152nd Battle of Olustee Anniversary Is Commemorated At Historic Florida Site

By Bob Ruegsegger · Originally published April 2016 · p. 13

Union infantry surges across the battlefield only to be turned back by determined Confederate soldiers.

On the 152nd anniversary of the Battle of Olustee, hundreds of reenactors – Confederate and Union – commemorated the historic fight in which 10,000 men – infantry, cavalry, and artillery fought in February of 1864. The weekend event marked the 40th time the battle has been reenacted. “It’s a piece of history that a lot of people – even Floridians – don’t know. They don’t realize that the Civil War took place in this part of Florida,” said Florida Park Service Specialist Andrea Thomas who handles public relations for the popular event. “It’s a very educational event. There are a lot of good people and great things to see. It’s sort of like taking a step back in time.” Union troops commanded by General Truman Seymour landed at Jacksonville, Florida, and began an offensive. They marched west to Olustee before they were turned back by Confederate forces commanded by General Joseph Finegan and General Alfred Colquitt. General Finegan – charged with the defense of Florida – chose to set his defenses in Olustee between a lake called Ocean Pond on his left flank and an impenetrable swamp on the right. A narrow corridor between the flanking obstacles proved to be an ideal defensive position. The Battle of Olustee took place in a forest of virgin pines – fortified with earthworks. The Federals fought until nightfall when they initiated a hasty withdrawal after a demoralizing defeat. “Here at the Battle of Olustee artillery pieces and guns were left behind because of the massive retreat and the hurry,” said Tony Hodges, a reenactor with the Peace River Artillery from Savannah, Georgia. “They were being harassed by the Confederates who were chasing them. They didn’t want to be hauling an artillery piece,” he explained. “They were trying to get back to safety.” Confederate soldiers turned the abandoned artillery on the fleeing Union forces. They scooped up all of the equipment the Federals left behind and used it. They even salvaged the ammunition that the retreating Union troops had thrown into Ocean Pond. Olustee was a supply hub for the Confederacy. Rail service – passing through Olustee – extended from Jacksonville to Tallahassee. Federals hoped to disrupt transportation connections and seize Confederate supplies.

(Bob Ruegsegger photos)

Confederates infantry fire back while standing like a stone wall during the Union onslaught.

“The Federal forces didn’t win. They were beaten back into Jacksonville,” said Carolyn Letts, U.S. National Forest volunteer at the Olustee Train Depot / Tourism Center. “They were pushed back and stayed in Jacksonville until the end of the war,” she said. “If the Confederates had kept pushing the Union forces, they could have gotten them out of Jacksonville.” People come to the Battle of Olustee reenactment for three reasons - according to Letts. One, the South won. Two, it’s the largest Civil War engagement fought in Florida. Three, the reenactment takes place on the original site. “It’s huge. The reenactment brings in a lot of people,” said Letts. “Lake City does a big parade. They host a lot of celebrations.” Bob Ruegsegger is an American by birth and a Virginian by the grace of God. His assignments frequently take him to historic sites throughout Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Southeast. Bob served briefly in the U.S. Navy. He is a retired educator and has been an active newspaper journalist for the last twenty years.

Union artillery fire into the Confederate lines. A U.S. 3-inch Ordnance rifle is located in the foreground.

Leonard “Doc Woody” Woodrum, center, and his team of medical interpreters offered event patrons a realistic look at surgical procedures in the field as they were done during the Civil War.