WPA History of Lamar County,
Mississippi
**Lamar County did not exist during the war, but was still
part of Marion County. Also, the information regarding the 155th
regiment is not correct."**
BATTLES AND SKIRMISHES IN LAMAR COUNTY
None
NAMES OF FIGHTING UNITS FROM COUNTY
155th Regiment Information: (This Regiment number is wrong, but
this is what the original document says)
In March 1861 the first call for Mississippi Troops for
the impending war was given. These troops were designed to
Pensacola. Twenty companies were forwarded late in March,
accompanied by Gen. Charles Clark as commander. From these
companies were organized the ninth regiment (Col. J. R. Chalmes)
and the tenth (Col. S. M. Phillips), the colonels' commissions
bearing the date of April 11th. These regiments, though the first
in the provisional army, were numbered as they were to follow the
eight regiments being filled at home for the army of Mississippi.
NAMES OF ENLISTED MEN FROM LAMAR COUNTY
1. S. G. BURDETTE: 23rd Ga. Regiment (under Capt. B. G. Poole)
2. DAVID LEANDER KIRKLAND: 36th Ala. Inf. Enlisted from Sumpter
Co. Ala. Served under Col. Bob Smith, Capt. C. S. Henegan and 1st
Lieut. Turner D. Bell.
3. JOHN K. MURPHY: 1st Miss. Cavalry under Capt. Reynolds.
4. J. T. BENNETT: 22nd Miss Regiment under Capt. J. S. Prestage
and Col. Barnum. Died in Ga. during the Battle of Peachtree
Creek.
5. ABNER WALKER: 3rd Miss. Regiment under commander Col. James
McCray, Capt. Enock Ramsay.
COMPANY "B"
1. J. D. BRYANT: 7th Miss. Battalion under Commander Cullin
Terrett, Capt. Wyatt Baylis.
2. FRANCIS MAVIN CLARK: Co. B Stubbs H & Ln.
3. F. M. GRAHAM: 47th Miss. Battalion under Col. Siars and Capt.
Dick Magee.
4. F. M. GRAHAM: 46th Regiment Capt. Dick Magee and John C.
Pemberton, Lieutenant.
5. ANDREW HARTFIELD: 7th Battalion Ala. under Major Snude and
Capt. John Paitmont.
6. HOSEN E. HOLLEY: 18th Ala. under Col. J. T. Holtzclaw, served
in same Co. until surrender of Miss. Ridge Oct. 23rd 1863 command
surrender Spanish Fort near Mobile Ala. was a prisoner at Rock
Island Ill.
7. W. T. LACY: enlisted from Talapoochia Co. Ala., 6th Ala.
Calvary, under Capt. Calvin and Capt. Voar.
8. C. LOTT: 46th Battalion Miss. Co. B. under Capt. Dick Magee.
9. N. J. LOTT: 46th Miss. Co. B under Capt. Dick Magee Commander
surrender Greenville, N. C.
10. JOHN T. MCGREW: 27th Miss Inf. Co. B.
11. CHARLES A. MCDADE: 25th Miss. regiment Co. B. under Capt. G.
W. Ogden. A prisoner on Ship Island.
12. JOHN G. PACE: Co. B 6th Miss. under Commander Carnell Balier,
Capt. Dick Magee.
13. RAYFORD RUSSELL: 46th Miss. Company B. under Capt. Dick
Magee, Lieut. George Buchanan.
14 JOHN T. FIELDER: 4th Ala. Battalion Co. b. Commander
Snottgrass and Capt. Hawkins.
15. JOHN SLADE: 7th Miss. Company B. Capt. Jim Atkinson Rankin
and Anderson Commanders.
16. GEORGE THOMAS: enlisted in Mobile County, Ala. 56th Ala.
regiment under Col. Baillis Capt. Sartin.
17. J. R. YANCEY: 26th Ala. regiment under Capt. Nelson and Col.
John McDowel
COMPANY "C"
1. B. N. ALSWORTH: enlisted April 1862 Canton Madison Co., Miss.
under Capt. O. R. S. Ingleton and Col. Burt, Cp. C 18t Miss.
regiment.
