augustus “gus”
evans
1847-1926
Life Story
Evans Cemetery, Newton County, Mississippi
Augustus “Gus” Evans was born enslaved about 1847 in Newton County, Mississippi, to Ben Evans (1805–1870) and Kizziah Evans (1818–?). Based on the patterns of ownership and burial locations of family members, it is highly likely that Gus was enslaved by Catherine Evans, a member of the white Evans family whose former enslaved people—and later their descendants—came to rest at what is now known as the Evans Cemetery on Mt. Moriah Road.
Early Life & Family Roots
Emerging from enslavement at the end of the Civil War, Gus entered adulthood during Reconstruction with the skills and responsibilities of a rural laborer. He worked primarily as a farmer, cultivating small plots of land as many formerly enslaved families did in Newton County. He married Melissa Ann Evans (1851–?), and from their union the following children were born:
- Ida Evans (1871–?)
- Scott Evans (1875–1925)
- Matilda Evans (1880–1935)
Gus also had a son with Amanda Brantley as according to the death certificate of his son Archie Evans (1871-1942).
By the mid-1880s, Gus entered a second marriage with Iley Jane Evans (1860–1955), a union that produced one daughter:
- Cora Evans (1886–1962)
Life as a Farmer & the Crop Lien System
Like many African American farmers in the post-Reconstruction South, Gus and his family were drawn into the crop lien system, an agricultural credit arrangement that often trapped families in annual cycles of debt.
A surviving deed of trust from 1900 shows that Gus and Iley pledged:
- their farm animals,
- wagon, and
- 40 acres of land
as collateral on a $160 loan from W. H. Chambless. This property—part of the family’s long-term foothold in Newton County—was located in Section 17, Township 5, Range 11 East, an area central to the later Altare community landscape.
Encounters With Local Law
Newspaper records help illuminate other aspects of Gus’s life.
A clipping from The Newton Record (November 13, 1902) documents Gus and Bob Evans appearing before the mayor on a gambling charge—specifically for playing “craps,” a pastime stigmatized in the language of the era. The article reflects both the criminalization of Black leisure activities and the racially biased reporting typical of early 20th-century Mississippi. Gus and Bob were convicted and fined $10 each, a significant amount for rural farm laborers at the time.
Final Years & Passing
Gus Evans lived into his late 70s. He passed away on August 10, 1926, at approximately 79 years old. His cause of death was listed as “auto-intoxication,” a medical term of the era referring to the body becoming poisoned by its own waste products—often linked to kidney failure or severe gastrointestinal disorders.
He was laid to rest among family and community members at the Evans Cemetery on Mt. Moriah Road, a sacred ground tied to generations of formerly enslaved Evans descendants.
Legacy
Augustus “Gus” Evans stands as a foundational figure in the interconnected Evans-Mosley-Chapman families of the Altare community. His life mirrors the broader story of African Americans in Newton County who journeyed from enslavement into Reconstruction, farmed the same soil that once bound them, navigated systems of debt and discrimination, and built the familial and spiritual networks that would define Altare for generations.
His descendants continue to shape the cultural and historical memory of the region, ensuring that his name—and the lives of those who endured alongside him—will not be forgotten.
Resting Place
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1870 Federal Census
- 1880 Federal Census
- 1910 Federal Census
- 1920 Federal Census
- Mississippi, U.S., Index to Deaths, 1912-1943
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
- The Newton Record, Thu, Nov 13, 1902 ·Page 3
- Site Menu
- Mississippi, U.S., State Archives, Various Records, 1820-1951
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