NOTE: Sarah Rebecca RIVERS, 22 JUN 1838 - 27 SEP 1940
Moved to Florida in a covered wagon in 1847 €16
The following article was dictated by Sarah Rebecca Rivers
Moore to her granddaughter Orrie Moore Kendrick in about 1937.
It appeared in the centennial edition of the Lake City Reporter
on December 13, 1974.
"I was born in the District of Beaufort, Parich (sic) of Prince
William, S.C. on the 22nd day of June, 1838.
"My father, Abraham Isaac Jacob Rivers, was married to my
mother whose maiden name was Celah (sic) Samantha Manker, on
the 12th day of April, 1836 in the District of Beaufort, Parish
of Prince William, S.C. which was the native home of both my
father and my mother.
"These facts are taken from the family record in the Family
Bible which my father bought before the date of my birth. Some
member of my family reads to me each day from this Bible, which
I prize as a family keepsake.
"The first eight years of my life were spent in South Carolina
at the place of my birth, though about the only recollections I
have of these years are those of seeing my father and his
slaves going about the farm and crop work, and of my father
talking with other people about going to California to find
richer farm lands and I can remember my father would usually
say 'I think I will stay where I am.'
"My mother was sick a great deal of the time which I can
remember my father talked and worried about considerably. The
cause of my mother's illness was stomach trouble, and finally a
man who lived not a great distance from our home, came to see
my father and mother one day, telling them about a trip he had
made to Upper Springs, Florida, (which is the White Springs of
today) for the benefit of his health, he also being a sufferer
with stomach trouble.
"He told my father and mother he had spent some time at that
point in Florida and had been very much benefited by drinking
the water and encouraged them to go to Upper Springs where my
mother might drink the water for her health also.
"Seeing this man's much improved physical condition after his
stay at the Florida health resort, and after much thought and
discussion, my father decided to sell his holdings and move to
Upper Spring, Florida, for the sake of my mother's health.
"The plans and arrangements to move were spread over a period
of several months, and after selling his farm, his slaves,
farming equipment and most of his household effects, early in
January 1846, my father with his family including mother and
four children, set out from Beaufort District, Parish of Prince
William, South Carolina, in a covered wagon drawn by four
horses, expecting to settle at Upper Springs, Florida.
"On our journey to Florida we were joined by a caravan of
thirteen other covered wagons, all headed in the same
direction. All covered wagons were said to have left South
Carolina about the same time, but our family made it alone.
"We settled in the vicinity of Falling Creek, for when the
wagon reached the bridge over Falling Creek, which bridge was
at the same location as the bridge which now crosses the stream
at Falling Creek Methodist Church in Columbia County, the lure
of the water and the richness of the soil prompted my father to
settle there. He bought a farm located within a half mile of
this bridge and built a small home there.
"As soon as we were settled there my father went to Upper
Springs to make arrangments (sic) for my mother to go there for
a while and drink the water for her stomach trouble.
"My father finding the expense for my mother staying at Upper
Springs to be rather steep for a poor family, it was suggested
to him by someone that he might camp at Little Spring, a small
sulphur spring on the Suwannee river, one mile above Upper
Springs and have the benefit of that water for drinking and
bathing, free and which water my father was told, contained the
same curative value as the water of Upper Springs.
"With this advice my father took two of his slaves whom he had
bought after arriving in Florida, and with their assistance
built a roomy log cabain of peeled pine poles, on a high bluff
near the banks of the Suwannee River at Little Spring, on land
which at the time was owned by the Government.
"He moved his family there, together with a negro slave woman
whom he carried along to care for the children and to assist my
mother. We stayed there several months where my mother drank
the water and was almost permanently cured of her stomach
trouble. During the time we spent at Little Spring, my father
sold the farm he had bought upon arriving in Florida and bought
the farm which I now occupy as my home.
"The house which is my present home was built more than eighty
years ago, and in its construction are many hand hewn sills and
other heavy timbers which are the work of my father's hands.
"In our sugar house, we have, still in use two large syrup
troughs, which have inside dimensions of 20 inches by twelve
feet, these were hewn by my father when he was still a young
man, from large cypress trees growing at that time in the
swamps along Falling Creek. (These troughs were actally hewn by
Uncle Jimmy Russell. €56)
"From time to time we made visits to Little Spring and camped
in the log cabin for a short rest and to drink the water. For
more than forty years, the log cabin which my father built
housed families from various parts of the country, who spent
time at Little Spring for the benefit of the water there.
