Siege of Pensacola (1707)

Siege of Pensacola
Part of Queen Anne's War
Fort San Carlos de Austria, map from 1699
Date First siege: 12–20 August 1707 Second siege: 28–30 November 1707 Location Pensacola, Spanish Florida Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
Spain	Province of Carolina Muskogee
Commanders and leaders
Don Sebastián de Moscoso	Unknown; second siege may have been led by Thomas Nairne
Strength
First siege: unknown, under 220 Second siege: about 300	First siege: several hundred Second siege: about 320

The siege of Pensacola included two separate attempts in 1707 by English-supported Creek Indians to capture the town and fortress of Pensacola, one of two major settlements (the other was St. Augustine) in Spanish Florida.

The attacks, part of Queen Anne's War (the North American theater of the War of the Spanish Succession), resulted in the burning of the town, and caused most of its Indian population to flee, although the fort withstood repeated attacks. The battles were primarily fought in the nighttime hours due to the excessive heat of the day.

The first siege, in August, resulted in the destruction of the town, but Fort San Carlos de Austria successfully resisted the onslaught. In late November, a second expedition arrived, and made unsuccessful attacks on three consecutive nights before withdrawing. Pensacola's governor, Don Sebastián de Moscoso, whose garrison was depleted by disease, recruited convicted criminals to assist in the fort's defense.