Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. II, Part 67

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association
Number of Pages: 1032

USA > Mississippi > Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. II > Part 67

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covered with a roof of thin boards; and accommodated with a fire place. They require but four hands to navigate them, carry no sail, and are wafted down by the current." The same author de- clares the historical succession of river craft as: canoe, pirogue, keel-boat, barge and ark.

The galley had a covered deck and was propelled by oarsmen. It was a boat of this pattern that Gen. George Rogers Clark armed as a gunboat on the Lower Ohio and used as a patrolling gunboat during the War of the Revolution. Another familiar type of this boat was the celebrated "Adventure Galley" of the New England pilgrims to Marietta. It was forty-five feet long and twelve feet wide and of about fifty tons burden. Her bows were "raking" or curved, strongly built with heavy timbers and covered with a deck roof. Many of the mail boats of the western rivers in the early days were of this pattern.

Sails were quite generally used on all the river craft previously described. These sails were of every conceivable shape and ma- terial and were resorted to when the winds were favorable. None, however, were distinctively a sailing vessel. The business of building sailing vessels, brigs and schooners, began in the Ohio Basin at the beginning of the last century. The designers in- tended them to drop down the Ohio and Mississippi and then engage in the ocean trade. They were never intended to return, but were the first export carriers, just as the keel-boats were the first important carriers in the commerce between the States. The firm of Tarascon, Berthoud & Co. of Pittsburg, who built the first keel-boats on the Ohio were pioneers in the business of building sailing vessels. They first built the schooner "Amity", of 120 tons, and the ship "Pittsburg" of 250 tons in 1801. The second summer they built the brig "Nanina" of 200 and the ship "Louis- iana" of 350 tons. The brig was sent direct to Marseilles and the ship was sent out ballasted with "stone coal", which was sold at Philadelphia, for 37 and 1/2 cents per bushel. The following year they built the "Western Trader" of 400 tons. In 1803 Thaddeus Harris found several of these ships on the stocks at Pittsburg; three had been launched before April, "from 160 to 275 tons bur- den." (Harris: Tour, p. 43.) Writing from Marietta on May 4, 1803, he says: "the schooner 'Dorcas and Sally', of 70 tons, built at Wheeling and rigged at Marietta, dropped down the river. The following day there passed down the schooner 'Amity', of 103 tons, from Pittsburg, and the ship 'Pittsburg', of 275 ton burden, from the same place, laden with seventeen hundred barrels of flour, with the rest of her cargo in flat-bottomed boats. In the evening the brig 'Mary Avery', of 130 tons, built at Marietta, set sail. The building and lading of SHIPS is now considered as an enter- prise of the greatest importance in this part of the country. The last (1802) there were launched from the ship-yard of Captain Devol, (Captain Jonathan Devon), on the Muskingum river, five miles above its mouth, the ship 'Muskingum', of 204 tons, owned by Benjamin Ives Gilman, Esq., and the brigantine Eliza Greene,

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of 115 tons, owned by Charles Greene, Esq., merchants at Mari- etta. At the spring-flood of the present year, the schooner 'In- diana,' of 100 tons, the brig 'Marietta', of 130 tons, and another of 150 tons, also built here, were launched and descended the river for New Orleans and the trade to the West Indies. This part of the country owes much to those gentlemen, who, in new and experimental lines, have set this example of enterprise and perseverance." One ship from Marietta is said to have had the existence of her port of clearance questioned in Italy.

After the port of New Orleans had passed into American hands and the commerce on the Mississippi and Ohio was relieved of the vexatious exactions of Spain in 1803, the Mississippi river was covered with hundreds of Kentucky flats, loaded with rich cargoes of western produce. The articles of trade that were floated down the Mississippi were as various as the needs of a new and fertile country. Monette writes that "the amount of western trade an- nually increased and soon became almost incredible for quantity and variety. This surplus product of the west was not only such as supplied the demands of New Orleans and the rich settlements of the lower Mississippi, but it furnished hundreds of ship-loads to the ports of the West Indies and Europe." This commerce continued to swell in volume until the War of 1812. The year 1811 saw not less than 500 flat-boats, and forty keels, all well freighted, descend the Mississippi from the Ohio Valley. The trade from the Missouri and the upper Mississippi, began as early as the year 1720, and consisted chiefly of lead, furs and peltries. For the years 1790-1805 this trade amounted . to about $78,000 annually and it increased gradually up to the time of the War of 1812.

