USA > Mississippi > Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. II > Part 103
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123
Vick, Newitt, was born in Virginia, March 17, 1766; married Elizabeth Cook, of Virginia, in 1791; removed to North Carolina ; farmed in that State four years; journeyed with his family over land to the Tennessee river where he bought a keel boat, and came down that river and the Mississippi, and located on Cole's creek in what is now Jefferson County, Miss. Some time prior to 1812 he removed to a place six miles east of the present site of Vicks- burg. Soon other Virginians settled in his neighborhood, which was known as "Open Woods." He then cleared and cultivated a piece of land, on a portion of which the city of Vicksburg is lo- cated, and established the quarters of his negroes on the river. He selected as a site for his own residence the present court house square, but before he had time to build he was taken with a severe illness and died August 5, 1819. "Open Woods," the place of his
858
MISSISSIPPI
tomb, is still to be seen. Mr. Vick left thirteen children, all of
whom grew to maturity. He was a Methodist preacher, and it was at his house that the first conference of that denomination was held in Mississippi. In his will he directed that his river place be laid off into lots. They were offered for sale by his adminis- trator in April, 1822. Of the sons of Newit Vick, Hartwell W. became a leading merchant of Vicksburg.
Vicksburg, (Contributed by R. V. Booth.)
Situated on lofty hills overlooking the majestic "Father of Waters" as he winds his restless way to the Gulf, Vicksburg is one of the most romantic and picturesque of our smaller American cities. In the space allotted for the purpose, it will be impossible to give more than a brief sketch of the town, for to write a detailed account of Vicksburg, rich as it is in historic traditions and asso- ciation, would require a volume and a good large one.
In the early part of the nineteenth century, about the year, 1812, there came from Virginia to the Mississippi Territory, a sturdy Methodist pioneer, with his wife and several children, the Rev. Newitt Vick, who located at a point some seven miles northeast of the present city of Vicksburg, called "Open Woods," thus named, it is said, by reason of the fact that the land had been de- nuded of its timber by the Indians. Soon he was followed by a nephew, Foster Cook, and other friends and relatives from Virginia, and in a short while quite a large and interesting colony of settlers gathered around him at his new home.
After he had been living at "Open Woods" some years he ac- quired possession of three or four hundred acres of land on the hills now constituting a part of the present city of Vicksburg, with a view of having it platted into lots, stating at the time that he was about to lay the foundations of what he believed was some day destined to be a great city. He was not permitted, however, to carry out his purpose in person, for, in 1819, he and his devoted wife were stricken with yellow fever, and both died on the same day within a few hours of each other, and now sleep at "Open Woods," where an imposing marble shaft points the curious strang- er to the last resting place of these noble pioneers. By his will he provided that his executor should carry out his design, which was accordingly done by his son-in-law, the Rev. John Lane, who, in 1824, had the town surveyed and laid off in lots, and thus were sown the seed which have germinated and grown into the present throbbing, pulsating city.
Vicksburg was originally incorporated on the 29th day of Janu- ary, 1825, under the name of "The President and Selectmen of the town of Vicksburg," by which it was known until, 1836, when the name was changed to, "The Mayor and Aldermen of the city of Vicksburg," which it still retains. After its incorporation a steady stream of robust citizenship of Virginia, the Carolinas, Kentucky, and some of the eastern states, poured into the town, until in 1835, it had expanded into quite a prosperous little city of twenty-five hundred or three thousand souls.
859
MISSISSIPPI
It would be quite impossible to name all the good people who figured in the early history of Vicksburg, and adorned the social and industrial walks of city-life, but among them may be mentioned the Vicks, the Cooks, the Gibsons, the Pinckards, the Guions, the Sharkeys, the Randolphs, and a little later on, the Yergers, the Lakes, the Smedes, the Marshalls, the Colemans, the Paynes, the Booths, and a host of others might be mentioned whose descendants are still prominent in the various business enterprises of the city and county.
I may be permitted to dwell a while on the names of two very distinguished men who were intimately identified with the early history of Vicksburg.
