Newman Cayce

Submitted: May 6, 2004

Source: Rowland, Dunbar, ed. Mississippi, Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form, in three volumes. Vol. 3. [Contemporary Biography] Atlanta: Southern Historical Publishing Association, 1907. page 186

Cayce, Newman, a representative lawyer of Lowndes county, being engaged in the practice of his profession at Columbus, rendered loyal service in defense of the Confederacy during the Civil war, while he has ever been loyal as a citizen and true to the interests of the section in which he has passed his life. He was born at Fulton, Itawamba county, Miss., and is a son of D. N. and Matilda (Geasten) Cayce. His father was born in Lawrence county, Tenn., and removed from that State to Mississippi in 1840, and his principal vocation during his active career was that of merchandising. He was an old-line Whig in his political proclivities and was prominent and influential in public affairs. He served for some time as colonel in the State militia, and both he had his wife held membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. Both died in Fulton, that State. They became the parents of five children. Newman Cayce is largely self-educated, having attended the public schools in his boyhood and youth and his quickened ambition having led him to apply himself diligently to study at night and such other times as he could render service to himself in the amplifying of his fund of knowledge. At the time of the outbreak of the Civil war he manifested his intrinsic loyalty to the cause of the South by enlisting, in 1861, as a member of the Iuka Riles, with which he served during practically the entire course of the great conflict, having been in the eastern army of Virginia one and one-half years and in the western army during the remainder of his long and faithful service. In May, 1865, he received his discharge, having risen to the position of first lieutenant of his company. After the close of the war, Mr. Cayce went to Memphis, Tenn., where he was engaged in the real estate business two years. He then returned to Mississippi and located in Guntown, where he held a position as bookkeeper one year, after which he engaged in farming in Itawamba county one year, in the meanwhile devoting careful attention to the study of law, principally at night. In 1872, upon examination, he was admitted to the bar of the State. He has since devoted his attention principally to the work of his profession, in which he has been successful and has won much prestige, having been engaged in practice in Columbus since 1897. In politics he is a stalwart in the camp of the Democratic party, and was circuit judge, serving four years. He now controls a representative practice and is one of the prominent and honored citizens of Lowndes county. Mr. Cayce has been affiliated with the Masonic fraternity for the past twenty-five years, and ws worshipful master of his lodge for two years. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, South. He is a member of the board of trustees of Vanderbilt university, at Nashville, Tenn. In December, 1868, Mr. Cayce was united in marriage to Miss Fannie Graham, and they have three daughters--Elizabeth W., who is the wife of Rev. Thomas Dorsey, presiding elder of the Methodist Episcopal church at Winona, Miss.; and Mabel G. and Lillian S., who still remain at the parental home.