Remembering Suwannee: Major John McLemore, Part 2

Eric Musgrove

Contributor

Last week, we began a discussion on Major John McLemore, who for a short time lived in what is now Suwannee County. Last week, we ended the article with the rather poor showing of Major McLemore’s soldiers at what is now called the Battle of Black Point or the Battle of Black Rock. This battle occurred nearly a week before the more famous Dade Massacre.

Despite the fiasco at Black Point, Captain McLemore was promoted to major in the Florida Militia. Due to increasing Seminole activity in the area, he stationed his men at several locations on the Suwannee River, including Charles Ferry (today Charles Springs), Fort Dabney on the Madison County side of the river, and Suwannee Old Town. Even with the Second Seminole War raging around him, Major McLemore was able to conduct business from his home at Suwannee Springs. On Jan. 21, 1836, the Florida Legislative Council, in Act No. 16, authorized McLemore to build a bridge across the Suwannee River at Gadsden Spring (now Suwannee Springs), with rights and privileges of such for 20 years. The Act was approved four days later. It is doubtful that Major McLemore had the time to complete his bridge; the ongoing war would soon call upon him once again.

The Legislative Council, with the Act immediately before the one that authorized McLemore’s bridge, organized a regiment of militia in Columbia County (which included Suwannee County at the time), to be called the 12^th Regiment. It appears that Major McLemore was attached to the 12^th Regiment by February of 1836, as a petition by a Charles Smith was submitted to the House of Representatives in 1838 for reimbursement of $150 for a brown mare McLemore had acquired for a term of four months while attached to this unit. In it, the Governor of Florida, Robert K. Call, noted that, “I hereby certify that the above-named John McLemore was assigned by Governor Eaton to the command of the Suwannee frontiers, with the rank of major.” Major McLemore himself had written, “This is the certify that Charles Smith has paid $150 for the brown mare, at Sanpedier (spelling appears to be uncertain), for the United States service, for the 12^th regiment of Florida militia.” The House of Representatives determined that Major McLemore did not have federal authority to purchase a horse for United States service, and as this appeared to be more of a private transaction, the petition was denied.

Regardless of the events surrounding the purchase of the mare, in the middle of March 1836, Major McLemore and his men were ordered to proceed down the Suwannee River to gather corn, then take it to the Withlacoochee River (the one in Central Florida) for use of troops. The commanding officer of the United States Army in Florida, General Winfield Scott, had decided that a forward base and supply depot would be needed for his anticipated campaign into the Cove of the Withlacoochee. The Cove was an area of woods and swamps in and around present-day Citrus County where many Seminoles were rumored to be hiding.

Major McLemore and some 50 of his men (mainly from Jefferson County) arrived behind schedule on the Withlacoochee River with the corn supplies in early April; their delay was due to the uncharted areas in which they found themselves. The unit erected a small blockhouse about 12 to 15 miles upriver (depending upon the source) near a major Seminole encampment. Whatever the exact location, the entire area upon which the blockhouse was constructed is now part of the 3,700-acre manmade Lake Rousseau on the boundaries of Levy, Marion and Citrus counties, created in 1909 by damming the Withlacoochee River to provide for hydroelectric power. The men called the blockhouse Camp McLemore, but it is better known today as simply the Blockhouse on the Withlacoochee. While the blockhouse was under construction, Major McLemore decided to return to Tallahassee to report to his superiors that the blockhouse was complete and awaiting further orders, supplies and men.

Join me next week as we complete the story of Major John McLemore.

Eric Musgrove can be reached at [email protected] or 386-362-0564.