The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-10-27
CONFEDERATE VETERANS
OF FLORIDA

Florida regiments are not mention /
ened as often in the history of the
civil war as those of other states, but |
the only reason is that they were
fewer.
When the war began, Florida had, |
exclusive of the Indians in the Ever
glades, little more than 100000 peo-
pie, of whom nearly half were negro
slaves. The white population was
therefore only about 10000.
Florida was therefore the least of
the Confederate States in population,
the others excelling her from three
to one up. Nevertheless, the state
did its full duty. For the first year
or two of the war, with the exception
of the federal garrison at the fort
opposite Pensacola, there was little
threat from the northern land forces
to Florida, consequently, a large pro-
portion of the troops raised for the
Confederacy were sent to the battle
fields of Virginia and Tennessee,
where they were never found want
ing in the march or the battlefield.
AS the war went on, the state was
invaded, and a majority of the fight
ing men being in the armies of Lee
and Johnston, it was Ill prepared to
resist. Minor invasions from the
coast were met in West Florida by
the "home guards" men over the age
limit, and boys under it. These forces
harassed and impeded the advance of
the well-equipped federals from their
ships, and at one place-Marianna-
gave them disastrous repulse. These
home guards fought on the same prin-
Iciples of warfare as the patriots in
the American revolution, who resist
ed the British at Concord and Sara
toga in the north and in the Carolinas
and Georgia in the south. Accord
ing to the principles which Germany
now seeks to impose on the world,
they would have been franc-tireurs,
. not only denied the rights of soldiers
themselves but causing all non-com-
batants found in their vicinity to be
massacred.
In East Florida, undefended Jack
sonville, Fernandina and ST. Angus
tine were easily taken by the federal
fleet and several attempts were made
in '63 and '64 to invade the interior.
The most formidable of these in Feb
ruary, 1864, caused the only engage
ment on Florida soil that was big
enough to be called a battle-the
fight at Olustee, in which about 1000
Floridians, aided by perhaps as many
Confederates from other states, in
: fiicted severe defeat on a much
larger Federal force.
In the spring of that year, Fin
negan's brigade, which composed the
! bulk of Florida troops, was sent to
! the army of Northern Virginia, where
il served faithfully to the end. This
brigade, by a furious charge, under
the eye of General Lee, turned the
scale in one of the tremendous bat
ties that ensued when Grant tried to
: flank his way into Richmond, and
: failing, had to seek a new base and
: begin the long and bloody seige OF
Petersburg.
After Olustee, other attempts were
made to invade, or rather to raid
East Florida, but all were met and
defeated by Captain Dickson and a
, small but efficient force of Florida
troopers. In fact, interior Florida
! was well guarded, and northern
. troops did not obtain a foothold in il
: until the entire Confederacy was
: forced to succumb.
Z In the four years from 81 to '65 a
very large proportion of Floridians
saw service-in fact, there were few
able-bodied white men from sixteen
years old up to sixty who were not
: either in the Confederate army or the
home guard of the state. All were
volunteers, and if the young men of
!. England were turning out in the
oelh1C PAOpoA IlOiA, ming 0SOI &c oIO
Kitchener would not have to suggest
transcription in order to fill the Brit
ish ranks.
While the men were fighting on
the northern battleields or guarding
against invasions from the coasts,
the women We're doing their full
share at home, either by their own
handiwork or directing the slaves
who titled the plantations and cared
for the stock. Florida was self-sup-
porting those days. She raised all
her people had to eat and wear and
contributed greatly to the needs of
the Southern army. The Confederate
government particularly depended on
Florida for beef cattle, and in other
ways the state figured largely in the
commissary.
A large proportion of the old sol
diers who are in Oca1a this week are
from other states than Florida, hav-
ing made their homes here since the
war. The u. G. ", however, like the
Masons or the Odd Fellows, use state
lines for binding Irvine and not for
partitions, so every one from the
Potomac to the Rio Grande is very
welcome.
1t is a noble and beautiful thing in