A History of Lauderdale Springs,Mississippi

ByBetty Lawrence

Expanded Edition ByThomas U. Lawrence

415LCDA&H, INC.

LCDA&H, INC.Meridian, MS

A History of Lauderdale Springs, Mississippi

PublishedDecember 24, 1991

Revised EditionApril 15, 1992

By Betty Lawrence1991 & 1992

Expanded Edition2002

By Thomas U. Lawrence2002

Publication Number415

Printed and Published ByLauderdale County Department of Archives &

History, Inc.

PO BOX 5511Meridian, MS 39302

410 Constitution Ave.2nd Floor Raymond P. Davis Annex Building

Meridian, MS39301

Email us at:archives@lauderdalecouty.org

Visit us on the web at:www.lauderdalecounty.org

Dedicated to the memory of my beloved mother.

Ina Beattie Gilliam PeelSeptember 21, 1889 - July 16, 1984

Memoriam

The Walter Leake Chapter of theDaughters of the American Revolution; TheMarmaduke Coate Chapter, National SocietyColonial Dames XVII Century ; and the Winnie Davis Chapter No. 24, United Daughters ofthe Confederacy conducted a memorial servicefor Mrs. Tom "Betty" Lawrence, Thursday,March 31, 1994.

These chapters conducted the serviceat Magnolia Cemetery in Meridian , Mississippito commemorate Mrs. Lawrence's devotion tothe causes and the programs of these patrioticorganizations.

Mrs. Lawrence, who died August 18,1993, was an accomplished student of historyand a tireless and meticulous genealogist. Shewas a member of the Mississippi HistoricalSociety and she served for many years on theGenealogy Committee at the Meridian PublicLibrary. She compiled and wrote: A Historyof Winnie Davis Chapter No. 24,United

Daughters of the Confederacy; A History of Lauderdale Springs, Mississippi; A History of SumterCounty, Alabama; and Unrevised History of the War for Southern Independence. She also compiledand published genealogical records and histories of a number of families.

Mrs. Lawrence had an abiding interest in the maintenance and preservation of the Lauderdale Springs Confederate Cemetery, which is owned by the Winnie Davis Chapter, UDC. A portionof the land occupied by this cemetery was her great-grandparents' farm at their home in LauderdaleSprings, where her grandmother and mother were born.

While Mrs. Lawrence was President of the Winnie Davis Chapter, UDC, that organizationestablished a Perpetual Care Fund for the cemetery. At that time, she expressed her pleasure forthat accomplishment, "We are now assured that the 1,100 valiant men who are buried here will restforever at a place of beauty and dignity."

Dr. William Apperson, pastor of the First Christian Church of Meridian, delivered thecommemorative address at the ceremony.

Other Publications By Betty LawrenceUNREVISED HISTORY OF THE

WAR FOR SOUTHERN INDEPENDENCE

HISTORY OF WINNIE DAVIS CHAPTER NO. 24UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY

HISTORY OF SUMTER COUNTY, ALABAMA

RICHARD BRACEWELL, GENTLEMANand

ROBERT AND MARY PEELEAND THEIR DESCENDANTS

And Related FamiliesBrasswell, Bryant, Burgess, Carver, Cotton, Dearman, Deloach, Dew,

Gilbert, Gilliam, Guinn, Hill, McDaniel, McKinley, Mercer, Peel,Permenter, Pigford, Pinson, Poythress, Loyd, Robbins, Sampson,

Snow, Stiles, Taylor, Wedgworth, West and Wood

THE ROBERT AND SUSANNAH McDANIEL GILBERT, SR. FAMILYAnd Related Families

Bennett, Lavender, McDaniel, McKinley, Peel, Pinson and Poythress

THE ROBERT AND ELIZABETH McKINLEY FAMILYAnd Related Families

Bishop, Dearman, Gilliam, Lunsford, Lyon and McElroy

JOHN AND POLLY LAWRENCEAND DESCENDANTSAnd Related Families

Burchfield, Crider, Gray, Kizziah, Murry, Newell,Oswalt, Pearson, Ray, Rogers, Shamblin and Williams

Contents

The Need to Know History .....................................................................1Indian Trails & Early Roads ...................................................................1Discovering of the New Wolrd ...............................................................3The Native Americans ............................................................................3Hernando DeSoto....................................................................................4Colonization............................................................................................5The Mississippi Territory ........................................................................7Early Settlers ...........................................................................................7Sam Dale.................................................................................................8Panti ........................................................................................................10Early Settlements ....................................................................................10James Lauderdale....................................................................................11The Choctaw Indians ..............................................................................12Pushmataha .............................................................................................14The Louisiana Purchase ..........................................................................15The Creek Wars and the War of 1812 .....................................................15The Acquisition of Florida......................................................................17The Exodus .............................................................................................19The Immigrants .......................................................................................20Lauderdale Springs .................................................................................21Arthur Patton...........................................................................................23James Patton............................................................................................24William Samuel Patton ...........................................................................26Railroads .................................................................................................46The War Between the States ...................................................................50Sherman’s Merdian March......................................................................52The Lauderdale Springs Confederate General Hospital..........................55The Lauderdale Springs Confederate Cemetery .....................................67Reconstruction ........................................................................................72The Confederate Orphans' Home of Mississippi ....................................74History of the Home by Mary J. Welsh...................................................74Dr. Thomas Cox Teasdale .......................................................................93The Orphan’s Home Banner ...................................................................80The Howard Orphanage for Negro Children ..........................................124The Howard Orphan Asylum at Lauderdale ...........................................125U.S. Military Post at Lauderdale.............................................................126The New Home .......................................................................................131Lauderdale...............................................................................................167Lauderdale Springs Public Cemetery......................................................176

Introductionby Thomas U. Lawrence

My Dear Betty enjoyed searching for the information she compiled into thisHISTORY OF LAUDERDLE SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI. She reveled in a lifetime of mem-ories she had gathered from that place, where three generations of her family had madetheir homes. She and her mother had countless conversations about life in and aroundthe old home place, and they made many expeditions to explore the neighborhood andto talk with people who might answer some questions and contribute a little information.

Much of the new material included here was in Betty’s possession when the firstedition went to the printers, however, some of it had not been verified and authenticated,so she tucked it away instead of including it in the book.

Betty’s conception of history preservation was, “All history, even the seeminglyinsignificant items, should be recorded and saved for posterity.” In accord with her wish,all available infoprmation is included in this History.

Herein, tales are told of the leaders who made waves as history flowed thorughand around Lauderdale Springs, but there also is an accounting for the many, many per-sons who only made ripples. These many listings will bring pleasure and excitement tothe genealogy researchers when they find the footprints their ancestors left on sands oftime.

This volume is called an expanded edition rather than a revision, because most allof the original text is unchanged. There is no simple method of delineating the new mate-rial from the original text in this publication, therefore, it is woven in wherever it seems tofit.

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Preface

I had difficulty getting started writing this paper because I have no qualificationsas a professional writer, then I finally realized that I wanted to do it as a memorial to mymother, who died July 16, 1984 at the age of 94, and the task became a pleasure. It hasbeen a joy to record my memories and compile the information I have accumulatedthrough the years, with no other purpose than to write a History of Lauderdale Springsthat would be pleasing to my mother.

My great-grandparents, William and Sarah Nancy Ellen McKinley Dearman, Jr.,were married at Lauderdale Springs and made their home there. My grandmother, ClaraElizabeth Dearman, was born there, and she and my grandfather, Albert Gilliam, weremarried and lived out their lives there. My mother, Ina Beattie Gilliam, was born and grewup there. My father, John William Peel, had his first job at the Tartt Lumber Company inLauderdale. My mother and father were married in the home of Mr. and Mrs. JohnPlummer in Lauderdale. The house is still there and well preserved.

Some of the fondest memories of my early childhood are of the happy times Ispent at my grandparents' home in Lauderdale Springs. My mother, in response to mypleading, would allow me to stay with them for days at a time. They petted me andspoiled me, and I adored them. Grandpa was a great teller of tales and let me tag alongwith him for whatever he was doing. He took me to the springs to sample the waters. Hetold me that each spring would taste better than the last one, and then laughed at mewhen I was not pleased with the taste of some of them. He showed me the ConfederateCemetery on the hill behind the house, and I went with him to funerals at the LauderdaleSprings Cemetery on the hill across the road.

I cherish the memory of the aroma and the taste of my grandmother's hot gingerbread on a cold afternoon. I wonder if the Lauderdale Springs water was the secretingredient of her recipe. I remember Malinda Hubbard, the black lady who worked for mygrandmother, as a kind and caring person. She was my good friend and cooked specialtreats for me.

My uncle, John William Gilliam, and Malinda's brother, Dave Hubbard, were goodfriends. Uncle Will was a railway mail clerk and was studying law at home. He wouldlend his books to Dave, and they would spend hours in the most boring conversation,while I was waiting for Uncle Will to talk to me, and tell me about all the places he hadbeen and the things he had seen.

It is my desire that this recording of some of the history of Lauderdale Springs willhelp others to know and understand and appreciate their heritage.

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Acknowledgments

My mother had three outstanding characteristics - an abundant love for her fami-ly, an extensive interest in what was going on in the world around her and a phenome-nal memory. I now can appreciate the many anecdotes she told me about our family andher lifetime experiences. From her I learned of my heritage.

I practically have been confined to my home by health problems while preparingthis study, but I have had the good fortune to receive encouragement and assistancefrom a host of friends, who have given me material and information to help me get thejob done. Some of these friends I have never met, but through their gracious assistanceand kindnesses to me they have won my friendship.

I should like to thank Ann Clayton, my friend of many years, who got me startedon the never ending journey of genealogical research. She has granted me permissionto use materials from the book CEMETERY RECORDS OF LAUDERDALE COUNTY,MISSISSIPPI, compiled by herself and Cecelia Nabors Hobgood.

I am indebted to John Harvey, a serious and meticulous student of history, whohas sent me dozens of valuable newspaper clippings and historical items, and to CharlesRiley, who has been my tireless volunteer researcher, combing the shelves and files atlibraries and Archives for any bit of information that might be helpful.

I have debts of gratitude to Elbert Hilliard, Director of the Mississippi Departmentof Archives and History, and to James Dawson, Director of the Lauderdale CountyDepartment of Archives and History, and to their staffs for supplying much important infor-mation in response to my inquiries.

I am very grateful for the valuable information and counsel I received from:Professor Charles L. Sullivan, Chairman of the History Department at the PerkinstonBranch of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and who, also, is GravesRegistration Officer for the Mississippi Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans; RogerHansen, member of The Stanford Battery of Mississippi; Tom Goldman, an attorney andauthority on Indian culture and history; Sylvia Tartt Gilder, Tartt Family history researcher;Jerry Strader, publisher of THE MERIDIAN STAR, who granted permission to use mate-rial from the paper; T.K. Griffis, Grand Secretary of the Masonic Grand Lodge ofMississippi; Edwina Hubert, a descendant of the Porter Family; William Ready, an attor-ney who is informed on the Lauderdale Springs resort property; Jack Shank, a distin-guished historian who has written a three volume history of Meridian; Louis Parmer, anotable historian who has written two volumes of history of Kemper County; SarahVirginia Walker who taught my secretary to use the word processor; and a sincere thankyou to Mark Covington and the staff at Luke Printing Company.

Oh! and, by the way, I give my heartfelt appreciation to my husband, Tom, who isalso my secretary, editor, cajoler, and omniservant.

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Additional Acknowledgementsby Thomas U. Lawrence

It is difficult to bring together the memories of all of the kindnesses that have madethis expanded edition possible. Expressions of appreciation are extended to:

Paul and Pam Tarver and Tina Pope of Tarver Consultants for their counsel andtutoring that helped me overcome the many problems caused by my recalcitrant comput-er during the processing of this document.

Ward Calhoun, and the staff at the Lauderdale County Department of Archives andHistory, and a special thanl you to Leslie M. Joyner, the Archives Desktop Publisher, forher kidness during our trying times of getting this book into production.

Elbert Hilliard and the staff at the Mississippi Department of Archives and HistoryRachael A. Pyron, Director of the Mississippi Baptist Historical

Commission, for countless hours searching the Baptist Convention Archives for informa-tion about the Lauderdale Springs Home for Confederate Orphans. And we must add anadditional “thank you” to her for copying it and mailing it and for her continuing words ofencouragement and for her valuable time spent leading me around and answering myquestions when I visited her office.

Carole James of the Meridian Public Library for her tireless help in locating infor-mation and for securing valuable research material in books acquired through theInterlibrary Loan procedure.

Imogene Baumgardner, the owner of the Lauderdale Springs resort property, forgiving us permission to explore the property.

Henry Wedgworth for accompanying us onto the property and guiding us to thevarious springs and sites of historic interest.

Ralph Morgan for clearing away a beaver dam and draining a lake so that picturescould be taken of the mineral water bathing pool at the Lauderdale Springs resort.

James Copeland, Forester at the Meridian Naval Air Station, for obtaining a reportabout the U.S. military post that was located north of Lauderdale after the War forSouthern Independence. This report provided information about a second and a thirdConfederate hospital at Lauderdale, both located north of Ponta Creek, and about thesite of the relocation of the Home for Confederate Orphans, when it was removed fromLauderdale Springs. We thank him for organizing several expeditions for us to searchthe area for information of historical significance.

Harold Noe for platting the property on the north side of Ponta Creek aboveLauderdale, which at various times was the location of two Confederate Hospitals, theHoward Orphanage for Negro Children, a United States Military post, the Freedmans’Orphange for Negro Children and the Mississippi Home for Confederate Orphans.

George A. Smith for permission to use a chapter from the memoirs of his Great-grandfather Sgt. George Powell Clarke, wherein the old veteranrelates his recollection ofhis hospitalization at the Lauderdale Springs Confederate Hospital.

Fred Bean, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge for providing information from therecords of the Masonic order.

Rodney Walker for the loan of a group picture, which included some young ladieswho were students in a school at Lauderdale Springs.

Margaret Remy of Quick Prints of Meridian for the restoration and digital enhance-ment of some ancient pictures that are displayedc in this book.

George Chatham for photographs of bottles with “Lauderdale Springs” embossedinto the glass. These bottles were used for the sale and shipment of the mineral watersfrom the Springs.

Fred Edmiston for locating a copy of the autobiography of Dr. Thomas C.Teasdale, a faithful servant in the Kingdom of God, whose dedicated service as a fundraiser provided a large amount of the funds with which the Lauderdale Springs Home forChildren was founded and kept functioning.

Lytle Stewart for his company on many field expeditions and his valuable serviceas photographer and recorder of interviews.

Tax Assessor Jimmy Slay and the staff in hos office for providing maps and infor-mation regarding the chain of ownership of the Lauderdale Springs Resort property.

The late Jarvis Welch and his brothers, Richard, Edward, and Charles Welch ofToomsuba, MS for their information about the Patton family.

Greg Hatcher for valuable help with research.Dr. Bill and Mary East for information about William Samuel Patton and numer-

ous other bits of information.James G. Hadley of Austin, Texas for information about his Great-grandmother

Lydia Priscilla Reynolds and her sister Jane Reynolds, who were residents at theLauderdale Springs Home for Orphan Children.

Mary Frances Cockrell, now deceased, for providing information about her Great-grandmother Jackie Pearson and her sisters, Rebecca and Johnnie, who were residentsat the Home, and for the loan of a picture of her grandmother and a group picture of thechildren’s chorale.

Jack Redice Knight and his Aunt Ethyl Knight , historians and authors of greatacclaim, who provided information about Jack’s Great-great-grandmother Judith WelchKnight, who was a resident at the Home, along with her five children.

Mr. Joseph Henry “Dora” Hatcher for information about her ancestor, benjamin B.Smith, who owned and operated the Lauderdale Springs Resort - circa the late 1840’sand early 1850’s.

Granberry Ward for information about his Grandmother Semele Moore, who wasa resident at the Lauderdale Springs Home for Confederate Orphans and later marriedHorace Reid Ward.

Mrs. W. L. “Sidney” Wedgeworth, a school teacher who is beloved by all her stu-dentds. Miss Sid provided a bounty of remembrances from her 95 years in Lauderdaleand clarified some fuzzy information I had collected.

Prologue

The information presented here is copied from Betty Lawrence’s genealogy writ-ings.

William Dearman, Jr. and Sarah Nancy Ellen McKinley were married September17, 1851 in Lauderdale Springs. The ceremony was preformed by her brother, RobertMcKinley, who was Justice of the Peace and at a later time owned and operated theLauderdale Springs Hotel.

The Dearmans bought property just east of the front gate of the LauderdaleSprings resort, and established their home there. William and Sarah Nancy EllenMcKinley Dearman, Jr. were my great-grandparents. They had three children: ClaraElizabeth, Willie Ellen and Malloy Beatty

William Dearman, Jr. was a son of Rev. William Dearman, Sr., who was pastor ofthe First Methodist Church in Meridian, which was between 8th Avenue and 10th Avenue,just south of the railroad. In his later life Rev. Dearman deeded the church and an adjoin-ing cemetery to the Methodist Conference. At some later time the church building wasrazed and the cemetery, with more than 1,000 graves, many of them Confederate sol-diers, was destroyed. William Dearman, Jr. engaged in the general merchandise busi-ness, selling men's clothes, saddles and hardware. When he was 25 years old he waselected constable in District 1 of Lauderdale County. He served in the Confederate armyand died in 1862. He was a brother of John Dearman, who owned the 160 acre DearmanSurvey in Meridian.

William Dearman, Jr.’s widow, Sarah Nancy Ellen, later married William Parker,who died a few years later. She maintained her home at Lauderdale Springs until shedied in 1906.

Clara Elizabeth Dearman married Albert Gilliam January 14, 1883 in LauderdaleSprings. They were my grandparents. They bought land adjoining her mother’s homeand made their home with her and later purchased the home from her and lived out theirlives there.

Albert and Clara Elizabeth Gilliam had two children: John William and Ina Beattie.Ina Beattie Gilliam and John William Peel were married December 14, 1910 inLauderdale. They were my parents.

My mother, Ina Gilliam Peel, said the house in Lauderdale Springs, whereGrandpa Gilliam and Grandma Gilliam lived and where she was born, was built out of biglogs covered with clapboards and ceiled inside. There was a chimney on each side ofthe house. The house was roofed with hand hewn boards about six inches wide and 12or 14 inches long. These were called shakes. The outside of the house was white-washed instead of being painted.

The house originally consisted of only two rooms with an open hall, known as adogtrot, from front to back. The room on the right was the one used by Sarah NancyMcKinley Dearman. Mother nursed her while she was ill, and she died in that room. Theroom on the left was Grandpa and Grandma's room. When I was a little girl I stayed withthem for long periods of time. Grandpa had closed up the wide hall and it served as alarge room. He also added a shed room and a kitchen adjoining Grandpa and

Grandma's room. The shed room connected to the bedroom and was used as a storageroom for trunks and clothes.

In Grandma’s room, the window by the fireplace had glass panes, but the windowopening onto the porch and the windows in the other room had a wooden shutters. Outback there was a smokehouse built of logs. It was small, only about 8 feet by 10 feet.Farther back from the house Grandpa had a crib where he kept the feed for the horseand cows. In the front of the house there were two big paradise trees.

Mother has told me of Old Aunt Easter, a Negro slave who came with theMcKinleys to Lauderdale County, Mississippi from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina .Aunt Easter had her bedroom by the kitchen, which was built separate from the house.She would allow no one in her kitchen while she was cooking. The family had a dog thatplayed a trick on Aunt Easter. Once when she cooked cornbread on the hearth of thefireplace the dog seemed to know when the bread was done and went to the front of thehouse and started scratching at the door. When she went around the house to see whatwas going on, the dog tore out to the kitchen and stole the bread.

Sarah N. E. McKinley Dearman always kept money hidden in or around the house,some of it being gold. Mother said she knew where the money was hidden and sneakedand looked at it sometimes, but after the death of Great Grandmother McKinley Dearmanit was never found.

I recall one night when I was about five years old, I was standing on a stool look-ing out the window by the fireplace and I saw a man standing by the side of the chimneylooking in the window and listening. It scared me half to death. He saw me looking athim and ran. Grandpa said it happened often, that people believed the money was stillin the house and they would sneak around hoping to get a clue to where the money washidden. Another story concerns a trunk. that had a round hole cut in the bottom.Someone had gone under the house and cut a hole through the floor and the trunk look-ing for the money. A piece of tin had been nailed to the bottom of the trunk to cover thehole.

I can remember Aunt Malinda, that wonderful, kind Negro woman, who alwayshelped Grandma when she was sick. It seems she was sick a lot as I remember herbeing in bed much of the time when I was four, five and six years old. I was only six anda half years old when she died. She died in Rush Hospital in Meridian.

The old East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad ran alongside the house.Mother says that in about 1899, after the Spanish American War, many soldiers werebrought by rail to Lauderdale Springs and encamped there for several weeks. Mothersaid they were all over the place, even in their yard and at first she was afraid of them,but they gave her rings and beads they had made and made her feel like she was some-one special and she loved them. They stayed around there until the officials decided tosend them on to Chickamauga to be mustered out. That was the last time the railroadwas used. It was then abandoned and the rails were taken up.

THE NEED TO KNOW HISTORY

There is a scenic drive from Alabama into Lauderdal e County,Mississippi that follows a path beaten through the woodlands bygenerations of native Americans. This was the Choc taw Trail, theprincipal line of communication, transportation and travel throughthe heartland of the Choctaw Indian Nation. It, al so, was theroute taken by the white pioneers, when they moved in to settlethese "new" lands.

One of the first settlements in the vast territory from whichthe states of Mississippi and Alabama were formed w as establishedat Panti, an Indian village on the Choctaw Trail. This settlementevolved through many names: Panti, Possumville, Po ssumville Springs,Mingo Houma, White Sulphur Springs, and Patton's Sp rings - to becomeLauderdale Springs.

A study of the history of Lauderdale Springs, to be comprehensiveand meaningful, must present more than a chronology matching dateswith events. History is primarily a narrative of what happenedin the life of a people, however, the study should give considerationto the manner in which the people were affected and influenced bygeography, economics, and their relation with other people. Historyshould strive for the earliest possible beginning t ime and shouldtell more than the stories of the people who made w aves and changedthe world. It, also, should tell the stories of the people whochanged with the world. A pebble tossed into a pon d will shiftthe many grains of sand when the ripples reach the shore. In likemanner, every individual has some effect upon the w orld around him.

INDIAN TRAILS AND EARLY ROADS

Panti was the site where two ancient travel routes, theTennessee Trail and the Choctaw Trail, crossed.

The Tennessee Trail, later called the Gaines Road, ran fromSt. Stephens, on the Tombigbee River about 60 miles north of Mobile,to Colbert's Ferry, a few miles below the Mussel Sh oals (present-day Muscle Shoals) on the Tennessee River. The Uni ted Statesgovernment had established a large trading house at St. Stephensto promote trade with the Choctaws and other Indian s. GeorgeStrother Gaines, the factor of the trading house, e xperiencedconstant difficulties with the revenue agents in Mo bile, who exactedhigh duties and delayed his shipments. In 1810, Ma jor Gaines wasinstructed by the Secretary of War to negotiate wit h the ChickasawIndians for permission to open a wagon road, along a route thathad been surveyed seven years earlier, from Colbert 's Ferry toCotton Gin Port on the Tombigbee. The Chickasaws o bjected toopening a wagon road, but did agree to allow goods to be transportedon pack horses.This extension of the Gaines Road pr ovided a routefor the transportation of goods and travelers down the Ohio River,up the Tennessee, overland on the Gaines Trace to t he Tombigbee,then down the Tombigbee to St. Stephens. The route of the GainesRoad through Lauderdale County is displayed in the Book of TownshipPlats in the Chancery Clerk’s office.

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The Choctaw Trail began at Tuscahoma, six miles eas t of present-day Butler, Alabama, and ran north along the Tombig bee River toJones Bluff, now Epes, Alabama, then west through P anti, an Indianvillage at the present site of Lauderdale Springs, Mississippi,and on westward through Coosha, the principal seat of power ofthe Choctaw Indian Nation.

There were 70 towns in the Choctaw Nation. Coosha, with apopulation of 1500, was the largest. This was the home of ChiefPushmataha, Mingo of the Six Town Division of the N ation. Cooshawas situated on Issuba Kannia bok (Lost Horse Creek ). The siteof the town is in Section 25, Township 8 North, Ran ge 16 East,Lauderdale County, Mississippi, two miles northwest of present-day Lockhart and eight miles west of Lauderdale Spr ings.

According to records in the Alabama Department of A rchives,the first white men to move into present-day Lauder dale Countywere Pierre and Charles Juzan, sons of Pierre Juzan of Mobile.The Juzan family had close relations with the Choct aws. PierreJuzan, Sr. was commissary to the Indians under the British andremained as interpreter under the Spanish. Charles married anative girl named Phebe, who was a niece of Chief P ushmataha anda sister of Chief Oklahoma. The Juzan brothers bec ame trustedfriends of Pushmataha and over the years they were given honoredpositions of leadership in the Choctaw Nation. Cha rles establishedhis home and a trading house at Coosha, and Pierre set up a tradinghouse at Chunky Chitto, near present-day Chunky, Mi ssissippi.They built trading houses at other locations and de veloped athriving business for miles around. The Juzans wer e colorfulfigures and many legends survive them. It was rumo red that Charleshad buried $30,000 in gold along the Choctaw Trail. Searchersdug many holes seeking that fabulous treasure, but no gold hasbeen found.

A modern highway now follows the route of the old C hoctawTrail past Lauderdale Springs. The road passes two old cemeterieson adjoining hills. One is the Lauderdale Springs Cemetery,established in 1835 with the graves of many of the early settlersof this area of the Mississippi Territory.

Across the road, the Lauderdale Springs Confederate Cemeteryis the last resting place of 1200 valiant young men who gave theirlives during the War Between the States.

Both cemeteries are maintained through perpetual ca re funds,which give assurance that those noble ancestors wil l be givenrespect forever.

When the first settlers came to Lauderdale Springs, they hadvery few white neighbors living within 150 miles in any direction,however, they were followed by a steady stream of r esolute immigrantssearching for a new life and good fortune in the ne w territory.Here the dreams of many of those pioneers were fulf illed. Historicalrecords pay tribute to their sacrifices and accompl ishments. Theywere great patriots, who made significant contribut ions towardthe founding of the state of Mississippi. They built churchesand schools and developed a thriving community, wit h cultural,social and recreational advantages seldom found in a frontiertown.

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Through the years, stage lines were established con nectingthe town with Demopolis, Livingston and Gainesville , Alabama, andwith Columbus, Carthage, Union, Jackson and Quitman , Mississippi,and this crossroad settlement developed into a majo r transportationand trading center in the territory. But, alas, in later yearsa railroad and a new highway bypassed the town, and , caught upin the ripples of change, it faded away. The count ryside atLauderdale Springs looks today much as it must have looked whenit was in the heartland of the Choctaw Nation.

A probe into the history of Lauderdale Springs is t ypical ofall historical studies, a question is asked, an ans wer is foundonly to pose another question. In this study, a lo gical firstquestion is, "Why was Lauderdale Springs and the va st area aroundit unsettled more that three centuries after Americ a was discoveredand almost a quarter century after the eastern seab oard was populatedand forged into a vibrant new nation?"

DISCOVERY OF THE NEW WORLD

The answer begins in 1492 when Christopher Columbus departedPalos, Spain and sailed westward across the unknown waters of theOcean Sea in search of a new route to the Indes and Asia. Whenhe touched land at San Salvador in the Bahamas, he mistakenlyassumed he had reached India and the spice islands. He returnedhome and proclaimed, "The gate to the pearls and go ld is open.Asia can now be reached by sailing west." Columbus made threeadditional voyages to explore the lands he thought to be a partof Asia and died without ever realizing that the la nds he calledthe Other World were actually a New World. It was almost thirtyyears before the truth dawned that Columbus had, in fact, discoveredthe new world to be called America.

European kings and merchants were annoyed to learn that thistroublesome land mass blocked them from finding a n ew route toAsia. Then it was discovered that the "New World" was a land ofriches far greater than trade with Asia. Gold was the magic word.Driven by greed, the Spaniards swept over South and Central Americalike a storm, and ruthlessly pillaged and looted th e continent.

THE NATIVE AMERICANS

When the white man came in 1492, Indians had lived on thiscontinent for more than 20,000 years. Indians are of Mongoloidracial stock. They came from Asia, across the Beri ng Strait, toAmerica. 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 lived in present day LatinAmerica and about 1,000,000 lived north of the Rio Grande. 25,000to 30,000 lived in what is now Mississippi and a gr eater numberin Alabama.

For thousand of years during the stone age, Indians werenomadic hunters who supplemented their diet of game and fish withfruit, berries, roots, seeds, nuts and whatever els e nature provided.

Around 3,000 years ago Indians began to make potter y andlearned some simple methods of storing food. Rudim entary agriculturebegan to evolve and they grew corn, beans and squas h. This enabledthem to spend less time hunting for food. This era is referredto as the Woodland tradition.

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Around 1300 years ago, the Mississippian tradition began tosupplant the Woodland culture. Progressive methods of farming weredeveloped and farm production increased. They buil t more permanenthomes and towns. They held religious ceremonies an d organizedgovernments. Settlements became larger and were ma de remarkableby their flat topped, pyramidal earthen mounds. Le vels of cultureand ways of living varied greatly over the enormous lands of thetwo continents. The Maya, Inca, and Aztec empires developed thehighest Indian civilizations, with many cultural ad vancements andsome remarkable achievements in the arts and scienc es. TheMississippian Indians reached their highest develop ment around 1200A.D.

Great Indian nations, unable to defend against mode rn methodsof warfare, were overwhelmed by the conquests of th e Europeaninvaders, and their honorable civilizations were de stroyed. Ships,loaded with gold and the fortunes of conquest, retu rned to Spainin triumph.

With visions of great wealth and power, the monarch s andnobility of Europe thrust their countries into a fr enetic strugglefor the vast land and resources of the New World. European explorersmade obscure claims to undefined lands, which overl apped claimsmade by other countries.

The native Indians resented and resisted the incurs ions ofaliens into their homelands and hunting grounds. D isputes aroseand wars erupted. The conflicts for territorial so vereignty lastedfor centuries, with the Indians, caught in the midd le, alwaysinvolved, siding with whichever army was the lesser of the evils.

HERNANDO DESOTO

Hernando DeSoto was the first European to make a th orough andsystematic exploration of what is now the southeast ern part of theUnited States. DeSoto was born in Spain. When he was 19 yearsold, he went to South America and became wealthy in the conquestof Peru. When he was named governor of Cuba, he de cided to exploreFlorida, which had been described as a land of gold .

In May of 1539, he departed from Tampa Bay with six hundredsoldiers and traveled north to the Blue Ridge Mount ains, then southinto the Choctaw Indian Nation. Somewhere between the Tombigbeeand Alabama Rivers, he engaged in battle with Chief Tucaloosa andthe Maubila tribe of Choctaws. This was the bloodi est Indianbattle in North American history. It lasted for ni ne hours andbetween six and eleven thousand were killed.

In an article published on June 30, 1976 in THE SUMTER COUNTYALABAMA JOURNAL, the writer, Jack Sanders, postulates that someof the Indians escaped from that battle and fled to Millville,Alabama, which is seven miles east of Lauderdale Sp rings. Thetheory, based on some relics and artifacts that hav e been unearthed,contends that the Spaniards pursued the Indians and annihilatedthem at that site. In 1891, evidence was found to indicate that,hundreds of years ago, a causeway had been built th ere. It wasthree quarters of a mile long and could have been u sed to getDeSoto's horses and large cannons across a boggy ma rsh at thelocale. A number of articles, which have been exca vated at the

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site, support the contention. Among the items were : steel andbrass rifle barrels; steel and brass pistol barrels , all of theflintlock type; and a steel currying knife. Also f ound were arrowheads, spear points, stone axes, and other equipmen t made byIndians.

The explorers continued west into what is now Texas . DeSotodied on the trip. The survivors brought back a wea lth of informationabout a beautiful, rich land, but no gold. The Ind ians of thisinterior area saw very few white visitors again for the next 250years.

COLONIZATION

Spain, in 1519, established the first permanent Eur opeansettlement on the North American mainland at Vera C ruz, Mexico.In 1565, Spaniards settled St. Augustine, the oldes t city in whatis now the United States. By 1600 Latin America wa s under Europeancontrol and most of the Indians were vanquished int o servitudeand slavery under the new masters.

The first English settlement in what is now the Un ited Stateswas founded at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Within 25 years 40,000persons lived in Virginia.

In 1620, the Mayflower carried 102 Pilgrims to Mass achusetts. Their settlement was practically an independent re public, untilit became a colony in 1691. Rhode Island and Conne cticut wereestablished as independent republics. The Dutch s ettled NewNetherlands on Manhattan island in 1624. The Swedi sh settledalong the Delaware River in 1638, but Dutch forces seized Sweden'ssettlements in 1650. The English colonized Pennsyl vania in 1681,and Delaware was claimed by Pennsylvania until the RevolutionaryWar.

In 1629, King Charles I of England granted the regi on southof Virginia to Sir Robert Heath. The new colony na med Carolana,extended from Virginia to Florida and from the Atla ntic Ocean tothe Mississippi River, but it was not until 1700 th at the firstpermanent white settlers came into the colony. At that time itsname was changed to Carolina. In 1729, the region was dividedinto two royal provinces, North Carolina and South Carolina. In1732, the southern part of the region was divided f rom SouthCarolina to become the colony of Georgia, which enc ompassed thepresent states of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. At that timevirtually no European settlers had ventured into th at vast area.

Since the English had claimed the entire continent of NorthAmerica, the colonists considered their lands to ex tend westwardto undefined limits, or at least to the Mississippi River, however,a primary problem with this assumption was that the se lands wereowned and occupied by Indians. These were their ho melands. Theproblem was compounded by the fact that Robert Cava lier De LaSallehad, on April 9, 1682, claimed for France the Missi ssippi Riverand all the land it drained. This province, called Louisiana,extended from the Allegheny Mountains to the Rocky Mountains.Complicating the problem even further was the fact that the Spanishclaimed much of the land in the colony of Georgia a nd most of thewestern part of the continent.

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Pierre Sieur d'Iberville and his brother, Jean d'Bi enville,established the first French settlement at present- day Ocean Springs,Mississippi in 1699; another at Mobile in 1702; For t Toulouse onthe Alabama River near the present location of Wetu mpka, Alabamain 1714; and Fort Rosalie, now Natchez, in 1716. T he first capitolof the French province was at Biloxi, but later it was moved toMobile and, in 1723, to New Orleans.

By 1760, 1,500,000 people lived in the 13 British c olonies.In 1762, France ceded to Spain New Orleans and all of Louisianawest of the Mississippi River. In 1763, France sur rendered theterritory east of the Mississippi River to Great Br itain. Thiscession included a strip of land between the Gulf o f Mexico andthe 31st Parallel, extending across the southern co asts of present-day Alabama and Mississippi. This province was kno wn as BritishWest Florida. Between 1775 and 1783, the 13 Englis h coloniesrevolted and established the United States of Ameri ca as a sovereignnation. This was a time for rejoicing for a new na tion had beenborn, but it was a time for concern for many hardy pioneers whowere attracted to the frontier in search of the Ame rican dream.At that time settlements had been confined to the A tlantic seaboard,because of the hostility of the French, Spanish and Indians whoresisted all efforts toward expansion. Only 100,00 0 bold pioneershad ventured west of the Allegheny Mountains. Grea t Britain cededWest Florida back to Spain at the end of the Revolu tionary War.By 1790 the population of the United States was 4,0 00,000 with acont inuing stream of immigrants arr iv ing from Europ e.

In 1795, Georgia sold much of its western lands, in what isnow Alabama and Mississippi, to land companies who proposed toresell them at a profit. The deal came to be known as the YazooFraud, because of the dishonesty of the developers. Repercussionsfrom the Fraud caused the state to sell the land to the federalgovernment.

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THE MISSISSIPPI TERRITORY

In 1798, the U. S. Congress organized the Mississip pi Territorywith Natchez as the capitol. The territory was bou nded on thesouth by the 31st parallel, on the west by the Miss issippi River,on the north by a line extending from the mouth of the Yazoo River(at present-day Vicksburg) east to the Chattahooche e River (nearpresent-day Columbus, Georgia), and on the east by the ChattahoocheeRiver. In 1804, Congress extended the Mississippi Territory northto the Tennessee border and, in 1812, south to the Gulf Of Mexico.

In 1817, the State of Mississippi was formed from t he westernhalf of the Territory and the eastern half was then named theAlabama Territory. In 1819, the Alabama Territory was organizedas a state and accepted into the Union as the State of Alabama.

EARLY SETTLERS

Among the first settlers coming to the new Mississi ppi Territorywere James Lauderdale, Ambrose Knox Ramsey and Rich ard Smith, whocame in 1800. They traveled down the Indian trails and arrivedat Panti, an Indian village on Shukhutolbi bok (Opo ssum KillingCreek), known today as Possum Creek. They had to w iden the trailsto provide passage for their wagons and it took the m a year to makethe trip.

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SAM DALE

A guide and scout named Samuel Dale, whose life sto ry hasbecome a legend, accompanied them. Dale was an out standing figurein the history of the Mississippi Territory and one of Mississippi'smost zealous patriots. He was born in 1772 in Rock bridge, Virginia. When he was three years old his parents moved to W ashington County,Virginia and built a stockade for protection agains t the Indians. It was a precarious life, with constant fear of ma ssacre. Dale'sfather narrowly escaped an ambush near the fort, wh ere four menwere killed and scalped.

After several encounters with hostile Indians, Dale 's fathermoved the family to what is now Greensborough, Geor gia. Within afew months the Creeks and Cherokees started an upri sing, and lifebecame intolerable. The Dales then moved to Carmic hael's Stationwhere Indians again attacked them. During this bat tle a rifle ballstruck Dale in the face, leaving him with a bent "h awk" nose, whichwas an outstanding feature remembered by all who kn ew him.

When Dale was 17 years old, his parents died and he foundhimself with a mortgaged farm and the responsibilit y for eightyounger brothers and sisters. When he was 21 years old and sixfeet two inches tall, "Big Sam" engaged a reliable neighbor to carefor the family and joined a militia company to figh t Indians. Inhis first campaign with the company Dale was acclai med for hiscourage and wily maneuvers. He was promoted to com mander of themilitia's scout company and soon was known througho ut the land asa fierce Indian fighter and a bad enemy to have.

In 1799, Dale's militia company was disbanded. He bought afour-horse wagon and became a freighter in Savannah , working throughthe winter and returning to the farm in the spring to put his horsesto the plow to help his brothers make a crop, after which he becamea trader and went among the Creek Indians bartering merchandisefor cattle, hogs, poultry, hides and tallow, which he transportedto the seaboard and sold.

This was the year when immigration began from Georg ia and theCarolinas, through Creek and Choctaw country, into the new MississippiTerritory. Dale acquired teams and three wagons an d offered hisservices for the transport of families to their new homes. Heestablished his base of operations at Milledgeville , Georgia, atthe head of the Three Chopped Way, which was the ma inline fortravelers into the new Territory. The trail was ma rked by threechops of an ax on the trunks of trees along the rou te. It ran toFort Stoddard, about 40 miles north of Mobile, and in 1807 wasextended to Natchez on the Mississippi River and wa s used as a postroad, with service every three weeks.

Through his years of dealing with Indians, as a fri end andas an enemy, Dale had acquired a vast knowledge of the nature andcultural composition of the several nations in the territory. Mostlikely, he was familiar with the locality when he g uided JamesLauderdale, Ambrose Ramsey and Richard Smith to Pan ti and advisedthem to locate in the vicinity.

Dale continued his business of guiding settlers into theMississippi Territory. He later engaged in the mer cantile businessand farming. He served as a colonel in the militia of the Mississippi

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Territory and later in the U. S. army in the war ag ainst the CreekIndians. The accounts of his victories in hand-to- hand combat havebecome legend. The most famous of his exploits was called "thecanoe fight," which occurred on November 13, 1813, when he wasleading 60 men up the Alabama River in pursuit of a band of Indians. They caught up with the Indians at Burnt Corn Cree k near what istoday Claiborne, Alabama, and Dale single-handedly killed 11 ofthe enemy while standing in a canoe. He participat ed in thedestruction of the Creek's "Holy City" in which And rew Jackson,Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and General J. F. H. Cl aiborne tookan active part. After the war Dale served as Tax A ssessor, TaxCollector, and as Census Commissioner in Monroe Cou nty, Alabama;as a delegate to the convention to divide the Missi ssippi Territorywhen Mississippi attained statehood; as a delegate to the firstAlabama General Assembly and served two terms in th e Alabamalegislature.. He was appointed a Commissioner to r emove the ChoctawIndians to their new homes in the West. He was sum ptuouslyentertained by President Andrew Jackson in Washingt on in 1832. Thelegislature conferred on him the rank of Brigadier General, withthe pay of a Colonel for life. He later purchased two sectionsof land near Coosha, eight miles west of Lauderdale Springs, andfounded the town of Daleville, Mississippi. He ser ved in theMississippi legislature and was a successful mercha nt and farmer. Dale had one other claim to fame. He was a talent ed fiddler, andalways was welcomed by the people on the frontier, who wanted alittle music in their lives.

Samuel Dale died May 24, 1841at the age of 70 years. Today, astone monument towering over anidyllic park at Daleville displaysa figure of a man, with rifle inhand staring at the horizon. Thisstatue commemorates the memory ofthe fabulous General Samuel Dale,frontiersman, Indian-fighter andpolitician.

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PANTI

When Dale, Lauderdale, Ramsey and Smith arrived at Pantivillage, the Indians received their guests with hos pitality, andproudly escorted them to the springs and told them, "Here GreatFather of Indians brings forth water for his childr en." Theyexplained that for uncounted moons Indians, from as far away asthe Smoky Mountains and the far West, had been comi ng to the springsto bathe and drink the "wonder waters" as a cure fo r skin diseasesand other ailments. Medicine men would instruct wo unded warriorsto travel to the springs for a cure. The hosts sho wed them the"black medicine water" spring, which was known to c ure wounds andskin ailments. West of the black spring were four springs, eachwith a different colored water and each acclaimed t o have a differenthealing power.

The visitors, intrigued by the springs and delighte d by thefriendly attitude of the natives and impressed by t he beautifulforests and rich soils they had observed throughout the region,decided they wanted to make their new homes in this locality.

James Lauderdale purchased the area around the spri ngs, payinga handsome price by the standards of the day. For the propertythe Indians received a fine rifle, some ammunition, a pony, ahatchet, a knife, a skillet, beads and about $25 in gold. Thedeal was closed with the understanding that the Ind ians would havefree use of the springs.

The pioneers returned to their homes and set about themonumental task of moving their families and all th eir possessionsseveral hundred miles into the wilderness. The pro cession ofwagons and livestock was an impressive caravan. Th e Allen Smithfamily traveled in a phaeton carriage drawn by a ma tched team ofwhite stallions.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS

James Lauderdale, who was originally from Tennessee , made hishome and operated a mercantile business at the spri ngs he hadpurchased at Panti village, and the town of Lauderd ale Springsdeveloped at this site. Ambrose Ramsey and his fam ily settledfifteen miles north of Lauderdale Springs and named the settlementRamsey. It is now the town of Emelle, Alabama. Th e Allen Smithfamily established their home eight miles south of LauderdaleSprings at Alamutcha, an Indian winter camp where t he men huntedand the women made baskets. Chief Pushmataha had a winter homeat this village. This locale was known as Smith's Pass. It isnear Kewanee, Mississippi.

The three men joined with Sam Dale in a ventu re toprovide the first stagecoach service from the Carol inas to theSprings, and are credited with bringing many of the first whitesettlers into the area. Signs of the stage road ca n still be seennear the Springs.

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JAMES LAUDERDALE

The history of the Lauderdale family is recorded in the bookHISTORIC SUMTER COUNTY, TENNESSEE, published by Jay G. Cisco in1909. From Cisco's writings we learn that the orig inal name ofthe Lauderdale family was "Maitland," but many gene rations back the"Laird of Maitland" was made Earl or Lord of Lauder dale. JamesMaitland was the grandfather of Isabella Marr, who married RobertBruce, King of Scotland.

In 1714 one member of the family came to America an d locatedin Southeastern Pennsylvania, but soon afterwards r emoved to BotetourtCounty, Virginia. He had seven sons and three daug hters. Threeof the sons served in the Revolutionary War. One o f the sons, JamesLauderdale, married a Miss Mills and moved to Tenne ssee about 1794. He had six sons and one daughter. Five of his son s served ascommissioned officers under Andrew Jackson in the I ndian wars andthe War of 1812.

One son was the James Lauderdale who came to Missis sippi andsettled at Panti on Possum Creek and founded the to wn of LauderdaleSprings. James was commissioned a Major, and later was commissioneda Lieutenant Colonel of a regiment of mounted infan try in Coffee'sbrigade. James Lauderdale was severely wounded in t he battle againstthe Creek Indians at Talladega, Alabama. He return ed to duty beforehe was fully recovered and was in command of Dyer's regiment inGeneral Coffee's brigade at the Battle of New Orlea ns. In anhistorical manuscript recounting that battle, M.W. Trimble related:

...In the heat of the engagement a company of our r egulars ...encountered a company of Tennessee riflemen, and it being too darkfor recognition ... they opened fire upon each othe r ... The braveCol. Lauderdale, recognizing the familiar yell fro m both sides,stepped between them and began knocking down their guns with hissword, but lost his life in the fray - the saddest incident of thisnight attack...

The official records of the war state:

The Mississippi Territory suffered a loss in Col. Lauderdaleof General Coffee's brigade who fell while heroical ly repulsing theenemy.

When the news of Lauderdale's death reached Tenness ee, he waseulogized in THE NASHVILLE WHIG:

DIED - on the battle ground below New Orleans, on t he night of the 23rdof December, JAMES LAUDERDALE, colonel in the corps of mounted volunteersfrom this state. At an early period after the decl aration of war, Col.Lauderdale engaged in the service of his country, a nd was employed inthe campaign against the Creek Indians, until the b attle of Talladega,in which he fought with distinguished gallantry and was severely wounded. So soon as apprehensions were entertained for the safety of New Orleansand West Florida, Col. Lauderdale, not yet recovere d from his wounds,again offered his services to his country ... On th e evening of the 23rdhe exposed himself as was his custom when in battle to every danger, andsoon fell, leaving his brave soldiers to take encou ragement from his nobleexample, and a grateful country to admire his valor and deplore his loss.

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Col. Lauderdale was respected in private life and b elovedby the men whom he commanded. In every situation i n which hewas placed his first object was to know and to do h is duty.No dangers however great, no seducements however al luring, coulddivert him for an instant from this object. With t hat integrityand fortitude of character, for which he was so emi nentlydistinguished, was combined an enthusiasm and glow of feelingwhich every one who knew him both perceived and adm ired ... Whengraver matters pressed upon him, he was vigilant an d thoughtfulin battle - it was there that he shined with superi or lustre- it was in the "battle broil" that all the energie s of his mindwere put forth ... it was in the defence of the rig hts of hiscountry, and in the liberty of the citizens that he was mostfirm and determined...

Such examples as that of Col. Lauderdale, by their splendorand their number will soon constitute for us a nati onal charactercapable of the sublimest efforts of steady fortitud e and masculinecourage, tho' the enemy may land an hundred thousan d men on ourshores we need not tremble - they would but serve t o illustratethe invincible rigor of our free constitution, and irrestibleenergy of our spirit!Records show that James Lauderdale was never marrie d.

Lauderdale Counties in Mississippi, Alabama and Ten nesseeand the towns of Lauderdale and Lauderdale Springs, Mississippiwere named in his honor.

James Lauderdale's brother, William, was a Quarterm asterwith the rank of Major in the War of 1812. In 1830 Major WilliamLauderdale carried his country's flag farther into the Indiancountry than anyone else had done up to that time, and establishedFort Lauderdale in Southeastern Florida. Gallant S am Lauderdale,who fell at Cerro Gordo in the Mexican War, was a son of MajorWilliam Lauderdale.

Another brother, Sam D., served in the War of 1812, andhad the esteem and confidence of his commander and his men.In 1836, James Selby Lauderdale, son of Colonel Sam D., servedunder General Jessep on the Texas frontier to prote ct the UnitedStates borders against the Mexicans in case of the defeat ofGeneral Sam Houston.

When the War Between the States broke out, the Laud erdalesrallied to the defense of their land, and several d ied in serviceof the Confederate States Army. James Selby Lauderdale raisedthe first Company in Texas for Confederate service. He gavehis company its first drill on Christmas day, 1860. His companyformed a part of the Tenth Texas Infantry and did g allantservice.

THE CHOCTAW INDIANS

The Choctaw, Creek, Cherokee, and Chickasaw Indians migratedinto the southeastern part of the continent at abou t 1200 A.D. The Choctaw Nation occupied much of present-day Mississippiand Alabama, and developed into the largest and mos t advancedIndian nation in the southeast. In the early days they weredivided into eight clans with membership in a clan being

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inherited from their mothers. Their language and c ustoms weresimilar to the Chickasaws, their close relatives an d neighbors tothe north.

The Choctaw Nation was divided into three divisions , each witha mingo or chief elected by the people. Captains a nd sub-captainswere elected to rule villages, and were responsible to the mingos'orders. Issues of the nation were decided at counc il meetings.Through a system of elected officials, unlimited de bate, civilianrule and local self rule, the Choctaw Nation achiev ed an efficientand democratic government. Of the three mingos of the three tribaldivisions of the Nation, Pushmataha was the most re spected and heldthe greatest influence.

These Indians loved their homelands and resented an y incursionsupon them. Through the years, European military fo rces had madeseveral futile attempts to establish forts in the a rea. In 1735,the French built Fort Tombecbee on the Tombigbee Ri ver twenty milesnortheast of Lauderdale Springs, but the hostile Ch ickasaws forcedthem to evacuate within a year. British forces occ upied the samefort, November 22, 1763, and renamed it Fort York, however, theynever gained the confidence of the Indians and soon had to leave. In 1781, a Spanish garrison moved into the fort an d named it FortConfederation. They were unable to overcome the un friendly attitudeof the Indians and soon evacuated the premises. A trading housewas maintained at the site for years, and eventuall y it grew intoa town, now known as Epes, Alabama.

The Choctaw Nation extended from the Tombecbee (Tom bigbee) tothe Mississippi, as far north as present-day Columb us, Mississippi,and from the Gulf of Mexico regions. The Choctaws were excellenttraders and farmers, capable of producing 250 bushe ls of producefrom one acre. They cultivated corn, beans, pumpki ns and melonsand raised large herds of cattle. They supplied co rn to Frenchsettlers as far away as Mobile. They built log and stucco homes,grouped into villages toward the edge of the distri ct to form aprotective barrier, but toward the center the homes were isolatedand resembled plantations.

The religion of the Choctaws was mingled with magic andsuperstition. The mingo kept a box of medicine to vouchsafe thetribe from harm, and each warrior wore a bag of med icine for hisown protection. Certain men and women were believe d to possessoccult powers for good and evil, and had to be cons idered in timesof crisis. They believed in a life after death and had elaborateburial ceremonies. There were numerous ceremonies throughout theyear, the most important being the green corn dance , which was atime of thanksgiving and renewal.

The Choctaws were peaceful by nature and were slow to anger,but when enraged they fought with fury that seemed supernatural.They were not aggressive about invading other terri tory but theywere relentless in defense of their own land and th eir women. Theycould field fifteen thousand warriors which was the largest forceof all the Indian nations. Their bitterest enemies were the Creeks,who started a war with the Choctaws in 1765 that la sted six years.

The Choctaw men helped the women with necessary wor k whichwas beneath the dignity of men of other tribes. Vi sitors were

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impressed with their hospitality and agreeable atti tude, and foundthem to be witty and intelligent. They were great orators, usingtheir beautiful language in a manner that was conci se, strong,beautiful and flowing. Choctaw Indian were slender and very agile. No tribe could run faster. None excelled them at chunky, a ballgame that was a favorite sport of the Indians.

Artifacts excavated in the region have been dated b y archaeologistsas being 10,000 years old, indicating that stone ag e Indians hadlived here. There are many mounds along the Sucarn ochee River,eight miles east of Lauderdale Springs. The mounds were built bywomen bringing dirt in baskets on their heads. One of the largestIndian mounds in existence is near where this river enters theTombigbee. There is evidence that canals connected the mound tothe river. It probably was used as a fortress.

PUSHMATAHA

Chief Pushmataha was born nearpresent-day Causeyville, Mississippi. He was six feet two inches tall,and by the age of twenty he was achieftain. He led a group of warriorsto the Spanish border, now Texas, andmet defeat at the hand of theCollegeheahs. He escaped from theengagement and found refuge in aSpanish settlement for five years.He returned to the Red River fourt imes for revenge against theCollegeheahs, bringing back to hispeople the scalps of his victims.

In the Creek War, he led a bandof 500 Choctaw warriors against theBritish and their Indian allies.General F.L. Claiborne presented hima handsome regimental uniform and hewas brevetted a brigadier general inthe United States Army.

Pushmataha knew Spanish and some French and used fl uent English.One man who heard him said he had “never heard one who had suchsweet music in his tones, such energy in his manner , and such powerover his audience as this renown warrior. Of all I ndians of pureblood who have a place in American history, he blen ded more admirabletraits than any other. He was truly a friend of th e white man."

In 1824, Chief Pushmataha went to Washington to neg otiate forcloser relations between the Choctaw Nation and the United StatesGovernment. He was received by President James Mon roe and Secretaryof War John C. Calhoun and met General Lafayette an d became thetoast of the town. While there he made a speech so eloquent thatexcerpts are worthy of quoting here, "...I am in tr ouble. I willtell you my distresses ... I can boast and say, and tell the truth,that none of my father's grandfathers, or any Choct aw, ever drewblows against the United States ... My nation has a lways listened

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to the applications of the white people. They have given oftheir land until it is very small ... I came here w hen a youngman to see my Father Jefferson. He told me if ever we got introuble, we must run and tel l him. I am come..."

A few days later, Pushmataha became ill with croup andquinsy. His old friend, Senator Andrew Jackson, ru shed to hisbedside and asked, "Warrior, what is your wish?" Pu shmatahareplied, "When I am dead, fire the big guns over me ." He diedDecember 24, 1824, at age 60 and was buried in the CongressionalCemetery with a full military funeral, and the big guns werefired over him. More than 2,000 persons were in th e mile longfuneral procession.

THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE

In 1800, Napoleon forced Spain to return New Orlean s andall of the colony of Louisiana to France, then in 1 803, Napoleonsold Louisiana and the rest of the Mississippi vall ey regionto the United States for $15,000,000. This transac tion, knownas the Louisiana Purchase, comprised 825,000 square miles ofland between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mo untains,stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border.This might be the best bargain in the annuls of rea l estatedealings.

THE CREEK WARS AND THE WAR OF 1812

Up until the creation of the Mississippi Territory, in1798, very few white settlers had ventured into tha t vast region,which includes the entire states of Mississippi and Alabama.The big problem was that the lands were owned by th e Creek,Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw Indian Nations. Th e logicalroute into the Mississippi Territory was across the land of theCreeks, who occupied most of Georgia and much of Al abama.Unfortunately, their resistance to trespassers was the fiercestof all the tribes. Access into the territory from the Gulfof Mexico was blocked, since Spain controlled Flori da and theGulf Coast as well as the Mississippi River and mos t of theland west of the Mississippi. Indian raids from Sp anish Floridainto Georgia were abetted by the Spanish.

Other problems involved the British. There was dis agreementover the location of the western reaches of the Can adian-UnitedStates border. This dispute became intensified whe n the Britishincited the Indians into war against the United Sta tes, andsupplied them with weapons and provisions. United States-British relations deteriorated further when British ships begana continuing practice of stopping United States shi ps on thehigh seas, and searching them for seamen who were B ritish bybirth. All who were found were considered to be de serters, andwere taken aboard the British ships and impressed i nto theBritish navy.

For years, the people of the western and southern s tateswere indignant because of the hardships caused by G reat Britain'santagonistic policies along the frontier. The econ omy of

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antagonistic policies along the frontier. The econ omy of thesestates was based primarily upon agriculture. Great Britain waspreventing westward movement into the frontier and the peopleresented it. They were in favor of going to war wi th GreatBritain.

