Marion County WPA History
Chapter I
Formation
EARLY SETTLERS
In
the early part of 1800 Dougan M'Laughlin came to Marion County
from North Carolina and settled fourteen miles south of Columbia,
west of Pearl River. The place is known now as the Jobe Foxworth
place and lies between Ball's Mill Creek and Hurricane Creek.
McLaughlin lived in a picturesque, three-story brick house
overlooking the river. Back in those days small steamboats made
their way up and down the river sometimes and could be seen when
standing on the porch of this old home.
McLaughlin was from a settlement of Scotch Highlanders in
North Carolina who contributed so largely to the early population
of our county. He was educated in the University of Scotland, was
a great sportsman and politician, also a devout Presbyterian and
noted for his hospitality throughout the county. He owned several
thoroughbred horses and a private race track. He engaged in
farming and his chief crop was cotton. It is said he had
difficulty in getting his cotton ginned because of the lack of
waterpower on his place. After finding the little creek on which
his gin was located did not furnish enough water to operate his
machine he had a canal dug down from Lott's Creek. It happened
that Joseph Warren was operating a mill on this creek and the
canal robbed him of his water power. Warren sued McLaughlin and
won the case. Having plenty of slave labor McLaughlin had another
canal dug leading to another small stream but this source also
proved insufficient.
McLaughlin was the father in law of Governor Humphry, and
the grandfather of Humphrey's daughter who married Isaac Stamps,
a nephew of Jefferson Davis. McLaughlin himself was a member of
the State Legislature from Marion County and of the
Constitutional Convention of 1817.
Three brothers, Solomon, William and John Lott came from
Georgia to this section in the early part of the Nineteenth
Century. They settled in the vicinity of what is now known as
Columbia and reared their families in Marion County. It was in
honor of these settlers that the land on which Columbia now
stands was first known as Lott's Bluff, and it was John Lott who
gave the land for a courthouse when the county was first
organized. Descendants of these brothers still live in the county
and many of them had made outstanding citizens.
The Breakfield family is Marion County was one of the
first to locate there. Isaac Breakfield, a Baptist minister came
from North Carolina about 1800 and settled near the present
community of Expose. Mr. Breakfield established claim to a large
tract of land which he had tilled by his slaves. Book C in the
Chancery Clerk's Office in Marion County shows where Isaac
Breakfield sold several slaves at one time to John Foxworth. Two
Breakfield men, a son and grandson of Isaac Breakfield, served
throughout the War Between the States. The son, Burl Breakfield
was in the siege of Vicksburg and was captured along with the
other soldiers. The grandson, I. O. Breakfield was a cavalryman
and was also in the battle of Vicksburg. The old homestead or one
part of it is still in the possession of Breakfield Descendant
four bachelors.
Another early settler was Christopher Burts who came from
North Carolina very early and settled ten miles east of Columbia
near where Enon Baptist Church now stands. Burts owned a large
tract of land and owned slaves. After the War Between the States
his property was broken up and sold to different people. Part of
the place is now owned by George Moody, the Re-settlement agent
in Marion County.
The Fenn ancestors came to America from Belfast, Ireland
in the early years of the Nineteenth Century. According to
tradition their ancestors originally came over from Ireland.
Their first stop was in one of the Carolinas, and from there four
brothers migrated to Mississippi. One brother, Levi Fenn, stopped
in Marion County and settled five or six miles below Columbia
near the section now known as Edna. During the early years of his
life in the county, Mr. Fenn erected a house above average for
the times and it is still standing. Levi Fenn had no sons, but
four daughters lived to be grown. Two of the girls, Mary Jane and
Ann married two Rankin brothers. Emilie married a Banks and
Carolina married George Bayliss. Descendants of these daughters
are still in the county and many of them are outstanding people.
Prior to the War Between the States George Bayliss came
from Jones County and located on Graves Creek about eight miles
east of Columbia. Mr. Bayliss owned and operated a gin, grist,
and sawmill. The machinery for the different mills was run by
water power and remains of it are still found there. The first
wife of George Bayliss was Lucretia Rawls from Rawls Springs
community in Forrest County and the second wife was Carolina Fenn.
The Bayliss estate all passed down to his two youngest
sons and one of them still lives on the original homestead.
Samuel Green Foxworth was born 29 January 1808 in Marion
District, South Carolina. His father Stephen M. Foxworth was born
in Marion District South Carolina 1782 but migrated with his
family to Marion County about 1809 and located on what is now
known as the Stephen E. Foxworth place.
