NORTHWESTERN
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
Biblioteca Femina
The Gift of
Chicago Public Library
Assembled for the
World's Fair of 1893
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NOTES OF MY FAMILY
and
Recollections of my Early Life
Printed for the use of my children only
Jacksonville, Florida susan L'Engle
December, 1887
NEW YORK
Zbe "Knickerbocker ipress
1888
Press of
G. P. Putnam's Sons
New York
HE following record, where it extends be¬
yond my own knowledge, has been col¬
lected principally from conversations with my
father and his youngest sister, my aunt, Mrs.
Sophia Fleming, a woman of remarkable intel¬
ligence and memory, who resided with her pa¬
rents during their lives, and became the custo-
*dian of many family papers and remembrances.
From her I obtained valuable and interest¬
ing papers pertaining to our family, most of
which were unfortunately lost in the vicissi¬
tudes of the late war between the States.
There is not now an individual on this con¬
tinent bearing the surname of Fatio, who, so
far as I can learn, is at all related to my family.
The Fatio family was originally from Paler¬
mo, in Sicily, but, becoming involved in the
civil discords of that country, they removed to
Milan and Venice, in Italy, and finally to
Switzerland, where, in Geneva, my grandfather
and some preceding generations were born.
3
4
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
The name has varied in its spelling. I find
it sometimes written Facio, sometimes Faccio,
and sometimes Fazio, but later the present
spelling Fatio was adopted very generally, ex¬
cept by that branch of the family residing in
Spain, who still spell the name Facio.
The family was not without distinction. The
right of citizenship was conferred upon them
by the cantons of Berne and Vaud, in Switzer¬
land, and they were connected with persons of
fame. In Davernois' "Geneva" mention is
made of one of my name and family—Pierre,
or Peter Fatio, an aged patriot and high pub¬
lic functionary, who, at eighty-four years of
age, was shot by an invading and victorious
army, in one of the streets of Geneva, which
bears to this day his name, bestowed upon it
in his honor. In Lippincott's " Biographical
Dictionary" there is an account of Nicholas
Faccio or Fatio de Duillers, a celebrated
mathematician, astronomer, and religious en¬
thusiast, born in 1664. In the same work is
found the name of Frederic Caesar La Harpe,
a cousin of my grandfather, of whom I have
heard my father speak. He was for some
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
5
years preceptor of Alexander, afterwards Czar
of Russia. About 1798 he was principal di¬
rector of the Helvetic Republic, and subse¬
quently Alexander made him a general in his
army.
My grandfather was also related to Madame
de Staël, through her mother, Mademoiselle
Susanne Curchod, afterwards Madame Neckar.
My great-grandfather was John David Fatio,
a gentleman of fortune and culture. His son,
Francis Philip Fatio, was born in the family
mansion, in Switzerland, near Vevey, in the
Pays de Vaud, on the -Lake of Geneva, August
6, 1724. His mother's name was Pauline
Muller. In one of my lost papers, which was
the passport for her son Francis to leave
Switzerland, she is styled the Lady Pauline
Muller, wife of John David Fatio.
This son, Francis Philip, my honored grand¬
father, was one of the younger members of a
large family of children, of only one other of
whom, Michael, the eldest, have I any knowl¬
edge. My grandfather received his education
at the University of Geneva, and took a course
in law, but conceived such a distaste for its
6
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
practice that his father had reluctantly to yield
consent to his abandoning it and adopting the
profession of arms, which he liked.
He entered the army as a lieutenant in the
Swiss Guards, then in the service of France,
and continued in military life for many years.
He fought in the war of the Austrian
Succession, which was terminated by the
peace of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. During
that war, while serving in Italy, he became
acquainted with the young lady whom he
afterwards married, Marie Madeleine Crispel.
Her parents were residents of Nice, in Sar¬
dinia, then a portion of Italy. Her father,
Louis Crispel, was an advocate. Her mother,
Rosa D'Oresti, was of a Biscayan family
originally, but long resident in Nice.
Louis Crispel and Rosa D'Oresti had three
sons and four daughters, of whom Marie was
educated in the convent of Santa Clara with
the view of taking the veil. During her term
of probation she met the young officer who
induced her to relinquish her intention of
entering the convent. They were married
on the 25th of March (called Lady's Day in
the Catholic Church), 1748, in Nice,
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
7
After his retirement from military service
my grandfather made his home in his wife's
native land, the little kingdom of Sardinia.
He purchased an estate there in 1764, a de¬
scription of which I found in the old gentle¬
man's own handwriting in a power of attorney,
drawn up by himself and given to my father,
empowering him to sell the property. The
following is an extract from that document :
"This land, which I purchased from the
Abbey Tonati, and paid him for the same, is
situated at a very little distance from the city
of Nice, Department of Alpes Maritimes, in
the French Empire, in that spot of land called
La Battu, near where the cross of marble is
standing. On this land there are two capital
houses, one of which is in the garden. The
garden is divided into alleys and walks, planted
with regular rows of sweet orange-trees and
lime-trees and other choice fruit-trees. The walls
around the garden are covered with hedges of
sweet orange-trees, and on the west side there
is a large well supplied with water and a pump
worked with a wheel to fill a large stone cis¬
tern or basin, from which the rows of orange-
8
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
trees are watered in the summer by canals
running alongside. The other house, out of
the garden on the west side, was built by me
for the farmer or overseer, with stables and
proper conveniences. The land near this
house is planted with olive-trees bearing fruit,
and with vineyards and fruit-trees. All of
this, as above mentioned, was in good order
when I and my family left in the month of
April, 1766, and was left under the care of my
wife's relation, the Baron Alberti, and it was
afterwards, in the year 1792, put in the pos¬
session of my eldest son, Louis Fatio, whom
I had appointed to be my agent to receive, on
my account, the produce of it, being my law¬
ful property, which I have never sold, bar¬
gained, or mortgaged to this day."
It appears by the date of the purchase,
1764, and that of his departure for Switzer¬
land, that my grandfather remained but two
years in his Italian home. His brother
Michael persuaded him to return to Switzer¬
land, where he himself then lived. After he
had done so his brother Michael went to Eng¬
land to reside, and again induced my grand-
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
9
father to break up his home and follow him.
Michael Fatio was living in England when
my father was there in the last years of his
military life, but he did not remain ; he re¬
turned to Switzerland to live, as I find by an
old letter from my father's youngest brother,
Philip, when he was at school in England, to
his father in Florida. He writes : " My uncle
Michael, who has returned to Switzerland to
live, has invited me to go there and spend
Christmas with him, and I hope, my dear papa,
you will not object to my doing so."
My grandfather lived in England until the
glowing accounts of the then British Province
of Florida so captivated his ardent imagination
that he associated himself with several others,
obtained large tracts of land, and agreed to
undertake the active management of the asso¬
ciation's affairs. He accordingly once more
broke up his home and became a pioneer in a
new country, which had been so untruly pic¬
tured as an earthly paradise. My grandmother
was much opposed to leaving England with her
young family. The oldest child, my uncle
Louis, was only nineteen years of age, and there
IO NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
were four children younger: my father, Fran¬
cis Philip, then ten years of age ; Louise
Martha, eight ; Sophia Philipa, five ; and
Philip, three years of age.
My grandfather, in 17 71, chartered a vessel
and sailed with his family for St. Augustine,
Florida, carrying with him a large quantity of
handsome furniture, china, glass, silver, paint¬
ings, books, and all other things that could
promote comfort and form a home of refine¬
ment and elegance. There was sufficient to
furnish both his town and country houses.
