The early history of Lynn Haven may not be familiar to some of the readers of the Free Press, hence the following facts may be of interest. Lynn Haven was laid out primarily as an Old Soldier's Colony, town lots - with their accompanying five acre tracts in the country - being sold to hundreds of veterans of the Civil War some of whom perhaps bought as an investment, but the large majority for the purpose of finding for themselves homes in a milder climate, in which their declining years might be spent. Many of these came, and built homes here in which they spent part or all the year, thus laying the foundation of the pretty little city of today. Some are still here, many more have passed to the Great Beyond, after having lived far beyond the length of time allotted to man in this life. Lynn Haven should and does render homage to those who still remain, and those who have departed. Very soon after the laying out of the town, enough old soldiers arrived so that Stanton Post, No. 2, Grand Army of the Republic was organized with 28 charter members, in 1911; of these - so far as it is know here - only three survive, named Embry P. Truesdell; J. M. Hughey, and Oren E. Giles. The Post grew rapidly in numbers and data examined by the writer shows that in 1914 there were 134 members, which at the present time has dwindled to 36 active members, a few from the infirmities of advancing years being unable to longer take an active part. Stanton Post has meant much to Lynn Haven. Among other activities of this organization may be mentioned the erection of a Soldier's monument, commemorating the services of the many thousands of brave men in those dark days of the early 1860's; and the purchase of a nice corner as a park, which was deeded to Stanton Post No. 2, it being specified ... become the property of the city of Lynn Haven, and always bear the name of G.A.R. Park. The Grand Army Hall, where the Post and the Woman's Relief Corps hold their sessions, has also been an asset to the town, furnishing a place for many enjoyable meetings on various occasions. Believing that some information concerning the remaining Old Soldiers in Lynn Haven would be of interest to Free Press readers, representatives of the paper, have inaugurated a series of calls upon groups of these men, to visit various sections of the city week after week, gathering data from which to write short sketches for publication."

Ashbel R. Mix, son of Horace and Sybil Rowley Mix, was born on a farm near Sugar Grove, Warren County, Pennsylvania, on March 22, 1842. His father came to Warren County from Connecticut when a young man and became a farmer in the Keystone State, which occupation he followed to the end of his life. Like scores of other farmer lads of his time, Ashbel was quick to answer the president's call for troops, and September 20, 1861, found him at Busti, New York, offering himself for service with Company F of the 9th New York Cavalry. His enlistment accomplished, he went with the 9th to Westfield and Albany, New York, then to Washington, D.C., where the outfit went into quarters at Camp Fenton (named for the war governor of New York State), and remained until March, 1862, when, dismounted, they were assigned to a 90-day tour of duty with General McClellan's command on the peninsula and participated in the operations at Yorktown and elsewhere in that region. On their return from Yorktown, in July, the 9th was mounted and, incorporated in General Pope's forces, which were operating along the Rappahannock and Rapidan. While under Pope they took part in the second battle of Bull Run and were involved in a continuous rear-guard action covering the retreat of the Union forces. Their next contact with the enemy was in the Battle of the Wilderness and with Sheridan on his famous raid in the rear of Lee's army, when vast quantities of Confederate subsistence stores and munitions were destroyed by the raiders, together with a number of locomotives and other rolling stock. Then came the fighting at Richmond, where the 9th was credited with having caused the death of the famous Confederate General Stuart.

When the situation at Richmond became precarious, they withdrew with the Union army across the hastily-constructed Meadow Bridge to the peninsula, thence to Harpers Ferry and back to Washington. The greatest battle in which Mr. Mix and his comrades of the 9th Cavalry were engaged was that of Gettysburg, where the Confederates' supreme effort was frustrated after three days of the most awful carnage. The 9th was then serving under General Buford, 2nd Corps, and the 9th, last to leave the Potomac, and the distinction of being the first to enter Gettysburg, Mr. Mix and a companion being the first Union troops to pass through town, followed by the general and his staff and after them the cavalry and others. This was on the last day of June, 1863.

The battle opened on the morning of July 1, with the 9th on the extreme right of the Union line, near the Forney house, and Mr. Mix, with others, was detailed to take up an outlying position in a nearby orchard and watch for an attempted flank movement by the Confederates, which soon materialized, nearly costing Mr. Mix his life and causing the Union right to fall back. After brisk fighting, the 9th was relieved by another outfit, and the second day of the battle they were employed in scouting and orderly duty. On the third day, they were again in the thick of the fighting and later followed Lee back to the Potomac.

The next operations of the 9th were with Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, where Mr. Mix sustained a fall from his horse that left him with a partly disabled right arm that led to his discharge at Harpers Ferry in October, 1864, after which he hurried home to vote for Abraham Lincoln for the second time.

