By Spessard Stone
Shade S. Stone, a pioneer settler of Calhoun and Jackson counties, was a Confederate soldier and farmer.
Shade Sutton Stone, son of Isaac Hugh Stone and Caroline (Wood) Stone, was born March 25, 1838, Jackson County, Florida. Shade, as “Slade,” occupation, laborer, was enumerated in household 11/11 of his step-uncle, W. J. Sansom, a 42-year-old farmer from Alabama, with real estate of $1,000 and personal estate of $3,000, in the 1860 census of Calhoun County, Florida, page 2, Ochesee District, dated July 17, 1860. Included within the house were Emily Sansom, 24, and Walton [?], 1. Neighbors included households, respectively, 8/8, Rhoda Sansom, 65, of whom a 19-year-old female Francis Stone lived; 9/9, Bennett Sansome, 26; 10/10, John W. Selman, 45-year-old farmer, whose home besides his wife Martha and four children numbered Elizabeth Stone, a 17-year-old domestic and Isaac Stone, 15. The Lenn M. and Moria Griffin family, including Olive, were in household 21/21.
During the Civil War, Shade S. Stone enlisted as a private on April 19, 1862 at Ricco's Bluff in Company H, 5th Regiment Florida Infantry, Confederate States Army. Soldiers of Florida pp. 148-150, noted: "Immediately upon its organization, the 5th was ordered to Virginia where it joined the 2nd Florida, being assigned to Pryor's Brigade, with which it took part in the Second Battle of Manassas [Bull Run August 30, 1862] and in the Maryland campaign, winning distinction at Sharpsburg [Antietam, September 17, 1862]. After the return from Maryland the 5th was brigaded with other Florida regiments and became a part of Perry's immortal brigade. They surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse with but six officers and forty-seven men, the only representatives left for duty at that time of a magnificent regiment." Among its officers Capt. William T. Gregory was wounded at Sharpsburg, was furloughed from hospital, and reached home where he died December 18,1862. James G. Schuler, promoted from 3rd Lt. to Capt., was wounded at Gettysburg July 3, 1863, was captured, and died December 11, 1863 at Johnson Island. 1st Lt. Benjamin F. Wood was wounded at Gettysburg July 3, 1863.
Soldiers of Florida noted Private Shade S. Stone was wounded at Sharpsburg on September 17, 1862 and Cold Harbor June, 1864. Company muster rolls of S. S. Stone show that he was transferred from Receiving and Wayside Hospital or General Hospital No. 9 on February 21, 1863 to Chimborazo Hospital No. 5, Richmond, Virginia with acute diarrhea and was returned to duty April 9, 1863. Shade S. Stone appears on "Hospital Muster Roll" of Florida Hospital or General Hospital No. 11, Richmond, Virginia, for _____ [no date] to June 30, 1863, dated July 22, 1863. Captured at Farmville, Virginia April 6, 1865, Pvt. Stone was paroled at Thomasville, Georgia May 19, 1865. His signature appears on an "Oath of Allegiance to the United States, subscribed and sworn to at Newport News, Va., June 24, 1865," which described him thusly: "Place of residence, Calhoun County, Fla.; complexion, Dk.; hair, light; eyes, grey; height, 5 ft. 5 in.; remarks: Captured at Farmville, Va. April 6, 1865."
Shade returned to Calhoun County, Florida. There on July 22, 1869, Shade married Olive Elizabeth Griffin, born January 18, 1848 in Jackson County, Florida, daughter of Lenn and Moria Griffin who were listed in the 1850 census of Jackson County. Shade was nicknamed "Dick." The 1880 Calhoun County census, 3d precinct, June 2, 1880, recorded: Shadric Stone, 40, farmer; Olive, 32; Isaac, 10; Leunell, 8; Sutton, 6; John, 3; Fannie, 1.
Shade was a farmer. The 1900 census of Jackson County showed S. S. Stone, born March 1840, owned a 222-acre mortgage free farm. Living with Shade and Olive were their youngest children: Fannie, Charley, Annie, Frank and George.