He bought a large stone house on the bay,
in St. Augustine, where he established his
family, when, with his eldest son, he proceeded
to the St. John's River, and settled three plan¬
tations, built houses for himself and his numer¬
ous operatives and employees, and commenced
the cultivation of indigo, the extraction of tur¬
pentine, the planting of orange groves, and the
.raising of sheep. He kept a vessel constantly
plying between the New and the Old World,
carrying the products of the one and bringing
back comforts and luxuries from the other.
These enterprises, however much of occupa-
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
11
tion and of pleasing interest in the anticipation
of great results they may have afforded, proved
any thing but successful pecuniarily. He pur¬
chased the interests of all the other members
of the association or company, and his large
fortune was greatly diminished. The Revolu¬
tionary war coming on, and all business being
disturbed, he suspended further attempts to
carry on the industries, offered his services to
the English military commander, and was
sent to Charleston, S. C., to fill a staff appoint¬
ment. His eldest son remained in Florida in
charge of the property.
After the Revolutionary war my grand¬
father's brothers and friends in Europe urged
him to return to Switzerland, but he was too
old and had taken too deep root in this coun¬
try to think of leaving it.
Finding himself unequal to the labor of car¬
rying on alone his large business, and his eld¬
est son being in Italy and his youngest son in
another foreign country, he appealed to his
second son, my father, to resign from the
British army and come to his aid, which my
father did, retiring on half pay.
12
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
Advancing years and infirmities were un¬
fitting the old gentleman for the active duties
of life. He lived mostly in his library amid
his books, which, with the large china vases
and jars that stood in the room, yet linger in
my memory. It was a delight of my child¬
hood to sit by those vases and talk to the fig¬
ures, men and women in bright-colored cos¬
tumes, which ornamented them.
My grandfather, though he seemed content
with his home in the New World, was most
tenderly attached to that of his youth. The
names of places there were sounds of joy to
him. He bestowed them on his properties in
Florida. One he called Nice, another Neuf-
chatel, (which was afterwards and is now
known as New Castle), another New Switzer¬
land, all large tracts of land. The last named,
containing 10,000 acres, was the country resi¬
dence of the family, where they resided when
not in St. Augustine. The large house that
my grandfather built there, the frame and other
material for which he brought from England,
was always spoken of by the Spaniards as " la
Palacio" or "la Castillo" (I presume it was
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
13
called "Castle" because it had turrets). It
was burned in 1812, in which year my father
and family had to fly from the Indian scalping-
knife. A band of white marauders, self-
styled " Patriots" (of whom more anon), who
succeeded the Indians, rifled the house and
burned it to the ground.
The next house, built years after when the
family returned to the old home, bore no re¬
semblance to the original mansion,-but was a
plain, modest building, without architectural
pretensions. Sir Walter Scott's description of
the house of the Lady of the Lake might be
applied to it—
" It was a lodge of ample size,
But strange of structure and device,"—
for the many additions made from time to
time were not always in harmony with the
original structure.
Besides the above-mentioned lands, my
grandfather had other tracts, among them one
of 10,000 acres in what is now Nassau
County, which upon the division of the estate
went to my aunt, Sophia Fleming, and my
14
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
cousin, Mrs. Mary Gibson, my uncle Louis
Fatio's only child.
My father obtained, I think by purchase, a
large tract of land near Spring Garden, on the
St. John's River, called Berresford, after Lord
Berresford of England.
Land in this portion of Florida had but little
value in those days. The New Switzerland
tract had a river front of twelve miles, which
precluded our having many near neighbors.
I used to wish it were less that we might have
more society.
My grandfather lived to great age. My
grandmother died first. A partial stroke of
paralysis enfeebled her for months, and she
finally died from its effect on the ioth of Au¬
gust, 1810. My grandfather survived her one
year. He had no sickness, but did not desire
to live longer without the loved companion
who had shared his joys and cares for more
than sixty years.
Young as I was, I remember well the vener¬
able, benignant-looking old gentleman, leaning
on his gold-headed bamboo staff, nearly as
long as he was high, with which he steadied
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
15
his feeble steps as he walked the piazza for
exercise, looking as though, in the language of
Scripture, "the grasshopper were a burden,"
but smiling and caressing the little ones—his
grandchildren—when they came near him.
He died, in full possession of all his faculties,
on the nth of August, 1811. The request of
his last words, "bury ine by my wife," could
not be complied with, for the Florida in which
he died was not the Florida to which he had
emigrated forty years before. No longer a
British province, it was under the dominion of
a Catholic power, and he being a Protestant,
the priests would not suffer him to be interred
in the cemetery by his wife. His remains
were conveyed to New Switzerland, and placed
in a cemetery which had been solemnly set
apart as a family burial-place many years be¬
fore. That burial-place still stands consecrated
to the repose of the mortal remains of several
of my family, and of foreign kinsmen and
friends of my grandfather, whose love for him
brought them here, and of a few other persons
who died in our household.
The following are the names of persons who,
I know, have been buried there :
16
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
Mrs. Ann Fatio (nee Douglas), first wife of
Louis Fatio.
Mrs. Ann Fatio (née Welch) second wife of
Louis Fatio.
F. P. Fatio, Sr. ; F. P. Fatio, Jr.
Mrs. Mary Fatio (née Ledbetter), my moth¬
er.
Leonora Colt (née Fatio).
Sophia Fatio, Caroline Fatio, Francis P.
Fatio, an infant ; Louis P. Fatio, Mrs. Ann
Gardner, Mr. Rivas, Mr. Cardineau, Miss
Charlotte Courvoisgé.
My grandfather was over six feet in height,
of a fine presence, and well proportioned. He
had finely cut features, a bright countenance,
and mild blue eyes. He was of an ardent, en¬
thusiastic, and somewhat poetical nature. He
was cultivated, a scholar, and master of several
languages.' Indeed, it would be hard to decide
what language was most used in the family,
but I think French was, though my grand¬
mother and himself generally conversed in
Italian. He was equally familiar with German,
Spanish, and English, and wrote in each. He
undertook the study of Hebrew at quite an
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
17
advanced age, and read the Scriptures in that
language in his latter days.
He had at some period of his life given
some attention to astrology, and always de¬
sired that his grandchildren should, when pos¬
sible, be born in his house, that he might cast
their nativities. The talk in the household
over these matters made an indelible impres¬
sion on my young mind.
My grandfather's manners were elegant and
refined. He attached to him all who could
appreciate such qualities, and made warm
friends wherever he lived. In a recent con¬
versation with my cousin, Mrs. Caroline Hal-
lowes, about my grandfather, she said that her
father, Col. A. Y. Nicoll, of the United States
army, was once sent by his government to St.
Augustine on some duty, and had often re¬
marked that he there formed the acquaintance
of the most influential man in the community,
Francis Philip Fatio, Sr., who was held in such
high consideration that his influence was little
less than that of the governor ; that all classes
looked up to him, and applied to him for advice
in every matter of importance ; and that he
18 NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
was much impressed by the elegance and dig¬
nity of Mr. Fatio's bearing, and the gentleness
and sweetness of his manners. These charac¬
teristics he was remarkable for through life.
They made him much beloved.
My grandparents had twelve children, only
five of whom lived to maturity, and those five
they brought from England with them as I
have already stated. Louis, the eldest son,
married Ann Douglas, daughter of Col. John
Douglas of the British army. She lived only
a few years, and dying, left an only child, a
daughter, Mary, who was reared by my grand¬
parents and our aunt Sophia Fleming. She
married William Gibson, a gentleman of Eng¬
lish parentage, who lived in St. Mary's,
Georgia.
Louis Fatio married for his second wife a
Miss Welch, who died early, leaving no child.
When sent to Italy to attend to business of
his father's, he married there for his third wife
his cousin Francesca Crispel, a daughter of his
mother's brother. The name Crispel, like that
of Fatio, was variously spelt. In some family
papers it is written in three syllables, Cris-pel-li.
