intersting tidbits of history
contributed by Ann Geoghegan, his great-great
granddaughter-in-law
The transcription below is of a document
found in the Bible of David Whitfield Cunningham, 1842-1901,
resident of McNair:
The undersigned has ordered a new buggy and will receive the same
the 25th inst. I offer to any young lady who would like to take the
first buggy ride with me the following proposition, to wit.
That she make me a cake. I will furnish the butter & eggs to make
the cake, the cake to be flavored to suit the maker. So the cake is
short and sweet, it will do. The cake is not to weigh less than one
pound and not more than five. I must get the cake before I will take
the ride. The buggy ride is not to be less than one mile and not
more than five. I prefer daylight but would not object to a nice
moonshiny night, but I am willing to leave that with the one who
will make the cake. I do not include old maids over 45 in the above
but will accept widows of any age. Any one accepting the above offer
notify me at McNair.
D.W.C.
Note: The offer must
have worked because after his first wife Lydia Herring Gordon
Cunningham died in 1890, he married a young widow, Mrs. Emma Gates
Moore in 1892! She was 30 and he was 50! His grown children were not
very pleased about it. David and Emma had 3 children after what must
have been a unique courtship, to say the least!
Jefferson County, MS
Letter to Judge Jeff Truly
from Dr. William D. McCain
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Compiled
by Mississippi Daughter's of the American Revolution
"Jefferson County - first known as Villa Gayoso District, under
Spanish Government. Jefferson came into hands of British September
1763, had no white inhabitants at that time. When French vacated -
one Frenchman and one German Squaw man. After British occupancy -
allowed 100 acres for every member of family or servant. A map of
1770 shows 1/2 dozen people settled in Jefferson Co., either on
banks of Mississippi River, or Fairchilds Dowds, or Coles Creek
(Taking name from 1st British settlers: names -- Dibdall Holt, John
Lum, James Truly). The territory was still sparsely settled when
British delivered property by treaty to Spain in 1778 - without
exception either British by blood or sympathy -- Tories from
Colonies. After the Revolution others came - people from States or
Revolution soldiers. Harrison's, Burches (Terr. still belonged to
Spain) many refused to yield obedience and secretly fostered to
unfurl flag of U.S. In 1798 U.S. took possession. In Jefferson Co.
there were 130 settlers by occupancy and acquired title through
pre-emption, without recognition of Spanish Government."
Research by Ruth Steele
Delta, Utah
Ltr. to Judge Jeff
Truly
The fact might be noted that there were only two small
areas in Mississippi inhabited by white men in the period of the
American Revolution - the Gulf Coast which was settled by the French
in 1699 and Natchez which was originally settled by the French in
1716. The people of the Gulf Coast took little notice of the
American Revolution. The Anglo Saxons of Natchez were opposed to the
British, Americans, and Spaniards and fought or harassed them when
the opportunity presented itself.
Dr. William D. McCain
Chairman
Mississippi American Revolution Bicentennial
Commission
A special thank you to Jeanne Truly Davis for
sharing this letter to Judge Jeff Truly with us.
Following are excerpts from a letter dated Apr 15, 1973,
addressed to C.F. Darden, signed by Edgar N. Coffey, Jr. Mr. Coffey
was a native of Fayette and the son of Capt. Edgar N. Coffey and
Carrie W. Campbell.
W. 58 28th Avenue
Spokane, Wash.
99203
Dear Mr. Darden:
With reference to your most
interesting, and also appreciated letter, of April 11th. Call it
NOSTALGIA, or whatever you wish, but I certainly enjoyed reading it.
As you probably know, I am an old "SQUARE", and I have been away
from Fayette, for a long, long time, but when I recall my childhood
there, I also get a little HOME-SICK, for the times when the world
was young.
As I wrote you, I lived at Jackson for several
years while my father, and his family, were living in Army Post,
mostly, above the Mason and Dixon Line, and when I came to Spokane
from Birmingham, Alabama, with my father's body, November, 1922, I
was sort of a "Johnnie Reb" mixed up with Yankee relatives. We
didn't see eye to eye on things DOWN SOUTH. Some of the ideas they,
and their friends had, about Mississippi, and the folks down there,
sounded to me like things that happened before the Civil War, so, I
tried to bring them up to date. And made myself just about as
popular, with my mother and sister, as a wet dog would be at a
Millinery Opening, or style show.
