Memorial Day in the South, 2013

Monument to First Memorial Day
Columbus, Georgia

Memorial Day has its roots in the South, where in the year or so after the close of the War Between the States, widows and wives and mothers and daughters went to cemeteries to place flowers on and care for the graves of their loved ones who had given their lives in the cause of the Confederacy.

It is still a special and moving holiday in the South today and this year there are many noteworthy events associated with it.  Here is a sampling:

Vicksburg National Military Park - Memorial Day 2013 falls during the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Siege and Battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Events set for tomorrow include a Memorial Day Parade through downtown Vicksburg at 10 a.m., Memorial Day Program at 11 a.m. at the Vicksburg Civic Center and a Wreath laying at 12 noon at Vicksburg National Cemetery.

Chattanooga National Cemetery - A Decoration Day Torchlight Tour will be held at Chattanooga National Cemetery tomorrow night at 8:45 p.m.  The tour is free but be sure to bring water, a flashlight and to wear comfortable clothing and shoes. The cemetery is located at 1200 Bailey Avenue in Chattanooga.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park - There will be firing demonstrations by reenactors at the Visitor Center tomorrow at 11 a.m., 12 noon, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.  Kennesaw Mountain High School's Color Guard will perform at 1 p.m. and a moment of silence will be observed at 3 p.m.

Andersonville National Historic Site  - The Avenue of Flags will be on display at Andersonville National Cemetery and visitors can reflect at the Naitonal P.O.W. Museum.

Shiloh National Military Park - Ceremonies will be held tomorrow at the Confederate Mass Graves (near Tour Stop #13) at 11 a.m., followed by ceremonies at Shiloh National Cemetery at 11:30 a.m.

Pea Ridge National Military Park - Closed due to budget cuts, which I find to be a particularly sad way to observe Memorial Day.  Perhaps closing on a different day this week would have been more appropriate?

Cowpens National Battlefield - Memorial Day services will take place at the Visitor Center at 11:55 a.m.

Fort Pickens - Living history encampment all day, ranger led tours of the fort at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and a moment of silence at 3 p.m.

There will be many other events coordinated on a local, state and national level tomorrow.  If you can attend one, please do.  If you are unable to attend in person, I hope you will join me in observing a moment of silence at 3 p.m.

Fort Pickens - Santa Rosa Island, Florida

Fort Pickens

Battered over the years by hurricane, war and even a massive accidental explosion, the old brick walls of Fort Pickens continue to defy man and the elements at the western end of Florida's beautiful Santa Rosa Island.

Surrounded by the most beautiful beaches in the world, the brick walls of the historic fort stand in stark contrast to the gleaming white sands that attract millions of visitors to Northwest Florida each year. It is a little known fact that Fort Pickens was almost the spot where the Civil War began 150 years ago.

Aware that state troops from Alabama and Florida were gathering to seize the fortifications at Pensacola Bay, Lieutenant Adam J. Slemmer of the U.S. Army moved his tiny garrison across the bay from Fort Barrancas on the mainland to Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island in January of 1861. With fewer than 100 men, he held the fort and refused three demands that he surrender from Colonel William H. Chase, who commanded the growing force of Southern troops arrayed against the fort.

Fort Pickens

Built in 1829-1834, the huge five-sided fort was designed to sweep the entrance to Pensacola Bay with the fire of hundreds of cannon. With Fort McRee across the channel and Fort Barrancas on the mainland, it presented a formidable defense against any attack by a foreign navy. In Union hands, however, the fort also bottled up the entrance to Pensacola Bay preventing Southern forces from making use of the harbor there and the outstanding navy yard captured from Federal forces.

With more than 1,000 men at his disposal, Colonel Chase was moving in the direction of storming the fort and taking it from its small garrison when, unexpectedly, President James Buchanan agreed to the so-called "Fort Pickens Truce" on January 29, 1861. The truce provided that Federal forces would not try to reinforce the fort so long as Southern troops did not move against it. The agreement halted militia forces in their tracks and prevented the looming battle at Fort Pickens from taking place. Bloodshed was averted, but Fort Pickens would remain in Union hands throughout the war and Pensacola as a port was of no use to the Confederacy.

To learn more about Fort Pickens, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortpickens1.

Road Access restored to historic Fort Pickens, Florida

After years of work by the National Park Service, historic Fort Pickens at Pensacola, Florida, can once again be reached by car.

