Green Berry Haven

Green Berry Haven

Green Berry Haven was Richard White's great-great uncle.

Green Berry Haven, who was known as R.G.B., G. B. or Green B. Haven, was the younger son of John Shepard Haven. He was born on 27 January 1848 in Thomas County, Georgia.

During the early part of the war Green Berry Haven served with a Florida unit which was variously known as the Leon Light Artillery, the Florida Light Artillery, and Gamble's Artillery (after it's commander Robert H. Gamble) although he was only about 14 years old at the time. Gamble's Light Artillery served during this period at and around the old Spanish Fort San Marcos de Apalachee (renamed Fort Ward in August 1864), at St. Marks, Florida. In May 1863 Gamble's Light Artillery split. Part of it remained in the St. Marks area under Captain R. H. Gamble and part became the Kilcrease Light Artillery under the command of Captain Fred L. Villipigue who was promoted from lieutenant under Gamble, to take that command. The Kilcrease Light Artillery was sent first to Jacksonville and then to North Carolina, although they came back to Florida and participated in the Battle of Olustee (as did Gamble's Light Artillery) in early 1864. The Kilcrease Light Artillery, under the command of Captain Patrick Houstoun, also participated in the Battle of Natural Bridge, south of Tallahassee on 6 March 1865.

Campbell's Independent Georgia Siege Artillery Company was also formed in May 1863 to man heavy artillery which had already been in place for some time, plus some additional heavy guns, at St. Marks. Apparently most of these heavy guns had been removed from Fort Marion (Castillio de San Marcos) at St. Augustine in the early days of the war. The company's commander, Captain Charles Campbell of Decatur County, Georgia, had organized the Decatur Guards, Company D, 17th Georgia Infantry, in August 1861 and had commanded that unit until medically discharged in January 1863. ( Henry Rehberg died at Drewry's Bluff under Campbell's command in 1862 and James C. Haire also served under Campbell in the 17th Georgia.) Green Berry Haven was enrolled as a private with Campbell's Independent Georgia Siege Artillery on 9 July 1863 and served with that unit until the end of the war.

Most of Florida was sparsely settled. Remote and lightly settled parts of the state below Gainesville were largely left to their own devices or to the Union if it wanted to take them. Most of the men of prime military age and condition in the state were recruited into Confederate units very early in the war, and these units left the state almost immediately. Such of the war as was fought in Florida was fought mostly by the young, the old, and invalids. And except for the heavy artillery at St. Marks, which by its nature and location in a salt marsh was virtually immobile, this was a highly mobile war. In fact, all fixed-position Confederate coastal defenses in Florida, except that at St. Marks, were either captured by the Union or had been abandoned as untenable by 1863. The actual tactical situation at St. Marks was well pointed out in a report of the commander of the District of Middle Florida, General Howell Cobb on 9 December 1862. He wrote: "If the enemy should attempt a movement in that quarter... their policy would be to land their troops either at Shell Point or the west side of the St. Marks River or at the light house on the east side..." [Gerrell, p. 59] In other words, the fixed position defense would be bypassed easily, as it actually was when Union troops finally came ashore in strength before the Battle of Natural Bridge in March, 1865.

Major of Artillery G. W. Mayo inspected batteries in Middle Florida in December 1862. Of an inspection on 15 December he reported: "The Florida Artillery, commanded by Captain R.H. Gamble, is composed of two 6 pounder (bronze) one 12 pounder howitzer and one 3 inch rifle. The left section, commanded by 2nd Lieut Edward Gamble (two 6 pounder bronze) on St. Marks River, has, for present use, a sufficient quantity of ammunition, but, from want of tarpaulins and frequent airing, fourteen of the charges have become damaged. The right section, in from Goose Creek, has a number of rifle projectiles, the fuzes of which are damaged. I would respectfully recommend that they be condemned entirely and a projectile with a wrought iron cup submitted, those now at the battery being used with long wooden sabot attached to a projection, about two inches in length, at the base of the shot. The wood work of the carriages is defective, having been made of bad timber. It needs paint and tarpaulins. The battery requires new sponge heads. The horses are in fair condition. The harness needs repair and oil. There are no leather, thread or needles, which should be provided. The drill of the battery is not efficient, but Captain Gamble informs me that, continued sickness in camp prevents exercise in this particular. In the present condition of Captain Gamble's battery I do not consider it efficient for service." [Gerrell, p. 59]

On 28 January 1863, Captain H. Laurens Ingraham, Assistant Chief of Artillery for the Confederacy, made this report on Gamble's Light Artillery: "The guns listed for the unit are 2 12-pounder Howitzers Bronze, 2 6-pounder guns, 2 3-inch rifled guns banded iron. The number of commanding officers was 1 captain, 2 1st Lieutenants, 2 2nd Lieutenants. There were 8 noncommissioned officers, and 6 corporals. There were 141 privates and 2 buglers. Present at the time of inspection 1 1st Lieutenant, 1 2nd Lieutenant, 2 sergeants and 3 corporals. There were 62 privates, no buglers, 1 battery wagon, 1 traveling forge, 102 public horses, and 19 mules."

Ingraham's report continued: "The camp was in good order. The battery had come from arduous duty on the coast which divided the company in sections. The drill was good. I however beg leave to report that the artillery horses were ridden by the noncommissioned officers and privates on their private business. There were so few horses in camp on Thursday of inspection that I could drill but two sections. The howitzers and six pounder guns have but 40 rounds of ammunition. The rifled guns are well supplied. Having obeyed my instructions I will return to Charleston." [Gerrell, p. 66]

One suspects that politics rather than sound military considerations kept a siege artillery battery at St. Marks. But, so long as it was there the battery did attract the attention of the sort of ebullient Union naval officer who might see a chance at promotion over the bodies of a few of his men even though taking the fort without any ability to follow through was an exercise as useless as putting the fort there in the first place.

