The Battle Of Ballast Point, a Civil War Reenactment
Attention History Buffs
This was a Homeschool Field Trip
Last Year we had a wonderful opportunity to attend a Civil War reenactment of The Battle of Ballast Point. I found this quite interesting, as I did not know that Florida had any battles during Civil War Times. If back in the day when I went to school, they either failed to mention this or I failed to remember this.
I found this most interesting because it is so close to home just across the bay not even a 20 minute drive from my home. My son and step daughter the two homeschoolers tried to act uninterested but you could tell they liked it.
We saw a campsite, mock trial and execution, and of course the battle. The camp was very realistic with women and children playing musical instruments and doing crafts from the time setting. The trial was long and drawn out, the execution short and quick. The battle of course was the best part. My son could not get enough of it.
I took hundreds of pictures and wore out the battery in the camera. I did convert the photos to black and white to look more realistic using photoshop elements.
The Trial and Execution
A Brief History
On October 18, 1863 the Battle of Ballast Point took place in Tampa, Florida. A Union raiding party, landed at what is now known as the intersection of Gandy Boulevard and Bayshore Boulevard, under the cover of the diversionary bombardment of the city of Tampa and Fort Brooke by two ships, one was known the Tahoma and the other, I don't know. The Union divisions strategically moved up the Hillsborough River to what is now Lowry Park and there they burned two famously notorious blockade running ships, the Scottish Chieftain , and the Kate Dale , owned by the soon to be mayor of Tampa, James McKay. Escaping capture by mere minutes and the skin of his teeth, with members of his crew in tow, James McKay raced to the city of Tampa to warn everyone of the landing party and the tragic fate of his ships.
Soon after burning the ships, the Confederate Soldiers and their forces were alerted to the raiding party's location, and went into a full pursuit. The Confederate Cavalry Unit, known as the Oklawaha Rangers,soon caught up with the Union raiders, and a fully engaged battle was started. The union soldiers were under direct fire as they boarded their dinghies, in a full tactical retreat.
Result(s): Union victory
Location: Tampa
Campaign: Expedition to Hillsborough River (1863)
Date(s): October 16-18, 1863
Principal Commanders: Lieutenant Comdr. A.A. Semmes [US];
Capt. John Westcott [CS]
Forces Engaged: Union Navy: Tahoma, Adela, and landing force [US]; Company A, 2nd Battalion, Florida Volunteers [CS]
Estimated Casualties: Unknown
The Camp
