Steward Butler was born on February 8, 1842 in Covington County Alabama to parents James Jr. and Susannah Butler.  When Steward reach working age he was employed by his father on the family plantation in Alabama.  In 1860 Steward was living with his parents and working on the family farm and at the start of the Civil War he committed to service with the Confederate States Army.  Steward enlisted in April of 1861 with Company A of the 25th Alabama Regt., under Capt. Harper.  During his service Butler was wounded on three different occasions, which left him permanently disabled.  At the close of the war Butler had returned home to Covington, Alabama on a furlough on account of the wounds he had received in battle.  Butler was discharged in May of 1865 in Covington, Alabama Within 7 months of his discharge from the Civil War, on December 16, 1865, Steward married to Leuanna "Lou" Emeriler Tucker in Covington County Alabama.  After recovering from his Civil War wounds, Steward eventually returned to his position as farm laborer on his father's farm to support his growing family.  In 1867 Lou and Steward had their first child, a baby boy who they named Franklin.  Two years later, in 1869, the Butler's had their second child, a baby girl, which they named Joanah. Steward and Lou continued to reside in Covington County Alabama for the next 20 years, until just after their twentieth wedding anniversary.  In January of 1885 Steward and Lou loaded their personal items and children into a wagon and headed south for Florida.  According to Florida Cracker Days, by Pauline Ash, "they [the Butler's] came to Florida in a covered wagon from Birmingham and settled on the Cotee River. They built a log cabin on five acres given to them by John R. Sawyer II for their daughter's" hand in marriage. Within seven years of coming to Florida, Steward Butler died.  According to his wife, Lou, Steward died on December 1, 1892, in Hillsborough County.  By 1903 Lou Tucker Butler was living in Tarpon Springs, possibly the same location where Steward had passed away.  By 1909 Lou had moved and was living in Dade City, however she never remarried after Steward death.  Steward Butler was laid to rest in the East Elfers Cemetery at the time of his death in 1892, however today his grave is among the unknown's in the cemetery since he doesn't have a headstone.  Steward's grave once had a headstone as he is listed among a survey of verterans taken in 1941, perhaps some day his grave can be located and marked with a veterans headstone memorializing his service in the Civil War. (Research by Jeff Cannon- Copyright © 2008)