Dale Cox, Historian & Author
Welcome to the official blog of historian and writer Dale Cox. Articles here explore the history, archaeology, folklore, genealogy, and scenic beauty of the Southeast.
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Jackson Blue Springs sees surge in visitation!
Friday, August 2, 2024
Adventures at Coheelee Creek Falls near Blakely, Georgia!
Rachael & Kyla explore the Waterfalls of Early County, Georgia: Part 1
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Stunning Archaeological Discovery made in Chattahoochee, Florida
Nicolls' Outpost interpretive panel at River Landing Park in Chattahoochee, Florida. |
Archaeologists find complete War of 1812 fort in a Chattahoochee Park!
Outline of the fort at River Landing Park in Chattahoochee as determined by the new project. |
Monday, April 15, 2024
"Concentrate them on the Apalachicola River"
Apalachicola River at Chattahoochee, Florida. |
by Dale Cox
Chattahoochee, Florida - The Seminole Tribe of Florida and Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida have survived generations of war and are today synonymous with the Big Cypress and Everglades regions of South Florida.
Early 19th-century painting of American Indians catching and smoking sturgeon in the Apalachicola River across from Aspalaga Bluff. University of West Florida |
Andrew Jackson (Later in life.) Library of Congress |
The fourth option, proposed by none other than Andrew Jackson himself, is perhaps the most intriguing of all. Since it is the only one of the four that proposed leaving a large area of their original homeland in Seminole and Miccosukee hands - not to mention a significant area of rich agricultural and timber land - you might be interested in learning more about it. [3]
...As to those who have been born and raised within the Floridas, it is absolutely necessary that they should be collected at one point, and secured in their settlements by act of Congress, in case they cannot be prevailed upon to unite with the Creek nation, to which they originally belonged: this latter course is very desirable for their own safety, as well as dictated to us by sound policy. [4]
...Should the Indians prefer continuing within the Floridas, it will be expedient, for the safety of our frontier on the seacoast, to concentrate them on the Appalachicola river, immediately adjoining the southern boundary of Georgia and Alabama, on both sides of the river, and downward, so as to include a sufficient area for them. By this means a sufficient white population may be interposed between them and the seaboard, and afford a settlement strong enough to cover and protect St. Augustine and Pensacola, as well as the peninsula of Florida. [5]
...[Y]ou will see that the difficulty of collecting the native Indians of the Floridas to the point on the Apalachicola will not be great. They are rejoiced to hear that a country will be allowed [them] to live in at all - such have been their apprehensions of their future fate since the transfer of their country to the United States, excited, no doubt, by mischievous advisers; and they will be still more so to find that they will be fostered and protected by the American Government. [6]
19th-century paddlewheel steamer preparing to head down the Chattahoochee and Apalachicola Rivers. |
Jackson proposed that Congress immediately designate the large area for the Seminole and Miccosukee, instead of waiting for a treaty to be negotiated. He felt it made more sense to reserve these lands in Florida from the beginning before they could be settled, also pointing out that if the Indians concentrated on lands of their own, surveying the rest of the new territory would be easier. [7]
Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Where army officers tricked the Seminole exploring party. |
Trickery followed as an exploring party of Seminoles went west to look at proposed new lands in what is now Oklahoma. Before their leaders and warriors in Florida could even consider the matter, the U.S. Government claimed that these explorers had agreed for the entire tribe to go west. They said that they had not and the Seminole and Miccosukee people in Florida told U.S. officials that the explorers lacked such authority in the first place. The United States turned deaf ears to this position and fighting exploded. Men, women, and children died by the thousands.
Sylvania Marker in Jackson County The lands proposed for the Seminole and Miccosukee instead became home to some of the largest bastions of slavery in Antebellum Florida. |
It is an interesting thought to ponder. They still would have received annual payments from the U.S. Government as they did on the much poorer lands later assigned them in Central and South Florida under the Treaty of Moultrie Creek, but they would have owned by legal title - not just moral right and treaty - most if not all of four agriculturally or timber rich North Florida counties.
References
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
"By the Advice of the Indians"
A sketch of Econchattimico's town drawn in 1838. |
Rufus Ballard's farm at Econchattimico's Reserve
by Dale Cox
Signature page of the Treaty of Pope's Store (near today's Sneads). National Archives |
Blunt and his followers along with those of Davey and Cochrane gave up their lands by signing the Pope's Store Treaty in 1833 ahead of their voluntary relocation to Texas. Some of Yellow Hair's and Vacapachasse's people went with them.
