USA > Florida > Duval County > Jacksonville > History of early Jacksonville, Florida; being an authentic record of events from the earliest times to and including the civil war by Thomas Frederick Davis > Part 11
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The undersigned trusts that inasmuch as the un- offending citizens of this place have been treated with the utmost forbearance by our forces, it will
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not be necessary to carry out the intention in the last clause of the above notice.
H. G. WRIGHT, Brigadier-General Commanding.
General Wright himself was a gentleman as well as a soldier. His correspondence with Colonel W. G. M. Davis (C. S. A.) indicates this, when he says :
The policy of removal from Jacksonville of such persons as may desire to leave our lines to join their families or to reside in the interior of the State will be continued and on application to these headquar- ters such permission will be granted as will carry them safely beyond our lines. We do not propose to wage war upon women and children, nor upon quiet unoffending citizens, but on the contrary have done all in our power for the protection of their persons and property. In announcing this policy I have to express the hope that it will be reciprocated by yourself in permitting the free return to Jack- sonville of such persons as may desire to come back to their homes. I desire further to say that the forces under my command are instructed to carry on all operations according to the rules of civilized warfare, and that any outrages upon unarmed or unoffending citizens will be punished to the full ex- tent of the law. From the representations made to me of your character as an officer and a gentleman, I am sure you will be governed by a similar spirit.
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General Wright had been in Jacksonville be- fore. It was he that made the survey of St. Johns bar in 1853, and advanced the idea of overcoming the difficulties by means of a single pier or jetty across the bar. We may assume that he knew many of our citizens personally, and when, as a war measure, he was in military control of the town, that property here did not suffer during his occupation.
The following is the report of Colonel W. S. Dil- worth (C. S. A.) commanding the district of East and Middle Florida, dated April 15, 1862, regard- ing the operations of the Confederate troops in front of Jacksonville during the occupation of the town by the Federal forces:
When the enemy first occupied Jacksonville and while all the Florida troops were retreating in con- fusion and disorder, I, as colonel of the Third Regi- ment Florida Volunteers, ordered a part of my regi- ment to advance in the direction of Jacksonville and take a position within ten miles of the city, with only 250 effective men. Soon I had eight companies of my regiment with me. After making a thorough reconnaissance of the city, I became convinced that I could not attack the city without heavy loss and could be driven out by the enemy's gunboats. I then determined to commence a system of annoyances, by attacking their pickets, foraging parties, etc. I made a successful attack on the picket near the city of Jacksonville, killing four and taking three prisoners, when I was ordered to take command of
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the district. Colonel Davis was then ordered to the command of the forces near Jacksonville, and has most successfully carried on the system which I com- menced and which has resulted in their evacuation of the place. I have further to report that after the evacuation the enemy returned under a flag of truce and were permitted to land 52 negroes, which were taken in charge by the commander of the post.
Jacksonville was not regularly occupied after- ward by Confederate troops, such an attempt be- ing useless as long as the river remained open to the Federal gunboats. Confederate detachments occasionally came into town, however, just to see how things were getting along, but after a short time withdrew.
SECOND FEDERAL OCCUPATION. 9
In the summer of 1862, batteries were erected by the Confederates on the St. Johns river below Jacksonville, at Yellow Bluff and St. Johns Bluff, on opposite sides of the river. For some time these batteries kept the Federal squadron, com- prising the gunboats Paul Jones, Cimarron, Water Witch, Hale, Uncas, and Patroon, from coming up the river. The ineffectual effort of the gunboats to reduce these batteries, resulted in an expedition of four transports, carrying 1,573 men, which left Hilton Head, S. C., on September 30th, for the purpose of co-operating with the fleet. This expedition landed near Mayport Mills dur- ing the afternoon and evening of October 1st.