Hurricane Ivan destroyed the only road leading down the 7 mile stretch of Santa Rosa Island to the fort and it has taken years for park service employees to work their way through a tangle of regulatory and funding issues to repair the road. It finally reopened to vehicular traffic at the end of May and can once again be used to access the historic fort.

Built during the 1830s, Fort Pickens played a vital role during the Civil War. One of three Southern forts held by Union troops throughout the war (the others were Fort Tayler and Fort Jefferson, both also in Florida), the troops in the fort participated in major artillery battles with Confederate forces on the mainland in November of 1861 and January of 1862. The outer camps of Fort Pickens were also a target of Confederate troops during the Battle of Santa Rosa Island in October of 1861.

Now part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, Fort Pickens is open to the public daily from 8 a.m. until sunset. In addition to the historic fort, the Fort Pickens section of the national park includes concrete fortifications dating from 1898-1945, 7 miles of pristine white sand beaches, a historic cemetery, the site of the Battle of Santa Rosa Island, picnic areas, trails, campgrounds and more. The entrance fee is $8, which is good for a full week.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortpickens1.

Fort Pickens - Pensacola, Florida

Construction is now underway on the road repairs that will soon reopen the Fort Pickens area of Gulf Islands National Seashore to cars once again. The road was heavily damaged during Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis in 2004-2005 and has been closed ever since.

As the road reopens later this spring, it will once again allow visitors easy access to one of the most historic sites on the Gulf Coast. Built between 1829 and 1834, Fort Pickens was the largest of four major U.S. forts built to protect Pensacola Bay from foreign attack.

The fort played a major role in the Civil War. A standoff over possession of the fort was temporarily resolved in 1861 by the Fort Pickens Truce, an agreement that prevented the first battle of the war from being fought at Pensacola. Union forces violated the truce after Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter, South Carolina, however, and by the end of 1861 fighting had broken out at Pensacola Bay.

A major attack was launched against the outer camps and batteries of Fort Pickens in October of 1861 and heavy bombardments followed in November and again in January of 1862.

Fort Pickens remained an important U.S. Army post in the years after the Civil War. The famed Apache leader Geronimo was imprisoned there during the late 1800s along with other members of his tribe.

To learn more about Fort Pickens, please visit our new Fort Pickens page at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortpickens.

The Site of Fort McRee - Pensacola, Florida

The sandy point visible in the distance on the right side of this photograph was an important site during the Civil War on Pensacola Bay. This was the location of Fort McRee, the "lost fort" of Pensacola.

A brick fortification constructed between the years 1834 and 1839, Fort McRee was located directly across the entrance to Pensacola Bay from Fort Pickens. Combined, the two forts were designed to sweep the entrance of the bay with artillery fire should enemy ships attempt to force their way into the harbor.

The fort was severely damaged during the November 1861 Battle of Pensacola Bay and eventually was destroyed by the elements.

To learn more about Fort McRee, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com and look for the new heading for Pensacola, Florida.

Pensacola Lighthouse - Pensacola, Florida

One of my favorite old Southern lighthouses is the Pensacola Light, seen here. Built in 1858 and first lit in 1859, the lighthouse towers 160 feet above the Florida Gulf Coast and is still in use today.

The Pensacola Lighthouse was a major landmark during the Civil War. Confederate troops darkened the light to stop the Union navy from using it to assist in navigation off the entrance to Pensacola Bay. A large artillery battery was also constructed near the base of the light. During the major bombardments in November of 1861 and January of 1862, Union artillerymen at Fort Pickens targeted the lighthouse and "Lighthouse Battery." Although struck at least 6 times by cannon shot, the tower was not significantly damaged.

To read more about the Pensacola Lighthouse and see more photographs, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com and look for the Pensacola heading.

Historic Pensacola, Florida

The first part of our new section on the historic city of Pensacola, Florida, is now online at www.exploresouthernhistory.com.

The site of a settlement founded by the Spanish in 1559, Pensacola is one of the oldest cities on the Gulf Coast. Noted for its beautiful beaches and sparkling waters, the city is home to an impressive array of historic sites, structures and more. With landmarks including colonial homes, a Revolutionary War battlefield and important Civil War sites such as Forts Pickens, Barrancas and Advanced Redoubt, Pensacola is a major destination for heritage tourism.

To learn more and visit phase one of our Pensacola section, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com and look for the "Pensacola" heading.