John Jackson Dickison
Encyclopedia
Colonel John Jackson Dickison (March 27, 1816 – August 23, 1902), known as "The Swamp Fox", was an officer in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
. Dickison is remembered as being the person who led the attack which resulted in the capture of the USS Columbine
, Union warship
in the "Battle of Horse Landing". This was one of the few instances in which a Union warship was captured by land-based Confederate forces during the Civil War and the only known incident in US history where a cavalry unit sank an enemy gunboat. Dickison and his men were victorious in all of his raids against the Union troops in Florida, including his raid in Gainsville what is known as the "Battle of Gainsville". Tragedy struck Dickison, when one of his sons, both of whom served under his command, was killed during a raid.
, Virginia
(In 1863, Monroe County became part of the "new" state; West Virginia
) and was raised in South Carolina
. There Dickison received his primary and secondary education. He lived in Georgetown, where he became a successful businessman as a cotton merchant. Dickison joined the South Carolina Militia where he received his military training and was commissioned an officer in the cavalry. In 1845, he married Mary Elizabeth Ling and had two sons; Charles and R.L. Dickison. In 1857, Dickison moved to the Ocala, Florida where he purchased a plantation which he named "Sunnyside". His plantation was very successful and he became a wealthy businessman.
. On July 2, 1862, he was promoted to Captain and ordered to create and command a new cavalry unit. The unit which Dickison commanded was Company H of the Second Florida Cavalry. Dickison had returned from a successful raid and received the following recognition from Major General Sam Jones, his Commanding officer:
was a Cuban born Confederate spy, whose residence, on the banks of the St. John's River
opposite Palatka, Florida
, was occupied by Union officers after her father was falsely accused of being a spy and imprisoned. On May 21, 1864, she overheard three Union officers discuss the plans that their unit had for a raid against the Confederate forces. The plan was to go into effect the next morning and consisted of a surprise attack on the Confederates while they slept with the aim of proceeding towards St. Augustine to "liberate" supplies for the Union Army.
She decided that it was of utmost importance to notify Captain Dickison at Camp Davis, just a mile and a half from her home. Her sisters agreed to help by covering up her absence. Sánchez left her house that night and traveled, through the forest, alone on horseback. She came upon a Confederate picket and told him what she heard, however the picket was unable to leave his post. She then proceeded to the camp where she met with Capt. Dickison. After the meeting she returned home, the whole event took an hour and a half, and her absence went unnoticed by the Union soldiers in her residence.
That night Dickison and his men crossed the St. Johns River and set a trap. They waited for the arrival of the Union transport and gunboat. On the morning of May 22, the Union forces plans were foiled when they were ambushed upon their arrival. At the exact moment necessary to succeed, Dickison raised his saber signaling his men to attack. The Confederate forces had placed artillery guns on the banks of the river and opened fire on the approaching Union gunboats. The skirmish which followed, officially known as the "Battle of Horse Landing", occurred south of St. Augustine. Union Colonel William H. Nobles, commander of the 17th Connecticut Infantry, was wounded in the ambush and taken prisoner. The rest of the Union soldiers were either captured or killed. Dickison and his men captured the USS Columbine
a side-wheel steamer/gunboat under the command of Ensign Frank Sanborn. Sanborn made the following statement:
On August 17, 1864, Dickison was told that members of the Union Army had arrived at the town of Starke and that they had burned Confederate train cars. Dickison and his men then proceeded to head towards Gainesville to fight against the invading enemy in what would be known as The Battle of Gainesville
(not to be confused with the First Skirmish of Gainsville of February 15, 1864). Gainesville was held by the members of the Company B of the 4th Massachusetts Cavalry. They were caught totally unprepared by Cpt. Dickison and his men. The Union force was dispersed, but before they scattered into the woods they suffered 28 killed, 5 wounded and more than 200 captured. The remaining Union forces in the north central Florida area withdrew to the garrisons at Jacksonville
and St. Augustine. Gainesville would remain in Confederate control for the duration of the war. This however, did not keep some units from participating in minor raids.
