Behind the Walls (eBook)

Mississippi Penitentiary Inmates, 1840-1880

Anne L. Webster (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2023 | 1. Auflage
508 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
978-1-6678-8860-6 (ISBN)

The first Mississippi state prison opened its doors in 1840. Behind the Walls is a first attempt to identify the inmates of the first forty years. The Superintendent of the penitentiary was required to provide the governor with an official report regarding the inmates and the condition of the prison itself. The required information varied over the years, but the critical information of name, age, crime, and county where the inmate was sentenced was usually included. While the race of the individual was not given, his or her physical description was provided. For the first twenty years, 1840-1860, the prison population was primarily Caucasian, with a few free blacks noted. If slaves were involved in a crime, they were rarely admitted to prison, their punishment, if any, would be delivered by their owner. As valuable property, they were a commodity too precious to be nonproductive in the fields. After the Civil War, the prison population shifted and the majority population for 1860-1880 was African American. Sources for African American names in the reconstruction period are rare so this should prove a welcome resource. The descriptive terms ranged from fair, dark, and brown to copper colored and later, to black and white. Could the many described as copper colored actually be Native American? This question should be pursued. Additionally, the cases where the defendants were teenagers or pre-teens should also draw the attention of students of criminal justice. What could have caused an eleven year old to be sentenced to the state penitentiary? While written with the genealogists in mind, it is obvious that Behind the Walls should appeal to many genres.

The first Mississippi state prison opened its doors in 1840. Behind the Walls is a first attempt to identify the inmates of the first forty years. The Superintendent of the penitentiary was required to provide the governor with an official report regarding the inmates and the condition of the prison itself. The required information varied over the years, but the critical information of name, age, crime, and county where the inmate was sentenced was usually included. While the race of the individual was not given, his or her physical description was provided. For the first twenty years, 1840-1860, the prison population was primarily Caucasian, with a few free black noted. If slaves were involved in a crime, there were rarely admitted to prison, their punishment, if any, would be delivered by their owner. As valuable property, thy were a commodity too precious to be nonproductive in the fields. After the Civil War, the prison population shifted and the majority population for 1860-1880 was African American. Sources for African American names in the reconstruction period are rare so this should prove a welcome resource. The descriptive terms ranged from fair, dark, and brown to copper colored and later, to black and white. Could the many described as copper colored actually be Native American? This question should be pursued as many were sentenced from counties with large Native American residents. Additionally, the cases where the defendants were teenagers or pre-teens should also the attention of students of criminal justice. What could have caused an eleven year old to be sentenced to the state penitentiary? If an inmate's escape was found in newspaper accounts, frequently more information about his/her case was provided, such as, the name of the victim, or extenuating circumstances related to the crime. While written with the genealogists in mind, it is obvious that Behind the Walls should appeal to many genres.

Behind the Walls:
Mississippi Penitentiary Inmates – 1840 – 1880

Abbott, Jim Dick

Description: Colored; Remarks: Escaped August 15, 1879

Abney, Ben

Age: 26; Crime: Rape; Description: Colored; County Where Condemned: Clarke; Term: Life (date sentenced, ca. 1875); Place of Birth: Mississippi; Remarks: Escaped August 24, 1876

Abraham, Sam

Age: 22; Crime: Assault with intent to kill; Description: Colored; County Where Condemned: Yazoo; Date of Sentence: February 5, 1873; Expiration of Sentence: February 5, 1876; Place of Birth: Georgia

Adam,

Age: 22; Crime: Larceny; Description: Colored; County Where Condemned: Wilkinson; Date of Sentence: December 19, 1865; Expiration of Sentence: December 19, 1869; Place of Birth: Mississippi; Occupation: Laborer

Adams, Ashley

Age: 20; Crime: n.g.; County Where Condemned: Carroll; Date of Admission: June 18, 1853; Expiration of Sentence: June 18, 1855; Place of Birth: Massachusetts

Adams, Benj.

