Fort Delaware facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Delaware |
|
|---|---|
| Part of American Civil War prison camps 1861–1865 Harbor Defenses of the Delaware 1898–1945 | |
| Fort Delaware, Pea Patch Island, New Castle County, Delaware, United States | |
Fort Delaware during the American Civil War
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Type | Garrison Fort, Training Camp, Union Prison Camp |
| Site information | |
| Owner | U.S. Government |
| Controlled by | Union Army |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
|
Fort Delaware
|
|
Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island
|
|
| Location | Fort Delaware State Park, Pea Patch Island, New Castle County, Delaware, USA |
| Nearest city | Delaware City, Delaware |
| Area | 288 acres |
| Built | 1846-1868 |
| Architect | Joseph G. Totten |
| Architectural style | Third System |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000226 |
| Added to NRHP | December 16, 1971 |
| Site history | |
| In use | 1846–1945 |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War World War I World War II |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | U.S. Army soldiers, Confederate prisoners of war |
Fort Delaware is an old military fort located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River. It was designed by a chief engineer named Joseph Gilbert Totten. During the American Civil War, the Union Army used Fort Delaware as a prison. It held Confederate soldiers captured in battle. It also held some political prisoners and other federal prisoners.
Later, in the 1890s, new big guns were added inside the fort. By 1900, Fort Delaware was part of a group of three forts. These forts worked together to protect the Delaware River. The other forts were Fort Mott in New Jersey and Fort DuPont in Delaware. Today, the fort and the island are part of Fort Delaware State Park. It is a living history museum where you can learn about its past.
Contents
Why Was Fort Delaware Built?
In 1794, a French military engineer named Pierre Charles L'Enfant looked for good places to build defenses. He thought "Pip Ash" island was perfect for protecting American trade and culture. This island was known as Pea Patch Island.
The U.S. Army wanted to buy the island from its owner, Dr. Henry Gale. He refused to sell it. So, the military asked the state of Delaware for help. Delaware said it owned all islands in the Delaware River within a special circle around New Castle. In 1813, Delaware gave the island to the U.S. government.
Early Fortification Attempts
During the War of 1812, people tried to build defenses on Pea Patch Island. They built a seawall and dykes around the island. There is no clear proof that a full fort was built during this war. Some records say a small fort was built and then torn down later.
The Star-Shaped Fort
Building a star fort on Pea Patch Island started around 1817. A star fort is a fort shaped like a star, which was a common design back then. This fort was meant to protect important cities like Philadelphia and Wilmington. It would force enemies to land far away if they wanted to attack by land.
Building Challenges
The star fort was designed by Joseph G. Totten. But building it was very hard because the island was marshy and soft. Parts of the fort kept sinking or cracking. Once, 43,000 bricks had to be taken down and rebuilt!
In 1831, a fire destroyed much of the fort. After the fire, the old fort was torn down. Its rubble was used to make the seawall around the island stronger. You can still see some of these old sandstone pieces today.
The Current Fort: A Pentagon Shape
The Fort Delaware you see today was built mostly between 1848 and 1860. It was one of the largest forts of its kind. The fort is shaped like an uneven five-sided figure, called an irregular pentagon. It has five small towers at its corners.
The fort was designed to hold many cannons. It could have 123 large cannons facing the river. Another 15 cannons were in the towers. The back wall had places for 68 muskets and 11 cannons on the roof. The only way in or out was through a main gate called the sally port. The fort also had a moat (a ditch filled with water) around it.
Building the Foundation
Building on Pea Patch Island was still a challenge because the ground was very soft mud. Workers had to drive almost 5,000 long wooden poles deep into the mud. These poles were like modern telephone poles. They provided a strong base for the fort's heavy stone and brick walls.
Stone and Brick Work
The fort is made of different types of stone, brick, and cement. At first, they used a hard stone called gneiss. But it was too difficult to shape. So, they switched to granite from nearby Pennsylvania. Over two million bricks were used for the inside walls, underground water tanks, and living areas.
In 1858, the main engineer, Major John Sanders, passed away. The fort was almost ready by 1860. Before the Civil War started in 1861, Captain Augustus A. Gibson took command with a small group of 20 soldiers. Their main job was to get cannons ready inside the fort. By 1866, about 156 cannons were in place.
Fort Delaware During the Civil War
During the Civil War, Fort Delaware changed from a protector to a prison. It became a prisoner-of-war camp for captured Confederate soldiers. It also held some federal prisoners and local political prisoners. The first prisoners lived inside the fort in sealed-off rooms and empty storage areas. You can still see names carved into the bricks by these prisoners.
Prison Barracks and Hospital
In 1862 and 1863, new wooden buildings were constructed outside the main fort. These were barracks for the many captured Confederate soldiers. One prisoner called it the "bull pen." Most Confederates captured at the Battle of Gettysburg were sent here. A large hospital with 600 beds was also built.
