The Governor's Guards is a historic unit of the Florida Army National Guard, stationed in Tallahassee, Florida. Its current designation is Troop C, 1st Squadron, 153rd Cavalry. The unit has one of the oldest continuous lineages in the Florida National Guard. In 1857, Captain John Parkhill, his brother Samuel M. Parkhill, and Theordore Brevard, Jr. formed a mounted company of "Leon Volunteers" to fight in the Third Seminole War, where John Parkhill was killed in action. John Parkhill's cousin, Captain George W. Parkhill and his brother, Richard C. Parkhill formed a new company called the "Governor's Guards" circa 1859-1860 which later changed its name to "Howell Guards" and fought with the 2nd Florida Infantry during the Civil War. After the war, the company reorganized as "Governor's Guards", a local militia company, under the command of Captain Alexander Moseley and have had a near-continuous lineage henceforth. The Governor's Guards served as an infantry unit for most of its existence, including in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Iraq War and the Global War on Terrorism. The unit consolidated with the Franklin Guards, a detachment in Apalachicola and since 2007 has been Charlie Troop, a dismounted infantry reconnaissance troop.
Tallahassee Militia in the Third Seminole Wars (1857-1858) With a renewal of pursuit against the Seminole Indians in South Florida, Captain John Parkhill, a 34 year old prominent citizen of Tallahassee, raised a company of Florida Mounted Volunteers, called the "Leon Volunteers" in July, 1857. The vast majority of his militia were farmers from the local area with a couple of "labourers", and four privates listed in the muster rolls as a saddler, printer, carpenter and mechanic. Most were born in Florida and Georgia, although at least three of his soldiers were born in Germany, and one was from France. Each volunteer provided his own horse. They were called into federal service by the President on July 29 for a term of six months. Captain Parkhill's company of three officers and 76 soldiers moved to Fort Myers where they searched for Seminoles hiding in the Everglades. On November 26 Captain Parkhill led a force to burn Seminole crops near Royal Palm Hammock. The next day he led a six-man patrol searching for Indian trails. His patrol was ambushed and he and five soldiers were killed. After his death his First Lieutenant, Theodore W. Brevard, Jr. took command and was promoted to Captain. Captain Parkhill was the most notable fatality among the Florida militia and a monument was erected in front of the Florida capitol by Leon County citizens "as a testimonial of their high esteem for his character and public services". Including Captain Parkhill, 11 soldiers were killed or died while in service, three were discharged with a disability, and one private deserted.
Civil War (1861-1865)
The Governor's Guards were organized in 1859/1860, an independent Cavalry Company, under command of John Parkhill's (former commander of Leon Volunteers) cousin, Captain George Washington Parkhill.Through Some Eventful Years, Susan Bradford Eppes, 1926, p 126. Mrs. Eppes mentions the Governor's Guards, a cavalry company, marching in the July 4th, 1860 parade in Tallahassee. After Florida seceded from the Union, the company reorganized as an independent Infantry Company in July 1861 by Captain George Washington Parkhill and renamed themselves Howell Guards in honor of Confederate President Jefferson Davis' wife, the former Miss Howell.Through Some Eventful Years, Susan Bradford Eppes, 1926, p 157. The Governor's Guards drilled daily in Tallahassee until their departure by train on August 12, 1861. They arrived in Richmond and were mustered into Confederate service on 20 August 1861 as an independent company, trained on artillery and sent to Evansport, Virginia on 27 September 1861 where they manned a battery of guns overlooking the Potomac River.Through Some Eventful Years, Susan Bradford Eppes, 1926, p 158.
In March, 1862 the Governor's Guards were ordered to abandon the fort and march toward Fredericksburg, Virginia.Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Part II – Record of Event, Janet Hewett, 1995, pp 227-230. They were then sent to defend Richmond and were temporarily attached to the Fifth Alabama Battalion and then attached on 10 June 1862 to Fifty-Fifth Virginia Volunteers.
On June 20, 1862 Howell Guards joined Second Florida near Richmond as "Company M".Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Part II – Record of Event, Janet Hewett, 1995, p 228 Howell Guards fought in every battle with the Army of Northern Virginia from the Peninsula campaign to the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse where the company had only 16 soldiers left to muster out on April 9, 1865.
Post Civil War and Spanish–American War (1877-1916) The first known post-Civil War unit in Tallahassee was organized as the "Governor's Guards" in 1877 under the command of Captain Ed Lewis with First Lieutenant Franklin Pierce Damon, Second Lieutenant William Andrew Rawls, 5 sergeants, 4 corporals, 2 musicians, and 60 privates. Ed Lewis was issued infantry equipment of 40 Springfield breach loading rifles, caliber 50, 40 steel bayonets with leather scabbard, cartridge boxes with plates and belts. Captain Alexander Moseley took command of the Governor's Guards between 1879 and 1880.
Captain Moseley was the son of Florida's first state governor, William Dunn Moseley. Captain Moseley was a 2nd Florida Infantry veteran, having been appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the Saint Augustine Rifles (Co H) at the formation of the regiment on July 13, 1861. He was later elected Captain and commander of the same company on May 11, 1862 and promoted to the 2nd Florida Regiment's Major after Major George W. Call was killed at the Battle of Seven Pines on May 31, 1864. Captain Moseley surrendered with the 2nd Florida at Appomattox on April 9, 1865.
