CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Fort Pulaski
Cockspur Island, Georgia
Nov 2014

Fort Pulaski National Monument is located on Cockspur Island between Savannah and Tybee Island, Georgia. The monument preserves Fort Pulaski, where in 1862 during the American Civil War, the Union Army successfully tested rifled cannon in combat, the success of which rendered brick fortifications obsolete.

Fort Pulaski National Monument by Paul Sager, on Flickr


Following the War of 1812, U.S. President James Madison ordered a new system of coastal fortifications to protect the United States against foreign invasion. Construction of a fort to protect the port of Savannah began in 1829 under the direction of Major General Babcock, and later Second Lieutenant Robert E. Lee, a recent graduate of West Point. The new fort would be located on Cockspur Island at the mouth of the Savannah River.

Fort Pulaski National Monument


Fort Pulaski belonged to what is known as the Third System of coastal fortifications, which were characterized by greater structural durability than the earlier works. Most of the nearly thirty Third System forts built after 1816 still exist along either the Atlantic or Gulf coasts.

Fort Pulaski National Monument


The fort is named after Casimir Pulaski, a Revolutionary War soldier under George Washington’s command. An estimated 25 million bricks were used to build the fort, with walls eleven feet thick that were thought to be impenetrable. Lt. Lee remarked that "one might as well bombard the Rocky Mountains as Fort Pulaski".

Fort Pulaski National Monument


Images shared in this post come from an EOS 5DIII and EOS 1v using Ilford Delta 100. Lenses are the EF 50mm f/1.8 and EF 35mm f/1.4L.

Fort Pulaski National Monument


Georgia seceded from the Union in February 1861, joining the Confederate States of America in what would shortly become the U.S. Civil War. On the morning of April 10, 1862 Union forces asked for the surrender of the Fort to prevent needless loss of life. Colonel Charles H. Olmstead, commander of the Confederate garrison, rejected the offer.

Using 36 guns, including the new James Rifled Cannon and Parrott rifles, Union troops began a sustained bombardment of Fort Pulaski. The rifled projectiles could be accurately fired farther (4-5 miles) than the larger and heavier smoothbore cannonballs. Within 30 hours, the new rifled cannon had breached one of the fort's corner walls. Shells now passed through the fort dangerously close to the main powder magazine. The Confederate defenders then surrendered the fort.

Fort Pulaski National Monument


Fort Pulaski was declared a National Monument in October 1924 as a last measure to save the building from ruin, which had been for the most part unused since the end of the war in 1865.

Fort Pulaski National Monument


The National Monument includes most of Cockspur Island (containing the fort) and all of adjacent McQueens Island. The fort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. Fort Pulaski remains open to the public, with a museum opened in the 1980s.

Fort Pulaski National Monument


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tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

As usual, very nice.
You have a good eye for composition.

ShelbyDave Loc: Lone Rock, WI

Very interesting, thanks.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Nice photos and interesting, Paul! That looks like a place I need to see.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you tradio, ShelbyDave, jaymatt! The rifled cannons blasted a hole through the wall rather quickly. The newer looking brick section of the final image is the rebuilt wall, but I forget when that repair work was done. The Union occupied the fort after the battle, but it was mostly unused for anything from the end of the war onward.

starlifter Loc: Towson, MD

Nice series.

joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

Great set, Paul. Love the photos and history. It must have been terrifying inside the Fort when those rounds breached the wall.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you starlifter, Joe! Yes, it would be quite a worry knowing you're holding a fort where they're blasting a hole through the wall at the powder magazine.

venkatesh_eng

Another fine set Paul. Nice DOF and detail in the images. Thanks

hcmcdole

Great Images!

Fort Pulaski is a wonderful place to visit if you ever go to Savannah.

deanfl Loc: Georgia

Nice set and commentary! I just returned from Jekyll Island, passing up the trip to Fort Pulaski. With your post, it seems like I was actually there, almost. Thanks.

John Matthews Loc: Wasilla, Alaska

Nice photos and thank you for the history.

Archboo3 Loc: Central Florida

Thanks for sharing. I have driven by this fort on business many a time saying one day I'm coming back for a visit. After seeing your pictures I now I am now going to make that happen.

Runninglate Loc: Saint Cloud, Florida

Fantastic pictures and great narrative of Fort Pulaski.

Fort Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine Florida suffered the same fate. It was impenetrable against cannon balls. Once the rifled artillery was developed it was a different story. During the Civil War a Union warship entered the harbor and the fort was surrendered by town officials as they did not want to see it destroyed.

BurghByrd Loc: Pittsburgh

Thanks, very interesting.