Cannons crashed, hooves thundered, and muskets boomed as Union “blue bellies” and Confederate “rebs” clashed last weekend at St. Cloud’s Ralph Chisholm Park.
The Battle at Narcoossee Mill is an annual educational and entertainment event, hosted by the Jacob Summerlin Camp 1516, Sons of Confederate Veterans on the 4th weekend of March each year. The lakeside park transformed into troop camps, a Civil War era military hospital, and a sutlers row of merchants that followed armies and sold them clothing and other provisions. Other civilian re-enactors presented displays of how life was in America in the 1860s.
Friday was Education Day. This is a living history event held each year on the Friday before the Battle Weekend. School children saw authentic recreations of life as it was during this period of 1861-1865. The children had live interaction with speakers and Civil War era re-enactors and lunch provided by Jacob Summerlin Camp.
There was no real battle at Narcoossee during the Civil War, as there were very few non-Native Americans in this part of Florida at the time. The closest actions were at Palatka and St. Augustine, and naval actions at Tampa and Ft. Myers. For more information about the annual event, go to https://bit.ly/3uxzfqX.
Story and photos by Terry Lloyd