Now you ask me, where my
house was, when I lived at Fayette, and if I am familiar with the
Davenport Block? Yes, I am, as you may know, I spent most of my
childhood in my Grandfather's home (Robert. W. Campbell, Sr.) across
from the Presbyterian Church. My mother and father were married on
Dec. 5th, 1888. I was born Sept. 14, 1889. The first few years they
lived on the old Coffey place, up on the hill, on the Harriston
Road, but I don't remember anything about it. When my father became
Postmaster at Fayette, he rented a house in back of the old
Davenport Block. There were two houses back there, and a lot of
pasture land back of the houses. A high board fence separated the
houses, also an apple tree. Mr. Arnold, the barber, lived in the
other house. He had to go around the alley between Hobbs Freeman's
store, and the Gus Fleming house, to get to his home. But, there was
a passage-way through the old Davenport Block to our house. There
were a lot of rooms rented on the 2nd floor of the old Davenport
Block. Mr. Ellis, Druggist for L. W. Carradine's Drug Store, lived
up there. My Uncle Chest. S. Coffey, Jr., lawyer, member of the
Mississippi Legislature, and ALCOHOLIC, died up there. And the
Armory for the Fayette National Guard Co., was up there. We lived in
that old house, while my father was the Postmaster, and until he
left for the Spanish-American War. Then we moved back to Grandpa's
home, across from the Presbyterian Church-Masonic Hall. Grandpa took
care of the Post Office after my father left, and until, I THINK,
Mr. Ben Truly was appointed Postmaster.
When I visited the
Farrar's, I also come into Fayette over the old Natchez Road from
the South. WAY BACK THERE, I remember, on the right side, the old
Fayette Cemetery, Methodist Church, moved later, way up on the Port
Gibson Road; Steve McNair's house, Chancery Clerk, and then Matt
Harper, (McClure & Harper); Office & home of Dr. Clem McNair, and
then the Cameron's home... during the Mexican Border trouble, in
1916, I was a 1st Lieut. 1st Miss. Inf., stationed at Camp Wilson,
San Antonio, Texas. Willie Cameron was a 1st Lieut. 4th Tex. Inf.,
also stationed there. I played ball with Henry Cameron, as a kid,
and I think his older sister married Fritz Schober. On the left side
of the street; the home L. W. Carradine, then Dub Whitney's home, a
vacant lot, and the home of Ben Truly; the Rodney Road. On right
side, the Liddell's Store and yard, and house; Cooper's Store;
Fayette Chinaman's Store; Aunt Etta McClure' cook; Sallie Bundley
was that Chinaman's girl friend.
Next, on same side of
street: The F. Krauss & Sons, Store and lot; then the Guilminot
Hotel, their Saloon, Mr. Weible, Manager. (Miss Nona Guilminot
married Mr. Reber, Insurance. Allein Coffey was his secretary for
years.) A "Hack" out in front to take "Drummers" to Rodney, et
cetera. And I think the driver was Charley Sherling; then the Public
Square, Confederate Monument; and way over, Mrs. Stephens Store and
home, next to Grandpa Campbell's. On the left; Mrs. Helen Whitney's
home, and Fayette Chronicle, until it moved up on the Port Gibson
Road; and then a colored friend, Mike Howard's home; the Gus Fleming
home; and then the Davenport Block; Hobbs Freeman's Store; L. W.
Carradine's Drug Store; the Entrance and steps to the second floor
of the Davenport Block; the Post Office; Passage-way to our house;
Arnolds' Barber Shop, and your Uncle Tom Mc'Ginty's Saloon. Back in
those days, Mr. McGinty had a `rep' around Fayette, something like
"Wild Bill" Hickok and Billie the Kid, had out West. Nobody wanted
any trouble with Tom McGinty. Gossip said, he was always armed. He
and my father were good friends... organizing the Fayette Company,
for the Spanish-American War. My Dad had a fight in the Saloon, with
Clyde Culley, Mr. McGinty stopped the fight, and took my Dad's side.
He was a CHARACTER. He had several coops of game roosters, for cock
fighting, and a pet coon on the side of his saloon. I used to look
at them every day. His bar tender was Mr. Christian... then there
was a wide spot in the road, and way back was Felix Noble's Livery
Stable; the Court House and Jail.... Across the Road....
The
Union Church Road, way over the Presbyterian Church; Dr. A. K.
McNair's home behind it; those cottages I wrote you about; the lot,
store, home and garden of S. Hirsch; Mr. Ledden's Store; a big yard
and house, where I think, Mr. Ben Knapp once lived; the store of
Scott McDonald; the store of Uncle John S. Campbell, and the lot,
and store of McClure & Harper; and the store of Mr. J. J. Gordon. ON
THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STREET: Mr. Dub Whitney's Drug Store; the Ben
Straas Store, and house; my friend, Patience Young; a wide spot,
with the baker in the back ground; Drug Store of Lowenthal; with the
Opera House up above; Vacant lot and the big yard and house of Dr.