The people of New England generally were opposed to goingto war. The economy of New England was based prima rily uponmanufacturing and the shipping trade which would su ffer disastrouslosses from a war.

A group of congressmen from the western and souther n states,known as the War Hawks, advocated a declaration of war. Many ofthem were motivated by their desires to remove the obstacles thatwere preventing the expansion of the country. Expa nsion wasopposed by many New England politicians, who percei ved it as adilution of New England's power in Congress. War w as declaredon June 18, 1812. A large majority of Americans op posed the war. They believed it was forced on the nation to satis fy theexpansionists of the South and West. New England, the center ofwealth, interposed their disapproval by withholding both moneyand troops.

Indians were used by the British as allies, and pla yed a bigrole in several battles, continuing until the Battl e of Moroviantown. This battle, on October 1, 1813, was after the Bri tish hadabandoned Detroit and had withdrawn into Canada acc ompanied by600 Indians under Chief Tecumseh. The U. S. forces pursued themand defeated them and Tecumseh was killed on the ba ttle field.

Tecumseh was a Shawnee chief from Ohio, who had tra veled toalmost every tribe east of the Rocky Mountains with a crusadeurging Indians to join a confederation to keep Indi an land forthe Indians. His mission was to incite the Indians against theUnited States. In 1811, he visited the Choctaws an d Chickasaws. Chief Pushmataha rejected the appeal by Tecumseh a nd kept nearlyall of his warriors on the side of the United State s.

Tecumseh then attended the annual tribal council of the CreekIndians where 5,000 people, including many Choctaws and Cherokees,were in attendance. Sam Dale was the only white ma n to hear thespeech of Tecumseh. Dale described the speech:

Tecumseh spoke first slowly and in sonorous tones,but soon he became impassioned and the words flew i navalanches from his lips. I have heard many great orators,but I never saw one with the vocal powers of Tecums eh.The effect on that wild, superstitious, untutored a ssemblagemay be conceived. Not a word was said, but stern w arriorsthe "stoics of the woods" shook with emotion, and athousand tomahawks were brandished in the air.

Within a few months, whites were being massacred by thedozens throughout Georgia and the Mississippi Terri tory. TheCreeks fought with savage fury to drive the white m an from theirland. The most alarming atrocity occurred at Fort Mims, justnorth of Mobile, where 250 white settlers were kill ed. Thus beganthe Creek War of 1813-1814. Andrew Jackson entered into the

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United States Military Service at the start of the War of 1812,and led a force of 2,000 volunteers into the Missis sippi Territoryin the campaign against the Creek Indians. Chief P ushmataha, withfour companies of Choctaws, joined in with the Unit ed States inthis bloody war and he became a General in the army of the UnitedStates.

Andrew Jackson had won renown as a great soldier lo ng beforethe War of 1812. He enlisted in the militia of Sou th Carolinaduring the Revolutionary War, when he was 13 years old, and hebecame a Major General in the Tennessee militia in 1801. Thedecisive battle of the Creek War was at Horseshoe B end on theTalapoosa River, near the present-day city of Alexa nder City,Alabama. Almost all of the force of 800 Creek warr iors was wipedout. Jackson dictated the peace terms which forced the Creeks togive up 23,000,000 acres of land in Georgia and Ala bama.

Jackson was assigned to command the U. S. force alo ng theSouthern coast. He promptly captured Pensacola in Spanish Floridaand moved on to fortify New Orleans against an atta ck by theBritish. The British army of more than 8,000 troop s marchedstraight toward the entrenchments and was soundly d efeated. Inthis battle the Choctaw warriors were under the com mand of PierreJuzan of Chunky Chitto.

It is ironic that this most famous battle of the Wa r of 1812was fought after the war had ended. Sam Dale made a record rideof 700 miles, from Georgia to New Orleans, to deliv er a dispatchto inform General Jackson that the war had ended, b ut he arrivedafter the Battle of New Orleans was over. When Jac kson read thedispatch he said, "Too late. Too late. They are a lways too latein Washington." Andrew Jackson said of Dale, "Ther e isn't a manthis side of hell can stop Big Sam."

This victory over the troops that had just licked N apoleonbrought even greater fame to General Jackson. He r eturned toTennessee, but remained in command of the army's so uthern division.

After Tecumseh's death the alliance between the con federationof Indian tribes with the British crumbled, and Ind ian troublesin the Northwest practically ended.

The Treaty of Ghent, signed December 24, 1814, ende d the Warof 1812. The war settled none of the issues over w hich it wasfought, however, most of the issues were resolved d uring the nextfew years.

THE ACQUISITION OF FLORIDA

In 1817, James Monroe became president. His goals were toavoid any new international crises and mend the div ided nationalspirit. John Quincy Adams was Secretary of State. He and AndrewJackson were two powerful men who did not share Mon roe's predictionthat this would be an "era of good feelings." They shared acompelling concern for the nation's security. The border and tradedisputes which had caused the War of 1812 were stil l unresolved.They adjudged the United States to be as vulnerable as it was beforethe war. The dispute with Great Britain over the n orthwesternborder of the United States had not been settled an d remained a

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a matter of contention. The primary anxiety concer ned theSpanish provinces of East and West Florida. West F lorida wasa narrow strip of land slicing under The Mississipp i Territoryand blocking access to the Territory from the Gulf of Mexico.

These provinces were filled with hostile Indians, f oreignadventurers, runaway slaves and duplicitous Spanish officials. Jackson and Adams contended that without control o f theseprovinces there could be no territorial security, o r any westwardexpansion.

Another grievance, which Adams and Jackson felt was ofutmost importance, was Spain's consistent refusal t o recognizethe United States' purchase of the Louisiana Territ ory, anddenial of all American claims to land west of the M ississippiRiver.

In the spring of 1817, the War Department received a messagefrom Georgia, that the Red Stick Creeks, so called because oftheir big red war clubs, had murdered a white woman named Mrs.Garrett and her two children, and had commenced the ir Red Stickdancing again.

On November 30th, a party of women, children and il lsoldiers was being transported by boat up the Apala chicola Riverto a fort. The boat was ambushed and thirty-four s oldiers, sixwomen and four children were killed.

Several days later, another boat was ambushed, but gotaway after a fierce fight, whereupon, John Calhoun, the Secretaryof War, sent a dispatch to the military commander i n Georgiastating:

...it is the wish of the President that you conside ryourself at liberty to march across the Florida lin e andattack them ... unless they should shelter themselv esunder a Spanish fort. In the last event, you willimmediately notify this department.

Two weeks later the President placed General Jackso n incharge of the operation. John Quincy Adams opened negotiationswith the Spanish, but they eventually stalemated. Jackson senta secret communication on January 6, 1818, assertin g:

... the whole of East Florida ought to be seized .. . letit be signified to me through any channel ... that thepossession of Florida is desirable to the United St ates,and in 60 days it will be accomplished.

Months later, this remarkable missive would stir ho t debatein Congress over the question, "Did Jackson have pr esidentialapproval when he invaded Florida?"

On March 25th, General Jackson took Fort St. Marks, wheresome Seminoles had taken refuge. He then moved eas t to subduea group of Indians and runaway slaves operating in the SuwanneeRiver area. In this expedition an Englishman named Armbruister,a trader named Arbuthnot and two Seminole chiefs we re arrestedand convicted at a military court and put to death.

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Jackson moved west and occupied Fort of St. Michael 's atPensacola. He appointed one of his colonels as Gov ernor of WestFlorida and returned home to Tennessee.

When reports of Jackson's actions reached Washingto n, mostofficials were shocked. Spanish Minister DeOuis wa s outraged.Questions about the affair and conjecture about its consequencesrocked Washington for months. The Spanish governme nt demandedthat Jackson be punished, a demand which echoed thr ough the chambersof Congress. The furor finally quieted on February 22, 1819, when,through calm and skilled negotiation, Secretary of State Adamssecured an agreement whereby, in exchange for five million dollarsKing Ferdinand transferred all of his territories i n Florida tothe United States. The treaty also established the legality ofthe Louisiana Purchase. Andrew Jackson was vindica ted. Once againhe was hailed as a hero and soon would become presi dent.

The movement from the Carolinas and Georgia into th e new landof opportunity in the Mississippi Territory pressur ed the nativeIndians into an intolerable circumstance. In 1817, the westernhalf of the Mississippi Territory was established a s the State ofMississippi. In 1819, the remaining half became th e state ofAlabama. The land of the Territory was divided so that each statehas 44,500 square miles within its borders. The po pulation ofMississippi nearly doubled from 1820 to 1830.

THE EXODUS

This had been the homeland of Indians for thousands of years.They loved the land and were proud of the legends o f great

battles their forefathers had fought to protect it, but now theywere in a hopeless position. In a series of treati es, beginningwith the Hopewell Treaty in 1768 and evolving throu gh the Treatyof Dancing Rabbit Creek, signed September 27, 1830, the ChoctawIndians were forced to give up their homelands to t he United Statesgovernment. Altogether, they relinquished nearly 2 5 million acresof land in Mississippi and Alabama for only five mi llion acresin Arkansas and Oklahoma. George Strother Gaines a nd Sam Dalewere appointed Commissioners to supervise the remov al of the ChoctawNation to the new lands provided to them by the Tre aty of DancingRabbit Creek, however, Dale suffered an injury when his horse fellon him and was unable to make the trip. Except for a few familiesthat remained on a reservation at Philadelphia, Mis sissippi andat other isolated locations, these proud people mad e the exodusfrom the land of their fathers, and set out on that sorrowfuljourney to be remembered as The Trail of Tears. Th is is a sadepic of history. Tribute should be given to this n oble race fortheir efforts, through the years, to maintain their pride in theirtribal culture and traditions. Pierre Juzan became Chief of thePushmataha District of the Choctaw Nation in Oklaho ma.

There was a small tribe of about 300 Indians called the Okchaisin Sumter County, Alabama, who were distinct from t he Choctaws,and were not included in the Treaty of Dancing Rabb it Creek. JohnCharles Juzon, son of Charles and Phebe Juzan, was chief of theOkchais and was called Chief Jusong. The United St ates paid $30,000

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in gold to Chief Jusong for the tribe's lands, and he set out fromTompkinsville on the Tombigbee River, bound for Okl ahoma. He waswaylaid on the Choctaw Trail and severely beaten by a gang ofoutlaws and arrived at Lauderdale Springs in a dyin g condition.

Before he died he said he had buried the gold by th e trail.For years people searched for the gold. If it ever was found thefinders kept their good fortune to themselves.

THE IMMIGRANTS

By the end of 1833, the exodus of Indians was compl eted, andthe settlers flocked across the frontier in ever in creasing numbers. Prior to that, the stream of newcomers into Alabam a and Mississippihad been steady but slow. In 1812, there were only three distinctwhite settlements in the area of the Mississippi Te rritory fromwhich the State of Alabama was later formed. They were Mobile,1702 ; Fo r t Tombecbee , 1785 ; and Hun tsv i l l e , 1805 .

The citizens of the state of Mississippi readily de monstratedtheir pride in their new state and their nation. T hey were preparedfor the hardships of frontier life, and set out abo ut the taskof carving their farms from the wilderness. Villag es were builtand grew into towns and roads were constructed to j oin them. Bythe Act of December 23, 1833, Lauderdale County was one of seventeenMississippi counties created entirely from the land s ceded atDancing Rabbit Creek. In 1841, Lauderdale County h ad 340 taxpayingcitizens. The advent of railroads brought more imm igrants, anincrease in agricultural production, better busines s opportunitiesand improved living conditions. Lauderdale County population was:1840 - 5,358; 1850 - 8,717; 1860 - 13,313; 1870 - 1 3,462; 1880 -21,501; 1890 - 28,661.

Despite the progressive spirit that reigned in the early days,all was not comfort and gentility. All newcomers w ere not honesthard working citizens. Many were undesirable and s ome were hardenedcriminals. The most notorious of these outlaws was James Copeland,who, in 1839, gathered a gang of cutthroats around him and launcheda reign of terror over several states, that lasted more than fourdecades. Their base of operations was Narkeeta, fi ve miles northof Lauderdale Springs, on the Mobile and Ohio Railr oad. They werespecialists at horse stealing, cattle rustling, and passingcounterfeit money, but no crime was too heinous for them. Theyseemed to be attracted to do any act that was legal ly or morallywrong. The farmer traveling home after he had sold his crop hadbetter beware, for the Copeland gang might be waiti ng to waylayhim. Stage coaches were easy pickings for these ba ndits. Stolenmoney was often buried. Legend has it that a Negro plowed up$16,000 near Sanders Branch.

One of their slickest tricks was stealing cotton fr om a movingtrain. When the train on the M & 0 Railroad was ch ugging slowlyup a long incline into Porterville, Mississippi the outlaws ofthe Copeland Clan would come out of the woods along the right-of-way and stick a grab-hook into a bale of cotton on a flat car.A rope tried to the hook and to a tree would jerk t he bale offthe car. In a few minutes the bale was on a wagon a nd on the wayto market. That must have been the most cost effec tive way ofraising a bale of cotton ever contrived.

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James Copeland was convicted of murder in New Augus ta,Mississippi and hanged in October of 1857. Prior t o his execution,he made a full confession and named many of his acc omplices,including some leaders of the business community in Narkeeta.Nevertheless, the members of the clan continued the ir nefariousactivities until 1873.

LAUDERDALE SPRINGS

After the death of James Lauderdale, in 1815, the L auderdaleSprings property, through a succession of owners, w as developedinto a fashionable and very popular health and vaca tion resort.

Residences were built, businesses were established and therewere farms throughout the country around Lauderdale Springs. Thefirst official court house in this area of the Miss issippi Territorywas a log cabin on the stagecoach road, just north of LauderdaleSprings. Several sessions of justice court were he ld at that siteknown today as Courthouse Hill, at the fork of Bisc uit and RoosterCreeks on the Lauderda le to Ox fo rd , A labama road .

In the very early 1800s a home was built by Vincent Delk forJoseph P. Warren, four miles northeast of Lauderdal e Springs.Delk later purchased the homestead and brought his bride there in1831, and operated an inn at the site for many year s. It was onthe stage road that ran from Gainesville, Alabama t o Decatur,Mississippi. During the War Between the States, th e Federal troopstorched the house, but it was saved by women and se rvants livingon the property and only the attic was burned. Dr. William Sillimanpurchased the house in 1869 and practiced medicine there until hisdeath in the late 1800s. The W. A. Hatchers purcha sed the houseand lived there for many years until they moved to Meridian, afterwhich the house was vacant and neglected for about 20 years, untilit was purchased and beautifully restored by Comman der E. C.McGonagill and his family in 1974. They named thei r home Brikalo,derived from the first syllables of the names of th e three McGonagillchildren. The home is on the Lauderdale to Oxford, Alabama road.

A post office was established at Lauderdale Springs on April13, 1837. The post office was named Mingo Houma as an honor toa respected Choctaw chief of the vicinity. Thomas H. Davis wasthe first postmaster. He was succeeded by Hugh G. Britton, WilliamM. Drinkwater and Harry Forbes. The name of the po st office waschanged to Lauderdale Springs, January 26, 1848. S erving aspostmaster through the years were: Hiram W. Roberts , William S.Patton, John M. Silliman, William P. Hobbs, James F . Paton, ThomasS. Roberts, James W. Maury and Benjamin Smith. The post officewas discontinued June 28, 1859.

W.N. Plummer's combined store and shop, where he so ld waresand built stage coaches, was located on the stage l ine near theSprings.

Very little is known about schools in the early day s ofLauderdale Springs. James T. Dawson in his compila tion of HISTORYOF THE LAUDERDALE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL SYSTEM , states:

...According to the information on hand, the actual firstschool in this area was a school established at Coo sa Indian

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Presbyterian Missionaries in 1824 ... As white sett lers cameinto the area ... it was about 1835 that the people began tothink of schools ... These schools were known as pa tron schools... Some of these schools were known as Academies . .. forexample ... White Sulphur Springs Academy at presen t Lauderdale...

A news item in THE SUMTER COUNTY WHIG, January 7, 1845,announced the opening of this Academy:

School at the White Sulphur Springs - We understand thatthe Rev. Mr. Thornton, late President of the Centen ary Collegein Mississippi, and one of the other professors of thatInstitution, intend about the first of March next, to open amale Academy at the White Sulphur Springs, in Laude rdaleCounty, Mississippi, in which all the branches of a thorougheducation will be taught. Professor Thornton is sa id to bea fine scholar and an able divine. We trust his sch ool mayflourish.

The following advertisement, dated March 2, 1861, w as publishedin THE PAULDING EASTERN CLARION:

McCORMICK SYSTEM OF EDUCATIONTAUGHT ATLAUDERDALE SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPIBy THE AUTHOR, L. J. McCORMICKN.B. All Southern Schools using Northern books are AbolitionNurseries and are a curse to the Southern Confedera cy. Letthe people beware of them.L. J. McCormick

Copied below is an item extracted from the book RICHARDBRACEWELL, and ROBERT AND MARY PEELE AND THEIR DESCENDANTS by BettyLawrence:

In 1891 or 1892, Mr. and Mrs. John Freemon Peel of Porterville,Mississippi sent their fifteen year old daughter, Josephine,to an Academy at Lauderdale Springs, where she was studyingmusic and majoring in piano. While in school, Jose phinecontracted typhoid fever and died.

In the files of the Lauderdale County Department of Archivesand History there is an undated and unsigned paper written by anunidentified person, giving some historical informa tion aboutLauderdale Springs. The writer stated:

Lauderdale Springs has been a popular resort up to the timeof the burning of the Hotel and Normal School build ing ...Owner was in California at time of the burning. Th e managementhad allowed the fire insurance to lapse ... Many te achers inMiss. and nearby states attended the Normal Trainin g Schoolhere...

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The 1869 Constitution of the State of Mississippi a uthorizedtaxation to provide for the establishment of free p ublic schoolsin the state. The first list of Lauderdale County schools in 1877includes Lauderdale Station. In 1877, the number o f educablechildren in the Lauderdale School District was dete rmined to be378 white and 488 colored. The 1880 roster of coun ty schools listsLauderdale Station as a four month, Grade 1 school, with E.W.Cullen and Miss Cornelia Dirkin as teachers, and R. D. Arden, W.R.McKinley, and D.J. Cohen as Trustees. The 1880 ros ter includesLauderdale Springs as a four month, Grade 1 school, with A.C.Lightfoot as teacher and Robert Hurd, Mack Darden, and Dave Carrollas trustees.

In 1922, the Lauderdale Consolidated School with an enrollmentof 207 in ten grades, listed as teachers: W.L. Clay ton, Miss MaudRogers, Miss Florence Walker, Miss Ruby Latimer, Mi ss Erva Moore,and Miss Nellie Barnett, (Miss Nellie Barnett was a sister ofGovernor Ross Barnett. She married a Mr. Brown. H er teachingcareer spanned fifty one years, much of it at Popla r Springs Schoolin Meridian.). Trustees were: T.C. Lyle, Jr., R.L. Brown, and J.D.Rhaly.

Included below are extracts from an article in THE MERIDIANSTAR, May 14, 1908:

SIXTY YEARS AGOBy L. A. Duncan

In 1848, I had occasion to visit East Mississippi a ttendinga session of the Choctaw Baptist Association held a t SalemChurch, then described as being near "Alamutchie, O ld Town,Lauderdale county." We may now say "near Kewanee." Theleading Baptist in the county, then, was Rev. W.P. Carter,later sent to the senate, in the legislature. My a ssignedhome was the Wiggins place, later the hospitable ho me of Dr.J.P. Welch.

Lauderdale Springs was not far distant. It was the n awatering resort of some celebrity, wealthy people c oming manymiles in carriages and buggies, mostly the former, with theirfamilies and servants. There were no railroads the n this sideof Brandon, nor north of Mobile. Supplies were bro ught fromthe latter city, chiefly in ox wagons. One of the oldestcitizens in the vicinity was W. R. Walker, with who m I spenta day or two ... The Mobile and Ohio Railroad was n ot, at thattime, even in progress ... Meridian was then a blan k; itslower grounds in part exhibiting fields of corn or cotton.All this in October, 1848, now nearly sixty years a go.

ARTHUR PATTON

Arthur Patton was a very early settler in the Missi ssippiTerritory. He and his family made significant cont ributions tothe founding and development of Wayne County where they settled,and also of Lauderdale County, where some members o f the familylater moved. Since the Pattons were so active and i nfluential inthe business, political and social life of Lauderda le Springs,some of the Patton family history is included in th ese writings.

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Arthur Patton and his two brothers, James and Samue l, emigratedfrom Ireland to Pennsylvania, at some time prior to the RevolutionaryWar. They later moved to South Carolina. Where the three brothersjoined the American (or Rebel) army at the onset of the RevolutionaryWar. Samuel was killed during the third year of th e war, whileArthur and James served with distinction throughout the war.Arthur was promoted for bravery and daring deeds. H e was twicetaken prisoner of war by the British soldiers, ofte n called theTories or Red Coats, but he succeeded in making his escape. Afterhis second capture, he was condemned to be shot as a spy as hehad important papers from General Green on his pers on. While onthe way to the British headquarters, he took advant age of the RedCoats' having to select a sure footing for their ho rses in crossinga difficult boggy swamp or morass, where it was nec essary to travel"Indian File" (single file). Even though his hands were boundbehind his back, he turned suddenly, put the spurs to his horseand escaped under a shower of bullets.

James Patton married a Miss Lawson and moved to Ten nessee.At the close of the war, Arthur Patton settled in w hat was calledCalhoun Neighborhood of South Carolina; there were no countiesor districts at that time. He married Margaret Loc kridge and theyhad three sons: Arthur, Jr., James and William Samu el. At sometime prior to 1803, Arthur Patton, Sr. and his fami ly moved westinto what in now Wayne County, Mississippi. They t raveled on thetrail that ran from Milledgeville, Georgia through Fort Stephen,Alabama to Natchez. This trail, referred to today as the ThreeChopped Way, was at that early time the only route from the easternstates into this part of the new world. The north- south tradingroad of these early times was the Choctaw Road, als o known as theTennessee Trail and later as Gaines Road, extending from Mobilealong the west side of the Tombigbee River to Tenne ssee.

Most of the southern part of present-day Mississipp i, at thattime, was a part of the Choctaw Indian Nation. In 1805, the UnitedStates Government secured through the Treaty of Mou nt Dexter theright for settlers to enter a part of this territor y. The ChoctawNation relinquished 4,000,000 acres for which they received $500,500in cash and a $3,000 perpetual annuity.

Arthur Patton’s family made their home on the east side ofthe Chickasawhay River in what today is Wayne Count y, Mississippi.Not much of the history of the life of Arthur and M argaret Pattonis available. It is known that both are buried in the familycemetery at their home place.

Arthur Patton, Jr., son of Arthur and Margaret (Loc kridge)Patton, Sr., was born in South Carolina. He served in the armyunder Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812.

JAMES PATTON

James Patton, the second son of Arthur and Margaret (Lockridge)Patton, established his home on the east side of th e ChickasawhayRiver, nine miles north of his parents home. His h ome was on thatmain transportation route from the Carolinas and Ge orgia to Natchez.The Pattons and six other families who settled at t he site werethe nucleus of a settlement that would be called Wi nchester.

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In 1808, Winchester became Wayne County’s first cou nty seatand it was incorporated as a town in 1818. At one t ime the townhad 30 business houses and enjoyed a large trade, h aving nocompeting trading points near, however, when the M& O Railroad wascompleted to that point in 1854, it bypassed Winche ster by a mile.This resulted in the shifting of the businesses and the residentsto new locations along the rail line. In 1867, the county seatwas moved to a new railroad community, Waynesboro. A visitor tothe site of old Winchester today would be impressed by the peacefulatmosphere and natural beauty of the area, but he w ould find nosign of the vibrant town that once stood there.

James Patton was a prominent leader in the early li fe of WayneCounty. In November of 1803, his name and that of Joseph Pattonappear on a petition to Congress asking that settle rs of publiclands be granted the land after five years of culti vation. We knowfrom records preserved in the Waynesboro Library t hat in 1812he received Land Patents for two Quarter Sections o f land, a totalof 320 acres. It is not known what other lands he owned, exceptfor the land where his home was located in Winchest er.

In 1808, he was the primary sponsor and the first s igner ofa petition to the legislature of the Mississippi Te rritory forthe formation of that section of the Territory as a separatecounty. The petition was granted and Wayne County was formed onDecember 21, 1809, with Winchester as the county se at. At latertimes, ten other counties were carved out of the or iginal WayneCounty.

The War of 1812 brought with it the Indian Wars, in whichmany Mississippians were directly involved. The Cr eek Indiansjoined the British in the war against the United St ates. Raidsand massacre by the Indians sent shocks of terror t hrough theterritory. Militia units were organized and 20 for ts were builtin the settlements along the Tombigbee and Chickasa whay Rivers.A fort named Fort Patton with James Patton as comma nder was builton James Patton’s land at Winchester. These forts w ere built togive the people a place for refuge and protection f rom war parties,however, they were seldom used because the Creeks a pparently didnot choose to invade the land of the Choctaws. Sig ns of theprotective ditches around Fort Patton can still be found. JamesPatton with the rank of General commanded the 9 th Regiment fromWayne County under General F.L. Claiborne and was w ith him at theBattle of the Holy Ground.

In 1817, the Mississippi Territory was divided into two parts. The eastern part became the Territory of Alabama w hile the westernpart was admitted to the Union as the State of Miss issippi. Inthat year a convention was held in Adams County to form a governmentand frame a constitution. James Patton and Clinch Gray were thetwo de legates appo in ted to represent Wayne County .

James Patton, Thomas Hinds and William Lattimore we recommissioned to locate a suitable site within 20 mi les of thecenter of the state and on a navigable stream for t he permanentcapital of the state. The committee selected LeFle ur’s Bluff onthe Pearl River, present day Jackson, as the site f or the capital.

James Patton was the second Lieutenant Governor of the state,serving with Governor George Poindexter. He also s erved as Chief

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Justice of the Court of Quorum, as Associate Justic e of CountyCourt and as the Judge of the Probate Court.

Patton was a good man in all relations of life. He was an oldtime Methodist. It was said that the Methodist ser vices were heldin his home for many years before a church building was erected. He was highly esteemed. The Choctaws regarded him with greatfavor and called often to see him. They called him “Jim Pat.”

Historian J.F.H. Claiborne had this to say regardin g Patton,“General Patton was one of the leading men of his d ay. He residedat Winchester, which he made a center of political influence. JudgePowhatan Ellis and Judge John Black, both of whom b ecame UnitedStates Senators, commenced public life under his au spices.”

Powhatan Ellis served as a Judge of the Supreme Cou rt, andas Minister to Mexico. In one of his most noted de cisions fromthe bench he ruled: “A man may chastise an obstrepe rous wife,provided he use a rod no larger than the thumb.” I t must be addedhere that Ellis never was married.

James Patton died May 2, 1834, at age 54, and is bu ried inthe Patton family cemetery at his home in Wincheste r. A historicalmarker alongside U.S. Highway 45 south of Waynesbor o memorializeshis patriotism:

GENERAL JAMES PATTONBORN 1870 IN S.C. FIRST SIGNEROF PETITION IN 1808 TO FORMWAYNE COUNTYSERVED IN SEVERALWAYNE COUNTY COURTSSTATE’S 2 nd LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR 1820-22DIED MAY 3, 1830 AT WINCHESTERBURIED 6/10 MI. SWIN S 33 – T 8 N – R 6 W

WILLIAM SAMUEL PATTON

William Samuel Patton, the youngestson of Arthur and Margaret (Lockridge)Patton, Sr., was born in South Carolina.He married Edna George in 1809. He was aphysician, whose practice served a wide areaof Wayne County, and he served under GeneralAndrew Jackson as a surgeon for the City ofNew Orleans in the War of 1812. Edna (George)Patton died at age 63 and William SamuelPatton, Sr. died two years later. They wereliving in Sumter County, Alabama at thetime. Both are buried at Patton’s Hill,now known as Sumtervi l le, Alabama.

William Samuel and Edna (George) Pattonhad two children: Margaret Cynthia Pattonand William Samuel Patton, Jr.

William Samuel Patton, Jr. was born in1813. He married Frances Ann Webb, daughterof Capt. Samuel Smith Webb and Ann MooreDickens Webb in 1834 and they made their

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home near his parents’ home at Patton’s Hill. They had 11 children. Two died in infancy. Frances Ann Webb Patton was b orn April 15,1818 and died January 10, 1865 and is buried in the cemetery atOld Marion, Lauderdale County, Mississippi.

William Samuel Patton, III, son of William Samuel a nd FrancesAnn (Webb) Patton, Jr., was born in Sumter County, Alabama January13, 1838. He graduated from Baltimore Dental Colle ge and practiceddentistry in Homer, Louisiana. He volunteered for service in the2nd Louisiana Regiment, CSA and died on July 2, 1862 at the Battleof Malvern Hill in Virginia.

Sarah Francis Patton, daughter of William Samuel and FrancesAnn (Webb) Patton, married Mackerness Hudson Whitak er, and theyhad seven children. After the death of Sarah Francis, MackernessHudson Whitaker married her sister, Valinia, and th ey had twochildren, one of whom was Martha Susan Whitaker, wh o married Dr.Jacob Perry Welch, and they had twelve children. T he Welch homewas at Alamucha in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, and many oftheir descendants are living today in that vicinity . Dr. Welchconducted a large and successful farming operation. He was pastthe age for military service during the War, howeve r, he gave fullsupport to the war effort. His farm was devastated by the foragingtroops of both the Union and Confederate forces when they were inthe area.

In 1842, William S. Patton acquired the Lauderdale Springsproperty, known then as White Sulfur Springs, with a purpose ofdeveloping it into a fashionable health and vacatio n resort.

In 1843, Major David Gavin traveled by horseback fr om his homein St. George Parish, South Carolina to visit his cousin, John W.Clayton, at his home on Lost Horse Creek, near Coos ha, in LauderdaleCounty. Major Gavin kept a diary in which he recor ded someremarkable observations about the country he passed through andthe people he met:

. . .went with Mr. Griffith to the Possumville whit e sulphursprings about 7 miles S. E. (referring to Lauderdal e Springson Possum Creek) owned by Gen. Patton are strongly impregnatedwith sulphur and what appears to me more remarkable , in thecenter of a large reed brake ... Gen Patton appears quitegentlemanly and pleasant in his manners ... He is p utting upbuildings for the accommodation of visitors, a num ber of whomare here now but mostly transient for as this is th e firstseason any accommodation has been here its reputati on is notwell established .…There are some huts built for pr ivatefamilies ... There is also one or two droggeries an d unfortunatelysome visit the springs more from the love of strong drink andfrollicking than the benefit of the mineral waters. Thereare considerable hills on each side of the reed bra ke ... Wewent to a barbecue at Daleville ... Miss Delk and t wo MissesCrane ranked among the beauties ... This is but a p oor villagehaving only a store or two and perhaps a shop or gr oggery,with a few private houses or residences ... We had somequarreling in the evening but fortunately not more fightingthan a blow. I feared the Bowie knives & pistols f or I knewthere were some, but none were drawn ...

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During the time William S. Patton operated the Patt on SpringsResort, he had an associate who was involved in the business withhim. On documents that are available for study, th at associate’sname is listed with varied spellings, i.e., Dr. Jam es F. Patton,Peyton and Payton. His wife’s name was Mary H. D eed records showthat he bought several pieces of property in the v icinity of theSprings. There is documentation that a residence a t the gate tothe resort was occupied by Dr. Patton. It is not kno wn how JamesF. and William S. Patton were related, however, the re are someunsubstantiated indications that James F. might hav e been a sonof William S. Patton’s brother, James. The 1850 Mi ssissippi Censuslists Wm. S. Patton, Jr. and his family living at L auderdale Springsin Lauderdale County, Mississippi: Wm. S. Patton, a ge 39, Farmer,Property Value $1,000, born in Miss; Francis A., 32 , born in NC;William S., 13, born in Ala; Sarah F., 9, born in A la; VirginiaA.?, 7, born in Ala; Velmia J., 5, born in Ala; Jan e V., 3, bornin Ala.

The 1860 Census lists the W.L. Patton family living at LauderdaleSprings. It is evident that the “L” listing as the middle initialis an error, because the names and ages match up to show that itis the same family as in the 1850 Census: W.L. Pat ton, 47, Innkeeper,Property Value 2500/5000, born Miss; Frances A., 42 , DomesticBusiness, born NC; William L., 22, Dentist, born Al a; Sally F.,19, Domestic Business, born Ala; Jinnie, 17, Domes tic Business,born Ala; Lennie, 15, born Ala; Onie, 12, born Ala; Junie, 6, bornMiss; Jack, 4, born Miss; Olie, 3, born Miss; Bob, 1, born Miss.

At sometime before 1851, William S. Patton disconti nued hisoperation of the Patton Springs Resort. In 1861, h e bought propertyin Marion, 12 miles south of Patton Springs, and es tablished himselfin the hotel business at that new location. On February 8, 1862, he volunteered for service in the War. Hewas elected Colonel of the 37 th Regiment of Mississippi Volunteers,however, his superior officer declared his rank to be that ofCaptain, and refused to authorize the higher rank. At a later time,he was given the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He was captured atVicksburg on July 4, 1863. While at the Parole Cam p at Enterprise,Mississippi, he wrote the following letter:

I would respectfully ask for a furlough for thirty days,commencing on Wednesday the 28 th inst. I am a member of theState Senate from the district composed of the Coun ties ofLauderdale and Newton is the cause of my asking for furlough.To Col T.B. Roy, A. A. S.Respectfully, Wm. S. Patton, Lt. Col. Co., 37 Mif. Regt.

On January 13, 1864, he wrote the following letter fromEnterprise:

Colonel,I have the honour respectfully to tender my immedia te and

unconditional resignation as Lieutenant Colonel of this ThirtySeventh Regiment Mif. Infantry.

I am a member of the State Senate of Mississippi fo r the

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next four years. During my absence in Dec. last in attendanceon the Legislature, had the misfortune to have my e ntirepremises, together with the greater portion of my f urniture,all my supply and meat and bread stuffs on hand con sumed byfire. It is highly necessary that I resign to atten d the wantsof my family.

Respectfully, Wm. S. PattonForwarded to St. Genl. PolkJanuary 16, 1864

In March of 1867, William S. Patton was operating a hotel inMeridian called the Patton House. By May of 1867, he had movedand was receiving guests at the Rush House.

The 1870 Lauderdale County Census lists the Patton familyliving in Meridian: William S. Patton, 56; Velma, 2 2; Ione, 20;Junata, 15; Viola, 11; Jack, 13; Robert, 9.

In July of 1870 William S. Patton was appointed Cit y Marshall. Mayor William Sturges, a carpetbagger who was dete sted by thecitizens of Meridian, tried to have Patton removed from that officebut Governor Adelbert Ames, another carpetbagger, r efused.

This was a time when the white people of the South werefrustrated from the oppression they had endured through the yearsof the vindictive Reconstruction Acts of the Republican Congress.The blacks were angry because that Republican government had madethem big promises of land, wealth and freedom from want and worry,and then had broken those promises.

On Saturday, March 4, a large crowd of black men gathered inthe courtroom at Con Sheehan Hall on 5 th street and 25 th Avenue.One of the speakers at that meeting was a black tea cher named WarrenTyler. He addressed the group with a rabblerousing speech, whichended, “I expect to see this place in ashes before the week isover. A war is coming. A war between blacks and wh ites. Get yourguns and be ready.”

After the meeting, Captain Billy Clopton, a black o fficercommanding the militia stationed at Meridian, marched his troops,to the cadence of his fife and drum, through the st reets of Meridian,shaking his pistol at white men standing on the sid ewalks alongthe way.

On Monday, Sheriff Mosley arrested Warren Tyler for histhreatening speech on Saturday, and ordered him to be at thecourtroom at Con Sheehan Hall for trial at two o’cl ock thatafternoon. When the questioning of the first witne ss began at thattrial, Tyler pulled a gun from beneath his coat and fired towardthe witness. The bullet missed the witness but str uck the judgein the temple causing instant death.

Tyler leaped through the window and dropped 15 feet to thesidewalk and escaped around the corner. He was soo n found, hidingunder a bed in the back room of a shoe shop. He wa s killed onthe spot.

This event triggered a series of violent actions in cludingother killings and the burning of properties. While the people werearoused into action, 150 men marched to the home of Mayor WilliamSturges, and escorted him to the railroad station, where theyobtained from him a pledge that he would leave Mer idian and never

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return. He boarded the northbound M&O passenger tr ain in thecompany of two men, who guaranteed his safety and a ccompanied himuntil he changed trains at Corinth.

William Samuel Patton is buried in Rosehill Cemeter y inMeridian. The Patton plot is to the right of the drive, whenyou enter the cemetery. He has a large monument, e ngraved:

WM. S. PATTONP. G. M. A. F. & A. M.JUNE 20, 1813JULY 5, 1889ERECTED BY HIS MASONIC BRETHREN

Three of his daughters, Virginia P. Hopper; Ione Vi vian PattonWhite and Viola Jessie Patton, are buried alongside him.

William S. Patton, Jr. held positions of leadership in manyorganizations. He arranged for General Nathan Bedf ord Forrest tocome to Meridian to serve as judge for a competitiv e event. Heserved in both houses of the legislature and was on ce a candidatefor Governor He served in responsible positions in Masonic bodiesfor more that 20 years. He was twice Grand Master of Masons, twiceGrand Priest, twice Grand Master of the Grand Counc il, GrandCommander of Knights Templar and Senior Grand Warde n of the GrandEncampment of the United States. The Masonic Lodge in LauderdaleSprings was named Patton Lodge 129. On January 24, 1880, the GrandCouncil of Royal and Select Masons chartered a new Council atLauderdale Springs, Mississippi and named it the W. S. PattonCouncil, No 24.

The business of the resort continued through a succ ession ofproprietors: 1851 – T.H. Jenks; 1852 – Jenks and Mc Grew; 1852-Patton and McGrew; 1854 – B.B. Smith;

By the early 1850s, the Springs, called at that ti me LauderdaleSprings under the ownership of J. F. Patton, had ac quired a refinedatmosphere, and it grew into a favorite resort for the genteelsociety of the day. It was patronized by guests wh o came from awide area by stage lines or private conveyances.

Lauderdale Springs Hotel

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P a v i l i o n o ng r o u n d s a tL a u d e r d a l eSprings.

In 1856, the Mobile and Ohio Railroad was complete d fromMobile to a site one mile west of Lauderdale Spring s. A railroadstation named Springs Depot was established there, and a spur wasbuilt to Lauderdale Springs to provide rail service to the frontgate of the resort and business was booming

The Lauderdale Springs resort offered the waters fr om twelvesprings on the grounds, each with a different miner al compositionand medicinal qualities which were believed to cure a wide varietyof ailments. One spring, called the Spout Spring, gushed an amplesupply of good quality table water, which made the locale evenmore attractive for the location of a resort. The two story hotelbuilding, which was 300 feet long, was surrounded b y a number ofcottages, which brought to the resort the title "Ho neymoon Paradise." Two homes on either side of the entrance were occu pied by Dr.R. M. Harris and Dr. Patton.

There were walks through the landscaped grounds to benchesand pavilions at the springs, which were enclosed i n concretevats. There were bowling greens, a bathing pool wi th bath housesfor men and women, a picnic pavilion and a large da nce pavilion.For the pleasure of the guests, an orchestra entert ained duringthe meals and played for brilliant balls which were held weekly.

A nearby horse racing track attracted great crowds to beton the harness races. Many visitors came to take t he waters, andother vacationers enjoyed the resort for its advant ages forrecreation and relaxation. The hotel and cottages were bookedthroughout the summer. Many guests were so enchant ed with the"magic waters" that they stayed year round. Eventu ally, the waterwas bottled and sold throughout Mississippi and oth er states.

Through the years, picnics and political rallies at LauderdaleSprings became very important in state politics and drew tremendouscrowds to hear the political oratory of Jefferson D avis, JamesK. Vardaman, Theodore G. Bilbo, Paul B. Johnson, Sr ., and manyothers. It became customary for gubernatorial cand idates to starttheir campaigns with a rally at the Springs.

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Lane from Hotel to the Mineral Waters bathing pool.

Mineral Waters bathing pool, with waters piped in from springs,each with different mineral contents.

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The following news item is from THE JACKSON DAILY NEWS, July18, 1947:

LAUDERDALE EVENT ATTRACTS ALL FIVE MAJOR CANDIDATES

Mississippi's five candidates for governor have acc eptedinvitations to speak at an all-day rally at Lauderd ale Springson Saturday July 26.

Since 1840, Lauderdale Springs has been a favorite battlegroundof the state's political gladiators and this year's event willbe no exception. Candidates for all minor state o ffices willattend and all candidates for district and county o ffices arebeing issued a blanket invitation. A crowd of 10,0 00 is beingprepared for.

The gubernatorial candidates will follow this sched ule:William Lycurgus Spinks, 11 a.m.; Fielding L. Wrigh t, 11:30a.m.; Frank L. Jacobs, 12 noon; Paul B. Johnson, 1 p.m. andJesse Byrd at 1:30 p.m.

A Lauderdale Springs lottery was promoted, but the holdersof tickets were reimbursed when the lottery was cal led off onJanuary 24, 1854.

The following advertisement appeared in THE SUMTER COUNTYWHIG, June 28, 1854:

FOR SALE ON GOOD TERMSa splendidly situatedSTORE HOUSE, GROCERY HOUSE, BILLIARD SALOONalso a TEN PIN ALLEYat the Lauderdale Springs, Miss.one mile from the Mobile and Ohio RailroadAny person wishing to purchase said propertywill do well to apply soon toJ. M. MATHIS

The advertisement reproduced below was published in THE SUMTERCOUNTY DEMOCRAT, L iv ingston, Alabama, August 9, 1851:

LAUDERDALE SPRINGS WHITE SULFUR AND CHALYEBEATE WATERSThe undersigned has leased these Springs, which are situatedin Lauderdale County, Mississippi. During the whol e of thesummer he has been diligently employed in fitting t hem up forthe reception of visitors, and he flatters himself that theyare now in a condition which is not excelled by any wateringplace in this section of the South. He has entirel y refurnishedthe place, and provided everything in the richest a nd mostcostly style. Of the merits of the waters, descrip tion willbe unnecessary to those who have tried them. Let i t sufficethat they furnish an abundant supply of the very fi nest WHITESULFUR WATER which on analyzation, has been found c omposedof almost precisely the same ingredients as the fam ous WhiteSulfur Water of Virginia. Numerous testimonials, i f it werenecessary, could be obtained in behalf of its medic inal virtues.

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There are also abundant Springs of the most delight fulChalybeate Water, which comes gushing from the eart h as cool,almost as ice water, and as clear and pure as cryst al.

The vicinity of the Springs is a very interesting a ndsalubrious country; and the mutton of Lauderdale is celebratedeverywhere in that section. There are also Game an d Milk anddomestic Fowls in abundance-and it only requires a watchfulpurveyor, to furnish a table as rich as the most fa stidiousappetite can desire.

The undersigned has had a long experience in the bu sinesshe has undertaken, in many parts of the South, and last yearwas the lessee and manager of that fashionable wate ring place,the East Pascagoula House. He guarantees to his vi sitors thatno means will be omitted to give them the fullest s atisfaction.

N.B. There is a four horse Post Coach running regu larlyfrom Demopolis to the Springs. His charges will be onthe following moderate scale:Boarding and Lodging per day - $1.50

per week - 8.00per month - 30.00

July 5, 1851 T. H. Jenks & Co.

The following is from a letter addressed to one of his friendsin Mobile, by the president of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, whileon a visit to Lauderdale Springs. It was copied in THE SUMTERCOUNTY DEMOCRAT, April 20, 1851:

I am surprised and delighted with this spot (Lauder daleSprings). It is most attractive in the character o f the watersand comforts of the arrangements. Its "retiracy," salubrityand cleanliness are superior. The rooms and arrang ements forsome 200 visitors are as ample as any watering plac e. Thetable is excellent and the attention from host and servantsis so constant that no one except a professed grumb ler wouldcomplain. There is neither dirt, mosquitoes nor be d bugs -plenty to eat, and of the best - plenty of cool wat er thatdon't want ice - sulphur water, chalybeate water, f reestonewater and liquor thrown in if you wish. I cannot h elprecommending it for the pleasantest chance for an e xcursionof three or four weeks a Mobile family can take. T he roadsare good and the wayside accommodations are general ly comfortable.Four days would bring them here. Yours, &c. S. S.

The following article appeared in THE MERIDIAN STAR, February7, 1937:

FAMOUS WOMAN WRITER VISITED LAUDERDALE SPRINGSOctavia Walton, a brilliant and distinguished woman writer

of the 40s and 50s, is known as Madam LeVert. Mada m LeVertcame into Lauderdale County as a frequent visitor t o LauderdaleSprings, once a famous health resort in the norther n part ofthe county.

Col. James Lauderdale, coming west with his teams, householdgoods and Negro slaves, located at the springs beca use the

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Indians said it was a healthy place. Later, Colone l Lauderdaledeveloped the springs as a health resort, and disti nguishedpeople from many far places came to spend a part of their timeat the resort, among them Octavia Walton. Miss Wal ton was agranddaughter of George Walton, a signer of the Dec larationof Independence, soldier, jurist and statesman. He was thefirst governor of Georgia. Her father, George Walt on, Jr.,was the first governor of Florida. When LaFayette came tovisit the land he helped make free, he turned aside a cavalcadeto visit Dorothy Walton, the aged widow of his old friend...

In 1841, Madam LeVert was named a commissioner to t he Parisexposition. she dined with Queen Victoria, Napoleon III, KingHumbert and was received in private audience by the Pope ...Madam LeVert's writings are classics found in libra ries inthis country and Europe ... and Europe rates her as the mostbrilliant writer America has produced.

LeVert makes frequent references in her journal to Col. SamDale, pioneer in both Lauderdale county and Pensaco la, whereDale often visited in her home. During her stays a t LauderdaleSprings, Madam LeVert frequently drove over to Dale ville tospend the day with the old friend of her father who m he metfor the first time on the bloody battlefield of Hor seshoeBend.

The ad which follows was published in THE SUMTER COUNTY WHIG:

PARTYTHERE will be a COTILLION PARTY given at the Lauder dale

Springs, on WEDNESDAY EVENING, the 25th, inst. At which timeand place the ladies are most respectfully invited.JENKS & McGREW, ProprietorsAug. 16, 1852

The ad copied below was dated June 21, 1853. The n ame of thenewspaper in which it was published is not availabl e:

LAUDERDALE SPRINGSThe proprietors, having taken charge of the above n amed

pleasant and desirable watering place, are now read y toaccommodate all travelers who may favor them with a visit.

They will be prepared for the reception of visitors by thefirst of May, and hope their old friends and custom ers, andthe public generally, will pay them a visit during the season.

A livery stable is connected and hacks, buggys and horsescan be had at all times.

June 21, 1853 PATTON AND McGREW

The ad copied below appeared in THE SUMTER COUNTY WHIG, April5, 1854:

LAUDERDALE SPRINGSThis well known and fashionable Watering place will be open

for the reception of boarders on the first of MAY. Everypreparation is being made to make this one of the p leasantest

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Resorts in the South. Mr. Robert Johnson will run a lineof first rate Stages to Moscow Landing, to meet the Steamboats,and convey persons to and from the Springs.April 1, 1854 B.B. Smith, Proprietor

Moscow Landing is near the old Rooster Bridge where U. S.Highway 80 crosses the Tombigbee River.

The ad included below is from the June 28, 1854 SUMTER COUNTYWHIG:

ANNIVERSARY BALLJuly 4th, 1854LAUDERDALE SPRINGSManagers:R.E. Thomas Dr. W.S. KennedyW.M. Burton J. T. PayneE. McLendon W.M. KennedyJ.A. Trott E.B. MillerT.B. Wetmore G.B. MaynadierW.J. Gilmore T.C. BrewerN. Wood H.H. CarverW.B. Williams W.F. Herrick

The advertisement copied below appeared on the fron t page ofTHE SUMTER COUNTY WHIG, Livingston, Alabama, July 25, 1855:

LAUDERDALE SPRINGSLauderdale County, Miss.

FIRST OF MAY NEXTNew commodious and elegant buildings have been erec ted, andnew furniture has been procured. The entire premis es, sincethe past season, have undergone a thorough renovati on. Thenew houses have large and airy rooms, constructed a nd furnishedwith a view to the luxurious comfort of guests. Th e proprietorassures the public in general and old patrons of th is favoritewatering place, that no pains will be spared to mak e theirsojourn at the Springs at once, delightful and cond ucive tothe health. The Rail-road to Mobile gives the extr aordinaryadvantage, the present season, of all the luxuries of theMOBILE MARKETS

First rate hacks will regularly run from the Spring s to theterminus of the Rail-road, for the accommodation of visitorsfrom the city, and from points along the line. By May next,it is believed that the cars will be running within twentyor twenty-five miles of the Springs. In short, the Proprietorintends presenting to the patronage of invalids and pleasure-seekers aCOMPLETE ESTABLISHMENT

Grateful for your past patronage, the Proprietor wi ll availhimself of every facility for contributing to the c omfort ofthe guests the approaching season.

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The following is an analysis of the water by Prof. F.E. Rogers,of the University of Pennsylvania:One part of Sulfurated Hydrogen; " " " Sulfuratic Acid;Sulphate of Magnesia; " of Iron; " of Alumina; Earthly Phosphates; Silica B.B. SMITH Lauderdale Springs, April 2nd, 1855 Messrs Jem ison,Ficklin & Co. are running a regular line of first r ate Stagesfrom the terminus of the Road to the Springs, and c onnecting,at this place, with the line now running from Jacks on,Mississippi.

The news item below was published in THE SUMTER COUNTY WHIG:

Lauderdale Springs, June 25th, 1855This pleasant place in now ready for the reception of the

sick and the gay, who may find health and pleasure at thissalubrious resort.

The rooms are neat and commodious, the table is abu ndantand luxurious, the proprietor is accommodating and gentlemanly.

Here one can drink a sparkling beverage without bre akinghis temperance pledge, can take medicine without na useatinghis stomach, and can get well without seeing or pay ing adoctor.

The ad copied below appeared in THE SUMTER WHIG, Ju ne 20,1855:

JEMISON, FICKLIN & CO.Are now running a line of Four Horse Post Coaches f rom

Aberdeen and Columbus, via Clinton, Gainesville, Li vingston,Lauderdale Springs, Marion, Miss, and Enterprise to Quitman,connecting with the trains of the Mobile and Ohio R ailroad.

Leaving Livingston on Mondays, Wednesdays and Frida ys at12 n. Arrive in Mobile next day to dinner.

Returning, leave Mobile Mondays, Wednesdays and Fri days at8 A.M. Arrive at Livingston next day at 12 M. conne cting withthe line to Columbus and Aberdeen, also, the line i n Greensboroto Tuscaloosa.April 14, 1855

Mr. Con Rea, editor of THE MARION REPUBLICAN in the 1850s,published the following two news items in that pape r. (Captain ConRea served as the commanding officer of the Lauderd ale Invinciblesduring the War Between the States):

LAUDERDALE SPRINGS - A few days ago we enjoyed the pleasureof a visit to this notable and delightful watering place.

The village has improved handsomely since last year andis now remarkable for the steadiness and sobriety o f the

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people who frequent it; though there are two groger ies inthe place, we are informed that a drunken man is ra rely everseen; this argues well for the cause of temperance and shouldinduce invalids to visit the place more frequently.

The medical qualities of the water are said to be u nsurpassedin point of efficacy. They cure many diseases and exert abenign influence on the system generally. They hav e latelypassed into the hands of Mesers Ulrick & Adams of M obile,gentlemen of undoubted merit, under whose hands the se springsare destined to become the most noted resort of the South.

Mr. B.B. Smith, the present gentlemanly superintend ent,is every way qualified to discharge his manifold du ties.

There are now five dry good stores, two groceries, twohotels, Bowling and Billiard saloon and two Blacksm ith andwood shops in this place.

Mr. W. P. Hobbs of Lauderdale Springs has the large st andmost extensive black smith and wood shop in the cou nty.Persons wanting wagon or carriage work done would d o wellto call on him. His prices are low and his work is neatlyexecuted.

The following advertisement, dated October 2, 1858, appearedin THE PAULDING EASTERN CLARION:

NEW GOODSLAUDERDALE SPRINGSThe subscriber is now providingDirect from New York and Philadelphiathe best selected stock ofFALL AND WINTER GOODSParticular attention is called to the large assortm ent ofMEN'S AND BOY'S READY-MADE CLOTHINGSHOES, HATS AND CAPS, ETC.Family Groceries Always on HandJ. W. MAURY

James A. Adams of Mobile, Alabama, became owner of theLauderdale Springs property in the late 1850s. Whe n Mr. Adamsdied, the guardian of his children petitioned the P robate Courtin Lauderdale County for permission to sell the pro perty:

STATE OF MISSISSIPPILauderdale County,In Probate Court of said County,January Term, 1860

Upon opening and examination of the petition of Col lierH. Minge: It is ordered that publication be made in the" Marion Observer," a newspaper printed in said county, andtown of Marion, notifying all non-resident persons interestedin the estate of Thomas A. Adams, dec'd. to be, and personallyappear at the February term of this court, to be ho lden atthe court house of said county, and show cause, if any theycan, why the prayer of the petition to sell certain perishable

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property therein named, should not then and there b e allowed,and a decree made thereon accordingly. Witness the Hon. J.W. Brooke, Judge of Probate Court of said county, t he 4thMonday of January A. D. 1860.Given unto my hand and seal of office, Jan. 26, 186 0.W. L. Mayfield, Clerk

STATE OF MISSISSIPPILauderdale CountyIn Probate Court of said County,January Term, A. D. 1860

To Martha B. Adams, Kate Adams, Gilmer Speede Adams andJesse St. John Adams, heirs at law of Thomas Adams, dec'd,and all others interested in said estate.

You, and each of you, are hereby cited to be, and p ersonallyappear before the Probate Court of County at the Fe bruary termthereof, to be held at the Court House of said coun ty, the4th Monday of February next A.D. 1860, to show caus e if anyyou can, why the petition of Collier H. Minge, Guar dian ofthe heirs of Thomas Adams dec'd, for the sale of th e realestate of said decedent situated in said County, sh ould notbe granted, and a decree made thereon accordingly.Witness the Hon. J. W. Brooke, Judge of Probate, th e 4th Mondayof January, 1860.Given unto my hand and seal of office, this the 25t h day ofJanuary 1860.W. L. Mayfield, Cl'k.

FOR SALEThis fashionable and popular watering place, the va luable

medicinal qualities of whose waters are now univers allyrecognized by the scientific and medical faculty an d thepublic, will be sold at Public Auction by the under signedas Guardian of the minor heirs of Thos, Adams, de'c d, on thefirst day of May 1860, on the premises in Lauderdal e County,Miss., and in pursuance of a decree of the Probate Court ofsaid county made at the February term of said court 1860,for the purpose of equal distribution amongst said minorheirs. The Springs tract contains about one hundre d andfifty acres of valuable land, and embracing a large portionof the n w 1/4 of section 30 in Township 8 of Range 18 east,and the e 1/2 of the n e 1/4 of section 25 township 8 ofRange 17 east. The improvements are spacious and a iry withaccommodations to accommodate 450 persons comfortab ly. The springs are now accessible by Railroad from Mobile,Columbus, Aberdeen and Oakalona, and by 1st of Janu ary nextwill be so from Columbus, Kentucky, and by Post coa ches fromUniontown, Perry County, Ala., and from Jackson, Mi ss., dailyeach way, and these routes will be opened by railwa y. Thusoffering facilities of approach to the delightful s ummerresort from all parts of the Southern and Western c ountry,where the invalid and the pleasure seeker may retir e and intheir own Southern clime enjoy comfort without dist urbance.

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Also, at the same time and place and by the same au thoritywill be sold all the springs furniture and personal property,which is ample and in good condition for immediate use.Terms: The real estate will be sold on a credit of one,two and three years with notes and approved securit y bearinginterest at the rate of 8 per cent per annum from d ate.The personal property will be sold for cash or sixt y daybills.

