Where the Savannah River meets the sea stands Fort Pulaski. This is no ordinary fort. It is a testament to changing military technology. It is also a silent witness to the drama of the American Civil War.
Fort Pulaski was built to protect Savannah. Savannah was a strategic port. The international cotton industry depended on it before the Civil War. Three railroads met here. Shipbuilding thrived. Marine industries and railroad shops supported military efforts.
The story of Fort Pulaski begins long before the Civil War. After the War of 1812, the US government sought to protect its coasts. Construction of Fort Pulaski started in 1829. It was under the direction of Major General Babcock. Later, Second Lieutenant Robert E. Lee assisted. The fort was named in 1833 for Count Casimir Pulaski. He was a Polish hero. He fought in the American Revolution.
Building Fort Pulaski was an immense task. Workers sunk wooden pilings deep into the mud. They used an estimated 25 million bricks. The fort was completed in 1847. It cost nearly $1 million. Its walls were eleven feet thick. People thought it was impenetrable. General Totten said, “You might as well bombard the Rocky Mountains.”
But the Civil War brought change. In 1860, South Carolina seceded. Georgia Governor Joseph E. Brown seized Fort Pulaski. Confederate troops occupied it.
Union forces gained a foothold on Tybee Island. It was across the Savannah River from Fort Pulaski. Union troops built batteries there.
On April 10, 1862, the Union demanded Fort Pulaski’s surrender. Colonel Charles H. Olmstead refused. Union forces began bombarding Fort Pulaski. They used 36 guns. These included new James Rifled Cannons and Parrott rifles. The rifled projectiles were accurate. They could be fired farther than smoothbore cannonballs. Within 30 hours, the rifled cannon breached a wall. Shells threatened the powder magazine. Colonel Olmstead surrendered the fort. Only two soldiers died in the attack.
The success of the rifled cannons changed military thinking. Brick fortifications became obsolete. Captain Gillmore was promoted to brigadier general.
The Union repaired Fort Pulaski. Shipping in and out of Savannah stopped. The Confederacy lost a vital port. General David Hunter issued an order. All enslaved people at the fort and on Cockspur Island were now free. Fort Pulaski became a destination on the Underground Railroad.
In October 1864, the fort became a prison. It housed captured Confederate soldiers. They were known as “The Immortal Six Hundred.” Thirteen died there due to harsh conditions.
Today, Fort Pulaski stands as a national monument. It reminds us of a time of conflict. It shows how technology can change everything. As you stand here, imagine the Savannah River filled with ships. Think of the soldiers who defended and attacked this fort. Consider the enslaved people who found freedom here. Fort Pulaski is more than just bricks and mortar. It is a story etched in stone. It is a reminder of the past.