Quaint and Historic Forts of North AmericaHammond, John Martin
History
Quaint and Historic Forts of North America
Hammond, John Martin
Fortification -- North America; Fortification -- United States; Historic buildings -- United States
During these years the fort was not without service, however.
In 1702 and again in 1740 San Augustin was attacked by English
forces from the English colonies to the north, and Fort San Marco,
even while not complete, bore the brunt of these attacks. The
second expedition against San Augustin was under the leadership
of Governor Oglethorpe, of Georgia, and arose to the dignity of a
siege of the city. For weeks the English forces lay beyond the
city walls and were then driven off by reinforcements brought from
Cuba.
With the construction of Fort San Marco the erection of city walls
was undertaken, too. The walls of old San Augustin ran from Fort
San Marco around the city and were constructed of “coquina.” Only
the so-called “City Gate” remains of these walls to-day.
In 1763 the warrior which had withstood armed assault fell to the
attack of diplomacy, for it was in this year that England made its
trade with Spain whereby Spain was given back Cuba, which England
had wrested by force of arms from that country, and England was
given Florida. The flag of Castile and of Aragon was hauled down
from the wall of the old fort and the British lion was raised in
its place. Fort San Marco became in British hands Fort St. Mark.
During the American revolution Florida was the only one of the
fourteen British colonies which remained loyal to the Mother
Country. The fervor of the northern coasts found no kindred spark
in old St. Augustine. The town became a haven for Tories. She
opened her gates and an oddly-assorted throng came flocking in.
There was the Tory colonel Thomas Browne, of Georgia, tar and
feathers still sticking to his skin from his experience with the
Liberty Boys, of Savannah. There was Rory McIntosh, always attended
by Scotch pipers, who paraded the narrow streets breathing out fire
and slaughter against the colonies. The Scopholites, so-called
from Scophol, their leader, marched down, 600 strong, from the back
country of North Carolina, burning and killing in their course
through Georgia. With such additions, St. Augustine was not content
with passive loyalty and became a centre for military operations
against the southern colonies. Many a council did the rooms of Fort
St. Mark witness, which had as its result death and privation to
the rebellious Americans.
Two expeditions were attempted by the colonists against Fort St.
Mark. The first under General Charles Lee fell short because
of mismanagement. The second advanced as far as the St. John’s
River. Consternation in St. Augustine reigned supreme; slaves
were impressed to help strengthen the fortifications; citizens
ran hither and thither with their valuables. But the Americans
were menaced by fever at the St. John’s and faced the prospect of
a midsummer encampment in Florida, so they turned about and went
north. Fort St. Mark was not to leave English hands by force.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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