1st Florida Special Cavalry Battalion
| 1st Special Cavalry Battalion | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | April, 1864–1865 |
| Country |  Confederate States of America |
| Allegiance |  Florida |
| Branch |  Confederate States Army |
| Type | Battalion |
| Role | Cavalry |
| Nickname(s) | Cow Cavalry |
| Engagements | American Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | C. J. Munnerlyn |
The 1st Florida Special Cavalry Battalion, nicknamed Cow Cavalry, was a Confederate States Army cavalry unit from Florida during the American Civil War. Commanded by Charles James Munnerlyn; it was organized to protect herds of cattle from Union raiders.[1][2] 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. Eventually a total of nine companies, largely made up of Florida crackers, was organized near Plant City.[3][4] Some of the companies were based out of Tampa[5] or Fort Myers,[6] taking part in the Battle of Fort Myers. They would drive cattle to Baldwin.[7] John T. Lesley, Francis A. Hendry, and W. B. Henderson were all in the Cow Cavalry. McKay's son, James McKay Jr., was appointed first as Captain of one of the companies and eventually rose to the rank of Major in the unit.[8]
See also
References
- ^ Taylor, Robert (1986). "Cow Cavalry: Munnerlyn's Battalion in Florida, 1864-1865". Florida Historical Quarterly. 65 (2): 196–214. JSTOR 30146741.
- ^ "Jacob Summerlin: The cowman who was king of crackers". TBNweekly. 21 August 2007.
- ^ Taylor 1986, p. 201.
- ^ "Cow Cavalry Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org.
- ^ Ellis, Thomas Benton Sr. (1998). Landers, Roger Rice (ed.). The Last Wildcat. Brooksville, FL: The Genealogy Society of Hernando County. p. 33.
- ^ "Raid on Gopher Ridge". www.explorenaples.com.
- ^ "Whats New at the Bell Research Center". www.bellresearchcenter.com.[dead link]
- ^ Ellis 1998, p. 33.
External links
- 1st Battalion Florida Special Cavalry
- Williams, Amy Bennett (15 June 2014). "The Civil War battle of Fort Myers, 150 years later". The News-Press.
- Kambic, Randy (17 January 2015). "Fort Myers in the Civil War, more than a brief battle". The News-Press.