The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-12-16
The Things Mississippi Has Done First
of Times Has of
of

cHt NHSH thiS lidS Was plSSculSu an
the incident proved the inspiration TO
his song, The Bonnie Blue Flag
First to have the flag unfurled il
the young republic-Flag referred tc
above in the old capitol building al
Jackson, January 0, 1861.
First to have this famous song, sThe
Bonnie Blue Flag" published-By Col
j. l.. Power at Jackson, Miss, January
! 10. 1861
First to have THE Bonnie Blue
Flag" sung by its author, Harry Nc
I Carthy. in a Jackson theatre on the
night of January 10, 1861. See Riley s
History of Mississippi, pages 22+225,
and the mississippi Historical and
Statistical Register, 1908, page 14S
for the above references to The Bon
ME Blue Flag"
/ First to wear the blue cockade" as
an emblem of States rights Missis-
sippi gentlemen wore these blue roset-
ties made by their wives. mothers and
sweethearts and pinned on the lapeIs
of their coats in 1850.
First TO bear the message demand
ing the surrender of Fort Sumter,
April II, 1861. Stephen D. Lee, Mis-
sissippi's distinguished son. who was
one of the two messengers bearing
the demand of General Beauregard
for the surrender of the fort.
First TO have an extended visit from
the famous explorer, fernando de
Soto He and his followers spending
the winter of 154O-l54l in Pontotoc
county, Miss.
First to have a fortified camp, with
towers and bastions modelled after
such defensive works in Europe. Built
by de Soto and his men in 1541. near
the present town OF Pontotoc Miss,
traces of which may yet be seen.
First and only state to bear the
name OF the great Father of Waters"
the Mississippi
First cotton plant ever mentioned
was growing in garden near the
present site of Natchez. Mentioned
by Charlevoix in 1922
First to Send in a cotton report"
Bienville, writing to the French gov
eminent in 1885. said: Cotton grows
we'll on the Mississippi
First to receive Acknowledgement
of a shipment OF cotton In 1746, the
Marquis de Vaudreuil reported: Cot
ton received in New Orleans from one
of the early French settlements above
the mouth OF the Yazoo river"
First in INGENUITY of introduction of
cotton seed into this country. Walter
Burling, of Natchez brought the FAM
GUS Mexican cotton seed stuffed in
dolls: it being against the orders OF
Old Spain to have the Mexican cotton
seed exported.
First 10 have an iron screw press
for cotton The first was made for
sir William Dunbar, planter, who
lived near the present site of Nat
chez. 1t was made in Philadelphia at
a cost OF $1,000, after a model fur
nished by himself in 1896.
First to suggest the idea of extract
ing oil from cotton seed as valuable
article OF commerce. Sir William
Dunbar, of Mississippi, in letter to
his partner, James Ross, of PhiladeI.
phia, in 1893
First to conceive the idea of pack
ing cotton in square bales-Sir VIII
liam Dunbar, of Mississippi, in 1899.
First to introduce the use of circu-
lar rows in the cultivation of rolling
land-Si,' William Dunbar on his plan
tation, called THE Forest" near Nat
chez in 1900.
First to give a scientific account of
Hot Springs, Ark, and an analysis OF
the water-Sir William Dunbar. pio-
neer scientist of Mississippi.
First TO manufacture cotton gins
largely after the Whitney model
David Greenleaf. near Natchez. in
1896.
First TO substitute the wooden for
iron screws for pressing cotton which
gave this idea more practical form. |
1899.
First to ship cotton in bags before
invention of Whitney gin. William
Vousdan, living near Natchez on Sec.
ond Creek, shipped three bags of cot |
ton. 1t being so tedious to separate |
the lint from the seed by the primitive |
roller gins worked by hand.
First to make indigo culture sta !
pie agricultural product-179o in the
Natchez district OF Mississippi. First
In cotton producing lands of the world
Delta region of Mississippi.