Content area
Abstract
The main goal of this study is to analyze the effects of the Confederate raid of 1862 on the lumber industry of West Florida. This study established a baseline for the lumber industry prior to the raid, which showed a robust and successful industry. After the Confederate raid, the industry recovered, but never regained the prominence it possessed in 1860. This study also examined the raid’s impact on sawmills through terrestrial and maritime archaeological investigations at the Criglar, Batchelder, and Pooley Company sawmill; Pearce and Son Mill; and Hyer planing mill. A shovel test survey at the Hyer planing mill revealed an associated feature that displayed evidence of the Confederate raid. The two other sites did not produce any definitive archaeological evidence of the sawmills. Analysis of the three sawmill landscapes showed that the raid accelerated the industrial processes and adaptations at the sites.
