Our Enterprise Raid project began in 1998 with our selecting Richard and Dinah Jones as Project Chairpersons. We had known of the skirmish at Enterprise for some time, but we had no details of the event. Richard and Dinah quickly set out to research the details. When they finished compiling the information, they then began their search for a suitable location for a marker, and began the hard work of fund raising.
From the beginning of the project we knew that we wanted to place our marker near or on the property of the All Saints Church in Enterprise. Here, Richard and Dinah received some assistance from their daughter, Caren Jones. Caren made some contacts with the Church and quickly gained early approval for the project. The Church wanted to assist in the project and wanted to have a message regarding the Church on the marker. They hoped to assist financially with the project, but funds intended for the marker had to be diverted elsewhere due to pending emergencies. We decided to keep their message on the marker in the spirit of community cooperation.
Next, came the sucessful fund raising effort. Over $1,800 was donated in able to place this marker. Many of our members came through, but special thanks goes to President Charles Smith who made arrangements for several items used in a drawing, Board Member Gerald LeBlanc who paid for the printing of the tickets and bought many of those tickets, Board Member Lindsay Fant for donating a sword for the drawing, and of course Richard and Dinah Jones for organizing the project.
The project was finished on the weekend of October 30 & 31 of 1999 with the placing of the marker and it's dedication. Everyone who contributed to this project deserves a large thank you. Another rewarding project was possible due to the hard work and concern of hundreds of people.
The wording on the Bronze Marker reads:
THE RAID ON ENTERPRISE: THE SUGAR MILL RAID
On March 16, 1864 Acting Ensign Sanborn, commanding the USS Columbine of the Union Fleet, which was patrolling the St. Johns River into Lake Monroe, landed at Enterprise and sent Mr. Davis and a squad of men from the 48th New York Infantry to destroy a Sugar Mill, 2 miles from the town of Enterprise. They proceeded to destroy the greater part of the Mill, took sugar and molasses, and impressed slaves, cattle, and wagons to transport the goods. Before their duties were complete, a Home Guard of 30 to 40 Confederates chased them back to their ship. The contraband was put aboard the captured Confederate States steamer General Sumpter. No lives were lost. Two months later, on May 23, 1864, the USS Columbine was captured and destroyed at Horse Landing, near Palatka, by J.J. Dickison of the 2nd Florida Cavalry.
ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
All Saint's Episcopal Church was founded in 1881, and first met on this Lakeshore at the Brock House Hotel. The first Vicar rowed across Lake Monroe from Sanford to conduct services in the parlor. Baron Frederick DeBary donated the lumber to build what is now Volusia County's oldest "Florida Gothic" Church in 1883. The Church retains an active congregation, and has been listed in the national Register Of Historic Places since 1974. |
