VICKSBURG FACTS: Alexander McNutt, Vicksburg’s first Governor of Mississippi – The Vicksburg Post

By Vera Ann Fedell | The Vicksburg Publish

Do you know Alexander G. McNutt was the primary Vicksburger to change into the Governor of Mississippi?

He was born in Rockbridge, Va., in 1801 and graduated with a legislation diploma from Washington Faculty, now referred to as Washington and Lee College. After commencement, he moved to Jackson, Miss., the place he practiced legislation for a quick time earlier than settling in Vicksburg the place he established his legislation agency.

He then married Elizabeth Camerion, a widow of a rich enterprise accomplice, and was in a position to inherit the plantation alongside Deer Creek in Warren County in 1833.

McNutt was additionally the creator of a number of looking tales within the New York publication “The Spirit of the Instances,” beneath the pseudonym “The Turkey Runner.”

His tales are described as Southwest Humor, “a physique of writing that was born within the breakdown of hierarchical social relations and the (perceived) triumph of egalitarian beliefs,” in line with “A Literary Historical past of Mississippi” edited by Lorie Watkins.

The tales observe two backwoodsmen and sensible jokesters, Jim and Chunkey, that hand around in the woods with upper-class characters, the Governor and a cotton planter referred to as “Captain.” Jim and Chunkey know every part about being within the outside which supplies them the benefit to play some sensible jokes on the upper-class characters.

McNutt was inaugurated as governor in January 1838 and served for 2 phrases till 1842. McNutt entered into workplace throughout a interval when Mississippi was in a extreme financial despair, in line with David Sansing from Mississippi Historical past Now. Presently, there was a serious debate on whether or not the Union Financial institution ought to come to Mississippi. When the financial institution was first proposed, most Mississippians, together with McNutt, had been in opposition to having the financial institution, however in 1838 McNutt signed the invoice in hopes of serving to struggling Mississippians. 

Nonetheless, the financial institution didn’t work as deliberate. The Union Financial institution was imagined to work like different monetary establishments within the mid-1830s.

Sure qualities of the Union Financial institution embrace permitting Mississippi property homeowners to buy inventory, and any Mississippian who lacked enough money may purchase their inventory by offering actual property or enslaved individuals as collateral, or they might pay for an eight-year mortgage. One other high quality was that the sale of inventory was supposed to be raised to $500,000 whereas the rest of the capital could be taken care of by the state by promoting $15,500,000 in bonds, in line with Bradley G. Bond from Mississippi Encyclopedia.

As a substitute, the banks took too many dangers which induced a depletion within the state treasury. In two years, a complete of 17 banks closed on account of an absence of cash. McNutt questioned his determination of signing for the Union Financial institution and ultimately grew to become an advocate for rejecting the state’s money owed that had been in help of the Union Financial institution. 

In accordance with David Sansing from Mississippi Historical past Now, McNutt tried to make a comeback when campaigning for U.S. Senate in 1842. Nonetheless, he was defeated and died on the marketing campaign path at Cockrum’s Crossroads in DeSoto County on Oct. 22, 1848.