Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 69

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 69

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).

Rogers, Francis M., was a lawyer at Athens, a noble, large- hearted and generous man. He was a Whig in a Democratic district, but as a rule the judges were Whigs, and he was elected judge of the northeastern circuit in 1844. In 1853 he was nomi- nated for governor by his party, but was defeated by the Demo- cratic nominee, John J. McRae.

Rolling Fork, the capital of Sharkey county, is a thriving station on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., 44 miles north of Vicks- burg. It is situated on Deer Creek, at the point where a large prong of that stream turns abruptly to the right and flows into the Sunflower river six miles to the east. It was here that Thomas Y. Chaney, the first settler in the county, located in 1828, and named the stream Rolling Fork on account of the swiftness of the current before it joined the Sunflower. Just south of the town is an important group of five Indian mounds, situated on a crescent shaped ridge half a mile long; the largest of the mounds is over 50 feet in height, and circular in shape. A postoffice was established at Rolling Fork in 1848, and Thomas Redwood, the first merchant in the county, became the first postmaster. In 1883 the Louisville, New Orleans & Texas railway (now the Yazoo & Miss. Val.) was built through the town, and the first train reached Rolling Fork in October of that year. Rolling Fork was made the county seat of Sharkey county at the time of the organization of the county in 1876. Cotton and also fruit are extensively grown in the sur- rounding region ; fine cattle are also raised in this section. A num- ber of large lumber mills are located at Rolling Fork. The Bank of Rolling Fork was established here in 1902 with a capital of $25,000. The Deer Creek Pilot, a Democratic weekly established in 1884, is published here by T. W. Campbell. Population in 1906, 1,000.

Rome, a postoffice of Sunflower county, is located in the extreme northeastern corner of the county, on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., about 36 miles north of Indianola, the county seat. It has a church, and 2 public schools. Population in 1906 was esti- mated at 200.

Roosevelt, a postoffice in the east-central part of Harrison county, about 22 miles north of Gulfport, the county seat. It has a tur- pentine distilery and a store.

Rose, a postoffice of Coahoma county.

Rosebloom, a post-hamlet in the southeastern part of Talla- hatchie county, about 15 miles distant from Charleston, the county

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seat, and about 10 miles from Grenada the nearest banking town. Hardy Station, on the Illinois Central R. R., is 6 miles due east. Population in 1900, 50.

Rosedale, one of the two county seats of justice for Bolivar coun- ty, is an incorporated post-town on the Mississippi river, 125 miles south of Memphis. It was formerly known as Floreyville, and under that name became the county seat in 1872. The first court- house was destroyed by fire, and the present building was erected in 1890. It is one of the best county buildings in the State. It is built of pressed brick, trimmed with white stone, and cost over $30,000. A substantial brick jail was erected in 1888, costing about $13,500. It is a prosperous and well built little city, and does a thriving business. Two branches of the Yazoo & Mississippi Val- ley R. R., and the Mississippi river provide it with excellent ship- ping facilities. It lies in the fertile Mississippi Delta, and the sur- roundng region produces immense quantities of cotton and lum- ber. The town is provided with telegraph, telephone, express and banking facilities, has several churches, and many handsome busi- ness blocks and residences. The Valley Bank was established here in 1889 with a capital of $10,000. The Bolivar County Demo- crat is an influential Democratic weekly, established in 1888, owned and edited by A. D. Linnell,

Among the important industries of the town are a large cotton compress which holds the world's record for 10 hours' work-1,370 bales; The Gilt-Edge Compound Cooperage Co., established in 1906; a large cotton seed oil mill; a shingle mill and a saw mill. Rosedale has excellent schools for both white and colored, and owns and operates its electric lighting and water works systems. A chemical analysis has shown the water to be 95% pure. The population of the town in -1900 was 622; this has since increased to about 1,500.

Rosehill, a post-hamlet of Jasper county, 8 miles northeast of Paulding, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice. Pop- ulation in 1900, 32; population in 1906, 150 (estimated).

Roseneath, a post-hamlet in the northern part of Yazoo county, on the Yazoo river, 18 miles north of Yazoo City, the county seat and nearest banking town. Silver City is the nearest railroad sta- tion and banking town. Population in 1900, 50.

