The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-06-27

Gen. Brooke II is on Hillsborough
bay. This is the eastern arm Of Tam
pa bay, the western arm being called
Old Tampa Bay" The site lies AT
the foot of Franklin street, the main
business street of Tampa, and Is now
for the first time being divided into
city lots. II comprises an area Of
about twenty acres directly on the bay
shore, covered with thick growth of
grand old live oaks. the product OF
centuries, the giant limbs outspread-
ing at least 50 feet, with boughs lacing
overhead. These are festooned in gray
moss, whose heavy garlands hang
three and four yards long. swayed by
an almost continual breeze from the
bay.
There still live in Tampa two old
ladies, one 90, the other 81 years OF
age, who were pioneer settlers OF Tam.
pa The maiden name of the lady now
80 years of age was Nancy Dixon Col
lar. Her father, Levi Collar left Mas
sachusetts in 1912 because he was
loyal to the king and would not enter
the patriot army, came TO st. Angus
tine, there married Nancy Dixon,
daughter of large land owner under
Spanish grants, had beautiful home,
Rosemary Bluff" on St. Mary's river.
In 1923 Levi Collar located in Tampa,
six miles from the fort. This was in
lull in the strife, the Indians and
whites at that time living peaceably.
BY the year 1884 discussions had again
commenced and one evening In the
fall of '35 friendly Indian came and
warned the Collar family to leave their
homo al RI E,nr-r PrnnEn
They left instantly. taking nothing
with them, and by the time they reach
ed the fort by boat, In the distance
they saw their home enveloped in
flames. During the Seminole war they
lived in the garrison, enduring many
hardships. although Nancy Collar and
younger sister enjoyed some pleas
ures. When American vessels would
come in they often dined and spent
evenings on the ships, sometimes even
having dances.
SeminoIes Never Conquered.
Nancy Collar was married IN 1886
to Robert Jackson. who had been a
West Point cadet and was assistant to
the surgeon. They were still in the
garrison when Gen. Taylor had head
quarters there. Mrs. Jackson remem-
bers well Osceola and Coacoochee
She met many of the chiefs when they
came in to peace conferences, and hiss
seen them made captive at the time.
She raises her head, and with fash
of her dark eyes says proudly, the
Seminoles have never been conquered,
they refused to leave their homes, and
yonder they are in the Everglades."-
When her family fed to the fort
for protection Major Belden and Major
Dade, with two companies, comprised
the garrison. One day an orderly
arrived bearing the command that one
company should come at once to the
assistance of Fort King. Nancy Col
lar being In the next room, with only
a board petition heard the converse
ton between Major Beldon and Major
Dade. Major Beldon said it was mad
ness for one company TO attempt to
pass through the country Of hostile In
dams on the war path, and that he
would resign before he would 60 him
self or take his men to be butchered."
Maj. Dade said MY superior ofieer
orders me to come and will CO. I
will not act the coward. / will die
first" She says that when his men
were drawn up in lime to start they
babe Major Dade goodbye with tears
in their eyes. but that his parting
words were brave and calm, although
he knew that it was a forlorn hope,
and that he was going to his death ;
| the memory of the massacre will
never be forgotten, all were killed.
save one.
Located az Tampa.
| Il. Il
son located on the west bank of the
Hillsborough river and lives there
still. She has been widow forty
years and has seen Tampa grow from
population of three white families in
1923 to a city of 10000 inhabitants.
This lady is tall and slended erect at
90 years, has bright. brown eyes that
can still flash when telling some of
her experiences, but have a lovely,
sweet expression when she smiles, has
quite abundant gray hair, small, slen-
der hands with tapering fingers, looks
the gentlewoman and shows the blood
of her French ancestors. Her life has
been, like the history of Florida, mixed
with romance and tragedy.
The maiden name Of the lady of So
years was Christian Rouge of North
Carolina married at 16 and came TO
Florida, settling first on Indian river.
The Indian neighbors being friendly
she knew them well and had friends
among them. Later her husband de.
termined to move to Tampa. They
came by boat and, a storm occurring,
the boat was wrecked and her husband
drowned. She was cast ashore by
the waves and later regained con-
seriousness. Out of twenty on board
FIVE were saved, one white man and
three negro slaves, besides herself
They wandered through the woods for
three days without food, trying TO
reach some settlement. They were sit.
ting on logs exhausted the evening OF
the third day when they heard a shot
The white man sent the three negroes
to try to reach the settlement. About
daylight the next morning help ar
rived, and a month later the lady gave
birth to child. Some time afterwarc
she came 70 Tampa, about 1884. Here
she lived in the garrison and did sew
ing and what she could find to do to
support herself and child Two years
later she married the second time, q
Mr.. Perkins. They bought lot from
the government after the Seminole
war and had little home.