Early Hancock County: A Few of Her People and Some of Their Stories - Paperback

by Russell B. Guerin (Author)

Even though Hancock County is only a small corner of a large state, it has a rich history involving pirates, the Civil War, cotton plantations, slavery and Native Americans. This book explores the legends that have been passed down regarding important events and their participants. They have been told and re-told, sometimes with modifications and maybe even embellishment. It has been the task of this author to uncover and explain the truths that are the bases of the stories, and to find and report as much as possible using primary evidence and written history. A reader will find the results of a detailed investigation into the fabled Pirate House of Waveland, Ms. Official Spanish papers document the arrest of slave dealers operating in the Mississippi Sound. Testimony of local citizens reveals the use made of the legendary "tunnel" believed by some to extend "to the islands." The Civil War and its effects on county business and on the lives of citizens are painfully depicted. A Citizens Committee was created to prevent looting and other depredations. In this instance, officials of a Confederate state found it necessary to seek the advice of Union officers for instructions on how to arrest, try, sentence and execute those who were stealing from hard-working families... all through original letters written within a family living in Logtown. In addition, flesh is put on some old bones in the telling of the lives of some of those who built the county ... what they did, where they worked, where they came from. In the process, names will be recognized as those of folk who were of more than local significance, such as JFH Claiborne, Jean Lafitte, Simon Favre, and Andrew Jackson, Jr. In addition, a few unknown characters are revealed and described, people whose stories are worth the telling. Indeed, the personage named Blanque may create new and tantalizing mystery. It is believed by the author that in knowing and understanding of what came before, readers may help themselv

Author Biography

Russell B. Guerin is a retired resident of Hancock County, Mississippi who has made the pursuit of its history his overwhelming passion. In 2011, Russell Guerin received the Heritage Award from the Bay St. Louis Historic Preservation Commission. His research was deemed important to the community's activity in preserving its past. Guerin was called a "gentleman scholar extraordinaire [who] has authored dozens of meticulously researched articles."