Fort at Point Petre (St. Marys, Camden County, Georgia)
St. Marys, Camden County · Georgia · War of 1812
History & Significance
In 1795 a cannon battery was constructed on the Point Peter peninsula, becoming the southernmost fortification in the First System of U.S. coastal defenses. Vacated in 1802, it was reoccupied and strengthened in 1808 to provide support for enforcement of the Embargo Act and prohibition of the international slave trade.
In the fall of 1812, the Camden County Battalion was raised at Point Peter and served in the 1st Brigade of General John Floyd's army division, which participated in the Creek Wars. The fort gained prominence during the War of 1812 when in 1812, former Georgia governor George Matthews led the unsanctioned "Patriot" invasion of Spanish Florida from Point Peter.
On January 13, 1815, a British force overwhelmed the American garrison in a successful attack, with more than 1,500 British troops attacking a thinly defended battery manned by 36 defenders. The British burned Fort Point Peter, including its blockhouses and barracks.
After the U.S. acquired Florida in 1819, the post was abandoned. By the Civil War, Fort Point Peter had become a ruin. Archaeological work beginning in 2002 has revealed significant material remains of the fort.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Archaeological site with War of 1812 ruins on the St. Marys River
- British attack destroyed the fort in 1815 during final war months
- Historical marker commemorates the battle
- Thousands of artifacts recovered from excavations
- Gateway to understanding Georgia's border defense role
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Peter
- https://www.georgiahistory.com/ghmi_marker_updated/point-peter-battery-and-the-war-of-1812/
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_ghm_point-peter-battery-and-the-war-of-1812
- https://archive.archaeology.org/0701/abstracts/ptpeter.html
- https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/war-of-1812-and-georgia/