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JULY
1861-1865
july 1
July 1, 1864
A Federal expedition from Fort
Meyers sailed for Bayport on the west coast of Florida, near Cedar
Keys. It was composed of the 2nd U.S. Colored Infantry and the 2nd
Union Florida Cavalry [white], some 240 men in all.
july
2
july 3
July 3, 1863
Boats from the U.S.S. Fort Henry, under the command of
Lieutenant McCauley, captured the sloop, Emma, north of Sea
Horse Key [Cedar Key] with a cargo of tar and Confederate mail.
july 4
July 4, 1868
Military government came to an end when civilian control of the
state government was restored. Federal troops continued to occupy
Florida until the striking of the Compromise of 1877. The
[Tallahassee] Floridian reported that the Republican Party
held a Presidential campaign rally to celebrate this auspicious
occasion and that the crowds from all over the state, particularly
newly enfranchised freedmen, made up “Probably the largest crowd
here, ever before at any time.”
july 5
July
5, 1863 The U.S.S. DeSoto, with Captain W. M. Walker in
command, captured the blockade runner, Lady Maria, off the
coast of Clearwater, Florida, with a cargo of cotton.
July 5, 1864
A Federal column of black and white soldiers advanced from Cedar
Keys on the Gulf Coast into the interior. After the column had
advanced for a few miles, it was attacked by Confederate cavalry and
retreated to Cedar Keys. The Federal force suffered eight wounded.
Confederate losses were unknown.
july 6
July 6, 1864
A Federal column of black and white soldiers advanced from Cedar
Keys on the Gulf Coast into the interior. After the column had
advanced for a few miles, it was attacked by Confederate cavalry and
retreated to Cedar Keys. The Federal force suffered eight wounded.
Confederate losses were unknown.
july 7
July 7, 1862
The U.S.S. Penquin, under the command of Lieutenant J. C.
Williamson, was ordered to Key West for duty with the East Gulf
Blockading Squadron.
July 7, 1863
The Trustees of Florida’s Internal Improvement Fund withdrew from
public sale all lands lying within two miles of a coast or marsh.
The purpose of this action was to prevent speculators from buying
all lands suitable for salt production. Salt was an essential item
for civilian and military use during the Civil War.
July 7, 1864
The small schooners, U.S.S. Ariel [Acting Master Russell],
U.S.S. Sea Bird [Acting Ensign Ezra L. Robbins], and the
U.S.S. Stonewall [Acting Master Henry B. Carter], accompanied by
the 29-ton sloop, Rosalie, [Acting Master Coffin],
transported Union troops on a raid on Brooksville. After
disembarking the troops, the Ariel and the Sea Bird
proceeded to Bayport, where a landing party captured a quantity of
cotton and burned the custom house.
july 8
July 8, 1862
In response to a July 4 letter from S. R. Mallory which informed
Governor John Milton that the 2nd Florida regiment had lost 471
soldiers since May 1 and which suggested that the governor start a
recruitment drive for that unit, Milton replied to General James
Longstreet on this date that an effort would be made. Milton states
that this will be a hard task since so many have already been
mustered into Confederate service and that “those who are left are
scattered throughout the state.”
July 8, 1863
Two U.S. Navy cutters, the Restless and the Rosalie,
captured the schooner Ann and an unnamed sloop in Horse
Creek, Florida, with cargoes of cotton.
july 9
July 9, 1862
The Federal schooner Wanderer was ordered to check the Indian
River Inlet to determine whether that waterway was being used by
Confederate blockade runners.
July 9, 1863
A boat crew from the U.S.S. Tahoma, commanded by Lieutenant
Commander A. A. Semmes, captured an unnamed flatboat with a cargo of
sugar and molasses near Manatee River, Florida.
july 10
July 10, 1861
Colonel Brown, Federal commander of Fort Pickens in Pensacola
Harbor, received reinforcements of New York Volunteers, but informed
the Secretary of War that more were needed to hold the fort against
an anticipated Confederate assault.
