Fort Huger: Difference between revisions
m clean up, typo(s) fixed: May 8, 1862 → May 8, 1862, |
|||
| (20 intermediate revisions by 9 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Infobox NRHP |
{{Infobox NRHP |
||
| name = Fort Huger |
|||
| nrhp_type = |
|||
| designated_other1 = Virginia Landmarks Register |
|||
| designated_other1_date = December 5, 2007<ref name=register>{{cite web|title=Virginia Landmarks Register|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/register_counties_cities.htm|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources|accessdate=5 June 2013}}</ref> |
|||
| designated_other1_number = 046-0037 |
|||
| designated_other1_num_position = bottom |
|||
| image = Fort Huger interior.JPG |
|||
| caption = |
|||
| location = Approx. 50 yds from jct. of Old Machlesfield Rd. and Macklesfield Ct., near [[Smithfield, Virginia]] |
|||
| coordinates = {{coord|37|06|35|N|76|39|34|W|display=inline,title}} |
|||
| lat_degrees = 37 |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| lat_minutes = 06 |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| lat_seconds = 35 |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| lat_direction = N |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| long_degrees = 76 |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| long_minutes = 39 |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| long_seconds = 34 |
|||
| long_direction = W |
|||
| coord_display = inline,title |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| governing_body = Local |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
}} |
}} |
||
'''Fort Huger''' is a historic [[archaeological site]] located near [[Smithfield, Virginia|Smithfield]], [[Isle of Wight County, Virginia]]. The site is the location of an abandoned [[American Civil War]] fort on the south side of the James River across from [[Fort Eustis]] |
'''Fort Huger''' is a historic [[archaeological site]] located near [[Smithfield, Virginia|Smithfield]], [[Isle of Wight County, Virginia]]. The site is the location of an abandoned [[American Civil War]] fort on the south side of the James River across from [[Fort Eustis]]/Mulberry Point. It was named for Major General [[Benjamin Huger (general)|Benjamin Huger]], commander of the [[Confederate States Army]]'s Department of Norfolk at the time it was built. Fort Huger was an integral part of the Confederate Army's [[James River]] defenses in late summer 1861 through spring 1862.<ref name=CDSGN1>{{cite magazine |last=Bogart |first=Charles H. |date=Fall 2019 |title=Three Virginia Confederate Forts |magazine=Coast Defense Study Group Newsletter |location=Mclean, Virginia |publisher=CDSG Press}}</ref> |
||
| ⚫ | |||
Fort Huger is a strategic Civil War fort located on a bluff overlooking the James River. |
|||
==History== |
|||
Between June 1861 and May 1862, the Confederate Army cleared and fortified Fort Huger as one in a series of earthworks design to prevent invasion by the Union, whose buildup at the mouth of the James River posed a severe threat to Richmond. Commander of the Virginia forces Robert E. Lee ordered Col. [[Andrew Talcott]], State Engineer of Virginia, to design this fort. Similar defensive works were also in place such as [[Fort Boykin]], Mulberry Island, Jamestown Island and Drewery's Bluff. The forts were part of Confederate Major Gen. John Bankhead Magruder’s defensive line facing Federal forces using Fort Monroe at Old Point Comfort as their base of operations. |
|||
Fort Huger's site on Harden's Bluff (or Hardin's/Hardy's Point)<ref name=AFN1>[https://www.northamericanforts.com/East/vajames.html#huger Fort Huger (2) at American Forts Network]</ref> was selected by Virginia's state engineer Colonel [[Andrew Talcott]] in August 1861 to supplement [[Fort Boykin]], also on the south bank of the James, and the [[Fort Crafford|Mulberry Point battery]] on the north bank. The fort was also designed by him.<ref name=FWiki1>[http://www.fortwiki.com/Fort_Huger_(2) Fort Huger (2) at FortWiki.com]</ref> Construction began immediately under Capt. E.T.D. Myers and Capt. John Clarke. The fort was completed in March 1862 with positions for 15 guns, 13 of which were occupied. A Confederate Engineer Bureau report of March 12, 1862 lists one 10-inch [[columbiad]], four 9-inch [[Dahlgren gun|Dahlgren shell guns]], two 8-inch columbiads (all on [[barbette]] carriages) and six [[Heated shot|hot-shot]] 32-pounders on ship carriages. All of these weapons were [[smoothbore]]s. The fort included a hot-shot furnace and was enclosed at the back by an earthen wall facing a swamp. The garrison was Lt. Col. Fletch Archer's [[5th Virginia Infantry Battalion]].<ref name=CDSGN1/> This included two companies as artillery in the fort and three companies as infantry outside the fort.