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Page1 - Battle

Page2 - Museum

Panoram - Formation

   The Battle of Dade City is a Civil War Reenactment. It was held at the 31st annual "Pioneer Days Festival" on the grounds of the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village. The Museum and Village is located just north of Dade City, Florida. The festival has lots of history demonstrations and exhibits. I saw a wonderful collection of horse drawn buggy's, a working blacksmith, medical and dental displays, collections of Indian artifacts, quilts, and more. Also, 8 historical buildings from surrounding Pasco County communities have been relocated to the museum grounds. A 1930's era schoolhouse, a church built in 1903, a small shoe repair shop from the 1930's, and a citrus packing house built in the 1900's were my favorites. In the small church I played a little from an old hymnal that was sitting on the old upright piano. There was music, lots of food and many sutlers (concessions).

Pioneer Florida Museum

  Well over 100 reenactors were present at this event which is the season opener in Florida. I counted 4 Union cavalry and a cannon on each side present. The Rebels sent out skirmishers from the 69th N. Carolina towards the Union camp up on a hill. It wasn't long before they were retreating from a larger Union force. After backing all the way across the field it was apparent the Union had some number of troops, cavalry and a cannon to fire as well. The Confederates had quite a force of their own, and they came to fight. The Confederates fought their way all the way back across the field forcing the Union back up the hill and it looked like a Rebel win. But they were hampered by the lack of artillery support. It seems the supply of cannon primers had gotten captured. The Rebels made 2 valiant charges at the Union camp. Union flankers came out and spoilt the charges while their cannon blazed away. After losing too many boys on the hill the Confederates broke ranks and fled the field. The Union advanced clear across the field capturing arms, dropped supplies and the CSA Marines' cannon. The heat of the day cut any chance of further action. The Union won the day. I'm sure the Confederates beat them the next day but I had the news of the battle to deliver so I skeedaddled.      wes mayhle

Links to the pages and photos from other years at this event:
2005 mmmm
2010 mmmm
2011 mmmm
2012 mmmm
2013 mmmm
2014 mmmm
2015 mmmm

For additional reenacting information go to
Florida Reenactors Online - a website that regularly features some of my photos and articles and where you can find many links, monthly newsletters and many other resources about the American Civil War and reenacting that conflict.