Battle of Natural Bridge explained

Conflict:Battle of Natural Bridge
Partof:the American Civil War
Date:March 6, 1865
Place:Leon County, Florida
Coordinates:30.2839°N -84.1519°W
Result:Confederate victory
Combatant1: United States (Union)
Combatant2: CSA (Confederacy)
Commander1:John Newton
Commander2:Sam Jones
William Miller
Units1:2nd Florida Cavalry Regiment
2nd U.S. Colored Infantry
99th U.S. Colored Infantry
Units2:1st Florida Militia
5th Florida Cavalry Battalion (~30)
Kilcrease Artillery
Dunham’s Battery
Abell's Battery
Company A, Milton Light Artillery
Barwick’s Company Reserves
Hodges' Company Reserves
Companies A, B, and F; Florida Reserves
Reinforcements from Georgia
Florida Military and Collegiate Institute Battalion
2nd Florida Cavalry (Confederate)
Strength1:700
Strength2:1,000
Casualties1:148 total
21 killed
89 wounded
38 captured
Casualties2:26 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 Natural Bridge is a NaNmiles stretch along which the St. Marks River runs underground, after dropping into a sinkhole.[1]

Battle

The Union's Brig. Gen. John Newton had undertaken a joint force expedition to engage and destroy Confederate troops that had attacked at Cedar Keys, Florida and Fort Myers and were allegedly encamped somewhere around St. Marks. The Union Navy had trouble getting its ships up the St. Marks River. The Union Army force, however, had advanced and, after finding one bridge destroyed, started before dawn on March 6 to attempt to cross the river at Natural Bridge. The Union troops initially pushed Rebel forces back, but not away from the bridge.

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 Florida State University Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program is one of only four Army ROTC programs to have a battle streamer for their actions in the Civil War.[3] Since it was originally part of the Army, FSU's Air Force ROTC unit also displays the same battle streamer.

While the raid was not aimed at Tallahassee, the defeat of the Union force is regarded as keeping Tallahassee as the only Confederate state capital east of the Mississippi River that was not captured by the Union during the war.[4]

Legacy

The site has been preserved in the Natural Bridge Battlefield State Historic Site. As of mid-2023, the American Battlefield Trust and its partners have acquired and preserved 110acres of the battlefield that are now part of the state park.[5]

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.[6]

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park . StateParks.Com . August 27, 2016.
  2. Web site: Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients (M–Z) . Medal of Honor Citations . . 26 June 2011 . 9 September 2011 . 7 July 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100707090618/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwarmz.html . dead.
  3. The other three programs are: the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) for the Battle of New Market, The Citadel, for the defense of Charleston and 7 other engagements, and The University of Mississippi for the defense of Vicksburg.
  4. News: Kleinberg . Eliot . March 28, 2019 . Florida Time: Was Florida captured during the Civil War? . February 12, 2024 . nwfdailynews.
  5. Web site: Natural Bridge Battlefield. American Battlefield Trust. June 20, 2023.
  6. State of Florida official website for Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park Web site: Main Page - Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park » Florida State Parks . 2008-03-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080109003704/http://www.floridastateparks.org/naturalbridge/default.cfm . 2008-01-09 .