Thursday, December 27, 2012

Dear Madeleine and Brent:
   Because Wakulla County's Palaver Tree Theater Co. has decided to use THE FORBES PURCHASE in its heritage play this March, the year 2013 promises to be a banner one for telling the story of how this old 1804 Spanish land grant shaped the lives of pioneer Floridians and all those who have come after them unto the present day.

Madeleine, if you could do me one BIG favor, please see fit to include a line in the play about how this story of land in Wakulla County & THE BIGGEST REAL ESTATE DEAL IN AMERICAN HISTORY begins with treaty talks with the Indians at a place almost 100 miles away from Wakulla County, at a little Indian village in Alabama called CHISKATALOFA, located near where the present-day states of Florida, Georgia and Alabama intersect.


I am so excited about the possibility of us seeing a performance of THE WAKULLA STORY & THE FORBES PURCHASE on either Friday, March 8th or on Saturday, March 9th so please put me on your email list for ticket information. We'll be leaving Maryland for Dauphin Island toward the end of January so we won't be able to see the Sneak Peak on Friday, January 11 but please send me any publicity that this performance generates.

Even if the play is already written , you might still be able to use the following sources as you continue to clarify the important role of THE FORBES PURCHASE upon the formative years of Wakulla County.

Chapter 4 of Doherty's 1961 book on Richard Keith Call is entitled DEFENDER OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. That chapter is about how Call unsuccessfully defended the government case against the owners of the FORBES PURCHASE. Call lost this case along with the fourteen others he pleaded before the U.S. Supreme Court. By taking the government side, Call was working against the interests of JOHN INNERARITY, head of Pensacola's Forbes & Co.  but check out what Doherty says happened after Florida was annexed into the U.S. after 1819's ADAMS ONIS TREATY:

.....After the signing of the treaty of cession in 1819 a genuine boom in Florida lands set in, Niles Register reporting a price rise of from 500 to 1,000 per cent, with city lots selling from $500 to $7000. About the time of the transfer in 1821 Call managed to secure several tracts near Pensacola. In partnership with James Innerarity he purchased 800 arpents of land on Santa Rosa sound and a like amount on Escambia Bay in partnership with Henry M. Brackenridge. An arpent in Spanish Florida was slightly more than an acre. In the city of Pensacola Call secured one town lot. 

I wonder whether the confirmation of John Innerarity's Spanish land grant which comes down to us in the present day from the place name, INNERARITY POINT on Perdido Bay has anything to do with this land deal Richard Keith Call, the nemesis of THE FORBES PURCHASE, had with James Innerarity, the man who executed the Forbes Purchase and the brother of John.

The best article I found on the actual surveying of the Forbes Purchase is from the Florida Historical Quarterly < XLVIII 2/Fall 1969 Article, by John C. Upchurch, “Aspects of the Development and Exploration of the Forbes Purchase,” pp. 117-139. I haven't found my copy of the article so I don't have it in front of me but I do recall that Upchurch devotes a section to the 1808 Hartsfield Survey.


 The opening paragraph from Cotterill's "A Chapter in Panton, Leslie, and Co." The Journal of Southern History
Vol. 10, No. 3 (Aug., 1944), pp. 275-292 Perhaps no land speculation in our history is better known than that of the Forbes Purchase in Florida; certainly none has given rise to more litigation or has more often taken up the time of the courts. The Forbes Purchase, however, was but a minor incident in a huge effort to collect from the southern Indians the trading debts which they had contracted to Panton, Leslie and Company, the famous British firm which dominated the Indian trade in the Floridas and adjoining areas during the closing years of the eighteenth century. This collection campaign was long and persistent, and in its final ten years it had the co-operation of the United States government. It became involved in the Mississippi question, the West Florida controversy, and the War of 1812. It contributed to the final downfall of that notorious adventurer, William Augustus Bowles, and for a time claimed the participation of the even more notorious James Wilkinson. It is a thread running through southern history from 1794 to 1812 and touching in its course foreign policy, Indian administration, frontier defense, and private intrigue.


