Florida was one of the first to follow South Carolina's example in
dissolving the Federal compact. It furnished twenty-one military
organizations to the Confederate forces, and throughout the war maintained
a vigorous home defense. Its foremost soldier to take the field when the
State was menaced by a strong Federal expedition in February, 1864, was
Brigadier-General Joseph Finegan. Hastily gathering scattered detachments,
he defeated and checked the expedition at the battle of Olustee, or Ocean
Pond, on February 20.
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