After the Civil War, Congress held hearings on the treatment of prisoners of war by the Confederates. This brief statement was made in 1867 by Albert F. Land of Madison. A lengthy history was published in 1869 as the "Report of the Treatment of Prisoners of War by the Rebel Authorities during the War of Rebellion.
I was a private of Company D, Sixth Indiana volunteers. Was captured at Chickamauga September 20, 1863, and was taken to Richmond. I was a prisoner fourteen months. After being a prisoner about ten weeks I was taken to the small-pox hospital. While prisoner at Richmond the ration was so small for a day that one could eat it all at one meal and still want more. We received some clothing sent by the government to us, but we were soon compelled to trade it off for food. February 18 was sent to Andersonville, where we suffered untold misery. The ration was very small and poor. We had no cooking utensils, and "but little wood to cook what we got. The scurvy was awful. The stench arising from those who had it was terrible. I have seen the scurvy sores so full of maggots that the victim would have to scrape them out with a chip, not being able to go for water. These men were allowed to rot to death in the camp. Three times as many died in the stockade as at the hospital. The groans of the sufferers could be heard day and night. I saw one man who had cut his throat to escape from his misery. I knew several who were killed by the guard for going too near the dead-line, or for reaching under it to get a bone or crust of bread which the guards had thrown between the line and stockade to tempt us.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
1873: A Visit by a Reorganized LDS Minister
While there were Mormons in Jefferson County in the 1800s, most of the activity by a church that got labelled as Mormon was by the Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints. A group that split from the LDS and followed Joseph Smith, son of the LDS founder of the same name., the RLDS did not call itself Mormon and in 2000 was renamed the Community of Christ. There were at least two RLDS branches in Jefferson County in the late 1800s. They probably both failed by 1910. One was on Hall's Ridge, and probably called the Mt. Pleasant Branch, taking its name from the same geographical feature that gave its name to the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church when it organized in 1897. The services reported here were for Union Branch, which was in Smyrna Township, not far from Wirt. RLDS records usually refer to it as being at Wirt. The minister who signed this letter, James G. Scott, had brothers, John Scott and Columbus Scott, who were ministers and also worked in Jefferson County
That there were Mormons in Jefferson County before 1900, although no known organization congregation, is made clear by this letter's reference to the Woodburns as having been old church members. The RLDS probably got its foothold by recruiting Mormons. Documents for 1873 and before are clear in reporting residents that were LDS members but not how they came to be in Jefferson County.
The Herald (also called the Saints Herald and True Saints Herald in some editions), Joseph Smith Editor, Plano, Ill., July 1, 1873.
Scottsville, Ind.,
June 27th, 1873.
Br. Joseph:
I have just returned from Jefferson County, Indiana, where. I have held some twenty day's meeting with good results. I had the honor of receiving four members from the city of Madison. Two of them were old church members, Br. Woodburn and his wife; and four from the world; in all eight of the best citizens.
We had a Pentecost; for two hours after confirmation, the Holy Spirit fell on two of the members, and they spake in tongues and prophesied; sang in tongues, and sang the interpretation. One was ordained priest. I do not suppose that such a time ever was enjoyed in the Reorganization; for the gifts were enjoyed by all the Saints. There are some twenty-four members at Union Branch; two priests, one deacon, two elders. The Branch is in good working order. We had a crowded house all the time, from two to three hundred, the people supposed. I was sent for about ten miles north to preach, and was promised a good meeting house; but I could not go at the time. This was in Jennings County. There is a great field in that place. I never enjoyed as much of the spirit of power in my life before. It was that the Lord caused the heavens to bow, for the good of his people. All the honor and the glory be to God. This theme is too glorious to dwell on longer.
Brother Woodburn made a public acknowledgment before all. He is to be esteemed as a brother; and will be a worker. It is believed that he will be sent to England. If I were able I would labor all the lime. May the Lord bless all his; for Christ's sake. Your brother in the new covenant bonds, JAMES G. SCOTT.