Witness this report from Union Navy Lieutenant Commander Crossman, commanding the U.S.S. Somerset after a sneak attack he had attempted up the St. Marks River was detected and thwarted in mid-July 1863. The original plan had been to: "...pass up the St. Marks to the Wakulla River above the hospital, land, storm the battery and spike the guns, then embark, make a dash at Newport, capture the [Confederate ship] Spray, make prize of all the cotton in that neighborhood, burn the Government buildings, which are extensive and valuable, and come down the river in the Spray, whose two guns besides our own rifles would effectively scour the banks." [Gerrell, p. 78]

His revised plan ("Plan B"), was: "... with my men drilled as they are so as to be obedient to the bugle call when acting as skirmishers, I can whip the rebels off the point at St. Marks. But to achieve any great result I would like 200 or 300 soldiers; with them and my own men I could march up to Newport, capture any quantity of cotton, perhaps 1,000 bales, then come down the river to St. Marks, storm the fort, cut the wires, tear up the track, and throw the guns into the river, returning to the ships in the Spray." [Gerrell, p. 80] No doubt Crossman's interest on the potential prize vessel and cotton was anticipation of gaining a share of the proceeds from their sale.

The Union's control of the seas gave it the initiative to attack at any point it chose, and Confederate defenders were poised to react... which they did as frequently as was called for. Both sides tended to be wary of concentrating their forces. Typically most actions that came about were small unit actions with few casualties, if any. For instance, on 30 November 1862 Captain C. J. Jenkins was ordered to Goose Creek with his infantry company except for 40 men and 1 officer detailed for other duty. His mission was to support a section of the Florida Artillery and to protect the salt works there.

A Union Army parole dated at Thomasville, Georgia, on 10 May 1865, and issued to R.G.R. Havan (sic) gives a physical description of him as 5 feet 8 inches in height, with "Light" hair, "Blue" eyes, and "Light" complexion.

Green Berry Haven's Florida Confederate Pension record indicates that he resided in Florida starting in 1878. He was a justice of the peace in Grand Ridge, Jackson County, Florida, in 1905, and in that capacity officiated at his father's marriage to his second wife Liddy Hester. He lived in Lee, Madison County Florida in 1908 and 1909 and in Gretna, Gadsden County Florida in 1914. My father, Herman White remembers Green Berry Haven as living with his grandfather, Richard Sellars, in Grady County, Georgia, and managing his farm for one year, about 1923. However dad was unaware that Green Berry was his grandfather's brother-in-law (and my dad's great uncle) or that he died in that year. Dad remembers Green Berry as being "about 50 years old" at the time, and I suppose it could have been another Green Berry Haven, but I am unaware of any other member of the Haven family named Green Berry.

Green Berry Haven, with his brother, (John) Henry Haven initiated the creation of the small town of Lee, in Madison County, Florida, and ran a general merchandise store there. The Florida State Gazetteer for 1885-1885 listed Henry (John Henry) and G.B. (Green Berry) Haven as proprietors of a general merchandise store there and described Lee as follows:

"A new postoffice and way station on the Florida Central and Western Railroad, 8 miles from Madison court house. Cotton is the chief product. Mails daily."

The town was named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, who at that time was the president of Washington College, now Washington & Lee. A History of Madison County, Florida, by Elizabeth H. Sims contains the gazateer information, as well as the following gem (to be found on page 112):

      Although there had been settlement in the area for many years, the town of Lee was not settled until after the end of the War Between the States: Edwin B. Browning told a story of its beginning:
       There is a very lovely story about the early beginnings of Lee, Florida... Following the Civil War and, a bit further back, the construction of the railroad, a few pioneers clustered together on the site of the present town, and chose the name "Lee" for their budding community in honor of the great Confederate General and outstanding gentleman, Robert E. Lee.
       By this time General Lee had relinquished his sword in great honor to Ulysses S. Grant, and was striving to restore life to Washington and Lee University as its greatly beloved president. Word came to him, it is said, that the people of the deepest south had named a village for him.
This touched the old warrior, now turned educator, and he came south at his earliest convenience and paid a few days visit to the community.
       The story has it that he literally revelled in the rural charms and that, on the day of leave-taking from the town, Mrs. Haven where he was
staying served him an old-fashioned plantation breakfast of grits, ham, eggs, marmalade, and coffee. It is said that the great old man did full
justice to the delicious meal, and left greatly impressed by the hospitality of the people.

The account goes on to say that the post office at Lee was established in 1882, and that G.B. Haven was Justice of the Peace there, just as he was later in Jackson County, Florida.

Green Berry Haven died in Madison County, Florida, on 6 August 1923. Green Berry and his wife Cornelia A. Haven were buried in the southwest corner of the old part of the cemetery at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church on U.S. Highway 90 between the towns of Lee and Madison, in Madison County, Florida.

This account owes much to Allen R. Gerrell, Jr.'s Civil War in and around St. Marks, Florida, 1991. Mr. Gerrell's book contains extensive quotes from a variety of primary source materials. Green Berry Haven's service in Gamble's Florida Light Artillery is recorded in Soldiers of Florida in the Seminole Indian-Civil and Spanish-American Wars, Board of State Institutions, page 299. His service in Campbell's Independent Georgia Siege Artillery Company is recorded in the Compiled Confederate Service Records which were organized by the U.S. War Department and are available on microfilm from the National Archives.

The photo of Captain Robert H. Gamble is from the Florida State Archives, Florida Photographic Collection.