 This play is a "dream come true" for me so feel free to solicit my assistance in any way you see fit and I look forward to seeing how you describe the tremendous impact this last chapter of the saga of the illustrious WILLIAM AUGUSTUS BOWLES had upon your region. (By the way, in the year 2000, I drew the attention of Chip Forbes of the FORBES Magazine family. The FORBES Collection archivist,Bill Casari, got in touch with me and I proposed doing an article on John Forbes in Cuba. Nothing ever came of that but if you could find a contact in FORBES MAGAZINE or their museum, it might help)

 Best,
 Robert Register http://robertoreg.blogspot.com/2009_01_04_archive.html

Monday, December 24, 2012


from: http://archive.org/stream/usonemainetoflor00federich/usonemainetoflor00federich_djvu.txt

US 1 descends and at 31.5 in. crosses LITTLE GUNPOWDER FALLS, 
the dividing line between Harford and Baltimore Counties; the nar- 
row wooded valley presents an attractive view. 

At 33 m. (L) is the HOODOO MARKER, so called because of the in- 
scription: "Cursed be he who removeth his neighbor's landmark, 
and all the people shall say amen. Deuteronomy, Chap. 27, Verse 
17." Above this is the boundary inscription: "This stone is in place 
of a double poplar tree, a boundary of expectation francis freedom 
alias young's escape and the second boundary of onion's prospect 
hill, the latter now owned by Edward Day." This ancient marker, 
much used by surveyors, is a rough shaft about nine feet high; only 
the side bearing the inscriptions is smooth. The dark stone, hard as 
flint, and now painted white on its face, is close to the road, though 
owing to a fill the top of the stone is now at the road level. The stone, 
thought to be at least 1 50 yrs. old, is probably a relic of a lifetime of 
quarreling between brothers, John and Edward Day. The only near 
reconciliation of the men occurred when Edward was supposed to be 
on his deathbed and his pastor, shocked by the idea of one of the 
brothers going to death with the breach unhealed, persuaded John 
to enter the sick man's bedroom. He thought his efforts had been 
successful until John was about to leave. Edward called him back for 
a last word, "John, if I die this is a go; if I get well it's all off." He 
recovered and the brothers died enemies. 

Friday, December 21, 2012

http://moccasinbadlandsreview.blogspot.com/2011/11/ellicott-morton-book-review.html


http://books.google.com/books?id=NRATAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA41&lpg=RA2-PA41&dq=%22mad+dog%22+ellicott&source=bl&ots=_nUIQRJ4m1&sig=EKJY68MfRtJqI_jhCxnPTUpmzgQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Vb_UULr-CIrK0AG9-IG4DA&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22mad%20dog%22%20ellicott&f=false


Tennessee Militia Regimental Histories from The War of 1812  http://www.state.tn.us/tsla/history/military/1812reg.htm

Thursday, December 20, 2012

All about the MAD DOG:

From:  http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/l/a/Christopher-A-Clark-/GENE14-0025.html

      356. Efau Haujo, "Mad Dog," A Creek Indian Chief, born Abt. 1710 in Probably Coosada, a Creek Indian Village185; died 1812 in Tuckabatchee Village, Alabama186. He married 357. Unknown

