End of Watch Friday, March 22, 1968
An excerpt from the book, “Some Gave All,” available on Amazon
By Mike Simmons
Throughout the history of the area now known as West Florida, trails were
made from footpaths carved out by Native Americans, explorers, pioneers,
and settlers. When future president Andrew Jackson was sent to the territory several times in the early 1800s, his army used some of the trails.
Over time, a few of them became more prominent than others. U.S. Highways 90 and 98 began as trails, slowly developing into roads and then highways. In 1881, the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad began laying track near present U. S. Highway 90. Many lives were – of course – affected by the new industry. During construction, the railroad needed men who were willing to work hard for good wages. Families often saw the father leave home for a while to make money.
The workers tended to make their homes in small communities, often near
rivers or streams. One such community was built on a horseshoe-shaped bluff overlooking the Apalachicola River, about 100 miles east of Pensacola. The residents soon began to refer to their new home as “Half Moon Bluff.” The local post office, however, was called “Bloxham Station,” after William Bloxham, a local politician. Many of the locals unofficially gave that name to the community. In 1881, William Bloxham was elected governor and subsequently had a post office named after him in Leon County. Therefore, the town of Half Moon Bluff was renamed Caryville, after the secretary of the Pensacola & Atlantic.
James Jeffcoat was born in Caryville on March 2, 1913. In the 1920s, he moved with his family to Pensacola. As a young man, he was a champion boxer in the Golden Gloves program. In 1936, he got a job as a waiter, and in 1938, he worked as a clerk. In 1941, he joined the U.S. Army and was sent overseas. He spent 46 months in the European Theatre, including storming the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. When he returned home to Pensacola after the war, he got a job as a cab driver. but he had his heart set on being a Pensacola Police Officer. That dream was realized on January 22, 1946, when the Pensacola News Journal reported that James had been hired by Chief Willie O’Connell. Four years later, he was already sporting sergeant stripes!
James’ hobby was raising pigeons and he was pretty good at it. His expertise came in handy one Saturday in 1957 when a pigeon flew into one of the windows of the police station. After the fowl waddled into Captain Raymond Harper’s office, Sergeant Jeffcoat responded to a call from the good captain and correctly discovered that the bird was from New Orleans but could not fly home due to oil on its wings. The expert took the bird home, cleaned it up, and contacted the owner. Owner and bird reunited – mission accomplished!
On April 25, 1961, James’ talent was beginning to get the attention of others, and he was promoted to the rank of Detective. As a sergeant, James Jeffcoat was known all over town, especially on the west side of town, as the guy who oversaw all day-to-day police matters. He had been instrumental in arrests, traffic crashes, and calls for help. He was everywhere! As a detective, he used that popularity with many cases, ranging from murders to burglaries to thefts.
On Friday morning, March 22, 1968, Detective Jeffcoat arrived at work as usual, and, as usual, faced a busy workload[1]. He went to work in his office at the police station. Around 3 PM, he collapsed on the table in the detective’s meeting room. His fellow officers immediately called for an ambulance and together, they carried him downstairs where they were met by emergency workers. Detective Jeffcoat was pronounced dead on his arrival at Sacred Heart Hospital.
James was survived by his wife and two daughters. They lived on Springhill Drive in Pensacola and attended First Methodist Church, where the funeral was held on March 24, 1968. He is buried in St. John’s cemetery.
[1] Pensacola News Journal. https://www.newspapers.com/image/264069095/?terms=%22James%20Jeffcoat%22&match=1