Fort Stansbury (Wakulla County, Florida)

Wakulla County · Florida · Seminole War

Quick BriefFort Stansbury was a U.S. Army post established in 1839 during the Second Seminole War in Wakulla County, Florida. It served as headquarters for the U.S. 3rd Infantry Regiment and was occupied from September 1840 and abandoned by around April 1843.

Civil War

History & Significance

Fort Stansbury was established in 1839 during the Second Seminole War and was named for Brigadier General Tobias E. Stansbury, who had served in the War of 1812. The fort was located on the Wakulla River nine miles from St. Marks.

Its construction utilized blockhouses built from split pine trees, typical of the era. A contemporary account reported that of the 600-man garrison, approximately one-third became sick from fever, dysentery, and other illnesses.

From October 1842 until January 13, 1843, the fort was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ethan Allen Hitchcock, whose approach to conflict resolution through negotiation rather than military force distinguished the post. Despite no formal record of artillery being stationed there, discovery of an Artillery Corps jacket button suggests the fort may have been equipped with cannons or large guns. Archaeological investigation revealed the fort extended beyond its blockhouse structure to a nearby sinkhole used as a trash dump.