Prisoner Life and Health
By August 1863, over 11,000 prisoners were on the island. By the end of the war, almost 33,000 men had been held there. About 2,500 prisoners died on Pea Patch Island. Half of these deaths happened during a smallpox outbreak in 1863. Other common causes of death were lung problems and different types of diarrhea. About 109 Union soldiers and 40 civilians also died on the island. Many of those who died are buried in a nearby cemetery in New Jersey.
Prisoners living in the wooden barracks outside the fort received two small meals a day. They could also buy extra food from a store or fish in the river. Records show that prisoners at Fort Delaware received more care packages than at other prison camps.
Higher-ranking Confederate officers and some political prisoners lived inside the main fort. They often had more freedom and better food. One political prisoner wrote about eating hams, turkeys, and cheeses. He said the only food the government regularly gave them was bread.
The "Immortal 600"
On August 20, 1864, six hundred Confederate officers were sent from Fort Delaware to Morris Island, South Carolina. This group became known as the "Immortal Six Hundred". They were sent there as a response to how Union officers were being treated in Southern prisons.
Guarding the Fort
During the Civil War, volunteer soldiers from many states guarded Fort Delaware. These included troops from Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Ohio. The fort's artillery soldiers manned guard posts inside the fort. Infantry troops guarded the seawall around the island. In August 1864, there were about 85 guard posts on the island.
After the Civil War
After the Civil War, only a small group of soldiers stayed at Fort Delaware. In 1878, a huge hurricane hit the island, damaging many buildings outside the fort. A chapel built by prisoners was partly destroyed. In 1885, a tornado also struck the island, destroying the hospital and other structures.
Modernizing the Fort
In the late 1890s, new gun batteries were built at Fort Delaware. These were part of a plan to modernize coastal defenses. The new batteries were spread out and hidden behind concrete walls. Fort Delaware worked with Fort DuPont and Fort Mott to protect the Delaware River.
A large three-story concrete battery was built inside Fort Delaware from 1894 to 1900. It held three huge 12-inch guns that could shoot about 10 miles. These guns were on special "disappearing carriages" that would hide the gun after it fired. Smaller, faster-firing guns were also added to protect the island from closer attacks.
World War I and II
Fort Delaware was used for a short time during World War I. Nearby Fort DuPont became the main defense site. By 1919, soldiers began to pack away most of the fort's equipment. Some old cannons were even buried on the island.
In World War II, Fort Delaware lost its three big 12-inch guns. They were sent to arm other forts. The fort was then left without weapons. After the war, the government decided it no longer needed Fort Delaware.
Fort Delaware Today
Delaware took over the fort from the U.S. government in 1947. Today, Fort Delaware State Park covers all of Pea Patch Island. You can visit the fort by taking a ferry from Delaware City. Once on the island, a small shuttle takes visitors to the fort.
You can take tours and enjoy special programs. For example, you might see an 8-inch Columbiad gun fired daily. Park staff and volunteers dress up and act out the roles of people who lived at the fort during the Civil War.
Protecting the Island
In 1999, people realized that the island's beaches were eroding. This could threaten the fort. So, in 2005-2006, a long seawall was built. This wall now protects the historic fort and a large bird rookery. A rookery is a place where many birds gather to breed. This one is the biggest north of Florida.
Fun Events at the Fort
Every June, there is an "Escape from Fort Delaware" triathlon. Athletes swim from the island back to land. Then they bike and run, finishing in Delaware City. This event remembers 52 prisoners who escaped during the Civil War.
The fort also hosts vintage baseball games. The Diamond State Base Ball Club plays games using old rules and uniforms. They help teach people about baseball history and local history.
Fort Delaware on TV
Fort Delaware has been featured on several TV shows. The A&E Network's Civil War Journal filmed an episode there. The Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters Academy shows also investigated the fort. The British series Most Haunted filmed an episode there too.
Images for kids
-
Photo of barracks inside Fort Delaware taken circa 1910. Army Quartermaster Department Photo.
-
U.S. Army photograph facing the sally port in 2011.
-
8-inch Columbiad gun manufactured by Cyrus Alger & Co., in 1855.
-
Mine storehouse built in 1897.
-
Mine storehouse built in 1897.
-
Bird's eye view of Fort Delaware taken in 2010. Photograph by Missy Lee.
-
View from Battery Torbert showing wooden stairway cap and brick officers' quarters.
-
Courtyard.
-
Courtyard with cannon balls.
-
Doorways.
-
Courtyard and reenactor.
-
Courtyard and reenactor.
-
Original 32-pounder gun on reproduction carriage in Casemate 29.
-
Fort Delaware kitchen with reenactor.
-
Fort Delaware kitchen.
-
Wash tubs and reenactor.
-
Pitcher and basin.
-
Reproduction flush toilets inside privy at Fort Delaware.
-
Chesapeake & Delaware Canal map (Circa 1829).
-
Amanda Boykin Pierce's marker in New Castle, Del. She died in Fort Delaware on January 17, 1831. Photograph by Brendan Mackie.
-
Confederate POW cover with North and South postage stamps.
-
Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson photographed while a prisoner at Fort Delaware in 1864. Photograph by John L. Gihon
-
Construction of Battery Dodd in 1898. Photograph by Frank C. Warner, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
-
Star spangled banner.