July 10, 1862
A Federal ship departs Egmont Key for Key West with a full manifest
of Union sympathizers and runaway slaves.
July 10, 1864
U.S.S. Roebuck, Acting Master William L. Martine commanding,
captured the blockade-running British schooner, Terrapin, at
Jupiter Inlet with a cargo of cotton and turpentine.
july 11
July 11, 1864
A landing party from U.S.S. James L. Davis, under the command
of Acting Master Griswold, destroyed Confederate salt works near
Tampa. These works were capable of producing 150 bushels of salt per
day. The vats, reportedly owned by secessionists “Haygood” and
“Carter,” were reported to Federal authorities by a Mr. Johnston of
Tampa.
July 11, 1864
The following Florida units were participants in the Battle of
Atlanta (July-September 1864):
Florida Marion Artillery , Florida First Cavalry Regiment , Florida
1st (Reorganized) Infantry Regiment , Florida 3rd Infantry Regiment
, Florida 4th Infantry Regiment , Florida 6th Infantry Regiment ,
Florida 7th Infantry Regiment
july 12
July 12, 1861
The East Florida State Seminary holds its closing exercises for the
year.
July 12, 1862
The Federal gunboat, Tahoma, arrives at Key West with the
Confederate schooner, Uncle Mose, and its cargo of cotton as
the prize.
July 12, 1863
The 1st, 3rd and 4th Florida Infantry Regiments were part of the
fighting near Jackson, Mississippi. According to official reported,
these units, plus the 47th Georgia and Cobb’s Battery, took 200
prisoners and the colors of the 28th, 41st, and 53rd Illinois
Regiments.
July 12, 1864
U.S.S. Ariel, the Sea Bird, the Stonewall, and
the Rosalie transported Union troops for a raid on
Brooksville, where they captured a quantity of cotton. The troops
also burned the customs house.
July 12, 1864 Federal troops advance on Confederate pickets
at Cedar Creek at the railroad. Two Confederate scouts from the 2nd
Florida Cavalry were captured and killed.
July 12, 1864 Master W. L. Martine of the bark, Roebuck,
reported that twenty-six refugees have arrived at Indian River Inlet
and asked for transportation to St. Augustine.
july 13
July 13, 1861
The 2nd Florida Infantry Regiment was assembled at the Old Brick
Church in West Jacksonville and mustered into Confederate service.
The Alachua Guards, Leon Rifles, Columbia Guards, Hammock Guards
(Marion County), Gulf State Guards of Jackson County, St. Johns
Greys, St. Augustine Rifles, Hamilton Blues, Davis Guards of Nassau
County, and the Madison Rangers.
July 13, 1861 Two detachments of Confederate Coast Guards
were called to active duty by Brigadier General J. Taylor.
July 13, 1863
Confederate report that they opened fire on three launches in the
St. Mark’s River opposite old Port Leon. Although the men in the
launches return fire, no Confederate casualties were reported.
July 13, 1864
Union and Confederate troops clash at Little and Big Trout Creek.
July 13, 1865
William Marvin was appointed Provisional Governor of Florida by
President Andrew Johnson and directed him to call a constitutional
convention to write a new constitution for the state as a condition
for being readmitted to the Union. Although the Convention met in
Tallahassee on October 28 and wrote a new governing document, the
new constitution, which would have become effective on November 7,
was never activated because Congress assumed responsibility for
establishing the rules for readmission and Johnson’s program was
rejected.
july 14
July 14, 1861
A detachment of the Florida Mounted Volunteers was sent to take up
station at Fort Meade. Under the command of 1st Lieutenant J. R.
Durrance, the unit includes a sergeant, a corporal, and fifteen
enlisted men.
July 14, 1863
The U.S.S. Jasmine, with Acting Master Alfred L. B. Zerega,
captured the sloop Relampage, near the Florida Keys. The
Relampage was heading out of Havana with a cargo of copper
boiler tubing.
