Fort Barrancas
Encyclopedia
Fort Barrancas or Fort San Carlos de Barrancas (from 1787) is a historic United States
military fort in the Warrington
area of Pensacola, Florida
, located physically on Naval Air Station Pensacola
.
The hill-top fort, connected to a sea-level water battery
,
overlooks Pensacola Bay
, from what is now Naval Air Station Pensacola
. Because the hill-top fort was rebuilt of brick (1839–1844), becoming Fort Barrancas, the older, water battery downhill (Baterie de San Antonio, 1787) has also been called Fort San Carlos, separately,
"Fort Barrancas" (history),
National Park Service
, 2006, nps.gov webpage:
NPSft.
being a remnant from the time the hilltop was the wooden Fort San Carlos de Barrancas.
Spanning a multi-century history, the U.S. Army deactivated Fort Barrancas on April 15, 1947. Designated a National Historic Site (NHL) in 1960, control of the site was transferred to the National Park Service
in 1971. After extensive restoration during 1971-1980, Fort Barrancas was opened to the public (see below: Timeline).
by Indians under the general leadership of some English traders, but was not taken. In 1719 French forces captured Pensacola
and destroyed the Spanish fort.
The site was used as a harbor fortification by the British
, building the Royal Navy Redoubt in 1763. The Spanish
captured Pensacola in 1781, and completed the fort San Carlos de Barrancas in 1797. Barranca is a Spanish word for bluff
, the natural terrain feature that makes this location ideal for the fortress.
Andrew Jackson
, and the British
, Spanish
, and Creek Indians during the War of 1812
.
In 1818, the Spanish
garrison of the fort exchanged cannon fire with an American
battery for a few days. The U.S. force was again led by General Andrew Jackson. Eventually the Spanish surrendered the fort, leaving Pensacola
in American
hands.
When Florida
was acquired from Spain in 1821, Pensacola was selected as a navy yard, and harbor fortifications were constructed to protect its deepwater bay. After 1829, Fort Pickens
and Fort McRee
were built to defend the pass to Pensacola Bay.
Fort Barrancas, expanded with brick between 1839–1844, is on the mainland. It was built to defend against both sailing ships entering the harbor and attack across land. The Advanced Redoubt was built north of the fort, and a trenchline connected them. This system protected the navy yard to the east from infantry attacks.
Fort Barrancas was designed by Joseph Gilbert Totten
and was connected to the Spanish-built water-battery by an underground walkway tunnel. Major William Henry Chase supervised the construction, done mostly by slave
labor.
In 1861, during the American Civil War
, there was a company of 50 U.S. soldiers stationed at Fort Barrancas, under the command of John H. Winder
. On January 8, Florida state troops under Colonel William Henry Chase demanded that the federal troops surrender the fort, which was met by warning shots meant to repel the militia. As Winder was not present (and would later be promoted to General in the Confederate Army), Lieutenant Adam J. Slemmer
was acting commander. Lt Slemmer knew that Fort Pickens
was easier to defend, so he spiked the guns at Barrancas, loaded ammunition and supplies on a flatboat
, and moved his company across the bay to Fort Pickens which was held by the Union throughout the Civil War.
Confederate soldiers from Alabama
, Louisiana
, and Mississippi
were then stationed at Fort Barrancas. While a small company of soldiers could man the fort successfully, additional sand batteries were constructed along the coast, and operated by these soldiers. General Braxton Bragg
took command of Confederate Pensacola on March 11, 1861, and continued work on the batteries. On October 9, a Confederate force of 1000 troops landed east of Fort Pickens, but was repelled by Union forces. Fort McRee
and Fort Barrancas exchanged heavy cannon fire with Fort Pickens on November 22–23, 1861 and January 1, 1862. However, in May 1862, after hearing that the Union Army had taken New Orleans, Confederate troops abandoned Pensacola.
made masonry forts like Fort Barrancas outmoded. The fort was used as a signal station, small arms range, and storage area by the Army until 1946, when newer weapon technology made coastal defense completely obsolete. On April 15, 1947, Fort Barrancas was deactivated, and the U.S. Navy incorporated the site into Naval Air Station Pensacola
. At the same time, local leaders, Congress, and the National Park Service
were working to designate the harbor defenses of Pensacola as a national monument. In 1971, Congress authorized the establishment of the Gulf Islands National Seashore
, as part of the National Park Service
, and after a $1.2 million restoration, Fort Barrancas was opened to the public in 1980.