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
19
The spelling which I use is that which was
commonly adopted by my grandparents' family.
Louis Fatio died in Italy in the year 1799.
He had no child by his last wife, who did not
long remain a widow. She married the Count
Lazzini, a Roman, and lived and died in Rome.
The eldest daughter, Louisa, married, first,
Capt. Bruere of the British army, son of the
Governor of Bermuda, and was early left
a widow without a child. She then married
another British army officer, Colonel John
Hallowes, of the Fifty-sixth Regiment, a grand¬
son of Thomas Hallowes, Esq., of Glapwell,
and of Lady Catharine Brabazon, his wife, who
was a daughter of the Earl of Meath and heiress
of the manor of Glapwell, in England, which
is now held by one of my aunt's grandsons,
Brabazon Hallowes. That branch of the fam¬
ily all lived and continue to live in England,
except one, my aunt's fourth son, Colonel Mil¬
ler Hallowes, who will again be mentioned.
The second daughter, Sophia, married an
Irish gentleman, Captain George Fleming, who
had emigrated to America while quite a young
man. He had received a mercantile educa-
20
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
tion, and was associated in business in Charles¬
ton, S. C, with the firm of Napier, Rapellier, &
Bennet, and, in furtherance of their interests,
went to St. Augustine, where he met Miss So¬
phia Fatio. They were married in St. Augus¬
tine about the year 1791. She died at the age
of eighty-three, in Jacksonville, Florida, where
she had resided for many years. Their first
children died in infancy. The first who lived
to grow up was a son, Louis Michael. He
was the second child christened in the Catho¬
lic Church, which had just been built in St.
Augustine, the same building which stood
there from that time until it was this year
destroyed by fire. He was born 9th of May,
1798, grew up to be a very handsome man,
received a mercantile education, and went to
Cuba, following the fortunes of the firm of
Forbes & Lawrence. While there he married
a young Spanish lady, Miss Augustina Cortez,
of the family of the conqueror of Mexico.
This amiable lady endeared herself to all her
husband's kindred and friends. She died after
a happy union of ten years, leaving five chil¬
dren, three of whom attained maturity, and
two of whom are still living.-
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
21
After a few years Louis Fleming married
Miss Margaret Seton, a young lady of Scotch
descent, by whom he had seven children, of
whom five are living.
Two other children of my aunt Sophia's
lived to maturity and survived her, viz.: Mary,
who died without issue ; and George, who mar¬
ried Mary Gibson, his second cousin, Louis
Fatio's granddaughter. George Fleming had
one child, a daughter.
My uncle Philip Fatio married, when very
young, a ward of his father's, Miss Jane Cross.
Her father, an employee of my grandfather's,
had died, leaving his orphan child to my
grandfather's guardianship. She died in New
York, where they had gone for the benefit of
her health, leaving two children, a boy and
girl, the Francis Joseph and Sophia mentioned
hereafter, who lived with my grandfather till
he died, when their father sent for them.
After his wife's death Philip Fatio took an
engagement as secretary of Don Luis de
Onis, the Spanish Minister to the United
States. His knowledge of several languages
—for he was like other members of the family
22
NOTES OE MV FAMILY.
conversant with English, French, Italian,
Spanish, and German—made him most useful
to the Spanish Embassy and he became Sec¬
retary of Legation. He was sent to Mexico
at one time, by the Spanish government and
kept there, in public service, for five years.
He married in Philadelphia, for his second
wife, a ward of Don Luis de Onis. She was
the heiress of a wealthy French merchant who
had died leaving her, his only child, to the
care of his friend, Don Luis. Her name was
Marie Tereza La Maigre, known to my
father's children as aunt Tereza.
My uncle died in New Orleans, while resid¬
ing there as Spanish Consul, about the year
1820.
His daughter Sophia never married. She
lived to a great age and died in Cadiz, Spain,
where all of my uncle Philip's family had
gone to reside. All of his grandchildren ex¬
cept the children of his son, Louis Charles
Ferdinand Fatio (whose mother was Marie
Tereza La Maigre), are in Cadiz.
His second daughter, Louisa (by his second
wife), married, in Havana, a wealthy Castilian
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
23
by the name of Picard, a native of Cadiz, but
residing in Cuba. Mr. Picard returned to
Cadiz and resided there permanently with his
wife. They had no children.
Philip Fatio's fourth daughter, Frederica
(also by his second wife), married Don Angel
Galvez, a Castilian. She was one of the most
beautiful girls I have ever seen. When I last
saw her she was not quite grown up, but was
lovely and talented, and, like her father, a lin¬
guist, conversing fluently in three languages.
At her death she left a large family of daugh¬
ters and an only son, Felipe Galvez y Fació.
He was a banker in Cuba, but I think he
afterwards joined his sisters in Spain, who
were all adopted by their uncle, Mr. Picard,
the husband of Louisa, and most fondly cared
for.
My uncle Philip's son, Louis Charles (as
he was commonly called in thç family), was a
man qf very distinguished talent and versatile
genius. He had a remarkable career. Some
of his adventures in early manhood would
make an entertaining volume, but my limits
forbid me to enter upon them.
24
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
He finally entered the United States navy
and was an officer in that service when he
died. He married in Washington, D. C., a
Miss America Birch.
A letter written in 1874 by a gentleman in
Gallatin, Mo., addressed to my sister Sophia,
informed us that Louis Charles left three
daughters, Florence, Ida, and Minnie. That
two of them married brothers, Florence be¬
coming Mrs. Frank Ballinger, of Iowa, and
Minnie, Mrs. Madison A. Ballinger, of Galla¬
tin, Mo., and that the third daughter, Ida,
married Mr. J. H. Butler and lived in Massa¬
chusetts.
Philipa, the youngest daughter and young¬
est child of my uncle Philip, never married.
His eldest son, Francis Philip Joseph Fatio,
in manhood dropped the Philip and signed his
name Francis J., alleging that there were too
many Philips in the family. It was a singular
fancy of my grandfather's and one that I have
not been able to account for, that all his chil¬
dren and grandchildren should have Philip in
their names. Some retained it and others did
not, though all received it in baptism. It is
NO TES OF MY FAMILY.
25
one of my names, my baptismal name being
Susan Philipa, but I have used only the first
one.
Francis J. Fatio married Doña Maria de la
Luz Arredondo, daughter of Don Fernando
de la Maza Arredondo, of Havana, Cuba.
Mr. Fatio's business demanded his personal
attention in Florida, so he was married in
Cuba by proxy. He appointed a very old
gentleman named Savedra, a relation of Miss
Arredondo, as his proxy, to go to church and
utter for him the marriage vows, and it was
accordingly done. After the marriage feast at
her father's house, where she was presented to
the numerous company as Mrs. Francis J.
Fatio, she sailed for St. Augustine. On ar¬
riving she had to go through a double mar¬
riage ceremony. Strange to say, there was no
Catholic priest in the city, and Bishop Eng¬
land, the Bishop of Charleston, in whose juris¬
diction Florida was, having been consulted,
had refused to allow a clergyman of any other
denomination to celebrate the marriage service
for any of his flock. In compliance with the
bishop's mandate, Mr. Fatio and his bride
26
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
were married by a civil magistrate (himself a
Catholic), in accordance with the laws of the
territory ; then they repaired to the Catholic
church with witnesses, and kneeling at the
altar, with hands clasped together, pronounced
themselves man and wife. They lived but a
few years, following each other in quick suc¬
cession, and leaving two daughters, Teresa
and Wilhelmina, who were adopted by Mr.
Picard, and live in Cadiz, Spain.