June 27th, 1873.
Br. Joseph:
I have just returned from Jefferson County, Indiana, where. I have held some twenty day's meeting with good results. I had the honor of receiving four members from the city of Madison. Two of them were old church members, Br. Woodburn and his wife; and four from the world; in all eight of the best citizens.
We had a Pentecost; for two hours after confirmation, the Holy Spirit fell on two of the members, and they spake in tongues and prophesied; sang in tongues, and sang the interpretation. One was ordained priest. I do not suppose that such a time ever was enjoyed in the Reorganization; for the gifts were enjoyed by all the Saints. There are some twenty-four members at Union Branch; two priests, one deacon, two elders. The Branch is in good working order. We had a crowded house all the time, from two to three hundred, the people supposed. I was sent for about ten miles north to preach, and was promised a good meeting house; but I could not go at the time. This was in Jennings County. There is a great field in that place. I never enjoyed as much of the spirit of power in my life before. It was that the Lord caused the heavens to bow, for the good of his people. All the honor and the glory be to God. This theme is too glorious to dwell on longer.
Brother Woodburn made a public acknowledgment before all. He is to be esteemed as a brother; and will be a worker. It is believed that he will be sent to England. If I were able I would labor all the lime. May the Lord bless all his; for Christ's sake. Your brother in the new covenant bonds, JAMES G. SCOTT.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
1882: A Minister Voices Support for Alcohol
Southern Indiana has always had a strong anti-alcohol sentiment among its religious groups. However, there have been voices raised in enthusiastic support from the other side by religious leaders. In this 1882 anecdote, a Madison minister argues essentially "that if wine was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me."
Frank Leslie's Sunday magazine, T. DeWitt Talmage, Editor Volume 12 No. 1, July 1882.
The Rev. Dr. Samuel R. Wilson pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, of Madison, Ind., was elected a delegate to the general Assembly, but the New Albany Presbytery refused to send him, for the reason, it is said, that he had objected to admitting a woman to plead before the Presbytery in favor of total abstinence and a prohibitory law. Dr. Wilson has published an open letter to the New Albany Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church in general, concluding as follows: "Thus let the Presbyterian people of God everywhere, and all the Church of God, know that the Presbytery of New Albany makes it a test of ministerial standing that her members shall approve of what Paul has forbidden, and shall co-operate with a self-constituted body of women, who, assuming without right the divine name of Christian, are using all their power and influence to secure the enactment of a law, under which, if Jesus were at a marriage feast in Indiana, and were to make and give to the guests, not for medicine, but as a festive beverage, a quart, not to Say a hundred gallons, of wine, as He did at Cana, He would be fined and imprisoned; and the Presbytery of New Albany, if their advocate, Mrs. Leavitt, is correct, would say He has been served exactly right. I would not consent to this deed, and, while regretting the shameful fact that not another elder was found who cared enough for the honor of his Lord to join in the protest, I thank God for the grace and courage given me to stand alone, with P.ml and Christ as my examples and teachers.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Madison's "Race Riot" 1840
In the 1880s, writer Andrew Grayson had a column published in the Madison Courier that described what has been labeled a race riot, but which was probably not quite that full-fledged a conflict.
There have been writers who doubted the event happened and no one has previously given a specific date. However, this account, published in Niles National Register of Aug. 15, 1840, coincides with the more detailed version written by Grayson.
While the newspaper gave the story an Iowa headline, it was clearly Madison, Ind., as the town is called Madison, Ia., and Ia., was the abbreviation for Indiana. Also, the account was carried in the Louisville journal. Moreover, there is no Madison, Iowa, although there is a Fort Madison, which would have been called that.
Vol. III Niles National Register, August 15, 1840 Baltimore, 5th series, No. 24.
