Civil War Florida

Florida's First Confederate Monument - Your Help is Needed!!

2013-04-20T15:28:00.001-05:00

Walton County Confederate Monumnet

A major effort is underway to restore Florida's first Confederate monument and help is needed to fund the repairs!

Located on the grounds of the Walton County Courthouse in DeFuniak Springs, the monument has paid tribute to Walton County's Confederate dead since 1871. It is carved from Alabama marble and originally was topped by an urn with a hand pointing to Heaven. The urn and hand are no longer there, but will be replaced with a new carving made from Georgia marble.

Monument in the 1960s
Florida State Archives, Florida Memory Collection

The total cost of the restoration is $3,500 and the Walton County Heritage Association has committed itself to the project and has contracted for the work. The members need your help!

This is a rare opportunity to save an original Confederate monument. In fact, it is an extremely rare opportunity to save Florida's very first Confederate monument.

When the Walton County's citizens erected the monument in 1871, just six years after the end of the War Between the States, they became the first residents of Florida to honor the state's fallen with a tangible memorial. The county seat of Walton County was then at Eucheeanna, about three miles southeast of DeFuniak Springs. It was relocated to DeFuniak Springs when the city became Walton County's third county seat.

The original courthouse at Eucheeanna, a community that was severely raided by Union troops on their way to the Battle of Marianna in 1864, no longer stands.

Walton County Confederate Monument

The monument, however, survives and is quite unique. Not only was it Florida's first Confederate monument, having been erected during the darkest days of Reconstruction when carpetbaggers and scalawags controlled the state, it also has stood in front of two different courthouses in two different towns.

Please join me in supporting the effort to restore the Walton County Confederate Monument. Every dollar is welcome and whether you can donate $1 or $1,000, the good people of the Walton County Heritage Association will appreciate your help.

You can donate at the Walton County Heritage Museum (old L&N train depot) in DeFuniak Springs on Tuesday-Saturday afternoons from 1-4 p.m., or you can mail your donations to:

Walton County Heritage Association
1140 Circle Drive
DeFuniak Springs, FL 32435

Donate online at: www.waltoncountyheritage.org (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

"Jacksonville is in Ruins" - The 1863 Union Burning of Jacksonville, Florida

2013-03-17T17:56:00.002-05:00

Riverfront in Jacksonville, Florida
Photo by Brian Mabelitini

This month marks the 150th anniversary of the destruction of Jacksonville by Union troops.

Part of an expedition that had been conceived as a means of placing U.S. Colored Troops in East Florida to encourage an uprising by the African slaves in the state, the episode was disastrous for Federals and Confederates alike. Unable to accomplish the objectives of the expedition, the Union soldiers set far to the beautiful port city.

The following account was written from Jacksonville on March 28, 1863, by a correspondent of the New York Herald-Tribune:

Jacksonville is in ruins. That beautiful city, which has for so many years been a favorite resort for invalids from the North, has to-day been burned tot he ground, and, what is sad to record, by the soldiers of the National army. Scarcely a mansion, a cottage, a negro hut, or a warehouse remains. The long lines of magnificent oaks, green and beautiful, with the thickest foliage, the orange groves perfuming the air with their blossoms, the sycamores, the old century plants adorning every garden, the palmetto and bayonet trees, ever tropical in verdure, the rose and the jessamine - all that at this season...has made Jacksonville a little Eden, has been burned, and scorched, and crisped, if not entirely consumed to ashes, by the devouring flames.

Jacksonville as it appeared one year after the fire.

Writing from the upper deck of the U.S. transport Boston as he witnessed the burning of Jacksonville, the correspondent continued his description:

...On every side, from every quarter of the city, dense clouds of black smoke and flame are bursting through the mansions and warehouses. A fine south wind is blowing immense blaring cinders right into the heart of the city. The beautiful Spanish moss, drooping so gracefully from the long avenue of splendid old oaks has caught fire, and so far as the eye can reach through these once pleasant streets, nothing but sheets of flame can be seen, running up with the rapidity of lightning to the tops of the trees and then darting off to the smallest branches.

As the writer noted, the scene at Jacksonville proved that the war had descended to the depths of the vindictive and bloody fighting that had characterized European wars for centuries. Particularly shocking was his description of the burning of Jacksonville's Catholic church:

...Yesterday the beautiful little cottage used as the Catholic parsonage, together with the church, was fired by some of the soldiers, and in a short time burned to the ground. Before the flames had fairly reached the church the soldiers burst open the doors and commenced sacking it of everything of value. The organ was in a moment torn to strips, and almost every soldier who came out seemed to be celebrating the occasion by blowing through an organ pipe.

According to the account, the various Union regiments pointed fingers at each other to place blame for the destruction. The 6th Connecticut, the writer reported, blamed the 8th Maine, while the men of the 8th Maine blamed the soldiers of the 6th Connecticut.

The destruction consumed the homes and property of Unionist families along with that of their pro-Confederate neighbors. The expedition that was expected to turn hundreds if not thousands of Florida's slaves into soldiers for the North secured only 30 black recruits for the Union army. Jacksonville, however, was all but destroyed and untold millions of dollars in damage done.

Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida - March 6, 1865

2013-03-06T16:48:00.000-06:00

Dogwoods were in bloom at the Battle of Natural Bridge

Today marks the 148th anniversary of the Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida. The last significant Confederate victory of the War Between the States, the battle saved not only Tallahassee from Union capture, but nearby Thomasville, Georgia, as well.

To read about the events leading up to the battle, please visit Skirmish at East River Bridge, Disaster at East River Bridge, Skirmish at Newport and Race through the Darkness.

The race to the Natural Bridge of the St. Marks River ended before sunrise on the morning of March 6, 1865, with a large Confederate force in position on the rising hill or ridge that controlled the western end of the bridge.

The Natural Bridge as it appears today.

Union troops arrived on the scene not long after and attempted to force a passage and break the Confederate line. With virtually no intelligence about the strength and position of the force on the opposite side, Brigadier General John Newton (USA) ordered a direct attack down the road that led across the bridge.

The Natural Bridge then was heavily wooded and the banks of the St. Marks River covered with reeds that grew higher than the heads of the soldiers arrayed on opposite sides of the river. The sun had not yet risen and very little moon- and star-light penetrated the thick tree cover of the swamp. Total darkness surrounded Major Benjamin Lincoln and the men of Companies B and G, 2nd U.S. Colored Troops (USA), as they stepped off down the road that crossed the Natural Bridge.

The Confederate line was at the top of the gentle rise.

The firing of Confederate skirmishers alerted the main line that the Federals were coming and as Lincoln and his men emerged from the west end of the bridge into an old field on the level ground near the river, the entire length of the Confederate line opened fire.

One of the participants in the fight wrote a few days later that Major General Samuel Jones (CSA) was under fire, "General Sam Jones was on the field, and fired off the artillery guns himself." Jones had been an instructor of artillery at West Point and commanded Confederate artillery at the Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) early in the war.

Earthwork of a Confederate cannon emplacement.

The Confederate cannon fire, backed by volleys of fire from the 1st Florida Reserves (CSA), 1st Florida Militia (CSA) and dismounted men of the 5th Florida Cavalry (CSA), did its job. The first Federal attack was driven back, as was the second.

The failure of the Union troops to break through in their first two attacks was disastrous for them. General Newton had no additional troops coming up to reinforce his command, but the Confederates had reinforcements and cannon pouring in from all over North Florida.

During the lull that followed the first two Federal attacks, General Jones ordered his men to entrench and earthworks were thrown up along the entire length of the horseshoe-shaped Confederate line. Additional cannon arrived on the field and were positioned at intervals along the lines.

Breastwork of the West Florida Cadets

Having heard the firing to his north from the breastworks at Newport, Brigadier General William Miller left a few civilians in the earthworks there to keep shooting at the soldiers of the 2nd Florida Cavalry (U.S.) on the opposite shore and maintain the illusion that the works were strongly occupied. He then headed north up the Plank Road with the Cadets from West Florida Seminary (CSA), a detachment of Marines from the gunboat CSS Spray (CSA), volunteers from Campbell's Siege Artillery Company at Fort Ward (CSA) and the rest of the home guards of the 1st Florida Militia from Gadsden County (CSA). This force arrived on the field at about 8:30 a.m., strongly reinforcing the Confederate line.

Monument at Natural Bridge Battlefield

So many Confederates were pouring onto the field that the generals did not need all of them on the firing line and were able to establish a reserve behind their lines.

The Federals tried to find another way across the river, but quickly found that the Confederate line could not be flanked. General Newton then decided to launch a two pronged assault across the Natural Bridge. One column, led by Colonel B.R. Townsend and made up of Companies A, B and H, 2nd U.S. Colored Troops (USA), was ordered to cross the bridge and immediately veer to the left (south) in an attempt to break through the right flank of the Confederate line. A second column, commanded by Major Benjamin Lincoln and made up of Companies E, G and K, 2nd U.S. Colored Troops (USA), was to charge straight up the road against the Confederate center. A third column, led by Lieutenant Colonel Uri B. Pearsall and made up of the entire available force of the 99th U.S. Colored Infantry (USA), was to follow the first two and reinforce any breakthrough made by either of them.

Monument listing the dead of both sides.

