AUTHOR UNKNOWN FOOT NOTES BY GUY JOHNSON THE STORY OF MARY ANN DIAMOND A REAL PINEY WOODS SPIRIT AUNT MARY ANN DIAMOND, WAS INDEED A PINEY WOODS PIONEER OF THE EARLY AMERICAN TYPE. SO WERE HER PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS BEFORE HER. HER PARENTAL GREAT GRAND FATHER CAME FROM ENGLAND AND SETTLED ON THE COASTAL PLAIN OF SOUTH CAROLINA DURING EARLY COLONIAL TIMES. THE FAM ILY MOVED WEST UNTILL THEY WERE PIONEERING NEAR WERE THE PRESENT CITY OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA IS NOW LOCATED. HERE IN JUNE OF 1804 04 1814, DURING THE LOCAL UPRISING ATTACKS MADE BY INDIANS IN THAT AREA UPON THE SCATTERING WHITE SETTLERS, HER GRANDFATHER WAS FORCED TO FLEE ,TO SAVE THE LIVES OF HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY. IT WAS MOVE OUT OF THE AREA WITH WHAT WAS THEN CALLED "A HEAD TURN" MEANING WHAT ONE COULD CARRY UPON ONE'S HEAD OR BACK, OR BE TOMAHAWKED AND BURNED IN THE CABIN. IN THIS CASE HER GRAND FATHER HASTILY PACKED HIS FAMILY AND A FEW ARTI CLES OF FOOD AND CLOTHINGIN A CRUDELY CONSTRUCTED BATEAU AND MOVED OFF DOWN THE NEAR BY CHATAHOOCHEE RIVER. THE BATEAU WAS ROWED DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREAM WITH MUFFLED OARS DURING THE DARKNESS OF THE NIGHTTO PREVENT ANY NOISE FROM AIDING THE INDIANS TO LOCATE THEM. DURING THE DAYLIGHT PERIOD, THE BATEAU WAS HIDDEN UNDER LOW OVERHANGING WILLOWS AND THE FAMILY WELL HIDDEN IN SECRETED HIDEOUTS.WHILE THE FAMILY WAS HIDDENIN SUCH A HIDE OUT MARY ANNS FATHER WAS BORNED, IN A LARGE FALLEN CYPRESS LOG. IT SERVED BABY JOHN AS A HOME, CRADLE AND HIDEOUT FOR ONLY ABOUT 15 HOURS. THE FAMILY HAD TO MOVE ON TO AVOID BEING TOMAHAWKED AND BURNED. IF THE MOTHER OR BABY HAD DIED ,A GRAVE WOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND ON A SANDBAR. THIS WAS PIONEERING IN AMERICA. AFTER FIVE OR SIX DAYS THE FAMILY LEFT THE RIVER, LEAVING NO TRACE OF A LANDING PLACE, AND BEGAN THE SLOW CARAVAN LIKE MOVEMENT TOWARD THE WEST, ACROSS THE STATE OF ALABAMA. AFTER FIVE OR SIX WEEKS ,THE FAMILY CAME TO A SETTLEMENT OF WHITE TIMBER HEWERS ON THE CHOCTAWATCHE RIVER. THEY HAD TRAVELLED APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES THROUGH A COUNTRY INHABITED BY HOSTILE INDIANS, AND INFESTED WITH FIERCE BEARS, WOLVES AND PANTHERS. HERE THE FATHER AND THE OLDER BOYS FOUND WORK AS TIM BER HEWERS.THE FAMILY CONTINUED TO MOVE WESTWARD. WITHIN A FEW YEARS, THE FATHER AND THE OLDER BOYS WERE HEWING TIMBER ON THE ESCANBIA-CONECUH RIVER IN ALABAMA, FIFTY MILES NORTH OF THE FLORIDA AND ALABAMA STATE LINE. HERE ABOUT THE MIDDLE 1830s, AUNT MARY ANN'S FATHER MARRIED MISS MARY ELIZABETH JOHNSON, WHOSE IRISH ANCESTORS HAD MIGRATED FROM IRELAND TO THE SOUTH ATLANTIC PLAIN, AND THEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO ALABAMA. HERE HER FATHER[1] FOUGHT IN INDIAN WARS IN ALABAMA AND WEST FLORIDA, GOING AS FAR SOUTH AS PUMPKIN SWAMP, OLDTOWN HAMMOCK, AND PERHAPS AS FAR SOUTH AS DADE CITY. SOON AFTER HER FATHER