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Guardian of the Sound
V I T IJUARDIA.,.V OF THE Sot A'LVD 00 A Pictorial History of FORT H.G. Fishers Island, N. Y. Pierce Rafferty & John Wilton Mount Mercer Press NEW YORK CITY • 1998 Acknowledgments IRST AND FOREMOST,we would like to thank the following individuals who assistance in interpreting and identifying emplacements and ordnance; and shared their private postcard collections,military artifacts and photo albums, Robert G. Borrell, Sr., for providing the 11th Coast Artillery's Coat of Arms. enhancing the creation of a collective portrait of the Fort with the greatest Numerous other members of the CDSG generously shared information and possible variety of images. Many thanks to Tom Armstrong,Henry C.Blackiston, documents relating to the history of Fort Wright,including:Frederick M.Baldwin; Peter Burr, the Estate of Winifred Bartlett Clark, Barbara Coyle, Roger Davis, the Gerald W.Butler;Roger W.Davis;Elliot L.Deutsch;Theodore L.Gatchel;Alexander Estate of Col.Charles O.Dawes,Jim Diaz,Francis Doyen,Matthew Edwards,Harry M.Holder,Jr.;Gary P.Paliwoda;and Leo K.Polaski. Ferguson, Henry H. Fisher, Mary Cyr Grebe, Marilyn Graves, Hubert J. Hughes, For their support of this project,and their ongoing efforts to preserve and dis- Anna May Janas, Frank Kamradt, Lewis Lamb, Clayton E. Lathrop, George R. play Fishers Island's history,we would like to extend our heartiest thanks to all Laughlin, Sandy Gaston, Hector E Methot, Herbert Moss, Nancy Newman, Mary the board members of the H.L. Ferguson Museum, Fishers Island, New York, Pankiewicz, George Payne, Mary Collings Pillsbury, Norbert Raith, Clyde K. especially the Museum's indefatigable president,Charles B.Ferguson;and Edward Rickard,Jim Righter,Alfred K. Schroeder,Briscoe Smith,Thomas B. Sweeney and Horning,curator;Katherine Horning,assistant curator;Marie Gaillard,collections Jim Wall.It should be noted that the list includes some whose material was not director;and Bagley Reid,member of the board. included in the final edit,but whose efforts for the book were as much appre- Fort H.G.Wright Association members Peter Burr,George Esser and Pat Kibbe ciated as any other. each made important contributions to the project,including the establishment of We would like to give special thanks to Sandy Esser for her generous contri- links to the dispersed Fort Wright community and the gathering of many images. bution of images from her Fort Wright collection;to Donna Shoop,whose grand- Peter Williamson's research on the 1902 maneuvers greatly facilitated our efforts. father C.K. Rickard served at the Fort in the 1910s, for providing his unique We are also most appreciative of the assistance provided by the following images of daily life at the Fort,and for donating the collection to the H.L.Ferguson individuals and institutions:David M.Johnson,The Casemate Museum (Fort Mon- Museum;to Fred E.Saner,whose father Master Sgt.Fred Saner,USA(Ret.),served roe,Virginia); B.J. Linck, Connecticut State Library (Hartford); the staff of the in the 11th CoastArtillery Band for 35 years,for sharing his collection with us,and Prints and Photographs Division,The Library of Congress (Washington. D.C.); donating it to the Museum.We are indebted to Helen Best for the photographs Steven Seames,Massachusetts Military Archives(Worcester,Massachusetts):Helen taken by and of her father,Major Howard Best,who served at Fort Wright with the Keith and Janet Godwin, Mystic River Historical Society (Mystic, Connecticut); 11 th Coast Artillery for many years,and was wounded in France during World War the staff of the Military Museum- New York State Division of Military and Naval I;and to Maj.Gen.George Ruhlen,USA(Ret.),whose father,Col.George Ruhlen, Affairs (Latham, New York);Jack Green, Naval Historical Center (Washington, Jr.,USA(Ret.),served at the Fort from 1914-16,for providing not only his father's D.C.);Richard H.Smith,Cartographic and Architectural Branch,National Archives photographs, but also his own recollections of Fort Wright during that early and Records Administration (NARA) II (College Park, Maryland); Gregory J. period. Plunges, NARA - Northeast Region (New York City); George Young, NARA - A great contribution to this project was made by George R. Laughlin, who Northeast Region(Waltham,Massachusetts);the staff of the Still Pictures Branch. tirelessly researched Fishers Island and Fort Wright in various Connecticut NARA