Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1911-03-09
TERRA CEIA. Fla.

teo. 18th, 1911.
CAPT. W. c. NELL.
My Dear Friend:-Your
letter Of the 31st ult.. was re-
ceived several days ago and
would have been answered SOON
er but | was quite feeble and
could not muster up enough en-
ergy to write.
The nrst representatives from
Lafayette county after the war
were r. W. Phipps and Drury
Robertson, they were elected
without opposition in October
1855 and served until 1897 when
the State government was over
thrown by the Federal authorities
and military rule in the state was
inaugurated. James Brown was
elected at the same time as State
Senator and served for the same
period.
The first Mayor Of Oxford after
the war was James NJ. Cook: he
held the office for two years and
was succeeded by Mai. LYMAN.
who held the Office for only a few
months, resigned and was sue
ceeded by J. ". Cook who held
the of1ce until ousted By the
military authorities. The mill
tary powers made c. v. Wilson.
Mayor OF Oxford. and also ap-
pointed him Circuit Clerk of the
county. Candor compels ne 10
say that Wilson was 4 fair mind
Ell man and discharged the dut 81
Of his office honestly. Early in
1853 the military removed all Of
our county officers and made the
following appointments: f. NJ.
Main, Sheriff; c. y. Wilson.
Circuit Clerk: ". II. F'oard
Probate Clerk: Dewitt Stearns
Probate Judge; s. q. Whiting.
Assessor; the name of the County
Treasurer | cannot recall now.
These men held Office until Aleorn
went into once in 1870. Aleoro
after a time put in his political
friends in their places. u ths
election held in November 1871
the Carpet Bag Alco-n re-r
was Utterly swept away in La
Fayette county, and responsible
men put in their places.
The Ku Klux Khan was ryan
ized IN Lafayette county in 1851
and was peIhaps the most perfec,
political organization ever formed
IN the county. | was the Grand
Cyelops Of the order and had
perfect control of its movements
In August 1855 Fl, 4. Barr anc
myself were elected delegates Il
the Mississippi Constitutions.
Convention. Judge McCutcheon
was not a member OF the Legis.
lature at any time but he wa,
elected delegate to the Constitu.
uonal Convention in 1858. Col
W. G.. Vaughn was his colIeapu.
IN that body. Tooe Humphrie.
was a candidate for Representa-
tive twice bnt was beaten each
time. The campaign in 1858 fol-
the ratification or rejection of tn,
carpet bag constitution and a full
state ticket resulted in a Demo.
cratic majority in Lafayette
county Of 1900. was the Chair.
man OF the County Democratic
Executive Committee and hac
complete control OF the canvass
| made a very thorough canvass.
speaking at every election pre-.
elnct IN the county and organic
ing clubs in every part Of tbs
county. The splendid organiza.
ton OF the Ku Klux Khan was
used to the fullest extent and
contributed largely to the grand
result. The election in Deem
Der 1869 in Lafayette county
resulted in a Republican victorv
oy go majority. This result was
due to a free stuffing of the bal.
lot boxes by the AIcorn mana.
gers OF the election. The Demo.
Gratis had not at any box in the
county a solitary representative.
An honest count of the vote would
have given the Democrats at least
800 majority. The fraudulent
count resulted in the election O,
j. c. Sharp IS State Senator and
Col. W. G. Vaughn and s. G.. w.
Whiting as Representatives. The
Freeman's Bureau did not pi, .
US much trouble in those days,
we run things pretty much as we
pleased and we almost invariably
had control Of the agents of the
Bureau and the Ku Klux Khan
looked after the turbulent neprc
and the bad white man.
: Il is just and fair to state tha;