Samuel Green Foxworth was one of three sons, the others,
John and Stephen, and was born in 1812. The only daughter, Mary,
married Alexander Graham. The mother of the children died in 1824
and the father married again, but in 1844 he died. His wife,
possibly the second, was the widow of Felix Ford.
The children of Samuel G. Foxworth were John P. Stephen
A., George, Job m., Frank W., Alexander E., and Jerome S. The
boys all attended the private school at home then were sent to
Simon Seminary in Covington County which included a college
course. Foxworth bought land near the seminary and erected a
temporary home for his children and sent a colored couple to look
after them and keep house while they attended school. When war
broke out several of the Foxworth army and all except George came
back to establish homes in Marion County. The original Foxworth
Estate contained hundreds of acres and each of the children
received a plantation and slaves to cultivate it.
Frank W. Foxworth, a son of Samuel G. Foxworth, married
Missouri Atkinson and moved across Pearl River from the original
Foxworth plantation. He settled the place now named in his honor,
Foxworth, which is three miles west of Columbia. Frank
established a gin, grist and sawmill, all of which were operated
by water-power. The mill is still standing on the original site
and is owned and operated by Frank's son, Will Foxworth. Another
son of Frank Foxworth, Oscar J. has served Marion County was
sheriff two terms and is now a candidate for a third term. His
children and the descendants of his uncles are still living in
the county.
Silas Drake came to Marion County in the year of its
creation, 1811, from South Carolina. He settled seven miles below
Columbia and erected an old English type home. An old cemetery on
the Drake homestead contains two tombstones which indicate that
Drake and his wife are both buried there and their deaths as
having occurred in 1839 and 1853, respectfully. The Drake heirs
sold the homestead to Samuel O. Foxworth and most all of them
migrated to Texas or other places before the War Between the
States.
In 1836 Jim Jordan settled in the Hopwell community twelve
miles south of Columbia and built an English type ante-bellum
home. Mr. Jordan married Becy Ball but they had no children. A
niece inherited the home, but it was later sold to strangers.
Evans Powell came with John Ford from Marion District
South Carolina in the early part of the Nineteenth Century and
settled on the place now known as the Bradley place. It is
possible other members of the Powell family came along with Evans
but few descendants still live in the county. Powell was related
to the Ford family an the two settled near each other just a few
miles south of the City of Columbia.
William Graham was another early settler in Marion County.
He came from North Carolina about 1812 and settled about one mile
from the present town of Foxworth. Graham was of Scotch Irish
ancestors and possessed inherited traits of character which
enabled him to withstand the hardships of pioneer life. He built
a home in 1817 and reared his family where he first settled. The
home is still standing and is known as the Bill Graham home.
Direct descendants still own the land and the home.
William Stovall located in Marion County in the pioneer
days of the section. In 1837 he erected a colonial home about
fifteen miles west of Columbia which still stands as a monument
to the builder. Mrs. Letha Stovall Smith, a granddaughter of the
original owner is now in possession of the original homestead.
Marion Thompson is now eighty one years old. His
grandfather was Harmon Thompson who married in North Carolina,
moved to this section in the early years of the county and
settled about two miles below Bunker Hill. In moving from North
Carolina, Thompson moved on a t__ wheel wagon and the grandson
Marion Thompson now has the old auger his grandfather used to
make the wagon.
About 1815 William Barnes came from South Carolina and
settled in Marion County near the present village of Cheraw. His
children who remained in the county were Esther Barnes Pope,
Harris Barnes, Josiah Barnes, Allen Barnes, Louis Barnes, and
Abram Barnes. One son, Harris Barnes, was prominent in politics
and held different offices over a long period of time. At one
time he represented the county in the State Legislature, was
County Treasurer several times and was at another time
Superintendent of Education in Marion County. A son of Louis
Barnes, Thomas Barnes, is the present chancery clerk of the
county.
A relative of the members of the Barnes family mentioned
above, J. P. Barnes, son of Benjamin Barnes, was one time
Chancery Clerk of the same county. Records and documents recorded
in his handwriting indicate his ability as a penman excelled that
of the average clerk.
William Sumrall, Sr. came from South Carolina and settled
first near Brookhaven about 1800. He was the father of eleven
sons who scattered and moved to different sections. One, W. M.
