First Fighting of Marianna Raid was 149 Year Ago Today

Euchee Valley Presbyterian Church in Eucheeanna

It was 149 years ago today on September 23, 1864, that the first fighting of the Marianna Raid took place.

Having left Pensacola Bay on September 18, 1864, Union troops led by Brig. Gen. Alexander Asboth reached the outskirts of the small community of Eucheeanna in Walton County during the pre-dawn darkness of September 23rd.

Aware that two detachments of Confederate cavalry were camped in the village, which was then the county seat of Walton County, Gen. Asboth ordered the 2nd Maine Cavalry to form a line of battle and charge. Led by Lt. Col. Andrew Spurling, the Maine cavalry hit Eucheeanna at daybreak, taking the Confederates there completely by surprise.

Church and Cemetery in Eucheeanna

The brief skirmish at Eucheeanna, in which no one was reported wounded on either side, was the first clash of Asboth's Raid on Marianna, an expedition that would culminate on September 27, 1864, at the Battle of Marianna.

Eucheeanna, Florida

The Confederates at Eucheeanna consisted of two detachments of cavalry. One, from the Fifteenth Confederate Cavalry, had come over from the large Confederate post in Pollard, Alabama.  The other, from Captain Robert Chisolm's Woodville Scouts of the Alabama State Militia, had been sent from Marianna. Both detachments were "enforcing the conscription." In 1864 terminology, "enforcing the conscription" meant the same thing as drafting soldiers would mean today.

The detachments escaped via the Geneva Road, although several prisoners were taken by the attacking Federals. Among those captured was Lt. Francis Gordon of the Fifteenth Confederate Cavalry. Several civilians also were captured during the attack, among them William Cawthon, Allen Hart and Col. William Torrance. Cawthon and Hart were cattle ranchers with large herds in the Walton County area. Torrance was a former officer from the Alabama State Militia who had been sent down to purchase beef for his state's troops.

Historic Marker at Euchee Valley Presbyterian Church

The Union troops also captured 46 horses, 8 mules, 26 stand of arms and a quantity of bar lead bearing the stamp of a factory in Baltimore, Maryland. They also helped themselves to all the corn, hogs, chickens, smoked meat and anything else of value they could find in the homes of the little community. Many families were left without a scrap of food and no way of getting any when the soldiers left Eucheeanna the next morning.

One of the Union soldiers also raped a woman and her teenage daughter after finding them at home alone in a remote area just outside the village.

The county seat of Walton County has since been moved to DeFuniak Springs, but the little community still exists and can be found about three miles southeast of DeFuniak Springs. The historic Euchee Valley Presyterian Church and Cemetery predate the War Between the States.

I will post more about the Marianna Raid and the Battle of Marianna over coming days, so be sure to check back often.  Until then you can read more at www.battleofmarianna.com.

If you haven't read it, be sure to check out my book - The Battle of Marianna, Florida.  It is available through Amazon.com or your favorite online book seller as well as at the Walton County Heritage Museum in Defuniak Springs, the Washington County Historical Museum in Chipley and Chipola River Book & Tea in Downtown Marianna. If you prefer, you can order it by clicking the book cover on the right side of this page.

Editor supports targeting of my deceased dad over Dozier story

On Saturday (9/7/2013) I posted a statement here that a reporter from the Tampa Bay Times was investigating my deceased father because of my personal stand on the Dozier School Cemetery issue.

Please follow this link to read my original statement: Tampa reporter targets my deceased father over Dozier story.

My father was never an employee of Dozier School, had no association of any kind with the Dozier School Cemetery and no involvement with the "White House" abuse allegations involving Dozier School.  The reporter, Ben Montgomery, indicates he is investigating my father because he is "trying to figure out why you're so vociferous."

In other words, Mr. Montgomery admits he is investigating my late father because I dared to exercise my rights under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

I have filed a protest of his conduct with both the President/CEO and Managing Editor of his newspaper. I have received the following response from Mike Nelson, Managing Editor of the Tampa Bay Times:

From: "mike@tampabay.com"
To: Dale Cox
Sent: Monday, September 9, 2013 11:28 AM
Subject: Re: Improper conduct by Times reporter

Dear Mr. Cox,

As I told you before, Ben Montgomery has the Tampa Bay Times' full support in his efforts to find the truth of what happened at Dozier.

Sincerely,

Mike Wilson
Managing Editor
mike@tampabay.com
(phone) 727-892-2924 | (fax) 727-893-8675
Tampa Bay Times (formerly St. Petersburg Times)
Florida’s largest newspaper now has a name that matches the region it serves.
twitter: @mwilsontimes | Facebook: tampabay.com 

--

Mr. Wilson's statement indicates to me that if you use your First Amendment rights to speak out against any issue on which his newspaper has taken a position, he will consider it acceptable for his newspaper's reporter to target and investigate your deceased parents.

In my view, this conduct on the part of the Tampa Bay Times is unethical, immoral and improper. If you would like to voice your opinion to Mr. Wilson, his email is mike@tampabaytimes.com.

Tampa reporter targets my deceased father over Dozier story

At 11:06 p.m. on Friday night (September 6, 2013), Ben Montgomery of the Tampa Bay Times (formerly the St. Petersburg Times) informed me that he is investigating my late father.