The black soldiers of the 2nd and 99th USCT fought courageously, charging across the Natural Bridge over and over, right into the ring of fire that came down on them from all directions as they emerged into the open. Casualties were heavy. The commanders of all three Union columns were shot down, as were many of their men. When told that he probably would die, Major Benjamin Lincoln was heard to say, "I am ready."

The repeated Union attacks failed and the anguish of this failure was magnified when the rebel yells of approaching Confederate reinforcements could be heard coming from across the river. The dismounted men of the 2nd Florida Cavalry (CSA) had arrived on the field, giving off the Confederate battle cry as they approached to hearten the men fighting ahead of them.

Counterattacks now took place, but the 2nd Florida (CSA) was forced back after it stormed across the Natural Bridge in the opposite direction. Heavy fighting moved now to the west side of the river, but General Newton it was over and that his expedition was a failure. Taking advantage of a lull that took place while the men of the 2nd Florida (CSA) waited for additional ammunition to be brought forward, he quit the field and began a rapid return march to the St. Marks Lighthouse.

St. Marks, Tallahassee and Thomasville had been saved from the destruction visited on so much of the South. Florida's capital city to this day holds the distinction of being the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi River not conquered by Union troops during the combat phase of the war.

Total Union casualties at the Battle of Natural Bridge included 35 killed or mortally wounded, 96 wounded and 50 captured or missing in action.

Total Confederate casualties were 6 killed or mortally wounded, 39 wounded and 4 captured or missing in action.

If you are interested in reading about the battle in depth, please consider my book, The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida:

The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida (Book) - $17.95

The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida (Kindle) - $9.95

You also can read more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/nbindex.

Race through the Darkness - March 5-6, 1865

2013-03-05T19:44:00.001-06:00

Old Plank Road near Newport

The failure of the Union force to break across the St. Marks River at Newport (see Skirmish at Newport) ignited a race through the darkness with the success of the entire expedition on the line.

Leaving his companies from the 2nd Florida Cavalry (USA) behind to disguise his movement and prevent the Confederate forces at Newport from crossing over and attacking him from behind, Brigadier General John Newton began to move with the main body of his command up a road that paralleled the east bank of the St. Marks River. A detachment of the 5th Florida Cavalry (CSA) fell back ahead of this movement, watching the Federal advance and getting word across the river to Brigadier General William Miller and Lieutenant Colonel George Washington Scott on the west bank.

Realizing that the Federals were attempting a flanking movement by way of the crossing at Natural Bridge, General Miller ordered Scott to parallel their advance by moving with his available cavalry up the west bank of the St. Marks. Word of the movement also was sent to the overall Confederate commander, Major General Samuel Jones, who had remained behind in Tallahassee to summon, organize and rush additional forces to the front while Miller had gone forward to assume command in the field.

Newport Spring with Plank Road in background.

Jones by this point had left Tallahassee and was at the Oil Still on the Tallahassee-St. Marks Railroad with the main body of the 1st Florida Reserves (CSA). Having assembled in Tallahassee from points all over North Florida, the companies of the 1st Reserves reached the Oil Still by rail well after dark, with part of the 1st Florida Militia and additional guns from Dunham's Battery.

Realizing that the front was shifting north, General Jones formed his command into a long column and began a cross-country march through the open pine woods to the Natural Bridge. Many of the men had already been up and moving for more than 24-hours and were so exhausted that they actually would fall asleep while marching, fall down and trip the soldiers in column behind them.

Old Plank Road, followed by Confederate Cavalry

Colonel Scott, meanwhile, continued to move north up the west bank of the St. Marks River. He had the advantage of a better and shorter road, thanks to the Plank Road that led from Newport north to Tallahassee. His cavalry moved through the darkness past Newport Spring and Rhodes Spring to the Natural Bridge.

On the east bank, the Federals also continued their northward movement, but the distance proved to be longer than General Newton had expected and the exhaustion of his men forced him to pause briefly to allow them to rest. This gave the Confederates the advantage they needed.

Rhodes Springs, near Natural Bridge Battlefield

Scott reached the Natural Bridge first with his horsemen from the 5th Florida Cavalry (CSA). They dismounted and deployed forward into the heavy woods that shrouded the bridge, waiting for the arrival of the detachment of Confederate cavalry that was falling back ahead of the Union advance up the east bank.

Before the Federals could reach the bridge, however, General Jones arrived with the main body of the growing Confederate army. Despite the darkness, he was able to learn enough about the topography of the scene to position his men on a low, curving rise or ridge that overlooked the west end of the Natural Bridge. This alignment allowed his men to form into a line that was shaped something like a shallow horseshoe. The two ends of the line rested on the St. Marks River above and below the Natural Bridge, with the line following the curving ridge or rise.

The position selected by the general would force the Union soldiers to charge directly into a crossfire from all directions if they hoped to dislodge him. Eyewitnesses later recalled that General Jones personally positioned the men and cannon along this line, even helping to sight in the cannon for maximum effect.

By the time the sound of the skirmishing could be heard approaching the Natural Bridge through the darkness from the east side of the river, the Confederates were in position and ready for action. The Battle of Natural Bridge was about to begin.

If you are interested in reading about the battle in depth, please consider my book, The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida:

The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida (Book) - $17.95

The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida (Kindle) - $9.95

You also can read more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/nbindex

Skirmish at Newport - March 5, 1865

2013-03-05T16:19:00.001-06:00

Site of the Skirmish at Newport

Heavy fighting erupted for control of the vital Newport Bridge over the St. Marks River on March 5, 1865. Today is the 148th anniversary of the skirmish.

Having broken through at East River Bridge earlier in the day (see Disaster at East River Bridge), Union general John Newton pushed his column up the main road from the St. Marks Lighthouse to Newport as rapidly as possible. Some of the men of the 5th Florida Cavalry (CSA) remained organized enough to skirmish with the Federals as they advanced, but most of the Confederate force fell back from East River to the town of Newport itself.

Brig. Gen. William Miller, CSA

A company of Gadsden County Home Guards from the 1st Florida Militia (CSA) had crossed the St. Marks River on its way to East River when they observed Confederate soldiers fleeing across the marshes with Union troops in pursuit. Falling back, they recrossed the river at Fort Ward (today's San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park) and turned north up the road to Newport.

At the same time, Brigadier General William Miller (CSA) was approaching the scene with additional militia and the Corps of Cadets from the West Florida Seminary (today's Florida State University).

With the forces of both sides converging on Newport, a race developed for control of the key bridge there. General Newton ordered the 2nd Florida Cavalry (USA) to take the lead and seize the bridge, but the Federal cavalrymen were on foot because there had not been a way to bring their horses with them. The Confederate cavalrymen were mounted and got there first.

St. Marks River at Newport, Florida

Breaking up the planking from one end of the bridge and setting fire to the other, the soldiers from Company F, 5th Florida Cavalry (CSA), streamed across the bridge and took up positions in the breastwork that had been built there the previous winter under the direction of Confederate engineers.

The earthwork controlled the bridge and allowed the men holding it to sweep the span with fire not only from straight ahead, but from both flanks as well. The Gadsden County men coming up from Fort Ward soon joined the exhausted cavalrymen, firmly securing the west end of the bridge.

It did not take long for the dismounted men of the 2nd Florida Cavalry (USA) to appear at the opposite end of the bridge. Their attempt to take the span, however, was driven back by fire from the breastwork on the west side of the river.

Brig. Gen. John Newton, USA

General Newton came up and examined the situation for himself. Ordering that an ironworks and other buildings on the east side of the river be burned, he ordered his men to dig into rifle pits as well as they could and return the fire coming from the Confederates on the west bank.

Hoping to shell the Southern troops from their fortifications, Newton moved his artillery upriver past the bridge and began a bombardment of Newport. The plan was for enfilade fire from the cannon to drive the Confederates from their works, but most of the shells flew high and went over the heads of the Southern soldiers, crashing into the town itself.

One shell struck a house where seven slaves had taken shelter. All seven were killed in the explosion. Other projectiles hit houses and stores throughout the town. No other civilians were injured, although the fighting had erupted so fast that many had been unable to escape their homes.

Brigadier General William Miller arrived on the scene after the fighting had started. Accompanied by the Cadets from the West Florida Seminary (CSA), he ordered the young men into the breastworks. They remained under fire there for sometime, joining with the other Confederate soldiers in returning the musket and carbine fire from the Union soldiers on the other side of the river.

Union cannon position was upriver on right bank.

Ultimately, though, the effort to drive the Confederates from their fortification failed and General Newton was unable to take the vital Newport Bridge. Some of the officers from the 2nd Florida Cavalry (USA) were from the area and told him of the Natural Bridge, a place where the St. Marks River flowed underground for a short distance. A road crossed the river there and they believed Newton's force could as well.

His plan to cross at Newport dashed, the general questioned the officers about the Natural Bridge and was told it was only 8 miles upstream. With no other option available, he ordered the soldiers of the 2nd Florida Cavalry (USA) to remain behind to keep up a steady fire on the Confederates at Newport while he turned north up the east side of the river with the black soldiers of the 2nd and 99th U.S. Colored Troops (USA).

