Florida in the Spanish American War, Philippine Insurrection, and China Relief Expedition, February 15th, 1898, to July 4th, 1902

The State of Florida

In The Spanish American War, February 15th, 1898, to July 4th, 1902

The following information is about the Volunteers and Government Officials of the State of Florida during the Spanish American War, the Philippine Insurrection, and China Relief Expedition, February 15th, 1898, to July 4th, 1902. If you have any additional information, photographs, artifacts, etc., that you wish to contribute, feel free to submit the information to the Webmaster.

Timeline of Events	Government	Volunteers
Military Camps	Veterans Organizations	Memorials

Timeline of Events

April 23rd, 1898: President William McKinley issues a call for 125,000 volunteers. At the start of the War with Spain Florida�s military forces were organized under the title of the �Florida State Troops� and was reported as having an authorized strength in April of 1898 at around 1,458 officers and men, in reality the number of men organized were only 1,072 officers and men, with another 70,000 liable for military duty. The National Guard was organized into five battalions of four companies each, with two batteries of light artillery attached to the 1st and 3rd Battalions. In April of 1898 they were organized as follows:

1st Separate Battalion

2nd Separate Battalion

3rd Separate Battalion

4th Separate Battalion

5th Separate Battalion

May 10th, 1898: Governor Bloxham issues orders for the mobilization of all troops at Tampa, Florida, for the purpose of organizing a Regiment of Volunteers.

May 12th, 1898: The Florida State Troops begin arriving at Tampa.

May 20th to 25th, 1898: The Florida Volunteers are mustered into United States service as the First Florida Infantry Regiment, United States Volunteers, at Tampa, Florida, under the command of Colonel William F. Williams. The twelve companies selected were quickly filled to the required number of volunteers by the disbanding of the remaining companies of the Florida State Troops and the sending of their members into the companies that were selected for service.

December 3rd, 1898: The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 1st Florida Infantry Regiment, US Volunteers, are mustered out of United States service at Tallahassee, Florida.

January 27th, 1899: The 3rd Battalion of the 1st Florida Infantry Regiment, US Volunteers, is mustered out of United States service at Huntsville, Alabama.

Florida Government	Florida Volunteers
Federal and State Government	Florida Volunteers, 1898 to 1902

Camps and Military Installations

During peace time and war the United States Military and State National Guard maintains forts, posts, depots, and other installations throughout the various states, and in times of war Camps are organized as rendezvous for the various volunteers joining. The following is a listing of those posts that were located and active in the State of Florida from February 15th, 1898, to July 4th, 1902.

FORT BARRANCAS, WARRINGTON, ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Fort Barrancas was constructed on the site of several previous fortifactions erected by both the Spanish and English; the current structure was designed by Army Engineer Joseph G. Totten, and construction was begun in 1839, and completed in 1844. The post remained active throughout the American Civil War, being used by both the Federal and Confederate forces, and continued in use into the 1940's when it was used as a signal station and storage depot for the small arms range of the nearby Naval Air Station. Fort Barrancas was deactiviated on April 15th, 1947, and was designated as a National Historic Landmakr in 1960, and transferred to the administration of the National Park Service in 1971, and and is today part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

CAMP CUBA LIBRE (CAMP SPRINGFIELD), JACKSONVILLE, DUVAL COUNTY

The camp was established on May 26th, 1898, as the assembly point for the units there were to become the 7th Army Corps, and at that time was known as Camp Springfield (as a result of the part of Jacksonville it was located in was known as Springfield), however in June 1898 the name was changed to Camp Cuba Libre. The Camp operated until late October when the final units of the 7th Army Corps departed for Savannah, Georgia. The camp was not settled in any one area of the city, but covered the several camp sites in and around Jacksonville, units arriving in June were sent to Panama Park, while those in August were sent to the Fairfield area.

FORT CLINCH, FERNANDINA, NASSAU COUNTY

Named in honor of General Duncan Lamont Clinch (1787-1849) of the U.S. Army, the fort was constructed on Amelia Island in Nassau County. The site was first used by the Spanish as a fortification starting in 1736, and the current Fort Clinch was started at the site in 1847, and completed in 1869. The post was occupied during the Civil War by Confederate forces until March 1862 when it was abandoned, and then occupied by Federal troops as a staging area for operations along the Florida and Georgia coastline. Following the end of the war the post was maintained until 1869, when the garrison was withdrawn and the post placed in the charge of a caretaker. In 1898 it was reactivated for service in the War with Spain, however by September the garrison was again withdrawn and the post was abandoned. In the 1930's the Civilian Conservation Corps restored the post, and in 1935 the State of Florida established a park at the site. The site is today maintained by the State as the Fort Clinch State Park.

