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Lidia and Jehu Sparkman Lydia was first married to Ezekiel Suggs who was born in South Carolina about 1800. In 1835, his twelve year old little brother, Robert, was working for Erastus Rogers, the suttler at Fort King in Marion County. On December 28, 1835, Osceola and a group of Seminole warriors attacked the suttler's building. Among those killed were the indian agent, General Wiley Thompson, Lieutenant Constantine Smith, Erastus Rogers and Robert Suggs. Robert was the only victim who wasn't scalped or mutilated. Following this massacre and the massacre of Captain Dade and a column of soldiers, the United States launched the Florida War or Second Seminole War to subdue the Seminoles and relocate them to Indian Territory. Ezekiel and several of his brothers and brothers in law joined the Florida Mounted Militia to do their part in fighting the Seminoles. Ezekiel's militia records record that he died February 22, 1837. His brother, John Alligood Suggs, later filed a pension application in which he stated that his brothers Robert and Ezekiel had been killed by Indians in Florida. Lydia later married Jehu Sparkman. They had a son, Isaac, and they continued to raise Ezekiel's sons, Ezkiel S. and William M. Suggs. Ezekiel married Martha Elizabeth Beck and William married Catherine Fennell. Both Ezekiel and William served with the Florida 7th Infantry Co. I during the Civil War. Following the war, they returned home and lived uneventful lives. Lydia and Jehu, Ezekiel and Martha and William and Catherine are buried in the Eliam Cemetery near Melrose in Putnam County. |