St. Johns Bluff

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Confederate artillery battery on St. Johns Bluff, 1862.

Photo Credit: Florida State Archives

Early skirmishes at St. Johns Bluff opened Federal forces to the opportunity to occupy Jacksonville.

In early September 1862, Confederate Brigadier General Joseph Finegan ordered the construction of an artillery battery at St. Johns Bluff, downriver from Jacksonville. The Federals quickly learned of the Confederate presence and their gunboats engaged in several artillery duels with the Confederate defenders.

On September 30, four Union transports left their base in South Carolina for the St. Johns River with about 1,500 troops. Union gunboats moved upriver in support of the land forces, which were to attack the Confederate positions from the rear. The advance of this powerful force unnerved the Confederate defenders. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Hopkins, commander at St. Johns Bluff, held a meeting with his officers and then ordered the abandonment of the position. During the hasty withdrawal, the Confederates abandoned much equipment, including the bluff’s artillery and ammunition. 

In the aftermath, Federal forces occupied Jacksonville for a short period. It also opened the St. Johns River to incursions by Union gunboats. A court of inquiry exonerated Hopkins, stating that the force at his disposal had been inadequate to defend the position. Still, the events reflected no credit on the Confederacy, and opened northeast Florida to future Union occupations.

To learn more, see: “Military Operations on the St. Johns, September-October 1862 (Parts I & II)” by Edwin C. Bearss, The Florida Historical Quarterly, Vol. 42, Nos. 3 & 4, January & April 1964.