A Thousand Words a Battle: Olustee

Battle of Olustee
February 20, 1864

In February1864, Union forces landed in Jacksonville, Florida. The plan was to disrupt the flow of foodstuffs from Florida, free slaves, and secure large portions of the state to create a loyal government. The Confederates quickly reinforced the state and were posted at Olustee under Joseph Finegan. Truman Seymour, the Union commander in Florida, decided against orders to attack Finegan’s encampment. However, near Ocean Pond, Seymour met Finegan’s advance forces in a battle that neither commander had planned for. Seymour thought he was only facing militia, and he attacked piecemeal. In reality, many of the Confederates were hardened veterans.

The Federal left flank was held by the 8th United States Colored Troops (USCT). Lieutenant Oliver Norton of the 8th USCT observed:

“Military men say it takes veteran troops to maneuver under fire, but our regiment with knapsacks on and unloaded pieces, after a run of half a mile, formed a line under the most destructive fire I ever knew. We were not more than two hundred yards from the enemy, concealed in pits and behind trees, and what did the regiment do? At first they were stunned, bewildered, and knew not what to do. They curled to the ground, and as men fell around them they seemed terribly scared, but gradually they recovered their senses and commenced firing. And here was the great trouble – they could not use their arms to advantage. We have had very little practice in firing, and, though they could stand and be killed, they could not kill a concealed enemy fast enough to satisfy my feelings.

After seeing his men murdered as long as flesh and blood could endure it, Colonel Fribley ordered the regiment to fall back slowly, firing as they went. As the men fell back they gathered in groups like frightened sheep, and it was almost impossible to keep them from doing so. Into these groups the rebels poured the deadliest fire, almost every bullet hitting some one. Color bearer after color bearer was shot down and the colors seized by another. Behind us was a battery that was wretchedly managed. They had but little ammunition, but after firing that, they made no effort to get away with their pieces, but busied themselves in trying to keep us in front of them. Lieutenant Lewis seized the colors and planted them by a gun and tried to rally his men round them, but forgetting them for the moment, they were left there, and the battery was captured and our colors with it.

Colonel Fribley was killed soon after his order to fall back, and Major Burritt had both legs broken. We were without a commander, and every officer was doing his best to do something, he knew not what exactly. There was no leader. Seymour might better have been in his grave than there. Many will blame Lieutenant Lewis that the colors were lost. I do not think he can be blamed. Brave to rashness, he cannot be accused of cowardice, but man can not think of too many things.”[1]

Norton, a veteran of many engagements including Bull Run, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg believed “no battle was ever more wretchedly fought. I was going to say planned, but there was no plan. No new regiment ever went into their first fight in more unfavorable circumstances. Second, no braver men ever faced an enemy.”[2] Colonel Joseph Hawley, commanding the brigade, believed, “Old troops finding themselves so greatly overmatched, would have run a little and reformed with or without orders. The black men stood to be killed or wounded-losing more than 300 out of 550.”[3]

Even some Confederate were impressed. Henry Shackelford of the 19th Georgia Infantry, which fought the 35th USCT and the famed 54th Massachusetts Infantry, wrote “The Yankees were giving back and on our pushing forward, pitched three negro regiments against us, and all acknowledged that they fought well.” However, many black prisoners were murdered, even though the officers tried to prevent a massacre. Shackelford admitted “they would beg and pray but it did no good.”[4]

Olustee joined Port Hudson, Battery Wagner, and Milken’s Bend as proof that, even in a hopeless fight, black soldiers were the equals of white soldiers in valor and determination.

— Sean Michael Chick

Part of a series.

[1] Oliver Willcox Norton, Army Letters, 1861-1865, (Chicago: O.W. Norton, 1903), 197-198.

[2] Ibid, 201.

[3] Joseph R. Hawley, “Comments on General Jones’s Paper,” Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Volume 4, (New York: Century, 1888), 80.

[4] Atlanta Intelligencer, 2 March 1864.