John Jacob Mims

(1820-1879)

2nd great-grandfather of James Alan Campbell

Tree #4 - Mims, Page 5

Following account found in the papers of Rupert Watson the great grandson of John Jacob Mims

John Jacob Mims moved to Alabama around Sepulga, Conecuh County in January 1840. He was well educated and taught school in Wilcox county. Fatama Cone went to school and she later became his wife. In later years he lived at present Fatama, Alabama, about eight miles south of Camden. The post office was named for his wife. After the war he taught a school for a while at Fatama. About that time a strange man came their and also taught. This man was very secretive and the pupils noticed that he kept a pistol in his desk at all times and always watched the road for anyone coming or going. John did not like this and thought the stranger to be, Frank James an outlaw and cousin of his.

He fought in the Civil War for the Confederacy as a Private in Company A, 4th Alabama Cavalry, and was a prisoner of war.

A short time before John's death, due to the fact that he and the whole county had lost everything in the Civil War he operated the Wilcox Hotel. This old building was still standing and was still being operated as the Wilcox Hotel in the 1950's. His younger daughter helped in the operation of the hotel, doing the cooking etc. At this time a man by the name of A.A Richards a carpetbagger lived at the hotel, it seems that he was very arrogant and overbearing. John, one day asked Richard to pay his bill, Richard became abusive and kicked John off of the porch of the hotel. John was never well after that and seems to have been badly injured. He became despondent and a few days or weeks after this incident, he hanged himself in the barn or carriage house behind the hotel. His younger daughter, Nancy found him hanging there.