Quitman, Mississippi

Quitman was established in 1839 and named as the county seat.

During the Civil War, a hospital built with funds raised in Galveston and Houston, among other places, was built there for the care of Confederate soldiers from Texas. Originally staffed by Louis Bryan with supplies purchased in Mexico, he was joined, and later supplanted, by Enos Bonney, a surgeon from Enterprise, Mississippi, who stayed until the hospital was burned down.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} Though it cared for troops from any state, the hospital was colloquially known as "The Texas Hospital." Wounded soldiers from the Second Battle of Corinth, Battle of Iuka, Battle of Jackson, Tennessee, and more local engagements, as well as those suffering from wartime diseases, were treated at the hospital. A cemetery was established adjacent to the hospital for those who succumbed to disease or wounds.

File:Confederate Cemetery.png

During General Sherman's Meridian Campaign, Brigadier General Walter Q. Gresham, Commander of the Third Brigade, Fourth Division, 17th Army Corps, was detached and sent to Quitman to destroy bridges crossing the Chickasawhay river and through Alligator Swamp, as well as any other infrastructure that could be of any use to the Confederacy.Sherman's Forgotten Campaign, M. Bearss The force arrived at Quitman and proceeded to burn the town jail, courthouse, various stores, the railroad depot, and the Methodist Church, which was being used as a hospital.No.33 Report of Brig. General Walter Q. Gresham, Official Records of the War of the Rebellion Volume XXXII/1 p. 247 Troops then burned down the entire Texas Hospital complex, which included two main buildings as well as twelve to fifteen barracks. The hospital was never rebuilt.{{cite book |title=Military History of Mississippi, 1803 - 1898: taken from the Official and statistical register of the State of Mississippi, 1908 |first=Dunbar |last=Rowland |pages=494–498 |publisher=Reprint Co. |location=Spartanburg, South Carolina |orig-year=1908 |year=1978 |isbn=978-0871522665}}{{cite web |title=The Texas Hospital & Confederate Cemetery Quitman, Mississippi, February 17, 1864 |date=May 30, 2003 |url=https://civilwarhome.com/texashospital.html |first=Wayne C. |last=Bengston |access-date=July 18, 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMTY1R_Confederate_Memorial_Cemetery_Quitman_MS |title=Confederate Memorial Cemetery in Quitman, MS |work=Waymarking, Veteran Cemeteries |date=January 21, 2017|access-date=July 19, 2021}}

Quitman was officially recognized by the Mississippi Legislature on February 13, 1839, and was named for the second Chancellor of the State, Gen. John A. Quitman, a strongly pro-slavery politician, leading Fire Eater, veteran of the Mexican–American War.{{Cite web |title=Quitman|url=http://visitclarkecounty.com/attractions/quitman/ |access-date=June 9, 2020 |work=Visit Clarke County |language=en-US}}

Quitman is located near the center of Clarke County. Mississippi Highway 18 passes through the center of the city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|15.3|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|13.4|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|1.9|km2|disp=flip}}, or 12.28%, is water.

{{Weather box

|width=auto

|location = Quitman

|single line = Y

|Jan high F = 56.6

|Feb high F = 62.0

|Mar high F = 69.2

|Apr high F = 77.5

|May high F = 83.9

|Jun high F = 89.7

|Jul high F = 91.9

|Aug high F = 91.5

|Sep high F = 87.0

|Oct high F = 77.8

|Nov high F = 68.6

|Dec high F = 60.0

|year high F= 76.3

|Jan low F = 32.9

|Feb low F = 36.1

|Mar low F = 42.6

|Apr low F = 50.3

|May low F = 58.2

|Jun low F = 65.1

|Jul low F = 68.5

|Aug low F = 67.6

|Sep low F = 62.3

|Oct low F = 49.2

|Nov low F = 41.6

|Dec low F = 35.4

|year low F= 50.8

|Jan precipitation inch = 5.5

|Feb precipitation inch = 4.9

|Mar precipitation inch = 6.1

|Apr precipitation inch = 5.3

|May precipitation inch = 4.0

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.0

|Jul precipitation inch = 5.1

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.5

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.8

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.2

|Nov precipitation inch = 4.0

|Dec precipitation inch = 5.3

|year precipitation inch=54.8

|source 1 = Weatherbase

{{cite web

|url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=252722&refer=wikipedia |title =Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Quitman, Mississippi

|publisher=Weatherbase

|year=2011

}}

Retrieved on November 24, 2011.

|date=November 2011

}}

{{US Census population

|1880= 410

|1890= 395

|1900= 498

|1910= 950

|1920= 1375

|1930= 1872

|1940= 1471

|1950= 1817

|1960= 2030

|1970= 2702

|1980= 2632

|1990= 2736

|2000= 2463

|2010= 2323

|2020= 2061

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}

}}

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,061 people, 897 households, and 619 families residing in the city.

