New Book: The History of Jackson County, Florida (Volume One)

I'm pleased to announce that the first volume of my new three volume set, The History of Jackson County, Florida, will be released for online sales on Monday, July 7th.

If you would like to go ahead and place an order, you can do so by visiting: www.exploresouthernhistory.com/jacksonbook.

The cost is $24.95 plus $5 shipping and handling. Proceeds from the book will be donated to the Chipola Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, to help fund historic markers in Jackson County.

Volume One of the series covers the years from 1674 to 1860 and includes details on Jackson County's Spanish missions, Native American reservations, early settlements, Florida's oldest Baptist Church (Campbellton), the Marianna vs. Webbville fight, the county's role in the American Revolution, the Calhoun County War of 1860, the story of Jackson County's "Rip Van Winkle," Bellamy Bridge and much more.

The book will be available at Chipola River Book & Tea in downtown Marianna in about two weeks, but internet orders will begin shipping next week. If you have already placed an order for the book, your copy will arrive in the next two weeks.

I hope you enjoy it!

Have a safe Memorial Day

I hope you all have a safe Memorial Day holiday. I'll resume posting next week.

Circle Hill Veterans Monument

Memorial Day is a time when hopefully all of us pause to remember the sacrifices of those who have served our country through the years.

This photograph shows the very nice Veterans Monument at Circle Hill Baptist Church Cemetery a few miles northeast of Two Egg.

Erected in 2002, the monument is inscribed to "To the memory of those who served to keep our country free." A beautiful United States flag waves from the monument. Illuminated at night, it is a moving sight among the quite pines surrounding the site.

The church, cemetery and monument are located on Circle Hill Road, just east of the Lovedale community.

Passing of Dudley Hall

A few months ago I mentioned that sheriff's candidate Dudley Hall was withdrawing from the race for Jackson County Sheriff due to his battle with cancer. Mr. Hall passed away this weekend after a long and determined fight.

I grew up with Mr. Hall's sons and remember him with great fondness. He will be missed.

Historic Sites at Lake Seminole

I have started a new series on our sister Jackson County History site that you might find of interest.

For the next week or two, I'll be spending time looking at some of the significant historic and archaeological sites around Lake Seminole.

This 37,500 acre reservoir forms much of the eastern border of Jackson County and is important to the entire Two Egg area because of its availability for fishing, boating and other forms of recreation and especially for its impact on the environment and water table of the area.

To check out the series, just click here.

An Incorrect Two Egg Legend

On September 27, 1864, when Union troops threatened Marianna, a call went out for the local home guard units to come to town for action. Dozens of men and boys from throughout the greater Two Egg area went to fight. Some made it in time for the Battle of Marianna. Other's arrived too late to lend a hand.

There is an old family tradition in the area that at least one of these boys never made it home.

Nasrey L. "Z.T." Brogden was supposedly a member of a home guard unit from eastern Jackson County. He is buried at Riverside Cemetery in Marianna, beneath an old headstone that simply identifies him as "C.S.A., 1861-1865" and a newer marker that lists his date of death as "September 27, 1864."

Family tradition holds that he was killed during the Battle of Marianna and buried at Riverside with a group of other Confederate soldiers, most of them unknown, that supposedly died in the battle.

In this case, however, the tradition probably originates from the fact that he is buried in Marianna combined with local memories of the battle there. In truth, Brogden was already dead by the time of the Battle of Marianna.

The son of William Brogden, he enlisted at Marianna in Company H, 11th Florida Infantry on July 24, 1863. Like so many other soldiers of that horrible war, however, he soon became seriously ill. Disease and sickness were rampant in the military camps of the time, due in large part to poor sanitation, bad food, contaminated water, etc.

Hospitalized in the post hospital at Marianna, Brogden died in a hospital bed on December 22, 1863, just five months after enlisting in the Confederate army. He was buried at Riverside Cemetery.

Although most of the graves in the two rows of Confederate dead where Brogden is buried are those of unknown soldiers, the few that can be identified were also victims of illness. This indicates that this little burial plot was actually used to bury soldiers who died at the Confederate hospital in Marianna rather than in battle.

Book Sale ends Tomorrow at Noon

Just a quick reminder that you can purchase my book - Two Egg, Florida: A Collection of Ghost Stories, Legends and Unusual Facts - at a discounted price through noon tomorrow.

The sale was originally scheduled to end on the 30th, but I received a number of requests that I continue it through the weekend, so the special pricing is still available.

The book features the true history behind a number of Northwest Florida's most interesting legends. In addition to the story of how Two Egg got its name, it includes the true story of the ghost of Bellamy Bridge, Bristol's Garden of Eden story, the legend of Two-Toed Tom (alligator monster), a bigfoot story, another ghost story and a wide variety of other interesting historical footnotes.

