"The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge" is now in Print!

My latest book, The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge, hit the printing press today! This book features an in depth historical look at Florida's most famous ghost story.

Popular local legend holds that Bellamy Bridge, a steel-frame structure that spans the Chipola River north of Marianna, is haunted by the restless ghost of Elizabeth Jane Bellamy. She died when she was still a young woman and is buried near the bridge, but her name and memory live on in the vivid story of the "Burning Bride" of Bellamy Bridge.

The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge recounts the legend and then delves into the true history of Elizabeth Bellamy and Bellamy Bridge while also investigating claims of ghost sitings at the bridge. Included are numerous photos that many believe show the ghost of Bellamy Bridge!

In addition, a second section of the book features a variety of other ghost and monster stories from Jackson County, including tales from Marianna, Sneads, Two Egg, Parramore, Graceville, Cottondale, Greenwood and more!

100% of the sales price of this book benefits the new Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail on Highway 162 between Greenwood and US 231. This new public historic site is being developed without the use of a single tax dollar and the book has been donated to raise money for the trail.

You can order now to receive yours in time for Christmas: www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamybook.

A limited number of copies will be available next week at Chipola River Book & Tea in Downtown Marianna. The book will also be available at the Jackson County Tourism Office at the historic Russ House in coming weeks.

New Book: "The Claude Neal Lynching" now available!

"The Claude Neal Lynching," my latest book, is now available at Amazon.com.

The book examines the 1934 murders of Lola Cannady, Claude Neal and Deputy Dave Ham in Jackson County, Florida.

Nineteen-year-old Lola Cannady was a young woman who lived and worked on a farm just north of the town of Greenwood. On October 18, 1934, she went to water her family's hogs and was never seen alive again by her family. The next morning her badly beaten and battered body was found covered with logs and brush in a nearby wooded area.

Evidence found at the scene led investigators to the nearby home of Claude Neal, a 23-year-old farm worker who eventually confessed to the crime. Neal was arrested in nearby Malone and then moved from jail to jail across the Florida Panhandle and into South Alabama in a desperate effort by law enforcement officers to save him from a mob that was determined to lynch him for the crime.

As the effort to protect Neal was underway, one of Jackson County's handful of deputies was shot and wounded by a convicted bank robber. Deputy Dave Ham would die from his wounds.

The nine days of chaos in Jackson County culminated when Neal was taken from the jail in Brewton, Alabama, by a group of men carrying guns and dynamite. Taken to a remote spot deep in the Chattahoochee River swamps, he was tortured and lynched. On the morning of October 27, 1934, his body was found hanging from a tree at the Jackson County Courthouse in Marianna.

Riots followed and Governor Dave Sholtz was forced to send in the Florida National Guard to occupy Marianna as the only way to calm the outbreak. It was one of the most violent civil disturbances in the history of the South.

The new book reveals never before seen detail on the incidents of October 1934, including information from interviews with two men (now deceased) who were involved in the actual lynching. A chronological history, "The Claude Neal Lynching" explores not just the lynching of Neal, but the murders of Lola Cannady and Dave Ham in great depth, while also detailing the events of the Marianna Riot.

Attention is also devoted to clearing up many of the misconceptions and even outright falsehoods that have surrounded the story of these events, thanks to thousands of writings that have not been based on reliable information.

The book can be purchased for $19.95 for instant delivery through Amazon.com by clicking here:  The Claude Neal Lynching: The 1934 Murders of Claude Neal and Lola Cannady

It is also available as an instant download for Amazon Kindle devices and software for $6.95:  The Claude Neal Lynching

If you live and shop in Marianna, the book will be available at Chipola River Book and Tea in Downtown Marianna by the middle of next week. If you would like to reserve a copy in advance, you can drop in and do that at anytime.

"A Christmas in Two Egg" draws Overflow Crowds!

Overflow Crowd for First Performance

So many people turned out for Sunday's first ever performance of "A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida - The Play" that the cast staged a second impromptu performance.

Based on my short novel of the same name, the play's cast featured residents from around the Two Egg area of Jackson County. Some of them even portrayed their own ancestors.

