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The first book chronicling the forces who served the legendary figure. Nathan Bedford Forrest has been an inspiration for biography and fiction for over a century, and those who rode with him have taken on the same mythic persona as Forrest. In this close look at his staff, author Michael Bradley proposes that Forrest's stature and the stature of his men were not mutually exclusive; rather one helped shape the other. The book offers new perspectives on the fact and fiction surrounding Forrest and his men and includes the previously unpublished minutes of the association formed in 1877 to keep alive memories of when they 'rode with Forrest.'

Emotional first-person accounts tell of the destruction faced by one parish on August 29, 2005, and the days that followed. While attention and resources were focused on New Orleans, survival became the ultimate goal of the neighboring parish of St. Bernard. An unprecedented 99 percent of the parish was submerged in water and almost all buildings were destroyed. Each account is filled with the heartwrenching reality of a community lost and the strength it took to rise again.

Eudora Alice Welty led an exciting and surprising life. Before she won a Pulitzer Prize, as a little girl she made her own books and won national poetry prizes. As a young woman during the Great Depression, she was a photographer and took pictures all over the South. These and other stories pack the life of one of Mississippi's most famous authors. With author and teacher Richelle Putnam, learn about the remarkable life of one of Mississippi's literary treasures, complete with vivid illustrations by John Aycock that are as colorful as Eudora's stories.

In the swamps and juke joints of Holmes County, Mississippi, Edward Tillman Branch built his empire. Tillman's clubs were legendary. Moonshine flowed as patrons enjoyed craps games and well-known blues acts. Across from his Goodman establishment, prostitutes in a trysting trailer entertained men, including the married Tillman himself. A threat to law enforcement and anyone who crossed his path, Branch rose from modest beginnings to become the ruler of a treacherous kingdom in the hills that became his own end. Author Janice Branch Tracy reveals the man behind the story and the path that led him to become what Honeyboy Edwards referred to in his autobiography as the "baddest white man in Mississippi."

Originally home to the native Choctaw tribe, Lauderdale County was settled and established in 1833 at a prime spot on the eastern border of the Magnolia state. The county flourished as a vital and vibrant hub of railroad commerce until the Civil War brought destruction and devastation. But its resilient citizens rose from the ashes and soon an area once ravaged by war became a home for industry and innovators. Join author and Meridian local Richelle Putnam as she provides the first-ever history of Lauderdale County, from founding to present, recounting the people and events that helped shaped the community into the beloved home it is today.

The 1930s and 1940s saw unprecedented prosperity for the African Americans of Jackson's Church Street. From the first black millionaire in the United States to defenders of civil rights, nearly all of Jackson's black professionals lived on Church Street. It was one of the most popular places to see and be seen, whether that meant spotting Louis Armstrong strolling out of the Crystal Palace Club or Martin Luther King Jr. organizing an NAACP meeting at his field office on nearby Farish Street. Join authors and veterans of Church Street Grace Sweet and Benjamin Bradley as they explore the astounding history and legacy of Church Street.

This book presents the manner in which builders adapted to the whimsy of a river and the tides of technological, social, and political change while preserving the beauty and grandeur for which the South is known.

From the Stanton Hall ghost who greets his guests in the morning to the Anchuca Mansion where inanimate objects move of their own accord, this ghostly guide invites readers on a mystic tour across Mississippi. The book provides testimony from witnesses at each location, as well as images.

When Hurricane Katrina leveled Pass Christian, a dedicated newspaper helped save the town. After the storm, many evacuees returned to a city they hardly recognized. Local and federal government officials scrambled to restore the infrastructure, including essential water and sewer services. Four months later, the town was still in dire need of basic communication when award-winning journalist Evelina Shmukler, alongside other volunteers, created the weekly Gazebo Gazette. Without funding, offices or a business plan to speak of, they delivered vital relief and safety information when residents had more questions than officials had answers. A godsend for the Pass, the Gazette continues today and was called a "New Town Crier" by Reader's Digest. Author and media expert Dr. Lawrence N. Strout chronicles the paper's journey and the town it served with fortitude and dedication in the face of tragedy and heartache.

Stretching from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, the Natchez Trace is one of the oldest, most historically significant routes in American history.

Beginning as hunting ground for natives, the Trace became the favored path back home for early settlers who floated down the Mississippi River to sell goods in Natchez. Yet the Trace was riddled with bandits, marauders and other perils, and today troubled and tortured voices from the past still echo along the road. Travel to Grinders Stand where famed explorer Meriwether Lewis met his untimely demise, and onto Kings Tavern, built in the late 1700s, and haunted by the ghost of the innkeeper's mistress. Author and ghost expert Bud Steed recounts these tales, and more, all lurking in the shadows of the Haunted Natchez Trace.

