All of these weapons were smoothbore cannon. In a report of 1854 Fort Adams was armed with 100 32-pounder seacoast guns, 57 24-pounder seacoast guns, and 43 24-pounder flank howitzers. ![]() The fort's garrison was ordered to California and many of the soldiers lost their lives when the steamer SS San Francisco was wrecked, but not sunk, in a North Atlantic storm on December 24, 1853. The fort's redoubt, about 1/4 mile south of the main fort, was built during this war.įrom 1848 to 1853, Fort Adams was commanded by Colonel William Gates, a long serving veteran of both the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. During this time the fort was active in five major wars (the Mexican–American War, American Civil War, Spanish–American War, World War I and World War II) but never fired a shot in anger.Īt the start of the Mexican–American War the post was commanded by Benjamin Kendrick Pierce, the brother of President Franklin Pierce. The new Fort Adams was first garrisoned in August 1841, functioning as an active Army post until 1950. In 1838 Totten became Chief of Engineers and served until his death in 1864.Ī section of historic Fort Adams in a neglected state (1968) From 1825 to 1838 construction was overseen by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Gilbert Totten, the foremost American military engineer of his day. Andrew Talcott and continued at irregular intervals until 1857. In the US, it is rivaled in size only by Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia and Fort Jefferson on the Dry Tortugas in Florida.Ĭonstruction of the new fort began in 1824 under 1st Lt. The fort also had a detached redoubt 650 yards south of the main fort. It included a tenaille and crownwork, a complex outer work on the southern (landward) side, designed to break up and channel an assault force. Bernard designed the new Fort Adams in the classic style and it became the most complex fortification in the Western Hemisphere. The new fort was designed by Brigadier General Simon Bernard, a Frenchman who had served as a military engineer under Napoleon. This was part of what became known as the third system of US fortifications. ![]() After the War of 1812, there was a thorough review of the nation's fortification needs and it was decided to replace the older Fort Adams with a newer and much larger fort.
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