Garcia And Fort Negro: After the War of 1812, over three hundred African Americans occupied an abandoned British fort on the banks of the Apalachicola River in what is now Florida. Known as Fort Negro, it was headed by an African American man named Garcia. The heavily armed fort became a symbol of Black independence and a threat to the southern slave system. The United States Government made destruction of the fort one of its highest priorities after the war of 1812. In the summer of 1816, the U.S. Navy and Army under Colonel Clinch surrounded Fort Negro and called on the community to surrender, Garcia refused. On July 27, 1816, an attack was launched, but the heavily fortified garrison repelled it. But a second attack succeeded in hitting the ammunition supply, and the fort exploded. Only sixty four of the three hundred African Americans survived the blast, and only three of the sixty four were uninjured. Garcia, unhurt was executed by firing squad. The remaining survivors were returned to slavery.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 06:52:56 +0000
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