USA > Mississippi > Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. III > Part 67
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Miller, James Wilson, M. D., is one of the representative physicians and surgeon, of Lee county, and is established in the practice of his profession at Shannons where he has maintained his home since 1865, being the senior of his profession in the county. Dr. Miller was born near Concord, Cabarrus county, N. C., March 11, 1831, and is a son of David Miller, who was born on the same farm, in 1802. He was a successful farmer of his native county and served as captain of the local militia company. He was a son of James and Ann (Russell) Miller, who continued residents of Concord until their death, the old house erected by his father being still in excellent preservation. In Cabarrus county was born also the mother of the doctor, her maiden name having been Clarinda R. White; she was a daughter of John and Sarah (Biggar) White. Both the Miller and White families, as well as those mentioned as of collateral relationship, were founded in America in the colonial epoch of our national history. Dr. Miller secured his rudimentary education in his native county and when he was fourteen years of age his parents removed thence to Lafayette county, Miss. As a youth he became a clerk in a gen- eral store at Lafayette Springs, and in 1854 he opened for his em- ployer, H. D. McIntosh, the first store in Abbeyville. In the mean- while he had taken up the study of medicine under able preceptors, thoroughly fortifying himself in technical knowledge and finally engaging in active practice under such preceptorship. After four years of successful work under such conditions, he entered the senior class of the National medical college, in Washington, D. C., in 1860. The relations between the North and South were greatly strained at this time, as a matter of course, and the doctor, at the advice of influential friends in the South, withdrew from the college shortly before the beginning of the war. Among those who recommended this course to him were Jefferson Davis, secretary of war, Jacob Thompson, secretary of interior, Colonel Lamar and others. On Dec. 11, 1861, Dr. Miller enlisted in Company E, First Mississippi cavalry, serving in the medical department until October, 1862, when he was appointed assistant surgeon, with the rank of captain, and assigned to hospital duty, being continued in this exacting department of the service until the close of the war and proving faith- ful to every trust imposed. By virtue of his service he is a member of the United Confederate Veterans. He was originally opposed to secession, but was loyal to his State and to the Confederacy when definite action was taken. After the close of the war Dr. Miller established his home near Shannon, where he has since been engaged in active and successful practice and where he has gained the high regard of the community in which he has so long lived and labored. He is also the owner of a fine plantation near Shannon, having been
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continuously identified with agricultural pursuits for the past forty years. He is a member of the Mississippi State medical association, is a Democrat in his political allegiance, is a Royal Arch Mason, and has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, for the past half century. In 1863 Dr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Capt. William A. and Catherine (Seward) Smith, who then resided near Oxford, Miss. Captain Smith was captain of a militia company in Lunenburg county, Va., where he also served as sheriff for many years and whence he came to Missis- sippi, where both he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives. Dr. and Mrs. Miller have five children: Kate R. is the wife of Asa W. Allen, a merchant of Tupelo, Miss .; S. Wardie is the wife of Thomas C. Lauderdale, a successful farmer of Lee county; Merle M. is en- gaged in the general merchandise business in Shannon; Durell and Kavanagh are prosperous cattle-growers in Texas, where they own valuable ranch properties.