Both Ed. Lewis and Alex Moseley received 750 and 1,000 metallic cartridges for their company's rifles. Captain Moseley additionally received one 12-pound howitzer with carriage and limber, and other artillery ordnance for the Governor's Guards.
Captain Moseley and the Governor's Guards were ordered on February 8, 1881, along with the Jefferson Rifles and Madison Guards to report to the sheriff in Madison to "assist in preserving the peace". The full companies were on duty for four days when they were relieved by the Jacksonville Light Infantry and the Columbia Light Infantry. In the Adjutant General Report of 1881–1882, it stated that "too much cannot be said in praise of the very competent and faithful discharge of duty, both of officers and men, on this occasion" and that "all serious disturbance was averted, and peace and quiet soon restored." The Governor's Guards' pay roll amounted to $99.84. By 1882, W. A. Rawls was promoted to First Lieutenant, replacing F. P. Damon, and Second Lieutenant William Cheever Lewis joined the company. In 1882, First Lieutenant W. C. Lewis was issued 50 bayonet scabbards, 50 gun slings, 50 cartridge boxes, waist belts and plates. The Governor's Guards "voluntarily disbanded without orders from headquarters" as stated in the Adjutant General's Report of 1885 to 1886, and had not yet surrendered their arms of fifty caliber 50 rifles and accoutrements.
The Governor's Guards reformed under command of William C. Lewis, former First Lieutenant on March 4, 1897. Officially they were Company C, 4th Battalion, Florida State Troops; one company among 20 throughout the State Troops. Company C conducted their first "annual camp of instruction" at Camp Henderson on Leon Heights near Tallahassee with all of the Florida State Troops during May 18 – 25, 1897. During this encampment two U.S. Army officers, Captain Thomas M. Woodruff and Hunter Liggett of the 5th U. S. Infantry, acted as instructor and inspector. "All of the companies have obtained a considerable degree of excellence, but Company C, Fourth Battalion, organized in Tallahassee only in February, was deserving of the greatest praise in proficiency and progress," Major General Patrick Houstoun, Adjutant General. Captain Liggett rated the whole Florida State Troops, "Proficiency in battalion drill, fair in close order; fair in extended order; in ceremonies, excellent. Guard mounting very well done." During this period, units had one drill per week, usually practicing the manual of arms and simpler company movements.
In 1898, Florida was asked by the U.S. government to provide one regiment of 12 companies for service in the Spanish–American War. Company C was disbanded on May 23, 1898 along with other units to meet this requirement. While many from Tallahassee volunteered and served, they did not serve as a company from Tallahassee. In fact, the 20 companies from around the state were consolidated, reorganized, and mustered into federal service 20–25 May 1898 at Tampa as the 1st Florida Volunteer Infantry. The Florida regiment did not deploy overseas and eight of the companies were mustered out 3 December 1898 at Tampa and four companies mustered out 27 January 1899 at Huntsville, Alabama. The Florida units were reorganized 17–18 August 1899 in the Florida State Troops as the 1st and 2nd Regiments of Infantry.
The infantrymen from Tallahassee were reorganized as Company G, 1st Regiment in 1899 under command of Captain Lewis M. Liveley. A. C. Spiller took command sometime between January and May 1900. The Florida regiments were reorganized and Governor's Guards became Company D, 1st Florida Infantry circa December 18, 1900, with Captain E. A. Dickey, First Lieutenant W. H. Markham, and Second Lieutenant Theodore Gibbs.Houstoun, Patrick (1901). Report of the Adjutant General of the state of Florida, 1899–1900. Tallahassee, FL: Tallahasseean Book and Job Office. Governor's Guards were activated for state service May 3–22, 1901 to aid in relief during the Jacksonville Great Fire of 1901. Company D disbanded July 15, 1904.
The unit was reorganized as Company C, 1st Infantry on June 7, 1907 and conducted a joint coast defense exercise in Pensacola in the same year. Company C was activated for state duty from October 30 to November 15, 1912 to help restore order during the violent Railway Strike in Jacksonville. The unit was redesignated Company I, 1st Florida Infantry on March 19, 1915. It was disbanded June 14, 1916, for falling below a Federal inspection standard. Mexican Border, Great War, and buildup (1916-39) The Tallahassee infantrymen, as part of the 2nd Florida Infantry Regiment, mustered into federal service in June 1916 at Camp Foster, Florida and then deployed to the Texas-Mexico border in support of the Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa. During their border service they used the time to drill and get ready for the Great War. Second Florida mustered out of federal service in March 1917.
The Tallahassee unit was reorganized as Company B, 1st Florida Infantry on May 29, 1917 under command of Captain Sydney J. Catts, and drafted into federal service 5 August 1917, and sent to Camp Wheeler, GA. Florida's 1st and 2nd Regiments were consolidated, reorganized, and redesignated 1 October 1917 as the 124th Infantry and assigned to the 31st Division, as part of the mobilization for World War I. After the regiment arrived in France, the Division and subordinate units were split up into small groups and sent as replacements where needed. Since Florida Guardsmen did not fight under the designation of their regiment, campaign streamers and honors could not be given to the regiment. However, the regiment did receive the WWI streamer without inscription. Many Guardsmen volunteered to serve in the 1st, 2nd, 27th, 30th, 42nd, and 82nd Divisions in France. The regiment officially demobilized 14 January 1919 at Camp Gordon, Georgia.