Fort Jackson (Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana)
Plaquemines Parish · Louisiana · American Civil War
History & Significance
Situated 40 miles upriver from the mouth of the Mississippi in Plaquemines Parish, Fort Jackson is a star-shaped masonry fort. Built in 1822 on the recommendation of General Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812, the structure embodied the advanced Third System design for coastal defense.
When Louisiana seceded, the Confederate garrison held the fort until the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, which the Union fleet under Farragut besieged for 12 days in April 1862. A mutiny occurred among Confederate troops, and the fort fell to Union forces, who then advanced upriver to capture New Orleans.
The fort subsequently served as a Union military prison, notably holding the French champagne magnate Charles Heidsieck for seven months on spying charges. The post remained occupied for various military purposes until after World War I, when it served as a training station.
The fort was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1967. Major restoration efforts, completed in 2011, addressed damage from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, including replacement of drainage systems and electrical infrastructure.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Massive masonry fort built 1822–1832 with intact bastions and earthworks
- Civil War siege museum exhibits covering the 1862 Union bombardment and capture
- Historic brick casemates and gun emplacements overlooking the Mississippi River
- Located in low-lying Mississippi River delta landscape
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Jackson,_Louisiana
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=35091
- https://www.plaqueminesparishtourism.com/historical-sites
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaquemines_Parish,_Louisiana
- https://www.plaqueminesparishtourism.com/blog
- https://usgenwebsites.org/LAPlaquemines/forts.htm
- https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/civil-war/cw-operations-and-engagements/1862-civil-war/forts-jackson-and-stphilip.html
- https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NHLS/66000379_text