Strange and Mysterious Waters:

The History of Wakulla County

An Act to Organize the County of Wakulla

On March 11, 1843, Florida’s fifth Territorial Governor, Richard Keith Call (who was also the third Territorial Governor), signed in to law the twenty-fifth act passed by the twenty-first session of the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida. His signature made it official that Wakulla County was to be carved out of Leon County. The Act to Organize the County of Wakulla states as follows:

“Section 1: Be it enacted by the Governor and Legislative Council of he Territory of Florida, That the district of country included within the following boundaries, to wit: - Beginning at the Gulf, thence north on the range line between range two and three, until it intersects the north boundary of section twenty-four, township two, range two, south and east: thence due west on that line, until it strikes that Oklockonee River; thence down the river, until it strikes the Gulf; and thence, along the line of the Gulf, to the point of commencement (including islands), shall constitute a county, to be called Wakulla.

Section 2: Be it further enacted, that the Governor of the Territory, on passage of this act, shall appoint a Judge of the County Court of said county, to hold his office according to law.

Leon County c.1843, prior to the creation of Wakulla

Section 3: Be it further enacted, That the inhabitants of said county be, and they are hereby, authorized, on the first Monday in April next, and at the usual day thereafter, to elect such county officers as by law are directed in the several counties of this territory, and in the same manner, and subject to the same duties, provisions and responsibilities.

Section 4: Be it further enacted, That the said county of Wakulla, shall be, and is hereby, declared to be in the Middle Judicial District of Florida.

Section 5: Be it further enacted, That a County Court for said county, shall be holden at the county-site of said county semi-annually, in each and every year, the first term to be held on the third Monday in April, and the second term on the third Monday of November, and regularly thereafter.

Section 6: Be it further enacted, That the Judge of the Superior Court of the Middle District, shall be, and he is hereby, required to hold in said county, two terms of the Superior Court, in each and every year, the first to be holden on the third Monday in May, and the other term on the first Monday in December.

Section 7: Be it further enacted, That all suits pending in the Superior or County Courts of Leon county, against any person, persons, or corporations, residing in, or incorporated in the said county of Wakulla, together with all proper originals or copies of papers, or documents, whether criminal or civil, shall, on application within then days after notice of that effect, form the Clerks of the Superior or County Courts, or other officers of said county of Wakulla, be delivered over to the respectively; and that said suits, prosecutions or causes, shall stand upon the Dockets in the courts of the said county of Wakulla, as of the term of which they properly belonged in the county of Leon, and the clerks, marshals, or other officers, of Leon county, shall not be authorized to have, or demand, any fees, until the said causes thus removed shall be decided in the said county of Wakulla.

Section 8: Be it further enacted, That all moneys remaining in the County Treasury of the county of Leon, after the passage of this act, shall be equally divided between the counties of Leon and Wakulla, pro rata, according to population, to be determined by the latest tax list: Provided, That all debts heretofore contracted by the county of Leon for county purposes, shall be first liquidated and paid.

Section 9: Be it further enacted, That the county-site of Wakulla county, shall be fixed and determined by three commissioners, to be elected on such day and in such manner as the county court may direct, by persons entitled to vote for county officers; who, being duly sworn faithfully, and to the best of their skill and ability, to discharge their duties, shall proceed to, select the most eligible place for the county-site, to lay off lots, and dispose of the same to the best advantage, for the benefit of the county, make transfers of the title on payment of the purchase money; also, to contract for the building of a Court-House, and other buildings for said county.

Section 10: Be it further enacted, That until a county-site is selected, as provided for by the provisions of this act, the courts for said county shall be held, and public offices kept, at the town of Port Leon.

Section 11: Be it further enacted, That from and after the passage of this act, the county of Leon shall be entitled to three representatives in the Legislative Council and no more, and the county of Wakulla one.

Section 12: Be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect from and after its passage.

Approved 11^th March, 1843”

The twenty-first session of the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida was not done with Wakulla just yet. The thirtieth act passed re-drew the northern border of Wakulla County, creating the “heel” of the boot-shaped Leon County. That act to change the northern line of the County of Wakulla states the following:

“Be it enacted by the Governor and Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida, That the northern boundary line of the County of Wakulla shall be as follows, to wit: - To commence at the northern line of section thirty-six, in town ship two, range two, South and East, and thence due West on said line to Ocklockonnee River, which boundary shall be in the place of the northern line of said county specified in the act establishing said county.”

