Published: August 13, 2009 11:19 pm      

The power of the people …

Uh-Oh, she's finally gotten to politics, some may have said this morning. Hey, I'm smarter than that – I don't believe I have ever discussed politics in this pressure free, fun-fun-fun, fact-filled, and (most of the time), uplifting column. I have always wanted my space in “The Star” to give my readers a reprieve from some of our ongoing (from-time-and-eternity, it has seemed) problems. I want to give you a chuckle, or a thought provoking subject, maybe a little bit of local history, or state history – all good stuff, you know. If at times I have stepped on your toes, then, perhaps, I have made you think -- maybe from a different prospective? So, dear ones, please allow me to tell you of a time when the power of our good people of Mississippi, every area of the state, and all-inclusive, will always be remembered by historians as one of the greatest accomplishments of our state – when the people came together with power.

For many years my good friend, W. Walton Moore, Jr., Director of Rose Hill Cemetery, has shared the true historical facts about a time when the people of this area stepped up to overcome a tragedy – a horrible time when a Yellow Fever epidemic was a killer, and was more deadly than any enemy imagined.

During the 1870's, in the Meridian area, Yellow Fever affected almost 500 residents and resulted in 86 deaths. Many of the victims were buried at Rose Hill Cemetery (located on Eighth Street), and McLemore Cemetery (located on Fifth Street) as well. Many travelers who passed through Meridian by rail at that time were given the use of a burial place for the unexpected death of a loved one. Yes, the kindhearted residents of Meridian provided a burial plot for a traveling stranger -- perhaps one that was planned for a family member. This act again demonstrated the power of the people who stepped forward to provide a solution for a desperate need.

As the epidemic progressed, the railroad passengers were required to provide a health certificate that certified a clean bill of health, but eventually the rail service was suspended for a period of time until the spread of the disease slowed.

It was proven that the transportation centers of the state -- Natchez, Vicksburg, the Gulf Coast, and further inward to the Jackson area, helped to spread the disease throughout the state. The epidemic moved down from Memphis, where 2000 residents succumbed to the plague between the years of 1873-1878, and up from New Orleans where the number of deaths were extreme as well.

It was near the town of Raymond, Mississippi, at the Dry Grove community, where one citizen proved again the great power of the people. Thomas Smith Gregory Dabney looked over the grave situation, and decided to move to action. He was a survivor. He had survived the War of 1812, when he entered the battlefield at age of 14. About 20 years later he had moved his large family from Virginia to Mississippi during the 1830's when his Virginia land became too worn to produce crops. It was a long and dangerous journey by wagon. Mr. Dabney bought 3,953 acres in Hinds County -- Mississippi was then thought of as the new frontier. He built his plantation to become one of the most successful in the entire state -- only to lose everything during the Civil War. There were two items he managed to hold. One was the old house and the other was his worn carriage. It was during the Yellow Fever crisis that eighty-year-old Thomas Dabney made his move. He patched the old carriage and brought as many people as possible, black and white, to his house. He set the house up as a hospital. Then he and his family worked day and night to save lives, and many lives were saved. If you would like to read his life story as written by his daughter -- the book is "Memorials Of A Southern Planter" by Susan Dabney Smedes, University Press of Mississippi, Publisher (first published in 1887.)

Yes, the power of the people can be most powerful when the people have the compassion to help others (at anytime), but especially when faced with a crisis – that’s what Mississippi is all about.

Years later when Hurricane Katrina ravaged our state Governor Hailey Barbour put it this way, “Mississippians aren't into victimhood. Our people got knocked down flat. The next day they got up, hitched up their britches and went to work.”

In Mississippi, these heroic actions proved that the power of the people, in these cases, was devised as selfless actions. As you know, when actions become self-serving, then, the power of the people will never solve the problem.

The power of the people – think about it, and remember dear Mr. Dabney, eighty years old, who risked his life and the lives of his family, as he drove an old worn out carriage through the muddy hills of Mississippi, because he wanted to save lives.

May God continue to Bless the power of our good hearted Mississippi people.



Anne McKee is a writer and storyteller. She lives in Meridian. Anne is listed on the Mississippi Artist Roster, sponsored by Mississippi Arts Commission, as a dramatic and literary artist, storyteller, and as a Teaching Artist. She is active with the arts and educational communities throughout Mississippi.