USA > Mississippi > Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I > Part 29
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Bournham, a post-hamlet in the southeastern part of Lawrence county, on White Sand creek, an affluent of the Pearl river, and distant about 8 miles southeast of Monticello, the county seat. Population in 1900, 24.
Bovina, a post-station of Warren county, on the Alabama & Vicksburg R. R., 10 miles by rail east of Vicksburg. It has 3 churches, a money order postoffice, a broom factory, and two fine Munger system cotton gins. The town is in the center of a fine cotton growing district. Population in 1900, 82; in 1906 it was estimated at 150.
Bowers, a postoffice in the northern part of Simpson county, 10 miles west of Mendenhall.
Bowers, Honorable Eaton Jackson, of Bay St. Louis, the repre- sentative of Mississippi's sixth district in the Congress of the United States, was born June 17, 1865, at Canton, Madison county, Miss., a son of Eaton Jackson and Sallie Lee (Dinkins ) Bowers. His father was a native of North Carolina, who removed in early life to Harde- man county, where he received his preliminary education. His col- legiate advantages were had in the Transylvania university of Lex- ington, Ky., from which institution he received a degree. His legal training was had in the office of Judge J. W. C. Watson at Holly Springs, Miss. When the Civil War broke out he became a lieuten- ant in the Madison Rifles of the Confederate army and served with
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Generals Earl Van Dorn and W. H. Jackson until the cessation of hostilities. The son, the subject of this memoir, received his early scholastic instruction in Canton under Mrs. Lou Slover and Mrs. Ann Webster, and then took a course at the Mississippi Military institute at Pass Christian from 1879 to 1881. Upon leaving school at the age of fifteen he became employed as an assistant in the chancery clerk's office of Madison county and subsequently worked as a bookkeeper in Grenada and Canton until April, 1883. For some three months prior to that time he had spent his extra time in the office of Judge J. W. Downs of Canton, and in that month, when but seventeen years of age, he was admitted to practice before the courts of Mississippi. His first location was in Canton, where he remained until August, 1884, removing thence to Bay St. Louis to form a partnership with Col. Ben Lane Posey. In politics Mr. Bowers is an influential Democrat and has been active in party affairs as a member of both the county and state executive committees. He has been honored with a number of offices, among them presidential elector on the Democratic ticket for the Sixth district in 1888, and for the state at large in 1892 and 1896; served one term in the state senate from the First district, being elected in 1885, and one term in the House of Representatives of the state legislature in 1899. His nomination for Congress came in 1902, defeating W. H. Hardy, of Perry county, and E. M. Barber, of Harrison county, and his elec- tion occurred without opposition in November of the same year. At each successive election since he has been re-elected. In 1892 Judge Niles of the Federal court appointed Mr. Bowers attorney for the receiver of the Gulf & Ship Island railroad and he has since that time been general counsel for the company. His religious affiliations are with the Methodist Episcopal church, and he is a member of the Boards of Trustees and Stewards of the Bay St. Louis society. In a fraternal way he is a Knight Templar and Shriner of the Free and Accepted Masons, a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Ben- evolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Order of Owls; and is a member of the Committee on Law and Jurisprudence of the Mississippi Grand Lodge. On September 3, 1888, Mr. Bowers mar- ried Miss Tullah Gaines Posey, daughter of Col. Ben Lane and Fannie B. Posey, of Bay St. Louis. Colonel Posey was a member of the famous "South Carolina Palmetto Regiment" in the Mexican War and was commander of the "Red Eagles" of the Confederate army. The children of Congressman and Mrs. Bowers are four in number: Eaton Jackson, Jr .; Posey Ridgely, Sallie Loe and Samuel Holloway.
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Bowerton, a hamlet in the southwestern part of Copiah county, about 20 miles southwest of Hazlehurst, the county seat. Popu- lation in 1900, 32. It has a rural route mail service from Wesson.
Bowles, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Chickasaw county, about 12 miles northwest of Houston, the county seat. Populaion in 1900, 36.
Bowling Green, a post-hamlet in the northeastern part of Holmes county, about 8 miles northeast of Lexington, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice. Population in 1900, 57.
Bowman, a post-hamlet in the northeastern part of Tate county, about 8 miles northeast of Senatobia, the county seat. Coldwater . is the nearest railroad and banking town. Population in 1900, 70.
Box, a post-station in the northern part of Simpson county, on the Gulf & Ship Island R. R., 7 miles northwest of Mendenhall. Population in 1900, 50. There is a saw-milling plant located here.