On October 24, 1864, a detachment of the 4th Massachusetts Cavalry returned to Gainesville to plunder. Dickison was alerted and made a swift attack which resulted in a 40 minute gunfight. Ten Union soldiers were killed and 23 were taken prisoners (this included eight men that were wounded).
and imprisoned. He was promoted to Colonel in May 1865, just a few days after the surrender of all CSA troops and paroled on May 20, 1865. Dickison helped Confederate Secretary of War John C. Breckinridge
flee to Cuba. He provided Breckinridge with a boat; a lifeboat taken from the USS Columbine. He continued to be active in CSA activities and was elected six times Commander of the Florida Division of United Confederate Veterans. In the late 1870s, he served as Florida's Adjutant General. Dickison wrote the Florida section of the 12 volume Confederate Military History. Dickison and his wife Mary Elizabeth Dickison lived at Bugg Spring, in the town of Okahumpka, Florida
during the decades after the war. It was there that in 1889, Mrs. Dickison completed her book, "Dickison and His Men: Reminiscences of the War in Florida".
In 1902, Dickison died in his home in Bugg Spring and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery
, Jacksonville, Florida. A marker was placed on the site where Dickison and his men captured the "USS Columbine by the Florida Confederation For The Preservation Of Historic Sites, Inc. Another marker was placed at 1st St. NE & 3rd St. in the town of Gainsville in the location where the "Battle of Gainsville" took place. There is also a marker in Waldo, Florida
, where Camp Baker was located and where Dickison and his men bivouacked during the closing weeks of the conflict. The Dickison cottage in Bugg Spring still stands and is now a private guest house.
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Dickison is remembered as being the person who led the attack which resulted in the capture of the USS Columbine
USS Columbine (1862)
USS Columbine was a side-wheel steamer originally built as a tugboat. The vessel was built in New York City in 1850 as A. H. Schultz, purchased by the Navy on 12 December 1862, outfitted by Howe & Cope-\land, New York City, and placed under the command of Acting Master J. S...
, Union warship
Union Navy
The Union Navy is the label applied to the United States Navy during the American Civil War, to contrast it from its direct opponent, the Confederate States Navy...
in the "Battle of Horse Landing". This was one of the few instances in which a Union warship was captured by land-based Confederate forces during the Civil War and the only known incident in US history where a cavalry unit sank an enemy gunboat. Dickison and his men were victorious in all of his raids against the Union troops in Florida, including his raid in Gainsville what is known as the "Battle of Gainsville". Tragedy struck Dickison, when one of his sons, both of whom served under his command, was killed during a raid.
Early years
Dickison was born in Monroe CountyMonroe County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,583 people, 5,447 households, and 3,883 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 7,267 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
(In 1863, Monroe County became part of the "new" state; West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
) and was raised in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. There Dickison received his primary and secondary education. He lived in Georgetown, where he became a successful businessman as a cotton merchant. Dickison joined the South Carolina Militia where he received his military training and was commissioned an officer in the cavalry. In 1845, he married Mary Elizabeth Ling and had two sons; Charles and R.L. Dickison. In 1857, Dickison moved to the Ocala, Florida where he purchased a plantation which he named "Sunnyside". His plantation was very successful and he became a wealthy businessman.
American Civil War
On December 12, 1861, Dickison was asked by the Confederate southern commanders if he would join them in their quest upon the outbreak of the American Civil War and he accepted. He was commissioned a Lieutenant under Captain John M. Martin and served in the Marion Light Artillery in Fort ClinchFort Clinch
Fort Clinch is a 19th century brick fortress located on a peninsula near the northernmost point of Amelia Island, along the Amelia River. The fort lies to the northeast of Fernandina Beach at the entrance to the Cumberland Sound and lies within Fort Clinch State Park.-History:The site of Fort...
. On July 2, 1862, he was promoted to Captain and ordered to create and command a new cavalry unit. The unit which Dickison commanded was Company H of the Second Florida Cavalry. Dickison had returned from a successful raid and received the following recognition from Major General Sam Jones, his Commanding officer:
"I directed Captain Dickison, of the Second Florida Cavalry, who had just returned from a most successful raid east of the Saint John’s, to endeavor to get in the rear, and concentrated on a large a force as I could at Newnansville. The enemy meetings, perhaps, more opposition than they had anticipated, fell back and were followed by Captain Dickison, who attacked them on the mainland, near Cedar Keys; and though his force was outnumbered five to one, the enemy retreated to Cedar Keys, after a sharp skirmish, leaving a portion of their dead on the field. Captain Dickison reports that he killed and wounded between sixty and seventy, and captured a few, with very slight loss on his part. I have heretofore frequently had occasion to report the gallant and valuable services of Captain Dickison and his command, and to present the captain, as I do now, to the favorable notice of the Government."
