Fort Nassau 

Fort Nassau was built two years later on the site now occupied by a western portion of the British Colonial HIlton Hotel, and 22 cannon mounted.  The large well under the Hotel was in the fort's southwest bastion.  This fort was partially leveled by the Spaniards in 1700.  In 1702 Governor Elias Haskett was imprisoned in the stronghold, following his deposition.

A combined Spanish and French force completely surprised New Providence in 1703 - 1704.  They found the Deputy Governor feasting, the fort neglected and without a garrison.  The town was sacked and burned, the fort destroyed and its guns spiked, and the inhabitants expelled.

With civil and military control removed, piracy flourished.  Unlike the former privateers the pirates attacked ships of all nations, including their own.  At the request of merchants in London and Bristol, George I sent Captain Woodes Rogers with 100 men to govern, and fortify New Providence.  He arrived with his fleet on the evening of August 1, 1718.

Governor Rogers appears to have taken a great interest in the reconstruction of Fort Nassau, which on his arrival he found in sad disrepair with only one small nine-pounder cannon mounted. But it was not until 1741 that a serious effort was made to recondition the fort.  In 1740 Peter Henry Bruce, an engineer of international reputation, was charged with renovating it at a salary of 20 shillings a day. He arrived in 1741.

The cost of repairing Fort Nassau, and building and completing Fort Montagu, was small. Bruce explained: "war was declared and we were threatened with an invasion, and being then exposed to the insults of an enemy the inhabitants very frankly provided materials for their own security." Fort Montagu was designed to guard the eastern entrance to the harbour.

The renovations to Fort Nassau, and a new sea battery, were completed in December, 1744.  The fort was now armed with 54 cannon and 26 brass mortars.

By 1767 Fort Nassau had again been allowed to deteriorate, and in consequence of representations made to the Secretary of State it was repaired in 1769.  In 1776, during the war between Great Britain and the American Colonies, a fleet of eight vessels was sent by the Colonies to capture the munitions believed stored at Nassau.  This force, under Commodore Ezek Hopkins, landed a detachment on the foreshore of the eastern end of New Providence and marched on Nassau.

Forts Montagu and Nassau surrendered without resistance, and the new Grand Union Flag, designed with the Union Jack and the first quarter and thirteen red and white stripes to represent the independent States was hoisted over Fort Nassau.  However, most of the munitions had been shipped to Boston the day before the arrival of the American Naval Force.  The invaders departed shortly after, taking with them I00 guns and the Governor as a hostage.

Fort Nassau was captured by the Spaniards for the last time in 1782 when Don Juan de Cagigal, Governor General of Cuba, and the Havanna, attacked New Providence with 5,000 men.  The Spaniards retained nominal possession of The Bahamas until the conclusion of the war between Spain and Great Britain in 1783.

Before news of peace had crossed the Atlantic, Andrew Deveaux, a loyalist Colonel of the South Carolina Militia, invaded New Providence to defeat the Spaniards and regain the Island for Great Britain.  In a despatch describing this exploit the gallant Colonel states:

"I undertook this expedition at my own expense, and embarked my men, which did not exceed sixty-five, and sailed for Harbour Island, where I recruited for four or five days, from thence I set sail for my object, which I carried about daylight, with three of their formidable galleys on the 14th.  I immediately summoned the grand fortress to surrender, which was about a mile from the fort I had taken.  On the 16th I took possession of two commanding hills, and erected a battery on each of them, of 44-, 24, 12, and 9 pounders.  At daylight on the 18th, my batteries being complete, the English colours were hoisted on each of them, which were within musket shot of their grand fortress.  His Excellency, finding his shots and shells of no effect, thought fit to capitulate.

“My force never, at any time, consisted of more than 220 men, and not over 150 of them had muskets.  I took on this occasion one fort consisting of thirteen pieces of cannon, three galleys, carrying 24 pounders, and about fifty men.  His Excellency surrendered four batteries, with about severity pieces of cannon, and four large galleys (brigs and snows), which I have sent to Havannah with the troops as flags."

Colonel Deveaux's gallant expedition brought the military history of Fort Nassau to an honourable close.  The Spaniards never again returned to attack the Islands.  When Lord Dunmore took over the governorship of The Bahamas in 1787 he considered Commodore Hopkins' operations and 'Colonel Deveaux's attack on the fort evidence that such a site could not withstand bombardment from up-to-date artillery, especially when the siege guns could be mounted on overlooking heights.  Old Fort Nassau was garrisoned as late as 1790, but it was strategically obsolete.  Lord Dunmore decided, in 1787, to replace it with a new fort located on the western extremity of the ridge that commanded it.

The new fort would be the legitimate successor to the glories, disasters, and traditions of Fort Nassau, on whose battlements the drama of Bahamian history was enacted.  The ancient stronghold expired as it had existed, ending its years in the time of turmoil following the French Revolution.  In an atmosphere oppressed by adjacent conflict, the old fort sank sullenly into oblivion.  Time, the most inexorable enemy, crumbled and decayed the works and ramparts, and the fort was demolished in 1837.