GORDON (ROBERT AND JAMES) DIARIES
1851; 1853; 1857; 1865; 1873; 1876
Robert Gordon was born in Scotland and moved to Pontotoc County in 1834 as a land speculator. He built "Lochinvar" near Pontotoc in 1836. Gordon was present at the signing of the Treaty of Pontotoc and signed the document as a witness.
He also is the founder of the town of Aberdeen in Monroe County. Gordon was one of the largest landholders in north Mississippi and had an estate valued at over one and a half million dollars before the Civil War. He died in 1866.
James Gordon, son of Robert and Mary Elizabeth Gordon, was born on December 6, 1833, in Monroe County. He was a planter, writer, member of the state legislature in 1857–1878, 1886, 1904–1908 and completed the term of Anselm J. McLaurin in the United States Senate for two months in 1909–1910.
During the Civil War, James Gordon, after returning from England as an agent for the Confederacy and being captured upon his return, escaped to Canada. While there he met John Wilkes Booth and for a brief period after the assasination of Abraham Lincoln, a reward was offered for his capture. Charges were dropped and he returned to "Lochinvar." He eventually lost "Lochinvar" due to bad investments. He died on November 28, 1912.
The diaries of Robert Gordon cover the years 1851, 1853 and 1857. As a rule, the daily entries are brief and contain an account of the main activity of the day. Many of the entries give weather for the day and many note receipts and disbursements. The 1851 volume contains an account of an extended visit to Europe. The 1857 diary (in two volumes) contains a list of slaves, their ages and value (in front of the second volume of 1857). Included in the collection are typescripts of the Robert Gordon diaries. The diaries of James Gordon cover the years 1873 and 1876. The brief daily entries refer to the main activity of the day. Included in the collection of diaries are the amnesty oaths (1865) for Robert and James Gordon.
The diaries are available to view in the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
http://mdah.state.ms.us/manuscripts/z0001.html
