Fort Tombigbee

Fort Tombigbee (1735-1799) - A French trading post and supply depot established in 1735 by Sieur de Bienville, governor of French Louisiana, on the Tombigbee River in Sumter County, Alabama. Ceded by the French to the British in the Treaty of Paris (1763) and renamed Fort York. Abandoned by the British in 1768. Reestablished by the Spanish in 1794 and renamed Fort Confederation. The Spanish withdrew under the Pinckney Treaty (1795) and the Americans occupied the post as Fort Tombigbee until it was abandoned in 1799. Variant spellings include Fort Tombecbe or Fort Tombecbee. History Originally built as a French trading post and supply depot in 1735 by Sieur de Bienville, Governor of French Louisiana, on an 80-foot high chalk bluff along the Tombigbee River. The post supported Bienville’s ill-fated campaign against the Chickasaw. The original post resembled a three-pointed star with nine internal buildings surrounded by a red cedar stockade. The fort could support a 30 to 50 man garrison. Ceded by the French to the British in the Treaty of Paris (1763) and renamed Fort York. Abandoned by the British in 1768. The post was reestablished in 1794 by the Spanish and renamed Fort Confederation. The Spanish withdrew under the Pinckney Treaty (1795) and the Americans occupied the post as Fort Tombigbee from 1797 until it was abandoned in 1799. Current Status A stone monument was placed by the Colonial Dames of America at the site in 1915 and the site has been the focus of archaeological excavations from the 1980s that continue to date. The site is now owned by the University of West Alabama and the Archaeological Conservancy. The site can only be viewed via special tour arranged with Black Belt Museum in Livingston. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Epes, Sumter County, Alabama. Maps & Images Lat: 32.69814 Long: -88.11771 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 131' See Also: Treaty of Paris (1763) 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 3-4. USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 1680992 Links: North American Forts - Fort Tombigbee Wikipedia - Fort Tombecbe Fort Tombecbe Archaeological Field School Encyclopedia of Alabama - Fort Tombecbe Visited: No