The sale will be continued from day to day till allproperty is sold.C. H. MINGE, Guardian March 16, 1860

Lauderdale Springs for SaleIn pursuance of a decree of the Probate Court of La uderdaleCounty, made at the February term of said Court, 18 60, thisproperty then advertised for sale on the first day of Maylast, was postponed to the FIRST DAY OF AUGUST NEXT for wantof bidders. The Springs are now open and the sale will bemade on that day without reserve. Possession 1 st day ofJanuary next, or sooner if present tenant desires it. Terms – 1, 2 and 3 years with interest at 8 per cen t.G. H. Minge, GuardianThe Mobile Mercury and Tribune, Columbus Democrat a nd MontgomeryAdvertiser will copy till day.

Lauderdale Springs, Mississippi... and publications and advertisements for the tim e

required by law and the decree of your honorable co urt,giving notice of the time and place of this postpon ed saleon which said day being the first day of August 186 0, heagain exposed the said Real Estate for sale at Laud erdaleSprings in said county and did then and there make sale ofthe same at public auction to the highest bidders a s followsto wit: To Joshua F. Speed the Lauderdale Springs properwith all the buildings and improvements thereto bel ongingincluding one hundred & fifty acres of same more or less andparticularly described without reservation in a dee d ofConveyance of Jno. S. Ulrick and wife to Thomas Ada ms whichdeed is recorded in the office of probate of said C ounty,in Deed Book "I" pages 168, 169 & 170 and in a deed ofConveyance made by J. R. Bridges(?) to Thomas Adams & JohnG. Ulrick and Recorded in the office of probate for saidCounty in Book H of Deeds pages 309 & 310 and same was struckof him for the sum of eight thousand dollars he bei ng thehighest and best bidder therefore.

Sales of other lots in the Lauderdale Springs prope rty arelisted below:

RecapitulationThe Springs proper to J. F. Speed $8000.The D ? lot to J. G. Ulrick $725.The Walker lot to Jno. Greenlees $310.

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The Roberts home & lot to W. H. Plummer $230.The VanCants(?) lots to W. Murphy $240.All of which is respectfully submitted asked to be confirmed

and recorded.Sworn to and subscribed Oct. 23, 1860J. W. Brooke, JudgeC. H. Minge, Guardian

The account of the sale of the chattel property fil ls manypages in the Lauderdale County Court Records. Seve ral of thosesale items are selected and presented below. Pleas e note the useof the ligature "f" for "ss", i.e. "glaf" for "glas s" This was acommon usage of spelling in the writings of that da y and time.

1 bed stead, 2 matrefes, 1 bolster, 2 pillows and cases, 2sheets, 1 spread, 1 wash stand, 1 basin & pitcher, 4 chairs,1 looking glaf, 1 chamber, 2 tables - O.F. Jarman - $6.00.1 bed stead, 2 matrefes, 1 bolster, 2 pillows & cases, 1spread, 2 blankets, 1 wash stand, 1 bowl & pitcher, 1 table,1 chamber, 1 foot tub - John M. Jemison - $14.00.1 center table, chair - C. Twilly - $3.257 chairs, 2 tables - A.C. Curry - $4.00.1 trundle bedstead, 2 matrefes, 2 pillows & cases, 2 sheets,1 spread, 1 wash stand, 1 foot tub - Jno. Greenlees - $7.12.1 bed stead, 2 matrefes, 2 pillows & cases, 2 sheet s, 1 spread,1 wash stand, 1 basin & pitcher, 1 foot tub, 1 table, 1 cot,2 matrefes, 2 pillows & cases, 2 sheets, 1 blanket, 1 spread,1 chamber, 1 L. Glass - I.M. Simmons - $14.50.1 Iron Safe - G. Twilly - $12.75.2 Rocking Chairs - Jno. Greenlees - $3.00.1 bedstead, 3 matrefes, 1 bolster, 2 pillow & cases , 1 spread,1 wash stand, 1 bowl and pitcher, 1 table, 1 L. Gla ss, 1 chair- D.I. Greenlees - $15.501 Iron Safe - J.P. Walker - $12.75.5 bottles curiso(?), 10 bot. claret, 7 bottles boce se(?)bitters, 15 bot. white wine, 8 bot. vermouth wine, 2 bot.pepermint - J.R. Walker, Jr. - $8.50.Part Bar. Vinnegar - Elias Moore - $2.10.1 keg remnant gin - Elias Moore - $2.25.1 keg maderia wine - John Jemison -2.00.1 keg port wine, 5 gals - Jace(?) P. Walker - $2.75 .1 bar. whisky - W.F. Jarman - $10.75.1 bar. whisky - Wm. B. Wilkinson - $20.50.1 bbl. ale - S.M. Smitherman - $6.25.1. bbl. remnant rye whisky, 15 gals. - John Greenle es - $5.75.1 whole bbl. rye whisky - W.A. Kenady - $14.50.30 gals. port wine - J.F. & L.P. Kenady - $25.00.1 remnant keg cooking wine - W.W. Wordan - $0.25.12 gals. part keg wine, sherry & maderia - J.R. Wal ker - $8.00.12 gals. sherry brandy - Elias Moore - $9.50.10 gals. remnant wine - Elias Moore - $6.25.8 gals. common whisky - G.W. Null - $2.50.1 bed stead, 1 matref, 2 pillows & cases, 2 sheets, 1 spread,1 wash stand, 1 bowl & pitcher, 1 table, 5 chairs, 1 looking

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glaf - G.E. Priddy - $11.25.John horse - W.W. Wordan - $25.00Claybrook horse - J.G. Ulrick - $57.00.Old Jim horse - B.B. Smith - $50.00.Bullet horse - G.W. Roberts - $49.50.

Thomas A. Adams owned the property in 1859. A Conf ederatehospital occupied the property during the War for S outhernIndependence. Sturges, Hurlbutt & Company bought th e property in1864 and sold it to the Baptist State Convention in 1865, and TheMississippi Home for Confederate Orphans was domici led there from1865 until 1869.

In 1869, Joshua F. Speed acquired the property afte r it hadbeen taken from the Baptist Convention in a law sui t. The propertywas owned by Captain R.M. Bordeaux in 1898. He sol d it to Mr. R.E.Crooker, and it was passed on to Harold Baumbardner and to ImogeneBaumgardner.

Lauderdale Springs is in Section 30, Township 8 Nor th, range18 East, Lauderdale County. In the early 1840s muc h of the landin that section and adjoining sections was subdivid ed and sold aslots. Listed below are the names of some persons w ho bought orsold land in Section 30 and Section 19, the adjoini ng section tothe north, during the years 1844 through 1884:

T. Adams; Thomas Adams, minor; H.E. Bancroft; H. Ba umgardner;H.D. Baumgardner; J. Bond; G. Brinson; W. & M.J. Bu stin; M.P.Calhoun; J. & L. Canterberry; J. Curtis; F.E. Danie ls; R.A.Daniels, R.C. Daniels; R. Darden; G.J. Dare; J. Dea rman; W.Dearman; W.R. & S.S. Dennis; J. Dove, J. & D. Eakin s; S.Evans, A.T. Farror; J.W. Fewell; A. & C. Furness; A .M. Gaines;W.M. Gaines; L. Gibbs; H.L. Gibson; G.W. Grant; J. Greenlees;S.M. Grigsby; E.S. Gully; J.R. Gunn; J.M. Hart; J.N . Hart;Capt. A.M. & E.J. Hill; T.J. & W.P. Hobbs, W.P. & C . Hobbs;A.J. & M.L. Hodges; J. Hollingsworth; E.C. Hopson; J. &. C.Horne; H. Hurlbett;W.H. Jamerson (Jemison); W.A. Ke nnedy, B.King; J. Lauda; J.A. Lewis; P.R. Lewis; A.L. & A. L ightfoot;D. Locke; H.D. Mahon; J.W. Maury; J.P. May; R.A. Mc Danield;W.L. & J. McDow, R. & M.E. McKinley; L. McLean; D. McMillan;J.A. & G.Y. McMillan; N.M. McMillan; E.B. McRoy; Me thodistEpiscopal Church South; T.P. & E.E. Miller; E.B. Mu rphy;J.C.& M.E. Murphy; J.W. Murphy; J.C. Nelson; W.M. Nicho ls; M.W.Nichols; J.W. O'Neal; Patton Lodge # 129 F.& A. M.; Dr. Payton;J.F. & S. Paton; J.F. Peyton; W.H. & L.P. Plummer; W.S. &M.A. Ragland; H.W. Roberts; L.L. Roberts; T.L. Robe rts; G.& M.A.B. Scott, J.M. Silliman; B.B. and E.M. Smith; J.F. & F.Speed; K.G. Speed; W.M. Stone; Strange & Ulrick; W. Strait;G. & M. Stutts; J. & M.A. Tucker; G. Twilley; G.A.H . Twilley;J.G. & J.C. Ulrick; S.P. & S.P. Walker; E. Watkins; H.B.Whitfield; W.J. & S.A. Wright; J. & M. Yarrell and S. Yates.

RAILROADS

The following ad was published in the June 20, 1855 issue ofTHE SUMTER COUNTY WHIG:

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WANTEDOn the MOBILE and OHIO Rail Road a large number of hands

for which highest wages are to be paid. The hands will beunder supervision and contract of the undersigned a nd willbe attended to in case of sickness. Apply at Clerk 's Office,Lauderdale Springs, Mississippi. THOS. J. CL AY, Agent

Probably, these men were being hired as constr uctionworkers as the railroad was being built northwa rd throughLauderdale Springs at that time.

An extract from a report, dated July 7, 1855, and p ublishedin THE WHIG is included below:

Lauderdale Springs - People from Livingston, Tuscal oosa,Aberdeen, Columbus, and the surrounding country, da ily passthrough this place, on their way to Mobile, or on t heirreturn home. The railroad is already changing the line oftravel, and extending the business of the city thro ugh thesummer months. It is rapidly approaching this plac e, and,will, in about ten days, reach Sageville, which is onlytwenty-five miles from the Springs.

It touches the Mississippi river where the Ohio, fr omPennsylvania and the Missouri from the rocky mounta ins, flowinto it, and reaches from the Gulf of Mexico to the GreatLakes, gathering upon one great highway the travel andcommerce of a country, twice as large as the French Empire.

In 1856, the Mobile and Ohio Railroad was completed fromMobile to a site one mile west of Lauderdale Spring s. A railroadstation named Springs Depot was established there, and a spur wasbuilt to Lauderdale Springs to provide rail service to the frontgate of the resort.

There was a large mansion on the spur line, but it is notknown who built it. There was a tobacco factory on this spur,owned by some Tennessee tobacco growers. Apparentl y the factorydid not continue in operation for a long period of time, however,two men who came from Puryear, Tennessee to work in the factory,settled there and became respected citizens of the community. Onewas Robert Taylor, who married and raised his famil y and livedout his life in Lauderdale. The other was Albert G illiam, whowent to work for the railroad after the tobacco fac tory closed.He married and bought 80 acres of land east of the resort propertyand next door to the home of his mother-in-law, Mrs . Sarah NancyEllen McKinley Dearman Parker. The Albert Gilliam family livedin their home overlooking the Lauderdale Springs re sort untiltheir deaths in the 1920s.

When the Mobile and Ohio Railroad bypassed Lauderda le Springsby one mile, the business community gradually migra ted to thevicinity of the depot at the new Springs Station, h owever, thepopularity of the Springs was greatly enhanced by t he faster andmore comfortable mode of railroad travel, and the r esort hotelmaintained a flourishing business for many decades except for thechaotic years of the War Between the States and the Reconstruction

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period.. The Mobile & 0hio Railroad was completed April 22, 1861to Columbus, Kentucky on the banks of the Mississip pi River.

During the 1850s, the Southern Railroad Company beg an constructionof a railroad proposed to run from Vicksburg, Missi ssippi toMontgomery, Alabama. The line from Vicksburg to Me ridian wascompleted and began service on May 29, 1861.

During the War Between the States, a branch of the EastTennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad was built from LauderdaleSprings through York to Demopolis, Alabama. This r ailroad linecompleted rail connections from Shreveport, Louisia na throughMeridian and Lauderdale Springs to Richmond, Virgin ia. The E.T.V.& G. Railroad continued in service until 1898. Its last use wasto transport 2000 soldiers to Lauderdale Springs af ter the SpanishAmerican War ended, to be encamped there until they could bemustered out of service.

During the War Between the States, the Mississippi, Gainesvilleand Tuscaloosa Railroad was built from Gainesville, Alabama throughRamsey Station (present-day Emelle), Alabama to con nect with theMobile and Ohio Railroad five miles north of Lauder dale Stationat Narkeeta, Mississippi. Narkeeta was renamed Gai nesville Junctionso that the 22 mile long railroad extended from Gai nesville Junctionto Gainesville.

The M. G. & T. Railroad was well engineered and con structedwith the best methods of that developing age of the railroadindustry. The railway was built with hand-hewn pos t oak crossties.

The rails were called iron rails, however, they wer e not likethe “I-beam” type rails now used on railroads. The rails were cutfrom longleaf pine and cypress trees along the right -of–way. Therails were covered with lengths of steel four inche s wide andthree-fourths of an inch thick.

This railroad was called the "Beeline" because ther e was nota curve on the entire 22 mile roadbed. Another oddi ty is that itwas not necessary to construct a bridge anywhere alo ng the route.

Some residents and businesses in Narkeeta moved a f ew milesnorth and reestablished the town of Narkeeta at its present location. The roadbed for the railroad was completed to Clin ton, Alabamaon the route to Tuscaloosa, but the track was never laid pastGainesville. THE GAINESVILLE INDEPENDENT, June 2, 1862, printedthe following notice:

Mississippi, Gainesville, Tuscaloosa R.R. Office In Gainesville,Alabama27 May 1862On Monday next, 2 June 1862Leave Gainesville - 5:00 P.M.Arrive at Gainesvi l le Junction - 7:00 P.M.Leave Gainesville Junction - 4:30 A.M.Arrive at Gainesville - 6:30 A.M.

When the M G & T Railroad began operations, it was hailed asa most progressive development for the area it serv ed. It wasestimated that 40,000 bales of cotton would be ship ped over thisline from the 430 square miles it served. During th e War Between

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the States, the railroad was kept active moving tro ops and militarysupplies. There were warehouses along the line for farmers to bringone seventh of their produce for storage and distri bution to theConfederate army.

Gainesville was a major port on the Tombigbee River and hadbecome the commercial center for the area. An inte resting itemfrom Gainesville's history is related to the foundi ng of Swift &Company. When that company was founded, Gainesvill e and Chicagowere under consideration for the location of the pa cking plant.Both towns were nearly equal in size and qualificat ions, makingthe decision difficult. The choice was made by the flip of a coin,and Chicago won the toss.

The M G & T Railroad enhanced the close business an d socialrelations that had always existed between Gainesvil le and Lauderdale. After the War, the Reconstruction period brought p roblems to allbusinesses. The M G & T had a major financial cris is and discontinuedoperations on April 14, 1879. The engine was sold and the steelrails were taken up. The line was converted to use mule drawn carson wooden rails.

T. D. Bell, on Tuesday morning, commenced work of l ayingthe wooden rails on our Tram Road, at the Gainesvil le Terminus.He began at Narkeeta and comes toward Gainesvil le.Gainesville Reporter – February 26, 1880

The Tram-Way is slowly advancing this way, It is no w withinthree miles from town. Look out for the locomotive when youhear the mule bray.Gainesville Reporter - July 29, 1880

One of the most famous mules was named Morgan and h e wassaid to be gray. Mr. Evander Bartlett, a longtime residentof Southeast Kemper County, stated that his father was a driverfor the tram-way and that he himself made several t rips withhim when he was a small child.PIONEERS FAMILIES OF SUMTER COUNTY, Vol. 1, p. 193 - Mrs. NellM. Jenkins

The “Tram Road" began operations on September 3 0, 1880and continued in service until 1886. The Tram Road was a ratherprimitive method of transportation when railroads w ere lacing thenation, but it served its purpose well for the peop le who neededits service.

Lumber, cotton, and other produce were moved on the Tram Roadto Gainesville, Alabama and then shipped down the T ombigbee Riverto Mobile. It was also the supply line for freight to SumterCounty, Alabama and Kemper County, Mississippi and through theconnection with the M & 0 Railroad to the rest of t he world.

A facetious story published in The Gainesville Reporter ,September 28, 1880, is copied below:

FRIGHTFUL CONDITIONSpecial to the Lauderdale Bee

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Narkeeta, Miss., Sept 17, 1880 The M & G Tramway passenger train, going east, collidedwith the west bound freight near Ramsey Station, on the nightof the 14th, both engines were more or less damaged , one wasthrown from the track and completely turnover. The passengerengine had both back drivers skinned up badly, and if it hadnot been for the cool headed engineer, John Wilson, there isno doubt that the engine would have blown up. In t his caseit would have been a total wreck. The direct cause of theaccident was on account of the passenger being seve ral hourslate and the freight pulled out without orders. Bo th enginesare undergoing repairs and will be out soon, the co st of repairswill be comparatively light, as there is plenty of corn andfodder in the shops. The wreckage has been cleared , and trainsnow make close connections with the M. & 0. trains. ALFA

Cotton can be shipped via the tram to Mobile at the rate of$1.50 per bale.Gainesville Reporter - October 7, 1880

The freight train on the Tram brought in a big load Mondaynight.Gainesville Reporter - October 17, 1880

The Tram Road Track is said to be in a fearful cond ition,and the train now comes in one day and goes out the next,thus giving us mail only every other day.Gainesville Reporter - January 20, 1881

Since the boats stopped running (probably because t he waterwas low in the rivers) the Tram-Road has done a liv elybusiness. The cars go down loaded with cotton, and returnfull of freight - mostly groceries. An extra train has beenput on and at present two trains are at the depot l oadedwith cotton and groceries.Gainesville Reporter - July 14, 1881

The Tram leaves Gainesville a half hour earlier. T hechange was made so as to make connection with the f ast mailtrain going north on the M & 0 Railroad. Gainesville Reporter - May 10, 1884

Binnsville, June 3, 1886Gainesville is about dead. The Tram Road has stopp ed

and the Steam Boat they bought is lying up having f ailed toget the mail contract. The mail will be uncertain from nowon till July when they will have weekly mail to Epe s. Fromthe papers of Dr. Hamet Pinson

WAR BETWEEN THE STATES

The War completely disrupted life in Lauderdale Spr ings, asit did everywhere in the South. 80,000 Mississippi men went offto war and the women assumed the greater part of th e labor and

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responsibility behind the lines.On the day after Christmas, 1862, President Jeffers on Davis,

in a speech at Jackson, Mississippi, expressed some forebodingsof the ordeal Mississippians might have to face up to, "...I sawit stated by the enemy that they have handled other states withgloves, but Mississippi will be handled without glo ves."

Because Meridian and Springs Station (Lauderdale) w ere locatedat railroad junctions, the towns were thrust into t he frenzy ofwar-time activity.

The Journal of William Pitt Chambers, of Co. B, 46t h Miss.Inf., is preserved in PUBLICATIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI HISTORICALSOCIETY, Volume V (1925). Excerpts from that journal are includedbelow:

March 30, 1862...we arrived at our destination - Me ridian,Miss. We found the platform and the vicinity thron ged withsoldiers, while on every side, barrels of molasses and otherGovernment Stores were piled in great confusion. I expectedto find a "town" at Meridian, but was sadly disappo inted.In fact, there is not a fine building in the place, no storesand no streets.

April 8th - Reports of a great battle are coming in ...reports of the operations of the armies are heard. It iscertain, however, that a desperate battle was fough t Sundayand Monday somewhere between Corinth and the Tennes see River. Gen Albert Sydney Johnston is killed.

April 10th ... Nearly every train brings ... wounde d men.April 11th ... I learned that a Schoolmate, Wm. M. Reddock,

was killed early in the engagement of "Shiloh," Sun day.April 12th ... A large detachment - said to be 2300 Federal

prisoners passed here today from Jackson...Every tr ain fromthe North carries wounded men.

After the surrender of Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, U. S. MajorGeneral William Tecumseh Sherman had his wife and f our childrencome to visit him at this site of victory. During this visitSherman's favorite son, Willie, became ill with mal aria and died. Sherman was sadly depressed by the loss of his son , yet at thistime he also was burdened with preparations for his next campaign.

It was at this time that he adopted his concept of "totalwarfare." This conception was expressed in his lett ers and statementsof that period:

... I would banish all minor questions ... the Unit edStates has the right and the physical power to pene trate toevery part of our national domain ... if need be ta ke everylife, every acre of land, every particle of propert y ... allwho do not aid us are our enemies, and we will not accountto them for our acts ... I would not coax or even m eet themhalfway, but make them sick of war ...the only gove rnmentneeded or deserved by the states of Louisiana, Arka nsas, andMississippi now exists in Grant's army ... I would make thiswar as severe as possible, and show no symptoms of tiringuntil the South begs for mercy ... now is the time for us

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to pile on our blows thick and not propose to waste ourenergies ... but to destroy the economy, the societ y evenif need be, that afforded them subsistence ... to w reck theirproduction and transportation facilities so thoroug hly thatthey would have nothing left to defend and nothing left tolive on ... I am willing to bear in patience that p oliticalnonsense of slave rights, States rights, freedom of conscience,freedom of the press, and such other trash as have deludedthe Southern people into war ... but only for a sea son ...in another year they will beg in vain for their liv es ...to the petulant and persistent secessionists, why, death ismercy, and the quicker he or she is disposed of the better...

SHERMAN’S MERIDIAN MARCH

On February 4, 1864, General Sherman set out with 23,500 menon his march eastward across Mississippi. He had h is sights seton the cannon foundry and other manufacturing insta llations atSelma, Alabama. As a part of the campaign, General William SooeySmith was ordered to advance from Memphis with 7500 Cavalry troopersand join Sherman at Meridian and lead the attack on Polk's forcesand the advance to Selma. With this order Smith wa s given theincidental instruction to occupy and defeat General Nathan BedfordForrest on the way from Memphis to Meridian, howeve r, Forrest wasnot willing to submit, in any way, to Smith's desir e to comply withthis incidental instruction. When Smith moved into North Mississippi,Forrest tracked him on a parallel route until he re ached SakatoncheeCreek, three miles south of West Point, where Forre st, with 2500inexperienced troops, attacked the Yankee force of 7607 well equippedcavalry. Smith and his troops were routed and beat a very hastyretreat back to Tennessee.

On this campaign, known as the Meridian Expedition, Shermanapplied his concept of "total warfare" with a wide swath of totaldevastation across the state of Mississippi. He de stroyed mostall of the property in his path. Three fourths of it was privateproperty. THE GAINESVILLE INDEPENDENT, April 30, 1864 printed thisitem:

Gen. Sherman put up at the house of E. H. Lockard, Esq.during his stay in Brandon and embraced every occas ion toinsult the ladies of the house. He told one of the youngladies of the house that he expected to see the day when shemight marry an American gentleman of African descen t. Theyoung ladies refused to go to the table with him an d hisstaff, when he peremptorily ordered them to be brou ght inand seated beside him. He also compelled them to p lay andsing for him.

Sherman's introduction of total warfare against civ ilians senta shockwave of revulsion through the Confederacy, a nd was viewedwith trepidation by military leaders of other natio ns.Nevertheless,Sherman was proud of his accomplishments, and since his barbaroustactics were not disapproved by his superior office rs of the Unionarmy, including the Commander-in Chief, he consider ed this a practice

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operation for his march through Georgia and the Car olinas. Itmust be noted, however, that he did not exhibit aga in the absolutebrutality as was showered on the people of Mississi ppi.

General Leonidas Polk, in command of the Department of Alabama,Mississippi, and Eastern Louisiana with 22,000 men, establishedhis headquarters at Meridian, but as the Union forc es advanced,he pulled back to Demopolis, Alabama, taking with h im 12 milliondollars worth of military property and all railroad rolling stockand equipment. Also saved were 2,000 bales of cott on and therailroad equipment at Enterprise, which was moved t o Mobile.

Meridian was a small town chartered in 1860, with a populationof less than 400, but it was an important transport ation center. The Confederate government had built several wareh ouses and otherbuildings, and a number of dwellings were under con struction.There was also a railroad repair shop, a machine sh op and foundry,an armory, and an arsenal where small arms were bei ng manufactured.

On February 14th, the Union army marched into Merid ian withouta shot being fired. History records only one minor skirmish inMeridian. This occurred on the hill overlooking Hi ghland Park,where the Confederate rear guard cavalry fired on t he invaders.There were no casualties.

Demolition teams were sent out all over town with o rders toBURN! DESTROY! and the orders were carried out with hearty obedience.Railroads were demolished 20 miles in all direction s from Meridian.The trestles were burned and the rails were piled o n stacks ofburning crossties, and then bent around trees to ma ke them into"Sherman neckties." The Confederate military hospi tal was evacuatedand the building was burned. Included below are so me remarkswritten by an unidentified Meridian woman in a lett er to her motherin Mobile. The letter was published in Mobile and reprinted inTHE NEW YORK TIMES, March 27, 1864:

Meridian, Sunday, Feb. 28, 1864My Dear Mother: As one of our neighbors goes down t o

Mobile tomorrow, I will send you a few lines to let you knowhow we came out in this "terrible raid"...the mob r an around,going into the houses, breaking open doors, trunks locks,etc., tearing up and destroying everything they cou ld. Caughtall the chickens in the place in half an hour ... I sentmother (in-law) off to look for some Generals, and try toget a guard ... Gen Hurlburt gave us a guard ... Ge n. Leggettand Staff came and asked for all the house room I c ould givethem. I knew it was a demand, and granted it ... I said,"I hear all Meridian is to be burned down; will my house beburned too?" "I hope not madam." Our store was bu rned tothe ground ... My two milch cows were killed, and e very onein the town; and for eight or ten miles around, all cattleand horses...

In his official report on his sojourn in Meridian S hermanreported:

For five days 10,000 men worked hard and with a wil l inthe work of destruction, with axes, crowbars, sled ges,

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clawbars, and with fire and I have no hesitation in pronouncingthe work as well done. Meridian, with its depots, storehouses,arsenal, hospitals, offices, hotel and cantonments no longerexists.

Major General S. A. Hurlbut, under Sherman's comman d, orderedBrigadier General James Veatch to:

...send a brigade or two strong regiments of your c ommandup the road to Lauderdale Springs destroying the to wnthoroughly. Returning the command will destroy as muchrailroad, bridges, and culverts as may be possible. ..

Colonel Edward A. Winslow was to send a regiment of cavalryto cover this expedition. The column moved slowly and with cautionbecause it was thought that General Forrest might b e near. Afterreaching Lauderdale Springs at dusk, Col. Winslow, taking allprecautions, sent out scouts in all directions. Th ey reportedthat a Confederate regiment was camped three miles north ofLauderdale Springs. Winslow countermarched his colu mn two milesand established a defensive position on a ridge pro jecting acrossthe road. During the night a brief attack was made on the picketsat this encampment, this being the only semblance o f a battle inthe vicinity of Lauderdale Springs.

A dispatch copied from the official Confederate war recordsstates:

York Station, February 22, 1884, 8 A.M. - Lieut. Ge n. L.Polk:

Capt. Battle Fort, of my regiment, staid at Lauder daleStation last night. The whole town burned and the army goneto Daleville. No damage done to the railroad above thatpoint. I have heard nothing from my scouting parti es in thevicinity of Meridian. Will hear very soon and repo rt atonce.

I am, General, very truly,R.O. Perrin, Col.

From a paper entitled EARLY SETTLERS, author unknown, we quotethe following:

Mr. Warner Lewis had the first house and store buil t here(Lauderdale). During the Civil War all houses were burnedby soldiers except the Glasscock home now owned by theLieutenant Lyle Estate. This house, being used as officersheadquarters, was saved.

Sherman's Meridian Expedition might well have been called theLauderdale Springs Expedition, since this was the f inal point ofpenetration by the Union army. Because of General Sooy Smith'sfailure to supply reinforcements for an engagement with Polk andthe march on Selma, General Sherman broke camp, on February 20th,and headed out of Marion on the Louisville road, an d continued his

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mission of ruination of the state of Mississippi, a long an alternateroute back to Vicksburg.

Lauderdale County was devastated, but somehow the p eople foundthe resolution to do what had to be done and set ab out the taskof rebuilding the countryside and restoring order t o their lives.The railroads were repaired and back in operation i n less thanfour weeks.

THE LAUDERDALE SPRINGS CONFEDERATE HOSPITAL

The Lauderdale Springs resort property was converte d into aConfederate General Hospital. The hotel was used a s the mainhospital building, and all other facilities were ad apted to thecare of the large number of patients, who always ov erflowed thefacility. The healing waters of the springs and th e railroadstation at the front gate made this an ideal locati on for ahospital. Sick and wounded soldiers were brought t o the hospitalfrom a wide area, from as far away as Tennessee.

A report related to the ordering and placement of gravemarkers at the Lauderdale Springs Confederate Cemet ery includedthis statement:

It was in 1932 that the law went into effect to fur nishheadstones or markers for Confederate soldiers. Th e necessaryapplication was sent to the War Department. 940 Con federatemarkers were ordered for Lauderdale Springs and 80 Unionmarkers were ordered and placed there as we found a ny numberof trenches about 3 miles north west of this locati on(Lauderdale Springs) where the Union soldiers were campedand were buried in this section and for that reason thesemarkers were placed among the C.S.V.

It is apparent that the writer of that report made an incorrectassumption. The Lauderdale Springs General Hospita l complexconsisted of three hospitals, each under the admini stration ofits own chief surgeon. One of the hospitals was lo cated one mile north of Lauderdale Springs at a site north of Pon ta Creek. Athird Connfederate hospital was one-half mile north of that. Thissecond hospital was later occupied as a military po st by the Unionarmy. Eighty burials in that vicinity, almost cert ainly, wouldhave been Confederate soldiers who died in those tw o hospitals.

The medical Staff of the Confederate Army deserves praise fortheir sacrifices and accomplishments. Even though they alwayswere plagued with a shortage of supplies of medicin es and surgicalinstruments, they treated 3,000,000 cases of wounds and diseases.They cared for 600,000 Confederate soldiers and 270 ,000 Federalprisoners, and the death rate in the crowded prison s in the Southwas 8.3% compared to 12% in Federal prisons.

Mrs. Ella Palmer of Cleveland, Tennessee, rendered muchvaluable service to the Army of Tennessee during th e war. Shewas chief matron at a hospital at Corinth, Mississi ppi after thebattle of Shiloh. When the Confederate army evacuat ed that area,she was ordered to escort a trainload of patients t o the LauderdaleSprings General Hospital, where there were over 2,0 00 sick men,

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eighteen hundred of whom had typhoid fever. Mrs. P almer soon puteverything in order, and, with special attention to the cooks andthe diet kitchen, the lives of many of the men were saved. Anaccount of Mrs. Palmer's experiences at Lauderdale Springs waspublished in THE CONFEDERATE VETERAN, Volume XXVI-1918, Page 45.Excerpts from that article are included below:

The surgeon in charge of this hospital was a cruel andarbitrary man, a martinet. Besides the sick, there weremany convalescents ... The doctor's favorite punish ment wasto make them mark time in a barrel. This barrel ha d a holecut in one end large enough to pass over a man's he ad andrest on his shoulders. The other end was open. Wh en a manhad the barrel on, his hands were useless, for the barrelextended below his hands; only his hands and feet w ere out.The man was helpless and had to mark time an hour o r two.No one dared to say a word, or he would get similar punishment.

Mrs. Palmer went to the surgeon in charge and prote sted.He said that it was not her affair and that she sho uld notmeddle. She went again and again. He told her to "mindher own business." The post surgeon was away at th e time,and she had no one to appeal to. At last the barre l wasput on a poor fellow who was just out of bed after a hardfight for life. Mrs. Palmer saw this poor fellow m arkingtime in front of the hospital. She picked up an ax and cutthe hoops off of the barrel and it fell to pieces. The manwas crying from weakness, shame, and humiliation. She senthim to his ward to bed. The surgeon in charge saw it fromhis office across the square. He came over and was furious.He threatened to send her away; but she told him th at thepost surgeon and surgeon general would have somethi ng to sayabout that. He began to be abusive, but on looking aroundhe saw other doctors, ward masters, nurses and othe rs comingup in a threatening manner, and he returned to his office.

When the post surgeon returned and investigated, he foundten of fifteen men in the guardhouse for refusing t o fixanother barrel. Mrs. Palmer was commended for the part shehad taken, and this wicked surgeon was sent to the front.

When the winter came on, the terrible typhoid fever abated.Mrs. Palmer went through the country telling of the conditionsat Lauderdale Springs. As soon as the ladies found it outthey came in droves to care for the sick. Some wer e veryefficient and others did not know whether eggs were to befried in water of grease. They soon learned. Mrs. Palmerremained in Lauderdale Springs until the latter par t ofJanuary, 1863, when she received orders to go to Ft . Morgan,forty miles below Mobile, to take charge of the hos pitalthere.

Another nurse, who was a loved and respected "angel of mercy"at the Lauderdale Springs Hospital was Miss Mollie Temple, whosehome was near Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

THE CONFEDERATE VETERAN, in Volume XXII-1918, page 45, publisheda reco l lec t ion o f an inc ident that occurred a t the

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Lauderdale Springs Hospital while Rev. James H. M'N eilly of NashvilleTennessee was a patient there:

My memory becomes a kind of omnium gatherin of witt ysayings, humorous expressions, and ridiculous doing s of mycomrades. This on Meridian, Miss., expressed the o pinionof many soldiers on that little wooden town at the railroadcrossing, with its hotels of exorbitant charges and poorfare. Lauderdale Springs, a few miles north of Mer idian,had a very large and well-equipped hospital, where I spentthree months under treatment for blindness. In the hospitala Captain Sankowitz was being treated for typhoid f ever.He was a foreigner, a soldier of fortune. For a ti me he wasdelirious. After a while, free from delirium, he w as veryweak. Calling his attendant, he said in a thin, fe eble voice,"I want you to take me to Meridian." " Why do you want togo to Meridian?" "Because I am bound to die." "Bu t," saidthe attendant, "What has Meridian got to do with yo ur dying?""My dear sir, I have traveled all over the world an d servedin many countries, and I think I could leave this e arth withless regret from Meridian than from any other place on theface of the planet." The Captain began to improve and didnot leave the planet just then.

An interesting segment of history involving Lauderd ale Springs,also written by Rev. M'Neilly, was published in the Spring, 1894,Volume II issue of THE CONFEDERATE VETERAN on pages 71-72:

During the civil war it was my fortune to be ratherintimately associated with the Hon. Joseph E. Davi s, theelder brother of Jefferson Davis, President of the ConfederateStates...

...In the fall of 1863 I was nearly blind from expo surein the campaign around Vicksburg. I was sent to th e hospitalat Lauderdale Springs, Mississippi, under the care of myfriend, Dr. Robert Anderson, who had been for sever al yearsbefore the war, Mr. Davis' family physician. Mr. D avis andhis family, finding that he could not live at his p lantationon the Mississippi River, had moved to Lauderdale S prings...

During my stay at the hospital Mrs. Davis died. Sh ewas a lovely woman of devout piety, and a member of theEpiscopal Church ... Mr. Davis asked me to conduct the funeralservices ... he always afterward expressed for me t he kindestfeelings and admitted me to a confidence...

As soon as I was well enough I returned to myregiment...in the campaigns of north Georgia and Te nnessee...Ifound that the terrible exposure had rendered me ne arly blindagain. I was sent again to Dr. Anderson, who was i n chargeof the hospital at Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Mr. Davis and hisfamily were boarding with Dr. Anderson, and so I wa s throwninto daily intercourse with him for a period of nea rly threemonths ... I was constantly impressed with his info rmationand his breadth of view on the political history an d principalsof our Government...

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His affection for his brother, the President, wasintense and seemed to deepen with years ... Mr. Dav is oftenand freely spoke of the situation of the country, a nd ofthe difficulties with which the Confederate Preside nt hadto contend...One of the most lovable traits in the characterof Jefferson Davis was his tender love and deep res pectfor this old man. I think that nearly every week, in spiteof the huge cares that oppressed him, he wrote to h im...discussing the condition of our country. Mr. Davis oftenpermitted me to read these letters, and I was deepl yimpressed with the President's sincerity and his co nsuminglove for his country ... In one the President spoke of theharsh criticisms upon him and his administration. He saidthat numbers of his countrymen would think of him a s adictator, who substituted his personal judgment and willfor the action of the Congress ... He said the diff icultywas too often that Congress had no policy of its ow n -members could not agree among themselves ... He sai d thatoften ... immediate action of some kind was imperat ive ...and he was forced to carry out some plan, and of co ursehe acted on his own ideas in the absence of any act ion byCongress. Then he was charged with being a dictato r ...these letters impressed me with the President's uns elfishand conscientious devotion of himself and all his p owersto the cause which with all his soul he believed to berighteous.

THE SELMA DAILY REPORTER published the following news item onOctober 20, 1863:

MERIDIAN, October 19 - President Davis arrived here onSaturday night and took a special train to Lauderda leSprings yesterday, on a visit to his brother, Col. JoeDavis. He returned here this evening.

The Lauderdale Springs ConfederateHospital continued in service until Aprilof 1865.

George Powell Clarke, Sgt, CompanyC - 36th Mississippi Infantry - HarperReserves of Decatur, Mississippi - compiledhis memoirs of his service in the Confederatearmy. Those writings were published ina local newspaper during 1895 through1898. Sgt. Clarke's writings have beentranscribed from those newspaper clippingsand published in book form.

That magnificent 324 page publicationREMINISENCE AND ANECDOTES OF THE WAR FOR SOUTHERN INDEPENDENCE was produced andpublished by Sgt. Clarke's great grandson,George A. Smith - 841 Decatur StrattonRoad - Decatur, MS 39327. George A. Smith,Past-Commander of W.D. Cameron Camp 1221,

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Sons of Confederate Veterans, has graciously grante d permissionto include that Old Confederate Veteran's reminisce nce of hishospitalization at the Lauderdale Springs Confedera te GeneralHospital. into this revised edition of A History of LauderdaleSprings.

Sgt. George Powell ClarkeRemembers Lauderdale Springs

The writer was sent from Rienzi to Lauderdale Springsand consigned to the hospital at that place about t he first ofJune, 1862. I remember very little of the trip to LauderdaleSprings, being very sick, half delirious most of th e time. Iwas very sick for a long time, but my sickness was cheered byoccasional visits from my father (Rev. Nathan L. C larke) whobrought acceptable delicacies from home. Ah! how s weet isthought of home to a sick soldier. Although his me ssmates andnurses may do all they can for him, yet it is not l ike theloving attention of friends and relatives at home. But enoughof this. I will not weary the patience of the read er with afull description of all the ups and downs of a long spell ofsickness. But I want to detail some facts for the benefit ofthose who may in the future have imposed upon them the duty oftaking charge of a hospital. There are many poor s oldierssleeping in the dust near Lauderdale Springs, who m ight todayhave been adorning the walks of life had some thing s beendifferent. In the first place, when the writer was consignedto the hospital, the ward to which it was my unfort unate lotto go, was presided over by a beardless young fello w, claimingto be a doctor; and who did not know the difference betweencopperas and quinine. He was killing up the soldie rs as fastas his drugs could do it, when fortunately, he was ordered away,and an old surgeon of some knowledge was placed in charge ofthe ward. Speaking of soldiers dying, it was no un usual sightto see eight or ten borne by my window on the way t o the deadhouse in one day. It is said that about seventeen hundred diedthere. But the change came to be noticed after the advent ofthe old doctor spoken of, for the death rate began to decreaseas soon as his method of treatment had time to take effect. Iremember yet the substance of the first conversatio n he had withme. He was very choleric when he came into the roo m, and in abrusque kind of way said "well what's the matter wi th you"? "Idon't know", I replied. He went through the usual ceremony ofexamining tongue and pulse, and said more kindly, " well you arepretty sick, ain't you"? I told him I thought I was . "What areyou taking", said he. I replied I did not know, bu t the topwas off one on the table so he could examine it to see. He tookup a bottle, applied it to his nose and threw it ou t of thewindow, saying that was the first time he had ever known codliver oil given for typhoid fever. He threw away a ll the balanceexcept some quinine. After venting his wrath a lit tle, heprescribed for me and under his treatment I began t o improveat once. Thousands of soldiers were murdered durin g the Warby incompetent medical treatment. I will have some thing moreto say on this subject later.

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Convalescence was very slow and tedious, the h ospitaldiet unpalatable, even to one in good health, and o f coursemuch more so to one who is sick. Finding that I wa s gainingvery slowly, I made application to the commander of the postto be allowed to go out to the camp of the Provost Guard, whereI had acquaintances. Feeling that I would regain m y healthmuch quicker there than in the hospital. After som e parley,and the use of a little red tape, the request was g ranted.Much of this was due to the intervention of an offi cer of ourcompany, who was in command of the Provost Guard, a nd whosememory I love. On or about the 8th of August, 1862 , I bidfarewell to the hospital, emaciated to the extent t hat I wasonly a shadow of my former self, and with my mind l aden withsad memories, I went out to the camp, which was abo ut two milesfrom the hospital. Before describing life at the P rovost GuardCamp, I must go back to the hospital for a time. I have statedthat my mind was laden with sad memories, and even after thislong lapse of time unbidden tears spring up when I call tomind some scenes that I witnessed during my long co nfinementthere. I would fain pass them over, but in order t o make mynarrative complete I must bring them in. Far back in therecess of my boyhood's memory I can dimly trace the figure ofa rollicking boy. We were boon companions; went to schooltogether; went in swimming together; rambled over t he woodstogether; in fact were inseparable when not at work . We grewup to young manhood together, and when the War clou d burstover the country, we agreed that when it came time for us toenlist would go together. We did so, and of course weremessmates, sharing each other's blankets, each othe r's burdens,each other's joys and everything else. Time passed on and wewere both sent to the hospital at Lauderdale Spring s, he onlya little puny, I very sick. For a few days he was at my bedsideoften. After some time I missed his cheering prese nce. Makinginquiries, I ascertained that he was very sick. So me daysafter that I became able to go to his room, which w as only afew steps distant. I was greatly shocked at the ch ange in hisappearance, and inexperienced as I was I could see that hemust soon cross over the river. He seemed cheerful and resigned,and was much cheered at seeing me again. He realiz ed hiscondition, and seemed willing to leave the results in the handsof an all wise Providence. On the next day I calle d again athis room, and before I left, his mother and I stood by hisbedside and saw him bid farewell to earth. With wh at seemedto be a smile n his face, his genial spirit took it s flight,as I believe, to the climes of everlasting bliss. To the landwith orange blossoms shaded, where summer ever ling ers on theair. It is within a few days of thirty years since then, butI can yet see his genial face and hear his rollicki ng laugh.

Dear old comrade farewell. On this morning of the 8th ofMay, 1896, my memory salutes you.

The reader can now see why I was sad when I left th e hospital,for it was only a short time after the death of my comrade.I may before I close my narrative, return to this e poch of my

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life and refer to some other things connected with my storyat Lauderdale Springs, But will leave it for the pr esent.I have now nearly done with hospital life at Lauder daleSprings. But before I leave this part of my subjec t, I mustmake a few criticisms on the conduct of hospitals - I mean,of course, military hospitals in time of war. It i s notlikely that these lines will ever fall under the ey e of anywho had authority in the hospitals during the late war. Butsome of the present generation may be called upon t o undergothese things and then they will see that I am writi ng thetruth. I will defer these criticisms for my next p aper.

I closed my last paper by serving notice on the pub lic thatI would utter a few criticisms on the conduct of ho spitalsduring the late war. Now, as I have already stated , it isnot at all probable that these lines will fall unde r the eyeof any one who had charge of hospitals, but if they should,study them well and if the cap fits you, then you a re the manthey are intended for; if not, they do not apply to you. Inthe first place, a great many of those who did hosp ital servicewere men who would not face the music at the front. Men whodid not love to hear cannon roar. Had no affection for ashrieking shell nor a whistling bullet. Now I know fromexperience that this class of men had very little s ympathyfor a sick soldier and in consequence gave them jus t as littleattention as the holding of their bomb proof positi ons wouldallow. Another characteristic of many of these men was, thatthey would purloin, or other words, steal what few delicaciesthe government was able to furnish for the sick sol diers andappropriate them for their own use. This was more especiallythe case as regarded alcoholic spirits furnished fo r thehospitals. Before I close this part of the subject I willrelate a tragic episode that occurred at the hospit al atLauderdale Springs, which will prove what I say. A fter Ibecame strong enough to walk about the place a litt le, andjust before I left, I took several meals at the gen eral messhouse. Rather I attempted to take meals there, but did notdo it. They had for one of the principal dishes wh at theycalled rice, but it rather resembled squirrel shot floating,if you will allow the idea of shot floating, in an indigocolored water. It was just about as digestible as squirrelshot would be, for I never saw any of it cooked don e. I thinkthey just put it into some cold water, let it get l ukewarmand then dumped it into a large vessel of some sort . If youwanted to eat it you could do so, and if you did no t, youcould let it alone. The bread, oh! yes, that bread . Imaginea piece of sole leather about three inches square, I believerawhide will express the idea better, baked in wate r untilit gets rather gummy, then split open and loaded wi th a sheetof lead, and you will have a fair idea of that brea d. Itjust simply took a man with the appetite of a rhino ceros toeat it and he had to have a cast iron stomach to di gest it.Other sanitary features were just as bad, all of wh ich renderedhospital life, to the sick I mean, almost a veritab le

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purgatory while it lasted. But it was not alone in thisdepartment of hospital work that this criminal abor tion ofduty was manifest. Now I am aware that it is not p opular toinvade the sacred precincts of medical jurisprudenc e with aview to criticize, and that some of the profession may sayI do not know that's their will, that they have no businessvolunteering any criticisms on subject they know no thing about,but I am going to venture into the forbidden ground . Of allthe unblushing frauds that were imposed upon the Ar mies ofthe South during the late War, the most glaring was known asRegimental and Hospital Surgeons. Now, of course, this willnot be construed to apply to the worthy men who fil led thosepositions, for there were many of that class. With thatqualification, I repeat the above assertion, and ma ny oldsoldiers will bear me out in it; and I suppose many ex-armysurgeons also. Many of them were cruel and indiffe rent, manymore of them were incompetent, and when it comes to beingconsidered, as to the sacred character of the dutie s theywere expected to discharge, that is taking care of the healthand lives of the soldiers, it will at once be seen how glaringwas the imposition foisted upon the army. Now it m ay seemthat the criticisms in this paper are overdrawn, bu t not so,for the writer was an eye witness and does not writ e fromhearsay. He can, if any one desires him to do so, giveinstances to prove his assertions. In my next pape r willgive the circumstance alluded to in the first part of this.

In my last paper I alluded to a tragic episode that occurredat Lauderdale Springs. I also alluded to the prone ness ofsome men to steal alcoholic spirits furnished for t he use ofsick soldiers. There was a man there who had charg e ofsupplies of that kind, and whose duty it was to dis tributeas needed by the sick. Only a small portion of the spiritsever found its way to those for whom it was intende d. I neversaw a drop of it while I was sick there. In course of timethis man was attacked with delirium tremens, or as it issometimes called "mania a potu," and as it is also sometimescalled "snakes in his boots." It required several men tohold him on his bed, and though his room was perhap s morethan two hundred yards distant from the one occupie d by thewriter, I could distinctly hear his horrible scream s.Intermingled with curses and imprecations of such a characteras would almost curdle the blood in a demon's veins . Thislasted several days, when death closed the horrible scene.The pitying angels must have wept, if they ever wee p, overthe last few hours of this wretched man's life, for it seemedto me that his yells and screams could have been he ard forhalf a mile. What a death! And from such a cause. Could itbe possible that his criminal conduct in withholdin g thesupplies from the sick caused the death of some of them? Formany had died. Is it possible that he saw their di sembodiedspirits around him, reproaching him for the evil he had donethem? Those who attended him said that he saw horri ble formshovering over and around him during his last hours.

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I have thus given a full account of this fare, the cookery,my appetite, and In my last paper I alluded to a tragic episodethat occurred at Lauderdale Springs. I also allude d to theproneness of some men to steal alcoholic spirits fu rnishedfor the use of sick soldiers. There was a man ther e who hadcharge of supplies of that kind, and whose duty it was todistribute as need by the sick. Only a small porti on of thespirits ever found its way to those for whom it was intended.I never saw a drop of it while I was sick there. I n courseof time this man was attacked with delirium tremens , or asit is sometimes called "mania a potu," and as it is alsosometimes called "snakes in his boots." It require d severalmen to hold him on his bed, and though his room was perhapsmore than two hundred yards distant from the one oc cupied bythe writer, I could distinctly hear his horrible sc reams.Intermingled with curses and imprecations of such a characteras would almost curdle the blood in a demon's veins . Thislasted several days, when death closed the horrible scene.The pitying angels must have wept, if they ever wee p, overthe last few hours of this wretched man's life, for it seemedto me that his yells and screams could have been he ard forhalf a mile. What a death! And from such a cause. Could itbe possible that his criminal conduct in withholdin g thesupplies from the sick caused the death of some of them? Formany had died. Is it possible that he saw their di sembodiedspirits around him, reproaching him for the evil he had donethem? Those who attended him said that he saw horri ble formshovering over and around him during his last hours. I havethus given a full account of this episode in order to illustratethe subject treated on in last paper.

Some of the Hospital and Army Surgeons were also ad ept inthe art of purloining the "O be joyful." But I sup pose enoughhas been said on this subject. There was in the ho spital atthe Springs a young man who belonged to a Tennessee Regiment,of whom I have often thought . It is said, with how much truthI do not know, that about 1700 soldiers died at tha t hospital.The young man alluded to was in the same room with the writerand was consigned to the hospital a few days before the olddoctor spoken of in a former paper came to ward. D uring thattime it was no strange thing to see dead men hauled by ourwindow, being carried to the "dead house" to be pre pared forburial, or to be claimed by friends and relations. The youngman was very sick, both as regarded his body and mi nd. Inother words, he was "homesick" and had conceived th e idea thathe would never see home again, that he would die th ere. Itwas sad to see the effect the sight of those dead m en had uponhim. I told him he ought not to watch for them, bu t he saidhe could not help it, and there did indeed seem to be afascination about it that he could not resist; ever and onrolling his restless eyes to the spot where we coul d see thempass. When he would see one he would say, "there g oes another;it will be my time next." Two men had died in our own room,which had very much the same effect on him. I do n ot know

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how the case terminated, whether he ever left the h ospitalor not. He was very sick when I left. when I bid h im goodbyehe wept and told me that he did not know what he wo uld do whenI was gone, for he had become very much attached to me, fromthe fact that I had nursed him a good deal. As muc h as myown weak condition would allow. I have often thoug ht of himand wondered if he ever got well. He was a good bo y and Ihope he lived through the War and got home. I am n ow donewith the hospital at the Springs for the present. Perhapssome may think I have devoted too much space to thi s part ofmy subject, but if they should, let them remember t hat I amdetailing the experience of a private soldier in th e War.Writing things that histories do not give. These t hing needventilations so that people may see and know what t he soldiersof the late War had to endure. In my next paper I will takeyou to the camp of the Provost Guard.

It will be seen, or rather has already been seen, t hatpathos, humor, tragedy and comedy succeed each othe r, in mynarrative, like the drifting scenes in a panorama. No doubta great many will conclude that some of the scenes depictedare not worth committing to paper, but as I have sa id before,I am writing this series of papers myself, and am g iving myown personal experience; not that of some one else, writingjust as those scenes recur to my mind. of course, a s I travelagain over the incidents of those stormy days, many thingslong forgotten rise up before me and demand attenti on. I havebecome much interested in the work. Feeling at the same timethat I have taken on myself a bigger job than I tho ught forat first, but if I live I expect to carry it throu gh on theplan thus far pursued. I hope the Index will not b ecomealarmed at this assertion, for it is out of the que stion forme to abbreviate, and at the same time make my stor y complete.

Just a few reflections now on leaving the sad scenes whichI have been describing in my last two or three pape rs. I amglad, yes I rejoice, that the young men and also mi ddle aged,do not have to undergo what those of my generation did in thelate war. When they become sick they have a loving wife, oran affectionate sister or mother to smooth their ac hing browand to anticipate every want. Oh! how different th is is frombeing subjected to the tender mercies of a brooded nurse, whowould be glad to see you die at any time, in order that youmight get out of his way. Reader, do you think the picturedrawn in the last few papers is an exaggerated one? If youdo, just try war once and see.

Unless I conclude to return to it at the close of m ynarrative, we will now bid farewell forever to Laud erdaleSprings, and if you will now go with me, we will go out tothe camp of the Provost Guard. I had the good fort une tostrike a passing wagon just as I went out of the ga te of thehospital grounds. The occupant, who was a farmer o f thevicinity, old one, of course, for no other were at home. Hekindly offered me a seat which of course I was glad to accept,as he could carry me to the railroad station, more than half

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the distance to the camp. I remember yet how he sy mpathizedwith me in my debilitated appearance. He stoutly a ssertedthat I was not able for duty, and that I had better go backto the hospital and stay till I got well. I told h im thatwas just the reason I was leaving, so I could get w ell. Hetold me on parting with me to be sure and be carefu l withmyself, especially about eating. I never saw him a gain, andI suppose he has long since passed to his regard, a s he wasan old man then.

There was in those days at Lauderdale Station what wasknown as an "eating house," where for $2 one could get whatwas called a "square meal." This was not far from where Ileft the old man and was right on my way to the cam p. Ihalted at the door, thought at first that I would n ot go in,hesitated a moment, and then yielded to the temptat ion, andwent in. Ascertaining the bill of fare, which was very goodfor those times, I called for 50 cents worth, and w ent towork on it. O, ye epicures, get out of my way now, for I amgoing to describe one of the most delightful period s of mylife. Visions of delight seemed to float before my enthralledimagination. I was oblivious to all surrounding ob jects,even to the amused glances of the host. The first 50 centsworth disappeared all too quick. A glance at the s mokingpile on the carving table was sufficient. I ordere d another50 cents worth. Enter again the entrancing visions . Thebill of fare, the cookery, my appetite, and everyth ing wasso different from what I had been accustomed for th e lasttwo months, that I lost all control of myself and a te thethird 50 cents worth before I stopped. The host th en suggestedthat I had better hold up, judging from my appearan ce. Thiscalled me back to sublunary things again and I agre ed withhim, paid him and left at once.

It was, as well as I remember, about the middle of theafternoon when I reached the camp. The boys had ju st boughta nice lot of fruit, peaches, apples, etc, and of c ourse, Iwas asked to join them in eating, which I did with somemisgivings as to the consequences. I would not lik e to tellhow much I ate that evening and that night for supp er, whichconsisted of boiled roasting ears and other wild no urishmentsof that kind. After resting that night I began to meditateon my imprudence, and fully expected to be sent bac k to thehospital next morning, but on recurring after a goo d nightssleep, felt refreshed and more like a man than I ha d sinceleaving Rienzi. A flerovus narrative you will say, dearreader, but I do not think so, for I consider this andimportant epoch in my life. A turning point from w hich Ibegan to feel like a soldier again. Suffice it to say thatI felt no i l l results from my inordinate eating.

Beneath the umbrageous foliage of majestic oaks and widespreading bush; on the banks of the beautiful Ponta , waslocated the camp of the Provost Guard. Here I saw again thebrave faces, and heard the cheerful laugh of comrad es, fromwhom I had long been separated. This was a much mo re potentfactor in effecting my recovery than all the medici ne in

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material medica could have been.I needed all this, after the selfish and indifferen t

treatment of the past two months. I remember howev er, thatthe pleasure of the change was somewhat modified by the lossof my mate, my special comrade. One last tribute t o hismemory, and then I will not tax the reader's patien ce furtheron this part of my subject. I have already chronic led hisheath. He sleeps his last long sleep in the Decatu r Cemetery,whence I hope that when the trumpet shall sound the lastreveille in the morning of the resurrection, he wil l rise toeverlasting glory, and that we will meet where ther e will beno more such abrupt separations.