<ref name=FWiki1/> There was confusion of command at the fort between Archer and CSA Capt. De Lagnel, a former naval officer who commanded the fort's artillery companies. Generals [[John B. Magruder]] and [[Robert E. Lee]] wrote letters to address this confusion, essentially placing Archer in overall command and De Lagnel in charge of the artillery. Correspondence between Lt. Col. Henry Cabell and Brigadier General [[Lafayette McLaws]] indicated other deficiencies at the fort. There was no "clear zone" in the woods behind it that attackers would have to cross under fire, wooden structures in the fort might catch fire under bombardment, and there were no [[Bomb shelter|bomb-proof shelters]]. The lack of proper fortress carriages for the 32-pounders was also a deficiency, and the gun crews were not being drilled in reloading their weapons. In April 1862 Capt. J. M. Maury took command of the fort's artillery.<ref name=FHProj1>[http://www.archcon.org/investigations/fort-huger-project/ Fort Huger Project at Archaeological Consultants of Carolinas, Inc.]</ref> |
|||
On May 8, 1862, Fort Huger was attacked by a Union Navy squadron that also attacked [[Fort Boykin]]. The warships included USS [[USS Galena (1862)|''Galena'']], [[USS Aroostook (1861)|''Aroostook'']], and [[USS Port Royal (1862)|''Port Royal'']] under Commander [[John Rodgers (American Civil War naval officer)|John Rodgers]] as part of the [[Peninsula campaign]], an unsuccessful Union offensive from [[Fort Monroe]] to Richmond.<ref name=FHProj1/> Fort Boykin was soon silenced and abandoned, as its guns lacked the range to reply to the bombardment.<ref name=AFN2>[https://www.northamericanforts.com/East/vajames.html#boykin Fort Boykin at American Forts Network]</ref> The Union ran low on ammunition firing against Fort Huger and withdrew, but returned on the 16th reinforced by the ironclads [[USS Monitor|USS ''Monitor'']] and [[USRC Naugatuck|USRC ''Naugatuck'']]. This bombardment resulted in the Confederates spiking their guns and abandoning Fort Huger. A report by Union Navy Lt. John Waters after examining the fort showed that many of the concerns noted in mid-March were addressed, including clearing the woods behind the fort and building bomb-proofs.<ref name=FHProj1/> |
|||
The fort, sited on Harden’s Bluff, was named Fort Huger for Gen. [[Benjamin Huger]] who commanded the Department of Norfolk. Slaves and free blacks constructed the fort under direction of the Confederate Engineer Bureau, and detachments of Lt. Col. Fletcher Archer’s 5th Virginia Infantry Battalion were posted here. |
|||
==Present== |
|||
Isle of Wight County restored and interpreted this fort and opened it to the public in 2007. |
|||
The site was acquired by Isle of Wight County Parks and Recreation in 2005 and opened to the public as a park in 2007. Archaeological investigations are ongoing.<ref name=FHProj1/> Five replicas of Civil War-era [[cannon]]s are at the fort.<ref name=CDSGN1/><ref name=AFN1/> |
|||
==See also== |
|||
Fort Huger is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Virginia Landmarks Register, Virginia Civil Wars Trail, Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network, Captain John Smith’s Trail: Lower Oyster Loop and Cornell eBird System. |
|||
* [[Seacoast defense in the United States]] |
|||
* [[List of coastal fortifications of the United States]] |
|||
<ref name="vaNRHPnom">{{cite web |url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/IsleofWight/046-0037_Fort_Huger_2007_NR_final.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Fort Huger|author=Ellen M. Bradyand R. Taft Kiser | date=September 2007|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources}} and [http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/IsleofWight/Fort_Huger_photo.htm ''Accompanying two photos'']</ref> |
|||
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Isle of Wight County, Virginia]] |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
==References== |
==References== |
||
{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
||
==External links== |
|||
{{commons category|Fort Huger, Virginia}} |
|||
*[https://www.historicisleofwight.com/fort-huger.html Fork Huger Park - Isle of Wight County Museum] |
|||
*[https://www.co.isle-of-wight.va.us/departments/parks_and_recreation/index.php Isle of Wight County Parks and Recreation website] |
|||
==Further reading== |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
{{National Register of Historic Places in Virginia}} |
{{National Register of Historic Places in Virginia}} |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
[[Category:Forts |
[[Category:Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia|Huger]] |
||
[[Category:Government buildings completed in 1861]] |
|||
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Isle of Wight County, Virginia]] |
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Isle of Wight County, Virginia]] |
||
[[Category:1861 establishments in Virginia]] |
[[Category:1861 establishments in Virginia]] |
||
[[Category: |
[[Category:Parks in Isle of Wight County, Virginia]] |
||
[[Category:American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places]] |
|||
{{IsleofWightCountyVA-NRHP-stub}} |
|||
Latest revision as of 14:21, 29 January 2024
Fort Huger | |
