important facts about the battle of olustee

On October 23, 1912, veterans of the Battle of Olustee gathered with other dignitaries including then Florida Governor Albert W. Gilchrist and U.S. These same beliefs influenced Seymours plans. Finegan advanced first the 64th Georgia and part of the 32nd Georgia, followed by the 6th, 19th and 28th Georgia Regiments, and Gamble's Florida Artillery. For the Union, while the political objective of establishing a Republican government in Florida failed, Federal forces maintained control of Jacksonville for the rest of the Civil War, a key holding that both disrupted Confederate trade and allowed Florida blacks to more easily join Union ranks. The Union forces that captured Jacksonville, Florida were ordered to remain in the Jacksonville area to secure it from Confederate forces. Other Sources: The Battle for Olustee, Or Ocean Pond -- General Samuel Jones The Battle of Olustee, Florida -- General Joseph R. Hawley. Olustee (a Seminole word meaning "pond") was established in 1895 and named after the Battle of Olustee in the Civil War. The Federals lines were bordered by swamps on both flanks so there was little room to maneuver, and the field itself was an open pine barren with little cover. Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park commemorates the site of Floridas largest Civil War battle. We strive for accuracy and fairness. By nightfall, the Union troops had started their retreat to Jacksonville. Union casualties were 203 killed, 1,152 wounded, and 506 missing, a total of 1,861, of approximately 5,500 troops involved. A memorial ceremony, held at Oaklawn Cemetery, kicks off the event. Gen. Ocean Pond. Olustee Battlefield Historic State Parkcommemorates the site of Florida's largest Civil War battle, which took place Feb. 20, 1864. Throughout the Civil War, Florida supplied the Confederacy with beef to feed troops and with salt to preserve it. For more information visit: http://www.floridastateparks.org/olusteebattlefield. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 57,000 acres in 25 states! By mid-day the Federals had reached Sanderson, where they briefly stopped for lunch. Olustee was the climax to a Union invasion of Florida a few weeks before. In fairness to Seymour, the battlefield's terrain somewhat limited his options. Cavalry pickets quickly made contact with the advancing Union troops, and made sure Finegan knew the situation. This re-enactment period spans over 5 days and includes tours of historically accurate camps, demonstrations, and interactions with living historians. The Battle of Olustee and the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park: a Brief History. The reenactment of this battle features artillery and cavalry units, with the infantry bearing the brunt of the fighting. Seymour believed that his Union contingent had encountered small bands of Florida militia and slowly committed the regiments under his command to battle. The 54th Massachusetts, 1st N.C. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. The 8th was an untried unit, having been organized only several months before. The Union armys mission was important, not only to disrupting Confederate supply lines, but also to boost support for the war in the North, which was flagging as the 1864 elections approached. | Contact Us. fought in Florida and dashed Union dreams. on official, secure websites. Dont miss their burgers and Cuban coffee. For a Treat, plan your visit to the area to include lunch at Mimas 1940 restaurant. General Finegan also reached the battlefield at about this time. Minister Abdul Rahman Aquil Muhammad (1931-2019), African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/olustee, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. The other units were green the 8th U.S. In addition to cutting supply lines, the Union army was sent to Florida with the hopes of gathering Union supporters, who were spread out in enclaves throughout the state, to establish a Federal-Friendly government that was to be recognized by Washington DC. ing other facts are entirely missing. d. Southern resistance intensified as the Federals neared Olustee. Major Quincy Gillmore, commander of the U.S. Department of the South, wanted to use a mix of black and white troops in the expedition for control of Florida. SANDERSON, Fla. (WCJB) - The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Olustee Battlefield Historic Park is holding its 45th annual reenactment of the Battle of Olustee. Under the presidents plan of reconstruction, a new state government could be formed when 10 percent of the states prewar voting population had taken a loyalty oath. Confederate losses were 93 killed, 847 wounded, and 6 missing, a total of 946 of approximately 5,400 troops involved. Welcome to Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park. Gen. Truman Seymour Of these black troops, only the 54th Massachusetts had experienced combat. Despite this battle being one of the only major engagements in Florida during the war, it was indeed one of the bloodiest in terms of casualties. As the skirmishing intensified, both Finegan and Seymour fed additional troops into the battle. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Join us online July 24-26! When weighing these variable, according to some writers, Olustee stands as the bloodiest of all Civil War battles. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. Photo credit: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. Crowed the newspaper, the Southerners did some splendid shooting that day. Brigadier General Truman Seymour greatly underestimated the strength of the Confederate forces at Olustee. On this fateful day, in 1864, the largest Civil War battle in Florida occurred near the small town of Olustee. Colonel Harrison commanded the Confederate left, and Colquitt the right, although the units of their brigades were somewhat intermingled. Many reenactors travel into the city to participate in the parade, filled with much pomp and circumstance. By late afternoon, General Seymour had realized the battle was lost. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Current one is: February 20. Colored Troops, and 7th Connecticut formed a rear guard as the Union army retreated east. Your browser is not supported for this experience.We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari. (Tuscaloosa:University of Alabama Press, 2018); The Battle of Olustee, https://battleofolustee.org/battle.html. Fortunately for the Federals, the Confederate pursuit was poorly conducted, enabling most of the Yankees to escape. Official websites use .gov A .gov Finegan reinforced success, and Harrison's Brigade came up to help Colquitt turn tactical success into victory. General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard obliged and dispatched reinforcements from Georgia, which made Finegans force comparable to the Federals at approximately 5,000, including 4,600 infantry, less than 600 cavalry, and three batteries of 12 cannon. All facilities are available free of charge. American Battlefield Trust, Olustee, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/olustee; David Nelson, Battles of Olustee. Olustee Battlefield is located on US 90, 15 miles east of Lake City and 50 miles west of Jacksonville. Bullets flew like a storm at Olustee. After Union troops had marched all night in retreat, several black troops were ordered back towards the battleground to help remove wounded Union soldiers who had gotten stuck on the railroad tracks on train cars. After the battle concluded and each combatant withdrew, a train transporting wounded Union soldiers broke down. The Confederate regiments under the command of Brigadier General Joseph Finegan had to rely on the reinforcements under Confederate General Alfred H. Colquitt to arrive to finally push the Union forces off the field. Confederate casualties were lower at 19 percent, or 946 men total. The famed 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment along with the 35th USCT Regiment held the line against a small group of Confederates who had counterattacked the rear of the retreating Union army. A small interpretive center, a one-mile interpretive trail and monuments to the . The Confederate soldiers under Finegans command held the line for so long that they ran out of ammunition and still remained in position until they were relieved by Colquitts reinforcements who provided ammunition to the undersupplied soldiers. However, the arrival of more ammunition and the resulting Confederate rejuvenation soon spelled defeat for Seymour and his forces. At the Battle of Natural Bridge, a force of Confederate militia and home guard units, along with some regular troops, defeated a Union raid against St. Marks, on the coast south of Tallahassee. On 20 February 1864 at Olustee Battlefield, Union and Confederate troops clashed for five hours in what became Floridas largest battle during the American Civil War. African Americans soldiers helped to stall the Confederate attacks on the retreating Union army, which prevented the total collapse of the retreating Union army. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. Survivors of the Battle of Olustee gather on October 23, 1912 for the dedication of a monument. had 310. The Union armies had launched a campaign into Florida in attempt to occupy Jacksonville. History Hit brings you the stories that shaped the world through our award winning podcast network and an online history channel. The Battle of Olustee On a cool day in February hundreds of people gather on a field to recreate a battle that long ago took the lives of over 2,800 men. The wood in front of the veterans appears to be from the preparation of the monument. Throughout the day on February 20, a pitched battle raged. According to a Tallahassee newspaper at the time, a wounded Union soldier said that his regiment went into the fight with 37 officers, but came out with only three alive & unhurt. The Interpretive Center is open daily from 9 am until 5 pm. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata. Visitors can hike a mile-long trail, right into the actual battlefield, which has interpretive signs describing the events that took place here. The battles results produced different responses across the nation. He graduated from Princeton in 1844; studied law, and was admitted to the bar. Seymour also ordered the 1st N.C. to the right of Bartons New Yorkers. So we thought we'd share a few. Why Was Charlie Chaplin Investigated by the FBI? Accompanying the Union troops, John Hay, secretary to Abraham Lincoln, also entered Florida in pursuit of a different, non-military objective: issuing loyalty oaths to residents. ) or https:// means you've safely Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. The Union forces that captured Jacksonville, Florida were ordered to remain in the Jacksonville area to secure it from Confederate forces. http://battleofolustee.org/, cavalry forward to skirmish with the Federals, a wrong command was given and the unit fell into confusion, field itself was an open pine barren with little cover. February 20 marks the date when more than 10,000 cavalry, infantry and artillery troops fought a five-hour battle in the area that later became the Osceola National Forest. The Olustee Battlefield Trail lets you discover what life was like for soldiers who fought in the Battle of Olustee. The Yankees suffered around 1,800 killed, wounded, or captured, while the Confederates lost about 900 men. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Dr. Angela M. Zombek is a Copie Hill Civil War Fellow with the American Battlefield Trust and an assistant professor of history, Civil War Era, at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In attempting to locate troops and to present a picture in concrete form, acceptance has been given to a map prepared by Lieut. The battle prevented the Union from capturing the Florida capital and made Tallahassee the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi River not to be captured by Union forces during the war. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. Visitors unable to attend the reenactment can still get a feel for the battle by stopping in the visitor center that is filled with historical information and artifacts. Republicans believed that this campaign could bolster Unionist sentiment that was apparent to varying degrees throughout Florida, inspiring the state to return to the Union under President Abraham Lincolns December 1863 Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, which required ten-percent of 1860 voters to take the oath of allegiance to gain readmission. The Timucua: Jacksonvilles First Residents. Finegan had only approximately 1,500 troops to defend Floridas crucial supply lines and called for reinforcements. Gen. Joseph Finegan, CSA Each side had around 5,000 men. The victory kept the Confederates in control of Florida's interior for the rest of the war. And the 54th Massachusetts, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Edward N. Hallowell, who succeeded Colonel Robert Gould Shaw after he was killed at the Union assault on Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863. 325 John Knox Road The Union Roll of Honor: Union Casualties at the Battle of Olustee. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. When Tallahassee was finally occupied by Northern troops in early May, it was the last Confederate capital east of the Mississippi to fall into Union hands. BATTLE OF OLUSTEE: ITS MEANING FOR BRITISH 209 supporters as expressed in some organs of the British press.13 In order best to understand their response to Olustee some back-ground information will be helpful. FSP.Feedback@FloridaDEP.gov, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. History. This prevented the Union holdings from being too spread-out and thus too vulnerable to attack. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Historical Trips - Book your next historical adventure, 10 Best Ancient and Archaeological Sites in Crete, Fanny Mendelssohn: A Musical Prodigy and Forgotten Legacy, Anne Bront: The Forgotten Sister Who Made a Mark on Victorian Literature, The Life and Times of Truman Capote: 10 Facts About the Literary Icon, The Real Story Behind In Cold Blood: Truman Capotes True Crime Masterpiece. It was the bloodiest battle fought in Florida during the war, and included the54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantryand the 35thUnited States Colored Troops, both composed of African-American soldiers and liberated slaves. In 1864, the Union Army, which controlled Forts Taylor and Jefferson in the Gulf, sought to extend its control over the peninsula inland from the Atlantic coast and cut off Confederate supply lines that ran from the Tampa Bay area through north-central Florida to Georgia rail lines. Men and Arms: Sketches of the Commanders and Units of the Olustee Campaign. Letters & diaries from veterans show that Olustee was easily comparable to the worst fighting in Virginia. In fact, cooperation between the Union Army's Department of the South and the U.S. Navy's Gulf Coast Blockading Squadron, along with U.S. Army forces in the Gulf, under the command of General Banks, could have prevented the Union defeat at Olustee. Floridas government did not rejoin the Union based on Lincolns plans for reconstruction. Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park is open everyday from 8 am until dusk. Marker is at the intersection of Battlefield Trail and U.S. 90, on the right when traveling west on Battlefield Trail. In 1912, when many living Civil War veterans still attended reunions, the battlefield became the states first historic site. During the war, it was the largest engagement fought in Florida. Finegan didn't follow up his victory, and most of the fleeing Yankees reached Jacksonville by the 22nd - only two days. I send as many people there as I can. On February 20, 1864, at the Battle of Olustee, the largest conflict fought in Florida during the Civil War, a Confederate force under General Joseph Finegan decisively defeats an army commanded by General Truman Seymour. Just shy of sixty-four years later, in 1928, on land owned by Columbia County, a monument was erected to commemorate the lost lives of the Confederate soldiers. His main objectives included expanding Union holdings, intercepting Confederate supply routes, and attracting black recruits. The Federals were somewhat more successful in meeting the expedition's military objectives. The First American President: Setting the Precedent, African Americans During the Revolutionary War, Help Save 125 Battlefield Acres in Virginia, Help Restore History at Gettysburg, Cold Harbor & More, Help Us Save Hallowed Ground in Tennessee and Kentucky, Help Save 820 Acres at Five Virginia Battlefields, Save 343 Acres at FIVE Battlefields in FOUR Western Theater States, Save 42 Historic Acres at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Support the American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act, Stop the Largest Rezoning in Orange County History, The Battle of Olustee, 1864: The Final Union Attempt to Seize Florida, Ten Facts: Boston during the American Revolution. Both sides fed reinforcements to the skirmish; Seymour fed in Hawley's Brigade as Finegan let Colquitt handle the engagement, which soon drew in his entire brigade. Federal troops also lost 5 field guns, 1,600 small arms, and 400 sets of accouterments, which Confederate soldiers seized and put to use. The 54th was comprised of free blacks from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and had 13 officers and 480 enlisted men. Regardless, these men knew that an opportunity to prove their bravery under fire loomed, and hopes were high for additional recruitment of black soldiers. Enter a date in the format M/D (e.g., 1/1), https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-olustee, Americans hold a Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden, John Glenn becomes first American to orbit Earth, Pilot Edward OHare becomes first American WWII flying ace, Tara Lipinski becomes youngest Olympic figure skating gold medalist, Postal Service Act regulates United States Post Office Department. He proposed marching to the Suwannee River since its railroad bridge was key to Confederate supply. For the North, the casualty percentage was among the highest of the war, and Olustee ranks as the second bloodiest for the Union when comparing the casualties to the number on men engaged. The battle threatened to turn rapidly into a rout for the Federals. By midafternoon, the skirmishing has escalated into a major battle . An official website of the 1864 Battle of Olustee On February 20, 1864, at the Battle of Olustee, the largest conflict fought in Florida during the Civil War, a Confederate force under General Joseph Finegan decisively. Gillmore selected Brigadier General Truman Seymore, the new commander of the District of Florida, for the operation. Even though the Confederate forces drove Seymours Union expedition back to Jacksonville, the Union remained in control of Jacksonville until the end of the war. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. For more than 100 years, Olustee has welcomed visitors to walk its grounds and remember Floridas largest battle in one of our nations bloodiest conflicts. Many of these men formed the Second Florida Cavalry, USA, and were instrumental, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy's Gulf Coast Blockading Squadron, in preventing large herds of cattle from West-central Florida reaching Confederate armies. Which statement best explains why the battles shown on the map were important during the war? LockA locked padlock Its a 4 hour cycle ride along the scenic Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail and US-90 W road. The battle ended with 2,807 casualties and the retreat of Union troops to Jacksonville until the war's end just 14 months later. By midafternoon, the skirmishing has escalated into a major battle. General Seymour brought forward the 7th Connecticut, followed by the remainder of Hawley's Brigade, the 7th New Hampshire and the 8th United States Colored Troops.
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