A Deadly Feud

The Starkville Advocate, contains an account of quarrel in Choctaw county, Miss., which resulted in the almost complete extirpation of two families, named Edwards and Gray.  One of the Grays (James) had married a daughter of Judge Edwards and one of Judge Edwards’ sons had married a sister of the Grays and died.  Robert Gray, one of the brothers, administered upon the estate and a feud arose in consequence of disputes about the administration, leading to a rencontre on Friday, (Nov. 2d,) in which Robt. Gray killed Judge Edwards and James killed one of his sons, another who participated in the fight being severely wounded, and the two Grays mentioned and another, named William suffering still more severely.  The Grays were taken to the jail at Greensboro’ the next day, and a guard placed around it for security, but on Sunday night  the friends of the Edwards’ stormed the jail, shot Robert and William, and taking James about a mile out of town and hung him.  The citizens brought his body to town and sent with those of his brothers to their father, who resides in Carroll county. – Four widows are the result of this horrible affair.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 22, 1862, p. 3