Location: Chatham County, GA Map
Constructed: 1829
Area: 5,623 acres (23 km2)
Fort Pulaski National Monument, administered by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), preserves a pivotal site in American military history on Cockspur Island, a marshy barrier island at the mouth of the Savannah River in Chatham County, Georgia, approximately 14 miles east of downtown Savannah and across from Tybee Island. Established by presidential proclamation on October 15, 1924, and transferred to NPS control on August 10, 1933, the monument encompasses 5,623 acres (22.76 km²), including the historic fort, most of Cockspur Island, all of adjacent McQueens Island, tidal marshes, maritime forest, and coastal ecosystems. It attracts around 400,000 visitors annually, offering a blend of historical interpretation, outdoor recreation, and natural exploration. The site's core is the well-preserved Fort Pulaski, a Third System coastal fortification built in the 19th century, renowned for its role in the American Civil War (1861–1865). The 1862 Union siege and bombardment demonstrated the obsolescence of traditional masonry forts against rifled artillery, marking a turning point in military technology and strategy. Beyond its architectural grandeur—constructed with an estimated 25 million bricks—the monument symbolizes resilience, innovation, and the human cost of conflict, while serving as a habitat for diverse wildlife and a gateway to Georgia's coastal heritage.
The fort's origins trace to the post-War of 1812 era, when
vulnerabilities exposed during the conflict prompted President James
Madison to authorize a comprehensive coastal defense system. This "Third
System" (1816–1867) emphasized durable, multi-tiered masonry forts to
protect key ports like Savannah, a vital cotton export hub and
industrial center. Construction on Cockspur Island began in April 1829
under the direction of Major George P. Babcock, with early site
preparation and drainage design overseen by a young Second Lieutenant
Robert E. Lee (future Confederate general), a recent West Point
graduate. In 1831, Lieutenant Joseph K. F. Mansfield assumed command,
managing the project for 14 years until its completion in 1847 at a cost
of nearly $1 million (equivalent to about $27.7 million in 2023
dollars). Named in 1833 after Count Casimir Pulaski, the Polish cavalry
officer who died heroically during the 1779 Siege of Savannah in the
American Revolution, the fort was intended to mount up to 146 cannons
and withstand naval assaults.
From 1847 to 1860, Fort Pulaski saw
minimal use, garrisoned by only two caretakers due to budget constraints
and its perceived invincibility—its walls were deemed impenetrable by
the smoothbore cannons of the era, which had an effective range of just
half a mile. However, the fort's moat had silted up, and no guns were
mounted. The outbreak of the Civil War transformed its fate. On January
3, 1861—16 days before Georgia's secession—state militia seized the
undefended fort to prevent Union occupation. After Georgia joined the
Confederacy in February, Confederate Colonel Charles H. Olmstead
commanded a garrison of about 385 men, provisioning it for six months
and arming it with 48 cannons, including columbiads and a Blakely rifle.
The Siege of Fort Pulaski (November 1861–April 1862) was a 112-day
blockade followed by a decisive 30-hour bombardment. Union Brigadier
General Thomas W. Sherman, leveraging the November 1861 capture of
nearby Port Royal, South Carolina, ordered the abandonment of Tybee
Island by Confederates under General Robert E. Lee (the fort's early
builder). Union Captain Quincy A. Gillmore constructed 11 batteries on
Tybee's north shore, positioning 20 rifled cannons (James and Parrott
rifles) and 14 mortars—capable of accurate fire up to 4–5 miles. On
April 10, 1862, at 8:15 a.m., Union forces demanded surrender; Olmstead
refused. The bombardment shattered the southeast wall, creating two
30-foot breaches and threatening the powder magazine. Olmstead
surrendered on April 11 after just one Confederate and one Union death,
with the fort's fall crippling Confederate access to Savannah as a port
and supply line. Union General David Hunter's subsequent General Order
No. 7 (April 16, 1862) declared freedom for all enslaved people at the
fort and on Cockspur Island, making it a terminus on the Underground
Railroad. The Union garrison peaked at 600 but dwindled to 250 as
threats receded.
Post-surrender, Fort Pulaski became a Union
stronghold and prison. In October 1864, it housed 600 captured
Confederate officers in the "Immortal Six Hundred," subjected to brutal
conditions—moldy bread, soured rations, and exposure—resulting in deaths
from scurvy, dysentery, and starvation; 13 are buried outside the walls.