I have not yet written of my father, Francis
Philip Fatio, Jr. He was born on the 25th of
April, 1760, at Vevey, in Switzerland. He
entered the British army as an ensign in the
4th battalion of the 60th, or Royal American,
Regiment, from which he afterwards exchanged
into the 9th Regiment. He was at once ap¬
pointed aide-de-camp and private secretary
to General Prévost, in whose family he resided,
Mrs. Prévost being a relative of my grand¬
father's. He liked his army life, though he
gave no detailed account of it and seldom
spoke of himself. He fought through the
American Revolutionary war, and leaving
America with his regiment, served in Scotland
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
27
and Ireland, in which latter he was stationed
for five years, and had a most agreeable time.
He rose to the rank of captain, and left the
army only from a sense of filial duty. He re¬
tired on half-pay, and wore, I know not why,
the Windsor uniform, an undress uniform, till
late in life.
Before leaving Europe my father made a
visit to Switzerland to renew his acquaintance
with his relatives there, and passed several
months with them. Of this visit he retained
the most agreeable recollections. I well re¬
member with what pleasure I have listened to
his conversations about those far-away kindred,
their manners and customs and family tradi¬
tions, and to his descriptions of the beautiful
country.
After he had retired from the army and
come to Florida to live, my father married, in
St. Augustine, in 1796, for his first wife, Miss
Susan Hunter, of Philadelphia, who had come
to Florida for the restoration of her health
and was rejoicing in the belief that she had
entirely succeeded. But she soon died of pul¬
monary consumption, leaving two children, lit-
28
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
tie girls, Eliza, who married Dr. Crews, and
died in St. Augustine without issue, and
Louisa, who lived to old age in St. Augustine,
and died there unmarried.
My father married, June 6, 1802, three
years after the death of his first wife, Miss
Mary Ledbetter, youngest daughter of Colonel
Drury Ledbetter and of his wife, who was
Winifred Lanier. Miss Ledbetter was nine¬
teen years of age and Mr. Fatio was forty-two.
Their married life fell in troublous times and
was full of experiences of adventure and trial.
In 1812 the Indians, who had been exasper¬
ated by General Andrew Jackson's attack on
them in Florida, came down in force upon the
plantations along the St. John's River and
commenced the work of massacre and devasta¬
tion. On the 13th of August of that year
my father's family was driven by them from
his home at New Switzerland, on the St.
John's River, escaping the scalping knife only
through the fidelity of one of our servants—
faithful and devoted Dublin ! he was always
held in grateful remembrance.
Leaving his wife and children, whom the
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
29
Indians were securing to carry off (for they
never killed negroes), Dublin hastened to our
house and gave the alarm. My father, ac¬
customed to the peaceable presence of Indians
at the plantation, thought he could pacify and
restrain them, and rashly attempted to go to
the negroes' quarters, where the savages were
gathered in force in their war dress (which was
no dress at all, only a girdle around the loins,
and feathers and paint). But Dublin held
him tight and fast. My mother, coming up,
added her entreaties, and my father yielded.
Hastening towards the garden, at the bottom
of which was a small creek emptying into the
St. John's River, the members of the family,
nine in number, got into a small boat which
was kept there, and, with Dublin and another
servant, Scipio, pushed out into the broad
river. Scipio was the house-boy ; he was sit¬
ting under a tree rubbing the knives, a part
of his daily task, and singing as he worked.
Snatching up the box of knives, he followed
the family to the boat, and thus those knives
happened to be the only article saved of all our
household possessions.
3°
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
Bareheaded, some of the children bare¬
footed, and all in dishabille, the boat so
deeply laden with the eleven persons in it as
to be unsafe, we made haste to get out of
reach of the Indians' rifles before they should
discover our escape. Many shots were fired
at us, and I have not yet, after the lapse of
seventy odd years, lost the recollection of the
balls falling into the water near us.
We took refuge in the little town of St.
Mary's, in Georgia. At this time a border
warfare was being waged in Florida by fili¬
busters from Georgia, and disaffected subjects
of Spain, living in Florida, all of whom were
prompted and aided by agents of the United
States government, which was seeking the
acquisition of the province, and wished to
make its further retention undesirable by
Spain. One of the leaders of these filibusters,
calling themselves "Patriots," was John H.
Mcintosh (then residing on Fort George
Island, afterwards a well-known citizen of
Georgia), who grandiloquently styled himself
" Dictator of the Republic of Florida." Col¬
lisions of arms took place between these
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
31
marauders and the Spanish militia. I par¬
ticularly remember one of them, known at
that time as " the battle of Waterman's
Bluff," in which my father took part, leaving
his family in St. Mary's, my mother being
sick in bed with an infant a few days old.
Living under the protection of the Spanish
government, my father willingly, as every
good citizen would do, rendered it military
service for defence of the province.
He was a Capitan del Partido (Captain of
a District), and at the battle of Waterman's
Bluff was in command of one of the boats,
but not of the expedition. The so-called
" Patriots " were posted on a high bluff of the
river, waiting the approach of the attackiug
forces, which, against my father's protest, had
been divided, one part going in boats by
water, the other marching by land.
As the boats came within range, the enemy
fired down into them, and defeated all efforts
to land. The cockswain of my father's boat
was killed. His name was O'Neil, a relative
of Judge James O'Neil, now living, an hon¬
ored octogenarian, near Fernandina.
32
NOTES OF MY FAMILY
I well remember the booming of the cannon,
and my poor mother's distress of mind. She
sent one of our servants, Frank, on to the
roof of the house with a spy-glass to watch
the fight. He would from time to time call
out that he saw my father, and that he was
still unhurt; that he saw him plainly, "and
now," he said, " I see him take snuff." My
father often used a leathern pouch or pocket
fitted into his vest for the convenience of
holding snuff, of which, as was common in
those days, he was an inveterate taker.
In my father's boat Mr. Archibald Atkinson
(an uncle of General A. Atkinson Humphreys
of the United States army) was also killed,
and Mr. Charles Seton (the father of the Miss
Seton who married Col. Louis Fleming) fell
desperately and, it was thought, fatally wound¬
ed. But he recovered and lived many years,
dying finally, it was thought, from the ball
which had lodged in his body. Many others
were killed and wounded in this action, on the
land as well as on the water ; for, after repuls¬
ing the boats, the enemy attacked the land
force, which had failed to come up in time to
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
33
co-operate with the other division, and easily
routed them.
These and other events of my childhood
were often discussed in the family by its older
members, till my memory, naturally vivid and
tenacious, became indelibly impressed with
every detail.
About six weeks after this battle the house
we were living in, and from the roof of which
our servant had watched the battle, was blown
down by a storm, and we again lost nearly all
the comforts we had gathered around us—
another instance of the many vicissitudes to
which we were subjected. The roof was taken
up bodily by the wind and settled down upon
us in the street as we were escaping from the
wreck. We were rescued from the perilous
situation by Commodore Campbell of the
United States navy, who came to our assist¬
ance with a number of sailors. We were
bruised and bleeding, and might have been
drowned, as the tide was fast rising and soon
flooded the streets.
My father then took his family to Amelia
Island, in Florida, and rented a large planta-
34
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
tion, with ample buildings, within a short walk
of the town of Fernandina. He had just fur¬
nished and moved into the large dwelling-
house, when the family were aroused at mid¬
night (it was a hot Friday night in July) by
the cry of fire, and barely escaped with their
lives from the burning building. My two
elder sisters were taken out nearly suffocated
with smoke and unconscious. We lost every¬
thing, even the week's washing of clothes,
which the laundress had sent in on that day.
In our night-clothes and barefooted, just as we
had risen from our beds, we repaired to a
small building near, and kind friends came
with garments and other necessaries for our
relief, as they had done when we escaped in
almost as bad a plight from the Indians. This
fire was the malicious act of an incendiary.
