The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-05-16
HECTOR HIGH MCLEAN AND
MODNTAIN MEADOWS.
Nehni nISeeGceS of the McComb
Emily in PORT Gibson.

Port Gibson Revielle.I
| We have published, at different times,
the various incidents connected with the
/ dreadful massacre at Mountain Meadows,
Just twenty years ago and only attoned
tor last month. The incipient history of
the Mountain Meadows horror begins in
this town. In 1910, the family Of James
,. McComb moved from Allegheny
City, III Allegheny county, Pa, and
settled in this place. The elder McComb,
and his son David, were contractors with
the directory to build the banking house
Of the Bank Of Port Gibson, which WI,
completed in 1871, and they subsequent
ly erected the two-story brick (burned in
1870 at the corner Of Main and Carroll
streets. James 5. McComb, and his
family, were members of the PRESBYTERIAN
Church, with the exception of Eleanor
Mrs ORR who was member of the
Camp belte- Baptist Church. 1t was
family OF excellent christian character, of
rare intelligence and of very many crotch
cts. Inmedicine they were disciples Of the
then prevalent Thompsonian system of
medicine, and coming from the region of
Pennsylvania in which, in 1885, great
anti Masonic Juror broke out, anti
Masonry was one Of their hobbies, and
their chief talk here was of these topics
David McComb. in 1913, invented the
"McComb Cotton Press" and the famous
"A rrow Cotton Tie" From the latter
invention, which was patented, the
Younger McCombs, +. G.. and Jennings,
had accumulated immense fortunes, and
are reported to be millionaires. Hector
Hugh Mclean, who, as the history on
our first page shows, killed the famous
Mormon Prophet, Farley Pratt, and in
retaliation for that killing occurred the
Mountain Meadows massacre. Mr..
Mclean was native of Argyleshire,
Scotland, settled in this place III 1910,
and was clerk in the business house OF
II. & H. o. Anderson II Co. That firm
failed at the end Of 1910, and Mr.. Me
Lean formed, with the writer of this,
mercantile partnership, and entered
into business in the spring of 1871.
Shortly after this time, he married Mrs
Eleanor Orr, who was the divorced wife
Of Mr.. Orr, of Allegheny City, Pa.
She was very beautiful woman, and OF
rare intelligence, and her subsequent
history is detailed in the article on our
first page. Mr. David McComb married
a very excellent lady from Pennsylvania,
and moved to Memphis, where he died,
leaving a widow and several children.
His widow resided in Memphis during
the war, and while that city was in pos
session Of the Federal army, and she
became conspicuous, though of Northern
birth, for her zeal in the Confederate
cause, and in some way, her home,
| through her great management, became
the avenue through which many d Con
federate prisoner escaped, and her hos
pitality ministered in hundreds of in
stances, to the wants and sufferings fthe
brave Confederate soldiers. We have
been told this by one who aided her in
her many efforts to help the Confederate
cause. The history of the McComb
family is replete with religious zeal, if
not fanaticism-honest crotchets-Mor
monism and scientific inventions, and the
two little boys who once ran about our
/ streets in somewhat neglected obscurity,
contFol the ''Arrow Tie" monopoly, and
reside in England, the owners OF princely
fortunes, and the occupants of palatial
homes. At least this is what we learn
/ from reliable sources.