After the war, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attempted modernization
(1869–1872), enlarging gun positions and adding powder magazines to the
demilune, but efforts halted due to shifting priorities. The fort fell
into disrepair until its 1924 designation as a national monument. The
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) aided NPS restoration in the 1930s,
repairing walls and adding modern amenities like electricity while
preserving the original structure. During World War II, Cockspur Island
hosted a U.S. Navy section base. Listed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1966, the site now features a museum (opened in the
1980s) and has been used for films like The Conspirator (2009) and
Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies (2012). Environmental challenges, including
erosion from storms and sea-level rise, threaten the monument, with USGS
studies (e.g., 2018 core sampling) revealing geological insights into
the island's formation.
Fort Pulaski exemplifies Third System engineering, blending
French-influenced masonry techniques with American adaptations for
coastal defense. Designed by French engineer General Simon Bernard (a
Napoleonic veteran), it prioritized durability against smoothbore
artillery through massive brick construction on unstable marshland.
Wooden pilings were driven up to 70 feet into the mudflats to form a
stable foundation, supporting an estimated 25 million bricks laid in the
finest techniques of the era. The walls, 7.5 to 11 feet thick and two
tiers high, were backed by heavy piers and designed as "casemated"
structures—vaulted rooms within the walls for mounting guns while
providing bomb-proof shelter. Each side measures about 350 feet, forming
a truncated hexagon for optimal enfilade fire (cross-coverage of
approaches). The fort was engineered to resist large-caliber
smoothbores, with embrasures (gun ports) limiting incoming fire.
However, the 1862 rifled cannons exposed its vulnerabilities,
penetrating from afar and rendering such forts obsolete worldwide.
Key features include:
Walls and Parapet: Scalloped, 21–25 feet
high above the moat, topped by a terreplein (upper rampart) for
unrestricted gun elevation and range. The southeast face bears visible
scars from the bombardment, with repaired breaches lacking embrasures.
Moat and Water Defenses: A wet moat, 140 feet wide and 7 feet deep,
encircles the fort and demilune, fed by tidal flows and drainage ditches
spanning 100 acres of dikes to prevent flooding in the low-lying
terrain.
Casemates: 104 vaulted rooms (20x18 feet average) along the
interior perimeter, originally for artillery but later adapted as
barracks, storage, and prisons. Connected by archways for circulation,
many feature iron-barred doors (reproductions) and embrasures.
Blindage—sloped wooden revetments—protected against ricocheting shrapnel
during sieges.
Powder Magazines: Bomb-proof, arched chambers (e.g.,
southwest one used for "dark confinement" of prisoners) stored
ammunition; post-1869 additions in the demilune held larger supplies.
Sally Port and Drawbridges: The sole entrance, a fortified gateway
flanked by two drawbridges over the moat, leading through the demilune.
The design integrated military interdependence: dikes, ditches, and
the moat formed a defensive perimeter, while the site's elevation
(minimal, at 8 feet above sea level) maximized riverine views.
Fort Pulaski's bombardment revolutionized warfare: rifled cannons' accuracy and range (vs. smoothbores) ended the era of brick forts, influencing global military doctrine and prompting steel/concrete designs. It halted Confederate logistics at Savannah, aiding Union blockade efforts, and symbolized emancipation's reach. As a NPS site, it educates on coastal defense evolution, Civil War tactics, and ecology—home to threatened species amid climate threats like Hurricane Matthew (2016) damage.
Open year-round (daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m., extended in summer), entry fees are $10/adult (vehicle $25); America the Beautiful passes accepted. Self-guided tours (1+ hours) explore the fort via casemate walkways; ranger-led programs include cannon firings, lantern tours, and birding hikes. Activities: 5+ miles of trails for biking/hiking, kayaking in creeks, fishing (permit required), and stargazing. Special events like National Public Lands Day (September 27, 2025) offer volunteer opportunities. The museum features artifacts, including rifled shells, and a virtual exhibit on the monument's first 100 years. Accessibility includes wheelchair-friendly paths, but some areas (e.g., terreplein stairs) are challenging. Shoreline closures protect erosion-prone zones; check NPS alerts for updates. As of 2025, restoration continues amid rising seas, underscoring the site's enduring "fortitude."