The stage was set for the Battle of Natural Bridge, which would erupt before sunrise the next morning. If you are interested in reading about the battle in depth, please consider my book, The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida:

The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida (Book) - $17.95

The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida (Kindle) - $9.95

You also can read more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/nbindex

Disaster at East River Bridge - March 5, 1865

2013-03-05T14:30:00.000-06:00

East River at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

As auspiciously as things had started for the Confederates in turning back the Union invasion at St. Marks (see yesterday's post Skirmish at the East River Bridge), things quickly went from good to bad 148 years ago today.

Major William Henry Milton of the 5th Florida Cavalry (CSA) had disrupted the first Union attempt to seize the East River Bridge, driving a Union force that outnumbered his own by three to one away from the span and all the way back to the St. Marks Lighthouse. Seeing the fleet that had assembled offshore and the boats bringing load after load of Union soldiers to land, however, Milton fell back to the bridge and prepared for defense.

St. Marks Lighthouse

An open wooden bridge that crossed East River in what is now the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, the span was a vital link on the road that connected the St. Marks Lighthouse with Newport, St. Marks and Tallahassee in Florida as well as Thomasville in Georgia. If the Confederates could hold it, they might well turn back the Union invasion before it got underway.

It is interesting to speculate what might have happened had Major Milton been left in command of the Confederate force at East River Bridge. An aggressive cavalry officer who understood the tactical situation on the ground, he was superseded on the night of March 4th by Lieutenant Colonel George Washington Scott, the commander of the 5th Florida Cavalry (CSA).

When Scott arrived on the scene, he found that Milton had removed the wooden floor planks from the bridge and had positioned his men under the cover of trees and brush on the north (or west) bank, opposite the side from which the Federals would be approaching. In addition to a few extra cavalrymen who had arrived with Scott, the Confederates also brought up a 12-pounder cannon from Lieutenant Drury Rambo's section of Dunham's Battery of the Milton Light Artillery (CSA).

Open marshes across which the Union troops approached.

The gun crew came prepared for both long- and short-range fighting, its caisson filled not only with canister, but also solid shot and shells.

Since the Federal column had to approach by way of a narrow road that led across wide expanses of open
marsh, the Confederates should have been able to shell them from long range as they approached. Such a bombardment of soldiers in column formation in the wide open marshes undoubtedly would have inflicted heavy casualties on the Union force. It was not to be, as artilleryman Thomas Spicer later noted:

Lt. Col. George W. Scott, CSA
State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/10219

Colonel Scott commanded our detachment to hold our fire although we had loaded a shell to shoot 1,250 yards. We had to depress the gun and take this shell out. We then put in a shell "Special Case" loaded with 80 ounce [80 one-ounce] balls. The Federals (Negroes) had then formed a line of battle.

Spicer was severely critical of the colonel's decision to hold the fire of the artillery piece as the Union soldiers advanced and formed for the battle. He remembered seeing the enemy in "a blue stream which seemed endless, reaching from the lighthouse to near East River bridge."

It was a disastrous mistake. Scott later claimed that he had been confronted by more than 2,000 Union soldiers, although the actual number was less than half that many. He also said that he "welcomed them to approach within easy range." Why he did so is one of the great mysteries of the Natural Bridge expedition.

Alligator in the East River marshes

Allowed this opportunity to form his men for battle, Brigadier General John Newton ordered Companies G and H of the 2nd U.S. Colored Troops (USA) to charge the bridge. They did so, supported by fire from the main column, and the Confederates holding the opposite bank fired a single round from their cannon then broke and ran as the black soldiers came charging across the stringers of the bridge.

John Blocker, another of Rambo's artillerymen, remembered that he ran away so fast through the marsh that "one of my shoe-strings broke and I lost a valuable brogan shoe, which I did not try to recover thankful to get away from the hail of bullets that were encouraging my weary footsteps."

First blood, however, had been drawn. The single shot from the Confederate cannon, which the Federals captured as they streamed over the framework of the bridge, severely wounded two of the soldiers from the 2nd USCT (USA). One of them can be identified as Private John Griffin. The name of the other is unknown. Two Confederates, Corporal John P. Carlton and Private Wesley Hendry from Company F, 5th Florida Cavalry (CSA), were captured.

The disaster at East River Bridge took place 148 years ago today and ended the only Confederate opportunity to hold back the Union invasion before it pushed out of the coastal marshes and onto the solid ground of Wakulla County.

More fighting would take place at Newport later in the day and I'll post about that later today, so check back tonight. If you are interested in reading about the Battle of Natural Bridge in depth, please consider my book, The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida:

The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida (Book) - $17.95

The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida (Kindle) - $9.95

You also can read more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/nbindex

Skirmish at East River Bridge - March 4, 1865

2013-03-04T18:40:00.001-06:00

East River at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

Today marks the 148th anniversary of the Skirmish at East River Bridge, the first armed confrontation of the Natural Bridge expedition.

The U.S. Army and U.S. Navy had combined forces to launch an expedition against St. Marks and Tallahassee in Florida, as well as Thomasville in Southwest Georgia. The entire available force from Key West, Fort Myers and Cedar Key had assembled off the mouth of the St. Marks River, along with virtually every major warship assigned to blockade the Florida coastline between St. Andrew Bay and Key West.

St. Marks Lighthouse

The expedition was headed by Brigadier General John Newton, a seasoned combat officer who had served at Gettysburg and during the Atlanta Campaign. His plan was to seize the wooden bridge that spanned the East River between the St. Marks Lighthouse and Newport and then bring his main force ashore at the lighthouse for a rapid march inland. To support the army troops, a second force of around 1,000 sailors would come ashore at Port Leon on the lower St. Marks River even as the vessels of the U.S. Navy silenced the Confederate cannon at Fort Ward (formerly the Spanish fort of San Marcos de Apalache).

The weather, however, did not cooperate with the Union forces. A fog that had been hiding their ships from view suddenly lifted on the morning of March 3, 1865, forcing the vessels to head out beyond the horizon lest they be discovered by Confederate pickets. When they returned after dark that night, wind and waves caused a series of problems for them.

Site of the Skirmish at East River Bridge

Despite the problems caused by the weather, the Federals went ahead with a plan to take the vital East River Bridge. A boat party of U.S. sailors was sent up the East River to secure the bridge and capture the Confederate pickets known to be stationed there. The bridge was captured, but the pickets got away.

The Southern cavalrymen stationed at East River Bridge fell back to Newport where they alerted Major William H. Milton of the situation. The Confederate officer immediately dispatched news of the attack to Tallahassee and then pushed forward with fewer than 60 men intent on retaking the bridge and denying its use to any invading force.

St. Marks Lighthouse

Meanwhile, efforts to land a force of dismounted soldiers from the 2nd Florida Cavalry (U.S.) to support the sailors at East River Bridge encountered a laundry list of problems. Darkness, shallow water and weather combined to prevent the reinforcements from coming ashore at the St. Marks Lighthouse until early on the morning of March 4, 1865.

The reinforcements were moving forward up the road connecting the lighthouse to the bridge at sunrise when Major Milton's Confederates attacked. The Union sailors initially held their ground, but Milton's men were so aggressive and kept up such a volume of fire that the Federals quickly came to believe that they were outnumbered. In fact, with the reinforcements in sight coming up across the march, the Union force significantly outnumbered Milton's command.

East River and the St. Marks Lighthouse are now part of
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge near St. Marks, Florida.

The Confederate major, son of Florida Governor John Milton, kept up such an aggressive attack, however, that the Federals decided to fall back to the St. Marks Lighthouse until additional U.S. soldiers could be brought ashore. Milton and his outnumbered cavalrymen stayed on their heels, literally chasing them back to the lighthouse in a running fight.

The stage was being set for the Battle of Natural Bridge and the Confederates had quickly gotten the upper hand.

I'll post more on the events leading up to, during and after the battle over the next three days so be sure to check back often. If you would like to learn about the expedition in detail, please consider my book, The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida:

The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida (Book) - $17.95

The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida (Kindle) - $9.95

You also can read more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/nbindex.

Natural Bridge Commander's connection to the Immortal Six Hundred

2013-02-24T14:17:00.001-06:00

Maj. Gen. Samuel Jones, CSA

The Immortal Six Hundred were Confederate prisoners of war who were subjected to intentional starvation and deliberate torture by the U.S. Army during the final year of the War Between the States.

Their story has been forgotten by most people, even in the South. This is particularly sad because The Immortal Six Hundred exemplify honor and courage, while also providing a cautionary tale of the horrible cruelty that people can inflict on each other during times of war.

For those unfamiliar with their story, it began in Charleston, South Carolina. The Confederate commander there watched helplessly as Union artillery rained fire down on civilian areas of the city. The homes and shelters of women, children and other noncombatants were made targets of a Union army determined to conquer the city where the war had started with the bombardment of Fort Sumter in April 1861.

Maj. Gen. J.G. Foster, USA

Major General Samuel Jones, the Confederate commander of the Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, finally resolved on a desperate measure to stop the ruthless attack. He warned the Union commander in the vicinity, Major General J.G. Foster, that 50 Union prisoners of war would be housed in the civilian areas of Charleston. There were no Confederate military installations in these areas and Jones warned Foster that if he continued the bombardment, he would be targeting not only women and children but Union officers as well.

