East Feliciana Parish
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A
moving panorama truthfully depicting the march of civilzation in the Third Ward
of East Feliciana would lift the curtain in 1802 and disclose the Carneys and
Rogillios felling the canebrakes and tighting the panthers and bears over the
identical land now included within the corporate limits of the town of Jackson.
That was the nucleus that attracted the Scotts, Winters, McKneelys,
Kellers and McCants from Union District, South Carolina in 1805, the Brians from
Darlington District, and Benj. Fauvre and Temple Nix, from Edgefield District,
S. C., in 1806; the Easts, also from Edgefield District, in 1812, and from the
same source the Singletarys; the Fishburns from Connecticut and the McQueens
from the pine woods of North Carolina lying between Wilmington and Fayetteville.
Many of whom found not only good lands but good wives among the primeval
canebrakes and forests in Jackson and its immediate vicinity and many of those
who have been conspicuous in shaping the civilization of the ward trace their
genealogy to a graft of the South Carolina blood upon the old Carney and
Rogillio stock.
To attempt to sketch the progress of civilization in the
third ward without keeping Jackson conspicuously in the foreground of the
picture would be as absurd as putting the play of Hamlet on the stage without
the eccentric Prince of Denmark. So essential to the picture is an authentic
memoir of the growth of Jackson that I have postponed the preparation of my
sketch of the ward in order to find out when Jackson became the seat of justice
of the County of Feliciana. Many people erroneously believe that the county of
Feliciana had no larger boundaries than those which now include the two parishes
of East and West Feliciana.
Inasmuch as it confers added metropolitan
dignity upon the oldest third ward center of population and school of
civilization, I will call attention to the proclamation of Governor Claiborne
issued at St. Francisville, December 7th, 1810, defining the limits of the
county of Feliciana to be "all the territory lying west of the Perdido river and
east of the Mississippi river, bounded north by the line of demarkation and
south by the sea, the lakes and Bayou Mauchac and fixing the seat of justice at
St. Francisville. And in St. Francisville the judges, Martin, Mathews and Lewis,
held terms of the Superior Court of the Territory of Orleans continuously until
1812, in which year the judges were compelled to abandon their regular term of
court by threats of violent resistence from the people of St. Francisville and
vicinity. Hence I deduce the conclusion that Jackson was selected as the seat of
justice, of the largest county in the United States, in 1813, and thereby became
the depository of the judicial records of a territory larger in area than Rhode
Island or Delaware. That is an episode in the history of the oldest seat of
third ward civilization not generally known. It may however have had a tendency
to enhance the social and political influence of the center over the extremities
and may have conducted, in after years, to bring to a small and inland town the
first educational foundation and grandest charity of Louisiana. The Insane
Asylum is still in Jackson and needs no further notice in this sketch, "College
of Louisiana" which was established in 1825, having for alimony $5000 per annum,
all the school funds of both Felicianas and all the monies derived from gaming
licenees in New Orleans, having equipped students from every part of Louisiana
for many years, among whom the late Judge John McVea and the late Colonel
Preston Pond have not yet passed out of the affectionate remembrance of East
Feliciana, has been superceded by another seat of learning, which the Methodists
founded in their centenary year, which, though as effective in equipping
students for the battle of life, may not be quite as richly endowed as its
predecessor.
This old and fertile home of the South Carolina colonists,
who came when this century was yet in its infancy, has still remaining upon its
allotted area some heavy bodies of undisturbed forests and much idle and
abandoned land — many fields which after emancipation were thrown aside because
they were erroneously thought to be exhausted. There are however so many notable
instances of the restoration to their primitive fertility of the abandoned seats
of the old pioneers, — so many instances in which those discarded fields are by
good treatment made to yield crops far in excess of the production of "ante
bellum" slavery times, that these idle and unproductive lands are increasing in
reputation and while perceptibly enhancing in price are still held at prices
ridiculously cheap, considering their intrinsic value. Before closing my picture
of the achievements of the glorious old pioneers of the Third Ward, I beg leave
to submit a few
GENERAL REMARKS.
Within six miles of three
railroad stations and within twelve miles, by good wagon roads, of three
receiving and forwarding points on the Mississippi river; with one railroad
penetrating its borders from east to west, and another railroad running its
whole breadth from north to South, the farmers of the ward and the merchants of
Jackson have always successfully resisted the levying of extortionate tribute
upon production and commerce and their spirit of independence and consistent
opposition to oppressive exactions have maintained for them the advantages of a
"zona ibre.''
Jackson's cheap, easy and free intercourse with the
outside world and her exceptionally good educational advantages have attracted
from abroad numerous accessions of capital and labor, which falling readily into
line with the genius of the old families have done their devoir in holding
higher the standard of a pure and polished civilization and have advanced the
material standards to a point bigger than they reached in ante helium times.
With her contiguity to the great river, her railroads, colleges and renowned
female schools, the third ward would seem to have all that is needed for a
prosperous career and a fuller development. There is however in her economy one
potent factor missing.
