The first
account we have of the McCall family is a paper written by Dougald McCall
dated Wednesday, January 1, 1851. The following is a statement he left,
“ I thought It would be right to leave something to tell who I was, and
from whence I came. I have not much knowledge of my family. I lost my father
when I was quite young, not more than two and a half years old. My father
was named Samuel, and his father was Hugh, and his father was John, and
his father was named John, is as far back as I am able to learn their origin.
My mother’s name was Nancy or Ann; her maiden name was McLaughlin; of them
I do not know anymore. I was the youngest of the family; there were eight
of us, five sons and three daughters, Hugh, John, Daniel, Catherine, Ann,
Christene, Duncan, and myself. I was born in Scotland in Argyllshire on
the 12th of January 1790. My parents landed in Wilmington, North
Carolina about Christmas of that year. I lived in South Carolina until
March 7, 1808. I landed in Natchez Mississippi on the 8th day
of May. I have been here ever since.” This statement was signed, “Dougald
G. McCall”. Dougald and his brother, Duncan, had left S.C. going through
the country to Nashville, Tenn. where they were separated for a while;
Dougald taking employment with a horse drover to help drive horses to Natchez,
coming through Choctaw Indian Nations, who were in possession of this land
at the time. He arrived at Natchez on May 8, 1808. His brother Duncan had
taken employment as a hand on a flat boat going down the Cumberland , Ohio,
and Miss. Rivers. Dougald arrived in Natchez before his brother. We don’t
know how long they remained in Natchez. Dougald’s first employment was
riding for the U.S. Mail from Natchez to Nashville, Tenn. Over the route
he had just come. He had many hardships and perils that he encountered
in crossing the over-flow stream, then there was the cold and inclement
weather. We don’t know how long he followed this occupation. Dougald was
known to be a man of strong religious faith. In his travels he had sen
what drink and gambling had done to men he had met, so he made a decision
to not drink liquor. He was of the Methodist belief, and served as class
leader and steward up until his last days. In 1825, he married Susan B.
Coleman, daughter of Jerimiah and Pheroba Jones Coleman. She was born in
the Mississippi Territory, now Adams County,Miss. They settled near Rodney,
miss. On a place they called “The Hills”, near a Presbyterian School, Oakland
college, which is now known as Alcorn University. Dougald served as a trustee
at the school. He became a Planter and later owned a Merchantile Store
in Rodney. The banks failed in 1837. Dougald had gone security for many
of his customers and was fighting lawsuits for himself and two other large
estates for which he was administrator, for years.He and Susan had four
children, one died as a young child, his name was Horace. His two sons
Duncan and Edwin were educated at Oakland College, Duncan graduated in
1845, and Edwin in 1856. Dougald died in 1854, and was buried at the McGill
Cemetery near his home. After his death Edwin lived on with his mother.
Duncan had married Margaret Clifton of Louisiana. They had moved across
the river to a family owned plantation called Clio, in Tensas Parish La.
By this time Dougald and Susan’s only daughter had married William W. Watson
of Tensas Parish and was living on a Plantation named Cross Keys. Shortly
before the Civil War started Edwin was married to Mary Bowman, and soon
went to War. Duncan was not able to serve because of an old leg injury.
He and his family moved to Texas , and settled in Cherokee County. After
the war, Edwin followed and his family remained in the Jacksonville Texas
area until his death. Duncan was back and forth for a few years from Texas
to La. finally settling in Texas. This family’s lives changed drastically
after the war, as did all of the families of that period. Some of the Blacks
who had been with the McCall’s in La. chose to come to Texas with them,
so they could start new lives. After the slaves were freed some were at
a loss as to how where to go and how to start out to make a living. This
was a period of much change! The McCall family was always interested in
history and left a wealth of information for their family to come. A grgranddaughter
of Dougald McCall, Josie Lee Ramsey Garner was our family historian. She
compiled most of this information. She died in 2000, and I would
like to dedicate this article to her memory.
