Battle of Vernon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Vernon, Florida |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of American Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 CSA (Confederacy) |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| BG Alexander Asboth | CPT W.B. Jones | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 700 | ~50 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| No casualties | 1 killed, 1 wounded, most survivors taken prisoner | ||||||
The Battle of Vernon was a small fight during the American Civil War. It happened on September 28, 1864, near Vernon, Florida. This battle took place just one day after a bigger fight called the Battle of Marianna.
In this small battle, a group of local soldiers from Vernon, called the Home Guard, were trying to help their fellow Confederate soldiers in Marianna. But they didn't know that they were heading straight towards a large group of Union soldiers. These Union soldiers, led by Brigadier General Alexander Asboth, were returning to their main base in Pensacola after winning the Battle of Marianna.
The two groups met by surprise at a wooden bridge over Hard Labor Creek in Washington County. The Union soldiers told the Floridians to give up. Even though they were greatly outnumbered, the Home Guard decided to fight. They were quickly defeated, and most of them were captured.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
Setting the Scene in Florida
In the summer of 1864, Florida's Governor, John Milton, asked for special local defense groups to be formed. These groups were called Home Guard units. Their job was to protect their local areas.
Washington County, in the Florida Panhandle, didn't have many men left to fight. Most young men were already serving in the Confederate army. Others were too old, too young, or had been hurt. Some people in the county had even joined the Union side.
Captain Jones and His Men
The local Home Guard company in Washington County had only about 30 men. They chose Second Lieutenant W.B. Jones to lead them. He was a veteran soldier who had been hurt in Tennessee and sent home.
When Confederate leaders in Marianna heard that Union forces were coming, they sent messages asking nearby towns for help. Captain Jones received this message after the Battle of Marianna had already ended. But he still wanted to help.
So, Captain Jones gathered his company. He went through Vernon and made every man join him, no matter their age. Even men "considerably older than sixty" had to pick up their rifles and go with him. By the morning of September 28, Jones had gathered about 50 men, all on horseback.
The Union Army's March
Meanwhile, the Union army, with over 700 soldiers, had left Marianna early on April 28. They were heading back to Pensacola. They were also taking a large group of captured cattle, horses, and mules. Plus, over 600 people who had been freed from slavery were with them.
By noon, the Union soldiers reached Orange Hill in Washington County. There, they burned some buildings at the Everett Plantation. Then they stopped to eat lunch. Soon after, they continued their march. They reached a wooden bridge that crossed Hard Labor Creek. This bridge was about five miles northeast of Vernon.
The Fight at the Bridge
Meeting by Surprise
The Confederate and Union groups met unexpectedly. They were both approaching the bridge from different sides of the creek. For a few minutes, both sides waited to see what the other would do.
Then, Union soldiers from the 1st Florida Cavalry (US), who were at the front, told Captain Jones and his men to surrender.
The Battle Begins
According to local stories, a Confederate soldier named Stephen Pierce yelled at the Union soldiers. The Union soldiers then fired their guns and charged across the bridge. Legend says that Pierce was killed during this first exchange of gunfire.
The Southern soldiers were greatly outnumbered, with only 50 men against 700 Union soldiers. They quickly scattered and ran back towards Vernon. Many of them were captured and became prisoners. A few managed to escape. They later said that the Union soldiers chased them all the way back to Vernon, shooting as they went.
Amazingly, only one Confederate soldier was killed, and one was wounded. Both were from Captain Jones's Home Guard unit. The Union army had no casualties.
What Happened Next
The Prisoners
The captured Confederate soldiers were first sent to Ship Island, Mississippi. From there, they were moved to a Union prison camp in Elmira, New York. Five of them died there. Captain Jones survived his time as a prisoner. He returned home "badly enfeebled" (meaning very weak), but he lived for another 30 years.
The Union's Journey Home
After the short fight, the Union soldiers stopped briefly in Vernon to rest. Later that day, they continued their march towards Pensacola. Confederate soldiers from Florida and nearby Georgia tried to catch General Asboth's group. But they couldn't reach them before the Union soldiers made it back to their own lines.
Today, the Battle of Vernon is mostly forgotten, except by people who live in the area. It was one of many small fights that happened across the nation during the Civil War.