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Colonel C. F. Hopkins, commanding the battery at St. Johns Bluff immediately requested rein- forcements, and the garrison at Yellow Bluff crossed over to reinforce him, bringing his avail- able force up to about 500 men. The next day the Federal forces, increased by men from the gun- boats, began a movement by land against St. Johns Bluff, the fleet co-operating with the land forces. Late that afternoon, Colonel Hopkins had a conference with his officers, at which it was de- cided that his force was insufficient to hold the position. It was therefore quietly abandoned at 9 p. m., October 2d. All the guns and a consider- able amount of ammunition fell into the hands of the Union forces. Colonel Hopkins was severely criticised by General Finegan for abandoning the post, but a court of inquiry later found that he acted with good judgment in giving up the posi- tion under the circumstances.
On October 3d, the Paul Jones steamed up to Jacksonville, for the purpose of destroying all boats and otherwise intercepting the passage of the Confederate troops across the river. In this it was unsuccessful and returned the next morn- ing to join the fleet anchored off St. Johns Bluff.
On October 5th, Jacksonville was occupied the second time by the Federal army. A small Con- federate force was stationed in the outskirts of the town, for the purpose of observation, but re- tired when the gunboat Cimarron opened a fire of
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shell upon them. The landing of the troops was completed in the afternoon of the 5th, and the next morning the gunboats went in search of Con- federate steamers which rumor said were secreted in the creeks up the river. The fleet returned on the 9th, with the steamer Governor Milton, cap- tured in a creek near Enterprise in a disabled con- dition, her boilers being entirely worn out. Jack- sonville was evacuated on the afternoon of the 9th, after an occupation of just four days.
General J. M. Brannan, commander of the Federal expedition, said in his report of October 13, 1862 :
On the 5th (October) I proceeded up the river as far as Jacksonville in the transport Ben DeFord, with 785 infantry. I observed a large quantity of corn and other crops on the banks of the river which it was at first my intention either to remove or de- stroy. This purpose I afterward abandoned as im- practicable. Jacksonville I found to be nearly deserted, there being but a small portion of its in- habitants left-chiefly old men, women and children. From this town and neighborhood I bring with me several refugees and about 276 contrabands, includ- ing men, women and children.
The purpose of this expedition was not men- tioned in the reports, but, evidently, it was to keep the St. Johns river open up to Jacksonville.
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THIRD FEDERAL OCCUPATION. 9
Jacksonville was occupied by Federal troops the third time March 10th, 1863, this time by negro troops commanded by white officers, namely, First Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers (negro), Colonel T. W. Higginson, and a portion of the Second Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers (negro), Colonel Montgomery. These troops were later reinforced by two white regiments, Eighth Maine and Sixth Connecticut.
On March 13th, General Finegan (C. S. A.), commanding near Jacksonville, issued the follow- ing proclamation :
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF EAST FLORIDA.
Camp near Jacksonville, March 13, 1863.
I feel it my duty as brigadier-general commanding this district to inform the people of the district and of the State that our unscrupulous enemy has landed a large force of negroes, under command of white officers, at Jacksonville, under cover of gun- boats. He is attempting to fortify the place so as to make it secure against attacks. The purpose of this movement is obvious and need not be mentioned in direct terms. It is sufficient to inspire the whole body of the people with a renewed and sterner pur- pose of resistance. I therefore call on such of the citizens as can possibly leave their homes to arm and organize themselves into companies without delay and report to me .***
Jos. FINEGAN, Brigadier-General Commanding.
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Whether General Finegan was correct in his supposition, hinted at in his proclamation, is an- swered in the report of General R. Saxton (U. S. A.), dated March 14, 1863, as follows :
The object of this expedition was to occupy Jack- sonville and make it the base of operations for the arming of negroes and securing in this way posses- sion of the entire state of Florida. It gives me pleasure to report that so far the objects of the ex- pedition have been fully accomplished. The town is completely in our possession and many prisoners.' It is my belief that scarcely an incident in this war has caused a greater panic throughout the whole southern coast than this raid of the colored troops in Florida. The negroes are collecting at Jacksonville from all quarters.
Immediately upon landing the Federals began to erect fortifications as though for permanent oc- cupation. To guard the terminus of the railroad where it entered the town, Colonel Higginson caused two forts to be erected, one on the right of the railroad, named Fort Montgomery, and one on the left, Fort Higginson. The gunboats, being provided with heavy guns of long range, com- manded the country for several miles around. The Confederate troops, under General Finegan, were stationed a few miles west of Jacksonville. They consisted principally of cavalry, or mounted in- fantry, and were poorly provided with artillery.
Skirmishing began on the day following the
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landing of the Federal troops, and continued more or less until Jacksonville was evacuated. General Finegan made no general attack upon the town, but confined his operations to a system some- what similar to that followed during the first oc- cupation-attacking outposts, pickets, foraging parties, etc. There was some loss of life on both sides. Surgeon Meredith (C. S. A.) was killed on March 11th.
On March 17th, Colonel McCormick (C. S. A.), by direction of General Finegan, notified Colonel Higginson to remove the women and children from Jacksonville within 24 hours, or that after that time they would remain in the town on his (Higginson's) responsibility. Colonel Higgin- son immediately ordered his wagons to convey all those who wished to leave to the brick yard church, where they were met under a flag of truce by a Confederate escort. Thus all the women and children, except a few families, were removed from Jacksonville and sent to Lake City.
March 22d and 23d two white regiments arrived, Eighth Maine, Colonel John D. Rust, and the Sixth Connecticut, Colonel John L. Chatfield. Colonel Rust being the ranking officer took com- mand of the troops here.
Henceforth, skirmishing became more frequent and heavier. About this time, Lieutenant Thomas E. Buckman (C. S. A.) devised a plan that made him very celebrated. He mounted a rifled 64- pound cannon on a flat car, coupled on a locomo-
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tive, and backed the gun down the track toward Jacksonville. A well directed fire from this gun caused consternation in the Federal camp. Up and down the track it went, driving back skirmish- ing parties of the enemy, at the same time drawing the concentrated fire of the gunboats and batteries. On one of these occasions a shell from this gun passed through a platoon of the Eighth Maine, killing two men instantly and wounding four others. Finally Colonel Rust sent out a strong force to destroy the railroad bridge about 3 miles from town, and tear up the track to prevent fur- ther damage from this railroad battery. Lieuten- ant Buckman and Private Francis Soule (Sollee) were commended in the highest terms for bravery and skill in serving this gun.
EVACUATION AND BURNING OF JACKSONVILLE.
The Federal troops were withdrawn from Jack- sonville for the purpose of taking part in the operations against Charleston and Savannah. The evacuation was described by a correspondent of the New York Tribune, writing from Jackson- ville, March 29, 1863. As much of what he says is verified by the official reports of both the Confed- erate and Union officers prepared afterward, it is believed that the conditions mentioned and which are not included in the reports, are likewise ac- curate. He said :
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Before entering upon the details of this lamentable destruction of property, allow me to return to Hilton Head, which place I left last Thursday morning. At that time at an early hour, it was whispered around headquarters, although the utmost secrecy had been enjoined, that Jacksonville was to be evacuated by the soldiers of the National army, who had promised the loyal inhabitants protection and had assured them that the city would be held by our troops dur- ing the war. Desiring to visit this portion of the Department of the South before the grand expedition set sail, and also to witness the evacuation, I took passage on the steamer Boston and arrived here with the accompanying transports, the Convoy, the Dela- ware, the Cossack, and the Tillie, on Friday evening.
At Hilton Head much surprise, indeed much indig- nation had been expressed the moment it was made known that we were to abandon this important point ; not perhaps so much because it was important, but because so many loyal people would be utterly ruined by the movement. Arriving at Jacksonville, I called upon the leading officers and found that they, too, could scarcely restrain their indignation. It is an outrage, it is villainous, it will injure our cause terribly, were the most frequent expressions. It was in vain that one tried to demonstrate that it was of the greatest importance at this moment that all the troops in this department should be concen- trated for the grand conflict in Charleston or Savan- nah harbors. Either of these important cities taken, the whole state of Florida would be, as it were, flanked and the enemy compelled to abandon it in- stantly.
