You've probably heard of Fort Hamer and Fort Brooke, but have you ever heard of Fort Armistead? Located on Sarasota Bay in the area of present-day Indian Beach, a fortified encampment was constructed during the 1840s to allow the U.S. military to easily move against Native Americans in the event of an attack. Here's the story.
Florida is considered the last frontier of the U.S. in many texts. It was a land of untamed, uncharted, sub-tropical wilderness, seemingly impenetrable in some areas and free from property lines and boundaries. And so, for many decades it served as a sanctuary for Native Americans and black freedom seekers, who thrived living the nomadic lifestyles of their ancestors. There were wild piney wood cattle, brought by the Spaniards in the 1500s, hogs, horses, venison, woodland creatures, and plentiful seafood to live off.
In 1819 Florida was sold by the Spanish to the United States. At the time, there were about 5,000 Seminole Indians and free African Americans who claimed Florida's 32 million acres of land as their own. In 1823 under the Treaty of Moultrie Creek, they gave up their claim which resulted in reducing their land to 4 million acres, with no access to their cultivated lands, game, or the coast.
By early 1830, white settlers began migrating south, arriving in droves in Central Florida. When they placed houses and fences on hunting grounds, tensions began building between Seminoles and homesteaders resulting in the involvement of the U.S. military. President Andrew Jackson signed The Indian Removal Act, ultimately requiring Native Americans to relocate to Oklahoma. A few tribes went peacefully, but many resisted.
In May of 1840, Gen. Walker Keith Armistead assumed command of the Army of Florida. Forts were established so militias could more easily move against Indian camps south of Fort Brooke (present-day Tampa), according to ""A Military Post on Sarasota Bay"" by Bill Burger.
The First Infantry, under commanding officer Maj. Greenleaf Dearborn, took over the fishing rancho of Manuel Olivella, on Sarasota Bay (present-day Indian Beach). Supplies and building materials were shipped in from Fort Brooke and construction of Fort Armistead commenced, according to Burger.
The fortified encampment included a tent city, blockhouse, guard house, and mess hall that served more than 300 troops. Later, barns and warehouses were constructed to shelter supplies, and crops were planted nearby. A trail connected the Fort Armistead to Fort Starke, a smaller post near the mouth of the Manatee River at today's DeSoto National Memorial, Burger said.
Troops marched inland and sailed south to capture the remaining Seminoles and relocate them to Arkansas and Oklahoma. Fort Armistead became a base for negotiations; Native American delegates from western territories met with leaders of the resistance to try to convince them to surrender. At one point, some 90 Seminoles camped there prior to boarding a steamer for the trip west and ultimately to the Trail of Tears.
Civilians also worked at the fort as carpenters, fishermen, captains, and more. Sailboats and steamers were leased from private owners to transport supplies to and from the premises. By March/April of 1841, nearly 600 troops and an unknown number of civilians and captive Seminoles occupied the post.
Diseases, fevers, and other sicknesses required the construction of a hospital. But after 10 soldiers died, Davenport requested his troops be relocated to Cedar Key due to the unhealthy conditions. The request prompted Gen. Armistead to visit the facilities. After seeing the shoddy living conditions for himself, He wrote the War Department requesting closure and abandonment, Burger said.
Thus, Fort Armistead was only open for about seven months.
In the aftermath of the Second Seminole War, the U.S. government passed the Armed Occupation Act in August of 1842, granting 160-acre parcels to men, age 21 or older, who agreed to travel to Florida and settle the uninhabited land under the stipulation that they would live there for at least five years and protect their stake by enlisting in a local militia if need be. The venture was an attempt by the U.S. government to further control the Seminoles. Sadly, it ultimately led to a more populated state, pushing the remaining Seminoles deep into the Everglades where they lived in exile for many years.
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