[Y]our memorialist came to this Territory in the year 1828, with a view to amend his fortunes, and provide a competency for old age, availing himself of the liberal laws of the liberal laws of the United States in regard to frontier settlers; and. . . it was a proceeding attending with much privation and hardship, in consequence partly of the wildness of the country, being far remote from civilization, and its occupancy by several tribes of Indians. [2]
American Indian chief as seen on the Apalachicola River during the early 1800s. University of West Florida |
Among those "tribes of Indians" was the band of Pascofv (Pascofa), a Creek war chief who came with his people from Alabama to Florida in 1836-1837 after they were attacked by a band of white allows while waiting in a concentration camp to travel the "Trail of Tears" to what is now Oklahoma. Attacked again at the Battle of Hobdy's Bridge as they made their way south to Florida, Pascofv's followers now occupied hidden camps between the Apalachicola and Ochlockonee Rivers from which they carried on a bloody war for survival with white troops.
And your memorialist would further respectfully represent that that not knowing of any adverse claim, he originally settled on the Forbes' Purchase, the lines then not being run out: and that by the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, he found that after years of hard labor he was compelled again to enter the wilderness and make unto himself a new home. [3]
The home and small farm that Rufus Ballard lost to the Apalachicola Land Company was not a big one. He had hacked a clearing from the wilderness and built a little cabin by his own labor and it was there that he and his wife, Emily, started raising a family of six children. The company did not care and he could not afford the elevated price that it asked for the land that he had improved with his own sweat and blood.
...[B]eing thus ousted, by the advice and invitation of those who had known him many years, he was induced, in May 1838, to settle on the reserve of lands provided for the Indian Chief Econchattomico, and his tribe, beleiving that it would soon be abandoned by them, as, in fact, it was in the Fall of that year: Your Memorialist made this settlement by the advice of the Indians, and no objection has ever been made on that account. [4]
Rufus Ballard's 1844 Petition for Relief. State Archives of Florida/ Memory Collection |
Section 16, Township 5 North, Range 7 West in Econchattimico's Reserve showing the site of Ballard's Farm (labeled here as (Fryday's Field) on a land plat from 1844. |
This time, Rufus Ballard was frustrated beyond reason. The lands did not even belong to the United States but to the Native American chief Econchattimico when he settled on them. Why should he be driven from his home and cast out into the wilderness once more? He was given the little farm he now possessed by its original owners and he felt entitled to keep it, no matter what a surveyor said.
References:
Saturday, April 6, 2024
Florida Caverns employees given questionable treatment by Marianna newspaper
First Lady Casey Desantis, State Parks Director Chuck Hatcher & Park Manager Billy Bailey at Florida Caverns State Park during better days. |
Commentary by Dale Cox
.
No Illegal Acts
A Family Matter?
Question: As editor of the paper and writer of the story in question, why did you not feel it necessary to disclose the relationship between the ownership of the Jackson County Times and one of the key figures (Chuck Hatcher, Director of Florida State Parks) in this matter? (4)
Answer: I received all information quoted in the paper from the State of Florida. None of the documents I received made mention of Chuck Hatcher in any capacity. Therefore, I felt there was no need to include him in the article. (5)
Park Manager Billy Bailey at a Caverns Cultural Celebration event enjoys speaking with noted artist Lillie Clark. |
I am not suggesting that a father who owns a newspaper would use his publication's pages to support his son in a controversial issue involving popular local park employees. I am questioning whether a writer not disclosing the connection in this particular story was a serious breach of journalistic ethics.
