Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I, Part 60

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association
Number of Pages: 1030

USA > Mississippi > Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I > Part 60

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lower Mississippi, and its tributaries, as well as the various rivers which flowed directly into the Gulf. The French now claimed the whole vast region lying between the English settlements of Caro- lina on the east, and the Spanish settlements in Old and New Mex- ico on the west, under the name of the Province of Louisiana. Bienville had complained that his soldiers were too few and too young, had asked for horses to work the plantations which had been opened ; requested that the few colonists who had made money and prospered, be compelled to remain in the colony instead of re- turning to France; and also asked permission to exchange his Indian slaves for West Indian negroes, at the rate of three Indians for two negroes. To all these and many other requests, the French ministry had turned a deaf ear. King Louis was busy with his European wars and the colonists were sadly neglected. They con- tinued to depend for most of their supplies on the mother country, and were a source of considerable expense to the Crown. The colo- nial expenses for the year 1711 as reported in the archives, amounted to 61,504 livres.

Such was the general situation when King Louis decided to in- trust the colony to private hands, and gave to the rich merchant, Anthony Crozat, Marquis du Chatel, on the 14th day of September, 1712, a monopoly of the trade of Louisiana for a peroid of 15 years. Crozat was one of the great financiers who flourished in the reign of Louis XIV. He was a man of wide experience in commercial ventures, and the choice seemed a most wise one. Had Crozat pos- sessed the fine intuition to see that the permanent success of the colony could only be based on the rich products of the soil in his fertile domain, he might have succeeded. He should, moreover, have visited the colony and given it the benefit of his personal supervision. The European mind was still filled with false visions of gold and precious stones, a heritage from the bloody conquests of Mexico and Peru. The New World chiefly attracted the rest- less cavalier, the impoverished noble, and the unprincipled adven- turer. Sober, patient, industrious men were needed to open up plantations, and develop the rich agricultural possibilities. Crozat seems to have been imbued with many of the false ideas which pre- vailed; he chose to entrust the management of the colony to agents, remained ignorant of actual conditions, and was doomed in advance to failure. He was a shrewd merchant and trader, however, and at once sought to open a commerce with the Spaniards in Mexico, and to establish a commercial depot on Dauphin Island, with ships to trade with Pensacola, Tampico, Vera Cruz, Tuspan, and the

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coast of Campeachy. In this he might have succeeded if the Span- iards had not refused, since the treaty of Utrecht, to open their ports to the French, in order to gratify the English, with whom they had made a commercial treaty. While vainly seeking to se- cure this elusive trade, he also gave special instructions to his agents, to look for mines and precious metals.

The terms of the charter to Crozat were as liberal as could be desired. He was granted the exclusive right to the internal and external trade of the great province, and the troops in the colony were ordered to assist and abet his agents and directors in main- taining the monopoly. He was permitted to open all sorts of mines in Louisiana, with the reservation that he turn over one-fifth of the gold, pearls and precious stones discovered, and one-tenth of the product of other mines, to the king. He could trade in any- thing, including powder and fire-arms, with the single exception that he was forbidden to deal in castor (beaver). He was given property in all settlements for the culture of silk, indigo, wool, leather, and the working of mines, minerals, veins, mills, etc., and the ownership of lands on which the same should be situated, sub- ject to forfeiture, of his proprietary rights for three years neglect. The "Edicts, ordinances, and customs, and the usages of the mayor- alty and shrievalty of Paris" were to be the established law in the province. In return for these extensive privileges, he was required to send to Louisiana every year two ships laden with "twenty-five tuns of victuals, effects and necessary ammunition for the main- tenance of the garrison and forts of the Louisiana:" and to carry out the troops needed for the colony in his vessels. He was also required to send on board each ship destined for the province, "ten young men or women, at his own election." He paid no duties on his wares and merchandise, and could even buy necessary goods of foreign countries and pass them through the French cus- tom-houses. All the shipping in the colony in 1712 was turned over to him, upon condition that he replace it at the end of his term. By article XIV of his charter, he was permitted to import and sell slaves from the coast of Guinea, and all others were pro- hibited the trade. For some reason, he never seems to have availed himself of this privilege to any extent.

By article XVI, he was obliged, "after the expiration of the first nine years of this grant, to pay the officers and the garrison which shall be in said country during the six last years of the continuance of this present privilege: the said Sieur Crozat may in that time propose and nominate the officers, as vacancies shall

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fall, and such officers shall be confirmed by us if we shall approve them."

