Fort Pickens

[Sivart]

Fort Perkins was one of two remaining presences in the South for the Union after the creation of the Confederacy, the other being Fort Sumter. It was located at the mouth of the Pensacola Bay in Florida. What I want to know about it, is how big of a role did Fort Perkins actually play in the war for the Union. How strategic was it, and did it play a role in any battles or warfare? Why didn't the Confederates just attack it like they did Sumter?

 

[RedRover]

Fort Pickens was one of two remaining presences in the South for the Union after the creation of the Confederacy, the other being Fort Sumter. It was located at the mouth of the Pensacola Bay in Florida. What I want to know about it, is how big of a role did Fort Perkins actually play in the war for the Union. How strategic was it, and did it play a role in any battles or warfare? Why didn't the Confederates just attack it like they did Sumter?

The fort was named after General Andrew Pickens of the American Revolution, and was built at the head of Santa Rosa Island opposite the mouth of Pensacola Bay from 1829 to 1835.

At the commencement of the crisis of 1861 it had no permanent garrison. As the State of Florida seceded, the small garrison of US troops (a single artillery company) on the mainland posted at Fort Barrancas abandoned that post and occupied Fort Pickens, which sat at the head of Santa Rosa Island, and was more potentially defensible by such a small force. They immediately commenced a tremendous labor to render the fort defensible. US Navy vessels offshore provided some support.

Here's a drawing of the USS Wyandotte firing a salute in honor of Washington's Birthday in the harbor between Fort Pickens and the mainland in February, 1861.

Along with Forts Taylor (Key West), and Jefferson (Dry Tortugas), Fort Pickens was of great importance in the crisis before the war. The Confederacy demanded they be abandoned, and the administration at Washington declining.

The Confederate States mustered a small army under General Braxton Bragg to occupy the forts on the mainland opposite, and to fortify further sand batteries along the shore...

Here's what Fort Pickens looks like today..., maintained by the National Park Service..

Here's a photograph of Confederates manning the guns of Fort Barrancas opposite Pickens...

The Confederates also constructed sand batteries along the shore opposite the fort...

After the commencement of the war in April, 1861, Fort Pickens was something of a center of attention, and many people throughout the country presumed it would be attacked and reduced in the manner of Fort Sumter any day. The federals landed more men and guns at Fort Pickens, which was also supported by several Navy warships, and their heavy guns. Many of the Union troops encamped on the sandy island behind the masonry fort... including Col. Billy Wilson's 6th New York Zouaves...

The Confederates across the bay had some zouaves of their own: Coppens' Battalion of Louisiana Zouaves...

On October 9, 1861, Gen. Bragg sent an expedition by water to land on the island and attack the Union camps outside of Fort Pickens. The attack destroyed some of the camps, but the Union troops counterattacked from Fort Pickens and the Confederate's made it to their boats and withdrew with some loss... This was the Battle of Santa Rosa Island.

The Battle of Santa Rosa Island (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

On November 221861 the Confederates ashore and the Union forces in the fort and its own attached sand batteries on the island, with some US warships, engaged in an extensive bombardment which lasted two days. Another major bombardment between the two sides took place January 1-2, 1862. These bombardments were of an extraordinary scale.

The First Bombardment of Pensacola Bay (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

The Second Bombardment of Pensacola Bay (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

Shortly afterward, most of the Confederate troops and many of their heavy guns were withdrawn from the area (Gen. Bragg and many of the troops he had trained at Pensacola forming a corps of the army at Shiloh, April 6-7). The Confederates abandoned Pensacola entirely in May, 1862, and it was occupied by federal Troops. Fort Pickens was still garrisoned during the balance of the war, and prisoners were occasionally kept there.

 

[Stryker65]

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/crisis-at-fort-pickens.206797/

Had a thread on this recently. The Confederate commander, Colonel William H. Chase, designed the fort himself. Therefore, he very well knew how strong it was, and he estimated that if he were to attack he would lose half his men in capturing it.

 

[USS ALASKA]

Fort Perkins was one of two remaining presences in the South for the Union after the creation of the Confederacy, the other being Fort Sumter.

Uhmmm...Fort Jefferson / Fort Zachary Taylor

Was Fort Pickens the real prize? | Forts, Fortifications, & Other Forgotten Places

We talk alot about Fort Sumter, but was Fort Pickens the real prize? If the CSA has gained control of Fort Pickens wouldn't they be able to control The Warrington/Pensacola Navy Yards? Isn't that kind of big deal?

civilwartalk.com

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[Stryker65]

Uhmmm...Fort Jefferson / Fort Zachary Taylor

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

In addition to the aforementioned, on February 8, 1861, the day of the Confederacy's creation, the Union also still held...
- Forts Bliss (TX), Brown (TX), Caswell (NC), Chadbourne (TX), Clark (TX), Davis (TX), Duncan (TX), Inge (TX), Johnston (NC), Lancaster (TX), Macon (NC), Mason (TX), McIntosh (TX), Monroe (VA), Quitman (TX), Smith (AR), and Stockton (TX)
- Camps Colorado (TX), Cooper (TX), Hudson (TX), Verde (TX), and Wood (TX)
- Fayetteville Arsenal (NC)
- Ringgold (TX) and San Antonio (TX) Barracks
- New Orleans (LA) Paymaster's Office
- Pine Bluff (AR) subsistence depot

 

[USS ALASKA]

And Fort Wool.

Cheers,
USS ALASKA