Jr., moved to Marion County in the vicinity of Holly Springs
church and cultivated the land the church now stands on. He moved
to that section of the county, central northwestern, about 1810
but after a few years he again moved, and this time located in
the Buford community. Mr. Sumrall became a prominent citizen of
the county and a politician. In later years he became a member of
the Board of Supervisors and still later Probate Judge of his
district.
Two sons of W. M. Jr. Sumrall, Reason B. and John T., both
married and made their homes in Marion County. When the War
Between the States broke out both donned the uniform of the South
and went through the war. John T. told of some interesting
experiences he had during those four years which included his
capture at one time by General Grant.
About 1806 or 1807 four Ford brothers, John, Joseph,
David, and Stephens, came from South Carolina to the section now
known as Marion County. Two of the brothers, John and Joseph,
settled in what is now the southern part of the county, John on
the west side of Pearl River near the present village of Sandy
Hook, and Joseph on the east side near the community now known as
Hub. Joseph reared four sons, Ebenezer, James, Felix, and
Solomon, all of whom married Pope girls and remained in the
county.
John Ford was a Methodist minister and had been a man of
(part of the sentence was omitted from the
microfilmed page).
Married Katherine Ark before leaving South Carolina and
they reared seven children, all except one became either
preachers or married one. His sons were Elias, Washington,
Thomas, David, and John C. The last four named followed in their
father's calling and in their maturity were all Methodist
ministers. Reverend Thomas Ford organized the first church ever
to be established in the city of Jackson. The two daughters both
married Methodist ministers and moved from the county.
Descendants of the Ford family are yet found in Marion
County and the original home place is owned by one. The place was
bought by William Rankins in 1843 whose descendants married into
the Ford family and the ownership is now in the hands of a
descendant of both families, Willie Rankins.
John Warren and wife, Elizabeth Perkins Warren, came from
Liberty County, Georgia before 1811 and were probably among the
first settlers to locate near Sandy Hook. The date of their
coming is judged by the inscription found on an old tombstone in
the Warren Cemetery telling of the occurrence and indicating the
time of his wife's death. John Warren's children were Daniel,
Reese, John, Samuel, Jessie, Jane, Elizabeth, and Martha, all of
whom remained in the county. One of the daughters, Elizabeth,
married Sampson Edward Ball, a first cousin to Martha Washington
and the ancestor of all the Balls in Marion County. Martha
Warren, another daughter, married William Rankins, a native of
Ireland and a first cousin to the famous John C. Calhoun of North
Carolina.
William and James Rankins were born in Ireland and came to
North Carolina while they were still young. The two boys were
reared as orphans in the home of the father of John C. Calhoun in
the above mentioned state, but about 1818 they came to
Mississippi and located on Pearl River. William Rankins married
Martha Warren and settled near the vicinity now known as Sandy
Hook. This couple reared nine children, all of whom remained in
the county.
Elizabeth, the daughter of William Rankins, married John
Ford, a nephew of Reverend John Ford, and they settled about four
miles from the present site of Columbia. Descendants of William
Rankins can be found in different sections of Marion County, but
James, the brother of William, moved on to Texas and did not make
his home in Mississippi.
About eighty years ago W. A. Sylverstein, Sr. moved from
Ireland and located in Marion County near the present Foxworth.
He was a comedian by nature and would entertain his listeners by
the hours. Mr. Sylverstein married a Miss McGowan from the Buford
community and they reared several children, Dr. R. E. Sylverstein
of Tylertown; W. A. Jr., who is now operating the old farm; B. S.
is an attorney in Columbia, another son, M. O. and one daughter,
Mrs. W. F. Foxworth.
Aron Smith migrated from Georgia in 1805 and homesteaded
on Ten Mile Creek near the present location of Jamestown in
Marion County. He became a prosperous farmer and married Miss
Tilda Gill from Louisiana. Smith was not in favor of slaves and
never owned any. He was a hardy pioneer that wrestled his living
from the soil, lived at peace with his neighbors and promote
Christianity in his community.
Jim Smith the third son of Aron Smith moved to Morgantown
in 1840 and homesteaded a farm and reared his family. His
descendants still live in the community and one son, James R.
Smith became a minister and has devoted much of his time to
church work.
The Hathorn family of Marion County traces their ancestors
back to Ireland through Sam Hathorn who was born in Cork County,
Ireland about 1780. He, with two brothers, James and Hugh Hathorn,
ran away from an elder half brother who had become head of their
father's house in Ireland and came to Charleston South Carolina
about 1798. Later the three brothers migrated to Georgia, about
twenty-five miles southeast of Atlanta, married, and settled in
that locality. Sam married Amy Holloway or Georgia who died while
her husband Sam Hathorn was away with Jackson's army fighting
Indians in the War of 1812. On the trip with Jackson and his army
across the section now known as Marion County, Sam decided that
he wanted to live there when he reached home persuaded his
brothers to move with him to the country along Pearl River. The
brothers sold their property in Georgia which was a Spanish grant
and held in common, and all three started westward in ox wagons.
Near the present town of State Line, the two brothers became
rebellious and refused to follow Sam further, but he continued
his journey and landed on Holiday's Creek fourteen miles north of
the present town of Columbia in February 1818.
Before leaving Georgia Sam married again, the second wife
being Susan Wood. Four children of this marriage were born in
Marion County, Wood, Nancy, Jane and Hugh, but an older son of
the second marriage Bill was born in Georgia. The children of the
first marriage were Patsy, Nevin, Samuel B. and another son named
Hugh who died in infancy. The children of the second wife all
grew to maturity in Marion County on the place where Carl Burkett
now lives. In 1833 or about that time Sam Hathorn moved to Nigger
Creek where he died.
The second child of Sam Hathorn was Nevin who married
three times and was the father of seventeen children. He settled
on the original Hathorn place in Marion County but later moved to
what is known as the Stringer place in the same county. The
second wife was Edy Gardner and a son of this wife was Nevin C.,
Jr. who became known locally among his intimate friends as Uncle
Scott, Nevin C. Jr., or Uncle Scott married Susan Cooper, the
daughter of Lieutenant John D. Cooper and a niece of Fleet
Cooper, one of the editors and founders of the Clarion Ledger.
Uncle Scott and wife settled in Covington County near Bassfield
and lived in that community and county until 1891. While a
resident to Covington County Mr. Hathorn was representative of
the county in the state legislature during the late eighties and
in 1890 he was elected a member of the Constitutional Convention
from Covington County and took part in the writing of the
constitution of the state of Mississippi in 1890. After moving to
Marion County Mr. Hathorn represented this county in both the
State legislature and the state senate.
Uncle Scott Hathorn and his wife reared a family of ten
children who were outstanding citizens of the county.
In the interview with Mr. Claude V. Hathorn he told of his
grandfather's attitude and position as to the war between the
states and about some heated arguments he and his brother in law,
Alex Harper, had over the question of secession and relative
subjects. Mr. Hathorn gives an account of one of these arguments
in his grandfather's own words:
"There was quite a difference between my father and his
brother-in-law, Alex Harper, as to the policy of going into Civil
War before Secession and I remember they were constantly having
words. My father was opposed to war, or secession, and Harper was
a red hot secessionist. I remember on one occasion Harper and and
his wife, Aunt Patsy, came to my father's and spent the night
after attending church at Ebenezer, and during the conversation
between them on the question of secession they had quite an
argument. The state at that time had already seceded and my
father made the remark to Harper that notwithstanding the fact
that Harper and my father's neighbor Mark Carter had been
preaching secession and now that the state had seceded and the
army was being recognized, his, Hathorn's two boys had joined the
first Confederate Company organized but yours and Harper's two
boys are still at home. Harper replied that the reason his boys
didn't join the first company was because it was made up of the
rag-tag and bob-tails of the county. Upon that remark my father
rose and said, "Alex Harper, you can't say that to me." Harper
rose and they were fixing to have a regular dog fight. Bu Aunt
Patsy stepped between them, shoved them apart, and said, "I
command the peace, have you both gone stark crazy, sit down", and
they both obeyed her.
The Atkinson family which is of French and German origin
is one of the oldest in the state, and many of their descendants
are numbered among Marion County citizens. James Atkinson, Sr.,
moved from North Carolina to Marion County, where he was among
the first settlers in the Columbia Community.
James Atkinson married Miss Ruhama Sea, a native of
Georgia whose father was a captain of a Pearl River Boat. He,
Atkinson, led a life of a merchant and planter and became very
wealthy, but did not own a great number of slaves. He and his
wife became parents of nine girls and boys, namely: James Jr.,
Clinton, Henry, William, Myra, Belle, Floyd, Josephine, and
Missouri. These children were educated in the county and in the
early boarding schools of the state. The daughters were sent to
Liberty, Mississippi to a splendid school for girls.
