Christopher Columbus PRIEST

Notes:

PRIEST, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS (Pvt.) was taken prisoner twice by the Federals at age 16 on his father's farm near Palatka, Fla. At age 17 he enlisted Aug.1, 1864 at Waldo, Fla. in Co. H. lst Fla. Reserves. Discharged May 1865, Madison, Fla.(his Company surrendered 10 may 1865 at Tallahassee, Fla.) Christopher C. Priest became the 2nd husband of Sarah E. W. Leitner. (Researched by Fannie Belle Priest Kipp from papers obtained from the Florida and South Carolina Archives and from stories told by relatives.)

Written by R-Earl Kipp-concerning a cousin of Lum Priest. All of the older brothers and the father had left the plantation to fight in the Confederate army except 'Sant'. Sant was only 12 and supposed to help his Mother run the farm. One of Sant's chores was to bring the water from the well some distance from the house. On one trip he disappeared and the full bucket of water sat at the well. Two years later, after serving as the Col.s Boy and on his way home at the end of the War, he picked up a bucket of water and as he entered the house, sang out, 'Ma, I done brung your water!' (told by Ruby Landrum Montague.)

Papa was in a delightful story-telling mood the day he told this one.--His Dad, Lum Priest (C. Columbus Priest) had had a feud with a man ever since he was a teenager. Finally the man issued a challenge for a fight to determine who was the "best man". Lum had two friends to back him up, his enemy had a "whole cow pen full of seconds." Lum pinned the man to the ground and demanded that he holler. The man refused. Lum gouged at his eyes--still no sound. Lum then bit a piece of his ear off before the man hollered "Uncle.' On the way home when Lum's wife Sarah changed baby Walter's diaper, she found the ear-part in the diaper where Lum had spit it. Fan Priest Kipp

Family/Spouse: Sarah Elizabeth Waring LEITNER. Sarah (daughter of Jacob LEITNER and Charlotte SOUTER) was born in 1847; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Bertie CASON. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Florence MILLIGAN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

John was Zada's first cousin

Family/Spouse: Zada Ella PROCTOR. Zada (daughter of Alfred Daniel PROCTOR and Nancy Ophelia Madoria LEITNER) was born on 26 Sep 1885 in Twin to Ada; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

PRIEST, CLARENCE C. (Pvt.) enlisted 6 Aug.1898 3rd. Battalion. lst Volunteers Infantry Ocala, Fla. dismissed 27 Jan.1899 in Huntsville, Ala.

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How Papa came to volunteer to fight in the Spanish-American War.
by Emily Priest Brockman

Papa and two of his brothers attended a party in Pedro, Fla. A recruiter for the Army was there and the three brothers promised to report to an office in Ocala the following morning. The next morning the two brothers "would have none of it" but Clarence was still determined to go. When he told his father of his intentions to join the army and asked if his brother, John, could use their buggy and the family mare "Old Bess" to drive him to Ocala (about 10 miles) his father, who had volunteered for the Civil War, said "No".

After Clarence retorted "I can walk it by 10 o'clock", his father, Lum, relented and John drove him to town. "Ma and sister Fannie followed me to the end of the family field crying their eyes out", Clarence said.

John married Thelma Mae SCROGGIE on 16 Jun 1925. Thelma was born on 16 Jul 1907; died in 1954. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Clifford married Peggy Louise MANFIELD [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Earl Martin SEAVER. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]