"We understand, that, on Friday night, there was a conflict between a number of whites and blacks at Madison, la., in the course of which two men were shot and very severely wounded. One of the negroes was subsequently taken to the river for the purpose of being thrown in and drowned, but the interference of some influential persons saved his life. On Saturday night many of the citizens were arming themselves and swearing to exterminate the negroes from the city." Louisville Journal
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Dupont, Ind., 1881
This account was printed in the Madison Weekly Courier of June 8, 1881, after having been originally printed in the Vernon Banner
Dupont is a thriving little village in Jefferson County, on the railroad, two miles from the Jennings county line, and is eight miles south of the heart of the world. The town was laid out in 1839 by Dr. Tilton, father of Mark Tilton, pension agent at Washington, assisted by John Abbott, and was named by William Griffin in honor of a town in Ireland. Although the town was commenced in an early day it did not get its full growth, and was not completed till a few years ago.
There are three general stores here, kept by L.E. O'Neal, B. W. Hughes and T.S. Williams.
We have three doctors and no coffin-maker. Dr. Geo. B. Lewis practices medicine, carries on a drug store and a postmaster, and has farming carried on besides. Very few men can carry on so many kinds of business without spreading them out and making them to thin, but Dr. has his son J.F. Lewis, helping him heal the sick. Dr. J.F. Flanders also comes in for his share of the practice.
G.W. Graston runs a saw and grist mill. W.A. Guthry buys and ships large quantities of timber at this point.
The Methodists have a strong class here and a good brick house with bell and organ; and a Sabbath school that continues all the year round. Rev. Wm. Barton is the preacher in charge.
The Baptists have a large membership and a frame house with bell, organ, etc. and a Sunday school set to run world without end. Their house is tolerably good, but they are determined to tear it down and build a greater. In years gone by this church was blessed with the labors of such men as Taylor Stott, M.B. Ferris and Thomas Hill, father our our Allen Hill, who served nobly their generation. For the last ten years Rev. J. F. McCoy has been pastor most of the time. He is the biggest preacher in Southern Indiana to the scales drawing 233 pounds and still growing. His souls is as large as his body, and he is chuck full of music from top to bottom. He and his wife present a striking contrast--she is small, delicate and rather inclined to be good-looking and weighs less than one hundred pounds.
The morals of Dupont are good and the people are industrious and thriving, but the boys are exceedingly numerous and rough about the cuffs when they stop. No whisky sold and very little drunk in and around Dupont. They have a good school and are abreast of the times generally.
Dupont is a thriving little village in Jefferson County, on the railroad, two miles from the Jennings county line, and is eight miles south of the heart of the world. The town was laid out in 1839 by Dr. Tilton, father of Mark Tilton, pension agent at Washington, assisted by John Abbott, and was named by William Griffin in honor of a town in Ireland. Although the town was commenced in an early day it did not get its full growth, and was not completed till a few years ago.
There are three general stores here, kept by L.E. O'Neal, B. W. Hughes and T.S. Williams.
We have three doctors and no coffin-maker. Dr. Geo. B. Lewis practices medicine, carries on a drug store and a postmaster, and has farming carried on besides. Very few men can carry on so many kinds of business without spreading them out and making them to thin, but Dr. has his son J.F. Lewis, helping him heal the sick. Dr. J.F. Flanders also comes in for his share of the practice.
G.W. Graston runs a saw and grist mill. W.A. Guthry buys and ships large quantities of timber at this point.
The Methodists have a strong class here and a good brick house with bell and organ; and a Sabbath school that continues all the year round. Rev. Wm. Barton is the preacher in charge.
The Baptists have a large membership and a frame house with bell, organ, etc. and a Sunday school set to run world without end. Their house is tolerably good, but they are determined to tear it down and build a greater. In years gone by this church was blessed with the labors of such men as Taylor Stott, M.B. Ferris and Thomas Hill, father our our Allen Hill, who served nobly their generation. For the last ten years Rev. J. F. McCoy has been pastor most of the time. He is the biggest preacher in Southern Indiana to the scales drawing 233 pounds and still growing. His souls is as large as his body, and he is chuck full of music from top to bottom. He and his wife present a striking contrast--she is small, delicate and rather inclined to be good-looking and weighs less than one hundred pounds.
