{{infobox military unit | unit_name = 1st Special Cavalry Battalion | image = 1st Florida Special Battalion flag.jpg | caption = | dates = 1864–1865 | country = {{flag|Confederate States of America|1864}} | allegiance = {{flagicon image|Flag of Florida (1861).svg}} Florida | branch = {{army|CSA}} | type = Battalion | role = Cavalry | size = | command_structure = | garrison = | garrison_label = | nickname = Cow Cavalry | patron = | motto = | colors = | colors_label = | march = | mascot = | equipment = | equipment_label = | battles = American Civil War *Battle of Fort Myers *Battle of Levyville | anniversaries = | decorations = | battle_honours = | battle_honours_label = | disbanded = | flying_hours = | website = <!-- Commanders --> | commander1 = | commander1_label = | commander2 = | commander2_label = | commander3 = | commander3_label = | commander4 = | commander4_label = | notable_commanders = C. J. Munnerlyn <!-- Insignia -->; Major William Footman | identification_symbol = | identification_symbol_label = Shoulder sleeve insignia | identification_symbol_2 = | identification_symbol_2_label = | identification_symbol_3 = | identification_symbol_3_label = | identification_symbol_4 = | identification_symbol_4_label = }}
The '''1st Florida Battalion Special Cavalry''' , nicknamed the "'''Cow Cavalry"''', was a Confederate States Army cavalry unit from Florida during the American Civil War. Commanded by Charles James Munnerlyn; it was organized to protect herds of cattle from Union raiders.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |last1=Taylor |first1=Robert |title=Cow Cavalry: Munnerlyn's Battalion in Florida, 1864-1865 |journal=Florida Historical Quarterly |date=1986 |volume=65 |issue=2 |pages=196–214 |url=https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fhq/vol65/iss2/6/ |jstor=30146741 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Jacob Summerlin: The cowman who was king of crackers |url=https://www.tbnweekly.com/pinellas_county/article_7c5bbe73-4029-57b6-a427-0ab5758c30ca.html |work=TBNweekly |date=21 August 2007 }}</ref> The hides and meat from Florida cattle were a critical supply item for the Confederacy.
== Organization and Operation == In March 1864, Captain James McKay Sr., petitioned the Confederate government to create the unit. Confederate President Jefferson Davis, selected Munnerlyn who was commissioned as a Major to lead the Special Cavalry.<ref name=":0" />
Eventually a total of nine companies, largely made up of Florida crackers, was organized. They would drive cattle to Baldwin, Florida a railhead near Jacksonville, Florida.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whats New at the Bell Research Center |url=http://www.bellresearchcenter.com/WhatsNewattheBellResearchCenter.html |website=www.bellresearchcenter.com |access-date=2019-01-09 |archive-date=2020-09-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901100802/http://www.bellresearchcenter.com/WhatsNewattheBellResearchCenter.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some of the companies were based out of Brooksville, Tampa,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ellis |first1=Thomas Benton Sr. |editor1-last=Landers |editor1-first=Roger Rice |title=The Last Wildcat |date=1998 |publisher=The Genealogy Society of Hernando County |location=Brooksville, FL |page=33}}</ref> Plant City,{{sfn|Taylor|1986|page=201}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Cow Cavalry Historical Marker |url=https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=46292 |website=www.hmdb.org}}</ref> and Fort Meade<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.explorenaples.com/raid-on-gopher-ridge.php|title=Raid on Gopher Ridge|website=www.explorenaples.com}}</ref>
Captains William B. Hooker, Leroy G. Lesley, John T. Lesley, Francis A. Hendry, and W. B. Henderson were leaders of the Cow Cavalry. Capt. McKay's son, James McKay Jr., was appointed as Captain of one of the companies and eventually rose to the rank of Major in the unit.{{sfn|Ellis|1998|page=33}}
In February 1865 several companies of the battalion operating in the Cedar Key and Gulf Hammock region engaged Federal troops at the Battle of Levyville.
Also, in February 1865, Major William Footman led the companies of Francis A. Hendry, John T. Lesley, and Leroy G. Lesley in the Battle of Fort Myers.
On June 5, 1865, the last remnants of the Cow Cavalry formally surrendered to the Second Florida Cavalry of the Union army at Bayport, Florida.<ref name=":0" />
==See also== *List of Florida Confederate Civil War units
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.oocities.org/yes_album/Special_Cavalry.html 1st Battalion Florida Special Cavalry] * {{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Amy Bennett |title=The Civil War battle of Fort Myers, 150 years later |url=https://www.news-press.com/story/news/local/amy-williams/2014/06/15/field-notes-amy-williams/10521403/ |work=The News-Press |date=15 June 2014 }} * {{cite news |last1=Kambic |first1=Randy |title=Fort Myers in the Civil War, more than a brief battle |url=https://www.news-press.com/story/life/outdoors/2015/01/17/fort-myers-civil-war-brief-battle/21919231/ |work=The News-Press |date=17 January 2015 }}
Category:Florida in the American Civil War Category:Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Florida