She produces enough cotton to feed two first
class factories and Jackson is therefore adjacent to a cotton seed supply, large
enough without extensive forageing around, to keep a big cotton seed mill at
work the year round, and the beds and fields of snow white sand on Thompsons
Creek, if convertible into glass, would furnish the raw material to run a dozen
factories for fifty years.
As a manufacturing centre the former seat of
justice of the biggest county in the United States is still a virgin experiment.
Her exceptional advantages have never been fairly tested but we hope and have a
right to believe that a people so earnestly intent on making their society
powerful and prosperous, will ere long bring Manufactures to the aid of
Commerce. Agriculture and Education. Hoping it may come before the century dies,
I am, etc.,
H. SKIPWITH.
A REMARKABLE SHOWING OF THE HEALTHFULNESS OF THIS PART OF
LOUISIANA.
EXCELLENT HEALTH, LONG LIFE, A LOVELY CLIMATE THE CAUSE.
CAN ANY PARISH OR COUNTY MAKE A BETTER RECORD ?
Editor of Mirror:
Some time ago I promised you the result of some investigations I had been
making in regard to longevity in East Feliciana Parish. My attention was first
attracted to this subject in rendering a pastorate of sixteen years in the
parish — I was struck with the number of aged persons it had been my duty to lay
away in the grave — my record showed twenty-nine persons whose ages ranged from
70 to 90 years. Three other persons belonging to my congregation had died during
my absence and had been buried by other ministers. The average age of these
thirty-two persons exceeded 74 years. Struck with so remarkable a fact I began a
series of inquiries as to the old persons deceased in this parish within the
past twenty years. The results so far gathered gives a list of ninety-nine
persons whose aggregate years amount to 7385, an average age of nearly 74 years.
Of these, 6 ranges from 90 to 95; 30 from 80 to 90; and 63 from 70 to 80 years;
am sure that many others died during these years of which I am ignorant and
there are many yet living who equal in age those given above.
This
record presents among other remarkable facts that ninety-nine persons have died
in East Feliciana parish within 20 years whose aggregate age (add year to year)
would extend fourteen centuries beyond the creation of the world (according to
the common chronology) or putting the years together would reach back to Adam
and returning down the centuries would bring us to the time of Noah.
But
the most important fact is its bearing upon the healthfulness of the parish. We
do not believe this record can be beaten by any parish or county in America. It
must be remembered that these were all white, no colored persons being
considered in the list. Not having the census statistics, I cannot make
comparisons. The argument to be drawn from this remarkable record of longevity
is a strong one for those seeking homes and a green old age.
We submit
the list, hoping that any error may be pointed out and any additional names may
be added.
Mrs. M. A. S. Iliman 90
Mrs.
Johnson 91
Mrs. Ruth Calfield 70
Mrs. Poole 85
Mr. Guth
79
Mr. Wash Chapman 78
Mr. Zuggs 70
Mr. Hugh Lucas 75
Mrs. Sallie Richerts 70
Mrs. Morgan 75
Mrs. Maley 75
Mrs. L. Chairman 70
Rev. John Higginbotham 75
Mr. Bird 70
Judge Hughes 70
Mrs. Collins 70
Mrs. Rist 70
Rev. James Stratton 74
Mr. Henry Marston 90
Mr. Benj. Brown 80
Mrs. Overton 75
Mrs. J. A. Harris 73
Clem Gore 75
Mrs. Gore 83
Capt. McCombs 73
Mrs. M. L. Skipwith 78
Mrs. M. J. Tilden 85
Mrs. Freeman 88
Mrs. Mary Guth 78
Mr. S. A. Dubose 78
Dr. Chas. Wood 70
Mrs. James 80
Mr. Mike Richerts 80
Mr. Eli White 90
Mrs. Knox 90
Dr.
P. Pond 82
Mr. Jas. King 80
Capt G. C. Comstock 75
Mr.
Wm. East 80
Mr. Welsh 75
Mr. Wall 73
Mr. Wm. Silliman 92
Mr. David Pipes, Sr. 84
Mrs. Katie Norwood 80
Mr. W. M.
Jordan 70
Mrs. Jas. King 80
Mr. P. Fishburn 90
Robt.
Vaugan 70
Tim Rogers 70
Mrs. Cassie Harrell 80
Mr. Wm. Patterson 70
Mr. Frank Hardesty 70
Mrs.
Adams 79
Mr. Andy Tomb 75
Prof. Holcombe 70
Mrs. Wiley
70
Mrs. Irwin 70
Mr. Evans White 71
Mrs. Hatcher 70
Mrs. Kitchen 70
Mrs. Jenet Richardson 75
Mrs. Lucas 70
Mr. DeLee 80
Mrs. Green 80
Obediah Thompson 70
Dan'l
McLean 72
Miss McLean 80
Mr. Charles Trotter 70
Mr.
Booker Kent 70
Capt. Griffith 80
Judge Scott 84
Mr.
Wicker 73
Mr. Allen 70
Mr. Aaron Robinson 70
Mrs. Kent 70
Mrs. Story 80
A. Worms 71
Mr. McMurray 70
Mrs. McMurray 70
Mr. Worthy 70
Mrs. E. Miller 74
Mr.