Ben's Redemption - A Scene from "A Christmas in Two Egg"

A Christian novel centered around a Christmas Eve night in Two Egg, the book and play tell the story of the redemption of a man named Ben. Angry and depressed, he finds himself alone at Christmas and disturbed by noises from his barn. As the story unfolds, it includes glimpses into the real history of Two Egg. In both the book and play, a group of local men sitting around the historic Bevis Store in Two Egg share stories of how the community got its unusual name.

The play was staged for the first time on Sunday, December 18th, at the Lovedale Baptist Church Fellowship Hall near Two Egg and the audience was at capacity nearly thirty minutes before opening time. Dozens more visited a temporary "Museum of Two Egg History" and enjoyed refreshments while they waited for a quickly promised second performance.

"Gabriel" (left) discusses his role with the author.

The cast acted out scenes from the book, all linked together by readings and story tellings. The Lovedale Baptist Church Men's Ensemble and Children & Youth Ensemble provided the opening music while the choir, with soloist Helen Davis, played the host of angels that appear unexpectedly over Two Egg at the plays climactic moment.

The church is considering making the play an annual part of Christmas in Jackson County.

If you haven't read the book and would like to, it is available through Chipola River Book & Tea in Downtown Marianna (same block as the Gazebo restaurant) or online for delivery by Christmas through Amazon:   A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida

It is also available as an instant download for your Kindle reading device or free Kindle software (available through Amazon):  A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida (Kindle)

"A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida" - The Play! (Performance set for December 18th)

Lovedale Baptist Church near Two Egg will present the stage version of my short novel, A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida, on Sunday, December 18th at 6 p.m.
There is no charge to attend, but all donations will go to support the youth of the church in their upcoming activities. If you make a donation of at least $10, you can receive a free copy of the book and I will be there and will be happy to sign and inscribe it for you if you like.

This will be a unique opportunity to travel back in time to the days when Two Egg got its name and experience a nostalgic look at life in the community during the difficult days of the Great Depression. The entire cast is from the Two Egg area and one fascinating scene brings together a group of men who will tell their own stories of how the community was named.

The play and book tell the story of an elderly man named Ben who has, through misfortune not of his own making, been left along and bitter on a Christmas Eve night. He hears noises in his barn and goes to investigate. What he finds changes not only his own life, but the life of every man, woman and child in Two Egg.

The story is fiction, drawn completely from the mind, but the place and many of the people are real. The stories of how the community by its name will be told completely unscripted by the men exactly as they have heard them all of their lives.

The audience will be able to interact with cast members after the play and there will also be an exhibit of antiques, tools, photographs and other items of interest from the Two Egg area.

Please come out for this wonderful opportunity to get to know many of the people of the Two Egg area and to experience a Christmas story that I think you will enjoy and cherish!

If you are interested in reading the book, it is available at Chipola River Book and Tea on Lafayette Street in Downtown Marianna (in the same block as the Gazebo Restaurant), or you can order it online from Amazon at www.twoeggfla.com/books.

Lovedale Baptist Church is located at 6595 Lovedale Road (Bascom, Florida). To reach the church from State Road 69 at Two Egg, travel north on CR-69A (Wintergreen Road) for 2 miles then turn right on Lovedale Road and travel 1.9 miles. The church will be on your right.

Learn more about Two Egg anytime at www.twoeggfla.com!

New Edition of The Battle of Marianna, Florida is now in print!

The new Expanded Edition of The Battle of Marianna, Florida is now available!

The new edition includes nearly 50 pages of new information as well as maps, additional photographs and expanded casualty lists. The book features a much more detailed account not only of the Battle of Marianna itself, but also of the events of the raid leading to and following the 1864 encounter. A great deal of new information about events in Walton, Holmes, Jackson and Washington Counties has been included.

The Battle of Marianna was fought on September 27, 1864, at the climax of the deepest penetration of Confederate Florida during the entire Civil War. A column of 700 Union soldiers from the 2nd Maine Cavalry, 1st Florida U.S. Cavalry, 82nd U.S. Colored Troops, 86th U.S. Colored Troops and 7th Vermont Veteran Volunteers began crossing Pensacola Bay to what is now Gulf Breeze on September 15, 1864. The crossing took three days to complete and on the 18th the force moved west to the site of Camp Walton at today's Fort Walton Beach where a base camp was established. From there the raid inflicted heavy damage on the settled areas of Walton, Holmes and western Jackson Counties before reaching Marianna.

