USA > Mississippi > Newton County > History of Newton County, Mississippi from 1834 to 1894 > Part 28
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OLD TIME HOUSE RAISING.
When a man was able to build a good log house, it required quite a number of hands to assist in raising it. The house was constructed of large logs, hewn on the inside after raising. At an occasion like this, hands were so scarce that they would come for more than a dozen miles away to assist in the work. When the crowd assembled there was usually a director of the building, and men worked cheerfully and did a good,
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neat job. When meal time came there was plenty to eat and there was also plenty to drink, and everybody was in the best of moods. Sometimes, in connection with this work or a " spring log-rolling," which was quite a place of resort to test a man's strength and en- durance, was the old-time quilting by the women, and at night an old-fashioned dance on rough floor, yet all in pioneer country style, and well enjoyed by the ,crowd. The music was a poor fiddle in the hands of old time darkies or country white men. In this way much good work was done with as much sport and genuine amusement in its way as was ever enjoyed by country people. It might be a party of the older men went fire-hunting for deer; this was done by having what was called a fire-pan, constructed of light hoop- iron, forming a basket, in which a pine torch was kindled; this pan had a long handle,;say six feet long, carried on the shoulder of the hunter, the light being in the rear instead of in front of the hunter. When the light shines in the rear of the hunter he can see the eyes of his game and even the wildest animals are not disposed to run from this light. In this way the eyes of the deer can be shined, and the hunter, know- ing them from other animals, gets at close range and able to shoot with his pan of fire on his shoulder at his game. Sometimes inexperienced hunters would kill a colt, as their eyes very much resemble'a deer's.
AN OLD-TIME MILITIA MUSTER.
At stated periods of the year, the State militia of each county expected to have a mustering, and go through a regular drill according to the military tac- ticts of the State. All males between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years were subject to militia duty. This meeting of citizens for military purposes
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was a very important matter, and if it had been kept ': up until 1861, the Southern people would have known much more of the duties of the soldier than they did. But it had been abandoned ; for nearly fifteen years there had not been a military procession formed in the county, and everything connected with the evolutions, of the manual of arms and drilling of a company of men, was new and difficult.
- Each county had its quota of regulars and several counties would form a battalion or regiment and on certain occasions would meet and be drilled by a Major or Colonel and be reviewed by the Brigadier General of State militia. These preferments of high office in the militia, brought no money, yet it displayed many a man's ability to command troops and made him a conspicuous figure in the political world, and was an occasion of great enjoyment by the country people. The regular meeting of the county militia was always a scene of much mirth, and often many things occurred in the commands given by a new cap- tain or lieutenant in bringing in the raw and awkward material of young country lads and even the older and inexperienced men composing this body. A sense of the ridiculous would sometimes occur in these com- mands given by the officer. An example is taken from an occurrence which actually happened, as related by one of the company, will serve to illustrate. This did not occur in Newton county, but in an adjoining county, and doubtless many probably as glaring and ludicrous as the one narrated, did happen in Newton county. A young lieutenant-about six feet four- with very large feet and of most uncomely proportions, with a voice like a bass drum and awkwardness of a backwoodsman, was in command on the occasion stated. He was as defective in grammar and elegance
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of speech, as he was of good looks and military dig- nity. He formed his company into single file and brought them to right dress, and his command, if he had known his tactics, would have been, "Two ranks, · form company ; right face ; forward, march." He was entirely unable to give the command that would bring about this evolution and he called out to a subordinate officer that he thought more competent than he, "Ben, thus double 'em."
These things were laughable then ; they are amusing and interesting to think of now. Yet many a drill officer who has made a good commander, found many difficulties at first in learning and impressing the mili- tary movements on the soldiers.
AFTER THE MUSTER.
The greatest excitement prevailed after the muster was over. After having been under severe duty for several hours, feeling the restraints of a soldier and becoming weary of constant military movements and fatigued by uncommon movements, they are at last dismissed and feel the freedom of a common citizen. These annual musters usually occurred at or near a town where there was plenty of something to drink- better, as the most of them thought on that day, than their spring water. After they had imbibed pretty freely, as a natural sequence many fights occurred. As a general rule they were of the old style, "strike a ring and nobody touch" until one or the other cried out "take him off." This kind of fighting in this our enlightened day and much refinement and education, would be considered a disgrace to civilization. The order of the day is now to carry a "small gun" about a man's person and at the least provocation to use it, and that to badly wound or kill. Which is the better ?
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Which is the more manly ? Which brings the less re- morse of conscience and trouble ?
The old-time way was the best ; it was the safest. Many a man of the old time has had a hand-to-hand fight with his neighbor and friend-was "whipped," or got the best of it, and neither was disgraced. Some- times "discretion has been the better part of valor," and he "lives to fight another day."
