The Battle of Olustee or Battle of Ocean Pond was fought in Baker County, Florida on February 20, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the only major battle fought in Florida during the war. Union General Truman Seymour had landed troops at Jacksonville, aiming chiefly to disrupt Confederate food-supply. Meeting little resistance, he proceeded towards the state capital Tallahassee, against orders, assuming that he would face only the small Florida militia. Confederates in Charleston sent reinforcements under General Alfred H. Colquitt and the two armies collided near a lake called Ocean Pond in Olustee. The Union forces were repulsed and retreated back to Jacksonville where they stayed for the remainder of the war. Please see Battle of Olustee for more information.
When
Saturday: February 17th 2018**
Sunday: February 18th 2018
7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
** JCC Outing
Admission Fees
ATM not available – credit/debit cards not accepted
Adults – $10
School-age children – $5
Pre-school-age children – FREE
Where
5818 Battlefield Trail Road
Highway 90
Sanderson, Florida 32087
Contact - John Neel
Cell (904) 891 2611
Parking and meet up: If you get there around 7:30am, you should be able to park on the side of the road near the front gate . John Neel will arrive around 7:15am and will park very close to the gate.
Register Here
Alternate Transportation
Shuttle rides are available to the Battle Site at Olustee from the Lake City Airport and Baker County Prison Center. Both sites are located on US 90 East & West of the Olustee Battle Site. Minimum bus charge is $2.00 for Adults and $1.00 for Students; Preschool children are free.
Food
There are plenty of vendors. There are tents with items that you can purchase.
Schedule of Events, Saturday, February 17th, 2018
8:00 a.m. Colors at Museum/Monument Field. Mandatory for all units.
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Authentic campsites open to the public.
10:30 a.m. Parade in Lake City. Starts at Department of Transportation building, travels north on S. Marion to U.S. 90, then west on U.S. 90.
12:00 p.m. Period music concert at demonstration area.
1:00 p.m. Medical demonstration for the public at the Medical tent. All medical units are invited to participate.
2:30 p.m. Period music concert at the Battlefield. .
3:30 p.m. Battle reenactment begins
Tips for Olustee Battle Reenactment
Equipment advised is "everyday" lens and a telephoto lens. A tripod would be especially good in the afternoon at the battlefield used with a telephoto.
Get there early! Troops march to the Presentation of Colors before 8 AM. You may enter as early as 7 AM to capture life in the tent areas. The later you arrive, the further away you will park.
Be sure to visit the authentic Civil War Reenactment Camps. The participants will camp in all manners, from full sized campaign tents to simple bivouacs.
Before taking flash photos you may be asked to move your flash pan away from the powder magazine.
Saturday: Olustee Battle Reenactment
The battle reenactment is at 3:30 PM.
Saturday is the best day for sight-seeing and you can expect the crowds to be smaller than Sunday's. You have most of the day to visit the Federal and Confederate camps.
Feel free to wander about the Federal and Confederate camps, speak to and ask questions of the enactors. Stay in period, they won’t have a clue about anything after February 1864.
Afterwards allow the crowds to rush to the buses as you take another opportunity to speak to the re=enactors and get their opinions of the day's events.
Directions
Head west on I-10 W 31.8 mi
Take exit 324 for US-90 toward Sanderson/Olustee 0.2 mi
Turn left onto US-90 W (signs for Olustee/Lake City) 5.6 mi
Turn right toward 17 Mile Camp Rd 0.2 mi
Continue onto 17 Mile Camp Rd
Destination will be on the left 0.4 mi