Charles Spencer Stewart was born on March 7, 1870 at Jack' Pond in Santa Rosa County, Florida, the son of Samuel Taylor Stewart (1839-1900) and Sarah Jessie Allen (1839-1919). Although born in North Carolina, his father spent most of his life in Santa Rosa County. As early as 1850 Samuel was living with his own parents Samuel Sr. and Mary, while his father ran a local hotel. As America moved closer and closer to civil war, Samuel Sr. continued as a hotel keeper while his son Samuel was working as a trader in 1860. But with the presidential election of Republican Abraham Lincoln, tensions between the North and the South intensified accordingly and moved the possibility of war between the two to the forefront!
The following year, the attack on Ft. Sumter ended the question as to whether we were going to war or not. In response, Samuel left his parent's home and went downtown to enlist on September 17, 1861 in Company "C" of the Confederate 3rd Battalion Cavalry. This unit was comprised of numerous men from northwest Florida and Samuel followed them into the battle. For the next four years he would be riding alongside his neighbors such as David J. Allen, William Wesley, Allen, Henry Clay Amos, James Milton Amos (later sheriff), William J. Armistead, Samuel H. Blake, Henry and Jarrett Bray, Albert Butler, Farrow Cobb Sr., and so many more!
His battalion would operate as far west as the Pearl River and throughout northwest Florida and southern Alabama. His unit was consolidated into the 15th Confederate Cavalry on September 23, 1863 where they fought until the surrender. Upon his return from the war, young Samuel would marry Sarah Jessie Allen (1839-1919), the daughter of the founder of Allentown, Jesse Carter Allen (1811-1892) and Hughanna Mary Taylor (1822-1905). Many of Sarah's family had ridden with her new husband during the war.
One of Samuel and Sarah's sons was Charles Spencer Stewart (1870-1937) who was born at Jack's Pond in Santa Rosa County. At the age of 28 years old Charles would marry Leila Pearl Henry (1874-1944) in June 1899 in Birmingham, AL. She was the daughter of Isaac Henry (1845-1894) and Nancy "Nannie G." Glover Ledbetter (1851-1926). Isaac was a Birmingham farmer and developer as well as a former private in the Confederate Army with Company "B" of the 19th Alabama Infantry Regiment. Leila was also directly related to the famous Patrick Henry who uttered those immortal words, "Give me liberty or give me death!" After her father's death Leila contributed to the family coffers as a school teacher in Birmingham in 1897 while her mother lived off her father's Confederate pension. Leila was a graduate of East Lake Atheneum, which was a private girls' school chartered in 1890 and also from Birmingham High School before she met young Charles while she was teaching in Florence, Alabama.
By 1900, Charles would have been 30-years old and already listed as a druggist. During that time, many received on-the-job pharmaceutical training while formal educational requirements ranged from none to high school for admission. These formal schools ranged from two to four years courses of study with the majority just two years.
By 1910, Charles was living in Bagdad and listed as the manager of a commissary where it likely contained a drug store. Ten years later he was in Munson and a druggist for the Bagdad Land & Lumber Company and farming on the side. By 1930, he was still in Munson a still a druggist. At one time he is said to have owned a drug store on Front Street.
Their offspring were Charles Henry Stewart (1900-1976), Clarence Bernard Stewart (19014-1929), Leila May Stewart (1903-1983), Allan Ledbetter Stewart (1906-1974), Fred Norman Stewart (1909-1970). Charles passed away on December 5, 1937 in Milton and was buried in the Milton Cemetery where Leila would join him in 1944.
Charles Spencer Stewart and wife Lula Mae Henry married 6-7-1899 in
Birmingham, Photo credit State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
1897 Birmingham, Alabama City Directory for Miss Leila Pearl Henry living with her widowed mother and siblings as she was working as a school teacher
Charles Spencer Stewart, State Militia
Photo credit State Archives of
Florida, Florida Memory
Charles Spencer Stewart
Photo credit State Archives of
Florida, Florida Memory
A typical pharmacy of the day
The East Lake Atheneum & Orphans Home in 1906. Opened in 1890 as a private girls school where Leila attended before it closed in 1900.
Wedding Certificate of Charles Spencer Stewart & Leila Pearl Henry 6-7-1899
Leila Pearl Henry weds Charles Spencer
Stewart 6-8-1899, Birmingham News
Pensacola News Journal 9-23-1934
Pensacola News Journal 12-6-1937
Wife Leila Pearl Henry Stewart
3-15-1944, Birmingham News
Milton Cemetery, Milton, Santa Rosa County, Florida
Mother Sarah Jessie Allen (1839-1919)
Daughter of J. C. Allen founder of Allentown
Grandmother Hughanna Mary
Taylor Allen (1822-1905)
Leila's Parents Isaac Henry (1845-1894) and Nancy "Nannie" Glover Ledbetter
(1851-1926) Private CSA Company B, 19th Alabama Infantry Regiment
Charles and Leila's daughter Leila Mae Stewart
Coleman with sons Luther (left) and Harold (right)
Leila's father was a Confederate soldier and the son of Aikman Henry and 2nd wife Elizabeth VAUGHN who settled in Blount County, Ala. He was also the grandson to Revolutionary War Soldier Major Hugh Henry and Hugh's 1st wife Mary who settled in Sevier County, Tennessee.(Hugh was a son of James Henry, a brother to Colonel John Henry, father to our founding father Patrick Henry who uttered the famous statement, "Give me liberty or give me death!"
Leila's mother Nannie Glover Ledbetter Henry,
4-5-1926, Birmingham News
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