The Civil War in Tampa

Curated by The Tampa Historical Team, especially Aaron Lewis

Although mostly out of harm's way during the Civil War, Tampa experienced several small engagements between Union and Confederate forces, the Battles of Tampa and Fort Brooke & Ballast Point. The memory of the Civil War lived on through the Confederate memorial, Memoria in Aeterna, and the elementary school which bore the name of Robert E. Lee. Both existed until this past year, 2017, when Memoria in Aeterna was removed after a vote by the city commissioners and Lee Elementary burned down in a fire following Hurricane Irma.

Egmont Key during the Civil War

One of the major Union objectives as the Civil War progressed was to blockade the Southern coasts to keep Confederate ships from providing vital supplies to their army. Initially, Egmont Key did not receive much attention from the Union. While there…

Tampa's Salt Showdown

Florida may not have been as prominent as other Southern states during the Civil War, but they were still an important part of the Confederacy due to one very important resource. Throughout the Civil War, Union and Confederate forces squared off over…

The Cow Cavalry

With most of the Mississippi region under Union control by 1863, the Confederates lost an important source for their beef supply. This presented a massive threat to the Confederate Army’s efficiency as a fighting force. With this setback,…

Battle of Tampa

Of all the states in the Confederacy, Florida was one of the least touched by direct conflict throughout the war. Florida was mostly blockaded due to its long coastline and proximity to trade routes to the Caribbean. Early in the war, many in Florida…

Battle of Fort Brooke and Ballast Point

Fort Brooke was active during the American Civil War and was attacked on two different occasions by Northern forces during the war, the Battle of Fort Brooke (and Battle of Ballast Point) and the fort’s eventual capture on May 6th, 1864 by the Union…

Memoria in Aeterna

The history of the Confederate monument residing at the Courthouse of Hillsborough County in Tampa, FL, began as early as 1903. That year, Azeele Carruthers, President of the Tampa Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, No. 113,…

Robert E. Lee Elementary School

There are many areas throughout the United States that bear the names of Confederate generals and leaders of the Civil War. Used as a tribute to the memorialization of the Confederacy and the “Lost Cause,” these symbols litter the American landscape,…