July 14, 1864
A detachment of Federal cavalry landed at Broward’s Neck, Duval
County.
july 15
July 15, 1862
The Florida Sentinel reported that Florida has contributed
eight regiments of infantry, two light artillery companies, one
regiment of cavalry, and two independent partisan cavalry companies
to the war effort.
July 15, 1863
U.S.S. Santiago de Cuba, under the command of Commander
Wyman, captured the steamer, Lizzie, off the coast of Florida
July 15, 1864
Confederate forces under Captain McElbey of the 5th Florida Cavalry
were located at Green’s Plantation on the road to Baldwin. Federal
forces were advancing down the road. A small skirmish was fought at
Little Trout Creek. The Confederate forces retreat toward Baldwin,
while the Federal forces move to the vicinity of Otter Creek.
july 16
july 17
July 17, 1861
Already facing shortages of essential civilian goods, such as
newsprint, the St. John’s Mirror of Jacksonville was
published with pages one-fourth the regular size.
July 17, 1862 The 6th and 7th Florida Infantry regiments,
along with the Marion Light Artillery, were ordered to Tennessee to
protect that state against and anticipated Federal campaign.
July 17, 1863 The C.S.S. Florida, with Commander John
Newland Maffitt at the conn, put into Bermuda to obtain coal and
make repairs. In addition, the crew of the Florida buried J.
L. Lynch, the Assistant Paymaster, who had died of consumption.
Maffitt, upon reaching Bermuda, send word to the port commander that
he planned to salute the British flag and asked whether or not the
British would return the salute. Colonel William Munro, the British
commander, consulted with the Governor and informed Maffitt that the
British would return gun for gun any salute offered. This, perhaps,
was the only time such an honor was paid to the Confederate naval
flag.--See Frank L. Owsley, Jr., The C.S.S. Florida, Her Building
and Operations, pp. 74-75.
July 17, 1864 A detachment of Federal cavalry occupy Callahan
in Duval County and burned two rail cars loaded with iron. They also
arrest Wingate Broward and Joseph Hagans, while confiscating a
number of horses and heads of cattle.
july 18
July 18, 1863 The U.S. District Court in Key West approved
the appropriation of the captured Confederate sloop, Rosalie,
into the Union navy for use as part of the squadron blockading
Charlotte Harbor.
July 18, 1863 The U.S.S. Sagamore, a Union gunboat,
destroyed a Confederate starch mill at Cape Florida.
July 18, 1864 Union troops from Bayport were on the march
inland (some 40 miles) for the purpose of destroying plantations,
confiscating livestock, and to test Confederate resistance. The
Union force was made up of 240 men from Ft. Myers.
july 19
July 19, 1861 The Montgomery Mounted Rifles, a Confederate
force, landed on Santa Rosa Island. The Confederates attacked a
small boat that was on its way to the shore from the Union ship,
Mohawk. The Federal crew suffered a number of wounded, and the
officer in charge of the landing party was killed.
July 19, 1863 Federal soldiers from the U.S.S. Fort Henry,
anchored at Cedar Key, captured twenty-two bales of cotton on an
expedition up the Waccasassa River.
July 19, 1864 Confederate units reoccupy their lines near
Cedar Key.
july 20
July 20, 1861 The 1st Florida Cavalry Regiment, under the
command of Colonel G. W. M. Davis, was assembled at Camp Mary David,
about six miles south of Tallahassee. The regiment consisted of 10
companies drawn from Columbia, Nassau, Suwanee, Leon, Levy, Duval
and Alachua counties.
July 20, 1863 Union and Confederate forces skirmished along
the mouth of the Waccasassa River. Two Union soldiers were killed.
July 20, 1864 On July 20, an expedition of 400 men from the
2nd U. S. Colored Infantry and the 2nd Florida Cavalry (U.S.) moves
from Cedar Keys to St. Andrews bay on a mission into the interior.
