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A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 91/340

Events of the Civil War
company was to have from 64 to 100 men. Each regiment elected its
own colonels, lieutenant-colonels, majors, captains, and lieutenants.
The term of enlistment was 12 months initially, but changed to
three years after April 15,1862.10 Although some Floridians fought
with units organized in Georgia, South Carolina and other southern
states, most enlisted in regiments organized in their home areas and
stayed with these regiments during their service tour. In April
1862, the government resorted to a draft with the Confederate
Conscription Act.
The Columbia Rifles, commanded by Captain W. R. Moore of
Lake City, was mustered into Confederate service on July 13,1861
as Company C, Second Florida Infantry. When organized it
numbered ninety-one enlisted men and four officers. It was one of
ten companies of the Second Florida which also included units from
Leon, Alachua, Marion, Hamilton, Madison, Putnam, Nassau, Gulf,
and St. Johns Counties. Besides Moore other officers in company C
were R. B. Thomas, P. Shealey who was killed at Gettysburg, and
W. B. Brown. The company’s sergeants were Arch T. Banks, W. L.
Hayelett, H. E. Stokes, and T. W. Williams. Daniel Newnan Cone,
Jr., started with the company until he transferred to Captain
Charles F. Cone’s Company F (Suwannee County), First Florida
Cavalry. Allison Speir entered as a private and was later promoted
to lieutenant, and finally to captain. He was seriously wounded at
Chancellorsville and lost his mind from the wound. J. B. Cason, L.
M. Grisham, John H. Peoples and A. C. Roberts were killed at the
Battle of Seven Pines, May 31, 1862. The Second Florida Infantry
first saw combat in October, 1861, during the siege of Yorktown,
Virginia. In May 1862, they helped stop General McClellan’s
advance at Williamsburg, Virginia. They later fought in the battles
of Seven Pines, Cold Harbor, Gaines’ Mill, Savage Station,

™ Session Lazus of the State of Florida (10th Session), pp. 16-26,60-66; The War
of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confed ate
Armies (Washington, D.C., 1890-1901), Ser. 4, Vol. I, pp. 1060-62. Hereafter cited
as Official Records.

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