John Moss FIELD

                   Wounded in right leg losing 4 of thigh bone making his right leg shorter than his left leg.  Enlisted in Company A, First Confederate Georgia Battalion on March 15, 1861 at Macon, Georgia.  He was shot in Atlanta, Georgia during the battle of skirmish at Peach Tree Street on August 8, 18964 and was immediately discharged from service at Hawkinsville, Ga. In a letter from the War Department dated Aug. 31, 1909 to State of Florida.
The records show that John R. Field, Second Lieutenant, Company A, 36th Georgia Infantry, (also known as 1st Battalion, Georgia Infantry), Confederate States Army, enlisted March 15, 1861.  The designation of this organization was changed to 1st Confederate Infantry in pursuance to an order dated January 31, 1862, and this company became Company A of that regiment.  The roll of the last-named company dated February 28, 1862, shows that this man was not re-elected second lieutenant, and the roll for July and August, 1864 (last on file), shows him, absent, wounded, in General Hospital, Macon, Georgia.  No later record of him has been found.
                  

                   Samuel was taken prisoner along with John Thompson on July 22, 1864 in Atlanta, GA. and were imprisoned at Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio.  Samuel was released March 4, 1865.  Samuel was one of the main people to put in writing lists of his ancestors and dates of birth, marriage and death as well as furnishing some detailed history of the family.  A letter written by Samuel goes as follows;
My Father John M. Fields was born in Barren Co. Kentucky near Glasgow, Sept. 1st 1809.  When a young man he left home and settled in Bibb County - in Macon , GA.  In 1835 he left5 with the Macon Volunteers for the Indian War in Florida.  After returning he met my mother.   Her maiden name was Martha Ann Justice they were married in 1837 she was born in Meriweather Co., GA.  My father was an energetic man possessed with_________ and accumulate ted some property.
He became a minister of the Gospel in early life and was Faithful to discharge his duty.  He was of the old order of Baptist known as Primitive Baptist.   After the close of the strife between the North and the South all of his hard earned savings was lost as it was principally in Slaves.  He concluded it would not pay him to work freed labor upon the farm and in the winter of 1867 he started for Indian River with my Bro Charles, by private conveyance.  After reaching Florida he had two of his Best horses stolen at night from him which he did not recover. Having two horses left he wended his way across rivers and Swamp to reach the Indian River.  Having meandered through byways, palmetto scrub + C. He landed at Mr. J. W. Joiners who lived where Mrs. Jane Dixon now lives there.  He procured a flat boat and crossed over to Merritts Island. Unfortunately while crossing his horses one of them fell and within a short it died leaving him only one having that one on the prairie a party of fire hunters Killed that one.  Leaving us in rather a critical condition.  In a new unsettled country pulling hard against fate my mother and Brother John R. Field and wife Eliza, and our Bros George and Edward with myself left GA. about the 1st of March 1868 landing at Enterprise.  There we went into Camp while I walked over from Enterprise to Sands Point after my father.  I was told to enquire for Capt. Kruger who had a sail boat as sail boats were scarce I paid him five dollars to land me at may fathers camp.  I found him there in a small boat Poling near shore.  I was transferred to their boat stopping only a short  time we set sail for Sands Point.  There were some______just came down with a team which my father hired to bring my mother and family over from Enterprise - Mother and family walked the greater part of the way.  The price paid was exorbitant (we hardly had money enough to pay the hauling).  We had provided our selves with some provisions.  Landing at Sand Point we took a small sail boat which we had and landed on Merritts Island on the 21 st day of March.  It was not very inviting.  Not a house to separate to shelter us from the weather except a small tent which my Father and Mother and younger Brother occupied while my Bro & wife occupied the covered wagon which my father and Bro had travelled in. Myself with Bro George and Charles we had the leaves for a covering and it was exceedingly wet at times.  It rained near thirty days and night at intervals. It was not encouraging.  We toiled hard to build us a house. We cut pine trees and put them down end ways making a stockade house.  We were sole possessors of the whole Island as their was not a living family upon it out side of our own.  Enterprise was our Post Office.  Our voting precinct was Fort Pierce - as our Post Office was at such a great distance our correspondence was limited people Going over to Enterprise from Sand Point
knew every one on the river and they would bring the mail over and leave it at the house  of Mr. Carlisle about three miles from the river. Shortly after our arrival Col. B. B. Titus started a little store at Sand Point (now called Tourville) on only a short time and a post office was establ8ished called Titusville mail carried by horse back from Enterprise to Titusville.  The next office established was at the house of Mrs. Jane Dixon with John M. Dixon as postmaster.  Name of the office was City point opposite where we now live.  On calm days we could call over and ask  it there was any mail.  After being here for a few months the angel of death came into our family and carried away our Bro Charles.  He was about 15 years.  It was a sad blow \for us to lose him.  We had no Doctors as their was not one upon the river - we cared fro him as best we could (in our poverty).  It  pleased the Lord to take him.  We could only say with Job-the Lord givith and the Lord takith away.   Blessed be the name of the Lord.  Soon after the death of my brother my father and mother and Gro George and Edward returned to GA. leaving Bro John and wife and myself to battle it alone - with mosquitoes and other annoyances.  Our provisions which we had brought with us had diminished. We were destined to have a hard time.  We had to boil the river water to make salt to salt our food.  We often wondered where we would get our next meal.  Sometimes we would have Hominy and that we would grind on a steel mill.  When we did not have hominy we had Sweet Potatoes or pumpkins.  We could not catch fish every day.  Heavy winds and cold northers would drive them in deep water.  (we could not buy meat as we had no money.  Bacon was worth 25 to 30 cents per pound. Flour $25.00 per Barrel.  Hominy 10 to 15 dollars per Barrel).   We could not get rid of our produce after raising it.  We did not see as much as five dollars in twelve months.  I married Julia C. Feaster of Sand Point - Sept. 24, 1872.  Major Magonda and Mr. Culpeper came to our Camp and dined with us.  We set before them the best we had and that was salt and potatoes. My father remained in GA. until the angel of death came and wrestled her from us  our beloved mother which was on the day of April 8, 1874. Shortly after her death, my father came back to FL. to make his home with me for the remainder of his life.  He died on the 1st of December 1891 at the advanced age of Eighty two years and three months.  Since our first settlement we have watched the growth on the river year by year with the greatest of pleasure  having divided up my land I have been the means of having a thriving little village on the bank of the Indian River known as Indianola, having one Church, one school and one club house with public roads and public docks.  We have a custom of celebrating the 21st of March in honor of landing on Merritts Island.
Samuel Joseph Field
Sept., 1, 1895
A letter from War Department to State of Florida dated Aug. 30, 1909 reads as such:  The records of this office show that Samuel J. Field, Sergeant, Company A 1st Battalion Georgia Volunteers, Confederate States Army, enlisted March 15, 1861; that he was captured July 23, 1864, and that he was paroled at Camp Chase, Ohio and transferred to City Point, Vi9rginia for exchange March 4, 1865.