I entered on duty at once, light at first of course . Thefirst duty I performed was to guard a man who had b een sentencedto mark time for two hours each day for several day s. Reader,do you know what that means? If you had to guard a fellowsoldier and force him to mark time for two hours yo ur sympathieswould be aroused in his behalf, and at the same tim e you wouldbe tempted to laugh. As I may have occasion to men tion thispenalty several times during the course of my story I willexplain the meaning of the term for the benefit of those whodo not know. The offender was marched to a designa ted spot,generally a public one, so that all could see that wished to.Having arrived at the place he was cause to stand e rect, inthe position of a soldier, toes on a line, slightly pointedoutward, head thrown back and arms hanging naturall y by hissides. Then the guard would give the command, "Mar k TimeMarch". The culprit would then raise one foot, sli ghtlythrowing it forward as if to step off; but would pl ace itback immediately where it was, the same action with the otherfoot and so to the end of the time designated in th e sentence,which was generally from one to two hours. Accordi ng to thenature of the offense. Thus you see he was continu allywalking, for the time, but never moving out of his tracks.This was a very common mode of punishing refractory soldiers.If the offense was somewhat aggravated, the culprit was oftencause to mark time two hours a day for ten days. I f rathertrifling, one hour per day for two or three days. Theappearance of a man marking time, especially if you watchedhim for some time, was ludicrous in the extreme, an d sometimesa fellow could get a fight on his hands by laughing at oneunder such circumstances. As I am on the subject o f penalties,I will, in my next paper, say something of the diff erent modesof punishment in the army.

There were various modes of punishment used as pena ltiesfor the violation of the army regulations and disob edienceof orders I have already described that of marking time.Imposing "double duty" was very common. This consi sted incausing the offender to go on fatigue or guard duty every dayfor a number of days. Sometimes he would be compel led to digup large stumps about the camp. I have often seen the poorfellows sweating at this kind of work. One mode, w hich Ionly saw executed once during the War was to carry a heavypole of wood on the shoulder, marching to and fro f or a certain

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length of time each day, for a few days. There was what wascalled the "barrel shirt". One head of a barrel wa s knockedout and a hole cut in the other head large enough f or the headof the offender to go through. Then it was put on, allowingthe barrel to rest on his shoulders and enveloping the body. The offense of which he had been guilty was genera lly markedon the barrel in large letters, and he was then req uired toparade before the quarters for a specified time. " Bucking andGagging" was sometimes used though not often. It w as a severepunishment and was only inflicted on the worst offe nders. Itis said that men were sometimes tied up by the thum bs, suspendedso that their feet would just touch the ground, but I neversaw this done. The foregoing were the most common modes ofpunishment in the Army. I will ever have pleasant recollectionsof the few days spent at the camp of the Provost Gu ard on theshady banks of the beautiful Ponta. We had abundan ce of thebest the surrounding county could afford, vegetable s, fruit,fowls, and fresh meats; and the forest was loaded a nd perfumedwith the delicious paw paw, which grew in wild prof usion there. The fruit is somewhat similar in taste and appeara nce to thebanana, and is quite wholesome. This experience wa s almostlike escaping from the Shades of Erebus and taking refuge inthe Elysian Fields. Yes, pleasant, beautiful banks of thePonta. I yet roam in fancy through your lovely sha des andbathe in your limpid waters. But goodbye; we are g oing toleave you now. It was about the 16th of August, I obtainedleave of absence for a few days to visit home, abou t fortymiles distant. Ah! home, sweet home. No one will everappreciate the pleasures, the joys and the comforts of homeuntil he undergoes the toils, privations and hardsh ips of asoldier's life in camp, field and hospital.

THE LAUDERDALE SPRINGS CONFEDERATE CEMETERY

A hill overlooking the hospital grounds was designa ted as acemetery for the unfortunate, war weary soldiers, w ho died in thehospital. Many were taken home to be buried by th eir loved ones,but about twelve hundred of them rest in peace atop that sun kissedhi l l in the serene woodlands at Lauderdale Spr ings.

When the Winnie Davis Chapter No. 24, United Daught ers of theConfederacy was organized in Meridian, in 1896, the members wereconcerned immediately with the neglected condition of the "graveyardof Confederate soldiers at Lauderdale Springs." On March 13, 1897,when Mrs. E.L. McGinnis was president of the Winni e Davis chapter,the chapter purchased the 1.8 acre cemetery from t hree black men,George Hubbard, Frank Hubbard and William Payton, w ho owned theland at that time. On that same date, the Lauderda le County Boardof Supervisors purchased from Dave Hubbard an addit ional 5.46 acresadjoining the cemetery. This extended the property to provideaccess to the cemetery from the Lauderdale-Kewanee highway.

Acquisition of the property enabled the members to move forwardwith plans for the improvement and preservation of the cemetery.During World War I, the interests of Winnie Davis C hapter members

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were diverted to war time activities and the chapte r disbanded andwas not rechartered until 1957, however, even durin g those yearsof the chapter's inactivity, many people maintained their interestsin the Lauderdale Springs Confederate Cemetery.

In the early part of 1924, Mr. H.R. Court of Meridi an and Mr.J.L. Blackledge went to the cemetery seeking inform ation about theburial site of Mr. Blackledge's father-in-law, B.D. Walters, whowas buried there. They walked over the cemetery wi th Mr. DaveHubbard, a black man, who owned the adjoining land. They foundonly two grave markers. One was for Corp. J.N.B. W illiamson, CO. E - 1st Mo. Cavalry, CSA, from Cabool, Missouri. The other markerwas for J.T. Morgan, CO. C - 45th Ala, CSA.

In a report Mr. Court wrote about his experiences, he stated,"Finding many trenches over the Plot and the need o f attention Iwent to the Board of Supervisors to correct the sit uation, whichhas been done."

Through the years the cemetery was cleaned by resid ents ofLauderdale, by boys from the Masonic Home, and memb ers of variousBoy Scout troops. In recent times, for a number of years, thecemetery was cleaned and cared for regularly by the Four H Club,under the leadership of Mrs. Parker Gray of Lauderd ale.

In November of 1957, an historical marker designati ng the siteof the cemetery was erected in Lauderdale.

In December of 1983, the 5.46 acres at the cemetery owned bythe county was deeded by the Board of Supervisors t o the WinnieDavis Chapter.

In 1987, the members of The Winnie Davis Chapter No . 24, UnitedDaughters of the Confederacy established a Perpetua l Care Fund toassure that the beauty and dignity of this cemetery shall bemaintained forever. The by-laws controlling this t rust fundstipulate that "the assets of the fund may never be withdrawn,except that the interest may be withdrawn and used only for thebenefit of the cemetery." A long-range plan for ma intenance andimprovements a t the cemetery i s be ing imp lemented .

In 1987, a marble monument with the following inscr iption waserected at the cemetery:

LAUDERDALE SPRINGS CSA CEMETERYHospital site and burial spot for 1020 CSA and 80 Union menwounded at Shiloh, Corinth, Iuka, Jackson, Fisher's Creek,

Vicksburg, and Forrest's North Mississippi battles.

Also in 1987, signs were erected on Highway 45 at L auderdaledesignating the Location of the Lauderdale Springs Cemetery, anddirectional signs were placed along the route from the highway tothe cemetery.

On June 29, 1988, 25 vandalized grave markers were replaced.In 1989, all of the 1100 grave markers were cleaned , many dead

trees were cut and disposed of and all debris was c leared from thewooded area of the property.

In August of 1990, the drive through the cemetery w as resurfaced.Each year Winnie Davis Chapter No. 24, United Daugh ters of

the Confederacy, joins with W. D. Cameron Camp No. 1221,

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Sons of Confederate Veterans in presenting the Conf ederate MemorialDay Ceremony at the cemetery.

There has been some uncertainty about the number o f soldiersburied in the cemetery. We know that, in 1932, whe n Congressauthorized the U.S. Government to furnish grave mar kers forConfederate soldiers, 940 Confederate markers were ordered for theLauderdale Springs cemetery, yet 1020 Confederate UNKNOWN SOLDIERgrave markers were placed there. There also are 80 Union UNKNOWNSOLDIER stones in place there. A report related to the orderingand placement of grave markers at the Lauderdale Sp rings ConfederateCemetery stated that 80 Union markers were ordered for placementat a burial ground north of Lauderdale on Ponta Cre ek. For someunexplained reason, the markers were placed in the LauderdaleSprings Confederate Cemetery and not at the site on Ponta Creek.There is no record of any burials of Union soldiers in the LauderdaleSprings Confederate Cemetery

Mr. Roger Hansen, of Pascagoula, Mississippi, has p rovidedthe Winnie Davis Chapter a wealth of information ab out those noblemen who lie in Unknown Soldier’s Graves. Mr. Hanse n is a memberof The Stanford Reenactors Battery of Mississippi. This is apatriotic organization, whose members are dedicated to the missionof locating and marking the graves of soldiers who died during theWar Between the States.

Mr. Hansen is leading a massive project of research of militaryand hospital records for the purpose of collecting informationabout the men who died in hospitals. He estimates that about 1200men died in the three Lauderdale Springs Hospitals. He now hasthe names of 900 of those men along with the rank, unit, date ofdeath and, in many ins tances , the cause o f dea th .

That roster of 900 names with all available informa tion isincluded on the final chapter of this book.

In 2001, a display stand was erected at the cemeter y, wherea history of the cemetery is presented, along with informationabout 900 of those soldiers who are buried there. When contactwith a descendant of a soldier is developed, a repl acement stone,engraved with the name and pertinent information ab out the soldier,is ordered and installed and a memorial service is arranged.

The information presented on the display panel is i ncludedbelow:

THE LAUDERDALE SPRINGS CONFEDERATE CEMETERY

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The Lauderdale Springs Confederate Cemetery is owne d by theWinnie Davis Chapter #24, United Daughters of the C onfederacy. Themembers of this UDC Chapter have provided this disp lay of thenames, units, dates of death and in many instances, the cause ofdeath of 871 of the soldiers who are buried in this cemetery.( Editor: Research has revealed 29 additional names. The list nowhas 900 names.)

This information was compiled through years of tedi ous researchinto the files of the National Archives by Roger Ha nsen of MossPoint, Mississippi. Mr. Hansen is a member of The S tanford Battery,an organization that has developed a commendable re cord of servicefrom its efforts through the years to locate and ma rk the gravesof Confederate soldiers and restore and provide mai ntenance forcemeteries in Mississippi. Only 14 of the 1100 gravestones at theLauderdale Springs Cemetery have the names of the soldiers buriedhere. The others are marked UNKNOWN SOLDIER. It is hoped that thedisplay of this information will be a great help to the largenumber of persons who contact the Winnie Davis Chap ter and theLauderdale County Department of Archives and Histor y or who cometo the cemetery seeking genealogical information ab out theirancestors.

As additional information is made available from Mr . Hansen'sresearch this roster will be edited and updated.

Assistance in genealogical and historical research relatedto Lauderdale Springs Confederate Cemetery is avail able from:

Lauderdale CountyDepartment of Archives and History

410 Consitutiion Ave.2nd Floor Raymond P. Davis Annex Building

Meridian, MS 39301or

P.O. Box 5511Meridian, Mississippi 39302

Telephone: (601)482-9752 & (601)482-9858email: swcscott@email.com

archives@lauderdalecounty.org

Lauderdale Springs Confederate Cemetery is at the site wheretwo ancient routes, the Tennessee Trail and the Cho ctaw Trailcrossed. The old Choctaw Indian village named Panti was situatedaround a number of mineral springs at the foot of the hill behindthe cemetery.

The first white settlers coming to this area were J amesLauderdale, Ambrose Ramsey and Richard Smith. These pioneers arrivedat Panti in 1800. The Indians received their guest s with hospitalityand escorted them to the springs and explained that for uncountedmoons, Indians had been coming to the springs to dr ink and bathein the wonder waters as a cure for skin diseases, w ounds and otherailments.

The visitors, intrigued by the springs and delighte d by thefriendly attitude of the natives and impressed by t he beautifulforests and rich soils they had observed throughout the region,

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decided they wanted to make their new homes in this locality.Ambrose Ramsey settled at the locale of present-day Emelle, Alabama.The Allen Smith family established their home at Al amutcha, nearKewanee, Mississippi. James Lauderdale purchased th e area aroundthe springs, paying the Indians a handsome price by the standardsof the day. He made his home and operated a mercant ile businessat the springs, and the town of Lauderdale Springs developed atthis site.

In the 1850s, the springs property was developed in to afashionable health resort and spa with several resi dences and guestcottages and a hotel that was two stories in height and threehundred feet long. The Mobile & Ohio Railroad disch arged guestsat Springs Station, which was located conveniently at the gate tothe resort.

During the War for Southern Independence, the resor tproperty was converted for use as a Confederate Gen eral Hospital,and sick and wounded soldiers were brought here by rail from Shiloh,Corinth, luka, Jackson, Fisher's Creek, Vicksburg a nd Forrest'sNorth Mississippi battles. The men who died in that hospital areburied in this cemetery.

One of the worst problems of the Reconstruction era wasthe momentous mission of providing for the thousand s of fatherlesschildren left in the wake of the war. As a means of dealing withthis problem, the Springs property was purchased by the MississippiBaptist Convention and converted into a Home for Co nfederate Orphans.The record of service rendered by this home is an a dmirable chapterin the history of the state. The people of Mississi ppi showed thatthey cared and proved that they could take care of the dependentsof those heroes who died for their cause.

By 1878, most of the orphans were able to care forthemselves and left the home to take jobs or enter into otherendeavors and the Home was closed.

When the Winnie Davis Chapter No. 24, United Daught ersof the Confederacy was organized in 1896, the membe rs were concernedimmediately with the neglected condition of this La uderdale SpringsConfederate Cemetery. On March 13, 1897, the chapte r purchased the1.8 acre cemetery and the Lauderdale County Board o f Supervisorspurchased an additional 5.46 acres adjoining the ce metery to provideaccess from the highway to the cemetery.

The Chapter moved forward with plans for the improv ementand preservation of the cemetery, however, during W orld War I, theinterests of the Winnie Davis Chapter members were diverted towartime activities and the chapter disbanded.

Through the next several years, the cemetery was cl eanedby residents of Lauderdale, by boys from the Masoni c Home, andmembers of various Boy Scout troops. For a number o f years, thecemetery was cleaned and cared for regularly by the Four H Clubunder the leadership of Mrs. Parker Gray of Lauderd ale, and throughthe years the Board of Supervisors has helped in ma ny ways topreserve and care for the cemetery.

The Winnie Davis Chapter was reactivated in 1957, a ndin 1987, the members of the Chapter established a P erpetual CareFund to assure that the beauty and dignity of the c emetery shallbe maintained forever. The by-laws controlling thi s trust

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fund stipulate that “the assets of the fund may nev er be withdrawn,except that the interest may be withdrawn and used only for thebenefit of the cemetery."

The list with the Names, Units, Dates of Death and Causes ofDeath of 900 of the soldiers buried at the Lauderda le SpringsConfederate Cemetery is published in the final sect ion of thisvolume.

RECONSTRUCTION

Historians have demonstrated widespread interest in the WarBetween the States, however, the infamous Reconstru ction era hasreceived surprisingly little attention, despite the fact thatdeprivations, sorrows and turmoil continued in the South throughoutthose tragic years after the war had ended. The ho rrible scarsof warfare were everywhere, with many homes, factor ies and publicbuildings, even entire towns, destroyed. Transport ation systemswere in shambles. Farm lands had been neglected an d were out ofproduction. Business throughout the Southland was practically ata standstill. There was massive unemployment. Man y people werepenniless and desperate to find ways to provide foo d, clothing,and shelter for their families, yet they could earn no money becausethere were no jobs to be had. These were urgent pr oblems, butthere were no immediate solutions. There was no ho pe of governmentalaid since the Federal government was controlled by vindictivepoliticians from the northern section of the countr y, and stateand local governments were in the hands of scalawag s and carpetbaggers.

The 4 million Negroes, who had been liberated were not preparedfor the responsibility of providing food and shelte r for theirfamilies. Many Negroes thought they did not have t o work any more.They were led to believe that the property of their former ownerswould be divided among them, and each of them would receive a muleand forty acres. They wandered from place to place , flocking intotowns everywhere or clustering around army posts. Frederick R.Douglas said, "The negro was freed from the individ ual master butwas a slave to society. He had neither money, prop erty, norfriends."

In March of 1865, Congress created the Freedmens' B ureau toprovide relief and aid for Negroes, act as guardian s for Negroesand help them adjust themselves to freedom. The Bu reau became apolitical machine, rife with graft and failed to fu lfill its originalpurposes, and was dissolved in 1869. Governor Hump hries ofMississippi expressed the opinion that, "four years of cruel warwere scarcely more blighting and destructive...than has resultedfrom the administration of this black incubus."

The Radical Republicans favored a "hard peace" fo r the South.They wanted to maintain their power by creating a R epublican partyin the South, sustained by the Negro vote. The Loy al League, asecret order with lodges all over the country, was organized.Nearly all Negro males and a few white men were ini tiated into themysteries of the League, with the solemn oath, unde r the penaltyof death... "that I will never knowingly vote for a ny Democrat foroffice ... that I will not disclose the name of any member of theLeague...that I will never testify against any memb er concerninganything by the League...."

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The Reconstruction Act of 1867 divided the 10 unrec onstructedstates into five military districts. Elections and supervisionof state and local governments were under Federal c ontrol, oftentimes under martial law. Many of the Federal troop s were Negroes.

THE JACKSON DAILY, on February 28, 1866, published a letterrelating some of the problems the people had to con tend with duringthe Reconstruction years:

We copy below some portions of that letter from a r espectablecitizen residing near Lauderdale Springs, calling a ttentionto the conditions of things existing at that place. Therobberies he complains of are all committed within a circuitof five miles from the post. In another part of hi s letterhe instances Cuba Station, where there are no guard s, as aplace that is entirely free from such disorders...b oth ourcitizens and our civil authorities are powerless in thismatter. On the night of January 16th there were si x housesbroken open and robbery committed...I can not hear of anydepredations committed anywhere except where the ne gro guardsare stationed ... Nearly every gentleman in the cou ntrybelieves, furthermore, that this negro guard are th e causeof all our troubles and also encourage the freedmen in theirmisconduct and frequently, take part in it themselv es.

THE MERIDIAN DAILY GAZETTE , July 29, 1869, published a newsitem, which illustrates the harsh treatment the peo ple enduredunder military rule:

THE MILITARY RULE AT LAUDERDALEWe have information from Lauderdale that the young men

arrested in Kemper county charged with the murder of certainnegroes are still in the custody of the military. They haveno information of specific charges having been made againstthem. One of the prisoners, Mr. John Terry, at the time ofthe arrest, was told he was arrested for the murder of a negroby the name of Bill McDonald ... Finally it was asc ertainedthat Bill McDonald was alive. That information was communicatedto the commanding officer. That officer told Mr. T erry'sfriends that if they would produce the boy, Bill, M r. Terryshould be discharged.

This was done, but for some unaccountable rea son thatofficer has failed to comply with his promise. Tha t commandingofficer, Capt. Kelly ... by his seeming arbitrary managementof the Kemper prisoners forces us to conclude he is no betterthan some others that delight to exercise their tyr annicalrule over a helpless people.

The parties have a right to be informed of th e chargesagainst them upon which they are held; and then to a speedyand impartial trial. This they are entitled to eve n bymilitary law...

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THE CONFEDERATE ORPHANS' HOME OF MISSISSIPPI

The greatest tragedy of the war was the loss of the livesof so many men. The North lost 360,000 men, who di ed in battleand due to diseases, and the loss to the South was 258,000 men. Almost every home in the South was in mourning for the loss ofa husband, a son, a sweetheart, or, perhaps the mos t tragic ofall, for the loss of a father. One of the worst pr oblems ofthe Reconstruction era was the momentous mission of providingcare for the thousands of fatherless children left in the wakeof the war, for even though many of the mothers wer e still livingthey were unable to support their children. Missis sippi handledthe problem with great success, even though it was one of thehardest hit states. A part of that solution was ef fected atLauderdale Springs.

In the fall of 1865, the Mississippi State Baptist Conventionresolved "to found an institution where the unfortu nate orphanscould be cared for, educated and trained."

Miss Mary J. Welsh, a gifted and experienced teache r fromWahalak, who taught at the Home throughout its exis tence, compileda history of the Home, filled with valuable informa tion notavailable from any other source, Her reminiscences are presentedhere:

THE CONFEDERATE ORPHANS' HOME OF MISSISSIPPIBy MISS MARY J. WELSH

The Confederate Orphans' Home of Mississippi was es tablished,as its name indicates, expressly to take care of th e destituteorphans of Confederate soldiers. At the end of the War betweenthe States the number of helpless and destitute chi ldren inthe South was appalling. It was felt that something must bepromptly done for their relief, but how to help the m mosteffectively was perhaps the hardest and most seriou s problemthat confronted the Southern people in the impoveri shedcondition of the country. Different sections attemp ted tosolve it in different ways.

This paper will contain a history of the most notew orthyeffort of the people of Mississippi to meet the sit uation.It will be borne in mind that owing to the existing conditionof the South this institution differed in many ways fromevery other home of the kind in Mississippi either beforeor since the war. It therefore stands alone in the historyof orphanages in the State in respect both to its c onstitutionand to its methods of operation. The Mississippi Ba ptistState Convention in the fall of 1865, directed its attentionto the needs of the orphans of the State. After ear nest,prayerful deliberation it decided upon founding an institutionwhere these unfortunate children could be gathered, caredfor comfortably and educated properly, in order tha t theymight become useful, honorable, self-reliant citize ns.

BOARD OF TRUSTEESTo forward this work the first step was to select a board

of trustees. These were gentlemen of known ability and highmoral character, drawn from different sections of the State.

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This board was to contain a certain number of Bapti sts, theremainder were to be of different denominations or nodenomination. In their long and intimate associatio n with theinmates of the home they proved themselves to be tr ue, manlymen, considerately courteous, strictly, but kindly just andkeenly alive to the best interests of their helples s charges."Our children," as they called them, were objects o f theirwarmest solicitude, and all employees, by virtue of theirre la t ion to the ch i ldren, received an in terest .

The board met at the Home regularly about every six monthsto discuss matters pertaining to the interest of th e institution.They spent the day examining affairs, taking accoun t of allneeds and deliberating upon the best methods of sup plyingthem. They met the inmates at table, three times, a nd atfamily worship once during each of their sessions. On theseoccasions one or more of them would give an encoura ging,sympathetic talk. Of course the employees as well a s thechildren kept at their usual work and were naturall y "on theirbest behavior" for the day. I presume they felt som ethinglike a company of soldiers passing under review of theircommanding general. Yet these trustees were so geni al thattheir visit was a pleasant memory and soon became a pleasantanticipation.

They reported annually to the Convention through th eirsecretary, Rev. W.S. Webb, who arose from a conscio usness ofhaving obeyed the Master's injunction to "do good t o the poor"according to "opportunity." The first duty that pre senteditself to this board was to find and secure a local ity forthe projected institution. A veritable one was in s ight andavailable. The Rev. T. C. Teasdale, of Columbus, Mi ss., wasappointed an agent to raise tile necessary funds fo r carryingout the plans of the Convention. He soon collected, principallyin the Northern and Western States, sufficient fund s topurchase Lauderdale Springs, a noted watering place inantebellum days. He also secured donations of suppl ies,furniture, etc., sufficient to fit it up for a begi nning. Itrequired much deliberation for the trustees to deci de uponan appropriate name for the proposed institution. " Asylum"was too cold, too formal; "Refuge" was suggestive o f crime;"Retreat" was pleasing, very, but it savored too mu ch ofleisure, if not of idleness, and this was intended to be abusy place. But "Home," that dear word that thrills everyhuman heart, fully met their conception of what thi s placeshould be to its inmates. Hence the institution was named"The Confederate Orphans’ Home of Mississippi," and its affairswere always administered in accordance with this id ea.

The locality was a very desirable one. The large e nclosedcampus was covered with a thick carpet of grass and surroundedon three sides by hills with a heavy growth of tree s, manyof them evergreen. The swampy ground on the south a nd southwestabounded in mineral springs, red and white sulphur andChalybeate. It had been a popular summer resort, b ut in timeit proved to be unhealthful for constant residence.

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The buildings were sufficient in number and were co nvenientlyarranged around three sides of the campus, with two largeones in the center. But, as was the case generally throughoutthe South at that period, they were somewhat out of repair;and having been intended only for summer use they w ere notceiled. It is well to add they never were ceiled.

SUPERINTENDENTSPending the election of a permanent superintendent, Rev.

W. C. Buck was given the temporary charge of the pr opertyand of the small advance guard of children who arri ved soonafter the purchase of the property. He was pastor o f a countrychurch (Sharon) in Noxubee county, and on each visi t carriedsupplies contributed by his warm hearted congregati on. He wasan able divine and a guileless Christian.

In the meantime Professor Simeon Sebastian Granberr y,formerly of Mississippi College, Clinton, Miss., wa s electedfirst Superintendent to organize and carry on the w ork of theHome. He was an experienced educator, a man of soun d, practicalwisdom, of fine administrative ability, a refined C hristiangentleman, admirably fitted for the work of caring for anddirecting the efforts of women and helpless childre n. Dr. T.J. Deupree, now of Jackson, Tenn., who as Treasurer of theBoard of Trustees was closely associated with him f or fiveyears, thus writes of him: 'He was one of the noble st, purest,best man I ever knew." Professor Granberry also pos sessedthat which is requisite for a man's highest success in anyvocation - a wife in full sympathy with his work. She wasa safe counselor when perplexities arose, a mother to thechildren and a sympathetic friend to all employees. Thesestatements may be considered irrelevant, but justic e demandsthat I pay this small tribute to the memory of the two personswith whose lives I was closely associated for six y ears,sharing their work, their cares and responsibilitie s.

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTSEarly in the first year, a young man, Mr. Sam Goodw ins,

of Hinds County, directed and assisted the little b oys intheir outdoor work. He remained only a few months, however.Late in the next year Professor Williams, of Hinds county,was elected to this position. As he was in delicate healthhe lived only a few months. Perhaps a year after h is death,Mr. Judson Thigpen was chosen to succeed him, and r emainednearly throughout the existence of the Home. These were allwell educated gentlemen, and efficient in their pos itions.

PHYSICIANA physician was employed by the year. This position was

held by Dr. Sidney Kennedy, of Lauderdale Station. He wasskilled in his profession, sympathetic in his minis trations,and responded promptly to all calls. A part of his duty wasto examine all applicants on arrival at the station toascertain if they had any contagious disease. In sp ite ofthis precaution we had, at different periods, epide mics ofwhooping cough and sore eyes.

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OPENING OF THE ORPHANAGEOn the arrival of the Superintendent, Prof. S.S. Gr anberry,

late in the summer of 1866, Dr. Buck retired. Thoug h themovement had been on foot only a short time the cou ntry wasin a state of expectancy and it was not necessary t o announcethat the Home was ready for the reception of childr en. Theycame and continued to come in such large numbers an d, in amajority of cases, in such a forlorn plight as to p rove beyondquestion the crying need of such an institution. No ne wereturned away.

The institution was established, fostered and contr olledby the Mississippi Baptist State Convention, but ap plicantswere received irrespective of religious creed, or n o creed,of the parents. They came without warning. Their ap plicationwas made at the gate or at Lauderdale Station at th e farthest.Before Christmas there were at least fifty on the r oll; andin less than two years two hundred. The number of c hildrenin the Home varied from time to time, as mothers or relativesbecame able to provide for their children. Once it was sadlydepleted by sickness. The vacancies were soon fille d, however,by new arrivals. The age limit was from six years t o aboutsixteen, subject to the discretion of the managemen t. Childrenunder six were debarred because the home was not ab le to meetthe requirements of infancy. Girls and boys of sixt een, orthereabouts, were not only destitute but helpless, since inthe impoverished condition of the country they coul d get noemployment.

In truth they had received but little education or trainingand were not therefore qualified for employment. Bu t theywere a great help to the home. With a little direct ion andhelp in each department they did all the work, thus obviatingthe necessity of employing servants.

THE CHILDRENThe question was sometimes asked then and has been since,

"What kind of children were these for whom all this provisionwas made?" It is a natural question and this is a g ood placeto answer it. Briefly, they were children in every respect.Compared with the same number of children elsewhere , theyaveraged pretty well. Their educational advantages had beenvery limited during the preceding four years. In na turalendowments they ranged from the fairly bright to th e veryordinary, and from a natural refinement of feeling and mannerdown to rudeness and stolid indifference. They prov ed to betractable and in disposition affectionate. Having p reviouslyknown no will but their own, they were pretty fair specimensof "Young Americans." All of them needed training in everyrespect.

The first year was an especially trying time on the faculty.The children came in so rapidly that before one con signmenthad been reduced to order another was on hand; then another,and another following in such quick succession that it requiredwise judgement and a firm hand to hold the situatio n but ourSuperintendent was equal to the demand. He was a ma n ofversatile talents, an excellent disciplinarian for childrenand grown persons as well. His kindly nature inspir ed acorresponding kindness in others; while his reasona ble methods

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and firm will quelled all thoughts of rebellion. In time,earliest arrivals, having been partly trained, serv ed somewhatas a police force, and materially assisted the mana gement.After the children had learned the first lesson, ob edienceto authority (of which many of them had no concepti on at first)the other lessons became easier for them. Gradually thingsbegan to run smoothly, but just as it is in the out er world,the vigilance of the "law and order party" could ne ver berelaxed. They had all of a child's instinct for mis chief, anddelighted in successfully perpetrating it. This was usuallyharmless and passed over, but sometimes a case dema nded aninvestigation. Then the combined vigilance of the f aculty andother employees would be requisite to detect the cu lprit; forevery child examined was as innocent as a dove and as ignorantas the average citizen before the grand jury. When at lastdetected the offender was so submissively penitent and soprofuse in promises never to "do so again" that no one hadthe heart for any severer punishment than a reprima nd and aprivate lecture. If the culprit was a girl, this la st dutyusually fell to me, and in justice let me say that in everyinstance the girl thanked me for the interest taken in herwelfare and promised to heed the advice given. This was payin good coin and it is still paying a large dividen d in genuinesatisfaction.

EDUCATIONAL ADVANTAGESSchool was conducted five days in the week the year round;

vacations of only a day or two were granted in extr eme weatherand once for several weeks in a time of severe sick ness.Occasionally there were three, but generally only t wo, teachersin the school. All of these were ladies with the ex ceptionof Mr. A. T. Farrar, who taught a short time. To eq ualize thelabor and the school advantages the beneficiaries w ho wereeight years old and over were separated into divisi ons, eachof which worked and went to school on alternate day s. Allchildren under eight went to school every day. The largeballroom of the Springs was converted into the prin cipalschoolroom and called "The Chapel," because all rel igiousservices were conducted in it. The textbooks used w ere suchas were presented, both new and second hand. Other necessaryequipments, such as desks, paper, pens and ink were alsoliberally given. By having only half the children i n schooleach day the demand for equipments lessened.

WORKThe work was done almost entirely by the beneficiar ies

arranged in details. In case of the girls, at first fourafterwards six, of different ages were detailed fro m eachdivision for the different departments of housework , underthe direction and with the assistance of an employe e. Theseemployees were in almost every instance mothers of childrenwho gladly worked for a support and the privilege o f beingwith their children. All children of working age in a division,who were not in a work section for the day went to the sewingroom for that day, the divisions alternating day af ter day.Eight girls were drawn from the school room each da y to waiton the tables. After these details had been arrange d and put

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into regular working order there was very little tr ouble.Each girl soon learned her place and went to it eve ry morningwithout admonition. Sometimes a vacancy would occur . If itwas in a work detail, one from the sewing room woul d besubstituted; if in the table service, one from the schoolroom. These details were always arranged and manage d by thesame teacher, thus preventing confusion. As the boy s workedin garden and field, the only detail necessary for them wasby the week or month to furnish wood for the variou s departments,and in winter for the fireplaces. This was managed by theAssistant Superintendent if there was one in office , if not,by the Superintendent. Each employee also had his o r her ownwork and was responsible for it, but that did not g ive himor her the privilege of refusing any other work tha t neededto be done. No one interfered with another, but if one wassick or absent, one or two others assumed extra dut y, "closedranks" and moved on harmoniously, uncomplainingly t hough alittle wearily. Once, in a great strait, the most s cholarlyteacher in the institution, Mrs. Mollie Williams, w orked inthe kitchen for several weeks, at another time unde r a similarstrait another teacher worked in the sewing room; a nd once,when a vacancy occurred in the school room, the Sup erintendenttaught until it could be filled. All the work of th e placewas done by hand. Very few labor saving machines ev er reachedthe Home. A washing machine or two were tried but t hey wereof such a crude kind they failed to serve the purpo se. Washingand ironing went on from Monday morning until Satur day noon.A few sewing machines were also presented but the g irls weretaught hand sewing almost entirely. Some of them be came veryneat seamstresses. Besides the regular daily work, the buildingsneeded repairing, and the long dining room of the S prings hadto be widened to accommodate our large and increasi ng family.For this job a citizen of the neighborhood was empl oyed inthe earliest years of the institution. The lack of freestonewater was in time provided for by conveying it from a springoutside the campus by means of underground wooden p ipes. Inthese jobs the boys of the Home rendered all the ne ededassistance. The sawmills along the line of the Mobi le andOhio railroad presented the lumber. The only negro employeddid the work that was too rough and heavy for the l ittle boys

FINANCIAL SUPPORTThe institution was largely supported by contributi ons

procured by traveling agents. The citizens of the n eighborhoodand of different parts of the State not visited by agentsalso kindly sent generous and often very timely con tributions.Several agents were appointed at different times in the lifeof the Home. Ail of them were successful, but none traveledso extensively as did Dr. T. C. Teasdale, previousl y mentioned,and Mrs. Laura Reed, of Kentucky. Mrs. Reed visited us oftenerthan any other of the agents, mingled with us in ou r dailylife and always had some pleasant incident to relat e to thechildren. She thus acquainted herself with the need s of theplace; and her appeal stirred the hearts of the peo ple totheir very depths as was shown by the donations she procured.

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Some beautiful incidents of Mrs. Reed's agency dese rve tobe recorded both for the spirit manifested by them and theresults to the institution. Just previous to the Wa r betweenthe States, "Memory Strings" composed of buttons, e ach thegift of a friend and each different from all the ot hers wasa popular fad with young girls.

Miss Jennie Moxley, of Louisville, Ky., had one of thesestrings, very precious to her; for each button had its ownhistory connected with the giver. Her heart was so stirredby one of Mrs. Reed's appeals that she voluntarily offeredher precious string for the pleasure of the orphans . But Hewho understood the sacrifice decreed better results . Theincident so excited the sympathy of the audience th at quitea liberal sum was immediately raised. Nor did it st op there.Wherever Mrs. Reed addressed an audience, she exhib ited thestring and repeated the story followed by the same substantialresult. Thus the self-denying act of one little gir l becamea source of considerable revenue. Again, in one aud ience anold lady anxious to give something, brought to Mrs. Reed awater gourd, raised and prepared by herself, modest ly saying,"It is but a poor gift but it will hold a drink of water forthe little ones." But He who sat over against the t reasurynoted the deed, knew the motive and blessed the gif t manyfold. Whenever the agent passed it through an audie nceaccompanied by a few remarks it came back to her fu ll ofofferings to the cause for which she so earnestly p lead. Onemore donation deserves special mention. A baker in New Orleans,Mrs. Margaret Haughery, familiarly called "Margaret ," notedfor her charitable deeds, sent without solicitation , fromtime to time during the life of the institution, ge nerousdonations of fresh crackers, very acceptable at all times,especially so during seasons of sickness.

THE ORPHANS' HOME BANNERA semi-monthly paper, consisting of a single sheet, 16X22,

and containing 24 columns, was established in 1868. It waspublished at the Home, the work being done entirely by theemployees and beneficiaries. It was a source of con siderablerevenue throughout the existence of the institution , not onlythrough subscriptions and advertisements but by kee ping upa communication with the outside world. The office also dida good deal of job work. The first few issues of Th e Bannerwere printed at Scooba, on the Mobile and Ohio rail road,where two of the largest boys were sent to learn th e art ofprinting. A hand press was soon procured and an off ice wasopened at the Home with one of those boys as forema n. Thework being done entirely by the employees and benef iciariesthere was no outlay except for paper and ink. Sever al of theboys became expert compositors, by which, in after years,they earned a comfortable livelihood.

About 1870 a concert band was formed of the best si ngers,girls and boys, of intermediate ages. It was traine d andsent out under charge of Rev. A. D. Trimble, of Ten nessee,and a matron, Miss Mattie Wharton, of Noxubee Count y, Miss.,at first and afterwards Mrs. Mollie Williams, of th e Home.

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This band travelled principally in Tennessee and Ke ntucky.It was kindly received everywhere and through its e fforts thecirculation of The Banner was increased and supplie s weresent to the Home. The children sang hymns principal ly andwithout an instrument, but large audiences always g reetedthem. Besides these sources of support, the boys cu ltivateda part of the land, made a garden, raised some corn , hogs andcattle. In all these ways we lived comfortably by s tricteconomy. All supplies ran alarmingly low at times, but thanksto Him who "cares for the sparrows," "the barrel of mealwasted not," neither did the "meat fail."RELIGIOUS PRIVILEGES

We had no regular preaching services. Occasionally a preachermade an appointment, but that was a very rare occur rence.Sunday school was held every Sunday morning, Prof. Cranberryofficiating as superintendent and the employees tea ching. Theliterature was plentifully given. Several copies of Kind Wordscame regularly. A large supply of Bibles and Testam ents withcatechisms, question books, song books, both new an d secondband, were contributed, and these we used as best w e could.I was astounded to meet here a literary acquaintanc e of pioneerdays which I thought had been crowded out of existe nce by themodern works. Among the contributions was a number of thesame unlearnable question books that had been "Gree k" to mein childhood. They were given to a class of the mos t advancedgirls and boys, and the class most suavely assigned to me.I had not been connected with a Sunday school since thosepioneer days, and, shame on me, my knowledge of Scr ipture hadnot kept pace with the passing of the years. I was, therefore,conscious of the fact that I was not nearly so well qualifiedfor the position as was supposed or as the position itselfcoupled with that particular question book demanded ; but todecline was out of the question. Embarrassing situa tion!However, the class knew much less; so by diligent s tudy Imanaged to keep in the lead through my time of serv ice, inthe meantime cracking many hard theological nuts. F amilyworship, conducted by the Superintendent, was held every nightin the chapel at which all were required to be pres ent. Thepart of this service and of the Sunday school, whic h delightedthe children most was the singing. All sang, from t he largestboy down to the smallest. I do not think a single o ne was"tone deaf;" certainly not one was dumb.

An opportunity presented itself. Knowing that whate ver iscalled "a show" has especial attractions for childr en andgrown persons as well, they prevailed upon the prop rietorsof sleight of hand performances, etc., to give the Home abenefit whenever it was possible to do so. If it wa s an outdoorperformance, the Home was invited and accorded the bestposition for observing it. If the young people of t he towngot up a home entertainment, they were sure to give thechildren one evening's performance in their own Hom e. Doubtlessthey were repaid by witnessing the children's heart ydemonstrations of pleasure. So we were treated to m any "shows,"but never to a "circus."

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As to the employees, each one was permitted a vacat ion of amonth each year (one at a time). We could take it all atonce or in two divisions, at our option. Some of us usuallyfound time only for the first division of two weeks ; otherstook a vacat ion only every two or three years.

EPIDEMICSBesides whooping cough and sore eyes, already menti oned,

the Home suffered from an epidemic of malarial feve r in thesummer and fall of 1869. Comparatively few of the b eneficiariesescaped an attack; a score or more were sick at the same timeand many of them died, mostly girls. But to dwell u pon thisperiod would unnecessarily harrow the feelings. The readercan imagine all the anxiety, weariness, care and su fferingincident to such a time. I should not mention it, b ut for thefact that it was a true, though very sad, episode i n the lifeof the Home.

FINANCIAL TROUBLEIn the fall or early winter of 1869 the managers we re

notified that the property of "The Springs" had rev erted tothe heirs of the former owner by virtue of the sale 's havingbeen effected during their minority. So the orphans were againhomeless. The hearts of their guardians and friends trembledwith anxiety, but not for a long time, Jehovah-jirc h! Duringthe last years of the war, the Federal Government h ad establisheda military post, a mile or more from Lauderdale sta tion, onthe west side of the railroad. After the surrender, manysuperannuated negroes and colored children were car ried thereand given a temporary asylum, much to the relief of theirformer masters. When the soldiers were withdrawn, t he Quakerstook possession of the post, with the intention of supportingand t ra in ing the negro ch i ldren s t i l l on hand.

The managers of this school were in full sympathy w ith thework of the Confederate Orphans' Home, and the Supe rintendentof that institution sometimes visited us. But just as thisseeming disaster fell upon our Home, the Quakers fo r reasonsto themselves, decided to abandon the work, and the place wasfor sale. Our officers bought it and a small adjoin ing farm.Forthwith the Home was moved by installments. There were overtwo hundred of us with our personal and family belo ngings tobe moved a distance of three miles, more or less. W e had atour disposal for this purpose, two yoke of oxen, on e pair ofmules and two wagons, a horse and buggy, and one po ny, ownedconjointly by the Home and the Superintendent. This was amonth of rollicking fun to the little ones. To the employeesand the older children the fatigue was mitigated by thesatisfaction of knowing it would never have to be r epeated.

THE NEW HOMEThe post occupied two adjacent hills, connected by a foot-

bridge spanning the intervening hollow. The boys un der chargeof the Assistant Superintendent, Mr. Jud. Thigpen, a teacher,and necessary domestic employees were domiciled on one hill,"the boys' hill." The Superintendent, with the rema inder ofthe inmates, occupied the other, "the girls' hill."

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There was a comfortable settlement on the farm near by, andtwo trusted employees with their children occupied the dwelling.Although we were somewhat scattered, all met in the chapelon the "girls" hill" for family prayers, Sunday sch ool andSunday afternoon recreation in social intercourse. The localityhad no beauty, but it was high and had a dry, pure atmosphereand plenty of good freestone water. The buildings, roughlyconstructed, were sufficient in number, but not so well arrangedas those at the Springs; none were ceiled except a few roomsin the Federal officers' quarters. But the title wa s secureand the situation healthful. The farm was also more productivethan the one we had left. So that what seemed to be anirreparable loss proved a desirable gain. The old F ederalguardhouse, situated in the one side of the yard on the "girls'hill," was turned into a printing office. How shy, for a time,the little ones were of this building! They had kno wn somethingof soldiers with guns arresting men and taking them to prison.They learned in some way that this house, with the sentry'sbox near by, was a prison; to their minds a prison was a jail,and a jail was a horror to be avoided. It was long before theylearned there was nothing in it to be dreaded by th em.

LAST DAYS OF THE HOMEOn January 13, 1871, our Superintendent, Prof. S.S. Granberry,

died. His health had been seriously declining for s everalyears, but he never gave up and when the summons ca me, he"fell at his post." This was a grievous bereavement ; a personalloss to every inmate of the Home. The Board of Trus tees missedthereafter the helpful counsel of a practical mind, and thewhole community lost the silent influence of a corr ect life.Dr. T. J. Deupree, then of Noxubee county, Miss., w as chosento succeed him. As he did not reside in the Home, D r. SidKennedy, of Lauderdale County, was appointed to act in hisabsence. The former made us frequent and extended v isits; thelatter came out almost daily and besides caring for the sickhe took charge of contributions, correspondence, et c. Duringthe incumbency of Dr. Deupree a large brick buildin g of threestories was erected at very small cost. The bricks were allmade by the boys of the Home, and enough of them we re soldto almost, if not entirely, pay the bills of the br ick masons.Much of the timber used was generously contributed by themills on the Mobile and Ohio railroad, below Lauder dale station.

In January, 1873, Rev. A. D. Trimble, of Tennessee, who hadconducted the concerts, was put in charge of the Ho me. Afterhim came Captain Tower, for a short time. He was su cceededby Rev. R. N. Hall, of Raymond, Miss. The establish ed routineof work, including the publication of the Orphans' Home Banner,was kept up during the incumbency of all the Superi ntendents.Rev. R. N. Hall also built and operated a grist mil l, whichadded materially to the support of the institution, besidestraining some of the boys in a profitable industry. In additionto the usual religious services he preached regular ly in thechapel, and in the course of time organized a Bapti st churchthere. He was the last Superintendent, his adminis tration

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to the close of the Home which resulted from natura l causesin the course of a few years. The purpose for which the Homehad been projected (that of caring for and training helplessorphans of Confederate soldiers) had been achieved. For severalyears there had been but few applicants. There were few, ifany really helpless Confederate orphans left. In fa ct, aftera few years had passed and the condition of the cou ntry hadimproved, mothers and friends of the children becam e able toprovide for them either in their own homes or to pr ocurepositions where they could make a comfortable suppo rt, preservea spirit of independence and contribute something t o the publicweal.

A few of the girls, about four or six, by consent o f thetrustees married and thereby secured comfortable ho mes. Thusthey left from time to time, till about 1878 the re mainingones were easily provided for in the outside world. As theHome had done its special work and there was no ope ning thenfor a change in its purpose, the property was sold to a privateparty. Several years afterwards the large brick bui lding wasburned.

For some facts and dates mentioned in this sketch t he writeris pleased to acknowledge her indebtedness to Dr. T . J. Deupree,now of Jackson, Tenn., the Treasurer of the Board o f Trusteesof The Home; and to Prof. J. A. Granberry, of Oklah oma, a sonof the first Superintendent. Prof. Granberry was a boy at thehome, and like any wide awake boy became cognizant of manythings that would not be noticed by an employee wit h whosework they were not especially connected.

THE CONFEDERATE ORPHANS’ HOME OF MISSISSIPPI by Miss MaryJ. Welsh is recorded in Volume VIII of Publications of the MississippiHistorical Society.

A biographical sketch of Mary J. Welsh is found in thePublications of the Mississippi Historical Society, IV. 343.

One issue of the Orphans’ Home Banner is preserved at theLauderdale County Department of Archives and Histor y. Excerptsfrom that copy are presented below:

THE ORPHANS’ HOME BANNEREdition Number 3 February 15, 1871

TWO DOLLARS A YEARPRODIGALS: How many prodigals there are in this wor ld! Manywho have had temporal blessings without stint showe red uponthem, but they have taken their portion, and withou t onegrateful feeling towards Him who bestowed all these rich gifts,are squandering them in pursuit of the pleasures an d pompsand vanities of earth... All of their wealth however vast itmay be, cannot purchase for them one crumb of the b read oflife, one drop of living water, to appease the hungering andthirsting of their souls ....Why will they continue to refuseto return to their Father, who giveth to all libera lly andupbraideth not?... He is more willing to give the h oly Spiritto them that ask Him, than an earthly father is to give goodthings to his children.

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Fight Hard against a hasty Temper. Anger will come, but resistit stoutly. A spark may set a house on fire. A fit of passion maygive you cause to mourn al l the days of your l i fe.

MOURNING: Among the Turks violet is the color for m ourningdress; among the Persians, blue; among the Chinese, white; andamong the Europeans, black.

The population of the U.S. is 38,307,300 - an incre ase since1860 of 6,864,078.

ORPHANS' HOME .... Notwithstanding that the weather , duringa part of the winter, has been very severe, and our houses arerather indifferent, yet we are passing the season m ore comfortablythan heretofore. The contrast between the two loca lities is quiteas apparent in winter as in summer and the advantag e is moresensibly felt. At the Springs, the situation was lo w, flat,surrounded partly by a swamp, and the ground within the campusbeing all winter completely saturated with moisture , constantlyexhaled a dampness that kept the air chilly at all times, andduring the night excessively so. To make the matter worse, all theavailable firewood was the most execrable stuff tha t ever mortalswere condemned to burn; it required about twice or three times itsbulk in kindlings to coax it to burn; it often brou ght to mind theanecdote of the man who contributed a half-dollar t o missions, andthen gave a dollar to defray the expenses of the ha lf to itsdestination. Not unfrequently the occupants of a ro om would shiverthrough the whole of an evening with the fireplace full of woodthat obstinately resisted the action of fire. It wa s a perfecttantalization. The present situation is high, roll ing, and soexposed to the heat of the sun's rays, and the acti on of the wind,that all moisture soon dries off and leaves it plea sant underfoot;then the firewood is quite convenient and excellent . We have theenviable luxury of good, warm fires, and the gratif ication ofknowing that wood is not hard to get. The boys do n ot have sucha task to provide it as they did at the Springs. Go od firewood isa luxury that the home is now enjoying for the firs t time ... Thewhooping cough which was brought here in the early fall, had butlittle effect upon the...taken generally, they are a large familyof robust children. We have sickness occasionally, it is true, forthere is no place or people exempt from it, but upo n the whole,the children are healthy, and agreeably so.

THE OLD NEGRO'S LOGIC. A clergyman asked an old ser vant hisreasons for believing in existence of God: "Sir," s ays he, "I seeone man get sick - The doctor comes, gives him medi cine; the nextday he is better; he gives him another dose, it doe s him good; hekeeps on til he gets about his business. Another ma n gets sick;the doctor comes, gives him some sort of medicine; it does him nogood; he gets worse; he dies. Now. that man's time to die has come,and all the doctors in the world can’t cure him.

One year I work in the corn field, plow deep, dig u p the grassand make nothing but nubbins. Next year, I work the same way, therain and dew comes and make a good crop.

I have been here going hard upon 50 years. Every day sinceI have been in the world, I see the sun rise in the East and setin the West; the North Star stands where it did the first time I

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ever saw it; the seven stars & Job's coffin keep in the same pathin the sky & never turn out. It ain't so with man's works. He makesclocks & watches; they run well for a while, but th ey stand stockstill. But the sun, moon stars keep on the same way all the while.There is a power which makes one man die, and anoth er get well;that sends the rain and keeps everything in motion ..."

DISCOURSE ON THE DEATH OFSUPT. S.S. ORANBERRY.Delivered in the Chapel of the Orphans home January 15, 1871, byElder J.B. Hamberlin:

...Supt, S.S. Granberry, a philanthropist and a Chr istiansitting in his own home conversing with family fri ends...no unusual indication otherwise than that he would be livingfor months or years to come, giving all necessary d irectionsfor the management & well being of this vast instit ute ...up to within 4 days, next preceding 5 o'clock last Fridaymorning, he was though feeble, still at his post... He was aBaptist...his father died when he was 14 years old. ..was aProfessor in Mississippi College...left a lucrative situationin Sept. 1866 to become Superintendent of this Orph ans’Home...The result has been that hundreds of destitu te orphans,first of Confederate Soldiers and then of all other s, havebeen fed, clothed and sheltered here ...Assistant M .J. Thigpencooperated earnestly with him & contributed largely to thesuccess of this Home...As much may be said of Miss Mary Welch,the principal contributor to the Orphans Home Banne r and asmuch also of other teachers & employees in due prop ortion.

From a report on a meeting held on the Monroe Count y Courthouseat Aberdeen:

The sweet little children from the Orphans' Home we regreeted by a very large audience on Tuesday evening at theCourt House Hall.

The managers complimented Aberdeen, by giving her c reditfor the largest attendance they have had in the Sta te. Ofcourse the singing was not remarkable for its excel lence, norcould excellence have been expected where 30 infant ile voiceswere called into requisition...Dr. Carter of Huntsv ille, Ala.,was present and delivered a touching address, in wh ich hebestowed well merited commendation upon Gen. Crawfo rd andother gallant Federal soldiers for the interest the y havemanifested in the orphans of their fallen foemen. F rankSaunders Silver Band tendered its services ... Aber deenExaminer

SUMMERVILLE INSTITUTE - a boarding school for boys and youngmen - 11 miles from Shuqualak, M&O Railroad - 18th Annual TermMonday, Sept. 12, 1870. Board, tuition & washing fo r [unreadable]weeks - $125.00. Thos. S. Gathright, Principal – Gh olson, P.O.,Miss.

LAUDERDALE ACADEMY, Lauderdale, Miss. W.P. & A.M. M cBryde's School

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Rates of Tuition from $15 to $20 per session of 5 m onths. Boardcan be obtained in best families $15 to $20 per mon th.

AGENTS WANTED - L.V. Deforest & Co.'s Aluminum Gold Jewelry -Broadway, N.Y.

T.J. KEETON - Bookseller & Stationer - dealers in a ll kinds ofmusical instruments - corner of Front and Rhodes St reets, Meridian,Miss.

THE LITTLE SOLDIER - Weekly Sunday School Paper - 8 pages beautifullyillustrated sent to subscribers twice a month, 50¢ a year or everyweek $1.00 a year - J.W. Burke, Macon, Ga.

THE FREEMASON for 1872 - largest Masonic magazine i n the worldClubs 10 to 20 - $1.50; 50 or more - $1.25.Frank Gouley, St. Louis, Mo.

Dear Young Friends:We promised in the last issue of the Banner to fini sh telling

you about our Christmas....We stopped at the Christ mas Tree sowe'll begin there again. Tuesday, we had nice desse rt again ofcakes & candy left from Christmas; next day more bo xes came andon Thursday we had another nice dinner.... Saturday , the last dayof the year, two of our teachers took us girls out for a walk....all through Lauderdale one way and back another to let us seeall the town. When we turned to come back, reckon t he merchantsmust have got ready, for when we got to the stores, they came outwith jars & boxes of candy to treat us. First Mr. H enry Chilescame out of his store, and when we got a little far ther on, oppositeMessrs. Eason & Ormond's Store, Mr. Wm. McBryde, wh o preaches forus, came out with their jars of candy; when we got to Messrs.Potter & Kennedy's, Capt. Potter came out with a bo x full of candyhearts with mottoes on them - said he wanted us to read as wellas eat.

That was the last store but it wasn't the last cand y we got. Agentleman who lives in the neighborhood, Mr. Wm. Mo ore, happenedto be in town. He went into Messrs. Porter & Kenne dy's & boughta great box of candy, telling us to take as much as we pleased,if it didn't go around, he'd go back & get more.

Guess you are wondering now, how did they know when they'd giveneach child a piece in all that crowd. Why very easy : you see wewere in a long procession two by two and they helpe d the two frontones, then the next two, and so on till we all pass ed by withoutbreaking our line. To be sure we had to move very s lowly, but wedidn't mind, we thought it fine times.

It was a long walk. Our teachers and some of the s mallest girlsgot pretty tired. We stopped at two of the private houses to rest,one at each end of town. We couldn't get in cleverl y, but it wasa pretty warm day, and we sat on the gallery and re sted. Peopleseemed glad to see us. Some said we looked like a swarm ofbutterflies. Reckon we did look bright for we had o n our nicestdresses of all sorts of pretty colors; then we had on the hats

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just come from Jackson all trimmed in bright, fresh colors. Whenall these bright colors are stretched along in one long line, itis a right showy sight.That ended the week. New Year's Day, you know was S unday, and wecouldn't have any fun - but we enjoyed it, for it w as a pretty dayand Mr. Wm. McBryde preached for us. Next morning w e went to workagain, so we are regularly at work and at school. C hristmas timeis a wonderful thing, at least it is to us for we h ave so manygood friends to make it all pleasant to us.Your grateful friends, The Orphans.

PROCEEDINGS OFTHE TWENTY-SEVENTH SESSION OFTHE BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION AT JACKSON, MISSISSIPP IMAY 31, 1866REPORT OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF ORPHANS’ HOME

Brother L.A. Duncan, Secretary of the Board of Trus tees ofthe Orphans’ Home, submitted the report of the Boar d of Trustees,accompanied by a digest report of Elder W.C. Buck, Local Superintendentand Chaplain of the Home. Seven meetings of the Bo ard have beenheld during the past Conventional year.

It may be well to refer to the condition of affairs , when thepresent Board was organized: Elder W.W. Keep being chosen President;Elder D.P. Bestor, Vice-President; L.A. Duncan Secr etary, and H.B.Whitfield, Treasurer.

There was much to discourage the Board. The propert y had notbeen one quarter paid for, while the Chaplain and A ssistantSuperintendent’s salary was almost wholly in arrear s. Funds hadbeen collected, but considerable portions of the co ntributionsfailed to reach the Treasurer in time to be of any benefit.

The Treasurer showed the entire receipts to have be en $12,514.35;exclusive of $5,800 interest bearing notes, and $86 7.67 in assortedConfederate paper; the two latter items and $1,161. 25 Treasurynotes being on hand at the surrender. The pledges and cash,obtained at Crawfordsville, October, 1864, amounted to $12,833.00,besides three bales of cotton and $250 in gold, $5, 000 was returneda dissatisfied contributor, and $1,000 appropriated by the Board;while $3,757.65 went into the Treasury, leaving an u npaid balanceon the list of $3,064.35, and the coin with Corresp onding Secretary.All of the Agents appointed, did not labor, it seem s. Elder T.C.Teasdale, however, gave his whole time to the work for severalmonths: reporting informally $1,850 collected in Tr easury notes,$1,850 in interest bearing notes and a note of hand for $148.56,etc., besides pledges of 2,700 bushels of corn, 12 bales of cottonand some articles of minor importance; but he now h erewith submitsa detailed report.

