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The South Florida Rifles (1862 - 1865)
According to the book, Soldiers of Florida, the 7th Florida Regiment was mustered into service at Gainesville, Florida, in April, 1862, with ex-Gov. Madison S. Perry as Colonel; Robert Bullock as Lieutenant-Colonel, and Tillman Ingram as Major.
The companies were commanded by Captains :
Co A :Roland Thomas (Roland Thomas resigned immediately and was succeeded by Henry T. York)
Co B :James Gettis (see Officers' Biography)
Co C :Philip B. H. Dudley
Co D :Simeon VanLandingham
Co E :Nathan S. Blount
Co F :William W. Sloan
Co G :S. D. McConnell
Co H :Wade H. Eichelberger
Co I :A. S. Moseley
Co K :R. B. Smith
The companies forming this Regiment had been on duty at various points in Florida for several months prior to their consolidation as the 7th Regiment, notably at Tampa and New Smyrna, where they did excellent service. Soon after being mustered in they were ordered to Tennessee to join Bragg's Army, with which it took part in all the campaigns of the Army of Tennessee and surrendered but a handful of men with Johnston at the close of the war.
Proud History Of The 7th Florida
During and following the three Indian wars many Florida citizens joined local militia units. When the War Between The States became imminent these units were enrolled in the state military and then into Confederate service. Many of their records were lost or destroyed during reconstruction.
On January 20, 1861, Florida seceded from the Union and became the third Confederate State. In Gainesville, Florida, in April 1862, the "South Florida Rifles" were mustered into Confederate States Army as Company B of the 7th Florida Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Later that year the 7th was sent to fight in General Kerby Smith's Kentucky Campaign. Then it guarded vital Confederate communications in Tennessee, skirmishing continuously.
In 1863, now in the Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg, the regiment won distinction at the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, (September 19, 1863). That was followed by the Battle of Chattanooga, Tennessee, (September 24, 1863) during which the regiment manned entrenchments at the foot of Missionary Ridge (November 25, 1863) and took frightful losses as the Federals pushed up those heights.
In the Atlanta Campaign fighting from Resaca, Georgia, (May 14, 1864) to Peachtree Creek, (July 19, 1864) the 7th won new laurels and then marched to the agony of the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, (November 30, 1864) under General John Bell Hood. The survivors helped in contesting General Sherman's march (starting January 30, 1865) across the Carolinas to the Battle of Bentonville, North Carolina, (March 19-21, 1865). This was the last major battle for the Army of Tennessee. These are but a few of the 32 major engagements in which the 7th participated.
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Decimated at Chattanooga, the remnants of the Florida regiments were consolidated into the Florida Brigade. Reduced to a handful, the Brigade surrendered at Durham Station, North Carolina, on April 26, 1865, with the rest of the Army of Tennessee. A month later it was disbanded at Augusta, Georgia.
Muster Roll of 7th
Florida, Company B from Soldiers of Florida
Listed below is the 1862 Roster of 7th Florida, Company B from Hartman's Biographical Roster :
1862-1865 Officers
| Name : |
Rank : |
| GETTIS, James |
Captain |
| HENDERSON, William Benton |
1st Lt |
| HENDERSON, John Alexander |
2nd Lt |
| NUNEZ, Roberty Flournoy |
2nd Lt |
| BROWN, William Henry |
1st Sgt |
| McKAY, John Angus |
2nd Sgt |
| CAMPBELL, Alfred S. |
3rd Sgt |
| THOMAS, Louis R. |
4th Sgt |
| CANNING, Robert |
5th Sgt |
| MASTERS, Lawrence Alexander |
1st Cpl |
| TOWNSEND, Lorenzo Dow |
2nd Cpl |
| TOWNSEND, Elijah (Jr) |
3rd Cpl |
| BROCKWAY, Simeon L. |
4th Cpl |
1862-1865 Privates
| Name : |
Name : |
Name : |
Name : |
| ADDISON, David James |
GRAHAM, George W. |
PAPY, Charles |
TANNER, Nathan |
| ADKINS, Eli |
GRICE, John A. |
PASS, William Owen |
TANNER, Vincent |
| ALDERMAN, Timothy |
GUNTER, John Beston |
POLLOCK, Thomas |
THOMAS, James H. |
| ALLEN, Hiram |
HENDERSON, Andrew H. |
POOLE, Thomas |
TOWNSEND, Adolphus |
| BEAL, George W. |
HENDRY, John M. |
POWELL, Ambrose |
TOWNSEND, Jaques |
| BOYET, George W. |
HIRES, Jesse G. |
PRINE, Henry A. |
TUCKER, John D. |
| BRANNON, Fanty L. |
HOLLINGSWORTH, Timothy |
PRINE, James E. |
TURNER, Arthur Campbell |
| BUCHANAN, William E. |
JAMISON, Daniel |
RAULERSON, William Henry |
UNDERHILL, Jerry |
| BURLESTA, Ramon |
JOHNSTON, Columbus M. |
RAWLS, William Alexander Lafayette |
WECKTER, Joseph |
| BURTS, Wilbur F. |
JOHNSTON, James H. |
RIGGS, Joshua D. E. |
WELLS, Richard M. |
| CAMELL, E. C. |
JOHNSON, Levin P. |
RILEY, James F. |
WHIDDEN, Jesse |
| CAMPBELL, William N. |
JOHNSTON, Willis M. |
RHYMER, Jasper |
WHIDDEN, William |
| CARNEY, William |
KEEN, Joseph L. |
ROGERS, Julius D. |
WHIDDON, Bennett |
| CASON, John |
KERSEY, George |
ROSS, Lorenzo Dow |
WHIDDON, Edward |
| COLEMAN, John |
KRAUSE, John Henry |
RUSHING, Theophilus H. |
WHIDDON, Eli P. |
| COLLINS, Enoch E., Jr. |
LANIER, John H. |
RYE, Erasmus |
WHIDDON, James, Jr. |
| COWART, Alexander |
McLEOD, Daniel |
SANDERS, J. W. |
WHIDDON, John |
| COWART, Benjamin T. |
McLEOD, Ferdinand |
SIMMONS, George |
WHIDDON, Willoughby |
| DOUGLASS, Robert |
McLEOD, John B. |
SISTRUNK, Moses Henry |
WHITE, Abraham B. |
| DOWNING, Henry J. |
McLEOD, William M. |
SLOAN, Elbert |
WHITE, James Huston |
| EDWARDS, Sherrard |
MANSELL, Addison |
SLOAN, Orville |
WHITE, John F. |
| ELLIS, Thomas B. |
MILEY, William G. |
SMITH, George W. |
WHITE, William B. |
| FRIER, William H. H. |
MITCHELL, Samuel |
STAFFORD, Columbus |
WHITEHURST, Lorenzo D. |
| GAGE, Alexander |
MITCHELL, Thomas Jefferson |
STEPHENS, James Alfred |
WIGGINS, John Reuben |
| GILLETT, Daniel K. |
MIZELL, Enoch E. |
STEPHENS, John W. |
WIGGINS, William L., Jr. |
| GILLETT, David Washington |
MONTES De OCHE, Charles |
STEPHENS, Joseph Berrien |
WILLIAMS, James |
| GIVENS, Jasper John |
MOODY, James Andrew Osgood |
STONE, John P. |
WILLIAMS, James G. |
| GRAHAM, Alva |
MOODY, William Bird |
SWEAT, William E. |
ZIPPERER, Aaron Gideon |
| GRAHAM, Daniel G. |
PAGO, Joseph |
SYNCOX, Henry |
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