Memorial Day in Florida - Fort George

Continuing our series on sites with special Memorial Day significance in Florida, we turn now to the battlefield where Americans joined with troops from Spain and France in a key action that helped assure our country's independence.

In 1781, as the American Revolution raged, Pensacola was a key British stronghold. The old Spanish city had fallen into British hands at the end of the French and Indian War and had been strongly fortified. A strong stockade surrounded the town, a redoubt at the site of today's Fort Barrancas commanded the entrance to the bay while on the heights overlooking Pensacola stood Fort George.

The key to the city itself, Fort George was a strong bastioned fortress with an attached "hornwork" or battery. Because the fort could be fired upon from nearby hilltops, two smaller forts - The Queen's Redoubt and the Prince of Wales Redoubt - were built to assist in its defense. It is a little known fact today that Pensacola was then the key to control of the entire Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi valley.

On March 18, 1781, after much discussion, a combined Spanish and French fleet stormed its way into Pensacola Bay. As the British watched and waited, Spanish General Bernardo de Galvez spent six weeks assembling his army and moving into position for a siege of Pensacola. Among his thousands of soldiers from Spain, France and other countries were 25 American volunteers.

The Battle of Pensacola began in earnest at the end of April 1781 when Galvez opened his bombardment of Fort George. British cannon roared in reply. The allied forces slowly moved closer to the British fortifications by way of trenches and batteries constructed at night. Finally, on May 8, 1781, in the middle of a fierce cannonade, they launched a shell that smashed into the magazine of Queen's Redoubt. The fort was destroyed in a devastating explosion and nearly 100 British soldiers killed. Allied troops rushed forward and occupied the ruined fort. Placing cannon of their own atop the heights, they soon opened fire on Fort George itself from short range.

British General John Campbell knew that he could not hope to hold out and raised a white flag over his works. Pensacola surrendered on May 10, 1781, ending forever British control of the Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi River. Although seldom recognized as such today, it was one of the critical battles of the American Revolution.

The Battle of Pensacola is memorialized today by a small park at the site of Fort George. Located at North Palafox and La Rua Streets in Downtown Pensacola (park on La Rua), Fort George Park includes a reconstruction of a small section of the fort as well as interpretive panels explaining the history of the site and the importance of the battle.

If you are interested in exploring an actual site of the American Revolution on this Memorial Day, it is an ideal place. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortgeorge.

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.

Memorial Day in Florida - Fort Gadsden Historic Site

This is part of a weekend long series dedicated to Floridians who gave their lives for freedom, liberty, their follow citizens, their state and their country.

Perhaps the deadliest cannon shot in American history was fired in Florida on July 27, 1816. The target was a powerful fort on the lower Apalachicola River and the resulting explosion left an estimated 270 men, women and children either dead or dying.

British forces had built the fort in 1814 as part of their expanding campaign along the Gulf Coast during the closing months of the War of 1812. Its purpose was to serve as a recruitment and training base for a large force of Native American and African American volunteers that had joined the British as they came ashore in what was then Spanish Florida.

At its height, the post provided security and housing for more than 2,000 men and their families. The War of 1812 came to an end, however, before this force could be put into the field for a campaign into Georgia. The British left the lower Apalachicola in May of 1815 and American authorities initially thought the fort had been abandoned. They soon learned otherwise.

When Colonel Edward Nicolls (sometimes misspelled Nichols) left the "British Post on the Apalachicola" with his force of Royal Marines, he left the fortress, its artillery and a massive supply of ammunition, small arms and other military goods in the hands of his former allies. Most of the Indians soon drifted back to their villages, but the African Americans - many of whom had escaped slavery in the United States - remained.

Commanded by their sergeant major, a former slave named Garcon, they continued to conduct artillery drills and flew the English Jack over the fort. When American officials learned of this, they began calling the establishment the "Negro Fort" on the Apalachicola and demanded that Spanish authorities eliminate it. The free colony and fort on the Apalachicola served as a natural beacon to slaves on the plantations of Georgia and the Carolinas.

