Fort Cummings (5) (1839-1841) - A Seminole War Fort established in 1839 near Lake Alfred, Polk County, Florida. Named Fort Cummings by Major Wilcox after Lt. Colonel Alexander Cummings, 4th U.S. Infantry. Abandoned in 1841.
Fort Cummings Site Marker.
History
Established on 22 Jan 1839 by Bvt Major Wilcox, Fort Cummings was located in present-day Lake Alfred, Polk County, Florida. The fort was one of a line of forts set up to protect the road from Fort Brooke at Tampa to Fort Mellon at Sanford.
The first available post return is for March 1839 and it shows the post garrisoned by some 48 troops with 41 from the 3rd U.S. Artillery, Company E. The post is shown as commanded by 1st Lt. Braxton Bragg of later U.S. Civil War fame
The fort's last available post return is for February 1841 and shows companies (A, K, I, & P) of the 8th U.S. Infantry and company F of the 2nd U.S. Dragoons in garrison for a total of 374 present. The post and the district are shown as commanded by Colonel William J. Worth, 8th Infantry Regiment for whom Fort Worth, Texas is named.
Fort Cummings was abandoned the following month on 22 Mar 1841
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, pages 160-161.
Knetsch, Joe, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Cummings and the Fort Brooke to Fort Mellon Road, Sunland Tribune, 2000, Volume 26 01/01/2000 Pdf
Post returns available Mar 1839 - Aug 1839, Feb 1841 at Ancestry.com (by Subscription)
