Battle of Santa Rosa Island
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The Battle of Santa Rosa Island was a battle fought October 9, 1861, on the barrier island of Santa Rosa Island, Florida, as part of the American Civil War.
The island
Santa Rosa Island is a 40-mile barrier island located in the U.S. state of Florida, thirty miles from the Alabama state border.
Before the battle
At the western end stood Fort Pickens, which in the fall of 1861 was garrisoned by parts of the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th U. S. artillery and the 3d U. S. infantry, under command of Col. Harvey Brown, of the 5th artillery. The 6th N.Y. volunteer infantry, commanded by Col. William Wilson, was encamped outside of and a short distance east of the fort.The battle
On the night of the 9th some 1,200 or 1,500 Confederates, commanded by Brig.-Gen. R. H. Anderson, landed about 3 or 4 miles above the fort and marched down the island in three columns, the object being to surprise and capture the garrison. About 3:30 a. m. on the 9th the pickets were suddenly attacked and driven in, and a terrific fire was opened on the camp of the 6th N. Y. Col. Wilson tried to rally his men, but the sudden and unexpected assault threw them into a panic and only a few answered the call. These, however, bravely stood their ground until reinforced "by Maj. Arnold, of the 1st artillery, with a detachment of regulars, from the fort, when the Confederates were driven back to their landing place, closely pressed by about one-fifth their number, who kept up the fire until the boats were out of range. The Union loss was 14 killed, 29 wounded and 24 captured or missing. General Braxton Bragg, commanding the Confederate forces at Pensacola, reported their loss as "30 or 40 killed and wounded," but a Confederate newspaper, found by Lieut. Seeley a few days after the occurrence, gave the total casualties as 175. Maj. Vodges, of the 1st artillery, was captured, and on the Confederate side Gen. Anderson was severely wounded. The camp of the 6th N. Y. was partially destroyed.
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