The Treasurer received $150 through Elder W.S. Webb , and $100through Elder J.B. Link. Some collections were made by Elder J.T.Freeman, who paid over $500, but unaccompanied by a ny formal report.Elder T.P. Montgomery forwarded $650, besides $700 in certificates,when his labors were cut short by the surrender; wh ile Elder F.L.Seaward devoted some weeks exclusively to the work, paying intothe Treasury $1,115.00 current notes, $500 interest bearing and

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$50 certificate. The only detailed report placed o n file is thatof Elder J.B. Hamberlin: received too late for pres entation at theMay meeting, while the funds failed to reach the Tr easury in seasonfor the benefit, the amount, $643, is, therefore, l ike some otherConfederate funds, still on hand. Brother T.C. Tea sdale’s reporthas since been received.

At our first meeting, Elder Wm. C. Buck was appoint ed Chaplainand Local Superintendent of the Home for the conven tional year,at a salary of $1,000, house rent, etc. Some modifi cations weremade at a subsequent meeting. He was allowed on the recommendationof auditing Committee $462.34 ruling currency for a rrears of salary. It will be seen by his report, submitted herewith, that hisposition has been made a self-supporting one.Elder T.C. Teasdale was appointed General Superinte ndent andFinancial Agent; but for several months his attenti on was sodiverted that he made no charge for one month’s ser vices. Hissalary was fixed at $200 per month: he to furnish h orse and buggy. When able to devote his energies to the work, his services weremarked and gratifying. From his full reports, submi tted for yourinformation, it will be seen that he had $3,666 in Confederatefunds left on hand. His services since September l ast have beentruly encouraging: showing $11,085.09 received in c ash, goods, &c.[See report herewith]

Elders J.R. Graves, J.T. Freeman and F.L. Seward we re reappointedGeneral Agents, with same per centage as previously for services.No reports are in hand from them, so it is presumed they have donenothing.

It was agreed that all subscriptions made in Confed erate timesmight be made in produce at the rates current when subscriptionswere given. The military authorities in response t o specialcommittee, donated to the Home a wagon and team of two mules, andalso an ambulance and a cart. Recommendations to a pply for adonation of government cotton, the hospital buildin gs, and anunentered section of land adjoining the Springs, pr oved of nopracticable benefit. Dr. E. Deupree resigned his m embership inthe Board, and Brother A.S. Lide was chosen to fill the vacancy.

Committees were appointed to examine title to the S prings andto have the property insured, to purchase land adjo ining and thebowling alley; to make necessary arrangements and p lant a garden. Want of funds prevented insurance and purchases, b ut repairs weremade and garden planted. The local Superintendent, by permission,planted the land not in use, for his private benefi t, havingprepared it at his own expense.

A resolution was passed to commence operations on t he 1 st

Monday in April, but it was found impractical and t he matter wasfinally referred to the convention. The choice of P rincipal,Teachers, Matrons, &c. were also laid over, and a l arge number ofapplications for positions referred.

In conclusion, the Secretary would respectfully sug gest thatthe Board is without a charter, constitution, or ru les andregulations, the Committee thereon having, in Confe derate timesexpended their labors in vain, and no effort being made under thenew order of things. It is important that these mat ters be attended

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of the Board be definitely fixed by the Convention. The followingis the digest report of Elder Wm. C. Buck, Chaplain , etc.:

May 27, ‘65. Due by Board $462.34Aug. 27, ‘65 Amt. Sundries 132.05May 27, ‘66 Amt. Sundries 10.05Interest on first item 36.98Salary to date 1,000.00

Total $1741.42CR. Am’t various sources $72.00By storage on cotton 1,439.50

1,511.50 Balance due Chaplain $237.92

Elder T.C. Teasdale, General Superintendent and Fin ancialAgent of the Home, of the State of Mississippi, sub mitted thefollowing report:

In order to a complete view of his work in behalf o f thisnoble charity, he deems it necessary to embrace in this report acondensed account of his operations in its behalf f rom the beginning.Having accepted an appointment as one of the Genera l Agents of theConvention, in behalf of the Home, he devoted some three monthsto the collection of means to liquidate the indebte dness of theBoard of Trustees, and obtained during that time S1 7,793 in cash;subscriptions not yet paid, $3,186.66; and 2,700 bu shels of corn;and 12 bales of cotton; enough in all to have paid more than halfthe whole cost of the property. If the other three General agentshad all of them together raised as much as he did, the propertywould have been entirely paid for, within three mon ths from thetime of the meeting of the Convention, which inaugu rated thishumane institution.

At the expiration of his first month’s labor in beh alf of theHome, it was deemed expedient by the Board of Trust ees that aneffort should be made to effect an exchange of cott on with merchantsof the North for the furniture, fixtures, and goods of everydescription necessary to the accomplishment of the charitablepurposes of the Institution. To do this the consent of bothGovernments was necessary, and he was sent on a mis sion to Richmondand Washington to secure that consent. This mission , full of dangerand thrilling incident, was accomplished, and the a pproval of bothGovernments was obtained of the plan of exchange pr oposed. Theimportance of this measure, and the wisdom of the B oard in attemptingit, will appear in the simple statement of the fact s, that at thetime this mission was undertaken, any quantity of c otton could bebought at 60 cents per pound in Confederate money, and at the sametime it was selling in New York for more than a dol lar per poundin United States currency. With one dollar of Unite d States currency,ten dollars, or more, of Confederate money could be obtained. Thusit may be seen that a few hundred bales of cotton c arried to NewYork for our object, would have secured for the Ins titution allthe furniture, apparatus, and goods of every descri ption neededfor two or three years, and afforded besides an end owment of atleast one hundred thousand dollars. Unfortunately, however,

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for our success, our armies surrendered before the change couldbe effected, and this splendid arrangement failed, only becauseit was undertaken a little too late.

This failure, and the severe depression in the mone tarycondition of the country, tended greatly to discour age the Boardin the further prosecution of the enterprise. But a mid the darknessand the despondency a voice from on high seemed to say - Speak tothe people that they go forward.Goods and cash in the hands of others for us, not i ncluded in theforegoing report amounts to $2,783.00. To this may be added theaggregate of Subscriptions obtained in 1864-5, and yet unpaid$3,186.66. Of this amount it is hoped that there wi ll be paid$1,000.00, making all $3,783.00.A summary of the assets of the Orphans’ Home of the State ofMississippi, is submitted, making a total of $27,03 8.74 to which,if there be added from old subscription $1,900, the grand totalwill be $28,038.74.

By an agreement with L. Hurlbutt, for himself and o thers, theindebtedness of the Board of Trustees on the proper ty, after thesurrender of our armies, was fixed at $6,000. Of th is sum $2,500were to have been paid on the 1 st day of October last, $2,500 onthe 1 st day of November, and $1,000 on the 1 st day of December.Owing to personal and family affliction and bereave ment on the partof the General Superintendent and Financial Agent, a delay in thesepayments has been unavoidable. The sums paid on thi s contract, andomitted in these proceedings, leave a balance to be paid on theproperty of some $3,000.

It is proper to state also that a building and lot of land,very necessary for the purposes of the Home, have b een purchasedof Mr. Twilly, at Lauderdale, for the sum of $500. On this purchase$350 have been paid, and the balance of $150 will b e paid in a fewdays, out of funds to be immediately remitted from Kentucky. Besidespaying for this recent purchase, enough is known to be and in thehands of reliable already collected parties, to red uce the indebtednessto Hurlbutt & Co. to $2,500. When this comparativel y small amountis paid, we shall enter upon our mission with no in debtednesswhatever on our valuable property, and with goods o n hand consistingof hardware, cutlery, crockery, groceries, dry good s, hats, shoes,farming implements, corn, cotton, &c., &e., amounti ng to some sixor seven thousand dollars. Letters in his possessio n, and informationotherwise obtained, justify the hope on the part of the GeneralSuperintendent and Financial Agent that the future aid to be givento this Inst i tut ion wil l be l iberal and satisfactor y.All of which is respectfully submitted.T.C. TEASDALE, Gen’l. Supt. etc.

The President appointed Elder W.S. Webb, W.F. Cain, J.M. Lewis,R. Leachman and D.P. Bestor to constitute a Committ ee to obtaina Charter for the Orphans’ Home from the Legislatur e.

The President appointed J.M. Lewis, L.A. Duncan, J. R. Phillips,J.H. Buck and T.C. Teasdale to constitute a committ ee to preparea Constitution for the Orphans’ Home.

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CHOCTAW BAPTIST ASSOCIATION MINUTES - 1866The Committee would submit for your consideration, the reports

made on this subject to the Baptist Convention, Jun e last atJackson, and published in the minutes.

Since those reports were made. Bro. Teasdale, agent and generalsuperintendent of the Institution, has been laborin g principallyin Missouri, and with good results. The Treasurer h as received fromvarious Ladies Aid Societies in that State about $4 ,300. Bro.Teasdale has received in addition about $1,200. The balance dueon the Lauderdale property over $3,000 has been pai d; also, $2,000or $3,000 due for additional purchases of land, besides all otherliabilities of the Board. $1,200 of the above amoun t has beenexpended for provisions, &e., for the Home; besides this aconsiderable amount in supplies, was obtained in Mi ssouri, and allshipped free of all expense as far as Columbus, Ky. You willdiscover from the reports made to the Convention th at a large amountin the way of material for furnishing the Home has been obtained;all of which has been received and are at hand. The se materialswere subscribed and obtained in New York, Philadelp hia, Louisville,Ky., Memphis, Tenn. and St. Louis, Mo. The Home ho pes to obtainsome twenty thousand dollars from the great Fair in St. Louis. TheGovernor in his late message has recommended, that material aidbe given this Institution by the Legislature, which it is hopedwill be done.

The Institution is now in operation, with Bro. S.S. Granberryas Principal. We hope and believe he is the right m an and in theright place. This Institution will be capable of ac commodating 500of the children of our disabled and deceased soldiers, when thoseadditions and improvements are made, which the Boar d of Trusteeshave in view, and hope soon to have made; an ample corps of teachersand assistants will be obtained as the means of the Board willallow, and the number of pupils from time to time w ill require.To do all that we ought and can do, to take care of and educatethe needy children of our disabled and deceased sol diers, thisinstitution will need all the aid it can get, from the Baptistsand others in this State, and also all that can be obtained fromother quarters. All of which is submitted.

JAS. B. McLELLAND, Chairman

DR. THOMAS COX TEASDALE

The following information regardingDr. Thomas Cox Teasdale is composed ofselected passages extracted from the twobooks listed below. An overview of thepursuits and achievements of thisremarkable man is presented here, sothat there might be an understanding ofhis role in the history of LauderdaleSprings through his contributions of histalents and his energies to the foundingand the development of the Orphans' Home.

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MISSISSIPPI BAPTIST PREACHERSBy L. S. FOSTER

National Baptist Publishing CompanySt. Louis, Mo.

(Preserved at theMississippi Baptist Historical Commission)

* * * * * * *REMINISCENCES AND MEMORIES

OF A LONG LIFEBy REV. THOS. C. TEASDALE

National Baptist Publishing Co. St. Louis, Mo.(Preserved at the Mississippi Department Of Archives And History)

Rev. Thomas Cox Teasdale, D. D., was born in the To wnshipof Wantage, Sussex County, New Jersey, December 2, 1808.

In the spring of 1828, Thomas Cox Teasdale was call ed to theministry. He entered the prescribed course of stu dies at theLiterary and Theological Seminary in Hamilton, N.Y. and accepteda call to the pastorate of a church in East Benning ton, Vermont.

On the 16th of November 1831, he was married to Mis s DeliaLottridge, daughter of Capt. Robert Lottridge of Ho osick Falls,N.Y. They had five children. In the spring of 1932 he removedwith his young bride to Philadelphia, Pa., where he devotedmost of his time for four years to evangelical labo rs. In thespring of 1836 he accepted an invitation to take ch arge of theHigh School in Newton County, N.J. and to serve as pastor oftwo churches in that area. In 1840 he accepted an invitationto the care of the First Baptist Church in the city of HewHaven, Conn. During his five years pastorate in New Haven,over five hundred rejoicing souls were added to the church bybaptism. In 1845, he accepted a call to the pastor ate of theGrant Street Church in Pittsburg, Pa.; during a pas torate offive years in this city, over four hundred persons were addedto the church by baptism. In 1850, he became pasto r of theFirst Baptist Church in Springfield, Ill. While he was pastorin Springfield, he established a Young Ladies Insti tute, whichprospered for some years. In 1852 he was invited to supply theE Street Baptist Church in Washington City. He rema ined inWashington nearly seven years. During his pastorate in Washington,he did a vast amount of evangelical work. He trave led 65,000miles and spoke on an average two hours a day for four yearsand a half; kept up the interest in his church at h ome, andwas instrumental in adding to the churches, among w hich helabored, more than 8,000 souls.

In the winter of 1858, Dr. T. made a visit to Mobil e, Ala.,to assist in a series of meetings. The meetings con tinued alittle over four weeks and resulted in an accession to thechurch of many converts. J. B. Hawthorne was induce d to quitthe bar and become a preacher, as one of the happy results ofthis meeting. Madam LeVert who always snuffed the b reeze ofpopularity from afar, put in her presence in the me eting, againand again, together with her accomplished daughter.

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From Mobile, Dr. T. went to Columbus, Miss., where he helda series of meetings in the First Baptist Church. T his church hadbeen destitute of a pastor for nearly a year and ha lf, and wasconsequently in a cold state in religion. The meeti ngs were a greatsuccess with some four hundred persons being conver ted. Dr. Teasdaleaccepted a call to take charge of the Church.The church in Columbus prospered under the labors o f Dr. T. untilthe tocsin of internecine war sounded. Feeling it t o be his dutyto go and preach to the soldiers on the tented fiel d, Dr. T.resigned his charge of the church in the summer of 1863, andimmediately entered upon his work as an Evangelist among theSouthern troops.

The labors of Dr. T. as Evangelist to the soldiers werepreeminently successful. He usually preached to sep arate brigades;but on one occasion he preached to a whole Division . Probablynot less than six thousand soldiers heard the gospe l on thatmemorable occasion. At the close of the sermon, ov er eightyconverted soldiers were buried with their Lord in b aptism. ina clear and beautiful creek adjacent to the place o f preaching.On the following Wednesday about sixty more soldier s were baptizedat the same place. On the next Sunday afternoon, Sh erman pushedhis forces through one of the gaps in the ridge abo ve Dalton; andthe fighting began anew.

Finding it impossible to hold protracted meetings n ow withthe soldiers, Dr. T. returned to his home in Missis sippi. Soonafter his return to Mississippi, he was chosen to c anvass the Statein the interest of "THE ORPHANS' HOME OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI."This institution had recently been inaugurated for the support andeducation of the dependent children of our deceased soldiers. Dr.Teasdale took a very active part in the organizatio n of this humaneinstitution, and he cherished the liveliest interes t in its success. In the brief period of three months, he raised in cash and reliablepledges in his district over $25,000 for the instit ution. But aconsiderable amount of furniture, clothing, provisi on, etc., werenecessary before the Home could be opened for the r eception of thesuffering children. These it seemed impossible to p rocure insufficient quantities, without going north to obtai n them.

Accordingly it was determined by the Board of Trust ees, atonce to make an effort to obtain the consent of bot h the Confederateand Federal governments, to allow them to exchange cotton forwhatever they needed to furnish the HOME. The schem e was wellconceived. Cotton was then offered to the agents of the Board, inany quantities, at sixty cents a pound, in Confeder ate money; andit was selling, at the same time, in New York, for a dollar anda quarter a pound, in green backs. Now, it was appa rent, that ifthe proposed plan could be carried into execution, and they couldeffect an arrangement with the respective governmen ts, by whichthey might be able to carry cotton North, and bring goods, furniture,and all that they needed, South, they could by a si ngle shipmentnot only meet their immediate wants, but go very fa r also towardssecuring a liberal endowment for their cherished in stitution.Knowing that Dr. T. was well acquainted with Presid ent Davis, andGen. Breckenridge, his Secretary of War; and, as a former residentof Springfield, Ill, and subsequently of Washington City,

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he was also well acquainted with President Lincoln, and otherdignitaries of the Federal Government, he was asked if he thoughtthe proposed measure was practicable. With a full k nowledge ofall the difficulties to be encountered in the under taking, he saidhe thought, by proper zeal and suitable diplomacy, it might beaccomplished. The question was then propounded to h im, "Will youundertake to consummate this measure?" And such was his sympathyfor the suffering children that, notwithstanding al l the difficultiesand dangers incident to the undertaking, he was con strained toaccept the appointment, and thus endeavor to make t he institutiona complete success.He had to go by the way of Mobile, Montgomery and M acon, therailroads on other routes being broken up. At Macon he met JudgeIrwin, who informed him that he could give him a se at on hisrockaway from Milledgeville to Washington, Ga. On his arrivalin the vicinity of the Columbia and Greenville Rail road, he learnedtht Sherman had already destroyed Columbia and was then on hisdesolating march toward Virginia. He was compelled to go by theway of Greenville, S. C., and thence by private con veyance,sometimes with mule and buggy, sometimes by carriag e, and sometimeson horse-back Three full weeks were occupied in ma king the tripfrom Mississippi to Richmond, and the journey was a ttended withgreat exposure and fatigue

On his arrival in Richmond, he lost no time in secu ring aninterview with President Davis, and in explaining t o him fullythe nature of his mission. The President warmly app roved theundertaking, and sent his private secretary to intr oduce Dr. T.to the heads of several departments of the governme nt, with whomthe business was to be transacted. The secretary wa s also instructedto request them to give special attention to Dr. T. , as his personalfriend, and as a citizen of his own state. This sec ured him animmediate interview with the secretaries of the dif ferent departments,without waiting for his turn, and greatly facilitat ed the transactionof his business in Richmond.

Matters having been satisfactorily arranged in Rich mond, hisnext object was to get on to Washington as speedily as possible.The question was whether he should attempt to get a pass from Gen.Grant, or run the risk of getting through to Washin gton withouta pass. It was finally concluded that an applicatio n to Gen. Grantfor a pass would be attended with considerable dela y, at best;and then, after all, it might possibly be denied; a nd, thereforeit was thought best to make an effort to get along without a pass.Accordingly he set out from Richmond on Monday morn ing, and reachedWashington the next Saturday night.

This trip was an eventful one. He went to a place o n the PotomacRiver, opposite St. Mary's County, Maryland. The r iver at thatpoint was seven miles wide. As they were making fo r the Marylandshore, it was found that a formidable gun-boat was lying directlyin their course. The oarsmen were so alarmed that they insistedon an immediate retreat. The next night, unfortuna tely, the fogon the river was so dense that crossing was impossi ble. A delayof another twenty-four hours was therefore unavoida ble. The nextnight they again set out for the Maryland shore. Wh en they were

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within about a mile of the Maryland shore, to their great annoyanceagain, a gunboat was heard steaming up the river. The ferrymenwere again alarmed, and began to talk of another re treat, but Dr.T. assumed command of the boat, and all consented t o obey hisinstructions. He then ordered all on board to lie d own in theskiff and remain perfectly quiet until the gunboat had passed.This plan seemed to be working out admirably, but j ust as a senseof security began to be felt, it was observed that a large transportwas steaming down the river directly on their track . Dr. T. orderedthe ferrymen to ply the oars with might and main an d they reachedthe Maryland shore in safety about 10 o'clock on th at ever-memorablenight.

But what was he to do now. There he was in the dar k of nightwith no sign of habitation. He found a wagon track and followedit to a house and there he had the good fortune to be taken inby a southern sympathizer, who fed him, gave him a bed for a goodnight’s rest and guided him seven miles to another friendly hostwho carried him, in a boat of his own across a thre e miles widefirth of the Potomac. He then walked several miles in the darknessto get to a village on the stage route. Alas, when he got therehe was informed the stage was not running because t he roads wereimpassable. He then arranged for the use of a hors e to conveyhim 10 miles to Whitehall, where he vcould take the stage toWashington. The driver informed Dr. T. that they w ould encountera sentinel at the bridge. It was now after 8 o'cloc k, and allpassing and repassing would soon be prohibited for the night. Hetold the driver to leave it to him to manage the se ntinel. Ontheir arrival at the bridge, they were halted by th e sentinel,who, on going up to the vehicle, inquired of Dr. T. , very sternly,"Who are you?" He instantly replied, in rather a re proving tone,"Who am I? I expect to preach in Washington tomorro w, sir." Thesentinel, looking up into his face by the glare of the lamp, andseeing his white locks, replied, "Well I presuThe p ress of businesswith the President from all these parties was so gr eat, thatalthough Dr. T. went every day to the President's m ansion,me itis all right," and they rode into the city without furthermolestation.

Putting up at Willard's Hotel, it was soon ascertai ned, bysome of his old friends, that Dr. T. was in the cit y; and he waspressed to accept the hospitalities of one of these excellentfamilies. And during the rest of his stay in Washin gton, he washandsomely entertained by Mr. John C. Shafer and hi s estimablelady, at their own happy home. Dr. T. had baptized, Mr. and Mrs.Sharer during his pastorate in Washington. On Monda y morning, Dr.T. went over to the "White House," to seek an inter view withPresident Lincoln. But Congress had recently adjour ned, and themembers of both Houses had a great deal of business to transactwith the President. Also there were several army o fficers waitingfor an interview with the President. They always h ave precedenceover private citizens. The members of the Cabinet, and theMinisters of Foreign Governments have precedence ov er all others.The press of business with the President from all t hese partieswas so great , that a l though Dr . T. went every day

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to the President's mansion, he failed to obtain an interview withthe President until late on Saturday afternoon; and then an interviewwas granted by special favor only. Finding that he was likely tobe much longer delayed, if he waited for his turn f or an interviewwith the President, he addressed a note to Mr. Linc oln, in whichhe informed him that he was a resident of the State of Mississippi,but was in Washington at that time on a mission of mercy; and thathe would be thankful for an interview with the Pres ident at hisearliest convenience. Mr. Lincoln immediately sent the messengerback to invite him into his reception room. Finding the Presidentengaged in business with parties admitted before he went in, hewaited until the last one was served. During his de lay in thereception room, President Lincoln, in the midst of pressing officialbusiness, as usual, stopped to relate two amusing a necdotes to hisauditors. When the rest were all served, and Dr. T. was left alonewith the President, as he especially desired that h e might be, hearose immediately and advanced towards the Presiden t. Mr. Lincolnrecognized him at once, and advanced with hand exte nded to greethim. The reception was cordial and unostentatious. The usualsalutations were passed, and then Dr. T. immediatel y explained tothe President the object of his visit, and handed t o him the petitionof the Board whose interests he represented. Mr. Li ncoln read theentire document, and then, turning it over, he read on the backof it the cordial endorsement placed upon it by Pre sident Davis.After having read the entire paper, together with t he endorsementof President Davis, Mr. Lincoln turned to Dr. T. an d said, in avery pleasant manner, "You ask me to give you relie f in a case ofdistress, just such as we have been striving to pro duce." And thensmiling he added, "We want to bring you rebels into such straits,that you will be willing to give up this wicked reb ellion." Dr.T., having known President Lincoln quite intimately in former days,replied in familiar style: "Mr. President, if it we re the big peoplealone that were concerned in this matter, I should not be here,sir. They might fight it out to the bitter end, wit hout my pleadingfor their relief. But, sir, when it is the hapless little ones thatare involved in this suffering, who, of course, had nothing to doin bringing about the present unhappy conflict betw een the sections,I think it is a very different case, and one deserv ing of sympathyand commiseration." To this the President instantly replied: "Thatis true; and I must do something for you." He then said, after amoment's thought upon the subject, "Well, I will au thorize Gen.Canny to grant the petition of your Board, provided it does notinterfere with any of his military movements. I wil l not order itto be done; for if I order it to be done, it must b e done withoutany regard to his military operations. And if you d esire me to doanything more than this, you may leave the papers w ith me untilMonday morning, when I will see you again, and let you know whatI can further do for you." Dr. T. replied at once: "That is enough,Mr. President. I do not ask for any interference wh atever with themilitary movements of your armies. I am satisfied, that with theauthority which you propose to confer, I can accomp lish my benevolentpurposes in behalf of our suffering children, and t hat is all thatI now desire." The President then took the pet i t ion ,

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and wrote his endorsement on its back, directly und er that ofPresident Davis, and thus conferred the authority w hich was desired.Dr. T. had previously seen and conversed with Gen. Banks on thesubject of his mission; and as he was appointed to succeed Gen.Canny in the command of the New Orleans and Mobile Districts, hehad received the assurance from Gen. Banks that the re would beno difficulty in managing the matter. "The Presiden t," said he,"will doubtless authorize the proposed arrangement, and you andI can easily manage the details of the business." D r. T. hadenjoyed a personal acquaintance with Gen. Banks, wh ile a residentin Washington; and that acquaintance proved advanta geous to himnow that this important measure was to be effected under his andthus conferred the authority which was desired. Dr. T. had previouslyseen and conversed with Gen. Banks on the subject o f his mission;and as he was appointed to succeed Gen. Canny in th e command ofthe New Orleans and Mobile Districts, he had receiv ed the assurancefrom Gen. Banks that there would be no difficulty i n managing thematter. "The President," said he, "will doubtless a uthorize theproposed arrangement, and you and I can easily mana ge the detailsof the business." Dr. T. had enjoyed a personal acq uaintance withGen. Banks, while a resident in Washington; and tha t acquaintanceproved advantageous to him now that this important measure wasto be effected under his jurisdiction. It was this assurance ofGen. Banks, that with the simple permission of the President, theproposed measure could be carried into effect, by D r. T. andhimself, that induced Dr. T. to say to Mr. Lincoln, so promptly,that the authority which he proposed to confer in t he premises,was all that he asked.

At the close of his interview with President Lincol n, Dr. T.informed him that he was there without a pass, and would be gladif he would be kind enough to furnish him one. The President thenasked him which way he wished to return. He replied that he thoughthe should prefer to return via Saint Louis and Memp his. Mr. Lincolnthen took a card, and said, "I will allow you to pa ss our lineswherever you please, in returning South." And as he began to writethe pass Dr. T. said to him: "Mr. President, I shou ld like to takesome baggage with me on my return, if you have no o bjection." Mr.Lincoln then paused, and very pleasantly remarked t o him, "Now,you bother me again. How much baggage would you lik e to take withyou?" "Well, Mr. President," said he, "I should lik e to take agood deal, Sir. Your folks have made some things ra ther scarcewith us down South." "O, well," said the President, "I will writethe pass so as to suit you, I reckon." He then wrot e:

"Pass the Rev. Thomas Teasdale through our lines g oing south,with convenient baggage. A. LINCOLN.”

As the President handed the pass to him, it was acc epted withthanks. It was really intended to allow him to pass wherever, hepleased, and to carry with him as much baggage as h e desired. Alady relative of the President, residing at the Sou th, had notlong before obtained a similar pass; and it was sai d, that shecarried with her sixteen large trunks, and insisted that it was

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Having such a commentary of the phrase "convenient baggage," itleft him as wide a margin as he could reasonably de sire.

When he returned to his quarters, after having concl uded hisbusiness with President Lincoln, he observed to his excellent hostand his lady, that he had succeeded in getting the two Presidentsnearer together than they had been for the last fou r years. He thenexhibited to them the back of the Petition of his Bo ard, on whichwas placed the endorsement of President Davis, in h is own hand-writing, and directly under it was that of Presiden t Lincoln,written also by himself. The endorsements were as f ollows, viz.:

Ref'd. to the Sec'y. of Treasury, and the Sec'y. of War forconference with Rev. Dr. Teasdale, in connection wi th thepraiseworthy effort in which he is engaged.Jefferson Davis

Gen. Canby is authorized, but not ordered, to give Rev. Mr.Teasdale such facilities in the within matters, as he, in hisdiscretion, may see fit.

Lincoln

The document containing these endorsements is retai ned byDr. T. as a remembrancer of the hardships and dange rs to whichhe was subjected in procuring them; and it will be transmittedas an heirloom to his posterity.

While Dr. T. was in Washington, waiting impatiently toobtain an interview with Mr. Lincoln, and wishing t o be asretired as possible until that interview was secure d, to hisgreat annoyance, there appeared one day in a promin ent citypaper THE EVENING STAR a brief article to this impo rt: "TheRev. Dr. Teasdale, formerly a prominent pastor in t his city,is here from the South to solicit aid for the desti tute andsuffering women and children of Richmond." This bri ef noticewas immediately caught up, and republished in a lar ge portionof the papers throughout the North, with varying co mments,but generally in terms of severe censure that Dr. T . shouldbe in Washington for any such purpose and that he s hould usehis influence in any way to promote the welfare of the Southernpeople, while they were engaged, in what they calle d a mostwicked rebellion. He felt greatly relieved when he found thatthe President's mind had not been unfavorably affec ted bythese newspaper squibs; and that the object of his wearisomeand perilous journey to Washington, had at length b een sosatisfactorily effected.

On his arrival at Cairo, Dr. T. found that the inte lligenceof the base assassination of President Lincoln, and the vileattempt to murder several members of his cabinet, h ad justbeen received, and the people were busily employed in drapingtheir stores and dwellings and public buildings,wit h theemblems of deep sorrow and unaffected mourning. Fin ding thatGen. Banks was there, and that he was intending to addressthe citizens on the death of the President in a few minutes,Dr. T. went ashore and attended the meeting. The ad dress was

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much more temperate than might have been expected o n an occasionof such outgushing public indignation. Gen. Banks a cquitted himselfwell; and the vast crowds conducted themselves with becomingsolemni ty and decorum, throughout a l l the exerc ises .

Finding that Gen. Banks was on his way to relieve G en. Canby,and that he was going down the river that evening, Dr. T. tookpassage on the same steamer to Memphis, in order th at he mightconsummate arrangements with him in relation to the exchange ofcotton for the supplies needed for the Orphans' Hom e. Gen. Banksreiterated his entire willingness to allow the arra ngement to becarried into effect, and said the authority of the President whichhad been obtained, was all that was necessary in th e premises. Onhis arrival at Memphis, Dr. T. found Gen. Washburne in command inthat city. He had known the General, as a member of Congress, whilehe was a resident of Washington City; and he receiv ed at his handa very cordial greeting. After stating the object o f his recentvisit to Washington, and exhibiting his pass from t he then murderedPresident, he told Gen. W. that he had some baggage with him; thata part of it consisted of gifts from a deceased dau ghter to hermother, and all the other members of the family; an d as he couldassure him that there was nothing contraband in his trunks, hewould be thankful if he would order the baggage to be passed withoutexamination by the sentinels. The General cheerfull y acquiescedin this request, and issued an order at once to pas s his baggagewithout examination. Much annoyance from rough and impertinentsentinels was thus entirely avoided.

From Memphis Dr. T. went by hired conveyance to Her nando,Miss.; and thence, in like manner, to Senatobia; an d thence by carsto Grenada. At the latter place he completed the ar rangements withthe cotton agent of the Confederate government, for the sendingout of the cotton according to the agreement which had beenconsummated with both governments. This finished th e work of hismission; and nothing now remained to be done, but t o send the cottonto New York, and procure the necessary supplies for the HOME. He,therefore, hastened to make his report to the Board , and assistin carrying the arrangements thus consummated into immediate effect.But alas! It was now too late. The surrender of Gen . R. E. Lee,and the capitulation of the Army of the West, soon afterwards, madeit certain that Gen. Joseph E. Johnson would be com pelled very soonto succumb, and that the end of the Southern Confed eracy was athand. Under this state of things, not a pound of co tton could bepurchased with Confederate money; and this grand sc heme for supplyingthe wants of the suffering children, and placing th e HOME on apermanent basis, fell to the ground. And all this r esulted frombeing a little too late in making the foregoing arr angements. IfDr. T. had been sent on his mission to Richmond and Washington onlythree months sooner, the success of the undertaking would have beencertain and glorious. But as it was, the anticipate d crisis sooncame. Gen. Johnson capitulated to Sherman, and the cause of SouthernIndependence was lost forever. Then the question at once arose inthe minds of the members of the Board of the HOME: "What is tobecome of our cherished institution?"It was serious ly doubtedwhether it was possible, under this new state of af fairs,

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to carry out the benevolent project. The immense fo rtunes of ourpeople had been swept away as with the besom of des truction. Thecountry was terribly devastated and utterly impover ished. Ourpeople generally were depressed and disheartened. A pall ofimpenetrable gloom hung over the whole South. It wa s indeed a timeto try men's souls. But to give up the project now, would be toacknowledge an inglorious defeat, not only, but als o to leave thehapless, dependent children of our fallen braves to tally unprovidedfor. This was an evil too great to be incurred by a llowing theenterprise to fail; and Dr. T., in order to reassur e the waveringconfidence of his fellow members of the Board in th e success ofthe undertaking, and inspirit them to go forward wi th the greatwork, offered to lay his own little all upon the al tar of theenterprise, and thus stake his private fortune upon its success.At that very meeting of the Board it was determined to go forward,and make a vigorous effort to sustain the instituti on. At the sametime, Dr. T. was appointed General Financial Agent of the Board,to endeavor to carry into effect the benevolent obj ects contemplatedin the organization of the Home, This was a very re sponsibleposition, and involved, of necessity, a vast amount of earnestand self-denying toil. But with the same devotion t o the interestsof the HOME which had characterized his conduct in relation tothis humane institution from the beginning, he acce pted theappointment, and entered at once upon the important duties of hisoffice, with a zeal that knew no flagging, and an e nergy that soongave promise of complete success.

A debt of over seven thousand dollars, in greenback s, wasstill due on the premises; and everything necessary to furnishand stock the HOME was to be provided mainly by the exertions ofthe General Financial Agent. In the course of a few months, thedebt was paid off; and in a few months afterwards, sufficientfurniture, clothing, provision, stock, etc., had be en secured tojustify the Board in opening the institution. The l ate Prof. S.S, Granbury was elected General Superintendent of t he HOME, andimmediately removed to Lauderdale Springs, the seat of theinstitution, to enter upon the duties of his respon sible position.He proved to be as was anticipated, "the right man in the rightplace. "Never was an institution more blessed, in t his regard,than was the "Orphans' Home of the State of Mississ ippi." Underthe judicious and efficient management of Prof. Gra nbury, and acorps of able co-workers at the institution, and th e untiringlabors of Dr. T., and his noble coadjutors, in prov iding food,clothing, etc., for the children of the HOME, the i nstitution soonrose to a degree of prosperity that attracted the a ttention, andelicited the admiration of the friends of the enter prise, in allparts of the country. Over two hundred poor childre n were, inprocess of time, admitted to the benefits of the HO ME. The amountof physical suffering, mental degradation and moral corruptionthus prevented, it is impossible to conjecture; and the benefitsconferred upon the dear children by suitable care o f their persons;the proper cultivation of their minds; and the mora l and religioustraining which they received at the HOME, can be kn own only inthe developments of the last day.

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It is not intended to enter further into the detail s of Dr.T's work in building up this humane institution. Su ffice it to say,that he devoted more than four years of untiring an d self-denyingtoil, in the prime of his ripened manhood, to the a ccomplishmentof this noble charity. It is conceded that to his u ntiring zeal,and his indomitable perseverance the institution wa s mainly indebtedfor its establishment and success. If this were the only work ofhis life, it ought to place his name along with tho se of Howard,and Mueller, and Van Meter, and other distinguished philanthropists,whose lives have been devoted to the work of provid ing for thehapless orphans and the dependent poor. May God rew ard him for thislabor of love!

It is not improper to state, in closing this accoun t of Dr.T.'s connection with the Orphans' Home of Mississip pi, that a verylarge proportion of the necessary means to establis h and supportthis institution were obtained in Tennessee, Kentuc ky, Missouri,Ohio and Maryland; and large donations were also ma de to it byliberal individuals in many of the Northern cities a nd towns; andparticularly by the people of New York and Chicago. Many of theSouthern States, besides those above named, aided i n the noble workaccording to their ability

In 1869, Dr. Teasdale was elected corresponding sec retary ofthe Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Con vention. TheSunday School Board, during the previous year, repo rted receiptsof less than four thousand dollars. During the firs t year underthe management of Dr. Teasdale, the gross receipts of the boardwere nineteen thousand one hundred and sixty-eight dollars andninety-eight cents. He closed his labors as secreta ry of the boardin 1871 and entered upon the work of a general evan gelist. Hecontinued in this field until he was elected to the chair ofrhetoric and elocution in the East Tennessee Univer sity at Knoxvilleand he entered upon his duties in that institution in 1874.

He gave up his work at the University in 1885 and r eturnedto Columbus to make his home among friends of forme r days. As hishealth and strength would permit he preached in dif ferent revivalsin the State and about this time published his quit e interestingREMINISCENCES OF A LONG LIFE.

Dr. Teasdale's life was one of great activity and u sefulness.He baptized over three thousand persons on a profes sion of theirfaith in Christ; witnessed the conversion of some f ifteen thousandsouls under his ministry; preached about fifteen th ousand sermons;published several pamphlets and books, the principa l of the latterof which is a volume of his REVIVAL DISCOURSES; edited at differentperiods three religious periodicals; assisted in es tablishing theOrphans' Home in Mississippi; contributed materiall y in buildingup other institutions of learning and religion; and conductedthrough most of his public life a very large corres pondence; andthrough verging in the allotted period of man on ea rth, Dr. Teasdaleenjoyed a remarkable degree of vigor, both of body and mind.After a long and active life he passed away in his home in thebeautiful city of Columbus, April 4, 1891, at the a ge of overeighty-one.

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THE TWENTY-EIGHTH SESSION OFTHE BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION

AT HOLLY SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPIMAY 16th,17th,18th,19th and 20th, 1867

D.P. Bestor, S.S. Granberry, T.C, Teasdale, C.S. Mc Cloud andJ.W. Bozeman, were appointed to a committee to nomi nate the Boardof Trustees of the Orphans' Home.

On motion of Elder D.P. Bestor, the charter incorporating theOrphans' Home was unanimously adopted, the charter having beenpreviously presented and read.

Elder T.C. Teasdale presented the report of the com mittee torevise the Constitution of the Orphans' Home, which report wasreceived and adopted. The Constitution as amended a nd adopted isas follows:

CONSTITUTIONARTICLE I . The name of this Institution shall be The Orphans'

Home of the State of Mississippi.ARTICLE II . Its object shall be to provide a home for the

dependent orphans of the State; to support and educ ate them; andto qualify them for usefulness and respectability i n the world.

ART. III . The Board of Trustees of the Home shall be composedof twenty-one members, one-third of whom shall be e lected annually,by the Mississippi Baptist State Convention: but in case of failureto elect annually, the Board shall continue till an election beheld.

ART. IV . The Board shall elect annually, by ballot, its ow nofficers, consisting of a resident, two Vice Presid ents, a Secretaryand Treasurer; and it shall appoint a General Super intendent, andsuch other officers of the Institution as it may de em necessary,who shall hold their offices at the pleasure of the Board.

ART. V . The Board shall be alone responsible for its cont ractsand liabilities, and it shall control its own pecuniary interests.

ART. VI . The President shall preside at the meetings of th eBoard, or, in his absence, one of the Vice Presiden ts; and in theabsence of the President and both Vice Presidents, any member presentmay be called to preside pro tem. The President, or in his absencethe Chairman pro tem, shall sign all contracts, and all orders ofthe Board on the Treasury, and exercise a watchful care over thegeneral interests of the Institution.

ART. VII . The Secretary shall keep a full record of the doi ngsof the Board, in a book provided for the purpose; s hall conduct thecorrespondence of the Board; and shall have the cus tody of thearchives of the Institution. He shall countersign a ll contracts,and all Orders of the Board on the Treasury, and sh all present afull report of the proceedings of the Board at each annual meetingof the body, a summary of which shall be presented annually to theMississippi Baptist State Convention.

ART. VIII . The Treasurer shall receive and hold all moneys,notes, bonds, stocks, or securities belonging to the Institution,and shall pay them out only by order of the Board, signed by theacting President and countersigned by the Secretary; and he shallgive bond for the faithful execution of his trust, whenever theBoard may deem it necessary.

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ART. IX . The Board shall have a common seal, and it shall beaffixed to all contracts and obligations of the Boa rd, and to thecommissions of all agents of the Board.

ART. X. The Board may adopt such by-laws as are not incomp atiblewith this Constitution.

ART. XI . This Constitution may be amended at any annual me etingof the Board, by a vote of two-thirds of the member s present,provided that such amendment shall have been recomm ended by theBoard at a regular meeting prior to the annual meet ing.

The report of the Committee to Nominate a Board of Trusteesof the Orphans' Home, was presented by Elder D.P. B estor, Chairman;and the individuals named in the report were thereu pon elected toconstitute said Board of Trustees: To Serve One Yea r: Hon. B.G.Humphreys, Jackson; Elder W.F. Barbee, DeSoto; Elde r O.S. McCloud,Raymond; Mr. E.L. Bramlett, Meridian; Elder T.G. Te asdale, D.D.,Columbus; Mr. R. Randolph, Enterprise; Rev. Jas. A. Lyon, D.D.,Columbus. To serve Two Years: Rev. Geo. T. Stainba ck, Columbus;Mr. L.A. Duncan, Meridian; Maj. H.B. Whitfield, Col umbus; Dr. D.P.Kennedy, Lauderdale; Elder Eugene Strode, Macon; Ho n. W.F. Gain,Pike County; and Elder J.B. Hamberlin, Meridian. T o Serve ThreeYears, Elder D.P. Bestor, Columbus; Elder T.G. Sell ers, Starkville;Elder W.S. Webb, Crawfordville; Elder D.E. Burns, C anton; Hon. Jas.B. McLelland, Macon; Col. E.W. Upshaw, Holly Spring s; and Maj.W.M. Strickland, Holly Springs.

The order of the Convention being that at this hour thereshould be a mass meeting in behalf of the Orphans' Home, ElderT.C. Teasdale, General Agent of the Home, then read the report ofthe Secretary of the Board of Trustees, after which addresses inbehalf of this institution were made by Elders T.C. Teasdale,D.P. Bestor, and Bro. S.S. Granberry, Superintende nt of the Home.

SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OFTHE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ORPHANS' HOME

OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI – 1867Officers Of Orphans' Home

Gov. G.B. Humphreys, President, Jackson; Elder D.P. Bestor,1st Vice President, Columbus; Elder J.B. Hamberlin, 3d Vice-President, Meridian; Elder W.S. Webb, Secretary, Cr awfordsville;Jas. B. McLelland, Treasurer, Macon; Executive Com mittee, D.P.Bestor, W.S. Webb, Jas. B. McLelland, L.A. Duncan, and Dr. S.P.Kennedy; General Superintendent, Prof. S.S. Granber ry, LauderdaleSprings; General Financial Agent, Elder T.C. Teasda le; Other Agents,Elder Wm. M. Farrar, Elder E.C. Eager, Elder J.C. K eeney, ElderT.P. Montgomery, Mrs. Laura Reed.

The executive Committee meets on Wednesday before t he firstSabbath in each month, at the Home.

Jas. B. McLelland, Secretary

At our last annual meeting there was an indebtednes s on theproperty at the Home of some four thousand dollars. It is truethat we had then in goods, tools, furniture and fix tures of varioussorts, an amount equal in value, perhaps, to the en tire indebtednessof the Board on the property. But in the estimation of some members

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of the Convention, at its last meeting, the prospec ts of our successwere by no means encouraging, and some of our breth ren openlypredicted a disastrous failure, and consequent disg race to theentire denomination. The Board, however, trusting i n God and inthe merits of their excellent charity, determined t o make an earnesteffort to pay the remaining indebtedness on the pro perty and placethe institution in a condition to enable it to meet the exigenciesof the hapless sufferers for whose particular benef it it wasinaugurated.

At the first meeting of the Board after the adjourn ment ofthe Convention at Jackson, the Rev. Thos. C. Teasda le, D.D., waschosen as General Financial Agent of the Board for the then ensuingyear, and he entered at once, with characteristic z eal and devotion,upon the duties thus assigned to him. A brief synop sis of hisreport, which we here introduce, will show with wha t success thelabors of our Agent have been attended. He says in the report:Soon after the last meeting of the Convention your General FinancialAgent went to Missouri and spent several months in collecting forthe Home in that noble State. He met the warmest sy mpathy of thepeople generally, and the donations that were made to his object,indicate the interest, which is there felt in our e xcellent charity.It is hoped that, in consequence of the intimate bu siness relationssubsisting between St. Louis and Mississippi, and t he interestwhich is known to exist in the minds of many of the citizens ofthe Western metropolis in behalf of our humane inst itution, aconsiderable amount will yet be collected in that c ity, from whichas yet comparatively little has been obtained, in a id of our nobleenterprise. It is expected that an effort will soon be made toobtain an expression of the interest of those peopl e in behalf ofour philanthropic institution, by a more thorough c anvassing ofthe city.

From Missouri your Agent went into Kentucky, and re ceived awarm greeting and a liberal response to his appeals for aid fromthe generous hearted people of the great State. A r eference to thedetails of amounts contributed in this report, will show how warmis the sympathy of Kentucky hearts for the poor, su ffering childrenof deceased Confederate soldiers in the desolated S tate ofMississippi. Your agent deems it but just to say th at Tennesseehas also done her part, so far as application for a id has comebefore her people.

It is proper for your agent further to say, that he hasreceived the most essential aid from the ladies of the severalStates which he has visited, and he deems it to be his dutyespecially to mention the name of one of these nobl e ladies, whoseservices in our behalf have been pre-eminently succ essful. Mrs.Laura Reed, within the last two months, has raised for us in cash,provisions, clothing, stock, &c, in the State of Ke ntucky alone,some eight thousand ($8,000) dollars. Our devout gr atitude is dueto this self-sacrificing lady, and our earnest pray er is that herlife and health may be precious in the sight of the Lord, and thather future services may be as productive of good to our noblecharity as have been her past untiring efforts in i ts behalf.

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It is proper to remark also, that a considerable am ount hasbeen contributed to the Home in cash, goods, produc e, &c., whichhad not come to hand when this report was made out. They willfully appear in next year's report.

Cash co l lec ted by the Genera l F inanc ia l Agent inMissouri $9,297.43In Kentucky 5,147.78In Tennessee 368.10In Mississippi 151.40Total in cash $14,974.71

The amount in goods, &c.In Missouri $1,269.62In Kentucky 11,148.85In Tennessee 453.10Total $13,148.57

The Home has also received from others the followin gcontributions:

Rev. T.P. Montgomery, Agent collected in Miss., Ten n., andAla. $1,487.40

Rev. Wm. M Farrar, Agent 75.31Rev.P.E. Collins, Agent 50.00Messers. Barnes & Rankin, Ind.33 school desks 198.00Laurel Hill Factory, Tenn.,1,200 yards domestic 360.00John P. Morton & Co. Louisville, Ky.,753 vols. school books 625.75Choctaw Association, Miss. 202.15Collection in Jackson, Miss. 31.15Sharon Church, Miss. 5.00Ladies of Jackson, Miss. 60.00Mrs. G.S. Davis 10.00Mrs. Rebecca Conner 10.00Mrs. Thomas T. Freeman 5.00Gov. Benj. G. Humphreys 500.00A Senator 10.00Judge Howry 5.00 Rev W.C. Ross 10.00Othe sources $33,673.78

EXPENDITURESPayments on property $4,150.00Provisions and supplies 16,833.89Repairs, Freights, &c., 3,797.36Salaries of Agents & expenses 5,000.00Goods in transit to Home 3,226.29Balance 666.24 $33,673.78

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The Home was opened on the first of October, 1866, and therewere then present two children and one mother as be neficiaries.The number has been constantly increasing ever sinc e, as our meansof support would justify, until we have admitted to the benefitsof the institution one hundred and thirty-six of th ese haplesssufferers. They have come to us from twenty-four di fferent countiesof the State. These children who, but a few weeks a go, in theirpoverty and rags, were crying for bread, are now we ll clad,comfortably fed, and well provided for at the Home. They seem tobe contented and happy, and their deportment and im provement areall that could be reasonably expected.

The Board has been peculiarly fortunate in securing theservices of Prof. S.S. Granberry as General Superin tendent. He isemphatically the right man in the right place. He i s ably assistedby a corps of competent instructors. His excellent lady acts asprincipal Matron of the Home, and is assisted in he r responsibleduties by the mothers of some of the children who h ave admittedto the benefits of the institution. The Home is con ducted onprinciples of the most rigid economy. The few mothe rs whom necessitycompels us to admit with their fatherless children assist the oldergirls in cooking, washing, ironing, house cleaning, setting thetable, sewing, &c. No servants are employed by the Board, exceptthe driver of the team belonging to the institution . The rest ofthe work is done by the beneficiaries of the Home. But great hasbeen the work already accomplished, it is but just fairly commenced.Hundreds of poor, dependent children, whose fathers fell in thegreat struggle for Southern independence, are now s tretching outtheir imploring hand to us, and with gaunt famine s taring them inthe face, tearfully exclaiming, "Have pity upon us, O, Ye, ourfriends, for the hand of God has touched us." And c an we refuseto admit them?

With comparatively slight improvements our building s willcomfortably accommodate at least five hundred child ren. It isearnestly hoped that the means may be speedily obta ined to justifythe Board in filling the Home to its utmost capacit y with theindigent, suffering children of our patriotic dead. The pledgesmade to these fallen fathers, in relation to their dependentchildren, will yet be redeemed. They shall be fed, clothed andeducated. They shall thus be elevated to their soci al status, andtheir usefulness and happiness be thereby prompted. Their self-respect will also be preserved, by reason of afford ing them themeans, through mechanical and manufacturing operati ons, of earningtheir own support.

Already have such operations been commenced; and fr om certainovertures which have recently been made, the Board entertains thehope that so soon as the present want of food has p assed away andsuitable machinery can be erected and put into oper ation, theinstitution will be self-sustaining. Till then, how ever, the mostliberal contributions of the sympathizing friends o f these haplesssufferers will be required. And we must believe (ho w can we doubtit?) that such contributions, from every quarter, w ill be pouredinto the Home, and every want of the institution wi ll be promptlymet.D.P. BESTOR, President pro temJAS. B. McLELLAND, Secretary pro tem

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SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORTORPHANS' HOME, LAUDERDALE SPRINGS, MISS. - MAY 13, 1867To the Board of Trustees, Holly SpringsGENTLEMEN: As Superintendent of the Orphans' Home o f the Stateof Mississippi, we beg leave to submit this our fir st AnnualReport. This institution was put into operation on the 1st ofOctober, 1866, having on hand, at that date, suppli es estimatedto be worth as follows:Through the Agency ofMrs. Laura Reed $3,092.00Rev. T.P. Montgomery 1,189.92Rev. Wm. M. Farrar 220.25Rev. P.E. Collins 46.00Rev. T.C. Teasdale 9,008.91From other sources 3,276.81Supplies since Oct. 1, 1866 $16,833.89

During the time we have received cash donations thr ough theTreasurer amounting to $4,463.61, and have expended for the benefitof the institution up to the present date $3,797.36 , leaving abalance in the hands of the Superintendent of $666. 25. Of thisamount the Home now owes of debts already due, abou t $350; thusleaving in my hands $316.25 after all debts are pai d. A full anddetailed statement at all receipts of cash and item s for whichexpenditures have been made is also submitted with this Report.At the opening of the institution, on the 1st of Oc t, 1866, therewere two little girls present as beneficiaries, and one mother,who has since that time been employed as a laborer. Since thenwe have been receiving others just as fast as the s upplies on handhave justified us in doing so, always endeavoring t o select suchas were destitute of the means of obtaining the act ual necessariesof life. Hundreds of applications have been rejecte d for the wantof adequate supplies. Attendants, laborers, and tea chers have beenemployed as their services have been needed. We now have connectedwith the institution two teachers, one male laborer and five femalelaborers, who assisted by the girls, perform all th e necessaryin-door work. We also have at the Home one hundred and six orphans,and from the following counties, to wit From Chicka saw, 6;Lauderdale, 35; Hinds, 8; Leake, 7; Simpson, 2; Kem per, 7; Lownds,10; Octibbeha, 7; Newton, 1; Monroe, 8; Lee,1; Madi son, l; Noxubee,3; Winston, 1; Clark, 6; Tishimingo, 2; and Scott, 1.Supplies recently received, and promises of continu ed support,have induced us to receive within the last few days thirty (30)children. This number has been selected from applic ations on filefrom the following counties, to wit: From Kemper, 2 3; Clark, l;Yazoo, 2; Copiah, 2; Calhoun, 1; Hinds, 3; Newton, 3; Tallahatchie,6; Yallabusha, 4; Warren, 4; and Attala, 2.These ad ded to thenumber already at the Home make one hundred and thi rty-six orphanswho will have to be provided for. The children now with us werein a very destitute condition when received, full h alf of themnot having a change of clothing. These little orpha ns, whom youhave taken from hovels of poverty and want, we are tryingto trainto the habits of industry, and to give them that me ntal

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and moral training that will make them useful members of society.During the severe winter just past, our supplies of food were, onseveral occasions, almost exhausted, but, by the bl essing of AlmightyGod, friends were found in distant States who have thus far suppliedour wants. Although our stock of provisions was so low as to createa great anxiety on the part of those immediately id entified withthe institution, yet our little orphans have never experienced areal want since their connection with the Home. We cannot be toograteful to the people of Missouri and Kentucky for what they havedone for us, nor can too much praise be awarded to our principalagents, Dr. T.C. Teasdale and Mrs. Laura Reed, thro ugh the exertionsof whom we have received our principal supplies. Th e State ofTennessee has also aided us much. We have now on ha nd supplies,&c., sufficient to feed the orphans already receive d until the 25thof October next.

The amount of labor to be performed in attending th e commissary,receiving freight, answering correspondence, attend ing the boyswhile at work; directing mechanics, &c., makes it n ecessary forthe Trustees to secure the services of some male as sistant at asearly a day as possible. It is impossible for your Superintendentto perform all the labor necessary to the interests of the institutionwithout some assistance of this sort. He is frequen tly called awayfrom the Home to attend to business connected with the institution;during such absence it is all important to have som e one who candirect and attend to the outdoor work necessary to be done. Duringthe summer months we should prepare for winter. Mo st of ourbuildings are without fire places; some are leaky; and much generalrepairing is necessary to make the buildings comfor table. Toaccomplish all this we must have large contribution s in actualcash. We would also suggest in this connection t hat every effortshould now be put forth to secure such implements, machinery, &c.,as most of you have visited us, and have seen what we are doing.We think, gentlemen, that you have great reason to be thankful toAlmighty God, that He has so abundantly blessed you r efforts intrying to relieve the wants and sufferings of so ma ny of the littledependents of our noble dead.Respectfully submitted,S.S. GRANBERRY, Superintendent

GENERAL FINANCIAL AGENT'S REPORTREV. T.C. TEASDALEIn Account With The Orphans' Home1865-1866Collections Hernando, Mississippi $17.00From A. Jeffaries 378.60From E. Deupree 426.00Cash - Rev. F.L. Seward 381.00do from J.B. McLelland 54.10do from Mrs. McGill 100.00do collected at Siloam 85.52do from Bro. Seward 27.70

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do corn by Mrs. Spencer 150.00do J.B. McLelland 68.45do collected at Crawfordsville 5.00do from Dr. M. Clay 75.00do from Rev. G.A. Goulson 13.00do Mrs. M.M. Boyd 28.00Cotton from J.U. Perkins 112.00Corn from Mrs. Spencer 100.00Collected at Henderson, Ky. 260.00Cotton from John E. Brown 125.00Cash from Meridian Church 28.00do from Summit Church 72.00Collected in Memphis, Tenn. 812.20Subscribed in Memphis 1,050.71Collected in Louisville, Ky. 1,763.50Subscribed in Louisville 431.99Cash collected in New York 2,085.00Subscribed in New York 2,130.56CONTRA.

