USA > Mississippi > Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I > Part 13
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109
.
1
123
MISSISSIPPI
another medium-sized human skeleton was found, "lying on its right side. Near the skull were a broken water vessel and frag- ments of other vessels."
"The Avondale Mounds" are located in Washington county on the plantation of Mrs. P. J. Sterling, 1 and 12 miles east of Stone- ville and 9 miles from Greenville. There are several of them, ar- ranged in the form of a semi-circle, and built on rich bottom lands, subject to overflow. The largest, used as a grave yard by the whites, is 30 feet high, flat on top, and oval in form, nearly 200 feet long and about 175 feet broad. To the west is a depression of about 3 acres, from which the material to form it was probably taken. Fragments of pottery and lumps of burnt clay are found near the small mounds. The clay contains impressions of cane and grass.
"The Champlin Mounds" is a group of four mounds, situated about the center of Yazoo county, 2 miles north of Yazoo City and 2 miles east of Yazoo river. One of these mounds is an irreg- ular oval of comparatively large size, the other three are conical and smaller. These mounds were composed of dark earth through- out, similar to the soil of the surrounding swamp region, and were found to contain numerous skeletons and relics, notably some polished celts and an ornate water bottle.
In Union county are found a group of fourteen mounds and an inclosure around the 12 central mounds, which was about 2 feet high and 10 feet across at the base, with a ditch on the outside entirely around. All the different sorts of dirt used in the mounds are found in the field or adjacent swamps. These mounds are located on Secs. 12 and 13, T. 8 S., R. 2 E. Among the relics found in this group was the iron brace for a saddle bow, a piece of a green glass bottle, an iron knife and a thin silver plate stamped with the Spanish coat of arms, affording strong evidence that some of the mounds at least were built after the builders had contact with the whites. This group is located in the Chickasaw country. In ad- dition to the above, mounds are found in Union county near John M. Simpson's, 5 miles southeast of New Albany; 6 miles west of Ellistown, near James Wiley's, and on the north side of the Tal- lahatchie bottom on the road from New Albany to Ripley.
In Winston County, on the west side of Nanih Waiya creek and about 50 yards from it in the southern part of the county, and 400 yards from the Neshoba county line, stands Nanih Waiya, or Nunih Waya, the sacred mound of the Choctaws, the most im- portant, perhaps, of the prehistoric monuments of the State. The
O
124
MISSISSIPPI
mound is oblong in shape, and about 40 feet high, and its base cov- ers about an acre. Its summit, which is flat, has an area of 14 of an acre. Around the mound once stood a circular rampart, about a mile and a half in circumference, and to this famous mound clusters the creation and migration legends of the Choctaws, together with many others. Says Halbert "As to the builders of Nanih Waiya, all the evidence shows they were Choctaws. There is no evidence that any race preceded the Choctaws in the occupancy of Central Mississippi. And it is not at at all probable that the Choctaws would have held this mound in such excessive reverence if it had been built by an unknown or alien race. Everything points to this mound as a great center of the Choctaw nation during the prehistoric period. For a full account of all the legends connected with this mound, see Choctaw Settlements in Mississippi, M. H. S., Vol. 8, p., 521., by Gideon Lincecum. Halbert has concluded that the greater the size of the mound, the greater, presumably, its antiquity, and that Nanih Waiya may possibly date back to the fifth century, the beginning of the mound building era. Dr. Lincecum has demonstrated that the numerous tumuli scattered over the land are simply grave mounds, containing one skeleton, the larger ones being erected by the women. Among the Choc- taws, when a brave died too far away from the communal vault to carry home his bones, one of these small mounds was erected over his remains and the hunters implements would be placed close to the dead body.
A close study of the religious and burial customs of the Choc- taws, Chickasaws, Natchez, Yasous, Cherokees and other tribes, together with their method of locating their villages, building their fortifications, housing their chiefs and principal men, disposing of their refuse, etc., as detailed by the early chroniclers, such as La Vega, Du Pratz, La Harpe, Charlevoix, Bartram and many others, leads to the conclusion that the mounds and inclosures of Mis- sissippi, and in fact all the other ancient works of whatsoever character, are the work of the red Indians of historic times, or of their immediate ancestors.
