Southwest Georgia Played Key Role in War of 1812-- Part 3: Forts, Fort Mims, Battle of Horseshoe Bend and Negro Fort

Not only was a trail hewed from the Wilderness, but Gen. David Blackshear also built a series of forts along that trail:  Fort Telfair, Fort Twiggs, Fort Jackson, Fort Pike, Fort Mitchell, Fort Green Fort Lawrence, Fort Adams, Fort Clark and Fort McIntosh.

Other forts in the region included  Fort Gaines, Fort Mitchel, Fort Morgan and Fort Scott.

Military action in the region began on August 30, 1813, when a war party of Creek Indians under Spanish and English influence, attacked  Fort Mims in what is now in Alabama and 500  mostly white settlers were killed.  In retaliation, Gen. Andrew Jackson would lead his Tennessee volunteers with the aid of Cherokee warriors, killing around  800 Creeks in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

Another battle of note which highlighted the alliances formed during the War of 1812 would take place on the Apalachicola River at a fortification called British Fort, but more commonly known as Negro Fort.  There, the British enlisted runaway slaves and Indians to harass the white settlers of the region.

--Brock-Perry

Edward P. Gaines-- Part 3: Battle of Fort Erie and Indian Affairs

At the Siege of Fort Erie, he was in command on 15 August 1814 when the British assault was repulsed at the First Battle of Fort Erie.  For this he was awarded the Thanks of Congress, the Congressional Gold Medal and brevet-promoted to the rank of major general.

However, he was wounded by an artillery shell at the battle and replaced by General Isaac Brown.

Upon recovery, he was given command of Military District No. 6.  At the war's end, he was sent to deal with the Creek Indians in Georgia and Florida which is where he got involved with Negro Fort.

Gainesville, Florida, home of the University of Florida and Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island in Mobile Bay, were named after him.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Gadsden-- Part 10: The Single Deadliest Cannon Shot in American History

The attack on Negro Fort had begun.  The two gunboats opened fire and got the fort's range in four shots.  The fifth shot was a "Hot Shot" one that had been heated and was fired from Gunboat #154 and scored a direct hit on the entrance to the gunpowder magazine and Negro Fort was blown to pieces.  It is regarded as perhaps the single deadliest cannon shot in American history.

An estimated 270-320 men, women and children were instantly killed.  Bodies and parts of bodies were found in the tall pine trees surrounding the fort..

The fort was abandoned for two years after that.

Brock-Perry

Fort Gadsden-- Part 9: The Attack Begins

Slavery was legal in the United States and the existence of a fort manned by blacks so close to the U.S. border was viewed with alarm.

The United States demanded Spain to do something about it, but it was not done fast enough and Major General Edmund P. Gaines was authorized to take care of the fort.  He placed Lt. Col. Duncan L. Church in command of the operation who moved down from Fort Gaines in Georgia to a site near the Florida border where he built a new stockade called Camp Crawford, whose name was later changed to Fort Scott.

He left there in July 1816 with a force of 112 soldiers from the 4th U.S. Infantry which was reinforced by several hundred Creek Indians led by Major William McIntosh, a Coueta chief who had fought alongside Andrew Jackson in the Creek War.

Upon arrival at Negro Fort, surrender was demanded and promptly refused.  The attack began July 27, 1816.  Clinch was assisted by U.S. navy Gunboats #149 and #154.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Gadsden-- Part 8: Blacks Left in Charge of the Fort

From Explore Southern History blog "Fort Gadsen state Historic Site which has photos and much more information.

Along with the British at the fort, there were some 2,000 Red Stick and Seminole warriors and 100 black soldiers (Colonial Marines), who were mostly made up of free black citizens but who had once been slaves.

These men were equipped, supplied and trained by British officers.

Some of the Colonial Marines based here took part in the failed attack on Fort Bowyer at Mobile Bar (near where Fort Morgan stands today).  Some were even at the Battle of New Orleans.

When the British left in May 1815, , the fort and its massive supply of small arms and ammunition was turned over to the Indians and blacks.  Under the command of Garcon.  Most of the Indians eventually returned to their villages, but Garcon, who had been a sergeant major in the Colonial Marines remained along with 80 yo 100 blacks.

It was during this period that it became known as "Negro Fort."

--Brock-Perry

Fort Gadsden-- Part 6: Negro Fort Becomes Fort Gadsden

The fort remained unoccupied for two years.

In 1818, Andrew Jackson instructed Lt. James Gadsden to reoccupy and rebuild Negro Fort.  He dis and the fort became known as Fort Gadsden.

During the Civil War, the fort was occupied by Confederate troops until July 1863, when they evacuated because of a really bad outbreak of malaria.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Gadsden-- Part 5: The Battle at Negro Fort

The freedmen in Negro Fort refused to surrender and be returned to slavery and cries of "Give Me liberty or Give Me Death" were heard several times during the ensuing battle.  Cannon fire was exchanged, but the shots of the inexperienced blacks did not find their marks.

