April 3rd was a big day in local history

Thanks to Mark Curenton for this info - 


April 3rd, will mark the 150^th anniversary of the capture of Apalachicola during the Civil War. Southern forces defended the town for the first year of the war, but by March 17 the Confederate forces had evacuated the town, principally due to the fact that the state convention abolished the state militia, who were garrisoning Apalachicola. It took the Union ships blockading the port a week to discover that all the troops were gone. Informed of the evacuation by escaped slaves the U.S. Navy commander sent two boats to town to demand the surrender of the city. The civilian delegation that met the boat stated that there was no one in Apalachicola with authority to surrender the town and that the only people who might take an oath of loyalty to the Union were “a few miserable foreigners.” Unsatisfied with these results the Union commander launched a larger expedition on the evening of April 2. The next day the eight boats from the blockading vessels captured six sailing vessels at Apalachicola and up the river. In the afternoon, as the sailors were trying to get the captured vessels over the bar at the mouth of the river, Commander Henry S. Stellwagen landed in town and claimed the capture of the city. He then proceeded to lecture the people who remained in town about the evils of secession and the great benevolence of the U.S.government. According to his report to his superior his speech was well-received by the population. After telling the people they could continue to fish and oyster as long as they took no action to support the Confederate government, the U.S. sailors left Apalachicola and returned to their ships, taking two of the captured vessels with them. Another vessel was so derelict that the citizens of Apalachicola were allowed to keep it. The other three vessels were burned when they could not be hauled over the bar. The first capture and occupation of Apalachicola had lasted. at most. a few hours.

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