Memorial Day in Florida - Olustee Battlefield

Continuing our look at some places in Florida that hold special significance for Memorial Day visits, Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park was the scene of the greatest loss of life of any military event in our state's history.

Fought on February 20, 1864, the Civil War battle was the largest military engagement in Florida history. The battlefield is located on U.S. 90 near the town of Olustee, 15 miles east of Lake City and only 3 miles off Interstate 10. It is open to the public daily.

The Battle of Olustee developed when a Union army of more than 5,000 men pushed inland from Jacksonville in a bold push to destroy the vital bridge over the Suwannee River. Protected by Confederate forts, the bridge was the only rail link between East and West Florida.

Commanded by General Truman A. Seymour, who advanced despite orders to the contrary, the expedition followed the Florida and Atlantic-Gulf Central Railroad west into the interior of Florida. Seymour believed he would face only token opposition that could easily be swept aside, but failed to detect signs of stiffening resistance that indicated a major battle was building.

Instead of token resistance, he marched his army into the jaws of a waiting Confederate army commanded by General Joseph Finegan. Surprising the Federals, Finegan used his cavalry to draw Seymour's army into waiting battle lines formed by General A.R. Colquitt. As Colquitt positioned his men to overlap both flanks of the oncoming Union column, Finegan continued to push reinforcements forward from their pre-battle position at Olustee Station.

The result was a disaster for the Union forces. Colquitt drove through successive Federal positions, shattering Union regiments and ultimately forcing Seymour to withdraw. By the end of the day, the Union army was falling back on Jacksonville in a disastrous retreat.

Losses during the battle reflected the one-sided nature of the defeat. Union troops lost more than 200 killed, 1,152 wounded and 506 missing in action. Southern forces lost 93 killed, 847 wounded and 6 missing. The combined total of roughly 300 men killed and 2,000 wounded made Olustee the bloodiest day in Florida history.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/olustee.

The Battle of Olustee, Florida

Tomorrow, February 20th, will mark the 145th anniversary of the Battle of Olustee, the largest Civil War battle fought in Florida.

For hours on February 20, 1864, more than 10,000 Union and Confederate soldiers blazed away at each other in the open pine woods east of Lake City, Florida. Neither side used breastworks or fortifications of any kind, which probably explains why according to some sources it was the bloodiest battle of the war, percentage-wise, for the Union army.

The Battle of Olustee was a dramatic Confederate victory that ended an amazing campaign that had its roots in a political scheme to return at least part of Florida to the Union in time for the state's electoral votes to play a part in the 1864 Presidential Election.

The site of the battle is now preserved at Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park, located on U.S. 90 about 13 miles east of Lake City.

The site preserves a key area of the battlefield and offers a museum, walking trails, monuments, interpretive signs and a chance to explore Florida's little known role in the Civil War. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/olustee.

Annual Olustee Festival and Reenactment is This Weekend

The 33rd annual reenactment of the Battle of Olustee will take place this weekend at Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park near Lake City.

This battle, fought on February 20, 1864, was the largest Civil War battle in Florida and involved more than 10,000 men who stood toe to toe in the open pine woods. According to some sources, it was the worst Union defeat of the war (in terms of casualty percentages).

Lake City has memorialized the anniversary of the battle for decades now with its popular Olustee Festival. The event gets underway tomorrow and features festival activities, arts and crafts, etc. The annual parade will take place in Lake City on Saturday morning at 10:30 (Eastern), while the main battle reenactment will be on Sunday at 1:30 at the battlefield 13 miles east of town on U.S. 90.

Click here for more information on festival events and to check out the schedule. You can learn more about the battle by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/olustee.

Annual Battle of Olustee Reenactment set for February

The 2009 version of Florida's largest Civil War reenactment will take place on the weekend of February 13-15 in Lake City and nearby Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park.

For a schedule of events and other information, please click here.

Fought on February 20, 1864, the Battle of Olustee was the largest Civil War battle to take place in the state of Florida. More than 10,000 men battled each other for much of the day in the open pine woods just east of the Olustee rail station.

Confederate forces were able to use superior tactics and converging fire to defeat the Union army and drive it back to Jacksonville, ending a major effort to split Florida in half and return at least part of the state to the Union in time for the 1864 Presidential Election.

You can learn more about the battle at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/olustee.