Many Native American tribes, including the Choctaws of Mississippi, struggled with their identity as a people during the nineteenth century. As white America expanded west, the lives of these peoples began to be transformed forever. Many Native Americans abandoned their heritage in the pressing tide. They replaced the traditions of their ancestors with many economic, social and political practices...
William Knoth, an inmate of the Insane Asylum located in Augusta County, Virginia, escaped the facility and fled to Canada. He was described as being in a deranged state prior to his flight. Knoth had believed that the people of Augusta were hostile towards him because he was prejudiced against slavery. This is assumed to be the reason why he left for Canada. In addition, the inmate took with him 300,...
The Page Courier newspaper, on November 12, 1869, submitted a request to some of their clients in the county. The newspaper declared Wood-Wood-Our wood paying subscribers will remember that we will freeze without fire. The Page Courier Newspaper had previously set up a method of payment with its poorer clients to exchange newspapers with firewood. BRING IT IN the Courier begged. This desperate request...
On Saturday afternoon, John D. Roland left New York on the steam-packet Home bound for Charleston. His trip quickly took a turn for the worst. By Monday morning, the ship encountered a violent hurricane in the waters around Cape Hatteras and was taking on water. All hands were at the pumps, women included, bailing out water, but the leak continued to increase. After water reached the engine, Captain...
Sunday morning, January 27, 1829... a joyful thankfulness filled our hearts, for we were entering the land of promise. Mary Wightman Helm had good reason to rejoice after a most difficult journey to Texas. Helm related that the trip usually took a bearable seven days, but left without a breeze in the unpredictable Gulf of Mexico, her voyage took an astonishing 31 days. The ship only carried provisions...
Samuel Mims had built a fort not far from Mobile, a part of Mississippi Territory. On August 30, 1813, the commandant of the Fort wrote to Governor Claiborne that the fort was impregnable because it was protected in a very good way. However, the same day, some Red Sticks (the English term for a faction of Creek Indians who led a resistance movement which culminated in the outbreak of the Creek War...
On June 8, 1822 in Savannah, Ga. Col. Cumming and Mr. M'Duffie carried out a long anticipated duel over a political dispute. M'Duffie was shot in the back (he lived) and Col. Cumming was not injured. M'Duffie was a congressman for South Carolina at the time, and would later become governor of the state. Original reports sent back to Charleston anticipated that M'Duffie would die from his wound. The...
On December 17, 1864 Union General William Tecumseh Sherman and his army were hovering on the doorstep to Savannah, Georgia. Just four days before on December 13, Union forces had overrun Fort McAllister, a Confederate earthwork fortification built primarily for defense against naval attacks. With Fort McAllister toppled, Sherman was poised to sack Savannah. He sent the head of Confederate forces...
An enslaved man named Tom ran away on May 2. This was reported in the City Gazette and Commercial Daily Advertiser for months. He had been a paper boy (carrier of the City Gazette) and was able to read and write. He was formerly enslaved in Virginia (his mother was still there) and worked for the Petersburg Intelligencer. He was known for his skill at the printing press. The owner believed that Tom...
The advertisements started early in the year for the South Carolina Jockey Club's Annual Horse Race. News of the event was spread to New York and Virginia, as this was known to be one of the biggest social events of the season. The races lasted for several days, ending in a ball that topped all social events of the season and culminated in the election of the new slate of officers. The Charleston Mercury...