WESLEY C. O’BERRY

Wesley C. O’BERRY was born about the year 1832 in McIntosh County, Georgia. His mother’s given name was Prudence but his father’s name is not proven. The 1830 McIntosh County, Georgia, census records four O’BERRY males as heads of families. These were Solomon, John, James R., and Reuben. Reuben was much older than the other males recorded, so he may have been the father of the others. John J. O’BERRY is favored as Wesley’s father by other O’BERRY descendants. In 1850, Wesley was an 18-year-old male living with his widowed mother Prudence and three siblings, one sister and two brothers. Shortly after the 1850 census was taken, some members of the O’BERRY family moved to Marion County, Florida. The Muster Roll of Jernigan’s Company, Hopkins Division, Florida Troops, records Wesley O’BERRY as being mustered into service March 2, 1852 in Orange County, Florida, to fight in the Seminole Indian Wars.

Another record of the activities of Wesley O’BERRY is found in a Journal kept by United States Surveyor Henry Hamilton FLOYD. Eighty-five pages of his Journal are on file in the Georgia Historical Library in Savannah, Georgia. Henry FLOYD was given a contract in 1852 to survey parts of Central Florida. Beginning December 1, 1852, Henry recorded his journey to Jacksonville, Florida, by steamer to purchase supplies. Later entries record his travels in Florida as far as Fort Gatlin which is now Orange County, Florida. The first mention of Wesley O’BERRY comes Christmas Day, December 25 , 1852. Wesley O’BERRY was apparently residing at Mellonville, which is now Sanford, Florida. Henry FLOYD sent for Wesley to act as packman and to hunt game for the party to eat. Henry FLOYD states that Wesley also brought him two letters. Wesley stayed with the surveying party, hunting game and bringing provisions to the surveying party, for nearly a month. On January 20, Henry FLOYD was notified that the Land Commissioner in Washington had not confirmed his contract. The last mention of Wesley O’BERRY in Henry FLOYD's Journal comes January 21, 1853, when the Henry FLOYD party packed and left. Some of their activities center around Fort Gatlin.

Wesley C. O’BERRY married Nancy Caroline McCRANIE BRONSON about 1853 in Florida. No marriage record has been found, but their first child was Charles Franklin O’BERRY, born October 20, 1854, in Higley, Marion County, Florida. Nancy had previously been the wife of Henry BRONSON and was living with Henry when the 1850 census was taken in McIntosh County, Georgia. Nancy and Henry had four children that are known, a son and three daughters. There are no known facts to substantiate what happened between Nancy and Henry BRONSON but, by 1860, Henry BRONSON was still living in McIntosh County, Georgia, with Lamarie or Lamana S. DRIGGERS, and Nancy and Wesley, now 27, were living in Marion County, Florida with an Ocala Post Office address. They were the parents of three sons. One more son, James S. O’BERRY was born September 1, 1862, in Moss Bluff, Marion County, Florida. Also living in the household in 1860 were daughters Cindea and Susan BRONSON. Her son Joseph was still living with his father in McIntosh County, Georgia.

The 1850 census for McIntosh County records Lamarie DRIGGERS as a 24-year-old living with parents John and Susan DRIGGERS and with a son Charlton who was 5 years old. By 1860, she was living with Henry BRONSON but recorded under her maiden name of DRIGGERS. Charlton was living with this family along with five siblings. I have traced the BRONSON family through the 1880 census still living in McIntosh County, Georgia. Henry BRONSON disappeared from the census by 1870, but Lamarie and/or her children were still recorded as late as 1880 in McIntosh County, Georgia.

When the Civil War broke out, Wesley C. O’BERRY enlisted in Company G, 8th Florida Infantry. I do not have a record of his enlistment date, but Nancy was pregnant with their last child James who was born September 1, 1862. By the time James was born, his father was dead. Here is a quote from an e-mail sent by Ted Delaney, Archivist and Curator in Lynchburg, Virginia. to Dan O’BERRY dated June 17, 2005.

“ Greetings Mr. O'Berry,

"Thanks for your recent inquiry about the soldier "O. Berry" buried in our Confederate Section. According to our burial records "O. Berry" belonged to Company G of the 8th Florida Regiment (Infantry, I presume). He died at the old Lynchburg College hospital (now demolished) and was buried here on August 24 or 25, 1862, in Grave 9, Line 4, Lot 178. See here for a map of the Confederate Section: His coffin measured 5'-11" long and 18" wide. The Confederate government paid his burial expenses.”

Nancy O’BERRY apparently had no knowledge that Wesley had died. She never applied for a widow’s pension and never remarried. From information provided by their descendants, it was thought that Wesley had just abandoned his family. It was a sad ending to his life to be thought a deserter of his family. Only much later was the truth known when his great grandson, Willard O’BERRY began searching Civil War Records for his great grandfather.

Nancy lived to be 74 years old, dying July 1904 in Oxford, Sumter County, Florida, at the home of her son William Riley O’BERRY. She was buried at Pine Level Cemetery, Oxford, Sumter County, Florida

Wesley and Nancy’s descendants spread out over Central Florida. Many stayed in the vicinity of Marion and Sumter Counties in Florida. William Riley O’BERRY, born in Higley, Marion County, Florida lived most of his life around Oxford in Sumter County, Florida. He and other members of his family are also buried at Pine Level Cemetery in Oxford, Sumter County, Florida. The youngest son, James S. O’BERRY later settled around the Windermere area of Orange County. They were the parents of eight children. James and his wife Matilda DRIGGERS O’BERRY are buried at Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery in the Windermere area of Orange County, Florida. Some of their descendants are still members of Beulah Baptist Church, Orange County, Florida.

Mary Beth Marchant
September 18, 2005