Fort Monroe

Fort Monroe,VA

1819 - Present

Ft. Monroe Band

Fort Monroe

Still an active military base Fort Monroe, located on Old Point Comfort, houses the prison cell of Jefferson Davis who was confined there between May 22 and October 2, 1865 as a suspect in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. After taking sick Davis, was moved to Carroll Hall located elsewhere on the base where he was held until his release in May 1867.

The question with Fort Monroe is where to put it. Is it classified as part of Anaconda, the blockade of the South, or is it part of the Peninsila and the War in the East? Well, it's both, so I put it in both on the Homepage. When the Fort is blocking the mouth of the James River to Confederate access it's part of Anaconda, when it's sheltering the Army of the Potomac for the Peninsila Campaign or sending out forces to fight at Big Bethel it's part of the War in the East.

A display model of the old fort showing the location of the Jefferson Davis Casement. The Fort is still in use with current active duty officers housed inside and enlisted personel outside the moat walls. The moat is still full of water and the one way gates into the citadel make driving a bit of a pain.

In the case of Fort Monroe 4. is full of water.

Fort Monroe was one of the few forts in the South not to fall to Confederates at the start of the war. Because the fort was to strong to be attacked it served as the base of operations for the Union Army in the Norfolk area, allowing Union troops to be brought in to Virginia in large numbers without risk of attack by Confederate forces. When the fort became overcrowded in 1861 Camp Hamilton was established on the mainland under the protection of the big guns in what is now the town of Phoebus.

This redoubt was built to protect the fort from a land based attack. I'm guessing that the polished stone at the base was to make it harder to climb. The grass is what we call owie grass because it's very prickley. I also noticed catus growing along the base. If it wasn't planted on purpose, it is a good idea, anyway.

Same redoubt from the top, note the fire step. Also, from the top of the interwall the width of the redoubt would force an attacker to rise up and expose himself to fire.

Fort Monroe guards the entrance to Hampton Roads where the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac took place. In this blocking position, Fort Monroe played a key roll in the Union Blockade of the Confederacy, placing enormous economic pressure on the government in Richmond. Because of it size, construction and big guns the Confederates never tried to attack the Fort. The big guns were fired during the battle between the ironsides, but that was about it.

The moat is quite wide and note the fire ports at the end of the straightaway.

Union General George McClellan sailed his army south to Fort Monroe in 1862 to start his ill fated Peninsula Campaign. The fort was a secure place to land and get organized without having to worry about Confederate interference. Because the Fort is on an island it quickly became over crowded so Camp Hamilton was established to take the overflow.

To enter the old fort you have to cross one of the narrow one lane bridges. Vehicle and foot traffic is controlled by the traffic lights at the right end of the bridge.

This lighthouse is still working.

Down through the years many different artillery pieces have been setup on the walls.

The view from the wall.

Interestingly, Lt. Robert E. Lee was barracked across the street from the Jefferson casement early in his military career.

Lee served as a Lieutenant in the Engineers and in that capacity was responsible for much of the construction of the fort; highly ironic, considering the forts later role for the Union in the Civil War.

Here you can see some of the techniques used in building the fort. It's interesting to see how they interfaced between the dressed stone and the brick.

Jefferson Davis Casement

May 22-October 2, 1865

Fort Monroe is the home of the Jefferson Davis Casement where Jefferson Davis was confined while being held as a suspect in Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Lincoln had been the president of the Union during the Civil War and had been shot. Davis was arrested while the U.S. government investigated Lincoln's murder. Davis was a guest of the government for a period of two years after the Civil War until being exonerated completely and turned loose.