Caleb Lyndon Brayton
Caleb located to this part of Florida for his health. He wrote a series of
letters to his wife which give us an idea of what pioneer life was like
here. These letters were printed in the Florida Historical Quarterly
in January of 1992.
Brayton had been visiting with William
Russell when a Seminole Indian attack occurred in July of 1849.
Caleb's homestead was nine miles south of Russell's place. Russell was
wounded and his brother-in-law John
Barker was killed in this attack. Brayton dressed Russell's injury at
the Gattis' house. Looking to arm themselves against the Indians they
found that the guns that were there, would not work. The group pushed off
in a boat just as the Indians reappeared. The Seminoles shot at them
again, but they were out of range. The group went to Brayton's house to
get his guns, but none of the "healthy" men were willing to go to
shore, so the consumptive Brayton waded in and retrieved his guns. This assemblage
sounded the alarm to the rest of the settlers who were transported by the small
boat to a schooner anchored farther out.
Many settlers did not return after this event, but Brayton did. For a time
he stayed close to the newly built Fort Capron. Brayton's health improved,
although it was said he had but one lung, he was considered hail and
hearty. He soon obtained a
contract with the postmaster general and carried mail from New Smyrna to Miami.
Reference:
A Portrait of St. Lucie County, Florida, by Lucille Rieley Rights 1994
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