In truth, General Jones seems to have been making a point and never actually placed Union prisoners of war in harm's way, as they verified in a letter he sent across Charleston Harbor to General Foster. He even offered to exchange them if the Federal commander so desired.

Foster and other officers in the U.S. Army, however, were outraged and decided to retaliate by placing 50 Confederate prisoners of war in front of the walls of their batteries to serve as human shields against Confederate counter-fire. The number of prisoners sent to Morris Island for this purpose grew from 50 to 600 and hence the "Immortal Six Hundred" came into being.

Dungeon of the Immortal Six Hundred at Fort Pulaski

The prisoners were kept on Morris Island for a time and used as a human shield in front of Union batteries to prevent Confederate gunners from firing on them. After about six weeks they were moved to Fort Pulaski in Georgia where they were subjected to an intentional starvation diet of 10 ounces of cornmeal and one-half pint of onion pickles every 24 hours. They were denied blankets, warm clothing, shoes and even fires to warm by during a freak snowstorm that left 4 inches of snow on the parade ground of Fort Pulaski. Many of them died (Read more about the Immortal Six Hundred at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/immortal600).

Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park

It is a little known fact in Florida that Major General Samuel Jones, the officer who tried to protect the women and children of Charleston in 1864, was the Confederate commander in Tallahassee in March 1865 when the city was threatened by the advancing Union command of Brigadier General John Newton.

Jones, with assistance from Brigadier General William Miller, coordinated the massive movement of troops from all over North Florida that blunted Newton's raid and he was in overall command of the Confederate forces at the Battle of Natural Bridge on March 6, 1864. One eyewitness described how General Jones placed and personally aimed the Confederate cannon that took such a horrible toll on the attacking Federal troops.

The Battle of Natural Bridge is considered by many to have been the last significant Confederate victory of the War Between the States. Newton had intended to take not only St. Marks, as he later claimed, but Tallahassee and even Thomasville, Georgia, as he had told reporters and naval officers prior to departing on his expedition.

You can learn more about the engagement in my book:

The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida: The Confederate Defense of Tallahassee (Book)

The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida (Kindle)

You also can learn more at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/nbindex.

Natural Bridge Reenactment set for March 2 & 3, 2013

2013-02-23T19:35:00.004-06:00

Monument at Natural Bridge Battlefield

The annual reenactment of the Battle of Natural Bridge will talk place on March 2 & 3 at Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park south of Tallahassee.

One of the last significant Confederate victories of the War Between the States, the battle was fought for control of a vital crossing of the St. Marks River. The winning side would maintain control of Tallahassee and the Big Bend region of Florida as well as parts of Southwest Georgia.

The actual engagement took place on March 6, 1865. Having been prevented by a small Confederate force from forcing a passage over the river via the wooden bridge at Newport, Union general John Newton turned his invading force up the east side of the St. Marks hoping to reach the Natural Bridge before Southern forces could move into position to defend it. The water was high and Union soldiers noted in their diaries and letters that they waded through water and dragged their cannon by hand as they marched north up the narrow road to the geological oddity.

Natural Bridge of the St. Marks River

Scouts from the 5th Florida Cavalry (CSA) unveiled the movement, however, and Confederate generals Samuel Jones and William Miller were able to move their force of infantry, cavalry and artillery to the Natural Bridge ahead of Newton. Taking position of the elevated ground on the west side of the crossing, the Confederates formed a horseshoe line into the mouth of which the Union soldiers would be forced to charge.

Over the hours that followed, the two sides shelled each other with cannonfire that could be heard in Tallahasse and as far east as Monticello and Madison. Eight different times the soldiers of the 2nd and 99th U.S. Colored Troops charged the Confederate lines and eight different times they were repelled. The Confederates finally counterattacked, but also were thrown back.

In the end, though, General Newton knew the battle was lost and evacuated the battlefield, leaving his dead and a number of his wounded in Confederate hands. Tallahassee and the nearby city of Thomasville, Georgia, were saved for the South and the last major Union offensive in Florida was defeated.

The annual reenactment commemorates the battle and takes place on the ground where it actually was fought. To learn more about the battle, obtain directions and see a schedule of events, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/nbindex.

Olustee Festival & Battle Reenactment set for February 15-17

2013-02-09T15:58:00.001-06:00

Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park

The annual Olustee Festival and Olustee Battle Reenactments will be held next weekend, February 15th - 17th. The events commemorating the largest Florida battle of the War Between the States.

The Battle of Olustee, also called the Battle of Ocean Pond, was fought on February 20, 1864, when a Union army of more than 5,000 men marched inland from Jacksonville and was defeated in a stand up fight in the open pine woods by a Confederate army of similar size. The site is preserved at Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park. To learn more about the battle itself, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/olustee.

The Olustee Festival gets under in Lake City on Friday (2/15) at 9 a.m. with a memorial service at Oaklawn Cemetery on West Franklin Street. There will then be arts, crafts, collectibles, entertainment, food and more on both Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Lake City.

Events will take place at the battlefield itself on both Saturday and Sunday with the main battle reenactments taking place on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

You can check out the full schedules of events at www.olusteefestival.com.

Lake City is located at the intersection of US 90 and I-75. It is 64 miles west of Jacksonville, 105 miles east of Tallahassee, 46 miles north of Gainesville and 104 miles north of The Villages. The Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park is roughly 20 minutes east of downtown Lake City on U.S. 90. It can also be accessed from Exit #324 (Sanderson/Olustee) on I-10.

New Book is now in Print! (Ghost of Bellamy Bridge)

2012-12-13T14:32:00.001-06:00

My latest book, The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge, is now in print!

This volume delves into 10 of Jackson County's most intriguing legends of the supernatural, mysterious and unexplained! Many of the stories have War Between the States ties and one even focuses around the ghost of a church deacon killed during the Battle of Marianna.

The first half of the book looks into the story of the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge, the tale of a young woman from antebellum times and her tragic death. She is said to haunt historic Bellamy Bridge, a steel-frame structure north of Marianna. The other half of the book delves into nine other legends from Jackson County, including the story of the Ghost of St. Luke's Church. The figure of an elderly man, many believe the ghost is that of Francis Allen, who was killed in the Battle of Marianna on September 27, 1864.

The cover price is $19.95 and the book is available for order now at: http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamybook.

100% of the cover price goes to benefit the Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail, a new public historic site in Jackson County that is being developed without the expenditure of any additional tax funds.

Thank you in advance for helping the project and I hope you enjoy the book!

The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge (A Florida Halloween Tale)

2012-10-31T13:42:00.002-05:00

Bellamy Bridge in Jackson County, Florida

The story of the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge is one of Florida's most enduring and oldest ghost stories.

The legend of Elizabeth Jane Bellamy, who is said to haunt the environs of Bellamy Bridge in Jackson County, dates back to the antebellum era in Florida. She and her husband, Dr. Samuel C. Bellamy, were among the most prominent residents of the early Florida territory and he actually helped draft the constitution that led to Florida being admitted to the Union in 1845.

Follow this link to read the story in its entirety!

Photograph of the "ghost" of Bellamy Bridge

Making the story even more exciting this year is the announcement that Bellamy Bridge has been saved and will be preserved as a historic site. The loosely organized Friends of Bellamy Bridge organization, working in cooperation with Jackson County Parks and the Northwest Florida Water Management District, have obtained approval for and are moving forward with completion on a new heritage trail that will lead from a parking area on Highway 162 in Jackson County down through the floodplain swamps to the historic old bridge.

The Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail is still a work in progress, but will open to the public during daylight hours tomorrow after the last of a series of Ghost Walks is completed tonight.

To learn more about the trail, be sure to visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamytrail and "like" the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bellamybridge.

The Battle of Marianna, 148 years ago today

2012-09-27T12:45:00.001-05:00

Battle of Marianna Monument

The Battle of Marianna, Florida, one of the sharpest small encounters of the War Between the States, took place 148 years ago today.

Here are some facts about this encounter that you may not know:

25% of Marianna's war-time population vanished in a single day, either killed, wounded, captured or voluntarily going away with the Union troops.
600 slaves followed the Union troops back to Pensacola, the largest single emancipation of slaves in Florida during the war.
Jackson, Washington, Holmes and Walton Counties sustained more economic damage during the Marianna raid than did any other counties in Florida during the entire war.
The Confederate commander, Colonel Alexander Montgomery, was a seasoned field officer who had remained on the field in command of the 3rd Georgia Infantry at the Battle of Second Manassas, despite being seriously wounded.
The Union commnader, Brigadier General Alexander Asboth, was a former Hungarian freedom fighter who was credited with helping to save the Union army at the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas. He was seriously wounded in that encounter and was wounded again at Marianna.
The raid ended mail service to the interior counties of the Florida Panhandle and it would not be restored until well after the end of the war.
Four Confederate soldiers and volunteers burned to death in St. Luke's Episcopal Church after refusing to surrender.
The Ely-Criglar home, which was in the line of fire during the Battle of Marianna, is thought to be the most battle-scarred private home in Florida.
The Confederate commander, Colonel Montgomery, was taken prisoner and refused to take the Oath of Allegiance to the Union at the end of the war and was held in prison for months after the final collapse of the Confederacy.
The Union commander, General Asboth, was a surveyor and engineer before the war. He supervised the surveys for famed Central Park in New York City.
There are multiple accounts, both Northern and Southern, that verify the participation of the women of Marianna in the fighting.
At least one Confederate, 15-year-old Woody Nickels of the Marianna Home Guard, was murdered by Union troops after the battle.
Armstrong Purdee, an 8-year-old slave taken from the Waddell Plantation, rode through the entire Battle of Marianna on the back of a Union soldier's horse. He later became Marianna's first black attorney. His daughter still lives in Jackson County.
Captain George Maynard, 82nd U.S. Colored Troops, received the Congressional Medal of Honor in part for his courage in saving the lives of Confederate prisoners of war at Marianna.
Boys as young as 12, 13 and 14 took part in hand to hand combat as members of the Marianna Home Guard, Greenwood Club Cavalry and Campbellton Cavalry.

