Clay County Mississippi Biographies and Biographical Sketches

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CARLISLE, Henry Biography

Henry Carlisle, a general merchant and planter of Prairie station, was born in the county of Antrim, Ireland, in 1834, a son of Daniel and Nancy Carlisle, both natives of Ireland, and life-long residents there. Mr. Carlisle was the fourth of five sons and one daughter born of these parents: John, a planter of Clay county, served in latter part of the war under General Gohlsou; William, died in Clay county three years ago (he was a well-known planter, and did service in the late war); Mary A.; James, resident of Scotland; Adam, planter, residing in Egypt, Chickasaw county: and Henry, who was educated in the public schools until about the age of eighteen, when, leaving Ireland, he came with Ids brother William to Mississippi, and for about two years was employed bv E. L. Willey A Co., wholesale grocers at Aberdeen; later he was with Strong, Williams A Co., for one year, and for the succeeding year in the warehouse, storage and commission business at Aberdeen, after which he went to Egypt, where he was railroad agent from 1859 to 1861. Early in the latter year ho joined the Buena Vista rifles, part of the Seventeenth regiment, which was commanded by Colonel Featherstone. Early in his military career he was sergeant of company A. After the battle of Manassas the second Bull run fight — he was made first lieutenant. Subsequently he was in the battle of Ball’s bluff, but in 1802 he resigned and came home, joining Tomeler’s battalion of General Van Dorn’s command, in which he held the rank of lieutenant. Ho was stationed at Jonesboro, Ark., and was in the Georgia and Atlanta campaigns. He was afterward at Charlotte, S. C. He did more than four years’ hard lighting. In January, 1800, he became railroad agent at Prairie station, a position which he held until 1871, when he began merchandising, in which he has continued until the present time. In connection with his store he is the owner of about three thousand acres of laud in this and adjoining counties, which produce about four hundred bales of cotton annually. His success in life has been gained entirely by his own unaided efforts. He is active in politics, and takes a deep interest in all public matters, especially those relative to the public welfare. He is a man highly successful in all his undertakings, and is looked upon by his neighbors with great respect and regard, and by the community at large is considered to be an upright, well-disposed man worthy of all good that may come to him. [Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Mississippi, Chicago, The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1891.]

CAROTHERS, Samuel W. Biography

Samuel W. Carothers, a planter of Clay county, Miss., was born in Giles county, Tenn., in 1850, a sou of Hugh, Jr., and Jane (Wells) Carothers, who were born in Tennessee and Virginia in 1809 and 1815, respectively, their marriage taking place in Tennessee in 1831, to which state the mother moved with her parents when but six years of age. Hugh, Jr., has always devoted his attention to planting, and now resides on a fine farm near Louisburg, Tenn. He is the son of Hugh, Sr., and Martha (Irving) Carothers, North Carolinians by birth, the former of whom was also an honest tiller of the soil and a son of Robert and Martha (White) Carothers. Robert Carothers was a native of Ireland and came to America about the middle of the eighteenth century, settling in the Old North state. In 1794 he went to Tennessee and in that territory settled among the Indians. He died soon after and left a large family to fight the battle of life as best they might. Hugh Carothers, Jr., although eighty two years of age, has a splendid memory and can recouut with much interest the hardships and privations of his boyhood days. He was one of nine children, the other members of the family being as follows: Margaret (Goodman), Robert A., Eliza (Wilson), Jane (Goodman), Sarah (Reed), Edward, Martha (Cathy) and William, all of whom are deceased with the exception of Hugh, Jr., who was the fifth of the family, and Martha. To Hugh Carothers and his wife, Jane, a family of fourteen children were born, the following of whom are living: Martha L. , wife of Thomas Murray, of Tennessee; John E., of West Point; Dean, of Tennessee; Molly, wife of James Murray, of Tennessee; Samuel W., the subject of this biography; Thomas, of Giles county, Tenn., and Wilts, of Louisville, Ivy. Samuel W. Carothers received his education at Mar’s Hill, Ala., and first started out in life for himself as a farmer of Tennessee, this being at about the time he attained his majority, remained in that state four years, at the end of which time he came to West Point, Miss., and for some time, in connection with planting, lie was also in the livery and stock business. In 1889 he withdrew from the livery business and moved to his plantation near Abbott, Clay county, and is now engaged in planting, his landed estate amounting to one thousand three hundred and sixty eight acres in Clay and Monroe counties, a large portion of which is finely improved. He uses all the latest improved machinery in his plauting operations, and, owing to this fact and to the fact that Mr. Carothers’ ideas are shrewd and practical, this business is proving highly remunerative. Ho takes much interest in the raising of fine stock, his cattle being of the Holstein and Jersey breeds, and his swine Poland China, and of this, as well as of his planting operations, he is making a decided success. He was married in 1883 to Miss Fannie Watson, of Monroe county, Miss., a daughter of Rufus and Fannie Watson, both of whom are deceased. To Mr. Carothers and his wife three children have been born: Rufus, Inez and Fannie. [Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Mississippi, Chicago, The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1891.]