The fight at Marianna was one of the most intense small battles of the Civil War. Many of the participants were veterans who had served in some of the largest engagements of the war and those who left accounts commented almost to a person on the severity of the battle. One called it the fiercest battle of its size he encountered during his four years of fighting.

The battle ended with the looting of the City of Marianna and the capture of an estimated 20% of its male population. Many of these men were carried away to Northern prisoner of war camps where nearly half died before the end of the war. In addition, an estimated 600 African American slaves were freed by the Union soldiers as they advanced. After the battle, the raid turned southwest through Washington County and back to Choctawhatchee Bay.

The new Expanded Edition is available by clicking the ad at the upper left. Signed copies are now in stock at Chipola River Book & Tea in Downtown Marianna (on Lafayette Street, across from the Battle of Marianna Monument). Amazon.com also has it available as a download in electronic format for Kindle reading devices or those who use their free Kindle software on their computers or smart phones.

You can learn more about the battle at www.battleofmarianna.com.

Kindle version of "The Battle of Marianna, Florida" is now available!!

Amazon has begun the process of releasing the new Expanded Edition of my book, "The Battle of Marianna, Florida." If you have a Kindle reading device or use their free Kindle software on your computer, Ipad, smartphone, etc., it is now available for instant download at the discounted price of $9.95.

The print version of the new edition, which includes 50 pages of new material, a full bibliography, expanded casualty and soldier listings, more photographs and additional maps will be out sometime next week. I'll let you know as soon as it is available.

The Battle of Marianna was fought on September 27, 1864, and was one of the fiercest small battles of the War Between the States. It took place when a column of 700 Union troops attacked the city after advancing from Pensacola through today's Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Holmes Counties. A force of several hundred Confederate reservists, militia, home guards and volunteers tried to defend the city in what turned into a brutal hand to hand fight.

It is a little known fact that the battle concluded the deepest penetration of Confederate Florida by Union troops during the entire War Between the States. The raid to and from Marianna inflicted more economic damage on Jackson, Washington, Holmes and Walton Counties than was suffered by any other Florida counties during the war. The battle also represented the last major effort by Southern forces to defend Northwest Florida.

If you are interested in purchasing the Kindle e-book, you can do so by clicking the ad above. I'll let you know as soon as the new print version is ready for purchase!

Book Signing set for Saturday, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Chipola River Book & Tea in Downtown Marianna will be hosting a book signing on Saturday to celebrate the release of my new book, A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida.

The event will run from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. (or until the book supply runs out), so if you would like an autographed copy to use as a gift for Christmas, come on down! Copies of my other books will also be available and I'll be glad to specially inscribe them as gifts.

The new book is my first short novel and tells the story of a lonely man named Ben and a Christmas Eve night that forever changes the life of the people of Two Egg. While the story is entirely from my imagination, it does include elements of local history that will be of interest, including some of the stories of how Two Egg got its unusual name. The book is Christian in nature and is the kind of story you can be comfortable reading out loud with your family for many Christmas holidays to come.

The book is specially priced at $9.95 because I know these are hard times for many people and I wanted to make it affordable. It is currently in stock at Chipola Book & Tea, which is located on the same block as the Gazebo Restaurant and has entrances on both Lafayette and Market Streets.  It is also available through Amazon.com with guaranteed delivery by Christmas.


If you are interested in some of my other books, here are links to order them through Amazon.com:

Chipola River Book & Tea now has signed copies of "A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida" in stock!

Autographed copies of my new short novel, A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida, are now in stock at Chipola River Book & Tea in Downtown Marianna.

The book tells the story of a lonely man named Ben, the mysterious stranger he has seen lurking around his barn, and what happens to the people of Two Egg on a magical Christmas Eve long ago. My first work of fiction, it is set in our favorite local community of Two Egg during the days of the Great Depression. The story is Christian and is suitable for sitting and reading out loud with the family this Christmas. It is priced at $9.95.

The book is also available in both print and Kindle versions through Amazon.com (just follow the link at the top of this posting).

I will be available to personally write greetings in books at Book & Tea on Saturday, December 18th from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. They are located in Downtown Marianna on the same block as the Gazebo Restaurant, directly across Lafayette Street from the Battle of Marianna Monument, and also carry a full selection of signed copies of my other books.

"A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida" - New Book is Now Available!