"The Battle of Horse Landing"
Lola SánchezLola Sánchez (Confederate spy)
Lola Sánchez was one of three Cuban born sisters who became spies for the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Sánchez became upset when their father was falsely accused of being a Confederate spy by the members of the Union Army and imprisoned. Officers of the Union Army then occupied...
was a Cuban born Confederate spy, whose residence, on the banks of the St. John's River
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant for commercial and recreational use. At long, it winds through or borders twelve counties, three of which are the state's largest. The drop in elevation from the headwaters to the mouth is less than ;...
opposite Palatka, Florida
Palatka, Florida
Palatka is a city in Putnam County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,033 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,796. It is the county seat of Putnam County and includes East Palatka. Palatka is the principal city of the Palatka...
, was occupied by Union officers after her father was falsely accused of being a spy and imprisoned. On May 21, 1864, she overheard three Union officers discuss the plans that their unit had for a raid against the Confederate forces. The plan was to go into effect the next morning and consisted of a surprise attack on the Confederates while they slept with the aim of proceeding towards St. Augustine to "liberate" supplies for the Union Army.
She decided that it was of utmost importance to notify Captain Dickison at Camp Davis, just a mile and a half from her home. Her sisters agreed to help by covering up her absence. Sánchez left her house that night and traveled, through the forest, alone on horseback. She came upon a Confederate picket and told him what she heard, however the picket was unable to leave his post. She then proceeded to the camp where she met with Capt. Dickison. After the meeting she returned home, the whole event took an hour and a half, and her absence went unnoticed by the Union soldiers in her residence.
That night Dickison and his men crossed the St. Johns River and set a trap. They waited for the arrival of the Union transport and gunboat. On the morning of May 22, the Union forces plans were foiled when they were ambushed upon their arrival. At the exact moment necessary to succeed, Dickison raised his saber signaling his men to attack. The Confederate forces had placed artillery guns on the banks of the river and opened fire on the approaching Union gunboats. The skirmish which followed, officially known as the "Battle of Horse Landing", occurred south of St. Augustine. Union Colonel William H. Nobles, commander of the 17th Connecticut Infantry, was wounded in the ambush and taken prisoner. The rest of the Union soldiers were either captured or killed. Dickison and his men captured the USS Columbine
USS Columbine (1862)
USS Columbine was a side-wheel steamer originally built as a tugboat. The vessel was built in New York City in 1850 as A. H. Schultz, purchased by the Navy on 12 December 1862, outfitted by Howe & Cope-\land, New York City, and placed under the command of Acting Master J. S...
a side-wheel steamer/gunboat under the command of Ensign Frank Sanborn. Sanborn made the following statement:
"I could discover nothing suspicious until directly abreast the landing," Sanborn said in his official report, "distant about 100 yards, when two pieces of artillery, concealed by the shrubbery and undergrowth, almost simultaneously opened fire upon me. I instantly gave orders to 'hook on,' but unfortunately the second shot of the enemy cut my wheel chains, and at the same time the pilot abandoned the wheel and jumped over the bow. The vessel almost immediately went ashore upon a mud bank."After removing all the supplies and armament possible, they disabled and set the ship on fire. Of the 148 men aboard the Columbine, only 66 survived and the rest were killed. This was one of the few instances in which a Union warship was captured by land-based Confederate forces during the Civil War and the only known incident in US history where a cavalry unit sank an enemy gunboat. The Confederates also captured a Union pontoon boat and renamed it The Three Sisters in honor of Lola Sanchez and her sisters.
"The Battle of Gainesville"
During the months of June and July in 1864, Dickison and his men, which included his son Sergeant Charles Dickison, participated in several skirmishes with a Union force which was headed towards Palatka. On August 2, 1864, Dickison intercepted the contingent and forced them to surrender. He was not aware that some of the prisoners had concealed weapons. Without warning the prisoners exposed their weapons and opened fire. Dickison's son Charles was shot through the heart and fell from his horse mortally wounded.On August 17, 1864, Dickison was told that members of the Union Army had arrived at the town of Starke and that they had burned Confederate train cars. Dickison and his men then proceeded to head towards Gainesville to fight against the invading enemy in what would be known as The Battle of Gainesville
Battle of Gainesville
The Battle of Gainesville was fought on August 17, 1864, when a Confederate force defeated Union detachments on a raid from the Union garrison in the Jacksonville, Florida, area...
(not to be confused with the First Skirmish of Gainsville of February 15, 1864). Gainesville was held by the members of the Company B of the 4th Massachusetts Cavalry. They were caught totally unprepared by Cpt. Dickison and his men. The Union force was dispersed, but before they scattered into the woods they suffered 28 killed, 5 wounded and more than 200 captured. The remaining Union forces in the north central Florida area withdrew to the garrisons at Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
and St. Augustine. Gainesville would remain in Confederate control for the duration of the war. This however, did not keep some units from participating in minor raids.
On October 24, 1864, a detachment of the 4th Massachusetts Cavalry returned to Gainesville to plunder. Dickison was alerted and made a swift attack which resulted in a 40 minute gunfight. Ten Union soldiers were killed and 23 were taken prisoners (this included eight men that were wounded).
Final years and legacy
Dickison was captured near the town of WaldoWaldo, Florida
Waldo is a city in Alachua County, Florida, United States. The population was 821 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 784....
and imprisoned. He was promoted to Colonel in May 1865, just a few days after the surrender of all CSA troops and paroled on May 20, 1865. Dickison helped Confederate Secretary of War John C. Breckinridge
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
flee to Cuba. He provided Breckinridge with a boat; a lifeboat taken from the USS Columbine. He continued to be active in CSA activities and was elected six times Commander of the Florida Division of United Confederate Veterans. In the late 1870s, he served as Florida's Adjutant General. Dickison wrote the Florida section of the 12 volume Confederate Military History. Dickison and his wife Mary Elizabeth Dickison lived at Bugg Spring, in the town of Okahumpka, Florida
Okahumpka, Florida
Okahumpka is a census-designated place in Lake County, Florida, United States. The population was 251 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
during the decades after the war. It was there that in 1889, Mrs. Dickison completed her book, "Dickison and His Men: Reminiscences of the War in Florida".
In 1902, Dickison died in his home in Bugg Spring and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery
Evergreen Cemetery
Evergreen Cemetery may refer to:In the United States* Evergreen Cemetery * Evergreen Cemetery , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Cochise County, Arizona...
, Jacksonville, Florida. A marker was placed on the site where Dickison and his men captured the "USS Columbine by the Florida Confederation For The Preservation Of Historic Sites, Inc. Another marker was placed at 1st St. NE & 3rd St. in the town of Gainsville in the location where the "Battle of Gainsville" took place. There is also a marker in Waldo, Florida
Waldo, Florida
Waldo is a city in Alachua County, Florida, United States. The population was 821 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 784....
, where Camp Baker was located and where Dickison and his men bivouacked during the closing weeks of the conflict. The Dickison cottage in Bugg Spring still stands and is now a private guest house.
Further reading
- "JJ Dickison: Swamp Fox of the Confederacy"; by John Koblas; Publisher: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc.; ISBN 0878391495; ISBN 978-0878391493
- "Dickison and His Men: Reminiscences of the War in Florida" By: Mary Elizabeth Dickison (wife of J. J. Dickison) ; Publisher: San Marco Bookstore, Jacksonville, FL; 1st edition; ASIN: B0006EJRL8
- "Discovering the Civil War in Florida: A Reader and Guide"; by: Paul Taylor; Publisher: Pineapple Press; ISBN 9781561642359; ISBN 978-1561642359; ASIN: 1561642355
- "Way Down Upon the Suwannee River: Sketches of Florida During the Civil War"; by: Gary Loderhose; Publisher: iUniverse; ISBN 0595159400; ISBN 978-0595159406
- "Touched by the Sun (Florida Chronicles)"; by: Stuart B McIver; Publisher: Pineapple Press; 1st edition; ISBN 9781561642069; ISBN 978-1561642069; ASIN: 1561642061