      357. Unknown

Notes for Efau Haujo, "Mad Dog," A Creek Indian Chief:
      After the death of Alexander McGillivray in 1793, continuation of the Creek Nation to a large measure went to Mad Dog, "Fahiko" of Tuckabatche, also known as Efa Hadjo who though friendly to the Americans was a violent enemy of the Chickasaw Indians and perpetrated a two year war upon them in the early 19th century. Louis Milfort, a French trader who had unsuccessfully sought the mantle of leadership won by Mad Dog, once called the chief "a thorough-going rascal." Mad Dog remained chief of the Upper Creeks until 1802, when he abdicated to his advance age.
      It would be an interesting fact, if it could be proven, that the Effa Adio who signed the treaty made by the English and Creeks in June, 1765, at Pensacola, was the same man as Efa Hadjo, who was in after times so long the speaker of the Creek Nation. Be the fact as it may, the first notice of Efa Hadjo or Mad Dog in April 1792, shows him a partisan of the adventurer William Augustus Bowles. Many of the ignorant Creeks at that time supposed that Bowles represented the English government, and that England, France and Spain were opposed to the Americans. A year later, however, in April, 1793 found Efa Hadjo a decided friend of the Americans. Alexander Cornell in a letter to James Seagrove, the Creek agent, in April, 1793, writes: "If every man should exert himself as well as the Mad Dog, and the headmen of the Upper towns, and Mr. Weatherford, we should have an everlasting peace with our brothers of the United States."
      Creek Indian Agent Benjamin Hawkins presence and sincereity had great impact on the Creek Indians. They admired him deeply and became accustomed to his living among them whether it was when Hawkins visited Timothy Barnard's on Flint River, or at Coweta on the Chattahoochee, the principal Lower Creek town, or at Tuckabatchee on the Tallapoosa River, among the Upper Creeks, near Alex Cornell's place. At the Creek National Council of 1799, notable progress was evidenced when the dignified Efau Haujo, (Mad Dog), then Speaker of the Creek Nation, and described by detractors as "a very turbulent fellow" because of his vehemence in opposing frontier intruders and dishonest traders, agreed to Hawkin's request that the chiefs try to stop their youth from stealing horses and punish those who did by severe beating. He told Hawkins, "It is for the good of our land, you have often wished it. You have a regard for our land and wish to see us in peace and quietness."
      From the lack of records, it cannot be stated when Efa Hadjo became the speaker of the Creek Nation. He did not hold this office at the treaty of Coleraine in June, 1796, though he was one of the signers of the treaty. Fusatchee Mico, the Whitebird King of the Hickory Ground, was the speaker at Coleraine. Efa Hadjo was the speaker of the Creek Nation at the treaty of Fort Wilkinson in 1802. He also at the same time was speaker of the Upper Creeks, with Coweta Micco, as speaker of the Lower Creeks. His several talks at this treaty were all sensible and relevant to the subjects under consideration. Twelve days after the treaty Efa Hadjo abdicated his station as speaker and first chief of the nation to Hopoie Micco an~ transferred the seat of the National Councils from Tuckabatchee to the Hickory Ground. He was at this time, as he stated, "getting in age." The action of Efa Hadjo was either of short duration or was not accepted by the Nation, as can be seen from Colonel Hawkins' notice of the chief in 1799.
      "This (Tuckabatchee) is the residence of Efan Hanjo, one of the great medal chiefs, the speaker of the Nation at the National Council. He is one of the best informed men of the land, and faithful to his National engagements; He has five black slaves, and a stock of cattle and horses; but they are of little use to him; the ancient habits instilled in him by French and British agents, that red chiefs are to live on presents from their white friends, is so riveted that he claims it as a tribute due to him, and one that never must be dispensed with."

      Efa Hadjo died in Tuckabatchee in 1812. 



From:    http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cmamcrk4/crkst8.html
 "How Ishenpoaphe and Mad Dog were related through their Tiger clan is unknown, for Mad Dog was Micco or Chief of the Cussitas and chiefdom in the Cussitas was hereditary from the Bear clan. Perhaps Mad Dog's wife was of theTiger clan, thereby making Mad Dog a brother-in-law of Ishenpoaphe. Both Mad Dog of Tuckabatchee who was chief of the Cussitas, and Mortar who had been "King" of the Okchais were kinsmen from their Bear Clan."



