Camp Leon
Encyclopedia
Camp Leon was a Confederate army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...

 encampment
Military camp
A military camp or bivouac is a semi-permanent facility for the lodging of an army. Camps are erected when a military force travels away from a major installation or fort during training or operations, and often have the form of large campsites. In the Roman era the military camp had highly...

 during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 located south of Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...

 in southern Leon County
Leon County, Florida
Leon County is a county located in the state of Florida, named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. At the 2010 Census, the population was 275,487. The county seat of Leon County is Tallahassee which also serves as the state capital. The county seat is home to two of Florida's major...

, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 near the unincorporated community of Belair. It is the best known of the three camps located in the county.

Camp Leon was the initial mustering point for the Kilcrease Light Artillery
Kilcrease Light Artillery
The Kilcrease Light Artillery was a Confederate army artillery company.Headed by Captain Patrick Houston and Captain Frederick L. Villepigue, it was formed in Leon County, Florida in the spring of 1863 upon the dividing of the Leon Light Artillery. The Kilcrease company was assigned to the...

, also known as Villepique's Light Battery, by September of 1863. It was organized a Florida company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...

, Confederate Army, Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The company was named for its captain, Fred L. Villepigue, Florida Secretary of State from 1853-1863.

Camp Leon had individuals from the following infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

 units:
  • Company D, 5th Florida Infantry
  • Company I, 5th Florida Infantry
  • Company K, 5th Florida Infantry
  • Company A, 8th Florida Infantry
  • Company E, 10th Florida Infantry


The Kilcrease Light Artillery returned to Florida in March 1864 to support the Confederate defenses at Camp Milton, west of Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...

. In August 1864 at Brandy Branch, the unit skirmished with Union forces. In March 1865 at Battle of Natural Bridge
Battle of Natural Bridge
The Battle of Natural Bridge was a battle during the American Civil War, fought in what is now Woodville, Florida, near Tallahassee, on March 6, 1865...

, it assisted in repelling a Union thrust against Tallahassee. It remained stationed in north Florida until the end of the war. In May, 1865, the Kilcrease Light Artillery disbanded and its men were paroled.
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