Champion Travis Traylor, Company E, 5th Florida Cavalry. was enlisted as a private at the age of 16 in the WBTS on 8/18/1864. He was listed as: AWOL 5/3/1865 (place not stated but likely POW of northern army). He was surrendered on 5/10/1865

May 22, 1865, Paroled, Quincy, FL. Champ applied for a
Florida Confederate Pension Application see file A02752 repository FL State Archives.
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My great great grandfather, Champion Travis Traylor is the son of Thomas Henry Traylor 1811-1847 and Elizabeth “Betsy” Frances Smith nee Peacock 1814-1878.

When Champ's father, Thomas Henry died in Marion County GA, shortly after his birth - Betsy packed up her 7 children and along with her elderly parents, Mose and Sarah Smith began the arduous journey into Florida. Using ox pulled dray and wagons they transported their meager belongings through hostile Native American Indian territory.

It is serendipitous as enumerated in the 15 Oct 1850 Calhoun County Florida census the family was situated in the adjacent household of Halcomb & Martha Hagan, also my great great great grandparents.

On 26 Dec 1869 Champ would marry Mary Ellen Johnson,
affectionately nicknamed “Florida”. She is the daughter of Gahaza M Johnson and “Sally” Renthee Ann Burnam.

Champ and Ellen raised 6 children; their second
born Charles Marshall being my great grandfather.

Champ raised his family in Jackson County FL on a homestead he bought and built a mill upon. Later he sold the mill to his youngest child, John Merrill. John expanded the mill using hand molded sun dried sand bricks and then sold the mill back to his father. The elder homestead known as "Champ Farm" or “Traylor’s Mill” was situated between Shady Grove & Alliance. A photo of the hand made brick is shown.

Ellen was washing clothes at the well and collapsed, reportedly from a stroke. No exact date is recorded of her date but we know it was in 1900.

Champion then married again; Ida Victoria Richards on 23 Dec 1902. Ida was the widow of Wilbur Lockey and brought one son into their marriage. Ida and Champ had 7 more children.

Not long after his marriage to Ida, a cyclone came
and blew off the roof of the house. It picked up a mattress with 2 children asleep on it and flipped it over onto another bed where 2 other children were sleeping.

Literary and photographic ownership is retained by the author Jennifer Taylor Nichols.