Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller, Joe Gillivan
Date: December 2, 2023
The fort’s construction started in 1829 and 25 million bricks later were completed in 1847. Located on marshy Cockspur Island the fort guarded the river approaches to Savannah. In April 1862, the Union Army attacked the fort from Tybee Island a mile away using ten new experimental rifled cannons with new projectiles that bored through the fort’s walls. The range of the Confederates cannons was only half the distance of the Union cannons. In only 30 hours since the bombardment began, 5,275 shots and shells landed, and the 385 Confederates surrendered the fort fearing that these new shells would hit the fort’s main powder magazine. The Union took over the fort and installed 60 cannons.
Today, the fort has been restored and is in excellent condition. We walked through the demilunes and underground rooms in front of the fort examining the coquina walls. These tunnels under the grassy mounds were used to store supplies and ammunition. We crossed the moat via the drawbridge and toured many of the rooms, the powder magazine rooms and living quarters. Climbing the stairs to the top floor, we stood by the cannon and saw the view the soldiers saw of Cockspur and Tybee Islands. In the distance I could barely make out the small Cockspur Island Lighthouse where we hiked too later. The park ranger told us a lot of the fort’s history and a paranormal story which is under a different post. Walking outside the fort you could see along the 32-foot-high walls which were 7 to 11 feet thick where parts were demolished by the shells. Some original artilleries were still imbedded in parts of the wall.