Hewey 70
Nancy Wisdom 80
Mr. Lipscomb 80
Mrs. Bethany 95
Mrs. Ann Gleason 81
Mrs. H. Lambert 78
R. L. Brashear 82
Mrs. S. Seals 75
Ed. Story 82
Mr. Heyman 74
Mrs.
Heyman 80
Mrs. Oppenheimer 81
H. B. Chase 70
Wm. Irwin
70
W. H. Green 70
Char. Crane 70
Mrs. Weil 74
Wm. Austin 80
We request any parties in the parish to add any facts
known that would perfect this record.
Yours, M. B. SHAW.
Since handing
you the above I have obtained the following additional names:
W. W. Jones 73
Rev. A. G. Miller 74
J. M. Young 72
Mrs. Austin 74
Jas. Reams, Sr. 80
Jas. Reams, Jr. 70
Mr. Tabor 90
Mr. Drawdy 75
Robt. Tucker 73
Jas.
Chapman 80
Allen Chapman 76
Mrs. Wieker 80
Mrs. Butternauth 72
Mrs. L. Perkins 75
Cullen McCarstle
70
Gen. A. G. Carter 75
J. R. Ceambers, Sr. 73
Mr. Mattingly 70
Sandy Spears 70
Archie Palmer 70
Mrs. S.
Palmer 70
Mrs. Ellen Kernan 78
Mrs. H. Levi 72
Thus the
aggregate ages would instead of stopping at Moses, would come down the ages to
nearly eight centuries before Christ's advent on the earth. M. B. S.
Clinton, La., June 9, 1890. Rev. M. B. Shaw:
Dear Sir — I enclose you a
list of names of persons not on your list published in The Mirror of May 22,
1890, who lived in this parish and died here since the close of the war, all of
them I think within the last twenty years, and all of whom were 70 years of age
and over. Their exact ages I do not know. Yours, very respectfully, F. D. BRAME.
Mrs. F. Welsh
Mrs. Ann Brian
Mrs.
McQueen
Lawrence Morgan
W. H. Potter
Mrs. W. H. Potter
J. C. Jackson
Hardy Saunders 80
Mrs. Nancy Payne
Mrs. Gintha
Teos. F. Noone
Mr. Hoffmeister
Mrs
Waddil
Mrs. C. B. Kennedy
Mrs. Jane Chapman
Mrs. Pence
Mrs. Cain
Mrs. Campbell
Mrs. Zilpha Chance
Mrs.
Rebecca Whittaker
Mrs. Daughty
Mrs. Ellen Flyn
Mr. S. Heap
Thos. N. Northam
James Pratt
Mrs.
Eliza Kelly
Miss Nancy McCall
Mrs. Mary Pearse
John O.
Perry
Mrs. John O. Perry
Wm. J. Hayden
Dr. J. H. McWhinney
John B. Taylor
Billington Taylor
Reuben Nash
Davis Gore 89
Miss Nettie McFall 100
Nancy McQueen 89
Miss Fannie Pond
Mr. Delpiani 70
Mr. Morgan 80
Clinton, May 24, 1890. Dear Mr. Shaw — Below you'll find a few names to add to your list:
Rev. David Pipes 70
Mrs. David
Pipes 70
Mrs. Mary Broadway 75
Mr. Wm Hayden 70
Mr.
Green Edwards 68
Mr. Lee Hardesty 70
J. H. Muse 70
Sam.
Lee 70
Noel Norwood 70
Mrs. Norwood 68
Zack Norwood 68
Mrs. Margaret Woodward 80
D. S. Rhea 70
Mrs. Rhea 68
Jno. J. Flynn 75
J. B. Taylor 70
Mr. Bethard 70
Langston East 75
Rev. John East 70
Judge John McVey 68
Stith New 68
Mr. Pratt 70
Wm. Gurney 68
Bailey Chaney 80
Mr. K. Harrell 70
Miss Eliza Mills 70
Mr. Isaac Taylor 75
Rich Dreher 75
Howell Cobb 70
Nelson Nesom 75
Mrs. Jane Boarman 73
Mrs. Hayney 70
Mrs.
Davis 75
Mr. Jno. Richards 69
Mrs. Wm. Stone 68
Mr. M.
Schurer 70
Eli Norwood 68
Mrs. Kennedy 70
Mrs. Kahn 68
Mr. Jno. Elder 75
Mr. Wm. Lockwood 70
Mrs. Patrick 70
Mr. Henry Broadway 70
Mr. John Dunbar 70
Mrs. Mary
Lawson 80
Mrs. Guinther 70
Mr. John Rist 80
Mrs. Maddell
80
Mrs. Emma Jones 75
Mrs. Strickengoss 75
A few of
the above died after leaving the parish a short time. Two-thirds of their lives
was spent in this parish.
Yours, F. HARDESTY.
Extracted 09 Aug 2019 by Norma Hass from East Feliciana, Louisiana by Henry Skipwith, published in 1892.
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