It is available by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/dalecox.

Gadsden County presentation this weekend

I want to let you know about a presentation in Gadsden County this weekend that might be of interest to you.

I will be speaking on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. (2 p.m. central) to the West Gadsden Historical Society. The topic will be the Native American history of the Gadsden County and the Apalachicola River Valley.Due to illness, I severely limit my public appearances these days, but I am doing this one because I wanted to show my support for this outstanding organization and its wonderful members. They have an active, vibrant organization developing at a time when so many historical societies have all but faded away.

I am donating my time for the presentation, so all proceeds will go directly to the society. Admission is $10 for the general public and $8 for current WGHS members. Lifetime members of the society and children under 12 will be admitted for free.The presentation will take place at Old Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church on U.S. 90, five miles east of Chattahoochee. The time will be 3 p.m. (2 p.m. central) and there will be a question and answer time after the presentation.

Last Days of Special Book Sale

Just a quick reminder that if you would like copies of any of my 2007 books, now is a great time to purchase them at special prices, but time is running out!

To celebrate the upcoming release of my new The History of Jackson County, Florida: Volume One, my publisher is having a special online sale on the three books published last year.
The sale includes Two Egg, Florida, The Battle of Marianna, Florida and The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida and all are available at the lowest prices you will find this year.

The special offer ends ends this coming week, so if you would like to take advantage of it, please do before April 30th. Normal prices remain in effect in bookstores and other online sellers.

For more information and to order, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/booksale.

New Book Released: The Battle of Massard Prairie, Arkansas

I'm please to announce the publication of my latest book, The Battle of Massard Prairie: The 1864 Confederate Attacks on Fort Smith, Arkansas.

While this book does not deal with Two Egg or Florida, I'm just passing along the news.

I became interested in the Battle of Massard Prairie when I accepted a position in Fort Smith, Arkansas, a little over four years ago. It was a fascinating cavalry encounter fought on the open prairie not far from my house. If you are interested in learning more, you can visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/massardprairie.

I will have news on the release of Volume One of my new The History of Jackson County, Florida tomorrow.

Our new website is now Online

Our newly redesigned website is now online at www.twoeggfla.com.

Please drop by and take a look!

You will find a detailed history of Two Egg, the background of the story of the Ghost of BellamyBridge, information on points of interest in the area and more.

Special Sale on Books by Dale Cox

To celebrate the upcoming April 30th release of my looooooooooong awaited multi-volume book, The History of Jackson County, Florida, www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ is having a special sale this month on my 2007 releases.

Included in the sale are:

• The Battle of Marianna, Florida - Regularly $19.95; On Sale for $15.


• The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida: The Confederate Defense of Tallahassee - Regularly $19.95; On Sale for $15.


• Two Egg, Florida: A Collection of Ghost Stories, Legends and Unusual Facts - Regularly $16.95; On Sale for $12.

For the first time, a package deal on all three is also available for $40.


This sale is for a limited time only and will end with the release of the new book on April 30th.

It is available only through www.exploresouthernhistory.com/booksale. Prices through stores and other outlets remain as normal.


If you would like a copy of any or all of these books, this likely the best price you will find this year.

A Union Soldier with a Confederate Flag

I spent some time last night walking through Cowpen Pond Cemetery, where many of my ancestors are buried, and found this to be of interest.

The grave is the final resting place of "H.W." Neel (also given as "W.H. Neel"), a Civil War soldier, and someone placed a Confederate flag by his headstone. This is commonly done to honor Confederate soldiers at cemeteries across the South.

Neel, however, was not a Confederate at the end of the war. In fact, he was fighting for the other side.

According to his service record, Neel enlisted in Company D of the 1st Florida U.S. Cavalry, a Union regiment, near the end of the war. Born in 1847, he was 18 years old when he joined the Union army at Pensacola in March of 1865.

Formerly a soldier in Company E of the 5th Florida Cavalry (Confederate), Neel deserted near the end of the war and made his way to Pensacola where he enlisted in the Union Army. He left the Union regiment in August of 1865, after the end of the war.

His story was actually more common than many realize today. By the end of the war, many Confederate soldiers realized that the "Cause" had been lost. They were also irate over the fact that Confederate commissary agents were roaming through the country taking livestock and other food supplies, often at gunpoint, from families that were near starvation themselves. Hundreds of men from Florida deserted during the last year of the war and joined the Union side because they believed the Confederate agents were mistreating Southern civilians.

Governor John Milton, also from Jackson County, wrote numerous protests to Richmond about the treatment of civilians in his state, but they largely fell on deaf ears. He stated on several occasions that many loyal Floridians felt their families were being treated worse by Confederate commissary agents than by the Union army.

