Download Florida in the Civil War, 1861-1865

Florida in the Civil War, 1861-1865
By Scott Fields
I.
Lesson Summary
Summary
In many respects, Florida remains the forgotten state of the Confederacy. Although the third state to secede,
Florida’s relatively small population and meager industrial resources made the state of little strategic importance
to either side. Indeed, one contemporary referred to the state as the “smallest tadpole in the dirty pool of
secession.” However, despite these shortcomings, Florida proved to be a significant participant in the War
Between the States. After seeing the exhibits in this Civil War lesson, students will become more familiar with
their state’s little-known wartime legacy.
Objectives
Students will:
1.) examine the impact of the American Civil War on Florida;
2.) discuss the role that Florida played, and the contributions it made, as the “smallest tadpole” of the
Confederacy;
3.) discover how Southern, and Floridian, enthusiasm eroded as the war continued;
4.) explore various vignettes of life in Florida during the Civil War period through the use of classroom
exhibits.
U.S. History Event or Era
This lesson can be implemented into a Civil War unit.
Grade Level
This lesson has been designed for upper elementary or middle school classrooms.
Materials
One copy of “Introduction” and “Discussion Questions for ’Introduction’” for each student; one copy of each
classroom exhibit, A-L (to save on wear and tear, you may wish to have Exhibits A-L laminated); and one threepage copy of “Notes for Exhibits A-L” for each student; tape or sticky putty; (optional) transparencies of “Notes for
Exhibits A-L.”
Lesson Time
This lesson can be completed in two class periods.
II.
Lesson Procedures
Procedures
*Before this lesson begins, you may wish to laminate classroom Exhibits A through L to better ensure repeated
usage. Depending on the amount of students and available classroom space, you may wish to tape or stick the
classroom exhibits on the walls in a sequential pattern around the room, or allow student pairs to remain seated
and, as they finish responding to a classroom exhibit, have you check their reading notes for accuracy.
Option #1
1.) After class has begun, read the following statement to the class (taken from the lesson summary): “In many
respects, Florida remains the forgotten state of the Confederacy. Although the third state to secede, Florida’s
relatively small population and meager industrial resources made the state of little strategic importance to
either side. Indeed, one contemporary referred to the state as the ‘smallest tadpole in the dirty pool of
secession.’ However, despite these shortcomings, Florida proved to be a significant participant in the War
Between the States.”
2.) Allow students a few moments to reflect on what possible contributions the then-tiny state of Florida could
have made to the Confederacy during the Civil War. Discuss these possible contributions as a class.
Option #2
*Give out a pre-test on Florida’s role in the Civil War (included in the “Assessment” section); instruct students to
take the test, then keep it with their notebooks. They may refer to this pre-test throughout the following lesson to
check the accuracy of their previous answers. Let the students know that they may see these same questions on
a larger test at a later time.
3.) Pass out the “Introduction” and “Reading Notes to ‘Introduction.’” After pairing students in mixed-ability
reading groups, instruct students to read the passage and answer the following questions to the best of their
ability. After an appropriate amount of time, encourage a discussion of the answers as a class.
4.) Give each student pair a copy of one of the Exhibits A-L, or assign them a place in the classroom to view the
posted exhibit (this can be done by handing out a card to each pair with a letter, A-L, written on it; the pair will
then be instructed to go to the appropriate exhibit in the classroom that matches their card). Also give each
student a three-page copy of “Notes for Exhibits A-L.” Instruct students to read the passage on their exhibit,
view the pictures, and answer the questions on the reading notes that relate to the specific pictures. As
students finish an exhibit, have them come to you so that you may check their answers for accuracy. If their
information is incorrect, have them try again; if correct, give the pair another exhibit (if you have students
moving around the room, institute a time limit and have students move around the room in an organized
pattern).
5.) If time permits, allow each pair to visit each exhibit before finishing the lesson. If scarcity of time is a factor,
than instruct each pair that they are to become “specialists” on just one or two topics about the Civil War in
Florida. Regardless of what you choose to do, allow students to debrief and share information with the class
in a group setting to close the lesson. You may want to create transparencies of the “Notes on Exhibits” and
write in the correct information as each pair goes through them.
6.) Hand out the Processing Assignment (found in the “Assessments” section).
III.
Activities
Introduction
On the eve of the Civil War in early
1861, Florida was a rural frontier state that
had joined the Union just fifteen years
before. Its population of 140,000 was by far
the smallest of any of the states that formed
the Confederacy. Nearly 63,000 of the
population were African Americans, most of
whom were slaves working in an
agricultural-based economy. The majority
of the white population was relatively poor
Picture C-2-1: Two of the many flags that represented
Florida’s Confederate soldiers.
and rural, with a smaller number of
tradespeople and their families living in small
towns.
Political power in the state was held largely by wealthy white planters located in "Middle
Florida," the area surrounding Tallahassee between the Apalachicola and Suwannee rivers.
The planters managed large cotton plantations and closely identified with similar interests
throughout the South.
In the late 1850s, the U.S. was gripped by a crisis concerning the expansion of slavery into
the territories, discussions of state's rights, and debate about whether the national government
would be controlled by northern or southern states. Many southern leaders felt that the
election of the Republican candidate for the presidency, Abraham Lincoln, in late 1860 tipped
the balance in favor of northern interests. South Carolina voted to leave the Union in midDecember 1860, and other southern states, including Florida, also considered the possibility of
secession.
Picture C-2-2: The May 20, 1864, issue of the
New York Herald newspaper. What is the big
news article of that day?
Discussion Questions for “Introduction”
Directions: After reading the introduction to this lesson, answer the following questions to the
best of your ability. Be prepared to share your responses with your classmates.
1. Which of the following statements about pre-Civil War Florida is not correct?
a.
In 1861, Florida was a mostly rural state with a small population;
b.
Most of the 63,000 African-Americans that resided in Florida were slaves;
c.
The majority of Florida’s white population on the eve of the Civil War was rich
and owned vast landholdings throughout the state;
d.
Political power rested mainly with the rich white landowners from the area
of “Middle Florida.”
2. What three issues divided the U.S. in the years leading up to the Civil War?
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. What was the first state to secede, or leave, the Union? ______________________
4. Using Picture C-2-1 and the map of the U.S., how could someone draw the
conclusion that Florida was a Confederate state?
5. Picture C-2-2 shows a front-page article from a New York Herald supplement
published on May 20, 1864. What is the “big story” of that day? How do you think
the news of this Union victory was greeted in New York? Explain your answer.
Exhibit A: Florida Secedes from the Union (#1)
In early January 1861, a special convention of delegates from around the state met in
Tallahassee to consider whether Florida should leave the Union. Governor Madison Starke
Perry and Governor-elect John Milton were both strong supporters of secession. For days, the
issues were debated inside and outside the convention. In a minority opinion, former territorial
governor Richard Keith Call, acting as a private citizen, argued that secession would bring only
ruin to the state.
On January 10, 1861, after only being a state for fifteen years, the delegates voted 62 to 7
in favor of Florida withdrawing from the Union. The next day, in a public ceremony on the east
steps of the capitol, they signed a formal Ordinance of Secession. News of the event generally
led to local celebrations. Later, the delegates adopted a new state constitution. Florida was the
third state to leave the Union, and within a month it joined with other southern states to form
the Confederate States of America.
Picture C-2-3: Florida’s Ordinance of
Secession, which reads, “We, the People
of the State of Florida in Convention
assembled, do solemnly ordain, publish
and declare: That the State of Florida
hereby withdraws herself from the
Confederacy of States existing under the
name of the United States of America, and
from the existing Government of said
States; and that all political connection
between her and the Government of said
States ought to be and the same is hereby
totally annulled, and said union of States
dissolved; and the State of Florida is
hereby declared a Sovereign and
Independent Nation; and that all
ordinances heretofore adopted in so far as
they create or recognize said Union are
rescinded; and all laws or parts of laws in
force in this State, in so far as they
recognize or assent to said Union be and
they are hereby repealed.
Done in open Convention, January 10th,
A.D. 1861”
Exhibit A: Florida Secedes from the Union (#2)
Picture C-2-4: Helen Broward, of Broward's Neck in Duval County, and other southern
women who supported the secessionist cause made and presented this flag to Florida
Governor Madison S. Perry. It was unfurled by Governor-elect John Milton on the east porch
of the state capitol when the delegates signed Florida's Ordinance of Secession on January
11, 1861. The three large stars represent the first three states to leave the Union: South
Carolina, Mississippi, and Florida. The flag's motto, "The Rights of the South at All Hazards!",
echoes the uncompromising position of southern supporters on the eve of the Civil War. The
banner reportedly hung above the speaker's desk in the Florida House of Representatives
throughout the war.
At the war's end, the banner still hung in the capitol and reportedly was taken as a trophy
by a Union army officer during the postwar occupation of the building. It is recorded that this
officer later felt guilty about taking the banner and gave it to a Mrs. Hasson, the wife of a
military doctor, to return it to the state. The Hassons moved to the western U.S. shortly after
this incident. It was not until 1911 that Mrs. Hasson sent the flag to a Florida member of the
United Daughters of the Confederacy, who then returned it to the State of Florida.
Exhibit B: Crisis at Pensacola, 1861
When Florida seceded from the Union in January
1861, state officials quickly ordered Florida troops to
seize key federal forts and arsenals throughout the
state. At Pensacola, federal troops moved from the
mainland to the more defendable Fort Pickens on
Santa Rosa Island. Florida troops, supported by
soldiers from Alabama, demanded the surrender of
Fort Pickens. Federal Lieutenant Adam J. Slemmer
refused to give up the fort.
Thus, in early 1861 the war could have easily
started at Fort Pickens, Florida, rather than at Fort
Sumter, South Carolina. However, a truce was
worked out at Pensacola in which the North agreed
not to reinforce the fort, and the South agreed not to
attack it. Immediately following the southern
Picture C-2-5: A map from the February 1861
bombardment
of Fort Sumter, on April 12, 1861,
edition of Harper’s Weekly shows Union-held
Union forces landed near Pensacola to reinforce Fort
Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island, with the
Pickens. The standoff at Pensacola continued for
mainland held by southern troops.
several months. Union forces conducted a raid in
which they burned a southern ship, and in early October the Confederates launched a large, nighttime
raid on Santa Rosa Island.
On October 9, Confederate forces landed
approximately 1,000 troops on the island in an assault that
overran the camp of a Union army regiment. However, the
southern troops were forced to withdraw after Union
reinforcements from Fort Pickens arrived on the scene. In
November, Union heavy guns at Fort Pickens started a
two-day exchange of artillery fire with Confederate-held
forts on the mainland. A second exchange of fire took
place in early January 1862. The need to send southern
troops outside the state increased following Confederate
defeats in Tennessee in early 1862. Most southern troops
were transferred out of the state, and by May 1862,
Confederate forces completely withdrew from Pensacola,
Picture C-2-6: A lithograph of Fort Pickens
ending the more than one-year standoff.
published by a New York company in 1861; the
rough waters around the fort probably
represented the crisis in Pensacola, and the
large Union flag above the fort was most likely
a symbol of Union resolve to hold the fort
against southern demands for its surrender.
Picture C-2-7: These heavy artillery guns near
Pensacola were staffed by southern troops and
were aimed at Union-held Fort Pickens cross
Pensacola Bay in 1861.
Exhibit C: Abandoning Florida’s Coastal Defenses, 1862
When the Civil War began in April 1861, every able-bodied man was mustered into service from all
states. Florida was well represented with regiments from most every major city and town, including the
South Florida Bulldogs, who hailed from Fort Blount (now Bartow).
Fighting in Florida was limited for several reasons, but mainly because the state was far removed
from the land armies of the North and naval units performed most of the federal action in Florida. Most
Florida volunteers were sent north to fight since the battles did not spread deep into the southernmost
Confederate state of Florida. In early 1862, the Confederate military defeats in Tennessee led to a
pressing need for more Florida troops to fight outside the state. Confederate national officials
determined that Florida's long coastline was too large an area to defend and ordered most of the troops
guarding the state to transfer to more active theaters of the war. Fort Blount’s Company E of the 7th
Florida Regimen left Polk County on March 8, 1862, to march north and join with other regiments near
Gainesville.
Confederate troops withdrew from Pensacola in early 1862, and Union troops quickly occupied the
area of extreme northwest Florida. On the northeast Florida coast, at Fernandina, Jacksonville, and St.
Augustine, a large Union naval force pressured the southern forces to evacuate. In spite of its decision
to weaken its defense of coastal regions, the South was able to successfully hold and defend most of
the populated, interior regions of Florida.
Picture C-2-8: The New York
Herald, a national newspaper
during the Civil War era,
carried a headline and map
noting the successes of Union
Admiral Francis DuPont in
northeast Florida in early
1862.
Picture C-2-9: Union troops marching through Fernandina as depicted in a
Harper's Weekly illustration in 1861.
Exhibit D: Florida’s Confederate Soldiers
Florida contributed more than 15,000 troops to
the Confederate war effort. While this was a small
number when compared with other southern states,
it was the highest percentage of available men of
military age from any Confederate state. Florida
troops were organized into eleven regiments of
infantry; two regiments of cavalry; and numerous
smaller units, including artillery, home guard, and
militia.
By mid-1862 most of Florida's soldiers had been
sent outside the state. In the Army of Northern
Picture C-2-10: Cavalry flag of the "St.
Virginia,
Florida units were organized into a Florida
Johns Rangers," Company B, 2nd Florida
Brigade. Later, a second Florida Brigade was
Cavalry (C.S.A)
formed from units serving in the other major
Made of silk, the forked-tail flag bears
thirteen stars in a triangular pattern. The
Confederate army, the Army of Tennessee.
colorful banner was an example of a unique,
Floridians fought in most of the major battles of the
finely made flag, probably presented to the
war, including the epic Battle of Gettysburg, where
unit by women related to soldiers in the unit.
they suffered heavy casualties.
Patriotism for the southern cause, so common at the beginning of the war, was later
tempered by exposure to an increasing amount of death and suffering. At first, the South relied
on volunteers, but as early as April 1862 it was necessary to institute a draft in order to fill the
ranks. Draftees and those disillusioned by years of war increasingly deserted the Confederate
ranks in the latter part of the conflict. Bands of deserters in Florida operated against southern
authority in parts of the state.
Approximately 5,000 Floridians (about one out of every three soldiers) died or were killed in
Confederate service, the highest percentage of casualties for any state, Confederate or Union,
during the entire war. Many of those who survived were disabled or had their lives shortened
due to health problems related to the hardships of military service.
Picture C-2-11: William Denham, shown early in the war,
probably when serving as a private in the 1st Florida
Infantry.
Exhibit E: Southern Equipment and Material
One of the major challenges facing the South during the Civil War was the pressing need
for war materials such as weapons, ammunition, and equipment. Captured stocks of northern
material, combined with European imports, made up the bulk of the equipment used by the
South. Southern-made objects supplemented these sources.
The relatively few factories within the Confederacy usually produced only limited numbers
of items. By the end of the war, much of the equipment was destroyed, if it had not already
been used up.
Within the Confederacy, Florida ranked as a significant producer of raw materials rather
than finished products. The state had to import almost all of its finished products. Even Florida
currency was printed in South Carolina or Virginia. One exception was William Bailey's textile
factory in Monticello, which produced cloth and clothing for the Confederate war effort.
Picture C-2-12: This pine
chest was one of several used
to carry the personal camp
equipment of Major General
William W. Loring, C.S.A., of
Florida.
Picture C-2-13: A
photograph of
southern troops in
camp near Pensacola
in 1861.
Exhibit F: Unionism in Florida
Support for the Union cause took several forms in Florida. At the time Florida left the Union,
some prominent citizens argued that it was a grave mistake. An existing loyalty to the Union
continued among some citizens. Business people and merchants who relied on northern trade
feared a disruption of commerce. Subsistence farmers and cattle grazers in some rural areas
often were more concerned with supporting their families than with the political issues of the
North or South. Moves by the Confederate government to forcibly draft these men or to
confiscate parts of their herds or crops turned some against the Confederate cause.
Floridians who supported the Union sometimes were forced to leave their homes and flee
as refugees to coastal towns in Florida that were occupied by federal troops. Union authorities
organized pro-Union supporters into two regiments of cavalry (designating them the 1st and
2nd Florida Cavalry) and a unit of artillery.
As the war dragged on and shortages of basic goods increased, "war weariness" often
turned to anti-war and anti-Confederate sentiment. Although Unionism was always a minority
view among whites in the state, many citizens hoped for a conclusion of the fighting on any
terms.
Picture C-2-14: The Florida Union, a pro-Union newspaper
publication that was published in Union-occupied
Jacksonville during the Civil War. Today, Jacksonville’s
newspaper is called the Florida Times-Union.
Picture C-2-15: Trade between Unionists in Fernandina and the
North. This illustration was published in 1862, in Frank Leslie's
Illustrated Newspaper, following the Union occupation of the
coastal town.
Exhibit G: Florida’s Minorities During the Civil War
African-Americans in Florida: Conditions for African
Americans in Florida varied considerably during the
war. The 1860 census recorded nearly 63,000 blacks
in the state. Of this figure, almost 62,000 were listed
as slaves, while less than 1,000 were free blacks.
Because of the restrictive laws of the time, even
those few who were "free" had only very limited
freedom.
The conditions of slavery in Florida often differed
by region. In the cotton belt plantations of central
north Florida, many enslaved blacks worked under a
Picture C-2-16: African American slaves
"gang system" in which large groups of agricultural
cultivating cotton on a North Florida plantation
workers labored from sunup to sundown. In east and
prior to the Civil War.
west Florida, a "task system" was more common,
which provided workers with a daily task quota and
could allow some personal time after the tasks were completed. However, in some plantations both
systems were used.
As enslaved residents in the Confederate states, most African Americans had little choice but to
support the Confederate war effort. Some
went to war as servants to white southern
officers. Others toiled in hard labor when
the Confederate military impressed
enslaved blacks for labor projects, such as
building fortifications and transportation
systems.
Although many enslaved blacks
remained on plantations during the war,
many others who had an opportunity fled to
Union-held areas, such as Jacksonville
and Fernandina in northwest Florida,
Picture C-2-17: African-Americans escaping slavery sail in a
where they lived as refugees. More than a
small boat to be picked up by the Union blockade ship USS
thousand African American men from
Kingfisher off the Florida coast near St. Marks in 1862; this
Florida joined the Union army, filling out
picture was in the April 1862 issue of Harper’s Weekly.
the ranks of black regiments.
Women in Florida: The Civil War greatly affected the lives of women, particularly in
southern white society. With many heads of households away from home serving
in the military, women had to take on many additional responsibilities. Whether it
was a large plantation in north Florida or a small subsistence farm in peninsular
Florida, women often had to perform all of the tasks that the men had done, as well
as their own.
The burden fell to women on the homefront to raise their families and to make
do with less. The absence of working men, combined with the severe economic
hardships imposed by the Union naval blockade, made life difficult for the average
woman in the South. As towns along Florida's coast changed hands, the
inhabitants often found themselves as refugees in their own land--forced to
relocate inland or live under Union or Confederate occupation.
Many women served as supporters of the Confederate war effort.
Picture C-2-18: Captain
Groups such as the Ladies Soldiers Friend Sewing Society in
Robert Knickmeyer and his
wife Mary Louisa Knickmeyer
Tallahassee formed to make clothing for southern soldiers. Others in
lived in Apalachicola. A native
the state organized fund-raising events to support the Florida Hospital
of Germany, Captain
set up for sick and wounded Florida soldiers in Richmond, Virginia.
Knickmeyer served in the 4th
Florida Infantry Regiment.
Exhibit H: Florida’s Government and Place in the Confederate Economy
Government and Private Support: Florida's state government generally strongly supported the southern
war effort. For example, in late 1862, the legislature decided to remove the carpet in the capitol building
so that it could be cut up and made into blankets for Florida's ill-equipped troops serving in cold winter
camps outside the state. The legislature also voted to provide much-needed, although minimal,
assistance to the many families of soldiers
who had little or no money because of the
war. Florida had limited resources to meet
the huge demands of equipping troops
and running a wartime economy.
Southern citizens and foreign investors
demonstrated their support for the South
Picture C-2-19: The Florida three-dollar bill, printed in
by purchasing Confederate bonds. The
South Carolina during the war; the Confederate States of
South experienced a lack of hard currency
America printed increasingly large amounts of paper
to buy foreign goods, since many
currency. As the war continued, very high inflation,
combined with lack of faith in the monetary system, greatly
merchants would not accept southern
devalued the buying power of both Confederate national
credit or Confederate currency in payment
and state currency.
for products.
Florida in the Confederate Economy: Florida's major contribution to the Confederate war effort was the
supplying of much-needed beef, pork, corn, and molasses to feed the southern armies. The relatively
sheltered nature of the state's northern interior, free from most large federal raids, allowed cattle to be
raised and food crops to be grown. The other commodity that Floridians produced was salt, which was
necessary to preserve meat. Salt-making along Florida's Gulf coast involved boiling seawater in large
kettles or containers to evaporate the water and collect the salt.
The southern economy and its military efforts were closely tied together,
since much of the economic activity directly supported the Confederate war
effort. Some southern officials served as both civil tax agents and
commissioned military officers responsible for acquiring food and supplies for
the military.
Southern economic targets in Florida were attacked in small Union military
operations, such as cavalry raids in south Florida to seize cattle, navy raids
against saltworks along the coast, and the Union naval blockade to prevent
the import and export of goods. To protect cattle in south Florida, southern
authorities formed small military units called the "cow cavalry."
Picture C-2-20: Jake
Summerlin of Bartow,
pictured above, was a
cattle rancher during the
Civil War. Cattle ranchers
in the state played a key
role in supplying the
Confederate government
with meat. However, some
ranchers also sold cattle to
Union authorities.
Picture C-2-21: Illustration of a Union navy raiding
party approaching a salt factory on Florida's northern
Gulf coast in the summer of 1862. Most salt-making
operations were smaller and less complex than this
rather elaborate factory.
Exhibit I: Medicine and Surgery During the Civil War
During the war, soldiers were twice as likely to die of disease as they were to be killed in
battle. Poor sanitation and crowded camp life helped spread epidemics among the armies. An
often insufficient diet, exposure to the elements, and combat stress weakened the body's
resistance to disease. Because Civil War surgeons did not know about germs and the need for
sterile instruments during operations, many unnecessary infections resulted from even
relatively minor wounds.
Many serious wounds were beyond the abilities of military surgeons to treat, without relying
on amputation. Amputation was a common operation if a patient's arm or leg had a extensive
wound. The procedure lessened the chance that gangrene or fatal infection would occur.
Although amputation could sometimes save the life of a patient, it left thousands of soldiers
permanently disabled.
Picture C-2-22: A surgeon’s amputation kit that
was originally owned by Dr. Thomas P. Gary of
Brooksville and Ocala, who served as a surgeon in
the 7th Florida Infantry Regiment during the Civil
War. Gary may have purchased the kit, made by
the Snowden Company of Philadelphia, while
studying medicine in that city before the war. The
ivory handles of these instruments indicate that
they probably were designed for civilian use.
Surgeon's kits from the Civil War period were
usually elaborate sets of instruments fitted in fine
fabric-lined wood cases. Each instrument served a
specific function in an amputation.
Picture C-2-23: Private Charles L.
Sewell, a veteran of the 1st Florida
Infantry, was wounded in the Battle
of Franklin, Tennessee, in late 1864.
Several days later his arm was
amputated by a Confederate
surgeon. He survived the operation
and lived into the twentieth century.
Pictures C-2-24 (left) and 25 (right): Union Private
Edgar W. Cherry was shot in the right cheek during
the Battle at Rivers Bridge in South Carolina on Feb.
3, 1865, two months before the war ended. The
drawing on the left shows the incisions made by an
army surgeon to repair the damage done to Cherry's
face by a Confederate minie ball; the bullet smashed
into his face at his right check and tore out near the
bridge of his nose. The picture at right was taken in
1890 and included with a letter by his wife to the U.S.
Senate in support of his effort to have his military
pension increased.
Exhibit J: Naval and River Operations in Florida’s Waters
Early in the war the Union navy began a blockade of Florida's coast to prevent the
Confederacy from importing and exporting arms and trade goods. Initially, the navy did not
have enough ships to effectively police Florida's long coastline and stop southern commerce.
Blockade runners brought in war materials and luxuries, often from Bermuda, the Bahamas,
and Cuba. In turn, cotton, molasses, whiskey, and other products were shipped abroad. As the
federal navy acquired more ships, it was able to catch or destroy more and more blockaderunners. In some cases, the Union navy refitted captured blockade-running ships for use as
blockaders. The East Gulf Blockading Squadron was the primary naval force in Florida,
headquartered at Key West.
Union navy gunboats also patrolled some
of Florida's larger rivers. During the war, the
Union army used transport ships to move
troops and equipment. The Maple Leaf, which
was sunk in 1864 by a Confederate mine in
the St. John's River, was one of these army
transports.
Blockade duty for the average sailor was
long, hot, and boring. Diseases like yellow
fever were a deadly problem in the summer
months. Ships could go for days, weeks, or
Picture C-2-26: Union sailors from the USS Stars
and Stripes sail a captured Confederate schooner
longer without spotting a blockade-runner. The
with a cargo of cotton in the Ochlockonee River
few warships of the Confederate navy usually
while under fire by southern cavalry troops.
were raiding northern merchant ships on the
high seas or safely in protected rivers, out of range of the Union navy's guns. Union naval
operations also included raids against southern salt-making works on the coast or occasionally
in support of army operations ashore. Escaped slaves who knew the local areas often assisted
the navy in shore raids. In addition, many African American men enlisted in the navy and
served on Union blockading ships.
Picture C-2-27: Illustration of the CSS Florida from the
Nov. 19, 1864, edition of the Illustrated London News. One
of the most effective warships of the Confederate navy, the
CSS Florida never entered port in the state. In 1864, a
Union navy ship illegally seized the vessel while it was in a
neutral port in Brazil.
Exhibit K: The Union Army in Florida & Decisive Battles
The Union Army in Florida: In January 1861, as Florida seceded from the Union, U.S. Army officers stationed
at Pensacola and Key West moved quickly to ensure that two key forts in Florida would remain in Union hands.
By securing and holding Fort Pickens near Pensacola and Fort Taylor in Key West, along with Fort Jefferson in
the Dry Tortugas, the Union had access to strategic outposts in the Deep South.
Over the course of the war, the Union army increased its occupation of most of Florida's coastal forts and
towns. Unlike many other areas of the South, Florida saw minimal large-scale fighting. With the exception of the
Olustee campaign and several small expeditions into the interior, the Union army usually remained near its forts
and occupied cities. Duty in some places, such as St. Augustine, could be interesting for northern troops.
However, many were stationed in remote locations and suffered from boredom, insects, and potentially deadly
tropical diseases such as yellow fever.
A variety of northern units served in Florida, including several African American regiments. In the latter two
years of the war, an increasing number of black units were involved in the Union operations in Florida. In addition
to fighting at Olustee, both black and white Union Army units stationed in different parts of the state fought small
battles with southern forces at Gainesville, Marianna, Cedar Key, Fort Myers, and Natural Bridge. Smaller
skirmishes also occurred in other parts of the state.
The Battle of Olustee: In February 1864, Union forces landed
in Jacksonville and launched a major expedition westward into
the interior of the state. Union objectives included cutting off
Confederate supply lines, locating recruits for black Union
regiments, and establishing a pro-Union government in east
Florida. Brigadier General Truman Seymour commanded the
Union expedition. To counter this move, Confederate Brigadier
General Joseph Finegan gathered southern troops sent from
north Florida, southern Georgia, and South Carolina.
In the largest battle fought in Florida, approximately 5,500
Union troops clashed with a roughly equal number of
Confederates at a point east of Lake City. For several hours in
Picture C-2-28: A lithograph of the Battle of
the afternoon of February 20, 1864, fighting raged in the
Olustee. This color lithograph was part of a
pinewoods near Olustee Station and Ocean Pond. Both
post-war series of romanticized images of
commanders committed their forces only a few units at a time;
Civil War battles. Here, the 8th U.S. Colored
however, the Confederates established a more effective position.
Infantry Regiment is shown under fire during
As a result, the federal units directly engaged in the battle faced
the battle. This illustration, while dramatic,
a relatively larger number of southern troops. Three regiments of
does not accurately reflect the actual battle.
African American troops fought in the battle and suffered heavy
The engagement at Olustee was fought in
casualties. The Confederates held their ground and inflicted a
pinewoods, rather than in the open as shown
stinging defeat on the Union forces. As darkness approached,
in this print.
the Union troops began their retreat to Jacksonville.
For its size (approximately 11,000 soldiers altogether), the
battle was one of the bloodiest clashes of the war, with 1,861 Union casualties and 946 Confederate casualties.
The Confederate victory helped keep the interior of the state under the South's control.
The Battle of Natural Bridge: Late in the war, in March 1865, a combined Union army and naval force
assembled in the northern Gulf of Mexico off St. Mark's. Almost 1,000 Union troops, including several hundred
Florida soldiers in the 2nd Florida Union Cavalry, landed near the St. Mark's lighthouse and prepared to move
inland. The initial targets of the expedition appear to have been the town and fort of St. Mark's. However, with a
large Union force moving inland, the Confederates thought that there was a clear danger to the capital city,
Tallahassee.
Following a skirmish at Newport Bridge on the St. Mark's River, the Union commander, Brigadier General John
Newton, decided to conduct a night march north to Natural Bridge in hopes of crossing the river unopposed.
Observant Confederate scouts reported the move, and the southern field commander, Brigadier General William
Miller, redirected his forces in the area to meet the threat. The southern troops consisted of both Florida cavalry
and artillery soldiers, supplemented with young and old militia members, and a small group of young cadets from
the Florida Military Institute in Tallahassee.
At dawn on March 6, 1865, the sound of gunfire could be heard at the Natural Bridge crossing. The first
attempt by the Union troops to cross quickly was checked by southern fire. Both sides reinforced their positions
during the morning, and the northern troops searched for another way across the river. Unable to find another
crossing point, the federal commander chose to force a passage at Natural Bridge. Near midday the Union troops
of the 2nd and 99th U.S. Colored Infantry regiments attacked. For several hours the woods and swamps echoed
with the sounds of battle.
The Confederates had the advantages of a solid defensive position, more cannons, and, by the end of the
battle, more troops. After finally realizing that they could not successfully force their way across Natural Bridge,
the Union troops broke off the engagement and retreated to the safety of the coast. The battle resulted in 148
casualties for the northern side and 26 casualties for the southern side. The Confederate victory ensured that
Tallahassee would remain in southern hands for the remainder of the war--the only southern capital east of the
Mississippi River with that distinction.