Age: 23; Crime: Horse stealing; Description: Colored; County Where Condemned: Hinds; Date of Sentence: May 15, 1866; Expiration of Sentence: May 15, 1868; Place of Birth: Mississippi; Occupation: Laborer; Remarks: Escaped on June 30, 1867 from guard on the Vicksburg and Meridian Railroad

Adams, Calvin

Age: 23; Crime: Larceny; Description: Colored/Dark copper; County Where Condemned: Kemper; Term: 2 years; Expiration of Sentence: September 15, 1870 [sic]; Remarks: Discharged September 15, 1879

Adams, Charles

Age: 17; Crime: Burglary; Description: White; County Where Condemned: Pike; Term: 5 years; Expiration of Sentence: August 22, 1884; Remarks: Escaped September 9, 1880

Adams, Clark

Remarks: Discharged by Commutation April 30, 1873

Adams, Henry

Age: 27; Crime: Grand larceny; Description: Colored; County Where Condemned: Washington; Term: 1 year; Expiration of Sentence: May 1, 1876; Place of Birth: Mississippi

Adams, James

Age: 55; Crime: Attempt to rape; County Where Condemned: Pike; Date of Admission: October 31, 1844; Expiration of Sentence: October 31, 1849; Place of Birth: Illinois; Remarks: Died July 20, 1847

Adams, James

Age: 21; Crime: Negro stealing; County Where Condemned: Madison; Date of Admission: February 7, 1858; Expiration of Sentence: February 5, 1868; Place of Birth: South Carolina; Occupation: Farmer; Remarks: Pardoned August 2, 1861

Adams, James

Description: Colored; Remarks: Discharged August 14, 1879

Adams, John

A convict named John Adams was shot while attempting to escape on the 17thand died from the wound two days later. He was 25 years of age and had been sent to four years of imprisonment for larceny from Tippah County. (Vicksburg Daily Whig, March 3, 1853, page 3)

Adams, Moses

Description: Colored; Remarks: Discharged: April 11, 1879

Adams, Nathan

Age: 58; Crime: Burglary; Description: Black; County Where Condemned: Franklin; Term: 5 years; Expiration of Sentence: June 3, 1880; Place of Birth: Virginia; Remarks: Discharged June 3, 1880

Adams, Phillips

Age: 19; Crime: Assault and Battery; County Where Condemned: Sunflower; Date of Sentence: August 31, 1867; Expiration of Sentence: August 31, 1870; Occupation: Laborer

Adams, Phil or Phillip

Age: 19; Crime: Burglary and larceny; Description: Black; County Where Condemned: Yazoo; Term: 4 years; Expiration of Sentence: December 14, 1884

Adams, Porter

Age: 21; Crime: Grand larceny; Description: Copper color; County Where Condemned: Holmes; Term: 5 years; Expiration of Sentence: November 3, 1879; Place of Birth: Mississippi

Addington, Albert (alias Albert Higginbottom)

Age: 17; Crime: Grand larceny; Description: Mulatto; County Where Condemned: Lafayette; Term: 2 years; Expiration of Sentence: May 9, 1880; Remarks: Discharged May 9, 1880

Adkins, Jesse

Age: 29; Crime: Accessory after the fact of murder; Description: White; County Where Condemned: Union; Term: 4 years; Expiration of Sentence: February 28, 1885

Adkins, Wallace

Age: 20; Crime: Assault and battery with intent to kill; Description: Mulatto; County Where Condemned: Adams; Date of Sentence: January 3, 1868; Expiration of Sentence: January 21, 1875; Place of Birth: West Virginia; Occupation: Farmer

Agnew, William

Age: 20; Crime: Forgery; Description: Black; County Where Condemned: Prentiss; Term: 2 years; Expiration of Sentence: August 8, 1878

Aiken, James H.*

Age: 28; Crime: Larceny; County Where Condemned: Hinds; Date of Admission: December 12, 1846; Expiration of Sentence: December 11, 1849; Place of Birth: Tennessee; * Committed to this prison for the second time; Remarks: Pardoned: April 1, 1851

Albert, Robert

Age: 24/34; Crime: Burglary; County Where Condemned: Wilkinson; Date of Sentence: November 12, 1868; Expiration of Sentence: November 12, 1871; Occupation: Laborer; Remarks: Escaped from Choctaw Plantation June 1, 1869; recaptured July 6, 1869

Alcorn, Alfred

Remarks: Escaped November 16, 1873

Alcorn, Dick

Age: 28; Crime: Committing rape; Description: Black; County Where Condemned: Coahoma; Term: 10 years; Expiration of Sentence: October 15, 1891

Alexander, Armp.

Age: 22; Crime: Grand larceny; Description: Dark brown; County Where Condemned: Marshall; Term: 3 years; Expiration of Sentence: April 11, 1884

Alexander, James

Age: 19; Description: Black; Remarks: Escaped from Penitentiary guard in Attala County, July 6, 1875

Alexander, James (alias Johnson)

Age: 38; Crime: Grand larceny; Description: Black; County Where Condemned: Clay; Term: 4 years; Expiration of Sentence: October 5, 1885

Alexander, James T.

