St James Missionary Baptist Church Brookhaven, MS

The St James MB Church is the oldest African American church in Brookhaven. It was organized by Rev George Black of Vicksburg, MS, in 1866.

The pastors of the church were: Reverends George Black, two brothers Sim A Jordan and Jesse J Jordan, W L Magee, William L Creshon, P T Thadison, Clarence Coleman (Sister Jeanette Markham Coleman), Percy Dixon, and currently Larry Jointer.

SOURCES
Research Notes of Cynthia Thadison Williams

1st Church Photograph Courtesy of
Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional Library
100 South Jackson Street
Brookhaven, MS 39601
601-833-3369

2nd Photograph Courtesy of Cynthia Thadison Williams
Direct Descendant of Pastor P T Thadison

St James Missionary Baptist Church

Amanuensis Monday Name Confusion

George Washington aka George Thomas
1837-1912

George Washington aka George Thomas had several difficulties getting approval to receive a pension for service during the Civil War. One of his problems was he had a common name, George Washington. Seven men had the exact same name who served with the same regiment as this George, 58th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry. A civilian who worked for the 58th, USCI, also had the same name. Here is one of George's depositions concerning the name confusion.

Deposition A in Case of George Washington
January 15 1890
Brookhaven, Lincoln County, Miss

I was born in Copiah Co, Miss near the Jefferson County line. My owner was Bill Brown. He was the only owner I ever had. I lived on his place till I went to Natchez & then to Vicksburg. I joined the army at Vicksburg & was discharged at Natchez.

I have heard you explain about that Geo Washington who claims on my service. I don't know him that man & never saw or heard of him. He is a fraud. I have no picture of myself. I had no nickname in service at all. I was clean shaved all the way through the army. I was never in the army but about 8 or 9 months in all. I was never in but two fights in service, one about 12 miles from Woodville & the other was on Bingham's Branch out from Natchez. At the last fight a man named of our Co named Sampson Martin was killed.

Yes, I use to know of a Gilbert Buoy in Jefferson Co, Miss. He is dead. He lived near Union Church & 8 miles from my owner. Yes, he owned a slave named Geo Washington born & raised on the place. He was younger than me. I knew that other Geo Washington before the war. His mistress was my master's sister. No, he was never in my Co at all. He ran away from Gilbert Buoy a long time after I enlisted. He came to Natchez & was put to driving a commissary wagon in the wagon train. I well knew him and saw him often. I am positive he was never an enlisted man at all. He never did a thing but drive the post team. He never came back to Union Church after the war & I never have seen or heard of him since I was discharged.

Yes, he had a wife. Her name was Susie. He married her before the war. Then when he was driving wagon at Natchez he had a woman named Mary.

The father of that other Geo Washington was named Peter Baker. The Geo Washington that lived at Buoy's before the war & that wagoned(sp) at Natchez was not the same man that was in Capt Picks Co 58th Regt as Geo Washington

George his x mark Washington

George Washington served with Company F, 58th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry. He enlisted 08 Sept 1864 in Vicksburg, discharged 10 May 1865 in Natchez.

George's father was named Thomas Buie. After the War, he decided to use the name George Thomas. He married Rhoda Buie and had several children near Caseyville, MS. Many of George's descendants married into my Markham family.

Left the Plantation to Join Federal Army

Unidentified African American Soldier

Thomas Taliaferro testified he was born August 1845, on Spring Hill Plantation, a slave of Peachy R Taliaferro in Copiah County, MS. After Peachy's death in 1852, Thomas was allotted to Peachy's son Charles in 1858.

Thomas' parents were Hilliard Taliaferro and Queen. His mother Queen was married to Shadrack Spotswood, likely a second husband. In 1870, Queen was living in the household of her son-in-law Jackson Brown and daughter Jenny Lind Spotswood Brown. Also in the household were Armstead and Gladden Spotwood, Queen's sons. Thomas was living with his father Hilliard Taliaferro in the 1870 household of Lawrence Sims, Copiah County, MS.

Large portion of Mississippi was in Union hands when Thomas Taliaferro left the plantation to join the Union army. He enlisted Nov or Dec 1863 with Company H, 50th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry. He was described as 5 feet 4 inches tall, complexion yellow, hair sandy, and eyes grayish.

Spring Hill Plantation circa 1930s
Built after fire destroyed the original.

Thomas Taliaferro was accidentally wounded by a comrade's bayonet, piercing through his left arm into the side near the heart. This incident happened on a march from Jackson, MS, to Port Gibson, MS, in May 1865. He was confined to his bed for about three months. He fulfilled his duty and was discharged at Vicksburg, March 1866.

He married Ann Lockwood around 1874 in Jackson or in Louisiana. The couple had several children: Thomas, Jr., Roxie, Hilliard, Henry, Minnie, Sallie, Eddie Bee, Annie, Vernon, Alfredia, Frederick, and Mattie. Thomas' wife Ann died of breast cancer October 1898 shortly after the birth of their last child Mattie.

Thomas married his second wife Bertha Welch Williams in 1901. Together, they raised his younger children.

Unable to do a full day of manual labor, suffering from fainting spells, rheumatism, epilepsy, and the injury during the war, Thomas filed for his invalid pension at the age of 45, which he received. Several people gave depositions or affidavits in his case including the slave owner's wife.

Charles Adams Taliaferro
Husband of Elizabeth "Betty" Macon Rice Taliaferro
Thomas Taliaferro's last Slave Owner

Elizabeth Rice Taliaferro testified that she "personally knew the soldier, Thomas Taliaferro from his boyhood to the day of his death; that prior to the war he was a slave of affiant's husband and left the plantation to join the Federal army. Shortly after the war closed he returned to our home community and from then on she knew him until the day he died."

Thomas died 04 May 1917 in Copiah County, MS.

Thomas and my ancestors were slaves of the same slave owning families.

Other Links Concerning Thomas Taliaferro
Bertha Taliaferro - How Many Marriages
Thomas Taliaferro's Letter - 1915
Will of Thomas Taliaferro - 1917
To the Casket Dealer

Sources:
Federal Pension File of Thomas Taliaferro
Soldier's photograph from: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.printUnidentified African American soldier in Union uniform and Company B, 103rd Regiment forage cap with bayonet and scabbard in front of painted backdrop showing landscape with river
Charles A Taliaferro's photograph is courtesy of Suzanne Brown.
Plantation photograph courtesy of Beverly Smith.
Research Notes of Beverley Ballantine