Duff Green - Historical Marker

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• Historical Marker
• Historical Marker

William Lake

Lakemont was built in 1835 by Judge William Lake who served in the United States Congress (1855-1856) and in the Mississippi House of Representatives (1859-1861). In 1861, while campaigning for the Confederate Congress, Judge Lake and his opponent, Colonel Henry Chambers, swapped slurs about each other. On October 15, Lake challenged Chambers to a duel which he unfortunately lost.

In 1856 Judge Lake's daughter, Mary, married Mr. Duff Green, the wealthy cotton broker who built the Duff Green Mansion.

When Judge Lake was killed during the duel, Captain Thomas Leathers was his “Second". Leathers was the captain and owner of the famed Natchez paddle wheeler and piloted the vessel during the famous race on the Mississippi River against the Robert E. Lee. Captain Leathers held Lake in his lap as he died from the gun shot. In 1896, 35 years later, Captain Leathers (80 years old) was run over by a hit-and-run bicyclist in New Orleans. His head hit the pavement and a young man, who witnessed the incident, held Leathers in his lap as he died. It was later determined that the young man who held the captain was the grandson of Judge Lake. At the time of the accident the grandson had no idea of the connection between the captain and his grandfather.

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Posted By: Ray Gurganus