To learn more about the Battle of Marianna, please visit www.battleofmarianna.com, and please consider my book: The Battle of Marianna, Florida: Expanded Edition. It is also available as an instant download for Amazon Kindle and on iBooks.

The Crossing at Cerrogordo, 148 years ago today

2012-09-25T00:53:00.003-05:00

Choctawhatchee River at Cerrogordo

Rain was falling as the Federal troops advancing on Marianna began their slow, arduous crossing of the Choctawhatchee River on September 25, 1864, 148 years ago today.

The rain had actually been falling on the soldiers for over seven days. A tropical storm reported by ships in the lower Gulf of Mexico a couple of weeks earlier had moved ashore and then stalled out over the Florida Panhandle and South Alabama. The result was rain that continued for day after day after day.

The Union troops spent the entire day crossing the river.

The rains turned the primitive roads of the Florida Panhandle into muddy quagmires and brought the streams and rivers along the route of the raid out of their banks. This caused the Federal column to move slower than normal, but also proved to be an advantage to General Asboth as he drew ever closer to his target by keeping Confederate troops in their camps and under what shelter they could find.

The Holmes County Home Guard, for example, had formed during the summer under Captain Sam Grantham. Citizen soldiers who were expected to drop their daily pursuits and pick up their weapons during times of trouble, the men of Grantham's company were in their houses staying dry when Asboth reached their county seat of Cerrogordo on September 24th and do not seem to have been aware of his day-long crossing of the Choctawhatchee on the 25th, 148 years ago today.

Site of Cerrogordo in Holmes County

General Asboth reported that he crossed over the river from Cerrogordo in a small boat. His men came across on the ferry flat, while the more than 700 horses of the Union column swam the river. Remarkably, not a man was lost, even though the river was muddy and running high.

The crossing was completed by nightfall. No attempt was made by the Federals to resume their advance on the 25th. They bedded down for the night in the rain on the east bank of the Choctawhatchee directly across from Cerrogordo. They would continue their movement through Holmes County and into Jackson County the next day. The Battle of Marianna was now just two days away.

To learn more about the Raid on Marianna, please consider my book: The Battle of Marianna, Florida: Expanded Edition. It is also available as an instant download for Amazon Kindle and on iBooks.

You can read more about the raid at www.battleofmarianna.com. To read the other posts in this series, just visit the home page of this blog at http://civilwarflorida.blogspot.com.

Federal Raiders reach Holmes County, 148 years ago today

2012-09-24T13:41:00.004-05:00

Ponce de Leon Springs State Park

The Raid on Marianna continued to push its way slowly eastward, with the Union troops moving into Holmes County 148 years ago today.

Having inflicted heavy losses on the people and farms of the Euchee Valley in Walton County, the raiders turned north up the west side of the Choctawhatchee River aiming for Cerrogordo, the county seat of Holmes County. Before moving out they had destroyed all of the boats in the vicinity, as well as the main ferry over the Choctawhatchee River that linked Eucheeanna with Vernon and Marianna.

The turn up the river did much to hide General Asboth's true intent. Since the main road from Walton County to Marianna was a direct route, by avoiding it he prevented Captain W.B. Jones' Home Guards at Vernon and Captain William A. Jeter's Company E, 5th Florida Cavalry, at Hickory Hill (Orange Hill) from discovering his movement. These two companies were placed at positions astride the Eucheeanna to Marianna road to warn headquarters in Marianna of any approach by Union troops from the west.

Water Pours from Ponce de Leon Springs

Instead of crossing the Choctawhatchee and continuing up the main road, however, Asboth detoured to the north into Holmes County and by midday on September 24th, 148 years ago today, reached the site of today's Ponce de Leon Springs.

As the entered Holmes County, the Federals struck the home and farm of Angus Gillis, where they took his livestock, fodder and corn, liberated and carried away his slaves and did other unspecified damage. They then paused at today's Ponce de Leon Springs State Park long enough to destroy the "double pen" log inn or hotel operated there for visitors who came to picnic or swim in the beautiful spring.

Monument at site of Cerrogordo in Holmes County

It was in this vicinity that the Union command suffered its first casualty of the raid. Private Joseph Williams of Company C, 86th U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) was mortally wounded by an accidental gunshot. As was the custom of the day, he was left in the care of a local family. As best as can be determined, Private Williams was never heard from again and assuming the surgeon's description of his wound to be mortal was accurate, he probably died and was buried somewhere in the Ponce de Leon vicinity.

The raiders also raided the home of one of their own while in Ponce de Leon. Owen T. Parish was a private in Company C, 1st Florida Cavalry (U.S.). He later filed with the Southern Claims Commission seeking reimbursement for his losses during Asboth's raid. His fellow soldiers, he reported, took a mare, saddle and bridle from his home as they passed by.

Site of Cerrogordo on the Choctawhatchee River

The Federals reached Cerrogordo on the afternoon of September 24th and went into camp for the night, feasting on the chickens, hogs and cows of local residents. The seat of government and largest town in Holmes County, the community was home to the county's small frame courthouse and jail. It also had a store and a scattering of houses, but more importantly to Asboth was the location of Hewitt's Ferry across the Choctawhatchee River.

I will post more on the raid tomorrow, so be sure to check back then. To read all of my other posts, visit this blog's main page at http://civilwarflorida.blogspot.com.

You can read about the Marianna Raid and Battle of Marianna in depth in my book The Battle of Marianna, Florida: Expanded Edition. It is also available as an instant download for Amazon Kindle and on iBooks.

You can also read more about the raid anytime at www.battleofmarianna.com.

Asboth hits Eucheeanna, 148 years ago today

2012-09-23T13:45:00.001-05:00

Euchee Valley Presbyterian Church in Eucheeanna

The Federal raiders had already been moving for five days when they hit the Walton County seat of Eucheeanna at sunrise on the morning of September 23, 1864, 148 years ago today.

The Second Maine Cavalry formed a line of battle outside the village and came down so fast the two detachments of Confederate cavalry camped there were not able to wage much of a defense at all. The Southern horsemen scattered, leaving behind their camp, supplies and even many of their weapons.

Asboth reported that he captured 9 prisoners of war and 6 political prisoners at Eucheeanna, which was located about 3 miles southeast of today's Defuniak Springs. Also taken were 46 horses, 8 mules, 26 stand of arms and bar lead bearing the mark of "Merchants' Shot-Works" in Baltimore, Maryland.

Euchee Valley as seen from a nearby hilltop

The real damage done that day, however, was not to the Confederate military but to the civilians of the Euchee Valley of Walton County.

The men of the community were rounded up and confined in the little two-story log jail while foraging parties spread out through Eucheeanna to began a day and night of destruction unlike anything seen in Florida since the Second Seminole War.

One of the men thrown into the jail that night was Alexander McCullum, a Unionist. He later filed a claim for his losses with the Southern Claims Commission, an agency established by the U.S. government after the war to consider the claims of Southern Unionists:

Grave of Giles Bowers of Eucheeanna
Asboth used his home as a headquarters.

...He was arrested by Genl. Ashboth Brigade, and put into the jail at Eucheeanna, where he remained all night, and brought before the General the next morning, and then and there examined and tried, and fully released, without any punishment whatever.

McCullum lost his horse, bridle and saddle to the Federal troops.

A foraging party hit the home of Mrs. McLean, where they looted her farm. Everything of value was taken and even her chickens were shot down in the yard. Her sick brother, who was home on medical leave from the Confederate army, managed to elude capture by lifting up the floorboards of the house and hiding in a hole beneath that had been dug to secure clay for the little house's "stick and daub" chimney.

Euchee Valley Presbyterian Church & Cemetery

At the plantation of Colonel John L. McKinnon, one of the few real plantations in the Euchee Valley, the soldiers ordered the slaves to hitch up all of the wagons and carts on the place. These were loaded with the meat from the smokehouse and corn from the corncrib. The slaves who did not want to go with the Federals were forcibly removed, although three escaped by hiding in a nearby swamp. One of these, Harriett Crow, was the wife of the Euchee (Yuchi) Indian chief Jim Crow. After the soldiers left, she came out of the swamp and set off on foot with one of the McKinnon daughters to learn the fate of a family member who was staying with friends nearby. Along the way they found a side of bacon in the road. It had fallen from one of the "confiscated" wagons. They were trying to get it back home when the missing brother appeared and lent a hand. The side of bacon along with kernals of corn sifted from the sand provided food for the family and slaves alike throughout the long winter of 1864-1865.

