Southern bell.

On February 9, 1861, an impassioned young man whose name has been lost to history bolted from the north doorway of the state Capitol building and sprinted a hundred yards across an open lawn to the Jackson Fire Company No. 1 station. Immediately upon entering, he enthusiastically threw himself to ringing the fire bell as loud and as long as his adrenalized strength would allow. The pealing of the bell announced that Mississippi had become "a sovereign and independent state." Delegates from each county, who had assembled in the capital city for three days, had decisively voted to secede from the Union by a vote of "eighty-four yeas to fifteen nays." The tolling of the bell was soon joined by the roaring of cannons as a holiday mood engulfed an audience whose destiny was one of unforeseen momentous consequences.

As the next few months built into years and the years piled on top of one another, the bell became revered as a sort of watchman that not only warned of impending danger but also brought the public together in celebrating victory. To know the history of the bell is to know the history of the city. The aches and pains and dreams of "Jackson town" as well as of this grand state are all part of the bell's heritage.

In 1839, when the city was still in its teens, a group of citizens met and organized a volunteer fire company, which was designated the "Jackson Fire Company, No. 1." Three years later, taxpayers purchased the town's first fire engine from a manufacturer in New England at a cost of $2,576.25. In 1847, with a population of almost 1,800, triple the population of the previous decade, the city bought a second engine. The bright red wrought iron and steel machine, enhanced with nickel plate and brass fittings, was admired by everyone who saw it. Dubbed the "Magnolia," the ornate mechanical marvel was capable of throwing a stream of water a distance of 160 feet--horizontally. On February 22, 1852, the Legislature appropriated $1,500 toward the construction of an engine house. The two-story brick building, which measured 22 feet wide by 40 feet deep, was erected on Capitol Square at the edge of Amite Street facing up North Street.

Only a few years after the completion of the fire house, the city placed an order for a new bell to replace the one bought in 1843, because the old bell was then too small to be heard outside of the immediate downtown area. The new bell, the subject of this article, was and still is a handsome example of the bell-maker's art. It stands 21 inches high and measures 14 1/2 inches in diameter at the top and 29 inches at the bottom. It reportedly contains as much silver and nickel as it does bronze; consequently, when struck, it produces a pleasing mellow tone. It was cast in the famous Meneely Bell Works foundry in West Troy, New York, in 1854.

During the war that commenced seven years later, especially beginning in 1863 when the city was invaded for the first of what would be four destructive raids, the bell played an important role. It wailed the news throughout the city and into the nearby countryside during the stillness of each morning following the wall of flames left by the Northerners after each of their intrusions. As the war wore on, other bells in the area--plantation bells, church bells, and others--were melted down to make cannons. This bell, however, was regarded as indispensable. It may have been taken down and hidden during the time the city was occupied; for whatever reason, it survived the war.

After the war, the bell was used again for its original purpose--to announce fires. It was also used to ring out glad tidings such as weddings, and sometimes it tolled for the death of a noteworthy citizen or public servant.

By 1894, four other volunteer fire companies had been formed in the city, each with its own bell. Members of Fire Company No. 1 decided to do something special for their beloved aging firefighting brother and former mayor, Charles H. Manship. As the last living member of the original Fire Company No. 1, Mayor Manship was given the bell. What an honor this must have been for this man who had by then reached his twilight years. Twenty-five of Jackson's most distinguished leaders, including acting Mayor Oliver Clifton, former Governor Robert Lowery, and Col. J. L. Power, met on the front lawn of Manship's home on East Fortification Street for the presentation. The gift was graciously accepted but apparently wasn't kept very long, as the civic-minded Manship felt that the historic old bell should be placed where it could still serve the people.

After perhaps a few years, "Manship's bell" was placed on a ladder so that four strong men could carry it to a wagon for a trip to Capitol Square. This time, it was not placed in the firehouse belfry but was instead mounted in a specially designed frame near the front entrance of the Capitol building. It is believed that it was hanging there during the time that Governor Theodore G. Bilbo had the old Capitol restored by St. Louis architect Theodore Link in 1916.

At 3:30 a.m. on Monday, November 11, 1918, the citizens of Jackson awoke to the news that Germany had signed a peace treaty. The world war was over, proclaimed the Clarion-Ledger newspaper in an "extra" edition. Some 3,500 copies were sold, most of them door to door, before daylight. The entire city was awake, happy, and gleefully jubilant.

An article from the November 12 Clarion-Ledger reported it like this: "The blowing of the whistles and ringing of bells, the locomotives having joined in, made sleep impossible. Nobody wanted to sleep, and before daylight, the 'Manship girls' had reached the old Capitol and began a furious ringing of the 'Liberty Bell' that hangs in front of the restored old Capitol, and which was presented to their father by the old volunteer fire department over twenty-five years ago."

After the sun came up, people began to congregate on the old Capitol grounds. It was then that one of the city's most colorful and most liked citizens, an African-American lady known to everyone as "Aunt Nancy Juice Spice," arrived. She was a lady whom the newspaper described as having "brought up more than one hundred children", a lady who knew how to take charge. Once she got her hands on that bell rope, there was no stopping her. The crowds grew larger then finally moved down Capitol Street, cheering and waving flags. Soon, store clerks joined in as businesses one after another closed their doors and joined the joyful marchers. An impromptu parade began which lasted until late afternoon, and, through it all, Aunt Nancy rang that bell. All day long she rang that bell!

Today, the bell is back home. It is mounted between two sturdy steel posts in the rear garden of the Charles Manship home. Few people really know the historic life of this bell. It still looks as good as new, and surely it rings as true as ever. Go and see it! Ring it if you dare, and listen to it speak just as it has for the past 150 years. Long may it ring!

The Manship House is now operated as a museum by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. The 1857 Gothic Revival home, located at 420 E. Fortification St., is open to visitors Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 601/961-4724.

BY FORREST LAMAR COOPER