As to the origin of the Mississippi tribes of Indians, there are well defined traditions that the Muskhogean tribes came from some place in the west, but from what place or region is an unanswered question. That they and the other tribes of the Gulf States had long resided in that section when first encountered by the Europeans is indicated by the numerous monuments scat- tered over the south, which, as the evidence shows, are attributable
125
MISSISSIPPI
to these aborigines. It is the conclusion of Mr. Thomas "That the Muskhogees moved from the north, southward, and that they preceded the other stocks (the Algonquin and Siouan) in the occu- pancy of the district. Whether they moved southward on the east side of the Mississippi or west of it, can not be decided ; however, the weight of evidence and authorities appears to be in favor of the west side." (American Archaeology, By Cyrus Thom- as, p. 163-4).
Archer, a post-station of Tishomingo county, on the Southern Ry., six miles east of Iuka, the county seat and nearest banking town. Population in 1900, 24.
Archer, Stevenson, territorial judge, appointed March 6, 1817, was a native of Harford county, Md., son of Dr. John Archer, an eminent physician, politician and member of Congress. He grad- uated in 1805 at the alma mater of his father, Princeton college, became a lawyer, and before his brief experience as a Territorial judge was judge of the court of appeals in Maryland, and member of Congress, 1811-17. He held court at St. Stephens, in the region known as Alabama territory after 1817, and remained upon the bench there until the admission of Alabama as a State in 1819. Then returning to Maryland, he was a representative from that State in Congress, 1819-21, and from 1845 until his death in 1848 was chief justice of the State. His son, James Archer, born in Harford county, Md., 1811, was graduated at Yale in the same class with Samuel W. Dorsey, whose widow bequeathed Beauvoir to Jefferson Davis. James Archer came to Mississippi in Decem- ber, 1834, and became a successful planter in Jefferson county. He married a daughter of David Hunt (nephew and once a clerk of Abijah Hunt), whose wife was a daughter of Thomas Calvit. Their family was large and the Archer descendants are numerous in Mississippi.
Archives and History, Department of. The Historical Com- mission, created by an act of the legislature, March 2, 1900, as the result of efforts made by the Mississippi Historical Society, made its report to the legislature which met in January, 1902. By this time the interest in the work had increased so much that Gov. A. H. Longino sent a special message to the legislature, January 14, 1902, urging the establishment of a State Department of Ar- chives and History. A bill for that purpose was introduced in the senate by Hon. E. H. Moore of Bolivar county, which became a law February 26, 1902.
This department was established "for the State of Mississippi,"
126
MISSISSIPPI
to be located in the capitol, and to have as its objects and purposes "the care and custody of official archives, the collecting of ma- terials bearing upon the history of the State and of the Territory included therein, from the earliest times, the editing of official records and other historical materials, the diffusion of knowledge in reference to the history and resources of this State, the encour- agement of historical work and research, and the performance of such other acts and requirements as may be enjoined by law." The department is under the control of nine trustees. The execu- tive committee of the society was constituted the first board, di- vided by lot into three classes, serving two, four and six years respectively. The department is under the immediate management and control of a director, elected by the board, for a term of six years. The director is also ex officio chairman of the Mississippi Historical commission, and is required to publish an official and statistical register of the State after each general election. All officials are authorized to turn over to this department records, documents, etc., not in current use, and the department is charged with "the duty of making special effort to collect data in reference to soldiers from the Indian wars, War of 1812, Mexican war and the war between the States," and to cause the same to be published as speedily as possible. The first board, the executive committee of the State Historical Society, met at Jackson, March 14, 1902. The members were: General Stephen D. Lee, Chancellor R. B. Fulton, Dr. R. W. Jones, Bishop Chas. B. Galloway, Prof. J. R. Preston, Dr. Franklin L. Riley, Judge B. T. Kimbrough, Prof. J. M. White and Prof. G. H. Brunson. Gen. Stephen D. Lee was elected president of the board, and Hon. Dunbar Rowland, of Coffeeville, was chosen Director of the department and secretary of the board. In October, 1902, Mrs. Eron Opha Gregory was made assistant in the department, which position she still holds.
Mr. Rowland received his commission from the Governor, and within ten days after his election entered upon the new, but im- portant work before him. There were many difficulties to be met, but Mr. Rowland's qualifications for his position are of the high- est order, and he has not only overcome the obstacles in his way, but through his vigilance and untiring efforts has saved from destruction the historical archives of Mississippi. The State owes much to his faithful, efficient and patriotic work. Besides his work of collecting, assorting and arranging historical material he has established the State Hall of Fame, which contains portraits of great Mississippians and is the pride of the State.
