Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. II, Part 93

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 93

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Then came the elevation of Santa Ana, with a promise of less "Centralism," and peace was restored. In 1833 the Texans held a

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convention to ask separate statehood, after the manner of the States in the United States ; but a revolution was raging, and Col. Austin was imprisoned for a year when he went to the capital to present the subject. It became apparent that Santa Ana would play the part of dictator; there was a terrible tragedy in suppressing insur- rection at Zacatecas ; preparations were made for a military occupa- tion of Texas, under Gen. Cos, and on October 1, 1836, occurred the battle of Gonzales, in which the colonists were aggressors against a Mexican garrison. An army was then organized under Col. Aus- tin, including such men as Archer, Fanning, Travis, Rusk, Bowie, Moore, Caldwell, Neil, Grayson, Hall, Carnes. Samuel Houston was commander in the Nacogdoches district, and later, commander- in-chief. Goliad was taken, a battle was fought at Concepcion, and in December, 1835, San Antonio was captured. Companies of soldiers arrived from the Southern States to aid the colonists. But the revolutionists met with reverses, and March 27 there was a treacherous massacre at Goliad of the survivors of a fierce prairie battle. Under Sam Houston as commander-in-chief, the colonists rallied and defeated the Mexican troops decisively at San Jacinto, April 21, taking prisoner Santa Ana himself.

News was received at Natchez of the assault and capture of San Antonio by the revolutionists in January, 1836, and this was fol- lowed in March by tidings of the counter blow, at the Alamo. A meeting was called at once, of which Capt. John A. Quitman was president and Gen. Felix Huston secretary. It was resolved that Santa Ana must fall. About $2,000 was soon subscribed for vol- unteers. Recruits were instructed in the newspapers to be cautious about their expressions, in order to avoid arrest for violating the neutrality laws, but there was really no danger. Quitman, who had been chancellor, president of the senate and acting governor of Mississippi, led the first company, that sailed April 5, about forty men, including 15 of the Fencibles, the famous military and social organization of which he was the head. Huston waited to organize a larger force from all parts of the State, and made arrangements with leaders in Louisiana and Arkansas to rendezvous in May. The Eleventh reunion of the Natchez Fencibles and Vicksburg Volun- teers that April was brilliant with excitement. Their mottoes, "Try Us" and "Always Ready" were cheered to the echo by the as- semblage of gallant men and beautiful women of the two cities. But news soon arrived of the rout and capture of Santa Ana. Gen. Thomas J. Green, formerly a citizen of Mississippi, visited the State, in March, holding meetings to enlist volunteers and raise funds to support the revolution. Military commissions were dis- tributed by him, among those thus honored being Benjamin W. Ed- wards. Henderson, a young lawyer from North Carolina, was one of the most enthusiastic volunteers, and became a prominent official of the new republic. Huston and another Mississippian (Foote?) offered to join with Green in becoming responsible for a loan of $200,000 at New Orleans. Quitman and his men reached San

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Antonio in time for their leader to see and talk with Santa Ana be- fore his return to Natchez in May.

In the meantime Texas had declared her independence. Richard Ellis was president of the convention and David G. Burnet was elected president of the republic. Senator Robert J. Walker, of Mississippi, introduced the resolution in the United States senate, recognizing the independence of Texas, passed January, 18, 1837. (Foote, "Texas and Texans;" Mississippi archives and newspaper files.)

Text, a postoffice of Jasper county, 16 miles southwest of Paul- ding, the county seat.

Text-Book Commission. A law of 1904 required the governor to appoint eight educators of known character and ability in their profession, to constitute, with the State superintendent of educa- tion, "the Text-Book commission of Mississippi." The commission is required to adopt a uniform system of text-books for use in the public schools of the State, to be kept in use for five years, and re- ceive bids from publishers, and make contracts for obtaining the same, the publishers, whose bids are accepted, being required to maintain one or two depositories in the State, and .two or more agencies in each county where the books may be obtained at the contract price. Governor Vardaman appointed as the commission : D. A. Hill, Booneville ; L. H. Jobe, Dumas ; C. E. Saunders, Green- wood; O. A. Shaw, Winona; L. Q. C. Williams, Leakesville; T. K. Boggan, Collins; H. P. Hughes, McComb City ; E. L. Bailey, Jack- son. The system was put in operation in the summer of 1905.