"Spinning and weaving was for many years a heavy dury with the
women folks and girls in my father's family and also in my
family after I was married and was the mother of children.
"The spinning wheel which my father bought for my mother soon
after we came to Florida, was the one which I used also for
many years to do the spinning for my family consisting of my
husband, ten children and myself.
"My father bought the spinning wheel in Alligator, which is the
Lake City of today. The spinning wheel is still in operating
condition and is a part of a collection of antiques belonging
to my eldest granddaughter.
"On our journey to Florida in a caravan of wagons we would stop
often, at different points along the way, where my father and
the other men in the group would talk to the citizens about
farming and other advantages of the communities through which
we were passing and even though a small child I soon learned
what the subject of conversation was going to be every time the
wagon stopped.
"After travelling for more than two weeks and after the caravan
had thinned down to one covered wagon, that of our own, my
father stopped at a village and inquired of a friendly looking
man what place that we were passing through, he was told by
this man that it was Jennings.
"I can remember today, the nice smile which appeared on my
father's face when he learned we had at last reached Florida.
"He then inquired of the stranger, his name, the man extending
his hand told my father that his name was John Bradshaw, also
telling him that he owned a large cotton plantation near
Jennings and a cotton gin in Jennings.
"I remember also, at that time cotton was being moved about
there in carts, probably to be stored or going forward to
market. It was thus I gained my first impression of Florida,
which, in my childish curiosity I was as eager to see as was my
father who rejoiced to be nearing the end of a long and
tiresome journey.
"While the war with the Indians had ended before we came to
Florida, there were outbreaks by the Indians from time to time
for about ten years after we came into the territory.
"Occassionally citizens in this section would have little
skirmishes with them and at times it was necessary to have the
aid of State Troops to drive them back.
"This went on until finally the terror of the the raids were
felt in our community.
"In 1857, which was only two years after Mr. Moore and I were
married and when my eldest child was an infant, news reached
the neighborhood that a band of one hundred and fifty Indians
had gone into a thick swamp near Benton, about twleve miles
from our home. Thes Indians were trying to make their way to
the Okefenokee Swamp and on into Georgia.
"All the way from South Florida, from where they came, they had
terrified people along their course, burning houses, killing
live stock and even a few citizens before reaching Columbia
County. As soon as this news was spread, men from all the
nearby homes began to plan and to prepare themselves to protect
their families and property against these terror spreading
friends.
"This went on for a day and night and the second day the
Indians made their presence known when they advanced on the
home of the Howell family who lived near Benton.
"Seeing the Indians approaching, the Howell family locked
themselves in their home for safety.
"The Indians broke into the house, slew every member of the
family, seven in number, burned the barns and went away leaving
the entire family lying dead in the house.
"The Howells were poor like most of the people in the community
and there was no money to take care of burial expenses for so
many. There were no nearby saw mills in the country where
lumber could be bought with which to build coffins and the
neighbors who cared for these dead were forced to place the
seven dead in the body of the family horse cart, nail some
boards torn from the walls of the Howell home, on for a top
cover and place them in a grave in this manner.
"This happening, of course spread a pall of horror as far as it
was known.
"The next day, William H. Cone, who was the grandfather of our
present Governor Fred P. Cone, got news that the Indians were
planning to move on that night toward the Okefenokee Swamp and
it was of course expected that they would make raids along
their route. Among citizens along the course which the Indians
were expected to travel, were Robert Sandlin, a later
generation of whose family is prominent throughout both
Columbia and Hamilton County today and William Summerall, the
late grandfather of Major General Charles Summerall.
"Mr. Sandlin's home located one and one half miles from Benton,
being large and securely built, it was decided that the men
should gather there in a goodly number to fight the Indians,
should they make the expected raid on the Sandlin home.
"Represented in the group who barricaded themselves in the
Sandlin home that night were, Cones, Sandlins, Turners, Rivers,
Moores, including my husband and many others, including also, a
number of slaves.Port holes were made in the house for the men
to fire their guns through, if needed.
"Other men were stationed to protect the women and children at
the different homes where they had been assembled for safety,
while other men were to do the fighting.
