On January 7, 1861, the Florida State Militia were ordered to seize Fort Marion by the Governor Madison Starke Perry. When the 125 men of the militia reached the fort they demanded its surrender from its lone occupant a Union Ordnance Sergeant, Henry Douglas. At the time the fort was taken there were four 8-inch siege howitzers and sixteen 32-pounder smooth bore cannons there. The Rebels removed all the siege howitzers and 12 of the sixteen 32-pounder cannons for use elsewhere. The fort remained in Confederate hands for about 14 months even though it was lightly defended. Union gunboats arrived off the coast of the fort on March 11, 1862, and found it undefended. The Confederates knowing they were coming left the night before. Mayor Bravo ran up a white flag over the fort and then met with Union Commander CR Rogers to formally surrender the town. It would remain in Union hands for the duration of war.
Walkway to the entranceMap of the fortDrawbridge and sally portView to the right from the drawbridgeAn artillery demonstration on the St. Augustine’s Bastion29.8976111, -81.3113889 Link After loading their muskets the soldiers mounted these steps to fire over the parapet at the enemy29.8975000, -81.3110833 LinkIt enabled the sentry to watch outside the fort to the front and sides, and sheltered him from weather and enemy fire.bThese turrets were red against the white walls of the fort. You can help save the remaining red plaster by not touching it.Sentry boxLooking out the firing hole of the sentry box29.8976389, -81.3112222 Link This bastion was named after the patron saint of the city.St. Augustine wasestablished in 1565, 42 years before the English settled Jamestown- 55 years before the Pilgrims set foot onto Plymouth Rock. It grew from 800 people in 1565 to 3,000 in 1763, the end of the first Spanish occupation.View from St. Augustine’s BastionAn artillery demonstration on the bastionView from the San Carlos Bastion looking west29.8980556, -81.3115000 LinkAfter the English burned St. Augustine in 1702, the Spanish built earthworks beyond the fort for defense against attack. Water and marsh protected other sides. English raiders were stopped in 1728 at the Hornwork, a half mile north of here.View from the San Carlos Bastion looking north29.8980278, -81.3117778 LinkYou are standing in a “bastion” looking along the “curtain” wall toward another “bastion”. The angles are planned to expose attackers to cross fire from several walls.View looking west from St Paul or San Pablo Bastion29.8978889, -81.3118056 LinkSurrounding defenses made St. Augustine a walled town. From here you can see a reconstructed part of the Cubo Line, the log wall that barred the land approach. It extended from the fort past the City Gate, to the San Sebastián River.29.8976111, -81.3117778LinkViews from the St Peter or San Pedro BastionSoldier’s quartersThe ChapelCasemateBritish Quarters Link
These pictures were taken outside the walls of the fort
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