By expenses to Washington by direction of the Board , beforethe surrender 200, commission on 6 bales cotton, 10 per cent, (Oldsubs.) 80.55 cash paid for hauling same 18 paid on property 45,commission, 10 per cent., on old subs. Miss Gill 10 cash paid foraffidavit on cotton 1, expense to Memphis, Louisvil le &c., 250,cash paid freight 34.80, do 130 traveling expense a nd telegraph10, cash paid Sturges, Hurlburt & C. 1000do. E.L. B ramlett forrepairs 100, do. on crockery 15 do. paid for seal 4 , do. board inNew York 285, do. traveling expenses 50, goods sent to Home fromNew York 2,130, 66 bad money received 5, com 10 per cent., on corn,old subs, foods sent to Home from Memphis 946.98, t raveling expenses,telegraph and express to St. Louis, Russellville, & c., 75, cashto Rev W.C. Buck 350 com., 10 per cent on bale cott on, old subs.,M. Clay 7.50 cash paid L.A. Duncan, Treasurer, 100, 15 monthsservices to June 1, 1866, at 200, 3000Total - $11,051.95CONTRA.June 1866By balance from old account $158.15By cash to pay on land 300.00Remitted to Treas 5,372.75Remitted to S.S. Granberry 1,907.56Goods bought at St Louis 1,037.38Flour, coffee, &c. 31.71Cooking stove 175.00Beans, bbls, &c., 80.12Chairs 75.001867Feb. 7 By cash for hay 50.00Chairs, bedsteads, mattresses 381.75Povisions goods to Home 9,483.17Quinine 5.00

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Sacks, twine, express 8.75Apr. 3 By cash to express 4.50Provisions, goods, &c. to Home 4,665.40Cash and drafts to Treasurer 5,390.40

28,126.64T.C. TEASDALE, General Financial Agent

This is only a small segment of a detailed list of hundredsof donors during the fiscal year, June 1866 through May 1867. Tenpages of the annual Report is devoted to this listi ng of the namesof donors with the amount of each cash contribution . Donors ofproduce, provisions, clothing, &c., are listed, des ignating thenature and the value of the items given. A compl ete copy ofthis Report is preserved at the Mississippi Baptist HistoricalCommission in Clinton, Mississippi.

1867 LOUISVILLE BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONYour Committee on the Orphans' Home of Mississippi begs leave toreport the following, as the result of its first ye ars' existence:The Home commenced its active operations, under the supervisionof Prof. S.S. Granberry, in October, 1866.

The Home has some 420 acres of land, with the build ings,appurtenances, &c, of what was known as the Lauderd ale Springsproperty. We have there some 60 or 65 acres of open land, undercultivation by the inmates of the Home. Some of the boys arelearning the shoemaker's business, some are working at the carpenter'strade, while the girls are engaged in all the dutie s of housekeeping,such as carding, spinning, weaving, knitting, sewin g, washing,cooking, &c., &c. Each studies every other day, an d works theother, so we have one half in school every day, and the other halfat work. We have now about 140 Orphans under our ca re. It is thedesign of the Board to give each beneficiary a thor ough Englisheducation, and when practicable to give a thorough Literary course.Up to this time the Home has been sustained by our kind friendsin Kentucky and Missouri. We have also received som e valuableassistance from Maryland and some other Northern St ates. The Homeis yet wholly dependent upon voluntary contribution s from thef r iends o f the Orphans o f our Confedera teso ld ie rs . Respectfully submittedW.M. FARRAR, Chairman

Many individuals and groups demonstrated their conc ern andlove for the children by sending contributions to t he Home. THEMERIDIAN GAZETTE, April 27, 1867, announced:

The Ladies Aid Society of this city will give a Chi ldren'sConcert at the Baptist Church on Saturday Evening n ext at 8o'clock, for the benefit of the Orphans' Home at La uderdaleSprings. This is a commendable enterprise and one that oughtto be responded to by every liberal spirited membe r of thecommunity. We understand active preparations are b eing madeto render the occasion quite entertaining. The pri ce ofadmission is only 50 cents.

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An article from THE ORPHANS' HOME BANNER was reprinted in theDecember 14, 1867 issue of THE MERIDIAN SEMI-WEEKLY GAZETTE.Extracts from that article are copied below:

The near arrival of Christmas, the gala season of t he year,awakens vivid memories of merry making, family reun ions, thegiving and receiving of presents and general hilari ty ... itis no unimportant deed to give honest pleasure to c hildren ...it will add to your heart's pleasure to know that y ou helpedto fill Santa Claus' wagon for the orphans ... when you sitdown to your own table, it will be a pleasant refle ction, thatthe orphans are at that moment, regaling themselves with yourbounty...Mary J. Welsh - A teacher at Orphans Home

Another article from THE ORPHANS' HOME BANNER was publishedin the August 7, 1869 issue of THE JACKSON TRI-WEEKLY CLARION.Extracts from that article are presented here:

ORPHANS' HOME ANNUAL FESTIVALThe Third Annual Festival of the Orphans' Home will occur

at Lauderdale, on the 15th of September. We are an xious thatthese annual gatherings should be generally attende d by thepeople. Your presence will cheer us and cheer the orphans ...The orphans will entertain us with an exhibition of theirattainments. Distinguished speakers will address u s. Therewill be music to charm us...

We would not have the people forget, however, that the objectof this festival is to entertain the orphans. We t hereforeinvite everyone to bring a little something for the m ... Letus show the orphans that we love them still, and wi sh to beloved by them ... The railroad will convey visitors to thefestival at half fare...By order of the board

W.S. Webb, Secty.

THE BAPTIST STATE CONVENTIONHELD IN MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPIJUNE 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th, 1868REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF ORPHANS' HOME

The Board of Trustees of the Orphans' Home make thi s, theirthird annual report, with the most profound gratitu de to God, forthe success which has crowned their efforts during the past year.They have labored under difficulties and disadvanta ges, and yetthe Home has made, under the circumstances most sat isfactory andsignal progress. God has smiled upon our endeavors to serve him,and we render to him devout thanksgiving and praise .

THE PUBLIC FAVOR is being gradually, and, we trust, permanentlysecured. The Orphans' Home is becoming a household word among thepeople. It has grown rapidly in public esteem, and with the continuedsmiles of Providence, is destined to achieve a comp lete and glorioussuccess. This success, however, will not be attaine d without stillgreater labors and sacrifices on the part of its fr iends.While the institution, when properly known and unde rstood, willcommend itself to the judgment and sympathies of ev ery lover of

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of his race, it will nevertheless need the tender, fostering care,the continued self-sacrificing labor and the consta nt and earnestprayers of those, who have thus far nourished and s ustained it.A knowledge of its existence of its plans and aims and of itswants, must be more widely disseminated among the p eople; andeveryone must be made to feel that the institution is what itreally is: a necessity of the times, as well as a d istinguishingmark of our advancing c iv i l izat ion and Chr ist iani ty .

THE NUMBER of orphans in attendance during the past year hasbeen 232 - gathered from various portions of the St ate, and somefew from other States. They have come to us homeles s, fatherless,and in some cases literally friendless; they have c ome in tattersand rags; they have come moneyless and helpless; th ey have comeignorant and diseased and vicious; they have been t enderly caredfor; kindly nursed, and judiciously taught how to b ecome usefulmen and women in society. Since the opening of the Home in October,1866, hundreds have been denied because we did not feel justifiedin assuming their support with the means at our con trol. And yetthose who have been denied admittance were as needy , perhaps insome instances more so than some of those who were received. Ithas been with the profoundest grief, therefore, at we have beencompelled to say to those unfortunate little ones, you cannot bereceived. Their tears, and the entreaties of their homeless mothershave wrung our hearts with anguish. Gladly would we have takenthem by the hand and welcomed them to the shelterin g care and thekindly benefits of the Home. Gladly would we do so now, for manyof them are still knocking at the door for admittan ce, but we darenot. We cannot do this until the friends of the In stitution furnishus some guarantee that they will be supported.

If all the buildings upon the place were put in pro per orderand repair it is thought there would be ample accom modation for500 children. Considerable has been done during the past yeartoward repairing these buildings, not as the Board desired but asthe exigencies of the Home demanded. All the rooms that can beoccupied are now filled or nearly filled with child ren. And veryfew more can be received without further expenditur e in the wayof repairs. It is very desirable, therefore, that t he friends ofthe Orphans contribute funds immediately and libera lly for thisspecific object.

Various plans have been suggested by which the Inst itutionmay become self-sustaining. It has been the purpose of the Boardfrom the first to make it so at as early a day as p racticable.But to accomplish this purpose two things are neces sary.First, a sufficient number of Orphans of proper age and size tomake any particular branch of manufacturing practic able andprofitable.

Second, Funds sufficient to build the shops and pur chase themachinery and stock necessary to commence and carry on operations.Both these ends we hope to obtain in due time, but we are compelledat present to make haste slowly.

Many of the Board have also had strong expectations that theState Legislature would eventually render some effi cient aid toour, enterprise. Several bills were passed by the l ast Legislature

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private companies, the condition for going into ope ration beingthat they pay a certain amount or a certain per cen t of profitsinto our treasury. Nothing has as yet been realized from thissource. And considering the present political condi tion and prospectsof our people we would not consider it wise or prud ent to form anyplans or enter into any enlarged operations in expe ctation of anyaid from our State authorities. Nor do we think tha t Legislativeaid or aid from any other source, secured to us by giving theinfluence and prestige of the Home to lottery and o ther enterprisesof an immoral tendency, by any means desirable.

Another plan, therefore, more feasible and practica l, and fromwhich we hope eventually to receive valuable assist ance, is toenlist the Masonic and Odd Fellows fraternities in our enterprise.There are now 102 Orphans of Masons and 40 or 50 Orphans of Odd

Fel lows, en joy ing the benefact ions o f the Home.These numbers, accidental, or rather Providential a s they now stand,might be greatly increased. Why cannot these frater nities be inducedto make this the school where they would educate al l their indigentOrphans? They are both strong in numbers in the Sta te, and abundantlyable, if their sympathies and cooperation can be se cured, to renderefficient aid in placing the institution beyond all contingenciesof ultimate success, making it, as it is, a general Orphans' Home,as well as a Home for their own dependent ones, the y would securethe aid of the benevolent and generous everywhere i n building upan educational enterprise, that would be an honor t o themselvesand a blessing to the world. Through the influence of Rev. T.S.Abernethy, one of our Agents, and Rev. G.T. Stainba ck, a memberof the Board of Trustees, the Grand Lodge, of Mason s of this Statetook action upon the subject at their last annual c ommunicationin the city of Natchez and agreed to request the do nation of atleast one dollar from every Mason in the State duri ng the presentyear. If this donation can be secured from year to year this sourcewill furnish us a regular and permanent fund by mea ns of which wemay extend our benefactions to hundreds and thousan ds, now growingup in ignorance and want. But as yet we know not ho w high to placeour expectations. Until the Grand Lodge or the Subo rdinate Lodges,shall issue something more authoritative than a req uest, or atleast until a fair trial of this plan shall establi sh its efficiency,we should not feel justified in greatly enlarging o ur operations,in reliance upon this aid. We believe, however, tha t ultimatelysomething will be accomplished upon this plan and w e should begratified to know that the Masonic and Odd. Fellow Fraternitiesof this State, and indeed of the whole South, would adopt thisInstitution as the channel through which they would pass theirwards to stations of respectability and usefulness in the world.To secure so desirable an object the Rev. Abernathy proposes tospend the next few months in visiting Masonic. and Odd Felloworganizations throughout the country. We commend hi m to the kindregards and Christian courtesy of all to whom he ma y come.

Until, therefore, some better plan has been develop ed andperfected for the support of the Institution, we ar e compelled torely upon the system already in operation - that of agencies. Thisis necessarily expensive; but with it we have accom plished much,

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hope to accomplish more. Besides, we have no altern ative, it isthis or nothing; we must use this means or leave th e Orphans ofthe land to grow up and die in their ignorance.RECEIPTS, EXPENDITURES

The actual cash received by the Superintendent, dur ing, theyear for the purposes of the Home is $11,370.00. In addition tothis a considerable amount of provisions, clothing, &c., has beenreceived. This amount, the sources whence derived, and by whomcollected, is fully exhibited on the books of the S uperintendentand Treasurer. It would be impossible publish the d etails in thisreport.

Of the money received there have been paid out :Improvements $2 ,022 .76Salaries of Sup’t. and Teachers 1,961.01Medicines and Medical Attendance 777.03Matrons and Employees 323.06Freights 4,503.03Supplies purchased at the Home 1,783.11

11,376.00

The Home was established for the special purpose of providingfor the indigent Orphans of Confederate Soldiers of the State ofMississippi, but since its organization, it has bee n thought bestto enlarge the sphere of its operation so as to inc lude dependentOrphans of every class of the white population. Nor need Orphansbe necessarily, confined in their residence to the State ofMississippi. By the action of the Board, they may b e received fromany of the States of the South. The object of gathe ring them intothe Home is as expressed in the constitution, "to s upport and educatethem for usefulness and respectability in the world . A nobler charitysurely could not claim the attention of a Christian or generouspeople. And as "pure religion and undefiled before God and theFather" is, in part at least to visit the fatherles s and widow intheir affliction, so is this Institution an evidenc e of the existenceof that "pure and undefiled religion" among our peo ple. And as theinstitution shall grow and enlarge its operations a nd thousandsinstead of hundreds shall enjoy its benefits, so sh all this evidenceincrease until by its splendor many shall be constr ained to acknowledgethe efficacy and the power of Christianity. And nar row indeed mustbe the heart which through SECTARIAN INFLUENCES will withholdan offering from a cause so good, so soul inspiring , so divine. Andwe take this opportunity of saying to all that the Board of Trusteesof the Orphans' Home have used every endeavor in th eir power tomake the Institution nonsectarian. All the leading denominationsare ably represented on the Board. Agents of differ ent denominationsare employed to raise funds for its sustenance. Tea chers, employees,and beneficiaries are taken alike from all.In the S abbath Schoolthe Bible and the publications of the American Sund ay School Unionalone are used. And upon the Sabbath, Clergymen of the variousdenominations are invited minister to their spiritu al wants. We feelconfident that this is all that a just, generous an d intelligentpublic will require of us in this direction. It is true that theinstitution was established by the Mississippi Bapt ist State

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Convention, and will by the conditions of the chart er, kept undertheir supervision - one third of the Board of Trust ees beingannually appointed by them; and this is just as it should be. TheBoard of Trustees is not, as in most institutions o f this kind,an irresponsible body, or responsible to no one but themselves,nor are they a self-perpetuating corporation. They are responsibleby the act of their incorporation responsible to th e body whichbrought the institution into existence, and which a ppoints themto their positions. Once every year they must rende r a strict andimpartial account of their stewardship to this body , and throughthem to the public should they be disposed to act d ishonestly,imprudently or unwisely, how easy a matter it is to detect, restrainor dispose of them altogether. Every legal and mora l restraintand protection is thus thrown around the institutio n that couldpossibly be secured by any other plan of organizati on. And untilit can be shown that Baptists when associated with pious, intelligentPresbyterians, Methodists and Episcopalians, are no t worthy ofconfidence, till then it may be safely assumed that the Institutionwill be kept free from all improper sectarian influ ences.

We cannot close this report without commending to t he publicconfidence, and expressing our regard for our excel lent Superintendent,Prof. S.S. Granberry, a man of indefatigable energy , of untiringpatience, of tender sympathies, of unyielding firmn ess, and oflarge experience. We consider ourselves and the lit tle Orphanscommitted to his care exceedingly fortunate in secu ring hisconnection with the institution. His duties are ard uous, and hisposition a responsible one; he needs, therefore, al l the sympathyand encouragement which not the Board only but the friends of theHome every where can give him. The Board is equally fortunate inits selection of competent teachers and assistants. Some of thesequalified by natural gifts, intellectual culture, a nd long experiencefor positions in our best seminaries of learning, a re here givingtheir service to these unfortunate sufferers for th e mere pittanceof a bare support. The God of the fatherless will s urely rewardthem.W.S.Webb, Secretary

1868 LOUISVILLE BAPTIST SSOCIATIONREPORT ON THE ORPHANS' HOME

This Institution has been in successful operation n ow abouttwo years. In its commencement we had to secure all the apparatusfor carrying on our farming interests, the way of t eams andimplements: of husbandry, the food and raiment to m eet the exigenciesof the occasion. Now, we are satisfied to say, that the Institutionis amply supplied with the best improvements of gar den and plantationtools of almost every variety, and various machiner ies for startingdifferent trades for the boys, and the female depar tment of laboris also well supplied with sewing machines of diffe rent patterns,a knitting machine of the first quality, a loom wit h a flyingshuttle, cooking stoves, &c. We have on hand a tole rably goodsupply of clothing.

We have a fine lot of school books and the beginnin g of apermanent library for the benefit of the Orphans, o f some three

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of four hundred volumes of valuable works, which we wish to addto, as friends may enable us. The Home has, also, a partial supplyof drugs. There are some few articles in this line, that it ishard to get enough of, such as quinine, alcohol for making tinctures,and some of the more common medicines in use. We ha ve between 190and 200 children as beneficiaries of the Home, and but few morecan be taken until we get means to repair the dilap idated buildingson the ground. Such have been the severe affliction s of the presentseason, that they have been compelled to suspend te mporarily, theregular instruction of the children; but it is to b e hoped theywill soon be able to resume the regular routine of duties.The present pressing necessities of the Home are br ead and meat,and money enough to pay current expenses, and to re pair thebuildings, so as to render them comfortable; and ma ttresses,comforts, sheets, bolsters or pillows, &c., &c.

And for these means we are compelled to look to the friendsof this praiseworthy enterprise; and shall we look in vain? Surelynot. We have 102 children (as reported last June) w ho are Orphansof Free Masons; and between 40 and 50 who are Orpha ns of OddFellows, all of whom were killed or died in the unf ortunate struggle,through which we have just past. If all were to hel p but a little,the work can be accomplished, and as many more chil dren as we nowhave can be taken care of. May the God of the Orpha n open thehearts of the people to respond liberally to the cl aims of thisnoble enterprise. All of which is respectfully subm itted.

WILLIAM M. FARRAR, Chairman

1868 CHOCTAW BAPTIST ASSOCIATION REPORT ON THE ORPHAN'S HOMEThe Committee is glad to report that this Instituti on is in

successful operation. The struggle of its friends h as not been invain. We are most assuredly reaping the fruits of o ur labor.

It is with a degree of sadness however, that we rep ort thatsickness, so extensively, prevailing over our land, and death, norespecter of persons, has not passed over the Home, and left ituntouched. Ten of those dear little, orphans have b een its victims.Some have gone to their mothers or friends, and are awaiting thereturn of health. The number left is about 121. Up to the presentsickly time, the health of the Home bas been almost undisturbed.Never in this land has a happier place been found f or the orphanThe happy little creatures have been, and are yet w ell cared forand faithfully instructed in the duties of religion . They have aflourishing Sabbath School faithful and efficient t eachers. Insteadof roving over the country, half fed, ill clothed, and withoutreligious instruction, they are to be seen every da y happilysituated in the house of prayer, and frequently lis tening to thegospel of Jesus. This is a blessing to which, but f or the Home,many no doubt, would live and die utter strangers. Dear brethren,let us not be weary in well doing, for in due time, we shall reapa large harvest, if we taint not. Let us contribute largely ofour substance, remembering that God hath said: Ther e is that whichwithholdeth more than is meet, and yet increaseth, Prov.ll,24. Hewho soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he th at sowethbount i fu l ly , shal l reap also bount i fu l ly - 2nd Cor.Respectfully submitted,JOHN E. WHITE, chairman

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1868 - At the Grand Lodge of Mississippi, of the Ma sonicOrder, Bro. J.I. Power offered the following resol ution whichwas adopted:

"That the committee appointed to consider the desti tutionof the country and the distress prevailing in the O rder be requestedto consider the claims of the Orphans' Home, at Lau derdale Springs,upon this Grand Lodge, and upon Subordinate Lodges, and upon theCraft generally, and report to the Grand Lodge what action, ifany, should be taken by us toward the Home, in view of the factthat there are now over ninety orphans of deceased Masons in thatInstitution.

The committee reported: According to the informati on furnishedthe Committee by the Board of Trustees of the Home, it appearsthere are ninety (90) orphans of deceased Masons no w in the Homein a very destitute condition. Their claim upon our sympathy andhelp is unquestionable. We therefore beg to offer t he following:Resolved, That as a Grand Lodge, we recognize and h eartily approvethe Orphans' Home, at Lauderdale Springs, and cordi ally recommendit to the sympathy and respect of the Craft whereso ever dispersedaround the globe.

Resolve, That each Subordinate Lodge within this Gr andJurisdiction, be and they are hereby requested to p ay to the Agentof the Home, the Rev. T. S. Abernathy, Jr., for the benefit ofthe Orphans of Masons now in the Institution, the s um of onedollar, or such sum as they may see fit, for each m ember of eachSubordinate Lodge; and that the Representatives of said Lodgesto this Grand Lodge be requested to bring this matt er before theirrespective Lodges immediately upon their return hom e from thisGrand Lodge for their action there,...T.S. Abernathy, Jr., ChairmanJohn Sample J.W. Patty A.H. Barkley

THE THIRTIETH SESSION OF THESTATE BAPTIST CONVENTION - 1869REPORT OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ORPHANS' HOME

The number of Orphans who have enjoyed the benefits of theHome during the year is 264. This number has been t hus necessarilylimited by want of accommodations and inability to provide formore. All are aware that we have as yet no permane nt endowment. Our endowment is the good will, the generous senti ment, and thebenevolent deeds of an appreciating people.

It has been the aim of the Board to bring the expen ses downto the lowest possible limit. Economy in every depa rtment has beenour study. We make the following summary of our re ceipts andexpenses:

RECEIPTSBalance on hand, June 1, 1868 $1,584From Masonic Lodges 1,169Orphans' Banner 2,240Other sources 7,673EXPENDITURESSalaries $3133.45Paid for improvements 683.00General purposes, support 277.67Freights 1393.65

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LAUDERDALE SPRINGS PROPERTYA recent article published, by order of the Board, in the

Orphans' Home Banner, sets forth the condition of t his propertyso clearly and correctly that we copy from that:At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Orphan s' Home ofMississippi, held on the 3Oth of April last, it was resolved tomake an official statement to the world of the caus es of the imminentcondition of our beloved Institution, so that the c harge of blunderingwhich occasionally reaches the Board, may be consid ered in the lightof facts.

On the twentieth day of April 1861, Joshua F. Speed ofLouisville, Kentucky, sold to B. B. Smith the prope rty known asthe Lauderdale Springs, and deeded the same to B.B. Smith. On the1st day of May, next following, said B.B Smith did execute fourseveral notes for the purchase money; the first due and payableon the first of April, 1861, for $3,300; the second for $3100 dueand payable on the first of November, 1862; the thi rd due andpayable on the first of November, 1863 and the four th, for thebalance, due and payable on the first of November 1 864. To securethe payment of these notes, Smith executed a mortga ge deed to theproperty purchased by him of Speed. This mortgage b ears date May1st, 1861.

The above notes and mortgages were left with C.H. M ingo ofMobile, who was appointed an agent by Speed. In Oct ober 1864, Mingoaccepted payment of Smith in full satisfaction of t he beforementioned notes and through his attorney, Hon. R. L eachman, surrenderedsuch notes and promised to cancel the mortgage leav ing Smith withthe deed to the property. Smith at once sold the pr operty to thefirm of Hurlbutt, Sturges & Co. consisting so far a s the purchaseof the property is concerned of Levi Hurlbutt, Theo dore Sturges,J.R. Graves, L.A. Duncan, Maj. Whitfield, and perha ps others. Thedeed was made to Levi Hurlbutt, J.R. Graves, L.A. D uncan and Maj.Whitfield, the consideration being twenty-five thou sand dollars;this deed bears date 24th October, 1864, or thereab outs. In Novembernext following, these gentlemen sold the same prope rty to the BaptistState Convention for the sum of fifty thousand doll ars. The propertywas to be used for its present sacred purposes.

The Orphans' Home, or rather the Baptist State Conv ention (forthe Home was not then chartered) paid the above nam ed gentlemenabout $10,000 in Confederate money. The army of Gen . Lee surrenderedin April 1865, and when the war was over, Messers. Hurlbutt claimedthe property, and resold it to the Trustees of the Orphans' Homefor $7,000, which the Trustees paid at different ti mes, paying theentire before the first of September 1866.

Hurlbutt, Sturges & Co. reserved the bowling alley, which wasoutside of the enclosure, and sold it to another pa rty, which theTrustees bought from this other party for $500. Hur lbutt, Sturges& Co. sold this building for $250. In essence, ther efore, theTrustees paid $7,500 on the original purchase, but only $7,000 onthe original purchase for which Levi Hurlbutt and T heodore Sturgesexecuted a bond for titles. In order that the matt er may be clearlyunderstood and justice be done, we have written bel ow the namesof the parties who received it:

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Levi Hurlbutt received $2,000 of it; Sturges receiv ed $2000and still holds an amount for Rev. J.R. Graves, $58 9; L.A. Duncanreceived $870; Mrs. Levi Hurlbutt received $1160; M rs. Rogersreceived $580. Total amount - $7250.

The greater part of this money was paid to these pa rties afterthe question of the sufficiency of the title was ra ised, thoughSpeed never filed his bill of complaint at Jackson until September20, 1866. The Trustees supposed that since they hel d a duly executedbond for a good and sufficient title, signed by Lev y Hurlbutt andTheodore Sturges, men of means and standing in the community, thatthese bondsmen would see that the obligations of th at bond to thefatherless and homeless children of our care, whose money theywere receiving, should be faithfully enforced. To b lunder inreference to the interest of the Home would be almo st a crime; andthe foregoing narrative of facts shows that the Tru stees did notblunder. They paid their money upon the faith of a bond executedby parties abundantly able then and now, to make go od all itsprovisions.

After the suit of Speed vs. B.B. Smith, et al, was decidedagainst the defendants, and declaring Smith's payme nt of notes toLeachman, attorney for Mingo, who was agent for Spe ed, null andvoid, and ordering the foreclosure of the mortgage from Smith toSpeed, the Trustees sent a special committee to ask Messrs. Hurlbutt& Sturges to give good and sufficient titles to the Home, or returnthe $7,000. Neither was done. In a spirit of compro mise, lookingto the great necessity of the children, and the imm inent dangerof being dispossessed, the Trustees offered, and of fer now, totake $5000 in cash and surrender the bond.

The foregoing is a simple narrative of facts showin g how theTrustees came into possession of the Lauderdale Spr ings property.How did they lose the property? It came to pass as follows: JoshuaF. 8peed of Louisville, KY owned the property, and sold it to B.B.Smith and on the 1 st of May, 1861, took a mortgage to secure thepayment of several notes hereinbefore described. O n the 24th ofOctober 1864 , Smith paid these notes in Confederat e money, andimmediately sold the property, for which he held Sp eed's title,to Levi Hurlbutt, Theodore Sturges, L. A. Duncan, M aj. Whitfieldand J.R. Graves for $25,000 in Confederate money. T hese parties,within thirty days, sold the same property to the B aptist Conventionfor $25,000 in Confederate money and received $10,0 00 thereof.When the war ended, the balance not being paid, the Trustees ofthe Orphans' Home, selected by the Baptist State Co nvention, agreedto pay $7000 in Greenbacks, and Messers. Levi Hurlb utt and TheodoreSturges executed a bond for titles, when the money was paid. TheTrustees paid the money as shown before and now hol d the deed.

On the 20th of September 1866, Joshua F. Speed, who remainedin Kentucky during the war, declined to recognize t he action ofMingo and Leachman, began suit in the United States Circuit Court,at Jackson, to render the payment of Smith null and void. TheCourt so decided, and has appointed a commissioner to foreclosethe mortgage and eject the present occupants, which can be donein six weeks from this writing. The public can now see how theTrustees got the property and how they lost it. Th e friends ofthe Home can see also who have the money.

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The Orphans' Home has been conducted with singular care. TheBoard always consisted of prominent citizens and mi nisters of alldenominations. The Superintendent is a man of talen ts and unwaveringintegrity; and carries into the discharge of his du ties, a religiousdevotion. The Trustees have no doubt, if they coul d get back the$7,000, paid in Federal Currency, about being able to sustain theHome. If the facts are closely examined, every one must see thatno hardship is involved in returning the money to t he Orphans, towhom it belongs.

We have deemed it due to the Board of Trustees, who have beencharged with the management of the Home to submit t o the publicthe foregoing facts; and it is done with no desire to render anyparty odious; but to vindicate the actions of men, who have, atall times, invited the closest scrutiny into their conduct. Thesemen ore conscious of nothing but the purest purpose and theirsacrifices have not been few.

The only course, which seems left to us is the sele ction ofa new location for the Home. With this end in view we have invitedbids from various portions of the State. In respons e to thisinvitation we are receiving some very favorable and encouragingpropositions, and we hope soon to be able to announ ce that we havesecured a location in many respects superior to the one now occupiedby us. It has become necessary for us, therefore, o nce more toappeal to the generosity and liberality of the peop le. But, believingthat our cause is dear to our hearts and sacred in the sight ofHeaven, we shall do so with the utmost confidence o f our success.

Resolved: That in this report of the Trustees of th e Orphans’.Home hereby disclaim any intentions to cast reflect ion upon ouresteemed brethren J. R. Graves and L. A. Duncan, an d that theybe permitted to make explanation of their connectio n with thematter, to be published in the minutes of the Conve ntion.

W.S. Webb, SecretaryEXPLANATION

The Springs property was bought by Bro. Hurlbutt, i n behalfof himself and others, at the instance of earnest f riends of theBaptist cause, he was first actuated by a desire to enable thedenomination to secure a house of worship in an eli gible locationin Meridian. It was next to impossible to obtain lu mber and thedemand for it was so great, he had no difficulty in finding personswilling to join with him in this purchase of the pr operty in orderto secure some of the buildings for removal to Meri dian to erectresidences. Just before completing negotiations, th e suggestionwas made to him to offer the place for an Orphans' Home, if hebought it, to the Baptist State Convention about to assemble atCrawfordsviile. This he concluded to do, though as a matter ofspeculation it was found that much more could be ma de by sellingoff the houses, applicants being in readiness to ta ke them and paythe money down. Elder Graves and myself encouraged Bro. Hurlbuttto offer the property to the Convention, and agreed to refund himpart of the purchase money and join in the risk of getting thefunds back. We had no idea of speculating upon the Orphans ofcourse, and before the surrender were willing, and so stated, to,let the Convention have our interet in the matter f or the netamount invested; but the sum was not raised. The un dersigned always

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believed the title to the property good, and united in its defenseat considerable expense and much loss of time. Notw ithstanding allthis, he readily agreed to return his proportion of the funds leftonly asking a little time, to recover from recent h eavy losses andsevere financial embarrassments. With this proposit ion, the Boardexpressed themselves fully satisfied. Elder Graves had not receivedhis proportion of the money, so simply donated it t o the Trustees;but he also is allowed to speak for himself. I have said thus muchlest his explanation reach me too late for the minu tes.Respectfully submitted, L.A. Duncan

The following article was published in THE ORPHANS' HOME BANNER:

The decision of the court turning this property ove r to theclaimant who is declared to be its rightful owner, divertsit from the benevolent purpose of its founder and d eprivesthe orphans there collected and provided for by the hand ofcharity, of their home.

It is sincerely hoped that the parties who were pai d forthe property, and who guaranteed a title to the Dir ectors ofthe Home, will yet act in good faith and secure it to them. In default of such action on their part, considera tions ofhumanity call loudly for contributions by our whole populationfor the relief of the bereaved children.

The following extracts are from a letter from Mr. G ranberryto THE MERIDIAN GAZETTE:

The Trustees are determined not to abandon the Home , butthus far have been able to take no action "that pro vides forits permanence," beyond the foreclosure of the mort gage heldby Mr. Speed. This much is certain; the orphans ha ve losttheir present Home, and with it all the funds, that have beencontributed by their friends to provide for them a shelter,unless the parties, from whom the Trustees made the purchase,will refund to the orphans the money, which was rec eived forthe property.

In your editorial of the 30th ... the writer attemp ts tofix the extent of the "moral obligation" resting up on theparties to make this title of property good to the orphans,as promised in their bond, or to refund their money ... Ifthe true object of these articles is to inform the public...thesurest way to accomplish this is to state the date of eachpurchase, and the amount promised to be paid for th e propertyat each purchase, from the date of the mortgage hel d by Mr.Speed to the present time. Such statement will giv e to thepublic a correct view of the character of the agenc y referredto in the article...

S. S. Granberry, Superintendent

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The August 7, 1869 edition of THE JACKSON TRI-WEEKLY CLARIONreprinted this art icle from THE ORPHANS' HOME BANNER:

THE ORPHANS WITHOUT A HOMEOn the 13th of July the property, which has been oc cupied asa Home for destitute Orphans, was sold at public au ction, inthe city of Jackson. One of the Trustees, Col. J. L. Power,bid Nine thousand dollars for the Home. Joshua F. Speed,,of Louisville. Ky., bidding more than nine thousan d, becamethe purchaser ... The Board of Trustees met on the 15th ofJuly. The principal business before them was the s electionof a new locality for the Home, and to devise some plan ofraising additional means to enable them to start at some otherpoint...

There is within reach of the Board only about six t housanddollars, including funds contributed for the suppor t of theorphans, money raised from subscriptions to the Banner , andcontributions to a repurchasing fund... if the orph ans areto have a Home, the Trustees must have more money . .. Allcontributions of money should be sent to Capt. T.J. Deupree,Treasurer, Brooksville, Miss. or any member of the Board ofTrustees.

The problem of finding a new home for the homeless childrenwas intensified by its urgency. It seemed hopeless but a new homewas found, amazingly, only two miles from the old h ome.

THE HOWARD ORPHANAGE FOR NEGRO CHILLDREN

The site for the new home was an abandoned Confeder ate hospital.This property was bought, after the war, by a gro up of Quakers,who established an orphanage and school for Negro children.

DEEDS TO YEARLY MEETING OF THE INDIANA SOCIETY OF F RIENDS

On 19 January 1866, John F. Kennedy and his w ife, Mary,and J.R. Kennedy and his wife, Kate, for a sum of T wo Thousandfour hundred and fifty dollars sold and deeded to t he yearlymeeting of Friends of Indiana the lands describes h erewith: situated in the County of Lauderdale and State of MississippiNamely - East half (1/2) of North West Quarter (1/4 ) SectionThirteen (13); Also the following Commencing at the Centerof Section Thirteen (13) running West on the line t hroughCenter of Section six chains and 61 links Thence So uth 25chains 61 Links thence East 6 Chains 61 Links thenc e Northto place of beginning being a portion of the East h alf (1/2)of South West quarter (1/4) of Section Thirteen (13 ). Alsothe following - Commencing at Center of said Sectio n Thirteenrunning South 25 Chains 61 Links, Thence East 7 Cha ins 50Links to intersection with Mobile & Ohio Rail Road ThenceNortherly on a line parallel with the Center line o f saidMobile & Ohio Rail Road to a point where the line i ntersects

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the line running East and West through Center of Se ctionThirteen. Thence West 13 Chains and 28 Links to po int ofbeginning being a portion of the South East quarter (1/4) ofSection Thirteen all of Township Eight (8) Range Se venteen(17) East To have and to hold the said Lands with t heappurtenances excepting buildings known as Hospital Buildingson which the first party sets no claim.

On July 28th, 1866, S.C. Stovall and his wife, A.D. Stovall,for a sum of Seventy-five ($75), sold and deeded to Indiana YearlyMeeting of the Society of Friends of the State of I ndiana landswith the appurtenances thereon as described below: In LauderdaleCounty and the State of Mississippi - Commencing ab out the centerof the buildings known as the Howard Orphan Asylum at a point onthe line running North and South of a tract of land conveyed toS.C.W. Stovall by J.F. & S.P. Kennedy running thenc e North withsaid line Ten Rods thence West Ten Rods thence Sout h West TwentyRods Thence East Fourteen Rods to said line thence North West saidline Ten Rods to the Beginning in the South half of Section ThirteenTownship Eight Range Seventeen East, containing or intending tocontain Seven acres and a half(?).

Some interesting information concerning the history of thatlocale was related by Rev. James Lynch in a letter written to THENEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE and reprinted in THE MERIDIAN CHRONICLE onOctober 22, 1868. Extracts from that letter are pr esented here:

THE HOWARD ORPHAN ASYLUM AT LAUDERDALEThe site is a most convenient, healthy and beautifu l one.

It is three quarters of a mile from Lauderdale, on the Mobileand Ohio Railroad, which connects Mobile with Cairo ... Itembraces one hundred and twenty acres of cleared la nd, aboundingwith beautiful shade trees and an abundance of good water.it is highly elevated and diversified by hill and v ale, anda fer t i l i t y unsurpassed by any in the s ta te . . .

The buildings are United States Hospital buildings,in good order, of the following number and dimensio ns: three,30xl50; one, 30x450; six, 30x36, and would accommod ate fivehundred soldiers.

The Howard Orphan Asylum was established by the Ind ianaYearly Meeting of Friends, March 1, 1866. They pur chased theland at a cost of $2,100 and the use of the above d escribedbuildings granted them by the government. The soci ety managedand partly sustained it by furnishing clothing and teachersup to April 15th, 1868. It is now under the superv ision ofthe Freedman's Bureau, and is superintended by Mr. 0.C. French,Agent of the Freedman's Bureau, who appears to be z ealous andfaithful in the discharge of his duties. The re a re onehundred orphan children, now being cared for.

They are favored with good educational advantages, and areenjoying the care and tutelage generally which migh t not beexpected from a supervision which has only the prom ise ofbeing temporary. From what I could learn with the exceptionof periods when epidemic reigned, the mortality has been small.

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There can be no doubt that the Freedman's Bureau wi ll bediscontinued in this State within the next two year s, and unlesssane provision is made for the support of the Howar d Orphan Asylumit must be discontinued also.

The following information was obtained from the Nat ionalArchives: Record Group 84, Records of the Adjutant General’sOf f i ce , En t ry 547, Med ica l H is to ry o f Pos ts #173.

U.S. MILITARY POST AT LAUDERDALELOCALITY AND HISTORY OF POST

Post of LauderdaleLauderdale County, Mississippi

National Archives Record Group 94: Records of The AdjutantGeneral’s Office Entry 547, Medical Histories of Po sts #173

(Lauderdale, MS)(SEE MAP PAGE 126)

Established on the 24th of October 1868 in complian ce withorders from Headquarters 4th Military District when CompanyH 34th U.S. Infantry arrived here from Grenada, Mis s. undercommand of Captain & Brevet Major James A. Hearn an d 2dLieut. G.B. Pickett. Situated about one mile North ofLauderdale, a village of about one hundred and fift yinhabitants, and two hundred yards west from the Mo bile andOhio R.R.; is in Latitude 32 degrees 30 minutes Nor th andLongitude 88 degrees 30 minutes West from Greenwich .

The buildings at the post were erected by the Confe derateauthorities during the late war and used as a milit aryHospital, since the war they were used as a freedma n'sHospital till the end of year 1867 by the Bureau, R efugeesFreedmens' school. These buildings are on a compar ativelylevel piece of ground, elevated about 20 feet above a smallswamp which lies to the South-west, South and South -east ofthe camp, which received the drainage from the high er ground. The swamp was formerly very wet and in places quit e impassible,but has been much improved by the cutting of a wide and deepdrain through the middle of it and could be made st ill dryerby cutting small lateral drains. Immediately back of thecamp to the North-west is a low hill which has been clearedand is now under cultivation as the post garden. T he landaround the camp is cleared of timber except a few s catteringtrees between it and the R.R. though on the North-e ast cornerthe forest extends to within about f i f ty yards.

Since the expiration of the Freedmens' Bureau the b uildingsused by that institution as an asylum for colored o rphans,under the name of the Howard Orphan Asylum, till th e 31 ofDec. 1868, have been added to the post. These buil dings aresituated on the other side of the abovementioned sw amp andare surrounded by a well made picket fence. They w ere erectedby the society of friends which got permission from thegovernment to tear down a number of buildings, that had beenbuilt by the confederates about half a mile from th eir presentposition and used also as a hospital, and rebuild t hem intheir present position. They were occupied by the f riends

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as an orphan asylum for colored children for about a yearwhen the institution was turned over to the Freedme ns' Bureau,which has been till the expiration of the Bureau, D ec. 31st,1868.

The garrison of this Post was augmented by the arri val ofCompany "B" 24th U.S. Infantry, about the latter en d ofNovember 1869, under command of Captain George Hall es, U.S.A.and 1st Lieut E.C. Gilbreath, U.S.A. This Company remainedat the Post until March the 4th 1869, when it was o rderedto rejoin its regiment, then en route for Texas. O n the 1stof April, 1869, Company "H" of the 11th U.S. Infant ry arrivedhere for the purpose of consolidating with H Compan y of the34th, thus forming Company H of the 16th Infantry. "H"Company of the 11th was commanded by Captain and Br evet MajorD.M. Vance and 2d Lieut. and Brevet 1st Lieut. F. T own.

Captain and Brevet Major J.A. Hearn U.S.A. turned o ver thecommand of the Post to Brevet Major Vance and was s hortlyafterward placed on the awaiting order list and wen t home.Lieut. Town shortly after his arrival elected to go on theawaiting order list and returned home. On the 19th of April,1st Lieut. W.H. Vinal arrived here having been assi gned toCompany H of the new Regiment. On the next day Pro vost MajorVance and 2d Lieut. George B. Picket, having been o rdered toother companies, left for Jackson, Miss. On the 24 th of AprilCaptain James Kelly arrived and took command of the Post.About the 3d of May 2d Lieut. I.O. Shelby, having b eenappointed to "H" Company, arrived thus making the C ompanycomplete.

No further changes occurred in the command from thi s timetill the Post was abandoned. On the 13th of Januar y 1870Captain Kelly received orders to report with his co mpany atJackson, Miss. and to leave Lieut. Shelby with 15 m en to guardthe buildings until sold. Captain Kelly in complia nce withthe orders received left here on the 15th of Januar y 1870 andthe Post of Lauderdale ceased to exist.

W.H. Rippard

When the troops took Post at this place they were a ssignedquarters in the building of the North side of the s wamp. Thebuildings on the South side were occupied as the Ho ward OrphanAsylum under the jurisdiction of the Freedmens' Bur eau. Upon theirarrival they found all the buildings as they are laid down in theplan with the exception of the guard house “i”, the shed additionto commissary store house (l), the suttlers shop “m ” and the lowerleft hand sink which was moved to its present posit ion from a spotopposite the South end of barrack “g.” These build ings are on acomparatively level piece of ground which is elevat ed about twentyfeet above the marsh.

The building marked “a” is the Commanding Officers quarters,it contains 4 rooms, 2 of which have fire places th e other two areheated by stoves, its dimensions are 39 X 47 feet, 10 feet fromfloor to ceiling. It is surrounded by a low picket fence and hasa sink, chicken house, and cow stalls in the enclos ure. The building

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marked “b” is similar to "a" except two shed kitche ns and containstwo sets of quarters for lieutenants. The two room s in the building"c" to the right of the camp are also officer's qua rters. The tworooms marked "d" are the adjutant's office and the clerks sleepingapartment.

The building marked "e" is the bake house 20 X 25 f eet itcontains a good brick oven, capacity 200 loaves. T he buildingmarked "f" is a log house used as a store house for lime. Beforethe buildings on the south side of the Marsh were v acated thishouse had a shed round it and was used as a stable.

The barracks marked "g" and "h" are each 150 X 30 f eet andare occupied by the troops as quarters, dining room and Kitchens.Since Co. "B" 24th Infantry left "h" has not been o ccupied, theother barrack affording sufficient room. "g" is di vided into threerooms, two of which are used as dormitories, and th e other isdivided into a kitchen, dining room, and store room . These buildingseach have four chimneys and are well lighted. The guard house "i"was erected shortly after the troops arrived and is 22 24 feetdivided into two apartments, one for the prisoners and one for theguard. The guard room is lighted by two windows th e prison roomby one. The building is heated by a stove. The Co mmissary storehouse marked "k" with shed "l" is 22 X 40 feet and is well adapted."m" is the sutler's shop 18 X 30 and was erected by the Post Trader.All these buildings, with the exception of "m" and "f" are framedwith walls of rough boards nailed on vertically and the jointscovered with narrow battens, but at the time of ere ction the lumberwas evidently"green", which, since seasoning, has s hrunk and splitto such an extent, that is almost an impossibility to make thebuildings weather tight. The floors were so open t hat a hand couldeasily be thrust through the cracks, and the buildi ngs had to beblocked up, the under pinning having all rotted. T he men's quarters,during the first winter, were heated by fire in the fire placesonly and the men suffered a good deal from cold tho ugh two sleptin a bunk. The furniture of the men's quarters are rough woodenbunks 6 X 4 feet, eighteen inches high with a shelf at the footand an arm rack at the head of each bunk and a few shelves andtables. The quarters are lighted by kerosene lamps at night.Each barrack has 26 windows 6 X 3 feet and 8 doors. These buildingshave all been repaired and are in much better condi tion.

In the beginning of January 1869 the buildings on s outh sideof the marsh were vacated and the troops took posse ssion; previousto this time, however, the Post Hospital consisted of two Hospitaltents, floored and walled at each end and heated by a stove andwas poorly adapted for the purpose. When we got po ssession ofthese other buildings on end of the building marked "n" was dividedoff and subdivided into a ward "o" 20 X 30 feet, di ning room "p"15 X 20 feet and kitchen "r" 15 X 20 feet, with a p assage 10 feetwide between the ward and the dining room and kitch en. The wardhas two windows at each end, 6 X 3 feet, and is hea ted by a stovein winter and lighted by lamps at night. It is fur nished with 8beds, 6 bedside tables, chairs and window curtains. It is battenedinside and out and is a very comfortable room. The passage hasa door at each end and a door or each side, one ope ning into theward, the other into the dining room.

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The dining room is lighted by 2 windows, curtained. It isfurnished with a dining table and two benches of th e same length,a dresser for dishes and a refrigerator, it is divi ded from thekitchen by a low partition 8 feet high, with a comm unicating door.The kitchen has two windows and an outside door, at one end is alarge closet under lock and key for hospital stores and rations. The kitchen contains one cooking stove with fixtur es, one tableand bench and a lamp. All these rooms are 14 feet high and areceiled overhead. The dispensary marked "s" is in t he building onthe right of the hospital, the room is 18 feet squa re, 14 feethigh, ceiled overhead and lighted by one window, la mp at night.It is furnished with shelving, which covers one end (divided intothree parts, each arched overhear, and is stained i n imitation ofwalnut and varnished), counter, small closet with l ock and key forliquor and more valuable medicines, and desk and ch airs.

The room marked "n" in the other end of the buildin g in whichthe hospital is situated was the sutler's shop, the rest of thebuilding was occupied by the laundresses. The room s marked "t"and "u" are used by the Post quarter-master, "t" as an office and"u" as store rooms. The rest of the rooms in the b uilding wereoccupied as officers quarters until August 1869 whe n the repairson "a", "b" and "c" were completed, the rooms marke d "v" were thenallotted to the married soldiers as quarters.

Immediately after getting possession of this side, the shedsaround log house "f" were torn down and the stable on this sideused. This stable is 30 X 60 feet, contains stalls for 16 animals,a hay loft, and two small rooms, one used for harne ss, the otherfor feed. "y" is a shed used for mules ad "x" are mule and cowyards. Nine horses are kept at this post and from 20 to 30 mules,two army wagons, one ambulance and one police cart, all in goodrepair. Outside of the stable is a small shed for the ambulance. The carpenter and black-smith shop marked "2" is 2 0 X 35 feet,well furnished and is in good repair.

The Post Garden, situated back of the officers quar ters isin a field of between 60 and 70 acres belonging to the Post aboutfour acres of it are used and during the year 1869 yielded a goodsupply of vegetables, it was worked by a man detail ed as Postgardener who called on the prisoners for assistance when he neededit.

The hospital garden was never worked, though laid o ut, owingto difficulty of getting the men to work in it.

On the 17th of May 1869 permission was granted to t ear downunoccupied buildings and use the materials in repai ring the occupiedones. With the lumber so obtained the officers qua rters wereceiled inside and made very comfortable. Barrack " g" was alsorepaired. A bridge was built across the swamp betw een the twocollections of buildings and a tight board fence ma de around thebuildings on North side of Camp; this when whitewas hed improvedthe appearance of the camp very much and prevented stray cattlefrom wandering over the grounds.

To supply the material, the building marked "n" was demolishedwith the exception of the Hospital portion, and the room marked"n" which remained until blown down by a heavy gale of wind in themonth of September 1869. After "n" was torn down t he gable end

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of the Hospital was quite open and became untenanta ble during theautumn rains. Accordingly it was moved on the 5th of November1869 into the same building in which the dispensary is located.The large room marked "w" is the ward - "d" dining room - "k"kitchen - "s" stewards quarters and (l) laundry. T he hospitalward is 18 X 30 feet - 630 square feet of (sup ?) a rea, contains8 beds with air space of 1102.5 cubic feet to each bed. It islighted by 6 windows (6 X 3) and by lamps at night, heated by twofire places. The dining room is 12 X 111 feet with two windows,same furniture as before mentioned in "p". The kit chen is 18 X10 feet, also with two windows and has the same fur niture as wasin "r". The other rooms are nearly 18 feet square and are verycomfortable.

W.H. Rippard

THE NEW HOMEAt that critical time, when the Confederate Orphans Home of

Mississippi was being evicted from its property, th e site of theold military post was vacant and available for purc hase. TheMississippi Baptist Convention bought the property and the homelesschildren had a new Home. It was not as nice as the ir old Homebut it had a plentiful water supply and adequate bu ildings situatedhigh and dry on two hills and, best of all, the tit le was secure.

The move to the new Home was a major undertaking. It tooktwo months for more than 200 children and 10 or 12 adults with allof their possessions and equipment to be transporte d on two wagons,drawn by two yokes of oxen and one team of mules, o ne horse andbuggy and a pony.

The girls occupied one hill and the boys the other. TheFederal guardhouse in one corner of the compound wa s utilized asthe printing office. A very productive adjoining f arm was purchasedand a grist mill and a brick yard were added to the facilities onthe grounds. In 1872, a large building was built w ith bricks madeby the boys, and lumber donated by mills on the Mob ile and OhioRailroad. Extra bricks made by the boys were sold to pay the othercosts of construction

1870 MISSISSIPPI BAPTIST CONVENTIONREPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE ORPHAN’ HOME

In our last Annual Report, the fact was stated that thetitle to the Lauderdale property had been lost, and a detailedstatement of facts connected, with that unfortunate transactionis given therein. We commenced the labors of the ye ar, therefore,under the most embarrassing circumstances. With two hundredhelpless children on our hands, we had no certain H ome in whichto shelter them. We knew not at what moment we shou ld beordered to leave the premises we then occupied. We had noassurance that the people would feel able or willin g to providethe means necessary to purchase a new home. But, as we couldnot honorably go backward, and had no disposition t o do so,trustingly went forward. Our first object was to se cure therent of the Lauderdale property for the balance of the year.

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In this we succeeded. This gave no time to perfect our arrangements.Calls had been made for money, and for bids for a n ew location.Unfortunately, we had no general agent in the field at this time,and funds came in slowly. Many places, however, wer e offered assuitable locations for the Home. Committees, appoin ted by the Board,visited as many of these location as it was thought advisable. NoneOf them, however, entirely met the wishes of the Bo ard. On the 6thof November, after a thorough examination of the wh ole subject,it was decided that we could not perhaps do better than to re-purchase the Springs property. It is true that loca tion did notin many respects suit us; but it came nearer doing it than anyother place at the time offered us. It seemed to be the best wecould do; indeed the state of our finances shut us up to thischoice.

It would cost less than any other place at our disp osal. We,therefore, appointed Col. J.L. Power as our agent a t Jackson, tonegotiate with the agent of Mr. Speed, for the re-p urchase of theproperty. In due time, Col. Power informed us that he had contractedwith said agent to take the property for the sum of nine thousanddollars, in three equal annual payments.

We soon found, however, that many friends of the Ho me, whocould not appreciate our motives and circumstances, were dissatisfiedwith the decision. The result was an immediate and almost totalfalling of the small receipts that were coming into the Treasury.When Board met again, in December, to consider whet her they wouldratify the contract made by Col. Power, we found ou rselves quiteunable to comply with its terms. It had become nece ssary to usesome of cash in hand in purchasing provisions for t he orphans; andthis with the cessation of receipts, was rapidly de pleting theTreasury. Even if we could have made the first paym ent, we shouldhave done not only with the almost certainty of los ing the moneythus paid, consequence of not being able to make th e other payments,but, with the fair prospect of bringing the childre n to absolutewant. No other course was left us, therefore, but t o decline thepurchase. The agent of Mr. Speed demanded the fulfi llment of thecontract, and informed us that if the first payment was not madeby the first of January, he would turn us out, and would rent thepremises to other parties; and would not thereafter , for anyconsideration, either rent or sell us the property. Here was atrial of our faith and of our resources and here, t oo, we saw inthe end the wisdom and the strange, but wise Provid ence of ourHeavenly Father. This very extremity wrought our de liverance. Wewere confident of the rectitude and wisdom of our d ecision, andwe trusted to time and a kind Providence to vindica te our course.We were not disappointed, nor did we have long to w ait. But at thetime, the prospect of two hundred children, turned out in midwinter, to suffer from the chilling blasts, and rai ns, and snowsof that inclement season, was harrowing in the extr eme. Ouranxieties were intense. But, in the midst of these perplexities,we learned that possibly we could secure the Govern ment buildings,one mile north, of Lauderdale Station. We had long had our eyeupon those buildings, and had used every exertion t o secure them,but had hitherto failed. Our necessities opened the way to their

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final possession. An effort was immediately made in that direction.In the meantime the agent of Mr. Speed was also ind uced to changehis terms. He proposed as his ultimatum, to rent us the old propertyfor one year and no less a time, for the sum of $1, 500 cash, anda policy of insurance on the buildings for $6,000. This propositionwe of course could not accept. Our efforts, however , to obtainthe Government buildings were soon successful. An o rder was obtainedfrom General Ames to dispose of them at public sale on the 27thof January, and they were purchased by our agent fo r the sum of$558. They are worth ten times the amount we paid f or them.

The land on which these buildings stand, belongs as yet toparties in Indiana. They are anxious to sell, and i t can bepurchased at reasonable figures. There are 120 acre s in the tract.We have, also, purchased 260 acres adjacent to this , of good rateland, for $3,000 payments, in two equal annual inst allments. Wenow consider the Home permanently located.

We have a beautiful site, with plenty of land for p resentpurposes. The land is as productive as any in that section of theState, and the timber the best in the whole region. There is asufficiency of the best pine and oak to put up ten times the numberof buildings we shall ever need, and then have enou gh left forfencing and fuel. If we had the means to suitably i mprove thislocation, we could make it a little paradise for ou r orphans.Commanding in position, healthy, well watered, and easily accessible,with a comparatively small expense, it can be made not only acomfortable but an elegant Home for the destitute o rphans of ourland.

Many may be anxious to know the estimated cost of f ullyequipping the new Home. We can of course only appro ximate thefigures, and yet we think we can reach a point of e xactnesssufficient for all practical purposes If we had $20 ,000 to be spentin the erection of buildings, and $5,000 to pay for land and otherimprovements, the Board are confident, that, with t his expenditure,they would be prepared to accommodate at least four hundredchildren. Our friends in Kentucky are proposing to spend $100,00000 in the purchase of land and the erection of buil dings in thecity of Louisville, and then will not be able to ac commodate morethan one hundred children. Yet they consider it a w ise investment.How economical our expenditure compared with theirs . With one-fourth the amount invested we can care for four tim es as manyorphans. And with us, when they leave the Home, the y will beprepared in every case, so far as capacity will per mit, to takecare of themselves. For each will have acquired a u seful andprofitable vocation, as well as a suitable mental t raining. Weare confident that no Orphan Asylum in the land wil l compare incheapness with the expenditure, which we propose to make. NoCollege with an equal number of students can be est ablished on apermanent foundation for three times the money. The above estimatesare of course outside the annual cost of support.Bu t it shouldbe remembered that we propose to manage the Institu tion, that thisannual cost shall gradually diminish to a small amo unt, and ifpossible to zero. And then the whole amount need no t be securedand expended all at once. The present buildings can be used untilbetter ones can be provided. We can have time in w hich

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to accomplish our plans. Yet it should not be over looked thatsome of this work needs to be done immediately. We should makea beginning at once. The lands should be paid for, and some newbuildings are absolutely required. The children are too much crowdedin their present quarters, and we are compelled to refuse admittanceto many who imperatively need the benefits of the H ome. We havemade some progress towards the independence or self support of theHome. We have planted this year 125 acres in cotton , 30 acres incorn and oats, besides other small crops and a larg e garden. Wehave set out 2,000 fruit trees, and planted 3 acres in grape vines,all of which are doing well. We, also, have commenc ed a smallnursery, which we hope to make remunerative. Influe nced somewhatby the judgment of experienced nurserymen and fruit growers, itis the intention of the Board to extend operations in these linesuntil we make the Home as near self-supporting as i t can be made.We need, however, more stock of every description, such as mules,horses, hogs and cows. Friends of the Home cannot d o us a greaterfavor than to contribute something that will aid us in working theland and feeding the children.

