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STOLEN FAMILY SILVER AT PEARLINGTON DURING SHjVER- WAR DAYS
Compiled by:	M.	James	Stevens
Pearlington on the Pearl River throughout the 1800s was an commercial center due to the immense forests of Hancock County. Logging, lumbering, sawmills, rosin, tar, cotton, shipping — all provided a natural resources producing wealth to those who worked hard for it.
When the Civil War progressed along the Coast, the United States forces obtained naval control of the Mississippi Sound and the rivers and bays by mid-1862. Since the Pearl River drained the state of Mississippi for over 200 miles in its center, it was a natural cotton and lumber shipping source. Trade between North and South continued along it and particularly at its Hancock County main towns of Logtown Gainesville and Pearlington. Slaves ran from inland down its course. Cotton was floated down to deep water for transfer to steamboats to either run the Yankee blockade or to go to New Orleans for needed Southern supplies.
Honey Island Swamp provr.ded three mouths for the Pearl Riv^r—West, Middle and East. Smugglers had long used these so it was natural that in 1862-1865 war years trade and commerce continued. When war weariness set in, deserters of the North and South hid in the area and as Jay-hawkers became a fearful threat to residents in their search for money, food and other valuables.
At Pearlington, Clarice Favre Armstrong, daughter of Simon Favre, like others found it best to hide tho family silver as a protection from both the Jay-hawkers and the raids of Federal gunboats with their equally thieving sailors. This silver was hidden by digging up the chicken yard as being the least likely place to be searched.
One day a Federal gunboat anchored off town and the sailors spread throughout the village in their search for collectibles. With promises of reward they kept asking the Negro slaves where the hiding places were. They were rewarded when one of the Armstrong	«
blacks told of the chicken yard cache. It was soon dug up and W carried off to the ship.
Clarice Favre Armstrong had been away during the arrival of these looters, probably by choice to avoid contact with them. On her return she saw the dug up chicken yard and now empty hold. In high indignation she ran to the river bank, pushed out her skiff and rowed out to the anchored Yankee gunboat.
With shrill and sharp tongue sh'^ went aboard the craft and let the officers know of th. robbery. They naturally dicl not approve of these "search and loot" depredations so began in- arrogating and searching ship. Th-.- Armstrong silver was found and with due apologies returned to Mrs. Armstrong.