"Soon after dark the Indians were heard approaching the Sandlin
home and reaching there they rushed onto the premises and were
fired upon by the men inside the house.
"A furious battle of shots were fired and a number of Indians
fell dead.
"The Indians soon saw than many men were inside the house and
that these men were well supplied with guns and ammunition, so
they decided to set fire to the house and force the white men
out to fight them in the open, though each Indian who would
attempt to fire the house would be shot down by the light of
this own fire. The Indians then set upon a different plan,
going to the barn, they loaded a cart with corn shucks and drew
the loaded cart up very near the house and set fire to the
shucks thinking this would burn the house also, but instead
their fire so lighted the elements that the men inside could
see the Indians and in this manner many of them were shot down
as they fled to conceal themselves.
"The Indians were soon forced to retreat, the house did not
burn, and the Indians were driven into the swamp by the
citizens. In the skirmish at the Sandlin home and on to the
swamp, not a single white man was killed and only several
slightly wounded. The Indians remained in the swamp for
several months, doing but little harm or damage to the citizens
and their property, though occassionally an Indian who would
attempt to pilfer and destroy would be killed.
"When they finally decided to return to south Florida, they set
out in two groups, each group traveling a different route.
There was said to be only about forty Indians in each group,
many of them having been killed by the white men. One group
passed in the vicinity of Jasper, crossed the Suwannee River at
Lower Springs (which today is Suwannee Springs) and going
southward by way of Wellborn, where they went on a raid leaving
destruction in their path, killing stock and burning barns.
"None of the citizens were killed by the Indians there, though
a vicious attack was made upon a young white woman who had gone
some distance from their home for wood.
"She was seized and scalped by an Indian who escaped unhurt.
The family of the young woman had fled to safety when they saw
the Indians approaching, and did not witness her encounter,
they thinking she was likewise safe until they found her
scalped. The victim was a Miss Powell, and fully recovering
her scalp injury later became a Mrs. Tillis, who with her
husband and Children were citizens of the Wellborn community
for many years. The second group of these Indians traveled
through Columbia County by way of Ocean Pond and on down the
state, doing little damage as they went along.
"This was the last trouble of any consequence which the
citizens of this section experienced with the Indians.
"Then came rumblings of a war between the states.
"While Florida, along with other southern states were (sic)
gravely concerned over the prospects of war and the contention
for the freedom of our slaves, our real trouble began again
when Florida along with other states, drew out of the Union and
the Federal armies sought to seize all our coastwise towns,
tear up our few railroads and take our State Capitol at
Tallahassee, and this trouble came as near our home as Lake
City, which is only four miles distant, at the time of the
battle of Olustee, when the Federal army was defeated and
driven back to Jacksonville. My first actual knowledge of this
battle was the sound of guns which I heard very clearly in the
late morning of the day of the battle.
"I was at my home where my father and our faithful slaves were
gathered with me and my children to protect us if needed. My
husband at that time was a soldier with the Confederate forces
in Virginia.
"We heard the report of the guns from the battle of Olustee for
several hours and of course every one for many miles around was
in a state of great fear and anxiety, though before the next
day we had learned that our men had won the battle and had
driven the Union forces away after killing and wounding many
of them. The Union men carried their dead and wounded to
Jacksonville. The dead and wounded of our army were brought to
Lake City. The wounded were cared for in a hospital set up for
that purpose, in the Cathey building, then located on what is
now North Marion Street in Lake City.
"This building was torn down only a few years ago.
"The dead were buried in Lake City cemetery, and once each year
on a day set apart in May, the graves of these soldiers are
decorated and appropriate ceremonies held in their honor.
"The officers quarters of the Confederate forces who fought in
the battle of Olustee were located in what was then known as
the Hancock building on Marion Street in Lake City and which is
the present site of the Blanche Hotel.
"The horses and supplies were quartered on the Quincess
property on North Marion Street, in Lake City, this site is now
occupied by a modern Tourist Park.
"My husband answered the call of more volunteers in the fall of
1862 and was sent to join the Confederate forces under General
Lee in Virginia.
"Soon after the battle of Gettysburg my husband (actually
refers to Lewis William Rivers, not P. G. Moore. €56) was taken
a prisoner by the Union army and was held on a boat of the
Potomac river for many weeks, he finally excaping (sic) by
throwing a barrel overboard and jumping into the river himself,
rode the barrel to the shore.
