Friday, May 16, 2014

Fort Pulaski, Savannah, GA.

The reason for this tidbit has to do with Savannah, Gray Bricks. They were unique and are not able to be replicated today. Fort Pulaski was constructed with this very hard brick and it has a unique history during the American Revolution and Civil Wars.

Fort Pulaski.—This fort is erected on Cockspar Island, at the mouth of the Savannah River in Georgia. It was named in honor of Count Pulaski, the distinguished Polish general who espoused the cause of American freedom in the Revolution. It effectually guards the main entrance to the river. All vessels of any size have to pass under its guns. Cockspur Island B separated from Tybee Island by a narrow carve of the sea. It is an irregular pentagon, with the base line or curtain face inland, and the other faces casemated and bearing upon the approaches. The curtain, which is simply crenellated, is covered by a redan, surrounded by a deep ditch, inside the parapet of which are granite platforms ready for the reception of guns. The parapet is thick, and the counterscarp is faced with solid masonry. Sandbag traverses guard the magazine door, and every thing is in as good trim. The walls are exceedingly solid, and well-built of hard gray brick, upwards of six feet in thickness, the casemates and bombproofs being lofty and capacious. A full garrison of the fort is 650 men. The work is intended for 128 guns. They are long 82's, with a few 42's and colnmbiads. The 10-inch columbiads are en barhette. There are three furnaces for heating red-hot shot.
This fort was seized by order of Governor Brown on the 3d of January. At the time, this was stated to have been done to prevent its seizure by a spontaneous uprising of the people. Subsequently, however, the apprehensions which led to this seizure proved to be groundless. They were excited by fabulous telegraphic despatches sent from the city of Washington. At the time of its seizure there wero sixty guns moan ted. It cost the Government $988,859.
Previously it had been in the care of two men, who were employed in keeping the grassed surfaces free from weeds and in taking care of the property.
Source: Appleton's Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Information ©1867

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