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Jacksonville was occupied on the 10th of March by a negro brigade, under the command of Colonel Higginson. What they achieved, and how admirably, I have already written you, up to as late a date as the 25th instant. Before alluding to the events of today, it remains for me to fill up the interval from the 25th to the 29th. Ten days ago General Hunter, upon representations made to him, not by Colonel Higginson, but by several loyal men of much influ- ence, long residents of Florida, decided to reinforce Colonel Higginson with two regiments of white in- fantry-the Eighth Maine, Colonel Rust, and the Sixth Connecticut, Colonel Chatfield. Colonel Rust, outranking Colonel Higginson, took command of all the forces in Jacksonville. Colonel Higginson had, by the severest labor his black troops could endure, so strengthened his position that he deemed himself sufficiently strong to hold Jacksonville against all the forces the rebel General Finegan could bring to bear against it.
The natural defenses of Jacksonville are very con- siderable. The only weak point was on the south- west, or in that portion of the city where the rail- road enters it. To guard this point, Colonel Higgin- son erected two forts. To give range to the guns from these forts, a large forest of pine and oak trees had to be cut down and about fifty dwellings, mostly of an inferior class, destroyed. Fort Higginson not only commands the left of the railroad, but the ap- proach on the South to Jacksonville, by the St. Johns River. All the work upon these forts was done by the black troops. I have seen about all the earth- works in Virginia, and do not hesitate to say that
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these hastily constructed works compare very favor- ably with the best ever thrown up by the Army of the Potomac.
After Colonel Rust had taken command of the forces here he projected a reconnaissance of the enemy's stronghold, about ten miles distant in the direction of Tallahassee. In this little affair black and white troops marched together. Four companies of the Sixth Connecticut formed the right, six com- panies of the First South Carolina the center, and four companies of the Eighth Maine the left. About four miles out the enemy's pickets were reached, driven in, and the ground near where the rebel General Finegan's brigade was encamped was closely observed. At this distance a railroad bridge was destroyed, much track torn up, and other ob- structions placed in the way of a rebel advance.
Having accomplished all he desired, Colonel Rust ordered a return, but just at that moment a platform car was seen coming down the road, with three pieces of artillery on board. At the instant it was observed a brisk fire from a 64-pound rifle gun and two 12- pound Howitzers was opened. One shot passed directly through a platoon of the Eighth Maine, killing two and wounding four. No other casualties occurred, although the long gun kept up a brisk fire on the return.'
I am now writing on the deck of the fine transport ship, Boston. From this upper deck the scene pre- sented to the spectator is one of most fearful magni- ficence. On every side dense clouds of black smoke are seen. A fine south wind is blowing immense blazing cinders right into the heart of the city. The beauti-
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ful Spanish moss, drooping so gracefully from the long avenues of splendid oaks has caught fire, and as far as the eye can reach, through these once pleasant streets, nothing but sheets of flame can be seen, run- ning up with the rapidity of lightning to the tops of the trees and then darting off to the smallest branches. The whole city is being lapped up and de- voured by this fiery blast *. One solitary woman, a horse tied to a fence between two fires, and a lean, half-starved dog are the only living inhabitants to be seen on the streets. Is this not war, vindictive, un- relenting war? Have we gotten up to the European standard ?
Yesterday (March 28th) the beautiful little cot- tage used as the Catholic parsonage, together with the church, was fired by some of the soldiers, and in a short time burned to the ground. Before the flames had fairly reached the church, the soldiers had burst open the doors and commenced sacking it of every- thing of value. The organ was in a moment torn to strips, and almost every soldier who came out seemed to be celebrating the occasion by blowing through an organ pipe.
Today the same spectacle has been repeated upon a much grander scale. There must have been some understanding among the incendiaries with regard to the conflagration. At 8 o'clock the flames burst from several buildings in different parts of the city, and at a later hour still more were fired. The wind
*From his position on the river, this correspondent quite naturally obtained an exaggerated view of the fire. Fortunately, it was not as extensive as it appeared to him.
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then rose to a stiff gale and the torch of the incendiary became unnecessary to increase the fire.
It gives me pleasure to report that the negro troops took no part whatever in the perpetration of this vandalism. They had nothing whatever to do with it, and were simply silent spectators of the silent but sad spectacle. The Sixth Connecticut charge it upon the Eighth Maine and the Eighth Maine hurl it back upon the Sixth Connecticut.
