Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 57

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 57

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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politicians. There were similar invitations from the women of several cities, among them from Natchez and Holly Springs. Of his speech at Nashville, it was written by Gov. Jones, "He en- tranced the immense crowd, that was estimated by acres, for about two and a half hours. The applause was terrific." In the midst of it he was taken with stricture of the chest, to which he had become subject, and the cry came up like a storm, "Sit down and rest, don't quit, we will wait !" His speech at Natchez in the same campaign is described as marvellous. "At times the whole vast assembly were convulsed with emotion. Some wept, some laughed hysterically, some were pallid with fear." His farewell address was at the grand two days mass meeting at Jackson in October, which is characterized as hardly describable. All this will pass the reader without understanding if he does not realize that even then there rested upon the people the approaching shadow of the ter- rible War, and Prentiss, thrilled with the prescience of a spirit, was pleading for Union, Tolerance and Peace. The defeat of Clay left half the nation in tears.

In January, 1845, the supreme court of the United States decided against him regarding the title to the Vicksburg commons. It was a speculation that reflects more severely on his character than drinking or gambling, but all three of these things were part of his times. On the contested property he had built a block of stores, a hotel and other improvements, at a cost of $150,000. He was "entirely used up; did not expect his property to liquidate his debts."

For a year he had determined to leave Vicksburg for New Or- leans, and this change of residence was made in 1845. His suc- cess at this time in passing from a practice under the common law to one based upon the code of Napoleon, without losing prestige, is one of the most wonderful things in his career. Before him, many brilliant lawyers had gone to New Orleans, and into eclipse because of the difficulties of the transition. Said the editor of the Delta : "He soon achieved a position at the bar of New Orleans as prominent as that he occupied in Mississippi." During the four remaining years of his life he actively opposed the war with Mexico, but eloquently welcomed the returning troops. He made a famous appeal for relief of the Irish sufferers from famine.

A sensational event of his life at New Orleans was the suit against James Irwin, involving the honor of that gentleman, who was a son-in-law of Henry Clay. Prentiss had for his opponent John R. Grimes. "The trial attracted a vast assemblage, and the public curiosity was intensely aroused. Two such combatants had never before met upon that arena." In his semi-delirium Prentiss made such a furious tirade against Irwin, that Henry Clay Irwin challenged him, which challenge he reluctantly accepted, but de- manded delay. General Huston was sent for and mutual apologies were arranged, much to the delight of Henry Clay.

In this period Prentiss opposed the Wilmot proviso, and wanted

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his old friends in Mississippi to have the right of taking their ne- groes with them into new territories.

When the cholera invaded New Orleans in 1848 he was sick near to death, and this, joined to the exhaustion of his political cam- paign for General Taylor, weakened him beyond his power of re- covery. He made one more visit to Maine, and his mother saw his hair thickset with gray, and his face lined with sorrow and disease. There was a last visit to Webster and Clay, and then returning, he spent much of the spring of 1850 in a cottage at Pass Christian, with his wife and the four children. John C. Calhoun died at this time, and he pronounced a warm eulogy on his character. With revived spirit, he hoped he could soon pay all his debts. Sending his family back to "Longwood," he plunged into work with an almost insane energy, and no sign of decay of intellectual power. About the middle of June he appeared before Judge McCaleb in behalf of Lopez, the revolutionist, and on concluding fell in a faint. The end had come, and his friend Hammet, of Vicksburg, could do no more than obey the dying man's request, "Take me home." Back at Natchez, he begged for roses, and they heaped a great pile of them at his side, and he lay and told them about them. His last word was "Mary." He died Monday evening, July 1, 1850. His body is buried in the old family ground of the Sargents.

Foote considered his masterpieces at the bar, his speeches in prosecution of Alonzo Phelps, the outlaw, and of Mercer Byrd, ac- cused of complicity in the murder of Cameron; his greatest polit- ical efforts the speeches at Nashville in 1840 and before congress in defense of his claim to a seat.

Henry A. Wise, of Virginia, peculiarly capable of appreciating him, wrote: "His eye was deep in his head-large, clear, full of animation and of hidden fires. It had a look deeper than its set; when looked into, it returned a glance, which, like that of Lara, 'dared you to forget.' But there was a buoyancy in his presence which seemed as if it would leap from battle to play, from play to battle; and a goodness, which said to me at least, 'Let's you and I be friends.' Spirit responded to spirit at the first sight without a word. His head, I saw, was two stories high, with a large attic on top, above which was his bump of comparison and veneration. Of the latter he had a vast deal. He actually admired, and reverenced often, gifts and genius far inferior to his own. He was at that time (1840) excessively convivial. The moment he arrived [in Congress] a set of roisterers challenged him at once to a continued round of revelry, and I said to myself and others: 'This Mississippi wonder will cease, if he does not take heed.'

