A Spanish counterattack at Fort Mose annihilated a British garrison, halting Oglethorpe's offensive against St. Augustine in 1740.
Key Facts
- Date
- June 14, 1740
- Spanish force size
- ~300 regular troops plus militia and Seminole allies
- British garrison size
- 170 soldiers
- British commander killed
- Colonel John Palmer
- Fort rebuilt
- 1752
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
As part of James Oglethorpe's broader campaign to capture St. Augustine, British forces under Colonel John Palmer seized Fort Mose from Spain. The fort was a strategically important position in Spanish Florida, and its loss prompted Spanish commanders to organize an immediate counteroffensive to retake it.
On June 14, 1740, Captain Antonio Salgado led approximately 300 Spanish regulars, joined by Francisco Menéndez's free black militia and Seminole warriors, in a surprise assault on Fort Mose. The 170-man British garrison was caught off guard and virtually annihilated. Colonel Palmer, three captains, and three lieutenants were killed in the fighting.
The Spanish victory at Fort Mose effectively destroyed the British garrison and the fort itself, halting Oglethorpe's offensive against St. Augustine. Britain lost a key forward position in Florida, and the Spanish did not rebuild Fort Mose until 1752. The battle marked a decisive check on British expansion into Spanish colonial territory.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Captain Antonio Salgado, Francisco Menéndez.
Side B
1 belligerent
Colonel John Palmer.