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St. Augustine in St. Johns County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
 

On Watch

Fort Mose Historic State Park

 
 
On Watch Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Brandon D Cross, December 3, 2025
1. On Watch Marker
Inscription.
On Watch
It may be simple and modest, but this wooden fortress safeguards your way of life. From atop the fort, you keep watch for marching British troops. They have burned St. Augustine before, and Fort Mose is now its first line of defense. Are you willing to die to defend your family? Your freedom? An early warning of approaching danger could be the difference between victory and defeat.

En Guardia
Puede que sea sencilla y modesta, pero esta fortaleza de madera protege mi modo de vida. Desde lo alto del fuerte, vigilo si las tropas británicas se acercan: ya han quemado San.Agustín antes, y ahora Fuerte Mose es nuestra primera línea de defensa. ¿Estoy dispuesto a morir para defender a mi familia? ¿Mi libertad? Una alerta temprana de un peligro inminente puede marcar la diferencia entre la victoria y la derrota.

(captions)
Prickly Pear Cactus/Nopal
Surrounding the fort, invaders would find a moat of not water, but plants. Covered in spines or thorns, prickly pear cactus and Spanish bayonet yucca served as a natural defense against attackers.

Spanish Bayonet/Bayoneta española
Rodeando el fuerte, los invasores encontrarían un foso no de agua, sino de plantas. Cubiertos de espinas o púas, los nopales y la bayoneta española servían de defensa natural contra los atacantes.

 
Erected 2025
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by Florida State Parks.
 
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Colonial EraForts and CastlesMilitary.
 
Location. 29° 55.771′ N, 81° 19.492′ W. Memorial is in St. Augustine, Florida, in St. Johns County. It is on Fort Mose Trail 0.2 miles north of Colon Avenue, on the right when traveling north. The marker is located within Fort Mose Historical State Park. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 15 Fort Mose Trail, Saint Augustine FL 32084, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in First Coast and in Greater Jacksonville. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, 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 Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Barca Chata (a few steps
On Watch Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
2. On Watch Marker
from this marker); Women of Fort Mose (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Mose Site (within shouting distance of this marker); Conclusion (within shouting distance of this marker); “Slave Catchers” (within shouting distance of this marker); Captain Francisco Menendez (within shouting distance of this marker); Freedom Seekers (within shouting distance of this marker); The Fort Mose Militia (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Augustine.
 
Other markers no longer nearby. Evacuation (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Fort Mose II (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
 
Also see . . .  Fort Mose Historic State Park. (Submitted on December 3, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on December 4, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 3, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 47 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on December 3, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
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Jul. 9, 2026