Fort
Barrancas, FL Ft.
Concho, TX Ft. Clatsop, OR Fort
Greenville, OH
Ft. Hawkins, GA Fort
Jefferson, FL Fort
Jefferson, OH
Ft. Langley, BC
Ft. Martin Scott, TX
Fort Morgan, AL
Fort Moultrie, SC
Ft. Pitt, PA
Ft. Recovery, OH
Fort Sumter, SC
Ft. Wayne, IN
Historic Forts
Fort Morgan,
Baldwin, AL
- October 18, 2012
Fort Morgan was one of the series of Coastal
Fortifications built after the War of 1812 and guard the entrance into
Mobile Bay and was completed in 1833. A previous timber
fortification built on this site in 1814 was called Fort Bowyer at which
two battles were fought between the British and Americans. During
the Civil War Fort Morgan fell into Confederate control in January of
1861 and remained under its control until two weeks after the Battle of
Mobile Bay when the fort surrendered after being bombarded by Union
artillery for two weeks. As with the other series of coastal forts
on the Gulf and East coast it served right up to the end of WWII,
helping to guard the entrance to Mobile Bay from possible foreign
attack. During WWII the threat of German U-boats, which actually
did prowl the Gulf of Mexico and sink many US cargo ships and oil
tankers, Fort Monroe stood on guard to prevent their intrusion into
Mobile Bay. After WWII the intercontinental bomber and missiles
made Fort Morgan obsolete after 112 Years.
Fort Morgan is owned and
operated by the State of Alabama and is at the the west end of the
barrier island Gulf Shores is on. Just head west out of Gulf
Shores for a short 25 minute drive and you will be there. Also one
can take a ferry from the site over to Dauphin Island and visit Fort
Morgan's sister fort, Fort Gaines.
Entry into the fort is through this passage way.
Once through the outer wall one passes through this dry moat. For
a ground force attacking the fort from the land side once over the first
barrier of defense it would then have to cross this open moat.
Looking east at the dry moat.
The entrance to the parade ground and gun emplacements.
Another look at the moat and the wall of the inner fort.
The next series of photos were taken from the foot of the wall facing
the Gulf of Mexico working from east to west.
Looking out to the Gulf of Mexico. The entrance to Mobile Bay is
to the right. The heavy earth works that one finds at this style
off fort was designed to absorb cannon shells fired from attacking ships
while at the same time providing protected space for men, equipment and
ammunition.
Looking north into Mobile Bay over the north wall we see an oil rig just
off shore.
Looking at the former gun emplacements along the west wall.
Looking at the parade ground of Fort Morgan
from up above.
The stairways are very steep inside the
fort.
The Fort Morgan Museum.
Just to the east of the original fort are gun batteries that were added
at later dates for more and larger guns. It was these batteries
that were manned by the US Coastal Artillery up through the end of WWII.
On one hand the Coastal Artillery personnel had it made as they were not
shipped overseas to combat, but they did have to do battle with boredom,
hot and humid weather with no air conditioning in the summer, and
mosquitoes, among other inconveniences. One needs to remember that
the development of the island into a tourist trap is recent.
During WWII there would have been a few residents of the island but most
of it would have been undeveloped with minimal amenities.
Another battery farther east.
Fort
Barrancas, FL Ft.
Concho, TX Ft. Clatsop, OR Fort
Greenville, OH
Ft. Hawkins, GA Fort
Jefferson, FL Fort
Jefferson, OH
Ft. Langley, BC
Ft. Martin Scott, TX
Fort Morgan, AL
Fort Moultrie, SC
Ft. Pitt, PA
Ft. Recovery, OH
Fort Sumter, SC
Ft. Wayne, IN
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