The publisher's price for both my books is exorbitant, despite my pleading to lower the rate. Consequently, I'm happy to offer both my books:
The Jackson County War and After War Times for my author's price plus shipping at about $25 each for the hardcover editions, instead of the list price of $39.95.
Contact me directly at danweinfeld@gmail.com if you want to take this offer.
Tuesday, August 02, 2016
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Evidence that Emanuel Fortune was a Russ Family Slave
In working on the After War Times book, we had assumed that the Russ family had held Emanuel Fortune as a slave, but could not find proof. Finally, evidence comes from the court case of Russ v. Russ in the Reports of Cases Argued and Adjudged in the Supreme Court of Florida for the 1860-61 term (available on google books). The case involved a challenge on behalf of a Russ granddaughter o the settlement of the will of Joseph Russ who had died in 1849. Russ's will, which is dated Feb. 11, 1845, is reprinted in the court report and contains the following provision:
The slaves bequeathed by Joseph Russ to his son, Joseph W. Russ, under "Item 6th," include Dorah and her children, who include Madison, Emanuel and Hammon. Dorah is certainly the woman identified by T. Thomas Fortune in After War Times as his grandmother Docia. Fortune mentions both Madison and Hammon as step-brothers of Emanuel. Their father was John Pope who became the county's leading AME Minister and a county school board member after Emancipation. Fortune writes that both Madison and Hammon fled Jackson County to join the U.S. Colored Troops. Emanuel is certainly TT Fortune's father and would have been about 11 years old at the time the will was sworn.
The slaves bequeathed by Joseph Russ to his son, Joseph W. Russ, under "Item 6th," include Dorah and her children, who include Madison, Emanuel and Hammon. Dorah is certainly the woman identified by T. Thomas Fortune in After War Times as his grandmother Docia. Fortune mentions both Madison and Hammon as step-brothers of Emanuel. Their father was John Pope who became the county's leading AME Minister and a county school board member after Emancipation. Fortune writes that both Madison and Hammon fled Jackson County to join the U.S. Colored Troops. Emanuel is certainly TT Fortune's father and would have been about 11 years old at the time the will was sworn.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Military Occupation of Jackson County during Reconstruction
Greg Downs, author of the groundbreaking book After Appomattox took on the imposing effort of collecting military posting information for the South during the Reconstruction period. To supplement his book and graphically demonstrate his findings, Downs created the invaluable http://mappingoccupation.org website. Downs has also helpfully posted his raw data in an excel spreadsheet, which includes many locations in Florida.
Downs begins his dataset with May 1865, but doesn't show troops stationed in Marianna until September. This appears to be incorrect since both military and private correspondence state that Capt. John F. Little and fifty soldiers from the 161st NY Volunteers occupied Marianna in early July 1865 and remained at least through September. Downs does report 151 soldiers in Marianna during Sept. and Oct. (I find this number a bit strange - is there a transcription error with the regiment ordinal "161"?). Around this time Major Nathan Cutler returned to Marianna to replace Capt. Little as commander of the post.
The most surprising data to me is Downs' claim of the appearance in November and December 1865 of United States Colored Troops in Marianna. After troops initially left in October, reports of lawlessness, including drunkeness, arson, and violence, prompted the US military commander in Florida to send soldiers back to Jackson County. My research indicates that soldiers from the 7US Infantry were dispatched to Marianna. I'm skeptical that USCT troops were stationed in Marianna at this time - or if they did arrive, that they stayed long at all - because no contemporaneous reports knowns to me from late 1865 mention USCTs in Marianna. We do know from letters that Marianna whites were very apprehensive about the possibility of USCT occupation troops so the absence of any known complaints about their arrival in late 1865 seems to contradict Downs' dataset. Neither does Bureau officer Charles Hamilton, who arrived about a month later, ever refer to USCT posted in Jackson County.
Downs begins his dataset with May 1865, but doesn't show troops stationed in Marianna until September. This appears to be incorrect since both military and private correspondence state that Capt. John F. Little and fifty soldiers from the 161st NY Volunteers occupied Marianna in early July 1865 and remained at least through September. Downs does report 151 soldiers in Marianna during Sept. and Oct. (I find this number a bit strange - is there a transcription error with the regiment ordinal "161"?). Around this time Major Nathan Cutler returned to Marianna to replace Capt. Little as commander of the post.
The most surprising data to me is Downs' claim of the appearance in November and December 1865 of United States Colored Troops in Marianna. After troops initially left in October, reports of lawlessness, including drunkeness, arson, and violence, prompted the US military commander in Florida to send soldiers back to Jackson County. My research indicates that soldiers from the 7US Infantry were dispatched to Marianna. I'm skeptical that USCT troops were stationed in Marianna at this time - or if they did arrive, that they stayed long at all - because no contemporaneous reports knowns to me from late 1865 mention USCTs in Marianna. We do know from letters that Marianna whites were very apprehensive about the possibility of USCT occupation troops so the absence of any known complaints about their arrival in late 1865 seems to contradict Downs' dataset. Neither does Bureau officer Charles Hamilton, who arrived about a month later, ever refer to USCT posted in Jackson County.
Date # of soldiers Regiment/Commander
1865
July - Aug 50 161NY / Little
Sept – Oct. 151
Nov: 38 (USCT)* *(probably 7 US/Comba).
Dec: 87 (USCT) *
1866
Jan: 86 7 US / Comba
Feb: 49 7 US/ Comba
March 49 7 US/ Comba
[April ? 7 US/ Comba]
[April ? 7 US/ Comba]
Dec: 8 7 US
1867
Jan: 7 7 US
Feb: 8 7 US
March 7
April 7 "
May 7 "
June 14 " / Benjamin
1868:
[Feb - May ? 7 US/Bomford & Hancock
July ? 7 US/ Coolidge]
[Feb - May ? 7 US/Bomford & Hancock
July ? 7 US/ Coolidge]
Oct: 70 7 US
Nov: 70 7 US
Dec: 67 7 US
1869
Jan: 67 7 US
[Oct - Dec. 20 8 US
1870
Jan. - April 20? 8 US
1871
Dec. 20 2 US
1872
Nov. ? 2 US]
Italics indicate data not reported by mappingoccupation.org. This information comes from the Freedmen's Bureau reports and The Jackson County War book.
[Oct - Dec. 20 8 US
1870
Jan. - April 20? 8 US
1871
Dec. 20 2 US
1872
Nov. ? 2 US]
Italics indicate data not reported by mappingoccupation.org. This information comes from the Freedmen's Bureau reports and The Jackson County War book.
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