This is what the Code of Ethics assembled by the Society of Professional Journalists says about the matter: "Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. Disclose unavoidable conflicts." (6)
The same society recommends for further reading an article by journalism expert Tony Rogers, who included this on his list of recommendations for avoiding conflicts of interest:
Don't Cover Friends or Family Members. If you have a friend or relative who is in the public spotlight....you must recuse yourself from covering that person as a reporter. Readers simply won't believe that you'll be as tough on that person as you are on everyone else — and they'll probably be right. (7)
I asked Shelia if as the editor of a small town newspaper she was familiar with the SPJ's Code of Ethics and whether she believed they represented "best practices" for journalists. This is what she told me:
Answer: I am familiar with the SPJ Code of Ethics. I strive very hard to be fair to everyone involved in any story I write. That is why I waited until the Times had received all information from the state and quoted their findings and standings. (8)
She went on to state:
As an added note, the TIMES also published a Letter to the Editor in the same edition from a supporter of the park employees. We, in no way, voiced an opinion one way or the other in reference to the actions taken by the State. (9)
So, if the Jackson County Times was familiar with one of the best known code of ethics for journalists, and if the newspaper was familiar with all with the workings of state government, they surely must have known that this many employees at a premier Northwest Florida state park do not get severely punished without the Director of the state park service knowing about it.
Why not just fess up and admit that your newspaper has an above average family collection to the state park service director?
I do hope that all of the writers at the Jackson County Times will not just familiarize themselves with the SPJ and its Code of Ethics, but follow them. All communities need good sources of strong, independent, and fair local journalism. Newspapers should not be there to smooth things over for those with influence. They should treat everyone the same and tell all stories the same.
Innocent until proven guilty? Not in Jackson County!
Answer: The allegations published were already a matter of public record. I did not contact any of the four employees involved in the issues at the Park. (12)
First, there are actually seven employees involved in the issues at the park, not four - if you do not count the employee who filed truth-challenged allegations in the first place. (13)
Second, just because an allegation is a matter of public record, a newspaper assumes that the accused no longer are entitled to defend themselves in anyway? This is America and these people were not found guilty in a court of law or even charged with a crime - in which case they would still be innocent until proven guilty. These are state employees who have been accused of crossing the lines of administrative rules at an environmental agency.
There are many state employees in Jackson County. I hope that they all pay attention to the above answer from the Jackson County Times, because the newspaper has made clear exactly how it will treat you should you ever be accused of breaking an administrative rule of any type. It won't bother to even contact you and give you a chance to defend yourself. A mere accusation in the public record is enough.
By the way, I also contacted Chuck Hatcher, director of Florida's state parks, to give him a chance to comment for this column. I have not heard back from him but should he answer my questions, I will happily add his comments.
Who writes what and when?
Question: I noticed that the story published under your byline included, verbatim and unattributed, sentences and phrases from an earlier story by Cortney Evans of WMBB. I do realize that the Jackson County Times has a cooperative arrangement with WMBB, but is it your regular practice to publish under your own byline the work of another local reporter without giving that individual credit?
Answer: The Times does share a partnership with WMBB. The full interviews were forwarded to me and those that were published were the ones I opted to use. (14)
Fair enough, as far as it goes, but I was hoping that she would specifically address not the quotes from the recordings that WMBB made during interviews with local supporters of the park employees recently, but actual writing from her story itself. Shelia published under her own name lines lifted from the story written by Cortney Evans of WMBB. Here are a couple of examples:
Cortney Evans, WMBB: "The state completed an investigation at the park about the handling of wildlife and historical artifacts.
Shelia Mader, Times: "The state completed an investigation at the park about the handling of wildlife and historical artifacts.
Cortney Evans, WMBB: "But, some of those heroes are now being reprimanded by the state. Cox said one of the allegations involves how they handled the rehabilitation of a baby owl.
Shelia Mader, Times: "Some of those employees are now being reprimanded by the state. One of the allegations involves the handling of the rehabilitation of a baby owl. (15)
Note that the Jackson County Times downplayed WMBB's description of the park employees as "heroes." Some of them stayed in the park through Hurricane Michael to protect it from looting.
What really happened at Florida Caverns?
Reference is made to your letter of inquiry to the Region One Office, National Park Service, concerning Florida Caverns archeological collections stored at Ocmulgee National Monument. Regional Director Allen, on March 19, has advised that this material has not been restored.
On March 14 to 17, consecutively, we sent the material by parcel post to Florida Caverns. There are four boxes containing the pottery which should be received by now.
We regret that restoration of the pottery for purposes of exhibit was not completed due to the cessation of laboratory work during wartime [i.e., World War II]. (18)
These boxes of artifacts included material excavated at the park between 1930 and 1940 by archaeologists from the National Park Service. All of those artifacts have been carefully protected without issue by park employees for more than 75-years. They were never taken out of the park by anyone until the State of Florida seized them and took them to Tallahassee as part of this investigation.