The morals of Dupont are good and the people are industrious and thriving, but the boys are exceedingly numerous and rough about the cuffs when they stop. No whisky sold and very little drunk in and around Dupont. They have a good school and are abreast of the times generally.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Jefferson County's Notorious Bad Highways 1917
In 1917, the state board of education issued a wide-ranging study about Jefferson County entitled, "A Survey of Jefferson County, Indiana, for Purposes of Vocational Education." It delved into the county's economic needs, along with making numerous recommendations for consolidation of schools as part of its plan to promote the establishment of vocational education schools. Several state education officers, William Millis, president of Hanover College, The field work was done by Mr. Robert J. Millis and Mr. Fletcher N. Hufford, students in sociology in Hanover College, along with Joseph H. Hanna, County Superintendent of Schools and Professor Glenn Culbertson, Professor of Agriculture in Hanover College. Culbertson grew up in the Scottish settlement. The group approved a report that carried damning information about the county's roads.
REPORT OF THE EVANSVILLE SURVEY FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION CHARLES H. WINSLOW STATE DIRECTOR OF VOCATIONAL RESEARCH January 1, 1917 APPROVED BY STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
"A definite program for highway improvement should be adopted. This program should provide for the active construction and repair of roads and bridges with reference to permanency of improvement and within a budget which, while sufficient for tangible results, would not embarrass the development of the county in other respects. The inefficiency of road building and repair in Jefferson County is notorious and is clue primarily to three causes: (1) The lack of a definite program to be followed for a term of years, the result of which is the construction of unimportant roads, while the main highways have been left to deteriorate to the vanishing point. (2) Incompetent engineering. (3) Political abuse of the office of County Road Superintendent. The present county officials are, in the main, efficient, but have little or no control over the construction work. The county has ample deposits of first-class materials for road building, but too often the engineer authorizes poor material and the result is that many roads must be rebuilt before the bonds issued on the original construction have been paid. With this poor return for the money invested, it is significant to find that 41% of the public funds collected from the tax payers is expended on roads and bridges. It is believed by the Committee that this is too large an investment to entrust to the care of inefficient management of road construction and repair in vogue."
REPORT OF THE EVANSVILLE SURVEY FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION CHARLES H. WINSLOW STATE DIRECTOR OF VOCATIONAL RESEARCH January 1, 1917 APPROVED BY STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
"A definite program for highway improvement should be adopted. This program should provide for the active construction and repair of roads and bridges with reference to permanency of improvement and within a budget which, while sufficient for tangible results, would not embarrass the development of the county in other respects. The inefficiency of road building and repair in Jefferson County is notorious and is clue primarily to three causes: (1) The lack of a definite program to be followed for a term of years, the result of which is the construction of unimportant roads, while the main highways have been left to deteriorate to the vanishing point. (2) Incompetent engineering. (3) Political abuse of the office of County Road Superintendent. The present county officials are, in the main, efficient, but have little or no control over the construction work. The county has ample deposits of first-class materials for road building, but too often the engineer authorizes poor material and the result is that many roads must be rebuilt before the bonds issued on the original construction have been paid. With this poor return for the money invested, it is significant to find that 41% of the public funds collected from the tax payers is expended on roads and bridges. It is believed by the Committee that this is too large an investment to entrust to the care of inefficient management of road construction and repair in vogue."
Monday, February 1, 2010
Deluge in the Indian-Kentuck Basin: 1908
The streams in Jefferson County, and probably much of Southern Indiana, once ran clear after storms, my grandfather once said. It was deforestation that turn caused them to turn muddy as they now do. And it was deforestation that produced alternating dry creek beds and raging torrents that drove mills out of business. The forests had once released water slowly, ensuring a steady flow much of the year. This paper by Professor Glenn Culbertson, whose family came from the Scottish settlement in the upper reached of the Indian-Kentuck basin, described an unusual cloudburst whose effects he attributed to the deforestation.
