November 16, 1997

Carpetbagger Built Southwest Florida Public Schools

Not much is known about the first settlers at Charlotte Harbor during the Civil War because they were blockade runners -- smuggling cattle past the Union side-wheel steamer "Gen Of The Sea." The names Rigby and Johnson are two that are vaguely remembered.

However, the war forged frontier friendships of former enemies that resulted in the first settlement of record on the shores of Charlotte Harbor.

Cattlemen of the Peace River valley were primary suppliers of beef to the Confederate Army. It was a supply line that the Union Army attempted to halt with raids on herds, gun-point conscription of Floridians, and naval blockade.

The Confederacy undertook to protect its valuable food resource by establishing a Cattle Guard Battalion here. It consisted of ranchers given military commissions to protect their own herds with permission to shoot-to-kill any one hindering them. They were commonly known as the "Cow Cavalry."

The Union military force at Fort Myers included two companies of black infantrymen commanded by white officers. One of these was Capt. John H. Bartholf. Another was Lt. Nathaniel H. Decoster.

As outcome of the war became evident, the Cattle Guard decided in February 1865 that it was a good time to even old scores. Setting out from Fort Meade, 275 Guard men advanced in driving rain toward Fort Myers which was defended by 400 Union troops.

Upon arrival at the fort, ankle deep in standing water, Guard Major William Footman sent a courier under a flag of truce to demand surrender.

Captain Bartholf, of the Second U.S. Colored Infantry, listened to the ultimatum and relayed it to the fort commander, Captain James Doyle. The latter rejected it instantly and gave Bartholf the honor of announcing it to the Guard courier.

After an exchange of rifle fire and 20 rounds of small cannon fire, and no damage to either side, the Guard withdrew. The Civil war ended two months later.

In the forefront of the attack on Fort Myers was Lieutenant Francis C.M. Boggess, a prominent cattleman at Fort Ogden. Ironically, he was to join his former enemies in post-war business ventures.

Fort Myers federalists Bartholf and Decoster liked Florida so much they stayed here after the war.

Bartholf married Mary Daniels from Fort Ogden. She had taken refugee from the war at Useppa Island, a Union naval station, and then was transferred by the Federal Army to Fort Myers.

After their wedding, Bartholf secured the position of clerk of court at the Manatee County Seat of Pine Level, near today's Arcadia.

Decoster moved to Hickory Bluff after the war and established the only steam-powered sawmill south of Tampa. In 1875 he was elected county judge and sold the mill for $4,000 to Thomas Williams.

Williams moved the machinery upstream to a site between Fort Ogden and Nocatee known for many years thereafter as Williams' Landing.

Bartholf became a cattleman, citrus farmer, and developer. He also was active in Reconstruction politics and an enthusiastic promoter of the Florida lifestyle. Eventually he and Boggess formed a partnership to sell home lots at Hickory Bluff and Fort Ogden.

They jointly published a sales booklet titled " South Florida, the Italy of America." For ten 3-cent stamps, a prospective customer could learn how to get started on the good life by following the recommendations set forth in the brochure.

As a bonus, Boggess added a final chapter about his experiences in the Battle of Peace River during the third Seminole Indian War.

Bartholf was a staunch Republican who -- before being assigned to Fort Myers -- had fought for the Union at Fredricksburg and at Gettysburg where he was wounded.

For his loyalty Bartholf was appointed clerk of court for Manatee County which then included Bradenton on the north and Charlotte Harbor on the south.

The county seat was moved from Manatee (a smaller community near Bradenton) to a new town called Pine Level created for the purpose. The latter was 10 miles west of Tater Hill (now Arcadia.)

The relocation was changed arbitrarily to accommodate Charlotte Harbor-Peace River settlers who objected to a long trek through the wilderness to transact official business. Manatee County at that time contained seven of today's counties.

In addition, Bartholf in the Spring of 1869 was appointed "superintendent of public instruction" -- a post he worked diligently to fulfill.

According to Historian Canter Brown, Jr., in his book " Florida's Peace River Frontier," Bartholf built the first schools in the area.

Within the first year he had recruited trustees and teachers for rustic log schools at Sweet Water (near Wauchula), Charlie Apopka Creek, Fort Hartsuff, a place "between Horse and Peace Creeks," Fort Greene, Joshua Creek, Fort Ogden and Pine Level.

Hickory Bluff, now Charlotte Harbor Town, received a school in 1873 and Ft. Winder one in 1875.

Among the first teachers were Robert Bell, Joseph A. Patten, Edward B. Patten, James H. Stephens, Frank D. Ferro, N. T. Jones, Robert LaMartin, P.T. Tucker, and Julien G. Arista.

