A Bloody Massacre

At this point in the battle, the Union had five cannons captured and nearly every other cannon was rendered useless. Horses and men were nearly all killed or wounded in what James H. Clark called the greatest slaughter among artillery known in the history of this war. During the engagement, a train of cars arrived bringing reinforcements for the Confederates. General Colquitt had a large cannon mounted on a railroad flatcar that fired a large shell every five minutes, devastating the Union troops. As the fighting continued, Union companies endured increased musketry fire from front and flank, and sharpshooters perched in the trees were brought down by a few volleys, though casualties mounted constantly.

Florida · United States