127
MISSISSIPPI
The legislature of 1902 made an appropriation of $2,700 for the historical work with the understanding that if it proved a success the next appropriation would be larger. In 1904 the appropriation was $4,600, which was a fitting endorsement of Mr. Rowland's work. There was a further increase of appropriations in 1906. An appropriation was also made for transcripts of English, French and Spanish archives relating to Mississippi history. The De- partment has issued six volumes of valuable historical publications -the Register of 1904, four volumes of reports, and the first vol- ume of a series of publication of archives, this volume containing the journals of Governors Sargent and Claiborne.
Arcola, a post-village of Washington county, about 23 miles southeast of Greenville, the county seat, and ten miles south of Leland, the nearest banking town. It is on the Southern and the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley railroads, and is surrounded by a fer- tile cotton growing region. It has three churches, two for white people and one for colored, a good school and a money order post- office. Population in 1900, 375; estimated in 1906 to be 500. A large cottonseed oil mill and ginery, also a large gin, are located here.
Ardon, a hamlet in Prentiss county, 8 miles east of Booneville, the county seat.
Argo, a post-hamlet in the southern part of Winston county, on the new railroad, and 12 miles south of Louisville, the county seat. A large milling plant is located here and the village is prospering. Its population in 1906 was estimated at 100.
Arkabutla, an incorporated post-town in the western part of Tate county. The nearest railroad town is Coldwater, 10 miles east, on the Illinois Central R. R. The Yazoo branch of the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R. runs about the same distance west of the town. It has two protestant churches, good schools, a cotton gin, a factory for brackets, columns, etc. Its population in 1900 was 265.
Arkansas, Ironclad. The construction of this famous river bat- tleship was begun by the Confederate government in the fall of 1861, at Memphis. Being incomplete when the capture of Memphis became imminent, in April, 1862, Captain Charles H. McBlair took the boat down to Vicksburg, and up the Yazoo to Greenwood. In May Lieut. Isaac N. Brown, who had entered the United States navy from Mississippi in 1834, was put in charge of the boat. "The planters furnished laborers; forges were sent in; the hoisting en- gine of the steamboat Capitol was employed to drive drills ; gun-
128
MISSISSIPPI
carriages were made from timber that was standing when work began, and in five weeks from the time the incomplete vessel reached the Yazoo she was a formidable warship." In appearance she suggested both the Merrimac and the Monitor, having in place of a turret or a long armored shed, a short gun box, built of railroad iron, amidships. She had a very strong battery, for that day-two 8-inch Columbians, two 9-inch Dahlgren guns, four 6- inch rifles, and two smooth-bore 32-pounders. There was a full set of experienced naval officers and a crew of two hundred capable soldiers and river men. Before the completion of the ironclad Commander Ellet, of the Federal fleet from Memphis, went up the Yazoo with two rams, to destroy three gunboats on the river, the VanDorn, Polk and Livingston. In defense, the Confederates set fire to them and cut them loose, and as they floated down stream Ellet was compelled to steam back to the Mississippi. After a consultation with General VanDorn, commanding the army on the Mississippi, defending Vicksburg against the fleet of Admiral Far- ragut, Captain Brown determined to take his boat down to Vicks- burg and aid in the defense. Dropping down into Old River, at dawn July 15, the Arkansas encountered the ironclad Carondelet, wooden gunboat Tyler and ram Queen of the West. The Caronde- let and Tyler made a good fight, losing many in killed and wounded, but firing meanwhile with such effect that three men in the pilot box of the Arkansas were successively disabled, and the smoke-stack was so riddled that she could make barely a knot an hour when she entered the Mississippi. Driving the Carondelet into shoal water, and the other two boats before her, the Arkansas came out into the main channel, where the Federal fleet, says Capt. A. T. Mahan, were found wholly unprepared to attack. Brown opened with his bow guns on Farragut's flagship at New Orleans, the Hartford. Soon all his guns were in action and the smoke settled down so that the gunners could only aim at the flashes of fire which encircled them. The Arkansas steamed down between the ships of war and the transports, receiving and reply- ing to the fire of all. Most of the shot bounded harmlessly from her sides, except two 11-inch shells that went through, killing and wounding many. One of the Federal rams, making a move toward her, was disabled by a shot through the boiler. The battle lasted but a few minutes, and Brown made a landing opposite City Hall, amid enthusiastic cheers from the bluff, and dropping down to the coal depot began coaling and repairing the damages the boat had sustained. Farragut, mortified by the success of Brown in getting
129
MISSISSIPPI
through, instantly determined to follow down past the batteries and attempt to destroy her as he ran by. The crippled ironclad stood gallantly to the fight, giving as good as received, but one 160- pound iron bolt crashed through her engine room, killing Pilot Gilmore and others, injuring the engine, destroying all the medi- cal supplies and starting a serious leak. The heroic steersman, Brady, was knocked overboard. On the 22d the Essex and Queen of the West attacked her, as she lay under the guns of the bat- teries. Only 41 men were on board, but though half of these were killed and the boat further disabled, the attempt to destroy her failed.