Six o'clock p. m. Mouth of the St. Johns-A fierce northeast storm is raging upon the ocean. Gunboats and transports are lying here in safety waiting until it abates. Again we are witnessing a conflagration. Some of the soldiers have gone ashore and found a fine steam saw mill at Mayport Mills, said to belong to a Union man in Maine. Much in- dignation is expressed on board. The white soldiers are again the criminals. The blacks have not been off the transports.
The official reports of the Federal officers do not deal extensively with the burning of Jacksonville. The author has talked with Union officers who came to Jacksonville soon after the war, and they said that there was a persistent rumor that the burning of the town came about in this way :
One of the white regiments was a Roman Catholic regiment, while the other was strongly Protestant. For reasons unknown, dislike and hatred existed between them to such an extent that vandals in the Protestant regiment set the Catholic church on fire, and in retaliation, the Epis-
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copal church was burned by members of the Catholic regiment. From this other buildings caught, and the fire spread. The mania for burn- ing was rampant in the town, and new centers were started by persons unknown.
From the best accounts, the fire does not seem to have been as extensive as one would suppose. About six blocks was the area burned over, de- stroying in the neighborhood of 25 buildings, in- cluding the Episcopal Church and the Court House. While reconnoitering from a position on the river, General Finegan saw that Jacksonville was on fire in several places and that the trans- ports were being loaded with troops. He pushed on into the town, arriving just after the departure of the last gunboat, but in time to extinguish the fire in some valuable buildings.
FOURTH FEDERAL OCCUPATION. 10
On January 13, 1864, President Lincoln wrote General Q. A. Gillmore (U. S. A.), commanding the Department of the South as follows: "I understand an effort is being made by some worthy gentlemen to reconstruct a loyal State gov- ernment in Florida. I have given Mr. Hay a com- mission of major and sent him to you with some blank books and other blanks to aid in the recon- struction."
Elaborate plans were made, and an expedition of more than 20 vessels, gunboats and transports, carrying in the neighborhood of 7,000 troops,
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under the command of General T. Seymour, left Hilton Head, S. C., for Jacksonville before day- break, February 6, 1864. This expedition arrived at the mouth of the St. Johns River early on the morning of the next day, crossed the bar and pro- ceeded up the river to Jacksonville. The trans- port Maple Leaf was the first vessel to reach the dock, and at 3:40 p. m. (7th) began landing troops. In a short time the other transports came up. There was a small Confederate picket, 20 men, in the town and they fired into the Hunter, one of the transports, and killed one man, but were im- mediately forced to retire by a cavalry company that had been hastily landed from the Maple Leaf. Later in the afternoon, the U. S. gunboat Norwich went up to McGirt's Creek to capture the St. Marys, a river steamer being loaded with cotton consigned to Nassau, N. P. Finding himself hem- med in, the commander of the St. Marys sank his vessel in McGirt's Creek, and two days later it fell into the hands of the Federals. There was considerable friction between the United States army and navy officials as to who should claim the prize, the army or the navy; the official reports do not indicate how the question was settled.
In his official report, General Gillmore states that the object of this expedition to Florida was:
1. To procure an outlet for cotton, lumber, tim- ber, turpentine and other products of the state of Florida.
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2. To cut off one of the sources of supplies for the Confederates.
3. To obtain recruits for his colored regiments.
4. To inaugurate measures for the speedy restoration of the state to her allegiance.
For the purpose of carrying out these plans, the bulk of the Union army set out on the afternoon and evening of February 8th, on the march west- ward to Baldwin and finally on to Lake City. This movement culminated on February 20th, in the famous battle of Olustee, or Ocean Pond, where General Seymour was defeated by the Con- federates under Generals Colquitt and Finegan. Thus it seems that two clauses of General Gill- more's plans, namely 2d and 4th, were practically annulled in the very beginning, General Seymour having reported a day or so before that "I am convinced that what has been said of the desire of Florida to come back now is a delusion."
After its defeat at Olustee, the Union army re- turned to Jacksonville. The churches and some of the largest houses were used as temporary hospitals. The floors were strewn with hay and on this the wounded soldiers were placed in rows, white and black side by side, as they were brought in from the front11.
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