Remembering Suwannee: Convict leasing system, Part 4

Eric Musgrove Contributor This week, we will continue looking at some of the more interesting stories in the book "American Siberia" by J. C. Powell, captain of the convict camp for many years. Florida's history after the Civil War was very "interesting," to say the least. When we think of the Wild West, we think of lawlessness, cattle rustling, and every man who owned a gun being their own law. Although that did indeed happen in the West, it also happened in much of Florida. Powell writes about one such incident in his book, and I thought it humorous and outlandish enough to publish today. Powell noted that, at one point, he received six middle-aged white men of substantial looks from