Despite the enormous volume of trade down the Mississippi the upstream commerce from New Orleans remained comparatively small, on account of the difficulties of the upward navigation. The cost of transporting cheap, heavy freight was enormous. The first cost at New Orleans of such articles as dry goods, hardware and queensware was sometimes doubled before the goods reached their destination.

The rich planters of Mississippi, and the prosperous agricultural communities of the Ohio and upper Mississippi region had a wealth of surplus products they were ready to exchange for the manu- factures of the Atlantic States and of Europe, and the cost and difficulties involved in supplying their growing wants on account of the impetuous current of the Mississippi grew more and more unbearable. The times were ripe for another power which would turn the tide of commerce up the river, and the dawning of the new era of steam and navigation brought about by the genius of Fulton. The era of the steamboat on the rivers of Mississippi, up to the time it was robbed of its business and pride by the railroads will be found sketched in a separate articles.

Roach, a post-hamlet of Simpson county, 12 miles southeast of Mendenhall. Population in 1900, 23.

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Roads. The building of adequate roads is essential to the proper development of any region. During the period of more than a century covered by the French, British, Spanish and early Ameri- can occupancy of the so-called Natchez District, the ocean, rivers and streams afforded the chief and, indeed, almost the only means of reaching its isolated settlements. One of the first concerns of Mississippi territorial authorities was to open up overland routes of travel to the older settled regions of the United States in the East, and to New Orleans on the South. This policy was regarded as an urgent military necessity in those troublous times, as well as a commercial and economic good, and an important means of attracting new settlers.

Natchez Trace. The earliest and the most famous of the public highways which traversed the present State of Mississippi was the so called Natchez Trace. Its origin is interesting. As soon as the Spaniards finally evacuated the Natchez District, and imme- diately after the organization of the Territorial government of Mississippi, the Federal authorities empowered General Wilkin- son, then in command of the United States troops at Natchez and Fort Adams, to enter into certain negotiations with the Indian tribes south of Tennessee. One of the principal objects of the negotiations with the Indians was to obtain their consent to the opening of public roads and mail routes, from the settlements of the Natchez District, to the frontier settlements of Tennessee and Georgia, thereby facilitating intercourse and trade and promot- ing emigration to the new Mississippi Territory. All the vast region extending north and east of the Natchez District for nearly 500 miles to the distant white settlements on the Cumberland River, Tenn., and to those on the Oconee, in Georgia, was undis- puted Indian territory, with the single exception of the limited area on the Tombigbee and Mobile rivers, to which the Indian title had been extinguished by France and England in former years. The Natchez District was remote and difficult of access. Intercourse with the United States was by the laborious ascent of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to the Kentucky and Tennessee settlements, or else over the lonely Indian trace which led for five hundred miles through the lands of the Choctaws and Chicka- saws, to the Cumberland river. In pursuance of these plans, the Treaty of Chickasaw Bluffs was concluded Oct. 24, 1801, whereby the Chickasaws conceded to the United States the right "to lay out, open, and make, a convenient wagon road through their land, between the settlements of Mero district in the State of Tennessee, and those of Natchez in the Mississippi Territory and the same shall be a highway for the citizens of the United States, and the Chickasaws." Also the Treaty of Fort Adams, concluded Dec. 17, 1801, with the Choctaws, whereby that nation consented "that a convenient and durable wagon way may be explored, marked, opened, and made through their lands; to commence at the northern extremity of the settlements of the Mississippi Ter- ritory, and to be extended from thence, until it shall strike the

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lands claimed by the Chickasaw nation; and the same shall be and continue forever a highway for the citizens of the United States and the Choctaws.

In November, 1801, Gen. Wilkinson asked the Assembly, through Gov. Claiborne, to immediately appoint commissioners to mark a route for a permanent highway from Grindstone Fork by way of Fort Adams to the line of demarcation, whereupon he would build the road, as it was needed "for free communication to the sea for succor, or retreat in case of exigency."

The road from the national boundary to Natchez was laid out in 1802. The governor's journal shows that Hugh Davis and John Collins were two of the commissioners and James Patton a marker. South of Natchez, this road ran close to the river to a station called Tomlinson's, 16 miles distant, thence via Homochitto Ferry, 4 miles, Buffalo bridge 10 miles, Fort Adams 16 miles and Pinckney- ville 11 miles.

April 21, 1806, Congress appropriated the sum of $6,000 for the purpose of opening the road through the Indian country in con- formity to the above treaties.

