The 2nd Florida Infantry Regiment was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

that fought in service of the

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 ...

in 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 th ...

History

The 2nd Florida was organized near

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

on July 13, 1861, and mustered into

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

service for a twelve-month term of enlistment. The unit elected George T. Ward as its commander. Records indicate that the unit, at its founding, had an average age of twenty-three. Roughly 3% of the unit was Northern-born, including future regimental commander,

Edward A. Perry Edward Aylesworth Perry (March 15, 1831October 15, 1889) was a general under Robert E. Lee during the American Civil War and the 14th Governor of Florida. Early life He was a descendant of Arthur Perry, one of the earliest settlers of New Engl ...

. About 7% were Foreign-born; fourteen from Ireland, seven from Germany or Prussia, three from England, and one each from Canada, Cuba, Italy, Norway, and Russia. A further 3% were of Hispanic descent. The regiment was sent to the Eastern Theater of the war and placed in the Confederacy's main army in Virginia. After arriving in Richmond on July 21, 1861, the 2nd Florida spent the next few weeks drilling and guarding Union soldiers captured during the

First Battle of Manassas The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

. The regiment first saw combat the following year during the Peninsula Campaign. It was at the Williamsburg, on May 5, 1862, that Col. Ward was shot and killed. Several days later, the unit voted to elect Edward A. Perry as their commander. The unit also participated in the battles of Seven Pines,

Gaines Mill The Battle of Gaines' Mill, sometimes known as the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles (Peninsula Campaign) of the American Civil War. Following the inconc ...

, and

Malvern Hill Malvern Hill stands on the north bank of the James River in Henrico County, Virginia, USA, about eighteen miles southeast of Richmond. On 1 July 1862, it was the scene of the Battle of Malvern Hill, one of the Seven Days Battles of the American ...

. Following the Peninsula Campaign, the 2nd Florida was assigned to the newly formed Florida Brigade alongside the 5th and 8th Florida. The 2nd Florida's Colonel Perry was promoted to brigadier general and given command of the brigade. Perry's Brigade served under Anderson's Division of Longstreet's First Corps, of the Army of Northern Virginia.] As a component of Perry's Brigade, the 2nd Florida continued to serve through the Army of Northern Virginia's campaigns. Through the remainder of 1862, the regiment participated in the Battles of Second Battle of Bull Run, Second Manassas in August, Sharpsburg in September, and Fredericksburg in December. In May 1863, the 2nd Florida fought in the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

. As the Army of Northern Virginia began preparations for its invasion of Pennsylvania, Brig. Gen. Perry fell ill with typhoid and command of the Florida Brigade devolved to Colonel David Lang of the 8th. The Florida Brigade was engaged at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

and participated in

Pickett's Charge Pickett's Charge (July 3, 1863), also known as the Pickett–Pettigrew–Trimble Charge, was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee against Major General George G. Meade's Union positions on the last day of the B ...

on the battle's third and final day. After the Battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania in 1864, the Brigade was joined by the victors of 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 a ...

, the 9th, 10th, and 11th Regiments. Brigadier General

Joseph Finegan Joseph Finegan, sometimes Finnegan (November 17, 1814 – October 29, 1885), was an American businessman and brigadier general for the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. From 1862 to 1864 he commanded Confederate forces oper ...

, the commander of Florida forces at Olustee, took command of the Florida Brigade. The remainder of 1864 saw the 2nd Florida fight at the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...

in June and settle into static defenses at the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

. Following the fall of Petersburg and Richmond the following spring, the Florida Brigade retreated with the Army of Northern Virginia and surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. By the time of surrender, the regiments of the brigade were dramatically understrength. The 2nd, 5th, and 8th surrendered 68, 53, and 32 men respectively. The 9th, 10th, and 11th surrendered 124, 162, and 23. Most of the 11th had been cut off in the Army's retreat and had previously surrendered. On May 2, 1905, Florida held a celebration to honor the U.S. government returning the 2nd Florida's battle flag to the state.CALL FAMILY PAPERS (continued) - Box: 3 Folder: 38 Item: 1. . State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. , accessed 23 December 2022.