Sargent S. Prentiss, whose name is imperishably interwoven with some of the brightest pages of Mississippi's annals, came to the state from Maine when about nineteen years of age, locating first at Natchez, where he pursued for several years the vocation of a school-teacher, indulging his spare hours in the study of law pre- paratory to his admission to the bar. Soon he was licensed to prac- tice, and Vicksburg offering a more inviting field for the display of his peculiar talents, he came to the city, "hung out his shingle," and entered upon his professional career, the most brilliant, per- haps, in the history of the Southwest. From the very start his success was phenomenal. I have it from the lips of men whose pleasure it was to sit beneath the inspiring strains of his match- less eloquence, that he wove a spell of necromancy around the hearts of all who heard him, and brought them willing captives in silent adoration at his feet. I do not think it too much to say, that in the realm of forensic eloquence, he was surpassed by no orator of ancient or modern times. As Edgar Allen Poe was an eccentricity of genius in the field of literature, so Sargent S. Pren- tiss was an eccentricity of genius in the field of oratory. Unique in his way, he lived without a rival, and up to the present time he has had no successor.
The other to whom I refer was Joseph Holt, who afterwards be- came Postmaster General in President Buchannan's Cabinet, and later on Judge-Advocate General of the United States army. He was a man of profound ability, an accomplished lawyer, a finished orator, and almost always the opponent of his great rival, Prentiss, in the courts. He amassed a handsome fortune during his residence in Vicksburg, and won an immortality of fame.
Shortly after its incorporation, a city government was inaugu- rated of the best men in the community, churches were established, schools were organized, and the little city started upon its brilliant and historic career.
A sketch of this character would be incomplete without some reference to the Press of the day. The first paper published was "The Republican," the initial number making its appearance on March 1st, 1825, William H. Benton, editor and proprietor; on March 30th, 1826, the name was changed to "The Eagle and Vicks- burg Weekly Advertiser." The next in the order of time was the
860
MISSISSIPPI
"Vicksburg Register," M. Shannon & Co. publishers, Cyrus Griffin, editor. On Sept. 30th, 1831, the name was altered to "The Advocate and Register," with the same publishers, and William Mills, editor. On January 31st, 1838, began the publication of the "Vicksburg- Tri-Weekly Sentinel," with James Hagan as its editor and pub- lisher. The tragic history of this paper furnishes one of the sad- dest chapters in the early story of the city. It was the organ of the Democratic party, an intensely partisan sheet, and though conduc- ted with considerable ability, its vindictive and vituperative utter- ances constantly involved its editors in personal difficulties, five of whom on account of which, met violent deaths, the first being James Hagan, himself, the owner and proprietor, who was killed by Gen'l. Dan Adams in a street encounter. The paper continued its precarious career until, 1860, when Roy, its last editor, was killed by Shepard at the corner of Washington and Clay streets, shortly after which the "Vicksburg Sentinel" breathed its last, leaving behind only a train of bloody memories.
On January 1st, 1839, the "Advocate and Register" became merged into the "Vicksburg Daily Whig," with Shannon and Mc- Cardle, publishers, and the versatile and accomplished Wm. H. McCardle, editor. The "Whig" was the only "Daily" published in the state, and the leading journal of Mississippi. Its editorial columns were marked by a high order of ability, and it was an in- fluential factor in shaping the business and political policies of the state. It passed out of existence amid the storms of war, for its last issue was on the 2nd of May, 1863, when the reverberating thunder of hostile guns was echoing along the hills and vales of the beleagured city, of whose dearest interests this faithful journal had been a staunch defender for twenty-five years.
