Mississippi

This quarter plate clear glass ambroptye depicts two solders from Kemper County, Mississippi that would enlist in the Kemper Rebels. In the image, the soldiers wear “battle shirts” with dark piping on the collars, tops of pockets and sleeves. The three stripes on their sleeves do not indicate rank. The slightly darker trousers have a stripe down the side. The shirts have a light pinstripe. The tinting to the face is most striking and both have piercing eyes. Thankfully the names of the solders (G.W. Jones and S.J. Gordon) were scratched in the plate so that their identity was not lost. The image was found in a local estate in Lauderdale County, Mississippi.

*Privates George W. Jones and Samuel J. Gordon; Company I (Kemper Rebels), 24th Mississippi Infantry*

George W. Jones enlisted as a private on July 8, 1861 at Rocky Mount in Kemper County, Mississippi to Captain R. P. McKelvaine’s company (Kemper Rebels). This company would become Company I of the 24th Mississippi Infantry and they were mustered into service in September 1861 at Marion Station in Lauderdale County. He was 23 years old at the time. He was present with the company until May 1862 when he was absent sick. It is reported that the surgeon sent him to a hospital in Mississippi for an indefinite period of time. He was wounded in the Battle of Perryville on October 8, 1862. Apparently after the injury he was reported a deserter in February 1863. He joined the unit again from desertion and was arrested. He was sentenced forfeiture of 2 months wages and was back with the unit in March 1863. He was killed at the Battle of Resaca May 14 or 15, 1864 while the unit was a part of Walthall’s Brigade.

Samuel J. Gordon would also enlist as a private on July 8, 1861 at Rocky Mount in Kemper County in the Kemper Rebels. By the May/June 1862 roll he is listed as present but sick. He was sent to the hospital in Glasgow, Kentucky by the surgeon in September 1862. He apparently was transferred to a hospital in Chattanooga where he reportedly died on October 11, 1862. He is buried at the Chattanooga Confederate Cemetery.

Samuel J. Gordon was the second son born to Elkanah M. Gordon (1797-1888) and Martha Clark. The family was from South Carolina and all their children were born in that state before they moved to Kemper County, Mississippi after 1847. Elkanah is buried at Blackwater Baptist Church Cemetery in Kemper County. Samuel’s brother, Charles F. Gordon (1833-1863), also died in the war while hospitalized at Rome, Georgia in 1863. George W. Jones was originally from Georgia but was serving as a manager and farmer on the farm of Samuel’s uncle, Elijah Clark in the 1860 census. This is certainly the connection the two soldiers shared and explains their posing for an image together. Elijah and Henrietta (Gordon) Clark moved to Mississippi from South Carolina around 1857.

The 24th Mississippi was stationed at Camp Pillow in Sanderson, Florida in late 1861. They did not make it to Corinth before the Battle of Shiloh but arrived in time to be part of the Siege of Corinth. They retreated to Tupelo on May 31, 1862 as part of Samuel B. Maxey’s brigade of Cheatham’s Division. They were brigaded with the 9th Texas, 41st Georgia and Wright’s Tennessee Battery at the time. At Perryville the unit was led by Colonel William Frances Dowd in Samuel Powell’s Brigade of Patton Anderson’s Division in Hardee’s Corps. They would take part in the fight near the city. The unit would also participate in the battles of Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain.

*Detail of shirt showing light pinstripe*

*Sixth plate melainotype of Lieutenant Edward Livingston Hopkins of Natchez, Mississippi wearing a secession cockade*

Edward Livingston Hopkins was born on June 14, 1834 in Flatbush, New York to John Derrick Hopkins (1808-1885) and Jane Jones (1811-1895). His parents emigrated to the United States from England on December 5, 1833. John was a carriage maker and artist. It seems that he primarily performed carriage painting. They were living in New York during the 1840 census but moved to Natchez, Mississippi in the following years.

By the 1860 census Edward had entered the business world as a saddler. He reportedly worked at the prominent saddler, harness and carriage company of the area, Livingston and Rountree. It was about at this time (1859-1860) that he entered a local militia company, the Adams Light Guard, as a lieutenant. When the war began this unit would become Company D of the 16th Mississippi Infantry after a brief stint in state service. Edward entered as a 2nd lieutenant. The unit was sent to the eastern theater and was mainly training until elections were held at the end of the one year enlistment. He was not elected as an officer at that time and he resigned to return to Mississippi. He then enlisted on May 4, 1862 in Jackson, Mississippi as a Junior 2nd Lieutenant in Company F of the 31st Louisiana Infantry. He would be promoted to full 2nd Lieutenant on January 1, 1863. The unit was engaged at Chickasaw Bluff and lost 9 killed and 16 wounded. Edward was surrendered at Vicksburg in July 1863 and paroled. The unit was placed in A. Thomas’ Brigade in the Trans-Mississippi Department and fought in various conflicts in Louisiana. He was eventually promoted to 1st Lieutenant. The 31st was consolidated in January 1864 with the 3rd, 17th, 21st (Patton’s), 22nd, 26th, 27th and 28th (Thomas’) Louisiana Infantry Regiments to form the 22nd Louisiana Infantry Regiment.

After the war Edward would move back to Natchez. He apparently moved to Galveston, Texas briefly as he is listed there in the 1870 census. He is back in Natchez by the 1880 census as a saddler and living with his parents. He would work for the firm Rumble and Wensel for a time and in 1888 he opened his own business, Messrs. Hopkins & Co, where he continued to sell saddles, harnesses and carriages. It appears that he was married for a brief period of time as the 1890 census notes that he was widowed and married in 1882. He died on May 31, 1910 in the home of his nephew and is buried in the Natchez City Cemetery.

_{Detail of secession cockade with tinting}

In this finely tinted melainotype he is wearing a gray shell jacket with dark piping to the center and collar. There are two rows of dark piping at the sleeves. He wears a secession cockade on his jacket that is tinted red and blue. His kepi is gray with a dark band. His trousers have been tinted as well. He is identified behind the image in period writing “Edward L. Hopkins”. This is likely the uniform of the Adams Light Guard when they entered Confederate service. Company D was commanded by Captain Samuel E. Baker and the regiment was initially commanded by Colonel (future General) Carnot Posey.

southern history blog

Documenting the American South through images and artifacts

Exceptional Image of Kemper County, Mississippi Confederates

Sixth plate melainotype of Edward Livingston Hopkins of Natchez, Mississippi wearing a secession cockade