USA > Mississippi > Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I > Part 23
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September 26 the "convention of the people of West Florida" made a declaration of independence, professing that they had been faithful in allegiance to Spain, and had made a compact with the governor for the enforcement of certain regulations, which he had violated, and being without hope of protection they therefore de- clared "the several districts composing this Territory of West Florida to be a free and independent State." This declaration, with a request to be admitted to the United States, was sent Gov- ernor. Holmes September 26, for transmission to President Madi- son. A loan of $100,000 was also asked. The president made no response except by the proclamation of October 27, declaring that all the territory south of the Mississippi territory eastward to the river Perdido had been conveyed to the United States as a part of Louisiana. Governor Holmes was instructed that "the people of West Florida must not for a moment be misled by the expecta- tion that the United States will surrender, for their exclusive ben- efit, what had been purchased with the treasure and for the bene- fit of the whole."
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Meanwhile the insurgents elected Fulwar Skipwith president of their republic; he was inaugurated November 29, and the flag was unfurled, a silver star on a field of blue. Reuben Kemper was sent to establish the authority of the new government at Mobile. (q. v.)
The mouth of Pascagoula river was occupied by the new govern- ment about the first of December. The leader of the party was Sterling Dupree, who lived up the river, just south of the Ellicott line. He and Hargrave, calling themselves majors, with a small body of militia, hoisted the flag December 4, after the arrival of Capt. George Farragut of the navy in the harbor. They occupied the house of John B. Nicollet, deceased, seized the schooners of John B. Bodeau, Anthony Krebs and the mulatto Augustine, on which they loaded the plunder of the Nicollet home and took it up to Dupree's home. When Farragut left on the 13th, "the settle- ments on the Bay St. Louis, Biloxi, Pascagoula and the Bayou Batrio were considered as under the jurisdiction of Peter Nicola, who acted as commander under the authority of the convention." There was no Spanish authority at these places or at Pass Chris- tian. James Havens and others were sent out to summon the in- habitants to take the oath of allegiance at Pascagoula. See Gulf Coast, etc.
In the preface to his "Bench and Bar of the South and South- west" Henry Stuart Foote gave an interesting account of this "State of Florida," reciting how, upon the institution of the gov- ernment, and the temporary appointment of Fulwar Skipwith as governor, the Court of Florida was organized with three justices, Skipwith, Colonel Thomas, a wealthy planter of the vicinity and third, a noted personage then dwelling in Baton Rouge, formerly a naval officer. Skipwith was a native of Virginia, had been an American consul in France, where he married, was an intimate friend of President Jefferson, and was celebrated for his literary accomplishments and splendid manner of life. At the first meeting of the court, in a log house in the town, he arrived from his plan- tation residence, in coach and four, with outriders and lackeys. The ex-naval officer, however, who walked in, assumed the func- tions of chief justice.
Batson, a post-hamlet in the north-central part of Perry county. near the east bank of the Leaf river, and two miles north of Mc- Callum, a station on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R. It is located about six miles southeast of Hattiesburg.
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Battlefield, a post-station in the northeastern corner of Newton county, on Tallahatta Creek, and the northern terminus of the Tal- lahatta R. R., running north from Meehan Junction, on the A. & V. R. R. It is distant about 12 miles northeast of Decatur, the county seat. The town has several stores and churches, a good school, and is prospering.
Baxter, a post-hamlet in the northern part of Jasper county, about 18 miles northwest of Paulding, the county seat. Population in 1900, 23.
Baxterville, a post-station in the southwestern part of Lamar county, on the Mendenhall-Maxie branch of the Gulf & Ship Island R. R. It is 10 miles southwest of Purvis, the county seat. Popu- lation in 1900, 25; the population in 1906 was estimated at 150. There are two saw mills and a turpentine still located near here.
Bay, a hamlet in Oktibbeha county, 15 miles southwest of Stark- ville, the county seat.
Bayspring, a post-town in the western part of Jasper county, on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R., about 16 miles south- west of Paulding, the county seat. Population in 1900, 46. It has several good stores, two churches, a saw-mill, a cotton gin, a block and spindle factory, a bank, and an excellent school. The Bank of Bay Spring was established in 1904. There is a fine min- eral spring located here. The town is growing rapidly and has a population of at least 1,000 (1906). By an act of the Legislature of 1906 Jasper county was divided into two judicial districts and Bay Spring was made the county seat of the 2nd or western dis- trict. Bay Spring has a separate school district and recently erected a fine school building at a cost of $6,000. The Bay Spring News, a weekly Democratic paper, is published here, edited by S. F. Thigpen.
