Savannah's Fort Jackson

From the Sept. 18, 2011, Savannah Morning News "A Walk Through Savannah's Civil War: Fort Jackson" by Richard Burkhart.

In January 1861, after Georgia seceded, state troops took control of the 1808 Fort James Jackson, located a few miles below the city and on one of the deepest points along the Savannah River.

It was in bad shape.  The Irish Volunteers were among the first to occupy it.  From July to August, they prepared the fort "to train troops and prepare for an invasion."

In November of 1861, Robert E. Lee was assigned command of South Carolina, Georgia and East Florida.  He made his headquarters at Coosawhatchie, SC, but he later moved to Savannah.  He had been stationed there after graduating from West Point.

One of his first directives was to build a series of batteries to support Fort Jackson.  After the fall of Fort Pulaski in April 1862, Fort Jackson became the key to Savannah's defense and the headquarters of Confederate river defenses.

On October 1862, the commander of the Department of South Carolina and Georgia, General P.G.T. Beauregard called the fort "a very weak work."  Even so, the fort was held until Union General Sherman's army arrived in December 1864.

The 29th Ohio and 28th Pennsylvania entered the fort and raised the national colors.  The last wartime occupants of Fort Jackson was the 55th Massachusetts, a black regiment.

The Story of a Fort.  --Old B-R'er