Adams County MS Genealogy – Access Genealogy

Natchez Trace

In 1792, in a council held at Chickasaw Bluffs, where Memphis, Tennessee, is now located, a treaty was made with the Chickasaws, in which they granted the United States the right of way through their territory for a public road to be opened from Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi. This road was long known, and no doubt, remembered by many at the present time by the name “Natchez Trace.” It crossed the Tennessee River at a point then known as “Colberts Ferry,” and passed through the present counties of Tishomingo, Ittiwamba, Lee, Pantotoc, Chickasaw, Choctaw, thence on to Natchez, and … Read more

The Natchez

On February 11th, 1700, De Iberville, Bienville, Perricaul and Tonti ascended the Mississippi River as far west as the present city of Natchez. They were kindly received (so states the journalist) by the great chief, or sun, as he was termed, surrounded by six hundred of his warriors, who, according to their own account, had formerly been a great nation. On the 13th the party left Natchez and visited the villages of the Taensas, the customs and habits of who were the same as the Natchez, being evidently a branch of the latter. During their stay the sacred temple of … Read more

Slave Narrative of Celia Henderson

Interviewer: Miriam Logan Person Interviewed: Celia Henderson Location: Ohio Place of Birth: Hardin County, Kentucky Date of Birth: 1849 Age: 88 Miriam Logan Lebanon, Ohio MRS. CELIA HENDERSON, aged 88 Born Hardin County, Kentucky in 1849 (drawing of Celia Henderson) [TR: no drawing found] “Mah mammy were Julia Dittoe, an pappy, he were name Willis Dittoe. Dey live at Louieville till mammy were sold fo’ her marster’s debt. She were a powerful good cook, mammy were-an she were sol’ fo to pay dat debt.” “She tuk us four chillen ‘long wid her, an pappy an th’ others staid back in … Read more

The Creation of an Indian Mound

Garcellasso de la Vega, says, in laying off the ground for a town, the first thing that the Indians did, was the erection of a mound, upon the top of which the houses of the chief and his family and attendants were built; and at the base a large square was laid off, around which the principal warriors built their houses, while the common people placed theirs on the opposite side of the mound from the square. All the early explorers repeatedly state that they saw the mounds in all parts of the country through which they passed. Here then … Read more

The Discovery Of This Continent, it’s Results To The Natives

In the year 1470, there lived in Lisbon, a town in Portugal, a man by the name of Christopher Columbus, who there married Dona Felipa, the daughter of Bartolome Monis De Palestrello, an Italian (then deceased), who had arisen to great celebrity as a navigator. Dona Felipa was the idol of her doting father, and often accompanied him in his many voyages, in which she soon equally shared with him his love of adventure, and thus became to him a treasure indeed not only as a companion but as a helper; for she drew his maps and geographical charts, and also … Read more

Natchez Tribe

Natchez Indians. A well-known tribe that formerly lived on and about St. Catherine’s Creek, east and south of the present city of Natchez, Mississippi. The name, belongings to a single town, was extended to the tribe and entire group of towns, which included also peoples of alien blood who had been conquered by the Natchez or had taken refuge with them. Iberville, on his ascent of the Mississippi in 1699, names, in the Choctaw language, the following 8 towns, exclusive of Natchez proper: Achougoulas, Cogoucoula, Ousagoncoula, Pochougoula, Thoucoue, Tougoulas, Yatanocas, and Ymacachas. Of these, Tougoulas and perhaps Thoucoue are the … Read more

Early Mississippi Marriages 1800-1900

The following database represents a collection of 151,208 early Mississippi marriage records. The earliest occurs in 1800, the latest in 1900. The counties represented in the database: Adams, Amite, Carroll, Claiborne, Copiah, Franklin, Harrison, Hinds, Itawamba, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lowndes, Madison, Marshall, Monroe, Noubee, Noxubee, Pontotoc, Rankin, Sunflower, Tippah, Tishomingo, Warren, Wilkinson, Winston, Yalobusha, and Yazoo.

Slave Narrative of Charlie Davenport

Interviewer: Edith Wyatt Moore Person Interviewed: Charlie Davenport Location: Natchez, Mississippi “I was named Charlie Davenport an’ encordin'[FN: according] to de way I figgers I ought to be nearly a hund’ed years old. Nobody knows my birthday, ’cause all my white folks is gone. “I was born one night an’ de very nex’ mornin’ my po’ little mammy died. Her name was Lucindy. My pa was William Davenport. “When I was a little mite dey turnt me over to de granny nurse on de plantation. She was de one dat ‘tended to de little pickaninnies. She got a woman to … Read more

Slave Narrative of James Lucas

Person Interviewed: James Lucas Location: Natchez Mississippi Place of Residence: Natchez, Adams County MS Date of Birth: October 11, 1833 James Lucas, ex-slave of Jefferson Davis, lives at Natchez, Adams County. Uncle Jim is small, wrinkled, and slightly stooped. His woolly hair is white, and his eyes very bright. He wears a small grizzled mustache. He is always clean and neatly dressed. “Miss, you can count up for yo’se’f. I was born on October 11, 1833. My young Marster give me my age when he heired de prope’ty of his uncle, Marse W.B. Withers. He was a-goin’ through de papers … Read more

1st Mississippi Light Artillery

Aka Withers’ Light Artillery Company A — Ridley’s Battery, aka Jackson Light Artillery (raised in Hinds & Madison Counties, MS) Company B — Herrod’s Battery, aka Vaughan Rebels (raised in Yazoo County, MS) Company C — Turner’s Battery (raised in Choctaw County, MS) Company D — Wofford’s Battery (raised in Holmes County, MS) Company E — Carroll Light Artillery (raised in Carroll County, MS) Company F — Bradford’s Battery (raised in Lawrence County, MS) Company G — Cowan’s Battery (raised in Warren County, MS) Company H — Connor Battery (raised in Adams County, MS) Company I — Bowman’s Battery (raised … Read more

Slave Narrative of Bob Maynard

Person Interviewed: Bob Maynard Location: 23 East Choctaw, Weleetka, Oklahoma Place of Birth: Marlin, Texas, Falls County Age: 79 I was born near what is now Marlin, Texas, Falls County. My father was Robert Maynard and my mother was Chanie Maynard, both born slaves. Our Master, Gerard Branum, was a very old man and wore long white whiskers. He sho’ was a fine built man, and walked straight and tall like a young man. I was too little to do much work so my job was to carry the key basket for old Mistress. I sho’ was proud of that … Read more

Natchez Court and Land Records, 1767-1805

The Natchez Court Records and the Written Evidence of Land Claims are presented in two main sections: the court records from 1781 to 1798, and the written evidence of land claims from 1767 to 1805. Notes and full name index are included at the end of the volume. This comprehensive documentation provides a crucial historical resource for understanding the legal and territorial evolution of the Natchez District during the transition from British to Spanish to American control.

Mound Builders

The types of the human skulls taken from those ancient mounds said to have been erected by a prehistoric race, and now called “Mound Builders” a race claimed to be far superior to our Indians are characteristic, not only of the ancient Mexicans, Peruvians and other ancient tribes of South America, but also of the ancient Natchez, Muskogee’s, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Cherokees, Seminoles, Yamases and others of the North American continent. And it is a conceded fact that all Indians ever found in North and South America possess many common features. I have seen the native Indians of Mexico, Arizona and … Read more