1st Florida Special Cavalry Battalion
| 1st Special Cavalry Battalion | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | April, 1864–1865 |
| Country |  Confederate States of America |
| Allegiance |  Florida |
| Branch |  Confederate States Army |
| Type | Battalion |
| Role | Cavalry |
| Nickname(s) | Cow Cavalry |
| Engagements | American Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | C. J. Munnerlyn |
The 1st Florida Battalion Special Cavalry , nicknamed the "Cow Cavalry", was a Confederate States Army cavalry unit from Florida during the American Civil War. Commanded by Charles James Munnerlyn; it was organized to protect herds of cattle from Union raiders.[1][2] The hides and meat from Florida cattle were a critical supply item for the Confederacy.
Background[edit]
In March 1864, Captain James McKay wrote to Major Pleasant W. White of Quincy, FL, the chief commissary of Florida for the Confederate government about the need to protect Florida cattle after the Battle of Olustee.[1]
While the special unit that would become the Cow Cavalry was the brainchild of Captain McKay and was supported by every Confederate officer who knew anything about Florida conditions, it was not a totally original idea.[1]
During the Second and Third Seminole Wars, a body known as the “cracker cavalry” had been formed. These recruits from the local area knew eastern and southern Florida well, were good horsemen, and even better shots. McKay had memories of past battles with the Seminoles when he offered the plan.[1]
Organization and Operation[edit]
Confederate President Jefferson Davis, selected Munnerlyn who was commissioned as a Major to lead the Special Cavalry. One of his first decisions was to appoint Captain William Footman as his executive officer. Footman, a native of Leon County, had a good record as a cavalry officer. He had commanded F Company of the First Florida Cavalry during operations on Amelia Island and Fernandina in 1862.[1]
Eventually a total of nine companies, largely made up of Florida crackers, was organized. They would drive cattle to Baldwin, Florida a railhead near Jacksonville, Florida.[3] Some of the companies were based out of Brooksville, Tampa,[4] Plant City[5][6], and Fort Meade [7]
Captains William B. Hooker, Leroy G. Lesley, John T. Lesley, Francis A. Hendry, and W. B. Henderson were leaders of the Cow Cavalry. Capt. McKay's son, James McKay Jr., was appointed as Captain of one of the companies and eventually rose to the rank of Major in the unit.[8]
Captain W. B. Watson enlisted ninety-eight soldiers in a company at Mellonville (present-day Sanford) on the St. Johns River. Central Florida also provided a second company for the battalion, commanded by Captain Samuel Agnew. Agnew made his base at Hodge Ferry on the Withlacoochee River from where he could protect the herds from Union raids operating out of Cedar Key. Agnew often led his men on regular scouting patrols in the Gulf Hammock area while driving beef.[1]
Captain James Faulkner raised a company of Florida men for service in Taylor and Lafayette counties. Madison County provided the seventh Cow Cavalry company. Commanded by Captain J. C. Wilcox, it guarded vital rail terminals in that county, and provided protection for Georgia bound beef. Wilcox and his officers also had the added responsibility of scouting the Gulf coast west of the Suwannee River.This mission was often shared with Faulkner’s company, along with herding, under the direction of the district commander, Major White.[1]
Another north Florida unit was raised in Jefferson and Leon counties by William J. Bailey. Bailey was soon replaced by Captain E. A. Fernandez. The company had the same general duties as Wilcox’s and Faulkner’s, and they often worked together in the field. These north Florida Cow Cavalrymen cooperated with the regular Confederate forces commanded by General James Patton Anderson.[1]
In December of 1864 saw the formation of the ninth and final company of the Cow Cavalry, to defend the rail line that ran from Gainesville to Cedar Key. Captain E. J. Lutterloh was made company commander and he convinced twenty men to join his force. Taking the field, they swung into action by driving the enemy back in a series of short skirmishes.[1]
The rest of the battalion remained active until the 1864 - 1865 cattle driving season ended in January 1865, until they could resume cattle collecting in April as the ranges in the upper districts could not sustain beef before then.[1]
Battles[edit]
Cow Cavalry units manuvered to meet Union probes and deserter bands in February 1865. Capt. Lutterloh and his men found themselves under fire on February 8, as a force of almost 400 Union cavalry and infantry left Cedar Key on a raid northward into Levy County. The rest of Lutterloh’s company rushed to join a force commanded by J. J. Dickison that was moving to intercept the raiders. The two bodies of troops clashed at the Battle of Levyville on February 13th.[1]
Also, in February 1865, Major William Footman led the companies of Francis A. Hendry, John T. Lesley, and Leroy G. Lesley in the Battle of Fort Myers.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Taylor, Robert (1986). "Cow Cavalry: Munnerlyn's Battalion in Florida, 1864-1865". Florida Historical Quarterly. 65 (2): 196–214. JSTOR 30146741.
- ^ "Jacob Summerlin: The cowman who was king of crackers". TBNweekly. 21 August 2007.
- ^ "Whats New at the Bell Research Center". www.bellresearchcenter.com.[dead link]
- ^ Ellis, Thomas Benton Sr. (1998). Landers, Roger Rice (ed.). The Last Wildcat. Brooksville, FL: The Genealogy Society of Hernando County. p. 33.
- ^ Taylor 1986, p. 201.
- ^ "Cow Cavalry Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org.
- ^ "Raid on Gopher Ridge". www.explorenaples.com.
- ^ Ellis 1998, p. 33.
External links[edit]
- 1st Battalion Florida Special Cavalry
- Williams, Amy Bennett (15 June 2014). "The Civil War battle of Fort Myers, 150 years later". The News-Press.
- Kambic, Randy (17 January 2015). "Fort Myers in the Civil War, more than a brief battle". The News-Press.