Euchee Valley as it appears today

At the home of Abigail McDonald, the raiders made off with a horse, a mule, 100 bushels of corn, a steer, 20 head of hogs, 75 bushels of potatoes, 500 barrels of fodder, 20 turkeys, 24 chickens and 3 sheep. In a claim filed with the Southern Claims Commission, she valued her losses at $799.80:

...[T]he mile was taken by Col. of Gen. Asboth's command, who said it was in compliance with an order of General Asboth, that their horses were worn out and they needed fresh ones, on the same day the poultry was killed, and the potatoes, corn and fodder also were taken.

Sexual assaults were a dark and often unmentioned part of such raids. The only recorded incident of sexual assault during the Marianna Raid took place that evening near Eucheeanna. A sergeant from one of the USCT detachments entered an isolated farm house where he allegedly raped both a woman and her teenage daughter. He was pointed out to Federal officers, but the local people were never informed of any action being taken against him.

To read about the Federal raid in Walton County in full detail, please consider my book The Battle of Marianna, Florida: Expanded Edition. It is also available as an instant download for Amazon Kindle and at iBooks.

To learn more about the Marianna Raid online, please visit www.battleofmarianna.com.

Federal Troops in Walton County, 148 Years Ago

2012-09-22T15:56:00.000-05:00

Choctawhatchee Bay

The long column of Brigadier General Alexander Asboth's Union force continued to push westward across the Florida Panhandle on September 22, 1864. Despite heavy rain, they advanced deep into Walton County 148 years ago today.

After camping two days at Camp Walton (Fort Walton Beach), the column moved around the northern rim of Choctawhatchee Bay to LaGrange Landing at present-day Freeport. There they took on supplies from the Quartermaster steamer Lizzie Davis before turning inland on the morning of the 21st.

Instead of moving directly up the road to Eucheeanna, then the county seat of Walton County, the Federals turned to the northwest and rode for the Shoal River (between the present-day cities of Defuniak Springs and Crestview). The Shoal was the center of an area of extensive cattle ranches in 1864, the largest being owned by the Cawthon family.

Two brothers, Lafayette and William J. Cawthon, were home on leave from the Fifteenth Confederate Cavalry when Asboth arrived at their home. They were taken prisoner and were carried along with the raiders, who also seized corn, fodder, meat, livestock and inflicted as much damage as they could on the isolated farms and ranches of the area.

Lake Defuniak

By late afternoon on the 22nd, 148 years ago today, the raiders had turned east and were approaching Lake Defuniak, where the city of Defuniak Springs would grow in later years. It is an area of beautiful rolling hills and lakes and was then a cattle range.

Several individual soldiers noted in their diaries and letters that the rain continued to fall and that they were unable to camp that night because the ground was so wet. They continued to move slowly forward, sometimes falling asleep in their saddles.

Either before or during the early days of the raid, General Asboth had learned that there was a small Confederate cavalry camp at Eucheeanna. The Southern troopers had yet to show themselves, so the general decided to take the battle to them. Plans were made for an attack on Eucheeanna at sunrise the next morning.

I'll post on what happened at Eucheeanna tomorrow, so be sure to check back for more! You can always learn more about the Marianna raid in my book: The Battle of Marianna, Florida: Expanded Edition (also available for Amazon Kindle).

You can also read more at www.battleofmarianna.com.

Raid on Marianna began 148 years ago today

2012-09-18T12:25:00.000-05:00

Brig. Gen. Alexander Asboth

On September 18, 1864, 148 years ago today, Brigadier General Alexander Asboth crossed Pensacola Bay on the Quartermaster steamer Lizzie Davis to begin what would become the deepest penetration of Confederate Florida by Federal troops during the entire War Between the States.

Most of the general's troops had already crossed the bay from Fort Barrancas to Navy Cove at what is now Gulf Breeze. Other companies would continue to cross throughout the day. The 700 man force was made up of three battalions from the Second Maine Cavalry, one battalion from the First Florida Cavalry (U.S.) and two companies of picked men from the 82nd and 86th U.S. Colored Troops (USCT). One officer, Captain Mahlon M. Young, from the Seventh Vermont Veteran Volunteers also took part as a member of Asboth's staff. All were mounted.

In addition to the soldiers making up the Union strike force, a company of New York troops manned field artillery that had been placed aboard the Lizzie Davis for the protection of that vessel. These men would not take part in the inland movement.

Narrows of Santa Rosa Sound

On the same day of his crossing, General Asboth moved east up the old Federal road to the Narrows of Santa Rosa Sound, a point known today as Fort Walton Beach. He indicated that his men were exposed to constant rain and individual soldiers noted in letters and their diaries that they advanced through heavy rainfall and mud that sometimes came up to the skirts of their saddles. Portions of the old road they followed can still be seen today in the Naval Live Oaks Reserve area of Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Fort Walton Temple Mound

The Federal encampment at the Narrows was where downtown Fort Walton Beach stands today. This was the site where the Confederates built Camp Walton in 1862. They had evacuated the position in 1862, but it stood around the well-known Fort Walton Temple Mound which can still be seen today. Centuries old, the platform mound was built during the Mississippian era (A.D. 900 - 1500) and was the center of a large chiefdom from which the Fort Walton culture of North Florida, South Alabama and Southwest Georgia derives its name.

War-time Sketch of Asboth & His Dog

Asboth remained at Camp Walton until the morning of September 20th before turning inland around the north side of Choctawhatchee Bay. While his primary objectives were to take Marianna, capture the Confederate cavalry and mounted infantry headquartered there and enlist recruits for the Union army, his route would give him the opportunity to inflict shocking damage on civilian targets in Walton, Holmes, Jackson and Washington Counties.

I'll post more about the raid in coming days, focusing on some original accounts and details that you might not have read before. Here are some links that provide information on some of the sites involved in the first day's movement.

If you are interested in reading about the raid in detail, please consider my book: The Battle of Marianna, Florida: Expanded Edition (also available for Amazon Kindle and on iBooks).

A Tale of Two Powder Magazines

2012-08-14T11:17:00.002-05:00

Old Powder Magazine in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The Magazine in Chattahoochee was Almost Identical.

During the antebellum era, two almost identical structures were built by the U.S. Army, one in Chattahoochee, Florida, and the other in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Both were part of important U.S. Arsenal complexes and both served as powder magazines for the storage of large amounts of gunpowder. The one at Chattahoochee was part of the Apalachicola Arsenal (named for the river and not the city) and the one in Louisiana was part of the Baton Rouge Arsenal & Ordnance Depot.

Old Powder Magazine
Chattahoochee, Florida

Both structures still stand today, although the one in Florida has been altered somewhat from its original form. The one in Baton Rouge, however, has been beautifully restored and provides visitors with a unique opportunity to see the original appearance of both of the old magazines.

The gunpowder magazines are often incorrectly viewed as being the "old arsenal" in both locations, but in reality there were only small parts of much larger military complexes. The Apalachicola Arsenal at Chattahoochee, for example, included an array of buildings grouped around a 4-acre parade ground, all connected and surrounded by a brick wall that measured 30 inches thick and 9 feet high. It was an important supply depot during the Second Seminole War of 1835-1842.

Restored Powder Magazine in Baton Rouge

In Baton Rouge, the Arsenal & Ordnance Depot was the largest facility of its type in the Old Southwest and also featured an array of other buildings including barracks, officers' quarters, an armory, workshops, storage facilities, etc. It was the primary source of supplies and munitions for the U.S. Armies of Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott during the Mexican War of 1846-1848.

The magazines at both arsenals were actually outbuildings from the main complexes of the posts. This was for the obvious reason that large quantities of gunpowder can be extremely dangerous. At arsenal facilities, it was common for the magazines to be located far enough away from the main buildings so that damage would be minimized in the event of an accidental explosion.

Arsenal Officer's Quarters in Chattahoochee

Both arsenals played important rolls in the beginning days of the War Between the States. The Apalachicola Arsenal at Chattahoochee was the first U.S. military installation in Florida to be seized by state troops in 1861. The Quincy Young Guards led by Captain William Gunn seized the arsenal from its small group of U.S. Army caretakers on the morning of January 6, 1861, four days before Florida seceded from the Union.

There was a brief standoff between Captain Gunn and Ordnance Sergeant Edwin Powell over possession of the keys to the magazine. It was only when Gunn threatened to use violence that Powell and his small garrison of three men surrendered and delivered up the keys.

State troops in Louisiana, meanwhile, seized the arsenal in Baton Rouge on January 10, 1861, the same day that Florida left the Union and well before the secession of the Pelican State.

Arsenal Barracks in Baton Rouge

It is remarkable today that both magazines still stand, even though most of the other arsenal buildings in both Chattahoochee and Baton Rouge have long since disappeared. In Baton Rouge, only the magazine and barracks survive, while in Chattahoochee only the magazine, officer's quarters and guard house still stand.

Both complexes did play important roles in civilian society after the war. The arsenal at Chattahoochee was turned over to the State of Florida and served first as a prison and then as a state mental hospital, a role it continues to serve today as the Florida State Hospital. The arsenal in Baton Rouge served for many years as the campus of Louisiana State University.

Both of the old magazines can still be seen today. The one in Florida is on the campus of Florida State Hospital and can be viewed from the outside but is not open to the public. Some stabilization work has been done and future restoration plans have been discussed. The roof now extends all the way out to the perimeter wall, but at the time it was in use by the military it looked like the facility in Baton Rouge.

