Fort
Massachusetts In January 1861 Mississippi seceded from the Union, becoming the second state of the Confederacy. One of the first acts of war in the state occurred on Ship Island when an armed band of Mississippi militia took possession of the island and the unfinished fort. The militia soon abandoned the island where it remained deserted until early June when Confederate troops returned and mounted several cannons. On July 9, the Union ship Massachusetts came within range of the Confederate guns. The 20-minute exchange of cannon fire that followed resulted in few injuries and little damage to either side. That action was the only military engagement in which Ship Island or the fort would ever be directly involved. During the remainder of the summer of 1861, the Confederate forces on the island worked with sandbags and timber to strengthen the walls of the unfinished fort. Despite their work the Confederates abandoned the island in mid-September. Union forces soon occupied the island. Ship Island was used as the staging area for the Union Forces' successful capture of New Orleans in the spring of 1862. As many as 18,000 United States troops were stationed on Ship Island. The island's harsh environment took its toll on many of the men. More than 230 Union troops eventually died and were buried on Ship Island during the Civil War. The bodies of many of these men were later reburied at Chalmette National Cemetery near New Orleans. Throughout the remainder of the war UnionForces made good use of Ship Island. Union ships stopped at the island for repairs and to pick up supplies. One of the first black regiments in the United States Army was recruited in Louisiana and stationed on Ship Island for almost 3 years. A hospital, barracks, mess hall, and bakery were just a few of nearly 40 buildings constructed on the island during the war. In addition, the Army Corps of Engineers resumed construction of the fort in 1862. It was during the Civil War the fort was first called "Massachusetts" probably in honor of the Union ship by the same name. However, the fort was never officially named, and was referred to simply as the "Fort on Ship Island" in most official records. The Corps of Engineers continued work on the fort until the fall of 1866. It was then turned over to a civilian fort keeper C. H. "Pop" Stone whose duty it was to maintain the fort in a state of readiness. After cannons were mounted, an ordinance-sergeant was assigned to care for the fort's armament. He eventually assumed all responsibility for the upkeep of the fort. The last ordinance-sergeant was relieved of duty in 1903, and the Ship Island lighthouse keeper became the fort's caretaker. |
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Last Updated:
1/6/03
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