Picture C-2-29: Brigadier
General William Miller,
C.S.A., who served as
Confederate field
commander at Natural
Bridge.
Picture C-2-30: Brigadier
General John Newton, U.S.A.
General Newton was a veteran
of several major battles,
including Gettysburg, before
being assigned to a post in Key
West. His expedition to Natural
Bridge was his last battle before
the war ended.
Exhibit L: The War Ends
During the spring of 1865, the infrastructure of the Confederacy collapsed. The northern advantages
of superior numbers of troops, combined with a huge industrial base, had exhausted the South in a
four-year war of attrition. General Lee's once-mighty Army of Northern Virginia was starving and, after
the abandonment of Petersburg and Richmond, outmaneuvered by a relentlessly pursuing Union Army
of the Potomac. Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9,
1865. Unable to link up with General Lee, the South's other major field army, the Army of Tennessee,
under the command of General Joseph E. Johnston, surrendered on April 26th at Durham Station,
North Carolina. As part of the surrender of the Army of Tennessee, other areas in the Southeast,
including Florida, were instructed to yield to federal troops.
News of the war's end reached Florida in rumors and fragments later in April and in early May.
Several months before, Florida's Governor Milton had proclaimed that death would be preferable to
reunion, and on April 1, he ended his life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The state's adjutant
general removed the retired battle flags from the capitol and turned them over to his sister to hide them
to prevent them from falling into Union hands.
The people of Florida greeted the end of the war in very different ways. For Lieutenant Francis
Fleming, a Florida Confederate officer whose brother had been killed in battle the year before, the end
was "a sad and terrible result." In contrast, for some other Florida troops, weary and anxious finally to
go home, the news of the war's end was greeted with cheers. In Union-occupied areas of the state,
cannons boomed victory salutes.
On May 10, 1865, Union Brigadier General Edward
McCook and his staff entered Tallahassee without
incident. McCook and his occupation force had come
from Macon, Georgia, to establish federal control and
authority in Florida. Confederate troops signed parole
documents agreeing not to fight and turned over military
Picture C-2-31: This is a parole document.
After the Confederate armies surrendered,
equipment to federal authorities. In a May 20th ceremony
individual soldiers received paroles
marking the formal transition of power, Union troops
allowing them to go home if they promised
raised a large United States flag over the state capitol.
not to fight. This example was issued at
On the same day, General McCook announced the
Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, to
Emancipation Proclamation, formally freeing enslaved
Private Aaron Geiger of Company G of the
blacks in Florida. The war was over for Florida, and the
10th Florida Infantry and was signed by his
uncertain period of Reconstruction began.
commanding officer.
Epilogue: Civil War Veterans For many veterans, their participation in the Civil War was the most
important period of their lives. As they aged, many joined veterans' organizations, where they could
meet with old friends and share memories of their service. The two main veterans' organizations were
the United Confederate Veterans (U.C.V.) for southern veterans, and the Grand Army of the Republic
(G.A.R.) for veterans of the Union army. Annual reunions and parades were among the popular events
held by these groups, who were active mainly between the 1890s and 1920s.
Picture C-2-32: Veterans gathering, Lake County,
Florida, 1895. The men shown standing in the
photograph are members of both the G.A.R. and
U.C.V. veterans’ organizations. The former enemies
met to conduct a reenactment of the Battle of Olustee
for entertainment.
Notes for Exhibits A-L (Page 1)
Exhibit A:
1.) In January 1861, a month after South Carolina had elected to secede from the Union, a group of
Florida’s leaders gathered to decide if Florida should follow suit. What did they decide to do?
2.) What was the final vote total? Was it a close vote?
3.) True or false. After seceding from the United States, Florida became an independent nation until
joining the Confederacy a month later.
4.) The flag in Picture C-2-4 shows three stars; what is the significance of these three stars?
Exhibit B:
1.) What did Florida state officials order Florida troops to do throughout the state after secession?
2.) How did the situation at Pensacola almost result in the opening of the Civil War? How was it
settled?
3.) On October 9, 1861, Confederate forces attempted to take over Fort Pickens; were they
successful?
4.) Why did the Confederate Army eventually leave Fort Pickens and the nearby town of Pensacola to
Union forces?
Exhibit C:
1.) Why did Confederate officials decide to abandon the defense of Florida’s coastline during the war?
a.
b.
2.) True or false. After the Confederacy issued the order to abandon all defense of the Florida
coastline, Union forces quickly overran the remainder of the state.
3.) Picture C-2-9 shows Union forces marching triumphantly into the northeast Florida town of
Fernandina. What clues show that this was a peaceful takeover?
Exhibit D:
1.) What was noteworthy about the 15,000 Floridians who served for the Confederacy?
2.) Why do you think that the majority of Florida’s Confederate troops were sent out of the state?
3.) Why did the South eventually need to draft men of fighting age instead of depending on volunteers?
4.) True or false. Almost 5,000 Floridians were killed or injured during the Civil War, the highest
percentage of casualties on for any state, Union or Confederate.
Notes for Exhibits A-L (Page 2)
Exhibit E:
1.) Why did Southern soldiers depend on captured war materials or imports from other countries?
