Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/676

 658 MISSISSIPPI MISSISSIPPI EIVER erals took possession on May 30. On Sept. 19 a sharp engagement took place near luka be- tween the confederates under Gen. Price and the federals under Gen. Rosecrans, which re- sulted in the evacuation of that place by the confederates during the following night. Price, joined by other forces, made an attack on Cor- inth on Oct. 3 and 4, but was repulsed with heavy loss. (See CORINTH.) The most impor- tant operations in 1863 were those resulting in the surrender of Vicksburg on July 4. (See VICKSBURG.) Subsequent military movements were of minor importance. On May 18, 1865, the legislature assembled under a call of the governor, and ordered an election on June 19 of delegates to a convention to meet on July 3. But on June 13 President Johnson appointed William L. Sharkey provisional governor, who immediately entered upon the duties of his office, and on July 1 ordered an election, to be held on Aug. 7, of delegates to a convention, those being entitled to vote who were qualified electors under the laws in force prior to seces- sion, and who had taken the amnesty oath pre- scribed by the proclamation of the president of May 29. The convention met Aug. 14. On the 21st the constitution was amended by abolishing slavery, and on the following day the ordinance of secession was repealed. On Oct. 2 an election of state officers and con- gressmen was held, which resulted in the choice of Benjamin G. Humphreys as gov- ernor. The legislature elected at this time as- sembled on the 16th, and subsequently chose United States senators. But the congressmen and senators were not admitted to their seats. By the congressional reconstruction acts of 1867, Mississippi with Arkansas was consti- tuted the fourth military district, under com- mand of Maj. Gen. E. O. 0. Ord. A registra- tion was ordered, and on Nov. 5 an election was held to determine the question of calling a convention and for the choice of delegates to the same, which resulted in 69,739 votes for and 6,277 against a convention. On Dec. 28 Gen. Ord was directed to turn over his com- mand to Gen. A. C. Gillem. The convention assembled on Jan. 7, 1868, and remained in session till May 18, when it adjourned after adopting a constitution. On June 4 Gen. Ir- win McDowell assumed command of the fourth district, and on the 16th appointed Maj. Gen. Adelbert Ames provisional governor of Mis- sissippi, in place of Gov. Humphreys. At so election held on June 22 the constitution was rejected by a vote of 56,231 to 63,860. In July Gen. Gillem relieved Gen. McDowell. Soon after the inauguration of President Grant (March 4 r 1869) Gen. Ames was appointed to the command of the district. On April 10 an aot of congress was passed authorizing the president to submit the constitution again to a vote of the people, with such clauses separate j as he might deem proper. A proclamation of j July 13 appointed Nov. 30 as the day of election, and designated certain clauses for a separate vote, the most important of which were those disfranchising and disqualifying from hold- ing office persons who had taken part against the Union in the civil war. The constitu- tion was ratified almost unanimously, and the objectionable clauses were rejected. At the same time James L. Alcorn, republican, was elected governor over Louis Dent, conserva- tive, by a vote of 76,186 against 38,097. The legislature met on Jan. 11, 1870, and shortly after ratified the 14th and 15th amendments to the constitution of the United States. On Feb. 23 an act was passed by congress for the readmission of the state into the Union, and on March 10 Gov. Alcorn was inaugurated and the civil authorities assumed control. See " Report on the Geology and Agriculture of the State of Mississippi," by Eugene W. Hil- gard (Jackson, 1860). MISSISSIPPI. I. A N. E. county of Arkan- sas, bordering on Missouri, separated on the E. from Tennessee by the Mississippi river, bounded W. by the St. Francis river and Lake St. Fran- cis, and intersected by Little river ; area, 1,080 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 3,633, of whom 971 were colored. The surface is low and level, and in the drier portions very fertile, and there are several lakes, the largest of which is Big lake. The chief productions in 1870 were 120,700 bushels of Indian corn, 11,196 of po- tatoes, and 3,587 bales of cotton. There were 695 horses, 465 mules and asses, 1,347 milch cows, 2,941 other cattle, 583 sheep, and 6,263 swine. Capital, Osceola. II. A S. E. county of Missouri, bounded N. E. and S. by the Mis- sissippi river, which separates it from Illinois and Kentucky, and drained by James and Cy- press bayous ; area, 380 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 4,982, of whom 919 were colored. The sur- face is level and the soil very fertile. The St. Louis and Iron Mountain railroad passes through it. The chief productions in 1870 were 5,225 bushels of wheat, 491,990 of In- dian corn, 4,593 of oats, and 57 bales of cot- ton. There were 853 horses, 692 mules and asses, 1,172 milch cows, 2,814 other cattle, 659 sheep, and 14,588 swine. Capital, Charleston. MISSISSIPPI RIVER (Indian, Miche Sepe, as- spelled by some old writers, and translated the "Great River" and "the Great Father of Waters "), the principal river of North Amer- ica, and, in connection with its largest tributary the Missouri, the longest river in the world, except perhaps the Nile. It drains the greater part of the territory of the United States lying between the Allegheny and Rocky mountains, a region nearly half as large as Europe, The true Mississippi river begins at the confluence of the Missouri and the Upper Mississippi. It has eight principal tributaries, which, in the order of the extent of the regions drained by them, are the Missouri, Ohio, Upper Missis- sippi, Arkansas, Red, White, Yazoo, and St. Francis. The source of the Mississippi, accord- ing to Schoolcraft, who visited it in 1832, is a lake called by him Itasca, by the Chippewa