located a few miles below Port Royal, were ruined by the same "cut off," and are now covered by a cottonwood growth resembling a virgin forest.

Posey, Carnot. In 1846 he aided in the organization of a com- pany for the Mexican war, which became Company B of the First regiment, Mississippi Rifles. He had the rank of first lieutenant, and was wounded and distinguished for gallantry at Buena Vista.

In 1860 he raised a company known as the Wilkinson Rifles, which formed part of the 16th regiment, at the organization of which he was elected colonel, and commissioned June 4, 1861. He was in battle with Stonewall Jackson, in the Shenandoah valley, early in 1862, and was wounded at Cross Keys. In Featherston's brigade he took part in Lee's campaign before Richmond, and the battles of Kelly's Ford, Second Manassas, and at Sharpsburg won special mention by Longstreet for his efficiency as commander of the brigade. After the transfer of Featherston to the West, he was promoted to brigadier-general. He won new honors at Chan- cellorsville and Gettysburg. After the return to Virginia, he led his brigade in the battle of Bristoe Station, October 14, 1863, at which he was severely wounded in the left thigh by a fragment of shell. He was carried to Charlottesville, Va., where he died No- vember 13.

Possumneck, a hamlet of Attala county, located on Shakeys creek, 10 miles northwest of Kosciusko, the county seat. The post- office here has been discontinued, and it now has rural free delivery from the station of West, on the Illinois Central R. R. Population .in 1900, 48. It has one of the largest saw mills and ginneries in the county. A. R. Weeks is the leading citizen of the community.

Post, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Lauderdale coun- ty, about 18 miles from Meridian. Battlefield is the nearest rail- road station. Population in 1900, 30.

Post Routes, First. The first mail route in Mississippi Terri- tory was established during the administration of Governor Sar- gent. February 20, 1800, the Governor requested the agents of

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the United States in the Chickasaw nation to protect and assist the post riders of Mr. Abijah Hunt (who has contracted to carry the mail from Natchez to Knoxville). The United States mail service in 1806 included a weekly mail between Nashville and Walnut Hills, the trip one way occupying a week; from Walnut Hills by Grindstone Ford, Port Gibson, Greenville, Washington, Natchez, Fort Adams, Pinckneyville, Thompson's Creek, Buller's Plains, Baton Rouge, etc., to New Orleans, once a week, leaving Walnut Hills Friday and reaching New Orleans, Thursday, and returning in similar time; from Natchez via Fort St. Stephens to Fort Stoddert, leaving on the first Monday of each month, arriv- ing at Stoddert the next Sunday, and starting back the next day ; from Natchez by Caddy's Ferry, to Natchitoches, once a month. Assembly of 1809 requested a post road from Fort Stephens to town of Liberty in Amite county.

Potter, a postoffice of Sunflower county, situated in the north- western part, on the Sunflower river, about 30 miles north of In- dianola, the county seat.

Potts Camp, in the southeastern part of Marshall county, is an incorporated post-town, on the line of the Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham R. R., about 13 miles southeast of Holly Springs, the nearest banking town. It was named in honor of Col. E. F. Potts. It has a money order postoffice. Population in 1900, 306.

Powell, a postoffice of Covington county, 7 miles northwest of Williamsburg, the county seat.

Power, John Logan, was born in Tipperary county, Ireland, March 1, 1834. Left an orphan when a small child, he passed through many trying ordeals of poverty. He came to America in 1850; began work in the office of the Lockport (N. Y.) Journal ; went to New Orleans in 1854; located in Jackson, April, 1855; married Jane Wilkinson, December, 1857. In Jackson he was a printer in the office of the Flag of Our Union, published by Thomas Palmer, was also with the True Witness, a Presbyterian paper, later manager of the Baptist, and after that manager of the Mississippian, edited by Ethelbert Barksdale. In January, 1860, he began the publication of the Jackson Daily News. He was official reporter of the Secession convention of 1861, and published its proceedings, with a roll of members and sketches of Davis and Stephens. His military service was as sergeant of a battery and later adjutant of Withers' First regiment light artillery. He was with his command at the battles of Chickasaw Bayou, Champion's Hill, Big Black, and through the siege of Vicksburg. In 1864 he was appointed superintendent of army records for Mississippi, with the rank of colonel, a work that took him to Virginia during the closing years of the Confederacy. On his return he was sec- retary of the constitutional convention of 1865, and with the sal- ary received he started the Mississippi Standard, which was merged into the Clarion in 1866, which he published in association with Ethelbert Barksdale. He was elected State printer in 1875, in association with Barksdale, and five times reelected. For

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Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 54

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