The Natural Bridge Historical Society will hold its 141st Anniversary Reenactment of the Battle of Natural Bridge this weekend, March 4th and 5th, at Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park in Woodville, Florida.  Members of the Leon Rifles will perform the actual reenactment.


The Battle of Natural Bridge took place on March 6, 1865, between Union troops and a Confederate army consisting of cadets from Tallahassee's West Florida Seminary (current day Florida State University) and local men considered too old to be in the military.  Some of the Confederate soldiers were also wounded soldiers who had been sent home to recuperate.  The Confederate troops were under the command of General William Miller, while the Union troops were under the command of General John Newton.

The battle began in Newport, and then moved around to Natural Bridge after the Newport Bridge was burned by the Confederates.  Lt. Colonel George Scott led the Confederate troops at the actual Natural Bridge battle.

After ten hours of skirmishes, the Confederates were the victors, sending the Union troops into retreat.  Tallahassee ended up being the only Confederate capitol east of the Mississippi River not to be captured by the Union.

The weekend's events will begin at 9:00 a.m. when the encampments will be open to the public.  Activities will continue throughout the day on Saturday including demonstrations on military drills, artillery, knitting, candlemaking, camp life, needlework, and more.  There will also be a ladies tea and parlor games at 10:00 a.m.  There will be a reenactment of a skirmish at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, and the day's events will culminate with a Civil War Tent Dance at 8:00 that evening. 

Sunday's activities will again begin at 9:00 a.m., with the actual reenactment of the Battle of Natural Bridge taking place at 2:30 that afternoon.  The event will conclude at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon with a salute.

Hamburgers and hotdogs will be sold at noon both days with all proceeds going to support the park.  Please click here to see the entire schedule of events for the day.

Thanks to our corporate sponsor:

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Wakulla.com Publisher's Note:

My great, great grandfather, Jack J. Pearce, (Aug. 3, 1845 - April 30, 1928) was one of the cadets from the West Florida Seminary who fought at the Battle of Natural Bridge.  He was 19 years old.  He is pictured below along with other Wakulla County Civil War veterans.  According to relatives, he was buried in his Confederate uniform upon his death at 83 years of age in April of 1928.

(The following picture and information is cited from Images of America Wakulla County by Eddie Page.  Copyright 2001.  Publisher Arcadia Publishing, an imprint of Tempus Publishing, Inc.)

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