Parker, James Porter

Submitted by Mike Miller

Parker, James Porter, was born at Port Gibson, Miss., Nov. 28, 1842; the son of Dr. James Porter Parker, a native of Lexington, Ky., but for many years a resident of Port Gibson, Miss., and Mary J. (Milliken) Parker, daughter of Maj. John Milliken, who was prominent in northern Louisiana, although a native of North Carolina. In addition to James Porter Parker, the subject of this sketch, Dr. and Mrs. Parker had 4 other children, all of whom are now deceased, thus leaving Mr. Parker the only surviving member of his family. James Porter Parker spent his youth at Port Gibson, Miss., first attending a private school and later going to Oakland college in Jefferson county, Miss., where he remained for 3 years, leaving Oakland college in 1859 and returning to Port Gibson where he remained until the outbreak of the Civil war. In July, 1861, he entered the army with the 21st Mississippi infantry in Gov. Ben Humphrey's company, from which he was discharged in order to enter the 4th Mississippi cavalry. Having been captured, he was paroled at Port Hudson in 1863, but afterwards exchanged and returned to his regiment, becoming acting adjutant, which position he held at the time of the surrender at Gainesville, Ala., May 12, 1865, at which time he was serving with Forrest's command. After the war, he took up cotton planting in Madison parish, La., and continued in this business from 1866 to 1876, when he removed to New Orleans and engaged in the business of storing cotton, which occupied his attention for 5 years; at the end of which time he retired and has since been living a quiet life. Mr. Parker has been a member of the Boston club for 35 years and a member of the Masonic order for 48 years. In 1876, the year of his removal to New Orleans, he married Miss Eva Bayly, the daughter of Mr. George M. Bayly of New Orleans. To Mr. and Mrs. Parker 1 son was born, who was a physician in New Orleans until the time of his death in 1905.

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 345-346. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.