Engagements and Battles

1862 * Yorktown Siege, April—May 1862. *

Battle of Williamsburg The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the first pitc ...

, May 5, 1862. *

Battle of Seven Pines The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, nearby Sandston, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was t ...

, May 31—June. 1, 1862. *

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, command ...

, June 25—July 1, 1862. * Battle of Beaver Dam Creek, June 26, 1862. Gaines' Mill, June 27, 1862. *

Battle of Glendale The Battle of Glendale, also known as the Battle of Frayser's Farm, Frazier's Farm, Nelson's Farm, Charles City Crossroads, New Market Road, or Riddell's Shop, took place on June 30, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, on the sixth day of the Sev ...

(Frayser's Farm), June 30, 1862. *

Battle of 2nd Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

, August 28–30, 1862. *

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

, September 17, 1862. *

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnsi ...

, December 13, 1862. 1863 *

, May 1–4, 1863. *

, July 1–3, 1863. * Bristoe Campaign, October 1863. *

Mine Run Campaign The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run campaign (November 27 – December 2, 1863), was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War. An unsuccessful attempt of the Union ...

, November—December. 1863. 1864-1865 * The Wilderness, May 5–6, 1864. *

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 1864 ...

, May 8—21, 1864. *

Battle of North Anna The Battle of North Anna was fought May 23–26, 1864, as part of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. It consisted of a series of small actions near the North ...

, May 22–26, 1864. *

, June 1–3, 1864. * Petersburg Siege, June 1864—April 1865. *

Weldon Railroad Weldon may refer to: Places In Canada: * Weldon, Saskatchewan In England: * Weldon, Northamptonshire * Weldon, Northumberland In the United States: * Weldon, Arkansas * Weldon, California * Weldon, Illinois * Weldon, Iowa * Weldon, North Caroli ...

, June 23, 1864. * Ream's Station, June 30, 1864. *

Battle of Globe Tavern The Battle of Globe Tavern, also known as the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad, fought August 18–21, 1864, south of Petersburg, Virginia, was the second attempt of the Union Army to sever the Weldon Railroad during the siege of Petersburg ...

, August 21, 1864. * Battle of Belfield, December 9, 1864. *

Battle of Hatcher's Run The Battle of Hatcher's Run, also known as Dabney's Mill, Armstrong's Mill, Rowanty Creek, and Vaughn Road, fought February 5–7, 1865, was one in a series of Union offensives during the siege of Petersburg, aimed at cutting off Confederate ...

, February 5–7, 1865. Farmville, April 7, 1865. * Appomattox Court House, April 9, 1865.

Assignments

Army of the Peninsula The Army of the Peninsula or Magruder's Army Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary.'' page 501 was a Confederate army early in the American Civil War. In May 1861, Colonel John B. Magruder was assigned to command operations on th ...

, September 1861. * Gen. Gabriel Rains'

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

, Army of the Peninsula, December 1861-April 1862. *Ward's Command, Gen. Daniel Harvey Hill's division, Department of Northern Virginia, April–May 1862. * Gen. John Garland's Brigade, Daniel H. Hill's Division, Department of Northern Virginia, May–June 1862. * Gen. Roger Pryor's

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

, Gen. James Longstreet's 1st Division,

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...

, June–July 1862. *Gen. Roger Pryor's brigade, James Longstreet's 1st Division, First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, July- September 1862. *Gen. Atkinson Pryor's and Gen. Edward A. Perry's brigade, Gen. R. H. Anderson's division, First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, September 1862 - May 1863. *Gen. Atkinson Pryor's and Gen. Joseph Finegan's brigade, Gen. Richard Anderson's and Gen. William Mahone's Division, Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, May 1863-April 1865.

References

{{Reflist Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Florida 1861 establishments in Florida

History

Engagements and Battles

Assignments

See also

References