Ultimately, Major General Edmund P. Gaines (although Andrew Jackson often gets the blame) sent a joint land and sea expedition to destroy the fort. A force of 116 men left Camp Crawford, Georgia, in July of 1816 and dropped down the Apalachicola River by boat. Joined by more than 200 allied Creek warriors en route, they landed and surrounded the land approaches to the fort.

At the same time, a flotilla of U.S. gunboats and supply vessels arrived in Apalachicola Bay. To the outrage of the sailors, several members of a party sent into the mouth of the river to obtain fresh water were ambushed and killed by men from the "Negro Fort." One of the survivors was taken back to the fort were he was tortured and burned to death.

A demand from Lt. Col. Duncan L. Clinch for the surrender of the fort was answered with a cannon shot and on the morning of July 27, 1816, the American forces began their main attack.

Two U.S. gunboats moved to within range of the fort and were greated by artillery fire from its garrison. The sailors responded with their own cannon and to the shock of all involved, fired a heated cannonball directly through the doors of one of the fort's magazines on only their fifth shot. The entire structure disappeared in a massive explosion.

Of the estimated 320 men, women and children in the fort at the time of the blast, 270 died instantly. Most of the rest were wounded. Colonel Clinch, the commander of the American forces, remarked that he shed a tear over the fate of the unfortunate beings and described how he and his men rushed to help the few survivors that remained.

The site of the "Negro Fort" on the Apalachicola is now a historic site within the Apalachicola National Forest. Maintained by the forest service, the park is open daily and also includes the earthwork remains of Fort Gadsden, a U.S. fort built at the site in 1818 by Andrew Jackson.

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

Memorial Day in Florida - National Naval Aviation Museum

Over the Memorial Day weekend, I will post details on some places in Florida that hold special memories of our nation's military history and the men and women who gave their lives in the service of our country.

Perhaps the finest military exhibit in the state (if not the country) is the National Naval Aviation Museum on board the Pensacola Naval Air Station in Pensacola. This outstanding museum traces the history of naval aviation from its first crude beginning to the space race and beyond.

Pensacola holds a special place in American history as the "birthplace of naval aviation." It was here that the U.S. Navy experimented with and improved early aircraft and later trained large numbers of pilots for aerial combat during World War II. Pilots from every era of naval aviation have trained here and Pensacola had played a key role in the U.S. Navy's remarkable combat record.

The museum explores this rich history with aircraft, exhibits, photographs, video and more. The facility also pays tribute to the pilots and crew members who died in service to their country and is a moving and special place to visit at any time of the year.

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

57th Annual Florida Folk Festival is this Weekend

The 57th Annual Florida Folk Festival takes place this weekend at the Stephen Foster Culture Center State Park in White Springs.

Activites got underway this morning at 8 a.m. and will continue each day this weekend (including Monday). Gates open at 8 a.m. each day at the park, which is located just of I-75 in North Florida, just north of the I-10, I-75 interchange.

The festival this year features 200 of Florida's best folk performing artists and also highlights a concert on Saturday night by well-known Florida recording artist Billy Dean. (Click here for weekend schedules).

In addition, it is a great place to explore the history and folk culture of Florida. There are story tellers, pine needle basket makers, genealogy (family history) experts, a variety of craftspeople, square dancing and classic Florida foods such as cornbread and collard greens, hoppin' john, shrimp gumbo, barbecue and more.

This is most likely the finest folk event in the state each year and if you are anywhere in North Florida, it is well worth the drive.

Tickets at the gate are free for children under 6 years old, $5 for children ages 6 to 16 and $25 for adults.

The Stephen Foster Culture Center State Park is located on the beautiful Suwannee River and interprets the folk life of the region as well as the musical contributions of 19th century composer Stephen Foster. Well known for such songs as "Camptown Ladies" and "My Old Kentucky Home," Foster is credited with launching the tourism in Florida through his composition, "Way Down Upon the Suwannee River." To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/stephenfoster.

The Possum Monument - Wausau, Florida

One of my favorite Florida roadsite attractions is the town of Wausau's famed Possum Monument!

