Milly Francis is the true story of the first woman to receive a special medal of honor from the U.S. Congress. Born in the Creek Nation of Alabama in around 1803, Milly was a first hand witness to the rise and fall of her father's religious movement and the Creek War of 1813-1814. By the time she was 15 years old, she had survived three wars and a desperate flight for survival to Spanish Florida. It was at that age that she saved the life of an American soldier named Duncan McCrimmon, a man who had come to Florida with Andrew Jackson's army to make war on her people during the First Seminole War of 1817-1818. Her act of mercy stunned a grateful nation and sparked a reconsideration of America's attitudes toward its original inhabitants, a process that continues to this day. In Milly Francis, Dale Cox has captured the story of a person, a time and a people. The story he weaves is touching, tragic, heroic and real.
About the Author: Dale Cox is a Southern writer and historian with more than fourteen books to his credit. His critically-acclaimed book, The Battle of Marianna, Florida, was named best in its category by Civil War Books & Authors. The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida, Cox's history of the 1865 Confederate defense of Tallahassee, was hailed by reviewers as the "excellent." The Scott Massacre of 1817: A Seminole War Battle in Gadsden County, Florida overlaps in many ways the story of Milly Francis. Published to support the preservation and interpretation efforts of the West Gadsden Historical Society, the book is among the author's personal favorites and provides the first in depth history of the beginning days of Florida's Seminole Wars. Another of Cox's books, The Claude Neal Lynching: The 1934 Murders of Claude Neal and Lola Cannady, has drawn widespread attention and acclaim. The most detailed account of the infamous 1934 incident to date, the book is used as a key reference by classes at major universities. His other books include Two Egg, Florida; A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida; The Battle of Massard Prairie: The 1864 Confederate Attacks on Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Old Parramore: The History of a Florida Ghost Town. He also has written multiple volumes on the histories of Jackson and Gadsden Counties in Florida. A Christmas in Two Egg, Florida has been adapted for the stage and is performed annually during the holiday season. A descendent of the Yuchi leaders Efa Hadjo and Efa Emathla, he has lived his life deeply immersed in the rich heritage of the Creek Indians. Cox was the 2012 Citizen of the Year for Jackson County, Florida, and has been inducted into the Bonnie Blue Society of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, an organization for authors of note. He has been awarded the Jefferson Davis Medal by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and has been honored for his historic preservation efforts by numerous other organizations, including the Children of the American Revolution, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Order of the Confederate Rose. A Christian, Dale Cox is the father of two grown sons, William and Alan. He resides near the unique little community of Two Egg, Florida, with his constant canine companion, Goober D. Dogg.