The Biography of My Grandfather, Cincinnatus C. Brock 1840-1934

9/4/08

Submitted By: Paul Brock
This project consisted of research to compile pictures and genealogy of my grandfather, Cincinnatus C. Brock. This adventure has been a pleasure and a privilege for me, and as I have gathered this research, my love and respect has grown for this man as a great pioneer and patriot.
Grandpa was born in Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia on May 6, 1840. His parents were Johnson C. Brock and Elizabeth Dodd. They had five children: Amanda, Van Buren, Cincinnatus, Albertus (Tort), and Alamanda. He took his father’s place in the War Between the States at about the age of 21.
He enlisted in the Company D. South Georgia Regiment. He made it through the entire war without injury until he was wounded by a musket ball in the right arm at Manassa, just a few days before the surrender. Thankfully, the musket ball did not cause very much damage. We know very little about his early life, but we do know that after the war, he became a horse trader by profession and lived for some time somewhere in Mississippi.
He later moved to West Bay, Florida south of Panama City, and there he met and married Francis Ellen Davis of Calhoun County. This is where all his children were born. He later homesteaded or bought land in Jackson County in the Rocky Creek Community. He gave each of his children forty acres a piece and built a home and country store nearby. Even though he could not read nor write, he ran the store for quite a while until he had another house built near his son,( my father), where he lived until his death. Early on the morning of May 6, 1934 shortly after eating breakfast, he gently passed away.
I remember him when I was a boy, as a giant of a man who stood approximately 6 feet and weighed about two hundred and fifty pounds. He was jovial and easy going. I have no recall of hearing him use foul or vulgar language. When he would get frustrated he would say, "Dang my shirt!" That seemed to be the extent of his show of exasperation.
What a privilege it was for me to have lived in a time that I had some association with him and got to know him from the perspective of a grandson. This great pioneer and patriot used to tell me a little about the war, but never went into too much detail. He only spoke of the long marches without enough food and all of the hardships that went with those dreadful experiences.
He related how sometimes they had to forage for food and what a welcome sight it was when they discovered a cornfield. They would roast the corn and be thankful that they had found it. He spoke of fighting with the enemy all day and then stopping for rest at night. He also said that they would sometimes cross over the battle lines and trade with the Union soldiers.
As I searched and recorded this history, I came to a better understanding of him and the legacy that he left us all. It was truly a labor of love for me. Now I can leave this research to future generations of family and friends so they can now know and see what their ancestors looked like.
This biography was composed by Paul Brock, the grandson of Cincinnatus C. Brock. Paul Brock is also the son of James Wesley Brock and Pellie Pauline Allen.
Editor’s Note: Cincinnatus Brock was buried in the Sims Cemetery in Jackson County on Highway 71 South of Marianna. His grave is one of the graves identified and cared for by the local confederate soldier grave restoration group of the Theophilus West, M.D. Camp 1346. If you wish more information about Cincinnatus Brock contact Paul Brock at 482-4285.