Near Pensacola Beach in Escambia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Swatting Mosquitoes
— Fort Pickens —
Photographed By Mark Hilton, December 31, 2014
1. Swatting Mosquitoes Marker
Inscription.
Swatting Mosquitoes. . Isolation and boredom, snakes and biting flies, many of the soldiers stationed at Fort Pickens in the 1800s and 1900s felt they had been sent to the end of the Earth and forgotten. They spent hours on end in the sweltering sun standing watch, conducting artillery drills, maintaining equipment, and swatting mosquitoes. In their leisure time they played cards, read letters and newspapers sent from home, swam in the gulf, fished, and played ball games. Some of them even hunted alligators despite official prohibitions.
Isolation and boredom, snakes and biting flies—many of the soldiers stationed at Fort Pickens in the 1800s and 1900s felt they had been sent to the end of the Earth and forgotten. They spent hours on end in the sweltering sun standing watch, conducting artillery drills, maintaining equipment, and swatting mosquitoes. In their leisure time they played cards, read letters and newspapers sent from home, swam in the gulf, fished, and played ball games. Some of them even hunted alligators despite official prohibitions.
Erected by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
Location. 30° 19.703′ N, 87° 17.431′ W. Marker is near Pensacola Beach, Florida, in Escambia County. Marker can be reached from Fort Pickens Road near Pensacola Beach, Florida (State Road 399). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Fort Pickens Road, Gulf Breeze FL 32561, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on January 4, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 470 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 4, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.