Mitchell, Charles B., who died at his home in Pontotoc, in March, 1898, at the age of fifty-seven years, was one of the able and loyal citizens who lent dignity to the bar of the State of Mississippi, and also a prominent figure in public affairs in the commonwealth. He served as a member of both branches of the State legislature and held other offices of trust. Mr. Mitchell was born in the State of Kentucky, as were also his parents. His father was Dr. Charles G. Mitchell and the maiden name of his mother was Blackwell. When he was a boy his parents removed to Mississippi and located in Pon- totoc county, where they passed the remainder of their lives. His father became one of the leading physicians of this part of the State and resided on his large plantation near New Albany, the place being now in Union county. After due preliminary discipline the subject of this sketch entered a college at Murfreesboro, Tenn., where he was a student at the time of the inception of the Civil war. When but sixteen years of age he laid aside his school work in this institution and enlisted as a soldier in the Confederate service, but was soon afterward discharged, on account of physical disability. Later he again entered the service and he remained on duty with his command until the close of the war, when he received his parole. He had been a member of the senior class in the college at the time of enlistment, and after the war came to a finish he returned to Pon- totoc and began the study of law under the preceptorship of Col. C. B. Fontaine, who was at that time one of the leading members of the Mississippi bar. After his admission to the bar Mr. Mitchell entered upon the active work of his profession in Pontotoc, where he built up a large and representative practice and where he con- tinued to reside until his death. He served several terms as dis- trict attorney, but during the major portion of his professional ca- reer he gave his attention to private practice, in which his success was pronounced. He represented Pontotoc county a number of terms in the lower branch of the State legislature, and was speaker of the house during the session of 1888. At the time of his death he was representative of his district-comprising the counties of
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Pontotoc, Chickasaw and Calhoun-in the State senate. His record in the legislature was one of able and faithful service for his State, to whose interests he was ever devoted. He served several terms as a member of the board of trustees of the Mississippi Industrial institute and college, at Columbus, and was incumbent of this office at the time of his demise. He was twice a candidate for nomination for congress and was one of the leaders in the Democratic party in Mississippi. He was a member of the State central committee for several years and was a presidential elector on the Hancock and English ticket. Mr. Mitchell gained prestige as one of the ablest criminal lawyers in the northern part of the State and was identified with much important litigation and many celebrated causes in the State and federal courts. He was a consistent member of the Bap- tist church and was a man of dignity and gracious presence and ever commanded unqualified confidence and esteem, based on his sterling attributes of character. His first wife, whose maiden name was Virginia Dennis, was born in the State of Virginia, and is survived by seven children: Dr. Charles D .; who is a representative physician and surgeon of Pontotoc; Jennie, who is the widow of Rev. Connelly and who resides at Red Springs, N. C .; Mary, who is the wife of W. B. Morphis, of Cleveland, Okla .; Willie, who is the wife of Alonzo Hall, of Covington, Tenn .; George T., who resides in the city of Tupelo, Miss., where he is serving as district attorney; Annie, who is the wife of John Gracy, of Iuka; and Fannie, who re- mains at the old homestead in Pontotoc. The devoted wife and mother died in the autumn of 1884, and later Mr. Mitchell wedded Miss San White, of Pontotoc, who is survived by one daughter, Ida, who is now attending the Industrial institute and college at Colum- bus. Mr. Mitchell was married a third time, when he wedded Mrs. Pauline (Bayinger) Patterson, of Pontotoc, who survives him, as do also their two children,-Victor and Pauline. Mrs. Mitchell is a zealous member of the Presbyterian church and is prominent in the social life of the community.
Mobley, William C. On his attractive little farm, one mile distant from the vil- lage of Columbia, Marion county, resides this honored and sterling citizen of his native State, and he is one of those loyal sons of the Southland who followed the destinies of the Confederacy on many a sanguinary battlefield. He was always found at the post of duty and in the "pip- ing times of peace" the same integrity and loyalty have characterized him in all the relations of life. Mr. Mobley was born on the old homestead plantation in Law- rence county, Miss., Feb. 18, 1838, and is a son of Isaiah and Martha (Longino) Mob- ley. His father was born near Duck river, Tenn., in 1806, and was an infant at the time of his parents' removal to Lawrence county,
