St. Augustine in the American Civil War facts for kids
During the American Civil War, the city of St. Augustine, Florida, was mostly controlled by the Union. Its time under Confederate control was very short. Some generals from both sides were from St. Augustine. Many officers, like Union General William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate General Braxton Bragg, had served there before. They had military experience in St. Augustine, especially during the Second Seminole War.
The city's old Sea Wall was built by engineers from West Point. These engineers later designed forts for both sides in the Civil War. Many black Union soldiers were from St. Augustine or moved there after the war. They helped lead the community of Lincolnville, which started in 1866. Many old cemeteries in the city have special marble tombstones. They are marked "USCT" for United States Colored Troops.
Florida's state militia took the fort in St. Augustine from a small U.S. Army group on January 7, 1861. Just three days later, Florida left the United States. Union troops came back to the city on March 11, 1862. This put St. Augustine back under Union control. The Confederate forces never took the city back.
St. Augustine at the Start of the War
After John Brown's attack on Harper's Ferry in 1859, a local newspaper, the St. Augustine Examiner, used the motto "Equality in the Union and Nothing Else." This motto showed a growing distrust of the government. The paper warned that this could lead to war between the states.
When Abraham Lincoln was elected president, the newspaper's owner, Matthias Andreu, felt there was no hope for the North and South to stay together. He pushed for Florida to leave the Union. He worried that "violent abolitionists" would cause enslaved people to rebel.
On January 7, 1861, about 125 militiamen came to capture Fort Marion. This fort was built by the Spanish between 1672 and 1695. The only U.S. Army sergeant guarding the fort gave the keys to the Southerners. He asked for and received a receipt from the Confederacy. Most of the fort's cannons were then moved to other important places. Only five cannons were left to defend St. Augustine.
When news arrived on January 12, 1861, that Florida had left the Union, the city celebrated. There were flag raisings, church bells, and musket shots. That night, people held torchlight parades and bonfires. However, early support for the war began to fade. Taxes went up to pay for the war, and money from tourism stopped coming in.
Some ships that tried to get past the Union blockade used St. Augustine as a port. These ships included the Garibaldi and the St. Mary's. Another ship, the Jefferson Davis, captured several enemy ships. But it got stuck in St. Augustine Harbor in mid-August 1861.
The main Confederate group from St. Augustine was called the St. Augustine Blues. When they left the city in March 1862, they had about 80 to 100 men. They were part of the 3rd Florida Infantry. Many of them were lost at the Battle of Perryville in Kentucky in October 1862. By the time of the Battle of Stones River, only ten of the original Blues were left.
Union Marines and sailors took Fort Marion and St. Augustine without a fight on March 11, 1862. The USS Wabash and USS Mohican ships were seen entering the bay on March 9. The Confederate forces knew they could not defend the city well. So, they left on March 10 at 10 p.m.
St. Augustine During the War
Other important people from St. Augustine who helped the Confederate war effort included generals Edmund Kirby-Smith, Francis A. Shoup, and William Wing Loring. Only Kirby-Smith was born there. During the war, Stephen Vincent Benet, whose grandson became a famous American author, stayed in the U.S. Army. He taught at West Point. His younger brother, James, fought for the Confederacy. This shows how families were sometimes divided during the war.
Unlike nearby Jacksonville, which changed hands four times, the Confederates never tried to take St. Augustine back. Confederate general Robert E. Lee knew the area well. He said the city "serves only as an invitation for an attack." Union forces made the fort stronger during the war, just in case of an attack. A strong presence of U.S. Army forces stayed in St. Augustine through Reconstruction and until the end of the Spanish–American War. These soldiers were always an important part of the local economy and social life.
Many Union soldiers settled in St. Augustine permanently. They married into local families. Several even became mayors of the city. For example, Lieutenant Foster, a Union officer, married Miss Sanchez, whose family supported the Confederacy. Their son, General J. Clifford R. Foster, served as a top general for Florida for many years.
Union forces enjoyed being in the city. The historian for the 7th New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment said that living in St. Augustine was good for his soldiers' health. He was sad when they had to leave. Another good thing from the Union presence was Sam A. Cooley. He was an official photographer for the U.S. Army. He took the first major pictures of many of the city's buildings. These photos were very helpful a century later when people worked to restore St. Augustine's historic buildings.
On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation took effect. This order freed enslaved people in areas still controlled by the Confederacy. A bell and a marker at Old St. Augustine Village celebrate this event. For many years, Emancipation Day on January 1 was a big celebration for the black community in St. Augustine.
On March 9, 1863, a small fight happened. About 80 Confederate troops attacked a Union guard post north of St. Augustine. But 120 men from the 7th New Hampshire Volunteers drove them away.
After the War
For many years after the war, St. Augustine had two groups of the Grand Army of the Republic. One was for black veterans, and one was for white veterans. Later, two important Union generals, John McAllister Schofield and Martin Davis Hardin, both retired to the same house at 20 Valencia Street. This house is now known as "The Union Generals House." Hardin, who was a friend of Abraham Lincoln, was one of the last surviving generals from either side when he died in St. Augustine on December 12, 1923. He is buried at the U.S. National Cemetery on Marine Street.