H; the staff of the New York State Library,(Albany,New York);Col.Rene C. libraries and historical societies.This book would not have been the same without Provost,(Ret.)AUS,Office of the Adjutant General Connecticut(Hartford);Robert his assistance.We are also very grateful for the extended and painstaking research Whiteman,Ripley's Believe It or Not(Rye,New York);Kenneth S.Carlson,Rhode done by Brian Rafferty in the text files at the National Archives branch in Waltham, Island State Archives (Providence, Rhode Island); Randy Heckenburg, U.S.Army Massachusetts;the research done in newspaper microfilm files by Anja Hanson in Military History Institute (Carlisle Barracks,Pennsylvania);Judith A.Sibley,USMA Portland, Maine; and the preliminary stills research done by Joan Yoshiwara in Library and Alicia Mauldin, USMA Archives, U.S. Military Academy (West Point, Washington,D.C.Essential to our book was the lifesaving editorial work done by New York);Rose Hutchinson,Watervliet Arsenal Museum(Watervliet,New York). Arnoud Hekkens and the proofreading performed under adverse conditions by Next to last,but not least,we are grateful for the general assistance provided Sandy Crimmins.Printers'representative Dana Cole of RJ Communications in New by Richard Ahman, Deborah Borgert, Bob and Louisa Evans, Kevin Green, Phil York helped steer us through the treacherous channels of book manufacturing. Knauff,Joe Rogan,Peter Rogan and David Thaxton. We would also like to express our gratitude to all the Coast Defense Study And last,but absolutely not least,Margaret Crimmins gets the biggest thanks of Group (CDSG) members who gave us invaluable help, in particular William C. all,for her constructive criticism and her unflagging support. Gaines,for answering innumerable questions and for writing articles on the Fort's Each and every one made this book possible. f Contents Acknowledgments...iv Chronology...vi Introduction...ix i Photographs...1 Major General H.G.Wright and Colonel Smith S.Leach...2 Pre-Fort military activity; 1902 Army-Navy maneuvers...6 Regional map and Fort H.G.Wright aerials...20 The arrival of troops and supplies...25 Officers Row and Parade Grounds...42 National Guard camp...54 The faces of Fort Wright...63 Armament Manufacturing guns and carriages...96 Dynamite gun...98 Grinch disappearing gun...100 10-inch disappearing gun...108 12-inch disappearing gun...112 16-inch disappearing gun...117 12-inch mortars...122 Field and antiaircraft guns,secondary armament, tow targets,submarine mines and naval activity ..128 Elizabeth Field...138 1921 aerials...142 Buildings and structures...144 Sports at the Fort...182 Snapshots of Fort life...194 Scrapping the guns,razing the buildings...202 The emplacements today...204 Maps of the main reservation...206 "The Matter of Proceedings to Acquire Land on Fishers Island."...208 The Coastal and Harbor Defenses of Long Island Sound World War I...219 Between the Wars...223 World War II...226 Selected Bibliography...235 About this Book...236 CHRONOLOGY1871 Government acquires"10 and three-tenths 1898 February 15 USS Maine blows up in acres,more or less,'at Race Point. Havana Harbor. 18,000 BC (approx.)Last ice advance(Wisconsinan) 1885 US Army leases land on the western tip of April 25 Congress declares nation has been begins retreat in Long Island area.As it Fishers Island.Rifle squads from Fort at war with Spain since April 21. recedes,it pauses,leaving behind piles of Trumbull,New London arrive for military April-May Major Leach implements emer- glacial debris.Fishers Island is formed. training, gency defense plan for Long Island Sound. March 3 President Cleveland appoints June 24 Condemnation Board awards 1614 Dutch explorer Captain Adrian Block discov "Board on Fortifications or Other Defenses," Edmund M.and Walton Ferguson a total of ers Fishers Island. commonly known as the Endicott Board. $167,000 for 215 acres of condemned land 1640 John Winthrop the Younger successfully on the western tip of Fishers Island. appeals to the General Court of Massachu- 1886 January 26 The Endicott Board releases its Theodora Gordon receives$6,000 for setts for grant to Fishers Island. report,detailing program for new seacoast "1 acre plus house." defenses. September 5 Military in full possession of 1644 To further confirm land grant,John Win 1888 July-Sept. Troops arrive for training exercis- es. land for fortification purposes on Fishers throp purchases Fishers Island from Native es.Tourists flock to Fishers Island to watch Island. Americans.First settlement is established. the military spectacle.Mock invasion by the December Construction of gun emplace- 1704 Signal beacon erected on Mount Prospect. Navy is canceled at the last moment. ments begins. 