Strong Monroe

The Fort Monroe is a strong soldier being with the point of the peninsula of Virginia, keeping the entry of the natural port of Hampton Roads on the Baie of Chesapeake in the state of Virginia to the the United States.

In 1634, this zone is included in the old county of Elizabeth City. The fort joined the territory of the city independent of Hampton when the county and the town of Phoebus join Hampton in 1952.

The current structure of Strong Monroe is finished in 1834 and is thus named in reference to the President of the United States James Monroe. Completely surrounded by a broad ditch, this stone fort of hexagonal form is the last in the United States of its kind still used by the United States Army, although it is envisaged to close it from here 2011.

History

The colonial period

In 1609, the captain John Smith accompanying the colonists by the Virginia Company who established Jamestown, the first English colony fixed of the New World in 1607, recognizes the strategic importance of the site (then called Point Comfort ) for defense coastal and built Fort Algernourne on the current location of Strong Monroe. Finished in 1615, this fort is then a simple triangular palisade containing seven gun S and a garrison of fifteen people having for mission of protecting the approach from the colony of Jamestown. It then is rebuilt and improved in 1634 and continuous to exist under this name until in 1667.

Later, in 1727, a new building named Fort George is built on the site but is destroyed by a hurricane in 1749. Thereafter, and throughout the colonial period, various fortifications are on the spot high.

At the beginning of the 19th century

Following the War of 1812 against the United Kingdom, the government of the United States realizes the importance again to protect the area from Hampton Roads and its port from a maritime attack. To carry out these fortifications, the president James Madison will name French Simon Bernard (exiled following the fall of the First Empire) sergeant-general responsible for the construction of the defense system coastal extending from the Maine until in Louisiana.

In 1819, construction of what was to extremely become largest of stone ever built on the American ground starts. In order to still improve its defenses, a broad ditch is dug to surround the walls of the citadel.

Young lieutenant and engineer of the US Army, Robert Lee there is placed in garrison of 1831 with 1834 and takes part largely in the construction of Strong Monroe and sound opposite, Fort Calhoun. This last, famous then Strong Wool , is built on an artificial island in the middle of the ship canal between old the Point Comfort and the mouth of Hampton Roads.

Finished in 1834, Fort Monroe is called the “ Gibraltar of bay of Chesapeake ” and is equipped with guns of 32 pounds, the most powerful pieces of artillery of this time. The range this these guns, coupled with those of Strong Calhoum, make it possible to cover the whole of the ship canal.

The American Civil War

1860 and 1861

Fort Monroe plays a big role throughout all the American Civil War. When, the April 17th 1861 Virginia becomes the eighth state to leave the Union to join the Confédération, the president Abraham Lincoln decides to reinforce the garrison of the fort to prevent that it falls into the enemy camp. In fact, the Union will keep control of it during all the war and will use it largely as launching base of several maritime and terrestrial forwardings.

A few weeks after the battle of Strong Sumter, the general Winfield Scott proposes to the president a plan aiming at bringing back the states secessionists in the Union while cutting them of the outside world by a meticulous blocking of all the coasts. In co-operation with the US Navy, the troops start from Strong Monroe to extend along the coasts from South Carolina then, starting from the April 27th 1861 of North Carolina and of Virginia.

The April 20th, Navy evacuates the base of Norfolk by scuttling nine ships, leaving Fort Monroe like last bastion of the Union in the area. The occupation of Norfolk brings to the troops of the Confederation its single shipyard like several thousands of heavy guns. However, the base remains between their hands only one small year during which the general Walter Gwynn makes mount artillery batteries to Sewell' S not the time to protect Norfolk and to control Hampton Roads.

The May 18th, a fleet sent by the Union exchanges shootings since Fort Monroe with these batteries, without much damage on the two sides. In June, a terrestrial operation against Norfolk is launched since Fort Monroe. This operation is known under the name of Bataille of Big Bethel.