I believe this is by the same author: 
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/l/a/Christopher-A-Clark-/GENE14-0017.html

"The Creeks were requested the make further land cessions to the United States. On May 24, 1802, the Creeks held held a council meeting on the banks of the Oconee River near fort Wilkinson. Benjamin Hawkins had appointed an "artificial government" to oversee the actions of law and order which existed within the nation. Mad Dog, the father of Far Off Warrior served as spokesman for this council. During this council meeting the fires of the Creek Indian wars were ignited. General James Wilkinson, serving as negotiator for the United States, made charges of murder and depredation. A land cession was demanded as an indemnity. The Creeks also presented their own list of charges, stating those settlers who lived along the Cumberland River were destroying their game. Georgians who had settled along the Okmulgee River were cutting down cedar trees along the stream. A new white frontier was being developed along Tombigbee and Alabama rivers. The Creeks were being hemmed in by white settlements and their enemy, the Choctaw, resided on the Western border of Creek territory. It was apparent that since the Treaty of Colerain the Creeks had suffered several encroachments by White settlers.      Still, there were several chiefs who were intent on keeping the peace with the Whites for various reasons. Far Off Warrior was one of these peace chiefs. No one would perceive the great catastrophe that would erupt from the Creek Indian Wars of 1813-1814. The fires had been ignited by the Shawnee Warrior Tecumseh whose mother was a Creek Indian. Tecumseh came to the country to preach to his Creek Indian "brothers" about the evils of following the White path. One of his converts was Menewa, the second chief of the Okfuskee towns. The Creeks were stirred by the magic and power of this Shawnee. He had danced the "Dance of the Lakes" and as he danced a used his magical "Red Stick" to point out the directions of the White enemy. From the converts who watched Tecumseh and listened to his words against the White settlers, emerged a hostile faction of Creeks known as "Red Sticks." 
      Those who remained friendly towards the United States were branded by the Red Sticks as traitors. The hostiles began to kill leaders of the peaceful side and made threats to kill Big Warrior and his brother-in-law Tustennugee Hopoie, the Far Off Warrior. Mad Dog was not able to stop the disaster for he had died a year earlier in 1812. 
      Following the Creek Indian wars of 1812-14, Big Warrior was head chief of the Upper Creek Indian villages, but the Far Off Warrior, then known by the name of "Little Prince," served as speaker for the entire Creek Indian nation. Broken Arrow, as the speaker's residence, had succeeded Tuckabatchee as the council meeting place. The Creeks who had been staunch enemies of the Cherokees now took their native brothers by the hand. They were both fighting to preserve their rights, the heritage, against white intrusion. In May 1824, Creeks and a Cherokee declaration made up of John Ridge and David Vann met at Tuckabatchee village to draw up a set of constitutional laws for the nation. In their reflections upon the past greatness of the Confederacy, Creeks were set on establishing grounds of support based on agriculture and civilization. The past ways could not be forgotten. Their declaration read as follows: 

      "...On a deep and solemn reflection, we have, with one voice, decided to follow the pattern of the Cherokees, and on no account whatever will we consent to sell one foot of our land, neither by exchange or otherwise. This talk is not only to last during the life of the present chiefs, but to their descendants after them..." 
      In 1827, Little Prince signed the treaty that would eventually lead to the Creek Indian removal some ten years later. He continued to be the head chief of the nation and speaker of the lower towns until his death in 1832. His grave is yet pointed out on Broken Arrow creek.  "

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Spanish Consulate in Houston
http://www.maec.es/subwebs/Embajadas/Washington/es/MenuPpal/consulados/Paginas/oficinasconsulareseeuu.aspx

War of 1812 Veterans buried in Alabama
http://alabamatrailswar1812.com/Veterans%20Buried/vetsburial.htm

Friday, December 14, 2012

Dear Madeleine and Frank,
 Jacquetta and I are in Harford County, Maryland right now but we are planning on returning to Dauphin Island in late January and we want to visit the Wakulla Springs area some time in  late January, February or March.

