iTour: Fort Gaines is a smartphone tour app for Apple and Android. Created by David Brown for his Eagle Scout Project, it includes text, audio, and pictures in order to immerse all visitors in the rich history of the fort. But. the tour system is not solely digital, it utilizes 27 wooden posts with custom made vinyl signs that directly correlates with the app.
South gun ramp – At this location is the south gun ramp. It allowed access to the gun platform for soldiers and ammunition. Also featured here are rails for which the ammunition carts traveled on. To the left of this location, one can see the kitchen courtyard.
Gun mounts – In this particular gun platform you can find the granite track supports on which the barbette carriages, which carried the guns, were located. Also located here is a chest high serpentine wall that was built for the protection of both the gun crews and the guns.
The south flank firing stations – located here are well preserved 32 pounder cannons and a brick parapet wall that protected the gun crews and the cannons.
View of Pelican Harbor – To the south of this location is
Pelican Island, a thin strip of land like Sand Island. To the southeast of this location lies Sand Island, the present sight of the Sand Island Lighthouse. These two islands marked the boundaries of Pelican Harbor, which was named during the early 18th century when Dauphin Island was the capital of all French Louisiana. Prior to the invasion of the bay, Farragut’s fleet was anchored just beyond Sand Island.
The Southeast Bastion – From this location, one can see Sand Island Lighthouse where the Union’s navy was positioned right before they attempted to run past the forts of Mobile Bay. Due south of this point is where the Union supply ship, “Phillippi”, was sunk during the Battle of Mobile Bay. Built into the floor, there are rain traps to collect water. At this location, there was a tunnel and a protective wall but they were removed at the turn of the century for the instillation of disappearing costal guns and an ammunition magazine.
Ammunition Magazine: This raised earthen section covers part of the extensive network of ammunition magazines built for the coastal batteries. Three air circulation vents can be seen to the left.
Range Finder – This was a central station used for finding the range of distant objects. Fort Gaines was equipped with two World War II range finder stations
East Bastion: This Bastion faces East across the mouth of Mobile Bay, where Fort Morgan can be seen. Due north of Fort Morgan, the Union ship known as the USS Tecumseh struck a torpedo (mines fashioned from beer kegs that detonated when a ship came in contact with them) while moving into position to attack the confederate Ironclad called the Tennessee. The torpedo exploded and sank the Tecumseh along with her 93 crew members. If you follow the bearing of arrow B on the map, you can see the place where the Tennessee eventually surrendered, ending the naval combat of this famous battle. This bastion was later leveled and filled with sand with the construction of newer concrete coastal batteries.
“Disappearing” Gun Mount – This location is where a 6 inch Disappearing Cannon was housed. These cannons were installed between 1898 and 1903. There were referred to as “disappearing” because they had to be lowered to the level of the concrete platform to be loaded and raised to above wall height to be fired.
Northeast Bastion – A smaller Confederate fort, named Fort Powell, is located four miles north from this point. This fort fought six Union ships and survived severe bombardment. The Confederates blew up Fort Powell on august 5, 1864 in a last ditch effort to prevent the fort from falling into Union hands.
North Flank – A 928 foot pier originally ran out from this point. Also visible from this point is a small hill where a three inch rapid fire battery was located.
Tunnel Course – Visitors may descend the north ramp to the courtyard. If they choose to do so, they may go through the tunnel which leads to the Northwest Bastion
Northwest Bastion – This Bastion is the best preserved and is still in its original condition. The time and effort that was put into the bastion can clearly be seen in the engineering expertise and the master craftsmanship of the brick work of the tunnel. During the fort’s service, this bastion was outfitted with four 24 pounder howitzers and small slit windows for small arms. If you look up, you will see ventilation ports in the ceiling. In the back of the room under a rain water cover is the ammunition room.
Bakery – This point was originally a bakery. Housed inside, there was a small oven, a 12 foot oven, and several store rooms. The Soldiers would have the bread baking during times of war, and the bread would also rise here.
Latrine – The Latrine is accessible by a tunnel underneath the gun platforms and earthworks. It was one of the first flushable latrines. It flushed twice a day, when the tide came in, and when the tide came out, sending all of the waste out to the sea.
Blacksmith Shop – Located to the northeast of the courtyard, the blacksmithing shop is where any forging and blacksmithing for the garrison took place. One several days of the week, a local blacksmith comes it to work making all sorts of cool crafts like horseshoes and handles and even tools that he will use. He also will sometimes have an apprentice with him working on their own crafts
Powder Magazines – From the courtyard, looking to the east, you can see an opening that leads to several rooms beneath the coastal batteries. These rooms have tracks on the ceiling from which a sling would hang from to assist with transporting ammunition to the batteries’ guns. Four davits, which are used to hoist the ammunition up to the guns, are located above the doors. Interior hoists are also located opposite of the top of the steel stairs.
Quartermaster’s Office – This was where supplies such as food and uniforms were kept. It was located in the southeast corner of the fort but was removed in order to build the cement entrance to the powder magazines. It is also was the quarters for the Quartermaster and his top soldiers, but most of the original décor has been removed
Quartermaster’s Office – This was where supplies such as food and uniforms were kept. It was located in the southeast corner of the fort but was removed in order to build the cement entrance to the powder magazines. It is also was the quarters for the Quartermaster and his top soldiers, but most of the original décor has been removed
Ammunitions magazine – The tunnel from the courtyard to the Southeast Bastion was blocked during concrete gun mount construction. Nearly all the concrete structures within the Fort were built between 1898 – 1903. Now with most of the concrete removed, you can see the basis behind the gun mount construction
Officer’s Quarters – This building was originally three stories tall but the upper floors were destroyed during the Battle of Mobile Bay. The standard garrison for this Fort was around 400 men. The enlisted men’s barracks outside the walls were burned down during the battle as well
Kitchen Courtyard – Note the large cisterns dominant here, These fireplaces and ovens were used daily in the preparation of food for the Fort garrison
Southwest Bastion – Similar to the Northwest Bastion. The steps lead up to the concrete observation post built at the time of the coastal gun battery installation
Heading toward the Northwest Bastion, you’ll arrive at the rest rooms. This building was once the orderly room and Commandant’s office. The orderly room is where the organizational and administrative management of Fort Gaines by the Confederate soldiers took place.
On the other side of the Fort Gaines entrance is the Fort Gaines Gift Shop. The shop is located on the ground floor of the former Guardhouse building. Guardhouses were built to hold soldier prisoners and their soldier guards, a necessity at any military fort of the 19th century
Between the Rest Rooms and Fort Gaines Gift Shop is the Sally Port, or entrance to Fort Gaines. The entrance tunnel is known for its intricate brickwork architecture. The sally port is now flanked by two large Civil War-era rifled cannons. The original plans for the fort included a drawbridge, which never transpired.
Anchor –
The final stop of this tour is an anchor donated to the Fort. Conveniently placed at the center of the fort feel free to take a look around the fort and see something that you didn’t find at first. We here at Fort Gaines hope you had a great tour and have a wonderful day.