Mr. Montgomery sent me an email informing me of this action on his part roughly 10 minutes after sending out a Tweet demanding that I change the content of a story I posted on this blog two days ago about a dog being exhumed by the University of South Florida at the Dozier School Cemetery. I have refused to make the change requested by Mr. Montgomery.

Subsequently, ten minutes after making his demand for the story change, he sent me the following email:

 ----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "BMontgomery@tampabay.com"
To: Dale Cox
Sent: Friday, September 6, 2013 11:06 PM
Subject: Re: Dozier

Dale --

Do you know what your father's role was at ACI? I've requested his employment records, but I was wondering if you might shed any light on his time there. I know trustees from ACI were often involved in helping track down Dozier escapees, but do you know whether your father would have been involved in any of those efforts? 

Ben

Sent from my iPhone

--

As you can see, Mr. Montgomery indicates he has requested my late father's employment records. 

I find this action on his part to be uncalled for and disgusting. My father was never an employee of Dozier School for Boys and died at about the time the whole "White House Boys" story first developed. He was never involved with the story.

Mr. Montgomery followed at 12:06 a.m. today with another email explaining that he was investigating my late father because he was "just trying to figure out why you're so vociferous." In other words, he is investigating my late father because I have exercised my Constitutional right of Free Speech.

The media considers itself the guardian of the First Amendment, yet in this case Mr. Montgomery is targeting my late father because I have spoken publicly about the Dozier School story. You can judge for yourself whether that is right or wrong.

My dad, as all who knew him will testify, was an honorable and decent man. To know that a reporter who disagrees with me on the Dozier issue has decided to investigate him is disgusting and sickening.

If you would like to voice your opinion on this matter, I encourage you to do so by writing to the managing editor of the Tampa Bay Times. He is Mr. Montgomery's boss.  His email address is mike@tampabay.com.


Dale Cox
September 7, 2013

White House Boy now claims "missing" boys must have been eaten by hogs or sent to dump!

Student with a Prize Hog
(State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory Collection)

Just when it seemed as if the wild stories told by some of the so-called "White House Boys" couldn't get any wilder, one now says that the reason murdered boys won't be found in the current dig at the Dozier School Cemetery is because they were "thrown in the dump" or "fed to the hogs."

Even though various members of the various White House Boys groups have been demanding for years that the cemetery be dug up by the University of South Florida, they now seem to be hedging their bets. This after more than $600,000 in taxpayer money has been provided for the project they demanded and after Governor Rick Scott and the members of the Florida Cabinet overruled the system set up by Florida law for such projects. A circuit judge, the state archaeologist and the Secretary of State all had denied permission for the project to go forward.

Memorial Area of Dozier School Cemetery

In an interview this week with the Graceville News - a Jackson County newspaper - one of the "White House Boys" said that the world would no longer be able to call him "a liar," but then launched into a long explanation of why the bodies of murdered students won't be found.

The man, who I am not identifying because he has received enough publicity from his changing stories, once claimed he had seen a boy burned to death in a dryer at the school's laundry. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, however, he changed his story under oath to claim that he hadn't actually seen the alleged event that the Tampa Bay Times breathlessly reported he had witnessed.

Students tend to hogs at Dozier School
(State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory)

He now says that murdered boys won't be found on the campus of the Marianna school because they were burned in the incinerator, tossed in the dump, buried under the road or even chopped into pieces and fed to the hogs!

Apparently these would be the same hogs that were cared for by the students themselves and that they often entered in the Jackson County Fair, just as did students from other schools throughout the county.

The wild story is just the latest in a series of stories that have grown wilder and wilder since the groups surfaced a little over 5 years ago with claims that boys were beaten to death and murdered at the school more than 50 years ago. They have yet to provide a single name of a single boy they allege was murdered, but the claims by some of them grow wilder and wilder.

All graves exhumed so far were inside the traditional cemetery
and within the view of this photo, which shows the memorial
erected by staff members and students in the background.

The Graceville News also joined the growing list of U.S. newspapers to falsely report that the University of South Florida has located graves "outside the known burial grounds." The reporter seems not to understand that the small memorial of crosses erected by Dozier School employees and students in the 1960s is not the known burial ground, but instead is simply a memorial placed by them in memory of the students and employees known to be buried on the hill.

The actual burial ground is larger, was shown on federal and state maps as far back as the 1940s and originally was surrounded with a wire fence that no longer can be seen, although parts of it were found in the dirt that USF researchers had bulldozed from the cemetery along with ornamental cedar trees that once marked actual grave sites.

Partially surviving row of cedar trees at Dozier School Cemetery

The anthropologists, archaeologists and even a reporter they allowed to help them appear clueless to the fact that in the South, cedar trees often were planted at the head of graves. In earlier times, graves often were marked with wooden crosses or markers that deteriorated with time. To make sure graves could always found, people of earlier generations often planted cedar trees to help mark them far into the future.

The Dozier School Cemetery once included rows of cedar trees marking the actual grave sites. USF, however, had some of these trees pushed away using heavy equipment so researchers could search for graves - apparently not realizing the trees actually marked the graves.

