Fort Morgan (Alabama) facts for kids

Fort Morgan
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Original plan for the fort, dated 1817.
Location in Alabama
Location	Western terminus of AL 180 Gasque, Alabama
Built	1819–1834
Architect	Simon Bernard
NRHP reference No.	66000146
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	December 19, 1960

Fort Morgan is a famous historic fort located at the entrance of Mobile Bay in Alabama, United States. It's a large, five-sided fort made of stone. The fort is named after Daniel Morgan, a hero from the American Revolutionary War.

Fort Morgan was built where an older fort, called Fort Bowyer, once stood. Fort Bowyer was a simple fort made of earth and wood. It was part of the last land battles of the War of 1812. The construction of Fort Morgan finished in 1834. Soldiers first arrived there in March of that same year.

You can find Fort Morgan at the very end of Mobile Point. This is where State Route 180 (Alabama) finishes. Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island (where Fort Gaines is) guard the entrance to Mobile Bay. The Alabama Historical Commission now takes care of this important historical site.

Fort Morgan's Early History

The War of 1812 and Fort Bowyer

After Spain left Mobile in April 1813, American soldiers built a small fort on Mobile Point. They called it Fort Bowyer. In September 1814, this fort successfully defended itself against an attack by British ships and soldiers. This was known as the First Battle of Fort Bowyer.

The British came back in February 1815, after losing the Battle of New Orleans. They attacked Fort Bowyer again in what became the Second Battle of Fort Bowyer. This time, the American soldiers had to surrender the fort.

However, before the British could move on to attack Mobile, they heard important news. The Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war, had been signed on Christmas Eve, 1814. Once the treaty was officially approved, the British left. The location was perfect for a stronger fort to protect the bay, so Fort Morgan was built to replace Fort Bowyer.

Building the Great Fort

After the War of 1812, the U.S. government decided to build stronger defenses along its coast. In 1818, they hired Benjamin Hopkins to build a large stone fort on Mobile Point. The design for the fort came from Simon Bernard, a military engineer who had worked for Napoleon.

Sadly, Hopkins died a year later from yellow fever. The next builder, Samuel Hawkins, also died in 1821 before starting much work. The U.S. Army then gave the job to the Corps of Engineers. Captain R.E. De Russey took charge.

Enslaved people were forced to work on the fort's construction. DeRussey made good progress, but he got sick in 1825. His assistant, Lieutenant Cornelius Ogden, finished the work in March 1834. Captain F.S. Belton and his soldiers were the first to be stationed at the new Fort Morgan.

Fort Morgan During the Civil War

Taking Control of the Fort

Eight days before Alabama left the Union, Colonel John B. Todd led Alabama volunteers to capture Fort Morgan. This happened before dawn on January 3, 1861. The Confederate soldiers then worked to make Mobile Bay's defenses even stronger.

The most important spot was the Main Ship Channel. This was the only place where the water was deep enough for large warships. To protect this channel, the Confederates placed 18 of the fort's biggest guns. These included powerful Brooke rifles and British-made Blakely rifles. They also built trenches and small forts east of Fort Morgan to stop any land attack.

The Confederates also had a small fleet of ships. This included the ram Tennessee and three gunboats: Morgan, Gaines, and Selma. All these ships were under the command of Admiral Franklin Buchanan.

Defending the Bay

During the war, Fort Morgan helped protect ships called "blockade runners." These ships tried to sneak past Union naval blockades to bring supplies in and out. All 17 ships that left Mobile Bay managed to escape capture. Also, 19 out of 21 ships trying to enter the bay got through safely.

Union soldiers were seen spying on Fort Morgan from the Sand Island Lighthouse. The fort fired on the lighthouse, destroying it to stop the spying.

The Battle of Mobile Bay

On August 5, 1864, Union naval forces led by Admiral David G. Farragut managed to get past Fort Morgan and enter Mobile Bay. They captured the Confederate ships Tennessee and Selma. They also forced the Gaines to be beached and burned.

The Union forces also captured Fort Gaines. This allowed Union land forces, led by Gordon Granger, to besiege Fort Morgan. During this siege, the wooden roof of the Citadel caught fire. The Citadel was a ten-sided building inside the fort where soldiers lived. It was badly damaged.

After the war, the damaged Citadel was used as a source of bricks to repair other parts of the fort. Its remains were completely removed in the 1880s. After two weeks of attacks from both land and sea, Major Richard L. Page, who commanded the fort, had to surrender. He did so on August 23, 1864. Before surrendering, he made sure to disable the fort's guns so the Union couldn't use them.

Under Union occupation

Once the Union took control of Fort Morgan, they used it as a base. From here, they launched scouting missions and prepared for the Battle of Spanish Fort and the Battle of Fort Blakely. These battles happened just days before General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, ending the Civil War.

Fort Morgan in the Late 19th and 20th Centuries

Modernizing the Fort

In the 1870s, Fort Morgan was updated with new cannons. However, the U.S. government later stopped using the fort, and it fell into disrepair.

Later, under President Grover Cleveland, a group called the Endicott Board suggested building new, concrete batteries. Between 1895 and 1900, Fort Morgan received five new concrete batteries. These batteries had modern systems for aiming guns, electricity, and communication.

One of the first batteries, Battery Bowyer, was ready during the Spanish–American War. It had four large guns on special "disappearing carriages." These guns could pop up to fire and then hide again. The guns were removed in 1917 to be used as railway guns in Europe during World War I.

Another important battery was Battery Dearborn, completed in 1900. It had eight large 12-inch coast defense mortars. These mortars were designed to fire shells high into the air. The shells would then fall onto the less protected decks of enemy ships.

The 20th Century and Beyond

Hurricanes in 1906 and 1916 caused a lot of damage to the wooden buildings at Fort Morgan. Especially vulnerable were the wide porches on Officer's Row, which helped keep the buildings cool.

In 1915, the Coast Artillery Corps built an experimental battery near Fort Morgan. It had one large 10-inch gun. In 1916, two U.S. Navy battleships, the USS New York and the USS Arkansas, shelled this battery for two days. The battery survived with surprisingly little damage.

After the U.S. joined World War I in April 1917, Fort Morgan became a training center. Soldiers learned how to use modern weapons and anti-aircraft guns. In 1920, the fort received four British howitzers. These guns were later removed and scrapped in 1924 when the Army stopped using the fort. The base quickly started to fall apart.

During World War I, the Army also set up a radio station at Fort Morgan. It was part of a nationwide Morse-code communication network. When the fort was abandoned, its radio call letters were moved to Fort McClellan, Alabama.

In April 1942, during World War II, the Army returned to Fort Morgan. They also built an airfield next to it. The Coast Artillery brought five large 155mm guns to the fort. Two were placed on top of the fort, able to turn in a full circle. The other three were on the fort's parade ground.

The War Department gave Fort Morgan to the State of Alabama in 1946. The Army left the fort again in 1947. The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps itself was disbanded in 1950.

Recent Discoveries

Fort Morgan was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1960. This means it's a very important historical site for the nation.

In 2007, a group called the Civil War Preservation Trust listed Fort Morgan as one of the "10 most endangered battle sites" in the country.

In June 2008, during repairs to the fort's walls, a 90-pound live Union naval shell was found. This shell was fired at the fort in the summer of 1864 during the Civil War. It was an exciting discovery that reminded everyone of the fort's long history.

See also

In Spanish: Fuerte Morgan para niños