"Every trait of his noble nature was in excess; his very virtues leaned to faults, and his faults themselves to virtues. The like of him I shall never see again, so compounded was he of all sorts of contradictions, without a single element in him to disgust-with- out one characteristic which did not attract and charm. He was a natural spendthrift, and yet despised debt and depen-

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dence. He was heedless of all consequences, yet of the soundest judgment in council and discretion in movement. He was almost the only man I ever saw whom I never heard utter a scandal, and he had the least charity of any man I ever saw for all kinds of base- ness or meanness. He was continually without ceasing quoting classic lore, and not the least of a pedant. He was brave to fool- hardiness, and wouldn't hurt Uncle Toby's fly." (Bibliography : Memoir, two volumes, edited by his brother; Life and Times, by Joseph D. Shields; Fulkerson's Recollections, Reuben Davis' Rec- ollections, Foote's Bench and Bar, Rowland's study of Prentiss as an orator in Pub. of M. H. S. Vol. IV.)

Presbyterian Church. Many of the emigrants to the Natchez district were Scotch-Irish from the Carolinas, who were very tenac- ious of their Presbyterian traditions and usages. The first at- tempt at organization was made in 1801 by three pioneer preachers: Rev. William Montgomery, Rev. James Hall and Rev. James Bow- man, who had been sent to their new field by the synod of Carolina. They came through the wilderness on horseback, and spent part of the year in Mississippi, preaching and gathering the Presbyte- rians into congregations. They were followed in 1803 by Rev. Joseph Rullen, who had been sent by the New York Missionary society to establish a mission among the Indians in the northern part of Mississippi. Mr. Bullen spent four years in this work and then removed with his family and settled near Natchez, where he engaged in farming, teaching school and preaching to the people of the settlements. In 1804 he established Bethel church, at Union- town which was the first Presbyterian church in Mississippi con- stituted in regular form. Mr. Bullen continued his work of orga- nization, assisted by the missionaries who came into the country, and in 1812, the number of churches reached eight. Four ministers supplied these churches: Joseph Bullen, James Smylie, Jacob Rickhow and William Montgomery. In 1815 these churches were constituted by the synod of Kentucky an independent presbytery, to be known as the Mississippi Presbytery. The first meeting of this presbytery was at Salem church, on Pine Ridge, Adams county, March 6, 1816. The territory assigned to the Mississippi presbytery was of vast extent, embracing part of Alabama, Louisiana, Ar- kansas and Texas, besides the whole of Mississippi. The territory rapidly increased in population, and Presbyterian churches and communities were multiplied in proportion. The Mississippi pres- bytery, as a result of this, soon found itself one among a number of presbyteries that had been carved out of its original territory. This period was one of great activity in the Presbyterian church. Besides the building of churches there was much work carried on among the Indians and slaves. Special attention was also given to educational work. In 1829 the Mississippi presbytery decided to establish an institution of learning of the highest order then exis- ting in the country, and in 1830 inaugurated Oakland college (q. v.) the successor of which is Chamberlain-Hunt Academy at Port Gibson, an institution of high order. In 1835 the present synod

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of Mississippi was formed by act of the general assembly of the Presbyterian church in the United States of America. From 1835 to 1861 the church continued to expand and was distinguished for zeal and activity in every department of work. At the beginning of the war the Presbyterians of the seceded states separated from those of the North and founded "the Presbyterian church in the Confederate States of America." This was done by a general as- sembly which met at Augusta, Ga., December 4. 1861. This was the first general assembly of the Southern Church, and its mem- bership was made up of representatives from ten synods, embrac- ing forty-seven presbyteries, most of those in Mississippi being represented.

The new church at once adopted a vigorous home and foreign missionary policy. It took charge of the missionary work in the Indian Territory among those tribes which had thrown in their lot with the Confederate States, largely through the efforts of Gen. Albert Pike. The church dispensed with "boards," and placed its work in charge of executive committees, who had less discretionary power and were more directly responsible to the synodical bodies. In 1863 it received the Independent Presbyterian Church, a body of 13 churches and four ministers, all in South Carolina. In 1864 a union was formed with the United Synod (N. S.) The close of the war made necessary a change in the style of the Southern Church, which substituted "United States" for "Confederate States," and left out the words "of America." It is now known as the "Presbyterian Church in the United States" (South).

