The county seat of Amite County is Liberty, Mississippi, situated in the southern portion of the state. Liberty was incorporated in 1809, and the Amite County Courthouse building is the oldest in Mississippi, constructed in 1839. The area was originally the Natchez Territory, or the Old Natchez District, which was divided into new counties between 1799 and 1809. The Amite Female Seminary, currently known as the Little Red Schoolhouse, was built in 1853. All of its buildings were burned during the Civil War except for the music building, which was spared because the Union commander of the operation recognized the seminary’s director as a former classmate. Unfortunately, by then, the other buildings had already been torched. On November 16, Union Colonel Marsh’s cavalry unit reached Liberty and lodged a surprise attack against Confederate forces, taking 60 prisoners. The larger contingent of Union troops, under Brigadier General Albert Lee, arrived the following day, launching what became known as the Battle of Liberty, which was fought largely on the cemetery grounds. 200 prisoners, including 20 officers, were taken by Union troops, along with several wagon loads of plunder, and more than 1,000 slaves were freed. Today, 11 sites in or near Liberty are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During the Civil Rights movement, Herbert Lee, an African-American dairy farmer, was murdered in Liberty by E.H. Hurst, a white state legislator. His 1961 murder was reported to federal officials by Louis Allen, an African-American logger. Although he requested protection, it was not granted. He suffered economic blackmail and repeated arrests, and was himself murdered in 1964. No one was prosecuted for the murder, although the county sheriff was a suspect. Liberty, Texas was named for the Mississippi town. Nearby communities include Beechwood, Berwick, and Compromise.
Recommended Resources
Amite County Historical and Genealogical Society
On November 8, 2014, the Society sponsored a living history event commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Liberty, Mississippi. A walking tour of the town, with a concentration on its history, is available for purchase on DVD, and several articles on various historic events or places in Liberty are featured.
http://www.thebattleofliberty.org/
Based in Liberty, Mississippi, ACMS is a community based health care system under the direction of a local board, with administrative office as well as a medical and dental clinic in Liberty, and a medical clinic in nearby McComb. Its locations, services, and patient assistance programs are defined.
https://www.acmsinc.org/
Headquartered on Maggie Street in Liberty, Mississippi, the public school system offers a PK-12th grade curriculum through Amite County Elementary School, Amite County High School, and Amite County Vo-Tech, a vocational school, each of which are highlighted here. A district calendar, faculty and staff directory, and school handbooks are featured.
http://www.amite.k12.ms.us/
Organized in 1809, Amite County is in the southwestern part of the state, and its county seat is the town of Liberty. Administrative and departmental contacts are posted on the official county web site, along with meeting notices and minutes, a history of the county, and profiles of cities and counties within the county.
http://www.amitecounty.ms/
Located in Liberty, Mississippi, the ASC is a private Christian school in Liberty, Mississippi offering a K-12 curriculum. Its admissions and registration policies, tuition schedules, and a school calendar are posted, along with an overview of its athletics and extracurricular programs.
http://www.asc-rebels.com/
The Southern Baptist congregation meets at its facilities on Main Street in the town of Liberty, Mississippi. Directions to the church, a service and program schedule, calendar of events, leadership contacts and office hours, announcements and a sermon archive are presented.
http://www.libertybaptistchurch.biz/
Held in downtown Liberty, Mississippi, the annual event offers a variety of entertainment programs and activities, a car show, food vendors, arts and crafts, competitive events, and live music. A schedule of events, sponsorships, photos of past events and contacts are posted to the site.
http://www.libertyheritagedays.com/
Located in Liberty, Mississippi, the ranch features exotic trophy hunts, conducted Safari style, using four-wheel drive vehicles to hunt a wide range of exotic animals, which are highlighted on the site, including information on each, photographs of past hunts, and a calendar of events and special packages.
http://www.msexotichunting.com/
