James Merilus Simms (1823 - 1912)

Born 27 Dec 1823 in Savannah, Chatham, Georgia, United States

Died 9 Jul 1912 at age 88 in Savannah, Chatham, Georgia, United States

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Biography

James Simms is a part of US Black heritage.

James was a Freemason, Past Grand Master Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia

The Potter Family owned as slaves the Rev. James Simms, his mother Minda Campbell and brother Thomas.his sisters Isabella and Cornilla. James was a free man, having earned enough as a carpenter to buy his own freedom for $740 in 1857. He also taught himself how to read and eventually worked as a minister, freedmen's advocate, publisher, and politician.

Slavery

Young James Simms acquired the ability to read and write when his White father James Simms who was an overseer for the Potter Plantation requested a French tutor to teach the white children on the plantation. The white father allowed his slave son to be taught not only to read and write, but also to learn several languages. Simms then taught many slaves to read and write at his school on Berin Street near Jefferson Street. Simms was converted in March of 1841 and was baptized into the fellowship of the First African Baptist Church the first Sunday in April 1841, by a Rev. Marshall.

He did not remain long in the church. He was expelled for continued neglect of Christian duties and remained out of the church until Oct. 31, 1858. He made several attempts, however, to get back, but the Rev. Marshall seemed not to have been in a hurry to restore him.

Simms was considered very presumptuous and defiant. On one occasion when he tried to return, and, having gotten wet while remaining outdoors for his turn to be called, as the custom was, and being disappointed, as the conference adjourned without calling him, he said to Dr. Marshall: "When I ask you all to take me in again, you will do it." He left the church and joined the First Bryan Baptist Church and never returned during Mr. Marshall's life. When Mr. Marshall died, this statement returned with great force to him, and he was one of the bitterest weepers at Mr. Marshall's funeral. But he remained out two years longer.

When he returned to the church and was restored, he was elected clerk of the church on December 19, 1858. His push and pluck made him prominent rather than the wish of the people to have him as an officer. A Carpenter by trade, Simms was appointed one of the building committee members of the church. He was elected Deacon on January 29, 1860.

When the Civil War reached Savannah, Simms saw his fellow blacks being forced to work for the Confederates in repairing buildings and forts an activity he found so repugnant that he left the city on February 2, 1864, and went to Trinidad and then to Boston, Massachusetts for one year.

While in Boston, Simms joined the Union Army also while in Boston he was made a Mason and was commissioned to establish masonry in the South. He was also ordained minister by the Twelfth Street Baptist Church on April 17, 1864, by the Rev. Leonard A. Grimes; Reymond, of New York, the Rev. Thompson of Boston and Randolph Charlton, of Boston. The American Baptist Home Mission Society charged him with evangelizing blacks in Georgia and Florida.

Simms returned to Savannah February 2, 1865, and became the agent of laborers at Rice Hopkins Plantation. Upon returning to First African Baptist Church, the Rev. W. J. Campbell, the pastor of the church, refused to recognize the ordination of Mr. Simms, claiming that the Twelfth Street Baptist Church had not the right to call to ordination one of the members of his church.

Simms took his letter. At the regular church conference, January 21, 1872, Bro. J. M. Simms, one of the lately elected trustees, was received as a member of the First Bryan Baptist Church, the old church whose roof sheltered him when he was first expelled from First African Baptist Church. On receiving him into membership, First Bryan passed a resolution recognizing his office as a minister of the gospel and welcoming him to her pulpit. He at once became a timely auxiliary to the church and pastor. Mr. Campbell appears to have written the American Baptist Home Mission Society telling them that Simms was not regularly ordained and the society withdrew his commission. This drove Simms into politics, there being a Freedman's Bureau in the city that gave him employment. From this time on he entered fully into politics and Freemasonry.

