Fort Pickens
Army post, Santa Rosa Island (Pensacola), Florida.
- Side
- Union
- Kind
- Army post
- Where
- Santa Rosa Island (Pensacola), Florida
- Years
- 1861-1865
- Today
- Park
FORT PICKENS
On January 10, 1861, the day Florida seceded, Lt. Adam Slemmer moved 51 soldiers and 30 sailors to Fort Pickens at the mouth of Pensacola Bay. It was one of the few forts in the South that stayed in Union hands for the whole war.
Then
On January 10, 1861, the day Florida seceded, Lt. Adam Slemmer destroyed more than 20,000 pounds of gunpowder at Fort McRee, spiked the guns at Fort Barrancas and moved 51 soldiers and 30 sailors to Fort Pickens at the mouth of Pensacola Bay. Reinforced by troops landed from Navy ships on April 12, 1861, it was one of the few forts in the South that stayed in Union hands for the whole war.
It repelled a Confederate attack on Santa Rosa Island on October 9, 1861. The last Confederates at Pensacola surrendered to Fort Pickens on May 10, 1862, and Fort Barrancas reverted to Union control.
Now
Park
Fort Pickens is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, run by the National Park Service.
The nearest railroad in service today is a line owned by a smaller railroad, about 6 miles away.
Nearby
- 2 miPensacola Navy Yard (Union, 1862-1865)Union · Naval works, Pensacola (Warrington), Florida
- 2 miConfederates wreck the Pensacola Navy Yard and withdraw1862, Warrington Navy Yard, Pensacola, Florida
- 27 miBon Secour salt worksConfederate · Salt works, Bon Secour, Alabama
- 46 miFarragut closes Mobile Bay to blockade runnersAugust 5, 1864, Mobile Bay, Alabama
- 54 miMobile, the last major Confederate port, is capturedApril 12, 1865, Mobile, Alabama
- 54 miPort of MobileConfederate · Port, Mobile, Alabama