Battle of Natural Bridge
Battle of Natural Bridge | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
Natural Bridge Monument | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
United States (Union) | CSA (Confederacy) | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
John Newton |
Sam Jones William Miller | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
2nd U.S. Colored Infantry 99th U.S. Colored Infantry |
1st Florida Militia 5th Florida Cavalry Battalion 2nd Florida Cavalry (Confederate) | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
700 | 1,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
148 total 21 killed 89 wounded 38 captured |
26 total 3 killed 23 wounded |
The Battle of Natural Bridge was fought during the American Civil War in what is now Woodville, Florida near Tallahassee on March 6, 1865. A small group of Confederate troops and volunteers, which included teenagers from the nearby Florida Military and Collegiate Institute that would later become Florida State University, protected by breastworks, prevented a detachment of United States Colored Troops from crossing the Natural Bridge on the St. Marks River.
The
Battle
The Union's Brig. Gen.
Sailors from USS Hendrick Hudson also participated, and two were awarded the Medal of Honor for their part in this battle: Seaman John Mack and Coxswain George Schutt.[2]
Confederate forces under Brigade General William Miller, 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 in three separate charges, the Union troops retreated to the protection of the fleet.
Based on the involvement of the students from the Florida Military and Collegiate Institute, the
Monument
The site of the battle is now
This monument erected under authority of an act of the legislature of Florida of 1921 as a just tribute of the people of Florida to commemorate the victory of the battle of Natural Bridge. March 6, 1865. And to keep in cherished memory those brave men and boys who, in the hour of sudden danger, rushed from home desk and field and from the
West Florida Seminaryand joining a few disciplined troops by their united valor and patriotism saved their capital from the invaders. Tallahassee being the only capital of the South not captured by the enemy during the War between the States.
Tallahassee was the only Confederate state capital east of the Mississippi River that was not captured by the Union during the war.[4]
Annual Memorial Service and Battle Reenactment
A ceremony honoring the combatants on both sides of the Battle of Natural Bridge, followed by a reenactment of the battle featuring Union, Confederate, and civilian reenactors, is held at the park the first weekend of March every year. The event is free and open to the public.[5]
The site is now called Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park.[5] As of mid-2023, the American Battlefield Trust and its partners have acquired and preserved 110 acres (45 hectares) of the battlefield that are now part of the state park.[6]
See also
- Military history of African Americans in the U.S. Civil War
- United States Colored Troops
- Historical reenactment
- List of Florida state parks
- List of Registered Historic Places in Leon County, Florida
Notes
- ^ "Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park". StateParks.Com. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ^ "Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients (M–Z)". Medal of Honor Citations. United States Army Center of Military History. 26 June 2011. Archived from the original on 7 July 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
- The University of Mississippifor the defense of Vicksburg.
- ^ Kleinberg, Eliot (March 28, 2019). "Florida Time: Was Florida captured during the Civil War?". nwfdailynews. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ a b State of Florida official website for Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park "Main Page - Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park » Florida State Parks". Archived from the original on 2008-01-09. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
- ^ "Natural Bridge Battlefield". American Battlefield Trust. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the National Park Service
Further reading
- Ensley, Gerald. "Battle of Natural Bridge myths endure". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved 2023-04-02.