From Start To Finish

John Cabot

As early as 1498, John Cabot, the Italian explorer described the coastline of what is, most likely, Somerset County, Maryland. Later, in 1524, a similar sighting was chronicled by Giovanni de Verranzao. In 1603, Bartholomew Gilbert’s ship and crew got caught up in a storm and took refuge in Chesapeake Bay. He sent four of his men inland to look for fresh water, and only two returned – the others had reportedly been killed by Native Americans. However, in 1608, Captain John Smith, sailed around the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers as well as Chesapeake Bay. It was he who drew the first map of the area.

Within a couple of decades, the idea of colonization had caught on, and more and more people were clamoring to be part of the New World. Because of the discord between Protestants and Catholics, there was great difficulty in settling into a new land and in achieving the harmony necessary to build a life that was so fraught with hardship. Many of the new communities were settled along religious lines. Maryland became one of the few Catholic regions within the colonies. Consequently, many non-Protestants viewed this area as a safe-haven for a kind of religious tolerance that they had never experienced. This influx also included Quakers who had been ousted from the Virginia colony.

A trip across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World typically took four months. It was a grueling and dangerous endeavor during which many lost their lives. Storms and shipwrecks, disease and intolerable conditions were faced by every passenger and crew member who boarded, yet, board they did.

However perilous the journey, perhaps even more so, the aftermath in which it was a daunting endeavor to carve out an untamed land full of unknown and unexpected dangers.

Europe, especially England and Ireland, was in turmoil during this period. Rampant violence, poverty, and hunger coupled with religious persecution had filled the prisons and poor-houses to double capacity. Thus, yearning for a new start, a chance at bettering oneself was understandable. Virginia and Maryland offered great promise for the able-bodied to do just that.

Tobacco was the commodity, yet tobacco farming required many laborers to keep up with the demands. Thus was born the idea of indentured servitude. Make no mistake, there was little difference between indentured servitude and slavery. Early on, tobacco planters tried a variety of labor source including Native American slaves and penal slaves, and then indentured servitude prior to the African slave trade. Historian and author, John Hammond, tells us:

Indenture Contract

“Convinced that England was overpopulated with vagabonds and paupers, the colonists imported surplus Englishmen to raise tobacco and to produce dyestuffs, potash, furs, and other goods that England had imported from other countries. Typically, young men or women in their late teens or twenties would sign a contract of indenture. In exchange for transportation to the New World, a servant would work for several years (usually four to seven) without wages.

“Servants could be bought, sold, or leased. They could also be physically beaten for disobedience or running away. Unlike slaves, however, they were freed after their term of service expired, their children did not inherit their status, and they received a small cash payment of "freedom dues."

Many of those who were brought over were prisoners or paupers who had been forced into servitude by their situations. It is unclear what the circumstances were surrounding the trip and eventual indenturing of Roger Shehee, but that he was placed into the hands of one Garrett Vansweringen, a Dutch settler in Maryland is certain.

Born in 1644, in Ireland, Roger Shehee made his arrival in the New World in 1668. He was my 7^th Great Grandfather, and, apparently he carved out a life for himself and his family in early Maryland. It is yet unclear who he married, however, we know that he had a son named Roger Edmond Shehee in 1659, who followed in his footsteps. In his Last Will and Testament, dated April 25, 1674, Roger bequeathed as follows:

“12th June, 1674. To Betty Manning, Teigue, O'trany, Love O'Daniell, Mr. Hall, and the Roman Catholic Church, personalty. To Bryan O'Daly and Constantine O'Kieffe, exs., residue of estate in trust for son Roger Shehee. Test: Daniel Devine, Hugh Manning. 1. 621.”

Roger Edmond Shehee, my 6^th Great Grandfather, lived in Maryland where he fathered a son named Daniel Shehee – my 5^th Great Grandfather. Little has been ascertained about these two people, but we know that Daniel fathered another Daniel in 1754. We also know that Daniel Sr., purchased a 54 acre tract of land in Dorchester County, Maryland in 1760, and called that parcel “Daniel’s Beginning,” and is listed as one of the first settlers of Maryland.

Daniel Shehee, Jr., my 4^th Great Grandfather, was born in 1754, in Maryland. He married Allifaire Greed on December 24, 1790.  Daniel was a Corporal in the Revolutionary War and suffered through the historically cold and brutal winter at Valley Forge under the leadership of George Washington – yes…THAT George Washington.

At some point between 1790, and 1810, Daniel and Allifaire moved to Sanderville, Georgia where they both resided until their deaths. They gave birth to nine children, the first of which was my Aunt Louisa in 1795, and of whom there appears to be little record.

Also, presumably later in 1795, came my Uncle Aylesbury B. Shehee. Now, ‘Aylesbury’ may seem an uncommon name to most of us, but it seemed to have stuck around in my family for quite a few generations. I remember my Grandmother referring to “Aylesbury” with great fondness as well as some derision and never knew the source of either.

