St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Frederica Guns on the River
Fort Frederica National Monument
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, March 10, 2016
1. Frederica — Guns on the River Marker
The Fort at Frederica has ”four bastions, a ditch palisaded, and a covered way [outer moat] defended by fifteen pieces of cannon.”
Samuel Augspourguer
Frederica engineer
1739
Cannon protected Fredericas river approaches from enemy ships. The big guns were mounted behind the fort parapets and in batteries near the waters edge. In 1742 cannon located downriver (ahead) prevented Spanish galleys from reaching the fort.
This corroded gun tube may have been part of Fredericas original armament. Its wooden carriage has been reconstructed. Other cannon displayed nearby are about the same age, but were not here originally.
A smoothbore muzzle-loader like this could shoot a 12-pound ball one mile. The compact, garrison-type carriage, recoiled after each shot, then rolled back into firing position. A wooden wedge, or “quoin,” was used to set the aim higher or lower.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Forts and Castles • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1742.
Location. 31° 13.425′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Coastal Plain, on the Georgia Coast and the Golden Isles, and on the Sea Islands. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Frederica - Oglethorpe (a few steps from this marker); Frederica The Kings Magazine
2. Marker detail: Embrasure Illustration
Cannon were mounted behind openings in the forts parapet called “embrasures.” The gun carriages rolled on wooden platforms.
Also see . . . Fort Frederica Historical Background. Fort Frederica combined a military installation with a settlement, the town of Frederica. Due to the Spanish threat only seventy-five miles away, General Oglethorpe took measures to fortify both, surrounding the entire forty-acre area with an outer wall. This consisted of an earthen wall called a rampart that gave protection to soldiers from enemy shot and shell, a dry moat and two ten-foot tall wooden palisades. The fort's location on a bend in the river allowed it to control approaches by enemy ships. (Submitted on March 15, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, March 10, 2016
3. Frederica — Guns on the River Marker
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, March 10, 2016
4. 12-pound, Smoothbore, Muzzle-loader Cannon
Credits. This page was last revised on April 3, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 12, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 272 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 15, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
