Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I, Part 75

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 75

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business establishments, a fine cotton gin, two saw-mills, a grist mill, a machine shop, bottling works, a wood working plant, three hotels and three livery stables. Three rural free delivery routes emanate from Forest, and it owns a water plant which supplies it with excellent artesian water. It will soon have an electric light plant. The town has excellent schools for both whites and colored. Its first merchant was John Biscoe. The Presbyterians built the first church. The total valuation of taxable property is $282,000; the tax rate is 9 mills. There are annually shipped from Forest about 14,000 bales of cotton. It also ships large quantities of ties and staves and other forms of timber. It handles more railroad ties than any other station on the A. & V. R. R.

Forkville, a post-hamlet of Scott county, about 12 miles north- west of Forest, the county seat. Morton is its nearest banking town. Population in 1900, 22.

Forman Colony. Gen. David Forman, of Freehold, New Jer- sey, who had commanded the Jersey troops at the battle of Mon -. mouth, made a negotiation with Minister Gardoqui in 1789, in behalf of his brother, Ezekiel Forman, of Philadelphia, to emigrate to the Natchez country with his family and the 60 negroes belong- ing to the general. The party was accompanied by Maj. Samuel S. Forman, and the general's overseer, Capt. Benajah Osmun. Maj. Forman's notes upon the trip were published by Lyman C. Draper in 1888. Arriving at Natchez in the summer of 1790, Eze- kiel Forman bought a plantation of 500 acres on St. Catherine's, about four miles from the town, and engaged in the growing of tobacco. The latter wrote: "At Natchez we made many agree- able acquaintances. Governor Gayoso, a bachelor, was very af- fable and pleasant, and had an English education. The fort-ma- jor, Stephen Minor, was a Jerseyman from Princeton, and Mr. Hutchins, a wealthy planter, was a brother to Thomas Hutchins, the geographer-general of the United States. His wife was a Con- over, from near Freehold village, and knew more about Freehold than I did. Also, a Mr. Moore, a wealthy planter, Mr. Bernard Lintot, who moved from Vermont before the war, and Mr. Ellis, a wealthy planter,-all having large families, sons and daughters, very genteel and accomplished. These all lived from eight to eighteen miles of us. In the village of Natchez resided Monsieur and Madame Mansanteo-Spanish Jews, I think-who were the most kind and hospitable of people. These families, in town and country, formed our principal associates. · Stephen Minor, the fort-major, married the eldest daughter of the planter, Mr. Ellis. Our family was much visited by the Spanish officers, who were very genteel men; and Major Minor was very intimate and seemed to take much interest in us." The Forman's brought the first four wheeled carriage to the district, when the highways were no more than bridle paths, everybody riding horseback. They used it in taking the family strawberrying over the prairies. One of the most noted members of this family was Col. William Gor-

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don Forman, a member of the Territorial legislature, and a can- didate for delegate to congress in 1804.

Forrest County. Provision was made by act of the Legislature, approved April 19, 1906, for the creation and organization of a new county to be called Forrest. It was named for the distinguished Confederate cavalry leader, Gen. Nathan B. Forrest, and its area was made to embrace the second Judicial District of the present county of Perry. The act defined its boundary as follows: "Begin at the northeast corner of Township 5, north, of Range 12, west, of St. Stephen's meridian, then run south along the line dividing Ranges 11 and 12 to the southeast corner of Township 1, south, of Range 12, west, then run west along the line dividing Harrison and Perry counties to the southwest corner of Township 1, south, of range 13, west, then run north along the line dividing Pearl River and Lamar counties from Perry county to the southeast corner of Township 5, north, of Range 14, west, then run west along the line dividing Perry and Lamar counties to the southwest corner of said last named Township, then run north along the line dividing Perry and Lamar counties to the northwest corner of said last named Township, then run east along the line dividing Jones and Perry counties to the point of beginning." It was further provided that the city of Hattiesburg shall be the seat of justice of the new county ; that a special election be held within the area of the new county on the first Tuesday of May, 1907, submitting to the qual- ified electors therein the question of the creation of said new county, and, in case of an affirmative vote on the question, that the Governor shall issue his proclamation declaring that the said county of Forrest shall be organized on the first Monday of January, 1908; that the usual county officers shall be chosen for Forrest county at the time of the regular election for the year 1907; that the present organization of Perry county shall continue undisturbed until the first Monday of January, 1908, as aforesaid, and that the new county shall be attached to the second Supreme Court District, the eighth Chancery Court District, the twelfth Circuit Court Dis- trict, the second Senatorial District, the sixth Congressional District and the second District for the election of Railroad Commissioners. Provision is further made that Forrest county shall assume its proportionate share of the indebtedness of Perry county, and shall receive its proper share of all funds in the hands of the treasurer of Perry county ; also that the new county be furnished with transcripts of all old county records. The proposed county will embrace the western part of Perry county, containing thirteen townships, and includes within its area the large city of Hattiesburg, together with such prosperous towns as Maxie, McLaurin, McCallum, Ralston, etc. Its transportation facilities are of a high order, as it is traversed by four railroad systems-the Gulf & Ship Island, Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City, New Orleans & North Eastern, and Mis- sissippi Central.

