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A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 111/340

A History of Colznnbia County, Florida
had some relative at the front. Some gave way to tears; others
rushed out to learn the particulars.”56
Union commanders expected that the Confederates would try
to expand their victory and drive all Federal forces out of East
Florida. Preparations were made to defend Fernandina, Jackson­
ville, and St. Augustine. Confederate fortifications were con­
structed along McGirts Creek twelve miles west of Jacksonville,
and Major General Patton Anderson was appointed commander in
Florida to direct the attack against the Federal positions. Before a
major fight developed Brigadier General John P. Hatch, Union
commander of the Department of Florida, ordered a withdrawal of
all Federal troops in the state except for a small garrison at
Jacksonville. Anderson decided there was little to be gained in
seizing the area and likewise withdrew his troops freeing them for
fighting farther to the north.57 Many of the troops who fought at
Olustee became part of a new Florida Brigade commanded by
General Joseph Finegan, and saw action at Cold Harbor and
Petersburg.58
Although no additional invasions of Florida were attempted,
Federal raids continued and presented problems for the state.
Because of a shortage of regular Confederate troops Governor
Milton created a new militia force to deal with the raids. The
largest of these Federal raids, in the last phase of the war, was
directed against St. Marks and Tallahassee. On March 4, 1865, a
Union naval force landed some one thousand troops near the St.
Marks lighthouse south of Tallahassee. Brigadier General William
Miller, who commanded reserve forces in the state, assembled a
force of local militia augmented by a company of cadets from the
West Florida Seminary in Tallahassee. On the morning of March
6, the forces met at Natural Bridge south of Tallahassee and the
56Ellen Call Long, Florida Breezes or Florida New and Old, facsimile repro­
duction of the 1883 edition (Gainesville, 1962), p. 365.
57Johns, Florida During the Civil War, p. 201.
“Robertson, Soldiers of Florida, pp. 135-40.

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