James Atkinson was a victim of the dreaded disease,
cholera in 1849. He, in company with one of his sons made a trip
to New Orleans to buy Merchandise. While he was in the city he
was stricken and lived only a few hours afterwards. His body was
returned to Columbia and placed in the city cemetery where the
grave is marked by a massive marble shaft indicating his birth as
1793 and death as May 3, 1849.
Of the Atkinson family only one member remained in the
county. Missouri, who married F. W. Foxworth.
Descendants of the Marion County Lewis bothers, Lemuel and
Quinney, are outstanding citizens of the state. It has been
stated that this family has furnished more preachers than any
other of this state and the preachers of this family are
prominent in the Methodist Episcopal Conference.
Lemuel and Quinney Lewis were of Welsh-English descent and
their ancestors came to Virginia about 1775. Years later the
Lewis family was found in North Carolina, and from this state
Quinney Lewis and his wife Patty came with their children to
Marion County about 1810 and settled first south of Columbia.
After a few years this family moved to the community known as
Waterhole and built a home of lumber which is still standing and
in good condition. Mr. Lewis brought the building material from
New Orleans across Lake Ponchartrain on flat boats and thence by
ox teams to the present site of the building. The work was done
principally by slaves. One daughter of Quinney Lewis's Celia Ann,
married a Mr. Alford and became the mother of five preachers.
(The next page starts with a sentence fragment
which seems to say that Mr. Alford was her first husband and that
she married John D. Warner the second time. If you know anything
about this please let me know so I can clarify it for other
readers.)
Two of the sons of Quinney Lewis, Reverend Bryant Lewis
and Reverend Henry Lewis, early became identified with the
Methodist church and were members of the Methodist Conference of
Mississippi. From Henry's family five ministers have come and
from Bryant's family there were two ministers and one doctor in
active missionary service in Africa at the present time.
Quinney Lewis and his wife Petty moved from the Waterhole
community to near China Grove and later moved near Holmesville.
The husband died in 1881 at the age of eighty-seven years of age.
Lemuel Lewis, Quinney's youngest brother was born in North
Carolina in 1804. In 1820 when he was sixteen years of age he
came to Marion County to teach his brother, Quinney's children
and also taught for the Waterhole settlement. He had received his
education in the schools of North Carolina and returned there
after teaching a few years. While he was back in North Carolina
he married Polly Williams and later returned to Marion County,
bought his brother Quinney's home and engaged in farming. His
children were Sally, Giles, Celie, and Martha that were born in
North Carolina; then there were Susan, Christian, Margaret,
Benjamin Bright and John born after the family moved to this
section.
Lemuel Lewis held several important offices, the last
being Probate Judge. After the death of his first wife and his
second marriage he moved from the county for a space of years but
upon the death of his second wife he returned to the community of
Waterhole where he spent the remaining part of his life.
Jesse Dean was one of the first white settlers in this
section now known as Marion County and came from Tennessee. When
he was a young man he was captain of a flat boar and at intervals
came down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. On one of these
trips Mr. Dean decided to send his crew back up the river, but to
make but to make the trip over land by way of an old Indian
trail. He wanted to see the country and look for a place to
locate a settlement. A few settlers had already arrived and one
white family lived at the place where Foxworth now is. A half
days' continuous walking brought him to another white family who
lived two miles. from the place now known as a Bunker Hill in
Marion County. Another days walk brought him to the next
settlement which was at that time Williamsburg in Covington
County. Evidently Mr. King liked the sparsely settled country
because months afterwards he married Cynthia Graves and brought
her as a bride to settle at Bunker Hill.
Willis Watts came from Georgia about 1812 with a group of
other settlers and located on Bouie Creek in what is now
Covington County. About 1840 or a short time prior Mr. Watts
moved to Marion County and settled in the eastern part near the
locality now known as of Willis Watts have continued to live in
Marion County through the years that have followed his arrival. A
son who remained in the county was John L. Watts, the father of
the E. I. Watts, a former superintendent of education in Marion
County and grandfather of M. D. Watts, who makes the fourth
generation of Watts in the county.
Edmund Morris father of Sebron Morris came from North
Carolina about 1815 and settled about three miles east of
Columbia near where Albert Singley now lives. Edmund Morris
remained in the county the remaining part of his life and his
sons C. Brian settled the place now known as the Watts place nine
miles. northeast of Columbia. Just after the war between the
states Sebron Morris, father of Mrs. John L. Watts, sold his
homestead to his son-in-law John L Watts who continued in
possession of the place until his death. Descendants of Edmund
Morris yet in Marion County are E. I. Watts and his children, one
of which is M. D. Watts.