Boyce, a post-station in the north-central part of Wayne county, on the Mobile & Ohio R. R., 5 miles by rail north of Waynesboro, the county seat and nearest banking town. Population in 1900, 25.
Boyd, a post-hamlet in the extreme southwestern corner of Lawrence county, about 18 miles southwest of Monticello, the county seat. Population in 1900, 20.
Boyd, Samuel S., a native of Maine, came to Natchez about 1830, entered into a law partnership with Alexander Montgomery, and was famous as a lawyer. His firm defended the will of Isaac Ross in the famous suit brought by the heirs in 1834, and in 1837, as special judge, he delivered the opinion of the High court in the famous case of Vick vs. Vicksburg, reversed, however, by the United States supreme court. He died in the prime of life, his wife, a daughter of James C. Wilkins, surviving him.
Boykins, a post-village in the eastern part of Smith county, 11 miles east of Raleigh, the county seat. Montrose, on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City 'R. R., is the nearest railroad station. Population in 1900, 350.
Boyle, an incorporated post-town in the southwestern part of Bolivar county. It is a junction point for two branches of the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., two miles south of Cleveland, one of the two seats of justice for the county. Its location in the fertile Mississippi bottom, and excellent railroad facilities, make it an important shipping point for the great staple of the region, cotton. It has a money order postoffice, and a bank organized in 1906. Population in 1900, 538; estimated at 700 in 1906.
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Bozeman, a post-hamlet of Lauderdale county, 7 miles north- west of Meridian.
Brackett, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Lawrence county, about 15 miles northwest of the county seat. Monticello Junction, on the I. C. R. R., is the nearest railroad station, 4 miles to the southeast. Population in 1900, 23.
Bradford, Alexander, an eminent lawyer of Holly Springs, was one of the prominent men of his day, a strong public speaker, and major-general of militia. He evidently took some part in the Sem- inole war of 1836, as Reuben Davis alluded to him as "the Cheva- lier Bayard, the hero of Withlacoochee." Some amusement was derived from his extreme earnestness and evident high regard for his dignity, but even Henry S. Foote refrained from personal badinage upon Bradford's request, when they met in joint debate. He was major of the First regiment, under Colonel Davis, in the Mexican war. Davis was wounded at Buena Vista and Lieuten- ant-Colonel McClung at Monterey, but Bradford, though exposing himself with the utmost recklessness, was untouched, and that fact saddened his life ever afterward. After his return from Mexico, he was hailed as the Israel Putnam of his age, and was presented a costly sword by the citizens of Marshall county, inscribed "With- lacoochee, Monterey, Buena Vista." He was a candidate for gov- ernor in the fall of 1847 against J. W. Matthews, but was in a decided minority. As an independent Union Democrat he made an unsuccessful campaign for representative in Congress for the State at large, in 1852, which became known in politics as "the Chickasaw rebellion."
Bradley, a post-station of Oktibbeha county, on the Westpoint branch of the Illinois Central R. R., 10 miles southwest of Stark- ville, the county seat. The village has cotton gins and is growing.
Brame, a post-hamlet in the northeastern part of Pontotoc county, 6 miles east of Pontotoc, the county seat, and the nearest railroad and banking town. Population in 1900, 26.
Branch, a post-hamlet of Scott county, about 18 miles north- west of Forest, the county seat.
Brandon, an incorporated post-town of Rankin county, 12 miles east of Jackson, on the Alabama & Vicksburg railroad. It is the capital of the county, and was named for Gerard C. Brandon, Governor in 1828-32. It is located in a farming and cotton raising district, and between five and six thousand of bales of cotton are shipped from here annually. It has a good academy, 6 churches, telegraph and telephone offices, an express office, one newspaper
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and two banks. The News, a Democratic weekly, W. S. May, editor and publisher, was established in 1892 and has a large cir- culation. The Brandon Bank was established in 1900 with a capi- tal of $10,000; in 1906 it had a surplus of $15,000 and its deposits were about $135,000. The Rankin County Bank was established in 1906 with a capital of $20,000. The town has two hotels, two livery stables and fifteen or twenty stores, two cotton gins and one saw mill. The population in 1900 was 775 and it has not increased much since. The Methodists built the first church in Brandon and were followed by the Presbyterians, then the Episcopalians, and last the Baptists.
