The 868th Engineer Company "Suwannee Rifles" is a unit of the Florida Army National Guard, stationed in Live Oak, Florida. The company has one of the oldest continuous lineages in the Florida National Guard, starting out as an independent company of infantry in 1884. During its first 71 years, the Suwannee Rifles served as an infantry company and deployed as Company E, 124th Infantry during World War II. After WWII the unit reorganized again as infantry, then as an armor company for thirteen years, and since December 1968 the Suwannee Rifles has been an engineer company.
Founding and Spanish–American War Service
The Suwannee Rifles were established in 1884 in Live Oak, Suwannee County, Florida. In 1891, the Suwannee Rifles were organized in the Florida State Troops and designated Company D, 3rd Battalion of Infantry in 1892. In early 1893, L.K. Kemmerlin is listed as a lieutenant in the company. Kemmerlin was promoted to captain on 25 November 1893 and commanded the company. William L. Tedder and J. W. Price were appointed First Lieutenant and Second Lieutenant, respectively, on 27 August 1894. The unit attended Camp Dunn, Ocala in 1893 and camp at Pensacola in 1894. In 1895 the Suwannee Rifles were reorganized in the Florida State Troops as Company A, 4th Battalion. In June 1896 Captain George E. Porter assumed command while William Tedder continued as First Lieutenant. L. K. Kemmerlin was reappointed as a Second Lieutenant one year later on 27 June 1897. The Suwannee Rifles did their summer training at Camp Bloxham, Jacksonville in 1896 and then Camp Henderson, Tallahassee in 1897.
At the start of the war with Spain, the twenty companies of the Florida State Troops were ordered to Tampa. The Suwannee Rifles left Live Oak on 12 May 1898 under command of Captain William L. Tedder with 1LT L. K. Kemmerlin, 2LT Willie H. Lyle, and 2LT Archer B. Hays. The company arrived in Tampa on 13 May and encamped in the old government reservation known as the "Garrison". The Suwannee Rifles were selected among the twenty companies to constitute the one of the twelve companies of the First Florida Volunteer Regiment and mustered into Federal service on 23 May, then left eh "Garrison" on 27 May and encamped at Desoto Park, Tampa. On 29 June the company detached from the Florida Regiment at Fort Brooke and marched to Tampa Heights, serving in the U.S. Siege Artillery train under Colonel Mills. Then in July, Company L was attached back to the Florida Regiment. The company left Tampa Heights on 21 July and traveled by train to Fernandina, arriving the next day. While in Fernandina, Sergeant H. M. Hicks and H. D. Puckett separately deserted the company, and one soldier was discharged for "disability". On 22 August the unit traveled via train to Huntsville, Alabama where they served until early October. While in Huntsville, the company had five more men discharged for "disability". On 9 October, they took a train to Tallahassee, arriving on 11 October. Three days later the company was given thirty days furlough and all returned to Tallahassee on 15 November. The Suwannee Rifles was mustered out 3 December 1898 in Tallahassee.
The Rifles became Company E, 1st Florida Infantry in 1899. The company was called to state active duty for the Jacksonville Fire of 1901, the Jacksonville streetcar strike from 30 October – 15 November 1912, and six other times throughout various parts of Florida. Company E, under command of Captain William H. Lyle, was commended by the Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Clifford Foster, for its actions in mustering and entraining within thirty minutes from receiving orders to assist the Suwannee County Sheriff, J. W. Hawkins. The company took the train via the Suwannee & San Pedro Railroad and arrived at Perry to escort a prisoner back to Live Oak on the awaiting train. The company encamped with all of the Florida State Troops at Camp Jennings in Jacksonville from 8 to 15 September 1903. Company E was disbanded in late 1912.
World War I Service
The Suwannee Rifles were reorganized in April 1917 as Company E, 1st Florida Infantry after the Second Florida Regiment's service on the Texas-Mexico border had ended. The reorganized company formed under command of Captain J. Hinley (who had previously commanded the unit ten years earlier) with 1LT A. E. Leslie (another former commander of Company E) and 2LT J. P. Lamb. Company E was drafted into Federal service on 5 August 1917. The company was designated 5th Company, 56th Depot Brigade and used to fill other units; primarily the 124th Infantry and 106th Engineers. Few of the men from Suwannee Rifles made it to France, none were killed in action, one man was wounded, and five men died of disease while on Federal service.