While we were living in the small house to
which we had retreated after the fire, the Brit¬
ish naval forces, or a portion of them, acting
against New Orleans, put in at the port of
Fernandina (why I do not now remember, if I
ever knew). My father's house was a favorite
resort of the officers. Admiral Cochrane and
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
35
Admiral Sir George Cockburn were his fre¬
quent guests, and I was often seated on their
knees and called upon to show off my one lit¬
tle accomplishment of reciting from memory.
My mother had a delicate infant, and Admi¬
ral Cochrane advised that he should be fed on
goat's milk. He accordingly sent her from
his ship two fine goats which he had for his
own use.
St. Mary's, in Georgia, always a fiery little
place, full of would-be heroes, on learning that
British forces were so near, assembled its
wise and patriotic spirits to determine what
should be done. They resolved to prepare
for defence against the expected attack. Bar¬
ricades were constructed, batteries and earth¬
works were erected, and every man and boy
stepped to the music of drum and fife. But
when in a few days the enemy arrived, they
laughed at the preparations made to repel
them. They did no violence, but ordered the
earthworks to be levelled by the inhabitants.
The British ships left Fernandina as quietly
as they had gone there.
Some time afterwards that city was visited
36
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
by a band of men under the lead of one calling
himself Sir Gregor McGregor, and represent¬
ing himself to be a fellow-soldier and brother-
in-law of General Simon Bolivar, of South
America. There was no one to dispute these
pretensions, and they are of no importance.
He said that he and General Bolivar had
quarrelled and he had abandoned that cause,
but seeing an opportunity to achieve fame and
fortune in Florida, he had determined to em¬
brace it.
The two Floridas, as the east and west
provinces of Florida were called, were in a de¬
fenceless condition, very inconsiderable garri¬
sons being kept at the few fortified points. So
McGregor conceived the project of gatheringa
force together and moving against both East
and West Florida and, by a sudden and simul¬
taneous attack, capturing both. He carried
out his project only partially.
South America being then a theatre of war,
and abounding in adventurers from that and
other countries, it was not difficult to organize
such an expedition.
McGregor commenced his operations at the
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
37
town of Carthagena, on the Magdalena River
and sailed from there, from which circumstance
these marauders were called "Carthaginians."
It has been thought that he was joined by
a portion of Lafitte's disbanded buccaneers,
and many circumstances give force to the
suggestion.
In July, 1818, a fisherman came hurriedly to
the town, full of important news. He said that
while he was fishing, a boat from a vessel had
approached and hailed him, and, after inquir¬
ing as to the number of inhabitants in the
town, the means of defence, the number and
character of the garrison, etc., etc., had com¬
manded him to return to the city and tell the
commandant that General Sir Gregor Mc¬
Gregor, with a fleet and army, were off the
bar, on his way to the town to take possession
of it. The fisherman's story was little heeded
at first, but soon others came, corroborating
his statements, and saying that five vessels
were already in sight.
The matter had now assumed so serious a
look, that my father called a meeting of gentle¬
men, and they waited upon the commandant,
38
NOTES OF M Y FAMILY.
Colonel Morales, to learn what action he pro¬
posed to take. The commandant, a fat old
gentleman, loving his ease, threw up his eyes
and hands imploringly, and exclaimed : " What
can I do? There is but one thing to do, and
that is to take my command in boats to the
St. John's River and march to St. Augustine
and report to the governor." "Then, Colonel
Morales," said my father, " I will tell you what
the governor will do. He will arrest you and
put you in the fort for deserting your post,
and will send you in irons to Havana." " What
would you have me do ?" said Morales. " Call
out the militia," was the answer from all. " We
are here ready to support you. Make a stand,
and resist the landing of the enemy." " Pooh !
pooh ! " replied Morales, with a shrug of the
shoulders, " you are talking nonsense. I will
do as I have said." By sunset he had em¬
barked with his command and left the defence¬
less inhabitants to whatever fate might await
them.
The better portion of the inhabitants thought
it advisable, under these circumstances, to put
their families out of the town, which was about
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
39
to be surrendered to marauders, of whom they
knew nothing. Many of the families were
taken to Georgia, others to different localities
in Florida. The remainder stayed in the town
and awaited developments.
It so happened that my father's plantation-
boat had been sent from the plantation, at San
Pablo, the day before, with grain and pro¬
visions for our household, and was waiting for
the turn of the tide to return. So, availing
ourselves of this means of escape, we once
more took flight, departing at midnight, when
the tide served. The boat could carry but
little besides ourselves, our clothes, and a little
bedding. Every thing else had to be left. We
went to the plantation above referred to, where
my aunt, Mrs. Sophia Fleming, with her fam¬
ily, was then living. Her husband, Captain
George Fleming, was in the regular military
service of Spain, and was most of the time on
duty in St. Augustine. He soon removed his
family there, leaving the entire house at the
plantation to us.
The self-styled Carthaginians reconnoitred
the coast for some days, and finally landed
40
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
and marched to the town. " A splendid army !
Every man with a long green plume in his hat—
muy hermoso." Such was the description of a
young Spaniard who announced the coming of
the dreaded foe. The splendid green plumes
proved to be stalks of the abounding dog-
fennel.
They marched quietly into the city, took
possession of the abandoned houses, and made
themselves comfortable. Their chief, Sir
Gregor McGregor, who was a splendid-look¬
ing man, of appearance quite in keeping with
his imposing name, established himself in the
largest and finest house in the town. He as¬
sumed great style ; sentinels paced before his
door, and formalities had to be observed to
gain approach to him. But when admitted to
his presence nothing could exceed the courtesy
with which he gave audience. He entertained
in lavish style, gave grand dinners, was profuse
in his hospitality, and was of a jovial spirit.
He had brought his ^vife with him, a young
and pretty Spanish woman, who did not un¬
derstand a word of English, or of any other
language but Spanish, which her husband and
ATO TES OF MY FAMILY.
41
many of his followers were perfectly familiar
with. A cruel love of fun, even at his wife's
expense, sometimes made her the subject of
merriment for himself and his companions.
With ceremonious politeness he always seated
her at the head of his table. On one occasion
my father, who had been obliged to return for
a day to Fernandina on business, met McGre¬
gor, and was courteously invited to dinner.
He accepted the invitation and witnessed one
of these practical jokes. A gentleman present
asked " Lady McGregor," in English, to take
wine with him. The host acted as interpreter.
" What shall I say ? " she asked. " Say, ' Sir, I
wish you may go to h—1 ! ' " and she repeated
the English sentence, roars of laughter follow¬
ing. She inquired in Spanish, " Why do they
laugh?" " O because you said it so sweetly
and so amusingly, my dear," was his reply in
the same language.
The Carthaginians set up a city government,
appointed a mayor, opened stores for the sale
of the valuable merchandise they had brought,
and solicited traffic with the citizens. Various
and costly fabrics, coffees, teas, sugars, cocoa,
42
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
and other groceries, wines, and liquors were
offered for sale, and the country people were
invited by proclamation to come in and trade.
The latter did not neglect the opportunity
thus afforded to dispose of their produce. For
their chickens, eggs, and vegetables they re¬
ceived wonderful prices, and were equally
astonished and pleased at the purchases they
were able to make. The easy-going country-
people hailed the arrival of these free-lances
as the dawn of a good time not dreamed of
before. They were manifestly well pleased
with their invaders and were reaping a rich
harvest.
These adventurers held Fernandina for
about eighteen months. They made it a free
port, and large quantities of dutiable goods
were notoriously smuggled from thence into
the United States, the St. Mary's River and
Cumberland Sound affording convenient ave¬
nues for the illicit traffic. The harbor was
visited by vessels from Europe and America,
and commerce was active.
Finally Governor Coppinger, acting under
orders from Havana, prepared to dislodge the
MOTES OF MY FAMILY.