Located along State Highway 77 in downtown Wausau, the monument pays tribute to the role played by the lowly marsupial in providing foods for the residents of the Wausau area during hard times.

Unveiled in 1982, the Possum Monument has been a focal point of the community ever since and has been photographed by untold numbers of tourists as they make their way down Highway 77, one of the primary routes leading to and from Panama City and the World's Most Beautiful Beaches.

Wausau is also famed for its annual Possum Festival and Fun Day, which takes place on the first Saturday in August of each year. Few people realize it, but the first Saturday in August is actually "Possum Day" in the whole state of Florida, thanks to an act of the Florida Legislature passed in 1982.

To learn more about the Possum Monument, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/possummonument.

Confederate Battery at Torreya State Park

Torreya State Park (located in the northwest corner of Liberty County between Bristol and Chattahoochee) is well known for its rugged scenic beauty. The Florida Torreya, one of the rarest trees in the world, grows in the park, and visitors have enjoyed tours of the antebellum Gregory House for decades.

Often overlooked, however, is the park's role during the Civil War.

The commanding bluffs that now draw visitors in search of challenging hikes and scenic views once attracted Confederate engineers for very different reasons. They were tasked with building fortifications to protect the Apalachicola River from an attack by Union warships. The river served as a gateway to a vast area of Northwest Florida, Southwest Georgia and Southeast Alabama. Its tributaries, the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers, were navigable as far north as Columbus and Albany.

To protect against possible attack, the Confederates build earthwork batteries at Alum Bluff, Ricco's Bluff and the River Narrows, all downstream from Torreya. Another battery was placed up the Chattahoochee at Fort Gaines, Georgia. Troops were also stationed at Fort Gadsden and other locations along the river to provide early warning of a Union attack.

The final battery constructed on the river, and perhaps the most powerful, was the once placed by Confederate engineers at Rock Bluff, now encompassed by Torreya State Park.

Designed for six heavy cannon, the battery consisted of three pairs of two gun emplacements. Positioned below the northern crest of the bluff, which provided protection against a bombardment from down stream, the guns commanded a significant stretch of the Apalachicola from short range.

Today, the cannon are gone but the powerful Confederate earthworks remain. They are located along the nature trail just down the slope from the Gregory House. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/torreyabattery.

Civil War in St. Augustine, Florida

Civil War activity in Florida is often overlooked because it was of smaller scale that the massive campaigns and battles fought at such places as Chickamauga, Gettysburg, Petersburg, etc.

Even so, there was critical Civil War activity in the Sunshine State, much of it centered around the state's important towns and seaports. Among these in 1861 was old St. Augustine, an Atlantic Coast port and the oldest city in United States (or the Confederacy, in this case).

State troops seized the Castillo de San Marcos (then called Fort Marion) without firing a shot on January 7, 1861, three days before Florida officially voted to leave the Union. Built by the Spanish in the 1600s, the old stone fortress was still an active military post that had been strengthened by the filling of its waterfront dry moat and the addition of a battery of heavy artillery there. When it was taken by Florida troops, the fort contained 20 pieces of heavy artillery, including four 8-inch Columbiads and sixteen 32-pounders. An additional six complete batteries of field artillery were also stored in the fort, along with a number of antique Spanish cannon.

Confederate troops occupied the Castillo until March of 1862 when they withdrew ahead of a planned Union effort to occupy St. Augustine. The U.S.S. Wabash arrived off St. Augustine on March 11, 1862, and sent a small boat into the harbor in an effort to arrange a peaceful surrender. The sailors found a white flag flying from the abandoned fort.

Commodore C.R.P. Rogers met with city leaders and negotiated a peaceful surrender with them. Not everyone, however, was glad to see the Federals. A large group of women went to the St. Francis Barracks and chopped down the flag staff so it couldn't be used to raise the U.S. flag. Mayor Paul Arneau also refused to reveal the location of the hidden lens from the St. Augustine Lighthouse. He was jailed until he gave up the information.

