This was another special story of our trip. When we got to the gate, the ranger saw the handicap tag we have for William. He asked if someone in our car was handicapped for life. When Daddy said that his 5 year old son was, the ranger told us that he was eligible to get into any National park for free! He gave us a card that allows William (and anyone in his vehicle) to get into any State or National park at no charge! It was such a blessing to be able to save that money, yet experience the richness of the park! God was once again better to us than we deserve!
Now for a little history on the fort!
The Civil War first came to Georgia along the coast. Fort Pulaski is named after Count Casimir Pulaski, the Polish hero of the American Revolution who lost his life in the unsuccessful siege of Savannah in 1779. Fort Pulaski was one of the first places were the Civil War was fought on Georgia soil. It lies at the mouth of the Savannah River, and was built on Cockspur Island. The fort encompasses 5 acres, could mount 146 guns and has 7 1/2’ thick walls that raise 35 feet high. Robert E. Lee (then a lieutenant) was given the task of building the dikes and drainage systems in 1829 and 1830. The fort’s admirers (and there were many) considered it invincible and “as strong as the Rocky Mountains.”
On January 3, 1861, Georgia seized Fort Pulaski from the U.S. military and transferred it to the Confederate States of America on January 19, after Georgia seceded from the Union. However, as Union pressure mounted and the Confederates abandoned Tybee Island at the mouth of the Savannah (unknowingly giving the Union the only site from which Fort Pulaski could be taken), the Fort was in a vulnerable position. The Federals acted quickly to take advantage of the situation. On April 10, Capt. Quincy A. Gillmore ordered the Confederates to surrender, which they refused, so the Federals opened fire. The Confederates were not alarmed; the Union guns were a mile away, more than twice the effective range for heavy ordnance of that day. But what they didn’t know was that the Federal armament included 10 new experimental rifled cannons, whose projectiles began to bore through Pulaski’s walls with shattering effect. By the end of the day, Union bombardment reduced the thickness of the walls by half and knocked out 48 of its heavy guns. Wide gaps were opened in the southeast angle, and explosive shells, passing through the holes and over the walls, threatened the main powder magazine. Impressed by the hopelessness of the situation and concerned for the lives of his men, the Confederate commander, Col. Charles H. Olmstead, surrendered only 30 hours after the bombardment began.
The quick fall of Fort Pulaski surprised and shocked the world. (Sound familiar?) When the Civil War began, Pulaski ranked as one of the “most spectacular harbor defense structures” in the United States. Many had considered it’s solid, thick brick walls unbreachable. Even Gen. Robert E. Lee told Col. Olmstead that Federal gunners on Tybee Island could “make it pretty warm for you here with shells, but they cannot breach your walls at that distance.” The result of the bombardment caused a change in building and in strategy for future defenses. I thought this picture was very interesting. If you look closely you can see a cannon ball still in the wall (you can click on the picture to enlarge it).
With the taking of Fort Pulaski, the Union had succeeded in bottling up Georgia’s coast. They used the fort to house political prisoners until 1880.
The island was made a national monument in 1924, and restoration began in 1933. The fort is very much like it was back during the time of the war. Only one corner of the wall has been replaced, since it was torn down during the battle. It was rebuilt six weeks after the battle.
Some pictures from our visit:
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| One of the drawbridges |
There were many different types of cannons
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| Storage room for the cannon powder |
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| Guardroom |
The Guardroom is where soldiers reported for their 2 hour guard duty. The 2 hours on/4 hours off sequence lasted for a full 24 hour day.
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| The Prisons |
These rooms were just large enough for the beds. As you can imagine, Wallace had a GREAT time playing here!
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| The Bunkhouse |
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| Col. Olmstead's room |
I found it interesting that the Colonel's wife stayed in his room with him. This room is also where he surrendered the fort.
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| The Mess Hall |
These 3 pictures are of the storage and supply room:
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| Storehouse |
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| Officer's Quarters |
The fort also has a 25 foot wide moat that went all around it and while we were there an alligator about four feet long climbed out! He was content to sun himself until the rangers put him back in.
We went up on the top of the walls and were able to see the Atlantic Ocean and South Carolina!
Being in a place were so many men were killed fighting for things that I believe in was really odd. I was standing there thinking, “Wow this was once a battle ground, stained with blood. Valiant men fought and died here. Now Wallace and Calvin are running and playing on it, shooting at imaginary bad guys.” It was surreal. Being in the prison was also a strange feeling! But for God’s providence, it could’ve been MY father imprisoned there. It definitely made me even more grateful to everyone that serves our country today! I pray that our boys grow up to be mighty men of valor, who serve the Lord with their whole hearts and that I will be an instrument that God uses in that.
Today the fort serves not only as a memorial of the Civil War, but in a larger sense as a history lesson on the elusiveness of invincibility.
posted by the blessed sister of 12 and aunt to 2 - Sarah
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