One of the most efficient means of self-support, is theOrphans' Home Banner. The amount of revenue derived directly fromprofit on it as profit on its publication is consid erable, and ithas proved to be the best agent we have had in the field duringthe year. The good it has done is incalculable, not merely inbringing contributions into the treasury but in dis seminating justviews of the character and aims of the Home. Its ci rculation oughtto be quadruple what it is. How easy it would be fo r its friendsto make it more than this, if they would but make t he effort. Weurge this with emphasis upon every lover of the Hom e. By laboringto increase the circulation of the Banner, the most tender femalecan do as much towards feeding the hungry and cloth ing the nakedas the most robust and energetic man. Will not the lady friendsof the Banner run its circulation up to ten thousan d during theyear? They can do it if they will to do it. The pap er is worthyof patronage because of its intrinsic merit; it is worthy ofpatronage because of the good it accomplishes in th e cause of theorphan.

We must, however, still depend for some years to co me mainlyon the charities of the people for the sustenance o f the Home. Itwould be wrong to create any other impression. The Home must passthrough the period of childhood before it can reach the vigorousand independent state of manhood. A slow and health y growth isbetter than a precocious one. And do the best we ma y in the wayof self support, it will nevertheless doubtless alw ays make somesmall demand upon our charities. And why should we wish it otherwise?Benevolence is a God-like attribute, and the more w e exercise itin the right spirit, the more like God we become. W e ought to bethankful for opportunities like this of developing our betternatures. This Home, if we sustain it as we should, will make usbetter men, better citizens, and better Christians. Of all typesof men, the penurious and niggardly are the meanest and farthestfrom the Kingdom of Heaven. The Home, while it bles ses the orphan,equally blesses those who sustain it. It will be a sad

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commentary on the character and Christianity of our people, shouldthey permit it to suffer for want of support. We de sire here tomake special acknowledgment to the Masonic Fraterni ty of the State,for the very liberal contributions received from th at source sincethe foundation of the Home, especially during the p ast year; andwe have no doubt that the fact of there being nearl y one hundredchildren now at the Home who are the orphans of Mas ons, will continueto invite the Charitable offerings of that great an d noble brotherhood.

RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURESAmount of hand, June 1, 1869 $2,624.47Received from agents 3,651.25Received from Masonic sources 2,363.88Subscriptions to Banner 1,863.37From all other source 3,603.62Total amount received $14,106.59

DISBURSEMENTSFreights and express charges $1,176.93Printing and office supplies 1,183.99Employees of Home 2,180.90Agents 700.00A.D. Trimble to purchase team 500.00Paid for team to stock the farm 560.00Rent of Springs property six months 500.00Paid for buildings 558.00Attorney’ fee in Hurlbutt suit, ec., 200.00Paid for seeking a new location 270.00General supplies 5,553.00Total disbursements $13,382.61Balance on hand $723.98

COMPROMISEWe are happy to announce that the suit which we bro ught last

year against Hurlbutt, Sturges & Co., has been ami cably settled.Mr. Sturges agrees to pay back all he received in h is own name andin the name of Elder J.R. Graves, amounting to $2,6 10. Mr. Hurlbuttpays back $1,500 in three equal annual installments ; Duncan paysback $700 in three equal annual payments, making in all $4,810returned to the Home. Only $1000 of this was paid i n cash; thebalance is well secured. We trust this arrangement will meet yourapprobation. We are greatly indebted to Judge T. Re avis, ofGainesville, Alabama, for the accomplishment of thi s result, who,without fee or reward, served as peace maker on the occasion ofthe settlement. Special thanks are also due to Mess rs. Hamm & Evans,our attorneys, for faithful discharge of their duti es, and for theirefforts in securing the compromise.

Strange as it may seem, complaints have reached us from twoopposite sources, with regard to the denominational control of theInstitution. One party complains that it is too den ominational, theother it is not enough so. It is of course impossib le to satisfyboth parties, and the present management seems to s atisfy neither.This, however, may be the result of not understandi ng the plan onwhich the Home is conducted, and the causes, which led to the

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adoption of this plan. It will not be out of place, therefore,to give a brief history of the origin of the Instit ution as itnow exists.

During the year 1864 the subject of establishing a Home orAsylum for the destitute orphans of Confederate sol diers, wasgenerally discussed in the public papers throughout the State.Public meetings were held to deliberate upon the ma tter, one atJackson, called at the instance of Governor Clark, and one atColumbus, of which Bishop Green was Chairman, or in which he tooka prominent part. The object of these meetings, was to unite alldenominations in the support of a Home in such a wa y that no onedenomination would have a superior control. After a thoroughcanvassing of the whole subject by the leading mind s of the State,the opinion seemed to be quite general that it coul d not be done.It was thought best by some that some one denominat ion shouldbecome responsible for its origin and management, w ho would conductit in such a manner, if possible, as to unite all h earts in itssupport. The Baptists, being perhaps, the strongest denominationin the State, voluntarily undertook to do this. The MississippiBaptist State Convention met at Crawfordsville, Oct ober 26th, 1864,and inaugurated measures which resulted in establis hing the Homeat Lauderdale. The Charter gives the entire control to thisConvention. The Convention appoints the Board of Tr ustees, onethird of them every year, thus becoming responsible for the Characterof the Board and the success or failure of the Inst itution. Theyhave the power of reviewing the action of the Board as often andas critically as they choose, and of directing them in their lineof policy. It has been thought best by the Conventi on hitherto,in appointing these trustees, to give leading membe rs of otherdenominations a place upon the Board. The Board thu s constituted,has endeavored to manage the Institution an accorda nce with theplan thus indicated by the appointing power, in the spirit ofcatholic Christianity. No just cause of offense has been given tothese gentlemen of other persuasions who have been associated withus. And we bear cheerful testimony to the fact that they have beenfaithful and true to the interests of the Home. Som e of them havebeen among the most laborious and self-sacrificing of our number.Every measure of the Board, so far as we know, has met theircordial approbation. We have labored together as Ch ristians andphilanthropists, and not as Baptists and Pedobaptis ts.

Where, then, is there any cause for complaint? With all thisunlimited control of the Institution, the Baptists demand that itshould be made more thoroughly Baptist in its inter nal administration,and its religious influences. And the Pedobaptists, notwithstandingall this yielding to their wishes and views, in con ducting theInstitution in the interests of no one denomination , demand thatit shall be entirely severed from the control of th e Convention,and either made self-perpetuating in its Board, or placed in otherhands. We have reference in the above to Baptists a nd Pedobaptistsoutside the present Board of Trustees? The pressur e is fromwithout, not from within, but it is strong, and can not be ignored.Official deliverances from the ecclesiastical organ izations of ourPedobaptist Brethren, and a mighty ground-swell com ing from theBaptist brotherhood, throughout the State, have for ced the issue

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upon us. Both parties may be unreasonable; but they must be heard;and if they cannot be satisfied that the present po licy is wisest,then some new policy must be adopted. The Board is placed undervery embarrassing circumstances; they can turn neit her to the righthand nor to the left; on the one hand Scylla, on th e other Charybdis;in front the boisterous sea, behind the wailing cry of helplessorphanage; the current running across our course, a nd threateningto engulf us. What are we to do? Shall we lie on o ur oars andmiserably founder amid the contending waves? Or sha ll we nerve ourarms anew and strike out through the storm to the l ight and thecalm beyond? To perish would be cowardly. There is a glorious futurebefore us, if we prove ourselves worthy of the occa sion. We appealto the Convention for instruction.

We cannot close this report without bearing our ren ewed testimonyto the faithfulness and efficiency of our worthy Su perintendent,his devoted wife, and all their assistants. They ha ve labored withuntiring zeal amid many discouragements, and deserv e the prayers,and sympathy and hearty cooperation of all the good people of thestate.

Whatever policy the Convention may adopt with regar d to thefuture management of the Home, it seems to us that there can bebut one sentiment with regard to its continuance an d ultimateenlargement. It is the only asylum in the State not under Catholiccontrol. It has long been a reproach to anti-Cathol ics that theyhave not cared for the poor, as the spirit and teac hings of theGospel demand. Shall there remain any just grounds in this Statefor such a reproach? Is it possible that the five o r ten thousandorphans of the State shall be permitted to grow in ignorance, tobecome, perhaps, the victims of vice and crime, wit hout some adequateeffort being made for their relief? It would be a s hame if the fiftythousand Baptists alone, could not successfully mai ntain the Home;but when we add to these as many more from other ch urches and fromno church at all, to let it fail or even suffer for want of support,would mark us with a pusillanimity that would deser ve the contemptof the world. Twenty-five cents from each of one hu ndred thousandmen and women of Mississippi, would give us an inco me of $25,000.And can we not do that? Then let us blush for our c ivilization tosay nothing of our Christianity. The commonest inst incts of humanityshould prompt us to care for the helpless offspring of the departeddead. When these offspring come to our very doors, in tatters andrags, and stretch out their emaciated hands, and li ft their pale,yearning faces to ours, imploring our assistance, h ow can we turnthem away? The fathers, many of them, fought side b y, rode withyou on the ensanguined field and today are sleeping in bloody graves,their lives a sacrifice for us and our children. We cannot, we mustnot, we will not deny them the shelter, the food an d raiment, theculture, which they ask at our hands; but the Home which, througha generous Providence, is permitted to shelter a fe w of these shornlambs from the pitiless storm, shall ere long throw its protectingarms of virtue and religion around its thousands.

W.S. WEBB, Secretary of Board

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1870 - Extracts from the Address of Grand Master T. S. Gathrightto the Grand Lodge of Mississippi are presented bel ow:

ORPHANS' HOMEThis Institution...has been laboring under peculiar circumstancesfor the lastseveral months...The title to the Home property pro ved to beworthless, and by a decree of the U.S. District Cou rt, was,on the 15th of July, sold, and passed out of the ha nds of theBoard of Trustees...I have only this to say of this institution:I have the honor to be president of the Board of Tr ustees,and it is my candid opinion, that I have never seen anycharity, public or private, managed more carefully andeconomically. Bro. S.S. Granberry, the Superintende nt of theHome...has given no large sum of money, but, cuttin g himselfaloof from the world, his pure life and benevolent heart havemade darkness light before hundreds of poor little staggering,fatherless, motherless children.

1870 CensusLAUDERDALE SPRINGS CONFEDERATE ORPHANS’ HOME

NAMES AGE SEX RACE BORN OCCUPATIONGranberry, Simeon S. 41 M W MS

SuperintendentElizabeth M. 35 F W NC Keeping HouseHenry J. 15 M W MSJames A. 14 M W UnknownSimeon S. 11 M W MSLaura A. 4 F W MSDelia 14 F W MS

Owen, Adelia 35 F W TN LaborerLafayette 12 F W MSMary 11 F W MSJames 6 M W MS

Melton, Martha A. 40 F W AL Domes t i c Se rvan tRobert A. 13 M W MSCarrie 11 F W MSMartin 8 M W MS

Smith, Christina 33 F W LA Domes t i c Se rvan tFrank 12 M W LADella 10 F W LAMaggie 8 F W LA

O’Brien, Susan 54 F W MS Domes t i c Se rvan tAmbrose 15 M W MSWilliam 13 M W MSGeorge 9 M W MS

Jones, Sallie F. 43 F W TN Domes t i c Se rvan tMelissa 11 F W MSEmma 9 F W MSWillie 7 M W MS

Barrett, Virginia 38 F W MS Domes t i c Se rvan tNora 5 F W MS

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NAMES AGE SEX RACE BORN OCCUPATIONKellum, Joshua 10 M W MS

George 8 M W MSGranthamn, Nancy 30 F W Unknown Domestic Servant

Mary 10 F W MSJohn 8 M W MSJames D. 6 M W MS

Willaims, Mary C. 30 F W MS TeacherCarrie 11 F W MSJuda 9 F W MSElizabeth D. 7 F W AL

Thigpen, Moses J. 30 M W MS LaborerIsabella 25 F W MSIda B. 1 F W MS

Wonham, Andrew 45 M W MSWelch, Mary J. 43 F W AL TeacherDavis, Theresa 32 F W TN TeacherAtkins, Thomas 13 M W AL

Joseph 10 M W ALAnderson, Etta 14 F W MS

Susan M. 11 F W MSGates 9 M W MSSallie 7 F W MS

Berry, George 14 M E UnknownAnna 15 F W Unknown

Beason, Bettie 10 F W MSPara Sue 8 F W MS

Bearden, Mary 14 F W MSCurtis, Job 13 M W MS

William 12 M W MSIsaac 10 M W MS

Crosby, Perry 12 M W MSMatilda 10 F W MS

Dunlap, John 13 M W MSMary 11 F W MS

Downer, Winnie 10 F W MSJohn 8 M W MS

Davis, Alice 10 F W MSFeston 8 M W MSNancy 6 F W MS

Drake, Mary 11 F W MSWesley 10 M W MSHenry 8 M W MS

Dehan, Minnie 8 F W MSEllis, Thomas 10 M W MS

Mattie 7 F W MSFisher, Synthia 12 F W MSFredrick, Anna 8 F W MSGrantham, Martha 15 F W MS

Alice 13 F W MSGreen, Judson 14 M W MS

Lafayette 12 M W MSIda 11 F W MSJohn 9 M W MS

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NAMES AGE SEX RACE BORN OCCUPATIONGreen (continued)

Charles 7 M W MSJames 5 M W MS

Goodwyn, John 11 M W ALEunice 9 F W ALThomas 7 M W AL

Gartham(?), Leona 10 F W MSViola 8 F W MS

Gosey, Debba 7 F W MSGlasgow, Fannie 10 F W MS

Karie 8 F W MSHowell, Rufus 16 M W MS

Maggie 13 F W MSHasty, Wayman 17 M W MS

Mary F. 15 F W MSJane 13 F W MSNancy 10 F W MSBenjamin 4 M W MS

Hogan, William H. 15 M W TNMellie L. 12 F W TN

Hillyer, James 11 M W ALHenely, Albert 11 M W MS

William 9 M W MSHarris, Ella 10 F W MS

Henry 7 M W MSHoy, Ellen 10 F W MS

Missouri 8 F W MSHudson, Eugenia 12 F W MS

Lizzie 11 F W MSJosey 10 F W MSMary J. 9 F W MSThomas 7 M W MSHarvey 6 M W MS

Hightower, Jersey 10 F W MSTiny 8 F W MS

Jameson, Nancy 12 F W MSJones, Lizzie 9 F W MS

Jefferson D. 7 M W MSJones, Lastley 12 M W MS

Jasper 12 M W MSHenry 10 M W MSAndrew 8 M W MS

Jones, Anna 8 F W MSJoyner, William 12 M W AL

John 10 M W ALEdward 8 M W AL

Johnson, James 11 M W ALGlover 9 M W ALHarper 8 M W AL

Knight, Sarah 16 F W MSAlbert 14 M W MSElizabeth 11 F W MS

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NAMES AGE SEX RACE BORN OCCUPATIONKnight(Continued)

Henry 10 M W MSLewis, Mary 18 F W ALLee, Nancy 10 F W MS

Joseph 10 M W MSLadd, Sallie 10 F W MSScott, Luther 14 M W MS

Josie 12 F W MSLangford, Nicodemmous 11 M W MSMcGee, Sylalva 15 F W MS

Addie 13 F W MSMcDonlad, Amanda 13 F W MSMoore, Semele 13 F W MS

James 12 M W MSWilliam 11 M W MSSidney 9 M W MS

Mason, Kate 11 F W MSMorris, Vestuka 12 F W MSMixon, John 13 M W MS

Henry 11 M W MSMary 10 F W MSJane 8 F W MS

McKenzie, Molly 9 F W MSMeador, Malcolm 18 M W AR

Daniel 15 M W ARAlonzo 13 M W ARDave 11 M W AR

Owen, Thomas 12 M W MSRobert 10 M W MS

Porter, Mary 14 F W MSRiley 11 M W MS

Peavy, Sallie 13 F W MSPope, Pattie 10 F W MSPopham, Susan 11 F W MSPearson, Rebecca 13 F W MS

Jackie 11 F W MSJohnnie 9 F W MS

Purvis, Sallie 12 F W MSPearson, Maggie 10 F W MS

Cassie 8 F W MSRobinson, Mary 14 F W MSRoy, Charles 12 M W MS

Mary 10 F W MSRobert 9 M W MS

Reynolds, Priscilla 11 F W MSJane 9 F W MS

Spellings, Geneva 14 F W MSSwain, Jerry 12 M W MSSmith, George 11 M W MSSaunders, Tucker 10 M W MS

Lee 8 M W MSSumrall, Nancy 12 F W AL

James 11 M W AL-141-

NAMES AGE SEX RACE BORN OCCUPATIONSumrall(continued)

Malcolm 9 M W ALSherman, Rosanna 12 F W MS

Arena 10 F W MSAnna 8 F W MS

Shelly, Theodosia 12 F W MSVictoria 10 F W ALLovey 8 F W AL

Simpson, Carrie 9 F W MSWatson, Lucy 14 F W MSWhite, Lucretia 16 F W MS

Nancy 14 F W MSCaroline 12 F W MS

White, Daniel 10 M W MSAbraham 8 M W MS

Travis, Dallas 10 M W MSWooten, John 12 M W MS

William 10 M W MSElizabeth 8 F W MS

Weaver, Malinda 12 F W MSMattie 10 F W MS

Williams, Martha 15 F W ALSarah 13 F W ALNancy 11 F W ALKittie 11 F W AL

Woodruff, Sallie 8 F W MSWard, Ophelia 8 F W MS

Mary H. 7 F W MSWalker, Henry 8 M W MSHenson, Moose 42 M B VA Laborer

1871 MISSISSIPPI BAPTIST CONVENTIONSIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THEBOARD OF TRUSTEES OFTHE ORPHANS HOME

The Orphans' Home still lives! And it lives in vigo rous andelastic growing strength. Twelve months ago it was in great peril.Its best friends almost despaired of its success. N o one doubtedthat great good had been accomplished, and that the re was an almostimperative necessity for the continuance of the Ins titution; all,we believe sincerely, desired its perpetuation. But the denominationalstatus of the Institution needed to be more satisfa ctorily defined.A large majority of the Board favored this definiti on. In yourcapacity as legal guardian at your last Annual Sess ion, you determinedupon this course. The Board cheerfully acquiesced i n your decision,and the present condition of the Home attests the w isdom of youraction. The little weakling has become strong, and is steadilygrowing stronger. Coming out of the ordeal of trial through whichit has passed, it has gone on its way rejoicing. It has lost noold friends, it has gained many new ones. Its young and tenderlimbs are plethoric and active. People of every nam e and order,now strive to promote its welfare. The rattle of it s voice, andthe echo of its songs, has been heard and responded to, its acts

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of unselfish love, from the Mississippi to the Atla ntic, from theGreat Gulf to the Ohio. The brotherhood of the myst ic tie havebound it with new cords of love to their large, war m hearts, andto them we are greatly indebted for the success whi ch has crownedour efforts. Friends love it more than ever; passin g strangerssmile upon and caress it, and the child, now health y and strong,is growing in the grace of all the people.

We have not, during the past year, made any very ge neral effortto secure through State and local agents, the contr ibutions of thepeople. Except for a short time, we have had no suc h agent in thefield, and yet our receipts are largely in excess o f those of formeryears. Material aid has been received through the M asonic Fraternity,and from other sources without any appeal on our pa rt.

This inspires us with the belief that the Home has a placein the hearts of the people which will insure its p ermanentusefulness. Means have been largely provided also, through theagency of the orphans themselves. A band of about t hirty Orphans,under the direction of Rev. A.D. Trimble, have visi ted variousportions of the land giving a series of musical ent ertainments forthe benefit of the Institution. They have been kind ly, and evenenthusiastically received wherever they have gone. The sum receivedfrom this source to this time, in cash and supplies amounts to over$1,6000. Through this instrumentality the land on which the buildingnow stand has been purchased and the balance due on the formerpurchase has been canceled. We have now 380 acres o f land entirelyour own. We commence the seventh year of our histor y with no debtof any kind hanging over us, and with a respectable balance in thetreasury.

As the titles to all our property are now clear and undoubtedand the denominational character of the Institution has been clearlydefined and is well understood; as we are entirely free of debt,and there is nothing to turn away the public attent ion from ourlegitimate work; and as the Institution possesses t he confidenceso far as we know, of all classes of the community, we think wesee a wider field of usefulness opening before us, so that we canconfidently rely upon the charities of the people f or our futuresupport.

While a general success has thus characterized our operationsduring the year, have not been without concern. Dea th has enteredour household and taken away one whom we most relie d an the conductof the Institution. Just as prosperity was once mor e within ourgrasp, our horizon was suddenly dimmed by the. sudd en death of ourexcellent Superintendent, Prof. S.S. Granberry. It is true, for along time he had been in precarious health, yet we still hoped toenjoy, for months at least, the benefits of his exp erience. ButGod's ways were not as our ways, and on the 13th of January last,he rested from the labors below to the rest and the reward above.

Bro. Granberry was an eminently good and true man, and peculiarlyqualified for the position which he filled. He was a benefactorof his race. He leaves a noble legacy to his childr en and to theworld. His character and life are worthy of commend ation. He wasa man in whom you could implicitly confide. He was modest andunassuming, gentle as a child in all his actions wi th others,

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yet firm as the rock in times of trial. The highest eulogy we canpronounce upon him, is to say that he was true man, a Christian.He rests from his labors and his works do follow hi m.The Board considers themselves fortunate in having secured theservices of Capt. T.J. Dupree to supply the place o f the lamentedGranberry. We believe him eminently qualified for t he position,and believe the Home will be prosperous under his a dministration.

We compile, the following Financial Statement from the Reportsof Superintendent and Treasurer.

RECEIPTSIn hands of Supt. S.S.G. $1,669.98In the hands of Treas. T.J.D. 723.00Received on BANNER 1,321.85From T. Sturges, on Compromise 810.00From Judge Hamm, Twilley suit 202.00From 19 bales Cotton 1,289.90Through Rev. A. D. Trimble 1 2,111.18From all other sources 2,307.82

$20,496.19DISBURSEMENTSExpress charges and freights $848.62To Supt. and employees 1,351.25Salaries of employees for this year 4,816.25Payment on land 4,000.00Expense of printing BANNER 720.74Farming implements 4,067.95Balance on hand 4.385.55 20,496.10

It will be seen from the above exhibit that the fin ances ofthe institution are in a healthy condition. We are out of debt,and there was on May 1st, a surplus in the treasury of $4,385.55.We have reason to thank God and take courage. The e xpendituresfor the year may seem larger than usual, really thi s is not so.The time embraced in Reports of Treasurer and Super intendent is13 months instead of 12 months. This is done in ord er to make ourfinancial year commence with May 1st instead of Apr il 1st as lastyear. Subtract from the whole amount of the old deb ts we have beencompelled to pay and the amount paid out for land, and theexpenditures will become to be really less than las t year.

We again call attention to the Banner. Its circula tion isby no means what it ought, to be. No paper can succ eed if itsfriends are indifferent to its success. We are not able to payagents large salaries to canvass it and yet we prop ose to dosomething in this direction. In a few weeks a list of programswill be announced which we hope will stimulate the children atleast to an earnest canvass in behalf of the paper. Other improvementswill also be introduced which we trust will only ma ke it moreinteresting to older people, but emphatically the c hildren's paperof the State.

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We do not propose simply to congratulate ourselves on whatwe have accomplished, and be satisfied to rest on o ur laurels.We can but rejoice in what God has permitted us to do, but werecognize that there is work, much hard work, yet b efore. Toinsure the permanent success of the Home, we must h ave buildingsmore suitable to our purposes than those we now occ upy. To passanother winter in the buildings as they now are, wo uld be to exposethe children to extreme suffering. We must either d iminish ournumber or furnish better accommodations for. a port ion of thenumber we now have. We can put up a building this s ummer, if weare not compelled to use the funds we now have on h and for thepurchase of general supplies. If our friends will f urnish us foodand clothing for the orphans, with the money now in the treasurywe can make them comparatively comfortable for the next year. Wehave determined to devote the present surplus to th e erection ofsuitable buildings; asking our friends and the orph an's God andFather for our want.

We hope it will not be forgotten then, that for the next twoor three years we shall have two uses for money. 1s t, The ordinaryexpenses of the Institution. 2nd, For the erection of new buildings.Without these buildings it will be impossible to ac hieve any greatdegree of success; with them success will be almost assured. Wecan surely raise all the funds we need, if we trust God and makethe effort. Out people are kind and Christian in th eir feelingsand sympathies, and they will not let the orphans s uffer if theirwants are brought before them. If we can do it, we ought to doit. It would be a shame to cease our efforts when s uccess is sonearly within our reach. We cannot think of letting the home failthrough weariness in well doing. It pays to serve God. There isnothing lost in giving to the poor. God will bless him who blessesthe needy. We cannot then; we must not, we will not go backwardin this good work. Every patriotic and philanthrop ic heart saysso to such a proposition. Every impulse of our bett er natures andof our Christian manhood bids us go forward. And by the grace ofGod, we are determined to yield to these holy impul ses until theOrphans' Home of the State of Mississippi has becom e one of theproudest monuments of Christianity in our Southern land.W. S. WEBB, Secretary

1871 CHOCTAW ASSOCIATIONREPORT ON THE ORPHANS' HOME

Your Committee would report that the Home still liv es andwishes to be remembered by the Association. In a le tter writtento our moderator on the 12 instant, the Treasurer o f the Homesays,

Having used the old buildings as long as they were safe, andmuch longer than they were comfortable, it becomes necessary toabandon some of them, and provide something else to take care ofour children, and we are having the additional expe nse of tryingto build. Our buildings though substantial will be of the cheapestcharacter. A three story brick house, with accommod ations for morethan one hundred children, will not cost exceeding four thousanddollars, perhaps not more than three thousand dolla rs. I verilybelieve it will be the cheapest house, public or pr ivate, evererected in the State.

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The Home is out of corn, out of meat, and has very littlemoney in the treasury. Every pound of meat used for the last fivemonths has been bought, and so of the bread. I woul d ask of youto bring to the notice of the Choctaw Association t he followingresolutions adopted by the Columbus Association at its recentsession:

RESOLVED, That we recommend every church in the Ass ociationto provide for the support of one orphan at the Hom e, or such aportion of that support as it may be able to provid e annually; thatthe pastor or someone one appointed by him, or elec ted by thechurch, collect the amount annually, and forward it to the Treasurerof the Home.

RESOLVED, That the person also solicit subscription s for theOrphans' Home Banner.

Brethren, shall we not respond to this call? Shall we notprovide shelter, food and raiment for those dear ch ildren? We havedone something; let us not be weary in well doing. May the Lordopen our hearts to take care of those fatherless an d motherlesschildren.Respectfully submitted,J.E. WHITE, Chairman

1871 LOUISVILLE BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONYour Committee on the Orphans' Home, should beg lea ve to

report; That this institution has shared a degree o f prosperityin so much, that its original indebtedness has been paid off. Itnow has about two hundred orphans to provide for. T his Home commendsitself to every friend of hapless children, and sho uld receive notonly our prayers, but our sympathy and support. You r Committeewould also recommend the "Orphan’ Home Banner" to t he patronageof our people, as by it they will be informed with reference toits worth.

1871 - Extracts from the Address of the M.W. Grand Master tothe Grand Lodge o f Miss iss ipp i a re inc luded be low:

I again call your attention to the Orphans' Home. A year agothis Institution was in danger of being lost to the little oneswhom it sheltered, and to whom it was not only in n ame, but in deedand in truth, a Home. That crisis has passed. By th e exertions ofa few of the orphans themselves guided by kind frie nds, fundssufficient to pay for the property have been raised and a goodtitle is now vested in the Trustees. But though rel ieved in thisrespect, its necessities are still great. The inmat es of the Homemust be fed, clothed and educated. Many of them are children ofour brothers; all of them are helpless, destitute o rphans...Letme suggest that each Lodge pledge itself to the sup port of one ofthese children.

1872 MISSISSIPPI BAPTIST CONVENTIONSEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OFTHE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ORPHANS' HOME

We regret to state that the anticipations with whic h wecommenced our financial year, twelve months ago, ha ve not beenfully realized. Our cash receipts at that time wer e largely in

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and we were inspired with the belief that the Home had a placein the hearts of the people, which would insure its permanentusefulness. Our confidence, however, did not lessen our exertionsto provide the means for carrying into execution ou r generousplans. An extensive correspondence was kept up with leading brethrenof the State; circulars were issued setting forth o ur wants; appealswere made through the press; the claims of the Home were urgedbefore every Association in the State where we coul d find brethreninterested enough to act for us; and the little ban d of orphansunder the direction of Mr. Tremble, so successful l ast year, wascontinued in the field; and yet, in spite of all th ese efforts,the 22d of December found our treasury exhausted, w ith no immediateprospect of relief. The people had apparently come to the conclusionthat the little band of Orphan Warblers were amply able to supportthe Home without their aid. A few hundred dollars w ere all wereceived from other sources from June to October, a nd less thaneighteen hundred dollars from this source. Our appe als to thebrethren were not generally responded to. Nine-tent hs of thedenomination gave us nothing, and, so far as we cou ld judge, usedno exertions in our behalf. Again and again we rene wed our entreatiesfor help. We plead with them in the name of the orp hans themselves;we plead with them in the name of the Master, who s aid: "I wasahungered and you gave me no meat; I was thirsty an d ye gave meno drink, I was a stranger and ye took me not in; n aked and yeclothed me not." And, with all the emphasis that we could command,we reminded them that "inasmuch as they did it not to the leastof these, they did it not to Him." But almost in va in did we thusplea. The denomination, as a body, seemed to be imm ovable.

Just at this juncture in our affairs, when our reso urces hadall apparently well nigh failed, and we knew not wh ether to turnthe right hand or to the left, the annual meeting o f the Boardfor the election of officers and other purposes occ urred. Somemembers of the Board, after consultation, had deter mined to introduceat that meeting the subject ofTRANSFERRING THE HOMETO THE MASONS

The Secretary, therefore, in giving the usual notic e of themeeting, stated explicitly, in a written communicat ion to eachmember, that this subject would be brought before t he Board fortheir consideration. To one member, however, Elder J. Hamberlin,this notice was, we regret to say, not given. As is quite common,a bare quorum was in attendance. The subject was in troduced, andfairly and thoroughly discussed. No one present wis hed the statusof the Home changed, if it could be avoided; all mo st decidedlypreferred that it should remain in the hands of its present legalowners. But we had evidently reached a crisis, in o ur history.We could not continue our work without funds; these funds couldnot be obtained. The legal guardians of the institu tion, theBaptists of the State would not heed our cries for help. We couldnot reasonably expect others to continue their aid unless theBaptists rendered more liberal aid themselves, And even if we mightexpect the same generous cooperation on part of oth ers, this alonewould not sustain the Home. It was plain that the B aptists mustdo more than they had been doing, or we must give u p the enterprise.

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If the Baptists would not sustain the institution, it was thoughtthat perhaps the Masons would. One thing was certai n; the orphanscould not live on even the most tender expressions of regard.Of such, there was no lack, but at the same time th ere were nogreenbacks in the treasury; there was no bread for hungry mouths;no clothing for tender limbs, and the most urgent a ppeals hadfailed to secure them. The chilling winds of winter were alreadyhowling through every crevice of our rickety buildi ngs, and thechildren sometimes slept with the literal snow for a covering,or piled in drifts in their cheerless rooms, while the work uponthe new building was compelled to stop for want of funds to purchasematerial. When we saw the denomination, who had bee n repeatedlyinformed with regard to the condition of the Home, turning coldlyaway, and saying by their indifference, that they w ere willingto see the orphans thus suffer, rather than give of their meansfor their support, could we come to any other concl usion than thatthey did not intend to sustain the Home? We do not mean to saythat we believe they wished to see the orphans suff er, but thatthey preferred somebody else would relieve them. Wh o, knowing allthe facts in the case, and hearing the cries of nea rly two hundredchildren for bread, which we did not have to give t hem, would havehesitated to accept, so far as in them lay, the fir st feasibleplan for escape from impending ruin? Our conclusion s, however,and consequent action, we freely acknowledge, may h ave been wrong.We may not have read the signs of the times aright. And may havejudged too hastily. We claim no infallibility. Happ y are we ifour action shall result in arousing and uniting our might-beinvincible denomination in a hearty, general, syste matic andsuccessful effort to establish the Home upon a sure and permanentbasis. What we have thus had to say of our denomina tion may seemtoo severe. The resolution embodying its action, up on this subject,reads as follows:

Resolved, That in order to secure a more hearty coo perationof people of the State in support of the Orphans' H ome of theState of Mississippi, we, the Board of Trustees of said Home,hereby, nominate and appoint Past Grand Master Thos . S. Gathright,President of this Board, a Special Committee to rep resent to theM.W. Grand Lodge, at its next annual Communication, our willingnessas a Board to transfer to that Body the Orphans Hom e; with allits property, franchises and solemn trusts; provid ed the BaptistState Convention, at its next annual session in Jun e, agree tomake the transfer; and provided further, that the G rand Lodge iswilling to accept it.

From this resolution, with its provisos, the Conven tion willsee that the Board did not give the Home away, nor even proposeto do so. We are simply Trustees, and we have no ri ght thus todispose of our solemn trust; but we did have the ri ght to say tothe Grand Lodge that we would transfer the Home to them if thisConvention should authorize it. Indeed, if you shou ld authorizeit, we could not do otherwise than transfer it. We simply saidwe would obey your behests, when they should be asc ertained. Ifyou should say, keep the Home, we should endeavor t o keep it; ifyou should say, dispose of it, we should endeavor t o dispose of

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And we wish it distinctly understood that we do not advise nor inany sense desire the transfer of the Home to any ot her Body, ifyou can and will take care it yourselves. We would, however, mostcertainly rather see it live and prosper in the han ds of the nobleMasonic Fraternity than to see it die on our hands . This was themotive that prompted our action, not that we wished the Hometransferred, but that we wished it to live. Our den omination, in.connection with the benevolent of every name and or der, who willcheerfully assist us, is abundantly able to sustain the Home ifthey will. It will be an honor and a blessing for u s to do so. Tocare for God’s poor is a heavenly work and will not lose its rewardVALUE OF THE PROPERTY

As some statements have recently been published wit h regardto value of our property, we give the following as the estimateof the acting Superintendent: Buildings, $10,000; f urniture, bedsand bedding, $1000; stock, $1000; lands, $3000. Tot al $15,000.

The Banner is still published as our organ. It is a valuableaid to the Home. Its editorial department is conduc ted with abilityand success by Miss Mary J. Welsh. Its circulation is by no meansequal to its merits. We again urge the friends of t he Home tointerest the children everywhere in efforts to incr ease itscirculation.

While Capt. T.J. Dupree has been nominally the supe rintendentduring the past year, circumstances have been such that he has beenunable to give much personal attention to the dutie s of his office.These duties have been faithfully and efficiently p erformed byActing Superintendent, Dr. S.P. Kennedy, assisted b y Mrs. S.S.Granberry. We may truly say that but for Dr. Kenned y the Home wouldlong since have ended its mission of mercy. The dom estic arrangementshave been entirely under the direction of Mrs. Gran berry, and shehas proved herself a superior manager and an invalu able assistant. During most of the year, Mr. Trimble has been in t he field withabout thirty orphans, collecting funds for the supp ort and permanentendowment of the Home. While his success has not eq ualed that oflast year, it has not been inconsiderable. Without his efforts,the Home could not have been sustained during the y ear even as wellas it has been. And yet it is doubtful, with some o f the Board andin the public mind, whether this agency ought to be continued.

RECEIPTS OF THE BOARDOn hand as per last report $4,385.5 5Received from sale of brick 741.25Received from Banner 747. 06Received from Masonic source 962.35Through Bro. Trimble's agency 8,433.23From Sturges-balance on note 800.00From all other sources 2,080 .15Total $18,149 .55DISBURSEMENTSExpress charges and freight $1,176.65Salaries of employees 3,863 .25Expense of publishing Banner 587.95Cost of new building 7,977 .56

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Old debts 765.00General repairs 325.00General supplies 5, 573.74Total $20,249.18

In addition to the above, it is proper to state tha t $2,400have been secured as a nucleus for a permanent endo wment. Fromthis statement, it will be seen that at the close o f our financial,year, the Home was in debt $2,099.60, and at the pr esent time,reckoning in all outstanding liabilities, amounts t o about $3,700.How, it may asked, has this debt been contracted? M ost of it hasbeen created by our efforts to complete the much ne eded new building.That building seemed to us necessary, absolutely ne cessary to thecontinuance of the Home. Relying upon the support o f our friends,we formed contracts which we were compelled to meet , or sacrificethe work and the work and money already extended. O ur friends didnot come to our help, as we anticipated, and the co nsequence is aburdensome debt. Another source of the debt may be found in thefact that our current expenses during the year have been somewhatlarger than usual, in consequence of being compelle d to purchasefor cash nearly all our supplies. Our friends did n ot keep ourlarder filled with provisions and our wardrobe with clothing, asthey have generally done. We have been compelled to rely upon themarket, to a great extent, and this has called for a larger supplyof greenbacks than we could command. The indifferen ce of the massof the people to the wants of the Home has also, as we have shown,had much to do in the creation of this debt. The sa me generalinterest that was manifested during the last Conven tional yearwould have kept us above want during the current ye ar. The apparentbelief of the public that Mr. Trimble could supply all our needshas well nigh proved fatal to our prosperity. That the agitationof the question of transferring the Home to the Mas ons has hadmuch, if anything, to do with our diminished receip ts, we do notbelieve, from the fact that the receipts during the last six monthsof the year during which this question has been agi tated, haveexceeded those of the first six months by more than three thousanddollar, Nor is this excess of receipts owing entir ely to Mr.Trimble’s increased success, for the same ratio of increase is seenin/receipts from all other sources.

It is to be hoped, however, that the friends of the friendlesswill not cease to care for these orphans "the poor whom we havealways with us" because of this debt or because of any other presentcomplications of the Home. Let us pay the debt whic h, by ourindifference as a people we have permitted to be co ntracted; andby our continued generous support, aid in training these littleones for usefulness in life and for the enjoyments of heaven. Ifthe Home is to be sustained, however, there must be some welldefined and practical system devised by which its s uccess may beput beyond a peradventure. We cannot rely upon spas modic efforts.Whether it shall be the agency so effectually emplo yed by Mr.Trimble, or some plan that shall more generally rea ch the churches,or whether it shall be both combined, we leave the Convention todetermine. We cannot close the report without beari ng testimonyto the continued kindness and generosity of the Mas ons of the State

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towards the Home. Several Lodges have adopted each an orphan, whomthey agree to support at the Home. The cost of such support is,at the present time, about seventy-five dollars per annum. Weearnestly recommend this method of aiding the Home to the considerationof other Lodges.

W.S. WEBB, Secretary

By a vote of the Convention the supplemental statem ent furnishedby Elder J.B. Hamberlin, in connection with the rep ort of theBoard, was ordered to be printed in the minutes of the Convention,as follows:

A STATEMENT SUPPLEMENTAL TO THF REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THEORPHANS' HOME

The undersigned would respectfully submit the follo wingstatement, with special reference to the supposed n ecessity ofalienating the Home from this Convention.

We believe that the action of the majority of the T rusteespresent at their meeting in December last, by which they suggestedthe transfer of the Home to the Masons, was prompte d by the bestof motives on their part, and that no suspicion can be attachedto their intentions as to the highest good of the o rphans. Thereis no reason whatever to believe that they designed unfairly towrest the Home from the Baptists. The men who intro duced thatresolution, viz.: Messrs. Gathright, Kennedy and Po wer, wereincapable of such motives and intentions. Their lon g and zealouslabors for the orphans of this Home, even when they had no thoughtof its ever being anything else than a Baptist Inst itution, forbidthe least suspicion that they could design to bear a treacherousor ignoble part as Trustees on the Board. Without being called onor requested in any manner, we voluntarily express the foregoingas due to these gentlemen. And the same must be sai d also of everymember who voted with them on this question. At the same time wedid humbly question the wisdom of their judgment, a nd the proprietyof their action. But perhaps two strong cases accou nted for it:

First. Just at that time, a sharp persecution was b eing wagedby a number of prominent secular papers against th e idea that theHome should have only a Baptist for a superintenden t, that itshould be exclusively under the control of Baptists , or any onereligious sect. These strictures were necessarily very unpleasantto those Trustees who were not Baptists, or who wer e members ofother religious bodies, and no doubt increased the suspicion, whichhad perhaps, already frequently occurred to them, a nd to others,whether the Home could be supported under the contr ol of theBaptists.

Second. The extra expenses, already incurred, and t he heavypayments, which were still coming on for settlement , the failureof our Secretary to secure special agents to raise funds in theState, or to secure a suitable response to his appeals for funds,sent out through the press, and the apparent inabil ity to meet allour obligations, new as well as old, by the income of Bro. Tremble'sagency, all naturally suggested the idea of failure to the mindsof many. These two causes, we suggest, may have had influenceenough to precipitate the vote in regard to the alienation of theHome. But, now, that the financial year has closed , we respectfully

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ask: Has not our success, under such circumstances, in comparisonwith last year, or any former year, been highly sat isfactory? For,over and above the usual, and necessary current exp enses of theHome we have nearly completed, for which we have in cash thus far,$7,977.56. This building, counting the donations of labor, lumber,&c., has actually cost us $9000, or more. It is 50 feet by 70feet, three stories high, divided into 24 small and 4 very largerooms, all nicely plastered; and will accommodate, if used forsleeping purposes, at least 125 orphans. This edifi ce, erectedunder the supervision of Maj. Herrod, in point of e legance anddurability, is one of the best in the whole South, and, will bean honor to the efforts of this Board for ages to c ome. Had wenot undertaken this extra, yet absolutely necessary expense, wewould, at this Convention, have had a surplus in ou r treasury,as great if not greater, than that of last year. Do es this looklike failing?

On the other hand, all things considered, have we n ot greatreason to thank Him who is "the Father of the fathe rless?” Forwhat He has done for these, our helpless orphans, during the pasttwelve months; and thanking Him, should we not take courage andgo forward with the Home still under the care of th is Convention?Very respectfully, J.B. HAMBERLIN.

On motion the following motion was adopted:Resolved, That 1000 copies of the Report of the Com mittee onOrphans' Home be immediately printed, and copies pl aced in thehands of every delegate to this Convention; and sai d delegatesare hereby requested to bring the matter before the ir respectivechurches at the earliest opportunity.

The Committee on Nominations submitted their report , whichwas read and adopted, except that portion nominatin g Trustees forOrphans' Home, which was recommitted with instructi ons.

1872 LOUISVILLE BAPTIST ASSOCIATION MINUTES ON ORPH ANS' HOMEYour Committee on the interests of the Orphans' Hom e at

Lauderdale, Miss. would remark that there is a cris is of vastimportance in relation to our connection with that noble enterprise.As you are apprised, the Board of that Institution, last summerwas a year ago, proposed to transfer that Instituti on into thehands of the Masonic Fraternity. This matter, of co urse, wasreferred to our State Convention, for rejection or approval. TheConvention took no decisive action, but referred th e matter tothe Churches of Mississippi, as it should have done , requestingthe Churches to speak out on the subject of Transfe r, by the firstof December, next. The Convention further states th at it will takeabout $12,000 annually, for a time at least, to sup port it. YourCommittee would further state that we have about 50 ,000 Baptistsin Mississippi, which will be about 24 cents annual ly for eachmember. Your Committee would therefore, respectfull y recommend theraising of said funds, and retaining the Institut io n.

All of which is respectfully submitted,WILLIAM M. FARRAR, Chairman

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1872 – Extract from the Address of the M. W. Grand Master of theGrand Lodge

The continued help of the Masons was so significant that theTrustees of the Orphans' Home offered ownership of the Home to theGrand Lodge of Mississippi. A committee was appoint ed by the GrandLodge to deal with the proposal, however, the Mississippi BaptistConvention of 1872 did not approve the action of th e Trustees. Aresolution adopted by the Grand Lodge stated:

Resolved, That the M.W. Grand Master appoint one Ma ster Masonin each county in this State, who shall be respectfully requestedto deliver in their respective counties lectures in behalf of theOrphans' Home at Lauderdale, the money raised there by to betransmitted to the Orphans' Home to the benefit of said Institution.

Agreeable to previous announcement, the cornerstone of anedifice at the Home, to be three stories of brick, was laid in dueMasonic form:

The Grand Lodge was opened in honor of the occasio n with thefollowing as Grand Officers:

George R. Fearn, M.W Grand MasterJohn O. McArthur, Dep. Grand MasterJ.C. Porter, Senior, Grand WardenC.M. Kelly, Junior, Grand WardenRev. J.L. Cooper, Grand OratorRev. W. S. Webb, Grand ChaplinA.J. Herrod, Grand ArchitectR. Fowler, Grand TreasurerJ.L. Power, Grand SecretaryJ.M. Wood, Grand Senior DeaconJ.L. Simmons, Grand Junior DeaconJames Watts, Grand MarshallG.J. Fortner, Grand StewartZ.C. Gathright, Grand PersonivantW. Henderson, Grand TylerGeorge Bancroft, Methodist minister, carrying the H oly WritingsDuncan Kelly, of Toomsuba, carrying the Book of Constitution

The ceremonies of laying the stone were not only we ll conductedbut very imposing. The Masons in the vicinity to th e number ofabout sixty marched in procession to the northeast cornerstone ofthe foundation wall, proceeded by the children and officers of thehome. The children formed a circle on arriving at t he corner stoneand were surrounded by the craft and a large concou rse of visitors.While the stone was being lowered a beautiful anthe m was sung bythe children to the air of “One Hundred" the words of which wereprinted at the Orphans Banner office only an hour p revious.

The ceremonies of laying the stone having been concluded theaudience were comfortably seated and entertained fo r almost an hourwi th music, speeches and d ia logues by the chi ldren.

Rev. J. L. Cooper was then invited without previous noticeto address the audience which he did in a most appr opriate andeloquent manner. He was followed by Grand Master Fe arn during whoseremarks the children adopted as wards by Subordinat e Lodges werecalled to the platform when the Grand Master took e ach child by

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the hand, receiving them on behalf of the Lodges. T he scene waswell calculated to moisten the eye and to start the sympathetictear.

Could it have been witnessed by the twelve thousand Masonsin Mississippi there would not be an orphan at Laud erdale todaywho would not be registered and provided for as the child of aLodge. Photographs of the children thus adopted are sent to theLodge and a dupl icate copy to the Grand Secretary .

The ceremonies of the morning were followed by a bo untifulfeast for the children provided mainly by the visit ors who camewith baskets and trunks filled with good things for the orphans.

The boys at the home have not only made all the bri cks forthe building now in course of erection but have mad e about twothousand dollars worth besides which are being sold at market priceand the proceeds applied to the payment of workmen and the purchaseof subsistence.

The home for the last eighteen months has been supp orted mainlyby the efforts of Rev. A.D. Trimble and his Orphan Concert Troupe- they have not been very successful - the past few months, thehome treasury is almost empty. Under those circumst ances theSecretary, the Board of Trustees, was directed to c ommission suitableagents to at once enter the field and gather up sup plies so thatour children of the Lost Cause may not be permitted to suffer forbread and for suitable shelter.

The Rev. J. L. Cooper, who as Grand Orator was call ed uponto address the assemblage as noted, was from the Co oper NormalCollege at Daleville, while R.C. Gathright, who wou ld later attainprominence as a school administrator in Texas, repr esented theGathright School in Noxubee County.

STATE BAPTIST CONVENTION - 1873EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OFTHE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ORPEANS' HOME

In making this report we are glad to inform the Con ventionthat in many respects the Home is in a better condi tion than itwas a year ago. Since the last meeting of your body , the Home hashad for its Superintendent, Rev. A.D. Trimble, conc erning whom weare glad have the opportunity of saying that he has discharged hismany and hard duties with energy, judgment and fait hfulness. Ifthe brethren will support him in his work, ho will make the Homea success.

During the three fall months of last year, Bro. Tri mble wason agency in Texas with twelve of the children. In this agency hissuccess was considerable. As will be seen by the fi nancial statement,this was one of the principal sources of revenue to the Home. Upto the 13th of December last, Mrs. S.S. Granberry f illed the positionso long occupied by her; but at that time she tende red herresignation, which was accepted by the Board.

THE BANNER is still doing valuable service to the H ome. SinceJanuary 1, it has been conducted by Maj. S.H. Stack house. Thereare at the Home about one hundred and ten orphans.

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It will be remembered that at the last Convention t he Homewas represented as being in very straightened circu mstances, andthat an appeal was addressed to the Baptist Churche s of the State,urging them to come to its support. The Board of Tr ustees wereinstructed to wait till December 1, and see the res ults of thisappeal. If by that time it was ascertained that eno ugh had notbeen pledged to assume the support of the Home, the n as a matterof humanity, they were authorized to tender the Hom e, with all itsappurtenances, to the Grand Lodge of Masons of the State ofMississippi. On the 13 th of December, a meeting of the Board wascalled. After due deliberation, in view of the acti on of thechurches, and other hopeful indications, it was dee med wisest andbest not to make the tender. The Board felt assured that it wasthe wish of the denomination to retain the Home, an d that iftendered it would not be received by the Masons.Thus the Home is still, in the Providence of God, d ependent onour Lodge in its continued expressions of kindness to the Home.Respectfully submitted,W.A. MASON, Sec'y. Board of Trustees

The special order for the hour being the report of the Committeeon Orphans' Home, the report was read and laid on t he table, tobe taken up tonight at a mass meeting.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ORPHANS' HOMEYour committee to whom was referred the report of t he Board

of Trustees of the Orphans' Home, respectfully repo rt the permanentestablishment of a great institution of this charac ter is necessarilya work requiring much time and money, and the frien ds of the Homeshould not be discouraged because of the severe str uggles whichhave been endured, nor yet by the continual demand for money tomeet the wants of the Board in the great work commi tted to them.

The experience of the past Conventional year has pr oven thatthe Home can be sustained in its present hands, and only needsprayerful perseverance in urging its claims upon th e people, anda cheerful contribution by each of its friends; and with theblessing of God it will continue to be an instrumen t of good insheltering and providing for the helpless children gathered thereto be trained for future usefulness in society.

We therefore recommend that the action of the Board of Trusteeswith regard to the subject of transfer proposed las t year, beheartily approved by the Convention, and that the c hurches andfriends of the Institution be urged to meet their f ormer pledgespromptly, and contribute regularly to its support i n the future.

Respectfully submitted, W.H. TUCKER, Chairman

1873 LOUISVILLE ASSOCIATIONYour committee on the Orphans' Home have but little to report

aside from the fact the Home lives and now looks to the Baptistsof Miss., mainly for its support. And we deem it a noble enterprise,well deserving our sympathies, our prayers, and our contributions.True,they are trying hard to help themselves and to no d oubt becomeless and less dependent on our contributions as the ir orchards andvineyards become in full bearing. Till those dear l ittle onescommitted to our care become self-supporting, we mu st cheerfullycontribute to their wants.Respectfully submitted, WM. M. FARRAR, Ch'n.

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1873 - Extracts from the Address of the M.W. Grand Master to theGrand Lodge are included below:

The Baptist State Convention, who are the chartered ownersof the Orphans' Home at Lauderdale, declined to rat ify the tenderof that Institution to this Grand Body, made by the Board ofTrustees at the last Grand Communication, and that question is nolonger before this Body.

Pursuant to a resolution adopted at the last Annual GrandCommunication I appointed one Master Mason in each county in theState with the request that he deliver lectures in his county inbehalf of the Orphans' Home at Lauderdale, and to t ransmit thefunds thus raised to the Grand Secretary. That offi cer's reportwil l disclose the amount thus raised and transmitte d.

Allow me to suggest that the refusal of the Baptist StateConvention to transfer that Institution to this Gra nd Lodge doesnot release us, as Masons, from our obligation to a id the supportof the orphans of our deceased brethren in that Ins titution, andI affectionately commend them to the charity and be nevolence ofevery Mason in this Grand Jurisdiction.

MISSISSIPPI BAPTIST COVENTION 1874 REPORT OF C0MMITTEE ON ORPHANS’ HOMEYour Committee to whom as referred the report of th e Board

of Trustees of the Orphans' Home would respectfully report that,so far as we can glean from the facts set forth in the report ofthe Board of Trustees, the Home is in a much more p rosperouscondition than we expected to find it, considering the unprecedentedstringency in the monetary affairs of the country, and thedifficulties attending the collection of the suppli es for itssupport. To the able and efficient Superintendent, and the burningzeal and untiring labors of the General Agent, we a re largelyindebted for its successful management through thes e trying times,and its now hopeful future. The objects of the Home , when understood,commend themselves to the denomination throughout t he State, andare favorably regarded by many of other denominatio ns who are readyto contribute of their means for its support. Since the last reportto the Convention, forty or fifty of the orphans ha ve professedChristianity, and a church, has been organized for their benefit,with Elder W. H. Tucker as pastor. By reference to the report wefind the indebtedness of the Home to be about $3500 . To meet thisindebtedness, we learn that the income of the same will be aboutas follows: From the proceeds arising from the farm estimated at$1875, and income from the "Home Banner" $1000 amou nting in theaggregate to $2875. We commend the Home to the symp athies andprayers of the denomination and friends of the orph ans, as anobject worthy of their support. We would recommend that the pastorsof churches throughout the State bring this subject before theircongregations, at least once in each quarter, and t hat the GeneralAgent appoint such agents to canvass within the bou nds of eachchurch as he may see proper, to collect supplies an d report thesame to him.The responsibility of supporting the Ho me rests uponthe Baptists of Mississippi, and upon their efforts depend itsfuture existence as an asylum for the orphans of ou r State.

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Then let us, as individuals, work and contribute of our means torelieve it from embarrassment, and for its future s upport.Respectfully submitted,T.B. DALTON, Chairman

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE REPORTTo fill vacancies of Board of Trustees of Orphans' Home:Elder J.E. White, Elder J.B. Gambrell, Elder H.J. V allandingham,Dr. A.H. Smith, Dr. J.L. Crigler, W.D. Northrup, M. V. Noffsinger

1874 CHOCTAW BAPTIST ASSOCIATION REPORT ON THE ORP HANS' HOMEYour committee would report that the Home still liv es; and

under the efficient management of Elder R.N. Hall, bids fair, withassistance f rom the churches, to be sel f -susta in ing .

Brother Hall has recently erected a steam mill, gin and press,which will bring in a monthly revenue of some two h undred dollars,which, with the breadstuffs made on the place, will soon, probably,afford the necessary amount of bread; and he hopes soon to raiseall the, bacon, required. Yet, the necessary clothi ng must, in allfuture time, be provided for by donations. This pal try sum, surelythe denomination will cheerfully supply. The object ions heretoforeraised against the Home, are now probably removed, such as highsalaries for the attending physician, officers, &c. The physician,instead of being employed by the year, is only call ed when needed,and that being very seldom, as Rev. Dr. Tucker, one of the residentofficers, also attends the sick.

All Board members are Baptists, with only one or t wo exceptions,whose terms will shortly expire, when the entire Bo ard will be madeof Baptists. There is a Baptist church at the home, and we areinformed in a prosperous condition. The Orphans' Ho me Banner, anewspaper devoted to the interests of the Home and general literaturehas a healthy circulation, and is cordially recomme nded to thesupport of the denomination; also, a Sunday school in a prosperouscondition, but am not informed whether the Union Su nday SchoolBooks or those published by the S.B.P.S. are used. If the latterare not, would respectfully suggest they be adopted . And, inconclusion, would earnestly recommend the Home, and its orphans,to the warmest support of the denomination. R. Fowler, Chm’n.

