Ingraham Expedition: March 14, Monday

Project Information

Ingraham Expedition: March 14, Monday

Original Source

Encoded texts are derived from three typescript accounts of the 1892 Everglades Exploration Expedition found in the James E. Ingraham Papers and the Chase Collection in the Special and Area Studies Collections Department of the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries. Digital reproductions of the typescripts are available at:

Moses, W.R., Record of the Everglade Exploration Expedition

Ingraham, J.E., Diary

Church, A., A Dash Through the Everglades

Electronic Publication Details:

Text encoding by John R. Nemmers

Published by John R. Nemmers.

George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

2015

Licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License.

These manuscripts are available from this site for education purposes only.

Encoding Principles

The three accounts of the 1892 Ingraham Everglades Exploration Expedition have been transcribed and are represented in Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) P5 XML encoding.

Line and page breaks have not been preserved in the encoded manuscripts.

Text:

Camp No. 1 Myers Fla., March 14th 1892.

Ft. Myers, Fla., March 14th, 1892

[Monday, March 14, 1892]

[Handwritten: "Property of Sydney O. Chase Sanford"]

Camp No. 1 Myers Fla., March 14th 1892.

The Everglade Exploring Expedition left Sanford, Fla., on Saturday, March 12th, 1892, in 2 detachments. Mr. Newman, the Engineer, with such men as he had engaged by train No. 73, while Messrs. Ingraham, Moses and Chase followed on Train No. 27, all uniting at Port Tampa and going by Plant Steamer "Tarpon" to Fort Myers, where other men previously engaged joined the expedition.

Our two canvas boats arrived at Sanford on train No. 71 by express (a pretty close connection) and were taken forward on train 27.

We arrived at Fort Myers on Monday, March 14th and immediately went into camp on the outskirts of the town about one mile south east of the Post Office.

The following orders were read aloud to the members of the expedition:-

March 14th - 1892.
EVERGLADE EXPEDITION.
Captain John W. Newman is hereby placed in charge of this expedition. His orders must be obeyed by all connected therewith. He will appoint heads of the various departments.

Mr. W. R. Moses is hereby appointed Secretary of the Expedition and he will preserve for future use the records and all data accumulated during the trip, and officers and men will report daily to him all items of interest or importance connected with the trip. Information is desired regarding the soil, the growth thereon, particularly anything unusual, and the adaptability of the soil to the growth of sugar cane, rice, tobacco and sisal hemp; also the tropical fruits.

(Signed): J. E. INGRAHAM,
President, S.F.R.R.

Mr. D.M. Baker is appointed levelman of the Everglade Exploring Expedition to Miami. It shall be his duty to assist the expedition by performing the work of levelman, having in immediate charge the men in Mess No. 2, consisting of the white men, G.E. Matthieux, T.N. Sutton, A.W. Clark, W.E. Gradick, J.T. Anderson, S.L. Caruthers, Phil. N. Handley, J.E. Minchin, T.C. Shepard and two colored men,- Reese Livingstone and Jeff Bookman. These, with Mr. Baker shall be one mess and Mr. Baker will be held responsible for the care of provisions, boats, tools and all implements entrusted to these men for use during this expedition.

All suggestions, complaints and advice made by men in this mess must be made through Mr. Baker.

No man shall be required to do more work than may naturally be expected in an expedition of this kind.

Excessive use of profane language is forbidden; so are obscene jests, and unkind, vicious and quarrelsome men will be reported to me.

All men in this mess are required to use respectful pleasant language in their intercourse with all other members of the expedition.

The use of liquor as a beverage will not be permitted.

Mr. Baker is forbidden to use other than kind words in requiring the performance of duties, and all members of this mess and all members of the expedition are assured of the hearty support and good will of the commander in charge.

(Signed): J. W. NEWMAN.

Mr. Alonzo Church is appointed Compassman of The Everglade Exploring Expedition. It shall be his duty to assist the expedition by performing the duty of a Compassman, having in charge the immediate comfort of Mess No. 1, consisting of
President J.E. Ingraham,
Secretary W.R. Moses,
Mr. S.O. Chase and
Mr. J.W. Newman,
as well as of all other men that may be appointed to join this mess.

Mr. Church will be held responsible for his own and all the instruments and boxes belonging to members of this mess.

All complaints may be made directly by members of this mess to Mr. Newman.

All suggestions and advice will be gratefully received by Mr. Newman and by his direction and with the assistance of the members of the expedition will be cheerfully performed except in cases that are obviously to the impediment or detriment of the expedition.

The members of this mess are respectfully requested by Mr. Newman to preserve a uniform mildness of demeanor and cheerfulness of manner, encouraging the men to know that each one is an essential factor in this undertaking and entitled to a cordial and fraternal regard.

Respectfully,
(Signed): J. W. NEWMAN.