Some of the trees survive and, as expected, one stands directly at the head of one of the two graves exhumed so far.

To read more about the real facts of the dig so far, please visit these links:

Facts from the first phase of the Dozier School Cemetery digging

USF digs up a dog at Dozier School

USF digs up a dog at Dozier School

Memorial Crosses at Dozier School Cemetery.
They were placed by staff and students in the 1960s.

UPDATED 9/6/2013 - Researchers from the University of South Florida used at least some of the more than $600,000 in taxpayer money they have been given to dig up the grave of a dog at the Dozier School Cemetery.

The cemetery is located on a hilltop on the campus of the former Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida. The majority of the graves there date from prior to 1940 and contain the victims of a tragic fire that took place in 1914 and students as well as staff members who died during flue outbreaks in 1918 and during the 1930s.

Local residents and former employees of the school have long warned that some of the graves at the cemetery contain the remains of animals. Those warnings have now been verified.

A source close to the investigation indicates that hours were spent during the first phase of the taxpayer-funded project to dig up the remains of a dog that were buried in an old Coleman-type cooler.

Ben Montgomery, a reporter for a Tampa area publication, did not report that a potential grave revealed a dead dog, but confirms that he was aware of it:

"Dog was found months ago, during trenching. Not during Phase 1. It was modern. Included in report to the state."

Why a reporter covering this story would not consider the discovery newsworthy is not clear. Local residents have long said that animals would be found buried at the site. He incorrectly equates my statement about the "first phase" of the project with "Phase 1" as defined by USF. I was speaking of the phase of the project that involved the trenching he mentions in his post on Twitter.

Pets known to be buried at the cemetery include two dogs and a peacock named Sue. So far as is known, the University of South Florida team has not yet located the remains of the peacock.

All human remains exhumed so far have been found in the
area of this photo. The small memorial placed in the 1960s
can be seen at left. The two human graves were removed from
the area of disturbed earth at right.

The only two human graves exhumed so far turned out to contain the apparent remains of former Dozier students who had been buried - as local residents and former employees predicted - with proper care. The remains had been buried in coffins and one burial even included the pins from a burial shroud such as was used in the early 1900s.

No evidence of criminal activity has been found thus far and neither of the graves exhumed so far proved to be "clandestine" (as researchers and others have repeatedly claimed).

The entire media appears to have decided to ignore the exhumation of the dog, as no stories about the discovery have appeared. In addition, media reports that remains have been found "in the woods" our outside the "traditional boundary" of the cemetery are false. All graves located so far are within the boundary of the old cemetery fence.

To read more about the results of the dig so far, please see yesterday's post:  http://twoegg.blogspot.com/2013/09/facts-from-first-phase-of-dozier-school.html

Facts from the first phase of the Dozier School Cemetery digging

Memorial Area at Dozier School Cemetery

Researchers from the University of South Florida, along with law enforcement volunteers and even reporters, started digging last weekend at the Dozier School Cemetery in Marianna, Florida.

The first phase of their work is now over and they are not expected to return until October or November.

Contrary to what you may have read in newspapers or heard on television, here are the facts so far:

• NO "clandestine" graves have been found. The graves located so far turned out to be historic graves that clearly demonstrated proper care was given to the bodies at the time they were buried.
• Evidently unfamiliar with what happens to the terrain around Marianna during seasons of heavy rain, the researchers experienced problems due to the rain soaked condition of the ground at the cemetery. Instead of exhuming 4-5 graves as they expected, they only managed to dig up two.
• NO graves have been found outside the traditional limits of the cemetery. ALL graves located so far are inside the old fence line of the Dozier School Cemetery and the limits of the cemetery as shown on state plats and federal topographic maps dating from the 1940s. (Some media outlets have incorrectly reported otherwise).
• The two graves exhumed so far reveal that the bodies were interred in coffins, not just "dumped in holes" as some have claimed, and that proper mortuary procedures of the time were followed when the burials took place. Pins from burial shrouds were even found in the graves.
• NO evidence of criminal activity has been found.

To make a long story short, investigators at the Dozier School Cemetery have found exactly what local people and former Dozier employees said they would find - historic graves prepared according to proper religious and mortuary practices of the time. 

To correct a few other media errors that have been prevalent this week:

• The memorial crosses at the cemetery were placed there by Dozier employees, NOT the University of South Florida.
• The memorial at the cemetery dates back to the 1960s, thirty years earlier than reported by the Tampa Bay Times. 
• The cable around the memorial crosses is NOT the traditional boundary of the cemetery as some media outlets have reported. The actual traditional boundary surrounds 1-2 acres of land and originally consisted of a wire fence.

I'll post other updates as work continues this fall and winter, but so far researchers have found nothing more than local citizens predicted they would find.

Statement on Dozier School Cemetery (August 5, 2013)

Memorial Crosses at Dozier School Cemetery

Barring something unknown to me, this will be my last public comment on the Dozier School Cemetery issue.  I am tired and in poor health and prefer to concentrate on other things right now, but since a reporter badgered me last night by asking the same question over 100 times (in different ways) and still not getting me to say whatever it was he wanted me to say, here is one hopefully final statement.