In 1815, a committee of Congress, appointed to enquire into the expediency of repairing and keeping in repair, the road from Nat- chez to Nashville, reported in favor of an appropriation for that purpose, stating that the subject was then unusually interesting "from the efforts of the enemy to seize upon the emporium of an immense country, as well as other positions in the same quarter, of less, though great importance to the United States. So long as the war continues, New Orleans and other adjacent parts will be liable to invasion, and will, of course, require no inconsiderable force for their defense. During such a state of things, it is highly desirable, indeed necessary, that good roads should facilitate the transmission of intelligence, as well as the march of troops and transportation of supplies, when a passage by water may be too tardy, or wholly impracticable." An appropriation bill was passed in accordance with the recommendations of the committee.

The Natchez Trace crossed the Tennessee river a few miles be- low the Mussel Shoals, at "Colbert's Ferry," and thence pursued a southwesterly course through the country of the Chickasaw's and Choctaw's, to the "Grindstone Ford," on the Bayou Pierre; thence ran south and west to Natchez ; South of Natchez, we have already seen that it followed the general trend of the river to the line of demarcation ; it eventually connected with the various roads lead- ing to New Orleans.

At Nashville, Tenn., this old road connected with the public highway, which ran east to Pittsburg, Penn., via Lexington, Chil- licothe and Zanesville. Under the treaties, the Indians expressly reserved the right to establish public houses of entertainment along this route, as well as the control of the numerous ferries. The stations which sprang up along the road between Natchez and Nashville, and the distances (miles) separating each station from the other, were as follows: Washington, 6; Selsertown, 5;

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Union Town, 8; Huntley (later Old Greenville), 8; Port Gibson, 25; Grindstone Ford, 8; McRavens, Indian line, 18; Brashear's, 40; Norton's, 12; Chotas, 30; Leffloes, 34; Folsom's, Pigeon Roost, 30; Choctaw Line, 43; Indian Agents, 10; James Colbert's, 10; Old Factor's, 26; James Brown's, 17; Bear Creek, 33; Levi Col- bert's, Buzzard Roost, 5; Geo. Colbert's, Tenn. River, 7; Tos- comby's, 16; Factor's Sons, 16; Indian Line, 20; Dobbin's, 5; Stanfield's, Keg Spring, 10; Duck River, 8; Smith's, 8; Boon's, 16; Franklin, 8; McDonald's, 6; Nashville, 12. The total distance to Nashville was 501 miles, and the distance to Pittsburg was 1,013 miles.

Undoubtedly, the road through the Indian country in Missis- sippi was once the old Indian trail leading southwest to the Mis- sissippi river. Down it passed a steady stream of travelers, often men of wealth, journeying to the South in search of land and other profitable investments; up it passed traders, supercargoes and boatmen, from New Orleans, who would make the long return journey overland to their homes 1,000 miles away. They traveled a-foot and on horseback, in small companies for mutual protec- tion, and frequently carried with them rich treasures of specie- the proceeds of their cargoes-packed on mules and horses. Many stories are told of the Mason and the Murel gangs of bandits, who infested this lonesome trail for years.

Natches to Fort Stoddert. There were three important roads, or horse-paths, which traversed the vast expanse of the Mississippi Territory, during the first few years after its organization. First, the road from the Cumberland settlements through the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations to the Natchez District, and known as the Natchez Trace, (Vide ut Supra) ; second, the road from Knox- ville through the Cherokee and Creek nations, by way of the Tom- bigbee, to Natchez ; third, the road from the Oconee settlements of Georgia, by way of Fort Stoddert, to Natchez and New Orleans. While the first of these roads was the most frequented, the third is important because it first bridged the eastern and western parts of the Territory. In the summer of 1807, "agreeably to an act of the legislature, approved February 4th, 1807, Harry Toulmin, James Caller, and Lemuel Henry had completed the duty assigned them as 'commisioners to view, mark, and open a good road on the nearest route from the city of Natchez to Fort Stoddert so as to interesect the new Creek road (the second road above men- This was

tioned) on the line of demarkation east of Pearl river.' the first road from Natchez to St. Stephen's. On the 7th of December following, public notice was given that 'the ferry is now complete over the Alabama river, above Little river, and on the Tombigbee, just above Fort St. Stephen. The way is now. completely opened and marked with causeways across all boggy guts and branches, so that strangers can travel the road with safety, by observing the three notches, or three-chopped way, which cuts off a great distance in traveling from Natchez to Georgia.' This was the first road opened from the western to the

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eastern part of the Territory." (Monette, II, p., 380.) It ran east from Natchez by way of the following stations: Washington, 6 miles ; Hoggat's, 12 miles; Head of Homochitto river, 40 miles; Bogue Chitto, 58 miles; Monticello, 90 miles; Winchester on the Chickasawhay river, 195 miles; Eastern branch of Pascagoula, 206 miles; Sintabogue river ; Fort St. Stephens, 239 miles; Fort Clai- borne, 264 miles; Hurricane Spring, 307 miles; Fort Decatur, 363 miles ; Point Comfort, 374 miles; Chattahoochee river, 405 miles. The total distance to Milledgeville, on the Oconee river was 545 miles.

