6. flood. Bl1is'ebrunry 27, lUSl

Commtlnt$ on tbe'J'lrstBatt,le of Oa1n85v111$ ....

~apottroop Ma~che$ concerned wlthtbeJ';h,"':rt13attleot Ga1n~t!l"1111& oJ , ••• ,.

TheSee'otW Bnt1tleuf' Oa1nesv.111e •• , ".... '1

COUWlet~t8Ql1 the Second ktti,l$ 'of tla1n()&ville .. .10

,.4p otTtoop!!til"cbe~ eOlwe~ned \'fitbtheSecond DatUe of, O&lnetiv111e ........ lit .... (I lit .... " ..... t .u"2

:B1bliogrClPhy,

TMre, were 1'10 guardian angelspres1d1ngover

the Fed~r~~ll e8,~!IHaleU'),$ln'1()X'1dad\U"1ng thaearly·'

monthsot 1864. AbrahzauL1neolD, .tn1s1ed bywldfH~'pread

rsporttt "ot cU.$$nt1sfactlon among }1'lor11'2la.nswlthtfut, ,

Confederate 8overMent, ordered Qcner1l11Seymour,who

cO~nQedthe .urdon. ,troops of :tho 'lOI'ida 1)1~tr1et, ,

to epearhetltd anattaekuponths <South~rn·force. in

the area sothra.t nloyal~j 1.'lor1dlans might blt eneour...

Ilgedio :rtilly f roundOidGlor)1'oneeagallh

As a pa.t"t ofth1,sCBJtlpa1g11J • raiding p~:rt~t ot

tifty lntiJn from th~ Forlteth2:tass!1cbustltts Calvary

commanded by captain th I. 'Jit.u"$h.tlll 1'.nSirclu:ui from

Sandtttl'SCln Station 'to~lnesv111e" 'lorida,.1'h

ardeJl's to destroy a;ny.1"slJ.rott.cf caJis' in that vicinity_

According to Federal1"~porta.. la~nhtf.ll am,nls men

arrived'in Oaino8v111~ 1.1round'noo}a on P'eb:ru.a17 14th

and icmsaiately er~cted u br0astwor~ of cotton bule$

to serve ntlprotectlon against £uvunexpeetecl Confed­

erate attack. (~C nfJ6) ThiliL.,llJiip:rQv1$ecl !(}rt fornled a

bar:rlcade around tho town ~qu4r$luid exterided fj,C:rOSS

foUl" co.nV'~rg1ng$troets,fhat· e\t'en1Ilg the Utdon force, ,

W£lS attacked by t\focor~p~ul1e$ of ,'pi! Cont'ede1"iltefEalvary

und~l' tbe cOlUnand otCapta,ln J.J,Dlck!$Olh Tbe

att.ack 'was easIly reljulsed by the 1.forth~rn$old1ers)'wh.o

were sta:tloned in a U.lore favorable 'pos,!t10nhebind

tbel1" cotton el101otture"and tbeSo'u,the.rners retreattlui.

rhe Federnl.soC(H1p1ed Galne$vl11$ tOl'titt:r....s1xbours

and. thenx-eturncdtoCJaeksonv111e on 'ebran*," 17th.

In. accordance withprevlous :l.nstruetlons, nop:r1v.ate

property wall molested or destroyed bythe'ralders,

and thG1nvadersevend1$'trlbute4 Contederat$Dtores

among .the nS$d)r inhabitants. (it 2U'l'

':fhe eolorful,tlutsomewnat d1ttorent,Confeder­

ute acoount is related b1 .~••en~tlJack$on andW. fl.

Settleworth... t\vor~belpr1.at.e$ whofoughtln the

,sld.rmlsl'hAcco1:cllng to this report, Comp~ny'C of

the 2nd FlorldaCal:vary numbering trom100 to 150

Jhenunder thecotttmand otCaptn1n \Itf.E. Chambers

engaged a Un,lontorce;~t Oalnru~Vl11eon Feb:ruar115th.

