ANNOUNCING: A NEW MISSISSIPPI HISTORY BOOK
JOHN MARSHALL STONE, Mississippi’s Honorable and Longest Serving Governor
by Ben Earl Kitchens
John Marshall Stone served the State of Mississippi during one of its most critical and tumultuous times following the Reconstruction era and utilized his leadership skills and business acumen to help pull Mississippi out of the depths of social and financial mire. Little has been written about the scope of the monumental services he provided to Mississippi, all of which were performed in the exemplary and professional manner of a true statesman.
Stone was 25 years of age when he planted his feet on the firm graveled soil of the hills at Eastport, Mississippi, in 1855 where he worked as a clerk in the mercantile establishment of Col. W. R. Price, the largest landowner and merchant of the prosperous village by the river.
He moved to Iuka in the fall of 1857 and shortly thereafter found a job in the new railroad depot. By then, Iuka was thriving, as was Tishomingo County as a whole. Stone served as mayor of Iuka from 1866-1868. Later in the same year, 1866, he was elected county treasurer of Tishomingo County.
During the Civil War, he served in the Confederate Army, achieved the rank of colonel, and participated in the important battles of Antietam, Gettysburg, and the Wilderness. After the war, he entered politics in Mississippi, was elected to the Mississippi State Senate, and eventually served three terms as governor of Mississippi.
During his tenure as governor, Stone set standards for honesty, integrity, and good government that have rarely been matched by other Mississippi politicians. At times he even encouraged the State Legislature to pass laws that would improve the condition of the former slaves.
Not only is this American History dialogue recommended as an educational tool for high school and college history classes, it conveys a knowledge of Mississippi’s rich heritage in the minds and homes of all readers.
The Author, Dr. Ben Earl Kitchens will autograph books at the Old Tishomingo County Courthouse located at 203 East Quitman Street in Iuka on Friday, August 29th at 6:00 p.m. and again Saturday, August 30th at 10:00 a.m.
100 percent of the profits benefit the operation of the Old Tishomingo County Courthouse Museum.