The Civil War

1861-1865

Part Six

The Battle of Natural Bridge - Retreat and Pursuit

  Such is the case with the aftermath of many Civil War battles, the pursuit of the retreating enemy after a defeat on the battlefield was delayed. While the Confederates were momentarily unorganized, the Federals began their retreat back to the lighthouse. U.S General Newton ordered his men to cut down trees to make the road impassable behind them during their retreat, slowing down any would-be pursuers. By the time the southerners cleared the road, the Union force were a two hours’ march ahead. Lieutenant Colonel Scott then took around forty mounted men and rode as fast as they ever had to catch up to the Union column’s rear. Scott caught up with them about two miles north of Newport around seven o’clock that evening of March 6. The cavalrymen captured several prisoners, most of whom were wounded Union soldiers left behind on the battlefield during Newton’s hasty retreat. Also left behind by Newton were detachments of guards stationed just south of Natural Bridge. These men were captured near the East River bridge while trying to escape back to the lighthouse. Miller followed up behind Scott with a number of infantry, though the men were completely exhausted, and many struggled along the way as the sun set into night. Several soldiers simply found some where dark to sleep.

The men of the 2^nd Florida U.S. Cavalry (unmounted) who had stayed behind at Newport to guard the bridge, were dug in on the east bank of the St. Marks River. While the main battle was on at Natural Bridge, the Florida Unionists kept skirmishing with Confederate soldiers and citizens from the west bank of the St. Marks River. When the sun went down on the night of March 6, the firing ceased. Confused and exhausted, a group of Florida Unionists from the 2^nd Florida U.S. Cavalry found a dark structure, probably a house or a hotel, to sleep in for the night. As the night went on other soldiers joined them, but since it was so dark, they did not know who each other was. When the sun rose the next morning of March 7, the Florida Unionists discovered that the newcomers were tired Confederate soldiers who had pursued the retreating Union column from Natural Bridge. The men of the 2^nd Florida U.S. Cavalry jumped to their feet and ran for the door. They did not get far before being fired on and captured by the rebels. 

Two of the Florida Unionists captured in Newport were Corporal Asa Fowler and Private Peter Pelt. The two captured soldiers were once part of the 2^nd Florida Cavalry (CSA) before they deserted and joined the 2nd Florida U.S. Cavalry. Unfortunately for Fowler and Pelt the men who captured them recognized them as deserters and the punishment for desertion was death. On the same day they were captured, March 7, they were charged with desertion and sentenced to be shot. Their sentencing was carried out that very day, as the two were tied to a fence post to be shot. Confederate surgeon Charles Hentz was there and described what he saw: “They were halted close to me, as a hollow square for the execution was formed. Some bandages, pinned around their eyes, were taken from my haversack; how dreadfully did I commiserate their awful condition. Pelt, whom I had known as a little boy…, was trembling in every fiber; his face was the hue of ashes – his lips quivering compulsively in prayer, his eyes closed and bandaged.”^[1] The firing squad stepped forward, and when given the order, fired into the two prisoners. Fowler was hit thirteen times and died instantly, but Pelt fell to the ground in intense pain, and died a few minutes later. The two men’s corpses were then stripped naked and thrown into a hole. To this day we do not know where their unmarked grave site in Newport is. This was a truly sad moment in Wakulla County history, and made even sadder by the fact that the Civil War ended a little over a month later.

 The Home Guard that was sent back to Newport earlier in the day tried to retake the bridge from the Federals guarding it but were repulsed. Upon learning that Newton was returning to the St. Marks lighthouse, the Union Navy sent forty men to secure the East River bridge. Once Newton’s retreating army crossed the East River bridge the Federals burned it behind them to stop the Confederates form pursuing them any further. During the campaign the Union captured several civilians, which they released during their retreat. One man they made prisoner was Lewis Franklin Hall who lived on the east side of the St. Marks River, about a mile and a half south of Natural Bridge. After the battle at Natural Bridge, Hall was returned to his home on the St. Marks River. Back at the lighthouse Newton meet with the Navy officers and began the process of re-embarking, and just five days after the Battle of Natural Bridge, March 11, 1865, Newton and his troops arrived back at Key West.