Hughie Fortenberry came to Marion County in the early
years of its creation and settled two miles. below Foxworth on
Pearl River. He was a slave owner and had large fields. Mr.
Fortenberry had a large family of children the most of whom lived
their entire lives in the county. One son, Jesse Fortenberry,
lived on the old place many years but later moved to Columbia.
His children, many of them, have made their home within a short
distance of where the first family by that name settled.
A descendant of one of the oldest families in Marion
County is B. L. Breakfield who is now very near 65 years of age
Mr. Breakfield remembers many conditions in reconstruction period
and remembers many interesting accounts given by his ancestors.
He was reared in the Ebenezer community and tells of some old
fields on Holiday's Creek that showed signs of having been
cultivated many years before he began to notice them. One was
called the Loper field and the other was known as the Granberry
place. Mr.Breakfield says the last named place showed indications
of having been a large plantation of possibly 150 acres, and
tanning troughs which were usually found on the larger
plantations in connection with shoe factories or shops. Large
walnut trees marked the house place. An interview with Calvin
Foxworth, a great-grandson of Stephen Foxworth disclosed some
facts concerning some of the early inhabitants of the county that
might be of interest. The old home of Silas Drake, mentioned
elsewhere in this chapter, built about 1800 is still standing but
has been remodeled from time to time. One of the Drake daughters
married Joe Warren who settled S. A. Foxworth place. Her
descendants are still in the county.
Mr. Foxworth remembers a story told by old settlers that
gave rise to the name Burke's Hollow which designates a locality
in Marion County. The story goes that a young man by the name of
Burke was in love with the wife of Silas Drake before her
marriage. Tradition says Mrs. Drake was an attractive woman when
she was a young girl and had many admirers. One of her suitors, a
Mr. Burke, fell in love with her and made an earnest attempt to
win her heart but she remained indifferent to his pleadings.
Realizing the hopelessness of his cause Burke became despondent
and committed suicide. The vicinity near the scene of his death
has ever since been known as Burke's Hollow.
Uncle Billy Gardner tells of some early settlers in his
community on Holidays Creek. Two of those were Ike Allen and
Patrick Oates. Allen was a slave owner and laid claim to a large
tract of land which was tilled by his slaves. Gates came with
Allen and acted as his overseer. After the War Between the
States, Gates homesteaded land six or seven miles east of
Ebenezer and later became Sheriff of Marion County.
Mr. F. W. Foxworth tells of the staunch Presbyterian faith
of his ancestors. Mrs. Samuel Graves Foxworth was the daughter of
Dr. A. R. Graves who operated the Zion Seminary in Covington
County. The Graves family was of a colony of Presbyterians in
Covington County and when his daughter, Sophia, married and moved
to Marion County she was probably the only member of her faith
there. For years she attended other churches with her husband and
friends for 40 years before a church of her faith was organized
in Marion County. The Hopewell Church in the Hopewell School
District was so named by Jobe Foxworth in remembrance of Hopewell
Presbyterian Church in Covington County at a suggestion from Mrs.
Sophie Graves Foxworth.
One of Marion County's oldest citizens is Miss Betty
Rankin who is about 82 years of age. During an interview with
�Miss Betty� as she is affectionately called by her friends she
told of many events of historical occurrence. Although rather
young during the war between the states she remembers some
interesting facts during the war and much about the
reconstruction. Miss Betty's father, John Warren Rankin is listed
in the Army of the South but because he was physically unfit as a
soldier he was sent back home to look after his family and raise
foodstuff. It was after he had returned home the Union soldiers
came through the county and stopped at their home. Upon hearing
that the soldiers were in the vicinity Mr. Rankin brought out his
Masonic receipt and tacked it in a noticeable place on his desk,
remarking as he did so that it might prove helpful, but he
thought best not to be present himself. As the family expected,
the soldiers came by and began plundering the place. It so
happened that they began looking things over in the house first
and came across the Masonic card. The officers in charge sought
Mrs. Rankin and asked her if the man named on the card was her
husband and upon her affirmative reply told her that she had
nothing to fear from their men. They asked for some small amounts
of food for the men and for a meal for the four officers to be
served in her home. Then they passed on.