MARRIED HE MOVED DOWN INTO FLORIDA WHERE HE CONTINUED CUTTING HEWN TIMBER. AUNT MARY ANN WAS BORNED APRIL 24, 1851, NEAR WHERE A VILLAGE LATER GREW UP KNOWN AS BLUFF SPRINGS IN ESCANBIA COUNTY, FLORIDA. ABOUT 1853 THE FAMILY MOVED ACROSS THE RIVER, APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES NORTH FROM THE AGE OLD MINERAL SPRING , CALLED BY THE INDIANS "CHUMUKLA SPRINGS" , MEANING, IN THEIR LANGUAGE "HEALING WATERS" . HERE FOR MANY YEARS , HER FATHER OPERATED A SMALL SAW MILL ON A CREEK KNOWN AS "THE DIAMOND MILL CREEK" HERE AUNT MARY ANN GREW TO WOMAN HOOD AND MARRIED JAMES W NELSON. THE AREA IS STILL KNOWN AS" THE COON HILL COMMUNITY"- SO NAMED BECAUSE A LOCAL FACTION KNOWN AS THE COONS[2] WON A LOCAL ELECTION MORE THAN 75 YEARS AGO OVER A FACTION KNOWN AS POSSUMS. WITHIN A YEAR OR SO AFTER MARIAGE AUNT MARY ANN AND UNCLE JIM BUILT A HOME APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES WEST FROM WHERE THE PRESENT CITY OF JAY IS LOCATED.THE PLACE WHERE JAY IS WAS THEN KNOWN AS" THE COBB OLD FIELD" . THE HOME UNCLE JIM BUILT WAS AT THE HEAD OF WOLF PEN BRANCH SO NAMED BECAUSE IT HAD TWO WOLF PENS THERE TO TRAP THE WILY, MARAUDING WOLVES. WITHIN FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, UNCLE JIM AND AUNT MARY ANN MOVEDHALF A MILE WEST WHERE A HOMESTEAD WAS ENTERED. HERE UNCLE JIM PASSED AWAY JUNE 16, 1931. AUNT MARY ANN CONTINUEDIN THE SAME COMMUNITY WITH HER CHILDREN AND GRAND CHILDREN FOR MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS, AFTER UNCLE JIM'S PASSING. ONE OF HER DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW PASSED AWAY SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE UNCLE JIM DIED, LEAVING FIVE SMALL CHILDREN. AUNT MARY ANN TOOK CARE OF THEMUNTILL THEY WERE ALMOST GROWN. SHE AS ONE OF THEM , PETE OFTEN EXPRESSED "THE ONLY MOTHER I EVER KNEW"PETE AND HIS FRIENDLY LITTLE WIFE ,MARGRET, WERTE DELIGHTED TO HAVE HER DURING HER LAST FEW YEARS. SHE SLEPT AWAY AUGUST30,1951, AT THEIR HOSPITABLE HOME ON THE OPOSITE SIDE OF WOLF PEN SPRINGHEAD, FROM WHERE UNCLE JIM AND AUNT MARY ANN HAD THEIR HOME SEVENTY FIVE YEARS BEFOR HER PASSING. THESE FEW PAGES, EXPRESSED IN A SORT OF RAGGED ROBIN RHYME, HAD THEIR ORGIN TWO OR THREE YEARS BEFORE HER PASSING, WHEN A FEW PAGES WERE HASTILY WRITTEN AND READ AT HER BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION. THE READING OF A FEW PAGES SEEMED TO REVIVE ALL HER CHERISHED CHILDHOOD MEMORIES. SHE WAS PROFUSE IN HER EXPRESSIONS OF APPRECIATION BECAUSE OF MY INTREST IN HER LONG AND USEFUL LIFE. FROM TIME TO TIME AS OPPORTUNITY WAS AFFORDED, SHE RELATED TO ME HUNDREDS OF HER CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES. THEY WERE ALL INTERESTION. LATER, HER EXPERIENCES DURING A CENTURY WERE OFTEN DISCUSSED.HE EARLY EXPERIENCES WERE ESPECIALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE THE WERE DIFFERENT FROM LATER EXPERIENCES. AND TOO, HER INTERPRETATIONS OF SUCH EXPERIENCESWERE DIFFERENT FROM MY