Florida -CjvjlV&r- Heritage Trail .•""•^ ** V fc till -/foMyfa^^Jtwr^— A Florida Heritage Publication Florida . r li //AA Heritage Trail Fought from 1861 to 1865, the American Civil War was the country's bloodiest conflict. Over 3 million Americans fought in it, and more than 600,000 men, 2 percent of the American population, died in it. The war resulted in the abolition of slavery, ended the concept of state secession, and forever changed the nation. One of the 1 1 states to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy, Florida's role in this momentous struggle is often overlooked. While located far from the major theaters of the war, the state experienced considerable military activity. At one Florida battle alone, over 2,800 Confederate and Union soldiers became casualties. The state supplied some 1 5,000 men to the Confederate armies who fought in nearly all of the major battles or the war. Florida became a significant source of supplies for the Confederacy, providing large amounts of beef, pork, fish, sugar, molasses, and salt. Reflecting the divisive nature of the conflict, several thousand white and black Floridians also served in the Union army and navy. The Civil War brought considerable deprivation and tragedy to Florida. Many of her soldiers fought in distant states, and an estimated 5,000 died with many thousands more maimed and wounded. At home, the Union blockade and runaway inflation meant crippling scarcities of common household goods, clothing, and medicine. Although Florida families carried on with determination, significant portions of the populated areas of the state lay in ruins by the end of the war. With the conflict over, men and women, both emancipated blacks and whites, began the long and arduous task of rebuilding the state and working toward the creation of modern Florida. The Florida Civil War Heritage Trail examines the state's role in this epic period of American history through its historic sites and museums. The Trail includes a background essay on the history of the Civil War in Florida, a timeline of events, 31 sidebars on important Florida topics, issues and individuals of the period, and a selected bibliography. It also includes information on over 200 battlefields, fortifications, buildings, cemeteries, museum exhibits, monuments, historical markers, and other sites in Florida with direct links to the Civil War. Readers are invited to visit these historic sites and museums that reflect the Civil War experience in Florida. FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS The Florida Civil War Heritage Trailwus produced by the Florida Association of Museums (FAM), the statewide not-for-profit professional organization for Florida's museums and museum professionals. FAM provides continuing education and networking opportunities for museum professionals, improves the level of professionalism within the museum community, serves as a resource for information on the more than 340 museums in the state, serves as a liaison between museums and government, and enhances the ability of museums to serve the public interest. FAM is guided by a Board of Directors elected by the membership, which is representative of the spectrum of museum disciplines across Florida. FAM encourages excellence in its members by promoting communication through which its members share information and resources, effect legislation, and promote support of museums. For further information, contact: Florida Association of Museums Post Office Box 10951 Tallahassee, Florida 32302-2951 Phone: 850.222.6028 FAX: 850.222.61 12 www.flamuseums.org Front Cover: Florida section of 1862 "Cotton's Rail-Road and Military Map of the United States, Mexico, the West Indies, &c. by J.H. Colton, New York" (Map was edited tor graphic purposes): English sword used by a Florida Confederate officer: Civil War-era drum: Florida Secession Flag. 1861: Union sword belt buckle. (Artifact images courtesy of the Museum of Florida History) Page 1: Union Sharps Carbine and Imported French sword reportedly used by a Confederate officer. (Images courtesy of the Museum of Florida History) Flags at the top of each page: The 34-star United States Flag (1861-1863) and the First National Flag of the Confederacy (1861-1863). TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Florida in The Civil War, 60 Central West Region 1861-1865 66 Southwest Region 4 Timeline 70 Southeast Region 9 Northwest Region 77 Out- of- State Sites 22 North Central Region 78 Selected Bibliography 39 Northeast Region 79 Site Index 54 Regional Map of Sites 80 Acknowledgements 56 Central Region 59 Central East Region Credits Author of Introduction, Timeline, Sidebars, and Bibliography Dr. David J. Coles, Longwood University, Farmville, Virginia Authors of Site Entries Frederick P. Gaske, Historic Preservation Services, and David Stanford Gregory, Research Historian, Tallahassee, Florida Special Assistance Bruce Graetz, Museum of Florida History, Tallahassee, Florida Editor Frederick P. Gaske, Historic Preservation Services, Tallahassee, Florida Project Administration Malinda Horton, Florida Association of Museums, Tallahassee, Florida Graphic Design Patti Cross, Osprey, Florida This publication has been financed in part with historic preservation grant assistance provided In the <>1 Division Historical Resources, Florida Department of State, assisted b) the Florida 1 listorical Commission. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Florida Department of State, nor does the mention of trade nanus or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Florida 1 )epartment of State. 1 . FLORIDA IN THE CIVIL WAR i8<fi-i8<*5 Florida's role in the Civil War has Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, ran concentrated around current or former not been as extensively examined as that through the north-central portion of military outposts. Some sugar production of other Southern states, though in the the peninsula from Marianna to Ocala. took place in the Manatee River area, past several decades it has received more The 1860 census reported that Florida and the southern region was also home scholarly attention. In many respects had a total population of only 140,424 to thousands of cattle that ranged it remains the forgotten state of the with nearly 45 percent (61,745) of those the scrublands and swamps, awaiting Confederacy, just as it was during the being slaves. The largest settlements in shipment to Cuba or elsewhere. 1 860s, when a Northern newspaper Florida included Pensacola, Marianna, By the early-to-mid 1800s, sectional referred to it as the "smallest tadpole in Apalachicola, Quincy, and Tallahassee disputes over slavery along with economic the dirty pool of secession." in the west; Monticello, Madison, Lake and political differences threatened Having ended its territorial period City, Ocala, and Gainesville in the national unity. These issues intensified in only in 1845 and still very much a frontier central portion of the state; Fernandina, the decade following the Mexican War at the time of the Civil War, Florida Jacksonville, and St. Augustine along the of 1846-1848 and culminated in 1860 nonetheless displayed characteristics east coast; and Key West in the south. with Republican Abraham Lincoln's of the other Deep South states of the With the exception of Key West, the election to the presidency. In the voting, Cotton Kingdom. A plantation belt, southern half of the state was sparsely Floridians supported Southern Democrat similar to that found in South Carolina, settled and consisted of a few small towns John C. Breckenridge over Constitutional Unionist candidate John Bell by a count Secession Convention of 8,543 to 5,437, while Lincoln did not Florida's Secession Convention even appear on the ballot in the South. began meeting in the state capitol In the gubernatorial race, Democrat John on January 3, 1861 . Delegates who Milton defeated Constitutional Unionist opposed immediate secession, known Edward Hopkins by a comfortable as "cooperationists", introduced a margin. Milton, however, would not proposal to have the convention's take office for one year; consequently actions ratified in a statewide election, Governor Madison Starke Perry but it was not adopted. Instead the convention determined that it had the would call for elections to a Secession power to secede without ratification Convention, to meet in Tallahassee in by popular vote. On January 9, early 1861. the convention listened to a draft When the Secession Convention Ordinance of Secession, found it too convened on January 3, 1861, a majority ambiguous, and directed a committee delegates to support to make revisions. The final version of the seemed proclaimed Florida "a Sovereign and immediate secession, though a few Independent Nation." Cooperationists Florida Ordinance of Secession, 1861 opposed the concept completely and made a series of last-ditch (Image courtesy of the Stale Archives of Florida) others supported it only in cooperation amendments, but they were defeated. ship." James Owens countered with: with other Southern states. Despite The final vote on January 10 showed "Unlike my friend Colonel Ward, I want efforts of the latter groups, the convention 62 delegates in support and seven it inscribed that I was the FIRST man voted 62-7 on January 10 to withdraw opposed to secession. to quit the rotten old hulk." With the Florida the On January 1 1 , 1 861 , the delegates document's signing, Florida became the from the Union, making signed the document. An emotional third state to withdraw from the Union third state to do so after South Carolina occurred moment when cooperationist and soon became a member of the new and Mississippi. The following day they George T. Ward, who would die Confederate States of America. signed the Ordinance of Secession, the following year at the Battle of To learn more, see: "The Florida temporarily making Florida an Williamsburg, stated: "When I die I Secession Convention" by Ralph independent nation, though it would join want it inscribed on my tombstone A. Wooster, The Florida Historical that I was the last man to give the the new Confederate States of America up Quarterly, Vol.