The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-29
THE BATTLE OF OLUSTEE
VIM. Fl. TRIMMER. In Pensacola Journal.

WM. II. fNlIlMEN,
The following, written by one of the
best posted and most accurate writer's
on Civil War events. may tend to clear
np some OF the generally unknown
facts concerning the battle OF Olustce.
Mr. Trimmer just missed being In the
light. lie was captured by the Fed
erals IN night attack on Camp F'Ini-
gan, being quartermaBter- sergeant OF
-tbelfs Battery. Four guns were cap
rured In the attaek,and Sergeant Trim
mcr being among the prisoners was
sent TO Fort Delaware for fifteen
months
There seems to be so very little
known among ourselves here about the
battle Of Olustce and the school histo-
Ties mention SO little about Z, few
facts may be written and appreciated.
have the Union and Confederate re-
words before me, from which will give
extracts General Finegan says under
date February 10. 1864: II learn from
mn abol.aon prisoner who was captured
on the night attack on Camp Finegan
that the following forces participated:
The One Hundred and Flfteenth New
YORK Regiment. the Forty-eighth New
York. Forty seventh New York, Fifty
sixth New York. Forticth Aassachu-
sets (ncsro) Regiment and ten
pieces OF artillery. This force captured
Two wounded and about ten prisoners,
also two pieces OF artillery OF Captain
Denham's Battery and three pieces of
Captain AbcllB Battery. The enemy
advanced and occupied Sanderson, our
troops having 300 bushels of corn
and some commisnary masses In this
attack. The enemy lost fifteen killed
and thirty wounded. / am intrenched
at the Olustee Tonight and have !, 800
infantry "A cuv Ir,y u,,I
tcrics OF artillery"
on February 81 General Finegan
sent Governor Milton the following: II
met the enemy In full force to-day un-
der General Seymour. and defeated
him with gre, loss. l captured FIVE
pieces OF artillery, hold possession OF
the battlefield and the killed and
wounded of the enemy. My loss will
not eXcoed $50 killed and wounded"
ON 2Sd General Finegan says: 81
have between 600 and 700 wounded.
among them many negroes. In my
command were the sixth. Nineteenth.
Twenty third. Twenty-seventh and
Twenty-eighth Georgia Infantry and
III Sixth Florida Battalion as the
First Brigade under the command of
General Coluuitt. with four guns of
the Chatham Artillery. also the Thirty
second GeorGia, First Georgia Regu-
lars. Sixty-fourth Georgia, First Flori-
ida Battalion, Bonnaud's Battalion az
Second Brigade; also the Thirty-second
Georgia and the Florida Light Artil.
lcry held in reserve. under comma nd
of Colonel Caraway smith, of the Seq
ond Florida Cavalry, my whole efrec-
live force being: infantry, 1900; cav
airy; COO also three batteries of twelve
guns artillery On the goth the enemy
advanced In three Columns and the
engagement soon became general, and
the ground contested stubbornly, the
battle lasting four ad and half hours.
The cnemy's lines being broken, two
Napoleon and three tenpound PARROT
guns with one set of colors. were
captured, as they gave way, l closely
pressing them over three miles until
nishtfall Their loss in killed was
large; AIS of their wounded were re-
moved by MS from the field and over
400 Of their killed were red by us
Our loss in the engagement was 80
killed and Sil wounded
This victory called for the thanks
OF the Confederate Congress to the Of
Ulcers and men OF General Finegan'sI
command"
General Seymour says In his report
after n march of fifteen miles on the
morning of February 90 1854: II en-
gagged the enemy about p. NJ, with
my entire force. consisting OF $500
nflcers and men and SIXTEEN guns Two
companies of the Seventh Connecticut
soon drove the enemy bacQ The Sew
cnth New Hampshire, armed with
Spencer rifles, hardly felt the enemy's
ire before II broke in confusion and
all attempts to rally them were use
less The Eighth United States negro
troops formed promptly, led by Colonel
Iribley, who was killed in few min
utes the regiment then giving away
in disorder Barton's Brigade was now
brought up, they were negro troops,
Fifty-fourth Massachusetts and First
North Carolina. with the Seventh New
Hampshire, hus to no avail, and as
dark came OH we were in full retreat,
leaving six Of my guns, arriving at
Sanderson late"
Continuing, he says: "a losing battle
receives but little praise. The negro
troops behaved creditably, particularly
the F'ifty-fourth Massachusetts and
First North Carolina. it was not their
conduct that lost the battle, but in
the yielding of some white regiment
from whom We expected different. The
issue was finely drawn. the battle was
nearly equal TO its close, the enemy's
losses as much as my own"
Here are the facts:
Seymour's command-killed, 2o3;
wounded, 1,l52; missing, sos.
FlneBan's command-killed, 93:
wounded, 934.
Number of troops Characterization,
sis; confederate, 5,2Oc. 4
The Memphis Reunion,