Cow Cavalry

The Cow Cavalry officially C. J. Munnerlyn's 1st Special Cavalry Battalion was a Florida Confederate cavalry regiment during the Civil War organized to protect herds of cattle from Union raiders. The hides and meat from Florida cattle was a critical supply item for the Confederacy.

James McKay wrote to the state of the need to protect Florida cattle after the Battle of Olustee, and a group of Florida crackers was organized near Plant City, and were based out of Fort Myers, taking part in the Battle of Fort Myers. They would drive cattle to Baldwin. John T. Lesley, Francis A. Hendry, and W. B. Henderson were all in the Cow Cavalry.