Simeon Sebastian Granberry

Simeon Sebastian Granberry was a Professor at Mississippi College, Clinton, MS until the United States Civil War. After the war, he was the superintendent of The Confederate Orphans' Home in Lauderdale, MS.

He was educated in 1850 at Oakland College, Claiborne, MS; 1850 census shows him as student at Oakland College. He married Elizabeth Baxter. Simeon Sebastian Granberry appeared on the census of 1860 at Clinton, Hinds, MS. He appeared on the census of 1870 at Lauderdale P. O., Lauderdale, MS. He died on 13 January 1871 at Lauderdale, MS, at age 42.

The Confederate Orphans' Home of Mississippi

Due to the massive loss of life in the nation from the Civil War, the estimate for the number of children who lost one or both parents was determined to be approximately 400,000 nationwide. In East Mississippi alone, the number of orphans was about 10,000. It its first post-war session the Mississippi Baptist Convention determined that it could best help the people by offering care to thee many eastern MIssissippi orphans and set about locating facilities and developing funding for the effort. A location in Lauderdale Springs, MS, a former resort hotel prior to the war and later Confederate hospital during the war, was selected.

Professor Simeon Sebastian Granberry was elected first Superintendent and charged with the task of organizing and carrying on the work of the Home. "He was its first superintendent, "an experienced educator, a man of sound, practical wisdom, of fine administrative ability, a refined Christian gentleman, admirably fitted for the work of caring for and directing the efforts of women and helpless children." 

The Children's Home opened late in the summer of 1866 and was immediately besieged by applicants. Orphans frequently just showed up at the doors of the institution without any warning at all. The initial enrollment of fifty jumped immediately to over two hundred in t he course of a few months.

The residents were accepted from ages six to sixteen. Six was selected as the lower limit because the staffing did not permit the intense effort needed to attend to younger children and infants. However, occasionally exceptions were made depending on the circumstances and the availability of older children to assist int he care of infants.

The school at the home was in session year-round and all residents were required to attend classes except for the week of Christmas and short periods during the year. Each orphan was expected to work on projects considered befitting to their age. Older boys helped with the maintanance of the building and grounds and managed the gardents where much of the food was grown, while older girls helped with the care and training of the younger children and assisted in the kitchens.

The school published a semi-monthly newsletter called the "Orphans' Home Banner" and a concert band and chorus was formed that travelled the country making appearances and generating contributions to the home.

On January 13, 1871, Superintendent Professor Granberry died at the Orphans' Home. His health had been on the decline, but his death was a great tragedy to the orphanage. The orphanage closed its doors in 1878 having ended its useful life.

In 1865, Simeon Sebastian Granberry signed the "Agreement with Freedman" (see below). At that time he was superintendent of the orphans' home and may have employed "freed" men and women there. He also had Delia Granberry listed as a part of the household in the 1870 census, a 14 year old black girl. Delia stayed with the family until she died, helping to raise all of the children. 

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Where The Record Is Found (Citation)

"United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Assistant Commissioner, 1865-1872," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TD-R9VS-T?cc=2427901&wc=73RQ-338%3A1513902402%2C1514209601 : 23 March 2017), Mississippi > Roll 44, Labor contracts of freedmen, July 1865 > image 955 of 1266; citing multiple NARA microfilm publications; Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1861 - 1880, RG 105; (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1969-1980).