Chattahoochee in Gadsden County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
The Front Line of Freedom
Photographed by James L.Whitman, September 26, 2026
1. The Front Line of Freedom Marker
Nicolls' Outpost
Nicolls' Outpost and its sister fort at Prospect Bluff were home to three Colonial Marines companies. These units were comprised largely of self-liberated Black men who marched away from slavery to fight for the freedom of themselves, their families, and others held in bondage. They were called maroons.
The maroons on the Apalachicola River, many of whom left enslavers in Spanish Florida, were given arms, uniforms, and training by the British Royal Marines under Lt. Col. Edward Nicolls and Capt. George Woodbine. They learned standard marine tactics of the day, including how to make amphibious assaults. They also received training in the use of artillery.
Also present here were soldiers from the 5th West India Regiment, a unit of Black soldiers raised in Jamaica. The regiment suffered significant casualties at the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815. British officers hoped that service on the Apalachicola would allow wounded men to recuperate.
The Colonial Marines and 5th West India Regiment were expected to be key to the success of a planned British invasion of Georgia. Nicolls and Woodbine
this page online
Who was Abraham?
Abraham was the best-known of the maroons who served in the Colonial Marines on the Apalachicola River. Born in Georgia, he was enslaved in Pensacola when British troops arrived in 1814. He liberated himself by walking into Woodbine's camp and joining the marines. He survived the infamous "Negro Fort" explosion of 1816 and went on to become an important interpreter and advisor among the Seminole people. He died in present-day Oklahoma after being captured and sent west on the Trail of Tears.
(captions)
5th West India Regiment
New units, including the West India Regiments, were raised to garrison Britain's colonies as the empire grew in the 18th century. Image source: British Museum
Maroons in Battle
Maroons in Florida were Blacks who escaped slavery and established autonomous communities, often in alliance with Native American groups, to resist enslavement and colonial control. Photo by Dale Cox
Negro Abraham Image source: New York Public Library
This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and the State of Florida
Erected 2026
Photographed by James L.Whitman, September 26, 2026
2. The Front Line of Freedom Marker
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Forts and Castles • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • War of 1812. A significant historical year for this entry is 1814.
Location. 30° 42.038′ N, 84° 51.39′ W. Marker is in Chattahoochee, Florida, in Gadsden County. It is at the intersection of South River Landing Road and North River Landing Road, on the left when traveling south on South River Landing Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 500 S River Landing Rd, Chattahoochee FL 32324, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Tallahassee and on the Florida Panhandle. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep 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: The British Evacuation (here, next to this marker); The Treaty of Nicolls' Outpost (here, next to this marker); Confrontation with the United States (here, next to this marker); Archaeology of Nicolls' Outpost (here, next to this marker); Nicolls' Outpost (within shouting distance of this marker); Chattahoochee Landing Mound Group (within shouting distance of this marker); The Scott Massacre (within shouting distance of this marker); The Scott Battle of 1817 (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chattahoochee.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 30, 2026, by James L.Whitman of Eufaula, Alabama. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 30, 2026, by James L.Whitman of Eufaula, Alabama. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
