The Battle of Waterman's Bluff
Posted by: Markerman62
N 30° 41.170 W 081° 32.974
17R E 447363 N 3394951
Located at the entrance of the Waterman's Bluff subdivision at Lents Rd and Haren Rd
Waymark Code: WMXRWC
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 02/21/2018
Views: 4
During the War of 1812, Georgia settlers invaded Spanish East Florida in an attempt to destabilize Spanish control and prevent British forces from using the region as a military staging ground. This conflict was known as the Patriot War. In March 1813, American forces encamped here on Eleazar Waterman's plantation because its commanding views of the Bells and Jolly rivers gave it strategic value. They remained throughout the spring and summer, living off of Waterman's crops and livestock. Spanish loyalists, coming by boat from Amelia Island and over land, attacked the American camp on August 8, 1813. Buckner Harris, the American commander, had thirty men well concealed in preparation for the attack. He and his men were able to turn back both Spanish assaults due to their superior position and by capitalizing on tactical mistakes of the Spanish. The battle lasted less than twenty minutes and resulted in eighteen Spanish casualties, six dead and twelve wounded. Harris’s victory at Waterman’s Bluff allowed American forces to launch further raids on the Fernandina region. Shifting politics in 1814, however, caused support for the Patriot War to dwindle, and the Americans were forced to abandon Spanish East Florida.
Marker Number: F-935
Date: 2016
County: Nassau
Marker Type: Roadside
Sponsored or placed by: Trevett Building Systems, Inc. and the Florida Department of State
Website: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
In your log, please say if you learned something new, and if you took any extra time to explore the area once you stopped at the historic marker waymark.
Please post a photo at the marker location.