Predating even colonial America, Biloxi was established for its welcoming gulf shore both a home for traders and a beacon for explorers of the mainland. Geography made Biloxi a historic maritime hub of trade and travel; the seafood industry made it a vibrant, thriving community. Thanks to the efforts of a variety of diverse ethnic groups, Biloxi was dubbed the Seafood Capital of the World at the turn of the century. By the 1920s, there were more than forty seafood factories occupying two bustling cannery districts. Cajuns with deep ties to the region, industrious Croatian immigrants and hardworking Vietnamese migr 's all contributed to Biloxi's seafood industry. Through the Civil War, devastating hurricanes and shifting economies, these hard-fishing families have endured, building Biloxi and forming its character.

A true music-lover's journey into the past!

Late one night in 2005, Zeke Schein made an amazing discovery while searching for a vintage guitar on eBay: a grainy, battered photograph captioned Old Snapshot Blues Guitar BB King???? Neither man looked like King, but one seemed to resemble the twentieth century's most mysterious musician, Robert Johnson. Would others see what he saw? With only three or four known images of the legendary blues guitarist in existence, this single picture was certainly an exceptional link to the past.

In 2014, the truth about the photo was finally revealed. Schein details his strange journey in solving this musical mystery and crusade for legitimacy amidst pushback from music historians.

Meet the men who rode with the legendary leader!

For the first time, a true accounting of all of the units that rode with Civil War leader Nathan Bedford Forrest is presented in this thoroughly researched work. Fascinating character sketches of important commanders and soldiers, along with an in-depth timeline tying their actions to major events, are pulled from both primary and secondary sources. Separate chapters cover troops from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. A well researched and annotated bibliography provides insight into source material.

The Golden Triangle is an institutional hub, but restless spirits of Native Americans, Civil War soldiers and slaves also wander this region. Tales of a mysterious watchman who patrols the railroad tracks between Artesia and Mayhew haunt curious locals. Ed Kuykendall Sr. is rumored to manage Columbus's Princess Theater from beyond the grave. A young girl who died while attempting to free her head from a stair banister is said to still wander the halls of Waverly. Author Alan Brown uncovers the eerie thrills and chills within Mississippi's Golden Triangle.

William Carey College is ideally located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to serve all of South Mississippi, from Jackson to the Gulf Coast and from the coastal borders of Alabama to Louisiana. Originally named South Mississippi College, the school was established in 1906 as Hattiesburg's first institution of higher learning. After an immense fire destroyed the college in February 1910, local businessman W. S. F. Tatum acquired the property and offered the site to Mississippi Baptists for the establishment of a college for women. Mississippi Woman's College opened its doors in 1911 and continued operation until the trustees voted in favor of coeducational status for the college in 1954. Pres. Irving E. Rouse chose the name William Carey College in honor of an Englishman who became known as the "father of modern missions." Today William Carey College has an enrollment of over 3,000 with branch campuses in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Gulfport, Mississippi. Although many of the archives of the college have been destroyed, it is hoped this book will present the interesting story of William Carey College and its predecessors, faculty, alumni, and students.

D'Iberville and the community of St. Martin share more than a common origin: from their colonial beginnings they have been one, now separated only by an invisible county line. The first is named after Pierre LeMoyne, Sieur d'Iberville, commander of the French fleet who initiated settlement of Louis XIV's claim to the Mississippi Valley and adjacent coast of the Mexican Gulf in 1699. The latter is named for Raymond St. Martin de Pattier (or Jorquiboey), who married into the pioneer Ladnier family that homesteaded the north side of Biloxi Bay in the late 1700s and were the first landowners when the colonial era ended and the American flag was hoisted in 1811. After statehood in 1817, foreign and American emigrants arrived by ship and covered wagon. Before the Civil War, the families north of the bay included Spanish, Austrian, Italian, and their "African chattel." From this frontier beginning, farmers and fishermen spawned ranching, timber, and seafood industries as well as shipbuilding and mercantile enterprises. By World War II, it was a town, and in 1988 it became a city within the core of this old frontier.

