By the Noble Daring of Her Sons: The Florida Brigade of the Army of Tennessee

3. The War Trumpet is Sounding its Blasts in Every Direction around Us: October–December 1861

3 The War Trumpet is Sounding its Blasts in every Direction around Us october–December 1861 Throughout the fall months, Florida’s soldiers remained in their tents, attempting to ward off the boredom that threatened to conquer their spirits long before they had a chance to fight the yankees. During this relatively dull period, the troops experienced only spurts of excitement. Disease claimed its first victims during these months, which, along with inaction, sobered the volunteers’ hearts. meanwhile, their regimental leaders traded partisan jabs with the newly inaugurated governor, John milton, over the administration of the war in Florida. on Pensacola Bay, dissatisfaction with the inactivity and constant boredom was not confined to enlisted men. Colonel Anderson and Company i captain Thompson B. lamar, the brother of the Southern statesman l.C.Q. lamar, both yearned for action and the chance to serve in units from their home states. Writing to a relative in early october, Anderson praised his men, noting, “i have an excellent regiment here . . . it is well disciplined and drilled.” However, he also expressed his desire to serve at the front. The Kentucky-raised Tennessean confessed, “i am in a perfect fever to get to [Kentucky] in her hour of need. . . . if the [president] insists on keeping me here on a peace establishment all winter, i will resign and join Gen. [Simon Bolivar] Buckner’s ranks as a private.”1 even before Anderson issued his plea to serve in Kentucky, he and lamar, a fellow Jefferson County resident, asked permission to raise “strictly a Confederate regiment—not from any particular state, but from each state.” The two men argued that they were “citizens of Florida but have a very general acquaintance in the States of mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia” and entertained “no doubt that from these States a regiment can be promptly organized which will enlist for the war.” The two officers intended, as an ad in the Monticello Family Friend boasted, that the regiment was meant for “active service” in Kentucky.2 Anderson and lamar attempted to exploit the fact that the 1st Florida infantry regiment did not have the correct number of soldiers required by Confederate Army regulations. in both letters Anderson alluded to the fact that “Death, disease and discharges from other causes have reduced it [the 1st Florida] to a mere battalion.” Writing from Tallahassee, J. H. randolph explained to Confederate major George Fairbanks, “i understand there is a plan also on foot to change the October–December 1861 25 regt which is not full, into a battalion and thus leave the higher officers free to be transferred to other regiments.”3 less than a week after Anderson wrote his request for a transfer to Kentucky, the colonel came under enemy fire for the first time. During September, Union sailors and marines carried out two daring raids within Pensacola Bay, burning both a wooden dry dock and the Judah, a privateer fitting out for sea. in retaliation , General Bragg ordered a raid against Santa rosa island to take place on the night of october 8–9. By September, the number of Union soldiers and marines on Santa rosa island had grown to such an extent that many pitched their tents outside the protective walls of Fort Pickens. The 6th New york volunteer regiment ’s encampment lay nearly a mile from the fort and was plainly seen through Confederate field glasses. Along with Federal artillery batteries, this encampment became the target for Bragg’s forces.4 Braxton Bragg’s attack plan called for three ad hoc battalions consisting of soldiers from the various regiments under his command. Bragg named Colonel Anderson to lead the second battalion, which included 180 soldiers of the 1st Florida, companies of the 7th Alabama, and louisiana troops. The other battalions were led by Colonels James r. Chalmers and John K. Jackson, with Brigadier General richard H. Anderson in overall command. A smaller, fourth group, under a lieutenant Hallonquist, was designated to carry out the spiking of cannon and destruction of the enemy’s camp.5 on the evening of october 8, as soldiers of the 1st Florida readied for dismissal from drill, the captains passed through the ranks of their companies, spreading the word of the impending attack. each captain was to select eighteen men from his unit, and in the Franklin rifles, “The orderly sergeant, Abbot, called out: ‘All who want to go step out two paces!’ At the command nearly the entire company stepped forward. Captain...