2. RICHARD P. CLARK: Co. C. 18th Miss. Capt. Hugh Love
3. JEPTH N. COLE: 8th Miss Volunteers. Col. John C. Wilkerson,
Capt. H. W. Crook.
4. GEORGE S. COOK: 6th Battalion, 2nd Regiment, Co. C. under Gen.
Woods and Capt. N. C. Baines
5. JAMES R. GRIST: 15th Calvary Col. Harris Morris, 15th CSA,
Calvary, Capt. Barlow.
6. CALVIN HOYT: Private and Sergeant. Col. S. R. Pinkus Co. C.
12th Ala. Inf. CSA Capt. Stikes. Wounded May 2, 1862 at Battle of
Chancellorsville, Va. His name appears on a list of prisoners of
war surrendered April 9th 1865 at Appomatox, Va., St. Collins,
21st. Tennessee Volunteers under Capt. J. D. Laten, Lieut. Gibbs
and Bill Spinks, 1st Lieut.
COMPANY "D"
1. SAMUEL W. AVERY: 35th regiment of Miss Volunteers under Capt.
Rich. Major Thomas Holmes was active in the siege of Vicksburg.
2. LEONIDAS J. ADAMS: 13th Miss volunteer company under commander
William Barksdale and Captain Peter Bozerman.
3. S. ?. GILES: under Col. Vesson.
4. JOHN C. HANSBERRY: 14th Battalion enlisted from Burnwell
County, S. C. under Capt. J. W. Reed and sergeant M. Booker.
5. NED MERRIWEATHER: 2nd Ala. Calvary under Commander Gen.
Ferguson and Captain Regces.
6. JACOB POPE 28th Miss under Captain Frank White and Col. Adams.
COMPANY "E"
1. ANDREW JACKSON COOPER: 35th Miss volunteer under Capt. H. M.
Walsh
2. HENRY BOYD FREEMAN: 37th Miss Commander O. S. Holland, Capt.
Tom House
3. ALBERT G. GRAHAM: 21st Miss Commander J. E. Johnson, Major
Upton.
4. BENJAMIN GRAHAM,: Weathers Artillery
5. WILLIS C. MELVIN: 5th GA Regiment under Commander George P.
Harrison, Capt. John L. Fowler and Capt. Green Bass.
6. JAMES S. MURRAY: 39th Miss. under Capt. Chas. Banks
7. RAYFORD RUSSELL: 46th Miss 38th Miss Regiment under Captain
White
8. JOHN WHIDDON: 7th Miss. Battalion under Command Gen. Brandon
and Capt. John Giles
COMPANY "F"
1. GABRIEL F. BLACKBURN: 14th La. Regiment. Entered war Nov. 6,
1863; served under Capt. Mills and Col. Cage.
2. B. L. BURKHAULTER, 27th Miss. Commander Gen. Mauhault, Capt.
J. R. Baw.
3. COLON BREELAND: under Capts. Col. Miller and Ben Stephens.
4. SILAS BAGGETT: 4th Miss. regiment Inf. under Capt. Baldin and
Capt. Lee.
5. WILLIAM J. CALHOUN: 4rd Ala. Regiment, under commander
Archibald Grayson.
6. LABOR F. FREEMAN: 11th Miss. regiment under Col. Moore and
Capt. Geo. Noel.
7. JOHN MCCULLON HARTFIELD: 7th Miss. Battallion, Capt. Gillis.
8. WILEY WILLIAMSON: 27th Miss. Regiment, Capt. Hugh McLain.
COMPANY "G"
1. RICHARD B. CARROLL, 23rd Ala. Inf. under Gen. Bragg.
COMPANY "H"
1. VALNEY H. ANDERSON. Enlisted 24 April 1864, Capt. Stafford.
2. HENRY COLLINS: 40th Miss. Regiment under Capt. Sharp and W. B.
Colbert.
