Chattahoochee in Gadsden County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Nicolls' Outpost

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 5, 2014

1. Nicolls' Outpost Marker

Inscription. Atop this large prehistoric mound stood Nicolls' Outpost, a British fort of the War of 1812. Built in the fall of 1814, it was a rectangular earthen redoubt with a surrounding stockade and was armed with two small cannons. Garrisoned by 180 white and black Royal Colonial Marines, the outpost was named for Bvt. Lt. Col. Edward Nicolls, a noted British officer of the early 19th century. Nicolls was assigned the task of forming a battalion of Royal Colonial Marines by enlisting and training both free blacks and liberated slaves from Spanish Florida and the United States. He was also ordered to supply a large fighting force of Red Stick Creek and Seminole Indians. The outpost provided protection for Nicolls' main base at today's Fort Gadsden Historic Site in the Apalachicola National Forest. It was to serve as a launching point for a planned invasion of Georgia and more than 500 Creek and Seminole Indians gathered here in February 1815. They were preparing to attack when news arrived of the end of the War of 1812. A major council of chiefs met here in March to appeal for continued British support, but Nicolls' Outpost was abandoned

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soon after.

Erected 2014 by the West Gadsden Historical Society, Chattahoochee Main Street, City of Chattahoochee.

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 month for this entry is February 1815.

Location. 30° 42.046′ N, 84° 51.402′ W. Marker is in Chattahoochee, Florida, in Gadsden County. It is on South River Landing Road half a mile south of West Washington Street (U.S. 90), on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 400 South River Landing Road, 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

Nicolls' Outpost was atop this Indian mound image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 5, 2014

2. Nicolls' Outpost was atop this Indian mound

States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Scott Battle of 1817 (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Nicoll's Outpost (here, next to this marker); Chattahoochee Landing Mound Group (here, next to this marker); The Scott Massacre (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named The Chattahoochee Landing Mound Group (here, next to this marker); Construction of Nicolls'Outpost (within shouting distance of this marker); The Front Line of Freedom (within shouting distance of this marker); Seminole Appeal (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chattahoochee.

Also see . . . Explore Southern History article. (Submitted on December 7, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Nearby Highway 90 Bridge above Apalachicola River. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 5, 2014

3. Nearby Highway 90 Bridge above Apalachicola River.

Sign noting use of mound that was underneath the fort. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 5, 2014

4. Sign noting use of mound that was underneath the fort.

This is the last of seven Indian mounds built in the Fort Walton period (1450-1650 AD). They were residential mounds not burial or ceremonial mounds.

Nearby city park. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 5, 2014

5. Nearby city park.

Sir Edward Nicolls of the Royal Marines (circa 1855) image. Click for full size.

Public Domain

6. Sir Edward Nicolls of the Royal Marines (circa 1855)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 3, 2017. It was originally submitted on December 7, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,424 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 7, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.