October 6, 2014

Dear Friends & Members,In keeping with the month, we have two

Halloween themed talks: Ken Endfield on the paranormal at our regular meeting, an Lori Fisher on student-conducted tours of Live Oak Cemetery at our monthly luncheon.

Details on these and other happenings be-low.

— Tom Shellnut, & the Board ofTrustees

Upcoming Events

Monday, October 13, 7 p.m. October monthly meeting. Nominations for three trustee positions will be accepted from the floor—details below. (The election of the trustees will occur at the November meeting.) Ken Edenfield, in keeping with Halloween, will speak about investiga-tions into paranormal activity.

Monday, October 27, 12 noon. Oc-tober Luncheon. Lori Fisher will speak about the student conducted tour of Live Oak cemetery. Reservations are re-quired.

Monday, November 10th, 7 p.m. Election of three trustees by the general membership.

Monday, November 24th — Tentative date for a November luncheon. (Due to the close proximity to Thanksgiving, we may forgo a November luncheon.)

Monday, December 8th — Christmas Party to be held at 533 East Scenic Drive.

www.passhistory.org ● Post Office Box 58, Pass Christian MS 39571 ● Society Building 201 East Scenic Drive228 452-7254 ● info@passhistory.org ● Building typically open: Thursday-Friday-Saturday, 10-2 p.m.

Evening meetings at 7 p.m. on the 2nd Monday ● Monthly luncheons are typically on the 4th Monday of the month.

PASS CHRISTIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

OCTOBER 2014 NEWSLETTER

Nomination of TrusteesMember are reminded that floor nomina-tions for three trustees (each to serve a three-year term) may be made at the Oc-tober13th meeting. As mentioned in the September newsletter we ask that before nominating a person:

1. You confirm that the person you are nominat-ing, will accept the nomination.

2. That the person knows that they will have to work on Board projects such as the fund rais-ers

3. That they will be asked to take-on a board job such as committee head.

4. And of course trustees are expected to come to meeting.

2015 Dues The board of trustees has voted a $5.00 dues increase for individual and family members. Effective for dues paid after October 31, dues will be $35 for family and $25 for individual memberships. (If you pre-pay your 2015 dues prior to No-vember 1st, the existing $30 and $20 rates will apply.)

Luncheon Reservations: A $10 ($12 non-members) admission fee, which in-cludes lunch, is payable at the door. Please email president@passhistory.org or call 228 452-7254 to reserve a spot.

We salute Crusisng the Coast with this circa 1920 postcard “Crossing Bayou Portage, Pass Christian, Miss.”

passhistory.org

Our Bit of History

Our bit of history is a piece of Union military correspondence concerning Pass Christian and the coast and written 150 years ago this month.

October 31, 1864New OrleansSir: In obedience to your instructions I have the honor to make the following re- port of the geographical, military, politi-cal and social condition of the country lying on the coast...Between Pearl River and Mobile are the Jordan River, navigable twenty-five miles, Wolf River, navigable twenty miles (but very shallow at the mouth)...The coast is low and sandy. The towns on the coast are Shieldsborough, (or Bay of Saint Louis), Pass Christian, Mississippi City, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. From each of these towns are roads running northerly and crossing the old mail route from Ba- ton Rouge to Mobile, about thirty miles from the coast. There is also a road run-ning along the coast, but it is broken by water at Bay of Saint Louis, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, at which places there are no ferries. ...The political status of this section of country [he is speaking of the entire coast] is favorable to the Union. The peo-ple generally are tired of the war, and in fact, many of them were never in favor of it. For eighteen months past the forest and canebrakes have swarmed with men who have fled thither for concealment from conscription officers and squads of soldiers sent to arrest them. In many in- stances they have assembled in sufficient numbers to resist their persecutors and compel them to leave their neighbor- hoods. The country is barren and may of the people in a starving condition. Before the war they procured their subsistence by the sale of wood, lumber, and naval stores, and now that they have not that

source of supply they can scarcely obtain enough to sustain life, and, as usual, those who suffer most are those who are in no manner responsible for the present state of affairs. Such as had no property to leave have very generally come within our lines, and nearly all who remain would gladly do so had they the means of subsistence here. These statements apply more especially to the eastern parishes of Louisiana and the southern counties of Mississippi. In these counties are a few wealthy men who formerly owned plan-tations and a large number of slaves. Their plantations they retain, but their slave are in the employ of the U. S. Gov-ernment, they have almost without ex-ception left their masters and come within our lines. Two years ago these wealthy men were nearly all secession-ists, but now it is difficult to find one who would not gladly embrace the first opportunity to renew his allegiance whenever he could be protected in the expression of his loyalty. This brief and general statement is most respectfully submitted...

—ELIOT BRIDGMAN.

A Drive Through The Woods, Pass Christian, Miss. (before 1906) Inscribed “ Going to NY by boat Wed. This is a perfectly beautiful place — We are have a fine time Esther.”