Abstract
Although critical to American military operations in the Third Seminole War, Fort Myers would have probably faded into history after its abandonment in 1858 if not for the Civil War. Towards the end of that bloody conflict the post took on a new significance for both sides. Not only did the Union reactivate the fort in the very midst of a presumed Confederate stronghold, but it staffed the garrison with black troops— the ultimate insult to those Southerners who stubbornly remained true to the Stars and Bars. Consequently, the recommissioning of Fort Myers resulted in the largest military action of the Civil War in southwest Florida as well as numerous other wartime events that would prove important for state and nation.
Recommended Citation
Solomon, Irvin D.
(1993)
"Southern Extremities: The Significance of Fort Myers in the Civil War,"
Florida Historical Quarterly: Vol. 72:
No.
2, Article 3.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fhq/vol72/iss2/3