Rosetta, a post-hamlet in the northeastern part of Wilkinson county, on the Homochitto river, about 18 miles from Woodville the county seat. It is a prosperous station on the Yazoo & Missis- sippi Valley R. R., about 10 miles north of Gloster, the nearest banking town. Population in 1900, 100.

Rosine, a postoffice of Perry county, on the Gulf & Ship Island R. R., 18 miles by rail south of Hattiesburg. It has several stores, a large saw mill, and is a prosperous town.

Round Island Expedition. In his message of January, 1850, Governor Matthews said: "During the past year a company of men, about three hundred in number, assembled on our gulf coast, at a place called Round Island, within the jurisdiction of the State

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of Mississippi. What led to their assemblage or the object of that assemblage, was not known; but it was suspected by the naval officers of the United States then commanding in the gulf that they meditated an expedition against Cuba, or against some power with which the United States were at peace. Although these men were unarmed and displayed no military organization, yet Lieuten- ant Totten and Commander Randolph, acting as they alleged under instructions from the government at Washington, issued each a proclamation, in which opprobrious epithets were applied to these men and in which they were notified that they would not be al- lowed to leave the island, except to disperse, and that until such dispersion all supplies should be cut off. Several vessels on our coast, belonging to our citizens, were ordered, under peril of being fired upon, not to leave their position; and our coast was strictly blockaded for several weeks, to the great injury and annoyance of our citizens." The governor complained seriously of the "law- less acts" of the United States officers, and said that, "esteeming this an outrage upon our rights, and an insult to the sovereignty of Mississippi, but wishing to avoid any collision with the govern- ment of the United States, I addressed a respectful note to the sec- retary of the navy, enclosing copies of the proclamations of Messrs. Totten and Randolph and requesting a copy of the instructions under which they acted. To this communication I received in re- ply his note, declining a compliance with my request, and giving me no information on the subject." There is no indication that the governor had considered the propriety of acting himself, as head of a "sovereign state," to guard against breach of neutrality. In fact, there was a wide spread disposition to encourage revolu- tion in Cuba. The State government, however, gave no manner of responsible recognition to this Round Island expedition, and the outcry in the North was in no way justified. During President Polk's administration the Spanish monarch was offered $100,000,- 000 for Cuba, but the sale was declined. Filibustering movements then became popular, and Narciso Lopez, a native of Venezuela, who had been a colonel in the Spanish army and a politician on the side of Queen Isabelle against Don Carlos in Spain, came, to the United States from Cuba, and spent his fortune lavishly in organizing expeditions to encourage revolution in the island. The Round Island expedition was the most notable result in 1849.

Colonel White was the head of the expedition, which was largely collected from New Orleans. President Taylor's proclamation of August 11, 1849, and his energetic action, leading to the capture and condemnation of the ships Sea Gull and New Orleans, put a stop to the Round Island project. But Commander V. M. Ran- dolph reported to the secretary of the navy that certain newspapers continued to encourage the enterprise. "I exceedingly regret to hear such a band of would-be buccaneers eulogized as patriotic and chivalrous American citizens ; and the navy, and myself in par- ticular, denounced as having shamefully prevented so meritorious a band of heroes from participating in a great and glorious strug-

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gle for liberty and the rights of man." Judge C. P. Smith, of the supreme court, was interested in the Lopez movement, also Gov- ernor Quitman (q. v.)

Roundlake, a post-hamlet of Bolivar county, situated in the north- ern part on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., about 15 miles northeast of Rosedale, one of the county seats of justice. Gunnison is the nearest banking town. It has a money order postoffice. Population in 1900, 95; estimated at 250 in 1906.

Rounsaville, a postoffice of Greene county.

Routh, Job, said to have been the first man of English blood to settle at Natchez, was of Danish-English descent. He made a large fortune. Receiving a grant of land on Lake St. Joseph, in Tensas parish, he and his children formed a settlement there, and at one time had about 20,000 acres under cultivation, and owned over 5,000 slaves. His wife was Madeline Miller. One of their sons, John K., was in his day called the cotton king, his crop in one year amounting to nearly nine thousand bales. (See Memoirs of Miss., II, 522.)

