Fort Alafia (1) (1849-1850) - A U.S. Army post established in 1849 as Camp Alafia near Keysville, Hillsborough County, Florida. Mostly known as Camp Alafia and occasionally referred to as Fort Alafia. Named after the nearby Alafia River. Abandoned in 1850.
Fort Alafia marker.
History
The fort was first located about 20 miles from Tampa Bay in Hillsborough County, Florida. Fort Alafia was established on 29 Aug 1849, by 1st Lt and Brevet Major John C. Pemberton, (Cullum 917), and companies A and E of the 4th U.S. Artillery. On 9 May 1850, the post and its garrison were moved a mile closer to Tampa and nearer to the Alafia River. This new post was most likely built and commanded by troops from Fort Alafia as Fort Bienvenue and then renamed as Fort Alafia.
On 26 Oct 1850 Company B, 1st U.S. Artillery ordered to proceed on this date to Key West, thus abandoning the post. The Post return for this date shows the post as Camp Alafia garrisoned by 1 commissioned officer and 45 noncommissioned personnel under the command of Lieutenant Samuel F. Chalfin, (Cullum 1337). That same post return indicates that this return was to be the final return for this post.
Current Status
Marker only. The Marker is in the parking area for the Pinecrest Little League Park, Alderman's Ford County Park.
Note: The marker text regarding 1st Lt. Irving McDowell, (Cullum 963), may be in error. While McDowell was assigned to the post, the available post returns list him as absent per orders from the Adjutant General that predated the establishment of the post. It is likely that he never actually set foot on the post. His record indicates that he was Asst. Adjutant-General at the War Department, July 1848, to June 1849, and at the Headquarters of the Army, New York City, June 1849, to 8 Jan 1851.
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 144.
Post returns available Aug 1849 - Oct 1850 at Ancestry.com (by Subscription)