The members of the Expedition consist of the following named white persons:
J.E. Ingraham, Sanford, Florida.
J.W. Newman, " "
W.R. Moses, " "
S.O. Chase, " "
D.M. Baker, Orange Home, "
A. Church, Sanford, "
A.W. Clark, " "
G.E. Matthieux, Geneva, "
W.E. Gradick, Geneva, Florida.
T.N. Sutton, Hawkinsville, Georgia.
J.T. Anderson, " "
L.M. Anderson, " "
S.L. Caruthers, " "
T.C. Shepard, " "
P.N. Handley, Lewisburg, West Virginia.
J.E. Minchin, Chipley, Florida.
Wesley Boyd, Fort Myers, "
W.M. Wilson, " "
H. W. Lucky, " "
Robert Dean, " "

and colored cooks-

Reese Livingstone, Sanford, Florida
Jeff Bookman, " "

Mr. Caruthers is Chief Cook.

Mr. Ingraham sent telegrams to Mr. Plant, Tampa, and Mrs. Cox, Sanford, notifying our departure. Wrote Mr. R.W. Southwick, Agt., P.S.S. Line, Key West, to forward to Miami personal effects of members of the expedition sent to his care by express from Myers today.

In camp all day with excursions down town by different members of the party to mail letters, make purchases, etc.

Delay in starting today caused by waiting for some of the Myers men who were engaged to report Wednesday, 16th, who were away on other business.

Opinions of some of the resident population was that we would shortly return to Myers failing in our efforts to cross the Everglades, while others in whose opinion we had more faith thought we would succeed.

Two flat bottomed cypress skiffs were bought and sent forward to Shackelford on Mr. George Hendry's ox team, to await our arrival. Diary
J.E. Ingraham

Ft. Myers, Fla., March 14th, 1892

Went into Camp No. 1, March 14th.

The members of the Expedition consist of the following named white persons:
J.E. Ingraham, Sanford, Fla.
J.W. Newman, " "
W.R. Moses, " "
S.O. Chase, " "
D.M. Baker, Orange Home, Fla.
A. Church, Sanford, Fla.
A.W. Clark, Sanford, Fla.
G.E. Matthiex, Geneva, Fla.
W.E. Gradick, Geneva, Fla.
T.N. Sutton, Hawkinsville, Georgia.
J.T. Anderson, " "
L.M. Anderson, " "
S.L. Caruthers, " "
T.C. Shepard, " "
P.N. Handley, Lewisburg, West Virginia.
J.E. Minchin, Chipley, Florida.
Wesley Boyd, Fort Myers, "
W.M. Wilson, " " "
H. W. Lucky, " " "
Robert Dean, " " "

and colored cooks-

Reese Livingstone, Sanford, Fla.
Jeff Bookman, " "

Mr. Caruthers is Chief Cook.

The following orders were read aloud to the members of the expedition:-

March 14th, 1892.
Everglade Expedition..
Capt. John W. Newman is hereby placed in charge of this expedition. His orders must be obeyed by all connected therewith. He will appoint heads of the various departments.

Mr. W. R. Moses is hereby appointed Secretary of the Expedition and he will preserve for future use the records and all data accumulated during the trip, and officers and men will report daily to him all items of interest or importance connected with the trip. Information is desired regarding the soil, the growth thereon, particularly anything unusual, and the adaptability of the soil to the growth of sugar cane, rice, tobacco and sisal hemp; also the tropical fruits.

(Signed): J. E. INGRAHAM,
President, S.F.R.R.

Mr. D.M. Baker is appointed levelman of the Everglade Exploring Expedition to Miami. It shall be his duty to assist the expedition by performing the work of levelman, having in immediate charge the men in Mess No. 2, consisting of the white men, G.E. Matthieux, T.N. Sutton, A.W. Clark, W.E. Gradick, J.T. Anderson, S.L. Caruthers, Phil. N. Handley, J.E. Minchin, T.C. Shepard and two colored men - Reese Livingstone and Jeff Bookman. These, with Mr. Baker shall be one mess and Mr. Baker will be held responsible for the care of provisions, boats, tools and all implements entrusted to these men for use during this expedition.

All suggestions, complaints and advice made by men in this mess must be made through Mr. Baker.

No man shall be required to do more work than may naturally be expected in an expedition of this kind.

Excessive use of profane language is forbidden; so are obscene jests, and unkind, vicious and quarrelsome men will be reported to me.

All men in this mess are required to use respectful pleasant language in their intercourse with all other members of the expedition.

The use of liquor as a beverage will not be permitted.

Mr. Baker is forbidden to use other than kind words in requiring the performance of duties, and all members of this mess and all members of the expedition are assured of the hearty support and good will of the commander in charge.

(Signed): J. W. NEWMAN.