The eont~1!de.ratesha.d cUUlped 1n or near OQln6~.,111e

'. '.' '. ". .' . \... ' .' .' . . .

t.he 'pr$v~ousn1ghteJ).route to Lake C1:ty to ~oln,the

gathering army of GealJl"alF1QElgan, which ·YWS later

to battle and det'eat thtl.fU:lernr,at Olusteo or Ocean

~nd n(&&1' tak$ C1t;y. '1'heOoUtpa~ mal'ohed trom Ca1n­

esv111etbe next motnlngnfter the men hadreee1'\1(Hl

soveral bouq:uetsof tlo"rstronl the town'a patriotic

ladies,atldti1ats&!iOdaythfJ1 w~re overtttk.en in

tiewtnnnsvlUe bra (louie)", :fl"O~ Oa:lneavlllef/ho reported

that the )"ettel'uls had:~rt'1:,ed 3UstaftorCh~unber'$

c~nd had lett. A vote W6S ta.kEm among the :tli41lft, and

it "as decidod to return to Gainesvillo 1n anettort to

rellfJVIJ) th.e 'oc¢up1()d cOl_unity_ Cbantbcl"s ordered a

lels~e11 Inatc:hbcu;'d" totO\\l1, ··~ndth6 eOlmt1andm~tdEl

.several re3t stopsalongthe,wa1. About fou..r m11es

from the1rd0st1na't:1on..CMnl1:.lE~rt $ :rOl"CeWii~S Joined

by-a 'few old mon tlndbo7s,whotleteC()nmla..ndedbl: Ot>).­

mel Louis :1>1.10$ ot the 2nd,J.orldn. i'teglm~nt.fl1fut. d,.· .•" .'. ..... •. '.' '. " '. i ..'

D..,\ubeel1wo1U'11'd .and wars howe on. l&av4!J' iromt.b.e .Con....

:tederate n~. Itt1iis Clecid" nmollgtl1e officers

to ente-rCaitt:e$vill& o¥V'Ja1 of two rotldLh Chambers"'., ..,...... '-,

aM. his men throu,ghcunniqMmL$af1e .theft up ti'bett;y

Stre40't (West Un1v~:r$ltlYA.fltt1U.) andP71es'small

foroe via ~est LiA (t(ottb. JaJmStrGGt). ~lhen the

rebel f():tc.c~ndedbym:U!u.~.ltJ~%·s wnsquite,neax- };he,-, .. -, '~,' . . ....; " ;",,' • . ,-' ." .,'" _. i'"

Federal. btt~r,loade, Lieut..,uu.Ult Samuel Redd1ckealled

tor 'VolUnteer. ,totQl1()"h1~1n a()buJ'ge()nthe'br~fast ..... . , \

W'ork.belve tot.1rteen volunteereo, aMtbel lldvanced

in two columns to.ardstl~cottQn bales. (8, letter

ot Jack&on,and Set.tl&\fot"th toS~nebet) i>urint; the

strugglo wh1che:nsued.e(mr~de:ra'teeeracant, Worr,1nJrton '

w8sk111ednear tbe p~C8ant corner of West University

Avenue and. N. VI. 1st Str~et•. ' Seve1"alContedGl"ate barnes

were killed" ~ Lieutenant Reddick WttfJ seriously in...

Jured. The attaeM.:'wu$ 1"tlp\1l$cdby the 1t\lcnkee$,an<!.

tbefebels rett'eabed'tothe Stewart place,' elghtmilas

west ottown, where ~leyspent the~ewalndor ~t the

,mgnt. When Company e returned the next morning. they

toundthllttheF$de1"al$weregon$~'t:tdht\~ta.kena. .

largenum'ber ot neg::ro slavf1<B,with them. Cn:w.mbers,

-4-

purS\l('td the invaotirs halfway to Waldo and th~n

roturnedtoG~lnesv111e,

One Conte6.al'$tte, ob~H:rr'V1Dg thtJtact~t :Plies

and hlemen fta;11ed~v$n tomaite tut t.~pveartu:"U\)e at

the$ceno of the tight, and filtness1ns the tear of

Cbamb~rserow nt:s 'thecotml1and cameeloser andeloser

to the Union ent:los\U't)"ulld, ~ !beactlon wneanythlns·

but cred1ble to th~or:tl(H~r$ l:ncbtu'S&of tbsOon....

todera:betl"oOps.n (St lettt;rftol:ti J'i\ckson D.rldSettle­

\Vorthto Sanche~)

As the read.~r w111no1:.1ce tbere are a tew1n­

congruous 1!ltllte:r4uta.wMeh appear It.&thcsG:re~ffiQ.rtn,.,

andl wQuldlUtetQ ie~$:ntupolltlU"t'le. fb~ firSt

dlscrepancytbat X."0uld like .'tQdlsCus$C<nlCHi.trns

thtl date ot:tM skir~lslt.·iiittw l~ederals o~cup1ed

Ga1n~sville tor t1tty...:i:!.xhou.l'$ andarrivea '111Qalne$ ..... . .

