CIVIL WAR FORTS OF SAVANNAH American History Civil War

Civil War Fortifications  Fort Pulaski  Fort McAllister  Fort Jackson

Fort Pulaski  Located on Cockspur Island on the mouth of the Savannah River.  Named after the Polish Count and General Casimir Pulaski.  Building begun in 1829 and was finished in  The fort is a large brick Pentagon surrounded by a moat and is constructed of two tiers of gun emplacements, Fort Pulaski was and still is the second largest “Third System” fortification in the United States. Fort Pulaski was taken over by Confederate forces on January 3, 1861.

Fort Pulaski  The fort was thought to be out of range and not vulnerable to any artillery of the day, the fort was even inspected by General Lee and was approved.  Fort Pulaski was attacked by Union shells fired from Venus point on Big Tybee Island, 3,600 yards away.  The new rifled cannons were the first cannons ever used that could fire at such a range and destroy a strong fortification.

Fort Pulaski Fort Pulaski was attacked by the rifled cannons for two days On the second day the Southeastern wall was breached and the Powder magazine was the vulnerable to being destroyed and would therefore destroy the fort and garrison. The Fort was surrendered on February 24, 1862 by Confederate Colonel Olmstead. Fort Pulaski was taken by Union forces without one casualty on either side.

Fort McAllister  Fort McAllister is located on the Ogeechee River, south of Savannah.  The fort was started in 1861  The fort was to protect the mouth of the river and the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad Bridge over the Ogeechee River.  The fort was a large earth mound fort. The walls were created from the ground and was almost impenetrable to artillery attack..  The Fort was looked at as the key to Savannah because it was the backdoor to the city’s fortifications.

Fort McAllister  The fort was attacked six times by massive bombardments from some of the Union Navy’s largest gun boats.  The fort was un scathed in all of these attacks and even took Union ships down with the forts massive 42 and 32- pound cannons.  The one successful attack by the Union came not by sea but by land. On December 13, 1864 and was taken by overwhelming Union forces in only fifteen minutes.

Fort Jackson  Located three miles east of Savannah on the Savannah River.  The fort was named in honor of Revolutionary War leader James Jackson.  The fort was begun in 1808  The fort is a brick fort and was reinforced with earth between the walls.  Fort Jackson was and still is the oldest Brick fort in Georgia.

Fort Jackson  On January 26, 1861, Fort Jackson was seized by Georgia State troops in order to prevent it from being occupied by Federal Troops.  Fort Jackson became the headquarters for the Savannah River defenses during the war and after the fall of Fort Pulaski became the first line of defense for Savannah.  The Fort never saw battle from the sea but was threatened by the advancing army of Sherman.  The Fort was booby-trapped and abandoned all in one night. And was taken by Federal troops when Savannah was taken by Union forces.

Forts of Savannah  These fortifications were great structures in their day.  They forts protected Savannah from attack by land and sea.  The only thing that defeated these forts was advancements in technology and time.

Standards 12.8The learner will demonstrate an understanding of the United States in spatial terms. The student should be able to –12.8.1design and use maps, globes, graphs, charts, and models to illustrate and analyze location and spatial distributions of physical and cultural features of the United States; –12.8.2describe geographic patterns and types of migration as they have affected settlement, population change, economic development, natural resources, and ecosystems; and  analyze the role of technology development in shaping the characteristics of economic, cultural, and political regions

THE END US History - Civil War.