When the above sketch was prepared (1906), the special election to be held on the first Tuesday of May, 1907, to vote on the ques-

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tion of creating the county of Forrest, had not been held. There is little doubt that an affirmative vote will result, and that the county will be duly created and organized in accordance with the terms of the organic act.

Forrest, Nathan Bedford, was of a family of frontiersmen who followed the hill country down from Virginia into North Carolina and thence into Tennessee. Shadrach Forrest moved into North Carolina about 1740. His son, Nathan, married a girl of Irish de- scent, came to the Cumberland river country in 1806, and two years later settled near Duck river, in what was then Bedford county. His son, William, a blacksmith, married Mariam Forrest, a sturdy Scotch girl, standing six feet, whose character was as robust as her body. She bore William Forrest seven sons and three daugh- ters, and, marrying again after his death, bore several more chil- dren. Nathan Bedford was her first child, born July 13, 1821. Then there were John, who served in the Mexican war and was disabled by a wound; William, a captain of scouts, who was badly wounded during Streight's raid; Aaron, a lieutenant-colonel of Mississippi, who died from wounds at Paducah; Jesse, colonel of a Tennessee regiment, disabled by wounds at Athens, Ala .; Jef- frey, the youngest, who commanded a brigade at Okolona, and was killed there. In 1834 the family moved to what is now Benton county, Miss., into the wilderness abandoned by the Indians. They were ten miles from a neighbor. Once, when the mother was rid- ing through the woods, a panther leaped upon her from the trees. The father died in a few years, and Nathan Bedford was called upon to care for the family, aided and encouraged by the mother. He grew up with the horses, and made money from his knowl- edge, as well as by good management of the hill farm; and the family, in 1840, was in comfortable circumstances. But he sacri- ficed his own chance of schooling in order to give opportunities to his brothers. In February, 1841, he marched out of Holly Springs with a volunteer company to fight for Texas against the Mexicans; reaching New Orleans, where many were discouraged and started home, he kept on to Houston, with a small band of friends, and then finding no need for his services, worked on a farm to earn his passage back to Mississippi. Jonathan Forrest, his uncle at Hernando, offered him a share in a store there, and that was his business in 1842-52. In one of the affrays that were common, his uncle was shot down and killed in 1845. The young man, menaced by the pistols of the assassins, drew his own pistol, shot down two, and with a knife that was handed him, put the others to flight. In a rage, he was terrible, and no man cared to stand before him. His most profitable business continued to be dealing in horses, and to this he added slaves. The growth of this business, which was also the business of Andrew Jackson many years before, induced him to move to Memphis in 1852. Mean- time he married, in 1845, Mary Montgomery, a lady who held and deserved his adoration. While at Memphis he dealt heavily in real estate, and acquired considerable wild cotton land in Mis-

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sissippi, including two large plantations in Coahoma county. He gave all his attention to planting after 1859, and in 1861 his income was $30,000 a year. He was a man of extreme neatness, never used tobacco, drank rarely, when it seemed needful, and was in no sense a profane man. He enlisted as a private late, in June, 1861, but was soon authorized to raise a battalion of mounted men, with which he first was on duty in Kentucky, in the winter of 1861-62. He was promoted to lieutenant-general in February, 1865. (For his military record see War of 1861-65.) His greatest victory was at Brice's Crossroads, Miss. His greatest reverse was at Harris- burg, Miss. After his surrender at Gainesville, Ala., in May, 1865, he returned to his plantation near Memphis. A few years later he was president and chief builder of the Selma and Memphis rail- road, which failed during the time of financial panic. In 1871-72 he was called before a congressional committee to testify regard- ing the Ku Klux Klan, of which he was popularly supposed to be the head. He testified that he had nothing to do with founding the organization, and the committee accepted his statement in good faith. He was, undoubtedly, the head of the Klan in Ten- nessee, but left it and advised its disbandment, as soon as an op- posing secret organization was abandoned. He began a great deal of litigation because of the railroad enterprise; but in 1877 he said he was tired, every day of his life had been a battle; he dismissed all his suits, turned his thoughts to peace, and died at his home October 24.

