Fort Barrancas: The oldest fort of Pensacola
The oldest fort of Pensacola. Last image: The Battery of San Antonio - License our images here. |
The oldest and the closest fort to the city of Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle. The Spaniards called it San Carlos de Austria originally, later became San Carlos de Barrancas - "barranca" means cliff in Spanish.
The French destroyed the fort in 1719. In the lower part of Barrancas still survives the old battery of San Antonio. The white walls show a different architecture. The cannons of this battery covered the entrance to Pensacola Bay. Later the fort combined its firepower with Fort Pickens in Santa Rosa Island and Fort McRee in Perdido Key to defend the inlet.
Half a mile from Fort Barrancas is the Advanced Redoubt. This fort defended Pensacola from land attacks. It was connected with trenches to Fort Barrancas. The Confederate Army captured both forts during the Civil War.
(We stayed in the campground of Big Lagoon State Park.)
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