Fort Pulaski

On Friday I hit Savannah early enough to go out to Fort Pulaski, on the coast. The fort is named after Casimir Pulaski, a Polish nobleman who fought in the Revolutionary War, where he fell during the unsuccessful Siege of Savannah. Pulaski is called the father of American cavalry, and is one of seven people to have obtained honorary American citizenship. The only other Revolutionary War hero to achieve this great honor, is the Marquis de Lafayette.

The fort itself was considered a stronghold of the South, and believed to be untouchable by artillery, as the nearest place one could establish a battery lay outside the range of the cannons of the day. However, the Union troops had built several rifled cannons, with a much longer range and so was able to take the fort in just over 30 hours. The fort today is quite a handsome structure, with nature walks and pretty surroundings.

All Fort Pulaski pics here.

The fort today. Quite a handsome structure.


Nice surroundings.




From the interior.


The lighthouse, which can be seen and reached from the fort.


The guard room.


The grooves and wheels made the cannons more flexible.




Powder kegs. The union artillery was getting close to blowing up the Confederate ammo, so they had to surrender the fort.


Almost 600 Confederates were imprisoned in one of the corners of the fort. Some died of malnutrition and disease.