Brandon, Gerard, only son of an Englishman who held a govern- ment position in Ireland and married Margaret Lindsay, of Scotch descent. He was born in County Donegal in 1750. As a young man he espoused the cause of Robert Emmet, and subsequently fled with his mother, his father having died, to France, and thence to America, reaching Charleston, S. C., not long before the Amer- ican revolution. He served under Marion and in Colonel Washing- ton's cavalry, and was in the battles of Cowpens and King's Moun- tain. The sword he wore was carried by his son, General Bran- don, in the war 1861-65, and is preserved by Robert Brandon, a descendant living near Fort Adams. While the English were yet in control of West Florida, Gerard Brandon was an immigrant to the Manchac district, near the Amite river; but after the invasion by Galvez he moved to the Attakapas country and thence to the Natchez district, where he obtained grants of land in what is now Adams and Wilkinson counties. He married Dorothy Nugent, and had four sons and four daughters. He died at the Selma plantation, about nine miles from Natchez, July 27, 1823.
Brandon, Gerard Chittocque, the eldest child of Gerard Brandon, was born at Selma plantation, near Natchez, in September, 1788, when Grand Pré was governor.
He was prepared for college by Rev. Dr. McDowell, entered Princeton college, and from there went to William and Mary, in Virginia, where he was graduated, dividing first honors with the famous William C. Rives. He began the practice of law at Wash- ington, Miss., about the time of the war with England, in which he gave creditable service as a soldier. In 1816 he married Mar- garet Chambers, of Bardstown, Ky., and abandoned the law for life as a planter, making his home for a time near Fort Adams. He was a member of the constitutional convention of 1817, and speaker of the house in 1822, was lieutenant-governor under
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Holmes and Leake, and acting governor to fill out both adminis- trations, and was elected governor in 1827. He is noted in some publications as having opposed the further introduction of negro slaves, a not uncommon sentiment in Mississippi in his day. He was solicited to accept the United States senatorship at the close of his term as governor, but declined the honor. His last official dignity was as a member of the constitutional convention of 1832, from which he resigned before the close of the session. He was not in favor of the experiment of the people choosing their own judges. Governor Brandon was a typical planter, genial, honest, hospitable and satisfied to use brilliant capabilities for the entertainment of his friends. By his first marriage he had two children, Gerard and James C. Brandon. In 1824 he married Eliza- beth Stanton, at Natchez, and they had six sons and two daughters. Governor Brandon died at his Columbian Springs plantation, near Fort Adams March 28, 1850.
Brandon's Administration, First. Gerard C. Brandon, lieuten- ant-governor, "exercised the powers of governor of the State of Mississippi," after the death of Governor Leake, November 17, 1825. He had been reelected lieutenant-governor for two years from the next January, in August of that year.
His address to the general assembly of January, 1826, was first devoted to finances. There was a balance against the treasury of $41,000, made up of $21,000 due the bank, and $12,000 in claims not yet presented because there was no money on hand. It was not expected that the assessment of taxes under existing laws would provide for the current expenses. The officers of the State would be compelled to sell their warrants at a discount or wait to the end of the year for pay. "It is necessary for the honor and dignity of the State, that good faith be observed, and all important that public credit be established. Mississippi, as yet, has done nothing towards internal improvement and but little for the encouragement of education. In every public institution the stock of which is calculated to produce a revenue, it appears to me, the State should be the principal concerned. By this policy she might in a few years have an overflowing treasury, and her citizens be relieved from the burthens of direct taxation." He recommended a revision of the revenue laws. Without comment he submitted the resolutions of several State legislatures regarding the aboli- tion of slavery.
His term of office as acting governor ceased on the inauguration of Governor Holmes, a few days later.
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Brandon's Administration, Second. Gerard C. Brandon became acting governor in the summer of 1826 on account of the illness and resignation of Governor Holmes. It was a year of hope that the remainder of the Indian land might be opened to settlement at once, but these hopes were doomed to disappointment.
Among his recommendations to the legislature of January, 1827, were, an additional judicial district to embrace the county of Mon- roe," now the most populous of the State," and the county of Yazoo, which then included all the recent Indian cession north of Hinds and Warren, and a penitentiary (q. v.) The receipts of the Three per cent fund now amounted to nearly $22,000, and about $100,000 had been expended on roads and bridges. The failure of the Indian treaty of 1826 (q. v.) was deplored, but "the effort made to extinguish the Indian title is calculated to elicit our gratitude towards the general government, and the commissioners that held the treaty."
A feature of this session of the legislature was the impeachment of John Phillips, probate judge of Amite county, who resigned be- fore trial.
By the revenue act this year the poll tax was reduced to 50 cents, the slave tax to 621/2 cents; carriages were taxed $1.
