Mother: Louisa Mellison Lockhart Sauls

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Tylertown Times, 11 October 1918

Mr. J. P. Sauls departed this life at the home of his son, E. B. Sauls, in Tylertown, in the afternoon of Sept. 25th, and following an impressive and largely-attended funeral service, was interred in the family plot at the new Tylertown cemetery about noon on the 26th.

The following reminiscent biographical sketch will be found of interest: During the autumn of 1814 General Carrol marched from Tennessee along the 90th meridian of west longitude south through Mississippi Territory to New Orleans and joined his force with General Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans, which was fought on January 8th, 1815. Among General Carrol's Tennessee soldiers was James Sauls, whose name is one among the noted nineteen scouts recorded on a bronze tablet in New Orleans as specially mentioned for their boldness in crossing the Mississippi river and locating Packingham's army and storming and capturing the British outpost of 100 men, disarming them, and effecting a recrossing of the river by crude rafts of head logs which they put into the swollen stream with the assistance of their British prisoners, returning to Jackson's army before daylight the same night with the military information which enable General Jackson to hastily construct breastworks of cotton bales and barricade and achieve one of the most noted victories recorded in American history.

The Tennessee soldiers were paid off in "scrip," or U.S. Government notes, and with this "scrip" James Sauls took up a homestead on the headwaters of Topisaw creek, in Lawrence county, alongside the "Carrol Trace", or military road made in marching from Tennessee to New Orleans. His only son by his first wife was John R. Sauls, who was three years old when his father settled on Topisaw in the fall of 1815, having been born in Tennessee in 1817.

John Parham, or J. P. Sauls, as he was commonly called, was the fifth son of John R. and Lusia Sauls, who reared a family of thirteen children to manhood and womanhood on a homestead which they made for themselves two miles east of the original Sauls homestead in Lawrence County.

John R. Sauls was a well-respected citizen, a slave owner, and a Union man; but furnished four sons to the Confederate army, one of whom was brought home in his coffin, and these boys were in many bloody battles of the civil war.

Isaac Sauls, who was present at his brothers funeral here last week, was the first man to put his hand on "the Lady Richardson", the biggest gun at that time, General Grant's big cannon which the Rebs stormed and captured on the first day of the bloody battle of Shiloh, 1862.

J. P. (Parham) Sauls, volunteered that same year at the age of sixteen in the 4th Mississippi Regiment and served under General Forrest who, with parched corn for daily rations, gave Grant and his forces many an unhappy reception - at Corinth, Oxford, Coffeville, Deed Creek, and Vicksburg, and all through north Mississippi.

At the surrender, J. P. Sauls and Robert Sauls, an older brother, worked at the carpenters trade, as mill rights and house builders, for four years building water mills and dwelling houses. They helped to re-build Brookhaven, and built a large water mill on Bahala creek in Lincoln county; also built a dwelling for Parham Thompson and one for Quilla Coney in the northern part of what is now Walthall county. They built many water wheels, or "wheel and trunks" for water mills in the surrounding country. They built a wheel and trunk for Mr. Tyler in 1868 whose mill was just above the ford of our town creek here in Tylertown.

In 1869 J. P. Sauls was married to Miss Lucy Hathorn, who, with their five children, survives him. The children are as follows: Q. D., and E. B. Sauls of Tylertown, and Mrs. Florence Smith of Brookhaven, Mrs. Clara Skinner, who with her husband lives on the old Sauls homestead in Lawrence County, and Mrs. Belle Cotton of Kokomo. His was the first death in the immediate family, and he was buried on Sept. 26th, the 48th birthday of his oldest child, after a long and patient suffering of six months with a psarcoma, or tumerous cancer, on the side of his face and neck, during which time he was never heard to complain or murmur, always speaking hopefully and cheerfully. He often remarked that it was better for him to have it than some younger person. At the time of his death he was seventy-two years and thi{} days old, having been born in Tennessee on September 12, 1846.

In life, J. P. Sauls was a peaceful and respected citizen, having served many years as a member of the board of supervisors in Lawrence county. He was always a true Democrat, and did his part in helping to rid his country and state of the "Carpet-baggers" who ruled politics during the days of reconstruction. He was baptised in Old Antioch Church, in Lincoln county, forty-two years ago, but was not a member of any secret order. He regarded with contempt all "buldozers" and "whitecaps" and church members who wouldn't tell the truth and pay their just debts. In his last days Mr. Sauls took great interest in the present war, and always contended that when our men get to France, Kaiser Wilhelm will call for peace.

Mr. Sauls built the first public school house in his community, splitting out pine logs with a maul and wedge in 1882. During his younger days, he was an expert shot with a rifle. He rarely ever missed a wild deer running at 100 yards or a wild turkey's head at 60 yards, with his muzzle-loaded cap and ball rifle.

Brother Gatlin said at his funeral that Parham Sauls was a gentle man of the old southern type, a true patriotic citizen and a Christian, and that he has gone to meet his reward in heaven.