Stepping back into history

[Jogeephus]

I walked through some property today that is virtually inaccessible and has been considered inaccessible since the War for Southern Independence because this area was used as a camp for draft dodgers during the war. Local history says there was a camp on an island somewhere near where this picture was taken where the men hid till the war was over. I haven't found the camp yet but I hope to find it so I can root around for some relics.

Having been known to be a hard area to get to its obvious from the number of old intact moonshine stills we've found so far the revenue agents never bothered to come here. While its rough as a cob for a mile or so once you get into the area its actually park like and is something worth seeing. While the stills are old and in disrepair everything is just as they left things which is sort of spooky in a sense but its neat in that its like you stepped back in time. Anyhow, here is a picture of one of the stills I thought someone might find interesting.

 

[herofan]

Good stuff. I find things like this interesting.

 

[TCRanch]

That is so cool! How did you happen upon the property?

Legend has it the Dalton Gang hid out in one of our old hay barns (still standing) after their last bank robbery in Dexter in 1892 and there's an old Indian burial ground on our property.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Jo there are old cemeteries all out in these woods with no houses for miles.
It would be interesting to see how many settlements were in these woods a 150 years ago.

 

[Jogeephus]

That is so cool! How did you happen upon the property?

Its on one of the farms I look after. Always new it was there but never had a reason to go "there". Its a long way back in the swamp and you can only get there on foot a few months out of the year and even then it involves wading. To get to this spot it involves heading through pure he77 for a quarter mile or so then there are sloughs you have to cross but then you get to the hill in the middle of the swamp and its like a park.

On one place there is an old town that had a grist mill. Everything is deserted now. At one time it was really prosperous with the grist mill and a plantation of tung oil trees.

We have a few cemeteries too. One is about two miles off the road and I put fence around it to keep it safe and a few years later a women from Michigan was doing some genealogy got my name and asked me about it and while she was on her way to Florida I met her and showed her the grave site. She was so pleased it was still there and we had respected it like we had.

Neat stuff I think.

 

[john250]

Did the Confederacy not allow a man to "buy out" of the war? Or was cash too scarce? Teddy Roosevelts dad paid another man to fight for the Union, and historians say that scarred T.R. Anyway, this is fascinating. Stills still recognizable after 150 yrs. Sure you haven't been doing some maintenance?

 

[Jogeephus]

I don't know if you could buy out or not. I doubt many around here had the money to buy out. Most of the wealth and the slaves were located nearer the coast. I'd imagine the stills are mostly from the prohibition era but there are still a few die hards who still make it here but on a very limited scale. I know a guy real well who I love to hear his tales about the days he made liquor. You can tell he loved the game. He had a horse named Buck who he fed the spent buck to and he could ride the horse into the swamp and just let him lead the way to his competitor's liquor stills so he could take notes on what they were doing. Some of the tales he tells are hilarious.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Good thread Jo. I hope you take and post more pics.

 

[Ryder]

Yes, very interesting Jo, as are many or your posts.
Well, at least some of them.

 

[Nesikep]

Yep, it's pretty neat to see abandoned stuff.. I used to live a mile from an abandoned townsite with about 30 houses or so.. mining town that just packed up and left when the mine shut down.. Bradian BC.. the whole town is for sale if anyone wants to "own the town"
Our town (pop ~3000) was once a booming town.. apparently the largest CITY west of chicago and north of San Fransico.. you see old stuff around, but nothing to indicate this was a major center at one time

 

[Dave]

I have a friend who was falling timber in the hills not too far from the mouth of the Columbia River. He spotted a head stone. Got to looking around and there were 20 or 30 graves. No markings other than the head stones and the second growth timber was growing right amongst them. He said the trees were two and a half to three foot on the stump which means they 60/70 years old.

 

[Jogeephus]

If this jug could only talk I what grand stories it could tell. I hope to find the camp before long. I think I'm getting closer but this is a big place and we may get 3 inches of rain come Monday which will dampen my motivation.

 

[wlamarparmer]

Jo is this part of Okefenokee or further north. According to diaries, etc SW Georgia was pretty much ignored by Northern destruction. Even some families in east Ga spent winters there. Area from Cuthbert -Bainbridge-Thomasville -Valdosta was pretty much ignored .

 

[Bright Raven]

How is the snake population? Looks and sounds like great habitat for reptiles and amphibians.

 

[Jogeephus]

Jo is this part of Okefenokee or further north. According to diaries, etc SW Georgia was pretty much ignored by Northern destruction. Even some families in east Ga spent winters there. Area from Cuthbert -Bainbridge-Thomasville -Valdosta was pretty much ignored .

This is about 50 miles north of Valdosta. Don't think there was much here for anyone to care much about. Still isn't. What I was told is the confederate draft dodgers holed up on this "island" to keep from having to fight in the war. I was told by several people that at one time there were nearly a hundred people living at a camp somewhere in here. Coincidently, Jefferson Davis was captured within 10 miles of this spot which poses an interesting thought. I don't know if any of this is any more than local lore but I've heard it from several people and do plan on rooting around and seeing what I can find. Its a tough place to get to and it has very unique topography and if you aren't careful you can easily get lost and its pretty vast.

How is the snake population? Looks and sounds like great habitat for reptiles and amphibians.

So far I haven't seen any snakes. There are some gators. Plenty of biting insects. What struck me were the amount of crawfish in some of the sloughs. You can stand and watch literally hundreds swimming around. Mostly small ones but I plan on setting some crawfish traps and seeing what I can catch. I just dread the walk but if I can fill some traps it will be well worth the effort.

 

[dun]

As legend has it, the cavern complex that is around here was used during the war to make black powder. The main cave is called "Salt Peter Cave". Supposedly their were a lot of artifacts found deep inside the cave. It's got a huge iron door across the front of it now and is off limits.

 

[Jogeephus]

That would be neat to go into.

Years ago an elderly man was telling me about a salt peter pit they mined during the French Indian war. He was willing to take me to it but I was to busy at the time. He's dead now and I'm still a dumbazz.

 

[wacocowboy]

Wow that is interesting. Hope you find that camp I'd be interested in seeing and hearing about the stuff you find.

 

[hurleyjd]

As legend has it, the cavern complex that is around here was used during the war to make black powder. The main cave is called "Salt Peter Cave". Supposedly their were a lot of artifacts found deep inside the cave. It's got a huge iron door across the front of it now and is off limits.

Pure saltpeter or potassium nitrate is a white crystalline solid, usually encountered as a powder. Most potassium nitrate is produced using chemical reaction of nitric acid and potassium salts, but bat guano was an important historical natural source. Potassium nitrate was isolated from guano by soaking it in water, filtering it, and harvesting the pure crystals that grow. It may be produced in a similar manner from urine or manure.

 

[wlamarparmer]

Jo, please keep us updated on Your endeavors into this swamp area. Defectors were more common both side civil war than most like believe. South Al and Ga most these people homesteaders, no interest in slavery, some went served, many just stayed home or hid out. Late in war regiment sent out Mobile thru south AL and GA to find and enlist or imprison all eligible males. SW Ga pretty much left alone, there are diaries of sending families area of Augusta to Cuthbert (to include seeing passing Andersonville), with parties and banquets in Cuthbert mid war.