On May 10, 1902, Shade applied for a Confederate pension due to, "I was wounded in 1862 being injured by a shell at Antietam [?, the writing is difficult to read]." He gave his p. o. address as Sneads, Fla. It should be noted that in his application he gave his birth as March 25, 1836 in Jackson County, Fla., but his tombstone has 1838 for his birth year. Francis M. Atkins and J. W. Peacock, both of whom served with him in Co. H, gave a joint affidavit of support. J. S. McLeod, M. D., of Sneads stated, "That he is suffering with extreme nervous prostration; to my opinion was caused from a lick on left side of head which caused concussion of the brain; he still suffers from the wound at times." [Some of the writing is almost illegible, but it appears to be as here given.] On July 10, 1902, his claim was approved at the rate of $120 per annum.
Reapplying under the Act of 1909, Shade on August 2, 1909 gave his age as 70, his birth place as Calhoun County, Florida, and declared that he had resided in Florida since "the 25 day of March 1839." (Shade was inconsistent with his age and county of birth.) He listed his property to consist of: real estate located near Sneads, Fla. $360; cattle, horses and other live stock $240; personal property of $100. His disability he described as: "one wound on the head, skull knocked down. Ruptured on left side by spent bull., one wound on left knee." [Again, the handwriting is difficult to read.] His pension was continued at the rate of $120 per annum. Shade Sutton Stone died June 16, 1910 and was buried in Pope Cemetery, Sneads.
On July 2, 1910, Olive Elizabeth Stone applied for a widow's Confederate pension. In her application she gave Shade's death as the "16th day of June 1910." Olive gave her address as Sneads and listed her property to consist of: real estate, located in Jackson County, $1,000; personal property, $50[?]; cattle, horses and other live stock, $500. As pensioner no. 5653, her claim was approved August 16, 1910 with pay from June 16, 1910 at the rate of $120 per annum. Olive Elizabeth (Griffin) Stone died November 13, 1912 and was buried beside Shade in Pope Cemetery.
Shade S. and Olive E. (Griffin) Stone had 11 children, two dying in infancy (names unknown), the others being:
1. Isaac Hugh Stone, born Sept. 3, 1870; died Dec. 8, 1925; married Lula Viola Williams, Nov. 25, 1903.
2. Lenn Lee Stone, born Sept. 3, 1872; died Dec. 26, 1919, Jackson Co., Fla.; married on Aug. 29, 1894 Mattie Lee King.
3. Shade Sutton Stone, Jr., born Dec. 27, 1875; died Dec. 22, 1929; married on March 20, 1917 Cava Shuller.
4. John Stone, born April 18, 1877; died March 9, 1911.
5. Fanny Olive Stone, born Feb. 16, 1879; died July 7, 1955; married July 18, 1900 Thomas Carpenter.
6. Charles William Stone, born April 30, 1881; died Nov. 28, 1919; married on July 5, 1908 Annie J. McDaniel.
7. Annie Stone, born Aug. 1884; died 1929; married on Oct. 26, 1914 Silas H. Yon.
8. Frank Perry Stone, born March 15, 1887; died Dec. 19, 1951; married on March 25, 1906 Arizona "Zona" Demont.
9. George E. Stone, born Sept. 30, 1892; died April 25, 1941; married Cornelia Blanche Williams.
References: Pebble C. Stone, 1979; Soldiers of Florida, 1903; C.S.A. service record of Shade S. Stone, National Archives, Washington, D.C.; pension applications of Shade & Olive Stone, the Florida Archives, Tallahassee; Jerrell H. Shofner, Jackson County, Florida-A History, 1985; U.S. Original Census Schedules: 8th Census, 1860 Calhoun County, Florida, 10th Census, 1880 Calhoun County, Florida, 12th Census, 1900 Jackson County, Florida; Margaret Lewis Durrance and Ann Durrance Folk, Lineage of Joseph Durrance, p. 126, 1986; Janice B. Clenney, February 1994; Louise K. Frisbie, Florida’s Fabled Inns, p. 72; Cindy Woodruff, St. Petersburg, June & July 1994; Social Security Death Index; Edenfield Genealogical Society.
This profile is adapted from the author’s Lineage of John Stone Blockmaker..
February 11, 2001 & October 17, 2001