The 1st Florida Special Cavalry Battalion, nicknamed Cow Cavalry, was a

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

cavalry unit from

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. Commanded by Charles James Munnerlyn; it was organized to protect herds of

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

from

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

raiders. The hides and meat from Florida cattle was a critical supply item for the Confederacy. James McKay wrote to the state of the need to protect Florida cattle after the

Battle of Olustee The Battle of Olustee or Battle of Ocean Pond was fought in Baker County, Florida on February 20, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the largest battle fought in Florida during the war. Union General Truman Seymour had landed troops ...

, and a group of

Florida cracker Florida crackers were colonial-era British and American pioneer settlers in what is now the U.S. state of Florida; the term is also applied to their descendants, to the present day, and their subculture among white Southerners. The first cracke ...

s was organized near

Plant City Plant City is an incorporated city in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. The population was 39,764 at the 2020 census. Despite many thinking it was named for flora ...

, and were based out of

Fort Myers Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...

, taking part in the

Battle of Fort Myers The Battle of Fort Myers was fought on February 20, 1865, in Lee County, Florida during the last months of the American Civil War. This small engagement is known as the "southernmost land battle of the Civil War." Background Fort Myers had been ...

. They would drive cattle to Baldwin.

John T. Lesley John Thomas Lesley (May 12, 1835 – July 13, 1913) was a cattleman and pioneer in Tampa, Florida. He fought in the Third Seminole War and was a captain in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Lesley formed his own volunteer company t ...

, Francis A. Hendry, and

W. B. Henderson William Benton Henderson (September 17, 1839 – May 7, 1909) was a cattleman, merchant, and prominent figure in the history of Tampa, Florida. He is the namesake of Henderson Boulevard and Henderson Avenue as well as the former W. B. Henders ...

were all in the Cow Cavalry.

References

External links

1st Battalion Florida Special Cavalry
* * {{cite news , last1=Kambic , first1=Randy , title=Fort Myers in the Civil War, more than a brief battle , url=https://www.news-press.com/story/life/outdoors/2015/01/17/fort-myers-civil-war-brief-battle/21919231/ , work=The News-Press , date=17 January 2015 Florida in the American Civil War Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Florida

See also

References

External links