Editor’s Note: Due to gaps in our archives, the Sun will be publishing time-appropriate editions of the Bluegrass Clipper, Woodford Sun, Woodford Weekly, and Woodford Pennant.
The Woodford Pennant
January 11, 1861… Congressman William E. Simms, representing the 8th Kentucky district which included Woodford County, published a lengthy “communication to the people of the Eighth Congressional District” which took up the entire front page. Simms staked out his position that the Border slave states lead the country to a peaceful resolution of the slavery issue via a series of constitutional amendments to settle the issue allowing slavery to remain in the South to avoid “hurtling us towards a bloody and perhaps exterminating war shall not be inaugurated by a premature and unnecessary collision between the armed parties. Should this not be prevented, the evil hour is already at hand when the clash of arms and the deep thunders of he cannon will close in an ocean of blood the last days of the American Union.” Simms wrote if war could not be averted, then “in the event every effort at a reconstruction should fail, and the the terrible alternative should be focused on us to sever our relations with the Northern States, then let this be done in peace. Let not the Union our fathers made be dissolved in the blood of their children. The doctrines of a higher law protect the interests of the Southern States, where our fealty lies, in $4,000,000,000 worth of slave property.”
In an editorial, the Pennant wrote: The news this week, from all sections, has been of an important and startling character. Mississippi has followed in the wake of South Carolina, and other states will soon follow her . . . Years of timid warning and remonstrance have been construed into truckling submission, and denunciations and curses have been heaped upon our Southern brethren and institutions until now forbearance is no longer a virtue . . . A dissolution of the American Union is inevitable as the rising of the son on the morrow and the powers of a confederated government will go back to the sovereign ties from which they came. The alternative is now left to Kentucky and her sister border States between the North and South, or establish a confederacy of our own.
Mr. Denny of Versailles shot and killed a notorious individual named McCarty in Lexington last Monday. Several shots were exchanged. Denny was acquitted on self-defense.
John Steele, a States’ rights Democrat, formerly of Woodford County, was elected to the Alabama Legislature by over 1,000 votes. His family and friends here are quite proud of his accomplishments since moving to our sister State.
Miss Lucie Foushee of Woodford County wed Dr. B.F. Duvall of Franklin County. May their lives be a pleasant dream as they sail down the stream of Life.
William L. Graddy forewarns all persons from buying or trading for a check on the Branch of Commercial Bank at Versailles, for $138.25, payable to Thomas Webb.
The election of Mayor of Versailles and trustees was held last Saturday without bloodshed or any unusual excitement and resulted in the election of Capt. H.H. Culbertson as Mayor, and Dr. J.C. Carter, J.M. Smith, D.P. Robb, D.O. Harris, J.S. Minary, and B. Craig as Trustees.
Editors Note: We will be excerpting from the Woodford Pennant through April to show the impact of the beginnings of the civil war in Woodford County. The editorial position of the Pennant was staunchly behind the confederacy. After war in fact broke out, Simms, who had lost his seat in the just held election, so by then was out of office, joined the vonfederate army as a captain and then went on to serve as a senator from Kentucky in the confederacy legislature, ultimately serving in the cabinet of fellow Kentuckian Jefferson Davis, the president of the confederacy.
The Woodford Sun
January 15, 1925… A trio of prisoners all of Louisville, indicted for grand larceny, escaped the confines of the Versailles jail. Using a Case pocketknife, they made a hole in the brick wall of their cell and jumped out. Two other prisoners in jail for Prohibition violations attempted to join the sneak out but were apprehended before they could get out.
The Optimist Club of Versailles held a special program to honor the life of Louis Marshall, just deceased and one of the founders of the club’s chapter here. A.B. Chandler and Charles W. Cart, were in charge of the program and presented resolutions upon Mr. Marshall’s death which spoke of his whole life as evidencing a desire to give unselfish service to his fellow men and as typifying the spirit of true optimism. Bishop James Maxton of Tennessee, the former president of Margaret Hall and rector of St. John’s Church, returned to deliver a simple and beautiful tribute to his friend.
The Versailles High School girls defeated Frankfort High 26 to 15 last Thursday at the Frankfort “Y” gymnasium. The Frankfort Journal’s report says, “Happy Chandler has an all-American in Miss Kirk at right forward if Walter Camp ever sees her play.”
County Tax Commissioner John McCabe reported assessments down from 1924 with property subject to state tax valued at $21,682,169 and to county tax at $16,171,256. No county tax is collected on intangibles, live-stock, farming equipment or farm machinery.
The Woodford County Teachers Association was addressed by Dean Bowers of Transylvania College at its monthly meeting held last week. The County Spelling Bee was also announced and will take place on March 11.
Miss Kitty Baird arrived to take over the duties of Red Cross nurse for Woodford County.
The Marquis Calmes Chapter of the D.A.R., had a delightful meeting on Monday afternoon and heard a charming address by Mrs. W.T. Lafferty on the historical visit of General Lafayette to the area on May 16-17, 1825.
At a meeting of its directors, the Woodford Bank appointed Hiram Wilhoit to succeed Mr. Marshall who tragically died last week.
Mr. William L. Graddy is quite sick at the Woodford Hotel.
Sparks falling from a furnace flue set fire to the roof of Howard Sellers’ residence at his farm on the Nicholasville Pike ten miles out of Versailles and caused $200 in damage.