Gamble Mansion

Personal Information. Grandfather --Loch Lomond settled in Chesterfield County, South Carolina before Civil War. Met and Married Julia Gamble Tallahassee Florida.Robert Gamble. Brother of Julia Gamble, my great Uncle, left Tallahassee and settled on a plantation of 3500 acres on the Manatee River near Bradenton , Florida and built himself a house. 1844 (130 years ago.)Gamble Mansion?? Oldest Building on West Coast of Florida. Only Confederate memorial in Florida. Why? (Thereby Hangs a Tale)Judah P. Benjamin--prominent Jewish Lawyer of New Orleans and Washington. Before Civil War--was U.S. Senator from Louisiana. First Secretary of War for Confederates. Later Secretary of State for Confederates. When Richmond was captured by North, President Jefferson and Cabinet fled South. President Jefferson captured and imprisoned at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Benjamin rode a mule--dressed like a woman--Federal Troops were in hot pursuit of all cabinet members. Al Burt---Benjamin did not like horses. Rode a mule. Benjamin managed to escape the dragnet and found his way to West Coast of Florida where he hid out in the Gamble Mansion. Known as Mr. Howard. Benjamin hired a small boat to take him to the Bahamas where he could get transportation to England. By night they said down Manatee River and by morning where well out in Gulf of Mexico when they were hailed by a federal patrol ship. Halted for a search party to come aboard. Benjamin was told by his captain to go down in ship galley, black his face and hands and he tied a red handkerchief on his head get to work in the kitchen. One member of the searching party told one of the others, "That sure is a funny looking Negro cook. He looks like a Jew."Benjamin finally made it to England and practiced law there for 20 years becoming a very popular and prominent attorney. In fact, he became one of the Queen Victoria's Counselor's.The United Daughter of the Confederacy purchased the Gamble Mansion and named it the Judah P. Benjamin Memorial, then deeded it to the state of Florida and it is now a part of the Parks and Recreational Department.