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Miss. He was a son of Reason and Caroline (O'Neill) Mobley, both of whom were native of South Carolina.' Reason Mobley removed with his brother from the old South State to Tennessee in an early day, and several years later came to Lawrence county, Miss., be- coming one of its pioneer settlers, and attaining to prominence and success as a planter and stock raiser. He remained on his planta- tion until his death and his wife survived him by about a decade. Isaiah Mobley likewise gained prestige as one of the successful plant- ers and influential citizens of Lawrence county, where he remained until his death, in 1848. He and his wife were devout and consistent members of the Baptist church. The mother of the subject of this sketch was a daughter of Thomas and Sallie Longino, and one of her brothers was the father of ex-Governor Longino, of Mississippi. She was born in North Carolina, where her father was an extensive planter and slave owner and whence he finally removed to Lawrence county, Miss., where he passed the remainder of his life. William C. Mobley, the immediate subject of this sketch, was reared to man- hood on the home plantation and was afforded the advantages of the schools of the locality. He continued to be actively identified with agricultural pursuits until there came the call of higher duty, when the war between the States was precipitated. Just prior to the outbreak of the war he had engaged in the drug and grocery business, but he discontinued this at the expiration of four months to enter the Confederate service. On Sept. 11, 1861, he enlisted in Company I, Seventh Mississippi infantry, with which he proceeded to the city of New Orleans and shortly afterward to Pass Christian, where the company, comprising about ninety young men, was mus- tered into the Mississippi State service, in readiness to engage the enemy in this and adjoining States. Six months were devoted to training and drilling and the command was then ordered to Jack- son, Tenn., and thence to Corinth. While on a train en route from New Orleans to Jackson, Tenn., a collision occurred and resulted in the death of about forty men, including several officers, and about 300 others were injured, including the subject of this review. His injuries were so severe that he was granted leave of absence and he remained at home until a few days before the battle of Shiloh. He was with his command in that memorable conflict and retreated with his regiment to Corinth, where they encamped about one month. He was there taken ill, and after remaining at home for one month he again rejoined his regiment, at Tupelo. The regiment thence proceeded by somewhat circuitous route to Tyner Station, Tenn., and two weeks later marched through to Kentucky. At Cave City, that State, the regiment was divided and the portion in which Mr. Mobley's company was included was ordered to Munfordville, Ky., where an attack was made on the breastworks of the enemy. The command was repulsed and returned to Cave City, where it became a part of the Army of Tennessee. On the second day the regiment was ordered, with the rest of the army, back to Munfordville, where they captured the position, taking about 5,000 prisoners. The regi- ment was in a number of engagements including one at Perryville,
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Ky., and finally went into winter quarters near Murfreesboro, Tenn., where they remained about six weeks. They took part in the spir- ited battling of five days at Stone's River, and the command there- after was stationed at Shelbyville, Tenn., until the spring of 1863. Mr. Mobley was in gallant service with his regiment in the battles of Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, and at Dalton, Ga., Gen. Joseph E. Johnston assumed command of the army. He participated in the actions at Resaca, Union Church, Lost Mountain, Peach Tree Creek and Jonesboro, where his regiment became a part of the forces commanded by General Hood. There- after he was in the battles of Franklin and Nashville, Tenn., after the latter of which his regiment was sent into Alabama and finally to Columbus, Miss., where he was granted a furlough of thirty days, Jan. 22, 1865. He returned home and there remained until the close of the war. Just prior to the final surrender he, having been unable to rejoin his regiment, became a member of the Mississippi Reserve cavalry, but this command was not called into service. After the war closed Mr. Mobley bravely faced the responsibilities devolving upon him in connection with reviving the prostrate indus- tries of his loved Southland and resumed his farming operations in Lawrence county, where success attended his efforts in the long years that followed and that witnessed the rejuvenation of the South and the softening of the animosities entailed by the war. In 1880 he was elected justice of the peace, of which office he remained in- cumbent one term, at the expiration of which he removed with his family to Marion county and purchased his present fine little farm of forty acres, one mile east of Columbia. In 1889 he was elected mayor of Columbia and justice of the peace for beat No. 1, being permitted at that time to hold the two offices simultaneously. He was the first mayor of Columbia after its incorporation as a village, and he served two terms, declining a third term on account of the exigencies of his private business affairs. He also served two terms as justice of the peace. Mr. Mobley is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, is affiliated with the United Confederate Vet- erans, and he and his family are members of the Baptist church, in which he has been a deacon for thirty years. He is a man of im- pregnable integrity of character and his life has been such as to gain and retain to him the unqualified esteem of his fellow men. On May 24, 1865, Mr. Mobley was united in marriage to Miss Mary L. Sterling, who was born in Lawrence county, Miss., March 11, 1847, a daughter of Bennett and Susan Sterling, both of whom died in Lawrence county, where Mr. Sterling was a prosperous planter and honored citizen. In conclusion is entered brief record concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Mobley: John J. died in infancy and the second child died at birth; Josie Anna, who was born Feb. 14, 1871, is the wife of John H. Waltman; William C. was born Dec. 5, 1873; Benjamin F., Nov. 23, 1876; Emily A., who was born Feb. 4, 1882, is the wife of Alfred W. McCollough; Matie O. was born Oct. 20, 1884; and Houston A. was born June 7, 1888.