CAMP DESOTO, TAMPA, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

This camp was established four miles east of Tampa near Palmetto Beach, and was initially known as the Camp at Palmetto Beach, however it was later changed to Camp Florida, and then finally to Camp Desoto in June 1898. Units that bivouaced at the camp were the 1st Florida and 69th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiments, the last remaining at the camp until July 24th, 1898, when it moved to Fernandina, Florida, and the camp officially closed at that point.

CAMP FERNANDINA, AMELIA ISLAND, NASSAU COUNTY

This camp was established near Fort Clinch on Amelia Island near Fernandina, Florida, to try and relieve the outbreak of typhoid then happening in Tampa, however the camp soon became overcrowded and typhoid appeared once again. The camp was initially setup and occupied in July 1898 by elements of the 3rd Division, 4th Army Corps, which remained at the post until September 1898 when they moved to Huntsville, Alabama. The last unit to leave the camp was the 5th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, around September 12th, 1898. This camp is sometimes referred to as Camp Amelia after the Island on which it was located.

FORT JEFFERSON, KEY WEST, MONROE COUNTY

Named in honor of President Thomas Jeffesron, this post was constructed on the island of Garden Key, which was the home of a lighthouse built in 1825. The War Department purchased the land in 1845 and in December 1846 construction of Fort Jefferson was begun under the supervision of Lieutenant Horatio Wright, Corps of Engineers, however was still incomplete by the start of the American Civil War. During the War the post was used to house prisoners, and in the aftermath of the war the prison was used to house four men connected with the assisnation of President Abraham Lincoln (Samuel Mudd, Edmund Spangler, Samuel Arnod & Michael O'Laughlen). The posts seawall was completed in 1872, however shortly thereafter the post garrison was withdrawn and a small detachment of caretakers was left behind to care for the post. In 1889 the Army turned the post over to the Marine Hospital Service, who used it as a quarantine station, while the Navy operated a coaling station on the site. By 1897 the post was largely abandoned, however the start of the War with Spain saw a rush of activity as Navy ships came in and out of the post while it operated as the anchorage of the fleet operating in the waters in and around Cuba. In 1902 the Army officially transferred the post to the Navy Department, who established coal rigs and water distilling plants on the site, hwoever these were destroyed by severe storms in 1906, and the fort was again abandonded. The lighthouse remained in operation until after World War I when it was decommessioned, and in 1935 the site was designated as the Fort Jefferson National Monument, and in 1992 was incoprorated into the Dry Tortugas National Park. The site is now managed by the National Park Service as the Fort Jefferson National Monument.

KEY WEST BARRACKS, KEY WEST, MONROE COUNTY

The Key West Barracks were established on January 2nd, 1831, by Company H of the 4th U.S. Infantry Regiment, as housing for the garrison of the nearby Fort Zachary Taylor. From 1831 to 1947 the post was used off and on by the Military, and several times the garrison was withdrawn and the post left in the charge of a caretaker. Seeing use in the War with Spain the post was also reactivated for use in World War's I and II, and on July 22nd, 1947, it was declared as surplus and turned over to the Department of the Navy. The original structures were torn down and the site today is used as housing for nearby military personel.

FORT MARION, ST. AUGUSTINE, ST. JOHNS COUNTY

Originally constructed between 1672 and 1695 as the Castillo de San Marcos by the Spanish Government, the post has seen a number of uses, and been laid siege to by the British Military on at least two occasions. In 1821 the post was transferred to the U.S. Government and was redesignated as Fort Marion in honor of Revolutionary War General Francis Marion of South Carolina. The post remained active up to the start of the American Civil War when it was taken over by the Florida State Troops in 1861, and held by them until abandoned in March of 1862, when it was occupied by the Federal forces. From 1862 onwards the post was used as a military prison for the remainder of its service, housing Confederate prisoners, captured Native Americans from the Indians Wars of the plains including 491 Apache Indians from 1886 to 1887. During the War with Spain the post housed over 200 deserters who were arrest and held there pending courts-martial. In 1900 the post was officially deactiviated, and twenty-four years later was designated as a National Monument. In 1933 the post was transferred to the care of the National Park Service who maintain it today as the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument.

