From other notations on this 'incident' I think Alberto was to keep the civilian property from being encroached on and the military property off limits from civilians. I'm curious as to what 'trees' were to be protected. Live Oak I understand. It was used in the ships but there were more water oaks and blackjacks that made good firewood.
It's odd that there is no mention of military matters so I think this is what I was afraid it was. I do not understand why Alberto said he was at Ft Pickens for those months unless he was the 'caretaker' mentioned as living there before Slemmer moved in.
The boxes that were the subject of the discussion should have been opened by Phillip Anthony. He'd probably have killed his nephew if he had. [gotta backpedal here, Phillip was Alberto's Uncle and brother of Joseph E.]
In 1860, Joseph E had a stroke and he was pretty much incapacitated. My 2xG Joseph N lived with him. Brainard, acting as agent for the development company, visited Joseph E and was trying to get the family land grant property from him. Some say that caused the stroke. I don't know. So, Brainard promised Alberto the moon if he'd get him the paperwork from Joseph E. so Alberto began to remove things a page at a time. This seems to have been noticed by Joseph E and he wrote the entire family out of the will but my grand. Not too smart cause Jos N. gambled everything he did inherit away. Anyway, that was the beginning of the development of the suburbs in ne Pensacola now called East Hill. This included our Dueling Oaks and that popular grafitti spot, the 17th ave trestle.
It may have hastened the end for Joseph E also. He died in 1861. So, much of the future of the development of the city began and was carried out during the war. Guess it made a nice divirsion for those trying to get the deed. Those citizens who did not run off to Greenville were trying to survive and they probably had no clue that there was something worse than the Yankee occupation going on right under their nose. The 2 people who could have stopped the entire trainwreck cold were away at war. Perry and Mallory. Chase was a broken man when he witnessed the forts he designed and built turn against his people and his family land holdings.
It boggles the mind how some can be so dumb. Albert was 'removed' from the house he was 'given' when the war ended and the Land Development Company began in ernest. Brainard was an agent for them and 'they' were some big names in Pensacola. It didn't end well. The family never regained the land. Jos N got goods such as the family silver and his fathers notary stamp that had been used on so many territiorial papers. The rest of his siblings got one dime. Had Phillip opened those boxes, he would have seen what was happening and may have stopped it. He had no share in the land because it was from Jos. E's wife's estate. So they tossed the story around that the Yankee's took the land and that is just what was believed until some of us got to digging into the old court records and found a lawsuit that was about the same as this but on the land itself.
Thank you for not tossing me on this Jim. It does have some war connections. It is a real good lesson in how the confusion of an occupied town can be a cover for some pretty nasty people who are up to no good. Carpetbaggers didn't always show up after the conflict is over.
Thank you David for finding this information. It sure helps fill in some huge gaps for us. I can tell you that the area in downtown Mobile known as Duvall Street and Water Street were once owned by Jos E's (and my 4x grandfather)father Benito Caro. That's a story for another day.
Pam