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Fort Massachusetts is a fort on West Ship Island along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It was built following the War of 1812 and remained in use until 1903. Currently it is a historical tourist attraction within the Gulf Islands National Seashore Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ...
Welcome sign to Ship Island and Gulf Islands National Seashore with one of its common squalls brewing in the background. ...
States that border the Gulf of Mexico are shown in red The Gulf Coast region of the United States comprises the coasts of states which border the Gulf of Mexico. ...
Combatants United States Great Britain Canada Bermuda Eastern Woodland Indians Commanders James Madison Henry Dearborn Jacob Brown Winfield Scott Andrew Jackson George Prevost Isaac Brock†Tecumseh†Strength •U.S. Regular Army: 35,800 •Rangers: 3,049 •Militia: 458,463* •US Navy & US Marines: (at start of war): •Frigates:6 •Other...
The Gulf Islands National Seashore is part of the National Park System and consists of several segments along the barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico. ...
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History of the Fort
Following the War of 1812, the United States War Department began planning for the construction of an extensive system of masonry fortifications for coastal defense. Because of Ship Island's natural deep-water harbor and its location along a shipping route, Ship Island was important to the defense of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. The island was declared a United States military reservation in 1847, and nine years later Congress authorized construction of a fort. A site approximately 500 feet (152 m) from the western tip of the island was eventually selected as the location for the fort. Construction began in June 1859 under supervision of the Army Corps of Engineers. The work was primarily done by civilians. The work force sometimes numbered as many as 100 men, and included carpenters, stone masons, blacksmiths, and stonecutters. By early 1861 the outside wall of the fort stood 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) above the level of the sand. The United States Department of War was the military department of the United States governments executive branch from 1789 until 1949, when it became part of the United States Department of Defense. ...
Masonry in action; a Mason at work. ...
A harbor or harbour (see spelling differences), or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the weather or are stored. ...
Shipping route is any trade route used by merchant ships. ...
New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ...
Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups (as of November 7, 2006 elections) Democratic Party Republican...
United States Army Corps of Engineers logo The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is made up of some 34,600 military men and women. ...
Carpenter at work in Tennessee, June 1942. ...
Stone masons have existed since the dawn of civilization, constructing some of the most long lasting ancient monuments, artifacts and cities. ...
A blacksmith A blacksmith at work A blacksmith at work A blacksmiths fire Hot metal work from a blacksmith A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from iron or steel by forging the metal; i. ...
In January 1861 Mississippi seceded from the Union, becoming the second state of the Confederacy. One of the first acts of war in the state occurred on Ship Island when an armed band of Mississippi militia took possession of the island and the unfinished fort. The militia soon abandoned the island where it remained deserted until early June when Confederate troops returned and mounted several cannons. On July 9, the Union ship Massachusetts came within range of the Confederate guns. The twenty-minute exchange of cannon fire that followed resulted in few injuries and little damage to either side. That action was the only military engagement in which Ship Island or the fort would ever be directly involved. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
In this map: Union states prohibiting slavery Union territories Border states on the Union side which allowed slavery Kansas, which entered and fought with the Union as a free state after the Bleeding Kansas crisis The Confederacy Confederate claimed and sometimes held territories During the American Civil War, the Union...
Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem God Save the South (unofficial) Dixie (traditional) The Bonnie Blue Flag (popular) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Government Republic President...
Lexington Minuteman representing militia minuteman John Parker. ...
A small cannon on a carriage, Bucharest. ...
During the remainder of the summer of 1861, the Confederate forces on the island worked with sandbags and timber to strengthen the walls of the unfinished fort. Despite their work the Confederates abandoned the island in mid-September. Building a sandbag dike along the Skagit River in anticipation of a flood, October 2003. ...
Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction or wood...
Union forces soon occupied the island. Ship Island was used as the staging area for the Union Forces' successful capture of New Orleans in the spring of 1862. As many as 18,000 United States troops were stationed on Ship Island. The island's harsh environment took its toll on many of the men. More than 230 Union troops eventually died and were buried on Ship Island during the Civil War. The bodies of many of these men were later reburied at Chalmette National Cemetery near New Orleans. Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Officer David G. Farragut and Maj. ...
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Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is a unit of the National Park Service in southeastern Louisiana. ...
Throughout the remainder of the war Union Forces made good use of Ship Island. Union ships stopped at the island for repairs and to pick up supplies. The Louisiana Native Guards, one of the first black regiments in the United States Army, were recruited in Louisiana and stationed on Ship Island for almost three years. A hospital, barracks, mess hall, and bakery were just a few of nearly forty buildings constructed on the island during the war. In addition, the Army Corps of Engineers resumed construction of the fort in 1862. It was during the Civil War the fort was first called "Massachusetts" probably in honor of the Union ship by the same name. However, the fort was never officially named, and was referred to simply as the "Fort on Ship Island" in most official records. The United States Army is one of the armed forces of the United States and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...
Official language(s) de jure: none de facto: English & French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans [1] Area Ranked 31st - Total 51,885 sq mi (134,382 km²) - Width 130 miles (210 km) - Length 379 miles (610 km) - % water 16 - Latitude 29°N to 33°N - Longitude 89°W...
A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ...
A barracks housing conscripts of Norrbottens regemente in Boden, Sweden. ...
One of a number of cafeterias at Electronic City campus, Infosys Technologies Ltd. ...
Bakery foods A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, cakes and similar foods. ...
Although the fort switched hands during the first year of the War, the only government to lay bricks was the United States. Between the beginning of construction and the scession of the Southern states, the Army received its bricks from Louisiana. Once the United States regained control of the Island, bricks were sent down from New England around Florida. After the War ended, bricks were again brought from Louisiana. Still today, distinct color differences can be seen on the walls of the fort where these different types of brick were laid.
The Corps of Engineers continued work on the fort until the fall of 1866. It was then turned over to a civilian fort keeper C.H. "Pop" Stone whose duty it was to maintain the fort in a state of readiness. After cannons were mounted, an ordnance-sergeant was assigned to care for the fort's armament. He eventually assumed all responsibility for the upkeep of the fort. The last ordnance-sergeant was relieved of duty in 1903, and the Ship Island lighthouse keeper became the fort's caretaker. A HDR image of a traditional lighthouse For other uses, see Lighthouse (disambiguation). ...
Restoration Fort Massachusetts had lain at the water's edge and wave action, not to mention the salt air, had seriously eroded the historic mortar, especially around the northeast bastion. A "Save the Fort" movement started by Mississippians in the 1960s had led to the establishment of Gulf Islands National Seashore, but unlike the Cape Hatteras Light, the fort is made of tons of brick and concrete and could not be relocated. Cape Hatteras Light is a lighthouse located on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina near the town of Buxton. ...
Beach nourishment is one way of protecting the fort landmark. To save tax dollars, the National Park Service piggy-backs on dredge projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The dredgers remove sand from ship channels and pump it around the fort. Consequently, a sandy beach is made to eliminate the water lapping at the structure's walls. Before and after photos of beach restoration efforts, Florida coastline, USA. Beach nourishment is a process by which sediment (usually sand) lost through longshore drift or erosion is replaced on a beach. ...
// For other uses, see Dredge (disambiguation). ...
In addition, employees from the Historic Preservation Training Center stepped ashore in December 2001 to re-point, replace and reset as needed, the brick walls of the 135 year-old fort.
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