Thacher, Joseph S. B., a native of Massachusetts, was reared and educated at Boston, where his father held judicial office. He came to Natchez in the early '30's, and from 1833 to 1837 was judge of the district criminal court, succeeding John I. Guion. He was elected in 1843 to the High court of errors and appeals, pledged to render an opinion sustaining the repudiation of the Union bank bonds. The campaign had disagreeable features, and he was defeated six years later by the Whig candidate, Cotesworth P. Smith. Judge Thacher is remembered as an earnest advocate of education, inter- ested in science and fine arts, and an author of literary essays of considerable merit.

Thames, a post-hamlet of Covington county, 5 miles southeast of Williamsburg, the county seat. Population in 1900, 20.

Thanksgiving. In his last message, November 2, 1857, Governor John J. McRae wrote: "Since I have been in office I have, each year, as Governor of the State, without any authority of law, but sustained by ancient custom, appointed a day of Thanksgiving. Thursday, the nineteenth day of this month, is the day now ap- pointed, and I trust it will be observed. There is certainly some superruling Providence which has brought us into existence, and. which will ultimately accomplish the ends for which we were created, not only as individuals, but as a people. Nothing can, therefore be lost by recognizing the obligation which we owe to that Supreme Being-by it much may be gained."

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Thaxton, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Pontotoc county, on a tributary of the Tallahatchie river, about 11 miles from Pontotoc, the county seat. Population in 1900, 56. It has 2 churches, a good school and a ginnery.

Thayer, a hamlet of Lincoln county, 7 miles south of Brookhaven, the county seat, and nearest banking town, and 3 miles north of the station of Bogue Chitto. The postoffice at this place was recently discontinued, and it now has rural free delivery from Bogue Chitto. Population in 1900, 46.

Thelma, a hamlet of Chickasaw county, 6 miles due north of Houston. Houlka is the nearest railroad town. Population in 1900, 20. It has rural free delivery service from Houston.

Thomastown, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Leake county, on the Yokahockany river, 55 miles northeast of Jackson, and 12 miles northwest of Carthage, the county seat. Kosciusko is the nearest railroad and banking town. It has two churches and a college. Population in 1900, 54.

Thomasville, a post-hamlet of Rankin county, 9 miles south of Brandon, the county seat and nearest banking town. It has 2 churches, 2 stores and a good school. Population in 1900, 31.

Thompson, a post-hamlet in the northeastern part of Amite county, on the East Fork of the Amite river, about 12 miles from Liberty, the county seat and nearest banking town. Population in 1900, 40.

Thompson, Hugh Miller. The Right Reverened Hugh Miller Thompson, D. D., LL. D., second Bishop of the Protestant Episco- pal Church in the Diocese of Mississippi, was born, of English parentage, June 5, 1830, at Tamlaght O'Crilly, County of Derry, Ireland. His parents came to the United States during his child- hood, and he received his early academic education from private instructors at Caldwell, New Jersey, and Cleveland, Ohio. He did not attend any college or university, but having determined to study for the ministry of the Protestant Episcopal Church, he went to the seminary at Nashotah, Wisconsin, for his theological train- ing. He describes his going to that institution as follows :

"I walked from Milwaukee to Prairieville (now Waukesha), and thence tramped on to Nashotah. On the road through the woods then between Delafield and "Nashotah House," I met a stout, elderly gentleman in black with a white neck-tie, a pair of gold-bowed spectacles, and a pleasant, fresh, white and red face. He bowed in passing, and was shortly thereafter overtaken by a younger man, black-haired, spare, and also with gold-bowed spec- tacles over curious, questioning eyes. The younger gentleman joined me and in a few, short, sharp questions found out what he wanted ; i. e., he turned me inside out ; told me the gray-haired gen- tleman was Bishop Kemper, and that he was Professor William Adams,-the man who was to have more influence upon my intel- . lectual development than all other living men together.

"When we reached Nashotah my heart sank within me. I had expected to find some outward and visible sign of an institution

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of learning. I found a group of shanties! I would have walked back the next day to Milwaukee, but Professor Adams put his arm in mine and led me along the trail by the Lake-shore, and he talked. I had never met a scholar like this before. Here was a man who could teach me something, and I stayed and studied and worked for three years."

