Battery Seymour
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Battery Seymour (1902-1942) - Battery Truman Seymour is a concrete Endicott Period 12" mortar battery located on Fort Casey (1), Washington. Named in G.O. 84, 12 Jun 1903, after Major Truman Seymour, 5th U.S. Artillery, bvt. Major General USA, who rendered distinguished service in Mexican War and the U.S. Civil War, and died 30 Oct 1891 at Florence Italy. The Battery was begun in 1898, completed in 1899 and transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 16 Jun 1902 at a total cost of $46,603.50. Four mortars were removed in 1918 during World War I and the four remaining mortars were removed in 1942 during World War II.
HistoryPart of the Harbor Defense of Puget Sound. Designed to protect both the Straight of Juan De Fuca and the Admiralty Inlet to Puget Sound. Originally built with eight 12" M1890 MI mortars on M1896 MI carriages in a concrete battery with two mortar pits. Each of the mortars was capable of firing a seven hundred pound shell nine miles and proved accurate enough to hit a moving practice target seven miles away in 1913. This battery was a continuation of Battery Schenck and the two batteries were joined by a earthwork topped with common a set of storerooms. In May 1918 two mortars were removed from each pit leaving two mortars remaining in each pit. The mortars were removed because it proved difficult to load and fire four large mortars simultaneously and there was a requirement for mortars in the World War I European theater. Even with the removal of two mortars from each pit the rate of fire did not significantly drop. The mortars were prepared for shipment and transported on U.S. Barge #5 towed by the U.S. Steamer Wilson to Seattle with the intent of shipping them to the war zone in Europe. This shipment arrived in Seattle on 30 May 1918 with sixteen 12" mortars, two mortars from each mortar pit of the following batteries:
The four remaining Battery Seymour mortars were removed in 1942, during World War II.
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Current StatusPart of the Fort Casey (1) Washington State Park. The Battery is accessible to the public and the rooms are clean and dry but empty. No guns or carriages are in place.
Sources: Links: Fortification ID:
Visited: 18 Jul 2008 Picture Gallery
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