W. M. GUICE, M.D., AUTOBIOGRAPHY, Franklin Parish Louisiana Submitted by: Barbara Tuttle June 2001 Source: Written by William M. Guice, MD ************************************************* Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://theusgenweb.org/copyright.htm http://theusgenweb.org/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ AUTOBIOGRAPHY - W. M. GUICE, M.D. Tonight, Sunday June 4th, 1893, -Gives me 64 years, 5 mos. & 25 days old, if no mistakes, as it was the 9th of October 1828 that I made my debut upon this stage, I suppose as I was the first one that counted an increase in the family all of the usual ceremonies of a 1/2 century ago was gone through with by those present, as I have a poor memory of the event was not photographed on my mind as were facts and deeds a few years after wards. This grand occurrence was not noted by any sign given when it should occur only among the few, who had been watching the events as were their custom. As we remember the occurance happened in the state of Georgia, Wilkes County, and in 3 miles do Crawfordsville a village of some repute because of the residence of the Great Little man Alexander H. Stephens who, one of leading spirits in Political matters during the war of secession - as our proffessions were different, I did not aspire to Fame in the Politics of {________________} now to administer the antidotes of the evils of the Pandora Box. As year by year we went on without any noted change until boyhood was well established when from causes not known, I was taken from the school room of Woodstock Academy of Oglethorpe County, Georgia, where I had climb the long ladder, as high as the 4th book in Caesar in Latin and was fairly running the curriculum of the school as fast as 13 years old boy did but the change from the school room to the {_driving_____} of a 2 horse waggon to the state of Louisiana, the state of my adoption came to an end during the month of February 18{42}. That month and that year I became a tiller of the soil for seven years, I toiled with others who have all saved one have passed away. To itemize the working of those days would {__certainly afford____} a passing interest to some members of the family. But as some friend would like to know some of the past years that I spent as a boy, I can only state facts as they are, in the month of February our gaded team of 3 horses came to a halt for 2 years on Bayou Bartholomew some 6 miles from its mouth: The family then composed of Father Moses Simon Guice – Sarah Ann Guice my mother whose maiden name was Johnson, and her mother Mary Ann Johnson nee Griffin. My parents came from North and South Carolina. My father from Buncombe County, my mother from Edgefield District, South Carolina. My Grandfather on my Father's side was named Phillip Guise, he had several sons, Moses, Newton, William, Soloman, Starn, I think one by the name of Enoch. Mary and Ruth I think were the only sisters that my Father had. Only my uncles William & Newton did I ever see the{_____________hear} my Father speak of. The letter S was changed to C only because sons of the younger members of the family desired, at this time my uncle William's family still spell their names with the S and now lives in or around Hamberg, Arkansas. My uncle William was a Methodist Minister, My uncle Newton was a Presbyterian but owing to no churches of that order the Methodist, My Father was first a Presbyterian and was a Catholic when he died. My father and uncle William and Newton came west and were together more after they began to work for themselves. The other members of his fathers family went to the middle states – I have been told that when the Guise family came from Europe there were only{__3__} brothers and they divided, one went{______}to the North and married a Pennsylvania German girl by the name of Stumph - one came to Mississippi Valley, and the other one to Tennessee and the Carolinas {_____} and this the 3 great branches of the Guise Tree, now growing larger. Some members were well-off while there were many only good livers, and many were in the habit of using liquor while many became good ministers of the gospel others lawyers of considerable credit to the name. To take a retrospective view of the early days of my boyhood when small commence to think that would soon be ranked in a big boy, a circumstance occurred during the year of 1842, sometime the fall previous, our family left Oglethorpe County, Georgia, few miles from a village called Woodstock. Ther I and my brother Newton and sister Mary went to school, the village was new and growing the school was taught by one Mr. Evans, a young man of fine education and I think was a Methodist Minister, a school of 70 scholars or more. I was at the time very fast as to my studies, was thought by the aged ones of the village that young Guise was a smart boy. Reading 4 books of Caesar in Latin, and well up in the Greek and Rhetoric. In fact I was so well up & ahead of my class that I was looked upon, with an eye single to my downfall by those who were much older in the class, as it was customary to have sweethearts, I of course had one then and ever since. My chum one Lumpkins in the same class had a sweetheart a price, and the older girls to carry out a program, that would have better much better to put off for many years, but no onward was the word. It was conceived by some of the eldest girls that a double wedding should come off upon short notice and a wedding of great magnitude to suit the parties and all hands were ordered to bring biscuits and chicken and as many as could would bring cakes of a great variety. Well the day came at playtime the girls some 25 or 30, had their playhouses decked with roses and a table set that groaned under its weight of 1/2 and pieces of biscuit bits of cake fully set for the occasion. When the time came the minister ( Bill Porter by name) called the time and parties, out came Bill Guise and Joe Lumpkins, Guise with Miss Mary Jane Daniel to his - Lumpkins with miss Lucretia Grisham to his arm all in due form & pomp. The marriage ceremony was repeated by all hands and couples pronounced man & wife, we were seated at the table and was doing Justice to state Dinner, while engaged in that party of the exercise the bell sung out Tong, Tong - and we seperated from our brides and went around so that we would not appear as coming from the girls playground. Well we succeeded in gettin into the house, without apparent suspicion, but alas, the next day, we were called to explain our conduct and for breaking the rules of the scuool. Well we had expected as much and we got to talk to the teacher, and with a lecture of making sport on so solemn occasion as the marriage vow we were dismissed. Lumpkins & I thought our teacher was sorry it was not him and some of the elder girls. Such was the past play on the stage in the Woodstock Academy & the curtain fell. That little play occurred in the year 1841. Sometimes during the Summer. In the Fall of the year my parents thought it best to go West amid the wilds of Louisiana to rear a family of sons & daughters, 3 or 4 of each, in February we halted and rented a place on Bayou Bartholomew. Some 6 or 7 miles from its mouth, and a mile below our uncle Johnnie Smith, one of the old settlers of the Country. He had also a large family and they {__________________} Smith family. The two old people were much older than my parents. They were good people working people some peculiarity among the boys, most all grown one I remember was considered a good hunter. He wore buckskin clothes hunted much, was called Nimrod because of his hunting {_proclivities___}. Another grown son was seemingly the manager of the few slaves and the farm. Then came Hiram & Peter & Oliver. It was with those three, that I as well as my brother were mostly with, we all belonged to the field during the day and after plowing hard all day we would get together after night & fish for trout with a hand {saw?}or a three pronged gig & with a good torch and walking along the bank we could see and strike the fish. In the morning we were at our posts between the plow handles, in two years of our life was spent there making cotton, we counted three hands in the field, and we gathered 30 bales of cotton and corn plenty, the third year we purchased a plantation with 7 or 8 negroes a large stock of cattle and hogs and horses to work the plow to pay 80 B/C a year until it was paid for. It might seem strange how a man without any resources save a reputation for being a good farmer to purchase a plantation and make such payments, but I have been told the circumstances that caused Judge Ephraim K. Wilson to think of selling his upper place to anyone, were these, he & family were considered high livers and the Judge occupying a high social position wanted more money at times than it was handy to get, and he told old Uncle Johhnie Shith that he wanted to sell his upper place and if he could find a man that could pay for it he would be glad. At once he spoke up and said sell to Major Guise, he is the man, the Judge{_remarked___} that he would like to sell to a man that had more money, and would likely make him good payment every year. Judge, the old man Smith said, he has a barrell of money silver, I saw it. The Judge believed Uncle Johnnie, because his reputation for veracity was good, and perhaps the Judge believed Major Guise had money, never thought of the B/C. The consequence was my father bought the place, and in 1844 we moved up and took possession and we went to work to pay the 80 bales a year, which was done for several years, and Wilson came to my father and told him if he would pay him up the entire debt, he would discount. My father told him he could not but he might borrow the amount. Then the Judge told him that Uncle Johnnie Smith told him that he had a barrell of money and it was that that first made him think of selling to him, that Uncle Johnnie Smith saw the money,nand relates the circumstance of his coming in the house one Sunday evening and found my father and mother counting the money and threw a towel over the head of the barrell. Well the facts were, they were counting money some 200 dollars in 50 ct pieces, the money the crop of cotton sold for the year or that spring previous, had it in small money box and was counting it on an empty flour barrell bottom up & when the old people{___________} by threw a towel over it. it had the appearance of a full barrell of silver, however my father went to old man Pargoud and borrowed the money and paid him over one thousand dollars more than he should have done, this before the war and I think old man Pargoud died ar any rate my father after the war gathered up the papers