He was graduated from Nashotah in 1852, and, June 6 of that year was ordained to the Deaconate by Bishop Kemper. He was or- dained to the Priesthood four years later, August 31, 1856, by the same Bishop; and until 1870 he continued to be associated with Nashotah Seminary and the missionary work of the Episcopal Church in Wisconsin and Illinois. He had charge of the missions at Portage and Baraboo, Wisconsin, and was rector of St. John's, Elkhorn ; St. Matthew's, Kenosha ; and the Atonement, Milwaukee. In 1854 he was married to Caroline Berry, who died a few years after. On October 25, 1859 he was married to Anna Weatherburn Hindsdale, daughter of Henry Butler Hindsdale, of Kenosha, Wis., who survives him. From 1860 to 1870 he was professor of ecclesi- astical history at Nashotah, having at the same time charge of the parishes at Kenosha and Milwaukee. During this period he founded Kemper Hall, a school for girls at Kenosha, which work still continues, now under the charge of the Sisters of St. Mary; and was also editor of the "American Churchman," a paper which wielded great influence in the Episcopal Church. He was rector of other congregations, viz., Grace Church, Madison, Wis .; the Nativity, Maysville, Ky .; Grace Church, Galena, Ill. ; and St. James' Church, Chicago.

Bishop Thompson received the honorary degrees of Doctor in Divinity, from Hobart College, N. Y., 1863, and of Doctor of Laws, from the University of Mississippi, 1885.

In 1870 he went to New York as the rector of Christ Church. While here he became editor of "The Church Journal and Gospel Messenger," and as such made himself notable throughout the whole country for his remarkable strong and scholarly editorials. Two volumes of his editorials in this paper have been published under the title of "Copy" and "More Copy."

In 1875 he became the rector of Trinity Church, New Orleans, La., and there he continued for eight years, until his election and consecration as Bishop-Coadjutor to Bishop William Mercer Green, of the Diocese of Mississippi. He was consecrated Bishop in Trin- ity Church, New Orleans, February 24, 1883; and at the death of Bishop Green, in 1887, he became Bishop of the Diocese of Missis- sippi, in which office he continued until his death, November 18, 1902. His remains lie buried in St. Colomb's Chapel, Jackson, Miss.

Bishop Thompson was the author of the following publications : (1) "Copy"; Essays from an Editor's Drawer. 1872. (many · editions).

(2) "More Copy ;" Second Series of Editorials. 1897.

(3) "The World and the Logos." (Bedell Lectures, Kenyon College). 1886.

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(4) "The World and the Kingdom." (Paddock Lectures, Gen-

eral Theological Seminary, New York.) 1888.

(5) "The World and the Man." (Baldwin Lectures, University of Michigan), 1890.

(6) "The World and the Wrestlers; Personality and Responsi- bility." (Bohlen Lectures, Philadelphia.) 1895.

(7) "Unity and Its Restoration.'

(8) "Sin and Penalty."

(9) "First Principles."

(10) "The Kingdom of God."

(11) "Absolution in the Light of Primitive Practice."

(12) "Is Romanism the Best Religion for the Republic?"

Thompson, Jacob, was born in Caswell county, N. C., May 15, 1810; was graduated at the university of that State in 1831, and remained for some months at the university as a tutor ; he read law at Greensboro, and was admitted to practice in 1835, whereupon he started to make his home at Natchez ; but on reaching Columbus, Miss., was induced to remain in eastern Mississippi, where the re- cent cession of land by the Chickasaws opened great opportunities for wealth. Consequently he accompanied his brother, Dr. James Y. Thompson, to Pontotoc, where the land office was opened, and thereafter made his home there. He began to take an active part in politics, to which his life was mainly devoted, and made his first speech at Pontotoc in opposition to the proposition that the State should issue $5,000,000 bonds for the Union bank. The State was, however, too tight in the grip of the speculative mania to heed his warning. In 1837, when the Chickasaw cession was divided into ten counties, and Governor Lynch refused to issue writs of election for the representatives in the legislature, according to his under- standing of the constitution, Thompson was the leader at Pontotoc of the party that demanded immediate representation, opposed by William Y. Gholson and others. He drew up an address to the Chickasaw counties advising elections under local writs. He was accordingly nominated for attorney-general of the State by those favoring his views, but was defeated by a small majority. But the part he took in the organization of courts in each of the new coun- ties confirmed him in a position of leadership in north Mississippi. The suspension of the banks followed, and the political revulsion which put Prentiss in congress. The Democratic party made a great fight to recover power, with A. G. McNutt and repudiation as the State issue, and Albert G. Brown and Jacob Thompson were the nominees for congress. The ticket was elected in November, 1839. The returns were collected by special runners, and a cer- tificate reached Thompson in time, by special courier from the governor, so that he was able to reach Washington for the Decem- ber session, and by his vote, tie the house on a famous contested election case. Thompson devoted himself in congress to the busi- ness interests of his people, as affected by the national regulations regarding post roads, pension rolls, land titles, etc., and made him-

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self stronger than his party in Mississippi. By continued reelection he remained in congress 18 years, until March 4, 1857.

