Fort Myers

[USS ALASKA]

Florida Historical Quarterly
Volume 72
Number 2 Florida Historical Quarterly, Volume
72, Number 2
Article 3
1993

Southern Extremities: The Significance of Fort Myers in the Civil War
Irvin D. Solomon

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Although not counted among the war's memorable battles, the engagement at Fort Myers demonstrated the inability of Confederate troops to dislodge Union forces from the lower peninsula, thus shifting the locus of subsequent battles to the northern reaches of the state until the hoisting. of the Stars and Stripes over Tallahassee on May 20, 1865. The history of Fort Myers also affirmed the Union's ability to disrupt Confederate activity throughout south Florida's interior. In this respect, actions carried out by Union troops took on a degree of national significance, as they confirmed the validity of the Federal strategy of blockading the coast, raiding the hinterland, and interdicting the critical cattle trade in south Florida. To be sure, these actions were not pivotal to Union victory, but they are worthy of note because they contributed in a special way to the decline of the Confederacy and its ultimate defeat.

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?params=/context/fhq/article/4020/&path_info=Vol72Iss2_SouthernExtremities.pdf

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[Stryker65]

The Confederate troops was the "Cow Cavalry" battalion, composed of Floridians serving for the primary duty of corraling, herding, and protecting the cattle herds that comprised most of the Confederacy's immediate beef supply. Why Colonel Charles Munnerlyn thought that they could take on a fortified Union position, I don't know.

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

Until about a year or so ago I had no idea where I was working was in the general area of where Ft Myers was.

@Stryker65 I believe I've unearthed a quote on the attack by Munnerlyn: "Hold my beer..."

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

The Confederate troops was the "Cow Cavalry" battalion, composed of Floridians serving for the primary duty of corraling, herding, and protecting the cattle herds that comprised most of the Confederacy's immediate beef supply. Why Colonel Charles Munnerlyn thought that they could take on a fortified Union position, I don't know.

Actually background to.it was there had been some incursion by union forces with some dirt of punitive raid and this was payback. A forlorn charge sort of thing.