In 1835, attracted by the allurements which a frontier life ever holds out to adventurous spirits, there floated in on the tide of immigration that had set in this direction, a large number of men the scurf and scum of social life, who had been driven from the haunts of vice in the larger and older cities of the land, and among them were a lot of gamblers of the baser and meaner stripe. These men finally became so shameless in the prosecution of their nefa- rious vocation, that it became unsafe for a lady to go upon the streets unattended, for fear of insult. The better portion of the community at last was so outraged at the immoralities and mis- doings of these social brigands, that a public meeting of the citizens was called at which it was determined that these outcasts should be expelled and driven from the city, and accordingly a committee, with Dr. Hugh Bodley at its head, was appointed to notify them to leave within twenty-four hours. Failing to heed this warning and admonition, a company was organized and marched to their headquarters on North Washington street, where they had barri- caded themselves, and refusing to open the door it was broken in, and Dr. Bodley being at the head was shot to death. This so intensified the feelings of the outraged citizens that five of the law-breakers were arrested and marched under an armed guard to
861
MISSISSIPPI
the old city Cemetery on the corner of Clay and Farmer steets, where they were publicly executed by hanging. A sixth one whose sins, perhaps, were not quite so grave as the others, was taken to the center of the great river and with his hands pinioned behind him, he was set adrift in a skiff on the current of the mighty stream, and what became of this social derelict, whether he was swallowed up in the vortex of the murky waters, or whether some kindly hand rescued him from a terrible fate, tradition gives no answer. It
may be that the conduct of the citizens on this occasion cannot be defended on moral grounds, but it must be remembered that "desperate diseases require desperate remedies" and whether right or wrong, it taught a salutary lesson, for from that day to this, no such experience has again fixed itself on the body politic.
At the time of which I write, there came another young man from Maine, the Rev. Charles K. Marshall, who married a daugh- ter of Newitt Vick, and for more than fifty years was closely associated with the business and religious interests of the city. Dr. Marshall was a man of splendid appearance, gifted in a high degree, and of rare accomplishments, and one of the most eloquent of the pulpit orators of the Methodist Church, rich as it has ever been in illustrious names. He died some fifteen years ago at a great old age, deeply lamented by all.
From this time on Vicksburg grew in commercial importance, until the baneful shadows of the Civil war settled down upon the country in 1860-61. The war, of course, put a stop to all commer- cial progress, and Vicksburg soon became an armed camp, this city and county having contributed some twenty-one companies to the. Confederate armies. During the continuance of the struggle every- thing was dedicated to its successful prosecution, and of course, not much progress in other directions was made or could be ex- pected.
In 1862, the Federal Government became impressed with the conviction that the capture of Vicksburg was essential to the suc- cess of the Union cause, and all of its energies were directed to the accomplishment of this purpose. Accordingly in December, 1862, General Sherman made the attempt, impotent from a mili- tary point of view, to turn the right wing of the Confederate de- fences at Haynes Bluff, but he was met by a small force under the leadership of our distinguished citizen, Gen'l Stephen D. Lee, and suffered a most disastrous and humiliating defeat. This ended all effort to capture the town from that direction. But in the early spring of 1863, General Grant was placed in command and ordered to take such steps as he thought best to compass the fall of the city. His astute mind at once took in the situation, and he adopted the only feasible plan to accomplish the end in view, and, under the existing conditions, not a difficult one. He had at his command an army estimated at about eighty thousand men, and he marched his troops across the Delta peninsular, to a point on the Louisiana shore opposite to Bruinsburg, and under cover of his gun-boats, for he had full possession of the river, crossed his army to the
862
MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi shore, and then commenced his march to the investment of the city. To this immense army General Pemberton could oppose only about twenty-eight thousand men, and though engagements were fought at Port Gibson, Champion Hill, and Raymond, yet, on account of the great inequality of the contending forces, it would hardly do violence to truth to say, that General Grant's march to the investment of Vicksburg, was an uninterrupted one. After a small resistance at Big Black General Pemberton retired with his army within the fortified lines around the city, and thus began one of the most memorable sieges of modern times. Between May 5th, the beginning of the investment, and July 4th, 1863, the date of the surrender, General Grant made several deadly assaults on the Confederate works in the vain hope of carrying the city by storm, but each was repulsed with disastrous effects as the seven- teen thousand dumb witnesses who sleep in our beautiful national cemetery two miles north of the city, but too plainly attest. No more heroic defence than that made by General Pemberton and his gallant army is recorded in the annals of history, and in the light of the well-established facts of history, the suggestion that was whispered in certain quarters at the time, of treachery, because the surrender occurred on the 4th of July, is not only totally unwar- ranted, but is a most unjust aspersion on the memory of a gallant, if unfortunate commander. It was believed at the time that the fall of Vicksburg sealed the doom of the Confederacy, but whether this is true or not, that, in connection with the battle of Gettysburg, undoubtedly hastened the end.