Confederate casualties during the campaign were four killed, forty-one wounded, and four captured. On the Union side, casualties were thirty-four killed, seventy-seven wounded, thirty captured, and thirty-six missing. Medical care was giving to left behind wounded Union soldiers. The house of Elizabeth Ann Condelar just south of Natural Bridge was were several wounded men from the U.S. Colored Infantry were left by Newton. There were rumors that Confederate soldiers were putting wounded and surrendering black Union soldiers to the bayonet, but this anecdote is unfounded. Actually, about thirty black Union soldiers who were captured at Natural Bridge were sent to Andersonville prison in Georgia. The legend that many of the dead Union troops from the battlefield were simply tossed into one of the many sinkholes may have some truth to it. It is said that the smell of the rotting corpses from the sinks forced locals to retrieve the bodies and bury them elsewhere. Many are buried at Old City Cemetery in Tallahassee.

 The Confederate wounded, as well as wounded Federals, were taken by train back to Tallahassee to be cared for. Most of the troops hung out around the Newport area until they were sure the Federals were retreating back into the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the soldiers arrived back in Tallahassee a few days later on the March 9, and were greeted by adoring citizens. In the House of Representatives, Governor Milton addressed the troops and praised them for their valiancy. Before being allowed to return home the soldiers were warned that the Federals may attempt to try their attack again, and to be ready if called upon. The Battle of Natural Bridge was a Confederate victory, one of the last before the end of the war, but Newton and his troops managed to inflict great loss to the town of Newport, especially to Daniel Ladd personally. Ladd’s mill at Newport, as well as the workshops attached to it were burned by the Federals.

The Confederate victory at Natural Bridge was short lived, as the war was over by April, 1865. Brigadier General E.M. McCook was ordered to Tallahassee to take U.S. possession of the capital city. He reached the town on May 10, 1865, and accepted the surrender of General Jones, ending Florida’s involvement with the Confederate States of America. The U.S. flag once again flew over the Florida capitol.

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[1] Cox, p.67

The Civil War

1861-1865

Part Five

The Battle of Natural Bridge

                As the U.S. troops rested at Tompkins’ Mills, more Confederate reinforcements were steadily arriving by the trainloads to Tallahassee, such as the 1^st Florida Infantry Reserves, the cadets from West Florida Seminary, and Home Guards from surrounding counties. These troops did not stay long in the capitol city, as they were ordered to board the Tallahassee-St. Marks train to Camp Randolph, a military encampment along the railroad between Tallahassee and St. Marks, in the vicinity of present-day Wakulla Station. They finally reached Camp Randolph at ten o’clock on the night of March 5, after a slow moving four hour train ride from Tallahassee. Colonel J.J. Daniel from the 1^st Florida Reserves commanded the men, and with a guide, the troops headed out for Natural Bridge. The march that night was cold and miserable for a lot of troops like Joshua Frier who had not had much sleep lately, and it is written that many men fell asleep while marching and fell over onto the ground.[1]

            On the morning of March 6, around two o’clock, the Federals at Tompkins’ Mills began to mobilize and resumed their march towards Natural Bridge under the watchful eyes of Scott’s cavalry. While Newton was slowly marching towards Natural Bridge using the infrequently traversed road along the east side of the St. Marks River, Scott and his cavalry raced as fast as possible using the Plank Road along the western side of the river on horseback, easily beating the Union force to secure Natural Bridge. Newton had no idea that the Confederates were on to him, as he also vied to seize the natural crossing. At Natural Bridge, a very heavily wooded area, the St. Marks River bends to the west at St. Marks Spring just before going underground forming the land bridge. On the western side of the crossing there is a ridge that creates a high ground overlooking the bridge in the shape of a semi-circle. Scott and the Confederates beat Newton to the crossing and set up a line of defense along the fifteen-foot ridge on the west side of the bridge. Scott ordered Lieutenant Croom to the east side of the crossing and to fire upon the Federals once they appeared thus warning the rest of the soldiers on the west side of the approaching enemy. Soon after Scott and his dismounted cavalrymen took command of the ridge, Colonel Daniel’s troops arrived.