Miss Betty thinks the Masonic card kept them from sharing
the fate of many of their neighbors, who were stripped of all
foodstuff, livestock, and in many cases had their homes burned.
Miss Betty says she remembers happenings back in her early days
that all of them were scary. According to her there were many
slaves in the county when war was declared and most all of them
remained on their master's plantation and were peaceful. She
remembers times were hard but that her family always had plenty
to eat.
An interview with O. J. Foxworth, Sheriff of Marion
County, gave glimpses of pioneer life as handed down to him by
his fore parents. In the early days there was more time devoted
to hunting and fishing than in modern times. Food was supplied in
that manner and many destructive animals were hunted to rid the
county of them. The wild animals desirable for food were
plentiful and deer, squirrel, and turkey were hunted for their
meat. The animals destructive to crops and to domestic animals
were wolves, bobcats, and bears. These too were hunted and
destroyed, not for their good qualities but for their undesirable
traits. Wolves would sometimes come near homes at night and set
up a serenade of howls' making such a bedlam of noise that they
would have to be driven off. Loud reports as the discharge of a
gun would drive them away and when ammunition was scarce a plank
struck forcefully against the ground would serve the purpose.
Doors had to be barricaded at night against roving, unfriendly
Indians and one of the old homes that is still standing was built
with a stockade around it which was built for protection from the
Indians.
Mr. Jim Pittman says during pioneer days there were not a
variety of occupations as in modern times. Farming and stock
raising were practically the only ones employed. Much of the
early cultivated land still shows signs of deep ditches which
indicate that slave labor was plentiful and the main crop was
probably rice as was the case in South Carolina. Great areas of
the land along the river were dense forests where wild animals
roamed and made their lairs. In some sections dense growth of the
reed cane stood in the way of cultivation as some of the canes
were five or six inches in circumference and so tall they had to
be cut down if the stock was to profit by them in the winter.
Reeds also grew along the banks of the smaller streams but they
were not as tall or large as those on Pearl River.
Another interesting interview was obtained with Mrs. Celie
Lewis Foxworth who tells of the early settlers in the Waterhole
community. Two, as has been mentioned elsewhere, were Lemuel and
Quinney Lewis. Lemuel bought the January house which had been
erected a few years earlier and was above average in that
community. Adjoining this place Hosea Davis owned a tract of
land. Mr. Davis had come along with other early settlers from
eastern states, selected desirable land for farming and
established a home in the early years of 1800. He owned and
operated a mill in connection with his arm on Ten Mile Creek.
Adjoining the Davis place just below the mill was the
Cowart House. Newton Cowart, another early settler, was a doctor
and had three sons, Ed, Elias and Ben, who practiced medicine. Ed
was a soldier and rendered valuable service to the South during
the War Between the States. Another neighbor in that vicinity was
Steve Rankin who came along with other settlers from North
Carolina and settled in the Waterhole community. Joel Bullock,
another North Carolina immigrant, settled in the same community
near the Lewis families, Reagan's, Davis's and Cowarts. He was
related to Hosea DAVIS by marriage.
These people from North Carolina were honest and
straightforward people. Most of them were religiously inclined,
some adhering to the Baptist faith and others to the Methodist.
Mrs. Hattie Barnes David remembers many of the events and
conditions of more pioneer days which show a striking contrast
between those days and modern times. Mrs. David is now 92 years
of age. She is the daughter of Harris Barnes, an early politician
in Marion County. The Barnes family lived neighbors to Samuel
Foxworth and the two would visit each other. They shared in
logrolling, quilting, cornhusking and community dances. Mrs.
David lived through the reconstruction and remembers the attitude
of the different Freedman when they realized their liberty. Some
of them were haughty but the most of them were still humble and
looked to their white folks for help and protection .
An interesting experience of pioneer days has been handed
down to Mrs. Wynonia Cook concerning the wife of Captain William
Graham, an early settler of Marion County. The experience should
have contained sufficient thrill to satisfy those most eager for
adventures. It is said that Mrs. Graham was out gathering wood
one day preparatory to cooking her noonday meal when she was
attacked by a bear. Composed nerves and quick wittedness enabled
the lady to master the situation. Being naturally armed with a
supply of bravery and courage she reinforced her natural weapons
with a stout stick and successfully beat off the animal.
Many interesting documents are found in the possession of
Marion County citizens and recorded in the chancery court's
office. They are all yellow with age and many of them are
unreadable without the aid of a magnifying glass. A few have been
copied and are found below.
