- Battle of Saint John's Bluff
Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Saint John's Bluff
partof=theAmerican Civil War
caption=
date=October 1 ,1862 –October 3 ,1862
place=Duval County, Florida
casus=
territory=
result= Union victory
combatant1= flagicon|USA|1861United States (Union)
combatant2= flagicon|CSA|1861 CSA (Confederacy)
commander1=John Milton Brannan
commander2=Charles F. Hopkins
strength1= 2 infantry regiments,
1 artillery battery,
1 cavalry company
strength2= 1 artillery battery,
1 cavalry company
casualties1= Unknown
casualties2= Unknown
notes=The Battle of Saint (or St.) John's Bluff (
October 1 -3,1862 ) saw a Union detachment defeat Confederate forces inDuval County, Florida , forcing them to retire, and helped secure Federal control of the region, during theAmerican Civil War .Early in the war, Confederate Brig. Gen.
Joseph Finnegan established a battery on St. John's Bluff nearJacksonville, Florida , to stop the movement of Federal ships up theSt. Johns River . This was part of a series of Confederate defensive works that had been constructed nearFort Caroline . But once Union forces had occupied the town of Jacksonville, it became necessary for them to also reduce the enemy batteries along the St. Johns River to consolidate control of the general area.Union Brig. Gen.
John Milton Brannan embarked with about 1,500infantry aboard the transports "Boston", "Ben DeFord", "Cosmopolitan", and "Neptune" atHilton Head ,South Carolina , onSeptember 30 ,1862 . The flotilla arrived at the mouth of the St. John's River onOctober 1 , where Cdr.Charles Steedman 'sgunboat s—"Paul Jones", "Cimarron", "Uncas", "Patroon", "Hale", and "Water Witch"—joined them.By midday, the gunboats approached the bluff, while Brannan began landing troops at Mayport Mills. Another Union infantry force landed at Mount Pleasant Creek, about five miles in the rear of the Confederate battery, and began marching overland on
October 2 . Outmaneuvered, Lt. Col. Charles F. Hopkins, the local Confederate commander, abandoned the position after dark. When the gunboats approached the bluff the next day, its guns were silent.References
* [http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/fl003.htm National Park Service battle description]
External links
* [http://www.nps.gov/foca/ Fort Caroline National Memorial] - official National Park Service website
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