The campaign continued until July 29, with tremendous destruction of
property and the confiscation of 115 slaves.
july 21
July 21, 1862 Federal naval officials were concerned over the
disappearance of the U.S.S. Beauregard near the mouth of the
Crystal River. Union officials report that the ship and its crew
were likely captured by Confederate forces or lost at sea.
July 21, 1863 The Quartermaster General of the Confederacy
issued a call for as many Florida palmettos as can be harvested for
use in Richmond hospitals.
July 21, 1863 The Confederate blockade runner, James
Battle, arrived in Key West with a cargo of 600 bales of cotton.
July 21, 1864 Confederate forces burn and destroy two
trestles on the Cedar Keys Railroad about five miles south of
Baldwin.
july 22
July 22, 1863 A small boat from the U.S.S. Fort Henry,
commanded by Orderly Sergeant C. Nugent, made a midnight
reconnaissance into Bayport.
July 22, 1864 Colonel James Shaw, commanding the 7th U.S.
Colored Infantry, embarks on an expedition up the St. Johns River to
Black Creek.
July 22, 1864 A Federal force composed of elements of the 7th
Vermont Veterans Volunteers, the 82nd U.S. Colored Infantry, the 1st
Florida Cavalry (U.S.), the 14th New York Cavalry, and the 1st
Florida Battery (U.S.) attacked Confederate forces at the
newly-completed Fort Hodgson (Camp Gonzales) 15 miles north of
Pensacola. Eight Confederates were captured, in addition to the
regimental flag of the 7th Alabama Cavalry and a considerable amount
of provisions.
July 22, 1864 The following Florida units participate in the
ill-fated Battle of Atlanta on this date:
Florida Marion Artillery , Florida 1st Cavalry Regiment , Florida
1st (Reorganized) Infantry Regiment , Florida 3rd Infantry Regiment
Florida 4th Infantry Regiment , Florida 6th Infantry regiment ,
Florida 7th Infantry Regiment (not directly involved)
july 23
July 23, 1863 Union forces at Jacksonville begin a five day
campaign against Confederate fortifications at McGirts Creek (north
of Jacksonville). In this campaign, Federal troops drive
Confederates forces from their breastworks, tear up a section of
railroad, and burn the railroad bridge over the St. Marys River.
july 24
July 24, 1862 The U.S.S. Quaker City, with Commander
__ Frailey at the helm, captured the blockade runner, Orion,
at Campeche Bank, south of Key West.
July 24, 1863 The gunboat, U.S.S. Sagamore, reported
that it had discovered eleven barrels of turpentine at Haul Over,
thirteen miles north of Cape Canaveral. The Federals speculated that
local Confederates were planning to sent it out on a blockade
runner.
July 24, 1864 Union forces cross the South Fork of Black
Creek (near Jacksonville) and attack two trestles on the
Baldwin-Gainesville Railroad.
july 25
July 25, 1861 The 3rd Florida Infantry Regiment was organized
on Amelia Island. William S. Dilworth was elected Colonel; J. T.
Wright received the most votes for Lieutenant Colonel; while Lucius
A. Church was elected Major.
July 25, 1863 Colonel G. Troup Maxwell of the Florida 1st
Cavalry declares himself to be a candidate for the Confederate
Congress.
july 26
July 26, 1861 Thomas E. Jordan was appointed postmaster of
Pensacola by Confederate President Jefferson Davis, who also
appointed Chandler C. Yonge as the Confederate attorney for the
Florida district.
July 26, 1862 A Union reconnaissance of the Indian River
region found no activity in the area.
July 26, 1864 Confederate Major General Patton Anderson was
transferred from his post as Commander of the Confederate District
of Florida to duty with Major General John Bell Hood in Atlanta.
General John K. Jackson assumed Anderson’s command.
july 27
July 28, 1863 Under the command of Lieutenant Commander
English, the U.S.S. Beauregard and Oleander,
accompanied by boats U.S.S. Sagamore and Para,
attacked New Smyrna, Florida. After shelling the town, the Union
forces destroyed several vessels, destroyed a sloop loaded with
cotton, and burned large quantities of cotton on shore. In addition,
Marines landed and destroyed all buildings that had been occupied by
Confederate troops.