2.) True or false. Florida was a major supplier of finished goods for the Confederacy.
3.) While viewing Pictures C-2-12 and 13, think of some challenges that soldiers would have faced in
moving equipment from camp to camp and battle to battle during the Civil War.
Exhibit F:
1.) Why did many Floridians side with the Union instead of the Confederacy?
2.) What happened to many Floridians who showed support for the Union during the Civil War?
3.) Picture C-2-14 shows the front page of a pro-Union newspaper in Jacksonville during the Civil War.
Why was this newspaper allowed to be printed in Florida, a Confederate state?
Exhibit G:
1.) Describe the differences between the two systems of slavery that existed in Florida before the Civil
War. Which system would you have preferred as a slave?
2.) How did African-Americans support the Confederate war effort? Do you think that they did so
willingly?
3.) What hardships did Florida’s women encounter during the Civil War? How did they support the war
effort?
Exhibit H:
1.) How did Florida’s state government support the Southern war effort?
2.) What natural advantages enabled Florida to become a chief supplier of beef and salt to the
Confederacy?
Exhibit I:
1.) Civil War soldiers were twice as likely to die of disease as they were to be killed in battle; list at
least three conditions that help explain how this happened.
a.
b.
c.
2.) Amputation was often a much-needed medical procedure during the Civil War. List one benefit of
this procedure, as well as one drawback.
Exhibit J:
1.) For what reasons did Union gunboats blockade Florida’s coast and patrol its larger rivers during the
Civil War?
2.) Why did many Union sailors dislike blockade duty?
Exhibit K:
1.) True or false. Soldiers stationed in Florida saw a lot of action in battles throughout the state.
2.) What caused the Battle of Olustee, near Lake City? Who won, and what was the end result?
3.) What caused the Battle of Natural Bridge? Who won, and what was the end result?
Exhibit L:
1.) Why did Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia and Johnston’s Army of Tennessee finally surrender?
2.) Why do you think so many Floridians, especially Confederate soldiers, were ready for the war to
finally end?
3.) True or false. After the Confederate surrender, Union troops rounded up, arrested, and jailed all
Confederate soldiers.
4.) Why do you think many Civil War veterans joined various veterans’ organizations such as the GAR
or the UCV?
IV.
Assessment
1.) Create a historical marker that commemorates the role Florida played, and the contributions that Florida made
to the Confederacy, during the War Between the States. Your marker should include:
a. an appropriate title;
b. a brief summary that clearly explains at least three contributions made by Florida to the Confederacy, or
facts about the Civil War in Florida;
c. visuals that illustrate the three items described in the summary;
d. writing that is free from spelling and grammatical errors.
HISTORICAL MARKER
2.) On the eve of the Civil War, one prominent Northerner referred to Florida as the “smallest tadpole in the dirty
pool of secession.” What did he mean by this comment?
a. that Florida was so small and lacking in industry that it was considered insignificant in the war;
b. that all of the Southern states were dirty;
c. though Florida was small in size, it could single-handedly beat the Union;
d. there was a lot of water in Florida
3.) Which of the following statements about Florida in the Civil War are true? There is more than one correct
choice.
a. Florida was by far the smallest state in the Confederacy, with around 140,000 people, including over
60,000 slaves
b. The North was shocked when Florida seceded from the Union because it had been one of the original 13
states
c. Florida was the third state to secede, following South Carolina and Mississippi
d. The only major battles that occurred in Florida during the Civil War were the Battle of Olustee and the
Battle of Natural Bridge, both Confederate victories
e. As the least-populated state in the Confederacy, Florida made no contributions to the war effort in terms
of men or materials
f. Florida was a divided state during the war, with many supporters for both sides
g. Approximately 5,000 Floridians (about one out of every three soldiers) died or were killed in Confederate
service, the highest percentage of casualties for any state, Confederate or Union, during the entire war
h. Florida was a major supplier of food, especially cattle, for the Confederacy during the war
i. All Floridians were sad to see the war come to an end, preferring to fight to the finish instead of
surrendering
j. Many years after the war, veterans from both sides met together once a year in peace and friendship and
recalled their war days
4.) Why were most Confederate soldiers from Florida sent out of the state to fight the Union’s armies?
5.) Which one of the following strategies did Union forces use to battle Confederates in Florida?
a. burning all cities and towns to the ground
b. destroying all livestock and crops
c. blockading the coast and patrolling the rivers
d. the Union did not attempt to battle the Confederates in Florida
6.) True or false. During the war, soldiers were twice as likely to die of disease as they were to be killed in battle.
7.) Which of the following was Florida NOT a major producer/supplier of for the Confederacy?
a. salt
b. machinery
c. food crops
d. cattle
8.) True or false. There was hardly any support for the Union in Florida because Florida was such a loyal
Confederate state.
V.
Resources
http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/museum/civwar/
http://www.nps.gov/liho/US1861.jpg - map
http://www.gwest.org/5thfla.jpg
http://riograndesutlery.com/flags.shtml#4
http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/photos/military/civilwar/0286.htm
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/94rivers/94visual3.htm -pictures of Pvt. Edgar W. Cherry
Sawyer, Martha. “Floridians Fought in War.” The (Lakeland) Ledger, 6/3/1998, page D6.