"Being in the water for some time before making the shore, he
afterward became ill from the exposure, though finally made his
way back to re-join General Lee's forces, and upon reaching
territory where the Confederates held forth, he was again taken
a prisoner by men of the southern army who mistook him for a
Union man.
"It was not until he was recognized by Colonel Arthur Roberts
as being one of his own men, that he was released to again take
up service.
"Being still ill from exposure in making his excape (sic) from
the Federals, he was given furlough and came home to visit his
family.
"During the time which my husband spent at home on his
furlough, the spring clock which my father gave to us at the
time we were married, stopped running.
"Mr. Moore carried it to town and with a cash difference of
$5.00 he traded it for an eight day clock.
"Now during my later years, since I am no longer very active
and spend much of my time indoors, I find very sweet
companionship in this clock, which, while it ticks away the
time, brings to me many recollections of a past both bitter and
sweet.
"The clock has never been removed from the mantel above the
fireplace but one time since Mr. Moore brought it home and
placed it there in 1864, and that was for minor repairs which
it received about twnety-five years ago.
"It still announces the correct time from day to day.
"The years which my husband spent away from home during the
Civil War were very hard for me as well as for all southern
people at that time, though with the aid my father gave me and
the help of slaves who were faithful, I managed to keep our
little farm going and to care for our children in a fairly
comfortable manner.
"When my husband came home after the surrender, a little crop
was growing on our farm, though we had not much else.
"In the early years of my life I did not read a great deal,
being a busy mother, with both my heart and hands full, most of
the little time which I had to read was spent reading the
Bible, for being married at the age of seventeen, a mother at
eighteen, left with three children at the age of twenty-three
when my husband went to war, and left a widow with ten children
when Mr. Moore passed away, I felt very keenly, the need [for]
spiritual knowledge for my guidance through[ou]t the problems
along with the blessings which life has held for me, though
throughout all my life, God and world has been kind to me and
me own.
"There were churches near our home in south Carolina and there
were churches in this community when we came to Florida. When
I was a small child, my father rode on horseback from our home
to here to attend services at a Baptist church in Alligator,
which is now Lake City.
"The name of the village, which it was, remained Alligator for
a number of years before it was changed to Lake City.
"I became a member of Falling Creek Methodist Church in 1855,
(It is unknown when the church at Falling Creek was
established. In its beginning it was probably Baptist; it did
not become Methodist until 1866. €56) and I still find great
spiritual comfort in worshiping there on the first Sunday of
each month.
"I enjoy hearing the word of God preached and hearing of the
spiritual advancement of the world today.
"I experienced great difficulty for both myself and my children
in obtaining even a limited education and it is a joy to me to
see my grandchildren, my great grandchildren, and my great
great grandchildren of whom I have three, along with the youth
of today having the opportunities which they do, for education
and training for better living.
"I do not think that modern customs have corrupted our youth, I
think the youth of today, sweet and sensible.
"Living as I did in the days when Florida did not have any
railroads to speak of, the days of horse drawn conveyances for
travel, over roads which were not much more than mere trails,
through thick woods where danger from Indians lurked, I can
appreciate with the present generation, the many nice ways of
travel, and transportation which we now have.
"I have heard my father say, that at the time we moved to
Florida, mail was carried on horseback from Centerville,
Georgia, on the St. Marys River near Folkston to Jasper,
Florida, once weekly and that this was one of the longest
continuous routes carried on horseback in our section of the
country at that time. My father said this round was carried by
the late William Haddock Cone.
"At that time we received our mail only twice weekly, and that
by a horseback carrier, who carried mail from Alligator to
Benton. In my mail, I received letters and cheerful messages
not only from my relatives and my friends though also from many
kindly people who know me only through the blessing which God
has given me a life of more than one hundred years, and while I
am ready to go when the supreme voice calls me, I still find
great joy in living. There are nodding in the cold February
air and sending out the same perfume which they gave for my
precious mother, Jonquils and daffodils, blooming in my yard
today from bulbs which my mother dug from South Carolina soil
and brought them with her when we came to Florida almost
ninety-five years ago.
"I remember as though it were only yesterday, the assassination
of President Lincoln, and the state of turmoil and uncertainty
the peopleof our country were in at that time."