Family Tree

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Tombstone Tuesday
James Lynch
1838-1872

James Lynch was Secretary of State during Reconstruction, and held other positions of honor. He died December 18, 1872. At the time, he was the only African American in the history of Mississippi that ever laid in State in the capitol.

After remaining in his coffin two days in the rotunda of the capital, he was buried with great ceremony. A handsome monument for which the State of Mississippi paid in part, was erected over his grave.

Funeral Obsequies of James Lynch The late Secretary of State was interred from the Captiol yesterday. The funeral oration was delivered by the Rev Mr McDonald, and the remains were escorted to the grave bt the State authorities, the city authorities, Hope Fire Company No 3 (colored) of Jackson, United States Fire Company No 1, (colored) of Vicksburg, the Friendly Brothers, (colored) of Vicksburg, a delegation from Vicksburg Fire Company No 2 (colored) and a large concourse of colored people.

James Lynch was buried in the Greenwood Cemetery, Jackson, Mississippi.
His monument reads 'True To The Public Trust".

James Lynch, Mississippi's Secretary of State During Reconstruction

Source: Subject File for James D Lynch - File found at Mississippi Department of Archives and History
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4 comments:

  1. This post makes me want to learn more about reconstruction. My sense is that the history books in the mid-20th century when I was a student had a biased way of interpreting that era.

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    1. Sheryl, You and I had similar history books. I am about to start reading a book by John Hope Franklin, "Reconstruction after the Civil War", to help understand the period better.

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    1. I've only read the first chapter. Franklin lays a good foundation of the physical and economic destruction of the south, southern anger and distrust of Lincoln's politics, myths about freedmen.

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