Archeologists discover 19th-century cemetery and hospital used to treat yellow fever patients underwater
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History resurfaced the other day in the Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida. Archeologists found a quarantine hospital and cemetery from the 19th century on a submerged island near Garden Key. The cemetery has been identified as the Fort Jefferson Post Cemetery, and the quarantine hospital was used to treat yellow fever patients at the fort between 1890 and 1900.
Fort Jefferson, a former U.S. military coastal fortress, used to be a prison for criminals during and after the Civil War. And after its use as a prison, it became a quarantine station for the Marine Hospital Service from 1888-1900.
Dry Tortugas National Park cultural resources staff, assisted by members of the National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center, the Southeast Archeological Center, and a University of Miami graduate student, conducted a survey, which led to the discovery in August 2022, a press release stated. Since then, the team has been researching more about the site.
The team is actively working on uncovering stories of the enslaved people
The research team has identified one of the graves of the civilians, a certain John Green, who was a laborer at the fort and died there on November 5, 1861. His grave was marked with a large slab of greywacke, the same material used to construct the first floor of Fort Jefferson. According to the release, the slab was carved into the shape of a headstone and inscribed with his name and date of death.
"This intriguing find highlights the potential for untold stories in Dry Tortugas National Park, both above and below the water," Josh Marano, maritime archeologist for the South Florida national parks and project director for the survey, said in a statement. "Although much of the history of Fort Jefferson focuses on the fortification itself and some of its infamous prisoners, we are actively working to tell the stories of the enslaved people, women, children, and civilian laborers."
The population of Fort Jefferson primarily comprised military personnel, prisoners, enslaved people, engineers, support staff, laborers, and their families. The risk of deadly infectious diseases, particularly mosquito-borne yellow fever, struck the crowd badly. Major outbreaks exacted a heavy toll, killing dozens throughout the 1860s and 1870s.
The finding also stresses the impacts of climate change on resources in the Dry Tortugas. Major storm events have caused several islands to settle beneath the waves.
Further efforts to learn about Greer and the other individuals are underway. The submerged cultural heritage is protected under Federal law.
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