Dueling ink and bullets: The tragic fate of The Vicksburg Sentinel editors

VICKSBURG, Miss. by Evan Winschel (VDN) — Cedar Hill Cemetery is the final resting place of two former editors of The Vicksburg Sentinel, a long defunct paper with a penchant for getting its editors into trouble.

Dueling was a common practice in the south up until the end of the Civil War, and newspaper editors sometimes defended their stance with their life. A total of five editors of The Vicksburg Sentinel were killed over their written word. Buried alongside one another in Cedar Hill Cemetery are two of these editors, Dr. James Hagan and Mr. John Jenkins.

Dr. James Hagan, the founding editor of The Sentinel, was known for his sharp satire. One of his more scurrilous articles about Governor Tilghman Tucker and Judge George Adams proved to be too salacious not to merit retribution.

Armed with familial pride and a concealed pistol Judge Adams’ son, Daniel Adams, made his way to Vicksburg to confront Dr. Hagan and his offensive opinions. Upon their contentious meeting, the two men got into a scuffle. Dr. Hagan momentarily got the upper hand on young Adams while grappling on the ground. Distracted while attempting to choke his assailant, Adams pulled the pistol from his pocket and fired. With one shot, Dr. Hagan and his opinions were silenced forever.

Buried alongside Dr. Hagan is John Jenkins, the “third or fourth editor or attache of the Sentinel that has either been killed in a duel or street fight, in the last six or seven years,” according to the Piscataquis Observer on 12 Oct 1848. Jenkins was “in the bloom of manhood and in the midst of his usefulness” when he met his fate. A proud descendant of the country’s seventh president, Andrew Jackson, Jenkins refused to put anything in print that wasn’t honest and unbiased. A “difficulty” occurred between Jenkins and a local attorney named Henry Crabbe at a political meeting.

Fuel was added to the fire when an article referring to the disagreement appeared in The Sentinel that further incensed Crabbe. Jenkins and Crabbe met on Washington Street where their argument escalated, ending with Jenkins lying dead at the age of 32, leaving behind a wife and several children. So immense was his funeral procession that it stretched from the cemetery to his house.

Cedar Hill Cemetery Association was formed in 2024 with the goal of assisting the City of Vicksburg in restoration and beautification of our historic Cedar Hill Cemetery. The Association will be presenting its inaugural tour event “Voices from the Hills” on October 16, 17, and 18, 2025 as part of Vicksburg’s Bicentennial Celebrations. For more information or to get involved, contact chcassociation@yahoo.com or visit their Facebook page.