A few of the caves dug by the inhabitants during the siege to protect them from the bursting shells, are still visible in different portions of the city, and, while objects of curious interest to the tourist, are sad reminders of the vanished hopes and aspirations of a brave and heroic people.
When the curtain went down at Appomattox in April, 1865, on the last act in one of the bloodiest tragedies of modern times, the South was left prostrate and in ruins, and Vicksburg, by reason of the long and disastrous siege, suffered more perhaps than other places, but her brave men and noble women laughed in the face of disaster, and, with undaunted courage, entered upon the battle of life with renewed energy. The decade, covering the period ex- tending from 1865 to 1875, known as the Re-construction era, was the darkest hour in Vicksburg's history, worse even than war with all its train of horrors. Her municipal and all other official sta- tions were filled by ignorant negroes, with a small sprinkling of carpet-bag thieves who absolutely revelled in the stolen plunder wrested from the good people of the community. The city is at this moment staggering under the load of debt fixed upon it by these thieving aliens of thirty-five years ago. But there is an avenging Nemesis that wearies never in the pursuit of the guilty culprit, and in 1875, Mississippi summoned her unconquerable man- hood to the rescue, and in a civic revolution almost without pre- cedent, she drove the negroes and their carpet-bag allies into dis-
--
863
MISSISSIPPI
graceful retirement from the offices which they were polluting, and restored them to the rightful custody of their native owners, since which time our mighty Commonwealth has gone forward in its grand march of progress and prosperity. From this time dates modern Vicksburg, but in 1876, an event occurred which for a while threw a damper over the spirit of her citizens, and retarded the growth of the city for many years. I refer to the cut-off made in front of the city in May of that year. For four or five years suc- ceeding this event the river gradually receded until it had gone some two miles south, but about this time the United States gov- ernment said to the great river, "Thus far shalt thou go but no farther," and instructed its Engineers to so revet the Delta Point as to protect the banks against further caving. This partially re- stored confidence in the permanency of the city, and the stability of values, but confidence was not entirely restored until about eight years ago when the government, under the able superinten- dence of the accomplished Engineer, Major J. H. Willard, under- took the stupendous feat of diverting the Yazoo River from its ancient bed into "Lake Centennial," and thence along the front of the city. The consummation of this gigantic enterprise was wit- nessed on the 22nd day of December, 1902, for when the good citi- zens awoke on that morning, and came to their various places of business, their eyes were greeted by the sight of a rapid bounding river coursing its way along the entire city front, where for twenty years had been dry land. This instantly had the effect of produc- ing profound confidence in the future of the city, and, from that moment, Vicksburg has been going ahead by leaps and bounds, to the achievement of her splendid destiny.
In the foregoing pages I have written of ancient Vicksburg and will now conclude this brief and imperfect sketch with an account of Vicksburg as it is today, and of its prospective future.
The corporate limits of the city have not been extended since 1884, and therefore, the recent census returns do not give it credit for its real size and importance, for after careful investigation, it may be truthfully stated, that Vicksburg, with its suburban Addi- tions, has a population of, approximately, thirty thousand souls, and is inreasing in growth rapidly day by day.
Geographically considered, there is no place on the Mississippi river more favorably situated. Located just equi-distant from Memphis on the north, and New Orleans on the south, at the foot of the "Imperial Yazoo Delta," in the very heart of the finest cot- ton-belt on the globe, and, admittedly, the best long-staple cotton- market in the world, she has but to utilize the opportunities nature has thrown in her way, to give her a commanding influence in the commercial future of the Mississippi Valley.
Possessed of all the utilities that enter into the make-up of a modern metropolitan city, such as public schools, water works, with sewerage, electric lights, gas works, street railroads, and a fire department that, it is no exaggeration to say. is as fine as can be found in any city of the land, with a Board of Trade, Cotton Ex-
864
MISSISSIPPI
change, and Business League, composed of its best citizens all working together harmoniously for the betterment of the city, Vicksburg is no laggard in the march of progress. Besides these, she has two great trunk lines of railroad crossing each other at right angles, running north and south, east and west, with the gen- eral machine shops of the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad located within her borders, giving constant employment to from five to seven hundred skilled operatives, with a pay-roll averaging from forty to fifty thousand dollars per month.