A "hot shot" from an American cannon found its way into the fort's powder magazine and resulted in a huge explosion, reportedly heard as far away as 100 miles.  It killed all but 30 of the fort's 300 occupants.

Garson and the Choctow chief were handed over to the Creek Indians who shot him and scalped the chief.  The other blacks were returned to slavery.  The Creeks managed to salvage 2,500 muskets, 50 carbines, 400 pistols and 500 swords from the ruins.  (These numbers seem to be considerably high in my opinion.)
The battle made relations between the Creeks and Seminoles much worse (the Seminoles supported the blacks).  It also tilted superiority to the Creeks with all their new weapons.  The Seminoles also were mad at the United States which was part of the reason for the First Seminole War a year later.

Spain protested this blatant violation of its territory but lacked the power to do anything about it.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Gadsden-- Part 5: A Threat to Slavery

Negro Fort was seen as a threat to Southern slavery being that close to the Georgia border.  The U.S. considered it "a center of hostility and above all a threat to the security of their slaves."

The Savannah Journal lamented the existence of the fort and mentioned that several area slaves had run away to it.

The U.S. built Fort Scott in southern Georgia to guard against this threat.  Andrew Jackson decided it would be easier to supply the fort by going up the Apalachicola River, despite the fact that it was in Spanish territory.  On July 17, 1816, a U.S. naval force attempted tp go up the Apalachicola, but was turned back by cannon fire from Negro Fort.  Four U.S. soldiers were killed.

Ten days later an enraged Andrew Jackson ordered Brig. General Edmund P. Gaines at Fort Scott to destroy Negro Fort.  American troops along with Creek Indians, who were promised to receive whatever they wanted from the fort arrived at the fort and after a series of skirmishes began an all out attack under the command of Lt. Col. Duncan Clinch with naval support from Sailing Master James Loomis.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Gadsden, Fla.-- Part 4: Andrew Jackson Targets the Fort

In September 1815, U.S. Indian Agent Benjamin hawkins sent about 200 soldiers against Negro Fort, but they failed.

Negro Fort was commanded by a black man named Garson and a Choctow chief.  They began launching a series of raids across the Georgia border and the fort became a threat in the eyes of the United States.

In early 1816, the U.S. built Fort Scott on the west bank of the Flint River in southern georgia as a defense against Negro Fort.  Major General Andrew Jackson, commander of the Southern district, decided that he would rather supply Fort Scott by bringing supplies up the Apalachicola River instead of overland.  This would become a good reason and a great excuse to attack Negro Fort.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Gadsden, Fla.-- Part 3: British Post, Negro Fort

Before he left Florida, Edward Nicholls built a fort at Prospect Bluff, 15 miles above the mouth of the Apalachicola River and 60 miles below U.S. territory.

 It was originally known as British Post and served as base for British troops (though in Spanish Florida) and actively recruited former slaves into the new Corps of Colonial Marines.  It also was the local rallying point for Seminole Indians for attacks on U.S. territory.

When the British evacuated the fort in the spring of 1815, they left a well-constructed and fully armed fort on the east bank of the Apalachicola River and about 400 Colonial Marines assumed command.  News of the "Negro Fort" attracted 800 black fugitives (runaway slaves) ro the fort who settled around it.

--Brock-Perry

The British Corps of Colonial Marines-- Part 2

The 1814-1816 reincarnation of the Colonial Marines saw action from Canada to Georgia.  they proved of great assistance because they had extensive knowledge of the lands where they were formerly enslaved.  They helped the British capture Washington, D.C..

The Colonial Marines also assisted in the British Southern Coastal Campaign and guarded their right flank in attack on and subsequent Battle of New Orleans.

At the end of the war they were transferred to Bermuda.

In 1816, they were ordered to Prospect Bluff, Florida where they defended a Spanish fort overlooking the Apalachicola River (Fort Gadsden).  American troops were threatening the fort which had a lot of escaped slaves who had gone there for protection, so many in fact that it was referred to as Negro Fort.

Major General Andrew Jackson attempted to capture it in July 1816 when he led a flotilla of American gunboats and troops.  They overran the stockade and forced the British force to surrender.  Many of the Colonial Marines were then enslaved again.

--Brock-Perry

Nicholls' Outpost-- Part 1

From the Explore Southern History Blog by Dale Cox.

The other British fort built on the Apalachicola River was at Prospect Bluff and Nicholls' Outpost was located upriver at present day Chattahoochee, Florida.  The Post and fort were built as part of a British plan to recruit Red Stick and Seminole Indians to their cause during the War of 1812.

The other fort was 30 miles north of the mouth of the Apalachicola River at the site of present day Fort Gadsden Historic Site. Both forts were built by Edward Nichols of the Royal Marines.   This fort later was referred to as the "Negro Fort."

Nicholls' Post was the smaller fortification of the two and was built on top of a large Indian mound at Chattahoochee Landing in Gadsden County, Florida.

--Brock-Perry