On his return to Warren County, Mr. Mix engaged in the sawmill business, which he followed for 25 years or more, during which time he assisted in the construction of three different mills. When his son removed to Hamburg, N. Y., to enter the lumber business, some years ago, Mr. Mix went with him. In 1920, accompanied by his son, emmet, he motored to Lynn Haven, remaining until the spring of 1921, when they made an automobile trip to the principal battlefields where the elder Mix had fought in the 60's, finding at Gettysburg, a lady who was one of the loyal Union girls who had welcomed the Boys in Blue with patriotic songs away back in '63, and who preceded the others through the city.

During the Christmas holidays of 1864, Mr. Mix was married to Miss S. A. Cooper, of his home town, with whom he enjoyed fifty-four years of his life. The first Mrs. Mix passed away on the last day of August, 1918. To them were born three sons, only one of whom, Emmett, is living. On May 16th, 1921, he was united in marriage with Mrs. C. Billington, of Detroit, Michigan, who he met in Lynn Haven the year before. After a leisurely trip through the Eastern States, they arrived on July 6th in Lynn Haven and purchased the beautiful residence of Mrs. Catherine Boltis, at 8th street and Michigan avenue, where they now reside and are always at home to the host of warm friends they have gained since coming to our city. It is almost needless to add that Veteran Mix is an active and valued member of Staunton Post NO. 2, G. A. R.

"Panama City Pilot", Panama City, Florida
June 01, 1922
Submitted by: Barbara Walker Winge

Old and well known families of national reputation are well represented in Lynn Haven. It being a city whose inhabitants have come from all portions of the North and a larger portion having seen service in the army or navy during the Civil War, it is not strange that such is the case. The subject of our sketch this week illustrates this characteristic. Orrin A. Burlingame is a close relative of one of the country's most famous diplomatists, and as Commodore Perry opened Japan to the world, so Anson Burlingame opened up China. The "Burlingame Treaty," which accomplished this, is well known to all readers of history.

Orrin A. Burlingame was born in Willit, Courtland County, New York, January 24, 1844, being the son of Felix and Sylvania McIntyre Burlingame, both of whom were born in New Berlin, Chenango County, New York. New Berlin being named after the Burlingame and Anson, the diplomatist has a monument erected there in his honor.

Mr. Burlingame is a descendant of Roger Burlingame, who was born in England in 1620. Other early-Burlingames of this family were Moses, born in 1619, and Thomas, born in 1667. One family had twelve sons, seven of whom entered the ministry, following in the footsteps of their father, who was an itinerant preacher, and physician.

Silas Burlingame, great-grandfather of Orrin A. Burlingame was Anson Burlingame's grandfather. Silas was born in Cranston, R. I., and served in the Revolutionary War under Col. Cornelius Vanwightman, in his militia regiment.

The great-grandfather's fighting propensity must have been transmitted, for the 60's found all four of the surviving sons in the family enlisted to help crush the rebellion, and one of them Zara Burlingame, answered the "last roll call." Of twelve children in the family, Orrin is the last survivor, since the passage of the brother, Nelson, on December 17, 1912, at Whitney Park, Conn.

Herewith is a brief sketch of his army service. He volunteered and joined Company D, 146th N. Y. S. Volunteers, August 23, 1862. Discharged August 23, 1863, by special order No. 368. Participated in two battles with them, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. Was protrated on the march to Gettysburg and was taken to Fairfax Seminary Hospital, Virginia. After two weeks stay there he was transferred to Mount Pleasant Hospital, Washington, D. C., (as a living skeleton at that time). Through the kindness and influence of his brother-in-law, George Wheelock, who was clerk for Secretary Stanton, he received an order for and afterwards a discharge. He recuperated rapidly at home and reenlisted under Lieutenant De Wight Grant and was assigned to Captain Downer's Company I, 117th Infantry, N. Y. S. Volunteers, February 17, 1864. He participated in eight battles with this regiment; as follows: Coal Harbor, Deep Bottom, Chaffin's Farm, Darbytown Road, Petersburg, Mine Explosion at Petersburg, Bermuda Hundred and Fort Fisher, N. C. This last battle occurred January 15, 1865.

Every veteran has a store of war reminiscences, some of which are exceedingly interesting. Mr. Burlingame relates that he was standing by the roadside near Mt. Pleasant Hospital, D. C., on July 7, 1863, when the president's equipage, with the driver's seat off and the horses frantically running away with its lone occupant, Mrs. Abraham Lincoln, who jumped from the carriage near where he stood.

History gives the 117th N. Y. Regiment credit for placing the first flag on Fort Fisher, N. C., January 15, 1865. Mr. Burlingame was not over three minutes walk from the inside of the munitions magazine in the fort at the time of its explosion, January 16, 1865. Over two hundred were killed or wounded at the time. His regimental surgeon, Dr. J. A. Morris, was buried alive with the others, but he was so near the surface he forced his arm out to the air and was dragged out. Some years afterwards he wrote the "Regimental History."

On March 14, 1883, he was married to Miss Ella E. Hayes, of Boonville, N. Y. He began work like many other boys of that time and section, at an early age, taking a position as general utility boy for Justice of the Peace Geo. Wheelock, and in his sister's millinery store, at Boonville, N. Y., where he remained three years, when at the age of 12, Sister Tourtellott took him to live with her in Chestnut Hills, on her farm, and at North Bellingham, and Perryville, Mass.

At the age of 15 he returned home to Boonville, N. Y., and that year commenced an apprenticeship in sign writing and carriage painting with Clark A. Riggs, and afterwards, Marvin Eggleston in Cramer's and Tanner and Worley's carriage shops. In the year 1875 the latter firm built a new shop, and he secured employment in the N. Y., N. H., and Hartford R. R. paint shop in New Haven, Conn., for over a year. This and his army service includes all of the time away from an almost continuous 54 years employment with one firm.

In 1910 Mr. and Mrs. Burlingame moved on to a farm in Gardenville, Buck County, Pennsylvania, after five years and a few months in Daylestown, the county seat, never losing sight of Lynn Haven, their objected point, while tarrying in this locality, awaiting the graduation from the Potsdam, N. Y., Clarkson College of Technique, of their foster son, Joseph H. Hayes, which occurred in June, 1916.

On the following 18th of July Mr. and Mrs. Burlingame landed in the "Magic City," and on October 5th Mr. B. met with the supreme loss of his life in the passing of his wife, and partner of thirty-three years. He has always taken a very great interest in the G. A. R. and in his comrades. He joined the order in 1866 and has been twice commander of his home post in the North.

"Panama City Pilot", Panama City, Florida
July 22, 1922
Submitted by: Barbara Walker Winge

"Lynn Haven Free Press", Lynn Haven, Florida
October 30, 1926
Submitted by: Barbara Walker Winge

His health is fairly good, and he leads an active life. He owns two lots on Wisconsin avenue, where he is building a home, into which he expects to move when it is completed.

"Lynn Haven Free Press", Lynn Haven, Florida
October 30, 1926
Submitted by: Barbara Walker Winge

"Lynn Haven Free Press", Lynn Haven, Florida
August 28th, 1922
Submitted by: Barbara Walker Winge

Mr. Cahill continued at his work, running one of the nail-cutting machines, until July of 1863, when, at the age of 16, he left the rolling mill and enlisted for a period of six months with the Fifth Ohio Independent Battalion of Cavalry, which was immediately sent late into northeastern Kentucky for scout duty, where it remained during the period of his enlistment.

Following his discharge from the 5th Cavalry, in January, 1864, Mr. Cahill went to Columbus, Ohio, re-enlisted in the 13th Ohio Cavalry and was assigned to Company G as bugler. When the 18th had been recruited to the required strength, it was sent to join General Grant, then in The Wilderness and, after a brush with the Confederates under Fitzhugh Lee at Whitehouse Landing on June 24th, joined the Union forces before Petersburg early in July. On their arrival the Ohio cavalrymen, together with those of several other regiments, were dismounted and sent into the second line of works where Mr. Cahill remained until about the middle of the month, when orders were issued for all musicians of the 9th Corps to assemble at General Burnside's headquarters.

From there they were conducted to City Point, Virginia, where they relieved private soldiers on duty at the Union hospital, the soldiers thus relieved being sent back to the lines before Petersburg as combat troops, and it was a disgusted and disgruntled lot of musicians when they learned the purpose of the exchange. Desertions at the hospital were not uncommon, but the men were always sent back as soon as they showed up for active duty with their old outfits and so finally gave up their attempts to get into the fighting until the explosion of the great Union mine on July 30 and subsequent fall of Petersburg the following spring, when they were permitted to join the respective companies in the field.

After Petersburg, the moved on southward and on July 30, 1865, Mr. Cahill was honorably discharged at Amelia Courthouse, 60 miles below Richmond on the line of the Danville & Richmond railway. On his return home, the young bugler enjoyed a three-day vacation and returned to his work in the rolling mill, where he remained until his health failed, whereupon he'd turned to railroading and continued at that vocation until the great strike of 1877, when he gave it up.

Mr. Cahill next went out to Kansas, where he was engaged in several different lines of work for a period of seven years, then returning to Ohio and engaged in berry and fruit-farming for three years, at the end of which time he removed to Waynesburg, in the same state, where he lived for a number of years.

