Volume I, pp. 718-19

Dr. R.D. Farish, physician, Mayersville, Miss., who is a descendant of old and honored families on both the father’s and mother’s side, was born in Wilkinson county, Miss., in the year 1845, and is now one of the leading physicians of Issaquena county. His father, Hazelwood Farish, was a native of the Old Dominion, and his mother, Jane L. (Davis) Farish was born in Mississippi. After his marriage Hazelwood Farish settled in Wilkinson county, Miss., and was considered one of the ablest and most distinguished lawyers in the state. He died in 1849. He and wife were the parents of three children, who were named in the order of their births as follows: Hon. W.S., an attorney; Dr. Robert D. and Fannie, widow of W. Stout, formerly of Arkansas. Their grandfather served with distinction as an officer in the Revolutionary war, and Wilkinson county now has charge of his side arms. The maternal grandmother was a sister of the late Jefferson Davis of the Confederacy. Dr. R.D. Faris was in attendance at school when the war broke out, but in 1862 he abandoned his books and enlisted as a private in company I, Thirty-ninth Mississippi infantry, attached to the armies under Generals Price, Johnston and Pemberton. For nearly two years he served as a private, and was afterward made an ordnance sergeant in the regular army by commission from the secretary of war, and stationed at Demopolis, Ala. After the evacuation of Mobile, Ala., he was placed in charge of  a steamer to transfer ordnance to Columbus, where he was stationed when notified of General Lee’s surrender. He then turned over the supplies in his charge to the government officials at Macon, Miss., and went to Meridian, of that state, where he was paroled by General Canby. After the war the Doctor entered the University of Virginia and later entered the medical department of the University of Louisiana, from which he received his diploma in 1869. He first commenced practicing in Wilkinson county, remained there three years and then moved to Issaquena county, where he has practiced ever since. He is sanitary physician and health officer of the county, and mayor of the village of Mayersville. He is also chairman of the democratic executive committee of the county. He was married in 1876 to Miss. C.H. Power, of Natchez, daughter of Stephen F. Power, and niece of Gen. N.H. Harris of Confederate fame. The father, a Mexican veteran, was formerly from New Orleans, but moved to Natchez, where he became one of the prominent men of the city. To the doctor’s marriage there were born five children, four of whom are living: Robert Davis, Hazelwood P., Caroline, Robert W. (deceased), and Jefferson Davis. Mrs. Farish is a member of the Episcopal church, a graduate of St. Simeon’s academy, New Orleans, and an accomplished scholar and musician. Although he takes considerable interest in politics, Dr. Farish is by no means an officeseeker. He has shown his appreciation of secret societies by becoming a member of the Masonic fraternity, W.H. Stephen’s lodge No. 121, of Vicksburg, the Knights of Pythias, Lee lodge and the American Legion of Honor. Unlike his brother, Captain Farish, the Doctor is of medium hight, fair complexion, and is inclined to corpulency. He is a leading physician of the county, and has won an enviable reputation as a practitioner of the healing art throughout the Yazoo delta.