DAY AND GENERATION. THE MANY EVENTS SHE SAW DURING HER EARLY PIONEER LIFE AND THE MAGIC CHANGES SHE SAW DURING A CENTURY, ARE RELATED HERE IN ABOUT THE SAME ORDER IN WHICH THEY WERE RELATED TO ME. NO EFFORT WAS MADE TO ARRANGE THEM IN ANY ORDERLY SEQUENCE ACCORDING TO TIME OR SUBJECT MATTER. ANY SUCH EFFORT WOULD HAVE REMOVED THE AUNT MARY ANN PINEY WOODS PIONEER SPRIT FROM EACH PAGE. AS IT IS, THOSE WHO KNEW AUNT MARY ANN AND HER PLAIN UNIQUE, EASILY UNDERSTOOD PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE AND OF THINGS, CAN SEE HER UNIQUE PINEY WOODS PIONEER SPRIT RUNNING THROUGH THE ENTIRE PANORAMA OF HER CENTURY. THEY CAN ALSO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF AND THELANGUAGE TALKED BY THE EARLY PIONEERS LIVING WAYBACK AMONG THE TOWERING SOUTHERN PINES. AS A CHILD SHA HAD A WONDERFUL MEMORY. IT REMAINED ACTIVE THROUGHOUT HER HER LONG CENTURY. TRULY SHE HAD GATHERED A STOREHOUSE OF VALUABLE FACTS, TRADITIONS, FOLKLORE AND LEGENDS. DURING HER EARLY CHILDHOOD, SHE GATHERED A VAST COLLECTION OFFACTS AND TRADITIONS RELATING TO THE AREA EXTENDING ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE ESCANBIA RIVER FROM THE MOUTH OF MOORS CREEK AT THE WATER,S LAKE LOG AND TIMBER LANDING TWO MILES BELOW CHUMUCKLA SPRING TO A FEW MILES NORTH OF THE FLORIDA-ALABAMA STATE LINE. SHE HAD MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE CREEK INDIANS WHO INHABITED THE AREA LON BEFORE THE SPANISH OCCUPATION OF FLORIDA. THEY HAD WIGWAMS AND TEPEES ALONG THE RIVER, USUALLY NEAR THE MOTHS OF THE MANY CLEAR, CRYSTAL CREEKS FLOWING INTO THE RIVER.THESE CREEKS PROVIDED PURE DRINKING WATER AND HEALTHFUL INVIGORATING BATHING PLACES FOR THE RED FOLKS OF THE FORREST. THE MOUTHS OF THE CREEKS ALSO PROVIDED MOORING PLACES FOR THEIR CANOES. SHE HAD ACQUIRED MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE EARLY SPAINARDS ,WHO WERE THE FIRST WHITE PEOPLE TO RESIDE IN THIS AREA. SHE HAD LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE FIRST ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLE COMING TO THE AREA FROM THE STATES NORTH OF THE AREA. SHE GATHERED MUCH HISTORY, TRADITIONS AND FOLKLORE ABOUT THE INDIANS AND SPAINIARDS FROM A FEW OF THE EARLIEST SETTLERS IN THE AREA. AMONG A FEW FROM WHOM THIS INFORMATION WAS GATHERED MAY BE MENTIONED THE FOLLOWING. JOHN T. DIAMOND, HER FATHER, WHO HAD HAD EXPERIENCE FIGHTING INDIANS AND OUTWITTING THEM SINCE HIS BIRTH IN THE HOLLOW CYPRESS LOG, HAYES FORBES, THE FERRYMAN, AND HIS WIFE, KNOWN AS “POLL FORBES THE MIDWIFE”. GRANDMA FORBES PRACTICED HER PROFESSION UP AND DOWN THE OLD INDIAN TRADING TRAIL WINDING ALONG THE FRINGES OF THE SWAMPS AND HAMMOCKS ADJACENT TO THE ESCANBIA-CONECUH RIVER. SHE TRAVELED IT AS A TRAIL AND LATER AS A WINDING RIVER ROAD.GRANDMA FORBES WAS ALMOST PURE INDIAN STOCK IT WAS OFTEN SAID SHE WAS HERE DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR WITH ENGLAND. SHE PASSED AWAY IN THE AREA IN THE 1880s AT THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 110 YEARS. AS A SMALL BOY THE WRITER KNEW HER WELL AND OFTEN ENJOYED HER LEGEND OF THE INDIANS AND EARLY SPAINIARDS. AMONG OTHERS WHO MAY BE MENTIONED ARE TWO BROTHERS, TOM AND FRAKN SUNDY, BOTH OF WHOM WERE HERE DURING THE LAST PART OF THE SPAINISH OCCUPATION. ALSO RIX GAYLOR, A SPAINIARD WHO ELECTED TO REMAIN HERE WHEN FLORIDA WAS PURCHASED FROM SPAIN. GRAMPA GABE CAPERAS, BETTER KNOWN AS GRANDPA GABE, WAS HERE WHEN GRANDMA FORBES WAS WALKING UP AND DOWN THE OLD INDIAN TRADING TRAIL. IN MANY RESPECTS GRANDPA GABE WAS THE MOST NOTED CHARACTER WHO EVER LIVED AND WORKED IN THE AREA. GRANDPA TOM SUNDY WAS ALSO A NOTED AND INTERESTING CHARACTER. HE WAS HERE LONG BEFORE FLORIDA WAS PURCHASED FROM SPAIN. . FROM SUCH PIONEERS AS THESE, AUNT MARY ANN GATHERED INFORMATION AS IT RELATED TO PIONEER LIFE IN THE AREA IN WHICH SHE LIVED AND LABORED A CENTURY. AUNT MARY ANN KNEW WELL AND REMEMBERED THE LIKES AND DISLIKES, THE FAILURES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THE HOPES AND IDEALS OF ALL THE EARLY PIONEERS UP AND DOWN THE WINDING RIVER ROAD AND THE BIG PINE LEVEL AREA ADJACENT THERETO.SHE KNEW THE FASHION OF EARLY PIONEERS DRESS AND THE MANNER OF HIS CONVERSATION. SHE KNEW THESE EARLY PIONEERS WERE NOT EDUCATED IN SO FAR AS BOOK KNOWLEDGE MEANT EDUCATION. YET SHE KNEW THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF MEN AND AFFAIRS WAS THE MARVEL OF ALL WHO KNEW THEM, AUNT MARY ANN KNEW ESCANBIA-CONECUH RIVER AS THE AREA’S FIRST MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. SHE KNEW ALL ABOUT THE EARLY STEAM BOATS AND BOAT TRAFFIC UP AND DOWN THE RIVER. SHE KNEW ALL ABOUT THE COUNTLESS RAFTS OF BIG HEWN TIMBER BROUGHT DOWN THE RIVER TO THE TIMBER LANDING AT FERRY PASS[3]. SHE KNEW ABOUT THE MILLIONS OF RAFTS OF SAWN TIMBER THAT CAME DOWN THE RIVER TO MARKET. SHE KNEW ABOUT THE COUNTLESS CYPRESS CAMPS UP AND DOWN THE RIVERTO CUT AND FLOAT THE BIG CYPRESS TIMBER TO MARKET DURING FLOOD WATERS.SHE KNEW ABOUT THE MILLIONS OF ROUND PINE LOGS AND HARDWOOD TIMBERCARRIED DOWN THE RIVER TO MILLS. SHE KNEW ABOUT THE VENEER MILLS TO CUT HARDWOOD FROM THE RIVER’S LOW FLOOD PLAIN.SHE KNEW THE HISTORY, TRADITIONS AND LEGENDS OF THE RIVER, ITS AREA AND ITS PIONEERS AS FEW PEOPLE DID. SHE KNEW ABOUT THE WILDLIFE OF THE AREA. SHE KNEW ABOUT THE FIERCENESS OF THE BEARS, THE COLD-BLOODNESS OF THE WOLVES AND THE SNEAKING ATTACKS OF THE PANTHERS.SHE KNEW THE HISTORY, TRADITIONS AND LEGENDS OF THE LONG STRUGGLE TO KILL OR DRIVE AWAY THESE PREDATORY BEASTS TO PROTECT LIVESTOCK ON THE OPEN RANGE AND THE USEFUL WILDLIFE OF THE AREA SHE KNEW THE VALUE TO THE EARLY PIONEERS OF THE WILD GAME OF THE AREA AND THE FISH IN THE STREAMS. HER KNOWLEDGE OF THE ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN THE AREA PRIOR TO THE CIVIL WAR, DURING THE WAR AND A FEW YEARS FOLLOWING THE CLOSE OF THE WAR, WOULDMAKE A SUBSTANTIAL VOLUME OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION.THIS PERIODWAS