Fort Gadsden

This is another little known fascinating site, just a while south of Tallahassee. During the War of 1812, the British recruited Native Americans and runaway slaves in an attempt to use them against the Americans. Here on the banks of the Apalachicola River they built a fort to shelter them and make a base for operations against American shipping on the river. The British left in 1815, but the fort continued to harass American shipping on the river. In spite of the fort being in what was still Spanish territory, the United States ordered it destroyed.
Alerted to the threat from the US, the local Natives and runaways took shelter in the fort and awaited an attack. Col Duncan Lamont Clinch with 116 men in riverboats met with Major John McIntosh and 150 friendly natives. On July 23, 1816 word was received that four men sent to the river for water had been killed by men from the fort. That was the excuse needed to attack, and on July 27, they approached by land and on the river with the gunboats.
The gunboats opened fire, and on the fifth salvo, an explosive shot landed in the fort's magazine, which exploded, killing over 300 of the people in the fort. Clinch reported that "the explosion was awful and the scene horrible beyond description." When the fort surrendered, the Native Chief and leading runaway were captured and executed for the murder of the four men who went to the river. In the above photo, small wooden posts mark the corners of the fort's magazine. In the center is a flagpole flying the British flag.

While this dramatic episode occurred after the official end of the War of 1812, and before the official beginning of the First Seminole War, it has often been considered a battle of both wars.

In 1818, after the official start of the First Seminole War, Andrew Jackson sent a group of men down the Apalachicola River to destroy Seminole Villages. Upon encountering the site of the old fort here, he was so impressed by the location, that he ordered a new fort constructed. The new fort was smaller, but on the same spot. The above model shows what the new American fort would have looked like.

Lt. James Gadsden, who would later negotiate the Gadsden Purchase in Arizona and New Mexico, was put in charge of building the new fort. Jackson was so impressed by Gadsden's enthusiasm that he named the fort for him. Above is a portrait of Gadsden.

The new fort was not occupied for long, and the site was virtually forgotten until the Civil War. With the Apalachicola River leading to vital plantations in southern Georgia and Alabama, the Confederates realized its importance and occupied the Fort Gadsden site until 1863 when Malaria drove them away.

Today little remains of the American fort, and almost no trace exists of the British fort. The site is a National Historic Landmark, and is well maintained by the Apalachicola National Forest.

In this site, locally known as the "Renegade Cemetery," the remains of many of the persons killed in the explosion of the British Fort were buried. The brick burial vault dates from the late 19th century. Grave Robbers, though to be workmen building a nearby railroad, broke into it in the early part of the twentieth century. Archaeological excavations revealed that the wet acid soils had destroyed all physical remains of the persons buried here. Only the numerous shallow depressions mark the resting places of those killed in the terrible explosion.

The brick vault in the cemetery
In 1838 the Steamship Irvington, carrying 200 bales of cotton on a downstream run, burned and sank four miles upstream from here. This 15 foot sidewheeler was constructed in 1836 in Madison, Indiana. These boilers and parts were dredged from the river about where the Irvington went down. The ship's short life on the river came during the early part of the Apalachicola steamship period. Later over 200 ships worked the river from the Gulf to as far north as Columbus, Georgia.
More parts from the Irvington
View of the Apalachicola River

Near the parking lot for the site is a large encased booth with many excellent artifacts found here and displays including the fort model and Gadsden portrait. Above are Native and British items from the time of the first fort.

Remains of a British musket and bayonet

Items from river steamboats found in the area

I'm not sure what this is, unless it's just a baby tree.

Lake Jackson, part two

During Florida's territorial and early statehood time period, the land where the Lake Jackson Mounds are was owned by Col. Robert Butler. He was the state's first Surveyor General when Andrew Jackson was governor. Under his ownership, much of the land was used as a plantation, but some remained in its natural state. Here are some photos from the nature trail through the upland pinelands that surround the park today.