Despite its great losses in men and means from the devastations of war, and during the years of depression that followed, it took up the work of rebuilding with spirit and energy, and it is today strong and prosperous throughout the State. Moreover, the gen- eral body was soon reinforced by accessions of presbyteries from the border States like Kentucky, while several Associate Reformed presbyteries in the Southern states entered its communion.

Presidential Elections. The first in which Mississippi partici- pated was in 1820, when three electors were chosen, one of whom died before the day of election, so that only two votes were cast by Mississippi for James Monroe.

The law of 1824 provided that the election of three electors should be made by the qualified voters of the State, on the first Monday of November, the electors to meet at Jackson on the first Wednesday in December, and be empowered to fill any vacancy from death or disability. Thereafter the electoral vote was cast without mishap, according to the popular vote, which has been as follows :

Votes of Mississippi. 1824.

Andrew Jackson, Tennessee, Democrat 3,234

John Quincy Adams, Massachusetts 1,694

Wm. H. Crawford, Georgia 119

Henry Clay, Kentucky 21

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1828.

Andrew Jackson, Tennessee, Democrat. 6,714 John Quincy Adams, Massachusetts, N. R. 1,674

1832.

Andrew Jackson with Martin Van Buren of New York,

Democrat .

6,110

Henry Clay, Kentucky, N. R. 791

1836.

Martin Van Buren, New York, Democrat, 9,979

Hugh L. White, Tennessee, Whig. 9,688

1840.

Wm. Henry Harrison, Ohio, Whig 19,518

Martin Van Buren, New York, Dem. 16,975

1844.

James K. Polk, Tennessee, Dem 25,126

Henry Clay, Kentucky, Whig. 19,206

1848.

Zachary Taylor, Louisiana, Whig. 25,922

Lewis Cass, Michigan, Dem. 26,537

1852.

Franklin Pierce, N. H., Dem. 26,876

Winfield Scott, N. J., Whig. 17,548

1856.

James Buchanan, Pa., Dem. 35,446

Millard Fillmore, N. Y., Whig & Amer. 24,195

1860.

Stephen A. Douglass, Ill., Dem 3,283

John C. Breckinridge, Ken., Dem 40,797

John Bell, Tenn., Cons. Un. 25,040

1864. Civil War period. 1868.

Reconstruction period. 1872.

Ulysses S. Grant, Ill., Rep. 82,175 Horace Greeley, N. Y., Dem. & Lib. Rep .. .47,288

Charles O'Connor, N. Y., Dem. 207

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1876.

Rutherford B. Hayes, Ohio,, Rep. 52,605

Samuel J. Tilden, N. Y., Dem .. 112,173

1880.

James A. Garfield, Ohio, Rep. .34,854

Winfield S. Hancock, Penn., Dem. 75,750

James B. Weaver, Iowa, Green. 5,797

1884.

Grover Cleveland, N. Y., Dem 76,510

James G. Blaine, Me., Rep. 43,509

1888.

Benjamin Harrison, Ind., Rep . 30,096

Grover Cleveland, N. Y., Dem 85,471

Clinton B. Fisk, N. J., Pro. 218

Andrew J. Streeter, Ill., Un. La.

222

1892.

Grover Cleveland, N. Y., Dem. 40,237

Benjamin Harrison, Ind., Rep.

1,406

James B. Weaver, Iowa, Peo 10,256

John Bidwell, Pro. 910

1896.

William McKinley, Ohio, Rep 5,123

Bryan and Sewell, S. Dem .. 46,283

Bryan and Watson, Pop ... 7,517

John M. Palmer, Ill., Nat. P. 1,017

Joshua Levering, Md., Pro.

485

1900.

William Mckinley, Ohio, Rep.

5,753

William J. Bryan, Neb., Dem

51,706

Wharton Parker, Pa., Peo.

1,644

1904.

Theodore Roosevelt, N. Y., Rep. 3,189

Alton B. Parker, N. Y., Dem. .53,379

Socialist 393

Populist 1,425

Press, a post-hamlet of Marion county.

Preston. This is one of the extinct towns of Yalobusha county. It was located about fourteen miles north of Grenada near the pres- ent town of Scobey, in the western part of the county. Its career covers the period from 1835 to 1867. See Yalobusha county.

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Preston, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Kemper county, 14 miles northwest of Dekalb, the county seat. Population in 1900, 35.