The governor was authorized by the act of February 5, 1827, to sell State bonds for $250,000 to pay the debt to the Bank of Mississippi, and buy stock in it. But he was unable to obtain the loan in the Fast. He advised the legislature of 1827 to resist an effort to obtain a branch of the bank of the United States at Natchez. (See Banking).
At the election in August, 1827, the vote for governor was: Gerard C. Bradon, 5,482; Beverly R. Grayson, 1,861; Daniel Wil- liams, 3,392; scattering, 127. For lieutenant-governor: Abram M. Scott, 5,454; Benjamin Lee, 3,650; Thomas Anderson, 1,184; scattering, 199.
. It appears from the annual address of the governor in 1828 that the financial condition had so far improved that the receipts were expected to be sufficient to meet the ordinary expenses.
John A. Grimball and Hiram G. Runnels were continued in office as secretary of state and auditor, but Samuel C. Wooldridge, treasurer, was defeated by James Phillips in the legislative vote. An auditing committee found a deficit of over $5,000 in the cash.
The legislature memorialized Congress to extend the time of payment of public lands already sold, also, to remove the Indians and open up more lands. The State had appropriated $3,500 to
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make a channel in the bar at the mouth of the east pass of Pas- cagoula river, and Congress had appropriated $8,000 for the same purpose, and as each appropriation was to be expended "under the direction of the sovereignty that made it," Congress was asked to turn its appropriation over to the State.
General Jackson, then a candidate for president of the United States January 20,1828, visited the capital city which had been given his name in 1822. Being addressed by Senator Wiley P. Harris, in behalf of the legislature, he made an appropriate response, congrat- ulating the State on her record in the wars with the Indians and British. "Your governor and legislature, exhaustless in energy and patriotism, poured out the resources of the State and sent forth her sons to the conflict. The first gave support, the last gave renown to the nation and their gallant leader-I am proud to see him near me, sharing, as he richly merits, the gratitude and respect of his fellow citizens."
The electorial vote of Mississippi was cast for Jackson and Calhoun in November.
In his message of 1829 Governor Brandon noted that the excite- ment of the presidential election had passed away, leaving an almost unparalleled harmony and good feeling; the threats of "determined and hostile resistance" to the tariff law of 1828, among the sister Southern States, had "happily settled in a resolution to resist the policy alone by constitutional means." He questioned the policy of encouraging industry by tariffs.
He had invested $25,000 in bank stock as directed by the legis- lature, and the total expenditures of the year had been a thousand dollars more than the receipts. But the revenues promised there- after to largely exceed the expenditures.
The Tennessee boundary (q. v.) was becoming a matter of in- terest, and the removal of the Indians was earnestly demanded. (See Treaty of 1830.) Legislation was begun in apparent disre- gard of the national Indian policy, which caused a remonstrance to be spread on the journal by a few members who declared the act "was fraught with consequences the most awful and danger- ous to the peace and welfare of this Union." William L. Sharkey signed a protest against another bill which passed the house, which he viewed "as tending in every respect to break down the barriers against fraud and to open the door to perjury and in- crease litigation."
Resolutions were adopted that the protective tariff of 1828 was "contrary to the spirit of the constitution of the United States,
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impolitic and oppressive in its operations on the Southern States, and ought to be resisted by all constitutional means," but tlie vote on constitutionality was close.
The $250,000 loan proposed in the last session was modified to be a part of a scheme of internal improvement (q. v.) Another important act was the one providing for a commission to devise a system of education (q. v.).
The popular vote in August, 1829, was as follows: for governor, Gerard C. Brandon, 7,006; George Winchester, 3,764. For lieu- tenant-governor, Abram M. Scott, 8,941; Josiah Shipp, 5.
In 1830 the governor suggested: "It is a duty incumbent on us to profit by the fatal experience of other States, in relation to their monied institutions; and whatever course may be adopted to re- lieve our fellow citizens from their pecuniary embarrassments, which the depression of the value of our only article of produce for exportation would seem to threaten, we should endeavor, both by precept and example, to press upon them the necessity of a rigid system of economy, as the only effectual means of avoiding the shock. A debt created by borrowing money to obtain relief from present embarrassment, without observing such a system, returns upon the borrower when he is less able to pay and involves him in inevitable ruin." The legislature, however, gave no heed to the warning and proceeded at once to plunge into the financial morass in which the States north of her had been floundering.
In electing an auditor in 1830 the legislature was evenly divided between William Dowsing, Thomas B. J. Hadley and George B. Dameron. The latter withdrew and Hadley was chosen. Grim- ball was continued as secretary of state until 1833, and Phillips as treasurer. Richard Stockton, 1825-28; George Adams, 1828- 29; Robert H. Buckner, 1829-30; R. M. Gaines, 1830-34, were the attorneys-general.