The Twenty-fourth Annual Meeting Of The Indiana Academy Of Science.
The twenty-fourth annual meeting of the Indiana Academy of Science was held at Purdue University. Lafayette, Indiana. Thursday. Friday and Saturday. November 26, 27 and 28. 1908.
Furthermore, we believe that it can be shown that deforestation has a tendency in a region of rough topography, such as is found among the hills of southern Indiana, to localize the hot season rainfall, and to produce conditions approximating those of the so-called "cloudbursts" of the Rocky Mountain regions of the West. A case in point occurred during the past summer in the latter part of July over an area of some six or eight square miles along the divide between the basins of Indian Kentucky and Indian creeks and their tributaries, in eastern Jefferson and western Switzerland counties of this State. The rainfall in this case was unprecedented for the region.
On one border of the given area a government rain gauge, kept by J. R. Shaw, Jr., was filled to the brim, the measurement amounting to three and one-half inches, and then ran over for an unknown period. Afterward the gauge was emptied and received one and one-half inches more, making at the least live inches, and probably much more, in the period of two hours during which the rain fell. Other and more reliable measurements in locations more nearly the center of the storm area were made and a precipitation of at least ten inches in the two-hour period were recorded.
The conditions producing this exceptional and very destructive rainstorm were as follows: The region to the west and southwest of the storm-swept region is one of the roughest topographically in southern Indiana. The whole area for ten or twelve miles in this direction forms the basin of Indian Kentucky Creek and tributaries, and the hills rise in many instances 400 to 450 feet above the valleys, and the slopes are very steep. From the whole basin the forests have been almost entirely removed.
On the day referred to the temperature was unusually high, some thermometers within the area registering 102 degrees in the shade. There was no movement of the air until early in the afternoon, when a gentle southwest wind arose, and this caused the highly-heated air of the whole region to move northeastward. The valley of Brushy-fork Creek, one of the principal tributaries of Indian Kentucky Creek, became the center of the air movement.
About three in the afternoon a cloud began to form above the divide and around the head of the valley of Brushy-fork Creek. The highly-heated air ascended very rapidly on reaching the divide, and the consequent rapid cooling of the air by expansion caused an equally rapid condensation of the moisture of the air. The cloud increased in volume with very great swiftness, and the rain fell in torrents, first over a very limited area and then over a wider region. The center of the storm, however, instead of moving, as is usually the case, remained almost stationary for a period of two hours. During this time the winds from almost the entire surrounding region moved slowly towards the now enlarged area of precipitation. There were few if any clouds outside of the six or eight square miles covered by the storm, but the hot air from the proximity, on reaching this area of rapidly rising atmosphere, constantly added its moisture to that being condensed, with the result that for two hours the downpour continued.
This very unusual precipitation proved exceedingly disastrous to the soil of the cultivated fields, and to the roads and bridges as well as to property of all kinds along Brushy Fork Creek and the larger tributaries of Indian Creek. Both of these streams were several feet above any previous record. Where a few moments before there were dry, rocky creek beds, now became a wild flood from six to ten feet in depth and from 300 to 500 feet wide. Buildings were carried away that had seldom or never been touched by previous floods.
In the opinion of the writer this cloudburst, which in truth it was, was caused by the intense heating of the deforested region of very rough topography to the southwest, followed by the gentle movement of great volumes of heated air in a northeasterly direction, until in its passage over the divide it rapidly ascended. Becoming cooled in its ascent, the enormous quantity of moisture held in the highly-heated atmosphere rapidly condensed, and the unprecedented rainfall for that region followed.