            With the arrival of Colonel Daniel, the Confederates stretched out along the ridge using the Natural Bridge road as the center and forming a semi-circle that curved towards the river on either side of the crossing. The left flank on the north side of the bridge was held by Lieutenant Colonel Girardeau and the 1^st Florida Militia. The center of the ridge was held by Lieutenant Colonel Barnes and the 1^st Florida Reserves, and the right flank, on the south side of the bridge, was commanded by the dismounted cavalrymen of Major William H. Milton. Two cannons were placed just south of the Natural Bridge road, aimed at the crossing itself, which was only 170 yards away.[2] Once lined up, many of the soldiers, exhausted from the day’s events, stacked their muskets together and hoped to get some rest. But just as soon as many of them closed their eyes Lieutenant Croom and his men on the eastern bank of the river fired at the head of the approaching Federal column, and retreated back across Natural Bridge to the western side of the crossing. The Federals had finally arrived.

   

            Colonel J.J. Daniel was the overall commander at this time with Colonel Scott as his second. About four o’clock in the morning of March 6, 1865, Newton sent forward Companies B and G of the 2^nd U.S. Colored Infantry to charge the bridge and take it from any Confederates posted there. The Federals were not aware of the numbers of Confederates guarding the crossing when they first tried to advance across the bridge and were repulsed by southern cannon fire. The Federals retreated back into the woods and prepared for another attempt to take the crossing. About twenty minutes after the first attempt the Union made their second, more determined attempt but was also repulsed. However, during the second attempt, Colonel Daniel’s horse was startled and threw the colonel into a tree, injuring him and removing him from battle.

            Around the time of the second Union retreat, General Sam Jones arrived on the battlefield and took overall command. It is believed Jones had a hand in placing the Confederate artillery. Six cannons were placed along the elevated ridge in a semi-circle ready to tear down the enemy if they tried to take the bridge. General Miller said he placed the cannons where they were, but that was untrue, as they were already placed before Miller even arrived on the field of battle. Miller was still in Newport at the start of the fighting, keeping Major Weeks and the 2^nd Florida U.S. Cavalry from repairing the bridge and crossing at Newport. Once they heard the commotion coming from Natural Bridge they began their march along the Plank Road. After abandoning Newport Miller risked the possibility that Major Weeks and his men would repair the bridge, so he placed local volunteers to man the trenches and make Major Weeks believe the Confederates never left. One of these volunteers was none other than Daniel Ladd himself, who took random shots at the Federals to keep them at bay.

            Meanwhile at Natural Bridge, there was a lack of activity between the two opposing forces, besides the occasional erratic musket and cannon fire. The Union was not attempting another charge of the crossing just yet, while they again were looking for an alternate route. The Confederates could not see what the Federals were doing behind the trees so they sent forward men from the center and left flank of the Confederate line of defense. The men went forward into the woods between the Confederate line and Natural Bridge. They did not see much action at first, until they were attacked by a Union sniper who shot a Confederate soldier in the stomach. It was during this skirmishing that General William Miller arrived from Newport with reinforcements, around eight o’clock in the morning. These new men bolstered the ranks of the already well-defended Confederate line. The young cadets from West Florida Seminary, including young militiamen like John Wesley Adams from Sopchoppy, were placed in the center of the line just to the left of the Natural Bridge road.

 About an hour later Captain Dunham from the Milton Light Artillery arrived on the scene with three more cannons, placing one on the left flank and the other two on the right. By eleven o’clock, the Confederate line of defense was fully shaped and dug in behind breastworks. The Confederates had placed six cannons equally distributed along the crescent shaped line, aimed to mow down any Union attempt to take the crossing. Confederate commanders called the skirmishers from the 1^st Florida Reserves back to the line on the right flank. The line now looked as follows: the far left flank was manned by Lieutenant Colonel Girardeau and his force of home guards from Jefferson, Madison, Leon, Gadsden, and Wakulla Counties, with an artillery piece under Captain Dunham.  The left-center of the line had a breastwork thrown up with the cadets placed behind it. The right-center of the line were Houstoun’s cannons which were aimed directly at the crossing. A company of home guards from Gadsden County reinforced Houstoun’s guns. The right flank consisted of the 1^st Florida Reserves under the command of Lieutenant Colonel W.D. Barnes, and was joined by three companies of dismounted cavalrymen from the 5^th Florida Cavalry, as well as Captain Benjamin Chaires’ Leon County home guards. Also somewhere in the line were sailors from the Spray, and artillerymen from Fort Ward, both acting as infantrymen.

