clicking on photos will enlarge for detail
The 7th Volunteers - Union Army came to Bradenton for the 2nd time in our cities History. They camped in our Manatee Historical Park. The Union army did not come this far into Florida during the war, but in 1865, after the war, one unit came to Bradenton, for the 1st and last time.
Pat (a lady I met in the parking lot) and I walked up just as the troops were finishing there breakfast at 7:30 am Saturday morning. We were the only visitors that came that early.
I was of course fascinated with the fire..
I said to the men around the fire, "Might a Rebel to the bone approach your fire?" The gentleman in white welcomed us with
"of course, southern ladies are always welcome"
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Doc Holiday and a Frontiersman |
and introduced himself as The Surgeon for the company and the other man said 'I am just a frontiersman" .
I pointed to the whip on his shoulder and said " and you are also known as a Cracker here." He said "I am!'
Pat is from NJ and she sucked in her breath, thinking Cracker was a bad word... The Surgeon explained, Cracker was a word to be proud of in Florida during that time." and I said "because the name comes from cracking that whip to herd the cattle.
The frontiersman said " no ropes allowed, whips only, and mine is the length for a man walking, the whip would be longer for a cracker on a horse."
We were told the army is here to compel all men of the former Confederacy to sign and swear allegiance to the United States of America..... and to find and arrest Judah P. Benjamin, Secretary of State for the Confederacy."....... to be continued
Drums and the cot in the tent with a wool blanket.. and OOPS! Charging the walkie talkies...