Fort McRee (Pensacola, Florida)
Pensacola · Florida · Civil War
History & Significance
Fort McRee was one of three major installations constructed by the United States to strengthen defenses at Pensacola Bay following the War of 1812, built between 1834 and 1839 on the eastern tip of Perdido Key on a stretch known as Foster's Bank. The fort had a distinctive boomerang shape and contained 19 casemates, each capable of mounting 4 cannons.
Named in April 1840 for Army engineer Colonel William McRee, the first troops arrived in May 1842. Following the Mexican-American War, barracks were built on the mainland near Fort Barrancas, after which Fort McRee was manned only during drills, maneuvers, and target practice.
With fewer than 50 men to defend Pensacola's three forts at the outbreak of the Civil War, First Lieutenant Adam J. Slemmer concentrated his forces at the more defensible Fort Pickens, spiking the guns at Barrancas and McRee between January 9–10, 1861. On November 22, 1861, Union forces at Fort Pickens and the warships Niagara and Richmond bombarded Fort McRee; Confederates initially returned heavy fire and damaged the Richmond, but the combined Union assault suppressed Confederate fire by afternoon.
When Confederate forces abandoned Pensacola in May 1862, they burned Fort McRee and several other strategic buildings. The U.S. Navy managed the fort until 1971, when it was transferred to the National Park Service as part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, ending nearly 140 years of military ownership.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Civil War-era boomerang-shaped fort foundations with 19 casemate positions
- Perdido Key location surrounded by Gulf Islands National Seashore beach
- Site of November 1861 Union bombardment and Confederate burning
- Three-tiered coastal defense fortification with cannon emplacement remains
- Remote barrier island setting with limited facilities
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McRee
- https://www.nps.gov/guis/learn/historyculture/fort-mcree.htm
- https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/pensacola-1861
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=252636
- https://www.pensapedia.com/wiki/Fort_McRee