The Hattiesburg news., 1915-10-18
Written for the Mississippi

of the war with England, 1S12-15, the
United States began at once to in.
crease and develop its manufacturing
establishments. The, useful lesson
was learned by the stoppage of i'm
ports, that individual and corporate
enterprises must be self-sustaining to
be permanently successful. The axiom
that necessity is the mother of inven-
tion" was clearly exemplified in the
stimulated labor and inventive genius
of New England that soon caused it's
products to rival in quality similar ar
ticles hitherto received from abroad,
and the profits from these Infant in
dustries" were exceedingly encourag-
ing.
Along with this impetus to domestic
manufacture came the spirit of inter-
nal improvement. State and national
legislation favored increased CONNER
-cial activities and better facilities for
travel and traffic became popular.
Various schemes were inaugurated for
laying out and building roads and ca
nails. The climax was, perhaps,
reached when Congress considered ad-
versely bill authorizing the construc-
tion of national road from Buffalo,
New York, via Washington, d. c., to
New Orleans, Louisiana. It's failure,
however, was attributed, not to any
real objection to the scheme itself,
but to the uncertainty as to what con-
gressional district 1t would pass
through.
or the several government roads ii
the South, the one contributing in the
largest degre to the Development of
Mississippi as State was generally
known as General Jackson's Military
Road.
AS to its origin, route, date and
manner of construction there is
great diversity OF opinion. One of
our most careful historians has clev-
erly said:
AS in Italy all great architec-
ture is ascribed to Michael Angelo.
so in our Southern States all
mounds and Notifications are at
tributed to DeSoto, and all roads
TO Andrew Jackson. The General
has been credited with cutting
highway through Clarke County
(Alabama) for his army, another
through Choctaw County and even
= the "Three Chopped Way" when
in point of fact he descended the
Alabama River in boats. Howev-
er, worse eponyms could be chosen
than DeSoto and Jackson.
Unfortunately for the cause of his
torical accuracy, the same writer on
preceding page. and elsewhere, adds
further confusion to the subject by
the statement:
There were other highways in
course Of time, such as Jackson's
Military road, cut southwardly from
the Tennessee River, which was
serviceable in subiugating the
Creek.
sin reality the Creeks were generally
considered subjugated in 1894, while
Jacksoh's Military Road was not cut,
named and completed until 1S17-2O.
Mississippi, however, is not one whit
behind other Southern States in his
torical and traditional jackson
oads." She also has jackson Fort
made Of cedar logs and surrounded by
entertainments, Descendants of early
settlers point with traditional pride to
SCARED trees and quilted hillsides as
marks and tracks of Jackson's axes
and artillery, while historians recount
with patriotic pride the prodigious feat
of Colonels Coffee and Carroll, who
are said 70 have cut their way through
the whole length Of the State of Mis-
sissippi and to have arrived in the
nick Of time to save the day for ''Old
Hickory on the plains Of chalmette.