NAVAL STATION, KEY WEST, MONROE COUNTY

The Naval Station at Key West was first established in 1823 as a preventative measure against piracy in the area. The station was expanded by the construction of Fort Zachary Taylor, as well as other defenses in the area, and by 1917 it included the addition of a Naval Submarine base and later a Naval Air Station. The station is still in use as a military facility and is currently known as the Naval Air Station Key West.

NAVY YARD, PENSACOLA, ESCAMBIA COUNTY

In 1825 President John Q. Adams authorized the establishment of a Naval Yard at Pensacola Harbor, and in April 1826 construction was begun on the Pensacola Navy Yard (also referred to as the Warrington Naval Yard). At the start of the Civil War the Navy Yard was captured by Florida State forces, and when they abandoned Pensacola in 1862 they destroyed most of the structures and facilities of the yard. In 1865 work was begun to rebuild the yard, and by 1870 a rail line had been built leading into the Navy Yard. By the start of the War with Spain the post was extensive and included the post Hospital and a Marine Barracks. In 1911 the Department of the Navy made the decision to close the Naval Yard, however in 1914 the Navy Department established the Naval Air Station at the post, and at the start of the First World War was the only Naval Air Station for the Navy. The post remains an active military installaion and is in use today as the Naval Air Station.

FORT PICKENS, WARRINGTON, ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Named in honor of Revolutionary War Brigadier General Andrew Pickens (1739-1817) of South Carolina, Fort Pickens was designed, and construction begun, on Santa Rosa Island near Pensacola in 1829 under the supervision of Colonel William H. Chase of the Corps of Engineers, and would continued in 1834, when the work was completed. The fort remained in use until the late 1840's, when following the Mexican War the post garrison was withdrawn and a caretaker was placed in charge of the works. However, at the start of the American Civil War the Union forces in Flordia withdrew to Fort Pickens as the most defensible position in the Pensacola area, and it was there that the Battle of Santa Rosa Island was fought on October 9th, 1861. Following the end of the War the post would remain active, serving as a prison for the notated Apache War Chief Geronimo from 1886 to 1887. Starting in the 1890's seven Endicott style batteries were constructed as part of the fort's defenses, Batteries Cullum, Sevier and Van Sweaingen were completed in 1898, Pensacola in 1899, Payne and Cooper in 1904 and Trueman in 1905. The fort has undergone several accidents including an 1858 fire which did extensive damage, and the most serious being the June 20th, 1899, fire which resulted in the explosion of the 8,000 pounds of powder in the magazine of Bastion D, the force of the blast blew bricks over a mile and half away to Fort Barrancas. The post remained active through the Second World War, and was officially deactived on May 5th, 1947. The State of Florida took over the site for a time as a State Park but in 1971 the post was transferred to the care of the National Parks Administration, and is today part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

CAMP ROGERS, TAMPA, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

The camp was established near Ybor City in May 1898 by the Battalion of Siege Artillery, who were joined in June 1898 by a battalion of the 1st Florida Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The camp remained in operation until August 1898 when the last units left for other stations. The camp was named in honor of Brigadier General John Isaac Rogers, U.s. Army, and served as the commander of those batteries that were being mobilized for service in Cuba with the 5th Army Corps.

CAMP SAMPSON, KEY WEST, MONROE COUNTY

The camp was established in May 1898 as the camp of the First (1st) Marine Battalion from May 24th to June 7th, 1898, prior to its embarkation for Cuba. The camp was located two-miles from the Key West docks on the outskirts of town, in an area known as La Brisa Villa. The camp was named in honor of Admiral William T. Sampson of the United States Navy.

ST. FRANCIS BARRACKS, ST. AUGUSTINE, ST. JOHNS COUNTY

The St. Francis Barracks are located along the Matanzas River in St. Augustine, and were constructed between 1724 and 1766 by friars of the Order of St. Francis, and in 1763 they were converted by the British into a military post. Following the British withdrawl from Florida the post was turned over to the Spanish Government and in 1821 they were turned over to the United State military. The post remained an active Federal military post until 1900, when it was leased to the State for use by the Florida State Troops (National Guard), and in 1921 it was officially turned over to the State. The barracks are still an active post and serve as the Florida State Arsenal of the National Guard.

