Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The Last Plantation - Part Three

The hero of the novel, "The Last Plantation," Clayton Harris, was 'based loosely on a real person who did indeed throw his Northern birthright to the wind and fight for the South. He was captured by the Federals...his uncle was the commanding officer who released him from captivity upon his signing the Oath of Allegiance.' He also bought beef in Oklahoma for the Confederacy, made trips from Fort Gibson to Fort Sill, and fell in love with an Indian princess. He also went to Texas, and in 1901 when the oil business started in Beaumont, he became rich.

In the novel, Clayton Harris was confined at Johnson's Island, Ohio, located here.

p. 317 On July 20, 1863, the door to Clayton Harris’ cell block…Union Colonel Charles Harris

p. 322 On July 22, 1863, Clayton Harris was ferried from Johnson’s Island across Sandusky Bay to the mainland. He stepped onto the rich Ohio soil and breathed deep. Even the air smelled free.






















[Pictures Taken By Jim & Cathy During A Visit To Johnson's Island- click to enlarge]

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