Fort Gaines

[AndyHall]

I'm a fan of Gordon Granger. Not only did he issue the order of emancipation in Texas -- the origin of Juneteenth -- he personally vouched for one of my Confederate ancestors when he applied for a pardon from President Johnson.

 

[18thVirginia]

A couple more photos, since you mentioned the Commandant's House--I believe it is now the Visitors Center, the 2 story building below:

View from NW bastion looking SE of central grounds of the Fort

 

[18thVirginia]

And as a little lagniappe, since people often talk about getting their spouses to visit historic Civil War sites, a couple of places that those who adore gardens or those who love boats would enjoy, just across the causeway from Dauphin Island and on your way to the Fort.

Bellingrath Gardens is a lovely spot for walking through beautifully-maintained Southern gardens.

The Rose Garden

 

[18thVirginia]

More Bellingrath

The Conservatory

Fountains

Orchids

Two miles of walking paths

 

[18thVirginia]

For those who love to go down to the sea in boats, nearby Bayou la Batre has a fleet of working shrimp boats and yards where you'll see large pusher boats and other work boats.

 

[18thVirginia]

Shrimpers with owners of Vietnamese background

Miss Hannah and friend

Shrimp fleet

 

[rickvox79]

My wife had her Bridal Gown pictures taken at Bellingrath gardens. We go there occasionally during the winter to see the Christmas lights. Here are some of my pictures from Fort Gaines since I couldn't find my old thread. Picture #5 is Fort Morgan across the bay.

 

[18thVirginia]

Great photos, Rickvox. You can see how close to the Bay the fort is from your photos.

 

[AndyHall]

Bruce Allardice, author of More Confederate Generals in Gray and other works, shared with me this photograph of former Confederate Colonel Charles DeWitt Anderson (1828-1901), former commanding officer of Fort Gaines, taken c. 1900 at the Fort Point Lighthouse here in Galveston, where he was keeper. He is holding his grandson, Mark Anderson. Photo courtesy Col. Anderson's great-grandson, Dale Anderson, and Bruce S. Allardice.

 

[rhettbutler1865]

Great photo, Andy! Thanks!

 

[donna]

Wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing.

 

[bdtex]

View attachment 67930

Fort Gaines, aerial view.

How didja get that shot?

 

[18thVirginia]

Okay, bdtex, I try and always insert the citations for photos, but obviously I managed to leave this one out. I apologize to whatever Alabama tourism site I downloaded it from and will try and find it.

Or, I could just say that Santa sent it to me as a gift!

 

[bdtex]

Okay, bdtex, I try and always insert the citations for photos, but obviously I managed to leave this one out. I apologize to whatever Alabama tourism site I downloaded it from and will try and find it.

Or, I could just say that Santa sent it to me as a gift!

I didn't know. Thought you mighta done a flyover.

 

[Irishtom29]

Gaines is interesting in being a polygonal fort, very modern when built and showing strong Prussian influence. Polygonal forts were designed for more direct fire than the previous bastioned forts, with ditch control being handled by caponiers (as at Gaines and Clinch) or by counterscarp galleries (as at Barrancas, Macon, Knox and others). At Gaines the caponiers are the projections on the corners that housed casemated guns to sweep the ditch.

Gaines and Clinch are the only American forts that have Carnot scarps--a freestanding masonry wall with loopholes for rifles that stands in front of the earthen ramparts. These structures are common in mid 19th Century German, Austrian and British fortifications, most notably the Austrian fortifications at Verona. The Carnot scarp was used with a sloping counterscarp to give the riflemen a field of fire but the glacis and counterscarps at Gaines are long gone.

Photo above is a Carnot scarp at Verona.

 

[Irishtom29]

Rear view of a caponier at Verona.

 

[Irishtom29]

A caponier at Gaines. Note the embrasures for casemated guns to sweep the ditch. European forts often had extra ditches called drop ditches in front of such low embrasures to keep enemy infantry away from them.

 

[Elmer R. Woodard III]

The 18th Virginia broke the Union line at Gaines' Mill, and paid a heavy price. Read all about it here:
https://www.mcfarlandbooks.com/product/A-Bloody-Day-at-Gaines-Mill/

 

[fltelman]

I found these articles concerning Col. Anderson & the surrender of Ft. Gaines.

The Southern watchman. (Athens, Ga.) August 17, 1864, Image 2
https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82014669/1864-08-17/ed-1/seq-2.pdf

Chronicle & sentinel. (Augusta, Ga.) August 17, 1864, Image 3
https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn90052044/1864-08-17/ed-1/seq-3.pdf

Southern recorder. (Milledgeville, Ga.) August 16, 1864, Image 2
https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82016415/1864-08-16/ed-1/seq-2.pdf

The Southern watchman. (Athens, Ga.) August 31, 1864, Image 1
https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82014669/1864-08-31/ed-1/seq-1.pdf

View attachment 67935

View attachment 67936
Fort Gaines Surrenders

http://dauphinislandhistory.org/ft_gaines/ft_gaines_surrender_expand.htm

 

[hrobalabama]

I found these articles concerning Col. Anderson & the surrender of Ft. Gaines.

View attachment 325639
The Southern watchman. (Athens, Ga.) August 17, 1864, Image 2
https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82014669/1864-08-17/ed-1/seq-2.pdf

View attachment 325647
Chronicle & sentinel. (Augusta, Ga.) August 17, 1864, Image 3
https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn90052044/1864-08-17/ed-1/seq-3.pdf

View attachment 325643
Southern recorder. (Milledgeville, Ga.) August 16, 1864, Image 2
https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82016415/1864-08-16/ed-1/seq-2.pdf


View attachment 325645View attachment 325646
The Southern watchman. (Athens, Ga.) August 31, 1864, Image 1
https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82014669/1864-08-31/ed-1/seq-1.pdf

Being a native of Mobile, I was familiar with Ft. Gaines as it was view from Ft. Morgan. But I never went to the fort until a bridge was built in the 1960's. Most of the history of the war was seen in Ft. Morgan. Great photos!