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145th Ocean'sPond
Sunday, 15 February 2009 00:00 | Written by Brian McGarrahan | 
Members of the SCAR units joined at the Battle of Ocean's Pond. Friday morning, led by Ken Giddens, the 48th New York moved from their camp and to the front in the advance of the Army. Finding only small bands of militia, the movement was easy. As we closed on Ocean's Pond, the action steadily got hotter as Confederate Cavalry joined the mix. With the train's whistling in the distance, we knew the reinforcements would soon arrive. As the day wore on we were further and further in the advance of our support. We soon encountered a stiff resistance and got pinned down along a road. Anticipating the movement of our own cavalry, we held our position expecting them to come around the rear of the Confederates. After an hour of fighting, it became apparent we were alone, but a stroke of luck gave us the day. The Confederates had exhausted their ammunition and stood up and walked into our lines. We took fifteen prisoners, five who took the oath of allegiance. We moved back to a more defensible position and made camp for the night. Pickets posted through the night in anticipation of an attack, and the approach of our own reinforcements. Instead we found a quiet night in the northern Florida pine barrens. The rain began late Friday evening and did not stop until Sunday morning. Early on Saturday morning, reinforcements finally arrived and then we made the big push towards Olustee Station. We formed into lines of battle with the brigade and moved into the open against an overwhelming Confederate foe. Artillery shells shrieked through the air as explosions turned up the ground. Many of our numbers fell to the massed fire of the enemy, only six men of 35 made it out untouched. Many soldiers found keeping their powder dry during the main push on Saturday to be a hard thing. Plenty of misfires were spread across the entire battalion. Saturday night left us in a static position with the enemy in our front. Sunday morning we fell in for two memorial services in honor of the soldiers who fought, died, and survived with the horrors of this battle. Union forces suffered 40% casualties here on 20 Feb, 1864.
Last Updated (Sunday, 17 January 2010 12:39)