We may want to take in the play based on THE FORBES' PURCHASE if by any chance it's gonna be performed during our spring visit to the Gulf Coast. I read the article about the performance of The Wakulla Story in Sopchoppy last March and it peaked my curiosity about this new play.

I've been thinking about how I could help Madeleine develop her plot for a play set inside a modern Internet cafe.

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/War_of_1812_(video_game)


Frank told me about his interest in Popham and I found a history of the Wing and Popham ferries

http://www.apalachtimes.com/news/local-news/wing-and-popham-pioneered-first-ferries-1.17778 All of the Forbes Purchase litigation pretty much ends with Popham but the riperian issues his case covers may return to the U.S. Supreme Court in the future. Maybe you could have the characters using the Internet Cafe to research a U.S. Supreme Court appeal on an issue dealing with the bottom of the Wakulla River in the vicinity the Hartsfield Survey.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Just before Thanksgiving 2012, Milyn Satterfield asked me to write a music review of nine songs her grandmother ,Carole Hennessey, recorded in the late Seventies.  I accepted the offer, not because I have ANY experience as a music critic but because I have a lot of experience as a Tuscaloosa music fan. I've hung out in Tuscaloosa and Northport bars for the past 44 years so I've heard a lot of great live music and I also have many pleasant memories of listening to Carole and the outstanding Tuscaloosa musicians who accompanied her in the various Tuscaloosa nightspots she performed.

I also have many pleasant memories of standing in Dude and Carole Hennessey's Wesley Place front yard on Sunday afternoons gossiping with them about all that is Alabama football. Coach Hennessey (like HENNESSY COGNAC but with an extra "e") played for Coach Bryant at Kentucky and served as a Crimson Tide assistant under THE Bear from 1960 until 1976. After that he always had some job connected to Bama football up until his death at age 81 in March of 2011. 

GOD BLESS THE CHILD www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/9103648
is the first cut on Carole's REVERBNATION webpage. I can't remember where I first heard this old song but I was most familiar with the BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS version that came out my freshman year at Bama. Later on Diana Ross' LADY SINGS THE BLUES came out the year after I graduated so I was familiar with a horn band version and a jazz vocalist version of this Billie Holiday classic.


As I hear the first tinkling of the ivories, my mind flashes back to the superb jazz pianist who performs on this recording: JEROME HOPKINS and when Carole takes off we know that years ago Tuscaloosa had its own TORCH SINGER'S TORCH SINGER.

Billie, Ella, Aretha, Whitney and Diana are all just fine but give me Carole Hennessey any old time.

"Money you got. You got lots of friends hangin' 'round your door."

Carole never repeats a verse of the song in the same way.

"Money! You've got lots and lots of friends stacked up at your front door."

And neither does Jerome repeat a note or chord.
It's just like Jerome said in a 1983 Ben Windham interview, " It's (i.e. Jazz) a very personal thing. It's like speaking or telling a story your way - how you comprehend it, how you feel about it, how you see it."

No matter what your taste in music, Carole and Jerome's interpretation of Billie Holiday's blues makes the cares of the world melt away for fans of all varieties.

This first cut ends with the appropriate audience applause but, later on in Carole's recordings, you'll hear that the crowd gets a little "well oiled" as we say in T-town. In fact, you can almost imagine Coach Bryant in the crowd wishing Alabama fans would take Carole's next tune to heart as Jerome begins banging out the chords of another classic,PLEASE DON'T TALK ABOUT ME WHEN I'M GONE.