 | |
   | |
| Location | Approx. 50 yds from jct. of Old Machlesfield Rd. and Macklesfield Ct., near Smithfield, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°06′35″N 76°39′34″W / 37.10972°N 76.65944°W |
| Area | 22 acres (8.9 ha) |
| Built | 1861 |
| NRHP reference No. | 08000320[1] |
| VLR No. | 046-0037 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 16, 2008 |
| Designated VLR | December 5, 2007[2] |
Fort Huger is a historic archaeological site located near Smithfield, Isle of Wight County, Virginia. The site is the location of an abandoned American Civil War fort on the south side of the James River across from Fort Eustis/Mulberry Point. It was named for Major General Benjamin Huger, commander of the Confederate States Army's Department of Norfolk at the time it was built. Fort Huger was an integral part of the Confederate Army's James River defenses in late summer 1861 through spring 1862.[3]
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.[1]
History
[edit]Fort Huger's site on Harden's Bluff (or Hardin's/Hardy's Point)[4] was selected by Virginia's state engineer Colonel Andrew Talcott in August 1861 to supplement Fort Boykin, also on the south bank of the James, and the Mulberry Point battery on the north bank. The fort was also designed by him.[5] Construction began immediately under Capt. E.T.D. Myers and Capt. John Clarke. The fort was completed in March 1862 with positions for 15 guns, 13 of which were occupied. A Confederate Engineer Bureau report of March 12, 1862 lists one 10-inch columbiad, four 9-inch Dahlgren shell guns, two 8-inch columbiads (all on barbette carriages) and six hot-shot 32-pounders on ship carriages. All of these weapons were smoothbores. The fort included a hot-shot furnace and was enclosed at the back by an earthen wall facing a swamp. The garrison was Lt. Col. Fletch Archer's 5th Virginia Infantry Battalion.[3] This included two companies as artillery in the fort and three companies as infantry outside the fort.[5] There was confusion of command at the fort between Archer and CSA Capt. De Lagnel, a former naval officer who commanded the fort's artillery companies. Generals John B. Magruder and Robert E. Lee wrote letters to address this confusion, essentially placing Archer in overall command and De Lagnel in charge of the artillery. Correspondence between Lt. Col. Henry Cabell and Brigadier General Lafayette McLaws indicated other deficiencies at the fort. There was no "clear zone" in the woods behind it that attackers would have to cross under fire, wooden structures in the fort might catch fire under bombardment, and there were no bomb-proof shelters. The lack of proper fortress carriages for the 32-pounders was also a deficiency, and the gun crews were not being drilled in reloading their weapons. In April 1862 Capt. J. M. Maury took command of the fort's artillery.[6]
On May 8, 1862, Fort Huger was attacked by a Union Navy squadron that also attacked Fort Boykin. The warships included USS Galena, Aroostook, and Port Royal under Commander John Rodgers as part of the Peninsula campaign, an unsuccessful Union offensive from Fort Monroe to Richmond.[6] Fort Boykin was soon silenced and abandoned, as its guns lacked the range to reply to the bombardment.[7] The Union ran low on ammunition firing against Fort Huger and withdrew, but returned on the 16th reinforced by the ironclads USS Monitor and USRC Naugatuck. This bombardment resulted in the Confederates spiking their guns and abandoning Fort Huger. A report by Union Navy Lt. John Waters after examining the fort showed that many of the concerns noted in mid-March were addressed, including clearing the woods behind the fort and building bomb-proofs.[6]
Present
[edit]The site was acquired by Isle of Wight County Parks and Recreation in 2005 and opened to the public as a park in 2007. Archaeological investigations are ongoing.[6] Five replicas of Civil War-era cannons are at the fort.[3][4]
See also
[edit]- Seacoast defense in the United States
- List of coastal fortifications of the United States
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Isle of Wight County, Virginia
References
[edit]- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ^ a b c Bogart, Charles H. (Fall 2019). "Three Virginia Confederate Forts". Coast Defense Study Group Newsletter. Mclean, Virginia: CDSG Press.
- ^ a b Fort Huger (2) at American Forts Network
- ^ a b Fort Huger (2) at FortWiki.com
- ^ a b c d Fort Huger Project at Archaeological Consultants of Carolinas, Inc.
- ^ Fort Boykin at American Forts Network
External links
[edit]
Further reading
[edit]- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Prepared by Edward K. Rawson, Comdr George P. Colvocoresses and Charles W. Stewart, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1901.
- King, Helen Haverty. Historical Notes on Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Donning and Company, Virginia Beach, Virginia. 1993.
- River of Lost Opportunities: The Civil War on the James River, 1861–1862. Ed Bearss, 1995.
