Relatives
honored at ceremony
from the Lake City Reporter
(Newpaper) DTG 12 Feb 2003
Lake
City native Horace Jackson Williams knew almost everything about his father's
ancestors who fought in the Battle of Olustee, but knew almost nothing about
his mother's side of the family.
In
1947, Williams, a participant in all 26 of the Olustee Battle Re-enactments,
set out to find the facts about both sides of his bloodlines. Some 55 years
later, he still has not found every detail he would like, but the culmination
of what he has found will come on Friday when his maternal great-grandfather,
Sgt. John J. Sauls, will be honored with a headstone in the Oaklawn Cemetery
during the Civil War Memorial Service that is part of the annual Battle of
Olustee Festival and Re-enactment. His maternal grandfather, John Sauls, was
honored with a headstone last year.
Sgt.
Sauls' dedication will take place immediately after the 9 a.m. Oaklawn Cemetery
Memorial Program to honor the descendants of two fallen soldiers of the Olustee
Battle. This will be the sixth year of honoring descendants, said Linda Johns
of the descendant committee of the Blue-Grey Army.
"So
far, 12 different individuals have been recognized, both Confederate and Union
soldiers and civilians," Johns said. "From those 12 people, hundreds
of family members have attended these ceremonies. "We look forward to
hearing from families who had relatives who participated in the war."
Williams
knew his father's great-grandfather had participated in the Civil War, in
particularly the Battle at Olustee, and he knew his mother was a direct
descendant.
"I
was always interested in knowing all of my history," said the 81-year-old Jacksonville
resident. "I know my mother was a "real daughter" - her father
was in the Confederate Army - but beyond that I didn't know much."
His
search began at the Museum of Southern History in Jacksonville, where he found
the names, duty assignments, area of service, and dates of birth of his
grandfather and great-grandfather.
"There
(at the museum) they have all the information on all the war participants from
the southern states. It's pretty much a complete history of the war, as far as
the timeline and what happened."
Although
the museum was helpful, Williams left without the detail he desired. He wrote
to the state's vital statistics department for more information and once again
he left wanting more.
"Information
on events prior to the 1850s is hard to come about," he said.
To
fill in some gaps, he looked into the history at some of the re-enactments in
several states and local historic societies, which are "a great place to
look," he said.
Williams
eventually found his mother's father, John Sauls, served with the 3rd South
Carolina Cavalry, Company A, and her great-grandfather, John J. Sauls, served
with the 3rd Florida Infantry Company.
According
to Williams' records, the elder Sauls enlisted in 1861, was at Fernandina with
his unit and later was sent to Kentucky, where he engaged in the Battle of
Perryville. He was wounded and sent to the Lake City Hospital. He died there on
Feb. 3, 1863.
Williams
said his father's grandfather, John Daniel Williams, was in the 2nd Florida
Cavalry, Company K, during the Battle of Olustee, where he was wounded and
died. He is buried in a one-man grave in Taylor.
Williams
don't know the exact location of the Sauls' grave, but figures it's somewhere
in Oaklawn.
"I
figure they both must be buried there because there are several vacant spots
there. They must have placed wood markers over them that where eaten by
termites," he said.
Getting
tombstones for his relatives is a great accomplishment for Williams.
"I
am proud of it," he said. "The Confederate soldiers were outnumbered,
outgunned and they still won several important battles."
His
parents, Sidney Samuel Williams and Eva Sauls, raised 15 children, 12 into
adulthood, and eight are still living. He has two sisters and one brother,
Sidney Williams, living in the Lake City area.
"Very
few (of his relatives) will attend the re-enactment, of the family, maybe five
or six will attend the ceremony Friday to dedicate the head stone,"
Williams said.
Williams
grew up in Lake City and went to high school in Mason City. Shortly after
graduating, he moved to California with the Civilian Conservation Corp., a
department of the Work Powers Administration, a depression-era work program for
young single men from the age of 17-21. He helped build several of the
country's state and national parks.
He
moved to Jacksonville in 1944 and retired in 1986 after 42 years in the
railroad industry. He and his wife of 58 years, Inez Parker Williams, have
three children, one son and two daughters. His son is active in the
re-enactment.
Additional Williams Family genealogy: http://richard.olivetree.net/genealogy/fam02069.html