The family story about John Hadley is that he and a couple of the Cruit boys went for a ride (horseback, of course). They got drunk and decided to have a horse race through the woods. Hadley slammed into the low limb of a pine tree and knocked his brains out.

Another version of the story says that the saddle strap broke throwing Hadley into a tree.  This is the version that the present day Hadley family has heard passed down.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Confederate military records for the 2nd Alabama Cavalry list a Robert F. Crewit. This would have been Robert Freeman (Uncle Free) Cruit. He enlisted Feb 27, 1863 at Baldwin County for three years. Captain West was the enlisting officer. The remarks state: Pay horse 40 cents per day - $24.40.

Soldiers were paid extra for bringing a horse, and in some cases the horse was more important than the soldier.

A book on the history of Escambia county mentions Robert Freeman Cruit as having been one of the last bodyguards of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy.  Uncle Free's cavalry unit of 450 men escorted Jefferson Davis to Georgia where the unit surrendered to union forces only because the war had ended.

A family story about "Uncle Free" that some of the present day adults can remember from their childhoods is seeing Uncle Free ride up in his horse and buggy to visit. He was a big man with a long white beard. The kids loved to see him come, because he always brought a bag of candy. But he always required his nieces and nephews to give him a kiss before he would give them the candy, and they hated having to kiss him.

Another memory of Uncle Free is that he used to say that he had never worked a day in his life. Though that isn't  likely since he spent most of his life on a farm.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

From the Atmore Spectrum, Thursday March 8, 1906:

Mr. George Cruit and son Mr. John Cruit while out hunting last Saturday on their horses happened to a sad accident. The horse of Mr. John Cruit became frightened and threw him and in some way both barrels of his gun was discharged killing his father instantly.
 
 

(I have no date or publication name for this.)

Mary Jane Cruit, the widow of James B. Willets, is dead at her home, 610 Greene Avenue. She died yesterday of pneumonia. She had been ill only two weeks. She was born in Devonshire, England, June 4, 79 years ago, and had been a resident of Brooklyn for 65 years. She came to this country with her parents at the age of 2 years. For more than half a century she had lived in the Thirteenth and Nineteenth Wards of Brooklyn. Her husband, who died 30 years ago, was a well known business man of old Williamsburgh. The deceased leaves two sons, Samuel Platt and Amos H., and two daughters, the Misses Jennie and Mary L. Willets. The interment will be in Cypress Hills Cemetery.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Lancaster Weekly Gazette, Sept. 15, 1864:

Died--Aug. 28, 1864, after an illness of ten days, Mr. William Cruit, aged 67 years, 5 months and 24 days.

Mr. Cruit was born in Devonshire, near Dartmuth, England, in March 1797. Came to America about 1820, marrying in Virginia in 1825 and removed to this county in 1829. Has been a resident of the same 35 years. We, as neighbors, have known him to be a man of very correct business habits, honest, truthful and punctual in his business relations and by industry, perseverance and economy has acquired a good legacy for his children for whom he felt a warm attachment, burying three, and leaving an affectionate widow and eight children, two of whom are now in the Union army, and twenty grandchildren to mourn his loss.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Mrs. Hannah Cruit was born near Wigan, Lancashire, England, Aug. 6, 1803, and brought by her parents to Waterford, Virginia, when six years old, and afterward she moved to Fairfield Co., Ohio. She united with the Church when quite young, and lived a consistent Christian life. The ministers and their families on Royalton Circuit will remember her as one who was always mindful of their comfort. Five sons and two daughters survive. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord.

Thomas H. Hall.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Chambersburg, Tuesday Aug. 7.

Died, in this borough, on Tuesday last, after a few days illness, Miss Susanna Cruit. The deceased was from England, and has, we understand, a father and two brothers somewhere in his country. She had resided here, near a year, and for sometime past carried on the straw bonnet and mantua making businesses, with credit to herself and satisfaction to her employers. She received in her illness all the attention and tender kindness which christian benevolence and hospitality could bestow; and her remains were respectfully interred in the Methodist burial ground, to which society she had attached herself. NOTE: Printers (particularly those in the District of Columbia) are respectfully requested to notice this death, in such form as they may see proper, for the information of the friends of the deceased.