Pearl River County Soldiers in World War I

   The Pearl River County Historical Society maintains a small museum on the third floor of the old City Hall building in Picayune, Mississippi. Access is limited because of the need to pass through the City Offices. However, an appointment to tour the museum can be obtained by contacting the author of this blog.
   One of the exhibits, currently on display, is a scrapbook and other materials of the local National Guard unit that was deployed during the Korean War. The unit were pontoon bridge builders and were on active duty in the early 1950s.
   Currently we are seeking information, stories, photos, etc. on soldiers from Pearl River County who served in World War I. Although the U. S. was a late entrant into this war, a number of Americans were deployed to France and helped turn the tide of the war in the Allies favor. Please contact the author through this blog if you have any information you are willing to share with the museum.

   The upper photo is of Nelson Penton of McNeill, Mississippi and the bottom photo is of Orvis Penton, also of McNeill, Mississippi. Both men served in the armed forces during WWI, but it is unclear if they actually were deployed to France and the battlefields. Any information on these and other soldiers would be greatly appreciated.

Tracing Family History

I came across an interesting little poem on the pitfalls found in searching one's family history. The poem was penned by Mrs. Charles Dean of Steven's Point, Wisconsin and quoted in Harvey: 1600 -- 1979. Compiled by Winnie Jo (Fornea) Stockstill. (Copy in the Pearl River County Historical Society Museum).

      I started out to trace my tree

To find, if I could, the makings of me

And all that I had was great great grandfather's name

Not knowing his wife or from which way he came

 

I chased him across a long line of  states

And came up with pages and pages of dates

When all was put together it made me forlorn

I'd proved poor great great grandfather had never been born

 

Then when my hopes were fast growing dim

I came across records that had to be him

The facts I collected than made me quite sad

Dear old great great grandfather was never a dad!

 

Just one of the many problems in researching history.  I wish you all good fortune in your historical research.

I am working on a plan to provide 365 History minutes beginning in April or May.  These would be posts that could be read in a minute or less and detail some aspect of Pearl River County History.

James Andrew Harvey and the Copeland Clan

   The most recent donation to the Historical Society Museum is a book on the Harvey Family -- 1600 to 1979, compiled by Winnie Jo (Fornea) Stockstill. In the book Mrs. Stockstill gives family details of the shootout between James Andrew Harvey and the Copeland Clan at Harvey's home near Red Creek. 

   "James Andrew Harvey died of septicemia (blood poisoning), from wounds he had received in a bloody gun-battle with the notorious outlaws known as the 'Copeland Clan.' The Clan had gone to Harvey's home to rob him . . . and the gun-battle that followed was later known as the 'Battle of Harvey.'  Settlers in the Red Creek area had received word that the Clan was 'heading in that direction' . . . many people left home, but James Andrew decided to stay and try to protect his home, stock, etc.  He did send his wife and two children to stay with friends who lived miles away from the Red Creek area."

   "Five members of the Clan . . . including James Copeland, the Clan leader . . . did show up!  When the gun-battle was over . . . James Andrew had been badly wounded in an arm and shoulder.  But at least, now two members of the Clan were dead and Copeland and another man severely wounded. This was the END FOR THE CLAN!"

   "Seriously wound during the gun-battle . . . Harvey was taken to the home of a friend . . . one that lived miles away from Harvey's home . . . but in less than a week, Harvey was dead.  He was buried at night in his friend's family cemetery.  The removal of Harvey from his home to his friend's home and his burial, were all accomplished secretly . . . in fear of retaliation from the few remaining members of the Clan."

   Copeland escaped during the battle, but was later captured, tried, and hung at Old Augusta, Mississippi in 1857, nine years after Harvey's death. (This information is from an unidentified newspaper clipping in the Harvey Family book.)

 





Lamp holders

Darius Pigott and Ezell Lee in Denver, CO 9/1950

(Courtesy PRCHS -- 138th Engineer collection)

   Darius and Ezell were two of the youngest members of the 138th Engineer Pontoon Bridge Company. It has been told that they were just 17 years old at the time of deployment.  The story goes that while in Korea, the enemy would blow up the pontoon bridges during the day and the company would rebuild the bridges during the night.  Being the youngest members, Darius and Ezell were assigned the duty of holding the bright spotlights so the men could see how to repair the bridge. Of course, enemy snipers used the spotlights for target practice.  It only took one night for the lamp holders to learn that if they attached the spotlights to a long pole, they were less likely to be targeted by the snipers. (Source of story: Dodd Lee, Ezell's youngest son.)

Apology

I must apologize for the mistakes in Historical Society program on October 14, 2015.  In preparing the slide show I failed to check the order of the 138th Engineer Pontoon Bridge Company's training and deployment.  I began the presentation with slides from their training at Camp Shelby.  The members of the 138th that were present at the meeting informed me that all training at Camp Shelby was post Korea deployment and that the photos were probably from their Korea deployment.  My apologies to all for my lack of proper research into the deployment and for making too many assumptions.

 



 

138th Engineer Pontoon Bridge Company, Seoul, Korea, 1951





138th Engineer Pontoon Bridge Company

(Photo courtesy PRCHS -- 138th Engineer collection)

   The next monthly meeting of the Pearl River County Historical Society will be held on October 14, 2015.  We will meet in the Holland Room of Crosby Memorial Library at 11:30 a.m.  The Library is located at 900 Goodyear Blvd., Picayune, Mississippi.  This is a brown bag meeting so come and bring your brown bag lunch.  The Historical Society will provide dessert, coffee, tea, and soft drinks.  
   The program for the meeting will be a slide presentation of the 138th Engineer's deployment to Korea in 1950 and '51.  Many of the photos were taken by Gwendell Pearson, who is featured in the above photo.  Mr. Pearson kept a photo record of the activities of the 138th in training, during their deployment, and their reunions following deployment.  He has donated his work to the Historical Society Museum and we are currently working on organizing the material for display.
   The museum is only open by appointment. To make an appoint, call Jerry Stough at 601 590-3268 or email at stoughje@bellsouth.net. You can also contact Juanita Gex for an appointment.
   Come visit us on October 14th, bring a brown bag lunch and a friend and enjoy a discussion of local history.

Jerry