Three companies of the Cow Cavalry and one cannon set out and arrived at Fort Thomson (LaBelle, Fl.) February 19th and then marched down the river and encamped near Billy's Creek. On Feb. 20th, they surprised some black soldiers on picket duty and shot them. This alerted the Fort Myers, whereupon the Confederates fired their cannon and demanded it surrender.
The fort's commander, Captain James Doyle replied, "I respectfully decline."
He wheeled his two cannons out and the battle was on,continuing throughout the day.
On Feb. 21, 1865, the Cow cavalry returned to Fort Meade, having failed to capture the Union fort. Of 300 Union troops involved, there was one dead and three wounded. Of the 250 Confederates, one was wounded.
Nothing remains of the fort today, but it was located by the downtown Ft. Myers Historical District. The original US-41 (Cleveland Avenue) goes by the former location.
Cow cavalry to the Rescue! --Old B-Runner (Soon to be Old Secesh)
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
Showing posts with label Ft. Myers Fl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ft. Myers Fl. Show all posts
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
The Cow Cavalry and the Battle of Fort Myers (Fla.)-- Part 1
Continued from my Feb. 10, 2011 entry
It took place Feb. 25, 1865, and is regarded as the southernmost Civil War battle. The fort was originally built during the Seminole War, but was abandoned after it ended. Reoccupied by Union soldiers in 1863 who intended to use it as a base to attack cattle ranches along the Caloosahatchie River which were supplying beef to the Confederacy. It is estimated that by 1865, some 4,000 head of cattle had been taken by them.
The fort was also a refugee center for escaped slaves and Union sympathizers with 400 in it at one point.
It was garrisoned by the and Florida Cavalry, a company of the 110th New York and a company of black soldiers from the 2nd USCT, both of these units came from Union Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West.
The Confederates organized a special detachment to stop Federal incursions and became known as the Cattle Guard Battalion, or "Cow Cavalry."
The unit was posted at Fort Meade and in February 1865, ordered to attack Fort Myers.
Get Them Cows, You Cavalry. --Old B-Runner (Soon to Be Old Secesh)
It took place Feb. 25, 1865, and is regarded as the southernmost Civil War battle. The fort was originally built during the Seminole War, but was abandoned after it ended. Reoccupied by Union soldiers in 1863 who intended to use it as a base to attack cattle ranches along the Caloosahatchie River which were supplying beef to the Confederacy. It is estimated that by 1865, some 4,000 head of cattle had been taken by them.
The fort was also a refugee center for escaped slaves and Union sympathizers with 400 in it at one point.
It was garrisoned by the and Florida Cavalry, a company of the 110th New York and a company of black soldiers from the 2nd USCT, both of these units came from Union Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West.
The Confederates organized a special detachment to stop Federal incursions and became known as the Cattle Guard Battalion, or "Cow Cavalry."
The unit was posted at Fort Meade and in February 1865, ordered to attack Fort Myers.
Get Them Cows, You Cavalry. --Old B-Runner (Soon to Be Old Secesh)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Battle of Fort Myers, Florida
Since I was in Cape Coral, Florida, from the 3rd to yesterday, I got to wondering if the city of Ft. Myers got its name from a fort. It figures it would. It did. AND...there was a Civil War battle, of sorts, fought there.
The battle is sometimes also called the Civil War's Southernmost Battle.
I had never heard of a Battle of Ft. Myers. I knew that quite a bit of small-time blockade running took place along Florida's west coast, also, I was aware of this part of Florida, extending to Tampa, supplied quite a large number of cattle to Confederate forces and was so important of a food source, that an actual Confederate force called the "Cow Cavalry" was organized to protect them from Union raids.
This is what I already knew.
More to Come. --Old B-Runner
The battle is sometimes also called the Civil War's Southernmost Battle.
I had never heard of a Battle of Ft. Myers. I knew that quite a bit of small-time blockade running took place along Florida's west coast, also, I was aware of this part of Florida, extending to Tampa, supplied quite a large number of cattle to Confederate forces and was so important of a food source, that an actual Confederate force called the "Cow Cavalry" was organized to protect them from Union raids.
This is what I already knew.
More to Come. --Old B-Runner
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