FILLED WITH HARDSHIPS OF ALL SORTS AND SIZES. YET, SHE NEVER SPOKE OF THEM AS SUCH BUT ALWAYS REFEREED TO THEM AS “ORDINARY INCIDENTS OF PIONEER TIMES”. SHE NEVER COMPLAINED OF HER LOT IN LIFE, BECAUSE AS SHE EXPRESSEDIT: “I LEARNED EARLY IN LIFE TO MAKE THE BEST OF WHATEVER CAME MY WAY”. THIS WAS A PART OF HER PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE. SHE WAS FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE LITTLE SAWMILLS BUILT ON THE CREEKS UP AND DOWN THE WINDING RIVER ROAD. SHE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE LITTLE COMMISSARIES, BOARDING HOUSES, LOGGING CAMPS, WASTEWAYS AND DITCHES. SHE KNEW WELL THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA. HER KNOWLEDGE OF PUBLIC OFFICES AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS WAS REMARKABLE. IT WAS MORE SO BECAUSE OF THE FACT SHE NEVER ENJOYED THE PRIVILEGE OF ATTENDING SCHOOL AND LEARNING TO READ. HOW SHE UNDERSTOOD PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND OFFICIALS SO WELL NO ONE EVER KNEW.ALMOST ALL ANYONE EVER KNEW ABOUT HER KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH MEN AND AFFAIRS WAS THE WAY SHE EXPRESSED HER OPINION OF THEM IN TERSE TERMS ALWAYS ATTRACTING ATTENTION. SHE EVER HAD A FINE SENSE OF HUMOR. SHE HAD THE HAPPY FACULTY OF SEEING THE HUMOROUS SIDE OF THINGS AND EVENTS. SHE COULD SEE A BRIGHT SIDE OF WHAT OTHERS CALLED HARDSHIPS. SHE WAS PART IRISH. IT WAS EVER SHOWING ITSELF IN HER WITTY REMARKS IN ORDINARY CONVERSATION.WHEN LEAST EXPECTED. SHE SAW A FEW LITTLE SCATTERING PAY SCHOOLS AND WEAK MISSION STATIONS OVER THE AREA, REACHED BY THE WINDING RIVER ROAD STRUGGLING UP FROM LESS THAN NOTHING TO SMALL BEGINNINGS. SHE SAW”M GROW TO SPLENDID ADVANTAGES THE PEOPLE NOW HAVE IN THE AREA. ONLY A SHORT TIME BEFORE HER CENTURY OF SERVICE CLOSED, SHE SPENT TEN DAYS WITH HER GRANDSON COKER, IN ORDER TO BE NEAR HER CHURCH DURING A REVIVAL MEETING. A FEW DAYS AFTER RETURNING TO HER HOME WITH PETE AND MARGRET, WHEN I CALLED TO SEE HER, AS SHE SLAPPED MY SHOULDER, SHE REPORTED HER CHURCH ATTENDANCE DURING THE MEETING AS FOLLOWS. “ JOHNNIE I ATTENDED EVERY MORNING AND NIGHT.” THEN SHE ADDED, WITH A TWINKLE IN HER BRIGHT BLUE EYES: “YOU MAY BE GLAD TO KNOW THREE OR FOUR NIGHTS AFTER PREACHING, I WENT WITH A GROUP OF CHURCH FOLKS TO VISIT SOME MEMBERSWHO THINK THEY ARE TOO OLD TO ATTEND CHURCH SERVICES ANYMORE.” HOW IS THAT FOR A UNIQUE WAY FOR A CENTURIAN TO EXPRESS THE CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE. NOTE; I THINK THIS STORY WAS RELATED BY JOHN DIAMOND THOUGH I DON’t KNOW WHICH JOHN. I, LIKE THE AUTHOR, HAVE ELLECTED NOT TO CHANGE ANY OF THE STORY LEST I SHOULD WEAKEN THE SPIRIT OF THE STORY TELLER OR OF MARY ANN DIAMOND, A DISTANT COUSIN OF MINE. guy johnson [1] WILLIAM BURTON JOHNSON [2] I WONDER IF THERE IS ANY CONNECTION TO THE NICK NAME OF HE COON GIVEN TO THE LONG TIME CONGRESSMAN BOB SIKES. [3] EDD HOBBS MY GREAT GRANDFATHER MADE SEVERAL OF THESE TRIPS