Preston, James Rhea, was born in Washington county, Va., January 22, 1853, the son of Col. James T. Preston and Fannie Rhea. Col. Preston was a member of an old Virginia family, and served in the army of Virginia, C. S. A. J. R. Preston was edu- cated at Georgetown university and Emory and Henry college, and after teaching one year each in Tennessee and in Indiana, re- moved to Mississippi in 1875, and taught at Okolona for three years, during which time he was admitted to the bar. After teaching at Center Point three years, and at Water Valley four and a half years, he was elected State superintendent of education in 1885, reelected in 1889, and served till 1896. His administration of the office was distinguished by many reforms in methods and a general increase in interest in educational work. Upon returning to private life he studied at Edinburgh, Scotland, and then organized Stanton college at Natchez for young ladies. This has been a prosperous college, and in 1904, on the death of President Fitzhugh, Professor Preston bought Belhaven college at Jackson. He is now president of both Stanton and Belhaven colleges and makes his home in Jackson.

Pretoria, a postoffice located in the northeastern prairie region of Noxubee county, 10 miles east of Brookville, the nearest rail- road and banking station. Population in 1900, 16.

Prichard, a postoffice of Tunica county, located on the Cold- water river, and a station on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., 10 miles east of Tunica, the county seat.

Primary Election Law. In his inaugural address (1900) Gover- nor Longino urged the enactment of a "uniform compulsory pri- mary election law," declaring that the supremacy of intelligence in the government of the State was of obvious importance, and it "must depend on white political supremacy." But people were growing impatient with "the dubious and devious methods of the party nominating machinery," and if "we would perpetuate white political union," the time was opportune for effective action. A bill passed the house that year, but was prevented from reaching a vote in the senate. In his message of 1902 the governor quoted the clause of the constitution of 1890, "The legislature shall enact laws to secure fairness in party primary elections, conventions and other methods of nominating party candidates," and added, "I beg to call the attention of the legislature to the fact that the existing statutes on the subject do not meet the constitutional requirement or amount even to a respectable makeshift."

The existing statutes were embraced in the code of 1892. The legislature of 1902 repealed the same except two sections, and adopted senate bill No. 1, now known as the primary election law, amended in 1904. It requires that "all nominations for State, dis- trict, county and county district officers made by the different parties of the State shall hereafter be made by primary elections,"

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which shall be governed by the election law in force at the time of such primary elections, with some exceptions provided. The county executive committees at such primaries shall discharge the functions imposed upon county election commissioners," and ap- point the primary election officers, all acting under the same rules and penalties as in general elections. The county executive com- mittee shall consist of 15 members, three from each supervisor's district. The organization of district party committees are also provided for. The State executive committee shall consist of three delegates from each congressional district. A State convention shall be held by each political party in 1904 and every four years thereafter, to select a State executive committee, delegates to the national convention, and to nominate presidential electors, each county to have a representation in the convention equal to twice its represetation in the house of representatives, the delegates to be selected by county delegate conventions in each county, the representation in which is also regulated. These county conven- tions choose a county executive committee, to hold four years. The first general primary is to be held between the 1st and 10th of August, and the second, if one is necessary, three weeks later. Any candidate who receives the majority of the popular vote cast for the office for which he is a candidate. in the first primary, shall be the nominee of his party for such office. If for any offices there is no majority nomination, then a second primary is ordered, in which, for any office, the two candidates that received the highest vote in the first primary are voted for. But, for the legis- lative and county nominations, candidates may agree to a plurality choice. Various other regulations are provided. "No persons shall be eligible to participate in primary elections unless they are qualified electors, intend to support the nominations in which they participate, have participated with the political party holding the primary within the two years preceding, and are not excluded from such primary by regulations of the party State executive commit- tee." The expenses of this system is borne by the party holding the primary, and the cost of ballots and booths is apportioned among the candidates, the charging of other expenses to candidates being forbidden. The name of no candidate is placed upon the official ballot in any general or special election, as a party nominee, who is not nominated in pursuance of the provisions of this act, and the election of any party nominee nominated otherwise shall be void. No political party is entitled to recognition in the ap- pointment of election officers unles it has made nominations ac- cording to this system. Nominations for United States senator are made at the primary elections under the same regulations gov- erning nominations of State officers. (See Longino and Vardaman Adms.)

Prince, a post-hamlet of Kemper county, 15 miles northwest of Dekalb, the county seat. Population in 1900, 23.

Princeton. This was an old Mississippi river settlement and was located about ten miles above the present southern boundary of

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Washington county. It flourished during the early part of the last century, when it was an important shipping point, with over six hundred inhabitants, and was the original county seat of Washing- ton county. (See Washington county.) The county site was later moved to Greenville, when the old town began to decline. It is now quite extinct. It is said that "S. B. Lawson was one of the last merchants in the place," and that "in 1868 he sold the town site and remaining buildings to a colored man for $125." (See Goodspeed's Memoirs of Miss., Vol. I, p., 213.)

