Augustus Henry Mathers was born April 25, 1825 in Jefferson County, Florida, the son of William Henry Mathers, Jr. (1796GA-1842FL) and Elizabeth Clarke (1796?-1834FL).

Augustus grew up in Jefferson County where his father held political office as County Clerk for a number of years. As an adult, he appears first on the 1850 Census as a tailor in Madison County, Florida, having married October 28, 1848 to Mary Ann Cooper, born December 22, 1822/3 the daughter of Dr. James A. Cooper (1797GA-1883FL) and Elizabeth White. He migrated to Micanopy, Alachua County with that family ca. 1852 where he and his father-in-law opened a drugstore in 1853, known in later years as the “Old Reliable Micanopy Drugstore”.

They had the following children :

1. James Cooper b. 1850, d. 1851.
2. James Cooper b. 6/24/1852, Madison Co., FL, d. 1/1/1904, Micanopy, FL; m. Modes Venela Hunter, 9/25/1878, Orange Springs, FL, b.6/29/1853, Micanopy, FL, d.1/18/1920, High Springs, FL; both bu. in Micanopy Cemetery.

. In 1857-58, Augustus attended Augusta Medical College, Augusta, Georgia, earning a doctorate in pharmacy. Thereafter he practiced medicine in Micanopy in addition to his drugstore interests.

In June 1861, he enlisted in the 4th Florida Regiment at Micanopy, receiving his first assignment in the SurgeonÂ’s Department on Seahorse Key near Cedar Key, Levy County, Florida. By November 1861, he had been reassigned to Regiment Headquarters, Fernandina, Florida.

After evacuation of that area in Mar 1862 and the ordering of the 4th Florida Regiment to Virginia, he was reassigned by General Trapier to duty in Florida as Assistant Surgeon under Captain J.J. Dickison, apparently in the Lake City/Sanderson, Florida area. At some point in time, the Confederate Congress decreed that "every town should have one druggist" and he was sent home to Micanopy and later paroled at Waldo, Florida on 17 April 1865.

After the war, he prospered as an Apothecarist/MD and as a citrus grower, in addition to serving a term as mayor of Micanopy. After his first wife's death on December 8, 1892, he remarried on November 15, 1893 to Elizabeth Merry, born October 27, 1854 in Alachua County, Florida. He moved to Tampa in Hillsborough County, ca. 1900 and opened a drugstore there on Nebraska Avenue. In 1907, failing in health, he applied for pension and was designated Pensioner No. 1671. In 1914, he moved back to Micanopy and died there ten days later on April 12; Elizabeth dying ten years later on March 16 1924. He and both wives are buried in the Micanopy City Cemetery.

Dr. Mathers left a legacy in letters home during the early years of the WBTS, that are now perpetuated in the Florida Historical Society Quarterly, Vol XXXVI, No. 2.

Sources: 1850-1910 Federal Census; Civil War Letters of Augustus Henry Mathers, Assistant Surgeon, Fourth Florida Regiment, C.S.A. published in Florida Historical Society Bulletin, Volume XXXVI, Part 2; State Pension file of Augustus Henry Mathers- #A01618, consisting of his applications for pension on 7/10/1907, 8/2/1909, & 1/14/1914, and his widowÂ’s application on 5/28/1914

Living next doore to your Augustus H Mathers in 1860 at household 243 was Georgia Ann Cooper age 25, Eliza J Cooper age 14, and Thomas L Cooper age 4. I believe that this is the family of Rev. Thomas Cooper, who appears to be deceased by this time. I don't know much about Rev Cooper and his family, and hope that you can help. I am researching the Hall family. Georgia Ann Hall married Rev. Thomas Cooper in Leon Co Fl. She was born about 1820/24, so her age would be off in this census if this is the same family, which I think it is. Some of Georgia's other siblings were living nearby in this census. An article in the Magnolia Journal about the William Hall family of Leon Fl is all I have about Thomas Cooper, but it says he was from Va and Hancock Co Ga. I am particularly interested in any further information about the Hall family, who moved to Florida from Georgia around 1824. I think William, Georgia's father, was related to my 3gtgrandfather Juniper Hall Sr. of Emanuel Co Ga. Juniper also has many descendants in the Alachua Fl area.