Today there are many sites in St. Augustine associated with the Civil War. The best known, of course, is the Castillo de San Marcos, now a national monument and open to the public daily. On the outside of the fort, the Water Battery in use during the Civil War can still be seen along with a number of cannon from that era. On the Plaza de la Constitucion, where the city was surrendered, several original Civil War era guns from the fort can also be seen. The St. Augustine Lighthouse is now a museum and is also open to the public.

To learn more about historic St. Augustine and Civil War activity there, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/staugustine1.

Andrew Jackson at Alum Bluff - Bristol, Florida

A key site of the First Seminole War of 1817-1818 can be found at the end of a long hiking trail in the Nature Conservancy's Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve near the Liberty County town of Bristol.

Believed to be the largest exposed section of the earth's crust in Florida, Alum Bluff towers over the Apalachicola River. The commanding height was on the route of Andrew Jackson's march down the east bank of the Apalachicola when he invaded Florida during the spring of 1818.

The general and his army left Fort Scott, Georgia, on March 10, 1818, marching across the bluffs along the east side of the river in a desperate effort to meet supply boats that were known to be moving up the river. The men were on the verge of starvation and Jackson feared that his planned campaign might fall apart before it got underway if he could not find food for his men.

The men arrived atop Alum Bluff on March 13, 1818, down to just a few handfulls of corn for each man. A celebration erupted there, however, when the soldiers spotted the overdue supply boats in the river below. The army camped on the heights, dubbed "Provision Bluff" by the soldiers, and then continued their march down the Apalachicola the next morning.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/apalachicolabluffs5.

DeSoto Winter Encampment - Tallahassee, Florida

Hernando de Soto and his army spent years exploring the South, yet despite the number of places they went and battles they found, only one location positively associated with the Spanish expedition has been found.

The DeSoto Winter Encampment Historic State Park is located near the heart of Tallahassee. In fact, were it not for the trees and buildings, today's state capital building would be easily visible from the site.

Archaeologists working here have found a variety of artifacts dating from DeSoto's presence, including crossbow points, coins and even pig bones (DeSoto and his men brought the first known pigs to Florida).

Located on the grounds of the former home of Governor John Martin, the site was discovered by the late B. Calvin Jones, a state archaeologist, when he inspected the grounds looking for signs of a later Spanish mission as a construction project was about to get underway.

Jones found Spanish artifacts, but they turned out to be much older than he expected. Subsequent research revealed he had found the site of Anhaica Apalache, the 16th century Indian village where DeSoto and his men camped during the winter of 1539-1540. State authorites were able to reach a deal with developers to save part of the site and it has been designated the DeSoto Winter Encampment Historic State Park.

The park is in the early stages of its development and right now consists of only a couple of historic markers and an interpretive panel. Some special events are held there, however, and there are hopes of better developing it in future years.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fldesoto1.

The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge - Marianna, Florida

One of Florida's most intriguing ghost stories centers around an old iron frame bridge that spans the Chipola River north of Marianna.

The tragic tale of the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge has been known in and around Jackson County for generations. As the story goes, the ghost is the restless spirit of a young woman named Elizabeth Jane Bellamy. She was the young bridge of a prominent early Floridian, Dr. Samuel Bellamy, and according to legend she died on her wedding night in a horrifying incident.

Generations of residents in and around Marianna have been told the story of Elizabeth Bellamy and how, shortly after her wedding, she somehow came into contact with an open flame in the beautiful mansion her husband had built for her. It is said that her elaborate wedding gown burst into flames and the young women burst from the house in panic. Before her husband and other guests could wrestle her to the ground, the fire claimed her life. She was buried in a small family cemetery near the later site of Bellamy Bridge.

Over the years many people have reported seeing or photographing strange things at Bellamy Bridge. There are claims of sightings of the spectral image of a young woman roaming the swamps near her grave. Others have described seeing balls of fire at the bridge, which is no longer accessible by land but can be seen by boat on the river.

So what is the truth behind this unusual legend? You might be surprised to find out! Because the story of the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge deals with real people and an alleged real event, it was fairly easy to research and an interesting antebellum tale unfolded. To learn more and see an actual photograph of the ghost, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamybridge.