December 19, 1863: Raid On St. Andrew's, Florida

DECEMBER 19, 1863:  Expedition under Acting Master W.R. Browne, comprising the USS Restless, Bloomer and Caroline. proceeded up St. Andrew's Bay, Florida, to continue the destruction of salt works.  A landing party went ashore under the Bloomer;s guns and destroyed those works not already demolished by the Southerners when reports of the naval party were received.

Browne was able to report that he had "cleared the three arms of this extensive bay of salt works .... Within the past ten days," he added, "290 salt works, 33 covered wagons, 12 flatboats, 2 sloops (5 ton each) six ox carts, 4,000 bushels of salt, 268 buildings at the different salt works, 529 iron kettles averaging 150 gallons each, 105 iron boilers for boiling brine [were destroyed], and it is believed that the enemy destroyed as many more to prevent us from doing so."

--Old B-Runner