The efforts of MM. Jonquiere and Dirigoin, St. Denis and other agents, to establish trade with the Spaniards have been elsewhere detailed; as have the efforts of Governor Cadillac to exploit the supposed lead and silver mines of Missouri. (See Bienville, St. Denis, Cadillac, etc.)

When Cadillac was appointed governor by Crozat, Bienville was retained in office as lieutenant-governor, and doubtless sought to dictate the policy of colonial administration. Unfortunately for the colony, Cadillac refused to submit to dictation, either from the experienced Bienville, or from the company itself. When told to give every encouragement to agriculture, he took offense, and con- tinued his search for mines and precious stones. He wrote home, "Give the colonists as much land as they please. Why stint the measure? The lands are so bad that there is no necessity to care for the number of acres. A copious distribution of them would be cheap liberality."

While Cadillac was absent exploring the lead mines of Missouri, Bienville was ordered by the proprietor of the colony to proceed to Natchez with a company of infantry and make it his headquar- ters. French traders, passing up and down the Mississippi, had been frequently pillaged and sometimes murdered by the In- dians. A trading post had already been established among the Tonicas, just above the mouth of the Red river, and one at the mouth of the Arkansas river. A post at the Natchez was deemed important, to hold the Indians in check, and to stimulate trade in furs, peltries and provisions. The French, aided by the Natchez, completed Fort Rosalie August 5, 1716, and on the 25th, "about thirty Yasous and six hundred Natchez, without arms, came to dance the 'calumet' before the fort, to show their joy at having the French established among them. The fort among the Natchez was named Rosalie, and de'Pailloux was ap- pointed by Bienville, the first commandant. On the 28th, Bienville left for Mobile to render his report to Cadillac. He arrived on Oc- tober 4 at Fort Louis de la Mobile, where he found an order from the king, appointing him commander-in-chief of the colony, until the arrival of M. de L'Epinay, who had been appointed governor in place of Cadillac.

In October, 1716, MM. de St. Denis, le Roy, la Freniere and Beaulieu, freres, formed a commercial partnership, and purchased from the stores of M. Crozat, 60,000 livres ($11,000) worth of mer-

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chandise. They planned to traverse the same territory St. Denis had passed over on his former trip, and finally to dispose of their merchandise in the Spanish province of New Leon, in Mexico. They left Mobile on October 10; but the venture did not prove successful on account of the hostile feeling existing between the French of Louisiana and the Spanish of Mexico.

One of the first acts of the new governor, M. de L'Epinay, who had arrived in the colony, March 9, 1717, was to order a new fort to be built upon the mainland, opposite Ship Island. The place selected was one league west of Old Biloxi, opposite the anchorage of Ship Island, and was called New Biloxi. Here he established his headquarters. About this time also, the plan of establishing a city on the right bank of the Mississippi that should become the metropolis of Louisiana, and a great commercial emporium, was projected, but was not carried into execution, on account of the weakness of the colony.

The heaviest expenditures incurred by Crozat were for expedi- tions sent to all quarters of his grant in search of gold, silver, or other valuable minerals. Relying on the reports of his agents, he had sent expensive expeditions to the upper Red river, the Wash- ita, the Yazoo, the Coosa, the Cumberland, the Missouri, the Illi- nois, and to other interior points. While the colony as a whole benefited by his explorations, he found no minerals of value, with the exception of some lead and iron in Missouri and Illinois.

The trade monopoly of Crozat was difficult of enforcement. The Canadians invaded his grant on the north, the Spaniards on the southwest, and the English and irregular traders everywhere. France failed to protect him in his chartered privileges, which were openly and notoriously invaded. His patent was not even registered in Louisiana. The colonists loudly complained of a system, under which they were required to pay for supplies at a price fixed by the company, and received for their goods only what the company chose to pay. Told they must not trade with Pen- sacola, but must deal with the agents of the company, they found means to evade the restriction, by reaching the English of Caro- lina and the French of Canada. Many became smugglers; the present site of New Orleans was largely cleared by salt smugglers. It was ascertained that cotton, tobacco, rice, indigo, silk, etc., could be produced, but there was a dearth both of settlers and workers. The few there were, preferred the illicit trade with the Indians. The colonists petitioned that all nations be permitted to trade with the colony ; that they have the right to leave the colony at will;

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that the monopoly be restricted to wholesaleing; and that the profits of the company be limited to fifty per cent above the cost. Universal discontent prevailed. Crozat became discouraged. In four years he had spent about 425,000 livres, and received in return less than 300,000 livres. Seeing no chance for improvement, he wisely surrendered his charter and pocketed his losses. It is es- timated that at the close of his proprietorship the whole of Louis- iana contained about 700 persons, the most of whom were located east of the Mississippi.

