Fort Pulaski National Monument - Georgia

About 15 miles east of Savannah driving towards Tybee Island lies Fort Pulaski National Monument, which was a brick and stone fortress named for Revolutionary War hero, Casimir Pulaski. It was completed in 1848. The then governor of Georgia, Joseph Brown (in a display of states rights) actually had federal troops removed from Fort Pulaski prior to the start of the Civil War, which the Confederates then occupied. Confederate volunteers had earlier burned the wooden steps and the landings to the Tybee Island Lighthouse in an attempt to keep it from being used by Union troops. The Union soldiers, nonetheless, repaired the structure and kept watch on Fort Pulaski. The area around Savannah includes two other forts (Fort Jackson and Fort McAllister) which were used to protect the city from all angles of attack. Fort Jackson is the oldest remaining fort in Georgia. Fort McAllister, located south of Savannah, is the best preserved example of Confederate earthen fortifications.

The building of the fort was an architectural feat of the times for masonry fortifications.

The fort took over 18 years to build, partially due to being built in the middle of a marsh on Cockspur Island. One of the engineers was none other than a West Point graduate, Robert E. Lee.


In April of 1862, Union troops commenced to shooting at the fort from Tybee Island using new long-range rifle cannons and penetrated the thick fort walls within 30 hours, causing the Confederates to surrender. This photograph shows the southeast section where the fort was breached by cannon fire near the location of the gunpowder magazine supply. It took over 1,000 Union soldiers to repair the damages made to the fort, as it was used for the remainder of the Civil War. Be sure to allow for a couple of hours to walk through the fort and explore all the areas.

Continue on to read about Savannah and Tybee Island.

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