Last updated: February 4, 2021
Place
Turn Back Now!
![A color illustration fills the entire panel. Dozens of men row 2 boats up the Matanzas River, from the lower left corner of the panel, diagonally toward the upper right corner. The boats white sails are lashed to double masts. A British flag flies at the back of the forward boat. Set on the far shore is a whitewashed 2-story fort flying a white flag with a red “xâ€, in the center. On the front, lower portion of the fort’s wall, 5 cannons point toward the river and boats. One cannon shows a plume of smoke from being fired and a corresponding white splash is to the left of the forward boat. On the right and left sides of the panel, white text in English and Spanish reads: Turn Back Now! In 1742, cannon fire thundered from Fort Matanzas turning back longboats from British warships beyond the inlet. The fort’s gunfire warned the British that the fort was now defensible. The Spanish could challenge any attempt by enemies to sneak up this southern waterway to attack St. Augustine. End of Text Along the panel’s bottom right edge, a horizontal map of the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline, and the Matanzas River which runs from left to right. Near the top left side of the map, a blue arrow marks the location of Fort Matanzas. Below, across the river from the fort, a black arrow with white text reads: “You are Here.â€, Continuing to the right, the Matanzas River meanders between the mainland and Anastasia Island. The mouth of the Matanzas River is at the far right, with a blue arrow marking the town of St. Augustine and the Castillo de San Marcos on the mainland. Below the map, against a blue background, white text in English and Spanish reads: Fort Matanzas protected this vital supply route when St. Augustine was besieged. Today the inlet is farther south than it was in the 1740s. Beyond the wayside are views of the Matanzas River and its sandy beaches. To the right, are views of Fort Matanzas. [End of message]](/common/uploads/place/import/34f07809-69bc-4284-83e8-147610467ebe_image_350.jpg)
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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Wheelchair Accessible
In 1742, cannon fire thundered from Fort Matanzas turning back longboats from British warships beyond the inlet. The fort's gunfire warned the British that the fort was now defensible.
The Spanish could challenge any attempt by enemies to sneak up this southern waterway to attack St. Augustine.