He made a gallant fight for his party in the State campaign of 1840; and in 1841 wrote a letter in defense of the repudiation of Union bank bonds that was of great influence in sustaining the action that was taken. After the inauguration of President Polk, it was the understanding that Robert J. Walker was to accept the secretaryship of the treasury, and that Thompson should immedi- ately succeed him in the senate; but Walker failed to deliver to Thompson the commission entrusted to him by the governor, (Clai- borne's narrative) and after Thompson's return to Mississippi, he declined appointment. There was thereafter a serious breach be- tween him and Walker, whose projects he had theretofore sup- ported. He supported the settlement of the Northwest boundary and the Mexican war, and was in successive congresses chairman of the then important committee of Indian affairs. In 1849, as at earlier dates, he was willing to retire from congress, but his party demanded his candidacy, as the Whigs nominated a very popular man, Gen. A. B. Bradford. In 1851 he made a desperate fight for the entire State ticket of his party, and was defeated, the issue be- ing resistance to the Compromise of 1850. In 1852 he was a dele- gate to the Baltimore convention and was influential in securing the nomination of Pierce, who, upon inauguration tendered him the consulship at Havana, which he declined. In 1855 he was a can- didate for United States senator, but was defeated by Jefferson Davis. At the national convention at Cincinnati in 1856, he did much to se- cure the nomination of Buchanan, and in March, 1857, he was called to the position of secretary of the interior, which department he re- organized, centralizing the management in his own hands. Toward the close of his administration, however, there was a great defal- cation in the Indian Trust fund, due to the acceptance by the dis- bursing clerk of that fund of the drafts of a great firm of contrac- tors on the secretary of war, John B. Floyd, in accordance with an illegitimate agreement between Floyd and the contractors. The explosion of this scandal had great political notoriety, and Mr. Thompson's reputation suffered severely, although a committee of congress, mainly composed of his political opponents, reported "that they have discovered nothing to involve the late secretary, Hon. Jacob Thompson, in the slightest degree, in the fraud, and nothing to indicate that he had any complicity in the abstraction, or that he had any knowledge of it until the time of the disclos- ure of Goddard Bailey."

Mr. Thompson remained in the cabinet after the election of Mr. Lincoln, until January 9. He then resigned and returned to Mis- sissippi, where he aided much in the organization of troops. When Gen. Beauregard came to Jackson to take command of the army of the West, he served with him as volunteer aide in the battle of Shi- loh and through the siege of Corinth. Afterward he was lieutenant- colonel of Ballentine's regiment four months, and was in active service during Grant's advance on the Central railroad, having his

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horse shot under him at Water Valley. Gen. Pemberton invited him to become chief inspector of his army. He suggested to Pem- berton, says Claiborne, the raid of VanDorn to Holly Springs. He was with the army at Vicksburg in December, 1862, and through the campaign of 1863, and was under parole after the surrender of Vicksburg.

He was elected to the legislature from Lafayette county, and served in the session of 1863 at Columbus, and the called session at Macon, after which he went to Richmond at the call of President Davis, and accepted a secret mission to Canada, to cooperate with the secret organizations in the Western States, against the United States government. With verbal instructions from the president and an ample fund, he set out upon his mission, accompanied by C. C. Clay, of Alabama, and W. W. Cleary, of Kentucky, as secre- tary. They ran the blockade in the English ship, Thistle, to the Bermudas, and thence sailed in a regular English packet to Halifax. Reaching Montreal, he opened communication with Clement L. Vallandigham, of Ohio, who had been banished for opposition to the war, and held the position of grand commander of the secret organizations, known mainly as Knights of the Golden Circle, or more popularly by their enemies as Copperheads. They claimed a fighting strength of 80,000 in Illinois, and 40,000 in each of the States of Ohio and Indiana. Mr. Thompson became a member of the order, and opened communication with their lodges in those States, and cooperated in the plans for releasing and arming 25,- 000 Confederate prisoners at Chicago, Rock Island, Indianapolis and Johnson's Island. Dates were set in these prisons for a con- certed uprising, but the expected allies never had the courage to make proof of their theories. Col. Thompson did organize an expe- dition to release the men at Johnson's Island, and capture the gun- boat Michigan, which resulted in the famous exploit of Lieutenant Beale, who seized the boat Philo Parsons, and captured and scut- tled the Island Queen, but through treachery was unable to surprise the Michigan, and was compelled to escape to the Canada shore. As soon as the trial of the raiders was over and they were released, Mr. Thompson started to return home.

