George Washington Scott
Encyclopedia
George Washington Scott was a noted Florida
businessman, plantation
owner, and military officer in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
.
, Pennsylvania
and was the 4th child of Agnes Irvine and John Scott
, Sr., both of cottish people|Scottish] descent. He became a merchant
and farmer
in Pennsylvania. In 1850 Scott visited Florida and moved to Quincy
, Florida
in 1851. In 1852, Scott moved to Leon County
, Florida
where he established established a mercantile exchange and his George W. Scott Plantation
.
In 1860 Scott enlisted in the Tallahassee Guards, a Leon County militia organization. Upon the formation of the Confederacy he was appointed Captain of Company D, Second Florida Cavalry. Scott organized and was elected lieutenant-colonel of the Fifth Florida Cavalry Battalion in 1863, serving throughout middle and east Florida. Scott's unit, called "Scott's Cavalry," participated in the February, 1864 Battle of Olustee
and in subsequent actions near Jacksonville
. In March 1865 Scott and his men played a prominent roll in the Battle of Natural Bridge
, south of Tallahassee, which prevented a Union occupation of the State Capital. Scott's unit surrendered and was paroled at Tallahassee in May 1865.
In 1868 Scott ran for Florida governor as a Democratic-Conservative but was defeated. This was Scott's only attempt in the political areana.
While on his plantation, Scott experimented in a variety of crops and planted 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) of sugar cane, cabbage
, collards, rutabaga
s, Dutch turnips
. Scott also created a 16 foot (5 m) overshot waterwheel transferring water from a pond going to corn, sugar and cotton processing.
Scott came up with a revolutionary fertilizer which combined cottonseed with bone meal
. Bone was obtained by black farm hands who earned a gallon of cane syrup for every 100 pound sack of animal bones. The bone were crushed with a heavy cast iron
stamp powered by a waterwheel and the meal mixed with sulfuric acid
. This was then mixed with cottonseed cake to make a final product.
In 1870 Scott sold his plantation and moved to Savannah, Georgia
then Atlanta
where he built his business. By 1887, the Gossypium Phospo, made by the George W. Scott Company, had become one of the most noted fertilizers in the south. (Tallahassee Weekly Floridian, January 28, 1886)
Scott became the first person to exploit Florida's vast phosphate
deposits and in 1887 purchased 1000 acres (4 km²) of land along the Peace River
in Charlotte County
and also backed the Arcadia Phosphate Company and sells Comer-Hall Fertilizer Company in Savannah. In May 1888 the first shipments of phosphate were made to his G. W. Scott Manufacturing Company. Scott built a fortune in real estate and fertilizer in Atlanta.
In 1890 Scott gave $112,250 to Decatur Female Seminary which he helped organize. The institute took the name of his mother, Agnes Scott, to become Agnes Scott College
.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
businessman, plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
owner, and military officer in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Biography
Scott was born in AlexandriaAlexandria, Pennsylvania
Alexandria is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 401 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and was the 4th child of Agnes Irvine and John Scott
John Scott (representative)
John Scott was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.John Scott was born at Marsh Creek, Pennsylvania, near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania...
, Sr., both of cottish people|Scottish] descent. He became a merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
and farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
in Pennsylvania. In 1850 Scott visited Florida and moved to Quincy
Quincy, Florida
Quincy is a city in Gadsden County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,982 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,975...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1851. In 1852, Scott moved to Leon County
Leon County, Florida
Leon County is a county located in the state of Florida, named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. At the 2010 Census, the population was 275,487. The county seat of Leon County is Tallahassee which also serves as the state capital. The county seat is home to two of Florida's major...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
where he established established a mercantile exchange and his George W. Scott Plantation
George W. Scott Plantation
The George W. Scott Plantation was a 1036 acre cotton plantation in central Leon County, Florida, United States established by George Washington Scott in 1852 and located 2 miles south of Tallahassee.-Plantation specifics:...
.
In 1860 Scott enlisted in the Tallahassee Guards, a Leon County militia organization. Upon the formation of the Confederacy he was appointed Captain of Company D, Second Florida Cavalry. Scott organized and was elected lieutenant-colonel of the Fifth Florida Cavalry Battalion in 1863, serving throughout middle and east Florida. Scott's unit, called "Scott's Cavalry," participated in the February, 1864 Battle of Olustee
Battle of Olustee
The Battle of Olustee or Battle of Ocean Pond was fought in Baker County, Florida on 20 February 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the largest battle fought in Florida during the war.-Background:In February 1864, Major General Quincy A...
and in subsequent actions near Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. In March 1865 Scott and his men played a prominent roll in the Battle of Natural Bridge
Battle of Natural Bridge
The Battle of Natural Bridge was a battle during the American Civil War, fought in what is now Woodville, Florida, near Tallahassee, on March 6, 1865...
, south of Tallahassee, which prevented a Union occupation of the State Capital. Scott's unit surrendered and was paroled at Tallahassee in May 1865.
In 1868 Scott ran for Florida governor as a Democratic-Conservative but was defeated. This was Scott's only attempt in the political areana.
While on his plantation, Scott experimented in a variety of crops and planted 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) of sugar cane, cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
, collards, rutabaga
Rutabaga
The rutabaga, swede , turnip or yellow turnip is a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip; see Triangle of U...
s, Dutch turnips
Turnip
The turnip or white turnip is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, bulbous taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock...
. Scott also created a 16 foot (5 m) overshot waterwheel transferring water from a pond going to corn, sugar and cotton processing.
Scott came up with a revolutionary fertilizer which combined cottonseed with bone meal
Bone meal
Bone meal is a mixture of crushed and coarsely ground bones that is used as an organic fertilizer for plants and formerly in animal feed. As a slow-release fertilizer, bone meal is primarily used as a source of phosphorus....
. Bone was obtained by black farm hands who earned a gallon of cane syrup for every 100 pound sack of animal bones. The bone were crushed with a heavy cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
stamp powered by a waterwheel and the meal mixed with sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the molecular formula . Its historical name is oil of vitriol. Pure sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid. The salts of sulfuric acid are called sulfates...
. This was then mixed with cottonseed cake to make a final product.
In 1870 Scott sold his plantation and moved to Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
then Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
where he built his business. By 1887, the Gossypium Phospo, made by the George W. Scott Company, had become one of the most noted fertilizers in the south. (Tallahassee Weekly Floridian, January 28, 1886)
Scott became the first person to exploit Florida's vast phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
deposits and in 1887 purchased 1000 acres (4 km²) of land along the Peace River
Peace River (Florida)
The Peace River is a river in the southwestern part of the Florida peninsula, in the U.S.A.. It originates at the juncture of Saddle Creek and Peace Creek northeast of Bartow in Polk County and flows south through Hardee County to Arcadia in DeSoto County and then southwest into the Charlotte...
in Charlotte County
Charlotte County, Florida
Charlotte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 141,627. In 2005, the population of the MSA was 154,030.The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county was 152,814...
and also backed the Arcadia Phosphate Company and sells Comer-Hall Fertilizer Company in Savannah. In May 1888 the first shipments of phosphate were made to his G. W. Scott Manufacturing Company. Scott built a fortune in real estate and fertilizer in Atlanta.
In 1890 Scott gave $112,250 to Decatur Female Seminary which he helped organize. The institute took the name of his mother, Agnes Scott, to become Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College is a private undergraduate college in the United States. Agnes Scott's campus lies in downtown Decatur, Georgia, nestled inside the perimeter of the bustling metro-Atlanta area....
.