Natchez to New Orleans. Early in the 19th century two pub- lic roads were opened up, which ran south from Natchez to New Orleans. One ran by way of Madisonville, La., to the head of Lake Ponchartrain and thence across the lake by water to New Orleans, a total distance of 156 miles; the other followed the river south by way of Baton Rouge and the levee. Marschalk's Al- manac for 1819 gives the stations on the Madisonville road, to- gether with the distance of each from Natchez as follows: St. Catharine Creek 4 miles; Second creek 14 miles; Homochitto river 20 miles; the 31st degree N. Latitude 55 miles; crossing at Amite river 59 miles ; Spillers 73 miles; Court house, St. Helena bridge over the Tickfoha river 88 miles; Springfield on Notalbany creek 98 miles; Ponchatoola creek 103 miles; Tangipao river 112 miles ; Madisonville 127 miles; Mouth of Chifuncte 130 miles; over Lake Ponchartrain, to Ft. St. John, mouth of Bayou St. John 150 miles ; St. John's Suburb (Fauxburg) 154 miles ; New Orleans 156 miles. The stations and distances on the Baton Rouge and Levee road were as follows: St. Catharine creek 3 miles; White Apple Village 12 miles; Homochitto river 18 miles; Ferry over Buffalo river 29 miles; Woodville 37 miles ; Sligo 46 miles; Bayou Sara creek 53 miles; St. Francisville in New Feliciana, La., 68 miles ; Buller's Plains 79 miles ; Baton Rouge 95 miles; New Or- leans 219 miles.

Gaines' Trace. This old road ran from "Colbert's Ferry," a few miles below the Mussel Shoals on the Tennessee river, to St. Stephens on the lower Tombigbee. The Federal Government had established a large trading house at St. Stephens, to encourage trade with the Choctaws and other Indians, and as an offset to the Spanish and French trading posts at Mobile and Pensacola, which maintained close trade relations and intercourse with the Choc- taws and Creeks. George Strother Gaines, brother of Gen. E. P. Gaines, held the posts of U. S. assistant factor and factor at St. Stephens, from 1805-1825. It appears that he experienced con- stant trouble with the revenue authorities at Mobile, who exacted duties and delayed his vessels, so that the Federal authorities re- solved to send supplies down the Ohio and up the Tennessee river to Colbert's Ferry. Major Gaines, in his Reminiscences of Early Times in the Mississippi Territory, written for the Mobile Regis- ter, says: "In October, 1810, I received instructions from the Sec- retary of War to proceed to the Chickasaw Nation and endeavor

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to obtain permission of the Indians to open a wagon road from Col- bert's Ferry to Cotton Gin Port, on the Tombigbee, and make ar- rangements to transport the goods thence to St. Stephens. I set out immediately, in obedience to my instructions, had an interview with the leading chiefs of the Chickasaws, who objected to opening the wagon road, but promised me facilities and safety for the trans- portation of goods for the Choctaw trading house, on pack-horses, at a very moderate expense. Lieut. Gaines, by order of the War Department, had six or seven years before this time, surveyed and marked out the road I was instructed to open." After pur- chasing his supplies, Mr. Gaines says: "I then returned on horse- back to Colbert's Ferry, on the Tenn., made arrangements for re- ceiving and 'packing' the goods to Maj. Pitchlyn, at the mouth of the Octibbeha, below Cotton Gin Port. I proceeded to Major Pitchlyn's and with his aid, arranged for transporting the goods down the Tombigbee to St. Stephens."

The trace is thus referred to in the treaty of Chickasaw Council- House, Sep't. 20, 1816: The Chickasaws relinquish their claim and title to the lands "east of a line commencing at the mouth of Caney creek, running up said creek to its source, thence a due south course to the ridge path, or commonly called Gaines' road, along said road southwestwardly to a point on the Tombigbee river, well known by the name of Cotton Gin Port, and down the west bank of the Tombigbee to the Choctaw boundary." The Hunts- ville survey, a short time after, adopted the western boundary of the above Chickasaw cession, and the road can be readily identified today.