and went {_to see_} the son{____} Pargoud and after he became satisfied that my father had paid his father more than he should have done, he gave him a check for the amount paid over. After paying for the said plantation, which time I as well as my brother Newton labored in the fields for years, during the year 1848 we walked from home to Bastrop Academy. Then taught by J.C. Murray, a Canadian, and a first class school teacher he was principal, and John Wiseman a young man who bore the reputation of a Christian in the true sense of the word. Murray was a teacher well up in the latest improvements in teaching, and made it a success. Murray taught one or 2 sessions in Bastrop and then he left John Wiseman {_________} went from to merchandising & continued in that business from time to time until the present day. He finally drifted away back to Missouri his birthplace; to the old homestead and now there waiting until the final is made and no one is better prepared to make the exchange may God watch over him until {___________}. During the year 1848, my only sister died, a young wife, her husband C.C. Henderson, a lawyer by profession & Colonel in the Army. My sister died, happy calling all to the bed bidding them all farewell and to meet her in heaven. This was the second day of August,1848. In October, 1830, Lawrence Moore, James Pride, Brother Newton & Myself with about 250.00 a piece left Bastrop and came to Lake Providence, a place on the Mississippi River and there remained until a St.Louis boat came along, then we left for that place. we were some 10 days getting to St. Louis a slow boat, from St.Louis to Providence on the Missouri River we were some time getting up the Missouri River to a small called Providence where we landed, went from that place to Columbia the seat of the University of the State of Missouri. We entered the University taking a regular classical 4 years course. There we remained having the usual troubles that occurs to all students. The Presiding Spirit of the University was James Shannon a learn lace then had many schools & a female college was conducted by Augustus William called the Christian Female College. The Baptist female college and the High Schools all well represented with pupils. The town since has the city ordinance at this time and can boast of many of the latest city embellishments or improvements. There I formed many acquaintances that I feel a grateful feelings for. The churches were 4 denominations well represented by citizens and pupils belonging to the different schools. Several sad occurances happened. One was one of the students was shot and killed by another student. One that was killed was from Kentucky his name was Handy. The young man who killed him was from Illinois named Thornton. Another incident was a young man named Clarkson was reprimanded by one of the professors, or reported to the President. A faculty meeting called & Clarkson was either reprimanded or given so many marks of demerit. At any rate, that which was done caused Clarkson to suspect Prof. Grant and threatened to cowhide him, Grant was advised of the fact and prepared himself and Clarkson attacked him with pistol and cowhide and Grant shot him and killed him, on the street. He was tried and come clear, but it created a great sensation. Prof Grant left the University at the end of the term of session. Married and went to California and is teaching still I think. Such is life, well to go back, I finished the courses in 1854, came home and went to teaching school in Caldwell Parish remaining 2 years at Mt. Pleasant Academy, married in March, 18__, came to Winnsboro Franklin Parish in 1857. Taught school that year in Winnsboro. Sold goods for Hooter & Holden in 1858 and commenced the practice of medicine. Returned in the fall of 1859 and graduated in medicine in 1860 the month of March in a class of 113 many of whom became good physicians. The was came on & many of went into the Army in various capacities. My brother Newton studied law and bid fair to do well, went to the Army was killed after being in about 30 engagements of all grades, shot through the lungs in 1864, around Winchester, Virginia. My brother Moses studied medicine was a good practitioner. He was in the Army carried the colors for the 8th La. Regiment General Haas brigade. He died suddenly of heart desease in the year 187_. My mother died in the year 18__ my father a few years afterward, in the year 18__. My brother Newton's widow married Christian Abele & died in the year 18__ of liver desease. Brother Moses widow still lives no children, lives a few miles above town (Winnsboro). After going into the Army carrying a company of cavalry out as the state guards was finally turned over to the confederacy. Col. Wm. B. Clark, Lieut. Col. McCutcheon, Major Thomas Caldwell, W.M. Guice, Surgeon of the 4, I am the only one left. Good Lord we ask thee to bless their spirits make them happy and receive the remaining few as they fail to answer roll call here. The events durig the war was only marching here and there but the life had much of its good varieties even with us. Our living was poor, but little fighting for us to do. Notice, Amen. (_?_)who went out to be rejected by the examining surgeon and sent home on account of rheumatism & lung troubles. Often the lungs & the rheumatism became cured from laying on the ......