Franklin v. Armfield

Source

The court case involved the estate of the late Isaac Franklin.

West Florida And Colonel Reuben Kemper

When the Spanish authorities of Baton Rouge were deposed, it was anticipated that Governor Folch of the Mobile district would attempt to interfere with the organization of the little republic. So the convention posted a line of sentinels along the banks of the Pearl river, the western boundary of the part of West Florida in revolt.

Replica Of Flag Of Republic Of West Florida (Mississippi)

The maintenance of this line was found to be an uncertain and expensive means of safety against attack. It was determined to settle the matter at once by a resort to arms. War was declared against Mobile. An expedition under the command of Colonel Reuben Kemper made its way to the shores of Mobile bay, but being poorly equipped was compelled to defer its attack until a supply of arms and munitions could be procured.

Mural In Baton Rouge, Louisiana

An agent of Kemper managed to purchase of Henri de la Franci, a citizen of Baton Rouge, a lot of arms; and the convention bought a flat-boat load of western produce, transferred it to a keel-boat and sent it to the relief of Kemper.  [Source]

Illness At Camp Big Springs

See a description of Camp Big Springs at Detour Through History.

"Upon the departure of General Halleck, General Grant took command of all the troops in West Tennessee and Mississippi and fixed his headquarters at Corinth."

LOC Source of 1863 Map That Included Corinth, Mississippi

"Hamilton's and Stanley's divisions 5 miles southeast of Corinth at the Big Springs, very beautiful camping grounds, with the finest water. Here, although the weather was intensely hot in July and August, we drilled industriously, practised outpost duties, and fitted ourselves, I believe, for future usefulness." [Source]

"JohnWelch was discharged on July 15, 1862, at Camp Big Springs, Mississippi, for disability. His discharge certificate makes no mention of consumption." [Source]

"At the age of 19 James [Willard] enlisted in the Civil war, in...Illinois. James [after contracting measles] was taken prisoner while on a march from Camp Big Springs, Mississippi to Tuscumbia, Alabama July 22, 1862." [Source]

"Eugene [Clarkson] contracted malaria while camped at Camp Big Springs in Mississippi in July 1862. He was twice hospitalized for malaria and liver disease that year. He was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in January 1865." [Source]

Ira F. Collins

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Source

Per Wikipedia:

The Battle of Brice's Cross Roads (also known as the Battle of Tishomingo Creek and the Battle of Guntown) was fought on Friday, June 10, 1864, near Baldwyn, Mississippi, then part of the Confederate States of America.

Walter Goodman, Born In Huntsville

Huntsville, Alabama, Garden

Source

General Hogun's Family

Tuscumbia, Colbert County, Alabama, Map ca 1908 (LOC)
(There are Hogans on the plat map)

From the Magazine of American History....

"In October, 1792, the United States paid...five thousand two hundred and fifty dollars, being the seven years' half-pay voted by congress to the heirs of brigadier-generals who had died in service."

"In 1814 [General James Hogun's son] Lemuel Hogun died, and is probably buried at the family burial ground. General Hogun resided in *Halifax county, North Carolina, about one mile from the present village of Hobgood. In 1818 the widow of Lemuel Hogun, with her children, moved to Tuscumbia, Alabama. Numerous descendants are to be found in that state, and in Tennessee and Mississippi."

The family of General Hogun's wife, Ruth:

Source

*1775 Will of James Hogun in Halifax County, North Carolina (proved August 1781):
Son, Lemuel Hogun
Wife, Ruth Hogun

Objective Of General W. Sooy Smith

To explain the causes that led up to the expedition of General A. J. Smith to Tupelo, Miss., July, 1864, upon which expedition it was the ill-fortune of the author [Dr. Jesse Hawes] to be made a captive, let us go back and glance at the Confederate and Federal operations in the Mississippi Valley during that spring and summer.

Cannon In Vicksburg, Mississippi

Previous to the middle of July there certainly was little for the Federal forces to be proud of. An expedition, under command of General W. Sooy Smith, starting from near Memphis, Tenn., moved south along the Mobile and Ohio Railroad until it arrived at West Point, Miss. Its objective point was Meridian, Miss., nearly one hundred miles farther south, where General W. T. Sherman had already arrived from Vicksburg. [Cahaba]

Dead Letter For Christopher B. Acklin In Mississippi

Lexington union., July 20, 1839, Image 3

About Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??

Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

A List of Letters in the Post Office at Lexington, Holmes county, Miss. on the 1st day of July, 1839, and if not taken out before the 1st of October will be sent to Washington as dead letters.

Acklin Christopher B 2

Defeated At Olustee

Source

Source

Mr. Powers Was A Spy

From the Indiana University library archives' War of 1812 Collection:

Source

1797 Oct. 16
McHenry, James, 1753-1816

"To James Wilkinson....reprimands Wilkinson for his action in connection with Powers' visit to Detroit probably as a spy."

Thomas Powers was mentioned here.

"Powers is of Irish descent, about thirty-five years age, a man of science, seemingly versatile, speaks French, Spanish, and English with equal fluency, and pronounces each as native."

Birth Of A New (Temporary) American State

Thus was the birth of a new American state proclaimed, and thus did a people wrest from a foreign potentate their liberty and independence.

