Fort-ified in 3 States

We're back home from our "southern" U.S. road trip travels from NH to FL. There's a couple more posts to complete about sites seen & foods sampled along the way. This post describes historic stops in 3 states — Charleston, SC, Fernandina Beach, FL, and Atlantic Beach, NC.

During last year's extended road trip from NH to OR we visited 5 state capitols and 2 state prisons. On this year's road trip, we only visited a single state capitol in Frankfort, KY; however, we did get to 3 Civil War era fortifications, including a very important one.

Fort Sumter in SC was the most notable and historic site. It's where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. This sea fort located on an island in Charleston Harbor is only accessible by boat which is how we visited on a tour boat trip that left us free to explore the fort and check out the on-site exhibit center.

Exhibit Center photo showing Fort Sumter overall size

Named after Revolutionary War hero, and SC native, General Thomas Sumter, it was built after the War of 1812, as part of the coastal defense to protect U.S. harbors. Construction began in 1829 as 70,000 tons of granite were transported from New England to build up a sand bar in the entrance to Charleston Harbor. The fort was a five-sided brick structure, 170 to 190 feet long, with walls five feet thick, standing 50 feet over the low tide mark. (The black structure in the middle of the above photo is where the Fort Sumter exhibit center is housed. The model below shows the fort as originally built.)

Exhibit Center model of original Fort Sumter

Construction was costly (as expected) and stopped in the 1830s due to lack of funds. It resumed in 1841 and by 1860, the island and outer fortifications were done. The interior and armaments remained unfinished when SC seceded from the Union in December 1860. Fort Sumter was still unfinished in 1861 at the start of the Civil War.

Attack illustrations in Fort Sumter Exhibit Center

The First Battle of Fort Sumter began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery fired on the Union garrison. The shots of the war lasted all day. Cannon fire broke through the fortress’s five-foot-thick brick walls, causing fires inside the post.

The fort was cut off from its supply line and with its ammunition deleted, Major Robert Anderson surrendered to Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard the next day. No Union troops died during the bombardment; two men died in an artillery explosion before the Union evacuation. Following the victory, Confederate forces occupied Fort Sumter using it to defend Charleston Harbor.

The Second Battle on September 8, 1863 was a failed Union attempt to retake the fort which while extensively damaged after the 1861 attack, remained in Confederate control. Union artillery effectively leveled Fort Sumter over the next 15 months. Despite over 300 casualties from the Union bombardments, Confederate forces retained control of the fort.

When Union General William T. Sherman was set to capture Charleston, Confederates forces evacuated; Union forces reclaimed it on February 22, 1865. 

In 1948, Fort Sumter was decommissioned as a military post and turned over to the National Park Service. It attracts nearly a million visitors annually.

Fort Clinch is in Fort Clinch State Park, Fernandina Beach, FL. This 19th century masonry coastal fortification was built as part of the U.S. Third System Fortifications. This process entailed a series of forts built long the coastline as a defense against foreign invaders after widespread destruction from the War of 1812.

Construction of the fort started in 1847. The pentagonal compound was built using millions of bricks for both its inner and outer walls. It’s named in honor of General Duncan Lamont Clinch who fought in the War of 1812.

The fort holds a unique distinction — no battles were ever fought here. While never used in direct combat, Fort Clinch served as a military post during three U.S. engagements.

It was occupied by soldiers during both the Civil and Spanish American Wars. The Confederate Army captured it briefly early in the Civil War using it as a safe haven for blockade runners during the first year of the war. In March 1862, General Robert E. Lee ordered it abandoned. In early 1862, Union troops re-occupied the fort using it as a base of operations in the area.

In 1869, the fort was on caretaker status until 1898 when the American troops were stationed there for a short time during the Spanish–American War. It was once again abandoned and gradually deteriorated. 

In the 1930s, workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the fort and in 1935, the State of Florida bought 256 acres that included the by-then abandoned fort and surrounding area. Fort Clinch State Park opened in 1938 and the fort was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. 

Fort visitors can tour guard rooms, barracks, hospital, kitchens, a blacksmith’s shop, and a fort prison which Grenville and his cousin experienced. 

Fort Macon is located on Bogue Banks near Atlantic Beach, NC. It’s considered a perfectly restored Civil War-era fort. It was constructed as part of a chain of U.S. coastal defenses after the War of 1812. As part of this chain, Fort Macon's purpose was to guard Beaufort Inlet and Beaufort Harbor, North Carolina's only major deepwater ocean port. 

It's named after Nathaniel Macon, a U.S. Senator from NC, who procured funds to build it. Construction began in 1826 and ended in 1834. The five-sided fort is built of brick and stone. Twenty-six vaulted rooms (casements) are enclosed by 4-1/2-foot thick outer walls. In 1861, at the start of the Civil War, NC confederate forces seized the fort from Union forces and occupied it for a year. In 1862, the fort was attacked and fell back into Union hands. For the duration of the war, it served as a coaling station for navy ships. An ordnance sergeant acting as a caretaker was often the only person stationed there. 

After use as a civil and military prison between 1873-1877, Fort Macon was deactivated. In 1923, it was offered for sale as "surplus military property" to NC for use as a public park (sale price $1). During 1934–35, the Civilian Conservation Corps restored the fort and established recreational facilities. Fort Macon State Park opened in May 1936.

There was a canon firing demonstration when we visited. Fort Macon has several exhibit rooms, but all were closed due to Hurricane Florence water damage. We were told it will take months for the rooms to be repaired, and it's unlikely we will be back.

We enjoyed learning how each fort played a part in the history of the country.