Friday's Photo: Hinds County, Mississippi

Mississippi State Capitol Building - Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi

Three weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Hinds County, Mississippi for about 20 minutes. It's a place that I would like to know more about. My great-great-grandfather, John L. Hairston lived in Hinds County for at least 18 years. We stopped in Jackson as it was on the way to my daughter's new home in Austin, Texas. However, you can see from the map at the bottom of this post, my Hairstons lived on land about 30 miles from Jackson. The closest known community was Utica, about 7 miles from the Hairston farm. 

From tax records, I know that John L. Hairston was living in Hinds County by 1847. Census records indicate that John L. and his wife, Eliza, and children were living in Hinds County in 1850 and 1860. 

At least three Hairston children were born when their parents were living in Hinds County; Adeline, Phillip (my great-grandfather), and Martha Elizabeth "Mattie." 

Two of the Hairston children married in Hinds County.  Mary Hairston married Thomas B. Gilbert in Hinds County on September 19, 1864 and Permelia Hairston married Joseph Sidney Noah on June 11, 1865. 

In 1855, John L. Hairston purchased about 80 acres of land and two years later purchased 40 acres of adjacent land.  He sold this land to his neighbor, George W. Prince, in 1865 before leaving for Texas. This land is indicated by the red marker on the map below. 

This week I read much about Hinds County during the Civil War. How did my Hairston family fair? I suspect not well. Hinds County was said to be in a constant state of action throughout most of the Civil War. In 1863, the Union army occupied many of the towns and cities. Buildings in Raymond and Jackson were burned or badly damaged. Sherman's  invasion of Hinds County left destruction in its wake. 

Battles throughout the county and in nearby Vicksburg would have had an impact on the Hairston family. One family story was that after one battle, John L. went looking for his son (family assumed it was Phillip) and that he was unrecognizable and unable to talk. It doesn't seem likely that it was Phillip as he would have been between the ages of 10 and 12 during the battles in or near Hinds County. There was never a mention of the war in documents detailing Phillip Hairston's life. Could it have been another child, a sibling, or a son-in-law? 

The war ended in May of 1865. John L. Hairston sold his land on October 10, 1865 and left Hinds County. 

There are more records to search and newspapers to read. AND, maybe a lengthier stay in Hinds County. 




If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other interesting finds.

Diana

© 2016

Sources

Deed of Sale from John L. Hairston and Luiza Hairston to Geo. W. Prince, 10 Oct. 1865. (filed 15 Nov. 1865), Hinds County, Mississippi, Deed Book 28, page 697. Chancery Clerk's Office, Raymond, Mississippi.

Hunting For Bears, comp.. Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

"Mississippi, State Archives, Various Records, 1820-1951," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-21745-68357-35?cc=1919687&wc=MMYG-KNQ:n1410068766 : accessed 24 Dec 2013), Hinds > County tax rolls 1831-1848, Box 3655 > image 286 of 319

Quinn, Diana B. "Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #52 John Lewis Hairston - A Timeline." Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog. 31 Dec. 2014 Web. Accessed 3 Jul. 2016.  <https://momentsintimeagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks-52-john-lewis_31.html>.

Rowland, Eron O. "History of Hinds County, Mississippi, 1821-1922."  Jones PTG CO., Jackson, MS 1922. Web. 3 Jul. 2016. <https://archive.org/stream/historyofhindsco00rowl#page/34/mode/2up>.

Year: 1850; Census Place: Hinds, Mississippi; Roll: M432_372; Page: 165A; Image: 336
        
Year: 1860; Census Place: Hinds, Mississippi; Roll: M653_582; Page: 674; Image: 206; Family History Library Film: 803582