Rowland, Dunbar, Director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, was born August 25, 1864, at Oakland, Miss., and is the youngest son of Dr. William Brewer Rowland and Mary (Bryan) Rowland. His mother was a direct descendant of Charles Moorman of Louisa county, Virginia, who emancipated his slaves in 1778. William Brewer Rowland was the son of Col. Creed T. Rowland and Matilda (Brewer) Rowland of Henry county, Vir- ginia. Creed T. Rowland moved to Mississippi about 1840 and settled in Lowndes county. After remaining there a few years he removed to Aberdeen, Monroe county, and lived on his plantation, "Rowland Place," near that city, dying there in 1866. He was the son of Michael Rowland and Elizabeth (Hairston) Rowland, natives of Henry county, Virginia. Michael Rowland served in the Revolutionary Army and took part in the battle of Guilford Court House. He was the son of Andrew Rowland a descendant of John Rowland of Surrey county, England, who immigrated to America in 1635, and resided in Virginia. Dunbar Rowland received his primary education in the private schools of Memphis, Tenn., and was prepared for college at Oakland Academy. In 1882 he entered the Freshman Class of the Mississippi A. & M. College and was graduated in 1886 with the degree of B. S .; was first anniversarian of the Philotechnic Society in 1885, and delivered the second Alumni oration in 1888. In 1886 he entered the Law Department of the State University and was graduated from that institution in 1888 with the degree of LL. B .; was senior debater at Commencement, June, 1888. In November, 1888, he located in Memphis, Tenn., for the practice of law and re- mained four years, his culture and scholarly attainments attracting the attention of his associates. In 1893 Mr. Rowland returned to Mississippi and opened a law office at Coffeeville, at which place in the past, Dr. Edward Mayes, L. Q. C. Lamar and Gen. E. C. Walthall had practiced, a circumstance that serves to make its

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history unusually interesting. In 1902 the State Department of Archives and History was created by the legislature ; Mr. Rowland was elected Director and, during his incumbency, has done valu- able work in preserving and publishing the historical archives of the State. He has compiled and edited a number of valuable his- torical publications, some of the most important being the Official and Statistical Register of Mississippi, (1904); Mississippi Ter- ritorial Archives, Vol. I, (1906) and the Encyclopedia of Missis- sippi History, (1906). In recognition of his valuable service to the State the University of Mississippi conferred the degree of LL. D., upon him, June, 1906. In the summer of 1906 Dr. Rowland went abroad for the purpose of investigating the official archives of England, France and Spain which relate to the provincial history of Mississippi, the legislature having provided funds to secure transcripts of original records. He is deeply absorbed in historical work; is in close touch with the best historians of the present day, and his fine sense of justice, broadness of view and utter lack of all sectional prejudice have won the admiration of the people North and South. He is a member of the Episcopal Church, the American Historical Association and the Delta Kappa Epsilom fraternity, and is an honorary member of several historical socie- ties in the United States.

Dr. Rowland was married December 20, 1906, at Flora, Miss., to his cousin Mrs. Eron Opha Gregory, a descendant of the Byrd family of Virginia.

Rowsey, a postoffice of Panola county, situated in the extreme southeastern part, on the Yocona river, about 15 miles from Bates- ville, one of the county seats of justice.

Roxie, an incorporated post-town in the western part of Frank- lin county, on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., 22 miles east of Natchez. Fayette is the nearest banking town. The town sprang into existence in 1885 shortly after the building of the rail- road. A short distance to the north of the town are located the celebrated Franklin Springs, while a few miles to the south are found beds of sandstone used as a building stone. The town has a Masonic lodge, two churches, and a good school. Population in 1900, 214.

Roy, a postoffice of Clarke county, 11 miles north of Quitman, the county seat and nearest banking town.

Royal, a postoffice of Smith county, situated on Hatchushe creek, 8 miles northeast of Raleigh, the county seat.

Ruble, a postoffice of Jackson county, situated in the north- western part on Red creek, about 35 miles distant from Pasca- goula, the county seat.

Ruby, a post-hamlet in the northeastern part of Copiah county, on Brushy creek, a tributary of the Pearl river, and about 10 miles from Hazlehurst, the county seat and nearest banking town. It has several good stores, churches, a fine school, and a cotton gin. It is surrounded by a fine farming country. Population in 1900, 75. Its estimated population in 1906 was 200.

