New Orleans' Fort St. Philip-- Part 1

From May 11, 2011, Fox 8, New Orleans.

It was 150 years ago this month that Flag Officer, later admiral, David Farragut's fleet ran past this fort and Fort Jackson on the other side of the Mississippi River to capture the Confederacy's largest city, New Orleans.

Today, you can hardly even see the walls of the old fort through the thick underbrush and trees. There is no road you can drive to get to it, the only access is by boat.

Former TV reporter and amateur historian Richard Angelveo studies Fort St. Philip on both the ground and in historical records.

It's location was key as the Mississippi River makes a bend by it, causing sailing ships to tack onto the wind against the current and come under the fort's guns.

Back during the war, the fort mounted 20 guns facing the river and another 12 guarding the land approach. There were two extended batteries on either side of the fort with 22 more heavy guns and 24 12-pounders.

The History of a Fort. --Old B-R'er