Fort Braden (Leon County, Florida)

Leon County · Florida · Second Seminole War

Quick BriefFort Braden was established on December 3, 1839, during the Second Seminole War by 1st Lieutenant Seth B. Thornton of Company G, 2nd U.S. Dragoons. The fort was abandoned on June 7, 1842, at the conclusion of the Second Seminole War. It was named for Virginia Braden, wife of prominent Tallahassee citizen Dr. Joseph Braden.

History & Significance

1st Lieutenant Seth B. Thornton of Company G, 2nd U.S. Dragoons constructed and commanded Fort Braden when it was established on December 3, 1839, during the Second Seminole War. Located eighteen miles southwest of Tallahassee, the fort served as a military post during the conflict's later phase, when General Zachary Taylor's strategy focused on establishing small forts connected by wagon roads across northern Florida.

On July 12, 1840, two soldiers of Company B, 2nd Infantry stationed at Fort Braden were killed by Indians while traveling from Fort White. The garrison was abandoned on June 7, 1842, at the conclusion of the Second Seminole War. A small community had grown near the fort, and no visible signs remain of the Fort structure today, though archaeological work conducted by an FSU team in 1999 documented the site, with artifacts cataloged in a thesis titled "Looking for Fort Braden: A Second Seminole War Fort 1839-1842."