Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Military Trail
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, July 12, 2016
1. Military Trail Marker
Inscription.
Military Trail. . After the second Battle of the Loxahatchee (January 24, 1838) during the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), Maj. Gen. Thomas S. Jesup directed Maj. William Lauderdale, Commander of the Tennessee Battalion of Volunteers to cut a trail south from Ft. Jupiter to Ft. Dallas (present day Miami). Lauderdale’s mission was to capture Seminoles who had escaped the Loxahatchee battle. On March 2,1838, Lauderdale, with approximately 200 Tennessee Volunteers and the U.S. 3rd Artillery Regiment, marched south, following the Seminoles. To avoid swamps and lagoons, they kept to the higher coastal pine ridge that extended from Ft. Jupiter to the New River, where Lauderdale built a fort (in present day Ft. Lauderdale), and moved on to Ft. Dallas. Because Lauderdale’s command had blazed a trail covering 63 miles through overgrown terrain in only four days, the route was designated “Lauderdale’s Trail.” It was used for military operations through the end of the Third Seminole War in 1858, and became known as “Military Trail.” Now a major commercial thoroughfare, Military Trail is a remnant of the long and dramatic history of the Seminole Wars in Florida.
After the second Battle of the Loxahatchee (January 24, 1838) during the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), Maj. Gen. Thomas S. Jesup directed Maj. William Lauderdale, Commander of the Tennessee Battalion of Volunteers to cut a trail south from Ft. Jupiter to Ft. Dallas (present day Miami). Lauderdale’s mission was to capture Seminoles who had escaped the Loxahatchee battle. On March 2,1838, Lauderdale, with approximately 200 Tennessee Volunteers and the U.S. 3rd Artillery Regiment, marched south, following the Seminoles. To avoid swamps and lagoons, they kept to the higher coastal pine ridge that extended from Ft. Jupiter to the New River, where Lauderdale built a fort (in present day Ft. Lauderdale), and moved on to Ft. Dallas. Because Lauderdale’s command had blazed a trail covering 63 miles through overgrown terrain in only four days, the route was designated “Lauderdale’s Trail.” It was used for military operations through the end of the Third Seminole War in 1858, and became known as “Military Trail.” Now a major commercial thoroughfare, Military Trail is a remnant of the long and dramatic history of the Seminole Wars in Florida.
Erected 2008 by The Jupiter Town Council and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-631.)
Topics. This historical marker
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is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical date for this entry is January 24, 1838.
Location. 26° 56.058′ N, 80° 6.104′ W. Marker is in Jupiter, Florida, in Palm Beach County. Marker is at the intersection of Clocktower Drive and West Indiantown Road (State Road 706), in the median on Clocktower Drive. This is the northern terminus of the Military Trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Jupiter FL 33458, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 22, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 21, 2016, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 989 times since then and 101 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on August 21, 2016, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
