Forts of Mobile Bay, Alabama - Fort Conde

The next few posts will look closer at Mobile Bay's fascinating collection of historic forts. These range from a reconstruction of the early French post Fort Conde to concrete batteries in use as late as World War II.

Although there were earlier French forts at Dauphin Island and up the Mobile River from the site of the present-city of Mobile, it was Fort Conde that would protect the important colonial city for nearly 100 years.

Begun in 1723 to replace earlier structures of earth and wood, Fort Conde was named for a French prince and was a massive brick and stone structure with projecting bastions on all four corners. Perhaps the strongest fort of its era on the Gulf Coast, it dominated the early Mobile waterfront.

Surrendered peacefully to the British at the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, the post was renamed Fort Charlotte and was an important British post during the American Revolution. Allied forces laid siege to the fort in 1780 and captured it in one of two critical American Revolution battles fought in Alabama.

Held by the Spanish until 1813, when it was seized by U.S. troops under General James Wilkinson.

The fort's history came to an end in 1820 when Congress approved its demolition. The current reconstruction represents about one-third of the original fort, but includes ramparts, barracks, cannon and a visitor center for the city of Mobile. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortconde.

Battle of Fort Charlotte - American Revolution in Alabama

When the American Revolution comes to mind, most people think of the Eastern seaboard. The war raged from Georgia north to Maine.

It may be surprising, then, to learn that a Revolutionary War battle took place in the heart of what is now downtown Mobile, Alabama. Remembered today as the Battle of Fort Charlotte, the engagement was an important part of General Bernardo de Galvez' Gulf Coast campaign.

When Spain established a formal alliance with the Continental Congress, General Galvez was sent to drive British forces from the lower Mississippi River, Gulf Coast and West Florida. By 1780 he had successfully cleared the lower Mississippi of British troops and now turned his attention to Mobile Bay.

Fort Charlotte at Mobile (formerly called Fort Conde by the French) had been in British hands since the end of the French and Indian War in 1763. Located on the waterfront of the old French city, the fort was forty years old at the time British troops moved in and another 17 years had passed since then.

General Galvez targeted Fort Charlotte as a preliminary move prior to a planned attack on the British West Florida capital in Pensacola. He arrived off Mobile Bay with a fleet and hundreds of soldiers in February of 1780. The weather was bad and the general's ships had been damaged and supplies lost and he was on the verge of calling off the attack when reinforcements and additional ships arrived.

Galvez now moved up the bay and laid siege to Fort Charlotte, digging entrenchments and planting batteries of artillery. British Captain Elias Durnford turned down a request to surrender and the Spanish forces opened fire on March 10, 1780.

In anticipation of the battle, Durnford torched the city of Mobile to prevent its houses and shops from being used as cover by the attacking army. It was a wasted gesture that caused enormous suffering for the inhabitants of the city. British reinforcements did not reach Fort Charlotte time and the outnumbered captain was forced to surrender. The white flag was raised on March 12, 1780 and the surrender completed the next day.

The site of the Battle of Fort Charlotte is now partially preserved on South Royal Street in Mobile where about one third of Fort Conde (later Fort Charlotte) has been reconstructed. A British cannon can be seen adjacent to the fort in the front yard of the Conde-Charlotte House.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortcharlotte.

Fort Conde - French Fort in Mobile, Alabama

Over the last couple of days we've been looking at some of the significant historic sites around Alabama's Mobile Bay. While major Civil War sites like Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan easily attract the attention of history enthusiasts, it is easy to overlook another significant old fort.

The walls and cannon of Fort Conde now stand guard over the official Welcome Center of the City of Mobile. Located at 150 South Royal Street in the heart of the coastal city's downtown district, the fort is rich in colonial history.

Fort Conde, named after the Prince of Conde, was built by the French in 1723 to protect the growing settlement of Mobile. Then part of French Louisiana, the city was emerging as an important strategic and commercial center.

The original defenses covered roughly 11 acres in the heart of Mobile. Constructed of brick with a stone foundation and surrounded by additional earthwork defenses, the fort was one of the most powerful fortifications on the entire Gulf Coast.

Surrendered peacefully to the British in 1763 due to negotiations that ended the French and Indian War, the fort was renamed Fort Charlotte and garrisoned by British troops during the American Revolution. The Battle of Fort Charlotte, fought here in 1780, was one of Alabama's two significant Revolutionary War battles and resulted in the capture of the fort by Spanish forces. Spain was allied with the United States in the conflict and American volunteers took part in the battle.

Spain held the fort, now called Fort Carlotta, until 1813 when it was seized by U.S. troops under General James Winchester. The fort was abandoned and dismantled just seven years later. One third of the original structure has been restored on an 80% scale and gives visitors a chance to learn more about Mobile's early history as a European settlement in the edge of the Alabama wilderness.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortconde.