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(Olustee (Ocean Pond))

Olustee   
(Also known as: Ocean Pond)

February 20, 1864
Baker County, FL
Campaign: Florida Expedition

Brig. Gen. Truman Seymour, USA
Brig. Gen. Joseph Finegan, CSA

Each side had around 5,000 men.

US casualties were nearly 1,900, Confederate just under 1,000.

In February 1864, the commander of the Department of the South, Maj. Gen. Quincy Gillmore, dispatched an expedition to Florida to expand Union enclaves, sever Rebel supply routes, and recruit black soldiers.  But his main objective, if an underlying one, was to secure Florida's electoral votes for Lincoln in the coming election.

Gillmore expected little opposition, and thought a Unionist government could easily be organized in East Florida, or even that anti-Confederate sentiment would allow easy occupation of the populated part of the state.  (At the time the peninsula was virtually uninhabited because of swamps and diseases.)

Seymour was sent with about 5,000 men, a mix of veteran and green units that had been involved in the siege of Charleston.  They occupied Jacksonville without opposition and moved quickly inland against negligible resistance.  Then they paused to consolidate their gains and for the political agents to administer oaths of loyalty, but the delay gave the Confederates to gather reinforcements of two veteran brigades.

On February 20 Seymour moved west in three columns, with the cavalry covering the advance; his route was along the railroad line to Lake City.  Finegan had begun entrenchments, but the arrival of reinforcements had changed the odds, and he was more aggressive.  Cavalry pickets quickly made contact with the advancing Union troops, and made sure Finegan knew the situation.  As the Yankees approached the main line the cavalry fought harder, and Finegan sent infantry to support them rather than ordering a withdrawal to the entrenchments.

Both sides fed reinforcements to the skirmish; Seymour fed in Hawley's Brigade as Finegan let Colquitt handle the engagement, which soon drew in his entire brigade.  Hawley's men soon collapsed; the 7th New Hampshire deployed badly and were quickly routed in confusion.  The 8th USCT, a very green unit, fought for a time but with the death of their colonel soon lost cohesion.  (They would lose over 300 men, but many were shot while wounded or while trying to surrender; the 8th was recruited locally, and the Confederates took their revenge on their former slaves.)

Finegan reinforced success, and Harrison's Brigade came up to help Colquitt turn tactical success into victory.  Seymour knew he had to stave off defeat, and advanced the experienced New Yorkers of Barton's Brigade.  The two forces slugged it out; while the Rebels had a temporary numerical advantage they were also low on ammunition and several regiments could only stand still waiting for fresh supplies.  Finegan arrived himself with the last reserves and the ammunition, and the combination tipped the balance.  Barton's men, worn down, couldn't hold and Seymour had to commit his last brigade as a rearguard.

Fighting hard, and losing heavily, the African-Americans of the 35th USCT and 54th Massachusetts checked the Confederate advance until daylight faded.  Seymour was evacuating his most battered units back to Barbers' plantation (the morning's campsite) under protection of the two regiments and his cavalry.  But much had to be left behind.  Prisoners, both wounded and unwounded, numbered almost a thousand.  The Rebels also captured supplies and several artillery pieces.  The cost to the Union was about 40% of the troops in action, while the Confederates had lost around 20% in their victory.  This was by far the bloodiest battle in Florida, and in percentages one of the bloodier battles of the war.

Finegan didn't follow up his victory, and most of the fleeing Yankees reached Jacksonville by the 22nd - only two days.

Other Sources:

The Battle for Olustee, Or Ocean Pond -- General Samuel Jones

The Battle of Olustee, Florida -- General Joseph R. Hawley

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(Olustee (Ocean Pond))