Fort Massachusetts (Gulfport, Mississippi, Mississippi)

Gulfport, Mississippi · Mississippi · Civil War

History & Significance

Following the War of 1812, the United States War Department began planning for the construction of an extensive system of masonry fortifications for coastal defense. Ship Island's natural deep-water harbor and its location along a shipping route made it important to the defense of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

Construction began in June 1859 under Army Corps of Engineers supervision, with work primarily done by civilians including carpenters, stonemasons, blacksmiths, and stonecutters. In January 1861, Mississippi militia took possession of the unfinished fort; after abandonment, Confederate troops returned in June 1861 and mounted cannons.

The fort earned the nickname "Massachusetts" during this period, probably honoring the USS Massachusetts, though it was never officially named. Through the remainder of the Civil War, Union forces used Ship Island; Union ships stopped for repairs and supplies, and the 2nd Louisiana Native Guard, one of the first black regiments in the U.S. Army, were stationed there for nearly three years.

More than 230 Union soldiers died and were buried on Ship Island during the war; many remains were later reburied at Chalmette National Cemetery near New Orleans. The Corps of Engineers completed the fort in fall 1866.

Map

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Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Massachusetts_(Mississippi)
• https://www.nps.gov/guis/learn/historyculture/fort-massachusetts.htm
• https://msgulfcoastheritage.ms.gov/historic/sites/fort-massachusetts/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_Island
• https://npplan.com/parks-by-state/florida-national-parks/gulf-islands-national-seashore-overview/gulf-islands-national-seashore-mississippi-park-at-a-glance/gulf-islands-national-seashore-mississippi-fort-massachusetts/

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