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A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 122/340

A History of Cohnnbia County, Florida

African-Methodist Church in Leon County, was made temporary
chairman of the convention, and Richards became president. Five
of the twenty-eight white delegates allied themselves with the
Radicals, while only three of the eighteen black delegates sup­
ported the moderates. One of the white delegates who sided with
the Radicals was William R. Cone who represented Hamilton and
Suwannee Counties. Cone’s “radicalism” might be explained in
part by local conditions as well as by political conviction. In 1867
Cone sued a Madison County planter for breach of contract. Cone
lost his case in the county court in Madison but had reason to think
he might not have received a fair ruling—especially since the
judge’s son shot at him during the trial. Cone was able to have the
judge’s son arrested and brought to trial, but a “guilty” verdict
only resulted in a fine of $1.00.18 Moderate Republicans Horatio
Jenkins and Simon B. Conover, both carpetbaggers, represented
Columbia and Baker Counties. Conover served as State Treasurer
during the early 1870’s, and, with Democratic backing, was sent to
the United States Senate in 1873.19
On February 10,1868, moderate Republicans wrestled control
of the convention away from the Radicals. The Saunders-Pearce-
Richards-Billings cabal was replaced by a faction of moderates
headed by Marcellus Sterns and J. E. A. Davidson of Gadsden
County, Ossian Hart of Duval County, and Richard Wells of Leon
County. General Meade used his authority as military commander
and supported the moderate takeover of the convention. In May
1868, the moderate Republican Harrison Reed was elected gover­
nor and the Constitution was approved. Reed had moved to Florida
from Wisconsin after the war and had served as a treasury agent
and postal official.
Many Conservatives boycotted the election of May 1868, and

‘"Shofner, Nor is It Over Yet, pp. 104-08.
*ttDavis, Ciril War and Reconstruction, pp. 493-94; Richardson, The Ncyro in the
Reconstruction of Florida, pp. 214-15.

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