The Battle of Marianna, Florida

One of Florida's least known yet most significant Civil War engagements took place on September 27, 1864.

A mounted force of 700 Union soldiers led by Brigadier General Alexander Asboth attacked the Northwest Florida city of Marianna. It was the culmination of the deepest penetration of the state by Federal troops during the entire War Between the States and the climactic moment of a raid that covered more miles than Sherman's March to the Sea.

The town was defended by an outnumbered force of Confederate reservists, militia and volunteers. Despite the signficant odds against them, they waged a fierce battle to protect their community, homes, family and friends. When the smoke cleared, they had been defeated, but they had also inflicted on the 2nd Maine Cavalry its most severe losses of the war.

The Battle of Marianna was significant for a number of reasons. Not only did it culminate the deepest Union penetration of the state, it also marked the first time that Union black troops engaged in hand to hand combat in Northwest Florida. More than 600 enslaved African Americans were liberated from slavery during the raid and massive economic damage done to the farms and plantations of Jackson, Washington, Holmes and Walton Counties. The four counties impacted by the raid, in fact, suffered more economic damage during the war than any other counties in Florida.

The battle is memorialized in Marianna today by markers, monuments and gravestones. To learn more, please visit http://www.battleofmarianna.net/.

Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail - Tallahassee, Florida

This popular "rails to trails" park was once the historic Tallahassee-St. Marks Railroad. The second railroad ever built in Florida, the line connected the state capital of Tallahassee with the port of St. Marks on the Gulf of Mexico.

The railroad covered a distance of just over 20 miles, but was vital to the economic growth of Tallahassee because the city was one of the only territorial or state capitals of its day not located on a navigable waterway. The trains moved passengers and commerce to and from the lower St. Marks River, where small schooners provided connections to other ports on the Gulf Coast and Atlantic seaboard.

When the railroad first began operating, the locomotives had not yet arrived so teams of mules were used to pull the cars. Before long, however, steam-powered locomotives pulled the trains back and forth.

The railroad played a critical role in the Civil War when it was used to move Confederate troops ahead of the Battle of Natural Bridge. It continued to operate until 1983, but is now a state park that features a paved trail connecting Tallahassee and St. Marks.

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

Lee Square - Pensacola, Florida

This is the towering Confederate monument in Pensacola's Lee Square. Fifty feet tall, it is one of the tallest monuments in Florida.

Lee Square is now a peaceful and attractive hilltop on Palafox Street, but it once was the scene of considerable military activity.

Union troops built Fort McClellan here during the Civil War. They were concerned that Confederate troops, who had evacuated the city in the spring of 1862, might launch an attack to retake it.

The fort was described as a square earthwork redoubt, armed with several pieces of field artillery. It was never attacked and did not long survive the war. No trace of it remains today.

The four cannon flanking the monument in Lee Square are of colonial origin. They are among numerous relics of the Spanish and English colonial occupations of the city that can still be found in Pensacola today.

Two Egg, Florida

Yes, it is a real place! Two Egg, Florida is located in the heart of the farming country of Jackson County (near Marianna and between Tallahassee and Pensacola).

Actually founded around the time of the Civil War and ones known as Allison, the community acquired its unusual name during the Great Depression. Although there are a few different versions, most stories agree that the name originated from the barter system that developed in one of the stores there during the darkest days of the Depression when money had dried up and area residents traded items from their farms for things they needed from the store. Two Eggs became a common unit of barter and the name of the town - Two Egg - was born.

The name first appeared on highway maps of Florida during the 1940s and has remained a fixture there ever since. Sadly, none of the stores are still open, but the little crossroad still attracts its fair share of attention. Visitors with cameras and tourists posing by the "Two Egg" signs are common sights.

To learn more about Two Egg and read a bit of its history, please visit http://www.twoeggfla.com/.

Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park - White Springs, Florida

"Way down upon the Suwannee River, far, far away..."

The words of Stephen Foster's longing 19th century melody have created images of a home far away for millions of people around the world. Suwannee River (also called Old Folks at Home) is now the state song of Florida and many attribute Foster's creation with sparking the tourism industry that fuels the economy of the Sunshine State.

