PENSACOLA, Fla., (Sept. 13, 2023) – Fort Pickens defended Pensacola Bay for over 100 years, serving through a radical development in military technology that saw smooth-bore cannons swiftly give way to aerial bombardments and missiles.
Fort Pickens began its martial life as part of the Third System of seacoast fortifications. This military construction boom resulted from the United States’ disastrous showing in the War of 1812. British forces landed at will, the undefended coastlines beckoning them towards such juicy targets as Washington, D.C.
These new forts were the latest in military design—sturdy masonry structures reinforced by arched construction and earthworks—and strategically situated to protect vital national interests. Many, like Fort Pickens, were built in a pentagonal shape with a dry moat protecting at least some of the approaches. These new, modern forts provided reliable protection against the kind smooth-bore cannons used on land and at sea since at least the 16th century, if not earlier.
Completed in 1834, Fort Pickens was one of three forts built to ensure Pensacola Bay stayed out of enemy hands. Fort Pickens was built on Santa Rosa Island, Fort McCree on Perdido Key, and Fort Barrancas was located next to the Navy Yard on the mainland. Together, the three forts created overlapping circles of fire that could seal off Pensacola Bay from enemy shipping.
Largely abandoned after the Mexican War, Pickens became prime real estate in 1861 for Union Army Lt. Adam J. Slemmer. Slemmer relocated his garrison from the now-exposed Fort Barrancas (the Confederates could easily have captured the small garrison under Slemmer’s command) to Fort Pickens following Florida’s secession from the Union on January 10, 1861. Slemmer spiked the guns of Barrancas and destroyed 20,000 lbs. of gunpowder before transferring his 81 soldiers and sailors to the more isolated—and defensible—Fort Pickens.
Confederate forces tried to capture Fort Pickens during the Battle of Santa Rosa Island in October of 1861. Forced to attack along the thin spit of land that is Santa Rosa Island, the rebels were unable to overcome Pickens’ defenses, resulting in Fort Pickens being one of only four United States coastal fortifications never captured by the Confederates.
Fort Pickens’ continued to be a major player in Army operations following the Civil War. Most tragically, the fort was used to imprison numerous Native American prisoners of war during the late 19th-century Indian Wars. The great Apache chief, Geronimo, spent over eight months confined in Fort Pickens.
The turn of the 20th century marked the death knell for masonry and earthen forts. Rifled cannons could fire armor-piercing and incendiary shells capable of penetrating and leveling the brick-lined walls. The new heavy naval artillery of the day enabled ships to launch vicious bombardments from so far away the fort couldn’t even see them over the horizon. Clearly, the United States needed to update its defense plans.
Secretary of War William C. Endicott developed the “Endicott System” of fortifications to provide the United States that military edge at the end of the 19th century. Rather than massing numerous weapons inside a single fort, Endicott directed new, modern batteries to be constructed in and around sites like Fort Pickens in a spread-out fashion. This used land the army already owned, used the old forts themselves as pre-built foundations for some of the new weapons, and saw the rest of these Endicott batteries scattered in the landscape around the forts to prevent a single shot from taking out all the batteries.
Dispersing the artillery around the fort and its grounds, instead of concentrating the guns all inside the fort walls, elevated the challenge an enemy would face during an assault. Enemy forces would have to contend with fire from scattered locations that could concentrate on them, while they scrambled to locate and disable all the guns.
Endicott’s system resulted in Pickens’ revival. The grounds around the old masonry fort were salted with modern gun emplacements designed to withstand the latest in long-range and armor-piercing shells. The fort itself became a central player in the Endicott system when half of its old parade ground was dug up to build Battery Pensacola.
Constructed in 1899, Battery Pensacola is a reinforced concrete structure. Painted black to dull reflected glare from the Florida sun, Battery Pensacola presents such a modern appearance it’s easy to imagine it as a missile defense platform surrounded by the masonry of a bygone military era.
Today, Fort Pickens is the centerpiece of Santa Rosa Island’s portion of Gulf Islands National Seashore. The fort is a cool maze of dark, brick corridors and tunnels—perfect for exploring while staying cool in the masonry during Florida’s hot summers. Even better, you can’t get lost inside the fort. No matter how deep you explore, there’s always an easy way back to where you started. Keep an eye out for 19th and early 20th-century military graffiti carved by soldiers past (you might have to look under modern graffiti carved by modern tourists).
The first thing you’ll notice when you visit is that a large section of Fort Pickens’ northwest corner is missing. This is where Bastion D used to be. Bastion D was demolished in 1899 when a fire detonated over 8,000 lbs. of gunpowder in its magazine. The blast killed one soldier and hurled debris clear across the bay into Pensacola itself. The Army didn’t bother rebuilding the wall, instead using it as a new entryway for the larger equipment needed to maintain and operate Battery Pensacola. Today, the breach is used by the Park Service as the fort’s entrance, but the very size of the breach gives you a strikingly visceral idea of the disaster’s true scale.
The trails around Fort Pickens provide an excellent place for hiking. It’s a two-for-one experience; visitors can explore significant parts of American military history while also exploring the pristine wetlands of a Florida barrier island. Visit during the early summer when the red trumpet vines are blooming, and many of the trails will be lined with vibrant red flowers to brighten your day.
Military sites are industrial environments built to fight a war, not provide comfort to visitors. Watch your head and feet; this is an old, low-built masonry structure with an uneven floor. Also, wear sunscreen and bug repellant because there are a lot of areas exposed to the elements, especially if you strike out along the hiking trails. Dehydration and sunburn are the chief dangers, but insects, snakes, and alligators are also hazards to keep in mind.
Exploring Fort Pickens gives visitors a truly remarkable spectrum of military history to explore. Army and Navy history converge in Fort Pickens while the modern Gulf Islands National Seashore adds stunning natural beauty to the experience. Triumphant during the Civil War, tragic during the Indian Wars, adapted to support evolving weapon and defense systems, Fort Pickens is a fascinating window into the early republic’s rise to military prominence!
Check out my video at: https://youtu.be/ggwOLo3yZLI
Check out Gulf Islands National Seashore at: https://www.nps.gov/guis/index.htm
Gulf Islands National Seashore page on Fort Pickens: https://www.nps.gov/guis/learn/historyculture/fort-pickens.htm
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