Sunnyside Bed & Breakfast (Natchez, MS)…read more
We came out for a night of desserts and music during the spring pilgrimage so I can't speak on the bed and breakfast aspect. The owners were super friendly. The environment was inviting. And don't get me started on how good the desserts were. I heard a lot of people bragging on how good the breakfast was here too!
"Rev. William Hamilton Watkins (1815-1881) built Sunnyside as a parsonage in the 1850s. When the Union troops were camped close, a Union soldier by the name of Jones became friends with the Watkins family. Watkins' daughter, Hattie, fell in love with him.
Jones was nearby when Confederates came to Watkins for assistance. They ask if he would contribute to the Confederacy. Watkins agreed. His oldest son was fighting in the war, and he hoped that some of his contributions would get to his son.
Jones, however, reported Watkins to the Union Army, Watkins was arrested and charged with treason. During his trial, the commandant told Watkins that the crimes for which he was charged are punishable by death. Watkins replied, "I know nothing of the laws of war, only the gospel of God."
Watkins' bail was set at $10,000, which is equivalent to about $188,755.21 in 2023. Because he only made $1,100 a year (about $20,763.07 in 2023), he could not come up with the money. He remained incarcerated until the end of 1865. Once released, he went on to minister in Jackson, Vicksburg, Woodville, and other places."