The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-09-15
GEN. W. S. FEATHERSTON.
West Point News.
A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.

West Point News
While the press of the United States is
having much to say of our noble Presiden-
tial standard bearer, General Winfield Scott
Hancock, the Sunday News takes the occa-
sion this morning to publish a brief bio
graphy of General Winfield Scott Feather
ston, a gentleman as universally esteemed
in Mississippi, as is the bearer of the same
Christian name above mentioned, beloved
in his own native Pennsylvania.
The subject of this sketch was born in
| Rutherford county, Tennessee, i'll the year
1919, and he is consequently, at this time,
| sixty-one years of age. His father Charles
Featherston, and his mother Lucy Pitts
| Featherston, were both natives of Virginia,
and were married in Essex county of that
| State, on the Doth day of January, 1898.
Some time after their marriage they re-
moved 70 Tennessee, where Mr.. Charles
| Featherston' engaged in the occupation of
| planter. 1t was on farm place in the
county mentioned, that Gen. W. S. Feath-
erston was BORN and when old enough to
| labor he was trained to engage actively in
all the work pertaining to farm life AT
ter his muscles had been hardened by the
labor of year or two on the farm and the
framework laid of the rahast constitution
which he has always had since then, he was
for time sent to what were in that day
termed "Old field schools" and at some
what later period lie was, at different times,
a pupil of the lest academies in the coun-
try, and received a good academic education
though not regular collegiate one The
schools Of that day were taught ten months
in each year !, and the prices of tuition for
a scholastic year averaged only twenty five
dollars and this included the charges for
Latin, Greek and the higher branches of
mathematics.
In the year 1886, w. S. Featherston was
at school in Columbus, Georgia; but wheB
hostilities broke out between the whites and
the Creek Indians, he laid aside his sch"~,
books and Joined VOLUNTEER company in
Coin IN tne cadet Rifemen," and went
in search of the red skins, serving until the
Indians were subdued, which was in three
months
In the year 1887, the year in which oc-
Cured the great financial crash in this
country, found him again at school, this
time in his native Tennessee county, at an
academy presided over by Samuel p.
Black.
His education completed, he chose the
law as a profession, and was admitted to the
bar in 1910. Soon after this he settled in
Houston, Chickasaw county, Miss, and by
a close application to business, soon entered
upon very fine practice. But though en-
gagged in the practice of law, he took keen
interest in political affairs, and became an
active worker in every political campaign.
His first Presidential vote was for Martin
Van Buren, in 1910. Seven years after this
time, he was nominated for Congress by his
Democratic friends and his opponent in the
canvass was the brave Col. Alexander K.
McClung, the nominee of the Wing party,
who at a later period, while in a deep
gloom of dependency, took his own life, IN
the city of Jackson.
In this year of 1917, Col McClung had
lust returned from the battle fields of Next
co, so disabled by his wounds that he was
unfit for further service, and as a Congress
sional candidate, he was thought by his
party to be well nigh invincible. Joint dis
cussions were had, and the contest Was an
exceedingly heated one but McCluDg was
defeated.
When Cen Featherston had almost
served out his first term he was again in
1849 renominated by his party for the same
position. This time he was opposed by
William L. Harris, of Columbus, the Wing
nominee, but after another exciting canvass
the candidate of the Wing party was again
than before In 1851, Gen. Featherston
again received the nomination of his party,
and in this race was opposed by Jno. A.
Wilcox, of Aberdeen, the Union candidate,
who was elected, and the whole Southern
rights" ticket to which Gen. FeatheFston |
belonged, was defeated, except Judge A. G.
Brown.
In 1852 Gen. Featherston again received |
a mark of favor from the Democratic party, |
being made one of the Franklin Pierce |
electors, and had the satisfaction of seeing |
Mr.. Pierce installed in the Office on the 4th |
day of March, 1853.
In 1853 the Congressional nomination was |
again rendered him, but having grown |
weary of political life, it was declined, and |
Col VIM. s. Barry, of Lowndes county, |
whose biography by JAS ID. Lynch, appear
ed in late number of the Sunday News, |
was nominated and elected. In this year |
Gen Featherston resumed the practice of
the law, and was closely engaged in that cali |
ing until the breaking out of hostilities in
1861, when he raised company and was /
mustered into service as a captain.
In December of 1860 he was appointed |
from Mississippi to Kentucky /
/. confer with the authorities of that State,
ON the question Of secession, as may be seen
from the correspondence on file IN the ar
chives at jackson, with the Governor of
X entucky. Subsequent 70 this he was elect
ed Colonel of the 18th Regiment of Missis-
sippi Volunteers, and served the first two
years of the war in the Virginia army.
On the 4th day Of March, 1862, he was