Fort King George was the first fort on Georgia soil built by the English. It was erected by the Colony of South Carolina in 1721, 12 years before the Georgia Colony was founded. For about a decade, the fort served as a barrier against the Spanish in Florida, the French in the interior, and their Indian allies. Soldiers who died in service are buried nearby in a graveyard that was lost for 200 years. Some of the graves are marked now, while others are on the site of a 16th century Spanish mission.