Foster never actually saw the Suwannee River. He picked the name from a map of the South after his original words - "Way down upon the Pedee River" - didn't quite give him the sound he wanted. His song, however, inspired many others to travel to Florida in search of the beautiful stream.

Foster's contributions to American music are now memorialized at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs, Florida. One of the world's largest carillons is located on the grounds and plays Foster's songs at intervals throughout the day. The park is also the location of the Stephen Foster Museum, which features numerous artifacts and exhibits on Foster's life and music. One of the pianos he played is there, as is the desk on which he wrote Suwannee River.

In addition to preserving Foster's legacy, the park also serves as a state folk culture center for Florida. Artisans create native crafts on the grounds and a craft village gives visitors a chance to explore the folk art and crafts of Florida. Items ranging from woodwork to patchwork quilts are available for purchase.

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

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument - St. Augustine, Florida

A few days ago I mentioned Fort Matanzas National Monument near St. Augustine. The "other" fort in America's oldest city, of course, is the Castillo de San Marcos. Now preserved as a national monument, the Castillo or castle is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States.

The Castillo de San Marcos was actually the tenth in a series of fort's built by the Spanish to defend St. Augustine. The previous nine had been constructed of earth and wood. The need for a more solid fort had long been known, but a pirate attack on the city in 1668 and the founding of Charleston, South Carolina, by the English in 1670 spurred the construction of the Castillo in October of 1672.

Built of natural coquina stone quarried on nearby Anastasia Island, the fort took 23 years to complete and is a spectacular example of Spanish colonial architecture.

It was attacked repeatedly by English forces during the 1700s, but never fell. During one bombardment the selection of coquina for the construction of the fort proved its worth as English cannon balls sank into the soft stone walls without shattering the ramparts or seriously damaging the fort.

The fort and all of Florida was turned over to the British in 1763 following the French and Indian War and redcoats occupied the Castillo, which they called Fort St. Marks, during the American Revolution. It served as a base for repeated attacks on Georgia. Returned to Spain after the Revolution, the Castillo continued to serve as a Spanish military post until 1821 when Florida was ceded to the United States. It then served the U.S. and briefly the Confederate armies for nearly 80 more years.

To learn more about the historic and unconquered fort that protected St. Augustine, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/castillodesanmarcos1.

Shepard's Mill - Greensboro, Florida

Water powered mills were once key features of the landscape in Florida. They provided places for earlier generations to have corn ground into meal or timber sawed into lumber.

Most of these one-time landmarks have long since disappeared, but a few remain around the state. This is Shepard's Mill, located on State Highway 12 between Interstate 10 and the town of Greensboro in Gadsden County. The mill is just west of Tallahassee.

Built in 1875 on Telogia Creek, Shepard's Mill is one of the few in Florida that is still in operation. It features a waterwheel that is located beneath the structure and designed in such a way that it could be powered by a limited fall of water from the dam placed across the creek.

Shepard's Mill is not open to the public most days, but stands literally right by Highway 12 and is easy to see.

For more information, visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/shepardsmill.

Fort Matanzas - The Other Guardian of St. Augustine

Untold numbers of people have explored the historic stone walls and ramparts of the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine over the years, but fewer are aware that another old Spanish fort also stands on the banks of the Matanzas River south of the city.

Fort Matanzas National Monument preserves the unique old structure built by the Spanish in 1740-1742 to guard the southern approaches to St. Augustine. Measuring 50 feet on each side with a 30 foot tower, all built of native coquina stone, it is one of America's most unique forts.

Located on an island near the mouth of the river, the fort is accessible by National Park Service tour boats that cross the river from the visitor center of the park throughout the day during good weather. It is a short voyage well worth taking.

Once on the island, visitors can explore the old fort and even climb up to the top of the tower for a panoramic view of the coastal area.

Fort Matanzas fired its cannon only once in anger, when a British force led by Gen. James Oglethorpe arrived off Matanzas Inlet just after the completion of the fort in 1742. The Spanish artillerymen opened fire on a boat party led by Oglethorpe, but in a unique display of the chivalry of the day, stopped firing after it became apparent that the British boats were in danger of sinking. Oglethorpe retreated to his ships and with just a few shots, the fort had proved itself worth the cost of its construction.

