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Originally called Fort Island Battery, and also known as Mud Island Fort, Fort Mifflin was commissioned in 1771 and sits on the Delaware River near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the American Revolutionary War the fort was a centerpiece of the British conquest of Philadelphia. The name "Fort Mifflin" became official in 1795. The fort was rebuilt in 1798-1800 during the presidency of John Adams according to L'Enfant's design, and enlarged in the 19th century. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (900 × 675 pixel, file size: 811 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...
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For the Delaware River in Kansas, see Delaware River (Kansas) The Delaware River is a river on the Atlantic coast of the United States. ...
Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area - City 369. ...
For other persons named John Adams, see John Adams (disambiguation). ...
History
Construction In the late 1760s, British engineer John Montresor was commissioned to construct a fort at the southern edge of Philadelphia on the Delaware River to protect the city from invasion. Construction ceased in 1774. John Montresor (22 April 1736 – 26 June 1799) was a British military engineer in North America. ...
For the Delaware River in Kansas, see Delaware River (Kansas) The Delaware River is a river on the Atlantic coast of the United States. ...
Following the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin headed a committee to provide for the defense of Philadelphia. At that time the British had only completed the granite southern and eastern walls of Fort Mifflin. Another fort, known as Fort Mercer, was constructed across the Delaware River from Fort Mifflin. "Chevaux de frise" (obstacles) were sunk in the river to slow the progress of enemy ships. They were a series of wooden boxes with the limbs of trees nailed to the sides of the box at a 45 degree angle. The limbs were affixed with iron spikes and would gouge long holes in the hulls of British ships. They were sunk into the river with 30 tons of rock. Benjamin Franklin (January 17 [O.S. January 6] 1706 – April 17, 1790) was one of the most well known Founding Fathers of the United States. ...
National Park highlighted in Gloucester County. ...
The cheval de frise (plural: chevaux de frise) was a Mediaeval defensive obstacle consisting of a portable frame (sometimes just a simple log) covered with many long iron or wooden spikes or even actual spears. ...
Many of the buildings standing today are holdovers from the post-1795 construction. The white stone walls date to the pre-revolutionary war British construction. Evidence of the 1777 British bombardment can be seen in its pockmarked stone walls.
Recently, a few underground rooms, officially named Casemate 11 were discovered at Fort Mifflin when the project manager was mowing the lawn. When part of the ground caved in they dug up the entrance to a series of underground rooms. They were believed to have been used to store ammunition and supplies during the battle. Later, they were used as jail cells during civil war. Casemate 11 housed Fort Mifflin's most famous POW, William H Howe. Howe was a Union soldier accused of desertion and murder. He has the distinction of being the only person ever executed at the fort. Howe signed his name in the cell, which is still visible today. Various artifacts were found in the casemate including pottery, the cell doors, and a chamber pot. Various graffiti of the period also graces the walls.
Siege of Forts Mifflin and Mercer during the American Revolutionary War After the defeat of Washington at the Battle of Brandywine, the British took control of Philadelphia in September of 1777. The British forces then laid siege to Fort Mifflin and Fort Mercer in early October, 1777. The siege, which lasted until the middle of November, destroyed much of Fort Mifflin. During the siege, 400 soldiers held off over 2,000 British troops and 250 ships until November 10, when the British intensified their assault, launching an incessant barrage of cannonballs into the fort. On November 15, 1777, the American troops were forced out. Their stand allowed George Washington to retreat to Valley Forge. Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders George Washington William Howe Strength 10,600 (8,000 present) 17,000 (6,000 present) Casualties 1,200-1,300 casualties 93 killed 488 wounded 6 missing The Battle of Brandywine was a battle of the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought...
Usage during American Civil War During the Civil War, Fort Mifflin was used to house Confederate prisoners of war, as well as Union soldiers and civilians accused of breaking the law. The fort was a U.S. military post until the 1950s. In 1962, Fort Mifflin was deeded back to the City of Philadelphia.
Further Reading - Dorwart, Jeffrey M., "Fort Mifflin of Philadelphia: An Illustrated History," University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, May 1998, ISBN 978-0-8122-1644-8, 264-pages
- McGuire, Thomas J., "The Philadelphia Campaign, Vol. II: Germantown and the Roads to Valley Forge," Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2006. ISBN 978-0-8117-0206-5, pages 181 to 222.
Fort Mifflin Trivia - It is the site of the greatest bombardment of the American Revolution.
- Fort Mifflin was built by the British in 1771 and destroyed by the British in 1777.
- During the Civil War, Seth Eastmen, the great American Western frontier painter, was the Fort's Commandant.
- The Commandment's House is the only single dwelling north of the Mason Dixon Line designed by Pierre Charles L'Enfant who designed Washington D.C.
- Fort Mifflin boasts the last remaining open faced artillery shed in the nation.
- When it closed, Fort Mifflin was the oldest fort in continuous use in the nation (1771 to 1954).
- The British Engineer John Montresor both designed and initially oversaw construction of the fort, and was later assigned to besiege the fort in 1777.
See also Liberty Bell; public domain. ...
“PHL†redirects here. ...
Eastwick is a neighborhood in the Southwest section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. ...
Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...
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