Fort St. Andrews

Fort St. Andrews was a British colonial coastal fortification built on Cumberland Island, Georgia in 1736. The fort was built by the British as part of a buffer against the Spanish Florida and the colonies to the north. The fort was abandoned and later destroyed by the Spanish in mid 1742.

Background
In 1732 General James Oglethorpe led the colonization of Georgia for Great Britain, and had chosen Savannah as the principal port for the colony.The establishment of the Georgia colony had been an issue of contention between Britain and Spain since its foundation. The Spanish claimed the territory for its own colony of Florida and disputed what was regarded as an illegal occupation by the British settlers. When Fort Frederica on St. Simons Island was built, near the mouth of the Altamaha River, in 1736 it marked the beginning of General Oglethorpe's defensive plan for Georgia. His thinking was influenced heavily by Georgia's maritime geography, which consists of an uninterrupted series of barrier islands running along the coast. They form a natural water route, known as Inland Passage, which offers protection from the unpredictable weather and harsh conditions of the open sea.

History
Fort St. Andrews was built in 1736 on the northern end of Cumberland Island, what is know known as Terrapin Point facing the Inside Passage, along with 200 men along with a smaller company of perhaps 50 or 60 men on the southern end of Cumberland Island. It was built in a star-work configuration, in a form of a four-pointed star. The purpose of the design is to help prevent a dead zone in the forts defense. It was about 65 ft by 130 ft. A palisade triangular water battery, which was designed to attack incoming ships at the waterline, was located at the base of the hill, it was connected by a covered way with the main fort. A second battery was located on the western side of the island to protect the approach through the inland waterway. The troops were quartered in a nearby village of huts named Barrimacke. The main purpose was to protect Darien and Frederica, to the north.

In 1738 a newly arrived British regiment attempted to mutiny. This was brought about by primitive living conditions and lack of extra pay normally give for a sea voyage. General Oglethorpe led the officers to regain control.

When the War of Jenkins' Ear broke out in 1739, Spain began drawing up plans for an invasion. Spanish governor Don Manuel de Montiano commanded the invasion force, and then invaded Georgia in 1742. Around 15 ships, separated from the Spanish invasion fleet, were located at Cumberland Island and were sheltered off the coast from the fort in St. Andrew Sound in June 1742. General Oglethorpe ordered the fort abandoned, and to retreat south to Fort William. Later in July, when the Spanish forces retreated after the Battle of Bloody Marsh they camped at the abandoned fort on their return trip to Florida and burned it down. Afterwards a company of British rangers were stationed at the ruins of the fort for several years, but it was never rebuilt.