The original of the following document is in the
possession of Belle Foxworth, Columbia, Mississippi, a
granddaughter of Samuel F. Foxworth.
The State Of Mississippi
$1,900 Columbia
May 10, 1844
Received of Samuel G. Foxworth of Marion County
Mississippi $1,900 in full payment for seven Negroes named
Minerva, a woman aged 35 years, and Medias, a boy aged 13 years;
Jim, a boy aged 10 years; Gabriel a boy aged eight years;
Lucinda, a girl aged five years; George, a boy aged three years;
and Mary, aged 15 months, all children of the said Minerva. The
right and title of said slaves we warrant and defend against the
claim or claims of any person or persons whatsoever and marked
them sound in body and mind and slaves for life.
Witness: Azel Backus Bacon, J. I. Atkinson, Henry Atkinson
Alexander Moore (Seal)
Eliza Moore
by H. C. Pope their agent and attorney in fact.
(Seal)
The following is a copy of a letter written in 1840 to
Colonel Hamilton Mayson's sister by her daughter, then a
schoolgirl in Madison, New Jersey. The letter is now in
possession of Ralph Jordan, Columbia, Mississippi, a great great
grandson of Pearl Mason. Madison November 4, 1840
My dearest Mother do not think me negligent in the
dischargement of my epistolary duties for I assure you that I
would have written to you as usual had not sickness prevented me
from so doing. I do not wish you to understand about that word
sickness that I have been dangerously ill, oh no. It was only a
bad cold for which malady I was obliged to take a dose of
calomel, three of senna, one emetic and an enormous quantity of
castor oil.
I really feared that Tante had a serious intention of
converting my stomach into a dingy shop for the convenience of
the school. I have just received Aunt Richard's letter in which
was enclosed a $100 bill She requested me to write and let her
know as soon as it reached me. She said in her letter,� your
mother sent you some gold pieces for the purpose of purchasing
your dresses for parties.� I did not exactly understand the
meaning of the above sentence. Does she wish me to understand
that you have sent me or intend to send some pieces of gold? I am
at loss to understand the phrases. If you have sent it I have not
received it yet. I will be glad to know as soon as possible or in
other words as soon as you can conveniently let me know. She says
you wish me to purchase handsome dresses - a bonnet for winter, a
riding coat or cloak which ever suits my fancy best, stockings
both coarse and fine, shoes, etc. I shall ask Tante to accompany
me when I buy my things for her taste is excellent; at least
everybody says so and consequently I must believe it. I received
a letter from Julie Miller which was astonishing. It is the first
epistle with which I have been honored since June. I can however
easily account for her protracted silence. Last vacation I wrote
a kind of farce in which I made her principal actress and the
sentiments I caused her to express were just as I thought she
might entertain of myself and letters. I naturally concluded
after so long silence on her part that badly timed farce had
produced anything but the desired effect but her letter has
quieted all my fears on that score.
I passed last Saturday and Sunday at
Madison while there I learned that cousin Louis had given up the
idea of visiting the North this fall, and little Sally Mason is
doomed to vegetate another year in New Jersey. It really seems as
if fate has chosen me for her victim this year, for I have been
frustrated in all my hopes. In the first place I expected to have
seen you at the North this summer. Secondly I hoped to have gone
home with either father or Uncle Charles, and lastly I expected
to see cousin Emily Ann Lewis Ford and they cannot come. Well, I
will submit to my misfortunes with stoical fortitude and hope for
a brighter light in the future.
I am going to impart to you something
which I know will greatly surprised you. Caroline Bunker is
married at last! Graces aux Dieux!! Aunt Mary does not give a
very favorable account of your health but Julia tells me that
both your health and appetite are fine, and as her letter is the
most recent I am disposed to believe her. But I will not be too
sanguine or too gloomy in my anticipation is until I receive a
letter from your dear self.
Yours affectionately,
Antonia
In the office of the chancery clerk of Marion County are
found records of cattle brands and marks as were recorded when
the county was still young. The following copies were taken from
Deed Book One.
Stephen A. Reagan: Earmark- a small fork and upper bit in
each ear branded S. R. Received 24 of November 1817, James
Phillips clerk.
William Barnes: Earmark- a crop and under bit in the left
and a split and under bit in the right. Recorded 22nd of May
1818. James Phillips CCC .
William Lenoir: Earmark- smooth crop in the left and under
bit in the right, branded WS. Recorded July 27th . James
Phillips, CCC.
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