The magazine in Baton Rouge has been restored and now houses the Old Arsenal Museum. The beautiful facility interprets the history of the Baton Rouge Arsenal and the 1862 Battle of Baton Rouge. It is located directly across the street from the State Capitol.

To learn more about both arsenals, please follow these links:

Jim Ward's Raiders and the Battle of Fairview

2012-08-01T12:44:00.000-05:00

Courthouse Square in Elba, Alabama
Ward's Raiders burned the courthouse in 1864.

On September 2, 1864, at party of outlaw guerrilla raiders from Florida got more than it bargained for when its members tried to torch a South Alabama town.

Jim Ward was the head of an outlaw "raider gang" that hid out on Boynton Island in the Choctawhatchee River swamps of Washington County, Florida. Ward and most of his men had deserted from the Confederate army and more than a few had even crossed the lines, joined the Union army and then deserted that army too as soon as they received their enlistment bonuses.

They can only be described as outlaws and were men who lived by raiding farms, homes and even towns. They robbed, looted and even murdered the people living in Northwest Florida and South Alabama, without regard to their sentiments or defenseless condition. Repeated efforts to root out Ward's gang by Confederate troops had failed and by the fall of 1864 he and his men were the scourge of a large part of the "Wiregrass area."

Today's Pea River Bridge at Elba, Alabama
The 1864 bridge was fired by Ward's Raiders and one was
hanged near this spot after the Battle of Fairview.

In April 1864 Jim Ward and his men slipped across the state line into Alabama and sneaked into the Coffee County town of Elba in the middle of the night. Their plan was to destroy the conscription or draft records at the Coffee County Courthouse by setting the building on fire during the night and burning it to the ground. The succeeded in destroying the building, but to their chagrin soon learned that local citizens had spotted the fire and been able to save the courthouse records before they were lost in the blaze.

Watching and waiting for an opportunity to try again, Ward spent the summer of 1864 hiding out on Boynton Island near present-day Ebro, Florida. On the last day of August, he and his men emerged from hiding and once again headed for Elba.

Courthouse Marker in Elba

This time, Ward and his men set fire to the town in multiple places. Every building thought to be used as a temporary government office was torched and the raiders then fired the Pea River bridge behind them as they retreated from the town.

...We learn that on Thursday night last some deserters from the lower part of Coffee county fired the bridge across Pea river at Elba, and set fire to the town of Elba in several places. Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, September 10, 1864.

UDC Members dedicate Battle of Fairview marker in 2010.

The success of the raiders in burning the records was no better this time than it had been in April. Once again, the fires were spotted and citizens turned out to extinguish the blazes before the entire town could be consumed. They also managed to save the bridge before it collapsed into the Pea River.

The citizens of Elba were irate. They had appealed over and over to Alabama's governor and to the Confederate military for protection and yet Jim Ward had once again crossed the line from Florida, this time coming very close to destroying their entire town.

Battle Branch, where the Battle of Fairview took place.

There were no troops in town at the time of the raid, so they rounded up every weapon they could find, mounted their horses and set out after the raiders. The ranks of their body of irregular volunteers included the tax collector, tax assessor, sheriff, a deputy sheriff, merchants, lawyers, doctors and others. Captain John C. Brown was in town at the time and took the lead.

All night long the citizens pursued Jim Ward and his outlaws. They had the advantage in that their horses were fresh, while Ward and his men had been on the backs of their mounts for two days. After a fourteen mile raid, the citizens caught up with the guerrillas at a place now called Fairview in southern Coffee County.

By the time the smoke cleared, men from both sides lay dead and wounded and talk of hangings was in the air. To learn more about what happened at the Battle of Fairview, please visit my new page on the battle at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fairview.

The Great Hurricane of 1863 at Apalachicola & St. Marks

2012-07-29T00:17:00.004-05:00

Gulf of Mexico from St. George Island

In previous posts I have mentioned the sinking of the gunboat CSS Chattahoochee at Blountstown during a severe storm on May 27, 1863.
What seems to have been an early hurricane struck the northern Gulf Coast that day, not only contributing to the sinking of the Chattahoochee but also driving two Union blockade vessels ashore near Apalachicola. I've been aware of this storm for some time, but recent research has revealed new details that show it was far worse than I had ever realized.

On June 8, 1863, for example, the Richmond Daily Dispatch carried a brief early report on the severity of the storm:

Fort St. Marks or San Marcos de Apalache
Where the water rose "five feet deep."

...There was a very heavy gale and rain in Florida during the week ending the 29th. At Newport the town was four feet deep. The salt works near there were drowned out. One white boy, seven negroes, thirty five mules and eight oxen were drowned. The water in Fort St. Marks was five feet deep, and the troops had to signal the steamer Spray for assistance. - The river rose to a very great height at St. Marks, and the entire town was flooded, doing much damage. One regiment of artillery and one of infantry, in camp between Tallahassee and St. Marks, lost all their tents and fixtures.

Cape St. George Lighthouse

Other newspapers across the South also carried coverage of the storm. The editor of the Tallahassee Floridian wrote to Macon's Weekly Telegraph on May 30, 1863, reporting even higher human losses:

...We have had a heavy blow here the past week - the heaviest I ever witnessed in Florida at this season of the year. From the coast there are various rumors of loss of life and property. I have just heard that from the Ocklockonnee to Peurifoy's Landing, twenty-one bodies of persons drowned were recovered on Friday, and eleven from Goose Creek, making thirty-two.

The surge from the storm apparently reached several miles inland in the St. Marks area. Additional detail appeared in the Columbus (GA) Times on June 3:

...We learn that on last Wednesday and Thursday, a most terrific gale swept along the south coast of Florida, destroying the entire Salt Works near St. Marks and Bay Port, large quantities of salt, and drowning some forty white men and negroes. So strong was the gale the water from the gulf was driven out of its banks along the line of the St. Marks railroad, completely inundating the track for several miles back into the country.

The newspaper writer went on to express hope that "some portion of the shipping of the United States was caught in the gale, and driven ashore." His hopes were realized. The following account datelined Key West on June 12, 1863, appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer six days later:

Indian Pass and the Gulf of Mexico

...A very severe gale occurred at Apalachicola, Fla., a few days since, during which two of our vessels were wrecked at the entrance to that harbor and totally lost. The steamer Hendrick Hudson, Captain Cate, has just arrived from there, and from Captain Cate I learn these particulars: - That the gun-boat barque Amanda being at anchor at her usual station, broke loose from her moorings and drifted across the bay to the mainland in spite of all their efforts to save her. Being unable to get her off, she was stripped and blown up to keep her from the Rebels. No lives lost. The barquentine Andrew Manderson being there with a load of coal for supplying naval vessels, was also driven ashore and her masts, spars, sails and rigging were entirely swept clean from her deck by the violence of the gale. She is a total loss. The gun-boat Fort Henry was driven to sea and weathered the storm.

USS Port Royal (Center) as sketched during the war.

The USS Amanda was on station off East Pass near St. George Island when the storm hit. She was driven ashore on the mainland where parts of her wreck remain buried in the sand today.The USS Andrew Manderson was at the other end of St. George Island where damage was even greater. The New York Herald carried a letter from the USS Port Royal dated May 23 on June 20, 1863:

...At West pass the damage by the gale was also considerable. The barkentine Andrew Manderson, of Philadelphia, loaded with coal for the squadron, ran ashore on Sand Island. Her masts were cut away after she struck. Several small prize vessels lying at anchor inside the pass were driven to sea or sank at their moorings. The United States gunsloop Brockenborough broke from her moorings and was run on shore at St. Vincent's Island. She will be saved. The Port Royal and Somerset rode the gale out without damage.

A letter dated Thomasville, Georgia, on May 31, 1863, appeared in the Macon Weekly Telegraph four days later:

The gale of Thursday is said to have done much mischief among the salt boilers on the Florida coast - One report says 150 lives were lost - many animals, much stock and salt. Hope it is not so bad - some, though, have certainly perished.

The storm must have been a hurricane, even though hurricane researchers do not list a May storm in their data for 1863. The total number of lives lost will never be known. If the figure of 150 given by the Thomasville writer was accurate, then the storm should be ranked as the 22nd deadliest hurricane ever to hit the U.S. (or in this case, the C.S.) coast. Hurricane Andrew, by comparison, claimed 61 lives.

CSS Chattahoochee Monument

If the Tallahassee editor's estimate of 32 lives lost along just part of the affected coast is accurate, which it probably was, then the death toll from the storm must have been enormous. When the 17 men who lost their lives in the sinking of the CSS Chattahoochee are added to that tally, the total number rises to 49 exclusive of deaths elsewhere along the coast or on the prize vessels reported lost off the West Pass of Apalachicola Bay.

Read more about the sinking of the CSS Chattahoochee during the storm of May 27, 1863, at http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/csschattahoochee.

Marianna Reeactment Cancelled for This Year

2012-07-22T14:38:00.004-05:00

Marianna Reenactment
Courtesy Ashley Pollette

The Marianna Day Committee informs me there will be no reenactment of the Battle of Marianna this year.
The reenactment had been a feature of the community's Marianna Day observance over the last few years, but was expensive to produce and difficult to coordinate. The Committee has decided for this year to focus on other ways of commemorating the battle, including memorial services, etc.