George J. Leftwich, in writing of this old road, says: "It will be observed that this trace road leaves the Tombigbee river on an elevated plateau and follows the 'divide' through to the Tennessee, thus avoiding water courses. From Cotton Gin Port this road ran nearly due west about ten miles to a kind of tavern kept by Major Levi Colbert, a Chickasaw chief. There the road forked, one branch leading northeast (northwest?) to Pontotoc, whence it intercepted the Natchez Trace running to Natchez and New Or- leans. The other branch turned southeast through the prairie, running not far from Muldon and West Point to Waverly, in Clay county. There is a strong probability that DeSoto in 1540 fol- lowed this same path through the prairie. Gaines' Trace is still a public road and we are told that Col. J. B. Prewett, of Monroe county, traveled over it in 1824, with his father."

Old Military Road. In accordance with an act of Congress passed April 27th, 1816, a thoroughfare known as 'Jackson's Mil- itary Road was built through Mississippi. It extended from Madi- sonville, Louisiana to a point twenty-one miles north of the Mus- sel Shoals. The work, which was done under the direction of the War Department occupied a period of over two years, June 1817, to Tanuary, 1820." (Riley's History of Mississippi.)

Special Acts. By act of the General Assembly, December 5, 1809, "John Hanes, Benjamin S. Smoot and James Caller be, and

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they are hereby appointed commissioners to employ a fit person to open a road from Pearl river, where the present Choctaw boun- dary line across the same, the nearest and best way to the Chic- asawhay river, so as to intersect the same at, or near the lower end of the Higawana Reserve, and they are hereby empowered to con- tract with said person, for the payment of such sum as may appear reasonable, for the performance of said work, to be paid out of the Territorial treasury, after the fulfillment of said contract: Pro- vided, nevertheless, That the sum to be expended for making and opening said road, shall not exceed three hundred dollars."

By act of Dec. 18, 1811, sec. 31, "The old road leading by or near St. Albans to the Walnut Hills, as laid out by the Spanish govern- ment, be and the same is hereby declared a public road, and shall be used and worked upon accordingly, until altered by order of court, or as hereinafter directed."

By act of Dec. 12, 1812, sec. 1, the following rates and tolls for ferriages across the river Homochitto, where any public road may cross the same were established : "For every wheel carriage twelve and one-half cents per wheel; for every man and horse, twelve and one-half cents; for every foot passenger, six and one- quarter cents; for each and every head of horses or horned cattle, more than one, four cents, if but one, six and one-quarter cents ; and for each and every head of hogs, sheep, etc. the sum of two cents.

By act of January 6, 1814, Harry Toulmin, Burrel Pitman, Eu- gena Chastang, James Taylor, Lewis Blackman, William Patton, George Evans, and William Powe shall be, and they are hereby appointed commissioners to lay out and establish a road from the town of Mobile to M'Cray's ferry on the Buckatanny."

In November, 1816, Micajah Davis, Daniel M'Gahay, Daniel Williams, Jr., Nathan Swazey and Janathan Thompson were ap- pointed commissioners to lay out, open, and keep in repair, a road thirty feet wide, from the city of Natchez to the Louisiana line, following the general direction of a line from Natchez to the river Amite, just below the mouth of Beaver creek.

Huntsville Road. In 1823 a road was marked from Huntsville, Ala., by way of Columbus to Doak's stand, on the Robinson road. As this terminus of the new road was thirty-five miles from Jack- son, and the nearest point on the Robinson road was the Choctaw agency house, ten miles north of the capital, Governor Leake sought to have the Columbus road changed, but it remained for some years the only line of communication between the capital and the populous and prosperous Tombigbee country in northeast Mississippi.

Roadside, a postoffice of Yazoo county, 8 miles southeast of Yazoo City.

Robbs, a post-hamlet of Pontotoc county, about 15 miles south- west of Pontotoc, the county seat. Population in 1900, 20. It has a church, a good school, and 3 stores.

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Roberts, Robert W., was a native of Delaware who migrated to Mississippi when about twenty-one years old, bringing the slaves inherited from his father. He was a circuit judge before he re- moved to northern Mississippi and located at Hillsboro. He rep- resented Scott county in the legislature, 1838-44, and was speaker of the house, in 1842 and 1844. He was elected to congress in 1843 and reelected in 1845. Nobody was his equal as a parliamentarian, during his day in Mississippi. "As a man of honor, a patriot, a good citizen, a true and conscientious and skillful party leader, we have never had his superior," says J. F. H. Claiborne, History, p. 451.

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Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. II, Part 67

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association Number of Pages: 1032

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association
Number of Pages: 1032