Fort Barrancas (Warrington, Pensacola, Florida)
Warrington, Pensacola · Florida · American Civil War
History & Significance
The site dates to a Spanish wooden fortification, Fort San Carlos de Barrancas, of the late 18th century. Fort San Carlos de Austria was constructed by the Spanish in 1698, destroyed by French forces in 1719, and later the British built the Royal Navy Redoubt in 1763.
The Spanish joined the American Revolutionary War in 1779, took Pensacola in 1781, and completed Fort San Carlos de Barrancas in 1797. During the War of 1812, the fort was abandoned by the British in the face of advancing American forces under General Andrew Jackson.
When the United States purchased Florida from Spain in 1821, it selected Pensacola as the site for a major Navy Yard and developed plans for construction of additional harbor fortifications. Fort Barrancas was reconstructed and expanded with brick between 1839 and 1844, designed by Joseph Gilbert Totten, and connected to the Spanish-built water-battery by an underground walkway tunnel.
In January 1861, a company of 50 U.S. Army soldiers fired upon Florida militia; Lieutenant Adam J. Slemmer, the acting commander, evacuated the fort to Fort Pickens. Fort Barrancas and Fort McRee exchanged heavy cannon fire with Union-held Fort Pickens in November 1861 and January 1862; Confederates abandoned Pensacola in May 1862. Four Black USCT regiments served at Barrancas; in March 1865, 12 USCT regiments organized there for the Mobile Campaign, with the USCT initiating the successful attack at Fort Blakeley in April 1865.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Two-level brick fortification with underground tunnel connecting hilltop fort to water battery
- Panoramic views of Pensacola Bay from fortifications
- Civil War history and multiple construction eras (Spanish, American)
- Part of Gulf Islands National Seashore with beach access nearby
- Museum exhibits documenting military history and strategic importance
Sources
- https://www.nps.gov/guis/learn/historyculture/fort-barrancas.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Barrancas
- https://www.battlefields.org/visit/heritage-sites/fort-barrancas-gulf-islands-national-seashore
- https://www.pensapedia.com/wiki/Fort_Barrancas
- https://theclio.com/entry/19451
- https://www.nps.gov/places/000/fort-barrancas.htm