On Tuesday the Florida Cabinet will discuss and possibly vote on the latest request that an associate professor from the University of South Florida, Dr. Erin Kimmerle, be allowed to dig up a 20th century cemetery at the former Dozier School for Boys in Marianna.

Contrary to the false reports, biased stories or in many cases even outright lies that you likely have read in the media, this is not a criminal investigation. In fact, here is a direct quote from the researchers themselves:

...[T]his is a bioarchaeological investigation - not a criminal case, nor is Boot Hill Cemetery considered a crime scene; therefore, there is no immediate concern for chain of custody.

 Most of Florida's newspapers and television stations found it inconvenient to cover or even note this startling statement. I assume they ignored it at best or covered it up at worst because it indicates that the researchers themselves 1) do not consider the Dozier School Cemetery ("Boot Hill" as people like to call it) a crime scene and 2) do not see a need for following a chain of custody procedure with regard to any human remains they might dig up there as real crime scene investigators would do.

This is quite curious because most of Florida's major media outlets (and quite a few of its smaller ones) have been on a multi-year crusade to have USF investigate the "alleged murders" and other "crimes" they claim are in some way connected to the cemetery.

Perhaps this statement from the university itself - and similar ones from Nick Cox, statewide prosecutor in the office of Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Dr. Michael Hunter, Medical Examiner  for the 14th Judicial Circuit - explain why USF researchers have been turned down repeatedly in their requests to dig up the bodies from the cemetery without the permission of the next of kin of those buried there. A circuit judge ruled that the project would violate the Constitutional due process rights of the families and the Secretary of State determined that the state had no authority to authorize such digging for research purposes.

In fact, even other archaeologists and anthropologists are beginning to speak out about the ethical concerns raised by USF's ongoing effort.  Consider this statement from Dr. William Lees, Executive Director of the Florida Public Archaeology Network, who indicates he is "personally dismayed" by the course that the matter has taken:

...[T]o suggest that a criminal investigation be conducted through the archaeological research permit process shows a lack of understanding and a serious lack of respect for those buried at Dozier. It is ironic, I think, that these boys may have suffered at the hands of the state when they were alive, and now, as they lie buried, the hands of a state university once again threaten their peace.

Surprised to read that one of the leading archaeologists in the nation is appalled by the project at Dozier School?  If so, then you have only the media to blame for covering up his statements and not letting the public know that a credible, experienced and leading voice in Florida archaeology objects to this fiasco.  Since the state's "big" papers won't tell you what Dr. Lees has to say, you can read his statement for yourself at: http://www.flpublicarchaeology.org/blog/

Let me be clear about one thing, I do not fault Dr. Erin Kimmerle or any of her associates at the University of South Florida for wanting to dig up bodies, nor do I have any personal issues with the professor.  In fact, I've never met her.  I'm sure she probably is a nice and well-intentioned person and I'm sure she is a qualified and well-trained anthropologist.  Studying the dead is what forensic anthropologists do and I understand that such a project would be interesting to them.

However, I believe that the University of South Florida should abide by the decision of a circuit judge, the state archaeologist and the secretary of state in this matter. A legal decision has been rendered and a scientific decision has been made on whether this project should go forward and in both cases the answer was no.

There are those who say the graves should be investigated to "give the families closure" and to determine the facts.  I understand such thoughts. I feel the same way about the more than 270 African American and Choctaw men, women and children who lie buried at Fort Gadsden on the Apalachicola River. Their bodies were tossed into mass graves after the U.S. military blew them to bits for the simple reason that they were people of color who wanted to live free. Florida once thought this was such an important place that it created a state park to preserve the scene. There is no longer a state park at Fort Gadsden, although thankfully the federal government now preserves the site since the state did not consider it worth the time or money to do so.

If you aren't familiar with Fort Gadsden, then perhaps you would like to learn more:  http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortgadsden.

Regarding the graves at Dozier, here are some facts of which you might not be aware, mostly because the media (with some notable exceptions) hasn't bothered to tell you:

