A marker to note the location of the battle resulting in the highest number of casualties in Duval County during the Civil War was recently placed at the location of the “Skirmish at Cedar Creek”.
The text reads as :
” On March 1, 1864, ten days after the Confederate Victory at Olustee, Union and Confederate forces met along this road in a running skirmish. The fight started 2 to 3 miles west of here, 10am, when Union forces advanced out of Camp Mooney (Ellis Rd.) to locate and test Confederate strength in their front. By noon, the outnumbered Union forces had fallen back to Cedar Creek (this location) to make a stand taking advantage of the Creek’s natural barrier. The Confederate advance was greatly hampered by the marshy ground and a short, sharp fight ensued. After a half hour of fighting and being flanked by Confederate troops, Union forces continued their withdrawal. Confederate Cavalry followed until ambushed a couple of hundred yards east of here, where Capt. Winston Stephens, 2nd Fl. Calvary,(sic) was killed. Confederate Infantry then came up and fighting continued east along this road until Union troops reached the safety of their entrenchments at 3 Mile Run (McCoys Creek). No Confederate attack on Jacksonville would ever develop and within two months both sides began to transfer the bulk of their forces to other theaters. This action saw the largest number of killed and wounded of any one day in Duval County during the War Between the States.
Units Engaged Union 4th Mass. Cavalry, 40th Mass. Mounted Infantry, 1 Batter(sic) B 1st U.S. Artillery Losses: 1 Killed, 4 Wounded, 5 Captured Confederate 2nd FL. Cavalry, 5th Fl. Cavalry, 27th GA. Infantry, 11th S.C. Infantry Chatham Artillery Losses: 7 Killed, 12 Wounded
Placed By Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp #1209. This marker is part of the Sons of Confederate Veterans/United Confederate Veterans series.
Latitude, Longitude
30.29883333, -81.75510000
Jacksonville, Florida, in Duval County. Marker is on Lenox Avenue 0.2 miles west of Lane Avenue S (State Road 103), on the right when traveling west.
Article was originally published by the author December 30, 2010 via examiner.com