Cruger, a post-hamlet of Holmes county, on the Yazoo & Mis- sissippi Valley R. R., 9 miles north of Tchula, and about 20 miles from Lexington, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice. Population in 1900, 70.

Crystal Springs, an incorporated town in Copiah county on the Illinois Central R. R., 25 miles south of Jackson. It is the center of the truck farming and market gardening industry for the State. Apples were extensively grown here on the farm of Powhatan Robinson as far back as 1860, and in 1870 Dr. H. W. Stackhouse introduced the scientific culture of peaches for the northern market. In 1886 a large number of carloads of peaches were being shipped from this point, but for some reason the propagation of orchard fruits has not been continued, and neither apples or peaches are now shipped from here in large quantities, although the apple in- dustry is improving. Strawberries, tomatoes, cabbage, beans, peas and radishes are the most important items among the fruit and vegetable shipments. Strawberries were first grown here for the northern market by the Stackhouse family in 1882, and two car loads a day is the average shipment of this fruit during the height of the season. Mr. F. M. Brewer was the pioneer in the raising of vegetables such as peas and beans for shipment. Beginning in 1874, this industry has grown steadily. Cabbages, beets, carrots, and turnips are also extensively grown for shipment, as many as ten car loads a day of cabbages having been sent out of the town. Mr. N. Piazza, about the year 1875, began the scientific cultiva- tion of tomatoes with seed brought from Italy. In 1876 the "Acme" tomato was introduced and from this time the growing of tomatoes for market has steadily increased. As many as 32 car loads of this staple have been shipped in one day from here. Nearly 700 car loads of fruits and vegetables are now annually shipped, and Crystal Springs has a national reputation. Lumber and box making are also important industries of the place. It has a telegraph office, an express office and telephone system, and in 1901

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two banks were established here, the Bank of Commerce with a capital of $60,000, and the Crystal Springs Bank with a capital of $18,000. The Meteor, a Democratic weekly newspaper, estab- lished in 1883, S. H. Aby, editor and publisher, is an influential paper. There are five churches and an excellent graded high school. Population in 1900, 1,093 ; present population (1906) about 2,000; city debt $33,000; assessed valuation of property, $585,000 ;. tax rate 1234 mills. A large oil mill and fertilizer factory are lo- cated here, also one of the largest cotton gins in the county. The Mississippi Chatauqua Assembly is held here and is not only the: best in the State, but is better attended than any other in the State .. It has expended over $50,000 on its buildings and grounds. The town owns and operates an excellent electric light and water plant ..

Cuba, a post-hamlet in the northern part of Alcorn county, on the Tuscumbia river, 12 miles west of Corinth, the county seat .. Population in 1900, 20.

Cublake, a post-hamlet of DeSoto county, 10 miles west of Her- nando, the county seat, and nearest banking town. Population in 1900, 47.

Cuevas, a post-hamlet of Harrison county, situated on the Wolf river, 12 miles northwest of Gulfport, the county seat. Population in 1900, 21.

Cuffy, a postoffice of Washington county.

Cullum, a post-hamlet of Kemper county, 8 miles south of De- kalb, the county seat. Population in 1900, 24.

Cumberland, an incorporated post-village in Webster county, about 22 miles northwest of Starkville, on the new line of the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City R. R. It has two churches, and a normal institute. Population in 1900, 89.

Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The Cumberland Presbyte- rian church grew out of a doctrinal division of the Presbyterian church in Tennessee. Its first presbytery was organized by Sam- uel McAdow, Samuel King and Finis Ewing, who were regularly ordained ministers in the Presbyterian church.

This was known as the Cumberland presbytery, and the time of its organization was 1810. It embraced parts of Tennessee and Kentucky.

Rev. Robert Bell was the pioneer preacher of this church in Mississippi. He was sent as a missionary to the Chickasaw In- dians in the northern part of the State in 1820. He was soon joined by Rev. John C. Smith. Bell continued in this mission until the removal of the Indians. He also preached to the white settlers

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who penetrated into the Indian country. This resulted in the es- tablishment of the first white Cumberland Presbyterian church in Mississippi. The first congregations were organized about 1830. The first presbytery of the church met at Gallatin, Copiah County, in April, 1832. Thomas J. Bryan, Robert Molloy, Samuel W. Sparks and Isaac Shook were its original members.

