The Battle at Horse Landing

Artist: Betty Sutliff

Location: South 3rd Street at St. Johns Avenue

Size: 71' x 9-1/2'

Sponsors: The Florida Sons of Confederate Veterans

 

This is a very popular mural. It depicts a local historic Civil War battle. The skirmish occurred on May 23, 1864 between the Union gunboat Columbine and the dismounted Confederate cavalry troops of J. J. Dickison on the shore of the St. Johns River. The fire fight only lasted for 45 minutes, during which the Columbine lost all but 56 of her 148 troops and crew, and then surrendered to Captain Dickison. After plundering the gunboat, Dickison had the Columbine burned and sunk to avoid having her recaptured by the Union forces.

There are several "moving" parts in this mural...the most notable being the dock. As you walk by it, the dock changes perspective. If you are standing on the right, the dock stretches out to the left. If you are standing on the left, the dock stretches out to the right. The photos below try to capture this feature, but the magic effect really needs to be seen "in person".