• There is no evidence at all of more than one cemetery at Dozier School.  USF, after almost two years of looking, hasn't found a single grave anywhere other than on "Boot Hill."
• The graves at the Dozier School Cemetery are not "clandestine" or "shallow" as some have claimed. They are normal Christian graves, just as were prepared in any other Christian (or Jewish or even non-religious) cemetery in the state from 1900 into the 1960s. The oldest of the graves is around 110 years old. The most recent is 62 years old. Most are more than 75 years old.
• The Dozier School Cemetery is not "hidden" nor is it "unmarked." In fact, the USF research indicates the burial ground once was surrounded by a fence. In fact, the piles of dirt left behind after the university's team drove heavy equipment around on top of the graves include large sections of antique fence wire. The graves once were marked with wooden crosses and the Marianna and school newspapers routinely published obituaries when funerals took place there. The cemetery has been marked since the 1960s with a small memorial that was erected after the original markers were lost to time and the elements.
• The Dozier School Cemetery is not a crime scene.  USF says that it is not, FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) says that it is not, the statewide prosecutor says that it is not, the medical examiner says that it is not, the sheriff of Jackson County says that it is not, etc.  I agree with them. 
• The Dozier School Cemetery is not a "white cemetery" nor is it a "black cemetery."  It is a cemetery. Individuals of both races were buried there during the first 60 years of the school's existence. The cemetery is shown on plats and maps prepared by both the state and federal governments dating back as far as the 1930s Those documents show it as the only cemetery at the school, even though it was located on the old North or "Colored" Campus. Ask yourself this question, "Why would the school - due to Jim Crow policies - preserve and protect a black cemetery, but not a white one?" That doesn't even make sense, even in the often senseless viewpoints of that era.
• . It is not true that individuals of different races were always buried in different cemeteries during the days of segregation.  Nearby Riverside Cemetery, a public burial ground in Marianna, is the final resting place for people of different races and dates back to 1827.  It is true that cemeteries often included "black sections" and "white sections" during segregation times and this is the case at Dozier School. The cemetery was once divided by a hedge and white bodies were buried on one side and black bodies on the other.
• Digging up the graves will not provide "closure for all the families." At present, it only has the potential of providing closure for 7 families, because the researchers from USF have only located 7 of the families with next of kin buried there. That means that more than 40 bodies - many of them those of black and Latino individuals - will not be identified and no "closure" will be provided for their families. Personally, I believe that researchers could find more of the families if they slowed down and did good and thorough historical and genealogical research.  They disagree.  The media likes to say that USF has talked to "the families" but for whatever reason conveniently leaves out the fact that in reality the school's researchers have talked to no more than SEVEN of the families.

I could go on, but there is no need. This issue will now likely be decided by a group of high dollar politicians. They will do what they want and, to be honest, I have no idea what they will decide. I only know that the people who really knew the facts about this project - a circuit judge, the state archaeologist and the secretary of state - all said that it should not be done without first obtaining the permission of the families of all of those buried there.

In closing, I do have great sympathy for the seven families that USF has located. If these families would like to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones, they should be able to do so. I call upon the Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice to point out to them the specific graves in which their loved ones are buried so that their remains can be exhumed under existing state law and returned to their families.

If the Secretary of DJJ cannot do this, then the Legislature should reassign to that department the $190,000 it appropriated to USF to fund digging up the graves with the requirement that DJJ hire competent genealogists to locate all of the families. Once the families are all located, the state can secure their permission for the graves to be exhumed by a licensed funeral director (as state law allows) and for the bodies to be identified and returned to their families (if the bodies can be identified after so many decades in the ground and if their families so desire).

If this cannot be done, then the state should accept the offer I made long ago to raise money locally to have a simple and unbiased monument inscribed with the names of all of the known dead and erected at the cemetery, for the perimeter fencing to be restored and for the cemetery to be preserved forever as a memorial to those who rest there. Some of them are young men who died under unfortunate circumstances such as illness, fire and murder by other students, while others are adult employees who died while trying to help those who were entrusted to their care.

I wish no harm to anyone and hope that whatever happens - whether the graves are exhumed or not - good will come of it. Many lies and vicious accusations have been made against me because I stood up on this issue, and I have been called everything from a "Dixiecrat" to an outright racist for not climbing aboard the runaway train that the media - particularly the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times - set into motion. I forgive all who did so and wish you only happiness in your lives.

To my friends who agreed with me on this issue and had the courage to publicly say so, thank you. To my friends who disagreed with me but were honest about it, thank you as well.  We all have different opinions sometimes, but your honesty I appreciate and admire and I'm glad we could disagree but remain friends. And to my friends who said you agreed with me and would stand up as well, but then didn't, I forgive you.  Fear can be a powerful thing when you see your friends having their characters assassinated for their beliefs.  I understand.

I will say one final thing and I say this with a smile, race baiters who wish to accuse someone of being a "white Dixiecrat racist" should be careful in their assumptions. Categorizing or judging someone by race, in fact, is true racism. My heritage is Yuchi. If you aren't familiar with the Yuchi, then do a little research of your own and enjoy learning about a truly remarkable people who have survived far worse than poorly-conceived insults. Reading a little more about American Indian (or Native American if you prefer) culture might help you understand why digging up graves and pulling out bones for the sake of "scientific research" is so offensive to people of my heritage.

Since the media constantly asks for quotes but rarely uses them, I see no need at this time for me to comment further to them on this issue and do not plan to do so. I also will not publish anonymous comments to this post.

Dale Cox
August 5, 2013

Archaeological Ethics, USF and Dozier School for Boys

The following was written by Dr. William Lees, a well-known archaeologist and the Executive Director of the Florida Public Archaeology Network.

It took great courage for Dr. Lees to become the first archaeologist to publicly question the ethics of the University of South Florida's ongoing quest to dig up the cemetery at the Dozier School for Boys.

Whether you agree or disagree with the project, please take the time to read the thoughts presented by Dr. Lees as they open the door for a higher level discussion that we should have in Florida about the sanctity of human burials.

http://www.flpublicarchaeology.org/blog/blog/2013/08/01/the-dozier-school-for-boys-and-archaeological-ethics/

Statement on USF's latest effort to dig up bodies at Dozier School - July 31, 2013

If the University of South Florida wishes to dig up the graves at the Dozier School Cemetery, it should first contact the next of kin of those known to be buried there to obtain their permission and to obtain DNA for use in identifying the bodies.