At Walters, her northern suburb, the Houston Brothers, and the Anderson-Tully Co., have two of the most extensive milling plants in the South, which employ some five hundred men.
Vicksburg has four national banks, and nine savings banks and trust companies, to handle her ever increasing trade and financial interests. Fourteen regular steamboats, and a larger number of smaller craft, constantly ply her waters and land weekly at her wharf. A dry dock, two compresses, three cotton-seed oil mills, a furniture factory, successful beyond expectation, veneering fac- tory, box factory, basket factory, and a large number of smaller enterprises, enter into the make-up of her industrial life. As I write, an elegant eight story steel building for the First National Bank is rapidly approaching completion, while another sky-scraper is projected only two blocks away, with the spirit of improvement dominating its people, for turn in whatever direction we will, the sound of the hammer and the buzz of the saw make sweet music to the ear.
Its lofty elevation, and magnificent natural drainage, make Vicks- burg one of the healthiest cities of the land, its mortuary statistics showing a death-rate of only a little over ten per thousand. In view of these facts it is not strange that the stream of immigration should empty into her environs with an ever accelerated flow. Two additional lines of railway, at least, will at an early day be com- pleted into the city.
The present municipal government is controlled by her best and most substantial citizens. Mr. B. W. Griffith, president of the First National Bank, is mayor, and another of our bankers, Mr. P. M. Harding, president of the Delta Trust and Banking Co., with nine of our leading merchants, constitute its Board of Alder- men, under whose administration the city is progressing as never before.
"The Vicksburg Daily Herald," under the editorial management of the able and accomplished J. K. McNeiley, is the leading and most influential journal in Mississippi, and two evening papers, the "Vicksburg Evening Post," and the "Vicksburg American," with two weekly papers, "The Monday Morning News," and "Vicksburg Democrat," make up the city press.
Vicksburg has even been distinguished for the ability of its Bar, and now ranks with the ablest in the State, but candor compels us to admit that in its es prit' de corps, and lofty ethical ideals, it lags far behind the Vicksburg Bar of the olden time, when such
865
MISSISSIPPI
master spirits as Prentiss, Holt, John I. Guion, J. P. Harrison, George S. Yerger, William C. Smedes, Thomas A. Marshall, Wil- liam A. Lake, Walker Brooke, and others, ministered at its altar.
I have reserved for the last, one of the most attractive features of modern Vicksburg. To perpetuate the honor and valor of the American soldier, our Great Government has established a mag- nificent National Military Park, in the shape of a half-moon along the lines of the contending armies during the siege. The Park embraces about fourteen hundred acres, with twenty odd miles of gravelled drive-ways, and experts say there is no more beautiful or picturesque spot on the continent than this. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, have already placed their memorials, the last at a cost of $250,000.00, whose magnificent proportions can be seen for miles around in all directions. Iowa has hers nearly completed at a cost of $150,000.00 and the Legis- lature of Mississippi at its late session appropriated $50,000.00 for the like purpose, and soon our noble State will raise her shaft of honor in memory of her heroic dead, who fell in defence of as holy a cause as ever inspired the human heart.
Under the splendid management of the courteous and gen- tlemanly Cap't. W. T. Rigby, Chairman of the Commission, this Park when finally completed in accordance with the purpose of our generous government, will be one of the most beautiful in the world. Thousands of tourists already visit it annually to feast their eyes on its exquisite loveliness. Here sits Vicksburg to-day, throned on her everlasting hills, exhibiting in full a realization of Newitt Vick's prophetic dream of eighty odd years ago. Around her brow Fame has entwined its wreath of immortality, and while its citizenship will change with the passing of the years, its fame, like that of another Thermopylae or a Marathon, will go sounding down the ages linked forever to the chivalry of its heroic manhood, and the beauty, loyalty, and devotion of its matchless womanhood.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.