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A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 87/340

Events of the Civil War

Virginia, raised the spectre of a slave rebellion. From the emotional
standpoint, John Brown’s raid inflamed abolitionists in the North
and convinced most Southerners that they could not maintain their
system within the Union.
Following Governor Perry’s request for militia reorganization
the legislature required that each county be divided into military
districts and its citizens enrolled for possible service. Columbia
County was authorized to field four militia companies. Militia
companies elected their own officers. Columbia County’s first
company chose Reuben Charles, one of the county’s pioneer
residents, as captain, while John J. Culbreath and N. T. Drake were
elected lieutenants. The second company elected William H.
Niblack captain and W. J. Chastine and John F. Niblack
lieutenants. The third company elected Joseph J. Cook captain and
George Snelgrove and John McKinney lieutenants. M. J. Sanford
was elected captain of the fourth company, while H. M. Collins and
M. B. Collins were elected lieutenants.3

Extra-legal vigilante groups were formed as well. Taking the
name “Regulators” from the old colonial Carolina citizens groups,
these vigilante groups rode night patrols ostensibly to prevent any
slave uprisings. They also operated against whites suspected of
abolitionist leanings. Beatings, shootings, and murders attributed
to Regulators were reported across the state. Dr. William
Hollingsworth of Leon County was shot and wounded for his
northern beliefs while four murders occurred in West Florida.
Several beatings were reported in East Florida.4

At Lake City in late May 1860, an incident took place involving
local Regulators and Peter Pent, a German immigrant with
abolitionist views. Pent was upset with H. B. Elder of Lake City over
Elder’s alleged treatment of a small black boy. Pent reportedly
3Floridian and Journal, June 16, 1860.
4 Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, Florida the Long Frontier (New York, 1967), p.
167.
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