Fort Foster (2)

 (1836-1838, 1849) - A U.S. Army post established in 1836 during the Second Seminole War as Fort Alabama (1) by Colonel William Lindsay in present day Hillsborough County, Florida. Fort Alabama was destroyed and a new fort, Fort Foster, was built  to replace it and named for Lieutenant Colonel William S. Foster. The fort was abandoned in 1838 and briefly reoccupied and finally abandoned in 1849.

History
A U.S. Army post established 17 Mar 1836 during the Second Seminole War by Colonel William Lindsay. The fort came under attack by a large force hostile Indians almost immediately. Fort Alabama was abandoned on 27 Apr 1836 and was later destroyed by a booby trapped keg of gunpowder.

At the end of 1836 orders were issued to reestablish Fort Alabama as a strong picket work with blockhouses at opposing angles. The post was located at a strategic point along the Fort King to Fort Brooke trail at a bridge crossing of the Hillsborough River. A force of 320 Soldiers left Fort Brooke on 30 Nov 1836 to reestablish Fort Alabama under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William S. Foster. Foster completed the work by Christmas and upon inspection, Bvt Major General Thomas S. Jesup declared it satisfactory and renamed it Fort Foster.

The new fort came under Indian attack and was plagued by sickness and disease. General Jesup lobbied Washington to allow the Indians to remain in south Florida and to close the unhealthy posts but was he rebuked by Washington and replaced by General Zachary Taylor. General Taylor did order the post abandoned in May 1838. The post was reoccupied 23 Sep 1849 and finally abandoned on 13 oct 1849.

Current Status
A replica of the fort is in Hillsborough River State Park, Hillsborough County, Florida on the east side of Hwy 301. Access to the fort is controlled by park rangers and limited to guided tours via tram at specific times of the day and on specific days. The tours are about one hour in length, call ahead to determine days of operation and departure times (813) 987-6771. Site Archeological ID: 8HI112.

Sources:
 * , page 166-168

Links:
 * North American Forts - Fort Foster
 * Florida State Parks - Fort Foster
 * Wikipedia - Fort Foster
 * Florida Public Archaeology - Hillsborough