Legends and Lore of the Mississippi Golden Gulf Coast (12 page)

It was at this point that Jefferson Dais drove up in a carriage. Mayor Guillotte introduced Jefferson Davis to the committees and entourage. Jefferson Davis “had risen from a sick bed to accept the invitation extended to him.” In his speech, he said he felt compelled and honored to be there. He thanked all who had made possible the journey of the “old bell across the states of the union.” He continued, “I think the time has come when reason should be substituted for passion, and when men who have fought in support of their honest convictions shall be able and willing to do justice to each other.” He then saluted the founding fathers, who “declared to all the world their inalienable right and staked life, liberty and property in defense of their declaration.” He ended his speech with a personal note, saying, “The son of a revolutionary soldier bows in reverence to you, worn by time, but increasing in sacred memories.”

New Orleans World Fair booklet and a steam locomotive across Biloxi Bay.
Courtesy of Alan Santa Cruz Collection
.

Jefferson Davis Home at Beauvoir, Biloxi, 2012.
Courtesy of Beauvoir Jefferson Davis Home
.

The two groups spent an hour at Beauvoir before departing for New Orleans. During the run of two hours, it was reported that Mr. Davis “received great attention at the hands of the northern and western people on board.” The bell arrived in New Orleans at 4:00 p.m.

The fair closed on June 2, 1885. The New Orleans Exposition of 1885 would be the first trip of the Liberty Bell, and the last trip was to the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1915.

On June 18, 1885, the old bell returned to its home in Philadelphia. It was reported that the bell was “escorted through the streets by a procession of military, police, and firemen” to Independence Hall. It arrived to the “deafening cheer” by “the throng of people in Chestnut Street.” The Old Liberty Bell was home.

CHAPTER 18

P
ASCAGOULA
'
S
O
LD
S
PANISH
F
ORT AND
C
ANNONS

La Pointe–Krebs House in Pascagoula is the oldest standing structure in Mississippi. Joseph Simon de La Pointe, a Canadian, arrived January 8, 1700. About 1715, La Pointe petitioned Bienville, the governor of Louisiana, for a land grant. In time, he would be granted a tract of land in Pascagoula. In early 1700s Pascagoula, there were two land grants or concessions, both located near the water's edge. The Madame Chaumont concession was on the Pascagoula River, and La Pointe concession was on Krebs Lake. While the Chaumont concession would be abandoned about 1726, the La Pointe concession would have some success. La Pointe concession would construct about nine structures, including a sawmill, on the site.

Hugo Krebs arrived in French Louisiana about 1730. He was from the Alsace-Lorraine area and in time would journey to Pascagoula. Here he met and married Marie Simon, the daughter of Joseph Simon de La Pointe. The couple would become heirs to the property after the death of Joseph La Pointe.

The only surviving structure from the La Pointe concession was built in the 1700s. It is a French Creole–style structure with bousillage construction. Bousillage was a mixture of mud or clay, cured Spanish moss or straw and animal hair or fur, if available. In Mississippi and Louisiana, crushed oyster shells were added to the plaster mix that covered the moss. After the house was framed, wooden sticks braced six to eight inches apart were placed between diagonal and horizontal wood timber. The bousillage (clay and Spanish moss) was draped over the sticks and then the plaster packed until even with wooden beams. The wood in the La Pointe–Krebs House is cypress and juniper.

Old Spanish Fort, aka Krebs House, Pascagoula.
Courtesy of Alan Santa Cruz Collection
.

In later years, it was known as the “Old Spanish Fort.” Of course, Joseph La Pointe was French, and Hugo Krebs was German, and the house was neither a fort nor a Spanish structure. Perhaps this name was given to it by one of the many travelers who used the La Pointe–Krebs House as a stopping point as they journeyed between Mobile and New Orleans.

Near the La Pointe–Krebs House or ancestral home of the Krebs family is the Krebs family cemetery. The house would remain in family hands until 1914. Over the years, it changed owners many times before it was acquired by Jackson County in 1939. It was remodeled in 1996, but Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage. In 2007, the City of Pascagoula signed an agreement with Jackson County to assume maintenance and operation. After the La Pointe–Krebs House and museum were restored, the site once again became a point of interest for tourists and locals alike.