The city is served by the Quitman School District.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28023_clarke/DC20SD_C28023.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Clarke County, MS|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2024-09-27}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28023_clarke/DC20SD_C28023_SD2MS.txt Text list]

The county is in the zone for Jones College.{{cite web|url=https://www.jcjc.edu/about/profile.php|title=Profile|publisher=Jones College|access-date=2024-09-27}}

• Andy Blakeney, jazz trumpeter{{cite web |title=Andy Blakeney |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/andy-blakeney-mn0001009783/biography |website=AllMusic.com |access-date=17 May 2020}}
• Wyatt Emory Cooper, writer{{cite web|url= https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0178458/|title= Wyatt Cooper|publisher= IMDb|access-date= October 10, 2012}}
• Oscar W. Gillespie, U.S. Representative for the state of Texas{{cite book|author=Ben R. Guttery|title=Representing Texas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-14gbMQftG0C&pg=PA68|date=October 2007|publisher=Ben Guttery|isbn=978-1-4196-7884-4|pages=68}}
• Dustin J. Lee, Corporal in the United States Marine Corps who was killed in Fallujah, Iraq{{cite news |last1=Hanks |first1=Nathan L. |title=Retired military working dog dies |url=https://www.albany.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/508525/retired-military-working-dog-dies/ |access-date=17 May 2020 |publisher=United States Marine Corps |date=29 March 2012}}
• Sam C. Massingale, American politician and a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma{{cite book|author=United States. Congress. House. Committee on Resources|title=Historical Information of the Committee on Resources and Its Predecessor Committees 1807-2002: Preparation for a Bicentennial : Prepared for the Use of the Committee on Resources of the One Hundred Seventh Congress, Second Session|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_W9zBYNsfbwC&pg=PA666|year=2002|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|pages=666}}
• Kelly McCarty, former NBA player{{cite web |title=Kelly McCarty earns Southern Miss degree after lengthy career in NBA, Israel and Russia |url=https://southernmiss.com/news/2017/5/19/Kelly_McCarty_earns_Southern_Miss_degree_after_lengthy_career_in_NBA_Israel_and_Russia.aspx |website=southernmiss.com |publisher=University of Southern Mississippi |access-date=17 May 2020}}
• Antonio McDyess, former NBA power forward {{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mcdyean01.html|title= Antonio McDyess|publisher= Baseball-Reference.Com|access-date= October 10, 2012}}
• Tarvarius Moore, NFL defensive back{{cite web |last1=Zierlein |first1=Lance |title=Tarvarius Moore |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/tarvarius-moore/32194d4f-4f70-6518-ef50-459253ae6c03 |website=NFL.com |publisher=National Football League |access-date=17 May 2020}}
• Homer Smith, Jr, journalist{{cite web |last1=Simba |first1=Malik |title=Homer Smith, Jr. (1909-1972) |url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/smith-homer-jr-1909-1972/ |website=blackpast.org |access-date=17 May 2020}}
• Samuel H. Terral, Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court from 1897 to 1903{{cite book|title=History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties: Containing a Concise History of the State, with Portraits and Biographies of Prominent Citizens of the Above Named Counties, and Personal Histories of Many of the Early Settlers and Leading Families|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4EZEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA400|year=1893|publisher=Lewis Publishing Company|pages=400}}
• James Yates (activist), labor organizer, political activist, and veteran of the Spanish Civil War{{cite web |last1=Yates |first1=James |title=Biography |url=http://www.alba-valb.org/volunteers/james-yates |website=Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives}}

• Quitman Depot

{{Reflist}}

{{Clarke County, Mississippi}}

{{Mississippi county seats}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Cities in Mississippi

Category:Cities in Clarke County, Mississippi

Category:County seats in Mississippi

Category:Cities in Meridian micropolitan area