1874 - Some remarks from the Address of the M.W. Gr and Masterof the Grand. Lodge of Mississippi are included bel ow:

It having come to my attention, early in the Autumn , that theHome at Lauderdale was in need of help, I issued a circular letterto the Subordinate Lodges, appealing to them for su ch assistanceas they might think proper to render, or that indiv idual membersmight feel disposed to contribute, for the relief o f these orphans,and a short time thereafter directed the Grand Trea surer to expendone hundred dollars from any fund at his command, i n the purchaseof provisions for the use of the Home, and it is gr atifying to meto be able to announce that the Subordinate Lodges have, in manyinstances, responded with a liberality characterist ic of Masons,and much su f fe r i ng has been the reby p reven ted . . . "

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BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION - 1875Your Committee on the Orphans' Home respectfully su bmit the

following report:Since the reasons for the suspension of the Home ha ve been

given by the Board of Trustees, we do not deem it a dvisable torepeat them, but simply to declare our endorsement of them all ascorrect. While we deplore the necessity of the susp ension of ourefforts in this great work and feel humiliated in c onsequence ofthe same, we cannot do better, under existing circu mstances, thanto recommend to the Convention the adoption of the suggestions ofthe Trustees respecting the disposal of the propert y and the paymentof the debts, provided all the claims against the H ome be auditedby a Committee appointed by this Convention. We fee l that no onecan charge the failure of this benevolence to the n eglect of, orwant of ability in the officers of the Home or the Board of Trustees.A more self-sacrificing man was never, since the la mented Granberry,at the head of the Home, than the gentleman who had charge of itat the time of its suspension. He employed his time , energies andmeans for the benefit of the institution; and it is clear from thereports of eye-witnesses that the condition of the children inrespect to their appearance, instruction and health , was betterthan at any time since the death of its first Super intendent.

It cannot be charged upon the Trustees that they di d not exertthemselves to prevent the result so much deplored b y us all; forappeals were made to the people, and when there was a failure fromthis source, the worthy President, brother W.H. Har dy, tried tonegotiate a loan by giving a mortgage on the proper ty. No one waswilling to take a mortgage on such property because of the unfavorablepublic sentiment generally felt on such questions, when there isa failure to pay and a necessity to take the proper ty. We fullyendorse the sentiments advanced by Elder R.N. Hall, in his reportrespecting this officer. These statements we have f elt it our dutyto make respecting these gentlemen, because no othe rs have feltthe anguish of soul that they have felt in conseque nce of thedispersion of the orphans they had learned to love so well. Theweight of responsibility and distress at the though t of failurewas theirs, and therefore these facts are given to the public intheir vindication.

C.M. GORDON, Ch'm.The report of the Board of Trustees of the Orphans' Home was

read by Brother W.H. Hardy, President of the Board, and on motionwas referred to the Committee on Orphans' Home.

REPORT BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF ORPHANS' HOMETo the Mississippi Baptist State Convention:Since your last meeting, the Orphans' Home, at Laud erdale,

Miss. has been suspended. We cannot better detail t he causes whichled to the occurrence than is done in the following card from theExecutive Committee published at the time:SUSPENSION OF THE ORPHANS' HOME

The executive committee of the Orphans' Home are un der thepainful necessity of announcing to the public the s uspension ofthat noble institution, and the dispersion of its h elpless inmates,

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The institution is without money, without supplies, without credit;and in this condition no other alternative is left. This is thesaddest duty we have ever been called on to perform in connectionwith this Institution. We hold the superintendent a nd his subordinatesblameless in this matter. It was no fault of theirs . A more devotedand self-sacrificing set of individuals can scarcel y be foundanywhere, and especially do we desire to attest the integrity,efficiency and energy of the superintendent, R.N. H all.

But his appeals and our appeals to the public, and especiallyto the Baptist denomination, who are the chartered owners of theHome, were ineffectual and the contributions of the past sixtydays have been almost nothing; and with an old inde btedness hangingover it, its credit was destroyed and we driven to the sad alternativeof suspending. We ask the creditors to be patient. The assets areabundantly sufficient to pay all indebtedness, if p roperly managed,but if suit be brought, it will necessitate putting the corporationinto bankruptcy, and in that event it would not pay out. In themeantime we assure the creditors that the property shall be preservedand no preference given to any creditor, but that a ll shall sharealike.

In the meantime, there are twenty-five or thirty li ttlechildren not yet provided with homes. And it may be several weeksbefore they can be, and we appeal to the public in behalf of theseto send contributions of food for them that they ma y not go awayhungry. The Home has performed its mission. It rais ed and educatedhundreds of orphans of Confederate soldiers, and wi th that thepeople lost interest in it, and while we fondly hop ed it would beperpetuated as a living memorial of the heroism and patriotism ofour gallant dead, and a home for the homeless, yet we do notreproach anyone, though no doubt if the whole peopl e of Mississippicould see the anguish wrung from the hearts of the se children,their tears, their sighs, their parting embraces, a s day by daythey leave, we doubt not there would be thousand wh o would indulgein the self-reproaches deep and lasting. But we fee l we have doneour duty, and to God and the public we commend them . The superintendentwill remain in charge of the property, and such of the childrenas can't get homes; and we beg the people in the na me of humanity,send of supplies sufficient to feed them until the Baptist StateConvention meets in July, when the property will be disposed ofin some way, and the debts paid, or it may be, some plan will bedevised to resume and continue the Institution.S.P Kennedy, A.H. Smith, W.H. Hardy - Executive Committee

The Trustees doubt not they could have kept up the Home awhile longer by incurring other debts; but they fel t that with thedebts of the Institution already existing, they wer e not authorizedto create others, and run the hazard of leaving the Institutionwith a debt greater than the value of the assets; a nd as in theiropinion there was now sufficient property to pay th e debts ifjudiciously managed; they deemed it best to suspend and accordinglydid so.

We append hereto as a part of This report, the repo rt of R.N.Hall, superintendent of the Home. The resignation o f the formerSuperintendent, and the election of R.N. Hall to th at responsible

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position, was made a necessity, by facts and circum stances unnecessaryto be detailed in this report. Suffice it to say th at with R. N.Hall we have no fault to find, but on the contrary we fully endorsewhat the Executive Committee say of him.The Board see no hope of reviving the Institution, indeed it isa question of grave doubt with many, if it were pra cticable, thecircumstances it ought to be done. We therefore rec ommend thatthis Convention invest the Board of Trustees with a uthority toappoint a Receiver, to take charge of the entire pr operty of theHome, and to invest him with plenary power to dispo se of the sameand settle up the debts of the Institution. All of which isfraternally submitted,W.A. MASON, Pres. Board of TrusteesW.H. HARDY, Sec’y, pro tern.

To the Honorable Board of Trustees of the Orphans' Home:The report of R.N. Hall, Superintendent of the Inst itution

over which you preside, sets forth the following fa cts for yourconsideration, viz:

After my report to your body at Oxford, as agent of the Home,I did but little before I was elected superintenden t. LeavingOxford, I came by Meridian and made arrangements by which the Homecould be supplied with provision temporarily, and t hen pushed oninto Tennessee with the purpose of collecting and s hipping provisionssufficient to sustain the Home until our people, th en overburdened,could recover sufficiently to enable them to carry the self-imposedburden. I had scarcely commenced work before I was summoned byyour President to return at once to Lauderdale, as I had beenelected Superintendent. I reached the Home and took charge on the19th June, I874. I found the children in a state of insubordination,and but poorly clad, although there was almost suff icient, goodsin the storeroom to make them comfortable. My first object wasto restore confidence, and try by mild but firm dis cipline to getcontrol of the children. As I was their choice and had, in dayspast and gone, won their confidence and love, I had but littledifficulty, and soon I had as perfect order as I ca red to have.I then turned my attention to the sentiment of the public andsought to reinstate confidence there, and seemingly succeededbeyond my expectations, and if not for the fearfull y stringenttimes, when men of families were looking anxiously around for asupport for their own little ones, and but little a ble, or disposedto contribute to our support, I would have been ena bled to havegone on until this coming fall, when our people wou ld have beenable to lift us entirely our of trouble.

I well knew that to give the public confidence it w ould benecessary to demonstrate that the Home could be mad e well nighself-sustaining, and I commenced at once to develop the resourcesof the institution.

The BANNER was thrown on the aggressive; and by per sistenteffort in the way of appeals, circulars and specime n copies, itscirculation was increased from 850, to 2,500 paying subscribers;and instead of banging upon the Home as a debt, wit hout a dollar'sincome, it was made, under the blessings of Heaven, to yield a

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a net income of $1210 a year: and was increasing it s circulationeach issue; and I am confident that in twelve month s more it wouldhave had a circulation of 5,000: for it would be ea sier to doubleits circulation when it was growing in interest, in twelve monthstime, than treble its number when it was thought to have no lifein it, in ten months time.

A grist mill and gin was the other source from whic h we hopedto draw our living, and strenuous effort was made; and had notunforeseen circumstances forced us to close, would nave been aglorious success. At considerable expense and troub le a gin andmill house was erected; an engine, mill and gin wer e purchased andwe commenced work in earnest. From the day our mill started untilit stopped, sufficient toll was received to bread t he Home, whichwas a saving of $50 per month. I am satisfied our t oll corn wouldin the next twelve months have amounted to enough t o produce anincome of $800. Then toll for ginning would have ne tted $400, whichwould make an income of $1,200 per annum.

The farm was put in a condition to produce the larg est yieldof everything planted and from the facilities at ha nd, characterof soil and amount of labor possessed, we confident ly looked foran income from it of $800 or $1000. Our stock of h ogs beingincreased and with the advantage of the good pastur e we had, theslops from the kitchen and the waste corn from the mill, we indulgedin the hope of raising a good many meat hogs. While active effortwas being made in the different directions pointed out herein,your Executive Committee were planning new schemes, such as shoeshops, broom factory and tannery, &c., all of which were calculatedin their nature not only to supply a great demand f or these articles,but would also fit our boys for useful lives and ho nest pursuits.During this time while we were putting forth such s trenuous effortsto care for the outer man, no less effort was being made, indoors,to cultivate and develop the mind and heart of the children thatwe might send them out as blessings to society, and we wereencouraged to believe we were making progress in th is direction.With the heavy expense attending the keeping up of such aninstitution, I could only keep even for a while, an d after a fewmonths in spite of the best efforts I could put for th, the receiptsbegan to come short of expenditures, and each succe eding month thedeficit became greater, until after January 1875, i t became alarming.This state of facts could not be hidden from the cr editors andthey became shaky. When these facts were set forth to the ExecutiveCommittee, they at once decided to suspend and give time for ajudicious disposition of the property, rather than be thrown intobankruptcy, the property sacrificed and a debt left upon theDenomination. Yoy have the cause of the suspension in a nutshell.Nothing remained but for the Executive Committee to suspend andseek homes for the children.

As soon as the news of the suspension became known, alldonations except for a few noble individuals ceased , and I wasleft with 80 odd children with no money nor provisi ons. Under suchcircumstances the Executive Committee instructed me to sell offany perishable property, in order to the obtaining of moneysufficient to defray expenses of finding homes for the children.Under the b lessings that God, our bount i fu l Father ,

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confers upon orphans, I succeeded in their behalf i n speedilyfinding them good homes. And very generally I have heard goodreports from them. The property stands now as it di d at the timeof the suspension except such as was sold under the instructionsof the Executive Committee.

We have a farm of between three and four hundred ac res, witha three story brick house with capacity for fifty p ersons as sleepingdepartment, besides four rooms on the first floor s uitable forschoolrooms. On the farm is a fine orchard of apple and peach treesand a vineyard, with all the appurtenances to make it a good farm.The farming utensils are but few and have but littl e value. Crockeryware, beds, bedding, &c., are all locked up in the brick house inthe. care of a young man under the supervision of t he Chairman ofthe Executive Committee. An inventory of all these things has beencarefully taken and handed over to the Chairman of the ExecutiveCommittee. The sum of $4,250 has passed through my hands. Of thissum I have paid out $440 on account of the Banner; $800.00 onengine, mill, gin and gin-house; $432 on account of freight andexpenses; $325 repairs on Home premises proper; $40 0 on accountof officers, and balance for food, clothing and inc identals, anaccount of which will be turned over to the Executi ve Committeewhich may be appointed by your body at anytime in t he future, whensome one duly qualified and empowered, shall audit Dr. Kennedy'sand my claim against the Home. By our rules and reg ulations I amto draw upon the Treasurer, and this is to be appro ved by theChairman of the Executive Committee, and as we both have claimsagainst the Institution, we feel a delicacy in regu lating andauditing our claims. I would have presented my Repo rt to yourExecutive Committee sometime before the Convention, but being leftwithout a dollar in the world, and having a conside rable familyto support, I was forced from dire necessity to dev ote the timeto my own affairs which was necessary to close up t he books of theHome. Added to this, I have had sickness and afflic tion in my familywhich required my undivided attention.

I would take occasion here to say that so peculiar were thecircumstances surrounding me, I was forced almost t o ignore yourTreasurer as there would be a need for the money be fore it came,and having no banking facilities, the persons whom I traded withwould become dissatisfied before I could get the mo ney back. ThisI very much regret, as it was not strictly in accor dance with the"regulations," and had the tendency of wounding the feelings ofmy friend and brother, Capt. R.M. Leayell, your eff icient Treasurer,who has at all times treated me with marked kindnes s, courtesy,consideration and forbearance, for which he has my unrestrainedgratitude and thanks.

I do not hesitate to say your Executive Committee h ave doneall in their power to advance the interest of the H ome and sustainme in my arduous labor. Dr. A.H. Smith, of Meridian , who is apracticing physician, gave all the time he could, a nd freely ofhis money. Dr. S.P. Kennedy, Chairman of the Execut ive Committee,rendered me all the assistance he could officially, was attentiveas the physician of the Home and courteous in his t reatment of meas Superintendent, doing everything in this way to advance myefforts. Too much credit cannot be given him for hi s manly support

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during the dying struggles of the Home. Of Capt. W. H. hardy, thePresident of your body I desire to say more.

I await your further action and that of the Baptist StateConvention.Fraternally submitted,R.N. HALL, Superintendent

1875 - Extracts from the Address of the M.W. Grand Master areincluded below:

This institution was visited on the night of the 22 nd ofNovember, 1874, by a tornado, which in its terrific march blew downone of the large buildings of the Home, and totally destroyed allthe dining room and kitchen furniture, rendering en tirely uselessall the cooking utensils. The orphans, by now inur ed by thehardships of the past, set about clearing away the wreckage, andputting their house in order, and the Home continue s in operation.

In this Home there were children of our deceased br ethren,and in this time of calamity, which was then upon t hem, I felt itour duty as Masons to lend a helping hand. I theref ore, on the30th of November, 1874, issued a circular letter to all SubordinateLodges, calling upon them as men and Masons, to hee d the cry ofthese little ones, and send them help, in this day of their calamity.

Past Grand Master Hardy, as President of the Board of Trusteesof the Orphans' Home at Laudable, extended to the G rand Lodge aninvitation to visit that Institution.

By 1878, most of the orphans were old enough to car e forthemselves and left the Home to take jobs or enter into otherendeavors. Many families were recovering from the h ardships of thepostwar years, and took the younger children back i nto their ownhomes. The real purpose of the Home had been accomp lished, and inthat year the Confederate Orphans Home of Mississip pi was closedand the property was sold. The people of Mississipp i showed thatthey cared and proved that they could take care of the dependentsof those heroes who had died for their cause. Some years later,the brick buildings erected by the orphan boys was destroyed byfire, adding a post-script to the list of catastrop hes the Homehad endured.

The site of the old military post and orphanage is on thewest side of Highway 45, just after crossing Ponta Creek whentraveling north from Lauderdale. In later years, it was owned byMr. Lang Smith, who lived in Lauderdale and operate d. a storethere. Lang Smith's daughter, Earline, was married to Dr. KellyUnger, who was the beloved pastor of the First Pres byterian Churchin Meridian for many years.

The closing of the Confederate Orphans' Home of Mis sissippiat Lauderdale intensified a realization that had be en in the mindsof the Masons of Mississippi for many years - that there was aneed for a Masonic Orphans' Home in the state.In 18 30, Grand MasterJohn A. Quitman, in his Address to the Grand Lodge, sounded thefirst notes of a clarion call concerning the welfar e of the needychildren of Masons: "Many of us will, I trust, live to see the daywhen the orphan children of indigent Masons will no t only be fedand clothed but also educated and trained in the pr inciples ofmorality and virtue."

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After the War Between the States, the Grand Lodge a pproved arecommendation that a dollar per member be asked of the MississippiMasonic membership to help care for the 90 or more orphans ofdeceased Masons who were residents at the Lauderdal e SpringsConfederate Orphans’ Home. The Masons’ support con tinued untilthe Home was closed.

In 1890, The Grand Lodge adopted a proposal callin g for aspecial collection to be made twice a year in the s ubordinateLodges, and paid into a fund for the purpose of est ablishing aMasonic Orphans' Home in the State of Mississippi. A committeemet on May 29, 1907 in Meridian to consider various proposals forthe location of the home. A group of citizens from Meridian offeredten acres of land, $5,000.00 in cash, free water an d permissionfor the children to attend the city schools. This offer wasaccepted and on June 24, 1907, the cornerstone for the firstbuilding was laid by Grand Master Henry C. Yawn. O n October 15,1908, the dreams of the Masons became a reality whe n the MasonicWidows and Orphans' Home in Meridian was officially opened andsixteen children, ages one through thirteen and one widow werewelcomed into their new home.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History, TheLauderdale County Department of Archives and Histor y and theMississippi Baptist Historical Commission have been searched forrecords of the operation of the Lauderdale Springs Orphans Homebut none have been found. Records of the business o f the Home andthe actions of the Board of Trustees are available and are presentedherein, but efforts have been futile when searching for listingsof the names and personal information about the res idents.It would be interesting to know their parents' name s and familyconnections, where their homes were, anecdotes abou t life at thehome, some biographical sketches about the lives of some of theresidents after leaving the home and some informati on about deathsat the home. Hopefully, the information presented i n this volumemight come to the attention of some descendants who have someadditional information to add to this study of the History ofLauderdale Springs. Most assuredly, any information passed alongto the Lauderdale County Department of Archives and History, P.O.Box 5511, Meridian, MS 39302, will be cataloged, pr eserved and madeavailable to the public.

Information about a few of the residents ispresented below:

The 1870 Census lists Lydia Priscilla Reynolds, age 11, andher sister, Jane Reynolds, age 9, as residents of t he LauderdaleSprings Orphans' Home. Lydia Priscilla's Great-gran dson James G.Hadley of Austin, Texas provided some information a bout her:Priscilla Reynolds was born February 6, 1857 in Cla rke County,Mississippi. She went to Texas in 1870. She married J.K. BrannanMarch 13, 1874. She died in Bynum, Texas February 1 4, 1934, survivedby her husband, J.K. Brannan and 11 children: H. T. of Haskell,J. H. of Hillsboro, G.T., H.M., and W. J. of Bynum, Mrs. J.N. Youngof Clifton, Mrs. J.M. Beckham of Moundsville, Mrs. W.E. Martin ofWestover, Mrs. R.J. Young of Bynum, Mrs. W.M. Garri son of Martensand Mrs. O.E. Taylor of Bynum. Also 58 grandchildre n and 40 greatgrandchildren.

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Jackie Pearson

Mary Frances Cockrel l ofCedarbluff, Mississippi provided aphotograph of her Great-grandmotherJackie Pearson and a picture of theLauderdale Springs Orphans' Home"Glee Club." Miss Cockrell's Great-grandmother, Jackie, and her sister,Johnnie, are included among the 29children in the picture. On the1870 Census, Rebecca Pearson age 13,Jackie Pearson age 11, and JohnniePearson age 9 are listed as residentsof the Lauderdale Springs Orphans'Home.

Miss Cockrell related that thesePearson children were from the Pearsonand Hobson families in Greensboro,Alabama. She provided biographicalsketches of famous members of thefamilies, but did not make it clearwhat their connections were. Shestated that Jackie married a Mr.Cockrell and Johnnie married a Mr.Greer. Mary Frances Cockrell is nowdeceased.

In a separate position on theCensus, Maggie Pearson, age 10 andCassie Pearson, age 8 are listed asresidents of the Home. It is notknown if they are related to theother three Pearson children.

Jack Knight o f Col l ins ,Mississippi provided some information

about his Great-great-grandmother Judith Welch Knig ht. Judith'shusband was killed in the Battle of Atlanta and she was left withfive children. They owned their home and farm at Cr ackers Neck,a hamlet in Covington County, Mississippi, but the family wasdestitute and Judith was desperate. She was well aw are that thechildren could not survive the winter. She placed h er five childrenin a one-horse cart and set out on the eighty mile journey to theConfederate Orphans' Home at Lauderdale Springs. It was a difficulttrip and a horrible experience for the family.

After eight days, she and her family arrived at the home ofher first cousin Ruby and her husband Robert Bynum in Enterprise.The Knights were filthy, starving and totally exhau sted. Theyrested two days and Robert Bynum drove them to thei r new home ina surrey pulled by a team of matched roan horses. F amily lore hasit that the youngest son, James, could not be accep ted because hewas too young, however, Judith returned at a later time and Jameswas accepted and Judith was employed as a housekeep er. She remainedat the Home and worked at whatever needed to be don e to providecare for the children.

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The Knight children are listed on the 1870 Census: Sarah agel6, Albert age 14, Elizabeth age 11, Henry age 10, and James age4 as residents of the Lauderdale Springs Orphans Ho me. For someunknown reason, Judith is not l isted on that census .Judith Knight never remarried. Her three sons, Albe rt, Henry andJames David all returned to Covington and Jones Cou nties and raisedtheir families. Elizabeth married Henry Morgan and they made theirhome at Old Augusta in Perry County, Mississippi. S arah left theorphanage at sixteen and took a teaching assignment at a one-roomschool in Boykin, Alabama, near Butler. She married Robert Boykinand they made their home in Ellisville, Mississippi . James DavidKnight became a carpenter and a farmer. He married Betty Napier.Jack Knight said one of James David and Betty Knigh t's sons washis Grandpa Stocky who had a great influence and im pact on hislife.

Another delightful bit of history has been provided by membersof a pioneer family of East Mississippi. On the 187 0 Census, fourchildren of the Moore family were listed as residen ts of theLauderdale Springs Orphans' Home: Semele age 13, Ja mes age 12,William age 11, and Sidney age 9. Later in life, Se mele Mooremarried Horace Reid Ward and they made their home a nd raised theirfamily in Enterprise, Mississippi. At that happy ti me, Semeleremembered Professor and Mrs. Simeon Sebastian Cran berry with loveand respect for the loving care they had given her while she wasgrowing up in the Lauderdale Springs Home. As an ex pression of herlove and appreciation, she named her firstborn son "Granberry."That son extended that love into another generation when he namedhis son "Granberry, and that son in turn named his son "Granberry,"and so did that son. That adds up to four generatio ns of GranberryWards. The second, third and fourth generations of Granberry Wardsreside in Meridian, 17 miles from Sernele's old hom e at LauderdaleSprings.

A note of added interest, Granberry Ward II has a d aughter,Sela Ward, who has gained fame as a motion picture and televisionactress. She makes her home in Beverly Hills, Calif ornia, but sheand her family spend much of their time at their ot her home inLauderdale County. In October 2002, Sela published and autobiographyentitled Homesick , which is an expression of her love for herfamily and friends and her heritage.

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Granberry Ward II andSela Ward.

She is greatly involved in activities and progressi ve programsin her old hometown, Meridian. She has acquired th e 22 acreproperty of the old Masonic Home, which has been cl osed for manyyears, and it has been organized into the HOPE VILLAGE FOR CHIRLDREN,where a home and help are given to children who nee d some tenderlove and care. In many ways this venture resembles the love andcare goven five generations ago by Professor and mr s. SimeonSebastian Granberry.

LAUDERDALE

In 1856, when the Mobile and Ohio Railroad establis hed SpringsDepot at the present site of Lauderdale, the villag e was incorporatedand soon inherited the mantle of business and tradi ng center forthe area, and prospered in that role for many years . Mr. WarnerLewis had the first house and store built there.

A post office was established at Springs Depot on O ctober 7,1856 with Warren H. Lewis as postmaster. On Octobe r 21, 1859, thename was changed to Lauderdale Station and serving as postmasterwere: John Greenlees, Frederick H. Adams, Lorenzo D . Belk, HenryChiles, Miss Sallie A. Tucker, Samuel Porter, Charl es Hoffman, MarkYaretzky, Issac Yaretz, and Eva B. Walker. On Dece mber 17, 1884,the name was changed to Lauderdale and serving as p ostmaster through1929 were: Blanche Porter, Blanche Browning, Eva V. Walker, EvaV. Hargroder, Edwin H. Walker, James E. Smith, John E. Nunnery,Carrie E. Smith, James A. Riddell, Jr., Andrew R. S helby, WilliamT. Simms, and Sallie C. Walker. The post office is still inoperation.

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The town was incorporated in 1856. Capt. John Coop er Porter,who moved there in 1863, after the name of the town had been changedto Lauderdale Station, served as mayor for four yea rs. Capt. Porteroperated a successful merchandise business and owne d large tractsof land. Also, he served as Justice of the Peace a nd as a memberof the County Board of Supervisors. Capt. and Mrs. Porter hadfourteen children and the descendant generations of the Porterfamily have been prominent and influential citizens of Lauderdaleand Kemper Counties.

In early days the Police Court had a wide range of duties andbroad powers in the administration of county govern ment in Mississippi. At the October, 1884 session of the Lauderdale Cou nty Court atthe court house in Marion, the members of the court were: LittleberryBanes, President; L.B. Moor; David Cameron; Isaac S uttles; and AbiaClay; with R.H. Herbert, Deputy Clerk; and William Rainey, Sheriff. Some items selected from the minutes of the court, through theyears, provide some insight into the history of Lau derdale Springs:

...ordered that the following persons be appointed electioncommissioners at the Springs: J. R. Walker, Thomas Simmons andJames Agnew.

...ordered to let to the highest bidder at the Whit e SulphurSprings the building of a bridge on Ponta Creek on the LivingstonRoad near the Springs...

...William S. Patton is hereby licensed to keep an inn andtavern at the White Sulphur Springs...

...William M. Gains is hereby licensed to retail vi nious andspirituous liquors at the town of White Sulphur Spr ings...

...ordered that William Raney be allowed the sum of fiftyfour dollars, the amount allowed him as returning o fficer atthe presidential election in 1849...

...Hiram W. Roberts is hereby licensed to retail vi nious andspir i tuous l iquor at the White Sulphur Spr ings. . .

...Ordered that George W. Null be allowed the sum o f seventyfour dollars and ninety cents for building a bridge on thestage road across Ponta...

...ordered that the return of Shepherd Busbee as ov erseerof the Springs road commencing at Dupree's old plac e and workingto Reedy creek be received and that James Crocker b e appointedoverseer of this road for the term of six months to warn andto make work the following hands, to wit, Calaway C rocker,William Jones, E. Edwards, Wm. Drewett, Thos. McIlw ain & S.Busbee ...

Today Lauderdale is a pleasant residential communit y, amidmany landmarks left as reminders of the accomplishm ents of thosestalwart citizens of earlier years, who worked and fought to makethis a great place to live. Agriculture has been t he chief industryof Lauderdale. In early years, cotton was the prin cipal crop, butthrough the years farming became diversified, with more corn, sugarcane, oats, peas, fruit, and potatoes being raised. At one timetruck farming and dairying were profitable ventures for some farmers. The virgin forests provided a lucrative income for many land ownersand timbermen. From the earliest days Lauderdale e njoyed a prosperousbusiness climate and a congenial social life.

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The article copied below appeared or the front page of THEMERIDIAN DAILY HERALD , November 19, 1896. It is quite possiblethat this writing might be pure satire, since no pe rson can befound, who ever heard of there having been a coal m ine at Lauderdale:

BURNT CUT GEMSItems of News from Lauderdale, Miss. The mine is

progressing nicely and is still shipping 20 tons of coal aday. Mr. G.W. Meyer and Col. Goldsmith, of Meridia n, wereout inspecting the mine last week, and inaugurated someimprovements, which add to looks very much.

Mr. Joe Pickett, of Ohio, has a position at the min e.His many friends wish him success. The "Social Hop " at B.F.Nunley's was highly appreciated by all that attende d.

Some miscreant let the car run off the tipple Sunda yand did some damage. Such carelessness as this sho uld bestopped. Nolan McDowdle got slightly injured about the headin the mine Wednesday at noon by fa l l ing s late.

THE MERIDIAN EVENING STAR , January 12, 1898, reported thefollowing transaction in Chancery Clerk White's Off ice:

In consideration of $2,000 Capt. Joel P. Walker, de ceased,has conveyed 600 acres of land to W. D. McWilliams. The landis situated near Lauderdale and known as the Ivy pl antation.

An undated, unsigned and unidentified paper, headed THE OLDIVY PLACE OR STOCK FARM, gives an elaborate description of the Ivyproperty:

There are 940 acres ... O'Possum Creek on the west, the PontaRiver on the north, Plummer Branch on the east...th ere aremany lake sites...one within 50 yards of the Lauder dale andLivingston road, less than 300 yards of the Mobile and OhioRailroad Station ...

A social affair was reported in THE MERIDIAN EVENING STAR ,December 28, 1905:

RARE HOSPITALITYOF THE OLD SOUTH

Capt. Green B. Simmons assisted by his two charmingdaughters, Misses Ella and Mattie, entertained a me rry partyof Meridianites Wednesday at his palatial country h ome fourand a half miles south of Lauderdale...

Capt. Simmons is one of the best known and wealthie stcotton planters in this section of Mississippi and guests athis beautiful country home are always treated with old timesouthern hospitality...

Connected with the Simmons home is one of the fines tshooting preserves and the male members of the plea sant houseparty enjoyed some of the best shooting of their li ves, whilethe ladies enjoyed the day in horseback r iding.. .

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On June 6, 1906, THE MERIDIAN EVENING STAR published a columnof news items from Lauderdale:

INTERESTING NEWSFROM HUSTLING GOOD TOWN

Lauderdale has had the building and remodeling feve rthis summer. Mr. T.H. Naylor has just finished a f ifteenhundred dollar house. Mr. Mark Porter has made abo ut $600improvements on his home, and Mr. J.C. Smith is rem odelinghis house to the extent of about $2000.

Another improvement that is very attractive is thelarge and up to date store of Mr. J.E. Nunnery. Th e Tartt-Harring saw mill is making some very costly improve ments.The new locomotive for the Lauderdale and Northwest ernrailroad has arrived. The owners are extending the lineand it now has been connected with the Mobile & Ohi o track.It is thought that in the course of time this road willrun to DeKalb.

Mr. J.E. Tartt has built about 10 houses here thisyear, by no means small or cheap affairs. The Meth odistchurch has received a new dress of paint, new fixtu res andnew carpet. The new bank has recently put in about $800worth of new fixtures and is doing a flourishing bu siness¼Mr.H.G. McNair is the manager of the bank.

Mr. T.C. Lyle has been very sick, the first timein 20 years he has been unable to attend to his dut ies atthe store, but will probably be well in a few days.

The infant child of Mr. and Mrs. S.K. Gully hasbeen desperately ill but it is now thought that the littleone will get well.

Mrs. Brock O'Leary of Jackson, Tenn. with hercharming children, are guests of relatives here ... Mrs.Katie Sullivan of Laurel is visiting her parents he re ...Mrs. Joe Miller is in Meridian this week ... Mr. H. G. McNairwas an attendant in the Gordon-Wetherbee nuptial in Laurel... Mrs. John Simmons has been visiting her mother, Mrs.S. E. Mosby ... Mrs. Della Chiles has been quite si ck ...Little Maggie and Sallie Barefield are visiting rel ativeshere ... Mr. Dryden Walker has been taken to Mobile formedical treatment ... Miss Emmie Smith, the daughte r ofMr. and Mrs. L.C. Smith, who has been attending col legein Nashville, Tenn., has returned home to spend her vacation... Mrs. Lee Rawls is visiting her parents, Mr. a nd Mrs.Charles Pigford in Meridian ... Mrs. M.F. Mimms has returnedfrom a trip to Silver City ... Mrs. J.T. Plummer le avestoday for a trip to Biloxi ... Mrs. Mary Porter a nd herson, Earl, are spending a while in Vicksburg ... Mi ss MadgeSmith who has been a student at Moffat McLaurin Ins titutehas returned home to spend her vacation ... Mr. and Mrs.Elnathan Tartt have returned from a delightful fish ing tripto Coden...

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The Meridian Dispatch , December 4, 1912, carried t his newsitem:

The Tartt house is commodious and comfortable, but itscuisine and dining room constitute its best title t o celebrity. The greatest pleasure to the manager, Elnathan Tar tt seemsto be in the enjoyment of his guests.

The Tartt family was prominent in the history of La uderdale. The name "Elnathan" was given to a son in seven ge nerations ofthe Tartt family. One Elnathan Tartt married Helen L. Mosby, ofMeridian, and they served as superintendents of the ConfederateSoldiers' Home in Biloxi from 1916 to 1943. This H ome was locatedat Beauvoir, the last home of Jefferson Davis, the president ofthe Confederacy. After Davis' death, his widow sol d Beauvoir tothe Mississippi Division of the United Confederate Veterans oncondition that the estate would became a home for C onfederateveterans, their widows and their servants. Nearly 2,000 soldiersand their widows lived at the home over a period of 54 years, from1903 to 1957. Several black Confederate soldiers l ived at thehome.

It is said that both Elnathan and Helen served as s uperintendentsof the home because Elnathan had a tendency to get a little overzealous in his criticism of certain politicians and Beauvoir boardof trustees members, which resulted in his being fi red for awhile,and then Helen would be appointed superintendent. S he was appointedto the posistion by five different governors. Elna than would thenmake a comeback and she would be his assistant unti l he got inhot water again. Helen was loved by everyone, even the politiciansand board members who periodically fired her husban d. When Helendied, in 1843, he was devastated and resigned, beca use he justdid not want to carry on with the job without her.

THE MERIDIAN EVENING STAR , April 14, 1908 reported:

GOOD PEOPLE OF LAUDERDALE HAPPYTALKING EVERYWHERE OVER THE NEW TELEPHONES AND HAVINGMOONLIGHT BALLS AND SOCIABLES

One of the most enjoyable events of the summerseason was the moonlight ball given at Lauderdale S pringslast Friday night. A large crowd was in attendance , andthe pavilion under the cool shady trees was crowde d withdancers till after midnight...

Lauderdale has recently installed residencetelephones and nearly every home in the village has beenconnected. They have the advantage of the city sub scribersin that they can talk over long distance without ex tracharge ... Little Tommy Naylor enjoyed a party at t he homeof his parents, Mr. and Mrs. T.H. Naylor, in celebr ationof his fourth birthday ... one of the most stylish socialfunctions of the week will be the one given by Mrs. W.T.Frank ... Mr. M.G. McNair, of the Bank of Lauderdal e, hasreturned from a trip to Yazoo City ...Miss Emile Wa lker,after spending a few days with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.E.H. Walker, has returned to Starkville ... Misses Emma andElla Scruggs, after spending a few days in Meridian , havereturned home.

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The information presented below is condensed fro m a full pagearticle, which appeared in THE MERIDIAN DISPATCH, December 4, 1912:

PROSPEROUS AND PROGRESSIVE LAUDERDALEBy WILLIAM F. GRAY

Lauderdale lies on the Mobile and Ohio railroad, ei ghteenmiles north Of Meridian. It counts a population of about 750,and is the business and social center of a wide rea ching andproductive agricultural area. The people, while th ey are oldfashioned in their ethical standards, they are in t ouch with thetwentieth century in all of its essential for growt h anddevelopment, maintaining a steady moral balance tha t makes theirtown a good place to live and do business in.

Lauderdale is one of the most healthful localities in thestate, largely attributable to the drinking of the sulphur andchalybeate waters that abound in the vicinity, and which at onetime made Lauderdale Springs a very popular waterin g place.

There are three handsome church buildings. Methodi st andPresbyterian services are held every Sunday with go od congregations;the third, a Union Church, is open to all denominat ions and thereservices are held once each month, by Archdeacon De B. Waddellof the Episcopal church.

An excellent public school with an enrollment of mo re thansixty pupils in nine grades is in charge of Profess or D.W.Jackson, assisted by Miss Katie Gray Lyle. Both ar e teachersof exceptional skill and attainment.

Six passenger trains north and south daily, afford ample mailand express facilities. An electric light plant fu rnishes lightat reasonable cost to consumers, and at the same ti me providesillumination for the streets. Two cotton gins are busy throughoutthe season, and a large warehouse is well patronize d by bothfarmers and merchants. Mr. J.E. Nunnery, well know n in Meridianas a long-time deputy chancery clerk, is the courte ous andefficient postmaster. His assistant is the courteo us and obligingMrs. Jeanette Smith.

Foremost among the agencies that are contributory t o thecommercial prosperity of Lauderdale is the Bank of Lauderdale.Organized four and a half years ago, its stock is n ow worth morethan double it face value being quoted at $225 per share. Theofficers are: Mr. L.C. Smith, president; Lieutenant T.C. Lyle,vice president; Mr. M.G. McNair, cashier and manage r. Mr. S.A.Scruggs and Mr. W. A. Lyle, along with the above na med officersmake up the board of directors.

Tartt Lumber manufacturer, now owned and operated b y Mr. JimMiller, is the largest industry in town, employing 60 to 75 men. The plant, well equipped in every way, operates ei ght milesof railroad to bring the logs directly to the carri er. The plantproduces about 5 million feet of lumber annually. Mr. Miller,who owns large interests in Kentucky and Montgomery , Ala., hasbeen a resident of Lauderdale the past four years.

The Tartt house is commodious and comfortable, but its cuisineand dining room constitute its best title to celebr ity. Thegreatest pleasure to the manager, Elnathan Tartt se ems to be inthe enjoyment of his guests.

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Lieutenant T.C. Lyle is manager of A. Roberts & Co. , one ofthe oldest and most substantial business houses in Lauderdalecounty. Lieut. Lyle began his business career in L auderdale in1866. A man of broad views, sound judgment and hig h character,the Lieutenant has carried successfully into busine ss, the couragethat distinguished the soldiers of the old South an d has prosperedcorrespondingly. Big Hearted, generous, optimistic W. A. Lyle, amerchant like his brother, the Lieutenant, is imbue d with theprogressive spirit and counts it a privilege to wor k for the goodof his community.

The following news items are from a clipping from a n unidentifiednewspaper:

Lauderdale Items - March 23 rd

Mr. Dryden Walker, the handsome representative of t heStar, was in Lauderdale yesterday.

Miss Linnie McConnell has returned from the Queen C ity,where she has been attending school.

Dr. Haynes, a noted divine of Nashville, will begina series of meetings here Sunday.

Mr. D. McWilliams went to Kemper county yesterday t osee his father who is very ill.

Mr. Penn Krouse, of Meridian, was out walking with oneof Lauderdale's fairest daughters yesterday afterno on.

Mrs. Gussie Plummer has a severe case of measles.A number of Lauderdale people went to Meridian yest erday

to attend the opera last night. Among them were Mrs. W.A.Dunnigan, Miss Annie Chi les and Prof. Shields.

Mrs. Caldwell and her two little girls are visitingDr. Dillehay's family.

Miss Susie Lightsey will open up a well selected st ockof millinery in a few days.

Mrs. Chiles is having her "paper shell" pecan orcha rdnicely worked.

In a survey of TOWNS, CITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF LAUDERDALECOUNTY, compiled by the WPA, the following information wa s submittedin a report by Mrs. Gladys Dempsey on August 5, 193 6:

LAUDERDALE, with a population of about 1000 ... haseight stores, post office with 3 rural routes, depo t, twogins, one saw mill and planing mill, Methodist, Bap tist andPresbyterian Churches, and a consolidated school. There aresome very pretty homes of modern type with lights a nd water. There is one hotel, Hotel Belle of old colonial st yle, rates$1.00 per day.

About one mile from Lauderdale are the famous Laude rdaleSprings owned by Mrs. Crooker ... The springs have been knownas a summer resort and are still a favorite spot fo r picnics. Lauderdale has no municipal government...(Informat ion fromMiss Louise Johnson, 27th Ave., 8th St., Meridian, Miss.)

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During the War Between the States Yankee headquarte rs wereat Lauderdale. After the war closed, some of the Y ankees told thenegroes that they could take anything they wanted, that it wastheirs and they were free and had a right to take i t. The Yankeessold stakes to the negroes to stake off the propert y theywanted...(Information from H. A. Shotts, Dumont Bld g., Meridian,Miss.)

A very unusual marriage ceremony was performed in Lauderdale,on December 21, 1929., when Arthur Freemon Rigdon m arried VeraRose Rector. The ceremony which was broadcast from the studio ofWCOC Radio Station in Meridian, Mississippi. Auber t Dunn, a Baptistpreacher who was later to become a U. S. Congressma n and whose sonserved as Governor of Tennessee, performd the cerem ony from thestudio. Russell Wright, the District Attorney, pla yed the organ,and Gertrude Michea rendered the vocal music. The bride and groomstood in the doorway of a store in Lauderdale, Miss issippi, andat the magical hour of 9:00 p.m. the enchanted coup le marched downthe aisle to the flower adorned counter of the stor e in step withthe strains of the Wedding March being transmitted across seventeenmiles of airwaves. The ceremony was performed with all the solemnityand propriety of a big church wedding. Mr. Henry W edgworth whostill resides in Lauderdale at the time this book i s published,attended the wedding and stated it was a happy and impressivehappening.

It was an historic event, because those were the pi oneerdays of radio, and this was the first time on-the-s cene coveragewas used in this unusual manner. The news story of the weddingin the Meridian Star was picked up by numerous othe r newspapers,and was featured on a Shreveport, Louisiana radio s tation by 0.K. Henderson, who had developed a huge listening au dience throughhis novel promotion of Hello World coffee and his l ong-runningfight against chain stores.

Another interesting development related to the wedd ing -Gertrude Michea, the vocalist, went on to Hollywood and enjoyeda most impressive movie career.

The following information is excerpted from a repor t filedby Ben Clayton, Mississippi State Student, date un known:

Lauderdale is located on theMobile and Ohio Railroad and at onetime was a giant shipping center forstrawberries and cotton. There arethree highways into the town - Highway45, the Lauderdale-Cihallo Road andthe Lauderdale-York, Alabama Road.

Lauderdale has two manufacturingenterprises - J.D. Clark and SonsLumber Company and The LavenderPottery Factory, which turns out someof the best pottery in the South.The pottery grew into a bog businesswith distribution over a wide area.Examples of the pottery are picturedon the left.

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Cecilia Nabors Hobgood and Ann Jones Clayton publis hed a bookentitled CEMETERY RECORDS OF LAUDERDALE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI inwhich are listed the names of all persons known to be buried inthe Lauderdale Springs Cemetery. The names of the earlier residentsof the community who were born prior to the end of the War Betweenthe States, and who are known to be buried in the L auderdale Springscemetery have been extracted from that book and lis ted on thefollowing pages of this book.

The names of the later known burials in the cemeter y can befound in copies of this Clayton-Hobgood book, which are availableat the Meridian Public Library and the Lauderdale C ounty Departmentof Archives and History.

There were many earlier burials in the cemetery, bu t thegraves are unmarked. Some plots have bricked or na tive stonemonuments with no discernible identification. Some children whodied at the Lauderdale Springs Confederate Orphans' Home wereburied here. Some older residents of the county ha ve related thatsome Union soldiers, about nine in number, were bur ied in unmarkedgraves at the cemetery. Possibly, these were men w ho were stationedat the nearby Union military post or who died at th e LauderdaleSprings Confederate General Hospital.

A stroll through this beautiful cemetery can put th e mindawhirl with images of those old pioneers and the ta les they couldtell. With a little biography from each of them, t his historycould go on and on and on and become more interesti ng and worthwhilepage by page.

Randolph H. McKim expressed the need for this kind of historywhen he declared:

The people that forgets its heroic dead is already dyingat the heart, and we believe we shall be truer and bettercitizens of the United States if we are true to our past.

Sir Winston Churchill clearly affirmed our need to know andunderstand our heritage:

Any people with contempt for their heritage have lo st faithin themselves and no nation can long survive withou t pridein its traditions.

President John F. Kennedy added emphasis to this tr uth whenhe proclaimed:

There is little that is more important for an Ameri can toknow than the history and traditions of his country .

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LAUDERDALE SPRINGS CEMETERY

List of persons who were born prior to the end of t he WarBetween the States, 1865, and are known to be burie d in theLauderdale Springs (public) Cemetery. A complete l ist of allpersons known to be buried in this cemetery is incl uded in the bookCEMETERY RECORDS OF LAUDERDALE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, published byAnn Clayton and Cecila Nabors Hobgood. This book i s available inthe Meridian Public Library and the Lauderdale Coun ty Departmentof Archives and History.

BEASLEY, KATE SMITH1824-1916BOURDEAUX, EUGENIAOct. 24, 1858 - Nov. 6, 1890BOURDEAUX, CLITUS 0.Feb. 19, 1852 - Jan. 16, 1950BOURDEAUX, LEONA ELLISAug. 23, 1861 - Aug. 31, 1915CARR, TITUS L.May 8, 1848 - Jan. 3, 1904CHILES, ANNIEJan. 11, 1813 - May 10, 1885CHILES, ELIZABETHJune 29, 1808 - Apr. 22, 1866CHILES, HENRYJuly 11, 1844 - June 10, 1892CHILES, JESSIE E.Nov. 18, 1855 - Jan. 19, 1882CHILES, CEBELLE E.Apr. 3, 1827 - Sept. 8, 1858CLAY, WALTER G.1848-1923CLAY, ZELLAMar. 19, 1865 - Aug. 23, 1931COLEMAN, EMILY AApr. 25, 1837 - May 6 1899COLEMAN, JOSEPH G.June 15, 1817 - Mar. 4, 1885CROOKER, GEORGE A.Born 1850 - Dec. 18, 1903DARDEN, ANNAug. 16, 1821 - Aug. 21, 1827DARDEN, R.Feb. 4, 1808 - Oct. 25, 1885DELK, SALLIE J.Mar. 29, 1848 - Mar. 13, 1937EASON, E.K.,Sept. 25, 1837 - May 20, 1870ELLIS, ARCH F.Jan. 7, 1860 - Jan. 19, 1936ELLIS, E.G.July 22, 1835 - Jan. 26, 1890

ELLIS, JOHN T.Oct. 23, 1862 - Aug. 29, 1889ELLIS, LUCY J.Aug. 21, 1861 - Feb. 13, 1946ELLIS, MARGARET E.Apr. 20, 1931-Sept. 9, 1912ELLIS, SPICIE WOODFeb. 21 1848 - Aug. 9, 1886EUGENIA R. TAYLORSept. 27 - Aug. 31, 1940GLASCOCK, ELIZABETH JANE MEEKJan. 9, 1820 - Feb. 20, 1857GILLIAM, ALBERT.July 21, 1847 - Apr. 9, 1928GILLIAM, CLARA E.Sept. 28, 1853 - May 9, 1921GLASCOCK, ALEXANDER "ALEX"Born 1808 - Apr. 11, 1865G R E E N , M A R G A R E T S T E V E N SApr. 23, 1823 - Nov. 28, 1880GREENLEESE, GEORGIA ANNAApr. 22, 1834 - Mar. 17, 1889HARGRODER, EVA WALKER, 1857-1941HITT, MARY A.June 12, 1835 - Aug. 20, 1911HITT, REV. JOHN M.Aug. 2, 1813 - May 24, 1887HUNTER, HOLLIESept. 18, 1855 - Nov. 4, 1909HUNTER, R.B.Apr. 4, 1837 - July 24, 1908KENNEDY, ADDIE D.June 13, 1859 - Apr. 26, 1928KENNEDY, DR. JOHN F.June 10, 1826 - Sept. 10, 1867KENNEDY, KATE LOCKHARTDied May 12, 1907 - Age 72KENNEDY, SIDNEY P.Nov. 29, 1830 - Sept. 18, 1882KENNEDY, WALTER F.Nov. 3, 1857 - Aug. 20, 1902

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LANCASTER, KITTIEOct. 26, 1856 - Feb. 6, 1891LANCASTER, LOUIS J.Mar. 16, 1855 - Dec. 22, 1924LEWIS, LEESIE ANNE1840-1862LYLE, W. A.1850-1921LYLE, EVIE SCRUGGS,1860-1932LYLE, THOMAS CALVIN1841-1926LYLES, MARTHA A.Died Sept. 24, 1885 - Age 46LYON, JOS. TRAVISJune 11, 1836 - June 30, 1864M c B R Y D E , C O R N E L I A J E W E LJan. 7, 1856 - Dec. 12, 1883McELROY, MARY G.April 23, 1811 - Sept. 22, 1884M c K I N L E Y , J O H N A U G U S T U SApr. 27, 1852 - Sept. 7, 1920McKINLEY, KATE KENNEDY CARROLFeb. 2, 1856 - Aug. 23, 1914McKINLEY, MARY E.May 29, 1822 - May 31, 1877McKINLEY, R.Feb. 17, 1813 - Aug. 14, 1900MEEK, HENRY FRANCISOct. 1933 - Apr. 28, 1856MELLARD, A. E.Sept. 8, 1845 - Apr. 5, 1892MELLARD, ELISHA A.Sept. 23, 1854 - Dec. 20, 1905MELLARD, MARY S.May 27, 1851 - Aug. 7, 1894MOON, JOSEPH H.Mar. 21, 1845 - Dec. 6, 1907MOON, JOSEPHINE H.Oct. 29, 1851 - Apr. 4, 1917MOORE, EMMAMay 1, 1854 - Feb. 18, 1938MOORE, GEORGE CALVINDied Oct. 3, 1892 - Age 32MOORE, SUSAN CASEFeb. 21, 1853 - July 28, 1928MORGAN, J.W.Co. C - 56 Ala. Partisan RangersCSAMORGAN, MARTIN VAN BUREN1860-1935NUNNERY, MARY A.July 28, 1849 - Dec. 30, 1909

NUNNERY, MARY E.July 8, 1827 - Jan. 20, 1899N U N N E R Y , W I L L I A M R O B E R TNov. 11, 1844 - Apr. 30, 1922PARKER, C. W.Dec. 8, 1855 - Mar. 30, 1940PARKER, RUBY A.Aug. 9, 1858 - Jan. 29, 1925PARKER, SARAH NANCYJuly 19, 1827 - Dec. 17, 1906PHILLIPS, CORA HITTJan. 5, 1857 - Oct. 10, 1895PHILLIPS, GEORGE C.Died Jan. 20, 1933 - Age 78PLUMMER, GUSSIE M.May 16, 1863 - Apr. 4, 1952PLUMMER, JOHN F.Nov. 1, 1859 - Aug. 19, 1938PORTER, I. D.Nov. 15, 1857 - Feb. 3, 1903PORTER, J.C.Oct. 17, 1815 - Oct. 23, 1908.PORTER, MARTHA B.Mar. 7, 1858 - Sept. 19, 1884PORTER, MARY. E.Feb. 17, 1847 - Apr. 9, 1904PORTER, NANCY. G.Mar. 12, 1824 - Oct. 26, 1884PORTER, THOMAS P.Sept. 24, 1849 - Aug. 27, 1876RIVERS, S.J.May 30, 1847 - July 22, 1924RIVERS, W. A May 16, 1836 - Aug. 11, 1889ROGERS, BETTIE B.Aug. 28, 1846 - Nov. 2, 1915ROGERS, ELIZA M.Dec. 3, 1848 - Nov. 28, 1939ROGERS, P.A.Feb. 26, 1842 - Dec. 12, 1913SCRUGGS, SWASSIE S.Mar. 20, 1858 - Aug. 3, 1945SCRUGGS.A., M. D.May 8, 1854 - June 3, 1931SILKERSON, BETTIE G.Aug. 11, 1861 - Nov. 27, 1940SIMMNS, MARTHA M.Apr. 11, 1839 - Sept. 19, 1896SIMMONS JAMES L.,June 22, 1822 - July 24, 1905SIMMONS, ASA JAMESDec. 15, 1859 - May 6, 1933

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SIMMONS, CAROLINEFeb. 25, 1826 - May 22, 1898SIMMONS, CHRISTIANANov. 9, 1829 - Nov. 26, 1908SIMMONS, G. B.Co. F. - 13 Miss. Inf. CSASIMMONS, JAMES E.Feb. 8, 1860 - Dec. 10, 1914SIMMONS, MARY E.Apr. 5, 1850 - May 25, 1907SIMMONS, NEAL McLAURENMar. 4, 1859 - Apr. 1, 1884SIMMONS, SADIE HOUSTONFeb. 26, 1860 - Nov. 27, 1903S I M M O N S , S I D N E Y K E N N E D YAug. 12, 1854 - Aug. 20, 1873SIMMONS, SUE E.Dec. 11, 1861 - Feb. 19, 1947SIMMONS, THOMASApr. 24, 1816 - Feb. 12, 1895SIMMONS, WM. G.Feb. 13, 1842 - Mar. 30, 1920SMITH, BAKERMay 25, 1854 - Dec. 20, 1905SMITH, BETTIE COLEMANOct. 29, 1860 - Dec. 27, 1948SMITH, JAMES E.Jan. 31, 1858 - Sept. 3, 1922SMITH, LANGDON CHEVESOct. 14, 1856 - Jan. 31, 1936SMITH, ROXANNA H.Jan. 16, 1832 - Apr. 20, 1877STEVENS, PEGGYJune 20, 1783 - May 20, 1862STEVENSON, DR. WM. JOELNov. 24, 1856 - Aug. 17, 1918STEVENSON, RINTIE L.July 12, 1855 - Apr. 15, 1936STEVENSON, WILLIAM G.1854-1906 and ELIZA J. STEVENSONTARTT, ELNATHANAug. 11, 1816 - Aug. 6, 1876TARTT, JOHN W.Mar. 23, 1844 - Oct. 20, 1881TAYLOR, ROBERTNov. 11, 1847 - July 18, 1909TOWERS, JOEL READJune 23, 1824 - Jan. 15, 1883TUCKER, G.R.Jan. 9, 1810 - Aug. 26, 1860TUCKER, MARY J.Feb. 9, 1837 - Nov. 11, 1888TUCKER, THEODOCIA A., Nov. 4,1810 - Jan. 21, 1869

ULRICK, ISASBELLA CAROLINEMay 22, 1842 - May 13, 1911ULRICK, MARY ELIZABEH TARTTAug. 28, 1846 - May 21, 1924WALKER, ANN C.Feb. 2, 1862 - Dec. 30, 1943WALKER, E.H.Oct. 31, 1855 - Mar. 17, 1825WALKER, HARRIET ELIZAAug. 11, 1847 - Nov. 19, 1893WALKER, JERUSHAJan. 15, 1839 - Feb. 31, 1898WALKER, JOEL P.Mar. 16, 1912 - Nov. 14, 1863WALKER, JOHN D.Co. C - 2 Miss. Cav. CSAWALKER, MARGARET E.Sept. 25, 1840 - Nov. 21, 1907WALKER, MARTHA ANNSept. 3, 1822 - Dec. 26, 1902WALKER, MARY E.Jan. 8, 1847 - Mar. 22, 1870WALKER, MARYNov. 9, 1781 - Nov. 28, 1858WALKER, RICHARD P.Co. C - 2 Miss Cav., CSAWALKER, ROBERT D.Jan. 31, 1862 - Aug. 1, 1921WALKER, S.J.Aug. 29, 1828 - Nov. 18, 1910WALKER, SUSAN A.Feb. 26, 1832 - Nov. 20, 1916WALKER, THOMAS FELTONNov. 9, 1865 - Oct. 5, 1938WATSON, F.MCo. A - 17 Ala. Inf. CSAWATSON, VICTORIAJuly 18, 1905 - age 53WEBB, BARNABASSNov. 5, 1810 - Jan. 27, 1873WEBB, HENRY F.Jan. 12, 1838 - Aug. 17, 1878WEBB, JAMES R.Nov. 29, 1845 - Nov. 6, 1881WILKERSON, CHARLES S.Oct. 30, 1857 - July 19, 1908WALKER, JOHN R.Apr. 22, 1910 - Feb. 3, 1858

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