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Mitchell, Charles D., M. D., who is engaged in the practice of his profession in the city of Pontotoc, is one of the prominent physicians and surgeons of his native county and is the eldest son of the late Charles B. Mitchell, who gained precedence as one of the most bril- liant criminal lawyers in the State and of whom specific mention is made in another paragraph. Dr. Mitchell is a native of Pontotoc county, where he was born Oct. 29, 1866. After a course of study in the Pontotoc high school Dr. Mitchell continued his educational work in the university of Mississippi, at Oxford, and upon leaving this institution he was matriculated in the Memphis Hospital medi- cal college, Memphis, Tenn., in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1888. In 1890 he was graduated in the New York Post-Graduate medical college, and in 1892 he completed an effective post-graduate course in the New York Polyclinic. Immediately after receiving his degree of Doctor of Medicine, in 1888, Dr. Mitchell engaged in the practice of his profession in Pontotoc, where he has gained distinctive success and prestige and also recognition as a man thoroughly fortified and advanced in both branches of his chosen vocation. Dr. Mitchell is a member of the State board of health, and is identified with the American medical association, and the Mississippi medical association, of which latter he was president in 1904; he is also counselor for the Third district in this association. He is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, and is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and Woodmen of the World. In 1888 Dr. Mit- chell was united in marriage to Miss Mamie Herron, daughter of Thomas F. Herron, of Pontotoc, and they have two children-Charles B., and Thomas Herron.
Money, Hernando De Soto, of Mississippi City in Harrison county, Miss., and now the senior senator representing that State, was born in Holmes county, Miss., Aug. 26, 1839. He finished the literary and law course at the University of Missis- sippi, and practiced law in Carroll county until failing eyesight compelled him to retire from active practice. Upon retire- ment he became a planter in Leflore county, Miss., afterwards publishing the "Conservative" at Carrollton, and the "Advance" at Winona, Miss. He entered the Confederate service in the beginning of the war in the Eleventh Missis- sippi infantry as a private, with which regiment he went to Virginia as orderly sergeant of Company B, Twenty-eighth Mississippi cav- alry; he had his horse shot under him, and was himself shot in the side, falling on his head and shoulders on a stone walk at a gate, in a cavalry charge at the first battle of Franklin, Tenn., April 10, 1863, and was captured. He was imprisoned at Nashville, Louis- ville, New York, Pennsylvania Baltimore and other places where
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he was carried after capture until exchanged, and rejoined his com- pany, of which he was elected lieutenant the second day after. He served in the Confederate army from the beginning of the war until Sept. 26, 1864, when he was forced to retire from service by defect- ive eyesight. He was nominated for the national house of repre- sentatives at the age of thirty-five, receiving a majority on the first ballot, and was elected to the Forty-fourth congress, and without opposition was re-elected to the Forty-fifth, Forty-sixth, Forty- seventh and Forty-eighth congresses, and although he had no oppo- sition for re-election at the conclusion of his term at the Forty- eighth congress, he declined to stand for re-election for the sixth term in order to practice law at Washington, where he lived for eight years. On account of the, political situation in his old district he was solicited to again make the race and returning to Mississippi was nominated over seven candidates and elected to the Fifty-third and Fifty-fourth congresses, there being no opposition to his nomi- nation for the Fifty-fourth congress. In January, 1896, he was elected to the senate for the term beginning March 4, 1899. On Oct. 8, 1897, he was appointed to the United States senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator J. Z. George, which oc- curred Aug. 14, 1897; in January, 1898, was elected by the legisla- ture to fill the unexpired term of Senator George, ending March 3, 1899. Was renominated by the Democratic party in primary, Aug. 6, 1903, to succeed himself for the term beginning March 4, 1905, which term will end March 3, 1911. At the end of his term in the senate in 1911, Mr. Money will have served in congress eleven years longer than any other man from Mississippi; he has the most impor- tant assignments of committees ever given to any senator from that State, although he never solicited any assignment. Among his committees are the Democratic steering committee of the senate, and the senate committees on finance and foreign relations; he was also on the committees on foreign affairs in the house, and was chair- man of the postoffice committee of the house for two congresses. It is on the committees on foreign affairs, foreign relations, and the postoffice that he has done his most effective work. Senator Money has been a great sufferer from neuralgia, which he has endured con- stantly for many years, and on this account he declined to ask for another term in the senate, although he was fully assured that he would have no opposition, and was solicited to continue in the pub- lic service. He has been a delegate to many national conventions since 1872. He was never defeated for nomination or election for any office that he asked for, and never received any appointment to office except in the cases above mentioned, although exercising powerful influence in the politics of his native State. He never desired to be a "boss," and never had anything to do with machine politics, having exercised independence in politics, and never asked an aspirant for places, for which he himself was aspiring, to retire for him. Connected with this characteristic of independence was the desire to serve his people, which he preferred to do in a substan- tial way, and according to his idea of service to them, rather than
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to merely please them. It is worthy of note that the two aspirants for his present position, Hon. John Sharp Williams and Hon. James K. Vardaman, are both relatives of his family, and his warm per- sonal and political friends. Senator Money was married to Miss Claudia Jane Boddie of Hinds county, a woman of exceptional liter- ary ability and noted for works of charity. Six children were born to this union, and are living except the eldest, Claudia, the wife of Hon. W. S. Hill, who now represents Mr. Money's old congressional district, and Katie, who died in infancy. The older son, George P., is engaged in the practice of law at Gulfport, Miss .; Hernan De Veaux, is also a member of the bar of the State and at present serv- ing as private secretary to his father; Mabel Clare is the wife of Dr. W. W. Kitchen, of Buffalo, N. Y .; and Lillian Gwyn is the wife of Capt. B. A. Read, of the United States army, now serving in the Philippines. The various public acts of the subject of this sketch, which are noteworthy and a matter of great pride to the people of this State, of whom he has been so long the faithful representative, are to be found in the public records of congress, and are too numer- ous to be included or given extended reference in this sketch, and therefore necessarily omitted.