Simms joined the Union Leagues and helped to organize several chapters around the city. On July 26 of 1865, Simms led a procession of Union Leagues in celebration of Liberia’s independence. In 1867 Bro. Simms started the Freedmen’s Journal, which later became the Freemen’s Standard in 1868. Bro. Simms, who had impressed the predominantly white Republican Party, was urged to help start a chapter in Savannah of which he became a secretary and member of the Executive Committee in October of 1867. He was elected Delegate at Large to the Republican Party National Convention in 1872 and was given a House seat. Bro. Simms asserted that since the expulsion of Blacks from the Georgia Legislature, 300 Blacks had been killed in Georgia and no one had been brought to justice. The local press got upset by these charges and started referring to him as “The Little Mulatto Jim Sims,” saying that he pretended to be a preacher of the gospel of truth but was nothing of the sort. He was instead, it was said, becoming terribly demoralized by his “carpet bag” and “scalawag” associations. In 1871 a dispute arose within the wall of the First Bryan Baptist Church about who should be the rightful Minister of the Church, Mr. U. L Houston, then a Member of Eureka Lodge No. 1, or Alexander Harris, who at that time was Worshipful Master of Eureka Lodge No. 1. Bro. Simms, who was Grand Master at this time, supported Bro. U. L. Houston as the minister. “It was resolved that the church was in itself the sovereign power, and independent of all other powers in her spiritual affairs; subject only to Christ, and that in a Baptist church the majority of the members, in any matters of the church rules, must be obeyed, and what they do must be sustained, and that we so recommend to the church.” When this resolution passed, the party with Mr. Harris walked out of the meeting, and the effort at reconciliation became a failure.

The church resolved to set apart Sunday, the 18th, as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, not knowing the deep trial and sorrow she would be called to pass through on that day. At 11 a.m., to the surprise of all, Bro. Harris who had not been in that house for more than six months entered the eastern front door. He stately walked up to the aisle, followed by about 20 odd of his adherents. Bro. Harris sat down in the pulpit, his large, full eyes gleaming with defiance as he glanced over the assembly. His face, rigid with resolve and lips compressed, indicative of a firm determination, seemed to paralyze the Church for a few minutes. But as he arose, hymn-book in hand, to announce the number and recite the stanzas, the death-like stillness of the moment was broken by a brother sitting in the front pew nearest the pulpit, who was seized with a violent fit of coughing. It became contagious, and soon nearly everyone in the house, excepting those with Mr. Harris, was violently coughing. William Washington left the house for a few moments and returned with a city police-officer as tall as himself (over six feet), in full uniform, --helmet, red-top boots, and large brass spurs, --armed with pistol and club in his belt. As he stalked into the church, and up to the pulpit, he was saluted with this strange chorus of coughers. Mr. Harris leaned over the pulpit-rail and spoke to the officer. What he said, of course, is not known. The officer was heard to say as he gazed around and his eyes rested inquiringly upon the brother in the front pew, "I see nothing disorderly, only that everybody seems to have a bad cold." With this he went out, the officer, fearing to take so weighty a responsibility upon himself at this crisis, referred Harris to the barracks where his chief was. Bro. Harris left a few moments after the police officer, followed by his members. With the chilling blast of Harris’ presence removed, the coughing ceased. The pastor, Bro. U. L. Houston, and Trustee Grand Master Simms, who knew Bro. Harris well counseled together and kept a careful watch for what might come. Bro. Harris entered the church again. As he was about half way up the aisle, between the door and the desk, a police sergeant stepped inside the door and stood looking at him as he mounted the steps of the pulpit. As he stepped in, Grand Master Simms arose from his seat and in tones of stern reproof exclaimed, "Mr. Harris, in the name of this church I protest against this usurpation," or nearly in those words. The pastor, Bro. U. L. Houston, arose also almost simultaneously, and said, in a voice deep with feeling, "Yes, and I, in the name of God, protest." While these two were speaking, there could also be heard at the front door the loud tones of the officer, "Rush in, men!" Before the sound of the words of Simms and Houston had died away, the sergeant had seized Simms by the collar of his coat and another officer grabbed Houston. The sergeant ordered, "Take them out to the barracks," as he handed Simms over to one of his subordinates. As they were both being roughly pulled towards the door, the excitement was terrible, the men rushing towards the pulpit and the women screaming in their fright. The police, fearing no doubt an attack from the men, drew their pistols and fired two shots. Someone turned off the gas to the church’s gas lighting system and left everyone there, as it were, in the darkness of midnight. By this time Simms and Houston were out of the tumult and in the street without hats in the rain. The police officers, seeming content with the arrest of these two -- no doubt agreed upon and so ordered by their chief -- molested no one else of the large crowd who followed them to the station house. Bro. Harris did not appear at the police station to prefer charges, as was customary in breaches of the peace. Houston and Simms were searched and dispossessed of what their pockets contained for the time being (returned upon their release), and locked up in a dark cell. In the cell was nothing but the prisoners, the four walls, the floor and the ceiling. It was about ten a.m. when they were locked up. For a few minutes after each was busy with his thoughts, and neither spoke to the other a word. The Rev. Bro. Houston, being a large, heavy man, felt tired from the long walk, about a mile, and sat down upon the floor. Grand Master Simms, being small of stature and light of frame and under mental excitement, stood up, leaning against the wall of their prison. The silence was broken by Bro. Houston who cleared his throat and in a soft, clear voice at once commenced to sing Dr. Watts's beautiful hymn of "God's purpose of mercy.” As if the archenemy would mock them, a most ludicrous incident occurred while they were singing. The guard in the passageway to the cells, a son of the Emerald Isle (or, in other words, an Irishman), exclaimed gruffly, in his native tongue, "Niver moind; Mayyer Screeven will give yees the divil in the morning," and both the singers simultaneously replied, "No, he won't." It was not more than about 20 minutes after when, as guard and doorkeeper, he received the order at the outer door, "Bring out Houston and Simms."

