Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-03-02
The FLORIDA DISASTER.
Result Of MIR. LincoIn's Last PoIit-
ical Military Move.
The Federal Forces Defeated nj. OIus-
ctee--Fifteen' Hundred Killed and
Wounded--The Disaster not
Half Told.
[From tho New YORK World.l

n The preliminaries of the movement into
| Florida, made for the purpose of enabling,
or forcing, the inhabitants of that State to
avail themselves of the Amnesty prOclama-
tion of the President of the United States,
and of serving other patriotic purposes of
Mr.. Lincoln, have become familiar. That
expedition, organized in General Gilmore's
department under the direction of John
Hay, recent private Secretary of the Presi-
dent-without, it is now asserted, the
knowledge or authority of General Hal
leck or the War Departmentr-embark at
Hilton Head on February 6, under the mill
tary command of General Truman Sey-
mour, and landed at Jacksonville, Florida,
on the following evening. The expedition
bivouacked at Baldwin on, the evening of
the 9th. On the 18th, the General COM
manding issued an order announcing that
up to that time property valued at over one
and half million of dollars had fallen into
Federal possession. T 7A -.
Up to this time no armed enemy seems to
have been encountered. A force too feeble,
as it afterward proved, to cope with the
superior forces which the foe were enabled
to marshal in the region traversed, had
found no difficulty in capturing and destroy
ing the stores and material along the route.
From the date of General Seymour's proc
lamatiOn, however, the Shadow of disaster
seemed to have rested on his columns.
Beauregard, aroused to activity by news of
the foray and its success, was encountered
on the 10th at Olustee, on the railroad be-
tween Jacksonville and Tallahassee, and
over fifty miles from the former place.
The result of the engagement which en-
sued, meager as our accounts of it yet are,
indicate at once how little the strict militia
ry necessities of such an expedition were
involved in its conception, and to what eX-
tent carelessness may confirm disaster thus
provided for. .,-1stbA Asi t VI .3a,u
The forces engaged are stated to have
been as follows: Forty Forty
eighth and One Hundred and Fifteenth
New, York volunteers, F0rtieth and Fifty
fourth Massachusetts, volunteers, Seventh
Connecticut Seventh New Hampshire, First
and Eighth United States volunteers (color-
ed), First North Carolina volunteers, First
Massachusetts, cavalry, and sections of the
First and Third United States artillery and
the Third Rhode Island battalion. s on
\ Neglect on the part of General Seymour
to throw out scouts and bushwackers seems
to have caused our forces to march una
wares into a trap set by the enemy. The
Fertieth Massachusetts were brought under
sudden and whitening fire, which caused
them to retreat instantly, leaving their dead
and wounded on the field. The horses at
tached to Hamilton's battery were shot, to-
gether with several gunners, before the bat
terry could be brought into position, and the
guns were captured. The entire Federal
force soon found itself confronted by, a
masked battery, which sent its hail through
their ranks, breaking them up before fight
ing on our side had fairly commenced, and
pecessitating retreat by all the troops
I.@cc caofu fol ~
twelve hundred to fifteen hundred men.
Our forces fell back on Jacksonville in
panic. :. ~, sc.serr :; sSg7-sTT,A~
The fact that orderswere given withhold
ing all newspaper correspondence from the
light, and f0rbidding even the purser of the
government vessel which brings these dis
jointed tidings to our doors from commune
eating his knowledge, is proof that the re-
suit of the engagement Is esteemed to be
very serious by those who set it on foot,
and whom the country will hold respon-
sible.
It is stated that General Seymour has
been placed under arrest, and Gen. Israel
Vogdes ordered to take command of the
district, which has recently been reinforced
by division Of veteran troops
The following extract is from private
letter received by Mr.. l.. B. Wyman, Of
Brooklyn, and contains matters Of interest:
H1LToN HEAD, February %.
-
~ had hoped Colonel Barton would be
able to write you by this steamer; but from
what l hear from him he Is not now In
writing condition, The expedition to Flor
ida, from ,chich ,ce expected such good results,
has so far proped a failure; in other soords, our
troops haze been badly sohipped. 1t seems they
were ordered to march TOO Jdr, into the States,
and came upon fifteen thousand of the enc
my, and a terrible battle ensued. Barton's
brigade were in front, and of course suffer-
ed badly. Colonel Barton had two horses
killed under him, and received several balls
through his hat coat etc yet he Is unhurt.
Yesterday was one of the most anxious days
ofmywhole life. Iheard ofthe fight early
in the morning, and that Colonel Barton's
whole command had been captured. There
were thousands of stories afloat, and scfen
steamer full of aoounded officers and men came
In / learned The truth. Captain Dunbar and
Lieutenant Moser, of the Forty-eighth, are
here, wounded; Lieutenant keenan, was
killed. Il do not yet know how many of
the Forty eighth were Killed; but there was
large number wounded, and some are in
the hands of the enemy. T,oo Coloaels Of
he brigade are badly soounded and one killed.
Every one at this post, feels sad enough. /
have seen several Of the wounded to-day,
and feel that the. scbole Of Florida Is not
aoorth half the 6erfisg ana dagdsh this battle
has caused. l fear there will be more hard
fighting in Florida yet and ioehdve NOT force
do,ch there III a short time, and achite there Is
nothing being done at The North, there Is no rea-
son ,oig dseg scsiI not 40 so. . ~ = SSs
Rv a nrivate letter from Reaufort xve