Bay St. Louis, an important Gulf Coast city in Hancock county, was named for Louis XI of France, and is given its prefix by rea- son of its location on the Bay of the same name. Bay St. Louis is the capital of the county, and is a celebrated health resort and watering place. It is on the line of the Louisville and Nashville R. R., 52 miles by rail east of New Orleans. Its principal indus- try is the canning of oysters, shrimp, fish and vegetables. The Hancock county bank was incorporated here in 1899, with a capital stock of $15,000. The Merchants Bank was established in 1903 with a capital of $20,000. Bay St. Louis supports two Democratic weekly newspapers, the Gulf Progress, established in 1883, A. R. Hart, editor and publisher, and the Sea Coast Echo, established
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in 1892, Chas. G. Moreau, editor and publisher. It also has six churches, the St. Stanilaus College, a convent, and a commercial college. An expensive railroad bridge is built across Bay St. Louis at this point. Possessed of excellent shipping facilities, both by rail and water, with a most salubrious climate, a beautiful sea beach which affords unexcelled bathing opportunities, with several good hotels, and schools, and excellent church privileges, it is a most attractive spot. Its population in 1900 was 2,872, an increase of nearly one thousand over the preceding census of 1890. In 1906 the population was estimated at 3,500. The city has electric light and waterworks and finely paved streets con- structed of crushed oyster shells.
Bay St. Louis, naval battle, 1814. See Mississippi Sound. J. F. H. Claiborne, in his 1876 address, told that a regiment of Missis- sippi militia was stationed in support of the battery, but made a hasty retreat to the Big spring. An invalid lady from Natchez implored the colonel to fire one gun for the honor of the country, but he failing to do so, she touched off a cannon, with a cigarette handed her by John B. Toulme. It is, however, at least capable of inference from the official reports that the battery took part in the engagement. Subsequently a number of the young men of the region, led by Mr. Toulme, took their rifles and went in pirogues to aid in the defense of New Orleans.
Beach, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Scott county, about 15 miles northwest of Forest, the county seat. Population in 1900, 33.
Beasley is a post-hamlet in Clay county, 19 miles northwest of Westpoint, the county seat. It has a store, a grist mill, a saw mill and a cotton gin.
Beasley, Daniel, was a Virginian, who settled at Greenville Jef- ferson county, in the early Territorial period, and practiced law. "He was also sheriff of the county, an intelligent and popular man, with many warm personal friends. He had an affair of honor with Mr. Fry, a rising member of the bar, of the same county. They fought opposite Rodney, and the latter fell. It was peculiarly dis- tressing, for he was on the eve of marriage with a most beautiful woman. This rendered Beasley very unhappy. He wrote to General Claiborne to obtain a commission in the army. The gen- eral appointed him his aide, and Colonel Wood resigning about this time, Major Joseph Carson became colonel, and Beasley was appointed (by President Madison) major on February 15, 1813." (Pickett) In command of two companies he was stationed
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at Fort Mims, where, through lack of vigilance, he was surprised about noon, August 30, the Indians rushing through an open gate into the fort. Judge Toulmin wrote: "Major Beasley was shot through the belly near the gate. He called to the men to take care of the ammunition and to retreat to the house. He went him- self to a kitchen, where it is supposed he must have been burned."
Beattie's Bluff. This old settlement in Yazoo County on the Big Black river, about twelve or fifteen miles northwest of Canton, is historically important because it was the first seat of justice for Yazoo county. It did not survive the removal of the courthouse to Benton in 1829.
Beauregard, an incorporated town in Copiah county on the- Illi- nois Central R. R., one mile north of Wesson, and 44 miles south of Jackson. It is located in the long leaf pine belt, and its chief industry is lumber. Telegraph, express and banking facilities are found at Wesson, only one mile away. It received its name in honor of General Beauregard, of the Confederate army. Popu- lation in 1900, 338.
Beauvoir, a post-town of Harrison county, situated on the Gulf of Mexico, and a station on the line of the Louisville & Nashville railroad, four miles east of Mississippi City. Biloxi is the nearest banking town. This is a pretty little watering place, and the home of Jefferson Davis in his declining years. Population in 1900, 42; the population in 1906 was estimated at 150.
