John Sunday Jr. (below) himself was born on March 20, 1838 in Walnut Hill, Florida to the union of Jinny and John Sr. His mother was a black slave working on his Dutch father’s cattle raising farm. His father’s first wife was pregnant at the time and asked that the twelve-year-old Jinny help care for her until the baby was born. However, tragedy struck and the poor woman died during childbirth. After he buried his first wife John Sr. soon became enamored with young Jinny and married her soon afterwards. She gave birth to John Jr. who was born free and out of enslavement. When the boy was old enough he became an apprentice to Ambrose Vaughn, a cabinet and coffin maker in downtown Pensacola.
After five years with Vaughn, John Sunday Jr. left and went to work at the Pensacola Navy Yard building ships. When the Civil War broke out John stayed in Pensacola until he was inducted into the Union army at Ft. Barrancas on May 15, 1863 where he was assigned to Company “K” of the 78th US Colored Infantry Regiment. Later that same year he earned the distinction of being one of the first black men in the Union Army to be promoted to the rank of sergeant. His regiment fought in the Battle of Olustee and later marched triumphantly into Donaldsonville, Louisiana. It was there that the southern inhabitants heard that the colored troops were going to rape and murder the town’s people so they all ran and hid. One such group contained a young Cajun girl by the name of Seraphine who was hiding under a wooden walkway over a ditch. She peeked through the boards and saw that Sergeant Sunday had a kind and gentle face. She came out from under the walkway and began following his troops. She and John eventually fell in love and he promised he would return after the war and make her his wife. Sergeant John Sunday Jr. was discharged on August 17, 1865 in Louisiana and returned home to Pensacola. He went to work at the Navy Yard as a mechanic and when he had saved enough money he returned to Louisiana and married Seraphine exactly as he told her he would. Miss Seraphine had a young child by the name of Frank. so the young nuptial couple returned home to Pensacola with young Frank in tow.
During his life John occupied several key positions within the Pensacola community such as that of a customs inspector for the port, a Florida legislator (1874) during Reconstruction, an alderman for the city (1878-1881), and a realtor and contractor. He was also instrumental in organizing a Civil War veterans group to represent the Grand Army of the Republic in Pensacola and served as the post commander for a number of years. Together he and Seraphine had seven surviving children by the names J. C., Edward, Emiline, Dr. Charles S., Philip M., Charles F., and Daisy Sunday. John Sunday Jr. would pass from this earth on January 7, 1925 and was buried in St. Michael’s Cemetery in the northwest corner. He was joined by Seraphine nine years later on June 7, 1934 at the age of 71-years old. Surrounding the couple is a number of their children, all of whom died before their parents. The only exception noted was Edward Sunday Sr. who died in 1964.
Pensacola's John Sunday Jr. in 1925