Poetry of a Florida Cowboy

By David Carlton

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rustik Haws LLC
• Release date: Apr 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781952617355

Book preview

Dedication

I dedicate this book to the best cowboy I have ever known, my father, Leslie Carlton, and to the lady who has always been my biggest supporter in everything that I ever attempted to do, my mother, Betty Carlton. I also dedicate this to my loving wife, Dawna, who has stood by me through thick and thin, and the remainder of my extended family. Lastly, I dedicate this book to the generations’ of Florida cow hunters who are still living the life. I hope there is something in this book that either entertains or educates everyone who reads it. May God bless you all.

My Parents, Leslie and Betty Carlton

I would like to thank three friends who were inspirational to me in finally taking the time to pull this project together Thanks Ken Bhirdo, Sally Breaux Ayres and Honey Kutach for your encouragement.

I enjoy reading David’s writing because he puts you in the story with him, relating his experiences from the heart. As you read his works you get to know more and more the values, family ties, hard work and struggles in his past that formed him in youth. His style is natural and the words flow easily, as one can almost hear the author uttering the words. Some of David’s works will make you think, others will make you smile, yet others will provide a great history lesson, but above all you will learn something from all of them. Of David, you will learn his good nature, his humor, his sincerity, and his love of life. These distinguishing attributes are shown over and over again in the works in this book.

Kenneth J. Bhirdo

The Carlton name is well - known in Central Florida where David was raised, as a family rich in Cracker history. A lot of people claim to be cowboys, but the Carlton’s are the real deal. David’s writings reflect his upbringing –salt of the earth – with a strong family bond, great faith and a sentiment about the past. I don’t claim to know a lot about poetry but I know I love David’s work.

Mark Cook, Columnist, Radio Host and Editor- in-Chief,

PewterReport.com

I would like to say David Carlton has lived the life he writes about and makes it so real that you feel like you are living it with him! I could go on and on because he writes from his heart.

Sally Carlton Ayers

Contents

Dedication

Introduction

What is a Cowboy?

Cowboy’s Life

Southern Cowboy

Cow Town Jail

Custer

Night Rider

Stampede

Shadow

The Bag

The Ride

Morning

Baxter Black

Beast

Bighorn

Boots and Saddles

Building Fence

Cook

Devil’s Garden

First Bull Ride

Gates

Hard Times

Headstone

High In The Mountains

Too Late

Jessie James

Longhorn’s Tail

The Billy Bowlegs War

Mosquitoes

Mr. Bell

Nagging Old Wife

Old Wind Mill

Texas Drought of 2011

On The Run

Rank Bull

Tiger

Treed

The Trail

Epitaph

Border

David’s Prayer

Dinner On The Grounds

Christmas Past

Christmas tree Hunting

Everglades

Getting Old

Hard

If Walls Could Talk

Maters

Memories

Old Friend

Plastic

Rain

Stones

Texas in Spring

The Tiki Bar

Then

Touchdown Jesus

The Dash

Fixed

Dust Covered Rider

Fresh Horses

Aunt Mary

Family Tree

Photographs

Closing Remarks

Introduction

Here is a short history lesson for all you cowboys and cowgirls. It’s also about how a cowboy came from the state of Florida?

What most westerners don’t know is that cattle were first introduced to the North American Continent in 1521, when Ponce De Leon landed on Florida’s west coast. Records indicate that by the 1600’s, the Spanish missions in Florida had over 20,000 head of cattle. It is also reported that Native Americans learned to raise cattle from the Spanish and became very good cattlemen. Some herds were owned independently by Indian chiefs. During the English occupation of Florida, they brought English Shorthorn and English Longhorn cattle to cross with the small Andalusian stock, which pretty much ran wild throughout the whole Florida territory by then. These crosses are now recognized as the Florida Piney Woods cattle of the 1800’s.

Southwest Florida in the 1800’s was a lucrative market for Florida’s growing herds. Cuba had lost most of her cattle in revolutions, but they had Spanish gold to exchange for Florida cattle. Large cattle herds were driven from all over the Florida Territory to Punta Rassa, South of Tampa, where they were loaded onto ships bound for Cuba. A long pier was built to load cattle on these ships. Before the pier was built, cattle had to be driven into the water and made to swim to the ships side, where a harness was attached to each cow, and with a winch they were lifted aboard. In 1840 alone, 30,000 head of cattle were exported to Cuba from Punta Rassa.

During the War of Northern Aggression, trade was so profitable that cattlemen risked running Union blockades to get their cattle to market. Florida supplied the Confederate army with over 50,000 head of cattle during the War. Cattle drives from Florida during the War were done to feed a starving Confederacy. The Cow Calvary pushed thousands of cattle north to feed the troops. The cattle were shipped to New Orleans, or driven north to Georgia and South Carolina for distribution. These drives were done in easy stages when possible, so the cattle would not lose weight.

Weather has always played a part in everyday life in Florida, and made life really tough for cowboys. Sunshine, rain and warm weather made the belly deep grass prairies of Florida an ideal cattle range.

Cowboys, in the Sunshine State, are also called cow hunters. The only way pioneers could gather these wild cattle, was to hunt them. Territorial Florida was dense with tropical vegetation