My last column told of Fort Pulaski, a major brickwork fort halfway between Savannah and Tybee Island. The Savannah area had two other smaller forts, Fort Jackson and Fort McAllister, the latter a few miles south in what is now Richmond Hill, on the Ogeechee River.
Fort Jackson is a small brick fort, also on the Savannah River, just east of the city, that was built well before Fort Pulaski, constructed between 1808 and 1812. It was supposed to protect the city from invaders coming up the river from the Atlantic Ocean, just as Fort Pulaski was later.
“Old Fort Jackson,” as it is more popularly called today, was named after a fellow I have never heard of, James Jackson (1757– 1806), a “British-born political figure in Georgia.” Unfortunately for me, Fort Jackson had long been abandoned, by the time I was a kid, and had not yet been reclaimed from the overgrowth hiding it, so I never had the opportunity to explore it when I was young.
It has now been cleaned up and restored, and is a popular National Historic Landmark that is owned by the state of Georgia and operated as a museum by the Coastal Heritage Society. Fort Jackson has several daily cannon and small-arms firing demonstrations, and costumed historical re-enactors. It is also now accessible by boat, and riverboat tours often stop by to let passengers disembark for a short while and look around, before heading back upstream.
That is how I first saw it.
Fort McAllister, on the other hand, was open to the public when I was little, and my mom took me and my younger brothers there once in a while. It is now a state park, and also offers cannon-firings, costumed demonstrations, and a small museum.
It does not look like a “typical fort,” in that it is constructed of earthen mounds, rather than brickwork. Soldiers slept in tents and cooked over open fires; but the powder magazine, where their gunpowder was stored, was constructed inside a mound, to protect it from enemy fire. For us kids, it was fun to run around and pretend enemy ships were coming up the river, or that we were preparing to help defend our fort!
The state park website describes it thusly: “For centuries the rising and ebbing tides of the Great Ogeechee River at Fort McAllister State Historic Park have mirrored the currents of history, connecting Native American life, the valor of Civil War soldiers through to the Henry Ford Era and on to present day visitors.”
“Located close to I-95 south of Savannah on the banks of the Ogeechee River, this scenic park showcases the best-preserved earthwork fortification of the Confederacy. The earthworks were attacked seven times by Union ironclads but did not fall until 1864 — ending General William T. Sherman’s “March to the Sea.” Visitors can explore the grounds with cannons, a hot shot furnace, bombproof barracks, palisades and more, while a Civil War museum contains artifacts, a video and gift shop.
“Nestled among giant live oaks, Spanish moss and salt marsh, this park is a beautiful location for camping, fishing, boating and picnicking. Seven cabins sit on stilts near the marsh, surrounded by palm trees and palmettos. The shaded campground is bordered by tidal Redbird Creek, a boat ramp, fishing dock and nature trail. A large picnic area offers river views and playgrounds, while another boat ramp provides access to the Ogeechee River.”
Redbird Creek Trail sits just to the south of the fort grounds, and winds through the pine woods to a campground at the end of the trail. It is a popular place for weekend campers. The only hazards today are the summer heat and humidity, mosquitos and deer flies!
Next up – Fort Clinch in Fernandina Beach, Florida, just across the Georgia – Florida state line.
Rafe Semmes is a proud graduate of (“the original”) Savannah High School and the University of Georgia. He and his wife are both long-time Rotarians, and live in eastern Liberty County with their passel of orphaned rescue cats. He writes on a variety of topics, and may be reached at rafe_semmes@yahoo.com.