Age: 22; Crime: Larceny; County Where Condemned: Lowndes; Date of Admission: May 5, 1855; Expiration of Sentence: April 16, 1859; Place of Birth: Georgia; Remarks: Escaped February 28, 1856

Alexander, Jerry

Age: 33; Crime: Grand larceny; Description: Black; County Where Condemned: Oktibbeha; Term: 4 years; Expiration of Sentence: December 3, 1882

Alexander, Jesse

Age: 25; Crime: Grand larceny; Description: Dark copper; County Where Condemned: Leflore; Term: 3 years; Expiration of Sentence: June 23, 1880; Remarks: Discharged June 23, 1880

Alexander, Joe

Age: 17; Crime: Grand larceny; Description: Black; County Where Condemned: Washington; Date of Sentence: May 27, 1872; Expiration of Sentence: May 27, 1874; Term: 2 years; Place of Birth: Louisiana

Alexander, John

Age: 28; Crime: Grand larceny; County Where Condemned: DeSoto; Date of Sentence: August 21, 1869; Expiration of Sentence: August 25, 1872; Occupation: Laborer; Remarks: Escaped from penitentiary October 20/26, 1869

Alexander, John (alias J. A. Dodson)

Age: 30; Crime: Shooting at person; Description: White; County Where Condemned: Lafayette; Term: 5 years; Expiration of Sentence: October 7, 1880; Place of Birth: New York; Remarks: Pardoned March 29, 1877

Alexander, Sam

Age: 23; Crime: Grand larceny; Description: Black; County Where Condemned: Washington; Term: 5 years; Expiration of Sentence: May 5, 1882

Alexander, Samuel N.

Age: 27; Crime: Larceny; County Where Condemned: Pontotoc; Date of Admission: November 14, 1850; Expiration of Sentence: October 25, 1852; Place of Birth: Alabama

Alexander, Scott

Age: 22; Crime: Larceny; Description: Colored; County Where Condemned: Tate; Term: 2 years; Expiration of Sentence: April 4, 1879; Remarks: Escaped from Richard Burdette, Washington County, May 1878; Escaped July 15, 1879

Alexander, Wm.

Age: 18; Crime: Manslaughter; Description: Black; County Where Condemned: Warren; Term: 10 years; Expiration of Sentence: May 16, 1884; Place of Birth: Mississippi

Alfred (slave)

Crime: Arson; County Where Condemned: Itawamba; Date of Sentence: October 1854; Term: To be hung November 10, 1854; Remarks: Belonged to Mr. McCowen

Alfred (freedman)

Age: 23; Description: Dark copper; County Where Condemned: Holmes; Date of Conviction: November 15, 1866; Remarks: Escaped from guard, while at work on the Southern Railroad, near Clinton, on May 11, 1867

Allbright, William

Age: 24; Crime: Rape; Description: Black; County Where Condemned: Holmes; Term: Life (date sentenced, ca. 1877); Remarks: Pardoned September 24, 1881

Allen, Adam

Age: 22; Crime: Grand larceny; Description: Black; County Where Condemned: Marshall; Term: 1 year; Expiration of Sentence: March 21, 1877; Remarks: Discharged February 21, 1877

Allen, Benj. F.

Age: 44; Crime: Burglary; Description: White; County Where Condemned: DeSoto; Term: 1 ½ years; Expiration of Sentence: March 18, 1876; Place of Birth: Arkansas; Remarks: Discharged January 10, 1876

Allen, Charles

Age: 21; Crime: Larceny; County Where Condemned: Washington; Date of Admission: December 14, 1859; Expiration of Sentence: December 13, 1861; Place of Birth: Alabama; Occupation: Engineer

Allen, Dave

Age: 30; Crime: Larceny; Description: Black; County Where Condemned: Holmes; Term: 2 years; Expiration of Sentence: April 15, 1880; Remarks: Discharged April 15, 1880

Allen, Geo.

Age: 31; Crime: Grand larceny; Description: Black; County Where Condemned: DeSoto; Term: 3 years; Expiration of...

Erscheint lt. Verlag	22.5.2023
Sprache	englisch
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
ISBN-10	1-6678-8860-9 / 1667888609
ISBN-13	978-1-6678-8860-6 / 9781667888606

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