Throughout all of my childhood, and likewise, my research, the names of my ancestors have fascinated me, and Aylesbury didn’t disappoint. Aylesbury appears to have been about acquisitions, moving from Georgia to South Carolina and into Florida, he acquired a massive amount of property. He married a woman named Louisa who only appears on records as L. W. Shehee. Together they had four children: Darien A.; Augusta Caroline, b. 1815; Savannah Georgia, b. 1823; and Augustine Florida, b. 1826.

James Jackson Vickers

In 1836, Augusta (who is my first cousin, 4x removed) became the second wife of James Jackson Vickers. In 1838, Augusta died in childbirth along with the child who they named after her sister, Augustine Florida. One year later, the despondent Mr. Vickers married Savannah Georgia Shehee – Augusta’s sister. They moved to Louisiana where they had nine children in the eleven years before Savannah’s death.

Augustine, being the daughter of Judge Aylesbury, possessed a certain refinement that was considered attractive in a woman at that time, and  she married John Finlayson on December 5, 1842.

John Finlayson

John Finlayson was the son of Daniel and Christina McRae, both immigrants from Scotland. Early in his life, John tried his hand at teaching and determined he was ill-suited for that profession. He then opened a mercantile business and became successful, but his real passion was in planting and farming, hence he built a beautiful plantation in Jefferson County, Florida called Glendower.

John and Augustine decorated their home with valuable antiques and exquisite oil paintings – many of their five children. John became active in Florida politics and eventually became the President of the Senate and had a good shot at the Governorship. However, his health was failing and he withdrew his name.

According to all records found, John was a major slave-owner. His slave-holdings included men and women and many children. He greatly opposed the North during the Civil War and shortly after the South surrendered, John took to his death bed.

Glendower

Glendower was passed on to his eldest son, Daniel, and, as far as I know, still exists. It was not until I saw the pictures of the plantation – especially the road leading up to the house that I remembered that I had been there as a very small child. I remember the oaks and the moss making the journey down the road a little eerie to one so young. Little did I realize, at the time, that this was part of a heritage that I would later revisit with a sense of remorse for all of the brutality and oppression that came with the era and the lifestyle.

In the only account of his death that I have found, the author made every attempt to glorify Finlayson as a man of “sterling qualities, sound, practical, common sense mixed with decision and determination.” When portraying his slaves at the time of his death, the writer claims:

“…he died, surrounded by his many slaves, who, from the emotion evinced by them, one would have supposed him to have been their earthly father.”

I rather doubt that anyone who had been held against his or her will, forced into servitude, seen their children bought and sold like cattle, would ever confuse their oppressor with their “earthly father.” While he may very well have been a cut above the common slave-master, he was still a slave-master.

The third child of Daniel Shehee, Jr., was John Henry Shehee who was my 3^rd grandfather and who I will chronicle in a little while.

Daniel’s fourth child was my 3^rd great grand uncle, Sherrod Braxton Shehee – and what a life he led! Born August 9^th, 1802, Sherrod married Henrietta Collins on December 10, 1822. Together they had nine children.

According to all historical accounts, Sherrod, along with his brother Thomas, blazed a monumental trail from Barnesville to Zebulon, Georgia. They both were instrumental in organizing what is now Pike County, Georgia and in holding the first election there in 1822.

Unfortunately, while there are many accomplishments of which we should be most proud, a heavy shadow darkens the history of many whose ancestors hailed from the Deep South. The economy, agriculture, greed, and ignorance all played into the barbarism of  slavery and many of our ancestors were among the large plantation owners and slave-holders of the south, including Sherrod and Thomas.

Sherrod also served as interior court judge in Pike county and was appointed as a trustee of the Barnesville Academy. At the time of his death, the Barnesville Gazette wrote a glowing obituary:

Barnesville Gazette, Thursday, June 4, 1885

Sherod B. Shehee Dead.
Stewartville, June 1st.

Death has again invaded our community and the soul of Sherod Beckham Shehee
took its flight to the God who made it.

Sherod B. Shehee was born in Washington county Georgia the 9th of August 1802.
At the age of ten he lost his father which was a great blow to his mother as
young Sherod was inclined to be a little wild and his mother expected to have
some trouble in managing him. There were several children but Sherod being the
youngest was petted considerably and consequently somewhat spoiled. His mother
though being a woman of strong and determined will succeeded better than she
at first anticipated. Sherod dearly loved his mother or “mamma” as he called
her and this went far towards keeping under subjection his wild impulses.
About this time the name of Carlisle P. Behman as a school teacher was a
terror to all the wild boys of the state. Sherod’s mother thought this the
proper place for him and so informed him. He made no objection so he was
packed up and started off but never reached his destination. The more he
thought of it and the closer he got the bigger the bugaboo, till he turned in
despair and went back home and told his mother she might kill him but she
couldn’t make him go to Behman. She put him between the plow handles and there
he remained greatly against his will till his twentieth year when he married.
So you see his education was quite limited as he refused to take advantage of
his opportunities. He however had a very good chance to learn mathematics as
his oldest brother was a civil engineer for a number of years and he took
young Sherod with him as chain bearer. He has been all through Okefenokee
Swamp and Southern Georgia while there was not much there except Indians,
alligators and snakes. The cold chills have shaken me many times while
listening to him tell of those adventures in those wilds.

