Fort Pike (Orleans Parish, near New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana)
Orleans Parish, near New Orleans and Slidell · Louisiana · War of 1812, American Civil War
History & Significance
Following the War of 1812, President James Monroe ordered the placement of an extensive coastal defense system; these new fortifications, together with existing ones, stretched along the entire Atlantic and Gulf coasts and protected strategic ports and rivers such as New Orleans and the Mississippi. The Army began construction on it in 1819, based on a design by French military engineer Simon Bernard, working with American Gen. Joseph Gilbert Totten.
The fort's original armament consisted of 32-pounder and 24-pounder cannons; the exact number of each type is unknown. During the Seminole Wars in the 1830s, Fort Pike served as a staging area for many troops en route to Florida, and also as a collection point for hundreds of Seminole prisoners and their black slaves who were being transported to Oklahoma.
In the Civil War, the Louisiana militia captured the fort before the actual start of the war; Confederates held it until the Union forces took New Orleans in 1862, whereupon the Confederates evacuated Fort Pike. The Union used Fort Pike as a training center, where former slaves were taught to use heavy artillery; these troops became part of the United States Colored Troops, who played an important role in the outcome of many battles, including the siege at Port Hudson. Fort Pike was left to the care of an ordnance sergeant from 1871 until it was officially abandoned in 1890.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- 19th-century masonry fort with casemates overlooking Rigolets passage
- War of 1812 coastal defense architecture and artillery positions
- Museum exhibits on military history, Seminole prisoners, and Civil War service
- Surrounded by marshland and Gulf waters; significant ecological setting
- Historic site documenting Louisiana's strategic importance to U.S. defense
Sources
- https://www.lastateparks.com/historic-sites/fort-pike-state-historic-site
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Pike
- https://neworleanshistorical.org/items/show/1620
- https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/home_garden/now-closed-fort-pike-in-new-orleans-was-once-a-key-defensive-site-for-louisiana/article_31a711bc-9612-11eb-9d76-3b6110f91215.html
- https://www.battlefields.org/visit/heritage-sites/fort-pike-state-historic-site
- https://theclio.com/entry/4567
- https://prcno.org/fort-pike/