Lucius Manlius Merritt Sr. was born on July 11, 1824 in Charleston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, the son of Noah Merritt. Noah would relocate his family to New Orleans, Louisiana. There, Lucius was raised and would serve as a corporal during the Mexican War in Captain Solomon Gordon Staples (1817-) Company of the 4th Regiment of Louisiana Volunteers under Persifor F. Smith's Brigade. would marry Eliza "Lizzie" Harriet W. McGaughy in 1852 before heading for Pensacola to enter the timber industry. As it were, just as his lumber business was becoming more successful, the clouds of civil war burst upon the nation in 1861. In fear of retaliation, he sent Lizzie and his children to the Exchange Hotel in Montgomery, Alabama for protection while he remained behind to look after his business. However, those few who stayed were told to sign a loyalty oath to the Union or face imprisonment. Lucius refused! In the Spring of 1862, the decision was made to send prisoners to Ft. Pickens, a decision that was not enforced till October of that year. They were eventually rounded up and sent across the bay to the Union fort where Lucius remained until January 1863 when he was finally released. In 1975, Merritt L. Nickinson compiled the letters from Lucius to Lizzie in a book called "Kiss the Children for Father."
After his release he rejoined his family in New Orleans where he again was a service to the Confederate cause. Given his business background, he was assigned the job of procurement of war materials from England. But first he moved Lizzie and the children out of New Orleans to relatives in Covington, Louisiana before heading to Montgomery. In June 1863, Lizzie and the kids came to Montgomery so they could travel together to Columbus, Georgia. Here, the family was placed on Dr. Charles Abercrombie's farm where his son John Abercrombie Merritt was born in 1864. In the meantime, Lucius went to Wilmington, North Carolina and boarded a blockade runner bound for England. After a layover in Bermuda, Lucius sailed for Liverpool, England on September 6, 1863. There, he accomplished little and returned to Lizzie in October. After the war, they returned to New Orleans where revitalized his businesses pursuits.
In 1868, Lizzie became ill and finally passed away on December 17, 1868 at the age of 38-years old. To deal with his grief, he looked to his work to distract from the loss of his wife. At that time, America had began rebuilding with a fervor, especially in the shipping trade. So based on his original lumber success in Pensacola, Lucius chose to return here in July 1869 aboard the SS Mine Lizzie and combine his knowledge of timber with that of shipping. However, he also chose to bring Lizzie's remains with him where she was reburied in St. Michael's Cemetery next to their son Samuel "Sammie" Morton Merritt (1856-1859). Upon his arrival in Pensacola he began work as a commission merchant in lumber. He also took a residence for his four children and hired two servants to assist him.
Soon he met and married Emily Susan Bell (1840-1922) on December 28, 1871 in Pensacola. She was the daughter of Harvey Graham Bell (1814-1899) and Nancy Walker (1816-1898) who hailed from Alabama and Mississippi. By 1990, his shipping business, known as L. M. Merritt & Company had become quite successful and lucrative. The company acted as ship brokers as well as timber & lumber merchants. Working with his was his son Lucius Jr. To add to his other endeavors he was also appointed the Vice Consul to the Argentine Republic where he served from 1870 to 1888.
In the summer of 1882, Pensacola was struck by yet another Yellow Fever epidemic that would leave Lucius and several members of his family became very ill. Fortunately, all recovered by late October, however a total of 167 Pensacolians were stricken of which 33 perished. In the meantime, he and Emily had been living at 64 North Spring Street but by 1890 had moved into 100 West Garden Street (house still standing). At the time, Lucius was still working in timber with an office on the Pensacola Wharf.
All was well until January 10, 1893 when Lucius was stricken from a paralytic stroke. He lingered on for four days, however Dr. James Zachary Cravey (1848-1923) gave him no chance for survival. He pass away on January 14, 1893 and was buried in St. John's Cemetery. Emily would apply for his military pension from the Mexican War on February 27 that same year since Congress had already approved of pensions for these veterans on January 29, 1887. The family shipping company was taken over by his son John Abercrombie Merritt who renamed it the John A. Merritt & Company and quickly became one of Pensacola's "Kings of Commerce."
Lucius Manlius Merritt
Lucius was kept a prisoner at Ft. Pickens for a time between 1862-1863
6-15-1882 Times Democrat, New Orleans
8-22-1882 Pensacola Commercial
10-15-1882 Times Picayune, New Orleans
Pensacola Wharf c1909
Pensacola timber ships loading lumber
Pensacola yellow fever epidemic of 1882
Lucius M. Merritt stricken but survived
10-17-1882 Times Democrat, New Orleans
Pensacola News Journal 10-20-1882
Recovery of the Merritt family
1-1-1885 Montgomery Advertiser
Pensacola News Journal 1-14-1893
Emily's military retirement from her husband's Mexican War service
Emily's military retirement from her husband's Mexican War service
Son John Abercrombie Merritt with his wife
Mary Rosa Turner Merritt c1898
Son John Abercrombie Merritt Sr. (center sitting) with the Pensacola Dude's baseball team of 1888 with John playing second base. John's brother in law team manager Charles Hill Turner is in the back row on left with the black top hat and suit. Third baseman Knowles Hyer is to John's left and First baseman John E. Maxwell to his right. Photo courtesy of West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc.
Marriage Certificate 12-28-1871
Pensacola News Journal January 1-15-1893
Gravesite St. John's Cemetery
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