When the two prisoners came into the police office again, whence they were sent not over half an hour before, the appearance of things was very different. The officer in charge was more pleasant and polite, and some three or four deacons, with Mr. Charles Ash, a citizen of property and prominence, and P. W. Mildrim, Esq., a young lawyer. They appeared before his honor, the mayor, in the morning, and he discharged them for want of jurisdiction in the case. But, not to be outdone, Bro. Harris got his case before the grand jury of the Superior Court, which returned a true bill against Simms and Houston for a misdemeanor. The officers in behalf of the church and through counsel petitioned the court to dissolve the injunction granted Harris, showing the extent of the injury he was doing the church, and 10 days after the trial in the mayor's court the following writ was granted: "Alexander Harris, complainant, and Ulysses S. Houston, et al., defendants. Temporary injunction issued March 14, 1872. "It Being Made To Appear, That The Complainant, Alexander Harris, although elected for one year pastor of the First Bryan Baptist Church, was a member of said church, and as such is under the dealings of the church, and by virtue of the Sovereignty of Baptist churches, the church has the power to deal with him in their own way; And it further appearing that his pastoral year for which he was elected has expired or nearly so, it is ordered that the said injunction be dissolved. "Witness my hand and official signature this 1st April, A.D. 1872.

This shut Mr. Harris out finally, and he never returned. The "church felt in her body that she was healed of the plague."

Upon the building of a new church, the cornerstone was laid with imposing ceremonies by the members of the Grand Lodge of Colored Masons in the State of Georgia, attended by two subordinate lodges, Eureka, No. 1, and John T. Hilton, No. 2. Grand Master Lewis B. Toomer officiated, assisted by Deputy Grand Master John H. Deveaux (a grandson of one of the former pastors) and Grand Secretary Albert Jackson. They marched from their hall at the corner of Bay and Lincoln Streets in regalia and with their emblems to the church grounds where was assembled a very large congregation of both white and colored citizens.

An appropriate ode was sung by the order and then an address was delivered by Rev. Henry M. Turner of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, now a bishop. The Rev. James Meriles Simms offered a suitable and impressive prayer. A short statement of the early history of the church was given by the pastor for deposit in the box, with copies of the city press, the state constitution, and the names of the state officers, also the names of the mayor and city council; many coins and small curiosities of jewelry worn by the old members; also pieces of old coin which had been found on pulling down the old building and which had been deposited in the cornerstone at its erection, were placed again in the new box. The cover of the box was soldered on and the stone was then placed in its position according to the ancient customs of the Free and Accepted Masons. A doxology was sung, the benediction was pronounced by the pastor, and the large but orderly assemblage quietly dispersed. The day was bright and the afternoon as balmy as that of an autumn day could be.

