Fort at Salisbury Point facts for kids
The Fort at Salisbury Point was a special fort used during the American Civil War (1861-1865). It was located in Salisbury, Massachusetts. People also called it the Fort at Salisbury Beach.
Quick facts for kids Fort at Salisbury Point |
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| Salisbury Beach, Salisbury, Massachusetts | |
 Fort at Salisbury Point
Fort at Salisbury Point
Location in Massachusetts
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| Coordinates | 42°49′8.58″N 70°49′12.49″W / 42.8190500°N 70.8201361°W |
| Type | Coastal defense |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
| Condition | no remains, beach eroded |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1863 |
| Built by | Major Charles E. Blunt, US Army |
| In use | 1863–1865 |
| Materials | earthworks |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | 20th Unattached Company of Massachusetts militia |
This fort was built with nine cannons and was made of earthworks (walls made of dirt and soil). It stood right at the mouth of the Merrimack River, where it meets the ocean. Today, this area is known as the Salisbury Beach State Reservation. Over time, the ocean waves washed the fort away, so there are no remains left.
Some old records from 1903 suggest it might have been built where an even older fort, Fort Nichols, stood during the American Revolutionary War. However, historians aren't completely sure about this. Sometimes, local people during the Civil War even called the Fort at Salisbury Point "Fort Nichols".
Building the Fort
Major Charles E. Blunt from the United States Army Corps of Engineers was in charge of designing and building this fort. It was built in 1863.
Fort's Cannons
A report from June 30, 1866, listed the weapons at the fort. It had nine heavy cannons and one smaller 12-pounder field gun.
The heavy cannons included:
- Three 8-inch smoothbore Rodman guns
- Three 42-pounder rifled guns
- Three 32-pounder rifled guns
Rifled guns had grooves inside their barrels, which made the cannonballs spin and fly straighter.
Who Guarded the Fort?
From November 1864 to June 1865, the fort was guarded by soldiers from the 20th Unattached Company of Massachusetts militia. They were a group of volunteer soldiers from Massachusetts.
