Francis A. Hendry
Encyclopedia
Francis Asbury Hendry was a Florida
cattle rancher, politician, and officer in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
.
, a son of James Edward Hendry and Lydia Carlton. He was known by the nickname "Berry." In 1851, his father took the family to Hillsborough County, Florida
, settling on the Alafia River
about twenty-two miles east of Tampa
. His father then returned to Georgia
to settle his affairs, and died suddenly on January 3, 1852. Nineteen-year-old Berry, his mother, and his siblings decided to remain in Florida
.
On March 25, 1852, Berry married Ardeline Ross Lanier (May 10, 1835 – September 6, 1917), a native of Bulloch County, Georgia
. Soon thereafter, they moved to Fort Meade, Florida
, where they started a cattle ranch. They marked their cattle with a crop and split in one ear and an upper square in the other. They also branded them with a large "A," Berry's middle initial, as well as his wife's first initial.
The Hendrys lived with the garrison at Fort Meade for a time before building their first home about two miles (3 km) north on a branch of the Peace River
. It is now known as the Berry Hendry Branch.
In 1860, on the eve of the Civil War, Berry Hendry was a prosperous cattle rancher with eight slaves. He opposed secession
after the election of Abraham Lincoln
, but loyally supported his adopted state after it passed a secession ordinance.
On February 1, 1861, before the war really began in earnest, Hendry led efforts to create Polk County, Florida
, and was elected to its first Board of County Commissioners. Hendry spent the first three years of the war supplying cattle to the Confederate Commissary Department. But, his work was made difficult by a Federal garrison that occupied old Fort Meade. So, in 1863, he organized his own cavalry
company to keep the enemy isolated behind the walls of the fortress. He was given the rank of captain and attached to Colonel Charles Munnerlyn's Battalion.
. He was also elected to the state senate, representing Polk and Brevard Counties, until 1866.
After the Reconstruction government was installed in Tallahassee in 1868, former Confederate officers were not welcome to hold elective office on the state level. So, Berry Hendry returned to Polk County, and was appointed to serve on the Board of Public Instruction.
During the Reconstruction Era, Hendry continued to build and improve his cattle empire. He made his new headquarters in the abandoned officers' barracks at Fort Myers, and made contact with buyers from Cuba
. He was among the first Florida ranchers to ship cattle to that country through the port of Punta Rassa
. By 1876, he had fenced-in some 25000 acres (101 km²) of range land and owned about 50,000 head of cattle.
On August 12, 1885, Hendry chaired a public meeting held at the schoolhouse in Fort Myers, at the corner of Second and Lee Streets. There, the electors voted to incorporate the town, and Hendry became one of its first councilmen. As such, in 1887, he led efforts to create Lee County, Florida
, and was elected to its first Board of County Commissioners.
By 1888, Hendry had moved his ranching headquarters to the vicinity of Fort Thompson. He also began to dispose of much of his range cattle in favor of Jersey and other breeds in an effort to improve the quality of his stock. He also acquired large tracts of marshland along the Caloosahatchee River
for grazing. In 1893, Major Hendry was elected to represent Lee County in the state legislature, and served for more than a decade. In 1895, he platted the town of LaBelle, Florida
, which he named for his daughters Laura and Belle Hendry.
During his last years, Major Hendry retired to Fort Myers for better access to medical care. He suffered from chronic nephritis
, a kidney disease. And, the state awarded him a monthly pension of twenty dollars.
, designating LaBelle as its seat of government.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
cattle rancher, politician, and officer in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Early life
Asbury was born near Thomasville, GeorgiaThomasville, Georgia
Thomasville is the county seat of Thomas County, Georgia, United States. The city is the second largest in Southwest Georgia after Albany.The city deems itself the City of Roses and holds an annual Rose Festival. The town features plantations open to the public, a historic downtown, a large...
, a son of James Edward Hendry and Lydia Carlton. He was known by the nickname "Berry." In 1851, his father took the family to Hillsborough County, Florida
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
, settling on the Alafia River
Alafia River
The Alafia River is long, with a watershed of in Hillsborough County flowing into Tampa Bay. The watershed contains ten named lakes and ponds, and 29 named rivers, streams and canals. During the rainy season, excess water is pumped to the new C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir, which opened in...
about twenty-two miles east of Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. His father then returned to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
to settle his affairs, and died suddenly on January 3, 1852. Nineteen-year-old Berry, his mother, and his siblings decided to remain in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
On March 25, 1852, Berry married Ardeline Ross Lanier (May 10, 1835 – September 6, 1917), a native of Bulloch County, Georgia
Bulloch County, Georgia
Bulloch County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 8, 1796. Bulloch County has undergone rapid growth in recent years. As of 2000, the population was 55,983. The 2009 Census Estimate showed a population of 69,213. The county seat is Statesboro.In...