It is from its established Fort Monroe general headquarter that, the May 27th 1861, the general Butler lance its famous decision known as of contreband by which the escaped slaves who succeed in joining the lines of the Union are returned more to their owners. This decision has as effect to see flowing of the slaves fleeing the Confederation in the area of Strong Monroe which takes then the nickname of Freedom' S Fortress since any slave joining it is immediately released.

1862

In March 1862 the Combat of Hampton Roads is held with Sewell' S not , not far from Fort Monroe between the first battleships, the Merrimack and the US Monitor. Although having only few effects on the continuation of the war, this combat will change the vision of the naval war and will mark the end of old of gold of the warships out of wooden.

Later in spring of the same year, the presence continues of a force of Navy based in Fort Monroe allows the transport of the troops of north since Washington D.C and the formation of an army ordered by the general George McClellan who, going up the peninsula, joined approximately of Richmond, the capital Southerner, on June 1st, 1862.

McClellan, at the time of the Bataille Seven Days must withdraw himself behind the James river. However, at the same time, the troops of the Union take again the control of Norfolk and Hampton Roads.

1864 - 1896

In 1864, the weapon of the James is formed in Fort Monroe under the command of the Butler general and the seat of the town of Petersburg by the Union during the years 1864 and 1865 is supplied and support starting from the fort. The maintenance of the control of Strong Monroe and Strong Wool is crucial to ensure these operations of supply. With the fall of Petersburg, during the night of the April 2nd 1865, the government Southerner of Jefferson Davis gives up the capital of Richmond to take refuge in North Carolina. The army of Robert Lee, encircled goes one week later.

The president Southerner, Jeffereson Davis, are captured the April 26th and are placed in detention in a Fort Monroe cell for two years under deplorable conditions of hygiene. It will be slackened only in May 1867 in a very bad physical status.

The Journal off the United States Artillery was founded in Fort Monroe in 1892 by five officers of the artillery school installed in the fort at that time. This newspaper is famous the Coast Artillery Journal in 1922, then the Antiaircraft Journal in 1948.

XXe century

The World Fair of 1907 which is held in Hampton Road represents the occasion, for Navy, to renew its installation in the area. Started in 1917, the base of Norfolk, built on the site of the exposure becomes one of the most important bases of the army.

During the two world wars, Fort Monroe and Fort Wool fulfill their function of protection and contribute to the safety of the installation as well civil as military being inside the grounds.

At the time of the Second world war, Fort Monroe is used like general headquarter of an impressive artillery force, coupled with a barrier anti maritime submarines and a vast minefield. However, these armaments quickly become obsolete, in particular because of the development of the bombers to long distance as of the end of the war.

The withdrawn defensive armament, Fort Monroe is seen allotting a role of training of the soldiers. In 1973, it becomes the base of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) which gathers recruitment, the training and the education of the soldiers.

Strong Monroe today

With the wire of time, the armament of Strong Monroe was unceasingly improved. Moreover, strong control today several bases of Underwater S, returning the zone one of defended best of the United States.

In the same way, the base of Norfolk is used as general headquarter for the fleets operating in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean as well as the Indian Ocean. It is about largest bases naval world and one of the largest naval installations in the world.

The fort nowadays contains a population of approximately 2000 people of which the half in uniform. In addition to continuing to be used as active military installation, Fort Monroe became a very popular tourist site with, in particular, the possibility of visiting the cell of Davis as well as the districts used by Robert Lee of 1831 to 1834 and those allocated with president Lincoln at the time of his visit in May 1862.

The program BRAC 2005

The American Department of Defense presented, the May 13rd 2005, a list of military installations having to be disarmed and closed by the army in the six next years to which belonged Strong Monroe.

Currently, the future of the fort is not defined yet, although it must normally pass under the control of the state of Virginia. A project is currently under study to keep Fort Monroe and to make of it a vast museum and the local chamber of commerce received many commercial offers aiming at transforming it into residences of luxury.

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