"The Fort that Lee Built" Fort Pulaski National Monument by goingsolo

Fort Pulaski National Monument Travel Guide: 19 reviews and 51 photos

Fort Pulaski - Fort Pulaski National Monument

After graduating West Point in 1829, young Robert E. Lee's first task was to construct Fort Pulaski. The fort took nearly 20 years to build and was supposed to be used to protect the United States against invasion. Instead, the fort became a staging ground for a stand-off between the Confederate and Union armies.

In 1861, the Georgia militia seized Fort Pulaski. The Union Army began firing on the fort from nearby Tybee Island. In April, 1862, after a 30 hour barrage of canon fire, Charles Olmstead surrendered the fort to the Union forces. The high brick walls sustained massive damage, which remains visible with the indentations of canon fire. The battle to recapture Fort Pulaski marked one of the first uses of rifle canons, long range weapons capable of destroying brick fortresses.

A visit to Fort Pulaski tells part of the stories of the two armies struggle. The Union carried the day here, but it would be another three years before the bloodiest battle would end. Fort Pulaski was an important part of the Confederates defense against naval attacks and helped protect against invasion inland to the city of Atlanta. But this fort was not the stronghold of the Confederates and, although they fought bravely to keep possession, it was neither the beginning or the ending battle of the war. But those are stories for other pages.

Last visit to Fort Pulaski National Monument: Feb 2006
Intro Updated Feb 14, 2006
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Reviews (8)

Alcatraz of the East Local Customs (2)

Once the fort was reclaimed by the Union, it was put to better use, from both the standpoint of the Union as well as its... more travel advice

Firepower Off The Beaten Path (3)

There are numerous long and short range canons found at the Fort. The canons seem to be scattered almost haphazardly... more travel advice

The breached wall Off The Beaten Path (3)

These are the holes made by the rifle canon fire from Tybee Island. The continuous bombardment lasted 30 hours. The... more travel advice

Touring the fort II Things to Do (2)

In the interior of the fort, several of the original quarters remain as do the canons which once guarded it. There are... more travel advice

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Visiting the fort

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Comments (3)

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mtncorg Sep 7, 2006 at 12:58 PM

That cannon looks like it is pointed the wrong way ;-]
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Stephen-KarenConn Apr 14, 2006 at 2:23 PM

Fort Pulaski is a remarkable place. I was there several times when I lived in Georgia. Thanks for giving my book a good rating on Amazon.
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luckyzen Apr 10, 2006 at 12:49 PM

Hi L, :-)) Yep, I do get pretty excited when visiting new destinations. As usual, you describe a page real well. Thank you. 'njoy!