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Ruckersville. This was an old settlement in Tippah county (q. v.), first called Finger's Cross Roads, from its location where the Ripley, Pochahontas and Salem public roads cross. Two brothers, John and Daniel Finger, settled here in 1842. In 1846, Dr. Charles Rucker, settled here and the place took his name. After the build- ing of a railroad to Ripley, in 1876, five miles away, the business of the town moved to the railroad, and nothing is now left of the old town.

Rudyard, a postoffice of Coahoma county, on the Yazoo & Mis- sissippi Valley R. R., 6 miles east of Friar's point, the county seat.

Rue, a hamlet in the northeastern part of Newton county. It has rural free delivery from Battlefield station.

Ruff, a post-hamlet of Choctaw county, 6 miles northwest of Chester, the county seat. Population in 1900, 21. It has 2 stores and a cotton gin.

Rufus, a postoffice of Rankin county, about 15 miles southeast of Brandon, the county seat and banking town.

Ruleville is an incorporated post-town and station on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., in the north-central part of Sunflower county. It is an important cotton shipping point, and has telegraph, telephone, express and banking facilities. The Bank of Ruleville was established here in 1903 with a capital of $50,000. Population in 1900, 226 ; estimated in 1906 to be 500. There are three churches, two for whites and one for colored; an electric light plant and a water works system ; three public gins, and excellent public schools. The town was laid out in 1898 by J. W. Rule for whom it was named. It is growing rapidly and has an ambition to become the seat of justice for the second Judicial district. There are now (1906) about 20 business houses all in a flourishing condition. It is surrounded by a fine fertile country and timber lands, and in the year 1905, shipped about 7,000 bales of cotton.

Runnels, Hiram G., governor, 1833-35, was a son of Harmon Runnels, a member of the constitutional convention of 1817. Har- mon Runnels was one of the pioneers of the Pearl river country. in the first Choctaw purchase, in territorial times. Colonel Clai- borne wrote of him, "had been a hard fighting captain in Georgia, in the Continental army-had many a fight with the British, Tories and Indians-was a hardshell Baptist-a devoted follower of Gen. Elisha Clark-was decidedly pugilistic in his temperament and would fire up and fight anybody and at any time, for a slur on his religion, his politics or his friend Clark. He had strong friends and bitter enemies, but he whipped the latter into submission, and with four sons to back him, as ready to fight as himself, he ruled the Pearl river country as long as he lived, and died an octogena- rian, at Monticello, 'in the odor of sanctity.' No truer patriot ever lived."

Hiram G. Runnels was elected auditor of state by the legisla- ture in 1822, and served in that office until 1830, with a clean rec- ord. As a member of the legislature from Hinds county in 1830 he was the main force in securing the admission to the State of a

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branch of the United States bank. In 1831 he was a candidate for governor. But there were three other candidates, and he was defeated by Abram M. Scott by about 200 votes. At the special elec- tion under the new constitution in May, 1833, he was again a can- didate, and was elected over Scott by a close vote. Though the constitution seems to have provided this May election expressly for filling the offices before the date of the regular election to come (after 1833) in November, Mr. Runnels did not take the office, even after the death of Gov. Scott in June, until the legislature met in regular session in November. The sources of information for this transition period are very meagre. It appears from a newspaper of that date that the "governor-elect" was invited to a barbecue in August, but on account of severe domestic affliction, could not at- tend.

His attitude toward the vexed questions of his time are stated in his message of 1835. "In contemplating the inestimable utility of our Federal Union, the mind is imperceptibly drawn to the con- templation of the virtue, patriotism and prophetic wisdom of the framers of the constitution of the United States, in which instru- ment the experience of each year inspires us with renewed confi- dence." He regarded the administration of Andrew Jackson as hav- ing respected the proper spheres of Federal and State authority, with "salutary effects upon the rights of the States and the per- petuity of the Union," and denounced the resolution of censure by the senate in 1834 at the instigation of Calhoun and Poindexter, as "arranged and procured by a few master spirits of intrigue." He advised instruction of the senators of Mississippi to vote for the ex- punging of that resolution "as being unprecedented, unjust to the president, and offensive to a large portion of the American peo- ple."

