(Sept. 19, 2010) Enlarge Entrance to St. John's Bluff

The Jean Ribault Monument is somewhere near the site of where CSA artillery pounded Union naval vessels. The site is operated by the National Park Service as part of the Fort Caroline National Memorial, 13 miles east of downtown Jacksonville, Florida. This photo was taken at the parking lot which is between two mansions and can be reached via Fort Caroline Road. Jean Ribault, who died in the 1560's had nothing to do with the War Between The States.

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(Sept. 19, 2010) Enlarge This is the exhibit in the visitor center at the Fort Caroline unit of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve devoted to the fighting at St. John's Bluff. It is out of scale but presents the essence of the CSA artillery's attach on two Union gunboats from the St. John's Bluff.

The US Navy currently has a large presence at Mayport, Florida which is a short distance from the bluffs.

(Sept. 19, 2010) Enlarge Ribault Monument and Vista from St. John's Bluff.

This photo taken on Sept 19, 2010 shows a portion of a replica of a monument relating to French claims on Florida in the 1500's and the beautiful Saint John's River from the Southern side of the river.

A section from the National Park Service brochure tells what happened somewhere near this site during the War Between The States.

"The Civil War was less than a year and a half old when Confederates under the command of Brigadier General Joseph Finegan first occupied St. Johns Bluff, on the south side of the St. Johns River, in order to protect their access to Jacksonville, 18 miles upriver. On September 9, 1862, guns were positioned atop hastily erected fortifications.

On September 17, acting on a tip from a runaway slave that the Confederates had occupied the bluff, six Federal gunboats under
the command of Charles Steedman assembled at Mayport Mills, approached to within 600 yards of the bluff, and quickly opened fire on the fortifications, raining shot and shell on the fixed positions atop the bluff for the next five hours.

Steedman soon realized that the Confederates could "not be dislodged except by a combined land and naval attack." On October 1, the Federal gunboat squadron once again approached the bluff, while a force of 1500 Federal troops landed and began advancing on the Southerners through the almost impassable swamp-like terrain. Outflanked, the Confederates on top of the bluff hastily evacuated, leaving their camp fully intact. While the gunboats waited on the river, Federal soldiers entered the Confederate camp, removed the guns, razed the fortifications, and raised the Stars and Stripes over the bluff. The Federals had taken the bluff without a fight.

The abandonment of St. Johns Bluff by the Confederates opened the way for Federal gunboats to move up the St. Johns River and
for Federal troops to once again occupy Jacksonville. While the city changed hands several more times during the war, Federal gunboats maintained control of the bluff and the river for the rest of the war."