What Can the 1870 Census Tell Us About Reconstruction in the Panhandle?

For many of us who are into history and genealogy, we are always wanting to know what a particular ancestor experienced during certain major events from the past. You might want to know what battles an ancestor was in during the War for Southern Independence (aka Civil War, War Between the States) or what an … Continue reading What Can the 1870 Census Tell Us About Reconstruction in the Panhandle?

April 1864-April 1865 Bringing the Death and Destruction to an End

In this post we will wrap up this series on the Florida panhandle during the War for Southern Independence (aka Civil War, War Between the States). We’ve looked at the conditions at home, and the motivating factors for some of the responses of the men who were expected to defend the homefront by those in … Continue reading April 1864-April 1865 Bringing the Death and Destruction to an End

Late Florida Regiments in the War for Southern Independence: 1863-1865

These later Florida regiments begin to show how the Confederacy was hemorrhaging men by this point. New regiments were formed by consolidating regiments that were no longer able to function as a regiment due to significant loss of men. In working to understand your ancestor’s experiences of the War it is critical that you trace … Continue reading Late Florida Regiments in the War for Southern Independence: 1863-1865

April 1863 – April 1864: The Independence Experiment Begins to Falter and the Florida Panhandle Homefront Becomes Chaotic

Let’s do a thought experiment to open this month’s post. It is June 1863. You are a 32-year man who was born and raised in the Florida panhandle. You are married with four children still living. Your wife is a small woman with a strong will but losing a couple of children over the last … Continue reading April 1863 – April 1864: The Independence Experiment Begins to Falter and the Florida Panhandle Homefront Becomes Chaotic

Early Florida Confederate Regiments in the War for Southern Independence: 1861-1862

Let me shift hats from local historian to genealogist. If you really want to know how your Florida panhandle ancestor experienced the war, you must go beyond finding the same name on an index of Confederate soldiers from the general area where your ancestor lived and assuming it is the correct man and that the … Continue reading Early Florida Confederate Regiments in the War for Southern Independence: 1861-1862

April 1862 – April 1863: War Begins in Earnest. The Impacts Become Noticeable

This is the fourth in a series of blog posts on the War for Southern Independence (aka Civil War, War Between the States) in the Florida Panhandle (post 1) (post 2) (post 3). It will be followed within a few days by a follow-up post on some of the early Florida Regiments from this period. … Continue reading April 1862 – April 1863: War Begins in Earnest. The Impacts Become Noticeable

April 1861-April 1862: “Unnecessary, wanton and atrocious vandalism reaches much beyond the individuals who have suffered.” – A.C. Blount to Governor, 1862

This is the third in a series of blog posts on the War for Southern Independence (aka Civil War, War Between the States)  in the Florida Panhandle (post 1) (post 2).  Sorry it is a bit late. June was a challenging month! We left off in the last post with the closure of the Florida … Continue reading April 1861-April 1862: “Unnecessary, wanton and atrocious vandalism reaches much beyond the individuals who have suffered.” – A.C. Blount to Governor, 1862

1861: The Florida Panhandle’s Role in the War for Southern Independence, Part 2

Last month I began a series about the Florida Panhandle in the War for Southern Independence and this month we are going to pick up where we left off, at the Florida Secession Convention and explore the early days of the War in 1861. In January 1861, the delegates chosen to represent the State at … Continue reading 1861: The Florida Panhandle’s Role in the War for Southern Independence, Part 2

The Civil War and the Williford Webb Family of Holmes County, FL

I’ve been away for a while. Adjusting to not having my Mom with me and focusing on my Yellow River Baptist Church and Oak Grove writing projects. I’ve found it can be hard to think of a short writing project after a two month hiatus so I will share the life of one of my … Continue reading The Civil War and the Williford Webb Family of Holmes County, FL

Updates and Links to My Posts on the 1st Florida Union Cavalry Volunteers

As I indicated in my post at the first of November, I’m taking some time from writing new material to give myself time to adjust to no longer having my Mom with me. But I am taking the time to do some updating of some of my prior posts and thought I would start by … Continue reading Updates and Links to My Posts on the 1st Florida Union Cavalry Volunteers