While there was not much action accept some troop movements and placement, General Newton sent workers from the 99^th U.S. Colored Infantry to construct a breastwork along the bank of the river, opposite the Confederate’s right flank. Three cannons were placed there, as well as three companies from the 99^th to reinforce them. Union commanders later reported that the two armies could barely even see each other for thickness of the trees, and since their position was lower than the rebel’s, many of their gunfire went over their head. U.S. General Newton then came up with a gutsy plan of attack. The first stage of the attack consisted of men from the 2^nd U.S. Colored Infantry, who were to charge the bridge while being fired on by cannon and musket fire, then attack the Confederate right flank once they got across. The second part of the plan was for more men from the 2^nd to charge across the bridge and attack the Confederate center. Afterwards, the 99^th U.S. Colored Infantry were to come up and exploit whatever the first two attacks achieved. Newton and other Union leaders had no idea of the numbers that the Confederates were able to gather. On the eastern side of the river, Newton only had five-hundred soldiers and three cannons at his disposal, while the Confederates had over a thousand men with six cannon.

Around noon, though some records indicate an earlier time, cannons from the Union breastwork began to open fire on the Confederate line with most of the shells landing well behind it. The Confederates returned cannon fire then both infantries began firing shortly thereafter. Suddenly, Federal troops in their dark blue uniforms emerged from behind the trees and the fighting intensified. A Union column traversed the crossing and advanced into positions on the west side of the bridge, and attacked the Confederate’s right flank. Another column attacked the center of the Confederate line. During this fierce attack the Confederates started suffering casualties. The Confederate right flank wavered a bit and the Federals attempted to storm it, but was halted by an impassable sinkhole that they could not see until they were right up on it and were forced retreat back to the tree line.[3] It is said that General Miller rode out to the right flank himself and hollered for the men to get the line back in order. The two Federal columns and the Confederates on the ridge engaged in a severe infantry battle that lasted for several hours. The Confederate’s Minie balls tore through the 2^nd and 99^th U.S. Colored Infantry, wounding and killing dozens of soldiers.

The exchange of volley after volley continued for hours, then reinforcements arrived in the form of dismounted men from the 2^nd Florida Cavalry. They had finally made it to the battle all the way from Lake City. General Newton and the Federals were now outnumbered three to one by a force with a superior position and artillery, and he knew it.[4] Jones and Miller sent a detachment of home guards with a cannon back to Newport to reoccupy the trenches, which were currently being held by Daniel Ladd and a handful of other unknown locals. After the Federals seized fire, believing they were in retreat an order came in for two companies to push forward and drive the Federals out. Men from the 5^th Florida Cavalry and the 1^st Florida Reserves advanced forward. Walking past the mutilated corpses of men from the 2^nd and 99^th U.S. Colored Infantry, they found an earthwork to the rear of the first line which held a force of Union soldiers. It had been a trick. Newton had not withdrawn, but built a new line of defense protected by earthworks and the cannon that they captured at the East River bridge.

          Once the Confederates were in open view from the new Federal earthworks, they released canon and musket fire. The Confederates made three attempts to take the entrenchments, but were repelled by heavy fire. The rebels took refuge behind the Yankee’s first entrenchments as it exchanged gunfire with the second. This fighting on the east bank of the river caused the Confederates to suffer great casualties. The Confederates retreated. Soon after, the Federals stopped firing and Colonel Scott ordered men to move scout forward to ascertain the Union’s position. They found that Newton was taking advantage of the momentary Confederate retreat to withdraw his own force. The Confederates had won the battle, not allowing the Union force to cross the St. Marks River, and the victorious "rebel yell" bounced from tree to tree. Officers then organized their men for a pursuit of the fleeing Union army.

Sources Used:

Joshua Hoyet Frier, Reminiscences of the War Between the States by a Boy in the Far South at Home and in the Rank of the Confederate Militia p.145-169,

Brig. Gen. John Newton, Report of March 19, 1865, Official Records, Series 1, Volume 49-1, pp.58-62

Cox, D. (2007). The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida: The Confederate Defense of Tallahassee. Fort Smith, Arkansas: Dale Cox.

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[1] Frier p.150

[2] Cox, p.41

[3] Newton, p.60-61

[4] Ibid. p.61