What about the cannons that sit on the property? Was it called Spanish Fort because the cannons were Spanish? After examining them, I realized the two eight-foot cannons had the British Crown embossed on them. The two cannons had been a gift from the United States Navy presented to Old Spanish Fort Museum on March 17, 1957. Below the metal plate from the 1957 dedication, “Macedonian October 25, 1812” was faintly carved. Since the cannons had the British Crown on them, they must have come from the HMS
Macedonian
. After doing research, I discovered that HMS
Macedonian
was launched on June 2, 1810, and had been built in Woolwich, England. Its figurehead was Alexander the Great from Macedonia. The ship's armament was twenty-eight long eighteen-pound cannons, sixteen thirty-two-pound carronades, two twelve-pound cannons, two nine-pound cannons and one eighteen-pound carronade.

In January 1812, before the War of 1812 was declared, HMS
Macedonian
had made a visit to Norfolk, Virginia. Its captain was John Surman Carden, who met Stephen Decatur during the visit. The two men became friends, and Carden dined with Decatur and his wife on several occasions. After the declaration of war, Stephen Decatur took command of the frigate
United States
. The
United States
was the first of six frigates built by the Naval Act of 1794. Its sister ships were
Constitution, Constellation, Congress, Chesapeake
and
President
.

After England's declaration of war, John Carden had taken
Macedonian
to the archipelago of Madeira. This island is 323 miles from the North African coast. Stephen Decatur, aboard the
United States
, had journeyed to the same area to attack British merchantmen. On the morning of October 25, the
Macedonian
encountered the
United States
. At first, it appeared that Decatur was running, but he was actually inducing Carden to chase him downwind. Soon the forty-four-gun USS
United States
was broadsiding
Macedonian
. In a matter of minutes, the
United States
' twenty-four cannons had downed all three of
Macedonian
's masts. Decatur pulled away from
Macedonian
, and in short order, Cardin surrendered. At this point, Decatur spent two weeks repairing HMS
Macedonian
and returned the captured ship to Newport, Rhode Island. The sister ship
Constitution
had defeated HMS
Guerriere
. The battle occurred on August 19 and earned the ship the nickname “Old Ironsides.” Now Decatur had a second victory and a war prize.
Macedonian
was renamed USS
Macedonian
and immediately put into service. It was decommissioned in 1828, and the cannons were then removed. The figurehead of Alexander the Great and four of the ship's eighteen-pound cannons sit on the grounds of the United States Naval Academy.

In 1957, on behalf of the navy, Captain H.M. Heiser presented the two cannons from the
Macedonian
to Old Spanish Fort Museum.

What about the third cannon? The third cannon is smaller than the other two and has its own interesting history. Its history is connected to Pensacola and General Andrew Jackson. It was listed in a 1950s newspaper article as a carronade but was actually a four-pounder cannon. A carronade was a smoothbore, cast-iron cannon shorter in length. They were developed for the British navy by Carron Ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland. Their design made them easy to load, and when fired, they had a lighter recoil. They served as powerful short-range anti-ship and personnel weapons. The carronade came into use in the 1770s and was used until the 1850s. They became obsolete when long-range naval artillery required less close-range engagements. Most carronades were twenty-four- or thirty-two-pounders.

This British cannon was captured by Andrew Jackson's forces during the Battle of Pensacola.
Edmond Boudreaux
.

The four-pounder, even though only fifty-one inches long, is a standard cannon for its size. This is according to Mark Hubbs, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command Environmental Protection Specialist/Archaeologist. During our conversations, Mark also indentified the cannon as an English style. He noted, “The external rings and reinforcers and the below center trunnions are English traits.” He also felt that the base rim on the trunnions was an indicator of an early date because “base rims began to be added in the 1760s.” These standard cannons were hard to handle and, when fired, had a heavy recoil.

The story of this cannon, like the other two cannons, leads us to the War of 1812 and Andrew Jackson. At this time, the historical facts of the story cannot be verified. But even if the story turned out to be only legend, it is still very interesting. The cannon was donated by J.T. Worcester of Fairhope, Alabama, who told the following story. The captured British cannon had been abandoned near the farm of his great-grandfather. General Jackson and his troops were attempting to move the cannon to New Orleans from Pensacola to aid in the defense of New Orleans. Of course, we know that the Battle of New Orleans was won by Jackson's men on January 8, 1815.

If the British four-pound cannon came from Spanish Pensacola, how did it get there? Between 1763 and 1781, Pensacola and the Gulf Coast were under British rule. On March 14, 1780, Bernardo de Galvez defeated the British at Pensacola. Galvez forced all British military and civilians to New York. British military and civilians would arrive five months before the defeat and surrender of New York to our American forces. Galvez allowed the refugees only the clothing on their backs and a few personal items. All military supplies in the fort and on British vessels were seized by Spain as war prizes. This included all cannons that would have remained in place or been stored in the armory. There is a strong possibility that, due to its age, the British four-pounder was one of these war prizes.