My new short novel - A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida - is now available in paperback through Amazon.com.

My first venture into nonfiction writing, A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida began as a script for a church play and grew into a small book. It tells the story of a man named Ben who finds himself along and forgotten in Two Egg on a Christmas Eve night back in the days of the Great Depression - or at least, so he thinks.

As a rare Florida snow falls, Ben encounters a mysterious man he has seen lurking around his barn for several nights and his world is changed in an instant.

The book is a short Christian novel and I hope you enjoy it. It is available now for immediate delivery through Amazon.com by following the link at the upper left of this posting. It should be available at Chipola River Book & Tea in downtown Marianna by next weekend, for as long as supplies last.

I will be doing a signing at Book & Tea on Saturday, December 18th, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., so if you order now feel free to bring your copy on by and I'll be glad to sign it for you. I'll also be glad to do custom inscriptions in books you would like to give as Christmas gifts. Chipola River Book & Tea is located on Lafayette Street in downtown Marianna, right across from the Battle of Marianna Monument, and is the official local outlet for all of my books.

Best,
Dale Cox

A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida - New Novel now available in Hardcover Collector's Edition!

I'm pleased to announce that my new short novel, A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida, is now available in a hardcover collector's edition! The hardcover edition is only available for order online.

The paperback edition will be released locally at a special signing event on December 18th at Chipola River Book & Tea in downtown Marianna. I will be on hand to sign books from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

My first venture into writing fiction, A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida, is a short novel about a man named Ben and his life in Jackson County during the difficult days of the Great Depression. Made hard and angry by tragic events that have destroyed his family, Ben finds himself troubled on a Christmas Eve night by a mysterious stranger that has been lurking around his barn.

What follows is a story of a man facing his own life and his own fears and the remarkable gift he not only receives, but gives as well. The hardcover edition is available online at:

http://www.lulu.com/product/hardcover/a-christmas-in-two-egg-florida/14007061

Writing fiction is a big change for me, but I hope you enjoy it!

Dale Cox

Book Signing tomorrow morning

If you will be in and around Marianna tomorrow (Saturday) morning from 10 a.m. until around noon, I will be doing a signing at Chipola River Book and Tea. Copies of both of my new books, Old Parramore: The History of a Florida Ghost Town and the expanded edition of The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida, will be available, along with all of my other Florida books. I'll be glad to do special inscriptions for you if you would like to use them as special Christmas or birthday gifts.

Chipola River Book and Tea is located in downtown Marianna on the same block as the Gazebo Restaurant. You can enter from either Lafayette or Market Street. I'll bet there from noon until 12ish.

New Expanded Edition of "The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida" is Now Available!

The new and expanded edition of my book, The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida: The Confederate Defense of Tallahassee, is now available.

A companion volume to my book on the Battle of Marianna, which will also be released in new and expanded form soon, this book explores the history of the Battle of Natural Bridge, which was fought along the St. Marks River south of Tallahassee on March 6, 1865. The last significant Confederate victory of the War Between the States, this battle not only preserved Tallahassee's status as the only Southern capital east of the Mississippi not captured during the war, it also saved much of North Florida and South Georgia from vast economic devastation.

The expanded edition of the book includes a great deal of new information, including a section featuring original accounts of the battle, expanded casualty lists and the fascinating and mysterious story of the "last casualty" of the Battle of Natural Bridge.

Many men from Jackson County fought in the Battle of Natural Bridge and the book includes numerous mentions of the county and its connections to the engagement.

To order the new book, please follow the link above. To learn more about the battle, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/nbindex.

Old Parramore - New Book by Dale Cox now available!

For Immediate Release:
September 17, 2010

A limited number of autographed copies of Old Parramore: The History of a Florida Ghost Town, the latest book from writer and historian Dale Cox, are now available by order only.

The book is the eighth by Cox, a Jackson County native and graduate of Malone High School, and tells the story of Old Parramore, a once thriving steamboat port on the Chattahoochee River in Jackson County. The town reached its height between 1885 and 1927, before gradually fading away as trucks and trains replaced the paddlewheel riverboats that once nosed up to the town's landings.

The volume will be available in local and online bookstores in about two weeks, but advance orders can now be placed for a limited number of autographed copies by visiting www.twoeggfla.com/oldparramore.

Please allow 10-15 business days for delivery.