.•1I11e ttrQund· noon Qnth$'14t.h~ as. 'iea1'0toldlXtthe

Qtt1cialrecords,th~n it tl'$oU1.d()n11·w~ena logl(H~l

that ·thtlskl:rmlsh witb theCon£~ch:r,ato$would 'occur

on theevenlqof tbe lSth.,'and the Federals would" . .

have .lettabou.t 6tOO Pi·.··•• that night. 'Vlillum' \fatsQn''-. .' -..-'

~Vi$lnhl$ book, 91t11 WiJ:"al1l,atcpns,t(E»Ilism"in

l!Qr.1d~isupIH>rts ."t-hilS ,,1$!_;OfoourS$ ther~.· is the

possibility that tbe bnttle wueonthe eve:t11ng' of

th& l";lth,wt th·isdoesnQt .$e~m to' =~ .to. be likely,

If' the 31\')ove were truttbtntbl'i Con!'~~dEilra.t. forc~

would have' d~laled t~e1r r~turn fo:rt'1io(h!ll 'While

thEJ h'~l'testtnd bu:d,nGBSIiU!I oftltlelr tr1end$ and loved

onesremnined in en~~ hand~J ortneFedcrnla wouldd

Mve ooeuj)1~d Ca1ne$v.1.,11e for 18$& tuna a dny', ~t1d

would b.av(J. $J!ent tTiC and one....hal:t~ ·daY.$and three nights

wandering ·around ·tne country 1,$1d&beto:re ·a,rri.v1ng 1n

Jacksonville on the J/lth.5:he Oonfederateaecuunt

suggests that theba:ttle was on the everdngof tbe

15tho! Febru~:rv, butlt th!$ 'were true then the

Fede:rals "ould hav~C'Hin;H1l):1od"Oainesville fot' 1~8$

.'thirty-two hours, or-the }$ortbern forces w<nUd have

arrived on the 13th about noon." 'Both at thea-bove

poss1b1.11tias are in conflict with. tile official

The second discord~:nt remark which Ileel

needs e1ar1tlcat1on concerns theof'f'1cer in 'Command

of the Confedcrate£oraes.TheFederals f1rmlybe~

11eve that they had defeated the 1ntrep1dJ. J.

Dickison and stated so1nthe1r report. l1owever,

as other facts show., the officer incotnnmnd was" Cap....W_. ('",h~IN\'b~~~. '. ' .

taln"'iT E.~.uleklsonwasat the time ot

Cliambers t departure fromPalatlQi,somevlhere along

the St.. Johns River onplcket duty.

records.

, ...'Ii .

Finally, the Feltiera.lreport st,ated 'that two com-.', ....

panies 'of; Con.~ed.erate calvary were engaged in the

attack, but the facts show that only one company \"lQS

engaged In the battle. However, th~re were two

attacld.ng rebel. columns.

In AU(tUJt ot. lB64Jthe~~eas ot· conflict ~werf)

••wn0I10Et &8altl1n 0a1nesv111e w1tbthel.:rrival

a lAJt8tl FedtIJ:ral ra1ding party.thi•.ra1d.1ngpSJl.rt.y

under the cOUi.mtuido.t CQJ.onelAndtcw L1nturn &rr1$

WIiS composed of men <frot1tbe 75tb.Ohl0, the 40th .

Ma$&achU_tts'ol.t~ercalvary,. M14tbe:5t'd.Bho4e

Islam.1'his Union force was part ot $,genattal··

ll'ederal ottfiJn$1ve and Wo.&~1.V~l1th~ v$r;y 1mportartt

re$ponslb111t)' of ~ccuplnsGa1ne&ville,which was

atth.1s t1mt'!l aVf!'JflValuabl. railroad depot to tt~~• ',:" " L,. "," .. : .•. : .....

Confadaracy-. ... }1Iltr1sieo~rt~u).<1·_rch'd· tro1a't Bal<lwln. on

the mo~n.ingot tbp lrifth <to Btat'ke:18l'lt1 the .next dal 'titer

l"es.umedtheir Ularoh toGa1M&Vl11e,wh1eh WlU~. ~eaebed.

t:Jntb.$ fn(').t"l'11:tlIQt the l/ltha'bout C$lOO A. 1;1. litter .. an

all n1ghtt.rflk'l. ·\Vhl1e ·the ···troop W$\,S· eat.1ng br$tlild:'~st, ", .. , '" ,,' "

nearwhatls .. now tbe<J1tjdumP. tb.tIl)"were a~eO$t~c1

qu.1te byaec1(ient· byu. ~n!al.lfQrceofold men and

b01.thotwe1i.pa.~51ng~ougb. town.lfh1ssmall

grQup,. c01iDandedtt1~~$lN K111'h bad nO, ehoict);lbttt

to otief' ..• the enemy ·a fight" .~mi tho1w~:t". $oon d1n- .., ...;

lodsednndsent1"etreat1ngino~th~nJf¢l b1.the superior

Fedc~al force. (~1 60)

The ContedGl"nteswere pursu..db;ytbe If'edeX'alS. ',', ......

who tb01.1$httbat tbeyha<1oefeatoo tbe e1'aslveJ. J.