Fort Barrancas and the nearby Advance Redoubt are located aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola
and are managed by the National Park Service
. Access to Naval Air Station Pensacola
by non-Department of Defense
affiliated personnel may be subject to homeland security
concerns.
. Visitors can tour the restored fort and battery
, learn about the fort's history through the exhibits in the visitor center, and walk trails to the Advance Redoubt on board Pensacola Naval Air Station.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military fort in the Warrington
Warrington, Florida
Warrington is a census-designated place in Escambia County, Florida, United States, and was once the westernmost incorporated town in Florida. Warrington is located between downtown Pensacola, Florida, and the state line with Alabama; it is six miles away from both.The population was 15,207 at...
area of Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, located physically on Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola , "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United States Navy base located next to Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits...
.
The hill-top fort, connected to a sea-level water battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
,
overlooks Pensacola Bay
Pensacola Bay
Pensacola Bay is a bay located in the northwestern part of Florida, United States, known as the Florida Panhandle.The bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, is located in Escambia County and Santa Rosa County, adjacent to the city of Pensacola, Florida, and is about 13 miles long and 2.5 miles ...
, from what is now Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola , "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United States Navy base located next to Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits...
. Because the hill-top fort was rebuilt of brick (1839–1844), becoming Fort Barrancas, the older, water battery downhill (Baterie de San Antonio, 1787) has also been called Fort San Carlos, separately,
"Fort Barrancas" (history),
National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, 2006, nps.gov webpage:
NPSft.
being a remnant from the time the hilltop was the wooden Fort San Carlos de Barrancas.
Spanning a multi-century history, the U.S. Army deactivated Fort Barrancas on April 15, 1947. Designated a National Historic Site (NHL) in 1960, control of the site was transferred to the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
in 1971. After extensive restoration during 1971-1980, Fort Barrancas was opened to the public (see below: Timeline).
Construction
Fort Barrancas was built on the site of numerous previous forts, including Fort San Carlos de Austria, which was constructed by the Spanish in 1698. It was besieged in 1707Siege of Pensacola (1707)
The Siege of Pensacola was two separate attempts in 1707 by English-supported Creek Indians to capture the town and fortress of Pensacola, then one of two major settlements in Spanish Florida. The first attempt, in August 1707, resulted in the destruction of the town, but Fort San Carlos de...
by Indians under the general leadership of some English traders, but was not taken. In 1719 French forces captured Pensacola
Capture of Pensacola (1719)
The Capture of Pensacola took place in May 1719 during the War of the Quadruple Alliance when a French force led by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville took and occupied the settlement of Pensacola in the Spanish colony of Florida. The French occupied Pensacola until August 1719, when a large...
and destroyed the Spanish fort.
The site was used as a harbor fortification by the British
British colonization of the Americas
British colonization of the Americas began in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia and reached its peak when colonies had been established throughout the Americas...
, building the Royal Navy Redoubt in 1763. The Spanish
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
captured Pensacola in 1781, and completed the fort San Carlos de Barrancas in 1797. Barranca is a Spanish word for bluff
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
, the natural terrain feature that makes this location ideal for the fortress.
First battles
In 1814, the fort was the scene of the American victory at the Battle of Pensacola, which was fought between the American forces, commanded by GeneralGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
, and the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and Creek Indians during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
In 1818, the Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
garrison of the fort exchanged cannon fire with an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
battery for a few days. The U.S. force was again led by General Andrew Jackson. Eventually the Spanish surrendered the fort, leaving Pensacola
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
in American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hands.
When Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
was acquired from Spain in 1821, Pensacola was selected as a navy yard, and harbor fortifications were constructed to protect its deepwater bay. After 1829, Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens is a pentagonal historic United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens. The fort was completed in 1834 and remained in use until 1947...
and Fort McRee
Fort McRee
Fort McRee, was a historic military fort constructed by the United States, on the eastern tip of Perdido Key, to defend Pensacola and its important natural harbor...
were built to defend the pass to Pensacola Bay.
Fort Barrancas, expanded with brick between 1839–1844, is on the mainland. It was built to defend against both sailing ships entering the harbor and attack across land. The Advanced Redoubt was built north of the fort, and a trenchline connected them. This system protected the navy yard to the east from infantry attacks.
Fort Barrancas was designed by Joseph Gilbert Totten
Joseph Gilbert Totten
Joseph Gilbert Totten fought in the War of 1812, served as Chief Engineer and was regent of the Smithsonian Institution and cofounder of the National Academy of Sciences.-Early life and education:...
and was connected to the Spanish-built water-battery by an underground walkway tunnel. Major William Henry Chase supervised the construction, done mostly by slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
labor.
Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, there was a company of 50 U.S. soldiers stationed at Fort Barrancas, under the command of John H. Winder
John H. Winder
John Henry Winder was a career United States Army officer who served with distinction during the Mexican War...
. On January 8, Florida state troops under Colonel William Henry Chase demanded that the federal troops surrender the fort, which was met by warning shots meant to repel the militia. As Winder was not present (and would later be promoted to General in the Confederate Army), Lieutenant Adam J. Slemmer
Adam J. Slemmer
Adam Jacoby Slemmer was an officer in the United States Army during the Seminole Wars and the American Civil War, as well as in the Old West.-Early years:...
was acting commander. Lt Slemmer knew that Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens is a pentagonal historic United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens. The fort was completed in 1834 and remained in use until 1947...
was easier to defend, so he spiked the guns at Barrancas, loaded ammunition and supplies on a flatboat
Flatboat
Fil1800flatboat.jpgA flatboat is a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with Fil1800flatboat.jpgA flatboat is a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with Fil1800flatboat.jpgA flatboat is a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with (mostlyNOTE: "(parenthesized)" wordings in the quote below are notes added to...
, and moved his company across the bay to Fort Pickens which was held by the Union throughout the Civil War.
Confederate soldiers from Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
were then stationed at Fort Barrancas. While a small company of soldiers could man the fort successfully, additional sand batteries were constructed along the coast, and operated by these soldiers. General Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...
took command of Confederate Pensacola on March 11, 1861, and continued work on the batteries. On October 9, a Confederate force of 1000 troops landed east of Fort Pickens, but was repelled by Union forces. Fort McRee
Fort McRee
Fort McRee, was a historic military fort constructed by the United States, on the eastern tip of Perdido Key, to defend Pensacola and its important natural harbor...
and Fort Barrancas exchanged heavy cannon fire with Fort Pickens on November 22–23, 1861 and January 1, 1862. However, in May 1862, after hearing that the Union Army had taken New Orleans, Confederate troops abandoned Pensacola.
Aftermath
Stronger cannon and ironclad ships developed during the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
made masonry forts like Fort Barrancas outmoded. The fort was used as a signal station, small arms range, and storage area by the Army until 1946, when newer weapon technology made coastal defense completely obsolete. On April 15, 1947, Fort Barrancas was deactivated, and the U.S. Navy incorporated the site into Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola , "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United States Navy base located next to Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits...
. At the same time, local leaders, Congress, and the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
were working to designate the harbor defenses of Pensacola as a national monument. In 1971, Congress authorized the establishment of the Gulf Islands National Seashore
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Gulf Islands National Seashore offers recreation opportunities and preserves natural and historic resources along the Gulf of Mexico barrier islands of Florida and Mississippi. The protected regions include mainland areas and parts of 7 islands...
, as part of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, and after a $1.2 million restoration, Fort Barrancas was opened to the public in 1980.