I must be pointed and short and only relate a few facts connected with his
life as Dr. Blackburn will give in a few days, a full sketch of his life which
will be amusing as well as instructing and interesting.

Mr. Shehee was married in 1822 in his twentieth year to Miss Henrietta
Collins, one of the first families in Washington Co. She was only seventeen at
the time of her marriage. She was a beautiful girl, highly educated and
greatly beloved by all who knew her. She was said to be a Christian from her
cradle. She was certainly greatly devoted to her husband, for she left a home
of ease and affluence to move with him to Pike county and live in a log hut
with a dirt floor and that too in a perfect wilderness. They settled near
Bluff Springs and used water from it. There was not a stick amiss and the
country was full of bears, deer and turkeys. This suited them as they were
great lovers of sport, and had I space I could relate some amusing incidents
as told me that occurred at that time. Remember that was in 1822 and they were
among the very first settlers.

They brought their corn from Jones county and when they wanted meal they had
to go back to Jones to mill.

In 1823, Billy Williams came over and it was not a great while before he built
a little mill in the place that the Slade mill now stands. But it would take
too much space to trace the history from that time till now, so I will not
attempt it.

In 1823, the Judge of Superior Court rode back from Savannah to Zebulon to
hold court. Not a solitary soul knew who he was but he made himself known and
told his business. He organized the court and commenced business, but the Jury
thought he was holding too long and concluded they would adjourn, so they took
a goat upstairs turned him loose and told the Judge to consider it adjourned.
I think the Judge’s name was Charlton.

Mr. Shehee lived at Bluff Springs six or seven years and then moved on
Tobler’s creek near the Upson line. He lived there about six years and then
moved to Barnesville where he lived twenty eight years. There he raised his
large family and educated them. There were thirteen children, five boys and
eight girls. Four of this number have gone to rest. Nine are still living,
four boys and five girls. They are scattered from Florida to Texas and are all
good, honest, upright citizens. This fact is largely attributable to their
mother as she was a model Christian woman.

While Mr. Shehee loved sport and was inclined to be lively. He was above a
mean action, upright and honest in all his dealings and a kind and
affectionate neighbor. No one ever appealed to him for help that went away
empty-handed. He was in good circumstances, always had plenty and to spare. He
hated and spurned a penurious man and often said none of his blood ever flowed
in the veins of a five cent man.

In 1863 he moved to Stewartville where he spent the remainder of his days. He
lived to see all his children married and settled in life. There is a large
crowd of grand and great grandchildren now.

The loss of his negro property was a great blow to his mind. Being raised as
he was it was a long time before he could accustom himself to a different
regime of things. After the death of his wife five years ago he lost all
energy and self respect, but he managed to keep his feet till about two years
ago when he gave up completely and took [to] his bed never to rise any more.
For two years he was a great burden to Mr. M.V. Shehee and wife and children.
The Christian graces are the only things that bore them up in their trials
with him. Night and day for two years they devoted all their talents and time
to him, an invalid. Where could you find another such family? If they can’t
get recompensed here I hope they may be in eternity. There is one thing they
can go down to their graves with clear consciences. “Well done thou good and
faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee
ruler over many, enter thou into the joy of the Lord.”

He died calmly, peaceably and without a struggle on the 27th May 1885 at 5
o’clock p.m.

He stated to his daughter (Mrs. Joe Smith) the day before his death, that he
was ready, willing and anxious to go meet his “Henny” in heaven.

He joined the M.E.C. South at Ebenezer last year and was baptized by Rev. S.
Leak.

Ebenezer Church

The day after his death the burial services were conducted by Rev. S. Leak in
the presence of a large concourse of relatives and friends. He was buried at
the family burial ground at Ebenezer church. Thus passed away one of the old
landmarks of this county. He was well and favorably known throughout the
county.

May he rest in peace.

Would write more but I have already trespassed enough.

Yours truly,
Stewardville
June 1st, 1885.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/lamar/obits/s/shehee2056nob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/gafiles

The Reverend Samuel Leake was a long time friend of the Shehee and his son, Wesley was the husband of my first cousin, Eleanor P. Shehee.

Thomas Greene Shehee was Daniel’s 5^th child and also my 3^rd  great uncle. He married Mary Baker and together they had three children; Eleanor P.; Ann G.; and Thomas A. B.

Daniel’s 6^th child, my 3^rd great aunt, was Clarissa Harlow Shehee. Clarissa married Robert Tennille, a large plantation and slave owner in Washington County, Georgia. The town of Tennille, Georgia was named after this family.

Clarissa and Robert had 10 children: Mary Elizabeth; Mary; William A.; Eliza; Elefair; Martha; Clarissa; Polk; Algernon S.; and Ann B. Nancy.

The 7^th child fathered by Daniel was Alafair D. Shehee. Born in 1817, Alafair married William Bennett Hall. William was a soldier for the Confederacy and under the 13^th clause of a proclamation issued by the President in 1865, William applied for a Presidential pardon.

