Battle of Marianna Anniversary is This Weekend

Reenactments, a parade, special observances and even a bluegrass festival are being staged in Marianna this weekend to commemorate the 145th Anniversary of the Battle of Marianna.

The little known but bloody Civil War encounter took place on September 27, 1864, when Union troops attacked the Northwest Florida city at the culmination of the deepest Federal penetration of Confederate Florida during the entire war. When the attack on the city took place, it was resisted by a force of several hundred Southern regulars, militia, volunteers, home guards and walking wounded. A severe fight followed that was called by some participants the most violent they saw during the war in any battle, regardless of size. By the time it was over, 25% of Marianna's male population had been either killed, wounded or captured. On the Union side, the 2nd Maine Cavalry had suffered its bloodiest day of the Civil War.

The battlefield is marked today by interpretive signs, monuments and tombstones. If you are interested in learning more, please consider the book: The Battle of Marianna, Florida. It is available through www.amazon.com. You can also learn more by visiting www.battleofmarianna.com. If you are interested in a schedule for this weekend's events, please click here.

Battle of Natural Bridge Reenactment set for March 7-8

The annual reenactment and memorial service for the Battle of Natural Bridge will be held on March 7-8 at the Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park south of Tallahassee.

Fought on March 6, 1865, this battle was one of the last significant Southern victories of the Civil War and preserved Tallahassee's status as the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi not captured by Union forces during the war.

The two days of events will include living history events, reenactments, etc. The main events will take place on Sunday, March 8th, with a short memorial service set for 1 p.m. (Eastern) immediately followed by the main battle reenactment.

The Battle of Natural Bridge was significant for a number of reasons. On the Confederate side, the troops fighting included the cadets from the West Florida Seminary (today's Florida State University). FSU's ROTC remains one of only three in the United States authorized by the Pentagon to carry a battle streamer. On the Union side, the battle involved the largest percentage of African American troops of any engagement in Florida. The 2nd and 99th U.S. Colored Troops fought at Natural Bridge, sustaining heavy casualties while making 8 separate charges against the Confederate defenders.

To learn more about the battle, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/nbindex.

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.