Beauvoir Confederate Home. When the Mississippi division, United Sons of Confederate Veterans, was organized at Merridian in 1902, a movement was begun to purchase Beauvoir, the former home of Jefferson Davis, and present it to the State as a home for disabled Confederate veterans, their wives and widows. T. M. Henry, of the Jefferson Davis camp, Jackson, was charged with the details of the purchase, and he proceeded to raise the neces- sary funds, while the Daughters of the Confederacy raised the money for equipping and maintaining the home until appropria- tion should be made by the legislature. The home was opened for the veterans with appropriate ceremonies December 10, 1903. The legislature of 1904 appropriated $10,000 for the support of the home for the year 1904, and $12,500 for 1905, and provided that the control should be vested in a board of six directors, to be appointed for terms of four years by the governor, who should be president of the board, ex officio. The trustees appointed by the governor, 1904, are ; Dr. T. R. Henderson, of Greenwood ; Thomas M. Henry, of Jackson ; John Y. Murry, Jr., of Ripley ; J. W. Odom, of Nesbit ;
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J. Hiram McGehee, of Little Springs; O. L. Mckay, of Meridian. Liberal appropriations were made to the home at the January ses- sion 1906, of the legislature.
Beaver Dam, a postoffice in the southwestern corner of Clarke county, about 20 miles distant from Quitman, the county seat.
Bedford, a postoffice in the northwestern part of Leflore county, about 29 miles northwest of Greenwood, the county seat. It is on the Greenwood division of the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R. and has telegraph, telephone and express facilities. Popula- tion, 30.
Beechsprings, a post-hamlet in the southwestern part of Nesh- oba county, about 15 miles southwest of Philadelphia, the county seat. Population in 1900, 45.
Beechwood, a postoffice in the southern part of Amite county, on the West Fork of the Amite river, four miles southwest of Liberty, the county seat.
Beelake, a post-station in the southwestern part of Holmes county, on the Yazoo City branch of the Illinois Central, between Tchula and Yazoo City, about 18 miles southwest of Lexington, the county seat.
Beeman, Joseph H., of Ely, Miss., was born November 17, 1835. In 1847 he moved with his parents to Morgan County, Ala., and, in 1849, to Mississippi. He was brought up on the farm, and spent most of his life in agricultural pursuits, being connected with the Farmers' Alliance from its organization in the State, and hav- ing served as chairman of the State executive committee. He was sent to the legislature from Scott County in 1883, and served till 1891. In 1890 he was elected to the 52d congress.
Belden, an incorporated village in Lee county, 8 miles northwest of Tupelo. It is a station on the Frisco system and has a money order postoffice, several stores, 2 churches and a school. Its population is about 350.
Belen, the capital of Quitman county, is located in the north- eastern part of the county, on Cassidy's Bayou. It was named for the battle-ground, on which Colonel John A. Quitman fought during the Mexican war. Johnstown is the nearest railroad station of importance. Branches of the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R. run within half a dozen miles of the town, both on the east and west. It has steamboat connection with the city of Greenwood. It lies in the rich cotton and corn region of the Delta. The Quit- man Quill, a Democratic weekly, established in 1890, is published
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here by Clarke & Clarke. There are two churches. Population in 1900, 177.
Belle, a post-hamlet in the northeastern part of Clay county, about 15 miles north of Westpoint, the county seat. Population in 1900, 28.
Bellefontaine, a post-village of Webster county, on Sobola Creek, an affluent of the Tallahatchie river, 55 miles west, north- west of Columbus, and five miles northwest of Walthall, the county seat. It has three churches and a money order postoffice, Several artesian wells have been found at and near this place.
Belleprairie, a post-village in the northern part of Yazoo county, on the Yazoo river, 12 miles north of Yazoo City. Population in 1900, 200.
Bellewood, a post-station in the eastern part of Washington county, on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., about 30 miles southwest of Greenwood.
Bellisle, a post-hamlet in the western part of Bolivar county, near the Mississippi river, and 7 miles south of Rosedale, the county seat.
Belmont. This old settlement in Panola county, long since absorbed by the present town of Sardis, was located on the north side of the Tallahatchie river. It was first settled at the time of the organization of the county in 1836, and grew to be a place of six or eight stores, with important shipping interests. We are told by Maj. Wm. M. Strickland, "I have seen five steamboats be- ing loaded at the landing at the same time. It did a large mercan- tile and shipping business. The most flourishing merchants I now remember were Henry Laird & Company ; Thomas B. Carroll (afterwards mayor of Memphis, Tenn.), and Anthony Foster." Its great rival in the early days was the old town of Panola (q. v.), a few miles down the river, on the other side. The chief contest was over the location of the county seat. The struggle between the towns was long and bitter, and Panola finally won. Belmont never recovered from the blow.
Belmont, a hamlet in the southeastern part of Tishomingo county, on Big Bear creek, 18 miles directly south of Iuka, the county seat. It has rural free delivery from the town of Dennis. Population in 1900, 69.
Belzoni, an incorporated post-town in the extreme southeastern part of Washington county, on the Yazoo river. The Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R. runs through the town, which is distant 25 miles by rail from Yazoo City. It lies in the heart of the richest
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farming region in the world-the famous Yazoo Delta. It was named for a celebrated Italian archaeologist, Giambatuta Belzoni. The town has telegraph and express facilities, owns a fine electric light and water plant, and maintains separate free schools for whites and blacks, having a fine public school building. There are 5 churches in the town, 2 for whites and 3 for blacks. The Belzoni Trust and Banking Co. was established here in 1898, with an authorized capital of $50,000, S. Castleman, President; J. B. Daniels, Vice President. In 1906 its paid in capital was $23,000; surplus and undivided profits, $15,000; authorzed capital, $100,- 000. The Bank of Belzoni, a branch of the Grenada Bank, of Grenada, Miss., was established in 1904, with J. W. McClintock as local manager.
Contracts have been let for a large cotton compress, and the Southern R. R. will soon have a branch line running into Belzoni. The population of the town in 1900 was 623, and was estimated in 1906 at 1,200.
Benela, a post-hamlet in the southern part of Calhoun county, on the Yalobusha river, about 10 miles south of Pittsboro, the county seat. Population in 1900, 49.
Ben Lomond, a post-hamlet of Issaquena county, on the Missis- sippi river opposite Lake Providence, and 10 miles south of Mayersville, the county seat. Population in 1900, 26.
Benndale, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Jackson county, near the west bank of the Pascagoula river, and about 40 miles northwest of Pascagoula.
Bennett, Hendley S., was born in Williamson county, Tenn., March 7, 1807; began the practice of law in Mississippi in 1830; was elected circuit judge and served upon the bench several years ; was elected as a Democrat to the 34th congress, and served 1855- 57
Benoist, Gabriel, second chairman of the Permanent Committee of Natchez district, succeeding Joseph Bernard, in September, 1797, was, says Ellicott's Journal, "a French gentleman, of very respectable connections; but from an ardent passion for liberty he left his own country and espoused the cause of the United States, in their arduous struggle for independence; and afterwards retired into the settlement of Natchez, under the full persuasion that it would be shortly annexed to the United States, where he married an amiable lady, the daughter of an honest, worthy planter, by the name of Dunbar." On account of the intense political dissensions of the period, he was subject to considerable criticism
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and misrepresentation, which he took seriously to heart, although his natural vivacity veiled his feelings from the public. It laid the foundations of a disorder under which he sunk the following summer."
Mr. Benoist was also a member of the first committee of 1797, and was selected to present the agreement with the district gov- ernor to Baron Carondelet at New Orleans, a duty he performed successfully, obtaining the governor-general's approval.
He received patents from the Spanish government in 1788 for 1,000 arpents on Fairchild's creek, in 1793 for 600 on the same, and in 1794 for 1,000 on the waters of Cole's creek.
Benoit, a post-village of Bolivar county, 15 miles by rail south of Rosedale, the county seat, on the Riverside division of the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R. Population in 1900, 200; esti- mated in 1906 to be 300. It has two churches, one for whites and one for colored, and excellent schools; it also has a large saw-mill. The Bank of Benoit was organized in 1904 with a capital stock of $25,000.
Bently, a post-hamlet in the southeastern part of Calhoun county, 15 miles from Pittsboro, the county seat. Population in 1900, 56.
Bentoak, a post-station of Lowndes county, on the Columbus branch of the Mobile & Ohio R. R., 8 miles by rail west of Colum- bus, the county seat. Population in 1900, 75. .
Benton. A village of Yazoo county, whose history dates back to the year 1828, when William Y. Gadberry, of South Carolina, entered a tract of land where the village now stands and built a log house. A village grew up here which was incorporated in 1836. It was situated about ten miles east of Yazoo City. It was the county seat of Yazoo county from 1829 to 1849. In the latter year, the county seat was moved to Yazoo City, and the once prosperous town rapidly declined. It is now a little settlement of about 250 people. See Yazoo county for a list of its early settlers.
Benton County is located in -the extreme north central part of the State on the Tennessee border. It has a land surface of 409 square miles. It originally formed a part of the counties of Mar- shall and Tippah and was erected into a separate county July 15, 1870, during the administration of Governor Alcorn. The name of Senator Thomas H. Benton of Missouri is 'perpetuated in its name .* Its early annals are identical with those of the region
*The Origin of Certain Place Names in Miss. By Henry Gannett.
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from which it was taken and may be best studied elsewhere in this work. The original act defined its limits as follows: "Be- ginning at a point on the boundary between the States of Missis- sippi and Tennessee where it is intersected by the line between ranges one and two, west; thence south on section lines to the southwest corner of section 6, twp. 3, range 1 west; thence due east on section lines to the southeast corner of section 4, twp. 3, range 1 west; thence due south on section lines to the south- west corner of section 3, twp. 6, range 1 west; thence east to the basis Meridian; thence north on said Meridian line to the line between twps. 5 and 6; thence due east on said twp. line to the southeast corner of section 33, twp. 5, range 2 east; thence due north on section lines to the southeast corner of section 16, twp. 3, range 2 east ; thence due east on sections lines to the south- east corner of section 13, twp. 3, range 2 east; thence due north on range line between ranges two and three to the southeast cor- ner of twp. 2, range 2 east; thence due east on twp. lines to the southeast corner of section 31, twp. 2, range 3 east; thence due north on section lines to the Tennessee State line; thence due west on said State line to the beginning." These original boundaries have not been changed.
One of the early settlements of this county, but now extinct, was Lamar, situated about midway between Lagrange, Tenn., and Holly Springs, Miss. It gave its name to the town on the railroad two miles east. Col. Timmons L. Treadwell was the leading mer- chant and planter of the village, and his sons are now prominent merchants in Memphis. In this rich agricultural section of the county were many wealthy planters such as Capt. Wm. Coopwood, Thomas Mull, Col. Chas. L. Thomas, and Judge A. M. Clayton. Here were also found the Smiths, Hendrons, Chainers, Rooks, Rhineharts, Gormans, Dr. Cummings, Col. A. R. Govan, Dr. Hard- away, John Dabney and Wm. Hull. The site of Lamar is now a cultivated field. Ashland, the county seat, is situated at the center of the county and is a small town of 162 inhabitants, named for the home of Henry Clay. Besides Ashland, there are a number of other small towns in the county, the more important of which are Lamar and Michigan City on the Illinois Central railroad, and Hickory Flat, Maxy, Hamilton and Austerlitz. The general sur- face of the county is level on the creek and river bottoms and the other portions are rolling and hilly. It has 64,844 acres of im- proved farms, most of the remaining lands being well timbered with oak, hickory, poplar, black walnut, beech, pine, elm, gum,
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chestnut, cypress, etc. The soil, speaking generally, is that com- mon to the so called "yellow loam region," the lower hillsides and the bottom lands being the more fertile, while the soil of the uplands is frequently sandy and of light texture. It is usually light colored and where a clay subsoil exists, the soil is durable and subject to a high state of cultivation, producing good crops of corn, hay, oats, wheat, rye, barley, sweet and Irish potatoes, sorghum and most varieties of fruits and vegetables. Two lines of railway interesect Benton county, the Illinois Central in the extreme northwestern corner and the Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham along its southern border, and afford it fairly good transportation facilities. The principal streams which water its area are Wolf river in the northern part, and Tippah river, a trib- utary of the Tallahatchie, in the southern part. Some good beds of marl and lignite have been found in the county and should not be forgotten in estimating the natural resources of Benton. The region is already attracting many northerners and more are sure to follow in the near future, attracted by its soil, climate and great natural resources.
A study of the last census returns for 1900 yields the following data. The total number of farms in the county was 1,867; the total number of acres in farms 216,101, of which 64,844 acres were im- proved; the total value of the land exclusive of buildings was $638,710; value of the buildings $280,070; value of the live stock $345,528, and the value of the products not fed to stock $634,641. A small beginning has been made in manufactures, as the follow- ing data from the same source will show :- The total number of establishments was 29, with a capital of $37,505, paying wages to the amount of $5,063, using materials to the value of $28,147 and producing products to the value of $47,675. The total assessed val- uation of real and personal property in the county in 1905 was $749,169 and in 1906 it was $1,002,146, which shows an increase during the year of $252,997. The white population of the county in 1900 was 5,310, colored, 5,200, total, 10,510, an increase over 1890 of 75. The population has not increased to any extent since the last census.
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