Fort Barrancas is located on the Pensacola Naval Air Station in
Pensacola, Florida. It is on an active duty Navy base so be
prepared for entry by having your vehicle registration, a valid
driver’s license and proof of insurance on the vehicle you
are operating. Also be prepared for a vehicle search if personnel
deem it necessary. Such is our life after 9/11.
Fort Barrancas stands on a site which has been the home for
harbor fortifications since 1763, when the British built a fort.
The Spanish captured Pensacola from the British in 1781, and
constructed their own fortification, called San Carlos de Barranca
on the site. The Spanish word barranca means bluff, which is an
excellent description of the location of the fort.
The United States began constructing fortifications at Pensacola
in the 1820's, when Pensacola Bay was chosen as the site for a navy
yard. Fort Barrancas is one of four fortifications constructed to
defend the navy yard. The others fortifications were Fort Pickens
and Fort McRee, both located on islands at the entrance to the bay
(Fort McRee has been completely destroyed by the shifting location
of the barrier island it was located on). The Advance Redoubt is
the other fortification at Pensacola, located near Fort Barrancas.
It acted as an infantry fort, designed to stop overland movement of
enemy troops toward the naval yard.
Fort Barrancas was designed with two roles. It acts as a harbor
defense fort, forming a rough triangle at the entrance to the bay
with Fort McRee and Fort Pickens. It also acted together with the
Advance Redoubt to prevent troop movement to the navy yard from the
mainland side. It was designed by Joseph Totten, who designed many
of the Third System fortification, and constructed from 1839-1843.
It also incorporates a Spanish-built water battery as part of the
fort.
The coordinates as given will put you in front of a sign on the
far backside of Fort Barrancas near the entrance to the Fort. There
are several cannons there and an informational sign concerning the
cannons. In order to log this cache you must answer the following
question: At the bottom of the sign different types of weapons are
listed and their specifications. Simply list three of the weapons,
from three different nations that created them, and their sizes as
listed. Please send the answer to me in an e-mail prior to logging
your find. Please do not put your answer in your log entry, even
encrypted.
Good luck, and enjoy!!!
