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Civil War Battles in Gainesville
by
Melanie Barr
for the Alachua County Historical Commission
Florida voted to secede from the United States at a convention in Tallahassee in January 1861, and in
February 1864 the War arrived in Gainesville. A larger and more well known battle took place in
Gainesville in August 1864. This year marks the 150th anniversary of these battles.
The first skirmish in Gainesville took place five days before the Battle of Olustee. A raiding party of 49
men from the 40th Massachusetts Calvary entered the city on February 14, 1864 at 2:00 AM. They took
possession of the Suwannee Hotel located on the northwest corner of University Avenue and Main
Street. Members of the 2nd Florida Calvary had just left Gainesville and were on their way to Lake
City. Upon notification in Newnansville that Federals occupied Gainesville 130 to 150 soldiers returned
to Gainesville from the west down University Avenue, and from the north past James Bailey's home on
NW 6th Street,and then south on Main Street. The two platoons from West University Avenue charged
the breastworks erected by the Federals out of cotton bales on Main Street and University Avenue. The
horses easily jumped over the bales into the secured area. According to an account written by two
Confederate soldiers “The“Yankees fought well. They were armed with 16 repeater rifles. They poured
shot into our men, who retired.” The Confederates withdrew to the Stewart plantation, but returned the
next morning and learned that the Federals had left the previous night.
The Union account of the skirmish indicated that 49 men captured and held Gainesville for 56 hours,
receiving and repulsing an attack from more than double their forces. Their estimate of the number of
Confederate soldiers in the battle was basically correct, but they also believed they withstood the
company commanded by Captain JJ Dickison, which was not the case. The Union report indicated that
not one of their soldiers was hurt, while the Confederates lost 40 men. The first Confederate casualty
occurred on the north side of West University Avenue at NW 1st Street. Thirty six African American
men left with the Union soldiers, and of them, 33 enlisted in the Union Army.
The larger battle took place in August. A Union raiding party under the command of Andrew T. Harris
of the 75th Ohio Infantry had left Baldwin heading southwest to Gainesville on August 15th, 1864.
They met up with the 4th Massachusetts Calvary and 12 to 15 “loyal” Floridians in Starke where they
proceeded to Gainesville by way of Lake Santa Fe. They arrived on August 17th at 6:30 AM and rested
on the hill east of Sweetwater Branch where they prepared their breakfast and watered their horses.
There the Federal forces found themselves under attack by the homeguard composed of 30 to 40 young
boys and old men who were no match for seasoned soldiers. Again the Federals thought they repulsed
Dickison's men.
Union soldiers began to plunder the town and were milling around when they learned that Confederate
forces were approaching from the south in great numbers. They were completely unprepared when
Captain JJ Dickison and 175 men with the 2nd and 5th Florida Calvary attacked them. The Federals left
their position along the railroad and made their final stand in front of the Beville Hotel in the vicinity of
the GRU building today. Colonel Harris had 342 men under his command, but believed he was
surrounded by 600 Confederate soldiers. He ordered his men to retreat down Waldo Road, but some of
them went toward Newnansville and the Confederates surrounded them again. The Union expedition
that had intended to take Gainesville for permanent occupation held the town for less than three hours.
They never attacked Gainesville again.