Florida in the American Civil War

• 1. The Third State To Leave

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  On the 10th of January 1861, delegates in Tallahassee cast a vote of sixty-two to seven. This decision pulled Florida from the American Union and made it the third state to secede after South Carolina and Mississippi. A public ceremony followed on the east steps of the capitol building where fireworks lit the sky above the crowd. Sixty-nine people signed the Ordinance of Secession that declared the nation of Florida had withdrawn its ties.

  Edmund Ruffin arrived at the convention to urge immediate action against the North. He was a Virginia planter known for his fiery rhetoric regarding slavery. The delegates included fifty-one men who held slaves in 1860. Only seven of them were born within the borders of Florida itself. Governor Madison S. Perry called the special meeting to discuss the future of the state following Lincoln's election victory.

  Opposition existed but carried little weight. Richard Keith Call raised his cane above his head when he heard the results. He told the visiting supporters that they had opened the gates of hell. His daughter Ellen Call Long recorded this moment as a warning of coming curses. Those who opposed the vote faced ridicule or worse violence from groups calling themselves regulators.

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• 2. Salt And Cattle Under Siege

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  Florida served as a vital supplier of beef cattle and salt for the Confederate Army throughout the war. The state possessed an eight thousand four hundred thirty-six mile coastline that made blockade running difficult yet possible. Union naval forces patrolled these waters constantly to stop supplies from reaching southern armies.

  Governor John Milton emphasized food production over sending personnel to fight elsewhere. Planters continued growing cotton despite pleas to raise livestock instead. Saltworks sprang up along both coasts with most located on the Gulf side from Tampa Bay northward through the Panhandle. The U.S. Navy began raiding operations against these facilities in 1862.

  The fall of Vicksburg in 1863 cut off western supply lines making Florida even more critical. Eastern armies relied heavily on goods shipped out of Florida ports. Blockade runners used small bays and inlets to evade Federal ships. Trade included cotton exports and imports of cigars, medical supplies, and Spanish army shoes.

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• 3. Skirmishes And The Battle Of Olustee

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  Most fighting within Florida consisted of small skirmishes rather than large campaigns. The only major engagement occurred near Lake City in February 1864 at a place called Olustee. A Confederate force of over five thousand men repelled a Union attempt to disrupt the food producing region.

  Union General Truman Seymour led troops into Jacksonville on February 7 that year. Joseph Finegan commanded Florida and Georgia troops who pushed back the invaders. Brevard's Battalion fought alongside Finegan's Brigade during this clash. High losses caused Northern lawmakers to question further actions in the state.

  Smaller battles dotted the landscape including engagements at Fort Brooke and Natural Bridge. The Battle of Natural Bridge took place in March 1865 where teenagers from a local institute protected breastworks. They prevented United States Colored Troops from crossing the St. Marks River. These events kept the war largely confined to coastal areas or specific inland towns.

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• 4. Enslaved Labor And Black Soldiers

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  A total of one thousand forty-four African Americans from Florida served in the Union Army. Many enslaved people escaped to relative safety within Union controlled enclaves like Key West. The presence of free black communities there attracted those seeking freedom from plantations.

  Confederate authorities used enslaved Floridians as teamsters to transport supplies and laborers in salt works. Slave owners received compensation of twenty-five dollars per month for impressed slaves. Beginning in 1863 over a thousand enlisted as soldiers in the United States Colored Troops or sailors in the Navy.

  Companies D and I of the 2nd USCT moved from Key West to Fort Myers on the 20th of April 1864. Their appearance helped convince Native American tribes like the Miccosukee to work with Federal troops instead of Confederates. General William T. Sherman issued Special Field Orders No. 15 in January 1865 setting aside land for freed people though these orders were later revoked.

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• 5. Deserters In The Wilderness

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  Growing dissatisfaction with conscription policies encouraged Confederate soldiers to flee into the Florida wilderness. Several counties became havens for deserters who formed guerrilla units against their own government. These bands attacked patrols and raided plantations to steal cattle and confiscate slaves.

  William Strickland led a group known as The Royal Rangers out of Taylor County. A Confederate colonel broke into his home and found a membership list of thirty-five men bearing true allegiance to the United States. Despite homes being burned few members surrendered to authorities.

  Another effective band operated out of Fort Myers harassing the Confederate supply chain especially regarding cattle. They received reinforcements including members of the 2nd United States Colored Infantry Regiment. This garrison proved difficult enough that a force was deployed to take it resulting in the Battle of Fort Myers which became the southernmost land battle of the Civil War.

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• 6. Emancipation Read At Knott House

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  On the 20th of May 1865 Union Brigadier General Edward M. McCook read Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation during a ceremony in Tallahassee. The reading took place at the Knott House where he officially enforced freedom within the state. That same day troopers raised the U.S. flag over the state capitol building.

  Tallahassee remained the penultimate Confederate capital to rejoin the Union until Austin Texas followed the next month. Governor John Milton had committed suicide by gunshot on April 1 rather than submit to occupation. He stated death would be preferable to reunion with Yankees who developed an odious character.

  Florida formally rejoined the United States on the 25th of June 1868 after meeting Reconstruction requirements. Military forces were scheduled to leave on July 4 but Governor Reed requested their continuation. The Compromise of 1877 eventually completed the withdrawal of all US troops from former Confederate states including Florida.

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