3. WILLIAMS S. DAVIS: 37th Miss. Regiment under Capt. Frank Loper,
Col. O. S. Holland.
4. JOHN GREEN LEWIS: 2nd Ala. Reserves, Capt. Neut Shuttles.
COMPANY "I"
1. THOMAS BEECH: served under Gen. Braggand, Capt. Colbert.
2. HARRY DURHAM, 24th N. C. Regiment under Capt. Ira Woodall.
3. CHRISTOPHER _DDINGS DAVIS: Lieut. Guy
4. JAMES ALBERT LUPER: 38th Miss. under Capt. F. Foxworth; Press
Brunt. Was killed 14 July 1864 in Battle of Harrisburg, Miss.
5. C. HUDSON: 12th regiment under Capt. Nicholson, was on parole
from prison at Richmond, Va.
NO COMPANY GIVEN
1. G. M. BRYANT WOODS--Capt. Jay Eaton
2. G. W. BYRD: 7th Miss. Battalion--Capt. Jack Leggett.
3. A. A. BROOM: Capt. Nathan Barnes
4. GEORGE BOUNDS: 3rd Miss. Capt. Dale Green and John Saucier.
5. IRVING BLACKBURN: 3rd Miss. Under Fled Adams and Capt.
Foxworth, John Applewhite, 1st Lieut. 7th Miss.
6. WILLIAM ARTHUR BARRETT: 36th Miss. Inf. Capt. Oglestree, Col.
Witherspoon.
7. CEPHAS BOND: 3rd Miss.
8. W. J. BEASLEY: 33 Commander McInnis, Capt. Smith
9. JOHN M. BROOME: Capt. Melvin Merelle
10. JAMES D. BAILEY: under Lieut. Butler, Pink Patterson.
11. BILL BARNES: 7th Battalion under Capt. Nathan Barnes.
12. FLAN T. BAREFOOT: under Capt. J. M. Stephens and Lieut. Simon
Barnes.
13 L. G. BIRD: 1st regiment, Commander Col. Joe B. Griffin, Capt.
Jack Thompkins.
14. J. D. BRYANT: under Capt. Virgil Wyatt Bayliss.
15. WILLIAM COOPER: Capt. Virgel Varnado.
16. BRYANT CAMERON, Sletes Battalion.
17. GRIEF CARROLL: 27th Miss. under Commander Rays and Capt.
Branner Griffin.
18. J. WELLSLEY COWART: Co. Reserve Corps.
19. GEORGE CLINTON: under Capt. John Gilles and Lieut. John
Denham.
20. G. S. COOK: under Capt. N. C. Barnes.
21. ANDREW J. COOPER: 35th Miss. Col. ?. M. S. Barry, Capt. H. W.
Walsh.
22. SAMUEL I. COLLINS: J. D. (?)tin, Capt.
23. ?. M. A. CHANDLER: Capt. J. T. Jones, J. M. Green, 1st Lieut.
and Gen. Lowe.
24. ANDREW J. COOPER: 1st Miss. ? day Troops Commander ?. S.
Patters and Capt. Walsh.
25. PHILLIP MCRAINEY: under Capt. Mixon.
26. RUTHERFORD J. T. DANIELS: under Lieut. Harrison, Confederated
States Gunboat Morgan.
27. J. B. EASTERLING: Company 27th Miss. under Gen. Walthal and
Capt. McLemore.
28. JESSIE FARVE: Steeds Battalion and Miller Co. under Capt.
James Miller.
29. WINSTON GRAHAM: under (illegible) Russell, 1st Lieut.
30. GEORGE ALLEN: Thomas Gunter, Capt. Stewart, Jim Bayliss and
Barclay.
31. I. C. HUDSON: enlisted from Coffee County, Ala. served under
Capt. Wood Lieut. Samuel Suttles.
32. JOHN WESLEY HOLLOMAN: 9th Regiment Calvary Capt. Miller. He
was drilled at home one year before drawn for service in Hancock
County, Miss.
