The Battle of Santa Rosa Island

After the Union raids on Pensacola in September, Confederate forces did not wait long to retaliate. On October 8, 1861, 1,000-1,200 Confederate troops from the mainland commanded by Brigadier General R. H. Anderson crossed Pensacola Bay on flats and barges towed by steamers under the cover of night. Their goal was to destroy Camp Brown and other federal military assets outside Fort Pickens (see map below).

Though they were delayed and did not arrive until later than originally planned, the Confederates formed up on the island around 2:00 AM on the morning of the 9th. The troops were organized into three battalions. The first, led by Colonel James Chalmers of the 9th MS, included 350 men of the 9th MS, 10th MS, and 1st AR. The second battalion, commanded by Colonel J. Patton Anderson numbered some 400 troops, was comprised of the 7th AL, 1st FL, and LA troops. The third battalion, Colonel John Jackson commanding 260 men, was made up of troops from the 5th GA and other Georgia units. Accompanying the third battalion was a company of selected men equipped to destroy artillery and supplies. These three forces began moving across the island in the direction of Fort Pickens.

Between them and the fort lay Camp Brown the camp of the 6th NY, commanded by Colonel William Wilson. This regiment was also know as “Billy Wilson’s Zouaves”. The 6th NY were some of the reinforcements that arrived on Santa Rosa Island on June 24th. To make room for the newly arrived soldiers outside the walls of Fort Pickens, a camp was constructed east of the fort. It was named Camp Brown after Colonel Harvey Brown, the officer in command of the fort. On September 23rd Camp Brown housed five companies with fourteen officers and 232 enlisted men. It was a standard infantry camp with tents, a hospital, a signal tower, a guard house, commissary store, and sheds.

**Colonel William Wilson (seated center) and men of the 6th NY**

As the Southern forces advanced, they soon ran into the pickets of Wilson’s regiment who were maintaining their guard posts around the camp. Pickets from the 6th NY opened fire on the Confederates but were rapidly driven in. The New Yorkers abandoned their position and withdrew toward Fort Pickens to Batteries Lincoln and Cameron about 600-800 yards from the fort. The Rebels did not pursue and began burning the tents and supplies of Camp Brown. Upon burning part of the camp, the Confederates reformed their battalions. Their intent was to advance and destroy artillery positions closer to the fort. However, with daylight approaching and Federal reinforcements thought to be on the way, any further attack was called off, and the Southerners headed back to their ships. Hearing the sounds of the battles and seeing the flames from the camp Colonel Harvey Brown sent Major Vodges with two companies of men toward the action. Shortly thereafter two addition companies under Major Arnold were sent to aid Vodges. Major Vodges was captured, and a brief skirmish took place. As Major Arnold came up the Confederates headed back to their landing point. The Federals fired from behind dunes at the Rebels as they boarded their ships to leave the island. However, one of the ships employed in towing the barges filled with Southern soldiers was disabled by a cable entangled in its propeller. The vessel was eventually freed, and the Rebels returned to Pensacola. The Confederates lost 18 dead, 39 wounded, and 30 missing. Among the Rebel casualties was Captain Richard Bradford of the 1st FL Infantry, one of the state’s first officers to be killed in action. Brigadier General R.H. Anderson was wounded in the left elbow. The Union suffered 13 dead, 27 wounded, and 21 missing (Chapter XVI page 443 of the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion).

A little more than a month later, a long range artillery battle across Pensacola Harbor began. On the morning of November 22, Federal guns in Fort Pickens and its four sand batteries (Lincoln, Totten, Cameron and Scott) opened fire on Confederate mainland forts and batteries. Two Union ships the USS Niagara and Richmond got as close as possible to Fort McRee and focused their efforts there. Confederate guns returned fire along a four mile front from Fort McRee to the Navy yard including Fort Barrancas and 14 batteries. The firing was continuous throughout the day on the 22nd. The following morning firing resumed again at 10 AM this time without the aid of the Navy and continued until early on the morning of November 24. Fires broke out in the communities of Woolsey and Warrington as well as the Navy yard on the mainland. Confederate Major General Braxton Bragg estimated that some 5,000 rounds were fired by Union artillery and about 1,000 from the Confederates. Bragg reported that Fort McRee was severely damaged and three fires broke out there during the first day’s shelling. One Confederate was reported killed and 20 wounded from Union fire. Six additional Confederates suffocated when a defective magazine collapsed near Fort McRee. Federal losses included one killed (Private Cooper, Company H 6th NY) and six wounded. The barrage helped make clear the formidable strength of the Federal position on Santa Rosa Island. For a time no further action was taken in Pensacola Harbor by either North or South.

There is no interpretation of the battle on Santa Rosa Island but there are exhibits at the Resource Center shown below. Relics recovered on the battlefield during a 2016 archaeological survey are also displayed here.

**The Florida Public Archaeology Network and the Destination Archaeology Resource Center- 207 East Main Street**

In 2016, archaeologists conducted in-field training at Gulf Islands National Seashore around the site of Camp Brown. The goal of the project was to use skills learned in the Advanced Metal Detecting for the Archaeologist (AMDA) training to survey the site using scientific methods and archaeological practices. Although the exact location of the camp was elusive, they found that the footprint of Camp Brown and remains of the battle were well preserved. Evidence of the battle was systematically documented in the field and artifacts were recovered for analysis. Some of these artifacts found at Camp Brown are organized into two display cases at the Resource Center.

Display case #1