USF has stated in its administrative and legal filings that it does not consider Dozier School Cemetery to be a crime scene and does not expect any crimes to be solved by exhuming the graves.

As of today, USF has located only 7 of the families with next of kin buried in the cemetery.  Why only 7?  USF itself has provided the names of more than 50 people logically believed to be buried in the cemetery.  Why is it so determined not to contact the families of the African American, Latino and other individuals buried in the cemetery?  If it does not locate and contact those families to obtain DNA for comparison, USF will relegate the individuals of color known to be buried at Dozier School to second class status for all eternity.  That is wrong and smells of racism.

In short, USF should be honest and honorable and let the families - ALL of the families, of ALL races - decide what should be done with the graves of their loved ones.

If all of the families are contacted, approve of the exhumations and are given a chance to provide DNA so their loved ones can be identified, then I have no issues with the project.  If USF does not do that, however, then the university should not be allowed to conduct this "science project" over the denials of a circuit judge, the state archaeologist and the Secretary of State.

Dale Cox
July 31, 2013

Dozier School Cemetery dig DENIED by Florida Secretary of State

Florida's Secretary of State has denied a permit application from the University of South Florida seeking permission to exhume the graves at the Dozier School Cemetery.

The University confirmed in a letter to the state last week that its investigation was not criminal in nature and that the Dozier Cemetery was NOT a crime scene.  As a result, the State Department had no authority under law to grant permission to dig up the graves.

Here is the actual letter:

Ghost caught on camera at Russ House in Marianna, Florida

Ghost of the Russ House?

People have long claimed that Marianna's historic Russ House is haunted and now a strange series of three photographs may just prove it!

The photos were taken two weeks ago during one of the most severe thunderstorms to hit the city in recent memory. Lightning was crackling so severely that static electricity could be felt inside the Russ House and the rain was falling so hard that Lafayette Street, less than 50 feet away, could not be seen.

The series of photos were taken in order and show an unusual feature zipping upward through one of the rooms in the historic structure. Do they show the famed ghost of the Russ House?  Did the electricity from the storm bring it out?  You can see all three in order below.

Whatever the photos show, they are now part of the legend of the house which has attracted various groups of paranormal researchers, ghost story lovers and just those who enjoy beautiful architecture.

To learn more about the legend of the Ghost of the Russ House, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/russhouseghosts.

Also be sure to explore the new Visit Jackson County site at www.visitjacksoncountyfla.com.

Flooding forces temporary closure of Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail (July 5, 2013)

Flood waters cover the trail

Rising flood waters from the Chipola River have forced a temporary closure of Jackson County's popular Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail.

The unique trail provides public access to historic and purportedly haunted Bellamy Bridge, long a cultural landmark of the county.

As of this noon today (July 5, 2013), water was at least three feet deep across portions of the trail and was rising rapidly. Heavy rain from a tropical depression has brought the Chipola River out of its banks in northern Jackson County.  More rain is in the forecast for the weekend and the river rise may not crest until early next week.

Until that time, Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail is closed for access to the bridge. I will keep you updated on flood conditions affecting this and other recreation areas in the county, so watch for updates over coming days.

Here are some photos of the flooding at Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail. These were taken today:

Flood waters run through the swamp along the sides of the elevated trail.

Water flowing through the first trail gap.

Water flows over the Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail

Monster Sightings: The Two Egg Stump Jumper is Back!

Parramore Landing Park east of Two Egg

Florida's famed Two Egg Stump Jumper has returned after a two year silence!

The legendary monster has been reported for many decades in the woods and swamps a few miles east of the quaint little community of Two Egg, Florida. It is said to be a "mini-Bigfoot" type creature that frequents swampy areas around the historic ghost town of Old Parramore.

One of the new incidents is particularly unique because it involved six eyewitnesses at one time. None of them actually saw the creature, but they heard something large shadowing them as they returned to Parramore Landing Park after dark from a hike into the swamps. The noise was accompanied by a loud "growl" or "roar" that they all heard multiple times, a sound that was different from anything they had ever heard in the area.

Other eyewitnesses have confirmed the strange sounds coming from the swamps around Parramore Landing Park.

Yet another eyewitness actually saw the creature as it ran through the headlights of her car a short distance west of Circle Hill Baptist Church on Circle Hill Road. The sighting took place a few miles northwest of Parramore Landing.

To read the full story on the new sightings, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/monster4.

Ghost hunters make "electric" discovery at Bellamy Bridge!

Bellamy Bridge

A team of paranormal investigators has uncovered evidence of unexplained electric "pulses" at Jackson County's famously haunted Bellamy Bridge!

The investigators from Emerald Coast Paranormal Concepts, who conducted previous research at the historic Russ House in Marianna, are conducting research at Bellamy Bridge in cooperation with the Friends of Bellamy Bridge. The project is producing results and video that will be used in a documentary being prepared about Bellamy Bridge.

Bellamy Bridge is Florida's oldest bridge of its type and is accessed by the Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail at 4057 Jacob Road (Hwy 162) north of Marianna (Note: The old access by way of Bellamy Bridge Road is no longer open to the public). 

Team from Emerald Coast Paranormal Concepts

Local legend holds that the area around the bridge is haunted by the ghost of Elizabeth Jane Bellamy, a young woman who died on May 11, 1837. The presence of her apparition has been reported at the bridge and the wooden bridges that stood at the site before it since the 1800s. A Marianna newspaper reported in the 1890s, for example, that the "lady of Bellamy Bridge has been seen of late."

According to Susan Todd of Emerald Coast Paranormal Concepts, the electric pulses are baffling her team because there is no source of electricity close enough to the bridge to be causing them.  That includes power lines, lights, underground lines, underwater lines, generators, radio towers or cellphone towers.

Read more and see video of the team's equipment detecting some of the pulses at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamyghost.

To stay up to date on events and planned tours at Bellamy Bridge, be sure to "Like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bellamybridge.

Bondi confirms Dozier ruling is "adverse" to exhumation plans

Dozier School Cemetery

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) has confirmed that yesterday's court ruling denying a petition to dig up the Dozier School Cemetery in Marianna was "adverse"  (Please click here to read the story on the ruling).

In a prepared statement released last night from Tallahassee, Bondi indicated that her office would continue to look for another way forward in the matter:

I remain committed to assisting with the efforts to help resolve unanswered questions regarding deaths at the Dozier School for Boys. In light of today’s adverse ruling, we will be meeting with the interested parties and considering the next course of action to explore other avenues.

The Attorney General did not say when she would be meeting with "interested parties" nor did she indicate who those "interested parties" might be.  Her office did not meet with any "interested parties" in Marianna or Jackson County prior to filing the petition to dig up the graves on behalf of the Medical Examiner, Dr. Michael Hunter.

Nick Cox, a statewide prosecutor with Bondi's office, told representatives of Jackson County at a meeting after the Board of County Commissioners voted to intervene in the matter that unless a court order allowing the exhumations was issued, no exhumations would take place. 

Now, however, he appears to be hedging on that statement. When asked if he planned to honor his original commitment now that the order had been denied, he responded tersely: "Be glad to discuss with the community as we continue forward."

While Bondi's statement indicates that her office will "explore other avenues," her employee's statement clearly indicates a plan to "continue forward" despite the Judge's ruling.

The Attorney General's office has indicated in court filings that it has no evidence of wrongdoing in association with the graves at the known cemetery, which contains the remains of both students and employees who worked at the Florida Industrial School for Boys, now commonly known as Dozier School..

For a list of the students and employees known to be buried at the cemetery and their causes of death, please visit: http://twoegg.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-mystery-graves-at-dozier-school.html.

To read Judge Wright's entire order, please visit:  http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/JMEE-97ZSCN/$file/DozierMay24.pdf.

Judge Denies Petition to Exhume Graves at Dozier School

Dozier School Cemetery

Judge William Wright of the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit as denied a petition from Dr. Michael Hunter, Medical Examiner, for an order to exhume the graves at the Dozier School Cemetery.

The filing was entered late this afternoon. Please click here to read the entire ruling.

According to the order, the petition as prepared and filed on Dr. Hunter's behalf by the Attorney General's office, does not provide evidence that meets the threshold required in a civil matter.

In addition, Wright cautioned the Medical Examiner and Attorney General's office that procedures for the relocation of graves already are in place in Florida, but that they should be very aware of previous court rulings that the "sanctity of the grave is sacred."

At issue is the small cemetery at the former Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida. The cemetery itself is marked by a memorial, but the individual graves do not have headstones. While some have claimed that the cemetery contains the graves of individuals murdered by staff members at the school, the Medical Examiner and Attorney General's office both indicated in a recent court filing that they did not consider the exhumation of the graves to be part of a criminal investigation.

To support their request to exhume the graves, the petitioners filed with the court a copy of an interim report on the the cemetery prepared by the University of South Florida. Judge Wright today ruled that the report did not meet the level of evidence needed in a civil matter:

In this case, the Interim Report [i.e. USF] does not meet the threshold for an order allowing exhumation or autopsy in a civil case because it does not indicate what physical evidence is reasonably expected to be found or how it may prove the cause of death or the identity of the remains, and the family members have not been afforded due process because many of those persons have not been identified or contacted.

The judge also pointed out that while the Medical Examiner had requested an order so he would be protected from lawsuits, such an exhumation order would not, in fact, protect him:

...If there is a possibility of tort liability or a violation of 42 U.S.C. Section 1983, an order from the Court granting the Petition will not protect the Medical Examiner from claims by persons with standing who have not been made parties to this action or who have not been afforded the due process rights of notice and opportunity to be heard.

He concluded by cautioning the State to "proceed with caution and pay heed to Currier v. Woodlawn Cemetery" which states:

"The quiet of the grave, the repose of the dead, are not lightly to be disturbed. Good and substantial reasons must be shown before disinterment is to be sanctioned."

The decision by Judge Wright places the responsibility for any further action squarely on the shoulders of the Medical Examiner and State Archaeologist and concludes that state officials had produced no evidence that would indicate the condition of the remains, whether a cause of death could be determined or whether it would even be possible to identify which individual was buried in which grave.

The Board of County Commissioners of Jackson County had intervened in the case to request that families with loved ones buried in the cemetery be notified before the graves were exhumed. The judge apparently agreed, ruling that failing to notify ALL families with loved ones buried at the cemetery before exhuming bodies would violate the due process rights of those families.

Interpretive Kiosk erected at Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail!

New Interpretive Kiosk at Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail

The first of a number of planned interpretive panels have gone up at the Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail in Jackson County.

Located at 4057 Jacob Road (Highway 162) north of Marianna, the trail provides a beautiful one-half mile walk to historic and reportedly haunted Bellamy Bridge. Please note  that the entrance to Bellamy Bridge is no longer on Bellamy Bridge Road. Visitors must now enter from the new parking lot on Highway 162 (Jacob Road). It is on the left 1/10 of one mile west of the modern bridge over the Chipola River.

New Kiosk and the entrance to the Trail

The new interpretive kiosk is the first of eleven planned interpretive stations that are being placed as part of the marking of the new Jackson County Spanish Heritage Trail, a driving tour of places in Jackson County with a connection to Florida's Spanish history. It features two panels, the first of which tells the story of the Bellamy Bridge area in Spanish Colonial times.

It was somewhere near Bellamy Bridge that Spanish explorer Marcos Delgado crossed the Chipola River in September 1686. Instructed to march northwest from Mission San Luis (present-day Tallahassee) to investigate reports of French intrusion in Spanish territory along the Mississippi River, Delgado crossed the Apalachicola River into Jackson County following a pathway that should be considered the real Old Spanish Trail.

Closer View of the new Kiosk, trail entrance in the background.

His journal mentions passing Mission San Carlos, which will also be a stop on the new Jackson County Spanish Heritage Trail, before passing on to Blue Springs , another stop on the new driving tour, and then turning north and west to the Chipola River in what is now the Bellamy Bridge vicinity. Delgado and his followers crossed the river before passing out of Jackson County near what is now Campbellton. He described seeing buffalo grazing not long after he crossed the river.

The Interpretive Panels in the new Kiosk

The kiosk also tells the story of the Battle of the Upper Chipola, an important battle of the First Seminole War. The fight took place in March 1818 between the U.S. allied Creek Brigade of Brig. Gen. William McIntosh and the Red Stick warriors of the chief Econchattimico ("Red Ground King). Econchattimico and his men were defeated and 20 of his men were killed while more than 150 other men, women and children were captured. According to Gen. McIntosh's report, the battle took place on the west side of the Chipola River about two miles below the forks of the creek where the river is formed. That would place its location as being somewhere in the vicinity of the Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail, although the exact site of the battlefield has never been found.

Finally, of course, the new interpretive kiosk tells the story of the famed Ghost of Bellamy Bridge. It is said by many that the restless ghost of Elizabeth Jane Bellamy, a young woman who died during antebellum times, haunts Bellamy Bridge and its vicinity. Her story is deeply embedded in the culture and folklore of Florida and is a special part of Jackson County's history.

A special "ghost walk" to commemorate "The Night Elizabeth Died" will begin at the Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail parking area at 7:30 p.m. (Central) on Saturday night, May 11th.  The public is invited and the guided tour and ghost story telling is absolutely free!  Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring a flashlight and mosquito repellent if you come!

The new kiosk was funded by the Jackson County Tourist Development Council using money generated by a tax on hotel accommodations. No property tax dollars have been expended on the kiosk or the trail.

To learn more about the Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail and to obtain directions, please visit www.bellamybridge.org. You can read more about the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamybridge.

Flood Waters flow at Bellamy Bridge - 2/26/2013

The Chipola River is nearly one-mile wide in the Bellamy Bridge area of Jackson County thanks to nearly 1-foot of rain that fell in the area over the last few days.

Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail, the one-half mile walk that leads to the historic bridge, is completely flooded and water today was flowing through the parking lot like a running stream.

The video above and photos below were taken today (2/26/2013).

Entrance to Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail

Water flows in a stream across the parking lot.

Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail is completely flooded.

Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail completely submerged.

Entrance to Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail.

Chipola River from Hwy 162 Bridge.

Update: Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail remains closed (2/20/2013)

February 20, 2013 - Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail remains closed due to flooding. About 5 feet of water continued to flow across two parts of the trail today, blocking access from the parking area on Highway 162 to historic Bellamy Bridge itself.

Sections of the trail, which was 100% flooded last week, have started to dry out and damage appears to have been minimal. 

Opened to the public on November 1, 2012, the one-half mile long trail provides public access (when it is dry!) to historic Bellamy Bridge, the oldest bridge of its type in the state of Florida.  It is the focal point of one of Florida's best known ghost stories and the land crossed by the trail is rich in historical significance.

You can read more about the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamybridge.

The photos below were taken today and show the slowly drying sections of the trail as well as one of the places where flood water continues to flow across it.

Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail begins to dry out.

Trail entrance is now dry.

Mud and some water remains along first section of trail.

The flood washed thousands of acorns onto the trail.

A bench is now high and dry. It was underwater last week.

Flood debris in the swamp along the trial.

Water flows across a section of the trail.

Water continues to flow through the swamp.

Palmetto plants stand in the floodwater.

Damage to the parking area has been repaired.

Water flowed through the fence like a river last week.