William and Alafair had 7 children together: Martha; Matilda; Augusta; John D.; Sherrod Thomas; Julian S.; and Memphis.

Daniel’s 8^th child was Eliza A. of which little is known other than she married a man by the name of Robert Roberson. Likewise with Daniel’s last child, Allafare Shehee (1827-1889) of whom little has been found.

That brings me back to my 3^rd Great Grandfather, John Henry Shehee. John was born on August 9, 1802. The third child to Daniel Shehee and Allifare Greene, John married Rebecca Dawkins, my 3^rd Great Grandmother who I will speak of at length later. John and Rebecca spent most of their lives farming and raising their family between Georgia and Florida.  In 1850,  Leon County, John estimated the value of his property at $2500. In 1834, he purchased sizable tracts of land in Jefferson County, Florida and a year later he bought another 40 acres to add to the 80 acres he owned in Leon County.

It is important to note that Florida did not become a state until 1845, and our ancestors were almost prescient in their emigration into the state and subsequent land acquisitions. The Seminole Indian Tribe, an offshoot of the Creek people, had become a distinct and resourceful tribe in that area.

“Throughout the 17th century, English settlers in Virginia and the Carolinas gradually pushed the boundaries of Spanish territory south, while the French settlements along the Mississippi River encroached on the western borders of the Spanish claim. In 1702, English Colonel James Moore and allied Yamasee and Creek Indians attacked and razed the town of St. Augustine, but they could not gain control of the fort. In 1704, Moore and his soldiers began burning Spanish missions in north Florida and executing Indians friendly with the Spanish. The collapse of the Spanish mission system and the defeat of the Spanish-allied Apalachee Indians (the Apalachee massacre) opened Florida up to slave raids, which reached to the Florida Keys and decimated the native population. The Yamasee War of 1715–1717 resulted in numerous Indian refugees, such as the Yamasee, moving south to Florida. In 1719, the French captured the Spanish settlement at Pensacola.^[13]


“The British and their colonies made war repeatedly against the Spanish, especially in 1702, and captured St Augustine in 1740. The British were angry that Spanish Florida was attracting a large number of Africans and African Americans in North America who sought freedom from British slavery. The slaves that could escape, once they made it to Florida, were given freedom after they converted to Catholicism. They settled in a buffer community north of St. Augustine, called Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, the first settlement made of free slaves in North America.


“The 1755 Lisbon earthquake triggered a tsunami that would have struck Central Florida with an estimated 1.5-meter (4 ft 11 in) wave.^[14]


“Creek and Seminole Native Americans who had established buffer settlements in Florida at the invitation of the Spanish government also welcomed many of those slaves. In 1771, Governor John Moultrie wrote to the English Board of Trade that “It has been a practice for a good while past, for negroes to run away from their Masters, and get into the Indian towns, from whence it proved very difficult to get them back.” When British government officials pressured the Seminoles to return runaway slaves, they replied that they had "merely given hungry people food, and invited the slaveholders to catch the runaways themselves." (From Wikipedia)


In the coming years, Florida became an area of great unrest.


“As settlement increased, pressure grew on the United States government to remove the Indians from their lands in Florida. Many settlers in Florida developed plantation agriculture, similar to other areas of the Deep South. To the consternation of new landowners, the Seminoles harbored and integrated runaway blacks, and clashes between whites and Indians grew with the influx of new settlers. In 1832, the United States government signed the Treaty of Payne's Landing with some of the Seminole chiefs, promising them lands west of the Mississippi River if they agreed to leave Florida voluntarily. Many Seminoles left then, while those who remained prepared to defend their claims to the land. White settlers pressured the government to remove all of the Indians, by force if necessary, and in 1835, the U.S. Army arrived to enforce the treaty.

Osceola

“The Second Seminole War began at the end of 1835 with the Dade Massacre, when Seminoles ambushed Army troops marching from Fort Brooke (Tampa) to reinforce Fort King (Ocala). They killed or mortally wounded all but one of the 110 troops. Between 900 and 1,500 Seminole warriors effectively employed guerrilla tactics against United States Army troops for seven years. Osceola, a charismatic young war leader, came to symbolize the war and the Seminoles after he was arrested by Brigadier General Joseph Marion Hernandez while negotiating under a white truce flag in October 1837, by order of General Thomas Jesup. First imprisoned at Fort Marion, he died of malaria at Fort Moultrie in South Carolina less than three months after his capture. The war ended in 1842.


“On the eve of the Civil War, Florida had the smallest population of the Southern states. It was invested in plantation agriculture. By 1860, Florida had only 140,424 people, of whom 44% were enslaved. There were fewer than 1,000 free people of color before the Civil War.”

John and Rebecca brought 6 children into the world: Druscilla Allifaire; Sherrod Braxton, Sr.; Martha Ann; Thomas L.; John; and Harris.