Rev. H. H. Hill and Rev. William A. Bryan were pioneer preachers who did effective work in establishing the church in Mississippi. In 1834 Rev. W. S. Burney, assisted by A. P. Brad- ley, began holding camp meetings in the State with great suc- cess. Jefferson Brown, Joseph Harrison, Cyrus Wilson, Elane Waddell, Jabez Hickman and F. M. Flincher are names of pioneers of the church that should not be forgotten. The church was not in those days indifferent to education. Sharon Academy in Madi- son County was established about 1838. It was in charge of Rev. Wm. Beard, whose labors were of great help to the church in the State. About 1846 Rev. Robert Morris, of Masonic fame, estab- lished Mount Sylvan Academy, in Lafayette County. A year later Rev. Stanford G. Burney was induced to come to Mississippi from Tennessee and take charge of this school. Dr. Burney continued in this charge until his church established Union Female College at Oxford, and chose him for its first president. As a teacher Dr. Burney did much good for his denomination. He was also pastor of the church at Oxford and preached throughout North Missis- sippi.

Rev. Leonard Cooper established a school of high order at Dale- ville soon after the war. He conducted this school for years, edu- cating many young men for the ministry, and perhaps no man of his church has done more for its advancement in this State, or more for educational interests:

Cuming's Visit. During the years 1807-9, Mr. F. Cuming made an extended tour to the western country, which included the lower part of the Mississippi river and the region washed by it, "par- ticularly the Mississippi territory, which has become of great im- portance to the United States, and is not without its value to Europe, from its immense supply of cotton to the European manu- factures." He not only explored the water courses, but he jour- neyed overland through the then most settled portions of the Ter- ritory. His impressions were recorded in a book, published at Philadelphia, in 1810. A few brief extracts from this work follow. Of Greenville (or Huntstown, its old name) he says it "is very handsomely situated, on a dry sandy plain near the middle branch

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of Cole's creek. It is surrounded at a little distance by small farms and woods, which add variety and beauty to its appearance." To account for its state of decay, he declares it is "subject to bilious disorders, particularly in the autumnal months" and that there "is difficulty in approaching it during floods in Cole's creek, which happen after every rain, and which in a manner insulate it while they last. It consists of one wide straight street nearly half a mile long, running N. by W. and S. by E. intersected by two small cross ones, containing in all 40 tolerably good houses, many of which are now unoccupied and offered for sale, at little more than a quarter of their cost of building." "Uniontown is a small village of three or four houses in decay, about a mile beyond Car- dine's plantation." "Sulserstown is a village of ten small houses, three of which are taverns." Of Washington he writes "I counted thirty scattering houses, including one store, one apothecary's ' shop, three taverns and a gaol, all in one street on the Natchez road. About a quarter of a mile from the east end is a delightful spring, near the bank of St. Catherine's creek, where is a hot and cold bath-the price of bathing is three eighths of a dollar. Wine, liquor and spirits are sold this (is) a fashionable resort of the neighboring country, for several miles around, and from Natchez, between which city and Washington a stage coach plies. Governor Williams has a plantation adjoining the town, and resides in a neat cottage upon it."

Of Natchez he says it "contains between eighty and one hun- dred dwelling houses. . Though Natchez is dignified with the name of a city, it is nevertheless but a small town. There is a Roman Catholick church, which is an old wooden building in de- cay, and there is a brick meeting-house for either Presbyterians or Anabaptists, I am not sure which. These, and an old hotel de ville, or court-house, are the only publick buildings the city boasts, except it be an old hospital, now fitting up as a theatre for a private dramatick society. Several of the houses are new and very good, mostly of wood, and I am informed many (more than half) have been added within the last four or five years. Fort Pan- mure, on the edge of the bluff, is now in ruins. Proceed- ing to the southward from Natchez, in two short miles I came to Colonel (late governour) Sergeant's handsome brick house. The road led through a double swinging gate into a spacious lawn, which the colonel has formed in the rear of his house, the chief ornament of which was a fine flock of sheep. The appearance of this plantation bespoke more taste and convenience than I had

