http://my.att.net:80/p/s/community.dll?ep=16&groupid=313701&ck
Now what is no longer posted to that website is this bit of information about my family---
James H. Purvis the the father of John G. Purvis. John G. Purvis went on to serve in Co. D, 7th Mississippi Infantry. Note also a William Morris appears again in this article. Enjoy.
GP
"On October 2, 1855, Cox came before the judge charged with assault and battery upon William H. Graham and James H. Purvis, who was Lorenzo's next door neighbor. Cox was fined and that was that. A week later, Cox again stood before the judge charged again with assault and battery, but this time it was against a third man, B. H. Holloway. Again Cox was fined and sent on his way. The court records do not mention his name again until March 19, 1859, when he was charged with assault and battery upon Gilbert Purvis, who I assume is a close relative of James H. Purvis. Whatever the cause, apparently Cox nor the Purvis's liked each other very well. There are handwritten IOUs that still exist of James Purvis borrowing corn and money from William Morris."
"One day while trying keep up with his farm duties and scout for the army at the same time, Lorenzo was caught by surprise when a group of men, allegedly led by Lit Chambliss and Jim Pace made their way to Cox's farm. Cox was breaking up some land with a plow, when a then unknown person or persons fired and wounded Cox. Cox lay still as if he were dead, while his wife, Elizabeth ran out to the field to her husbands body. When she got to his body, far ahead of the other men, she was surprised to see that he was not dead but "playing possum." He whispered to her to "tell them I'm dead." Elizabeth immediately stood up and with tears in her eyes walked brazenly out to the approaching men and said, "you have killed my husband, please don't mutilate him, go away and leave me with him." The men stood around for a minute watching Cox's body for any signs of movement and became satisfied after a few minutes, and respected Ms Cox's wishes and rode away from where they came. Cox had a gunshot wound in the lower leg, and his wife helped him to the cabin, where she put him in bed. They did not know that a couple of the men had straggled behind and watched Cox limp to his cabin. Now they knew that Cox was not dead. Once inside, Cox had his wife arrange his bed so that it couldn't be seen from a window. He was concerned that the men might return to see if he really was dead, and he was right to be concerned. That same night, just after dark, Cox heard several horses approach his cabin. He took up his musket and lay in bed prepared as best he could. He had the candle put out. The men ordered Cox to come out of the cabin, and Elizabeth told them that he wasn't there, that he "gone away for a few days." The men were sure that Cox was hiding in the cabin, and none of the men wanted to risk entering the cabin for it was almost a sure suicide. They decided that their best course of action would be to burn the cabin and force him to come out. Cox was waiting inside with his musket aimed at the doorway, ready to kill the first man to walk in the door. A couple of the men made their way around the house and set a fire, it is said that the shack was built of pine and easily caught fire. The men allowed Mrs. Cox and the four children out unharmed, and Elizabeth began crying and begged the men to allow her to drag a few meager possessions out lest she be left with nothing. They allowed her to do so, and she knew she had to work quickly as the fire was growing larger. The men outside were afraid to help the woman with her things, for they knew Lorenzo would shoot anyone who went inside. Elizabeth brought out food, a couple of chairs, and lastly, a feather mattress. She was placing all of her things near the edge of the woods, and the one thing that the besieging men didn't know was that a wounded Lorenzo Cox was crawling along the ground just behind the feather mattress with his musket, just out of view. Mrs Cox slowly drug the mattress to the edge of the woods, next to the chairs, and dropped the mattress on top of her husband. The men stayed for a couple of more hours, sure that Lorenzo never came out, as the house had completely burned to the ground. They couldn't believe that he would rather be burned alive than to come out fighting. The jubilant men left the Cox home, gladly realizing that they had finally rid the community of the despised Lorenzo Cox. When the men finally left, Elizabeth and the children went to retrieve Lorenzo, who was unhurt, but very angry. The next day, Cox, having made preparations for his family, lay in wait in the edge of the woods near his now smoldering home. He knew someone would be back to make sure, and he was right. A couple of the men who had been there the night before, "Lit" Chambliss and Jim Pace came back the next day in order to retrieve Cox's skull in order to make a "soapdish." They entered the lane leading to Cox's home, and found Elizabeth and the children working in the ruins. Lorenzo was behind some bushes peering through the leaves with his musket. Cox opened fire without warning, killing Chambliss and scaring Jim Pace away. Cox had saved himself once again."