Priscilla, a postoffice of Washington county.

Prismatic, a post-hamlet in the southern part of Kemper county, 16 miles north of Meridian. Population in 1900, 40.

Proctor, a postoffice of Tippah county, 3 miles west of the Mo- bile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R., and 18 miles due north of Rip- ley, the county seat.

Prohibition. The later prohibition movement began in 1874, when the Temperance Banner was started by H. H. Hines at Jack- son. A law was secured that required applications for license to retail intoxicants to present a petition signed by a majority of the female citizens in the town or district. The Southern Prohibitionist was published at Columbus in 1881, with Revs. S. A. Steel and C. B. Galloway as editors. In the spring of the same year there was a public meeting at Jackson in the interest of prohibition, addressed by Col. W. L. Nugent and C. B. Galloway. Forty-four counties were represented in a State convention at Jackson, July 20, over which J. W. C. Watson presided. "There was a large and intelligent representation of colored citizens, as in every suc- ceeding annual convention." The organization was declared to be non-partisan. Col. Nugent was put at the head of the move- ment. In the following winter Francis E. Willard visited the State, and delivered an address at Jackson during the session of the legislature. Her efforts introduced the Women's Christian Tem- perance Union. (Handbook of Prohibition, Charles B. Galloway, 1886. See Liquor Laws and Const. Con. 1890.)

Prospect, a post-hamlet in the northeastern part of Newton coun- ty. Population in 1900, 20.

Puckett, a postoffice in the southeastern part of Rankin county, one mile west of Strong river.

Pulaski, a post-village in the southwestern part of Scott county, 10 miles southwest of Forest, the county seat. Morton is the nearest railroad and banking town. Population in 1900, 200.

Purvis, the county seat of the newly created county of Lamar, is a thriving station on the New Orleans & North Eastern R. R., situated about half way between Hattiesburg and Lumberton. It was named for the former owner of the depot site. Lumbering and farming are the chief industries of the locality. Two newspapers are published in Purvis-the Lamar County Record established in 1894, edited and published by J. R. Holcomb; The Echo, estab- lished in 1900, and owned and edited by Duck Wall. Both are Democratic weeklies. The Lamar County Bank was established

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in 1904 and has a capital of $30,000. Purvis has a money order postoffice, an express office, nine general stores, three churches, and an excellent school. A new court house was built in 1905 at a cost of $60,000. A large saw milling plant and turpentine still are located here. At least 8 saw milling plants ship from Purvis. Considerable cotton is also shipped from this point. The popu- lation in 1906 was estimated at 1,500.

Pushmataha, a postoffice of Coahoma county, located in the south- western part, on the Mississippi river, about 22 miles west of Clarksdale.

Quincy, a post-hamlet of Monroe county, on the Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham R. R., about 14 miles northeast of Aber- deen. It has a church and a money order postoffice. Population in 1900, 32.

Quinn, a hamlet of Pike county, situated on Bogue Chitto, 6 miles east of Summit, the nearest railroad and banking town. It has rural free delivery from Summit. Population in 1900, 40.

Quitman, the capital of Clarke county, is an incorporated town and important station on the Mobile & Ohio and the Mississippi Eastern railroad, 25 miles south of Meridian, on the Chickasawhay. river. The county seat was given the name of the second Chancel- lor of the State, John A. Quitman, as the county was named in honor of the State's first Chancellor, Joshua G. Clarke. The county seat was originally located in 1833 at the geographical center of the county, but was soon removed for some cause to Quitman, where it has since remained. The site. for the court house was donated by John Watts, who died in the early seventies. It has two churches, a good school, an express office, a telegraph office, a newspaper office, a bank, eleven stores, and a large saw mill. The first newspaper in the county was established at Quitman about 1851, and was called the Quitman Intelligencer, A. C. Horn being the editor and J. T. Ballance, the publisher. "The Quitman Globe," a Democratic weekly, was established in 1902. It is published by The Quitman Printing Co. (Inc.) with S. H. Terral, pres., J. K. Kirkland, vice-pres., and Sam A. Leming, editor and manager. The Mississippi Lumber Co. located its extensive plant here in 1900, with a capital of $100,000. It is one of the largest lumber plants in the State, with a capacity of about 25,000,000 feet of lum- ber annually. It planes and manufactures all its lumber ready for the builder. The plant also has large holdings of timber lands and enough timber in sight to keep it running 25 years, employs about 300 men and has about 13 miles of standard gauge railroad. The Bank of Quitman was established in 1902 with a capital of $12,500. The town is surrounded by a good farming district and ships about 1,000 bales of cotton annually. The population was about 1,000 in 1906.

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Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 57

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