Mr. Alonzo Church is appointed Compassman of The Everglade Exploring Expedition. It shall be his duty to assist the expedition by performing the duty of a Compassman, having in charge the immediate comfort of Mess No. 1, consisting of-
President J.E. Ingraham,
Secretary W.R. Moses,
Mr. S.O. Chase and
Mr. J.W. Newman,
as well as of all other men that may be appointed to join this mess.

Mr. Church will be held responsible for his own and all the instruments and boxes belonging to members of this mess.

All complaints may be made directly by members of this mess to Mr. Newman.

All suggestions and advice will be gratefully received by Mr. Newman and by his direction and with the assistance of the members of the expedition will be cheerfully performed except in cases that are obviously to the impediment or detriment of the expedition.

The members of this mess are respectfully requested by Mr. Newman to preserve a uniform mildness of demeanor and cheerfulness of manner, encouraging the men to know that each one is an essential factor in this undertaking and entitled to a cordial and fraternal regard.

Respectfully,
(Signed): J. W. NEWMAN. The boat left next morning at six o'clock but the steward kindly gave us a cup of hot coffee before we got off.

After we had loaded all our belongings on two wagons and dispatched them with a detail of men to the place selected for our first camp, we went to the Hendry House for breakfast, to which after the early exercise we had undergone you may be sure we did full justice.

It was now determined that we should stay for a few days at Ft. Myers in order to make the final preparations for our trip and to break the men into camp life and discipline. The remainder of the morning was spent in making camp as comfortable as possible, but as our cooks had not exhibited a very high degree of culinary skill, several of us decided that it would be discretion to take dinner at the hotel, which we accordingly did.

That afternoon we put up and tried in a neighboring pond, our two folding canvas boats, which we found worked admirably, and the next morning they, with the two wooden boats purchased that day, were shipped by oxen express to await our arrival at Ft. Shackleford on the edge of the everglades. After trying the canvas boats I put on my new canvas hunting coat, [leggings] and bowie knife, and strolled in town with Mr. Sidney to take supper at the Hendry House, sport my "tough dyke", admire Mrs. Jones, the handsome guest, and find out what news there was floating around.

At the hotel we talked with several men who had been in the employ of the Disston Drainage Company, and who claimed to be familiar with at least the border of the Everglades. They said no man other than an Indian has ever been through the glades, except one Brewer, who was arrested for selling whisky to the Indians and released on bond, when the Indians, in order to effect his escape, carried him across to Miami. Of the Everglades they gave very conflicting accounts, one man assuring us that there was nothing to be met with but terrible sawgrass which extended on every side as far as the eye could reach. The sawgrass, he said, is from five to ten feet tall, very thick and so stiff and sharp that it cuts you like the edge of a razor, no gloves or clothes can withstand it, and where it touches you it makes a wound which if not attended to will shortly make a festering sore.

This sawgrass, he claimed, extended all the way across the glades and would be an impenetrable barrier to our advance. Another account, vouched for by the author as correct, said that the glades were a labyrinth of bayous running through a dense jungle of tropical growth, and he assured us if we attempted to penetrate it we would be lost in the maze, and wandering around trying to find a path or channel, would starve before we could get out. Of the snakes and alligators to be met with in the glades, a particularly glowing account was given. Mr. Towns [assured] us that as we advanced through the sawgrass the snakes in front crawling out of our way would make such a crackling in the dry leaves that we would not be able to hear each others' voices, and as for alligators, he said; "when you get to water they will just be so thick you can walk across on their heads." Mosquitoes, redbugs, alligator flea swamps [wampee] and a thousand other horrors, known and unknown, were detailed for our information, until I for one, felt very much inclined to sacrifice the pleasure of wearing my canvas coat, leggings and bowie knife and the distinction of being with a party of [Everglades] explorers.

But on the other hand, from equally reliable authority we were assured that after passing through a few miles of the everglades we would strike higher land and find a rich island, covered with both pine and hammock growth, inhabited and cultivated by Seminoles, and where grew the most luxurious of tropical fruits and flowers. This, the man assured us, was the home of the Indian, where he went when troubled by the white man and found secure haven and harbor of refuge, here the Indians had villages, fields and cattle, and in the surrounding swamps plenty of game.

When Mr. Sydney and I returned to camp that night we found most of our "babes in the wood" slumbering sweetly, as was evidenced by the "saw gourd music" heard before we came in sight. It seemed to us our heads had hardly touched our pillows when we heard our Captain calling vigorously for the cooks to get up and get breakfast, "for it was 'most day and he wanted us to form the habit of eating breakfast before the sun was up." However, it turned out that our worthy leader had "looked crooked" at his watch, for it was hardly midnight and so we were soon slumbering again.

Text:

Camp No. 1 Myers Fla., March 14th 1892.

Ft. Myers, Fla., March 14th, 1892

[Monday, March 14, 1892]

Text:

Camp No. 1 Myers Fla., March 14th 1892.

Ft. Myers, Fla., March 14th, 1892

[Monday, March 14, 1892]

Ingraham Expedition: March 14, Monday