When a bullet is put through a man's head or body he meets an untimely end, and the man who did it, may or may not suffer the penalty of the law, but will always regret it.
CIRCUIT COURTS OF NEWTON COUNTY IN EARLY DAYS.
The circuit courts of the county, which met twice in a year, as they do now, were great places of resort, and formed very important meetings of the people. Many men, as they are now, were called to the court-house on business for the week, such as the jury- men, witnesses, etc. A large number went for the recreation and excitement attendant upon such occa- sions; many more went to get " something to drink," as it was always very plentiful on those occasions. In those days there were very few public gatherings in the county ; no Granges or pic-nics to call the people together, and at the circuit-courts, came many lawyers from a distance, and in those days some of these law- yers made excellent speeches on all the political topics of the day. This last, of itself, was a great attrac- tion to the people. One of the most noted and gifted speakers of this period was Richard Cooper, who was district attorney, and who found it a pleasure to regale and instruct the people who attended the courts
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- Cooper was not the only one, but many in those days did the same thing. Quite a number of promi- nent lawyers came to Decatur circuit courts from dif- ferent parts of the country-from Kemper, Neshoba, Scott, Scott, Lauderdale, and particularly Jasper county, where was a large and learned body of attor. neys, who received lucrative practice in Newton county.
The circuit court week at Decatur, was often the oc casion of much discord, large amount of drinking and fighting, and often the offending parties being brought before his honor to be reprimanded, jailed or fined. Large preparations were made by the hotel-keepers, the general merchandise dealers, and particularly the saloon-keepers to have plenty to drink.
This intemperate use of liquor was kept up until about fifteen years ago it was removed from that part of the county. Now Decatur, during court week, is one of the most civil places in the State. The citizens come and go without the use of liquor, or any dis- turbance to the court.
In the early times men who came on business staid all the week ; all who came without business, and who were intemperate, usually staid most of the week. In the early settlement of the county there were few hotel accommodations, and when the weather was pleasant men who remained built fires out on the pub- lic highways and thus spent the night. They would "stake" their horses or turn them loose, and sometimes cruelly keep them tied up for an unreasonable time. After court adjourned all restraints were thrown off, much disorder and many fights indulged in. Liquor was sold by the pint, quart or drink. To make it cheaper than by the drink, men would join and buy a gallon and take it to some convenient place, and drink
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freely and most of the crowd who remained on the ground would be drunk.
A DRINKING JUDGE.
Some of the early judges of the State drank ; pos- sibly they are not all exempt now. An amusing circum- stance is related by an old pioneer of this county -how a presiding judge of the circuit court of the county of Newton loved his dram. It occurred, says the old man, at one of the courts held at De catur, that a judge who had exchanged circuits with the judge who belonged on this circuit, had imbibed pretty freely the night before, and next morning was "mity dry." Some one told him there was whisky to be had but nothing to get it in. His honor was not to be disappointed, and told the man to take the wash-bowl (that he had just used to bathe his face and hands), and bring some in it. When the man came back with the gallon of "relief" in the bowl, there was no glass to drink out of. His honor-again equal to the emergency - stooped his head to the wash-bowl and drank like a horse. Thus bracing himself up and sharing it with others, he was pre- pared for his breakfast and the duties of the day.
These courts usually lasted through the whole week and not only were great sources of profit to merchants and liquor dealers, but everything that was raised in the county, in the way of fine stock, was usually dis- played and traded and sold; all kinds of huxters of county-raised fruit, parched goobers and even the ginger-cake man, with barrel of potato beer. All had some hand in supplying those who had come to the court-house.
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PUBLIC ROADS THAT WERE IN THE COUNTY IN ITS EARLY SETTLEMENT.
There were but few roads in the county when it was first organized. The great military road from New Orleans to Nashville, Tenn., cut by General Jackson's army in the year 1815, ran throngh the eastern part of Newton county. It was 75 to 100 feet wide, and ran very near on an air-line from the objective points. All the large streams were bridged in a substantial man- ner. This road was for a long time a great thoroughfare through the county ; went directly to Columbus. Miss., where the land office for some time was situated. On this road, about four mides north of Hickory, was sit- uated a trading post called "Jusong's Stand." It was not in any way connected with the Government, but was kept by a private individual named Jusong, who was said to be a very disreputable character.
At this place liquor was kept and trading was done with the Indians, and travelers were entertained who passed through the country. It is said by some, that persons stopping at this place were robbed and murdered for their money and thrown into a large lake near the place. Of this, however, the information is only traditional and cannot be taken as altogether true, yet it is more than probable.