The little wilderness schools were welcome evidence of the approach of civilization, but they were totally devoid of amenities. Joseph Patten, a teacher at Pine Level, complained after the first year that "the school-house is uncomfortable, and inconvenient, and will need rebuilding. There is great need of a privy."

In 1872, Bartholf reported: "Owing to continued sickness in the neighborhood, the attendance at Pine Level became so much reduced that the teacher kindly consented to annul his contract."

Five frame school houses were built in 1873 to replace log ones. Attendance at nine schools was "200 white pupils." Bartholf attempted to obtain funds from a northern benevolence society for a "colored" school, but to no avail.

Bartholf was proud of his educational accomplishments, noting in an 1875 report to the Manatee County Board of Instruction: "Free schools established, and by my individual efforts, a liberal appropriation secured to aid us in their maintenance."

His vision for the future is demonstrated is another report:

"The people generally are very much interested in the cause of education, through the influence of the many free schools that are established every winter; and I believe that if some good teachers would come and locate here, they could get schools the best part of the year."

As can be seen, Bartholf was active in Republican Reconstruction politics which came to a climax in the Hayes-Tilden presidential campaign of 1876.

In an effort to forestall a sure Democrat victory, Bartholf resigned his post as clerk of courts. Those duties included registration of voters and supervision of elections.

The ruse worked, but Bartholf was out of power. Grateful Republican bosses appointed him first postmaster at Hickory Bluff.

He moved his family there and changed the town's name to Charlotte Harbor to emphasize the fact that it served all settlers in the harbor by a mail and supply schooner.

Charlotte Harbor Town was described in the Bartholf-Boggess brochure of 1881 as "extending about four miles immediately on the water and is characterized by its healthfulness, adaptability of soil to the culture of semi- tropical fruits, and for farming purposes."

The settlement was said "to comprise about one dozen families, its store, post-office, church, and school house. There are several new and handsome private residences which would reflect credit upon any locality. In addition, is an extensive cattle wharf from which load after load of fine beef cattle are annually shipped to Cuba."

The cattle dock was built by rancher Joel Knight and his son Tom. The latter is described in a contemporary letter as a "Cattle King living in a large, fancy house and as rich as plum pudding, but otherwise he is just like a cracker."

Knight's pier and has been replaced several times as a public dock by the county. It was the terminus in 1882-83 for a manually operated paddle-wheel boat carrying cargo to and from Big Charley Apopka Creek at its confluence with Peace River (Buchanan.)

The barge-like vessel 10 feet wide and 32 feet long, was built by Harris Raulerson. It was powered by six African- Americans -- two at the crank of each side wheel and two at the stern pushing with poles.

A capacity load, Raulerson once recalled, was "10,000 oranges, 40 hogs, some chickens, hides and (sweet) potatoes."

Raulerson converted the strange craft to steam power but it was hard to steer. If it got out of control it would climb the river bank and "walk" until it hit a tree or other obstruction.

Also in l876, Boggess was appointed postmaster at Fort Ogden. Later he was elected justice of the peace, then county judge at Arcadia and a member of the DeSoto County school board.

Boggess was one of the leading ranchers in South Florida. He operated his own cattle dock at Boggess Landing near Fort Ogden until the Florida Southern Railroad came in 1886.

Bartholf and his wife Mary had five children. The youngest was a daughter named Minnihaha -- the grandmother of Al Johns, a well known developer today in Charlotte County.

Mrs. Bartholf's father, an Indian Agent in New York state prior to the Civil War, gave her the Sioux Indian name for "curling water," a river in Minnesota. According to the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in the popular "Song of Hiawatha," the name was that of an Indian princess.

Despite his vigorous promotional efforts for the Peace River communities, Bartholf was still considered a "carpetbagger."

The Sara Sota Vigilance Committee consisting of five or six "ignorant crackers" went about at night assaulting carpetbaggers and "land grabbers." Bartholf was threatened. In December l885, the Yankee postmaster at Sarasota, Charles E. Abbe, was assassinated by the vigilantes.

Also at this time, fading Republicans took to squabbling among themselves. Bartholf, ran for state representative but was defeated.

In disgust, Bartholf changed his registration to Democrat and moved his family to Bradenton to become postmaster there for three years. Then he moved to Jacksonville where he worked in the post office and operated a small dairy business.

Bartholf died November 22, 1892, far from the harbor and valley he served so well. Nevertheless, the heritage of the Charlotte County school system remains his monument.

By Lindsey Williams, columnist for Sun Coast Media Group newspapers

cutline - head and shoulder bearded man

Photo provided by Charlotte Harbor Area Historical Society

JOHN BARTHOLF