The Rise and Fall of William B. Nuttall A seven-part series – Part 3 & 4 of 7 – ECB Publishing

Part III

William quickly became prominent in the social and political fabric of Old Middle Florida. Among his contemporaries were John and Robert Gamble, James Gadsden, Richard Keith Call, Achille Murat, Thomas Randall, Joseph White and others who heavily influenced Floridas early affairs. A number of these men were neighboring plantation owners in the vicinity of Waukeenah. In particular, he bonded with R. Keith Call and Achille Murat. Call, with close ties to Andrew Jackson, was at one point Floridas territorial delegate in Washington and would later become its territorial governor.

Of all the characters marching through this period, none were more colorful or popular than Achille Murat, nephew of Napolean, Prince of Naples and husband of Catharine Willis, great grand-niece of George Washington.

It is not surprising that William Nuttall moved with ease into the elite political and social circle of his realm. He was obviously intelligent, well educated, charming, energetic and highly ambitious, although imbued with a tendency for this latter trait to outpace his judgement. He is variously described by those he encountered as amiable, affable and uncommonly handsome. Call pulled him into his political organization known as the Nucleus and Nuttall was seriously considered a future candidate for territorial delegate.

The areas growth engendered heavy demand for legal services such that William joined Achille Murat in the practice of law, a partnership which appears to have endured from circa 1829 to 1834. Both partners shared impulsive drives toward risky investments including land and banking ventures. Their involvement in the Union Bank ruptured their association when Murat was removed as a director and later replaced by Nuttall whom he accused of surreptitiously undermining him.Shortly thereafter, Murat migrated to New Orleans, and, after unsuccessful endeavors there, particularly speculative land investments, he returned insolvent to Lipona, his Florida plantation.

Also worthy of mention is another scheme Murat and Nuttall promoted prior to their breakup. In 1831 they, along with other substantial planters formed the Wacissa and Aucilla Navigation Company to make navigable the Wacissa and Aucilla Rivers for transport of agricultural commodities, primarily cotton, out to the Gulf and the port at St. Marks. This route would improve their existing logistics which entailed difficult overland travel. The key feature of this project was the clearing and deepening of a tributary of the Wacissa to form a canal joining it to the Aucilla. Much effort would finally be expended on its construction, mainly after 1850, by slave labor contracted with Kidder Moore and Captain D.F.P. Newsome. Contrary to local legend, there is no evidence that William Nuttall employed any of his slaves on this ill-fated venture.

Part IVGiven his law practice, plantation administration, political involvement, land and banking speculations, Nuttall was indeed a busy man, but he found time to enjoy the plentiful social activity afforded by friends and local events. Obviously missing was a wife. 1832 would prove to be a momentous year in his life. On June 6, John Nuttall, his father, died and was buried in the Nuttall Cemetery in Franklinton, North Carolina.

By this time, William had fallen in love with Mary Wallace Savage, a Savannah, Georgia heiress. How they became acquainted is unknown but William undoubtedly traveled at times and could have visited in Savannah on his initial journey from North Carolina to Florida or later.

Mary Savage also traveled and could have visited the Tallahassee area or Newport, R.I., a popular resort for the wealthy which played a major role in her life.

Nuttall might have sojourned there as well. It is a tribute to Williams charm, attractive persona and social station that he was able to entice Mary into marriage, given the fact that El Destino was still a somewhat primitive frontier venue, and the area remained very much subject to raids from the Seminole Indians.

On June 30, 1832 they were married in Savannah, followed by a honeymoon spent largely in Newport, R.I. and accompanied by Marys mother. Their return to El Destino opened a new and very different chapter in Marys life but it is clear she adapted well and was soon widely respected and admired.

The end of 1832 marked another milestone for William when he became the sole owner of El Destino by purchasing the entire plantation from his fathers estate for the sum of seventeen thousand dollars via a note to James Patton, executor.Though rustic and without amenities typical of a frontier setting, the social life of the region was quite vibrant. There were horse races, elaborate dinner parties, balls, receptions, weddings and frequent visits among local residents, often with overnight stays. Ellen Call Long, in reminiscences entitled Florida Breezes, gives a vivid description of one such event at El Destino in the early 1830; a costume ball was held whose characters included Cleopatra, Marie Antoinette, Bluebeard, Falstaff and others, drinking champagne and waltzing in great revelry. Adding to the excitement and beauty of the evening was a ring of bonfires built by the slaves in a perimeter around the home, whose more mundane purpose was to prevent a surprise from the Indians, albeit a marked lack of anxiety by both hosts and guests. Florida Breezes also holds some of the best depictions of Mary. Passages describe her as grand looking with a countenance more expressive of all that is beautiful in womanly character. Also a male admirer states, there is nothing provincial about her; she would grace a queens drawing room. Other narratives personify her as tall, pretty and, perhaps, stately in bearing. As events would soon confirm, Mary Nuttall was not only attractive but equally resilient, poised and smart.

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The Rise and Fall of William B. Nuttall A seven-part series - Part 3 & 4 of 7 - ECB Publishing