Looks like some trail improvement going on. Should be interesting to come back again in a few years and see how it looks.

This area waslabeled as "historical," but with no explanation why.

I have no idea what this fascinating plant is. I even looked in books and online, with no luck. Does anyone know?

These steep-walled, forested ravines are locally called "steepheads" and are normally found along the east bank of the Apalachicola River in Liberty and Gadsen counties. Most have small streams and a cool, moist microclimate, quite different from that of the surrounding terrain. The flora, in part, consists of Southern Magnolia, Redbud, and the Oakleaf Hydrangea. All have a rich herb and vina flora,includingmany fern species such as Maiden, Venus Hair, and Southern Lady ferns, most of which are often rare elsewhere. Related ravone forests occur along mainly the northern tier of counties in the panhandle. All with similar flora and faunas.

Getting late in the day...

Termite paradise?

This is Lake Jackson, just a quick jaunt away from the park.

Devil's Millhopper

This is the Devil's Millhopper State Geological Site near Gainesville, Florida. This fascinating landmark has been an attraction for curious visitors since the 1880's, but has been around much longer. Much of Florida is covered in Limestone rock. This rock is very hard, but easily dissolved by acid. When rainwater contacts carbon dioxide in the air, as well as matter in topsoil, it becomes acidic. When the acidic rainwater reaches the limestone bedrock, it slowly dissolves it away, often creating formations and caverns. Devil's Millhopper is the result of one such cavern. When the ceiling of the cavern became too thin from the acidic rainwater, the cave collapsed, forming a large sinkhole.

In the 1880's, grain was ground in mills, and was put into the mills using a millhopper, a large funnel on the top of the mill. When this site was discovered, fossilized bones and teeth were found, leading to a superstition that this was the milhopper to feed the devil. Hence, the name.

Scientists have learned a lot from the Millhopper, not only about the geological makeup of Florida, but also about ancient life from the fossilized remains and plants found in it. The site was purchased by the State of Florida and became a state park in 1974.

This railroad tie is all that's visible now of the trail built in the 1930's by the Conservation Corps. The main disadvantage was that the trail caused excess erosion on the side of the sinkhole. The current trail is elevated, minimizing the impact.

The Millhopper has its own mini-ecosystem, due to its shape retaining a fairly constant temperature, kind of like a cave. Luscious ferns and mosses are found all around the inside of the sink, feeding off the mineral rich water and rock. Bottom of the sink.

This is a Needle Palm, which is normally found in areas further south in moist, dark areas. Here in northern Florida, they are only found in deep crevices and ravines, like this sinkhole.

Our personal method of not climbing back up the (236) stairs too fast.

The park also features a half mile nature trail around the rim of the sink.

One of the streams that flows into the sink.

Saw Palmettos.

Getting there is half the fun!

Ok, so after 4 and 1/2 years living here, we finally made it out to Cumberland Island National Seashore. Figured we would do it to get rid of any reason to ever come back here. Anyway, to get there, you have to take an NPS ferry from downtown St Marys. That's the ferry arriving now.
In the visitor center, there are some intersting displays, including this one of sea turtles hatching.

This one shows how Sea Oats grow.

Some Native American artifacts

As these tools show, both cotton and lumber industries at one point made their home on Cumberland.

Artifacts from the Carnegie Estate on the island.

View of downtown St Marys from the visitor center. Visible are Trolleys Bar, the Sub Museum, and God only knows what. That corner building always changes.

Waterfront park.

Finally we say goodbye to St Marys

Looking towards Point Peter, where the battle took place in the War of 1812

Looking south towards Amelia Island

This guy decided to hang around the boat for a while

Cumberland Island! Barely visible on the left side is the ruins of the Dungeness Mansion, that belonged to the Carnegie family.

Looking north, at the Kings Bay Sub Base.

Cumberland Island again

Tying up the boat. Ready to go see the island? Stay tuned!