Continued from September 16.
During the Mexican War, Fort Adams was commanded by Benjamin Kendrick, brother of President Franklin Pierce. From 1843 to 1853, it was commanded by Col. Willaim Gala, a War of 1812 veteran.
The garrison was ordered to California and many lost their lives when their ship, the SS San Francisco was wrecked in the North Atlantic December 24, 1853.
During the Civil War, the U.S. Naval Academy was moved to Newport and first located at Fort Adams (along with the USS Constitution),. but later moved to the Atlantic House Hotel (which I have already written about).
Among the future naval officers at Fort Adams was Robley D. Evans. He was wounded at Fort Fisher and commanded the battleship USS Iowa in the Spanish-American War. Later, he commanded the famous Great White Fleet on the first leg of its world voyage.
--Old B-R'er
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