Most Haunted Places in America: Fort Pulaski

The US Army Core of Engineers built about 35 of what they called third system forts along the eastern shore, the gulf and as far away as San Francisco Bay. Fort Pulaski just outside Savannah, Ga. is also one of these forts. It was built in 1847 but stood abandoned for 14 years till the Confederate Army walked in and occupied it during the Civil War. Alcatraz started as a third system fort as well and there are some similarities between these two historic sites.

This fort use was not primarily for defensive purposes like you would think a fort to be but offensive purposes for firing at the ships coming up the rivers; even though it was all but impenetrable from land. The hexagonal building had a moat running around it with two draw bridges and 8’ thick walls. There was only one way into the fort itself. If an army was to make it across the first draw bridge through all the firing from the main wall (Gorge Wall), waiting for it was another draw bridge to the fort itself. This bridge was flanked by two cannons facing it as well as numerous slits in the wall for guards to fire their rifles from. If by some miracle an army got the second draw bridge open, there was a 12 pound cannon stationed facing the door waiting. (See pictures)

U. S. Chief of Engineers, Gen. Totten said before the war, “You might as well bombard the Rocky Mountains as Fort Pulaski. No number of guns can reduce this fort in any amount of days.”

This fort provided a safe haven during the Civil War for the blockade runners and supply ships to provide supplies to the South. Of course, the Union now wanted it back. There was 361 Confederate Soldiers occupying the fort and as mentioned, a frontal assault was suicide. So the Union landed at Tybee Island about 3.5 miles away under the watchful eye of the Confederates in the fort who thought they were in the safest place in America at the time. So the Union besieged the fort for 6 weeks and cut off all supplies and the telegraph to the mainland. The Confederates however had 12 months worth of provisions in the fort and took the strategy to hang tight and wait the Union out, still believing they were impenetrable.

They were wrong of course. The Union Army firing the untested rifle cannons blew 2 thirty foot holes in the side of the fort firing from Tybee Island. One cannon ball coming close to the room where they had all the powder stored and fearing a mass explosion, the Confederates surrendered the fort, there was only one casualty. The Union army occupied the fort till the end of the war and in 1864 it was a prison for 520 Confederate Officers.

These prisoners were treated terribly and suffered from starvation, dehydration, scurvy, and dysentery. There were barely served enough food to survive and even that was not worthy to eat. Thirteen of the soldiers died at the prison the rest were transferred to Fort Delaware in 1865.

There are numerous stories of paranormal activity at the fort. People claim to get an overwhelming feeling of despair and sadness when walking around. Cold spots, voices and apparitions are reported by staff and visitors alike. Probably the most famous claim is made be re-enactors visiting the fort while filming the movie “Glory”. As they were walking around the grounds, a young man in a Confederate lieutenants uniform starting giving them a hard time for not saluting him. He ordered them into formation. Playing along for the visitors there, the men obliged the young man. He ordered them to about face and when the men turned back around the young lieutenant was gone.

Related posts:

1. Fort Monroe Hauntings
2. The Haunted Fort Delaware
3. Fort Fisher Hauntings
4. Cold Harbor Battlefield Hauntings
5. Haunted Places: Fort Ticonderoga