The Federal fleets were withdrawn a few days later, and on August 3d the Arkansas, under command of Lieut. H. K. Stevens, started down stream to cooperate with General Breckinridge, in the attack on Baton Rouge. In the extra effort to arrive on time, one of the engines broke down, and the other drove the boat ashore. When the U. S. ship Essex was seen approaching, Ste- vens sent his men to land and set fire to the boat. With colors flying, the explosion of the magazines ended her career.
Arm, a post-hamlet of Lawrence county, situated on Silver Creek, a branch of the Pearl river, and about six miles southeast of Mon- ticello, the county seat, and on the Mendenhall and Columbia branch of the Gulf & Ship Island R. R. Population in 1903, 23.
Army, Confederate States. (See Army of Mississippi.) Through- out the war, the name of the army was "the Provisional Army, Confederate States of America." There were, however, a few commands called "Confederate" troops, including some from Mississippi. The "regiment," in both the United States and Con- federate service, was composed of ten companies of 100 each, com- manded by a colonel, lieutenant-colonel and one major. A "bat- talion" was some number of companies less than ten, under a major if few, or a lieutenant-colonel if nearer ten.
The first call from the Confederate government for Mississippi troops was March 9, for 1,500 men to go to Pensacola. March 18 the governor telegraphed, "Is compliance with the requisition yet wanted? Will transportation be provided from Mobile?" He also obtained assurance that the troops were for the Provisional, not the Regular army, and would be enlisted for twelve months, with officers of their own selection. Under these pledges the companies were forwarded late in March. In April they were organized as the Ninth and Tenth regiments.
Thirty or forty companies had been mustered into the State
9-I
130
MISSISSIPPI
army. The governor told Secretary Walker he thought they would not enlist in the Confederate army, but no doubt troops could be raised for the Confederate States if recruiting officers were sent to Mississippi.
The first general call for troops by President Davis was when it became certain that President Lincoln proposed to hold Forts Sumter and Pickens. Under this call, April 8, Mississippi was asked to put 3,000 men in readiness. Immediately after the bom- bardment and capture of Fort Sumter, and the call for troops in the North followed, President Davis made another general re- quest to organize troops, in which the quota of Mississippi was 5,000.
Gen. Charles Clark was notified that three companies of cavalry would be accepted as part of the 8,000. April 23d two regiments of the 8,000 were asked for.
May 3 the governor wrote President Davis that he had about eighty companies anxious to get into service, but no money to put them into camp. The ten cavalry companies provided for in the State ordinance were organized and drilling daily.
May 18 the secretary of war asked the governor if he could send two regiments armed with double-barreled shot guns, and Pettus replied that two regiments at Corinth had arms and ammunition and counld furnish five regiments with muskets and rifles in ten days.
The enlistments under these early calls were for twelve months.
June 29, the governor was requested to raise two additional regiments, to serve during the war, and send them to Corinth. Next day a call was sent out to all the Confederate States for 30,- 000 men for a reserve corps to be enlisted for the war and put in camp at Corinth, Mississippi's share of which was to be 3,000 men, in addition to the 2,000 just called for. The governor made proclamation accordingly, July 9, and to aid in meeting the calls for troops, called a special session of the legislature. Supplies for these troops were purchased at New Orleans by Madison McAfee, quarter-master general.
These calls covered 14,500 men, in addition to the Army of Mis- sissippi (q. v.) ; but the enlistment of twelve-months troops for the Confederate service in 1861 was largely in excess of that num- ber.
