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- 60 The Campbellton Cavalry (100 Great Things about Jackson County, Florida)
William J. Daniel was a member of the Cambellton Cavalry He is buried at Campbellton Baptist Church. With the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Marianna approaching, the next few articles in our list of 100 Great Things about Jackson County, Florida, will focus on the men and boys that defended the county on September 26-27, 1864. The countdown continues with #60 the Campbellton Cavalry (sometimes called the Campbellton Home Guard).
Please click here to see the entire list as it is unveiled.
Soldiers and officers from both North and South enlisted and fought for a variety of reasons in 1861-1865, but the men and boys of the Campbellton Cavalry fought for one reason and one reason only - to defend their homes and families.
Spring Hill United Methodist Church Established in 1897 at Spring Hill near Campbellton. Most of the regular Confederate forces were withdrawn from Florida during the months following the Battle of Olustee in early 1864. The result was that homes and communities across vast regions of the state were left utterly defenseless.
At Spring Hill, just southwest of Campbellton, a group of around 30 local men and boys gathered in May 1864 to form a volunteer unit that they dubbed the Campbellton Cavalry. They came from as far south as present-day Cottondale and as far east as modern Malone, although most lived in the area from Campbellton to Holmes Creek.
F.B. Callaway served with the Campbellton Cavalry He is buried at Campbellton Baptist Church The citizen soldiers were comparable to the "Minutemen" of an earlier time. They continued their daily occupations, but were prepared to respond and fight in the event their homes were threated by Union troops or one of the deserter gangs that roamed the area. Like most such units of the time they elected their own captain.
That distinction went to a plantation owner named A.R. Godwin. A well-known resident of Jackson County, he was respected and trusted by his friends and neighbors, had served as a justice of the peace and was a member of the county grand jury on at least one occasion.
A reenactor armed with a shotgun prepares to fire. From the documentary The Battle of Marianna, Florida to be released 9/27. The company was in essence an irregular cavalry formed by civilians and disabled Confederate veterans. Its men had neither uniforms nor government arms.
Most of them carried the percussion lock shotguns that were so common in Jackson County homes of that age. While designed for hunting, these smoothbore guns were easy to load and could be fired accurately from horseback.
For the first few months of its existence, the Campbellton Cavalry did not do much actual duty. Some of the men wrote later in their pension applications that they guarded creek crossings and occasionally responded to reports of deserter activity. There is no indication that they came under fire prior to the Marianna Raid.
Interpretive kiosk at Campbellton Baptist Church includes information on the Campbellton Cavalry. The company was independent until August 1864 when troops in Northwest Florida were reorganized following the St. Andrew Bay Raid. Godwin's unit and Captain W.B. Jones' Vernon Scouts of Washington County were attached to Captain Wilson W. Poe's Company C, 1st Florida Infantry Reserves (Mounted). Together they formed a battalion for home defense with Poe as overall commander. Godwin and Jones retained company command of their individual units.
All three companies would fight against the Union troops that attacked Jackson and Washington Counties on September 26-28, 1864. The role of the Campbellton men in defending Jackson County during Marianna Raid will be discussed in future articles of this series.
No original roster of the Campbellton Cavalry has been found and only a partial list of its members can be reassembled from original accounts and later pension records:
Men of the Campbellton Cavalry
Alexander R. Godwin, Captain William A. Abercrombie George Ball Samuel Bosworth William Clayton Cullen Curl William Daniel Mark Elmore F.B. Haywood Spencer Lamb (also given as Lamb Spencer) William Mathews A.J. McNeal Charles Tipton Ezekial Register J.W. Rouse Jasper Newton Williams J.W. Williamson
If you had an ancestor that served in the Campbellton Cavalry and do not see them listed here, please let me know by leaving a comment. I hope to identify as many of the men as possible before the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Marianna on September 27, 2014. Posted by Dale Cox at 10:19 AM Labels: 100 great things, 1st florida reserves, battle of marianna, campbellton, campbellton cavalry, home guard, jackson county, marianna raid, spring hill 3 comments:
Anonymous said... I grew up at Spring Hill. Thank you for this tie to the past. My friends and I once got the worst whipping of our lives when we decided to bury our beloved dog in the Spring Hill Cemetery.
Matt Basford
September 15, 2014 at 9:15 PM
Sarafina said... I am researching the Miles surname for a client and found this list of names
First Name Last Name Rank_In Rank_Out R. W. Abercombie Private Private James W. Alford Private Private Noah Beaman Private Private Ben. Bradberry Private Private H.A. Bright Private Private James Brunet Private Private James A. Buie First Lieutenant First Lieutenant P. Council Bush Junior Second Lieutenant Junior Second Lieutenant R. Bush Private Private Henry Christmas Private Private Watson Cochran Private Private G.W. Connelly Private Private Henry Connelly Private Private B.B. Cook Private Private Samuel Daniel Private Private F.M. Davis Private Private John Douglas Private Private William Douglas Private Private William Duncan Private Private Joseph Gilbert Private Private Thomas G. Gilbert Private Private James Goodwin Private Private Henry B. Grace Captain Captain W.W. Grace Private Private Robert Hawthorn Private Private Andrew Hinson Private Private Frank M. Holman Private Private Emanuel Jenckins Private Private Syney Kirkland Private Private Wilson Kirkland Private Private A.M. Lambeth Private Private J.J. Lambeth Private Private John J. Lassiter Private Private Alexander Levins Private Private Aley Lewis Private Private Joel Lolly Private Private David Mathews Private Private John McDaniel Private Private Silas McDaniel Private Private John A. McLendon Private Private J.F. McNeil Private Private Daniel Miles Private Private William Miles Private Private Willoughby Miles Private Private Ephraim Mims Private Private Green W. Moore Private Private Jesse T. Moore Private Private James Parker Private Private Burwell Register Private Private Ezekiel A. Register Senior Second Lieutenant Senior Second Lieutenant
David T. Richards Private Private James Roebuck Private Private Asa Shiver Private Private John Shiver Private Private Charles Slater Private Private Sandham Slater Private Private W.H. Smith Private Private Isaac Spence Private Private Richard Spence Private Private James Still Private Private William Still Private Private John B. Stone Private Private Asa Taylor Private Private William Taylor Private Private John Tindall Private Private Calvin J. Toole Private Private Hezekiah J.J. Toole Private Private Irving L. Toole Private Private J.M. Toole Private Private James Turner Private Private James L. Vickers Private Private John J.B. Warren Private Private Jasper N. Webb Private Private W.N. Webb Private Private John Whitefield Private Private W.W.J. Whitefield Private Private Owen Williams Private Private Martin York Private Private
May 10, 2015 at 8:46 AM
Dale Cox said... Hi there, the list you posted is for the Campbellton Boys unit, Captain Henry B. Grace. Also from the Campbellton area, the Campbellton Boys was a regular unit with men of military age. The Campbellton Cavalry was a separate unit filled by elderly men, younger boys and disabled soldiers sent home for medical reasons. Dale
May 11, 2015 at 10:15 AM Post a Comment