By the time of the Civil War, Gainesville was an important stop on the Florida Railroad, which ran from Fernandina to Cedar Key, for the transportation of cotton and foodstuffs from the region's rich

agricultural lands and cattle from South Florida.

It was also a center for commercial lumbering mills. During the war, it gained added significance as a supply depot for the

Confederacy. Gainesville was the scene of two military engagements during the Civil War.

In February 1864, a Union force of 50 men left their encampment at Sanderson for Gainesville in an attempt to capture or

destroy railroad trains that were believed to be there. They occupied Gainesville for over two days and skirmished with a

small Confederate force before returning to Sanderson after destroying Confederate supplies.

In August 1864, a larger Union force of 340 men under the command of Colonel Andrew Harris entered Gainesville where they were attacked by a Confederate force of 175 men

commanded by Captain J.J. Dickison. In the ensuing battle, the Union force was completely routed with 200 casualties, the majority of which were captured. The Confederate force suffered less than 10 killed or wounded.

A double-sided State Historical Marker for the First Gainesville Skirmish/Battle of Gainesville is located on the Gainesville City Hall lawn and provides details on these actions. In 1904, the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected a Confederate monument in Gainesville, which is located on the Alachua County

Administration Building grounds.

Information Provided by the Florida Department of State.