Battle of Natural Bridge

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Natural Bridge


caption=Natural Bridge Monument
partof=the American Civil War
date=March 6, 1865
place=Leon County, Florida
result=Confederate victory
combatant1= flagicon|USA|1863 United States (Union)
combatant2= flagicon|CSA CSA (Confederacy)
commander1=John Newton
commander2=Sam Jones
William Miller
strength1=2nd U.S. Colored Infantry and 99th U.S. Colored Infantry
strength2=Kilcrease Artillery; Dunham’s Battery; Abell's Battery; 5th Florida Cavalry; 1st Florida Militia; Barwick’s Company Reserves; Hodges Company Reserves; Company A, Milton Light Artillery; Companies A, B, and F, Reserves and reinforcements from Georgia amounting to approx. 1,000 men
casualties1=148
casualties2=26|

The Battle of Natural Bridge was a battle during the American Civil War, fought in what is now Woodville, Florida, near Tallahassee, on March 6, 1865. A small band of Confederate troops and volunteers, mostly composed of teenagers from the nearby university that would later become Florida State University, and the elderly, protected by breastworks, prevented Union forces (consisting of African-American soldiers of the United States Colored Troops) from crossing the Natural Bridge on the St. Marks River. This action prevented the Union from capturing the Florida capital and made Tallahassee the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi River not to be captured by Union forces during the war.

Battle

The Union's Maj. Gen. John Newton had undertaken a joint force expedition to engage and destroy Confederate troops that had attacked at Cedar Keys, Florida and Fort Myers and were allegedly encamped somewhere around St. Marks. The Union Navy had trouble getting its ships up the St. Marks River. The Army force, however, had advanced and, after finding one bridge destroyed, started before dawn on March 6 to attempt to cross the river at Natural Bridge. The troops initially pushed Rebel forces back, but not away from the bridge.

Confederate forces under Brig. Gen. William Miller, protected by breastworks, guarded all of the approaches and the bridge itself. The action at Natural Bridge lasted most of the day, but, unable to take the bridge in three separate charges, the Union troops retreated to the protection of the fleet.

Monument

The site of the battle is now Natural Bridge Battlefield State Historic Site, a Florida State Park, and contains a monument with the inscription:

A ceremony honoring the combatants on both sides of the Battle of Natural Bridge, followed by a reenactment of the battle featuring authentically-costumed Confederate and Union military and civilian reenactors, is held at the park the first weekend of every March. [State of Florida official website for Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park http://www.floridastateparks.org/naturalbridge/default.cfm]

The site is now called Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park. [State of Florida official website for Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park http://www.floridastateparks.org/naturalbridge/default.cfm]

References

Notes

External links

* [http://www.floridastateparks.org/PhotoContest/ShowPhoto.cfm?Pic=May2006-264-433-37&alt=Fire/ Dramatic photo of the annual Battle of Natural Bridge reenactment, entitled "Fire!"]
* [http://www.floridastateparks.org/naturalbridge/Photos-Park.cfm/ Photos of the annual Battle of Natural Bridge reenactment]
* [http://www.nbhscso.com/ Natural Bridge Historical Society]
* [http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?page_id=504 Union Account by Captain Thos. Chatfield]
* [http://www.floridastateparks.org/naturalbridge/default.cfm/ Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park - Florida State Parks]

ee also

*Military history of African Americans in the U.S. Civil War
*United States Colored Troops
*Historical reenactment
*List of Florida state parks
*List of Registered Historic Places in Leon County, Florida