Remembering Suwannee: Francis James Ross, Part 2

Eric Musgrove Contributor Last week, we began studying little-known Suwannee County pioneer Francis James (F. J.) Ross. We continue that this week. In 1827, Ross was supposedly awarded a contract for $1,200 to carry mail between St. Mary’s, Ga., and St. Augustine, Fla. A lawsuit filed in 1828 by William Mickler stated that he had been awarded a four-year contract to carry the mail along the same route, but Jacksonville postmaster James Bentham had given the route to Ross, his friend and neighbor. It was eventually determined Ross was actually the surety for the previous mail deliver, Abraham Bellamy, who had been unable to fulfill his obligations, as he had left the area shortly after