Page 10 - history-of-military-units-in-columbia-county-fl-(1970)-robert-gary-shields

History of Military Units in Columbia County, FL (1970) Robert Gary Shields

MILITIA ORGANIZATION

The Territorial Legislature of 1827 had passed a Militia Law

authorizing the organization of Militia Regiments, but due to the
sparse population and presence of U. S. Troops, no organization
was attempted until after the Seminole War erupted in 1835. In

1839, the First Regiment, Florida Volumteers, had taken the field
under Colonel William Bailey of Jefferson County. This regiment is
recorded as "Mounted Volunteers", more generally referred to, as

was customary then, as,rBailey's Regiment". The theater of operations
is recorded as including North and East Florida between Tallahassee
and St. Augustine and South to Newmansville ( 2 miles North East of

the present town of Alachua ). An old cemetery there is being well
preserved^sy local residents and contains the graves of many

prominent citizens of that time. That the service of this regiment .
required arduous travel is witnessed by this entry in their record;
" Tallahassee, Oct. 15, 20, 1840, horses failed from hard service".

It was probably the need to divide the wide territory that led
to the immediate organization of the Second Regiment,* Florida

Militia.

Francis L. Dancy, Lt. Colonel of Bailey's Regiment, was

discharged from that organization with the following remarks;
" Was discharged as Lt. Col. in Bailey's Regiment, Nov. 23, 1840,

near San Pedro, 176 miles from home ( St. Augustine ) Have been on
duty from Nov. 24, 1840, in raising and organizing the 2nd. Reg."
San Pedro was a community, 'no longer known by that name, situated

west of the great swamp, San Pedro Bay, Between the towns of
Greenville and Perry.

www.LakeCityHistory.com LCH-UUID: 3F68DC49-DCC7-4643-87B9-3E8A717875EF