Willoughby Tillis Battle Monument Marker

HMdb.org

THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE “Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”

Home — My Markers — Add A Marker — Marker Series — Links & Books — Forum — About Us

Word or Phrase

Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print

Fort Meade in Polk County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Willoughby Tillis Battle Monument

By AGS Media, June 27, 2012

1. Willoughby Tillis Battle Monument

West face

Inscription. (West face)

A group of United States Army soldiers led by Lt. Carlton engaged the Seminole Indians in what is known as the Willoughby Tillis Battle in this vicinity on June 14-16, 1856. These five men who lost their lives in this engagement are buried here.

(North face)
In memory of
Lt. Alderman Carlton
Lott Whidden
William Parker
killed
June 14, 1856
and
Robert F. Prine
George Howell
killed
June 16, 1856
and others who were wounded

(East face)
This monument
erected by descendants
of
Alderman Carlton

Erected 1964 by descendants of Alderman Carlton.

Location. 27° 45.031′ N, 81° 47.391′ W. Marker is in Fort Meade, Florida, in Polk County. Marker is on 2nd Street Southeast east of South Church Avenue, on the left when traveling east. Click for map. The monument and burial site are located at Monument Park, a municipal park of the City of Fort Meade. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Meade FL 33841, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, as the crow flies. Christ Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson Memorial (approx. half a mile away); Site of Fort Meade (approx. half a mile away); Florida 2000 Center of Population (approx. ¾ mile away); Fort Meade Veterans Memorial (approx. ¾ mile away); Homeland School (approx. 5.3 miles away); Fort Chokonikla (approx. 8.9 miles away); Historic L. B. Brown House (approx. 10.3 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in Fort Meade.

By AGS Media, June 27, 2012

2. Willoughby Tillis Battle Monument

North face

More about this marker. The monument is a large, four-sided, polished granite obelisk set upon an unpolished base. The south face of the monument is without text or markings. The obelisk is the central feature of Monument Park.

Regarding Willoughby Tillis Battle Monument. Cattle farmer Willoughby Tillis and his wife Celia Durrance Tillis, along with several children, established their homestead within a few miles from the garrison of Fort Meade in 1855. Unfortunately, the Third Seminole War began during that same year. During the Tillis Farm Battle (a.k.a. Battle of Peace River), the family safely took shelter inside their home, from where Mr. Tillis and a Mr. Underhill fired their guns upon the Seminole contingent. The gunfire was heard at Fort Meade, which prompted Lt. Carlton and his men to enter the skirmish. (Some sources state a young boy or boys who were nearby and heard the gunfire ran to the Fort to alert the men.)

Among the wounded under the command of Lt. Alderman Carlton was his son, Daniel W. Carlton. The monument identifies Carlton's men as U.S. Army soldiers, but this appears to be incorrect. Multiple sources* were found which identify Lt. Carlton as commander with the Florida Mounted Volunteers militia.
*See links below, also the Florida Department of Military Affairs (http://dma.myflorida.com/?page_id=424).

By AGS Media, June 27, 2012

3. Willoughby Tillis Battle Monument

East face

Also see . . .
1. The Battle of Peace River. from the Historic Peace River Valley Florida blog (Submitted on July 7, 2012, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida.)

2. Carlton: A Goodly Heritage. Spessard Stone details the history of Alderman Carlton and his family in this excerpt originally published in the Sunland Tribune of Tampa, FL. Issue 24 (November 1998) (Submitted on July 7, 2012, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida.)

3. Monument salutes volunteers in Indian War. Typescript of Hampton Dunn's syndicated news column "Photouring Florida", describes the monument's 1964 dedication in then-Wildwood Park (Submitted on July 7, 2012, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida.)

Additional keywords. Third Seminole War

By AGS Media, June 27, 2012

4. Willoughby Tillis Battle Monument

View of the west face

Monument Park Photo, Click for full size

By AGS Media, June 27, 2012

5. Monument Park

The Willoughby Tillis Battle Monument is seen in the background to the left.

Lieutenant Alderman Carlton Photo, Click for full size

6. Lieutenant Alderman Carlton

Courtesy: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/117973

Credits. This page originally submitted on July 7, 2012, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. This page has been viewed 139 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 7, 2012, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.