. Soon thereafter, they moved to Fort Meade, Florida
Fort Meade, Florida
Fort Meade is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,691 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 5,761...
, where they started a cattle ranch. They marked their cattle with a crop and split in one ear and an upper square in the other. They also branded them with a large "A," Berry's middle initial, as well as his wife's first initial.
The Hendrys lived with the garrison at Fort Meade for a time before building their first home about two miles (3 km) north on a branch of the Peace River
Peace River (Florida)
The Peace River is a river in the southwestern part of the Florida peninsula, in the U.S.A.. It originates at the juncture of Saddle Creek and Peace Creek northeast of Bartow in Polk County and flows south through Hardee County to Arcadia in DeSoto County and then southwest into the Charlotte...
. It is now known as the Berry Hendry Branch.
Military career
During the Third Seminole War, Berry served with both Capt. William B. Hooker and Capt. Leroy G. Lesley in their independent companies of mounted volunteers. Muster rolls describe him as standing six feet and one inch in height, with grey eyes, and dark hair and complexion. Fortunately, Berry survived the war having seen little or no action. On October 27, 1857, he was elected to a two-year term on the Hillsborough County Commission.In 1860, on the eve of the Civil War, Berry Hendry was a prosperous cattle rancher with eight slaves. He opposed secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
after the election of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, but loyally supported his adopted state after it passed a secession ordinance.
On February 1, 1861, before the war really began in earnest, Hendry led efforts to create Polk County, Florida
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...
, and was elected to its first Board of County Commissioners. Hendry spent the first three years of the war supplying cattle to the Confederate Commissary Department. But, his work was made difficult by a Federal garrison that occupied old Fort Meade. So, in 1863, he organized his own cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
company to keep the enemy isolated behind the walls of the fortress. He was given the rank of captain and attached to Colonel Charles Munnerlyn's Battalion.
Political career and later life
After Florida surrendered to Federal occupation in the spring of 1865, Hendry represented Polk County at the Second Constitutional Convention in TallahasseeTallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
. He was also elected to the state senate, representing Polk and Brevard Counties, until 1866.
After the Reconstruction government was installed in Tallahassee in 1868, former Confederate officers were not welcome to hold elective office on the state level. So, Berry Hendry returned to Polk County, and was appointed to serve on the Board of Public Instruction.
During the Reconstruction Era, Hendry continued to build and improve his cattle empire. He made his new headquarters in the abandoned officers' barracks at Fort Myers, and made contact with buyers from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. He was among the first Florida ranchers to ship cattle to that country through the port of Punta Rassa
Punta Rassa, Florida
Punta Rassa is a census-designated place in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,750 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. By 1876, he had fenced-in some 25000 acres (101 km²) of range land and owned about 50,000 head of cattle.
On August 12, 1885, Hendry chaired a public meeting held at the schoolhouse in Fort Myers, at the corner of Second and Lee Streets. There, the electors voted to incorporate the town, and Hendry became one of its first councilmen. As such, in 1887, he led efforts to create Lee County, Florida
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Located in southwest Florida, the principal cities in the county are Fort Myers and Cape Coral...
, and was elected to its first Board of County Commissioners.
By 1888, Hendry had moved his ranching headquarters to the vicinity of Fort Thompson. He also began to dispose of much of his range cattle in favor of Jersey and other breeds in an effort to improve the quality of his stock. He also acquired large tracts of marshland along the Caloosahatchee River
Caloosahatchee River
The Caloosahatchee River is a river on the southwest Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States, approximately long. It drains rural areas on the northern edge of the Everglades northwest of Miami...
for grazing. In 1893, Major Hendry was elected to represent Lee County in the state legislature, and served for more than a decade. In 1895, he platted the town of LaBelle, Florida
LaBelle, Florida
LaBelle is a city in and the county seat of Hendry County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,210 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 4,480 . It was named for Laura and Belle Hendry, daughters of pioneer cattleman Francis A...
, which he named for his daughters Laura and Belle Hendry.
During his last years, Major Hendry retired to Fort Myers for better access to medical care. He suffered from chronic nephritis
Nephritis
Nephritis is inflammation of the nephrons in the kidneys. The word "nephritis" was imported from Latin, which took it from Greek: νεφρίτιδα. The word comes from the Greek νεφρός - nephro- meaning "of the kidney" and -itis meaning "inflammation"....
, a kidney disease. And, the state awarded him a monthly pension of twenty dollars.
Death and legacy
Hendry died at Fort Myers. On May 11, 1923, the state legislature honored him with the creation of Hendry County, FloridaHendry County, Florida
Hendry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 36,210. The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county is 39,611 . Its county seat is La Belle. The county comprises the Clewiston, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Hendry County...
, designating LaBelle as its seat of government.