To learn more please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortmatanzas1.

The Gregory House at Torreya State Park

A focal point of North Florida's Torreya State Park, the historic Gregory House was built in 1849 by Apalachicola River planter Jason Gregory.

Originally located on the west bank of the river at Ocheesee Bluff, site of one of the state's many ghost towns, the house was the centerpiece of a massive cotton plantation that operated in the rich river bottom fields of Calhoun County.

The house was moved across the river when Torreya State Park was created during the 1930s and now graces one of the highest points in Florida. Beautifully restored, the home is open for tours on a daily basis. The front of the home looks out over the Apalachicola River and because of the height of the bluff on which it now stands provides one of the finest views in the state. Miles of country can be seen stretching off to the western horizon.

Other features at the park include the earthworks of a Confederate artillery battery, hiking trails, picnic areas, campgrounds and some of the rarest trees and plants in America. Included among these are the Florida Torreya, an extremely rare tree that grows almost exclusively along the towering Apalachicola River bluffs of Liberty and Gadsden Counties.

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

Mission San Luis in Tallahassee

One of the most fascinating historic sites in Florida's capital city is Mission San Luis, a 17th century Franciscan mission, Spanish fort and Apalachee Indian village.

Located on a hilltop west of today's downtown area, the mission site is now a park managed by the State of Florida. It includes reconstructions of Spanish houses, the mission chapel, a massive Native American council house and the Spanish fort that defended the complex.

Mission San Luis was the western capital of Spanish Florida during the latter half of the 17th century. Unlike St. Augustine, which was constructed using a European plan, San Luis was built in a unique combination of European and Native American styles.

The site was occupied from the mid-1600s until 1704, when it was evacuated in the face of British-led raids on the missions of North Florida. Unlike many such sites, however, the location of Mission San Luis remained known through the years. Early settlers reported finding old Spanish cannon at the site and 20th century archaeologists were able to identify many key areas of the mission.

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

Florida's Historic Suwannee River

Stephen Foster's haunting melody Suwannee River sparked the tourism industry that is the bread and butter of modern Florida.

The 19th century composer's lyrics about a place "way down upon the Suwannee River" that he had never actually seen evoked images of homes "far, far away" for millions of people around the world. Suwannee River is the state song of Florida today, one of two official state songs that Foster penned. The other, My Old Kentucky Home, is the official song of Kentucky.

The popularity of Suwannee River (also known as Old Folks at Home) prompted people to head South to Florida in search of the river made famous by the song and the beautiful river in North Florida did not disappoint.

The Suwannee River rises in Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp and flows south to the Gulf of Mexico. The water is almost black as it emerges from the swamp, thanks to harmless tannic acid from decaying leaves and trees in the Okefenokee, but gradually lightens as it flows to the Gulf. Numerous crystal clear springs add to the flow of the river in Florida, turning the Suwannee into a significant stream by the time it reaches the coast.

Now a major eco-tourism destination for people who love canoeing, hiking and other outdoor activities, the Suwannee River is also a major heritage corridor in Florida. Parks such as the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs and the Suwannee River State Park near Live Oak help interpret the rich heritage and history of the river.

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

St. Augustine Lighthouse

One of the most beautiful historic sites in Florida is the black and white tower of the St. Augustine Lighthouse.

Although the current lighthouse was completed in 1874, lighthouses have stood in this vicinity since long before English settlers arrived at either Jamestown or Plymouth Rock. The first light here, in fact, was placed shortly after St. Augustine was founded by the Spanish in 1565.

A wooden lighthouse was replaced by a coquina stone structure (coquina is a natural stone found in the St. Augustine area) in 1683. Used as both a lighthouse and fortified outpost, the structure was converted into a full-fledged lighthouse by the U.S. Government during the 1820s.

Darkened during the Civil War, the old lighthouse was in crumbling condition by 1870 when construction started on the current structure.

Still operational, the St. Augustine Lighthouse is the centerpiece of a beautiful historical park that includes the restored keeper's cottage/museum and a visitor's center. Visitors can climb the tower daily (weather conditions permitting).

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

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.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog on Florida history!

This space will be devoted to exploring the history and historic sites of our great state.

Please check in over coming days as we get things going!

Dale