Rick Reeves (b. 1959)

Ballast Point

Oil on panel

Signed to lower right

Visible 29 1/2 x 23 5/8 in., framed to 33 7/8 x 27 7/8 in. 

A scene of three Union sailors, part of a covert raiding team, who were captured by Confederate forces. One puts his hands up in surrender, while his comrade, wearing a slin,g kneels beside him. A third sailor lies prone as a Confederate reaches to take his pistol. 

Tampa, Florida, though small, was an important trade hub for Central Florida and was a pivotal spot for blockade runners during the Civil War. There had been previous bombardments of Tampa, notably by the USS Sagamore, on 30 June 1862 during the Battle of Tampa. In the fall of 1862, the Union began a concerted attempt to put an end to the blockade running in West Florida. Beginning on October 16th, the USS Tahoma and USS Adela began a bombardment of Fort Brooke. Two days later, a raiding party secretly disembarked at Ballast Point. Sneaking through the dense foliage, they reached the Jean Street Shipyard and destroyed several ships, including the notorious blockade runners: steamship Scottish Chief and sloop Kate Dale. A short battle ensued as the Union troops boarded their dinghies and returned to their ships. The scene here shows a few of those raiders captured before they could escape. 

In May 1864, Union forces returned to Fort Booke; however, it was no longer garrisoned, and the surrounding town was mostly abandoned. The painting here shows Union forces dismantling the remaining cannon and supplies at the fort.  

A unique view of one of the few Civil War actions that occurred in Tampa, Florida. 

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Art, Folk Art, Military Art, Etching, Engraving, Lithographs, Prints, Ephemera] [Militaria, Accouterment, Equipment, Uniforms]