February 10, 2002

Readers Add Info

It always is a pleasure when readers take the trouble to add important information to the local histories and off-beat topics offered in this space. Even criticisms are appreciated.

Thus, hereby, I share recent communications.

Mr. and Mrs. Ray and Marcy Hix of North Port have a first-rate mystery on their hands that one of our readers may be able to solve.

Ray was fishing from the bank of the Ohara waterway recently at the south end of Flamingo Blvd. He noticed a circular, rusted metal object protruding from the sand. He dug it out and discovered it was an iron ball about the size of a softball.

The strange artifact consisted of two halves welded together with a noticeable seam and weighed one pound. (See photo). It appears to be a hollow cannon ball.

Marcy researched books on old armaments and found that cannonballs of that size were used in the 1700s -- but of solid cast iron weighing three or four pounds.

Hollow, one-pound missiles would seem to have little military use. They would be relatively harmless and easily deflected by winds propelling sail ships. It has no hole to accommodate a fuse for a delayed three-pound shot, or a hand grenade, containing black gunpowder.

I forwarded descriptions of the object to five, recognized experts on historic armament. None could identify the object. It seems to pre-date the American Civil War because cannonballs then were solid or explosive, and hand grenades were oval shaped.

My guess is that the cannonball could have been fired while Great Britain owned Florida 1763-83.

The hilt of a Tulwar, India, saber of that period - used by the British for trade goods with native Americans - was found at Charlotte Harbor town by Dennis Price a half-century ago. (See Chapter 9 of "Our Fascinating Past" vol. 2, by your writer and U.S. Cleveland.)

Perhaps the ball is not for a cannon -- the weld seam would have prevented a good fit.  

My bet is that among the large and diversified family of Sun subscribers someone will know the answer.

Barefoot Mailman

Philatelist E.P. of  North Port - who uses collectible 30-year-old plate-block stamps on his letters -- enjoyed my article about "Owney the Mail Dog" and asked me to comment about the Barefoot Mailman of historic note.

In response, I wrote a column explaining that the Acrefoot Mailman of local fame was not the Barefoot Mailman who disappeared in the line of duty on the East coast.

Unhappily, the legends I repeated about Acrefoot were not entirely accurate. (See next.)

The Real Acrefoot

Peggy Branning Scott, a Johnson descendent and genealogist of the family that included the famous James "Acrefoot" Johnson, corrects some of the misinformation and legends about him.

Elias and Elizabeth Johnson moved their family from Polk County to Fort Ogden in DeSoto county about 1866. Their children were Georgia Ann, Susan (Sarah) Jane, "Acrefoot" James Mitchel, Florida A., Moses A., Alice, William Jackson and Marietta Caroll.

Contrary to legend, Elizabeth was not a widow when supposedly she and her children moved to Fort Ogden.

Susan married George Tippins there in 1867. All were living there when the 1870 census was taken. James married Margaret (nee Chester) in 1877.

Elias, Elizabeth and some of their children moved back to Polk County by the 1880 census. Father Elias died in 1884 and is buried at Bereah, Fla.

Thereafter, Elizabeth lived with various of her children, but extensively with her oldest son, James at Fort Ogden. She died in 1912 and is buried at the Fort Ogden Cemetery.

In the 1880 census, James gave his occupation as farmer. In later years he was a blacksmith according to family records.

Children of James and Margaret were Edward E. (the boy Acrefoot carried on his back to the doctor at Fort Myers), Guy W., girls Nolai and Fermine, a boy Maye and Sallie. The latter two died in their teens.

When Guy grew up he was widely known as "Rattlesnake" Johnson. He supplied snakes to various anti-venom laboratories and to George End's cannery, tannery and live exhibition at Tampa.

Acrefoot and Margaret moved to nearby Nocatee where he provided timber and cordwood for the Florida Southern Railway. He died in 1922 and is buried with Margaret in the Kabrich Cemetery, Arcadia. In 1970, then U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles was principal speaker at a ceremony erecting a monument at Acrefoot's grave as the "Walking Mail Mailman."

Speaking of Mail

Reader M.A.C. of Punta Gorda takes me to task about a parting shot at Sen. Tom Daschle and the anthrax contamination of his office. It wasn't one of my best efforts, but Senator No drives reasonableness out the window.

Thanks, anyway, for constructive criticism.

* * *

Friend J.G. of Lake Suzy is curious about why in a recent editorial column I linked Kaiser Wilhelm of the First World War with WWII tyrants Hitler and Stalin.

Inasmuch as pre-Pearl Harbor wars are little noted these days, the parallel is worth a separate column. I have the topic on my to-do list.

* * *

Friend H.W. of Englewood liked my column about the universality of the Golden Rule but wants to know why the Koran has its version that some Muslims don't follow.

Unfortunately some Christians and Jews are back-sliders also. True believers, like Mrs. H.W., have a mission serving as worthy examples for backsliders.  

 * * *

Friend S.W. of Port Charlotte enjoyed my piece about great scientists but despairs of  "the subtle corruption of our great language." I used the plural "criteria" when the singular "criterion" would have been accurate.

I'm guilty as charged, but why did God invent proof readers?

 * * *

Friends S. and B. G. of Lexington, Ky., and  Punta Gorda -- who last year photographed Col. Isaac Trabue's grave marker at Frankfort, Ky. -- returned here this season with gravestone photos of other Trabues. The pictures will go in an historical archives if and when one can be established. I have been lobbying for it for only 18 years. I never give up.

* * *

Friend D.P. of Punta Gorda solicits my help in saving the old County Court House for a new library, technology museum and community center as a nucleolus for revitalizing downtown Punta Gorda. I'm trying, but it's an uphill battle. Visigoths are at the gate.

* * *

To those thoughtful folks who simply wrote encouraging notes -- my heartfelt thanks. A pat on the back mitigates heartless deadlines.

Who's Greatest?

Friend Nick Wynne, executive director of the Florida Historical Society, asks me to inform Sun readers about a search to single out "The Greatest Living Floridian."

The person selected will be awarded a $5,000 honorarium at the Society's 100th annual banquet May 24 at Mt. Dora.  A donor established the one-time award in memory of Ms. Fay Schweim who was a resident of Lee County.

The award committee seeks nominations from all fields of endeavor - science, military, politics, medicine, art, education, public service, race relations etc. The recipient must be a current resident of Florida and have resided in the state for at least 20 years.

Deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. April 15. They can be submitted by website (www.greatestlivingfloridian.com) or by surface mail to Florida Historical Society, 435 Brevard Ave., Cocoa, FL. 32922.

Please don't nominate me. I'm shy.

* * *

Author: Lindsey Williams

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cutline - 3 col. man and woman holding ball.

Photo by Lindsey Williams

[  Marcy and Ray Hix examine the strange, iron ball he found nearly buried on the bank of the Ohara waterway in Port Charlotte. ]

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