Alabama (Formerly Part Of West Florida)

In order to better continue in the enjoyment of these acquired privileges, application was made for admission into the Union. A copy of the "declaration" was forwarded to the President of the United States, through Governor Holmes of the Mississippi territory, and Rhea, writing under date of October 10, opened communication with the secretary of state at Washington, with a view to either admission or annexation. Inasmuch as the inhabitants had risked both blood and treasure in the acquirement of the territory, it was sought to reserve the public lands to their exclusive benefit.

Source (Map of West Florida)

October 27 Madison issued his proclamation declaring West Florida under the jurisdiction of the United States.

 Church In St. Francisville, Louisiana

Governor Claiborne of Orleans territory was ordered to take possession, and repairing to Natchez he organized a small force of mounted militia, entered West Florida, and at St. Francisville, one of the principal towns of the territory, raised the flag of the United States. No opposition was encountered. The newly annexed region was divided into six parishes. [Source]

Died At Big Springs Near Corinth, Mississippi

Map of the country between Monterey, Tenn: & Corinth, Miss: showing the lines of entrenchments made & the routes followed by the U.S. forces under the command of Maj. Genl. Halleck, U.S. Army, in their advance upon Corinth in May 1862:

"On June 8...general orders were received to fall back in the direction of Corinth...taking up our quarters about four miles south of that place in a large piece of woods, which was termed 'Camp Big Springs,' taking its name from a monster spring of ice-cold water which gurgled from the hillside in that vicinity. Aside from this one lone spring, however, water was exceedingly scarce and very difficult to obtain." [Source]


Kinney,Michael, Ypsilanti. Enlisted in company A, Fourteenth Infantry, Dec. 31, 1861,at Ypsilanti, for 3 years, age 43. Mustered Jan. 7, 1862.  Died of disease at Big Springs, Miss., July 10, 1862. [Source]

General Hogun's Letters

From the Magazine of American History....

In the late war General Hogun's papers, which might have furnished materials for history, were seized by the federal troops and presumably destroyed, though it is barely possible they may be yet preserved in some northern historical collection. It is known that among these papers was at least one *letter from Washington to General Hogun.

*Letter from General Washington:

Source

A letter from General Hogun to General Washington here.

Heard Of The Confederates' Downfall In Cuba

Source

View On The Mississippi River

Source

Making Their Way To The Mississippi

From the Magazine Of American History:

English traders from the seaboard colonies had for some time prior to this been making their way as far west as the Mississippi, notwithstanding the distrust with which they were viewed by the French of Fort Rosalie (Natchez) and other river settlements. When West Florida came within English jurisdiction an Anglo-American immigration set in, which did not long continue, however, for England did not remain long in possession of the territory. A decade had scarce passed since its acquirement, when the contest for English liberty in America culminated in the American Revolution. In the war that followed, England soon found her old antagonist, France, espousing the cause of the Americans. Spain had offered to mediate between the contestants, but received a direct snub. Smarting under the real or fancied wrong, and seeing an opportunity of winning back the much-coveted fortress of Gibraltar, she allied herself with France and was soon actively engaged in hostilities (1779).

The Spanish Acquiesced To The British

From The Mississippi Valley historical review (1914):

Plans for the capture of these Spanish possessions in the event of war were fully discussed by British authorities. The two countries seemed on the verge of war in 1770 on account of the dispute over the Falkland islands, and General Gage, commander of the British forces in America, was ordered to take steps preparatory to an attack on New Orleans. With the ultimate capture of the entire province of Louisiana in mind, mobilization of troops at New York was begun early in 1771. But the king of Spain, before hostilities were actually opened, acquiesced to the terms submitted by Great Britain.

What happened earlier:

"In 1763 a treaty between France, Spain and Great Britain was signed at Paris, which terminated the seven years war (called in this country the French and Indian war), and under its provisions there was a complete redistribution of territory in the South and West. Louisiana, which then included the Isle of Orleans and all the territory west of the Mississippi, was ceded to Spain, while Florida, extending from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, and including all the territory on the east bank north of the Isle of Orleans, was given to Great Britain as the result of the glorious war...".  [Source]

Christopher B. Acklin In A Mississippi Notice

Lexington union., February 23, 1839, Image 1
About Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??
Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

The Queen Of The Fairy Isle

Some of the details of Margaret Blennerhasset's interesting life are chronicled here (and are quoted below).

Source

"The lady, as it seems to me, was handsome and bright, laughing and talking with my mother. That lady soon became historical — her life a romance, and her name a theme of poetry, and a subject of eloquence. It was Madame Blennerhasset."

 "The public history of Blennerhasset and Burr is well known, but that of Margaret Blennerhasset is more interesting than either. It is seventy years since Wirt, in the trial of Burr, uttered his beautiful and poetic description of Madam Blennerhasset and the island she admired."

Restored Home Of Margaret Blennerhassett On Blennerhassett Island

"The 'Queen of the Fairy Isle' was destined to a fate more severe than if her lot had been cast in the rudest log cabin."

Ship Island In The Emigrants' Guide

Present-Day Ship Island (Mississippi)

Source - Emigrant's Guide Circa 1812