The Battle at Horse Landing - Palatka, Florida
N 29° 38.787 W 081° 37.869
17R E 438911 N 3279776
Another in a wonderful series of murals brought to Palatka by the Lee Conlee Mural Comittee.
Waymark Code: WM2TYZ
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 12/22/2007
Views: 71
This mural depicts the Battle at Horse Landing during the Civil War. Here is an excerpt describing the battle: "On May 23, 1864, while returning from a trip to Palatka, Florida, near Horse Landing, Columbine was attacked by Confederate forces of the 2nd Florida Cavalry, under the command of Capt. John J. Dickison, who were equipped with an artillery piece from the Milton Light Artillery.
The Confederate troops engaged the Columbine very close to the landing, and kept up such heavy gunfire that it soon became impossible to handle the ship. After the rudder was damaged and a steam pipe wrecked, the Columbine could no longer be steered. She ran aground after 45 minutes of fighting, and Acting-Ensign Frank Sandborn went ashore and surrendered the ship to Captain Dickison. One landsman on the Columbine and three Negro seamen jumped off the boat, swam ashore, and marched some five days finally arriving at St. Augustine, Florida. The Columbine was subsequently burned so that she would not be re-captured by the USS Ottawa, which was only about five miles upstream.
More than half of Columbine's crew were wounded in the fighting. Official records of the Columbine indicate that only one seaman was killed. The remaining seamen were eventually transferred to Andersonville, Georgia Prison; the officers being sent to Macon, Georgia."
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