Fort Barrancas and the nearby Advance Redoubt are located aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola , "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United States Navy base located next to Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits...
and are managed by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. Access to Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola , "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United States Navy base located next to Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits...
by non-Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
affiliated personnel may be subject to homeland security
Homeland security
Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect states against terrorist activity. Specifically, is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do...
concerns.
Timeline
The site of Fort Barrancas has been involved in numerous events and has changed names several times, depending on which country ruled in the region, over the past five centuries:- 1559-1561: when Spanish Pensacola is first settled on Santa Rosa IslandSanta Rosa Island, FloridaSanta Rosa Island[p] is a 40-mile barrier island located in the U.S. state of Florida, thirty miles east of the Alabama state border...
, the site was only a hilltop that overlooked the island;
- 1698: the Spanish construct Fort San Carlos de Austria;
- 1719: Fort San Carlos de Austria is completely destroyed by the FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
;
- 1763: now under BritishBritish colonization of the AmericasBritish colonization of the Americas began in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia and reached its peak when colonies had been established throughout the Americas...
rule, Royal Navy Redoubt is constructed of earth & logs;
- 1787: now under SpanishSpanish colonization of the AmericasColonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
rule (from 1781), the sea-level batteryArtillery batteryIn military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
, Bateria de San Antonio, is built of masonry;
- 1787-1797: under Spanish rule, Fort San Carlos de Barrancas, a wooden and earthen structure is added on the hill-top bluff overlooking the battery;
- 1814: Fort San Carlos de Barrancas is demolished by the evacuating British as Andrew JacksonAndrew JacksonAndrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
approaches;
- 1817: again under Spanish control, San Carlos de Barrancas is rebuilt;
- 1839-1844: now under U.S. rule (from 1821), the wooden hill-top structure is replaced with a massive brick fortress connected via tunnel to the battery (remodeled in 1838), with the entire site comprising Fort Barrancas;
- 1845-1869: the Advanced Redoubt is built 1400 ft (427 m) north of the fort;
- 1861: under ConfederateConfederate States of AmericaThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
control, Fort Barrancas is bombarded from Union-held Fort PickensFort PickensFort Pickens is a pentagonal historic United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens. The fort was completed in 1834 and remained in use until 1947...
on Santa Rosa IslandSanta Rosa Island, FloridaSanta Rosa Island[p] is a 40-mile barrier island located in the U.S. state of Florida, thirty miles east of the Alabama state border...
, with heaviest attacks on November 22–23 and January 7, 1862;
- 1862: in May, the site, and the City of Pensacola, are abandoned by Confederate troops (after the fall of New Orleans);
- 1941-1947: Fort Barrancas is used by the U.S. Army as a signal station and small arms range until it is deactivated in 1947;
- 1960: on October 9, Fort San Carlos de Barrancas becomes an NHLNational Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
landmark.
- 1966: Fort Barrancas Historical District (640 acres) enters the National Register of Historical Places, as district #66000263.
- 1971: Fort Barrancas becomes part of the Gulf Islands National SeashoreGulf Islands National SeashoreGulf Islands National Seashore offers recreation opportunities and preserves natural and historic resources along the Gulf of Mexico barrier islands of Florida and Mississippi. The protected regions include mainland areas and parts of 7 islands...
managed by the U.S. National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
;
- 1978-1980: Fort Barrancas is restored during an 18-month project and opened to the public as a National Historic LandmarkNational Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
- 1989: Fort Barrancas is listed in A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, published by the University of Florida Press.
Museum
Fort Barrancas is currently operated as a visitor center for the Gulf Islands National SeashoreGulf Islands National Seashore
Gulf Islands National Seashore offers recreation opportunities and preserves natural and historic resources along the Gulf of Mexico barrier islands of Florida and Mississippi. The protected regions include mainland areas and parts of 7 islands...
. Visitors can tour the restored fort and battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
, learn about the fort's history through the exhibits in the visitor center, and walk trails to the Advance Redoubt on board Pensacola Naval Air Station.