These important cultural materials came from the caves and surrounding archaeological sites at Florida Caverns. Nothing wrong took place regarding them. They are now in Tallahassee and will likely never be returned to the community where they belong. Instead they will be placed in a basement in the capital city and forgotten. At Florida Caverns, they were perfectly safe and well-protected by a dedicated and conscientious team of employees that for three-quarters of a century made sure that nothing happened to them.
The Reports
I requested copies of the archaeological investigation from Dr. McFadden and the inspector general's investigation from Parks Director Hatcher under the provisions of Florida's Open Records laws. Neither of them responded to me.
I subsequently contacted Inspector General Fuller directly and received an immediate response and within three hours a copy of the requested report. I repeated my request to Dr. McFadden for a copy of the archaeological report one week after my original, this time copying it to her boss as well, and immediately received a copy from the the Division of Historical Resources. (19)
I still have heard nothing from Dr. McFadden or Chuck Hatcher themselves. I am also still waiting for the state to comply with public records requests for emails surrounding the investigation.
Park Manager Billy Bailey
The Florida Caverns Seven and State Employees
- Balance the public's need for information against potential harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance or undue intrusiveness.
- Show compassion for those who may be affected by news coverage. Use heightened sensitivity when dealing with. . . subjects who are inexperience or unable to give consent.
- Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than public figures and others who seek power, influence, or attention. Weigh the consequences of publishing or broadcasting personal information. (20)
Conclusion - Five Questions
- Have our friends and neighbors at Florida Caverns State Park been treated fairly by all of us, by the State of Florida, and by the local newspaper?
- Do all seven of the park employees deserve a second chance? I've been wrong more than I've been right in life and without second chances, I don't know where I would be today.
- Should 18 or 28 years on a job at one place count for something, especially if you work for the state or county? Should dedication still mean anything?
- Should a local newspaper be honest when it has connections to people of power on one side of a story? Should it do its best to be balanced and fair about the local news. Does everyone that it covers deserve a fair shake, regardless of how much money they have or political power they might wield?
- When an investigation says that someone is cleared of a crime, should a news story include that fact? When the recommendation of an inspector general is for more training, is that an indictment of the employees themselves, or of their supervisors in Tallahassee?
Friday, July 28, 2023
Blue Springs State Park near Clio, Alabama
Sunday, April 30, 2023
The Great FOOTBALL Clash between MALONE & MARIANNA!
1925 Pigskin Classic Electrified Jackson County!
by Dale Cox
Friday, December 16, 2022
The Battle of Fort Hughes in Bainbridge, Georgia
A Seminole War fight for survival!
The site of Fort Hughes is marked by a federal monument placed at today's J.D. Chason Memorial Park in the 1880s. |
This story continues below. To enjoy a video version, click to play:
Fort Hughes is one of the stops on the Creek Heritage Trail. A series of interpretive panels at J.D. Chason Memorial Park tell the story of the fort and the Creek and Seminole Wars. |
Neamathla (Eneah Emathla) was the powerful and charismatic chief of Fowltown, a village near today's Bainbridge, Georgia. He likely took part in the Battle of Fort Hughes. |
A luminary and memorial service held in 2017 to mark the 200ths anniversary of the fights at Fowltown and Fort Hughes. |
The attacking force was unable to take Fort Hughes. The blockhouses of the outpost projected slightly from the walls, allowing Capt. McIntosh and his men to fire at any warriors who approached the stockade. The soldiers, meanwhile, were protected by the log walls of the blockhouses, and the attack force couldn't harm them.
Fort Hughes included two blockhouses similar to this reconstructed one at Fort Mitchell Historic Site in Alabama. |
The battle continued for three days before the chiefs and Cook finally decided that it was useless to continue and called off the fight. He and his force withdrew to the Suwannee, but their object was achieved. Lt. Col. Arbuckle at Fort Scott realized the vulnerability of Fort Hughes and sent troops to withdraw Capt. McIntosh's detachment.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the log walls of the fort later burned. Whether this fire took place during or after the war is not known.
The site of Fort Hughes can be visited today at J.D. Chason Memorial Park. Visitors can see a monument, interpretive panels, beautiful old trees, and a great view of the Flint River. The site is temporarily closed due to a major park enhancement project being carried out by the City of Bainbridge.
Click play here to learn more about the archaeological discovery of Fort Hughes: