Today I visited the other side of the English-Spanish struggle in Georgia and Florida. Fort Frederica was an extensive settlement on the coast of southern Georgia in territory claimed by Spain. James Oglethorpe, the primary founder of the Georgian colony, lived here for much of his time in North America (he returned to England in 1743 and lived out his life there). John Wesley, a leader in the Methodist church, also live here for several years, at Oglethorpe's request.

This was not a conventional "fort" one might imagine. It was a fully functioning town, with named streets, shops, family residences. and so on. A high, wooden stockade enclosed the town, inside of which a stone "fort within a fort" was built near the water's edge.

It was from here that Oglethorpe led troops on the unsuccesful siege of Castillo de San Marcos in 1740. Two years later, troops from that fortress appeared at Fort Frederica with the goal of expelling the British from Georgia. Like the English attempt two years before, this attack failed and the Spanish troops returned to Florida. Though other skirmishes continued, that battle sealed Georgia's future as a British colony.

With the Spanish threat gone, most of the garrison left in 1749 and by 1755, the town was nearly abandoned.

The National Park Service has supported archaeological research on the site (and continues to do so). Building foundations have been uncovered and the grid of streets plotted. The Park Service has even placed street signs with names at all intersections so you know when you are on Broad Street crossing Barracks Street. Plenty of informational signs dot the streets, explaining the buildings and services available.

I enjoyed another near perfect day with sunshine and comfortable temperatures. Mild leg pain was starting to restrict how much walking I could do, which was mildly disturbing.