lem ing ▁was ▁a ▁Dem ocrat , ▁strong ▁supp orter ▁of ▁seg reg ation ▁and ▁an ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁civil ▁rights ▁for ▁black s . ▁ ▁F lem ing ▁was ▁a ▁Confeder ate ▁soldier ▁and ▁lawyer ▁before ▁he ▁became ▁governor . ▁ ▁Biography ▁F lem ing ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Pan ama ▁Park ▁( now ▁part ▁of ▁Jackson ville ) ▁in ▁ ▁Du val ▁County , ▁Florida . ▁He ▁spent ▁his ▁early ▁years ▁with ▁his ▁parents , ▁Lewis ▁F lem ing ▁and ▁his ▁second ▁wife ▁Margaret ▁Set on , ▁on ▁their ▁St . ▁Joh ns ▁River ▁plant ation , ▁" H iber nia ". ▁The ▁plant ation ▁narrow ly ▁escaped ▁destruction ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁the ▁Independent ▁Battalion , ▁Massachusetts ▁Caval ry ▁in ▁mid - A pril ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁when ▁Colonel ▁Guy ▁V . ▁Henry , ▁a ▁relative ▁of ▁the ▁F lem ing ▁family , ▁ordered ▁it ▁sp ared . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁F lem ing ▁served ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁cause ▁by ▁en list ing ▁as ▁a ▁private ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Florida ▁Regiment ▁and ▁received ▁a ▁battle field ▁promotion ▁to ▁first ▁lieutenant , ▁and ▁subsequently ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁captain . ▁After ▁being ▁wounded , ▁F lem ing ▁returned ▁to ▁Florida ▁and ▁act ively ▁en list ed ▁new ▁volunte ers , ▁command ing ▁a ▁volunte er ▁company ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Natural ▁Bridge ▁at ▁St . ▁Mark s ▁on ▁March ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war