By 1871 the governor had appointed Bro. Simms a judge on the Chatham County District Court before his appointment as a Judge Bro. Simms was a carriage driver for the Honorable John E. Ward. 8The Savannah Bar Association met in the City Court room to review the appointment of Bro. Simms. The committee reported that Simms had “no right to exercise the function of a District Court Judge. The “white press” reported, “The newly appointed nigger Judge James M. Simms,” had declared that if the Bar of Chatham County refused to recognize him officially, he would forward his commission to General Alfred Terry and have him indorse it. The judgeship was abandoned soon after it was established. Bro. Simms then went to work as a customs official. Bro. Simms held a meeting with about 150 Blacks at the First African Baptist Church in March of 1891. He informed them that the Georgia Legislature decided to establish a Black college “The Georgia Industrial College for Colored Youth” and that he and a group of Blacks had offered a sum of money and land in an attempt to have the college located in Savannah. A wish that was granted, the Savannah Tribune reported, “the most important event in the history of colored people in Georgia since their emancipation, is the establishment of the above named college that later became Savannah State University.” Bro. Simms served as the college’s first proctor under the direction of President Richard R. Wright Sr. In 1888 he wrote The First Colored Baptist Church in North America, which entailed the history of First Bryan Baptist Church.

The Rev. Simms, born a slave, became through perseverance an indomitable will to succeed a model leader of Black Savannah, and who carried his mother’s admonition to “uplift his race,” died Tuesday, July 9, 1912, at the age of 89. His funeral was conducted at the First Bryan Baptist Church and the Rev. Daniel Wright presided. It is sad to state that such a great man and pioneer who was the father of Prince Hall Masonry for the states of Georgia, Florida and Alabama did not receive his last Masonic rites because he was not a financial member of the Lodge at the time. Bro. and Mrs. Simms were parents of James U. H. Simms, Wendall P. Simms, David G. W. Simms, Plutarch Simms, and a daughter, Mrs. Isabella Simms Reid. The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia placed a monument over Grand Master Simms grave in June of 1920. More than 500 Masons marched from the old Masonic Temple on Gwinnett Street near West Broad to Laurel Grove Cemetery South to dedicate the monument. Among those at the ceremony were Sol. C. Johnson, H. R. Butler who at that time was Grand Master for Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia, and the Rev. George Dwelle who had participated in the organization of the Grand Lodge in 1870. While the service for the Rev. Simms at Laurel Grove South, the officials placed a wreath on the graves of Past Grand Masters John H. DeVeaux, A.K. Desverney and Alexander Harris.

Sources

• "United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WQ93-K83Z : Thu Mar 07 22:30:52 UTC 2024), Entry for James M Simms,

• "United States Census, 1870", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCSL-DM2 : Tue Mar 05 12:43:52 UTC 2024), Entry for J W Rook and Elizabeth Rook, 1870

• "United States Census, 1880", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8LX-QSQ : Fri Mar 08 11:46:32 UTC 2024), Entry for James M Sims and Morgorel F. Sims, 1880.

• "United States Census, 1900", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3NM-77W : Wed Mar 06 09:30:41 UTC 2024), Entry for James Simms and James Simms, 1900.

• "United States Census, 1910", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLK9-4GR : Thu Mar 07 11:55:24 UTC 2024), Entry for James M Simms and James U Simms, 1910.

• "United States Census, 1910", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLK9-4GR : Thu Mar 07 11:55:24 UTC 2024), Entry for James M Simms and James U Simms, 1910.

• "United States, Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSTG-1P6 : Fri Mar 08 19:34:02 UTC 2024), Entry for James M. Sims, Hon. and James Sims.

• "United States, Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSYV-Q3L : Sun Mar 10 08:53:07 UTC 2024), Entry for James Sims and James Sims.

• "Find a Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVV8-QX6K : 9 May 2023), James Merilus Simms, ; Burial, Savannah, Chatham, Georgia, United States of America, Laurel Grove Cemetery South; citing record ID 10541683, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.