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yet observed in this territory." After a visit at the plantation of Colonel Wm. Scott, where he meets Governor Williams, he pro- ceeds on his journey and passes "several fine and well cultivated plantations, the most conspicuous of which were Mr. Burling's, Sir Wmn. Dunbar's, Mr. Poindexter's, and Mr. Abner Green's. Fort Adams, or Wilkinsonburg is a poor little village of a dozen houses, most of them in decay, hemmed in between the heights and the river." Of Port Gibson he says "This little town of twenty houses is the capital of Claiborne county, and is es- teemed the most thriving place in the territory, notwithstanding it is extremely unhealthy, from the proximity of some stagnant ponds, and the annual inundation of the Mississippi. Every house in Port Gibson is either a store, a tavern, or the work- shop of a mechanick. There is a very mean gaol, and an equally bad court-house, though both are much in use, particularly the latter, as, like the United States in general, the people are fond of litigation. On the whole, Port Gibson and its neighborhood is perhaps the most dissolute as well as the most thriving part of the territory."

Cupid, a postoffice of Tate county.

Currie, a post-hamlet of Smith county, on Oakohay creek, 7 miles south of Raleigh, the county seat. Abel station, on the Gulf & Ship Island R. R., is the nearest railroad town. Population in 1900, 40.

Curtis, Richard. In 1780 Richard Curtis and a party of friends and their families from the vicinity of Charleston, S. C., made the perilous river voyage from the upper Tennessee to the Natchez district. Curtis was a native of Virginia, who had gone with his father's family to South Carolina, where he was a soldier during the revolution. He and his son, John Courtney, John Stampley, Daniel and William Ogden and Mr. Perkins fled to the west to escape the tories and the British. Coming through Tennessee shoals they were exposed to the hostile savages. The Indians availed themselves of their opportunity and fired on the foremost boat, which contained Curtis and his family. The wife of William Curtis shielded her husband with a stool, which caught one or more bullets while he was plying the oar. Another woman seized an oar that her husband might use his rifle, and bravely guided the boat until she was wounded. The second boat passed un- harmed, but the third was captured and all on board murdered,

. except one woman who was held for years and then restored to her friends by treaty. The two surviving boats, after a perilous

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journey, reached Cole's Creek, a few miles above Natchez, where the emigrants formed a settlement. After they constructed their rude cabins they instituted religious worship in their homes. An attack by Indians destroyed their first year's harvest, and they sought refuge at the fort. But this was only a passing circum- stance. This was the first Protestant community west of the Cum- berland settlements in Tennessee. Richard Curtis, a Baptist, was their religious instructor. A Baptist society was soon organized, and a log church building, called Salem, was constructed on Cole's Creek. Elder Curtis was called to preach for the new church, and his labors were very effective, many conversions being made.

Among the new converts was a Spanish Roman Catholic named Stephen De Alvo. This incensed the Catholics. An order was is- sued between the years 1791 and 1795 to all Protestants "to desist from their heretical psalm singing, praying and preaching in pub- lic, or they would be subject to sundry pains and penalties." This was the first coercive act of the Spanish government towards the dissenters in religion on Mississippi soil. In 1795 Gayoso, the Spanish governor and commandant at Natchez, issued an edict declaring "that if nine persons were found worshiping together, except according to the forms of the Catholic church, they should suffer imprisonment." He also wrote "an expostulatory letter to Mr. Curtis demanding that he should desist from what was con- sidered violation of the laws of the Province, and against the peace and safety of the country." Against these despotic measures Mr. Curtis took a firm stand. He replied to the governor, "that in the name and strength of God he was determined to persevere in what he had deliberately conceived to be his duty." This was charac- teristic frankness and courage, and shows the strong purpose of a strong man. He continued to preach, but was arrested April 6, 1795, and carried before Gayoso. The Governor warned him "that unless he desisted from conducting public worship, that he and several prominent adherents, especially Hamberlin and De Alvo, would be sent to work the silver mines of Mexico.". Curtis then promised to refrain from what was an open violation of the law. But on consultion with his brethren decided that the law did not forbid the holding of private meetings. So such meetings were held, but with care and secrecy. There were rumors of these meetings, which incensed the Spanish authorities, and in 1795 it became known that Mr. Curtis had performed a marriage cere- mony. This enraged the Catholics, and on August 23, 1795, a Spanish officer accompanied by soldiers was sent to the settlement

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Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I, Part 60

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association Number of Pages: 1030

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association
Number of Pages: 1030