Fort Pulaski (Savannah, Georgia)
Last updated: July 24, 2023
How interesting to explore the intricate details of an American fort. This is more involved than I could have ever imagined. There is so much to explore in this 260 acre area. Let’s get right into what this is and it’s significance.
After the War of 1812, US President James Madison ordered a new system of coastal fortifications to protect the United States from a foreign invasion. Construction of a Fort Pulaski began in 1862 began in 1829 to protect the port of Savannah.
Walls were 11 feet thick and were thought to be impenetrable except by only the largest land artillery. The smooth bore cannon of the time had a range of only around half-a-mile, and the nearest land (Tybee Island) was much further away than that. It was assumed that the fort would be invincible to enemy attack. Lee remarked that “one might as well bombard the Rocky Mountains as Fort Pulaski.”
Waving Girl refers to Florence Martus, a Savannahian who is perhaps better known in worldwide maritime communities than in her own. From 1887 to 1931, she greeted ships entering Savannah by waving a cloth at approaching ships from the lighthouse on Cockspur Island. Her fame spread and ships would return her greetings with a blast from the ship’s horn. Many still sound a salute to her statue. Legend has it that the reason she did this was because she was in search of her long lost lover which if true, is quite romantic and sad since there’s no record of her finding him.
Have you been to this fort? If so, what did you think?
