Alfred Roman, The military operations of General Beauregard in the war between the states, 1861 to 1865

Announce that War Department has sent to command the troops in Florida Major-General J. P. Anderson, and transfer the command to him. He will assign you to a division.

Prisoners report that it was the United States ship-of-war Housatonic, 12 guns, which was sunk in night of 17th instant by the submarine torpedo-boat, Lieutenant Dixon, of Alabama, commanding. There is little hope of safety for that brave man and his associates, however, as they were not captured.

Report of General Joseph Finegan.

General,—For the information of the Commanding General I have the honor to report that on the evening of the 7th February the enemy landed at Jacksonville, from eighteen transports and gunboats, a large force of cavalry, artillery, and infantry, which was largely augmented by arrivals on the 8th instant.

On the receipt of this intelligence I immediately notified Lieutenant-Colonel McCormick, commanding an effective force of near 350 men of all arms at Camp Finegan, to guard against a surprise, advising him that I would join the command as soon as I had issued the necessary orders for collecting my widely scattered troops, and despatched telegrams and letters for reinforcements. On the 8th instant the enemy advanced from Jacksonville with great rapidity, in three heavy columns—cavalry in, the advance. Artillery and infantry followed, under command of Brigadier-General Seymour. They approached Camp Finegan as the command there was in the act of retiring.

Their largely superior numbers deterred Lieutenant-Colonel McCormick, commanding, from attacking them, and in the darkness of the night he withdrew his command with caution and address, and joined me, at Camp Beauregard, near Ocean Pond, on the Olustee, on the 13th instant. The enemy, with celerity pressed on to Baldwin, capturing on their way five guns of company A and B, Light Artillery, which had been ordered to Baldwin; reached Baldwin at daylight on the 9th instant. Remaining a short time they continued on to Barber's the same night. At this point they were met, on the 10th instant, by two companies of cavalry under Major Robert Harrison, 2d Florida Cavalry, whom I had ordered to join me, and who with much gallantry checked their progress for several hours at St. Mary's Crossing, with but small loss to us and a considerable loss to the enemy.

On the 9th instant I removed all the Government stores from Sanderson, except fifteen hundred bushels corn, which was burned under my orders. On the 10th the enemy reached Sanderson; on the 11th instant they were within three