Col. Claiborne wrote of the campaign of 1835, when he was a candidate for reelection, that Franklin E. Plummer, his bitter enemy, retained for that purpose by the bank interest, followed him about, goading him with irritating speeches and publications. They met at Gallatin on the day of election, and Plummer, having no principle, was able to keep provokingly cool and entertaining to the crowd, while Runnels found his indignation and resentment beyond expression in parliamentary language. The effect upon the crowd was against him, and perhaps lost him the vote of the county and a second term as governor. He was defeated by a combina- tion of Jackson and anti-Jackson men, Whigs and Democrats, Nul- lifiers and Unionists, the real issue being a personal one, for or against George Poindexter, in which Poindexter was beaten, but Lynch happened to win by a narrow margin. Runnels' character was assailed in every way, and some of the roorbacks, just before election, may have caused his defeat. But in fact he and Lynch were not far apart in politics, and both were good men, not respon- sible for the outrageous campaign that was made. Upon the or- ganization of the Union bank in 1838 he accepted the office of pres- ident at a salary of $10,000 a year. His experience in that posi-

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tion could not have been gratifying to him. In 1841 he was again in the legislature from Hinds county.

Runnels' Administration. The May, 1833, election, under the constitution of 1832, resulted in the choice of the following execu- tive officers: Hiram G. Runnels, governor ; David Dickson, secre- tary of state ; James Phillips, treasurer ; John H. Mallory, auditor. The term of each was two years, and the reelection of the governor was limited so that he could not hold the office longer than four years in any six. Gov. Runnels did not take office until the meet- ing of the legislature in regular session according to the constitu- tion, which was on the third Monday of November, 1833. M. D. Patton succeeded R. M. Gaines as attorney-general, 1834-37.

The November session enacted a militia law, erected 16 new counties in the land about to be vacated by the Choctaws, and made an apportionment of representatives and senators without taking these new counties into account. Another notable act was the appropriation of the proceeds of the sale of lots in Jackson to the building of a new statehouse, the one now known (1906) as the "old capitol."

There was a revival of abolition activity at this time, not so strictly in the North as it was later.

At one of the legislative sessions in 1833 a law was passed pro- hibiting the importation of slaves for sale, one of the expressed motives being to compel the border States to retain their slaves and continue in political alliance with the planting States. A conven- tion was held at Jackson in the same year to approve the nullifi- cation action of South Carolina. But the Democratic State con- vention of June 9, 1834, presided over by Gen. Thomas Hinds, unanimously resolved "that a constitutional right of secession from the Union on the part of a single State, as asserted by the nullifying leaders of South Carolina, is utterly unsanctioned by the constitution, which was framed to establish, not to destroy the Union." The legislature passed a resolution pledging President Jackson the support of Mississippi. (Garner, M. H. S. Publ., IV, 90.)

Throughout 1834 political affairs were warming up to the great battle of 1835, in which the personality of George Poindexter was foremost. He was essentially an enemy of President Jackson, partly because he must fight somebody and Jackson had offended him in regard to appointments. Consequently the senator figured as the chief supporter of Calhoun and nullification of the tariff, though he had desired the election of Henry Clay, father of the tariff, in 1832. He was also the great champion of the United States bank, and hence, in some degree, the enemy of the State banks, which now enjoyed the use of the government deposits. Gov. Runnels, on the other hand, admired President Jackson, approved his vigorous assertion of national powers, and was disposed to cen- sure Poindexter for his course in the senate. Poindexter's term was to expire March 4, 1835. Consequently the governor called an extra session of the legislature in January of that year, to elect

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for the ensuing term, Poindexter being a candidate for reelection. Meanwhile, the governor had taken steps to secure a full represen- tation of the State in the legislature, by authorizing the new counties in the Choctaw country to elect representatives. Subse- quent events warrant the opinion that their votes would have de- feated Poindexter. As has been stated, the acts of the session of December, 1833, appeared on their face, to warrant the opinion that the legislature did not intend that the new counties should have representation until a later time, when they should have acquired a population of some consequence. But Runnels construed the constitutional provision as urgent, that every county should have a representative in the legislature. The representatives were elec- ted. 16 of them, among them Greenwood Leflore, and when the legislature met in January, the governor said: "I submit the sub- ject without comment to your consideration each house having the power of judging of the qualifications and elections of each of its own members."

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Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 69

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