43
intruders, and for that purpose summoned the
militia to co-operate with his few regular
troops. It was with great reluctance that
they responded to the call ; some gave no
heed at all. My father's home at San Pablo
was the appointed rendezvous. The old-
fashioned pieces of artillery from Fort San
Marco in St. Augustine were brought into
service, and were dragged through the rough
country and ferried over the waters, until,
after a week of toil, they reached their final
destination, a prominent point known as
McClure's Hill, just above the town of Fer-
nandina. The cannon were placed in position,
arrangements were made to commence the at¬
tack next day, and the men went to their rest.
At the dawn of day they were aroused by fir¬
ing opened upon them by the Carthaginians.
They rallied to their artillery, and found all
the guns spiked. One of the militiamen, who
was afterwards identified, had committed the
treachery. A hasty retreat followed. The
Spanish force was completely demoralized ;
the militia returned to their houses, the regu¬
lars to St. Augustine, and Fernandina was
44
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
left in possession of the enemy. But they did
not hold it long after this. McGregor appar¬
ently wearied of his inactive life. Turning
the command over to " General Aury," the
next officer in rank, he left under pretence of
bringing reinforcements and never returned.
The town had been allowed to get into bad
sanitary condition. A fever of a virulent type
broke out, and was so alarming and fatal that
the newly instituted government was quickly
dissolved. The invaders sought safety in flight,
and Fernandina was left without a magistrate,
or semblance of a government.
The cession of Florida by Spain to the
United States was under consideration when
McGregor made the raid on Amelia Island.
Hence the supineness of the Spanish authori¬
ties about the recaption of Fernandina. Its
recovery appeared like a work of supereroga¬
tion. But the governor had to make the at¬
tempt, in obedience to orders from his superior
in Havana. He knew, too, that the long delay,
compelled through Colonel Morales' miscon¬
duct, had entirely demoralized the militia, and
that they might not act in good faith. The
result proved that he was correct.
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
45
In this posture of affairs the United States
sent two war vessels under Commodore Henly,
and a small military force under Major Bank-
head, to occupy the town. Such of the in¬
habitants as had gone away on the approach
of the Carthaginians and had not returned,
now came back and resumed their avocations ;
but my father never returned there to reside.
This episode in the history of Florida is now
but little known, even to its inhabitants, and
histories scarcely mention it. A few of the in¬
vading band remained in Florida when their
companions departed, contracted matrimonial
alliances and left descendants, among whom
are worthy and excellent citizens of this
country ; some of them with sonorous Scotch
names, that of the leader of the lawless band
being preserved as a Christian name.
My father resided at the plantation at San
Pablo nearly six years. We had, for a while,
no direct intercourse with the outer world.
Letters and papers were chance acquisitions,
and St. Augustine was but little better off in
this respect.
All that was known of what was transpiring
46
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
throughout the world, came to this portion of
Florida, at this time, through the chances of
travel. Our home was on the route of the
travelling public visiting St. Augustine, and
thus occasionally newspapers reached us. But
my father was unwilling to long endure this
stagnation. Co-operating with a gentleman in
Fernandina and one in St. Mary's, Georgia,
and aided by Governor Coppinger, he devised
means to establish a private mail for the accom¬
modation of himself and friends and the gov¬
ernor.
The governor sent two dragoons, every
Monday, with a mail from St. Augustine to
San Pablo. My father sent this by a boat and
hands to Fernandina, where Mr. Farquhar
Bethune received and transferred it to St.
Mary's, consigned to Mr. George I. F. Clark,
who sent the boat back to San Pablo, via Fer¬
nandina, with mail-bags containing letters and
papers from the United States and Europe.
My father assorted the mail and forwarded to
St. Augustine what belonged there, by the
dragoons, who waited at his plantation for the
return of the boat. My uncle, Captain George
JVOTES OF MY FAMILY.
47
Fleming, acted as postmaster at St. Augustine.
This postal arrangement continued until the
Spanish government was exchanged for that of
the United States.
In writing of Fernandina, how many things
rise up before me, indelibly impressed upon my
memory !
In the last war between the United States
and Great Britain, Fernandina, because of the
embargo, became an entrepot for the com¬
merce of all nations. Vessels crowded the
harbor for miles, flags of many nations floating
in the breeze ; bales of cotton were piled up
in the streets, stores and warehouses were
filled to their utmost capacity with merchan¬
dise. The port was the theatre of illicit trade
and the resort of smugglers, smuggling being
the openly avowed business that drew the
masses there. Even females carried on such
traffic, which was the jest of the communities
profiting by it. I remember seeing Russians
and Swedes, French and Germans, in the
streets. A Russian physician, by the name of
Boleen, not only visited in our family, but at¬
tended it professionally ; and a Swede, a mas-
48
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
ter of a vessel, made a swing for us children,
and used to play with us and swing us under
the great trees around the house.
It is the old town, not new Fernandina, that
I write of. The new town, Fernandina of the
present, was then a plantation owned by Mr.
Domingo Fernandez. I remember being taken
when a child to his plantation by my eldest
sister, who was visiting one of the daughters
of the family. The visit was made on horse¬
back, and I wás indulged with a ride behind
her. But another visit, prior to that, was
quite an event in my young life. The com¬
mandant, Capt. Pangua, got permission from
Mr. Fernandez to have a pic-nic there—a pic¬
nic though entirely of his own getting up and
at his own expense. The principal families
were invited, and it was to be a great affair.
The commandant was young and a widower,
with an only child, a boy a little older than
myself. He was a splendid-looking man, was
deeply in love with a beautiful girl, the daugh¬
ter of the " Contador," and the entertainment
was given to find favor in her eyes. It was on
Sunday, I am constrained to say, that this
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
49
fiesta was given. There were a banquet and a
ball, but the crowning pleasure of the day was a
bull-fight. On withdrawing from dinner we
were conducted to the arena. My father was
one of the guests, and I was allowed to attend
at the solicitation of some of my playmates,
children of the " Contador," Señor Raymondo
Arribas. Seats raised one above another en¬
circled a large space. A young Spaniard, fan¬
tastically dressed in close-fitting garments,
with several little red flags in his hands,
marched around a little while ; then several
dogs of various sizes, but not at all formidable-
looking, for they seemed bent on sport, were
admitted. The matador played with the dogs,
brandishing the flags in their faces and making
them bark furiously. Then a hush, " the bull
is coming, and a half-grown white bull was set
loose in the arena. The dogs immediately
made an attack on him, and the matador,
shaking the flags in his face, incited the ani¬
mal to turn on him instead of the dogs. With
his stiletto he made agile thrusts and evaded
attack on himself, darting up the steps of the
amphitheatre when pressed by the bull. All
5°
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
this vastly amused the company. Cries re¬
sounded of "Bravo el torete!" when the bull
had the advantage, or " Bravo Francesco !
bravo el matador ! " when the man prevailed.
At last the little animal, which was declared
to have made a good fight, was led. off bleed¬
ing, but not badly hurt, they said. The com¬
pany returned to the house ; fruit was served—
splendid watermelons, peaches, and figs in
abundance, and dancing, which had been in¬
dulged in during the morning and until din¬
ner was announced, was resumed. At the
close of the evening we returned to the boats,
the band playing all the while and the moon¬
beams dancing on the water.
The commandant did not win his suit ; the
beautiful Isabel bestowed her hand on Don
Cristobel Garrido, and went to live in Cuba.
Capt. Pangua was succeeded, when he left
Fernandina, by the cowardly Morales, concern¬
ing whom my father's prediction was verified :
the governor sent him under arrest to Havana.