There was a memorable struggle in 1830 over the election of speaker of the house, between Franklin E. Plummer, Joseph Dun- bar and William Haile. On the sixth ballot Dunbar was elected.
Notable events of 1830 were the incorporation of the Planters' bank, (see Banking) ; the Indian treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek (q. v.) ; the United States census (q. v.); the census showed a State population of 136,000.
In his message of November, 1830, the governor alluded to the abundant crops, despite a long drought, the prosperous condition of all sorts of industry, and especially was he gratified by the Indian treaty, which would end the dispute about jurisdiction
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and open a vast area of waste land to cultivation. "In the pleas- ing contemplation of this event we see the dawn of our future greatness as a State." The income of the State was now about $62,000 a year, expenditures $52,500, a healthy condition.
It appears from the governor's message that the Indian country laws of 1829 and 1830 were of no effect except to create a sensa- tion. He advised the legislature that the laws should be either re- vised or suspended. The United States had requested that the laws be suspended until the Indians could be removed, and the governor had given his opinion that they would be suspended, so far as related to the Indians themselves and not to white settlers among them.
It is of interest to note that of the State expenditures at this date, in round numbers, $14,000 was for the legislature, $18,000 for the courts, $5,000 for the statehouse officers, $2,500 for educa- tion, $300 for militia and $200 for deaf and dumb children in the Kentucky asylum. These figures are more eloquent regarding the rudimentary condition of the State, as a State is now regarded, than many words of comment.
The bank of Mississippi owed the State $5,400 dividends on $30,- 000 stock held by the State, and the State owed the bank $20,500. The two aided colleges, Jefferson, and Mississippi academy, owed the State $15,000; the late State treasurer owed $5,000, and other persons about $5,000 altogether. The taxable lands of the State were assessed at $5,677,000; town lots at $1,727,000; the merchan- dize sales, which were taxed heavily, were reported as $2,420,000 for the year. The peddler tax was not coming up to expectations because public sentiment exempted the clock peddlers, who were selling thousands of wooden clocks.
In 1830-31 the preliminary steps were taken for the constitu- tional convention of 1832 (q. v.)
The governor in November, 1831, noted that the State was pros- perous, although there had been much loss from repeated and heavy storms. In this year was the beginning of the organization of companies to build railroads (q. v.), but there was no con- struction for several years.
At the election in 1831, for governor, Abram M. Scott had 3,953 votes, Hiram G. Runnels, 3,711, Charles Lynch 2,902, William P. Harris 1,449, Adam Gordon 492. For lieutenant-governor Foun- tain Winston had 6,721, John H. Norton 4,746. Scott was elected governor by the most decidedly minority vote yet experienced.
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Governor Brandon's administration of practically three consec- utive terms closed in January, 1832.
Brandon, William L., was born in 1802, near Washington, Adams county, the youngest child of Gerard Brandon and brother of Governor Brandon. He was educated in Virginia and at Prince- ton college, and in 1824 made his home on the land near Pinckney- ville, entered by his father in 1790, and became prominent as a planter, his home being known as Arcole. He was a member of the legislature in 1826. Taking an interest in military matters he was made a major-general of militia, and at the organization of the 2d regiment for the war with Mexico contested the election of colonel with Reuben Davis. In 1860, despite his advanced age, he raised a company of volunteers, called the Jeff Davis Guards, with which he went to Virginia. There the Second battalion was organized under his command, first as major and later as lieuten- ant-colonel. When it was merged in the Twenty-first regiment, under Col. Humphreys, he was made lieutenant-colonel of the regiment. He served in this capacity during the remainder of 1861 in camp near the Potomac river. In the summer of 1862, Colonel Humphreys was wounded in the Seven Days' battles be- fore Richmond, and Brandon, commanding the regiment, fell with a dangerous wound at Malvern Hill. He was taken to the hospital at Richmond, and a leg amputated, but this did not quench his desire for active service. Fitted with a wooden leg, he was with his regiment at Gettysburg, after which he was advanced to the rank of colonel. He was also with Barksdale's brigade at Chick- amauga. In 1864 he was promoted to brigadier-general and as- signed to duty in Mississippi in command of reserves and con- scripts. (See War, and C. S. Army.) He was a man of command- ing appearance, standing six feet one, a gentleman of culture, and had many warm friends. One of his sons was wounded at Gettys- burg, another at Chickamauga; a third son was in Adams' brigade. General Brandon died at Arcole, October 8, 1890.
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