FORT MONROE (Mark)

We camped about 100 yards from the Chesapeake Bay, at the Fort Monroe National Park, listening to the wind and rain on the roof of our trailer. 
 
While Cheri attended the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton Roads I also saw a quilt, albeit in a slightly different setting.

This quilt is in an officer’s room in the Fort Monroe Casement.  It was what he would depend on to keep him warm during the very windy, cold months of winter, while living partially underground.

The Fort Monroe Casemate Museum would be fascinating for anyone, not just history buffs.  At 564 acres, it was the largest fort ever constructed in the United States.

Nearly 11 million bricks were used in the building of the Fort.  It has a moat, and places for over 400 large cannons and guns.  The strategic value of the Fort is that it controls the Chesapeake Bay and protected the James River against any ship trying to enter it.    

The first fortifications were built in 1609, and construction continued in one form or another until 1946.  The arches are constructed both above and below you, to support the tremendous weight of the cannons and related equipment.  They are about 5’8” in height, so if you are taller you do spend a lot of time ducking to avoid bumping your head.

As a young officer Robert E. Lee was very involved in the building of the Fort.  As soon as the first Southern state succeeded from the Union, President Lincoln began significantly bolstering Union control of the Fort.  The Confederate forces never even mounted an attack on it, in part because General Lee recognized the futility of doing so due to his prior work on the fortifications. 
 
The Fort was nicknamed Freedom’s Fortress, as many escaped slaves rushed to the one safe place under Union control.
 
Confederate president Jefferson Davis was held in the fort for two years awaiting trial.  This is the actual cell he was held in.  He was allowed a Bible, and a prayer book for reading, nothing else.  Access to him was strictly limited.

The Fort was shut down in the same BRAC that closed Fort Ord on the Monterey Bay.  The architecture of the buildings, and the history, make it well worth your while if you are in the area.  The Fort has a wonderful walking trail, and areas for biking, picnicking, fishing, and playing on the beaches.