The report of the State's adjutant-general, July 25, gave a list of about 200 companies organized and mustered-in, in the State service. Out of these, the Second regiment (Falkner), and the
131
MISSISSIPPI
Ninth to Eighteenth inclusive, had been put in the Confederate service. Regiments First to Eighth, inclusive, were not completed until September. Besides these, there were 33 companies tendered but not yet mustered in. There were ten companies of cavalry and ten of artillery, organized in the State service. Thirteen infantry companies had been tendered under the June calls for enlistments for the war. August 18, 1861, the governor reported, "The thirty companies for the war which the president requested me to enlist and place in camps of instruction are now ready to go into camp and impatient for orders to do so."
Following is a list of the infantry regiments organized in 1861, from the roster of the Army of Mississippi. The dates of colonel's commissions are given from that record.
First, Col. J. M. Simonton, Sept. 10.
Second, Col. T. J. Davidson, Sept. 5, also called Third. Changed to Twenty-third.
Third, Col. John B. Deason, Sept. 25.
Fourth, Col. Joseph Drake, Sept. 11.
Fifth, Col. A. E. Fant, Sept. 5.
Sixth, Col. J. J. Thornton, Sept. 5.
Seventh, Col. E. J. Goode, Sept. 23.
Eighth, Col. G. G. Flynt, Aug. 31.
Ninth, Col. James R. Chamlers, April 11.
Tenth, Col. S. M. Phillips, April 11.
Eleventh, Col. Wm. H. Moore, May 4. Twelfth, Col. Richard Griffith, May 16.
Thirteenth, Col. William Barksdale, May 16.
Fourteenth, Col. W. E. Baldwin, June 5. Fifteenth, Col. W. S. Statham, June 5. Sixteenth, Col. Carnot Posey, June 4.
Seventeenth, Col. W. S. Featherston, June 4.
Eighteenth, Col. Erasmus R. Burt, June 5. Twenty-third, see Second.
Twenty-fourth, Col. Wm. F. Dowd, November 6.
Not noted in the State records were the following:
From companies sent to Virginia were organized there the 2d regiment, Col. W. C. Falkner; 20th, Col. D. R. Russell, Twenty- first (originally Sixth) Col. B. G. Humphreys; First battalion, Lt .- Col. Wm. L. Brandon (later merged in 21st regiment) ; and 2d battalion cavalry, Maj. W. T. Martin. The 22d regiment, Col. James D. Lester ; the 25th, Col. J. D. Martin, (first called the 1st Mississippi valley, and later the 2d Confederate) ; the 26th, Col.
132
MISSISSIPPI
Arthur E. Reynolds; and three battalions, under Majors A. K. Blythe, John H. Miller and A. B. Hardcastle, were formed for the Kentucky campaign.
At Pensacola the 27th regiment, Col. Thomas M. Jones, was formed, also a battalion.
The ten batteries and ten companies of cavalry of the Army of Mississippi, (q. v.) mostly went into the Confederate service at once. The Quitman light artillery, Captain Lovell, was mustered in April 9, and sent to Pensacola. Grishom's battery went to North Carolina; Hudson's to Kentucky, and another Mississippi battery, under Capt. Melancthon Smith, was organized in Ten- nessee.
On the first of November, 1861, Mississippi had in the Confed- erate service 22 regiments and one batallion of infantry, one regiment and fourteen companies of cavalry, and eleven companies of artillery, amounting in the aggregate to about 23,000. Besides, about fifteen independent companies had been accepted directly by the Confederate authorities, and ordered to Missouri, Kentucky or Virginia. There were also thirty companies in camp in the State, enlisted for the war. This was all in addition to the com- panies organizing for sixty-days service in Kentucky. (See Army of Miss.) The aggregate would exceed 35,000 in the military service, within five thousand of the total estimate of the men of military age. But comparatively few of these were enlisted "for the war."
President Davis called Governor Pettus to account in the fall of 1861 for favoring twelve-months regiments, and in February, 1862, Secretary Benjamin notified the governor that no recruiting would be allowed for twelve-months regiments, unless the re- cruits enlisted for the war; no transportation would be furnished, and twelve-months men would not be recognized in any way.
Under the general call of February 2, 1862, Mississippi was asked to fill up the quota of 6 per cent of the white population, in enlist- ments for the war, which would require 16,000 more men; but the State had furnished 20,000 twelve-months men in addition to those enlisted for the war, and in the expectation that they would largely re-enlist, the State was asked to supply only seven new regiments. This was about the same as the demand made on South Carolina, and was less than that on any other State except Florida. Recruiting officers were immediately sent into the State. Adjutant-General Cooper's (C. S. A.) report of Mississippi
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.