Dl-eklson. Atter:reach1ng tho·o~nt~r.ot t~, th$.. . ," ,

raiders d1&orlG.n1~ednetll" the CQurt Bouse iU'let set

tQplunder1ntt and ra,iding pu,b11cnM J;.lt1vate buildings.

·-8-

Wh1le h18 men W~l". ln t~ mldstotthen$,operatlotls,'

Barris "~i$ t.nfort£tod 'by' bIE! pf,cketsoutb or town tb$t

a large :r.be~ force -wtl.sappro$,chinfhfh18 timstbe

rede"tl,l. were the .(mes ~ho we:tteeurpr1sE1ch fhemtl.thot

tM 40th ~llsaewsett$..w$l"eln the. oent~1"OftQd

'l11th1a\e'oJ1$ p1(fe$()t'ed&:tt\1$,1"tl1.1~r7.'pl~oed1ttth~1r

rear near the Deville Bous<t(tlWprOEentsiteot'th:e

W()()l~orth Campa.' • *.the ~~~ ofth~7~'th0h1o were. .

near tbera11:road "depotin ,tnesQuth ot· tOWJ:lI,·(t~.· ...., .,' '.-....... ,'--,;,

, ',- -.;' .

t.here.. were other $_U~:r .•gl'OUps·..• se::atte.r.d In··Ct1l.llr...

artms ot the eo~unl't1.'.t)).etot1;tedtirt'rtetittaCkl.$4

by Capu1nJ.J.Dlcld.$@began at~bout I'hOG fl. .. 11.

wi.th 't;h.J~.r1Jl¢1.pa.J.tl«bt1ng tlil:tlng place neal' th,·;',,",

de~l¢t. The tJnlontrOQP·fJPt$p~~redto1" theattaok

the best that' th~yeould 'w:itb.such ·&hortnotioe,

lao 75th 01110 tormeduight· and loft 1"lank, bQth'

Q:r"h1ch rested on a$wa$t!p,t~a:r the depot.. andtb~

4f)tb. :uast1acbl1!J(ftts"~&.h$ld in rEu3$rv~.1)1cklt.onw't\s

held 1n check :tor a wh11$, butt.be Sou:tbtt'rn troops

Immediately b~gan tQsurrourid tb..,Un1on pos1tiQtl. vl8

otherrontls. Ba.r1"lst· pos1tlonbecnme hopeloss wben

his calef of art111~rJ';re'pott$d tna.t t.Mbow1.t(;;.t~r >,;'a$.

almost outot.ammun1t1QIl, ~nd·h1s~emrepor't~Q that

they rn!~d only a t~w tttor~ rounds lett. About H:OO,

baVing held the e~etrky1nebeokfo:r twohota'St Jiarris

oX'c1er~d a general XOtltrtlat. .Tbe la$torgan1~e.d Union

resistance lI:';iS in front of' tbfillh!f\t'ille !ous$,nndfl"ow

t1u1t.P01nt,tbelnvm.del"s'f:e.1.1intoe()m.plat.E)~e£rf1at.

1'he ontlreUnlQn !oreellt1tf incn.os. Captn1nlitcrton.,

leadlnst.he retr€ult11lg Jeli~rlJl column wlth tbe. howitzerJ, ." , ' ." :~

b)' nd.strJtetook the road to Nedaxunil11e 1ustGad of' thf:l .

rond. to Wald(h BarrS-s,b_a otilll"l\!oh16 CQ~m to l'El'traat.

up the Jialdoroad vi!.ththe' hOlie thtttthoy '!l'fouldmeet

the superlor force "cfColonel 1"J~ H.N<>'ble,lihom Sarris, , ; ~ -'

be11ev-K to be b~twe~n~'Ia·lno::tS.a ~ndeU1"kth,iarr1s,

realizing Morton' $ .m1l)tfj.k~pur$tled 'a;nd'overtool\iUm.'P'. .

. a few miles trom Gainesv111e,tUldtnelr c~1ned

force detoured., a.roUt'1d t,hetowuntl1the 'Wlii laQ road

WetS reached, Herethe1 wereattt1(ik~4 b1 Dlck1flHJJ).f $

men once a.lal.aJldt~ art.l11ery iJ1ecs,ws,.1 Ctip'tllX"ed.