CAMP TAMPA, TAMPA, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

One of several camps in and around Tampa, the camp was located near the Tampa Heights close to Robles Pond and first established as the camp of the 5th Infantry Regiment upon its arrival in Tampa in April 1898. The camp became the rendevous for infantry units arriving in Tampa; these units were spread in a wide area along the heights, while the cavalry and artillery was sent to camps nearer to the docks. The camp ceased to exist following the departure of the 5th Army Corps for Cuba in June 1898.

FORT ZACHARY TAYLOR, KEY WEST, MONROE COUNTY

Named in honor of President Zachary Taylor (1784-1850), this post was located on Thompson Island, with construction begining in 1845 on designs drawn up by Simon Bernard and Joseph G. Totten of the Corps of Engineers, and was completed just prior to the Civil War. The post remained active during the war, and afterwards, undergoing modifications, including in 1898 when the upper tier was removed, and a modern Endicott battery named Osceola was added. By 1947 the post was no longer in use, and was turned over to the care of the Navy Department until 1973 when it was designated as a National Historic Landmark. The post is today maintained as the Fort Zachary Taylor State Park.

CAMP WELLS, JACKSONVILLE, DUVALL COUNTY

The camp was established in July 1898 by Company G of the 2nd New Jersey Infantry Regiment as the Division Rifle Range for the 2nd Division, 7th Army Corps. The camp was located near Panama Park, about three miles north of Jacksonville, and remained in operation until September 1898 when the Corps moved to Savannah, Georgia. The camp was named in honor of Captain George Wells of Company G of the 2nd New Jersey.

CAMP WREN, TAMPA, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

The camp was established in July 1898 when the 3rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment moved from downtown Tampa, to a new camp three quarters of a mile outside of town. The camp is thought to have been named in honor of Trooper Robert D. Wrenn of Troop A of the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment.

Veterans Organizations

Following the end of the conflicts the Veterans began forming themselves into various regimental and national organizations for the purpose of keeping in contact with old and new friends, as well as to perpetuate the memory of their fallen comrades, several organizations sprung up in the years immediately following the war, however aside from the Regimental Associations most of these eventually came together to form the "United Spanish War Veterans." The following is information regarding the Department of Florida of the United Spanish War Veterans and the Auxiliary of the United Spanish War Veterans.

Department of Florida
United Spanish War Veterans

Department of Florida
Auxiliary of the U.S.W.V.

Veterans Memorials

The following pages contain information on the burial locations of the Veterans of 1898 to 1902, as well as the monuments and memorials that were erected to the memory of the Veterans, Battles, and other events that took place during those years, within the State of Florida.

Graves Registry

Monuments & Memorials

Resources

Books & Published Material

- Pages 271 to 273, & 783, "The Annual Cyclopedia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1898." D. Appleton & Company, New York, 1899.

- �Camps of the United Spanish War Veterans. Local Lairs of the Military Order of the Serpent, 1904-1992." George Kane.

- Page 587, "Correspondence relating to the War with Spain, and conditions growing out of the same, including the Insurrection in the Philippine Islands, and the China Relief Expedition, between the Adjutant-General of the Army and Military Commanders in the United States, Cuba, Porto Rico, China, and the Philippine Islands, from April 15, 1898, to July 30, 1902." Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1902.

- Volume I, "Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, from its organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903." Francis B. Heitman, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1903.

- "Officers of Volunteer Regiments Organized Under the Act of March 2, 1899." Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1899.

- Pages 49 to 52, "The Organized Militia of the United States." Government Printing Press, Washington, D.C., 1900.

- Volume I, �Report on the Origin and Spread of Typhoid Fever in U.S. Military Camps during the Spanish War of 1898.� Walter Reed, Victor C. Vaughan, Edward O. Shakespeare; Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1904.

- Part III, �Soldiers of Florida in the Seminole, Indian, Civil, and Spanish American Wars.� Florida Board of State Institution; Live Oak, Florida; Democrat Print, 1903.

- "Statistical Exhibit of Strength of Volunteer Forces Called Into Service During the War With Spain; with Losses From All Causes." Adjutant Generals Office, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1899.

Documents, Papers & Non-Published Materials

- General Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers who served During the War with Spain. Microfilm publication M871, 126 rolls. ARC ID: 654543; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; The National Archives at Washington, D.C.

- Pension applications for service in the US Army between 1861 and 1900, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served. (NARA T289) National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C.

Websites & Online Resources

- Florida and the Spanish American War of 1898.

- Henry B. Plant Museum, Tampa, Florida.

- Spanish-American War Camps, 1898-1899 Period.