It may be years before conditions of temperature, moisture and winds would unite to produce another such storm in the same locality, yet the probabilities are that in the future such rainfalls will become increasingly frequent somewhere in such deforested areas of rough topography.
The Twenty-fourth Annual Meeting Of The Indiana Academy Of Science.
The twenty-fourth annual meeting of the Indiana Academy of Science was held at Purdue University. Lafayette, Indiana. Thursday. Friday and Saturday. November 26, 27 and 28. 1908.
Furthermore, we believe that it can be shown that deforestation has a tendency in a region of rough topography, such as is found among the hills of southern Indiana, to localize the hot season rainfall, and to produce conditions approximating those of the so-called "cloudbursts" of the Rocky Mountain regions of the West. A case in point occurred during the past summer in the latter part of July over an area of some six or eight square miles along the divide between the basins of Indian Kentucky and Indian creeks and their tributaries, in eastern Jefferson and western Switzerland counties of this State. The rainfall in this case was unprecedented for the region.
On one border of the given area a government rain gauge, kept by J. R. Shaw, Jr., was filled to the brim, the measurement amounting to three and one-half inches, and then ran over for an unknown period. Afterward the gauge was emptied and received one and one-half inches more, making at the least live inches, and probably much more, in the period of two hours during which the rain fell. Other and more reliable measurements in locations more nearly the center of the storm area were made and a precipitation of at least ten inches in the two-hour period were recorded.
The conditions producing this exceptional and very destructive rainstorm were as follows: The region to the west and southwest of the storm-swept region is one of the roughest topographically in southern Indiana. The whole area for ten or twelve miles in this direction forms the basin of Indian Kentucky Creek and tributaries, and the hills rise in many instances 400 to 450 feet above the valleys, and the slopes are very steep. From the whole basin the forests have been almost entirely removed.
On the day referred to the temperature was unusually high, some thermometers within the area registering 102 degrees in the shade. There was no movement of the air until early in the afternoon, when a gentle southwest wind arose, and this caused the highly-heated air of the whole region to move northeastward. The valley of Brushy-fork Creek, one of the principal tributaries of Indian Kentucky Creek, became the center of the air movement.
About three in the afternoon a cloud began to form above the divide and around the head of the valley of Brushy-fork Creek. The highly-heated air ascended very rapidly on reaching the divide, and the consequent rapid cooling of the air by expansion caused an equally rapid condensation of the moisture of the air. The cloud increased in volume with very great swiftness, and the rain fell in torrents, first over a very limited area and then over a wider region. The center of the storm, however, instead of moving, as is usually the case, remained almost stationary for a period of two hours. During this time the winds from almost the entire surrounding region moved slowly towards the now enlarged area of precipitation. There were few if any clouds outside of the six or eight square miles covered by the storm, but the hot air from the proximity, on reaching this area of rapidly rising atmosphere, constantly added its moisture to that being condensed, with the result that for two hours the downpour continued.
This very unusual precipitation proved exceedingly disastrous to the soil of the cultivated fields, and to the roads and bridges as well as to property of all kinds along Brushy Fork Creek and the larger tributaries of Indian Creek. Both of these streams were several feet above any previous record. Where a few moments before there were dry, rocky creek beds, now became a wild flood from six to ten feet in depth and from 300 to 500 feet wide. Buildings were carried away that had seldom or never been touched by previous floods.
In the opinion of the writer this cloudburst, which in truth it was, was caused by the intense heating of the deforested region of very rough topography to the southwest, followed by the gentle movement of great volumes of heated air in a northeasterly direction, until in its passage over the divide it rapidly ascended. Becoming cooled in its ascent, the enormous quantity of moisture held in the highly-heated atmosphere rapidly condensed, and the unprecedented rainfall for that region followed.
It may be years before conditions of temperature, moisture and winds would unite to produce another such storm in the same locality, yet the probabilities are that in the future such rainfalls will become increasingly frequent somewhere in such deforested areas of rough topography.
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