The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-09-25
HARD BATTLE AT 70LUSTEE
Brief History Of Struggles at Marian.
ma and Oolustee In Which Many
Were Killed and Wounded.

In response to a request the editor
of the National Tribune gives the fol.
lowing brief history of the battles at
Mariana and Oolustee:
Not being able to make any prog
ress in the operations against Charles
ton, General Gilmore decided to make
an expedition into Florida, and on
January 13, 1864, General Seymour
embarked on 20 steamers and eight
schooners for the mouth of the st.
Johns river. Jacksonville was cas-
fly occupied, with only few shots
fired. and February 6 our troops
moved out along the railroad to sur
prise General Finnegan, in camp eight
miles distant. Col. Guy V. Henry, in
command of the cavalry, made a sue
cessful dash into Finnegan's camp,
capturing four guns, a large amount
OF equipage and commissary stores.
At Baldwin he captured another gun,
three cars and S500,000 worth of pro.
visions and ammunition. He pushed
on to Sanderson, 40 miles from Jack
sOnville, where he captured and de-
stroyed much property, and struck
Finnegan in position near the city.
Henry fell back before the strong in
fantry force, and telegraphed Sey-
mour, who had come to Sanderson
with infantry and artillery. for or
ders. Seymour had been ordered to
concentrate his force at Baldwin, but
instead of this, and against the or
ders of his commanding officer he
pushed forward with about 5000 men
straight into the country where the
Confederates could concentrate an
overwhelming force against him from
Georgia and Alabama. Finding that
he was marching out, Finnegan set
trap into which Seymour ran head
long. Our men, faint with hunger
and hard march of 16 miles over
sandy ground, reached point where
the railroad runs through a long cy-
press swamp. In this swamp Finne-
gan had stationed his men, with his
tlanks thoroughly protected by the
swamp on one side and Ocean Pond
on the other. Before they knew 1t
our men were in the trap, with fire
opening from both sides upon them.
The artillery was rushed up to help
them out, but the rebel skirmishers
shot down the horses almost at once.
Hamilton's battery went into action
$50 yards from the rebel front, and
In 20 minutes lost 40 out of so horses
and 45 out of So men. The whole
thing was absolutely mismanaged,
since if we had formed line a half
mile to the rear, we could, with the
assistance of our artillery, have beat
en- back the entire Confederate forces.
Colonel Hawley, with the Seventh
Connecticut, was in the advance, and
suffered severely, when the Seventh
New York rushed to it's support with
three batteries Of artillery. Next the
Eighth United States colored troop,
under Col. Charles W. Fribley was
was a new regiment, and had never
been under fire before. In an hour
and half 1t lost $50 killed or wound
ed, with Colonel Fribley falling with
a mortal hurt. Barton's brigade-the
Forty-seventh, Fort"-eighth and One
Hundred and Fifteenth New York
went into the battle and received fear
full punishment. The commands were
put in at intervals and whipped by
detail. The last to go in was Colonel
Montgomery with the Fifty-fourth |
Massachusetts and First North Caro-
lima, both colored Their charge, |
however, saved the army from fearful
loss and prevented the advance of the |
Confederates. General Seymour
showed reckless valor to atone for his |
mismanagement, and finally re-estab-
lished what remained of his batteries
farthest to the rear, where he protect
ed the withdrawal of his men by
heavy volleys of canister. The Sew
enth Connecticut covered the retreat,
which was made deliberately, and the
attempted no. pursuit.
We brought off about 1000 of our
and left in the Confederate
hands about 25O more. The Confed-
crates admitted a loss of so killed
and $50 wounded, but beyond all
doubt it was much greater. In his
retreat Seymour burned up provisions
worth S1,000,000.