You know, these days there are still probably some old Carole Hennessey promotional posters laying around some student ghetto attic in Tuscaloosa. Some ads promoting one of Carole's long forgotten performances lays mouldering in a stack of old newspapers in someone's garage and a few matchbook covers from some now defunct Tuscaloosa night club that enjoyed Carole's performance still linger in some trunk but as far as I know these nine songs are all that remains of those long ago Friday and Saturday nights so click on these links and enjoy some slow blues or a jazzy side of country with Carole and her gang.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19830529&id=9EkgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1qUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6316,6948918

Monday, December 10, 2012

History of the Wing and Popham ferries

http://www.apalachtimes.com/news/local-news/wing-and-popham-pioneered-first-ferries-1.17778

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Not only is your portrait  LARGER THAN ALL THE OTHERS in this superb album of TOP SOUTHERN ROCKERS(yours is #59) put together by THE BLUES FANS OF GREECE but many other great musicians with PAUL HORNSBY connections are found here, including #3 Marshall Tucker, #5 Allman Brothers, #7 Sea Level, #8 Elvin Bishop, #11 The Outlaws, #14 Gregg Allman, #17 Charlie Daniels Band, #29 Eric Quincy Tate, #30 Grinderswitch, #33 Wet Willie, #42 Jimmy Hall, #48 The Allman Joys, #60 Alex Taylor, #61 Pot Liquor, #62 Eddie Hinton, #63 Chris Hicks, #71 Bonnie Bramlett, #87 Stillwater, # 91 Willie Nelson, #120 Tommy Talton and #121 Rick Hirsch   http://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/southern-crossroads

Whole lotta WET WILLIE connections on the BLUES FANS OF GREECE album of TOP SOUTHERN ROCKERS. WET WILLIE is the 33rd one you come to as you scroll down the page. JIMMY HALL is #42 and RICK HIRSCH is has the 121st portrait in this SUPERB 123 image album. http://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/southern-crossroads


 Lots of great musicians with JIMMY HALL connections made the BLUES FANS of GREECE album of TOP SOUTHERN ROCKERS.  YOUR PORTRAIT (without a hat) is the 42nd as you scroll down the page. WET WILLIE is #33.  HANK JR. is #85 and Rick Hirsch has the 121st portrait in this  SUPERB 123 image album. http://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/southern-crossroads

Lots of musicians with major MIGHTY FIELD OF VISION connections made the approximately 125 image album of TOP SOUTHERN ROCKERS on the Greek Blues Community website. The portraits include SEA LEVEL, Elvin Bishop, Skynyrd, Eric Quincy Tate, Little Feat, Root Boy Slim, Blackberry Smoke, Bob Greenlee, Ernie Lancaster, Widespread Panic, ARS, CDB, Drive By Truckers, Wet Willie, Jimmy Hall, The Allman Joys, Rick Hirsch, The Swampers, Paul Hornsby, Alex Taylor, EDDIE HINTON, & Tommy Talton. 
http://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/southern-crossroads




Another band with ARS connections, ERIC QUINCY TATE, is the 29th band you'll find as you scroll down the page GRECIAN BLUES FAN'S LIST of OVER 100 TOP SOUTHERN ROCKERS.


Tell everybody down at PLAYGROUND to check out the GRECIAN BLUES FANS' image album of TOP SOUTHERN ROCKERS. The North Mississippi All-Stars are the 26th one you come to as you scroll down the page. http://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/southern-crossroads

Saturday, December 08, 2012

THE MOUND CITY MASSACRE in February 1813 set off THE CREEK WAR.

Here's an 1883 article about it:
http://www.illinoishistory.com/moundcitymassacre.html

Here's an article about Gillum Ferguson's new book on ILLINOIS IN THE WAR OF 1812
 http://www.dailyregister.com/article/20120423/NEWS/304239929

Here's a google search that shows what Gillum Feguson wrote about THE CACHE RIVER MASSACRE (also known as THE MOUND CITY MASSACRE)
http://books.google.com/books?id=NUKA0OjZGL4C&pg=PA268&lpg=PA268&dq=%22illinois+in+the+war+of+1812%22+ferguson+cache+river+massacre&source=bl&ots=hgbKEA90u5&sig=4-SBIUH_WvAdPQF54usDrswkN1c&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HYPDUK5pp6zQAamEgVg&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22illinois%20in%20the%20war%20of%201812%22%20ferguson%20cache%20river%20massacre&f=false