Copiah County News Archive

Located southwest of the Mississippi state capitol of Jackson, Copiah County was established in January 1823 from land ceded to the United States by the Choctaw through the New Purchase of 1820. Although cotton was the primary crop in antebellum Copiah County, it also had strong boot and shoe-making, as well as carriage and wagon-making industries.

John W. Ward and A. L. Allison founded the Copiah County News; the first issue debuted in early July 1860. It was a short-lived weekly, printed in the growing railroad town of Hazlehurst, which in 1872 replaced dwindling Gallatin as the county seat. The only known surviving issue of the paper was published on August 21, 1861. Political affiliation was not explicitly stated, but the News fervently supported the Confederacy as evidenced by its motto, "The South is our Country." Publication ended abruptly sometime during the Civil War, a fate common among Mississippi newspapers that existed at the beginning of hostilities.

Four pages long, the Copiah County News contained national and county news, editorials and responses, obituaries, and legal notices, as well as advertisements for county businesses and industries. Most notably, the paper carried reprinted descriptions of Civil War battles; muster rolls for several local military companies, one of which was for the Crystal Springs Southern Rights Rifles; and appeals to local citizens for supplies for soldiers, including blankets, ammunition, guns, clothing, and food. Showing support for the newly-formed government, several local merchants advertised that they would accept Confederate bonds for payment.