The Price We Paid
At least 618,000 Americans
died in the civil war
**Battles**
Florida
Estimated Casualties in Florida:3,444 total (US 2,080; CS 1,074)
Oluste Location: Baker County
Date(s): February 20, 1864
Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. Truman Seymour [US]; Brig. Gen. Joseph
Finegan [CS]
Forces Engaged: Division [US]; District of East Florida [CS]
Estimated Casualties: 2,806 total (US 1,860; CS 946)
Description: In February 1864, the commander of the Department of
the South, Maj. Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore, launched an expedition into Florida
to secure Union enclaves, sever Rebel supply routes, and recruit black soldiers.
Brig. Gen. Truman Seymour moved deep into the state, occupying, destroying,
and liberating, meeting little resistance on February 20, he approached Brig.
Gen. Joseph Finegan’s 5,000 Confederates entrenched near Olustee. One infantry
brigade pushed out to meet Seymour’s advance units. The Union forces attacked
but were repulsed. The battle raged, and as Finegan committed the last of his
reserves, the Union line broke and began to retreat. Finegan did not exploit
the retreat, allowing most of the fleeing Union forces to reach Jacksonville.
Result(s): Confederate victory
Natural Bridge
Location: Leon County
Campaign: Operations near St. Marks, Florida (1865)
Date(s): March 6, 1865
Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. John Newton [US]; Maj. Gen. Sam Jones
[CS]
Forces Engaged: 2nd U.S. Colored Infantry and 99th U.S. Colored Infantry
[US]; Kilcrease Artillery; Dunham’s Battery; Abell’s Battery; 5th Florida Cavalry;
1st Florida Militia; Barwick’s Company Reserves; Hodges Company Reserves; Company
A, Milton Light Artillery; Companies A, B, and F, Reserves and reinforcements
from Georgia amounting to approx. 1,000 men [CS]
Estimated Casualties: 174 (US 148; CS 26)
Description: Maj. Gen. John Newton had undertaken a joint force expedition
to engage and destroy Confederate troops that had attacked at Cedar Keys and
Fort Myers and were allegedly encamped somewhere around St. Marks. The Navy
had trouble getting its ships up the St. Marks River. The Army force, however,
had advanced and, after finding one bridge destroyed, started before dawn on
March 6 to attempt to cross the river at Natural Bridge. The troops initially
pushed Rebel forces back but not away from the bridge. Confederate forces, protected
by breastworks, guarded all of the approaches and the bridge itself. The action
at Natural Bridge lasted most of the day, but, unable to take the bridge, the
Union troops retreated to the protection of the fleet.
Results: Confederate victory
Fort Brooke
Location: Tampa
Date(s): October 16-18, 1863
Principal Commanders: Lt. Comdr. A.A. Semmes [US]; Capt. John Westcott
[CS]
Forces Engaged: Union Navy: Tahoma, Adela, and landing force [US];
Company A, 2nd Battalion, Florida Volunteers [CS]
Estimated Casualties: Unknown
Description: Two Union ships bombarded Fort Brooke on October 16 as
a diversion, while a landing party under Acting Master T.R. Harris disembarked
at Ballast Point and marched 14 miles to the Hillsborough River to capture several
steamers. Harris and his men surprised and captured the blockade running steamer
Scottish Chief and sloop Kate Dale. The Rebels destroyed the steamer A.B. Noyes
to preclude her capture. On its way back to the ship, Harris’s force was surprised
by a detachment of the garrison, causing casualties.
Result(s): Union victory
St. John’s Bluff
Location: Duval County
Date(s): October 1-3, 1862
Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. John M. Brannan [US]; Lt. Col. Charles
F. Hopkins [CS]
Forces Engaged: Expeditionary Force: 2 infantry regiments, a light
artillery battery and detachment of the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry (total force
1,573) [US]; a small artillery and cavalry force [CS]
Estimated Casualties: Unknown
Description: Brig. Gen. John Finegan established a battery on St.
John’ s Bluff near Jacksonville to stop the movement of Federal ships up the
St. Johns River. Brig. Gen. John M. Brannan embarked with about 1,500 infantry
aboard the transports Boston, Ben DeFord, Cosmopolitan, and Neptune at Hilton
Head, South Carolina, on September 30. The flotilla arrived at the mouth of
the St. John’ s River on October 1, where Cdr. Charles Steedman’ s gunboats
-Paul Jones, Cimarron, Uncas, Patroon, Hale, and Water Witch- joined them. By
midday, the gunboats approached the bluff, while Brannan began landing troops
at Mayport Mills. Another infantry force landed at Mount Pleasant Creek, about
five miles in the rear of the Confederate battery, and began marching overland
on the 2nd. Outmaneuvered, Lt. Col. Charles F. Hopkins abandoned the position
after dark. When the gunboats approached the bluff the next day, its guns were
silent.
Result(s): Union victory
Santa Rosa Island
Location: Escambia County
Date(s): October 9, 1861
Principal Commanders: Col. Harvey Brown [US]; Confederate Brig. Gen.
Richard H. Anderson [CS]
Forces Engaged: Santa Rosa Island Garrison (approx. 600 men) [US];
infantry and artillery detachments (approx. 1,200 men) [CS]
Estimated Casualties: 154 total (US 67; CS 87)
Description: After midnight on October 9, Brig. Gen. Richard Anderson
crossed from the mainland to Santa Rosa Island with 1,200 men in two small steamers
to surprise Union camps and capture Fort Pickens. He landed on the north beach
about four miles east of Fort Pickens and divided his command into three columns.
After proceeding about three miles, the Confederates surprised the 6th Regiment,
New York Volunteers, in its camp and routed the regiment. Gen. Anderson then
adopted a defensive stance to entice the Federals to leave the fort and attack.
Receiving reinforcements, Col. Harvey Brown sallied against the Confederates,
who reembarked and returned to the mainland.
Result(s): Union victory
Tampa
Location: City of Tampa
Date(s): June 30-July 1, 1862
Principal Commanders: Capt. A.J. Drake [US]; Capt. J.W. Pearson [CS]
Forces Engaged: One gunboat [US]; Osceola Rangers, company [CS]
Estimated Casualties: None
Description: On June 30, a Union gunboat came into Tampa Bay, turned
her broadside on the town, and opened her ports. The gunboat then dispatched
a launch carrying 20 men and a lieutenant under a flag of truce demanding the
surrender of Tampa. The Confederates refused, and the gunboat opened fire. The
officer then informed the Confederates that shelling would commence at 6:00
pm after allowing time to evacuate non-combatants from the city. Firing continued
sporadically into the afternoon of July 1, when the Federal gunboat withdrew.
Result(s): Confederate victory (Inconclusive, but Union gunboat withdrew.)