Fort Pulaski, a Third System brick fortification on Cockspur Island guarding the sea approach to Savannah, was built between 1829 and 1847—its early construction supervised in part by a young Second Lieutenant Robert E. Lee—and named for Revolutionary War hero Casimir Pulaski. On April 10–11, 1862, Union forces positioned on nearby Tybee Island used newly developed rifled cannon to breach the fort's walls in about thirty hours, forcing its surrender and demonstrating that masonry forts were obsolete against rifled artillery. Later used as a military prison and a place where enslaved people were freed under General Orders No. 7, the fort was proclaimed a national monument in 1924 and is administered by the National Park Service.
About this site
Fort Pulaski is a battlefield in Chatham County, Georgia. It is one of 480 historic sites cataloged in Chatham County on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 32.0363, -80.8979. The nearest cataloged historic site is John Wesley Landing Site (historical marker), about 0.6 miles away. Others within a short drive include John Wesley, Cockspur Island Lighthouse, and History of Emancipation:.
This record is drawn from the National Park Service. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
Fort Pulaski, a Third System brick fortification on Cockspur Island guarding the sea approach to Savannah, was built between 1829 and 1847—its early construction supervised in part by a young Second Lieutenant Robert E. Lee—and named for Revolutionary War hero Casimir Pulaski. On April 10–11, 1862, Union forces positioned on nearby Tybee Island used newly developed rifled cannon to breach the fort's walls in about thirty hours, forcing its surrender and demonstrating that masonry forts were obsolete against rifled artillery. Later used as a military prison and a place where enslaved people were freed under General Orders No. 7, the fort was proclaimed a national monument in 1924 and is administered by the National Park Service.
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