Battle of Natural Bridge

Battle of Natural Bridge
Part of the American Civil War
Natural Bridge Monument
Date March 6, 1865 Location Leon County, Florida 30°17′02″N 84°09′07″W / 30.28389°N 84.15194°W / 30.28389; -84.15194Coordinates: 30°17′02″N 84°09′07″W / 30.28389°N 84.15194°W / 30.28389; -84.15194 Result Confederate victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
John Newton	Sam Jones William Miller
Units involved
2nd Florida Cavalry Regiment 2nd U.S. Colored Infantry 99th U.S. Colored Infantry	1st Florida Militia 5th Florida Cavalry Battalion Kilcrease Artillery Dunham’s Battery Abell's Battery Company A, Milton Light Artillery Barwick’s Company Reserves Hodges' Company Reserves Companies A, B, and F; Florida Reserves Reinforcements from Georgia
Strength
700	1,000
Casualties and losses
148 total 21 killed 89 wounded 38 captured	26 total 3 killed 23 wounded

The Battle of Natural Bridge was a battle during the American Civil War, fought in what is now Woodville, Florida, near Tallahassee, on March 6, 1865. A small band of Confederate troops and volunteers, mostly composed of teenagers from the nearby Florida Military and Collegiate Institute that would later become Florida State University, and the elderly, protected by breastworks, prevented Union forces (consisting of African-American soldiers of the United States Colored Troops) from crossing the Natural Bridge on the St. Marks River. The Natural Bridge is a one-quarter mile long stretch along which the St. Marks River runs underground, after dropping into a sinkhole. This action prevented the Union from capturing the Florida capital and made Tallahassee the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi River not to be captured by Union forces during the war. The battle has been described as the last Confederate victory in the American Civil War, and it was the second largest American Civil War battle in Florida.

The Union's Brig. Gen. John Newton had undertaken a joint force expedition to engage and destroy Confederate troops that had attacked at Cedar Keys, Florida and Fort Myers and were allegedly encamped somewhere around St. Marks. The Union Navy had trouble getting its ships up the St. Marks River. The Union Army force, however, had advanced and, after finding one bridge destroyed, started before dawn on March 6 to attempt to cross the river at Natural Bridge. The Union troops initially pushed Rebel forces back, but not away from the bridge.

Confederate forces under Brig. Gen. William Miller, protected by breastworks, guarded all of the approaches and the bridge itself. The action at Natural Bridge lasted most of the day, but, unable to take the bridge in three separate charges, the Union troops retreated to the protection of the fleet.

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