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Selections From Journal of B. L. C. Wailes
31
ty, about 3 o?clock. Visited the Clerk?s Office & obtained all the information I could ....
Wednesday 1 September 1852. After crossing [the] Bouie [river] over a bridge (passing through the bottom land in which there is a good deal of large oak & gum [word omitted] mixed with some Shortleai pine) ascended a considerable eminence to a level table land of Oak and hickory, on which the village of Mount Carmel [Covington County] is situated. About 70 inhabitants. Two or three considerable Country Stores. More business [is] done [here] than at Williamsburg, and the situation is much handsomer, & the buildings (tho? plain frame) [are]- better ....
Thursday 2 September 1852. Put up last evening at Bowen?s, [the] only hotel in Montecello [sic]. Met with Judge Vannessard & Mr. Carson, old acquaintances. Reshod my horses whilst I was occupied in taking notes at the Clerk?s Office. This is rather a good-looking village [It] has a good brick court house in a commodious square planted with shade trees (several species) & handsome private residences. The town stands on a bluff about 30 feet high on [the] west side and has rather a fresh & well-preserved appearance. It is said to be rather improving (population about 380, [including] white and black). Several stores with good stocks of goods appear to be doing considerable business .... It is ascertained very positively that a large quantity of lead is to be found aboit 12 miles east of Montecello [sic] on the head of Dry Creek, a branch of Silver Creek. It is in the draft with the Clerk. Saw a small piece of the lead ....
Friday 3 September 1852 .... Crossed [the] west branch of Fair river, passiig Brookhaven PO, half a mile after crossing the east branch of Bogue Chitto. Through Brookhaven the road runs as the line betveen Secs. 19 & 30 in T4R8E, and [it] is said not to depart as mich as a mile either to the North or South of that line between Monticello and Natchez .... Crossed the Homo-chitto at the former residence of Molly McClure (and [sic] Indian woman) and :he starting point of the Indian bound [a] ry line of the Treaty of M[oun]t Dexter, run by my Father in 1809 ______19
i? Levin Wailes sirveyed the northern boundary of the' land ceded to the government of th? United States by the Choctaws in the Treaty of Mount Dexter, signed n 1805. Sydnor, Benjamin L. C. Wailes, 39-40.