Battle of Fort Brooke

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Battle of Fort Brooke
Part of American Civil War
Date October 16 – October 18, 1863 Location Tampa, Florida Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders
A.A. Semmes	John Westcott
Strength
USS Tahoma, USS Adela	2nd Florida Infantry, Company A
Casualties and losses
16	Unknown

Expedition to Hillsboro River Fort Brooke

The Battle of Fort Brooke was a minor engagement fought October 12 through October 18, 1863, near Tampa, Florida, during the American Civil War.

Two Union Navy ships, USS Tahoma and USS Adela, bombarded Fort Brooke on October 16, 1863, as a diversion, while a landing party under Acting Master T.R. Harris disembarked at Ballast Point and marched 14 miles to the Hillsborough River to capture several enemy steamers. Harris and his men surprised and captured the blockade runner Scottish Chief and the sloop Kate Dale. The Confederate defenders destroyed the steamer A.B. Noyes to preclude her capture.

On its way back to the ship, Harris's force was surprised by a detachment of the garrison, the 2nd Florida Infantry Battalion, causing casualties in a brief, but sharp exchange.

[edit] References

• National Park Service battle description
• Kennedy, Frances H., ed., The Civil War Battlefield Guide, 2nd ed., Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998, ISBN 0-395-74012-6.

v • d • e Florida in the American Civil War 1861 Fort Pickens · Fort Barrancas · Port of Apalachicola · Battle of Santa Rosa Island 1862 Battle of Tampa · Battle of Saint John's Bluff 1863 Battle of Fort Brooke 1864 Battle of Olustee · Battle of Gainesville · Battle of Marianna 1865 Sherman's Special Field Orders, No. 15 · Battle of Fort Myers · Battle of Natural Bridge