I have said that my father continued to re¬
side at San Pablo for nearly six years. In
those years, and in all our wanderings there
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
51
were no schools or other- educational oppor¬
tunities available to all of his second family of
children. The two elder girls, Louisa and
Eliza, were grown and had had advantages
before our wanderings commenced. My brother
was sent to New York State to school. My
sister Mary, younger than Leonora and my¬
self, was sent to St. Augustine to school, her
health requiring the change. Leonora and I
had no such advantages. Fortunately for us
we both loved books, and, more fortunately
still, our parents were educated persons, lovers
of learning and culture, who took pleasure in
imparting knowledge to us. To them we were
indebted for all we learned.
Just after the occupation of St. Augustine
by the United States, my father determined to
return to our old home, New Switzerland, on
the St. John's River. He had previously sent
the negroes there, under the superintendence
of an agent, Ramon Sanchez. The negroes
themselves were well pleased with the change.
They loved their old home ; the fine orange-
trees and other fruit-trees they had planted
were still standing, to mark for each family
52
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
where once their dwellings stood. Houses to
dwell in were soon built. Lumber was scarce ;
there were no saw-mills then. Pine logs, clap¬
boards, and cypress bark supplied the materi¬
als for their comfortable homes.
Two years after, when my brother had re¬
turned from the North, we were once more
domiciled in our home, which had been aban¬
doned for twelve years. A very modest, almost
rudely constructed cottage had been prepared
for us, which received, from time to time, such
additions and improvements as time and cir¬
cumstances admitted of, or as lumber could be
obtained to build with. I repeat—
" It was a lodge of ample size,
But strange of structure and device."
We were well content to be there once more,
leading a life of tranquillity and ease.
My father, when well supplied with reading
matter and the society of a few friends, seemed
never dull or dissatisfied. Chess, cards, and
backgammon varied the monotony of the re¬
pose of country life; and to look out on the
river, flowing majestically by, seemed always
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
53
to charm him. He was sixty-five years of age
when we returned to New Switzerland, but
full of vigor of mind and body. He was pos¬
sessed of a cheerful and vivacious disposition,
and was witty and full of anecdote. I never
tired of listening to his descriptions of Switzer¬
land. I remember one afternoon, when sitting
on the piazza with him, his calling my atten¬
tion to some grandly beautiful clouds looming
up on the horizon, across the river, and say¬
ing : " Look, look, my child, before it changes ;
you cannot have a more perfect picture of
Mount Blanc than that cloud gives you ; no
painter could represent it as well. Call your
mother to see it. O beautiful, beautiful ! "
and his handsome face beamed with pleasure
as he gazed at it. These are fond recollec¬
tions and may seem trifling to others, but to
me they are a great deal. I must indulge my
heart by mentioning them.
My mother was descended from the Laniers
on her mother's side. Of her paternal ances¬
try, the Ledbetters, I know but little. They
were Virginians. Her father and other chil¬
dren were early left orphans, inheriting large
54
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
landed and other property. Drury Ledbetter,
my mother's father, was, at an early age, put
in possession of a Virginian farm, and before
he was twenty years of age had married Wini¬
fred Lanier, who was just fifteen years of age.
He early removed from his native State.
His wife's sister, Rebecca Lanier, married
Walton Harris, with whom and other connec¬
tions, he went to North Carolina, built mills,
and engaged in business on the Yadkim River.
Afterward he removed to Georgia, and became
an active participant in the war of the Revolu¬
tion, held a colonel's commission, and, in his
enthusiasm and patriotism, sacrificed his prop¬
erty in the cause of independence.
Mary, his youngest child, was my mother.
Her sister Susan was the wife of Major
Thomas Martin of the U. S. army, who was in
command of a post called Point Peter, a few
miles from St. Mary's, Georgia, and here my
mother was visiting her sister when she first
met my father.
Mrs. Ann K. Bryson, one of the daughters
of Thomas Martin and Susan Ledbetter, lived
to be ninety years of age. A few years before
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
55
her death I visited her in Kentucky, at which
time she gave me the following names of de¬
scendants of her father and mother.
Ann K., who married Capt. Bryson of the U. S. army.
Eliza W., " " Major Oldham " " " " "
Susan L., " " " Sandford" " " " "
Mary F., " " Mr. Winston, a lawyer.
Their daughter, Sabella Winston, married Governor
Stevenson of Kentucky.
Harriet, who married Judge Joyes.
Louisa, who married Mr. Prather.
Thomas Martin.
James Martin.
o
Nearly all of these children of Thomas
Martin and Susan Ledbetter had sons and
daughters, a long list of names of whom my
dear old cousin, Ann Bryson, gave me. She
retained her mental and bodily faculties to the
end of her life, and outlived all her children but
one, who was far away from her, in Texas, at
the time of her death.
Major Martin was a genial, cultured gentle¬
man, a bon vivant and lover of society.
As he could not in that secluded place find
society, he brought it to him. He would hail
and bring to every boat that was passing, and
56
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
thus made many congenial acquaintances,
whom he would hospitably entertain as long
as they would remain with him. It was in that
way that my father met at a dinner, which
Major Martin had perforce brought him to
partake of, the young lady who captured his
affections. He soon found himself often at
Point Peter with Major Martin's delightful
family. My father and mother were married
at her home, in Greensborough, Georgia, in
June, 1802.
Of my mother's maternal ancestry I cannot
do better than give an extract from Mr. J. D.
F. Lanier's sketch of his life and family, of
which he has given a detailed account.
"Thomas Lanier, a Huguenot of France,
who was driven out of that country by re¬
ligious persecution near the middle of the 1 7th
century, went first to England and came from
that country to this, either in company with,
or about the same time that John Washington,
the grandfather* of George Washington, emi-
* This is an error. John Washington was not the grandfather but
the great-grandfather of George Washington, the first President of
the United States, S. L,
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
57
grated to it. He subsequently married Eliza¬
beth, daughter of John Washington, and ulti¬
mately settled in North Carolina. In his
native country he was a man of high social
position and possessed a large estate, a con¬
siderable portion of which he contrived to
bring with him," etc., etc.
The following table shows the connection of
my mother with the two families of Lanier and
Washington.
Col. John Washington = Anne Pope
Elizabeth Washington = Thomas Lanier Lawrence Washington =
Sampson Lanier = Elizabeth Chamberlin Augustine Washington =
Winifred Lanier = Drury Ledbetter George Washington
Mary Ledbetter = Francis P. Fatio
Susan Fatio = John L'Engle
58
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
My mother died at New Switzerland on the
9th of April, 1828, in the forty-fifth year of
her age. My father survived her three years.
He died on the 9th of March, 1831. She was
more than twenty years younger than her hus¬
band, but had a much graver disposition. She
was unavoidably subjected to so many anxie¬
ties, perils, and hardships, some of which I
have indicated, that her health of body and
spirits gave way.
She had eight children, of whom five sur¬
vived her. Louis the eldest died unmarried.
Leonora, the third, married, in 1834, Mr.
George Colt, of Massachusetts, and died in
Jacksonville, Florida, in 1848, leaving five
children. Mary, the next in years, married
Mr. David R. Dunham, of New York, and
lives in St. Augustine. Sophia, the'youngest,
died unmarried.
Susan, the second child (myself), married in
1830 Lieut. John L'Engle, of the 3d U. S.
Artillery (holding at that time the staff ap¬
pointment of Quartermaster and stationed in
St. Augustine), a graduate of the Military
Academy of West Point in the graduating
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
59
class of 1819. He was an adopted son of
Judge William Johnson of Charleston, S. C,
one of the Justices of the U. S. Supreme
Court.