W. H. H. Lewis; the road up to the Academy.
RIGHT SIDE OF THE
STREET: A big vacant lot; a Building later occupied by the Fayette
Chronicle; the Butcher Shop of Loren Spencer; the big yard, lovely
oak trees, et cetera, and home of Judge Jeff Truly. Everette fell
out of one of those trees, knocked his teeth out, and like to have
killed him; Mr. Key's home; My uncle Charlie Coffey's big yard, oak
trees, pasture, etc. Heavy board fence, Christian Church, and road
to Harriston; McClure's Blacksmith Shop, run by Mr. Harrold; Mc
Clure home and a cotton field. ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STREET: A
hitching rack, where a mule threw me plumb out in the street, I was
very close to him, and his legs picked me up, otherwise I wouldn't
be writing this lengthy.. "what-you-call-it"? A storeroom where
Scott McBride kept Coffins, etc. They said it was haunted. Then the
Ledden home, yard, etc., with Miss Corrie Ledden, and a parrot.....
There were four lovely ladies at Fayette, according to the
Gossips. These pretty women, kept up with the modern styles, fads,
etc. Out dressed all the other Fayette Gals. They were: Mrs. Eppie
McGinty, Miss Corrie Ledden, Miss Addie Cook, Milliner for McClure &
Harper, who married my Uncle Lem. B. Campbell, and Mrs. Flossie
Whitney. Next to the Ledden home, Bowles Johnson home; and home of a
brother of George Schober's. Then a big pasture; then your Uncle Tom
McGinty's home, and grounds; Mr. McCalebs home. He was book keeper
for McClure & Harper; and my Uncle John Campbell's home. Then the
road on to Port Gibson. That was Fayette as I remember it years ago.
Mr. McGinty and my Dad, were good friends, and in some ways,
they were very much alike. I think Mr. McGinty was more "cool and
collected' than my Dad was. My Dad had a High Temper, and "blew his
top" too quick. But both of them liked Scotch & Soda, Old Fashions,
et cetera. Both liked Cock-Fighting, Horse Racing, and MAYBE a Poker
Game. My Uncle Charlie Coffey, and Uncle Mott, were good Church
members. My Dad seldom went to church. My Dad and Uncle Charlie,
never got along very well. Example, when women first started riding
horses astride, my Dad bought Anna Coffey a divided skirt, Derby
hat, hat pin, etc., rented two horses from the livery stable, and he
and Anna rode down Fayette's Main Street, passed the Court House. I
thought Uncle Charlie, and my Dad, were going to kill each other,
and OVER AUNT OLIVE'S PROTEST, we all had to move back down to
Grandpa Campbell's house. At that time, Uncle Charlie was a CUSSING
DEACON of the Methodist Church.
As you know the Christian
Church was just over the fence from Uncle Charlie's house. When Sam
Jones came to Fayette, he talked about you Christians, He called you
folks Campbell-Lights; and my Dad made Uncle Charlie MAD, by telling
him the reason Sam Jones did that, was because you didn't have the
money to help pay Sam Jones' expenses. But the funny thing he did -
and he never came back to Fayette after that. THE DARWIN THEORY:
When my Dad came home from the Philippine Islands, he had a poem -
The Monkeys have no tails in Zamberange - and the Fayette Methodist
Preacher, Brother Honeycutt, had sideburns; he was down at the Court
House visiting Uncle Charlie. My Dad was out front reading his poem
to that gang, Ken Dennis, etc., who sat on the Court House steps,
and spit tobacco juice, and whittled on red cedar. When Brother
Honeycutt came by, he lectured my Dad, and took the poem out of his
hand and tore it up. My Dad lost his temper, grabbed Brother
Honeycutt by the whiskers and threw him down the steps. Brother
Honeycutt's face was all blue Sunday morning. My Dad left Fayette
that night, and I think, that was the last time he was ever in
Fayette.
Right after he went into the Regular Army, he
visited Fayette. He 'dolled-up' in a white duck uniform, with gold
ornaments. Your Uncle Tom McGinty had a beautiful horse, rubber
tired buggy. He and my Dad, and ME, sitting on the floor behind the
dashboard, went to a picnic out from Harriston -- had a good time,
eating, swinging on a grape vine, wading. But my Dad had a fight
with "Dunc" Chamberlain. Dunc sure messed up that uniform. My Dad
cut Dunc with his pocket knife, so he had blood and mud all over
him. I can remember YET how scared I was behind that dashboard, with
Mr. McGinty and my Dad, on the buggy seat, with two pistols between
them all the way from Harriston to Fayette. But, nothing happened. I
SURE WAS SCARED.
Signed:
Edgar N. Coffey, Jr.
A special thank you to Jeanne Truly Davis for sharing this
letter with us.
Letter from Albert Shaw to his father William Shaw both residents of Union Church, Jefferson County
