Fort Taylor (6)

Fort Taylor (6) (1837-1838) - A Seminole War II Fort established in 1837 near Lake Winder, Osceola County, Florida. Named Fort Taylor after General Zachary Taylor. Abandoned in 1838. History One of a series of forts constructed a day's march apart that ran from Fort Mellon at Lake Monroe to Fort Brooke at Tampa Bay. This Fort Taylor was known as one of the worst posts in Florida. The post was situated on the north bank of Wolf Creek, a mile west of Lake Winder, in the northeast corner of Osceola County on what was then some of the only high and dry ground in the area. It was said to be "surrounded by mosquitoes, rattlesnakes, and water moccasins." An officer described the journey as "Our march from Fort Mellon ... was marked by a great destruction of the finest horses that I have ever seen. Our regiment suffered a great loss - one I fear will not be made up in some time." The foot soldiers suffered even worse, marching "from ankle to armpit" in water and never getting completely dry. The fort was abandoned by March 1838 and the site later became a trading post circa 1850. Note: In 1838 Assistant Surgeon S. Forry explored a nearby prehistoric Indian mound. From the surface of the mound, he recovered a treasure trove of relics, that included some of European origin. Current Status Unknown, the site appears to be underwater the coordinates provided are approximate GNIS provided. No visible remains. {"selectable":false,"height":"-500","width":"-500"} Location: near Lake Winder, Osceola County, Florida. Maps & Images Lat: 28.333333 Long: -80.933333 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: .....' GPS Locations: 28.333333, -80.933333 GNIS Coordinates See Also: Fort Mellon Fort Brooke Second Seminole War Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 210. USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 307414 Robison, Jim, Historic Osceola County: An Illustrated, 2009, Historical Publishing Network, San Antonio, page 45. Links: North American Forts - Fort Taylor Visited: 5 Sep 2021