Visiting Fort Craig National Historic Site
In 1854, the U.S. Army established a post named Fort Craig near the west bank of the Rio Grande in New Mexico Territory, about 35 miles south of the town of Socorro along El...
Tagged: forts
Fort Darling on Drewry’s Bluff Prevented the Union Navy From Capturing Richmond Via the James River
On May 11th, 1862, the Confederate Ironclad CSS Virginia (aka Merrimack) was blown up outside of Norfolk, Virginia to prevent it from falling into Union hands. Before it was scuttled, the cannons were removed...
The 13th New Hampshire Infantry and the Capture of Fort Harrison, Virginia
In the summer of 1864, the U.S. forces under Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee were locked in siege operations at Petersburg, Virginia,...
The Capture of Fort Pulaski
After the War of 1812, the United States government began constructing a series of fortifications along the East and Gulf coasts to protect port cities from attack and to prevent strategic rivers from becoming...
David Farragut’s Report on the Passing of Forts Jackson and St. Philip and the Capture of New Orleans
New Orleans was the largest city in the Confederate States, and one of the CSA’s most important ports. For the Federals, capturing the Crescent City became a priority early in the war. Besides taking...
Lt. Col. Edward Hallowell’s Report on the 54th Massachusetts Infantry ‘s Assault on Fort Wagner
The July 18th, 1863 assault of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry upon Fort Wagner on Morris Island near Charleston, South Carolina, cemented that regiments place in history. The 54th led the attack on the fort...
Fort Brady Helped Keep Confederate Gunboats From Attacking Union Supply Bases During the Siege of Petersburg
In the summer of 1864, the Union Army settled into siege operations against Petersburg Virginia. Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant established his headquarters at City Point at the confluence of the James and Appomattox...
Federals Lose, Then Retake, Florida’s Fort Marion With No Shots Fired
Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida, was one of several masonry forts that were part of the coastal defenses of the United States. The Spanish, who controlled the area at the time, began building...