After its founding in 1821, Columbus endured the hardships of early settlement and the tumult of the Civil War to enjoy years of prosperity while also weathering some hard times. Through it all, the city developed into the beloved homeplace residents are proud of today. Rufus Ward has been a diligent steward of the region's history, and his popular "Ask Rufus" column stands as proof. This new collection presents some of his best historical tales. Taken together, these stories cover the breadth of the city's history and capture the essence of the region's heritage. What Native American tribes once called east Mississippi home? What are the oldest surviving houses in Columbus? What Columbus family provided Eudora Welty with her favorite mint julep recipe? "Ask Rufus."

In 1940, the town of Clinton had scarcely grown in size or population since the Civil War. However, the coming of World War II forever changed the identity of this small Southern college town. Aside from the sudden departure of its best and brightest men and women for the front lines, global war touched Clinton in the form of a German POW camp and a Navy V12 training school at Mississippi College. Clinton: 1940-1980 picks up where author Chad Chisholm ended his previous book, with Clinton in the midst of postwar growth. It is a chronicle of Clinton's living history, a treasury of photographs for all Clintonians.

Though no legendary battles took place at Oxford, the community was deeply affected by the War Between the States and deeply involved in its proceedings. Oxford in the Civil War tells the story of the steadfast men and women who fought to defend their homeland. Join author Stephen Enzweiler as he recounts the lives of Oxfordians caught in the grips of civil war. Looming historical figures include L.Q.C. Lamar, a politician and so-called "fire eater" who organized the Nineteenth Mississippi Regiment in Oxford; the "University Greys," a unit organized by Ole Miss students; and Jacob Thompson, former secretary of the interior under President James Buchanan who resigned and returned to Oxford to serve the Confederate cause. Although Union general Andrew "Whiskey" Smith burned much of the town to the ground, Oxford survived. And the resilient people--both slaveholders and slaves--finally have their stories told here.

Plagued from its beginnings by fires, financial hardships, and the dismal days of war, Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, has persevered into the twentyfirst century to become a leading liberal arts institution with one of the South's most diverse small college populations. In this delightful journey into the school's storied past, vintage photographs illuminate the beloved campus, early classes, annual events, and prolific leaders that friends and alumni of Belhaven will recall with fond memories. Founded in 1894 by Dr. Louis T. Fitzhugh, Belhaven College for Young Ladies occupied a large residence and spacious grounds formerly belonging to Colonel Jones Hamilton and named after his ancestral home in Scotland. Just seven months after it opened, the college burned to the ground on February 7, 1895. New buildings were constructed, and the college reopened in the fall of 1896. Fires would also wreak havoc on the school in 1910 and 1927; the school would go on to affiliate with the Presbyterian Church in the early part of the century; and the post-Depression years would find Belhaven facing an uphill struggle to continue operating with minimal funds. Shaken but not defeated, Belhaven continued to grow and with each passing decade gained more national recognition, whether through its renowned music program, its high standards of academic excellence, or the introduction of intercollegiate sports following the school's first admittance of male students in 1954. Although the years have brought numerous changes and Belhaven now rests on the cusp of the computer age, the school's commitment to traditional Christian values still permeates every aspect of a student's education.

Authors Ryan Starrett and Josh Foreman uncover all-but-forgotten elements of Vicksburg history.

Vicksburg had an especially inauspicious start when its inhabitants were massacred by locals. The generation of the city’s official founding beheld vigilantes, duelists and an early incel roaming its streets. Citizens experienced the horrors of war: hunger, diarrhea and death. About 150 years later, their descendants hid in fear from a deranged killer on the loose. In between, the city overloaded a steamboat with recently released POWs and contributed to the greatest maritime disaster in U.S. history. In the midst of war and suffering, an intrepid group of religious sisters worked to educate and nurse their fellow people. An immigrant family from Germany established a bottling empire that made them the embodiment of the American dream. Join authors Josh Foreman and Ryan Starrett as they explore the land and people who make Vicksburg one of the South’s most visited and recognizable cities.

The Territory That Built Two States  

 

The Mississippi Territory existed as a political entity for nearly two decades. It stretched from the Tennessee border southward to the Gulf of Mexico and was bounded on the east by the state of Georgia and the west by the mighty Mississippi River. This enormous swath of America’s southwestern frontier in 1817 was divided into the state of Mississippi and the Alabama Territory. Two years later, Alabama entered the Union as a state. Between 1798 and 1817, the territory transitioned from a sparsely inhabited backwoods frontier to a thriving and dynamic centerpiece in one of the fastest-developing regions of the country. Mike Bunn and Clay Williams chronicle that story in a richly illustrated introduction and guide to discovery of this pivotal era.