Fort Adams, an incorporated post-village of Wilkinson county, on the Mississippi river, about 38 miles south of Natchez. The spot was originally called by the French, "Roche a Davion," for Father Anthony Davion, who established a mission here among the Tunicas in 1698. After 1764 it was known as Loftus Heights by the English, and subsequently and ever since by the present name of Fort Adams. The nearest railroad and banking town is Woodville, the county seat, 15 miles to the east. It has steamboat connection with Vicksburg, Yazoo City, Natchez, etc. Population in 1900, 240.

Fort Adams. This fortification was made after the Spanish with- drawal from Natchez district, as a frontier post near the demarca- tion of Spanish and American domains on the east side of the great river. The site was recommended by Capt. Guion after his arrival in the latter part of 1797, at the historic high lands known as Davion's Rock during the French period, and Loftus heights after the English took possession. The fort was built after Gen. Wil- kinson arrived in August, 1798. It was completed in 1799, and comprised a strong earthwork, magazine and barracks. The en- gineering work was under the direction of Maj. Thomas Freeman, who had been acting theretofore as surveyor of the boundary line, under Commissioner Ellicott. It was named in honor of John Adams, then president of the United States.

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Fort Bayou, a post-hamlet in the southern part of Jackson county, situated on Old Fort Bayou, about 12 miles northwest of Pas- cagoula. Population in 1900, 47.

Fort Dearborn. Governor Claiborne's main effort, during his administration, was exerted to place the Natchez district in a con- dition of military preparedness in case of war with France or Spain, the relations of those countries with the United States be- ing such that some fortuitous circumstance was at any time likely to precipitate hostilities. He was anxious also, at the time when it was reported that Gen. Victor and 10,000 French soldiers were on their way to New Orleans, to occupy that city with his Natchez militia. But before that, as a military center, for the storing of arms and ammunition, for the militia as well as for the United States army, and for wholesome effect upon the Indians, he urged upon the general government the erection of a blockhouse and barracks in the central part of the district. In April, 1802, he was informed that President Jefferson favored the suggestion, and would order a detachment of troops to occupy such a position as might be desired. The governor replied that he would arrange at once for the building of a small blockhouse for temporary use about 400 yards from his house and about the same distance from the town of Washington. In July, he reported that a lieutenant and 36 men from Fort Adams, were stationed near Washington. The site for a blockhouse was selected on the land of Joseph Cal- vit, who proposed to give enough for the purpose. But as the project ripened, the governor decided to create a larger military reservation, and bought from Mr. Calvit, early in 1803, at $15 per acre, 43 acres on a beautiful high ground, abundantly supplied with timber and spring water. By March 1 the work of building was begun according to plans furnished by the secretary of war, Henry Dearborn, afterward a general in the War of 1812, and in his honor the name Fort Dearborn was given.

In August, 1807, Gov. Williams asked Col. Jacob Kingsbury, in command at Fort Adams, to station a detachment at Fort Dear- born, because there were strong grounds to suspect an attempt at insurrection by the negroes at Washington and vicinity. Kings- bury sent a guard under the command of Lieut. John Bowie.

In March, 1808, he asked Kingsbury to put a permanent garri- son at Fort Dearborn, because it was a desirable location, because a garrison there would be in the public interest, and because the works must go to ruin in a few years if not occupied.

When the army at New Orleans, stricken with fever, was or- dered to the town of Washington in 1809, Fort Dearborn came into greater prominence than ever. Gen. Wade Hampton was then in command, with his headquarters there, and Maj. Zebulon Pike was ordered there with all the infantry.

Wilkinson returned to command of the Mississippi military dis- trict after he had been acquitted by the court martial, and made his headquarters at Baton Rouge or New Orleans.

The military at Cantonment Washington were discussing the

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court martial of Col. Cushing at Baton Rouge in December, 1811, when Col. Simonds received orders (Dec. 20) to move to that place, to receive further orders. A hundred men were sent to Nat- chez to prepare transports.

