Fort Gadsden (Franklin County, Florida)
Franklin County · Florida · War of 1812
History & Significance
The site originated with a British fort built during the War of 1812 that allowed members of the disbanded Corps of Colonial Marines—largely fugitive slaves—and Creek tribesmen to occupy it after the British evacuated Florida in 1815 and deliberately left munitions behind. Americans referred to the resulting settlement as Negro Fort, which was destroyed in a 1816 river attack by U.S. forces.
In 1818, General Jackson ordered Lieutenant James Gadsden to rebuild the fort within the existing earthworks to secure the strategic location; Jackson personally named it Fort Gadsden in honor of the engineer. A Jackson aide reported in August 1818 that the new fort was hastily constructed of perishable materials and could not last more than four or five years without constant repair.
The fort saw no direct military action during its three years of operation (1818–1821) or later during the Civil War. Confederate troops occupied the fort starting in 1862 to protect river communications with ports in Apalachicola, but an outbreak of malaria in July 1863 forced abandonment. The site was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- War of 1812-era earthwork fort on the Apalachicola River
- Interpretive signage explaining Jackson's occupation and the site's earlier history
- Prospect Bluff overlook with riverside views
- U.S. Forest Service managed historic landmark
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospect_Bluff_Historic_Sites
- https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/34496
- https://aaregistry.org/story/the-negro-fort-florida-a-story/
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=116355
- https://exploresouthernhistory.com/fortgadsden.html