Fought on September 27, 1864, the Battle of Marianna was a small but bloody and significant encounter.

Marianna Day, 2011
Courtesy Ashley Pollette

It was the culmination of the deepest penetration of Confederate Florida by Union troops during the entire War Between the States. Leaving Pensacola Bay on September 18, 1864, Brigadier General Alexander Asboth led a column to and from Marianna in Jackson County, covering more land miles than did Sherman during his "March to the Sea" through Georgia.

The battle was a fierce encounter in which men, women and even children took up arms to defend their town against the Union raiders.

To learn more, please visit www.battleofmarianna.com or consider my book, The Battle of Marianna, Florida (Expanded Edition). It is available in both book and Kindle formats by following the links below and can also be found at iBooks.

Book - The Battle of Marianna, Florida: Expanded Edition, $17.95
Kindle - The Battle of Marianna, Florida, $9.95

Bateria de San Antonio - Florida's Third Oldest Standing Fort

2012-07-20T15:00:00.001-05:00

Bateria de San Antonio and Pensacola Bay

Unless they make their way down the dark tunnel that provides its only entrance, visitors to Fort Barrancas in Penscaola often overlook a fascinating old Spanish fortification that is Florida's third oldest standing fort.

The Bateria de San Antonio, built by the Spanish in 1793-1797, is a semi-circular masonry fortification built to serve as a water battery for the original Spanish fort of San Carlos de Barrancas. The Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas, both in St. Augustine, are the only still-standing Florida forts older than the Bateria, which is one of the oldest standing fortifications in the United States.

Inside the Bateria de San Antonio

The most expensive fortification built by the Spanish at Pensacola, the idea for a water battery originated during the American Revolution. Spain was then allied with the fledgling United States, but Florida was possessed by Great Britain. In 1781, General Bernardo de Galvez led an allied fleet into Pensacola Bay past the guns of the Royal Navy Redoubt which stood on the bluff where Fort Barrancas can be seen today.

The redoubt had numerous cannon aimed out at the bay, but they proved completely ineffective in stopping the allied fleet. Pensacola fell after one of the most significant yet often overlooked battles of the American Revolution. Please click here to learn more.

Model showing the Bateria de San Antonio from Above

When Florida once again became a Spanish possession after the war, that country's engineers used the lessons they had learned during Galvez's attack on Pensacola. Fort San Carlos de Barrancas, of earth and wood, was built on the ruins of the Royal Navy Redoubt, but far more expense went into building a new masonry water battery - the Bateria de San Antonio - lower on the bluff.

Semi-circular in form, the Bateria was designed so that its cannon could sweep across as much of the channel as possible. Because it was lower on the bluff than the old British fort, its cannon could actually "skip" their cannonballs across the surface of the bay and into the sides of attacking warships.

Bombproof of the Bateria de San Antonio

Due to the strength of its construction, the Bateria survived the demolition of Fort San Carlos de Barrancas by the British during the War of 1812. Spain rebuilt the fort and both it and the Bateria came under fire in 1818 when Andrew Jackson attacked and captured the works during the First Seminole War.

U.S. engineers renovated and strengthened the Bateria in 1839-1840 as they built today's Fort Barrancas on the old San Carlos de Barrancas. Thereafter called the Water Battery, it was occupied by state troops in January 1861 when the U.S. garrison of Fort Barrancas withdrew to Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island.

Manned by Confederate gunners, the cannon of the Water Battery took part in the massive bombardments that shook Pensacola Bay in November 1861 and January 1862. It was not significantly damaged in the fighting.

Restored by the National Park Service, the historic fortification is now accessed via the Fort Barrancas area of Gulf Islands National Seashore at Pensacola Naval Air Station. To learn more about the history of this fascinating old Spanish work, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bateriadesanantonio.

The Attack on Tampa, Florida - An Eyewitness Account

2012-07-16T01:47:00.000-05:00

Entrance to Tampa Bay

The following account of the 1862 Union attack on Tampa was written at Key West on July 16, 1862 (150 years ago today):

Forty men and five officers from the United States barque Ethan Allen went on board the United States gunboat Sagamore, for the purpose of making an attack upon the town of Tampa, at the head of Tampa Bay, Florida, on the morning of June 30, 1862. The barque Ethan Allan could not get up to the town on account of drawing too much water, and was therefore left behind at Egmont Key, where she command the entrance to the harbor. The gunboat Sagamore was safely piloted up the crooked channel of Tampa Bay for a distance of twenty five miles. The steamer came to anchor about two miles off the town, and at about the same distance from the three small rebel batteries erected in defence of the town, and supposed to contain about two guns each.

USS Sagamore was a Unadilla Class Vessel

Several officers went ashore under a flag of truce, and an officer of the Sagamore demanded the surrender of the town. To the demand the reply was given: "We have no such word in our books as surrender. Tell your commander that Capt. Pierson says so." With this reply the rebels retired, and gave three or four terrific yells, while the officers returned to their ship.

Some little delay was occasioned, and time was also given the inhabitants to get out of town. The Sagamore commenced throwing shells at 6 P.M. at the batteries on shore. The distance was so great that only a few of the twenty or thirty shells fired during the altercation reached the battery. Two shells exploded in the town, which almost surrounded the battery except on its front. The rebels fired about twenty times at the gunboat with solid shot from long thirty-twos, but all of their shot fell short. The firing on both sides ceased at sundown.

Tampa Bay (City in Distance)

On the morning of the next day, July 1, the Sagamore approached some two or three hundred yards [from] the town by steaming through mud two feet deep. She again opened upon the battery. The second shot from fired was a direct line shot, and struck directly in the battery and silenced it, the rebels taking refuge behind the large white oaks that stood near, and soon after most of them fled to the woods for a more secure place of refuge. There were some thirty shells fired during the day, a few of them exploding in the middle of the town.

Finding it was impossible to get near enough to the town to protect the boats that were intended to land and seize the ammunition, the Sagamore was obliged to retire without effecting the object for which she came. There was a company of about one hundred rebels at Tampa during the bombardment.

(End of Quote)

The Confederate force at Tampa was Captain J.W. Pearson's Osceola Rangers. Neither side suffered casualties and the Battle of Tampa ended in Confederate victory as the Sagamore was unable to carry out its planned mission of seizing the ammunition at Tampa and destroying the Southern batteries there.

Grave of Capt. Charles G. Campbell - Bainbridge, Georgia

2012-07-05T13:14:00.003-05:00

Grave of Captain Charles G. Campbell

While walking through historic Oak City Cemetery in Bainbridge, Georgia, recently, I came across the grave of one of Florida's most important Confederate defenders: Captain Charles G. Campbell.

It is an often overlooked fact of Florida and Southern history that the last Confederate coastal fort east of the Mississippi to surrender was Fort Ward at St. Marks, Florida. Captain Campbell was the commander of the fort and did not lower his flag until after General Samuel Jones had brought down the one over the state capitol in Tallahassee on May 10, 1865.

Magazine of Fort Ward at St. Marks, Florida

May 10th, the date that Campbell gave up Fort Ward, was also the date that Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured at Irwinville, Georgia. The Battle of Palmitto Ranch, Texas, considered by many to be the last "real" battle of the War Between the States, was fought just two days later.

Captain Campbell entered the service of the Confederacy as an officer in the Decatur Guards, a volunteer unit that formed in Bainbridge during the summer of 1861. The unit arrived at Atlanta, Georgia, on August 15, 1861, where it became Company D, 17th Georgia Infantry. This was the famed regiment of hard-fighting Colonel Henry "The Rock" Benning, for whom Fort Benning at Columbus is named today.

As captain of Company D, Campbell led his men through the fighting on the Peninsula in 1862 when General "Prince" John Magruder confused and hoodwinked Union General George McClellan at Yorktown. The Bainbridge men went on to fight at Malvern Hill, Second Manassas, Antietam (Sharpsburg) and Fredericksburg.

Disabled after the last battle, Captain Campbell resigned his commission on January 12, 1863, and returned home to Bainbridge. Not long after, however, he began the organization of a new unit: Campbell's Independent Company, Georgia Siege Artillery.

Earthworks of Fort Ward

This unit was assigned to man the heavy guns at Fort Ward, the earthwork fort built on top of the ruins of the old Spanish fort of San Marcos de Apalache. Also called Fort St. Marks, this fort played a vital if bloodless role in keeping the port of St. Marks open throughout the war. One attempt by the U.S. Navy to storm the batteries was driven off without bloodshed on the Confederate side when pickets below the fort spotted the Federal boat parties in the darkness. Otherwise, the fort did not fire its guns in anger during the war.

A large detachment of Campbell's men, however, did serve as volunteer infantry at the nearby Battle of Natural Bridge on March 6, 1865. A second attempt by the U.S. Navy to take Fort Ward at that time turned back after the large warships of the Federal flotilla were too slow in navigating the shallow and twisting river below the fort.

Campbell surrendered Fort Ward on May 10, 1865, and was paroled by Federal forces two days later. He had the unique distinction of being the last commander of a Confederate coastal fort east of the Mississippi to lower his colors.

He is buried at Oak City Cemetery in Bainbridge.

To learn more about Fort Ward, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/sanmarcos1.