Montgomery, John M., one of the rep- resentative planters of Washington coun- ty, his postoffice address being Winter- ville, is a member of one of the pioneer families of this section of the State, the name which he bears having been identi- fied with the annals of Washington county since the year 1828. John Malcolm Mont- gomery was born in Greenville, Washing- ton county, Miss., Nov. 7, 1841. His father, William Pinkney Montgomery, was born in Lancaster district, S. C., from which State his parents, with their eight children, came to Mississippi in the year 1800, settling near the town of Washing- ton, Adams county, where they passed the remainder of their lives. the grandfather having served as a valiant soldier in the Continental line during the War of the Revolution. His eight children were William P., Hugh, Eli, Alexander B., Samuel, John, Lucinda and Priscilla. William P. Montgomery was reared to manhood in Adams county, and he came thence to Washington county in 1828, here becoming a prosperous planter and here passing the residue of his honorable and useful life, his death occurring in 1876. His wife, whose maiden name was Catherine Cameron, was born in Mecklen- burg, N. C., and her death occurred in 1848, her father likewise having been a patriot soldier in the War of the Revolution. Of the children of William P. and Catherine Montgomery, the subject of this review is the only survivor. Of the others it may be recorded that William Eugene was major of a Mississippi regiment in the Confederate service during the Civil war; Dr. Daniel Cameron was
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chief surgeon in Gen. W. H. Jackson's division during the Civil war; Samuel died in Denver, Colo .; and Kate was the wife of William L. Nugent. John M. Montgomery was reared on the old homestead plantation, and his youthful education was completed under most favorable conditions, in the Western military institute, at Nashville, Tenn. His training in this excellent school well fitted him to take up arms in defense of the cause of the Confederacy when the Civil war was inaugurated. He enlisted in Bolivar Troops in 1861, as a private in Company H, First Mississippi cavalry, being later pro- moted lieutenant, while during the last year of the war he served with marked ability as captain of Company H, making an excellent record as a commanding officer and as a valiant and faithful soldier. He took part in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth and Franklin and in all the engagements from Resaca to Atlanta, Ga., during the cam- paign in that State. Later his command was with Hood in the Tennessee campaign, participating in the conflicts at Nashville, Mur- freesboro, Pulaski, and Moscow, and also in the engagements at Hammond, Louisiana, and Selma, Ala., as well as many others. Since the war he has given his attention to agricultural pursuits, and has given his quota of aid in bringing about the new upbuilding of the industrial and civic structure of his native State, which long felt the results of the havoc wrought during the period of the war. In politics Captain Montgomery is an uncompromising advocate of the principles and policies for which the Democratic party stands spon- sor, as represented in the "solid South," and he has rendered efficient public service as a member of the lower house of the State legisla- ture and as a member of the Mississippi board of levee commissioners. He is identified with the Delta Kappa Epsilon college fraternity and with the Knights of Honor. On Nov. 2, 1876, Captain Mont- gomery was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Mosby, daughter of Gervis and Eliza (Burks) Mosby, of Washington county, this State, and they have three children-Fannie Cameron, Eliza Burks, and Carrie Mosby. The eldest daughter is the wife of B. B. Payne, of Winterville, Miss .; and the youngest daughter is now Mrs. Jefferson Pinkney Wilkerson, residing in Greenville, Miss.
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