In 1909, with his wife and son, Edward, he came to Florida and settled at Dade City, but the climate did not agree with Mrs. Cahill and after a short stay, they returned to Ohio. But in 1911, they again became interested in Florida through the National Tribune, which was then carrying very glowing advertisements of the Lynn Haven project, and on November 9th of that year, arrived here and soon had a comfortable home erected on the property they had purchased on Michigan avenue, near 11th street. Mr. Cahill was first married on October 27, 1887, to Miss Angeline Mottice, of Starke County, Ohio, who died in Lynn Haven, July 16, 1912. To this union were born three sons, but one of whom, Edward, is now living. Mr. Cahill was married a second time to Mrs. Iphena Foy, on June 4, 1917, who passed away while asleep during the night of August 14, 1922. Mr. Cahill is, of course, a member of the G. A. R., and during his residence in Ohio served his Post there in various official capacities. When Staunton Post No. 2, G. A. R., was orgainized in Lynn Haven, he became a member and consistent attendant at the meetings, social and civic functions of the organizations, but, owing to the increasing impairment of hearing that has afflicted him in recent years, has not sought to serve the Post, other than as a loyal and active member.

"Panama City Pilot", Panama City, Florida
September 7, 1922
Submitted by: Barbara Walker Winge

That one long life has spanned the history of the American settlement of Wisconsin is instanced in the death in Florida on December 17, 1918, of the eldest son of James D. Doty, first United States judge for Wisconsin in the preterritorial period. Judge Doty was a native of New York, who early settled at Detroit and accompanied Governor Lewis Cass on his exploration in 1820 of Lake Superior and the Upper Mississippi River. In 1823 Doty was appointed "additional judge" for that part of Michigan Territory west of Lake Michigan. Before visiting his jurisdiction he returned to his former home in New York, married Sarah Collins, and brought his young bride to what was then a wilderness. There at the little settlement on the east side of Fox River, known as Contonment Smith, Menomineeville, or more generally as "Shantytown," their first child was born on August 17, 1824. Mrs. Henry Baird in her delightful reminiscences of life in primitive Wisconsin says; "The first call I received as a housekeeper (in 1824) was from Judge and Mrs. Doty. They walked to our home, the Judge carrying their baby, Charles Doty." Young Doty's was therefore coeval with that of Wisconsin. He was a lad of twelve when the territory was erected; two years later his father went to Washington as delegate to Congress from this new territory. Charles was at this time sent to school at Derry, New Hampshire, where, like most frontier boys, he studied engineering and surveying. In 1840 when he was but sixteen he accompanied the government engineers who attempted to survey the northeastern boundary of the territory. Major Doty used to relate in his later years how the party mistook the sources of the Ontonagan River for those of the Montreal, and all unwittingly followed the latter stream to Lake Superior. This reminiscence is born out by the government report of the survey.

In 1841 Judge Doty was appointed the second governor of Wisconsin Territory, and removed his home from Green Bay to Madison. There until a recent date, the Doty home was standing not far from Lake Monona. Charles, although a mere stripling, was appointed private secretary to his father, and acted in that capacity during the three rather stormy years of his father's gubernatorial incumbency. After leaving Madison in 1844, Charles Doty opened a farm in Fond du Lac County and was elected representative of his community to the first state assembly of 1848. In the meanwhile he married in 1846 Sarah Jane Webster of Neenah. In 1849 he platted the town site of Mesasha and made this place his future home. His father's family had been since 1845 established at the famous "Loggery" on Doty Island; Charles Doty had been hereto concerned, in company with Curtis and Harrison Reed, in developing the water power of the Winnebago Rapids. He likewise acted as assistant engineer for the Fox-Wisconsin Improvement Company, which in 1855 took over the Reed and Doty interest in the water power. In 1860 Charles Doty and Abel Keyes formed a partnership for a barrel-stave factory; two years later the former was one of the committee that brought the first railway to Menasha.

Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Mr. Doty volunteered for military service, and in November, 1862, was appointed commissary of subsistence with the rank of captain; his term expiring he was decommissioned in May, 1863, and served until the close of the war, when on June 2, 1865, he was brevetted major and lieutenant colonel for "faithful and meritorious service." His services were with the western army in the Vicksburg campaign, and later with Sherman. Before he was mustered out in March, 1866, Major Doty (as he was commonly called) visited the Indian reservations in the West and Northwest inventorying government supplies. After the was Major Doty returned to Menasha; in 1876 he removed to Alton, Illinois, and was at one time connected with the erection of the customhouse at St. Louis. In 1887 Major Doty removed to St. Andrews, Florida, where for over thirty years he lived in retirement with his eldest son, Webster. There in a quiet cemetery, within sight of the waters of the gulf, he rests far from his birthplace in Wisconsin.

"Panama City Pilot", Panama City, Florida
April 10, 1919
Submitted by: Barbara Walker Winge

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