Afterward Cantonment Washington was the scene of organ- ization of the Mississippi regiment, in 1812, under Col. F. L. Clai- borne, and thence they marched to Baton Rouge. Here also, other commands of militia were organized for the Creek war, in 1813 and 1814, and the prisoners captured at New Orleans by Jackson were here for a few weeks under guard in 1815.

Fort Donelson, see Army of Kentucky.

Fort Jefferson. In 1780, Gen. George Rogers Clark, having es- tablished the county of Illinois in the northwest, in behalf of Vir- ginia, in the name of the same state took possession of a bluff on the east shore of the Mississippi, five miles below the mouth of the Ohio, where he erected Fort Jefferson, which was garrisoned with a hundred men. But the Chickasaws, within whose limits the post stood, remonstrated that this proceeding was without their consent, and that no purchase had been made of them of the site. The governor of Virginia had directed such a purchase to be made, but the commandant seemed to be unwilling to act. Con- sequently the Chickasaws got ready a war party, under Colbert, the Scotch half-breed, and attacked the post with a large force in the fall of 1781. The garrison had been reduced to thirty men, who were subjected to a continual onslaught for six days. But the fort was strongly built and well supplied with light artillery, and the Chickasaws were held at bay until the arrival of reinforce- ments under Clark, when the Indians retired. Soon afterward the governor of Virginia ordered the post abandoned as useless, and serving only to provoke the Chickasaws. This was done and hos- tilities ceased. (Monett, Val. Miss., II, 122, M. H. S. Publ., VIII, 556.)

Fort Loring, a post-hamlet of Leflore county, situated on the Southern Ry., 4 miles west of Greenwood, the county seat and nearest banking town.

Fort Maurepas. It was the original intention of d'Iberville to establish the first French colony on the banks of the Mississippi river. Because of its overflow, he had been unable to find a suit- able location during his first voyage of discovery up the Missis- sippi in March, 1699. He returned from his ineffectual search the 1st of April, and spent another week in searching out the shores adjacent to Ship Island, where the fleet was anchored. On Tues- day, the 7th, d'Iberville and Surgeres observed "an elevated place that appeared very suitable." This was on the northeast shore of the Bay of Biloxi. They had found seven to eight feet of water, and concluded to construct the fort there, as they "could find no spot more convenient, and our provisions were failing we could search no longer. On Wednesday, the 8th, we commenced to cut away the trees preparatory for the construction of the fort. All our men worked vigorously, and at the end of the month it was

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finished. In the meantime, the boats were actively engaged trans- porting the powder, guns, and ammunition, as well as the live stock, such as bulls, cows, hogs, fowls, turkeys, etc. The fort was made with four bastions, two of them squared logs, from two to three feet thick, placed one upon the other, with embras- ures for port holes, and a ditch all around. The other two bastions were stockaded with heavy timbers which took four men to lift one of them. Twelve guns were mounted." (Historical Jour. of d'Iberville's expedition.) The Journal further states that the very best men were selected to remain at the fort, including detachments of soldiers to place with the Canadians and workmen, and sailors to serve on the gunboats. Altogether about 100 people were left while d'Iberville returned to France early in May. M. de Sauvolle de la Villantray, lieutenant of a company and naval ensign of the frigate La Marin, was left in command as governor; de Bienville, king's lieutenant of the marine guard of the frigate La Badine was next in command. Le Vasseur de Boussouelle, a Canadian, was major; de Bordenac, chaplain; M. Care, surgeon. There were besides two captains, two cannoniers, four sailors, eighteen fili- busters, ten mechanics, six masons, thirteen Canadians and twenty sub-officers and soldiers who comprised the garrison. This was the feeble beginning of the first white settlement on Mississippi soil. Unfortunately, there were few among the colonists who cared for agriculture, and the colony never became self sustaining. On the return of d'Iberville to Biloxi in January, 1700, he brought with him sixty Canadian immigrants and a large supply of provisions and stores. On this second voyage, he was instructed "to breed the Buffalo at Biloxi; to seek for pearls; to examine the wild mulber- ry with the view to silk; the timber for ship-building, and to seek for mines." Expeditions in search of gold, jewels and valuable furs seem to have chiefly engaged the time and attention of the colo- nists. However, they made thorough explorations of the Missis- sippi and the surrounding country. In 1700 Le Sueur was sent to the upper Mississippi with 20 men to establish a fort in the Sioux country, for the purpose of controlling the copper mines of the Sioux Indians in the interests of France. Meanwhile the French had established forts and settlements in the Illinois country, and learning of the French colony at Biloxi, boat loads of hardy Cana- dians began to arrive from the upper country. Fathers Davion and Montigny, accompanied by a few Frenchmen were their first visitors, having made the long journey in frail canoes. In May 1700, they were visited by M. Sagan, a traveler from Canada, who brought a request from the French minister to M. d'Sauvolle that he be furnished with 24 pirogues and 100 Canadians for the pur- pose of making an exploration of the Missouri river and its branches. During the absence of d'Iberville, his youthful brother Bienville was indefatigable in making explorations to secure the prosperity and perpetuity of the colony. But the health of the colonists suffered severely, and many died from what is now called congestive and yellow fever, including the governor, M. d'Sau-

