Arts and Entertainment

Reenactment of the 1864 Battle of Olustee returns to Baker County

WUFT | By Ashleigh Lucas

Published February 16, 2024 at 6:07 PM EST

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Ken Wammack plays the fife for visitors to the Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. This is Wammack's 30th time attending this event. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

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Mary Fears talks to visitors about African American roles in the Civil War during the Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

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Alexander Egart, left, shows children different types of food soldiers would eat during the Battle of Olustee in 1864 while at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. Egart said this is his first time at this event, but he hopes to keep coming back to teach about important parts of history. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

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Stephen Law, left, a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Camp 112, talks to a visitor about the different weapons used during the Battle of Olustee at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

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Christine Keffer, right, 54, shows Carolina Cooper, center, 6, a trinket that resembles one from 1864 during the Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee event at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

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John Anderson, left, dressed as Frederick Douglas, flips through a book with Lisa Donelly, center, and Tom Donelly, right, at the Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee event at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

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Blacksmith Dale Wheeler forges a piece of metal to wield it into a curved shape at the Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee event at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

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A couple walk through the educational area in preparation for the Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

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A man dressed as a union soldier hands his musket to a visitor and explains how the weapon works during the Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb, 16, 2024. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

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Blacksmith Dale Wheeler uses a forge to heat metal during the Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee encampment at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

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James Gipson, a retired pastor and Lake City Community College professor, talks to children about Civil War history at the Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

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Niki Hallam, right, scans a tent filled with period textiles during the Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

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Ken Wammack, a 30-year participant of the Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee, holds out a drum stick toward a child while they line up to march around the grounds of the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. Wammack's teaches about the different musical instruments used in 1864. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

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Joyce Quillin, 78, sells handcrafted jewelry during the Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Olustee, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

The Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee returned to Baker County on Friday, Feb. 16 for a weekend dedicated to preserving the history of the largest battle in Florida during the Civil War.

The Battle of Olustee, which occurred in 1864, was an attempt by Union soldiers to ruin the Confederate food supply and recruit more African Americans.

While pushing toward Tallahassee, the Union clashed with Confederate soldiers causing the battle in Olustee, where Union soldiers had to retreat back to Jacksonville.

The weekend festivities include a day of educating school children about the history of the war on Friday, a full-scale reenactment of the battle on Saturday and Sunday, and a 19th-century-themed ball where period dress is encouraged.

With more than 2,000 people taking part, the event will commemorate the 160th anniversary of the battle and the 47th anniversary of the reenactment. The weekend allows the public to get a realistic taste of some of the most influential Civil War history in Florida.