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|width="50%"|[[Image:FortMonroe.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Fort Monroe in Harpers Weekly during the U.S. Civil War]]  
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Revision as of 16:08, 11 August 2010

Fort Monroe (1819-Active) - Designed as the first Third System Fort by Brig. Gen. Simon Bernard and officially named for President James Monroe in 1832. Construction on Fort Monroe began in 1819 and was completed in 1834. First known as Fortress Monroe. Active Army installation.

Fort Monroe in Harpers Weekly during the U.S. Civil War
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Fort Monroe Outer Wall, Bastion and Moat
Fort Monroe Outer Wall, Bastion and Moat

History of Fort Monroe

Part of the Harbor Defense of Chesapeake Bay.

The first fortification built on this site was Fort Algernourne built in 1609 by Captain John Smiths settlers. Other fortifications were built here during the colonial period but did not last. After the war of 1812 it was decided that a system of coastal defenses were needed and Fort Monroe was the first of those to be built.

Fort Monroe was built as a seven front, brick and masonry, fort with 10' thick walls and a surrounding 8' deep wet moat. It was first designed for 380 guns, later expanded to a 412 gun capacity, but was never fully armed. The fort was planned for a peacetime garrison of 600 men and a wartime garrison of 2,625 men. The post expanded to cover most of the land at old point comfort and much of the existing post lies outside the walls of the old stone fortress.

Fort Monroe was first garrisoned 25 Jul 1823 by Company G, 3rd U.S. Artillery and by 1825 the garrison was the largest in the United States. In 1824 it became the first U.S. Army "Artillery School of Practice".

U.S. Civil War

During the U.S. Civil War Fort Monroe was one of the few forts in the south that remained in Union hands for the duration. It proved to be a major factor in the war by limiting the significance of the naval yard at Norfolk and by serving as a staging point for attacks on Richmond.

Endicott Period

The Endicott Period saw the addition of 15 detached rifled gun and mortar batteries ranging from 3" guns to 12" guns and mortars. These batteries were stretched along the shore of the Chesapeake Bay side of Old Point Comfort.

Fort Monroe Endicott Period Battery (edit list)
Battery
Click on Battery links below
No. Caliber Type Mount Service Years Battery Cost Notes
Battery Anderson 8 12" Mortar 1896-1898-1898-1943 $ 48,670 4 mortars removed 1917-1918
Battery Ruggles 8 12" Mortar 1896-1898-1898-1943 $ 48,670 4 mortars removed 1917-1918
Battery De Russy 3 12" Disappearing 1898-1903-1904-1944 $ 142,348
Battery Parrott (1) 2 12" Disappearing 1902-1906-1906-1943 $ 211,500 Used for Battery AMTB 23 - Parrott
1943-1946
Battery Humphreys (3) 1 10" Disappearing 1897-1910 $ 59,965 Destroyed
Battery Eustis 2 10" Disappearing 1898-1900-1901-1942 $ 80.767 Destroyed
Battery Church 2 10" Disappearing 1897-1900-1901-1942 $ 90,473
Battery Bomford 2 10" Disappearing 1891-1897-1897-1942 $ 175,348 Destroyed
Northeast Bastion Battery 1 10" Disappearing 1900-1908 $ ?
Battery Barber 1 8" Barbette 1898-1915 $ 1,663 Destroyed
Battery Parapet 4 8" Barbette 1898-1915 $ 1,611 Mostly buried
Battery Montgomery (2) 2 6" Pedestal 1901-1903-1904-1948 $ 24,000 Guns removed 1917
Guns replaced 1919
Guns removed 1941
Destroyed
Battery Gatewood 4 4.7" Armstrong 1898-1914 $ 2,956 Mostly buried
Battery Irwin 4 3" Masking Parapet 1900-1903-1903-1920 $ 12,500 2, 3" Guns from Fort Wool (1)
Battery Hindman in 1946
Source: CDSG
Fort Monroe Plan


World War I

World War II

Fort Monroe World War II Battery (edit list)
Battery
Click on Battery links below
No. Caliber Type Mount Service Years Battery Cost Notes
Battery AMTB 23 - Parrott 2 90 mm Fixed Pedestal 1943-1943-1943-1946 $ 17,289 Built on Battery Parrott
Battery 124 2 16" Long Range Barbette Carriage
Navy Gun (1940 Program)
Not Built $ ?
Source: CDSG

Current

Active Army installation.

{"selectable":false,"width":"500"}

Location: Old Point Comfort, Hampton, Virginia.

Maps & Images

Lat: 37.004129 Long: -76.307237

Sources:

Links:

Visited: 22 Jul 2010

Picture Gallery

Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better!