There was a stage road running though the northern end of the county. This road ran from Montgomery, Alabama, to Jackson, Mississippi, and was much traveled by persons making this route. There was another road, from Winchester, Mississippi, passing through the southwestern part of the county, going to Jackson. It will be remembered that Wayne county, in which Winchester was situated, was one of the original fourteen counties that organized the State
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government, in the year 1817, and had its existence as a county as early as 1809. This county had direct connection with the capital of the State, and this road through Newton county was used in that way.
CUTTING ROADS TO THE COURT-HOUSF.
After the organization of Newton county, in 1836, it it became necessary to cut roads to the court-house through the most central and thickly settled portions of the county. In those days it took most of the able- bodied men of that portion of the county to do it.
A circumstance, as related by an old settler, in ref- erence to the road from Decatur south to the Jasper county line, which is nearly twenty miles, shows the spirit and style of the times.
The cutting of new roads by large crowds in those days, like log-rolling, house-raising and fire hunting, all formed fine sport as well as hard work, and were ' entered into with a great spirit of enjoyment. It is said that a party of hands commenced at Decatur and worked south, and another party commenced at the southern boundary of the county and worked north, and the meeting point was at Pottoxchitto creek, three miles north of Newton. Most men in those days were good hunters. Some guns were with the crowd; some deer were killed. Camp-fires at night enlivened the scene; good, neighborly feeling pervaded the minds of the road-cutters, and they are now nearing the end of their work. It is now understood that when the work is completed, and the workers from each end meet, that a barrel of whisky is to be in readiness, but not to be "tapped" until the work is completed. When all the work is done and accepted, the barrel is to be opened free to all.
The old-time men, who have witnessed such a meet-
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ing, are the only ones that can describe such a scene. The young reader can better imagine than can be de- scribed what occurred after the barrel was opened. It was good luck that nobody was killed, and the recol- lections of that event formed subjects for comment and amusing conversation for years afterwards.
The recollections of those days have gone down from father to son, and what glimpses of it after fifty-eight years that may appear to the writer, from some one who has heard his father tell of it, may be of interest to the reader.
CONTINUED RECOLLECTIONS OF OLD TIMES.
The muster ground, the old-time circuit court, the log rolling and road cutting of early days brought the people together as probably nothing else would. It was here they met and tried their strength, tested their metal and endurance, their courage and their ability to direct, fitness to rule, etc .; to distinguish themselves in every thing presented to test manhood, or inspire confidence.
After these new roads and new bridges, came the "old field" country school-teacher. In connection with and in close proximity to, was the local preacher. After him came the traveling and called preacher ; with them came the organization of the churches, and the old-time camp-meeting. These latter places were great places religiously and sometimes were places of much disorder and violation of law by wicked men. But the men of God still continued to work. The Methodists, with their traveling ministers and camp. . meetings ; the Baptists with their regular supply and missionary spirit, all combined under general associa- tions ; the Presbyterians stationed in certain strong- .
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holds, all combined to permeate this county, until they now have all the religious advantages a country could wish ; and following and going hand in hand, all the school privileges that the State is able, and that is mu- nificent and promises to be better still. Sometimes the preaching was from very unlearned men, whose dress and general appearance indicated that they were poor in this world's goods, with no ability or disposition to conform to the fashions. They were often like Moses in one respect, "slow of speech" and high-sounding words or beauty of language, but they were faithful and sincere and were the humble instruments in bring- ing many to repentance.
JUSTICE COURTS.
The backwoods justice of the peace has in all ages of the evolutions of civilization, been a great source of amusement to most of the critical world. These courts are sometimes the cause of great merriment and oc- casionally things occur that savor so strongly of the ridiculous that their actions, though sincere, are a mere travesty of justice. Yet often the forms of law as coming from these rural officers, may have appeared very rough, and the language of the unlearned magis- - trate might have been inappropriate and even uncouth. Often, though, these rough men had good judgment and high sense of honor, and their decisions would stand the tests of higher and more learned courts of the country.
One of these primitive and unlearned justices of the peace in Newton county, says an old friend of his, "was an honest, straight, correct, conscientious man, but had not read as much law as Wm. L. Sharkey."
One of the old justice's neighbors found a runa- way negro straggling around and concluded he ought 28
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to be at work for some one, took up the negro and carried him to Squire ----. Says he, "Squire, I have found this negro strolling about doing nothing. I be- lieve he belongs to some one. I took the responsibili- ty of taking him up without a warrant from you; did I do right or not ?"
The squire put on a solemn look, studied awhile and said, "I am not certain that you did right, being a com- mon citizen. If it had been I, clothed with the author- ity of the law as I am, I could have arrested him and no one could have complained."
In another instance, a man caught a runaway negro and carried him to a "Judge of Probate" of Newton county, and asked what should be done with him ? The old judge, assuming the usual degree of dignity of such men on such occasions, said he would consult the law on the subject. He did so, but looked in a part of the code relating to stray stock, and concluded he had no right to stray the negro, as he was not a horse, mule, or any other animal that were mentioned under the head of estrays.