At this time, President Lincoln was assassinated. The President had, a few days before his death, requested that Mr. Thompson be permitted to proceed unmolested from Portland, Me., where he had gone in disguise to obtain passage southward. He sailed for Eu- rope and remained several years before returning to Mississippi. After a short residence at Oxford, he removed to Memphis, where he died March 24, 1885. At that time L. Q. C. Lamar was secretary of the interior, and ordered the flags to be put at half mast over the department buildings. (Sketch by J. F. H. Claiborne, in His- tory of Miss.)

Thompsonville, a post-hamlet in the southern part of Hinds county, 15 miles south of Raymond. Utica is the nearest railroad and banking town. Population in 1900, 26.

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Thorn, a post-hamlet of Chickasaw county, about 5 miles north- west of Houston, one of the county seats of justice, and the nearest railroad and banking town. Population in 1900, 24.

Thornton, an incorporated post-town of Holmes county on the Illinois Central R. R., about 18 miles north of Yazoo City. Tchula is the nearest banking town. It was named for Dr. C. C. Thornton, a large land owner. Population in 1900, 46.

Thornton, Thomas, was born in Dumfries, Va., October 12, 1794. At the age of sixteen he became an exhorter in the Methodist church, and was a member of the Baltimore conference at nineteen. He became president of a college in Mississippi in 1841. In 1845 he became a member of the Episcopal church, but returned to the' Methodist church in 1850, and was readmitted to the Mississippi conference. He was the author of "An Inquiry into Slavery," 1841, which was a famous defense of that system.

Thrailkill, a postoffice in the southern part of Montgomery county, 18 miles from Winona, the county seat and nearest banking town.

Thrasher, a postoffice and station in the north-central part of Prentiss county, on the Mobile & Ohio R. R., 6 miles north of Booneville, the county seat.

Three Per Cent. Fund. (See Two Per Cent. Fund). The legis- lative acts appropriating this fund began as early as 1824, when the settlements of the State were in three remote regions, unconnected by roads. The money was wisely appropriated, with great benefit, in opening new roads and building bridges. In January, 1826, the legislature asked congress to permit the partial use of the fund in improving navigation, and under an act of congress of March 14, 1826, there were some considerable expenditures at the Pascagoula pass, in Pearl river, Bayou Pierre, in canalling Yazoo pass, and im- proving the Coldwater. By an act of January, 1826, the governor was authorized to collect the fund of the United States and deposit it in the treasury. Then in February, 1830, and again in 1833, the legislature directed that the fund as received should be invested in the stock of the Planters' bank. About $36,000 was so invested, and it grew to $42,700 worth of stock, which was sold under another act of legislature, in 1836, for $52,379, and in obedience to the act of legislature, this amount, as well as $382,000 received for the fund in 1836-37, was distributed among the counties, which was the end of it ; $13,770, received by J. H. Mallory, auditor, never reached the treasury. $435,000, nominally distributed to the counties, was lost-"being mostly swallowed up by the boards of police and . county treasurers and their friends, in that great period of specu- lation-and squandered in the same manner that the Common School funds of that date were wasted." (Arthur's report).

Another distribution act was passed in 1852,-$332 to each county,-and it was supposed that the amount left over from the Graves defalcation, and what was received from the United States in 1849, was all there was to the credit of the fund. "But, strange as it may appear, owing to the bungling manner in which the books of the treasurer's office were kept, there was then near $86,600

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more to the credit of the fund, which had never been brought for- ward on the books of 1837-40, and had been lost sight of."

November 18, 1857, the legislature passed an act to loan the fund, in equal portions, to the railroad companies then building what are now known as the Mobile & Ohio, Illinois Central and Alabama & Vicksburg roads. The loan was to be for six years, without inter- est, and when paid back the money was to be invested in stock in the Gulf & Ship Island railroad. When the act passed it was sup- posed that the fund amounted to $104,736, and it was so distributed ; but the examination of the State finances by Mr. Arthur in 1858- 59 showed that the fund was entitled to $209,176; so that there re- mained $104,000 to distribute, and the question arose where should it go, to the railroads or the counties.

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Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. II, Part 93

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