Very little is known about Martha, John, or Harris Shehee. However, Drusilla, my 2^nd great aunt, married Henry A. Stroman on August 9, 1844. Henry was originally from South Carolina and somehow ended up with a plantation in Florida, a wife, and four children: Louisa; E. Cabell; Walter Scott; and John Jacob Astor. They all appear to have remained in the Leon County area.

In July of 1861, my 2^nd great uncle, Thomas L. Shehee,  enlisted in the military – the Confederacy, unfortunately, where he was commissioned the officer status of 2^nd Lieutenant. Here is an account of what took place:

Regimental History
THIRD FLORIDA INFANTRY

The 3rd Florida Regiment was organized in July, 1861, and
mustered into the Confederate service August 10, 1861, on
Amelia Island and was composed of the following companies:

Jacksonville Light Infantry, Duval county (Co. A), Capt.
Holmes Steele;
St. Augustine Blues, St. Johns county (Co. B), Capt. John Lott
Philips;
Hernando Guards (Wild Cats), Hernando county (Co. C), Capt.
Walter Terry Saxon;
Wakulla Guards, Wakulla county (Co. D)), Capt. Daniel L.
Frierson;
Jefferson Beauregards, Jefferson county (Co. E), Capt. Daniel
E. Bird;
Cow Boys, Duval county (Co. F), Capt. Lucius A. Hardee
Madison Grey Eagles, Madison county (Co. G), Capt. Thomas
Langford;
Jefferson Rifles, Jefferson county (Co. H) Capt. William 0.
Girardeau;
Dixie Stars, Columbia county (Co. I), Capt. Jesse B. Wood;
Columbia and Suwannee Guards (Co. K), Capt. William Parker.

An election of officers was held July 25, 1861. William S.
Dilworth was elected Colonel; Arthur J. T. Wright, Lieutenant-
Colonel, Lucius A. Church, Major. They were all members of the
Regiment. Colonel Dilworth had enlisted as a private in the
Jefferson Beauregards. Lieutenant-Colonel Wright was in
command of the Columbia and Suwannee Guards, and Major Church
was Lieutenant of the Madison Grey Eagles.

The Regimental Staff was as follows:

Capt. Henry R. Teasdale as Quartermaster; he was afterward
promoted Major and made District Quartermaster for Florida with
his station at Lake City; Capt. E. Yulee, Commissary; Hill,
Surgeon; Dr. D. Carn, Assistant Surgeon; Lieut. J. O. A. Gerry,
Adjutant; David Lewis, Sergeant Major; W. T. Moseley, Jr.,
Quartermaster Sergeant; P. E. Lowe, Commissary Sergeant.

The Blues, Captain Philips, and the Jefferson Beauregards,
Captain Bird, were stationed at St. Augustine; the Jacksonville
Light Infantry, Captain Steele, and the Cow Boys, Captain
Hardee, were stationed at the Bluff, near the mouth of the St.
Johns; the other six companies of the Regiment were stationed
at Fort Clinch, on Amelia Island near Fernandina.

The Regiment saw but little active service during the first
year of its organization, but did a great deal of hard work
throwing up sand batteries on Amelia and Tolbert Islands and
the defenses in the eastern part of the State.

Companies E and H. under Captain Bird, were sent during the
winter to New Smyrna to protect Government stores brought in
from Nassau. In March, 1862, a detachment under Capt. Mathew
H. Strain, who had succeeded Girardeau, engaged a number of
launches from the Federal blockading vessels, which were
attempting to land and destroy the stores; nearly all the
occupants of the launches were killed, wounded or captured.

Early in 1862 the Confederate Government determined to shorten
its lines of defense and abandon its works at the mouth of the
St. Johns River and Amelia Island, and these last were occupied
by the Federals about March 12.

On the night of March 24th, Lieut. Thomas E. Strange of Co. K,
and Lieut. Charles H. Ross and Frank Ross of Co. I, 3rd
Florida, with ten volunteers, attacked the Federal picket at
the "Brick Church," which stood where LaVilla Junction now
stands, killing 4 and capturing 3 of the Federals; in this
skirmish Lieutenant Strange was mortally wounded.

After the evacuation of Fernandina and St. Johns Bluff, the
companies not engaged in the Smyrna expedition were stationed
at Cedar Keys.

In May the entire Regiment for the first time was brought
together in camp at Midway, Gadsden county, preparatory to
taking up its march for the Western Army, then in northern
Mississippi. Many of the companies had already re-enlisted for
the war and under the laws enacted for the reorganization of
the Confederate army the term of all was extended and it was
deemed best to have a re-election of officers to serve
permanently with the company.