Ky. Murphy, an impulsive man, sitting on the jury at Decatur, saw a deer chased by the dogs, run very · near the court-house, and exclaimed in language more dramatic than classic: "Great -- , Judge, yonder goes a deer." The sheriff, it is said, headed off the deer and killed it."
NEAR APPROACH TO A RIOT.
Sometimes a very near approach to a narrow escape from death strikes the party connected with, or par- ticipating in the event, with a great deal of solemnity. There are times when the good advice of a few cool- headed and sober men will prevent a terrible conflict that might have cost the lives of many valuable citi-
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zens. Such a calamity was once averted by the timely interference of some of the prudent white men which otherwise might have resulted in the killing of a hun- dred negroes, and some white men.
It was at Decatur, at the fall term of the circuit court, held by Judge Tarbell, a Yankee appointee from the State of New York, who was a tolerably fair man, but could only see one way, and that was the way his politics, of the Radical order, directed him. George C. McKee, who was a Republican candidate for Congress, and Jim Lynch, a Philadelphia negro preacher, who had drifted down South for political preferment, and who was a candidate for Secretary of State-and, by the way, he was elected-these men had an appoint- ment to speak in Newton county, at the court-house. The county was probably as well organized by the Radicals for political purposes as a county well could be. Harvey, the white carpet-bagger and negro school- teacher, who married a negro woman in this county and then deserted her, had been the means of the thorough political drilling and organization, and who was capable of doing the work assigned him by his political allies higher in power than he, was the leader of the negroes on the day referred to. The ne- groes went to Decatur that day from all parts of the county, armed with their guns; and were insolent and sometimes abusive. They fired off their guns on the public road, and sometimes obstructed the passway by assembling themselves in it, and it was with difficulty that parties passed to the court-house on some of the roads. Just before the the time to speak Harvey formed his regiment of negroes near where the Metho- dist church at Decatur now stands.
He was mounted on a good animal belonging to one of the negroes, and after he formed his line, rode up
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and down as a colonel of regiment would do, review- ing and giving orders to his troops. He wore a uni- form befitting the occasion.
These negroes marched up in the direction of the court-house. McKee and Lynch were soon to com- mence to speak. The white Democrats, seeing the trouble that might ensue, went to those speakers and told them that if any trouble occurred that day on their account, if a riot should be brought about by these unlawful proceedings of armed negroes march- ing to a public political meeting, that they would be held responsible ; if there was any killing done, they would be the first to become victims. With this un- derstanding, Harvey, with his regiment of armned men, were halted about seventy-yards from the court-house door, when they laid down their guns and proceeded to hear the speeches. The white people took the pre- caution to take position between the guns and speak- ers. McKee made his speech first. He said nothing that would in any way be insulting to the white Dem- ocrats. His speech was his announcement of his can- didacy, and quite a number of amusing anecdotes that got almost everybody to laughing, and for a time any anticipated trouble was lost sight of. After McKee, Lynch commenced his speech, which was well said under the circumstances. He appeared to have been an old-line Whig, and what he said was much in ad- vocacy of the old-time Whig party, and was spoken in such a spirit as not to be offensive to any one. He spoke from the court-house door, just the position of the present court-house. There was no fence around the house at that time. From a window over where Lynch spoke it is said said some one spat to- bacco upon his face. He did not resent it in anger, but made some very humble retort from a passage in
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the Scriptures. When he was getting pretty nearly through, a very impudent negro, Dick O'Neal, who at another time had cursed a respectable citizen of the county at the point of a double-barreled shot-gun - when our people were too much afraid of the Federal authorities to resent it. This Dick O'Neal got into some dispute with R. P. Gary, a white Democrat, which led to high words, the negroes listening and waiting for a chance to use their guns. At this junc- - ture of excitement some negro cried out, "To your guns." At once a break was made by the negroes, and quite a number started for their guns. Just at this moment, Lynch seeing the trouble and probable fatal results to himself and many others, shouted at the top of his voice, and with such emphasis that all could hear him : "Men, come back here." He was in time; the negroes stopped and returned. They could not have reached their guns. There were over a thou- sand men in Decatur. A proposition was made to take the negroes' guns and use them against them, but wiser counsel prevailed, and it was not done. The negroes returned, the speech was finished, and no one was killed or hurt. If one pistol or gun had been fired ; if one white man had been shot, probably no county in the State could have excelled Newton in point of numbers killed at a political riot. So near and yet not to happen ; and, fortunately for the good name of the county, no one has ever been killed for his political opinions.
RACE COURSE.
The old-time race-tracks, as they were then called, were great places of resort and much wickedness and great immorality. These tracks were generally located at or near some town in the county where a level place
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