My husband's family were citizens and resi¬
dents of France until the so-called Reign of
Terror, preceding the real French Revolution,
necessitated their flight from their native land
and search for safety elsewhere. The family
scattered in various directions. Some mem¬
bers of it sought an asylum in Prussia, others
in the French colonies. Some remained per¬
manently in Germany, and some returned to
France. The father of my husband sought
safety in the French colony of Hayti, or San
Domingo, and resided there until the revolu¬
tion in that island, when he came to the
United States, leaving large possessions lost
to him forever.
He took up his residence in Charleston, and
died at sea while on a distant voyage, leaving
two children. The elder, Mary Madeleine,
but always called Leonis, died at a great age,
unmarried. John, the younger child, was al¬
most an infant when he lost his father.
6o
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
My husband resigned from the army with
the rank of captain, and died November, 1864,
leaving five sons and four daughters. [One of
our sons died in 1861, leaving three children.]
In the year 1836 the homestead at New
Switzerland was again destroyed, being burnt
by Seminole Indians early in their war against
the whites, which lasted uninterruptedly for
seven years, devastating the territory and re¬
tarding, for many years, its settlement and de¬
velopment.
My father and brother having died (within
six months of each other), Col. Miller Hal-
lowes, fourth son of my aunt Louisa, came
from England to receive her share of my
grandfather's property, which my father had
been taking care of for her.
He and a guest, Dr. William Hayne Sim¬
mons, of Charleston, were at New Switzerland,
the only inmates of the dwelling, when in the
early morn Col. Hallowes was shot down and
severely wounded by an Indian bullet. Dr.
Simmons and a servant, Scipio, the same who
when a boy in 1812 escaped with us in a boat
from the Indians, assisted him from the house
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
6l
and into a boat. Shoving out into the St.
John's River they fortunately found a small
steamer, the " Essayon," passing, which took
them on board, and carried them to Picolata,
which was a United States military post.
The savages, the negroes told us, went into
the house, feasted and drank, dancing and
yelling, cut up the piano, and finally set fire
to and destroyed the houses with their con¬
tents. The houses have never been rebuilt or
the place reoccupied.
After the late civil war between the States,
Col. Hallowes built at, and removed his family
from Georgia to, the portion of the New
Switzerland estate which had been assigned to
his mother's heirs. His own portion of this
moiety he called Claremont. He died there
in 1877.
In 1832 Col. Miller Hallowes, my father's
nephew, from England, and Miss Caroline
Nicoll, a niece of my mother's, and the only
daughter of Col. A. Y. Nicoll of the United
States army, happened to meet at New Switz¬
erland, where she had come to visit our family.
They had both expected to return in a few
02
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
months to their respective homes, but neither
ever returned ; they met their fate at New
Switzerland and were married there to each
other.
Col. Hallowes went, at nineteen years of
age, to South America, and, offering his
services to Bolivar, fought in the wars of inde¬
pendence in that country for eleven years con¬
tinuously. He had gone to England on a
year's leave of absence, when, Gen. Bolivar
dying, and it being necessary for my aunt
Louisa to have a representative in Florida,
Col. Hallowes resigned, came here, and marry¬
ing Miss Nicoll as above stated, spent the re¬
mainder of his life in Georgia and Florida.
Having brought this record down to the
present generation, I will take a retrospective
glance.
The six years spent on the plantation near
San Pablo were by far more fertile of incident
and formation of extraordinary acquaintance
than any other period of my life.
All who came to my father's hospitable
home were made welcome. He literally kept
open house. But it was not every sort and
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
63
condition that were admitted into his family.
Some were lodged in another house on the
premises, and were kindly cared for and waited
on. Our menage would seem very large in
these days. Besides those employed as cooks,
laundresses, nurses, chambermaids, and waiters,
a man was kept to do nothing but hunt ; he
supplied us with game. Another, assisted by
boys, was the gardener and' fisherman.
Our house was often crowded with guests
for weeks at a time ; but we were more than
repaid for the trouble and inconvenience, by
the variety it afforded, and its pleasant di¬
version from the monotony of country life.
The advent of many noteworthy personages
into the country, during that time, was a mat¬
ter of more than common interest. My fath¬
er's acquaintance with foreign languages, as
well as his vivacity and open-handed hospitality,
drew foreigners to his house. Whether they
came to Florida from curiosity, adverse for¬
tunes, or a spirit of adventure, and whether as
permanent settlers or for temporary abode, he
never enquired, but hospitably entertained
them, and his society was charming.
64
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
A little incident bearing on this subject
afforded us much amusement.
One day, when my father was absent from
home, my mother was informed that two gen¬
tlemen had arrived and desired to see her.
On going into the parlor a tall, gaunt,
military-looking man addressed her in French,
with which language she was not acquainted,
but she could understand that her visitor was
inquiring for the head of the house. Motion¬
ing them to be seated, she ordered refresh¬
ments. My little cousin, Ferdinand Fatio,
my uncle Philip's son, about eleven years old,
had lately come to us from New Orleans,
where his father had died. He spoke French
fluently, so my mother sent for him, and the
little fellow came in and accosted the tall
stranger in French, which so delighted him
that he caught the boy up in his arms and be¬
stowed kisses on his cheeks. We learned then
that he was General Lallemand, one of Napo¬
leon's generals ; and that the other gentleman
was a subaltern, the General's friend and com¬
panion. General Lallemand said he had heard
of Monsieur Fatio, and desired to see him,
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
65
and would like to rest for a few days. He
was well disposed to accept my mother's invi¬
tation to await my father's return, and wanted
little Ferdinand to sleep with him ; but my
mother would not consent. It rained heavily
that night, but the next morning was bright
and clear. While waiting breakfast for our
guests we, the children of the family, were
thrown into the greatest confusion of laughter
by the extraordinary appearance of a tall,
ghost-like figure, emerging from his bedroom,
clad from head to feet in white dimity ; dimity
coat, vest, and pants, the last made to fit over
his feet like gaiters. He greeted my mother
in the first attempt we had heard him make to
speak English : " Morning, Madame, it make
ver much rain that night." We were called
to order, and Ferdinand, placed near the
General, acted again as interpreter.
My father returned that afternoon, and so
agreeable were they to each other that our
guests prolonged their stay many days.
They had come in search of and to join
Prince Achile Murat ; but he had not yet
arrived in Florida.
66
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
Shortly afterward we were visited by an¬
other Napoleonic celebrity, a French colonel,
whose face was seamed and battered with
scars of wounds. He too was in quest of
Murat.
Then there came a dashing fellow, an Irish¬
man, of about middle age, who made a great
display of the cross of the Legion of Honor.
He represented himself as a colonel in the
French army, and said that the cross had been
bestowed on him by Napoleon. His name
was Lynch. He went to St. Augustine, and
there married and removed with his wife to
Cuba.
Not the least interesting of the many new
people who came at that time was a person
calling himself Dupont. A slender, pale man
of medium height, slightly pock-marked, with
gentle manner and melancholy smile, very
gentleman-like and pleasant, and so quiet in
his deportment that one would almost forget
his presence. He was well dressed, seemed
to be rich, was liberal with his money, and
bought a plantation a few miles from us, and
negroes. He was a great deal at our house
NOTES OF MY FAMILY.
67
and took a great fancy to my father, to whom
he was constantly bringing, books, beautifully
bound and finely illustrated books, every one
having written in it the name "Lafitte," which
struck us as remarkable.
One day my father said to him : " How is
it, Dupont, that all your books have Lafitte's
name in them?" He immediately replied:
" Because Lafitte is my most intimate friend."
" And where," said my father, " could you hold
friendly intercourse with such a man ?" "I
assure you," he replied, "that Lafitte walks
the streets of New Orleans as boldly as any
other man." " What ! " said my father, " and
known to be Lafitte ?" " Oh, as to that," was
the answer, " he had many aliases."
We had reason to think after a while that
he himself was Lafitte. He disappeared as
suddenly as he had come among us, and never
was seen there again.