Attertbj.! lnold$nt, Barri$, wltbth1rty-eigntofhitiJ'. . .

men took ott in an($~,sterl1dlrectlonuntl1thJy met

the Dell.aut1 road, whlch 'tuuiJabout fifteen'miles t.r6tll

Gn.1noavl11e.(Ht4i35)

Har:rls l)i1"ed.lcted that tho e()nte(lr~rato $ trong.b.t

'\!tUG from Soato 800 men,whilei!ictually only 175

rebels \Ylfire engaged c()1npared tCithe Union tt'Wt!bol"ot

around 250 men. 'rAe Union deteat V/aU:1 complete. '

TtJtal 108$$$ ~t.lred £12 ·tortbeFed€n-als, wbllo

the Conte4eratesb1;u;S, onlyt'Wo killed and tll.ree\¥o\.ttlded•

.Reports httt1" 5~(;ld tha.t this ".:U1G an important

Confederate "letoryfor it sGcured south and centrtA.l

Florldator. theConfederaey.dur1ag the reme1ttder or tbe,

\Var.· (4. le)

, .'.: .:.. . ,;

Dur1ng t.he thlCk4.1stp(f:t't:o:r.th{~\ tlght, l'Jtll¢hto:,th~

d1t:ulU1\)" of tbe lnen,th~ ladies of Ga1neavl11e v(;utured. . .

1n.tothest:reutsehQutlr1f!enca'*a'g$m$r.ttotber ... ,:.' .... -' . ... . ..,

South()~ntroop5 . and '.repet•.tlng·th6 ord~rliOr tin..... offlcttrtJ.. . .,

After the battle Wturo\te1."" .tl1e$O #a1tena.d~inl~t¢rc.d aid

to Un10nnnd Confedel"atea111Us and did everything in

their pQi1$rto S()()tbEs,.<th~.p~iD$.(Jt.theb~ttl••

Dur1ng .tbel$der$.l<:r~t:t~ttt,A'sktall~eb~l $oQutlng

party otto~men ct\pture~,aeclwmvfUn1otltroo,a

seV$rnlt11ncl) thelrsueand.brought·t.he ~tulke~E back

to GainesVille to jolnthe other lfiO prlso11et'$ of war.

P'1Ml1y, I~'ouldllkEl .'toglye l1tt.le~or~lil.t't$n...

::.-.. '

nboveOalne$.111e~nc\thre;~ a seve:e. 50fl't'Eit Intotbe ,tn-

he,b1tants of the Gt).1nfJta'\flJ.lea~~a. It"'r~l$ had bf'Jen

v1otor1oUB.,ther~caJJbe+:tttle doubt that Noble with

his colored tro"p$Jtould hnve $nte~6d Gal:neav111¢l and

probabl)tplWlde:redtheto;'1l1.

tliEIATTLIS OP'GAI~ES,:n"LE

BIBL.IOOFlAPltY:

1.Buchboll;.Yr1t~ Vi. .Hl:rtorl 0:£ 'Al,aohua Csm.qtX.St. Augustine: ReeordriOl1i.,Pany,1929. p.108-29.

11.1 1)&:V1S,<JEHUt G.~abftorl of Alli.ehW!l, C()U.rit,~"UnpubllshfJd reStlMitrebpfJ.per, Gnlnesvl11t\,Florlda,1'960.p.5-7. .

~~. :o~,v1s, ~'11J.ltu-aWatson..Q1v..J. WiE.and Rec.oM~u<!....$,.1,09·· ,in nOl~tt.. He.ff.'". YorluLo~mans, Green,and COWptU'!y j .•.. 913. p. maS-a4J 2u6...305. . '

4. D1:~t:~~~ fJ()~J~de~t=J1Jr~Liftftf:lC~p~:;;~~I.p. 105....12. , '.'...... .

, ,

5. 1)leklaon,l.ar1.P!£~1iollaM"I1,!left Loui$vl11~fl.Cour1er-JournalPr1ntIng<c()mpany,~890.p.8a- 113.

6. Bl1drlJth,Charles'&1$$Y_ !tAmstory ot Gaines....v111e, >Florida. tt Unpu.blished, Doctor's th$S1lhG&.1nesv111tH 'U'nivtu"slty of 'lorida., lB04 ..1'. 4.'1...53.

fRll!tAJlX, B,aYDes§7. Qb.1t1C)'. Sem1...Weekly Dlspa;'teh. "DJ.ck1Bon Around II U

,9J!~P:CI: bl.l....We@kBls.ea..tpJlIAugt1st ~O .. 186<h

!C~SaliAL .ll4Tl1ftV.~~W'8

10. Proctor"fhunuel. GalXlesv111"" F,lor1dil., ·January16, lV'fll.