Madison County Mississippi Biographies and Biographical Sketches

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CATLETT, Robert Biography

Robert Catlett, planter, Canton, Miss., is one of the class of men singled out by nature to show what a man can accomplish by push and energy, he is a self-made man, and what he has won in the way of this world’s goods is wholly due to his own good lighting qualities. He was the sixth of twelve children born to William and Annie (Mallory) Catlett, natives of the Old Dominion. The father was a planter in his native state and died in 1855. The mother received her tinal summons in 1850. Robert Catlett was born in Fauquier county, Ya., on the 19th of March, 1820, and attained his growth and received his education in his native state. His father having a large family to support, Robert remained at home and assisted on the farm for live years after attaining his majority. In 1852 he came to Mississippi with no capital, and by his own industry and perseverance has accumulated a fortune. Planting has been his principal occupation, and he is now the owner of one thousand six hundred acres of land, three hundred of which are under cultivation. He has been unusually sue cessful in this pursuit, and the secret of his success has been that he raises almost everything needed to carry on a prosperous business, cattle, horses, etc. He gives liberally to all worthy enterprises and he and family are members of the Baptist church. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and in politics affiliates with the democratic party. Mr. Catlett was married on the 13th of March, 1S63, to Miss Maggie Burton, a native of Mississippi and daughter of David and Eliza Burton, of Alabama. To this union have been born sixteen children: Annie E., William J., Robert B. , Penn T., Mary L. (deceased), Walter C., Anora, Mallory, Maggie, Helen, Lillian, Lucy, Gertrude, David F. and Ashby. The other child was not named. Mr. Catlett was in the late war, enlisting in 1862 in company I, Twentyeighth Mississippi regiment cavalry, and was in the same until close of war. He participated in the following battles: Vicksburg, Jackson, Atlanta, Selma, Lost mountain, Bethel church, New Hope church, Twin mountain, Peach Tree creek, Cassville, Jonesboro and Selma, Ala. [Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Mississippi, Chicago, The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1891.]

CAUTHEN, John B. Biography

John B. Cauthen, merchant and planter, Kirkwood, Miss., the third iu order of birth of nine children born to Milton and Sarah (Barrow) Cauthen, owes his nativity to Kershaw district, S. C., his birth occurring in 1831. The parents were natives also of the Palmetto state, but came to this county in 1838, and here the father died in 1808. The mother is still a resident of the county. All their children grew to maturity and seven are now residing in Madison county. When about twenty-three years of age John B. Cauthen began life for himself as a planter, and continued this occupation until the opening of the conflict between the two sections. He then entered the Confederate army, company A. Captain Ward’s batterv, Heath’s division, Hill’s corps of northern Virginia, and served through the entire war. He was in all the engagements in which his battalion participated, including seven days’ light at Richmond, battles of the wilderness, Cold Harbor, Mine Run, Gettysburg, besides numerous minor engagements. He escaped being wounded or taken prisoner, and was paroled at Appomattox courthouse. Returning to Madison county, he engaged in farming and settled on his present farm, then consisting of seventeen hundred acres of land, in 1876. Since then he has reduced his farm to eleven hundred and forty acres, one-half of which he cultivates to corn and cotton. He also has a steam gin and cornmill, and in connection is also engaged in merchandising, carrying a stock of goods valued at about $2,500, and doing an average business of $10,000 annually. Mr. Cauthen was married in 1859 to Miss Clementine Harris, daughter of Matthew and Eliza (Allen) Harris, and the fruits of this union are six living children: Malvina, widow of R. M. McCool, now living with her father; Robert, at home; Anna; Nannie, wife of Henry Evans of Camden; Burdette, at home, and Campbell C. Mr. and Mrs. Cauthen are members of the Presbyterian church, at Greenwood, and he is an elder in the same. [Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Mississippi, Chicago, The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1891.]