33. J. M. HARTFIELD: under Capt. Gillis.
34. GEORGE MACON HAYNES: enlisted Cataba County, N. C. under
Capt. Bost and Lieuts. Rowe and Hoover.
35. ABSALOM SLADE: Co. B. 7th Miss. Battalion under Capt. Wyatt
Baylis, Gen. Price and Gen. Vandorn. He was killed Oct. 1862 at
Corinth, Miss.
36. W. J. HOWELL: 16th Miss regiment Col. Lowery, Capt. Enoch and
Lieut. Puckett.
37. B. F. HARTFIELD: 7th Miss Battalion Co. 4 under Capt. Sibbs.
38. F. R. HOUSLEY: enlisted from Marion County under Capt.
Gillis.
39. DANIEL JOHNSON: enlisted from Neuton Co., Miss. Capt.
Crumpton, Lieut. Gibbs, Bill Spinks.
40. J. M. JONES: Steds Battalion, Capt. Stephens.
41. WADE H. KELLY: enlisted Attain Co. Miss. under Capt. Berry,
Hood and Pemberton.
42. JOHN D. KENDRICK: enlisted Neuton Co. Miss, under Capt.
Thames.
43. SAMUEL S. LOVE: enlisted Randolph County, Ala.
44. THOMAS LOTT: 46th Battalion Co. Carmol ?ears Capt. Dick Magee
1st Lieut. George Buchannan.
45. D. W. MORROW: 5th Miss. regiment Capt. ?. I. H. McBeth.
46. WALTUS MADDEN: Baro Artillery Commander Ben Johnson, Willis
C. Melvin, 47.
48. WILLIAM JASPER MUCKLEWRATH: Capt. Jim Enoch and Col. Rob
Lowery.
49. JNO. K. MURPHY: 3rd Miss. Regiment, Capt. Reynolds.
50. SAMUEL S. SLADE: 7th Miss. Infantry, Col. F. J. Goode, Capt.
Mayson.
51. DAVID SAUNDERS SALTER: 40th Miss. Reg. Capt. Latimer, Col.
Cobert.
52. LEWIS TURNER: enlisted Edgefield District, S. C. Col. John V.
Moore, Capt. Robert H. Thompson.
53. JAMES WARDEN: ?tuss Battalion Commander, Napolean Moutte, 1st
Lieut. Capt. Jim Miller.
54. JAMES ROWELL: Capt. Messer Co., Pass Christian, Miss.
55. J. B. REED, 6th Miss. Commander Col. Robert Lowery, Capt.
William Thompson.
56. WILLIAM SLADE: 21st Miss. Commander J. ?. Johnson, Capt.
Wyatt Baylis.
57. JAMES M. MARSHALL: 37th Miss. Regiment Capt. ?. Honoze, Col.
O. S. Holland.
58. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MYATT: 15th Regiment, Forest Cobb, Capt.
Sam Culley, Col. Foote, Lieut. Duke Floyd.
59. ELDON NOBLES: Ellisville InVincibles, Capt. Dasin.
60. SEABORN MORRIS: under Gen. Sneed.
61. THOMAS C PATTERSON: (illegible)
62. L. A. ?. RICE: (illegible)
63. MATTHEW OVERSTREET: (illegible)
64. WILLIAM J???er MUCKLERATH: (illegible)
65. JNO. MURPHY: 3rd Miss. Regiment, Capt. Reynolds
66. L. ?. MERRITT: 3rd Battalion Cavalry, William (illegible) and
William Easterling.
67. JOHN D. MCMICHEL: under John Henry Banks and Capt. David
Cochran.
68. BEN WHIDDON: enlisted Marion County, Miss. Capt Jim Rankin,
Col. Goods.
69. MIKE WALL, enlisted Jasper County, Miss. under W. M. Brame,
Capt. Walter Acker.
70. GEORGE HANSON ROBERTSON: Baltimore Olant Artillery Nov. 15th
1844, died Aug. 30th 1899.
71. JOHN KENDRICK
72. STEVE JOHNSON: served under Capt. Reynolds, home guard.
73. EBENEZER SLADE: died of measles in army hospital at
Vicksburg, Miss. while in service.
