FLORIDA MILITARY UNITS, 1898 to 1902

1st Florida Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Company C, 3rd United States Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Company L, 10th United States Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Regulars & Volunteers from Florida in Various United States Military Units

 MILITARY CAMPS & FORTS IN FLORIDA
Information was taken from the "SPANISH AMERICAN WAR CAMPS, 1898-99 PERIOD", Compiled by Fred Greguras

Fort Barrancas, Pensacola
(Click Here for More Information on Fort Barrancas)

Camp Cuba Libre, Jacksonville (Originally known as Camp Springfield)
This Camp was organized around May 26th, 1898, as the assembly area for the 7th Army Corps, and was abandoned in late October when the 7th Corps moved to Camp Onward in Savannah, Georgia. The Camp was first known as Camp Springfield but in June of 1898 it was changed to Camp Cuba Libre. Although there were units camped in many parts of Jacksonville, there was an initial concentration in the Springfield area in the rectangle formed by Ionia on the east, Main to the west, 1st Street on the south and 8th Street on the north. But once that location was filled the new regiments arriving camped at Panama Park and later in the Fairfield area. The Units at the Panama Park campsite later moved to Pablo Beach (now known as Jacksonville Beach), The general camp site was in what was then downtown Pablo Beach, north of Beach Avenue about 150 yards in from the ocean, generally in the rectangle formed by 1st and 2nd Streets and Beach Boulevard and 1st Avenue North.

Fort Dade, Egmont Key, Tampa Bay, Tampa

Fort DeSoto, Mullet Key, Tampa Bay, Tampa
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Camp Fernandina, Amelia Island (Also known as Camp Amelia)
(Click here for more Information on Fort Clinch)
The Camp was organized for the 3rd Division, 4th Army Corps in July 1898, which had moved from Tampa to this location due to health reasons. The Division left the Camp in September of 1898 and moved to Huntsville, Alabama, due to overcrowding and unhealthy conditions at the Camp.  This Camp was located on Amelia Island near Fernandina; also on the Island was Fort Clinch, which was occupied by Regular Army Artillery Units during the course of the War. The camp itself extended about one mile north, south and east from 10th and Center Streets in Fernandina. The site of the camp is currently primarily a residential area.

Camp Florida, Tampa (Also called the Camp at Palmetto Beach & Camp Desoto)
This was the Camp of the 1st Florida Volunteer Infantry Regiment from May 27th, 1898. After June 26th, 1898, the camp was referred to as Camp Desoto. The Camp was located in the Desoto Park area of Tampa.

Fort McRee, Perdido Key, Pensacola

Camp Miami, Miami
This Camp was organized about June 20th, 1898, and was abandoned on July 31st, 1898. The Camp was organized for the 1st Division, 7th Army Corps. The camp stretched in an east-west direction from Biscayne Boulevard to Northwest Second Avenue. In the north, the camp abutted the picturesque FEC Railway train station on the site of today’s Miami News/ Freedom Tower; it extended south to Northeast Second Street.

Camp Mitchell, Tampa
This Camp was organized as a Camp for the 1st Florida Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which was camped here from May 13th to July 21st, 1898, and was named after Florida Governor Henry L. Mitchell. On May 27th, 1898, the Regiment moved to Camp Florida. The Camp was located on the old garrison reservation of Fort Brooke

Camp Morton, Lakeland (Also called Camp Massachusetts & Camp Lakeland)
This was the Camp of the 2nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, and was named after Lake Morton. The Camp was located on the north side of Lake Morton, just east of Massachusetts Avenue. A historic marker for the Camp is located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Lake Morton Drive.

Fort Pickens, Santa Rosa Island, Pensacola
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Composed of Batteries Worth, Pensacola, Cullum, Sevier, and Van Swearingen

Camp Rogers, Tampa
This was organized as the Camp of a Battalion of Siege Artillery in May of 1898, and was named after General John I. Rogers, Chief of Artillery, United States Army. In June of 1898 a Battalion from the 1st Florida Volunteer Infantry Regiment moved to this camp from Camp Desoto. The Camp was abandoned in August of 1898. The Camp was located in the College Hill area, which is northeast of downtown Tampa beginning at about 22nd Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd.

Camp Sampson, Key West
This was the Camp of the 1st Battalion, Untied States Marines, and was named after Admiral William T. Sampson, U.S.N., in May of 1898. The Battalion left the Camp in June of 1898. The camp was located at “La Brisa, on the outskirts of the city.” The camp was likely near the La Brisa Villa which was on the south side of the key just west of the airport.

Camp Tampa, Tampa Height's, Tampa
The camps in Tampa were spread west from downtown to the Bay and east and south to Ybor City, the Desoto Park area and Palmetto Beach. Farther south were camps on the old garrison reservation of Fort Brooke and at Picnic Island at Port Tampa. The Tampa Heights camp was south of where Robles Park is located and is just west of Interstate 275. A caption on a photograph locates the camp near the intersection of Ross and Central Avenues. The May 11, 1898 Tampa Tribune identifies the camp locations on Tampa Heights and Port Tampa: 17th Infantry west of Florida Ave, 21st Infantry west of the 17th Infantry, 4th Infantry south of the 17th and 21st; 6th, 9th, 10th, 13th and 22nd Infantry regiments east of Florida Ave; 24th Infantry (Black) to the “extreme” east and a mile away from the “white” camp; 1st and 25th Infantry at Port Tampa. Florida Avenue is west of Robles Park.

Fort Taylor, Key West
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Composed of Battery Gardiner

Camp Wells, Jacksonville
This Camp was organized by Company G, 2nd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment, as the 2nd division Rifle Range for the 7th Army Corps, and was named after Captain George Wells of Company G. The Camp was located near Panama Park which at that time was about three miles north of Jacksonville.

Camp Wrenn, Tampa
It was thought that this camp was named after Trooper Robert D. Wrenn of Troop A, 1st United States Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the Camp was near Port Tampa City.

FLORIDA UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS

Department of Florida, U.S.W.V.
Auxiliary of the Department of Florida, U.S.W.V.
Military Order of the Serpent

RESOURCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR FLORIDA
- Florida Spanish American War Pensions Project
- Military Service & Pension Records at the Florida State Archives
- The Spanish American War and After 1898 - 1903 - By Robert Hawk
- “Soldiers of Florida in the Seminole, Indian, Civil, and Spanish American Wars.”, Florida Board of State Institution, Live Oak, Florida, Democrat Print, 1903.
- “Statistical Exhibit of Strength of Volunteer Forces Called into Service During the War with Spain; with Losses from All Causes”. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1899.