The election resulted in the choice of the following Field
Officers, Staff appointments and Captains: Colonel, W. S.
Dilworth; Lieutenant-Colonel, Lucius A. Church: Major, Edward
Mashhurn; Quartermaster, Captain Hickman; Commissary, Capt. D.
Lewis; Surgeon, Doctor Carn; Assistant Surgeon, Dr. M. C. W.
Jordan; Adjutant, H. Steele; Sergeant Major, C. H. Stebbins;
Commissary Sergeant, P. E. Lowe; Ordnance Sergeant, Theodore
Bridler; Quartermaster Sergeant, William P. Moseley; Hospital
Steward, B. Frank Moseley.
Co. A, Captain, John B. Oliveres;
Co. B. John Lotts Philips;
Co. C, Walter Terry Saxon;
Co. D, Daniel L. Freirson;
Co. E, Daniel B. Bird;
Co. F. Albert Drisdale;
Co. G. Thomas L. Langford;
Co. H. Mathew H. Strain;
Co. I, Charles H. Ross;
Co. K, William G. Parker

The Regiment remained in camp about three weeks. During this
time a beautiful silk banner with the motto "We Yield but in
Death," was presented to the Regiment by one of the ladies of
Jefferson county. Shortly after the middle of the month of May
the Regiment broke camp, marched to the Chattahoochee River and
went by steamers to Columbus, then by rail to Montgomery; and
after a short detention there was sent to Mobile, where the
orders to proceed to Bragg's army in Mississippi were
countermanded and the Regiment put on duty to guard and patrol
the city, where they remained for several months.

Early in August of 1862 the Regiment was ordered to Chattanooga
and went into camp at the foot of Lookout Mountain, near the
Tennessee River. After remaining there for a short time the
3rd crossed the Tennessee and was assigned to the brigade of
Gen. John C. Brown of Tennessee, Gen. Patton Anderson's
division. The regiments composing Brown's Brigade were the 1st
and 3rd Florida and 41st Mississippi.

The Army of Tennessee encamped for a few days in the beautiful
Sequatchee Valley; then it took up its line of march across the
Cumberland Mountains into middle Tennessee and northward toward
the Kentucky line, crossing the Cumberland River above
Nashville and entered Kentucky in Monroe county. Then
proceeded directly to Green River, near which a brigade of
4,000 Federal troops were captured.

After a few days' delay, anticipating the approach of Buell's
Army, the Army of Tennessee on September 20th moved toward
Louisville, Kentucky, and for two weeks were camped at
different points; part of the time a few miles from Bardstown.

The movements of the Federal forces caused General Bragg to
shift his position and on October 8th the two armies confronted
each other at Perryville, where the 3rd lost heavily. Capt. D.
B. Bird, who commanded the Regiment during most of the time
after it left Chattanooga, fell mortally wounded, late on the
afternoon of the 8th.

From Perryville the army fell back until it again reached
Chattanooga in December, where the decimated ranks of the 1st
and 3rd Regiments were consolidated, the 3rd forming the right
wing of the consolidated regiment, and this it continued
through all its subsequent history.

The consolidated Regiment shared in all the subsequent
movements of Bragg's Army back to east and forward to middle
Tennessee, where, as a part of Breckinridge's Division it took
part in the battle of Murfreesborough, where, out of its 531
men it lost 138 killed, wounded and missing, and the other
engagements of that campaign.

Early in the summer of 1863 the Regiment, under Breckenridge,
was ordered to Mississippi and was on the Big Black when
Vicksburg was surrendered; afterward was engaged in the siege
at Jackson, Miss.

After the close of the Mississippi campaign the consolidated
regiment returned to Northern Georgia in time to take part in
the battle of Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge. The Regiment
was in all the subsequent movements with the Army in Northern
Georgia, which opened early in the spring of 1864 and extended
from Chattanooga to Atlanta, thence onward to Middle Tennessee
under Hood, and finally back through Alabama, Georgia, South
Carolina and North Carolina to Durham Station, near Greensboro,
N. C., April 26, 1865.

Source: Soldiers of Florida in the ... Civil War ... page 99


Chickamagua after battle report:

Report of Col. W. S. Dilworth, Third Florida Infantry,
commanding First and Third Florida Infantry.

HDQRS. FIRST AND THIRD FLORIDA REGTS.,
Near Chattanooga, Tenn., September 27, 1863.
SIR: I have the honor to submit to the brigadier-general
commanding the following report of the part taken by my
command in the recent battle near the Chickamauga River:
On the morning of the 19th instant, I was left with my regiment
and a section of Cobb's battery at Glass' Mill, with
instructions from Maj.-Gen. Breckinridge to dispose of my
command so as to repel any attack of the enemy, and remain
until I should be relieved.

During the afternoon a force of cavalry and infantry appeared
across the creek, threw out a line of skirmishers, and began to
advance; but finding us ready to oppose them, they fell back at
the first fire of our skirmishers and made no further
demonstrations.

At 9 p. m. I received an order from Maj.-Gen. Breckinridge to
join the division, so I left the position in charge of a detachment
of Wharton's cavalry, which had just come up, and hastened on
with my command. Unfortunately, soon after leaving the main
Chattanooga road the guide lost his way, and with my best
exertions I was unable to reach the division until about 8 o'clock
the next morning after marching constantly all night, a distance
of not less than 18 miles. I, however, arrived just in time to take
my position as the brigade was being formed in line of battle.

A little before 10 o'clock the order was given to advance. My
regiment was on the right of the brigade and Adams' brigade was
on my right. We pushed forward through the woods and were in
a few moments engaged. As we charged the enemy fell back
through the woods and an open field beyond, leaving three brass
pieces in front of the right wing of my regiment and many
prisoners to fall into our hands. One of these pieces I sent to the
rear, but judging it to be imprudent to withdraw many men from
the ranks, as the guns were already safe, I left them on the field
and they were removed subsequently by Adams' brigade, which
came up a little after us.

I was then ordered to take a new position to thwart an anticipated
flank movement of the enemy from the left, rendered practicable
by the advance of our division. This movement was not
attempted, and soon the whole brigade was formed on the
prolongation of my line, throwing me on the extreme left. In a
few minutes we were ordered to move forward, and a line of
skirmishers was thrown out and they immediately opened a brisk
fire. It became apparent that the right of the enemy extended
considerably beyond my left, and as there was no support for my
left I feared that the enemy would turn my flank; but the order
to advance was positive, and we advanced up the hill at a
double-quick under a galling fire from the enemy, who was
fighting behind some hastily constructed breastworks. The colors
were not more than a dozen steps from the enemy, and in
another minute we would have driven them from their works, but
the regiments to my right were already falling back, and, as I
had anticipated, the enemy was getting in my rear and pouring
a destructive fire upon my left flank. I therefore gave the order
to fall back, and by obliquing to the left I withdrew the regiment
in safety and rallied it at the foot of the hill. Lieut. J. Cabell
Breckinridge, of Maj.-Gen. Breckinridge's staff, was here of
essential service to me. Riding fearlessly along where the balls
fell thickly about him, he cheered the men by his noble example
and rallied them by his encouraging words.

My loss in this charge was very heavy. Samuel Neeley, the color
bearer, fell near the breastworks, and Robert McKay, of the
color guard, close to his side, both severely wounded, and 4 of
the color company were left dead on the field. The infirmary
detail did its duty faithfully, and by removing the wounded as
they fell prevented the enemy from capturing them.

The brigade was now withdrawn and was not brought into action
again until nearly sundown, affording the weary men an
opportunity to enjoy a few hours' rest.

About sundown the brigade was formed for another charge, and
after being exposed to an artillery fire for some time, in which
I incurred no loss, we were moved forward, and we swept
through the woods and over the breastworks we had failed to
take in the morning, driving the routed enemy across the
Chattanooga road. Here our line was halted, and after loud and
prolonged cheers at the glorious success of the day, I stacked
arms at the edge of the woods and bivouacked for the night.

By the accompanying list* of casualties it will be seen that I lost
from the regiment 9 killed, 70 wounded, and 13 missing; making
a total of 92 out of 273 that I carried into the fight. There are but
3 officers on this list. Two of these were slightly wounded and
1 is missing.

The provost guard, under Lieut. J. G. Butler, Company A, Third
Florida, was formed on the right of my regiment during the
greater part of the day. They volunteered to go out as
skirmishers early in the morning, much to the relief of my weary
men, and in every place they served they did their duty faithfully
and efficiently.

My field officers--Maj. G. A. Ball, First Florida, and Capt. C.
H. Ross, Company I, Third Florida, and my adjutant, C. H.
Stebbins, Third Florida--were constantly by me and assisted me
greatly; and Capt. Whitehead and Lieut. Hanson, of Brig.-Gen.
Stovall's staff, afforded much encouragement to the men by their
fearless courage and cheering words.

There are many others who deserve special notice, among them
Corpl. C. P. Ulmer, Company H, Third Florida, of the color
guard, who seized the colors when they fell from the hands of
the color bearer while under a heavy fire and bore them bravely
through the rest of the contest.

I regret that I cannot enumerate all the deeds of courage that
came under my observation during the day, for, notwithstanding
the long march, the loss of rest, and want of food, there were
few who skulked from the fight. All seemed resolved to do their
best to check the advance of the invader.

I am, captain, respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. S. DILWORTH,
Col., Comdg.

Capt. J. P. C. WHITEHEAD, Jr.,
Assistant Adjutant-Gen.

Source: Official Records
CHAP. XLII.] THE CHICKAMAUGA CAMPAIGN. PAGE 232-51
[Series I. Vol. 30. Part II, Reports. Serial No. 51

Spring Hill Monument

A little more than a week later, they were fighting a battle in Harrodsburg, Kentucky where casualties were equally as heavy. Thomas L. Shehee was wounded in that battle and died shortly thereafter at the age of 26. Located at the entrance to Spring Hill Cemetery, in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, there is a Confederate monument paying tribute to the men and the battles that they fought.

The monument is listed in the National Register of Historic places and is considered one of the “must see” places by Civil War buffs and historians.

Regardless of how we view the Civil War and the Confederacy, it is a very integral part of our history as a country and our legacy as a family. Just as we have ancestors who fought to become independent, we have those who were devout loyalists – in the Civil War, we were also represented on both sides. Given our deep roots in the South, it is little wonder that many of our people took up arms to protect their way of life.

But, Thomas was not the only son of John Henry to serve the Confederacy. Born September 12, 1828, my 2^nd Great Grandfather, Sherrod Braxton Shehee, Sr., felt that his duty called and he signed on the dotted line. He served in the 2^nd Cavalry Regiment of Florida.

Sherrod married Margaret Williams, my 2^nd Great Grandmother, of whom very little is known. Together they had two children, Sherrod Braxton, Jr., and Bartow L.

My Great Uncle Bartow married Florence Phillips, daughter of Paul Phillips and Julia Anne West. Together they brought five children into this world: Leidy Wadsworth; Florence “Flossie” L.; Paul C.; Clyde; and Edith M.

At some point, between 1870, and 1887, Bartow left Leon County, Florida and moved to Hamilton, Tennessee where he Florence and raised his family.

In 1876, Sherrod married Mary Shealey and together they had Thomas Braxton Shehee Humphries. But it is Sherrod Braxton Shehee, Jr., towards whom I now turn. Sherrod was my very own Great Grandfather. Born March 25, 1862, Sherrod wandered down the Florida coastline and settled at its’ Southernmost tip, in Key West where he married my Great Grandmother, Susan Romelda Russell of whom you will hear a lot more in the stories to come.

Armory Bldg.

Sherrod was a building contractor and house carpenter. In July of 1903, while building the new Armory Building on White Street in Key West, Sherrod fell from the roof to his death.

He and Susan had eight children: Leroy Harvey; Margaret Lenora; Christina Lee; Ruth Katherine; Jennie Bryan; Beulah Ermina; Florence Lee; and Alice Marie.

Madeline Mercedes

Henry Leroy Shehee, my Grandfather,  married Madeline Mercedes Lopez, daughter of Quintin Lopez and Anna "Annie" Oswald. Together they had six children: Anna Majorie; Leroy, Jr.; Robert; Lois Larraine; Hilliart; and Rose Marie, my mother. Unfortunately, all of the boys died tragic deaths and all were childless. Given the fact that Grandfather had no brothers, the Shehee name ended with him.

Margaret Lenora married Henry Eugene Kemp. As of yet, no children of that union have been uncovered. Christina Lee married Joseph Bernard Allen, Sr. Together they had three sons: Henry Braxton; Joseph Bernarf, Jr., a decorated WWII hero who went on to become the editor of the Key West Citizen and a Florida State Representative; and William Monroe.

Ruth Katheine & Wade

Ruth Katherine married Thomas H. Slappey and together they gave birth to Wade and Braxton Shehee, Sr. As is evidenced throughout my family tree, our ancestors are frequently recognized and honored through the naming of their children, sometimes to the child's chagrin.  Wade married Evelyn Ernestine Foster and Braxton wedded Virginia Louise Lively.

Romelda Johnson

Jennie Bryan never married and, it appears that she remained at home for much of her life. Buelah Ermina, by all accounts, was a rather colorful character who elicited much love from her family and whos strong resemblance to other women in the family leaves little doubt that our genes run deep. She married twice that I know of, once to Edwin Holst Johnson, Jr., with whom she had Romelda Gilbert Johnson, a beautiful young woman who married Aruthur Horatio Sheppard, Jr., and Constance Lorraine, another lovely woman who married Hillary Arthur Crusoe, Jr.

Constance & Hillary

Buelah's second marriage was to Mervin Lafette Russell with who she had Lorraine Russell of whom little is known.

Florence Lee married Clarence Uriah Allshouse and together they gave us Betty L. and Clarence V. Allshouse. Betty married Clifton Allen and we aren't quite sure what happened to cousin Clarence.

Alice Marie went on to marry Hilburn Robert Collins, Sr. in Key West, Florida where they gave birth to Hilburn Robert Collins, Jr.

As for my Grandfather, Leroy Harvey Shehee, he was known to most of his friends as "Roy." He was an avid baseball fan and served as coach and umpire to many of the games held in Key West. He had an interesting life. He was in the Florida Naval Militia - a pretty raucous group from what I understand.  For a few years he served as a deputy sheriff and later went to work as a railroad blacksmith. One of the things that he loved was fishing and living in Key West gave him quite the opportunity to do just that.

At the age of 42, he cut his leg on a piece of coral while trying to catch the "big one." That spelled disaster for him and his family. As so often happened back then a horrible infection set in. He endured a lot of pain and an extended period in the hospital after undergoing two surgeries. Eventually the leg was amputated, but it was too late.

When I first embarked on this endeavour, little did I know what an incredibly fascinating tale I would uncover. From the far-reaching shores of Maryland and Virginia, to colony building, Indian battles, the Revolutionary War, the brutality of slavery,  the Civil War, the Klan, murder mysteries, Rum-running, and the wild-wild life that was early Key West, I have enriched my life and my knowledge of my past. But, more importantly, I have gained a new-found respect for those who paved the way.

The story is far from over. This is but one line that I have followed - and not all questions have been answered. However, the best may be yet to come as I emerge from this tale and begin the next - which I believe to be full of rouges, pirates, and all sorts of revolutionaries - I will tread in the footsteps of my beloved ancestors with naked feet so as to find the truth and leave only what is meant to be left to the imagination, of course.