74. D. S. ENTREKIN: Co. Ala. Regiment.
75. RAYFORD HUDSON: served as Sargent at Vicksburg. He once told
of the siege of Vicksburg during the aware. He had charge of the
supplies and stated that they lived in caves dug in the cliffs
and ate mule flesh, some time they had dry peas to go with the
meat.
LETTERS FROM THE WAR
Columbus, Mississippi
April 12, 1862
My Dearest Companion:
I will write you a few lines this morning to let you hear
from me since I left Dexete. We arrived at the new camp they
morning after we left Dexette and are staying in an old house
until we can get out tents and Camp ground fixed up. I am very
well satisfied here, the only thing I dislike is that we have
been guarding some prisoners that is here and they are fine
looking young men. There is some where about 24 Union men that we
took on suspicion and about 14 prisoners.
B. A. Cates
Saltille, Mississippi
September 5, 1862
I wonder just how all the family is getting along. All
the men in our camp is getting along as well as could be
expected. I have not slept in the tent but two nights since we
came here. As I do not know anything else to write I will close
until the morning and will ask the Captain if you can come to
visit me here.
Just as I was asking the captain if you could come to see
me, a funny thing happened to all the camp. There was an alarm
raised an all the men got their guns and got into line and then
we marched to the brigade drill ground which is nearly a mile
from where we sleep. When we got there the Colonel said for the
Captain to take charge of their companies and take them to their
quarters.
Two men in our camp have died, they died at Columbus. The
first man was Lawson Sellers, he died in the tent hospital. I was
one of the men that dug his grave. He was a fine young man and I
think that he is in a better world. The other man was a Knight.
He was very wicked and there is little hope for him. It looks
like that all the soldiers could be soldiers of the cross as well
as soldiers of the country.
B. A. Cates
37th Regiment Co. F
Saltille, Mississippi
September 26, 1862
My dearest Companion:
I wonder how all are getting along, we had a fight with
the Yankees on last Friday and went to Baldwin and I was almost
past going. I was sent to this place where they put me in a camp
with a hundred and fifty other sick men. Quimmley was killed on
the battle field. There is no conditions here for a sick man. So
some of the men have to do their own nursing.
I think I will be sent to Enterprise in a few days to
another camp. Brise's Army left Baldwin this morning but I did
not know where they will be sent from here.
Your husband,
B. A. Cates
Vicksburg, Mississippi
April 19, 1863
My dearest Companion:
It is with pleasure this Sabbath morning that I write to
you once more, for when I write I do not know how long it will be
until I am killed, which I hope may never be my fate. I drawed
$69.00 and in the money was a $50.00 bill. I sent this to you, do
not worry if you do not receive this money. I want you to see if
that letter you received April 17th was broken or not. I did not
say a word about the money in the letter that I sent you, if you
are lucky to receive the money I want you to spend it as you need
things.
I hope that I will soon be able to come home on furlough,
but from the way things are looking here now it will not be long
before we will have to fight the Yanks.
As ever your Husband,
B. A. Cates
Vicksburg, Mississippi
May 18, 1863
Mrs. Sarah Cates:
I seat myself this evening to communicate to you the sad
and heart rendering intelligence of the death of your very dear
husband. Mr. B. A. Cates had been unable for some time and
finally taken the fever which confined him to his bed. He had the
fever for several days before he left here. He left here the 8th
of May and died the 11th of May at Vicksburg, Miss. The Dr. said
that he was going to send him home, or try to do so but he never
got any further than Vicksburg. When Mr. Cates left here he had
$29.00 in his pocket. You must write to me telling me if you ever
received the money or not.
Your friend,
Jacob Cates
INTERVIEWS
GABRIEL FRANCIS BLACKBURN was a soldier in the
Confederate War. He entered the war from Marion County, Columbia,
Miss. He was in the 14th Louisiana Regiment, Co. F. Captain Mills
and Colonel Cage were the officers. He entered the War Nov. 6,
1863.