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volle, who died in the summer of 1700, leaving Bienville in chief command.

September 16, a party of Choctaws arrived at Biloxi to demand of the French some troops to assist them to fight the Chickasaws. The Choctaws at this time had 40 villages, and over 5,000 war- riors. Oct. 25, 20 Mobileans arrived at Fort Maurepas. This na- tion was said to contain about 400 fighting men at this time. De- cember 18, a shallop arrived from Pensacola with the news that MM. d'Iberville and Serigny had arrived there with the king's ships, the Renommee of fifty guns, and the Palmier of forty-four guns. This was joyful news to the garrison, which had been liv- ing for more than three months on corn, and had been much re- duced by sickness, having lost upwards of sixty men, leaving only 150 persons in the colony. Bienville received orders by the shal- lop to evacuate Biloxi, and remove to Mobile river. January 5, 1701, Bienville took up his march for Mobile river, leaving but 20 men under the command of M. de Boisbriant to man the fort. At Dauphin island, Bienville had an interview with MM. de Serigny and Chateaugue, his brothers, who had arrived with a detachment of sailors and workmen, to build a magazine for the reception of the goods and provisions which had been brought from France. On the 16th, he commenced to build the Fort of St. Louis de la Mobile, about 12 leagues above the present city of Mobile, on the right bank of the Mobile, which was the official center of the colony for the next nine years, when a new fort was built on the present site of Mobile, afterward known as Fort Condé.

Fort Mims. After civil war began between the hostile and peace parties in the Creek nation in the summer of 1813, the settlers be- tween the Tombigbee and Alabama built stockades, which were called forts and in which they placed their families for safety. Another stockade, most important of all, because it was the only one east of the Alabama and nearest Pensacola, was particularly the refuge of wealthy half-bloods from Little river, who had sought safety from their hostile kin, in the swamp about Lake Tensas. It enclosed the residence of Samuel Mims, an old and wealthy Indian countryman, near the Tensas boatyard. Mims was the first treasurer of Washington county, in 1800. The stockade en- closed an acre of ground, and for entrances had two ponderous gates. It was very badly situated for military defense, as it was closely approached by woods and canebrakes. Many had taken refuge here when Col. Carson, of the First regiment Mississippi volunteers, reaching Mount Vernon from Baton Rouge, late in July, sent Lieut. A. L. Osborn with 16 men, to assist in its defense. When Gen. Claiborne arrived he detailed Maj. Daniel Beasley, of the same regiment, to' Fort Mims, with the companies of Capts. William Jack and Hutton Middleton. Seventy armed men found in the stockade were organized in a company under Capt. Dixon Bailey, an educated Creek half-breed. An advanced post was es- tablished at Pierce's sawmill, where Lieut. Andrew Montgomery was stationed with 35 men. Claiborne visited the stockade August

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7 and ordered the building of two additional blockhouses, which, it seems, was not done. There were 105 soldiers in the stockade, and altogether the population, white, Indian and negro, male and female, was about five hundred and fifty, says Pickett. "Crowded together, in an Alabama swamp, in the month of August, much sickness prevailed." The hostile Creeks, under McQueen, and Weatherford, a half-breed nephew of the famous Gen. McGillivray, having received supplies from Pensacola, organized a war party at Tallapoosa, and marched to McGirt's plantation, where they halted to obtain information. The affair was a sequel of the attempt of Col. Caller, with a party that included some half-breed Creeks, to cut off the party that brought supplies from Pensacola. In the stockade were a brother and half-brother and several sisters of Weatherford, but the nation was embittered by civil war, over the proposition to make war on the United States.

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Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I, Part 75

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