I'm putting together a little notebook about my ancestors in Company D, 8th Regiment. I'm trying to trace the 8th Florida's brief time in Florida as accurately as possible on the map. I've got a general idea of locations, but I need some help pinpointing some of these ghostowns/camps and making sense of the marching orders. My ancestors were living in Sector 27 of Nassau County before they signed up in Baya's Company on November 18, 1861. Is it safe to assume they, and other volunteers, traveled by riverboat from Jackson down the St. Johns River to St. Augustine?

Most of my questions come from the three regimental notes that I have,

[“Events of February 28 to April 30, 1862
Station of Company: Camp Hunt

Evacuated Fort Marion Florida, March 10, 1862. Marched to Hawkinsville. Joined [New] Smyrna detatchment and assisted in guarding and protecting Government Ordinance and Ordinance stores then landing at that point. When considered safe and being ordered to Tallahassee, marched to Waldo a distance of over 120 miles averaging 18 miles per day, then took the R.R. and was sent to this place [Camp Hunt] by Col. W.G.M. Davis Commanding 1st Cavalry Regiment, Florida Vols.”]

Was Hawkinsville between Dunn's Lake and Lake George on the St. Johns River? This is a total guess based on rough mileage and splitting the difference between New Smyrna. We've discussed Hawkinsville here, before, but I've yet to see it actually pinpointed on a map.

How would the regiment have crossed the St. Johns River to the west bank? Ferry? Bridge? Ford? I'm curious because according to the report the march took a week to complete.

Am I mistaken or did the regiment take a train north from Waldo to Baldwin, then west from Baldwin to Tallahassee? And how long do you think they bivouacked there before being ordered to Camp Hunt, which I understand is somewhere in St. Johns County? I'd guess they arrived at Tallahassee at around April 1st - could they have stayed out there for 20-25 some-odd days before completing what is basically a giant circle back to Jackson and then the St. Augustine area?

The next report says,

“Events of May to June 1862
Station of Company: Camp Leon, Fla.”

Camp Leon is near Tallahassee... could this mean that between March 10th and June the regiment was recalled back to Tallahassee (where we at least know they stayed until leaving for Richmond on July 16)?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.