It was cold and raining when the company left Columbia.
When they left there they did not know where they would ever live
to come back or not. The soldiers were not equipped to fight like
the soldiers in the past world war. They carried their guns, shot
bags and their blankets were tied into a pack and this carried on
their backs.
An interesting story that he told his grandchildren is as
follows: One day the Company had been marching from one camp to
another when night began to come on the men. They were about 19
miles to the next camp. The Captain was a very fine man, not like
a lot of other captains. He told the men to stop and rest a while
for he knew that the men could not march to the other camp. One
of the men asked the Captain what they would do if it began to
snow. He said, "We will take out our blankets and spread them on
the ground and cover up, then if the snow will fall long enough
we will spend the night here. Just about this time it began to
snow. The men were glad to see it snow for they were tired of
marching. The captain asked who would like to count the men and
see just how many blankets they had in their company. When he had
finished counting the men they took out their blankets and spread
them on the ground. They would spread four blankets and then
spread four more and so on until they had all their blankets on
the ground. "Now men get on your knees and ask God to send a big
snow so we can spend the night here." All this time it was
snowing very fast. By this time the men were all on their
blankets and beginning to cover with other blankets. They put
their guns under the blankets with them. The snow lasted until
late in the night. When they were awakened the next morning they
could not see anything for they were covered with the snow. All
the men had a nice time that night sleeping under the snow. The
next morning they were all rested and did not dread marching to
the other camp.
He related this story just a few weeks before he died. He
died in April, 1931.
When he was coming home on a furlough he saw a crowd of
Yanks rob a farm home of everything they could use. When they
left you could hear the people crying for they had stolen all the
meat, etc., that the family had saved for winter use.
BRIEF HISTORY WITH WAR RECORD OF ANY DISTINGUISHED INDIVIDUALS
None
STORIES OF RAIDS UPON HOMES
You must remember that at the time of the Civil War what
now comprises Lamar County was Marion County and there were very
few families here, but we still hear stories told by our
forefathers of the raids upon the homes during the Civil War.
They would tell of how Yankees would drop in on a home and
exchange their tired and worn out horses for the families only
plow animal. They would drive away the best cattle. The people on
learning that the Yankees were close would drive their cattle and
other animals away to some hiding place and leave them there
until they passed on. But they were generally there before anyone
knew it; they would go into the homes and order the housewives to
prepare a good meal for them. If they refused the Yankees would
threaten them with their lives. They took anything they wanted.
The people would bury the money that they had on hand if they
kept it at all.
During the Civil War the Yankees came through this part
of the country clear to the coast. They invaded the homes and
robbed the people. In one instance they came to my Grandmother's
and took everything they had. It seemed as if all the stock came
up on purpose to be taken. They took 100 head of cattle and seven
fine horses, leaving nothing to plow with. There were eight fat
hogs in the pen. They cut their heads off and took them, leaving
the heads lying in the pen. Taking axes, they split open the bee
gums and took all the honey. Not being content with this they
went into the house and emptied all the feather beds but one,
taking the ticks with them. They opened the trunks and took out
letters and read them, hunted and found all the jewelry and
valuables and took them and rode away.
Being left without anything except the hog-heads my
Grandmother and those left with her took the heads and boiled
them and ate them without salt. As no one could obtain any salt
they dug up the dirt in the smoke houses and boiled and strained
it for the salt.
This county was troubled with jayhawkers during the Civil
War. Jay-hawkers were groups of southern men who taking advantage
of troubled times and condition of the Country robbed and stole
from the people. Stealing all the horses they could find they
congregated on Honey Island. The people in the County banded
together and surprised them, taking back their horses.
HOME CONDITIONS DURING THE WAR
As the men were away fighting for their rights the women
and children were at home working hard, trying to keep up the
homes under very hard conditions. At this time this section of
the county was thinly settled. The nearest trading post was 90
miles away, the trip had to be made with ox wagons over the very
rugged trails and they could expect to be robbed by the Yankees
any time. On the whole they lived a very miserable life.
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