July 27, 1864 Union General Birney, operating out of
Jacksonville, captured Baldwin.
july 28
July 28, 1864 The following units from Confederate Florida
participated in the Battle of Ezra Church as Major General John Bell
Hood attempted to break Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s
siege of Atlanta:
Florida 1st Cavalry Regiment , Florida 1st (Reorganized) Infantry
Regiment , Florida 3rd Infantry Regiment , Florida 4th Infantry
Regiment , Florida 6th Infantry Regiment , Florida 7th Infantry
Regiment , Florida Marion Artillery continued to serve the
Confederacy in the Siege of Atlanta as part of the Hoxton Battalion,
Artillery, 1st Corps, Army of Tennessee.
Hiram Smith Williams, a member of the 40th Alabama Regiment during
the war and a resident of Rockledge, Florida, from 1872 until 1921,
noted in his diary:
“Up and off early this morning to the Arsenal in the
North West part of the city. Here were rested until about 11:00
o’clock when the whole army was moved rapidly to the left. We were
ahead of all the infantry, and the first thing we knew, the cavalry
fell back past us, and the balls falling around us showed that the
enemy was near. Such confusion I never saw, the troops hurrying past
us and forming in line of battle, while the continuous roar of
musketry showed that they were hotly engaged. Falling back
half-a-mile we stopped to await orders near the road, and I can
truthfully say that I never saw so many wounded men in the same
length of time before.... A few more such affairs as this and that
of the 22nd (the Battle of Atlanta) and we will have no army left.
This day’s work has done more to de-moralize our army than 3
months under General [Joseph E.] Johnston.” From This War So
Horrible: The Civil War Diary of Hiram Smith Williams
(University of Alabama Press), edited by Lewis N. Wynne and Robert
A. Taylor.
july 29
July 29, 1863 The Union ship, U.S.S. Rosalie, under
the command of Acting Master Peter F. Coffin, seized the British
blockade runner, Georgie, in the Caloosahatchee River near
Fort Myers. The schooner had been abandoned and carried no cargo.
july 30
july 31
July 31, 1863 Florida’s 22nd governor, Sidney Johnston Catts
[January 2, 1917-January 4, 1921] was born near Pleasant Hill,
Alabama on this date. The son of wealthy planter parents, Catts
received an unusually broad education at the Agricultural and
Mechanical College of Alabama, Howard College, and Alabama
Polytechnic Institute. In 1882, he received a LL.B. degree from
Cumberland University. An ordained Baptist minister (1886), Catts
was a candidate for Congress from the Fifth District of Alabama in
1904. Unsuccessful and in dire financial straights, Catts moved to
DeFuniak Springs, Florida. In 1916, Catts lost the Democratic
primary, but won the general election as the nominee of the
Prohibition Party. Catts’ administration was turbulent and marred by
several allegations of fraud, including the appointment of family
members to positions of importance.
Catts was defeated in his bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S.
Senator in 1920. He was twice defeated (1924 and 1928) in efforts to
regain the governorship. Controversy continue to dog Catts after
leaving public office, and near the end of his life, he was accused
of being a part of a counterfeiting ring.
Catts had undeniable popular appeal with many Floridians and his
unsuccessful races to regain the office of governor were hotly
contested. Catts was credited with authoring the statement, “People
in Florida have only three friends--Jesus Christ, J.C. Penney and
Sidney J. Catts!”
Catts died at DeFuniak Springs on March 9, 1936.
July 31, 1864 Brigadier General John P. Hatch was assigned to
command of the Federal District of Florida.
July 31, 1864 Confederate Brigadier General John K. Jackson
recommended Captain J. J. Dickison for promotion to Colonel, based
on his activities in leading his cavalry unit in South Florida.
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