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Our last day in the Savannah area was spent exploring two islands, Cockspur and Tybee. We began our day on Cockspur Island with a visit to Fort Pulaski National Monument. The fort is named in honor of Casimir Pulaski, a Revolutionary War hero. Called the “Father of the American Cavalry,” Pulaski was a Polish citizen who so believed in the American fight for freedom that he died fighting the British during the Battle of Savannah in 1779.

Fort Pulaski was one of a series of forts to be constructed as a coastal defense system authorized by President James Madison. (Couple of tidbits about Madison: he was quite short, only 5’4”, and he was the last living signer of the U.S. Constitution when he died in 1836.) After the War of 1812, protecting key ports like Savannah was a main concern for the President. Construction of the fort began in 1829 and wrapped up a mere 18 years later.

With walls over seven and a half feet thick and a large moat, the fort was considered indestructible. The fort’s first and only battle occurred in 1862 during the Civil War. Interestingly, one of the engineers who worked on the fort was a young West Point graduate by the name of Robert E. Lee. (Did you know that Lee was married to Mary Anna Randolph Custis, George Washington’s granddaughter?)

Based on his intimate knowledge of the fort Lee sent this reassurance to the Confederate leader in charge of the fort, “They [the Union army] will make it warm for you with shells… but they cannot breech your walls at that distance.” His message reached Colonel Charles Olmstead in January of 1862. By mid-April of that same year Lee’s promise was proven wrong by a new weapon used by the Union forces.

The James Rifled Cannon was a tremendous improvement over traditional big guns. Instead of a cannonball, the new cannon shot bullet-shaped projectiles from a shaft that was spiral incised. The spiraling inside the cannon caused the shell to spin; this not only dramatically increased its range, but improved its accuracy and ability to penetrate walls. One of many inventions of the Civil War, the new weapon soon rendered masonry forts obsolete.

Union troops began firing on Fort Pulaski at 8:10 AM on April 10th from their base on Tybee Island over a mile away. At sunset the Federal troops slowed their barrage down to one shot every 10 to 15 minutes, just often enough to prevent the Confederates inside the fort from sleeping.

At sunrise the Yankees increased the intensity of their bombardment. The southeastern wall of the fort soon began to crumble. By afternoon, shells had reached the far side of the fort exploding dangerously close to a fully stocked powder magazine. Roughly 30 hours after the start of the battle Olmstead opted to surrender instead of risking being blown to bits by the powder.

During the battle Union forces fired over 5,000 projectiles at the fort; amazingly there was only one fatality. The capture of Fort Pulaski by Union forces effectively closed the port of Savannah for the rest of the war. Union forces set about rebuilding the fort to stave off any attacks, but the fort did not see any other military action.

Fort Pulaski also served as a stop on the Underground Railroad during the War. After the War the fort fell into disrepair. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge designated the fort and all of Cockspur Island a National Monument.

We toured the fort and saw projectiles from the battle still embedded in the walls. In the afternoon a Park Ranger led a P53 Enfield Musket talk and demonstration. The rifle was the second most used weapon during the Civil War. It weighs about nine and a half pounds, is accurate to 350 yards, can be fired every 20 seconds, and as he wryly explained, is loaded in nine easy steps (see the rifle in action in our Enfield Musket video).

We were literally astounded by how difficult the gun was to load and by how inconsistently the gun fired. How horrible it must have been to know you only have the one shot and that it might misfire for any number of reasons.

We spent the rest of the windy afternoon wandering around Tybee Island. The Euchee Indians who lived on the island named it duhbee, their word for salt. The island’s main claim to fame is the Tybee Light Station, the tallest and oldest in Georgia. The first lighthouse was built in 1736; the current one, which is 90 feet tall, was built in 1869.

After our walk on the beach we were famished. Luckily Tybee Island is home to “The Crab Shack.” It is a bit hard to find and the restaurant lounge complex rambles randomly through several small buildings connected by a great patio, but the seafood is fresh and delicious. Touted as the place “Where the elite eat in their bare feet”, the best part of this restaurant was the hole in the center of the table where you toss your shells and tails. Don’t worry, we weren’t throwing it on the ground; there is a large garbage can under the table to catch the items. Ingenious!

Their menu items are prepared Lowcountry style, a term used to describe recipes from the South Carolina and northern Georgia coasts. For a sample, check out this Lowcountry boil recipe.

Much too soon, we are saying goodbye to Georgia. As with all the places we visit, there is so much to explore and so little time. Next up, Charleston, South Carolina.

Video: See the P53 Enfield Musket in action.

Recipe: Delicious shrimp, corn, potatoes, and sausage in a Lowcountry Boil.

Photos: View our photographs from Fort Pulaski & Tybee Island.

Notes: We visited Fort Pulaski and Tybee Island on 05/05/2007.