Natural Bridge was a Civil War engagement fought in Florida, 1865. It was a Confederate victory.
Maj. Gen. John Newton had undertaken a joint force expedition to engage and destroy Confederate troops that had attacked at Cedar Keys and Fort Myers and were allegedly encamped somewhere around St. Marks. The Navy had trouble getting its ships up the St. Marks River. The Army force, however, had advanced and, after finding one bridge destroyed, started before dawn on March 6 to attempt to cross the river at Natural Bridge. The troops initially pushed Rebel forces back but not away from the bridge. Confederate forces, protected by breastworks, guarded all of the approaches and the bridge itself. The action at Natural Bridge lasted most of the day, but, unable to take the bridge, the Union troops retreated to the protection of the fleet.
On March 6, 1865, a Civil War engagement took place near present-day Woodville, Florida, south of Tallahassee at a strategic river crossing. Confederate forces and local volunteers, including adolescent students from the Florida Military and Collegiate Institute (later known as Florida State University), occupied fortified positions to defend against an advancing Union detachment. The United States Colored Troops attempted to traverse the Natural Bridge, a geological formation where the St. Marks River travels underground for approximately one-quarter mile after descending into a sinkhole. The defending force successfully prevented the crossing, holding their ground against the federal assault.
Brig. Gen. John Newton commanded a combined military operation designed to locate and eliminate Confederate cavalry units (FL Cow Cavalry) responsible for strikes against Cedar Keys and Fort Myers, believed to be positioned near St. Marks. Naval vessels encountered significant difficulty navigating the St. Marks River upstream. By contrast, the Army contingent made steady progress inland. Upon discovering a destroyed span, troops commenced their advance before daylight on March 6 to ford the waterway at Natural Bridge. Initial combat saw Union soldiers drive back their adversaries, though the Confederates maintained their position at the crossing.
Crew members from USS Hendrick Hudson took part in the engagement, with Seaman John Mack and Coxswain George Schutt each earning the Medal of Honor for their contributions. Commanding Confederate forces, Brigade General William Miller positioned troops behind fortifications commanding every route to the bridge and its immediate vicinity. Fighting consumed the greater portion of daylight, yet after three unsuccessful attempts to seize the crossing, Union soldiers withdrew toward the safety of their vessels.
The conflict's presence in the record of Florida Military and Collegiate Institute participants made FSU's Army ROTC one of merely four such programs nationally holding a battle streamer from Civil War service. The university's Air Force ROTC unit likewise maintains an identical streamer due to its original Army affiliation. Though Tallahassee itself was not the objective, this Union setback proved significant in keeping the city as the sole Confederate capital remaining east of the Mississippi River throughout the conflict, never falling into enemy hands.
Preserving the battlefield proved essential to maintaining its historical significance. The Natural Bridge Battlefield State Historic Site now encompasses the ground where fighting occurred. Through the efforts of the American Battlefield Trust working alongside its partners, 110 acres (45 hectares) have been acquired and set aside as part of the state park as of mid-2023.
Each year on the first weekend of March, the park hosts a public ceremony that commemorates soldiers from both armies who fought there. Following the tributes, participants dressed as Union troops, Confederate forces, and civilians recreate the battle's events. This free annual gathering welcomes visitors from the community without charge.
This page covers Natural Bridge. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside historic sites, land records, and everything else the record holds within a few miles:
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