Faye Dunaway and Two Egg, Florida

I'm often asked if it is true that noted actress Faye Dunaway is a native of Two Egg, Florida. In fact, I received a couple of emails on this topic over the weekend.

Yes, it is true. Ms. Dunaway spent her childhood just north of Two Egg crossroads before moving on to Tallahassee and eventually widespread acclaim.

The photo seen here shows her childhood home near Two Egg as it appeared last fall. The old house has been moved from its original site and, as you can see, probably won't be around much longer.

Most of Ms. Dunaway's bios list her childhood home as nearby Bascom, but this was because there was no post office in Two Egg and the local homes were on Bascom mail routes.

It is an interesting footnote in the history of our community.

While Faye is perhaps the best known, many members of the Dunaway family have strong ties to Two Egg and continue to cherish the community to this day. They may not be stars, but they have impacted the lives of many of their fellow Jackson Countians through the years and continue to do so.

(Thank you to Ashley Pollette of the "Southern Heritage" program on Chipola College TV for the photograph!)

Circle Hill Baptist Church - From the Air

This is an aerial view of Circle Hill Baptist Church, located a few miles northeast of downtown Two Egg, Florida.

The historic cemetery at Circle Hill (sometimes called Pine Level) was established during the 1870s when two turpentine workers were killed in a lightning strike. Other burials followed and the picturesque little cemetery now contains dozens of graves of residents of East Jackson County.

The church and cemetery are located on Circle Hill Road just east of the Lovedale Community.

A spring morning in the Two Egg area

This photograph was taken in the Cox community near Two Egg yesterday morning.

The mist rising from the local lakes and ponds is one of my favorite parts of spring in the area.

I mentioned recently that the spring blooms were beginning to show nicely in the area and it doesn't look like this week's frost did a great deal of damage. The dogwoods are now in full bloom and the azaleas are coming out nicely. If you want to enjoy some of the beautiful colors of spring, now is the time!

Florida Caverns State Park - Marianna, Florida

One of the most popular places in the Two Egg area is Florida Caverns State Park. Rich in local history and literally filled with natural wonders, the park is one of the most noteworthy landmarks in Florida.

Men from the Two Egg area helped build the park and it stands as a landmark of their efforts with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the years of the Great Depression.

I've added a new section on the Florida Caverns to my website at www.exploresouthernhistory.com. To take a look, just follow the link and you will see the heading on the main page.

Happy Easter!

I will be pausing from new posts for a few days to observe Good Friday and Easter.

New posts will be coming next week, but until then you might enjoy reading a brief article about the legend of the dogwood tree and its connection to Easter. It is now available online at www.jacksoncountytimes.net, the new website of the Jackson County Times.

Please have a happy, safe and blessed Easter Weekend.

Blooms of Spring in Two Egg

I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the color that is beginning to show around Two Egg.

This photograph of a beautiful cluster of pear blossoms was taken at sunset last night.

The pear are beginning to show some really nice blooms, as are the redbuds and some others. The dogwoods and azaleas are running a little slow due to the late frost this year, but are budding out so we should see a lot more color by next weekend.

It looks like it is going to be a beautiful spring. Some of the azalea bushes have more buds on them than I've seen in many years, so I think we are going to see some really pretty azaleas this year. I'll share some more pictures with you as we move through the week.

Turkey Season in Two Egg

Saturday marked the beginning of the annual Spring Turkey Season in Florida. Turkey hunting has become a major sport in the Two Egg area.

I'm not a hunter myself, but my youngest son enjoys it very much so I've learned quite a bit about turkey hunting from him.

I have also followed the return of wild turkeys to the Two Egg area with great interest. I remember the birds being somewhat common when I was a kid growing up in the area in the 1960s. My Uncle C.W., who for many years ran Parramore Restaurant at Parramore Landing on Lake Seminole, used to catch live ones from time to time and hold them in a wire pen for me to see. It also used to be tradition for my Uncle Gene to go out each year at Thanksgiving to shoot a wild turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. Whether all of this was legal then, I don't know, but it has been more than 40 years ago.

Then, though, it seemed like the wild turkeys almost completely disappeared from our area. This may have had something to do with over hunting, but I suspect that the use of DDT to combat the region's growing fire ant population probably was the real cause. No one knew it at the time, of course, but DDT weakened the shells of bird, alligator and frog eggs and caused widespread damage to the wildlife population in Jackson County. Many species that I remember being quite common when I was a young child almost totally disappeared.

Things are getting better now, though. Florida wildlife authorities have done a great job of reintroducing wild turkeys into the region and careful management of hunting has allowed them to rebound nicely. I hear them in the woods just standing in the back yard and have seen several of impressive size just in the past week.

It seems like the media often focuses (often with good cause) on the damage that humans do to the environment, but the return of wild turkeys to the Two Egg area is a good example too of what humans can do to help the environment when we put our minds to it.