1775-79 British fleet repeatedly raids Fishers Island, 1889 Edmund M.and Walton Ferguson purchase 1899 February Silver Eel Pond dredged open. seizing sheep,cattle,hogs and other provi- almost all of Fishers Island for$250,000. creating cove for military dock. sions.In most instances,compensation is 891 November 14 Harper's Weekly publishes 1900 April 4 Post named in honor of Major made. article proposing a chain of island forts General Horatio G.Wright,Civil War com- 1779 July 5 British plunder Fishers Island and across the outer entrance to Long Island mander and former Chief of Engineers. Plum Island,seizing livestock and torching Sound. 1901 February First troops arrive at Fort H.G. hay and buildings.No compensation made. 1896 July 17 Captain Smith S.Leach,Corps of Wright. 1781 September 6 British force invades New Engineers,is ordered to prepare plans for March 7 Artillery Corps takes over first London,burninga sections of the ci completed batteries for(cinch,10-inch,and � ty• the defense of the eastern entrance to Defenders of Fort Griswold,Groton,slaugh- Long Island Sound and to secure land for 12-inch disappearing guns. tered after surrendering.Nathaniel Shaw, fortifications. October 31 Dynamite gun successfully test- New London's greatest patriot,misses the fired at Race Point. 1897 July 17-1 G Naval Battalion,Connecticut 1902 September 1-5 Joint Army-Navy maneuvers battle while fishing on Fishers Island. I National Guard,encamps on Fishers Island 1863 Winthrop heirs sell Fishers Island to George for tour of duty aboard the USS Maine. pit the island forts against the North Atlantic Chester for$55,000;title transferred to August 24 Condemnation hearings begin in Squadron.Fort H.G.Wright'sinks'squadron. Robert R.Fox. Brooklyn,NY,to determine price for fort site on Fishers Island. Vi r, Fred E Saner 1908-09 Government acquires additional land, 1924 Fort H.G.Wright becomes the Headquarters 1943 Government purchases 94.42 acres at Wilder- including west side of Hay Harbor penin- for the 11th Coast Artillery Regiment. ness Point for modern batteries.Overall size of sula,tract on Mount Prospect and right-of- 1925 The term"coast defenses"is replaced by military reservation approximately 419 acres. way across golf course. "harbor defenses,"as it more accurately February 15 Construction begins for two 16- 1910 January I Sixty-seven members of 131st describes the primary function of the Coast inch gun emplacements on Wilderness Point. Co.,Coast Artillery,placed under arrest for Artillery Corps. June 28 Womens Auxiliary Army Corps(WAC) refusing orders to take 15-mile march Fort H.G.Wright becomes the Headquarters activated and assigned to Fort H.G.Wright. around the Island. of the Harbor Defenses of the Long Island 1944 March 3 US Navy Lighter-Than-Air M1130 Militiamen battle regulars at Fort Sound. Detachment ONE-ONE,arrives at Elizabeth Wright after being called"tin soldiers." 1931 June 11 Elizabeth Field is dedicated,named Field. 1911 New hospital is built overlooking Silver Eel in honor of Elizabeth Nugent,daughter of March 12 11th Coast Artillery Regiment Cove. Col.George A.Nugent,Commander of Fort departs for Fort Leonard Wood,MO.242nd H.G.Wright. Coast Artillery assumes control of the Harbor 1917 April 6 US declares war on Germany. Defenses of Long Island Sound. Fort H.G.Wright becomes the Headquarters 1932 Fort theater opens. May 23 16-inch gun emplacements at of the Coast Defenses of Long Island Sound 1938 September 21 Hurricane hits Fishers Island. Wilderness Point completed.Guns never (CDLIS). mounted due to diminished threat to the December 20 56th Regiment,Coast Artil- 1940 Harbor Defense Modernization Program pro- region. lery Corps(CAC),is formed from within the poses long-range armament for the defense September 242nd Coast Artillery Regiment CDLIS. of the Sound. inactivated,personnel reassigned. 1918 March 28 56th Regiment leaves Fort H.G. Reported capacity at Fort H.G.Wright:30 1945 July 16 Alamogordo,NM.Nuclear Age begins. Wright for service overseas,participates officers,30 NCOs,703 enlisted men,23 ani- in the Oisne-Aisne and Meuse-Argonne mals,and 32 hospital beds. 1949 May 31 Fort H.G.Wright placed in an inactive offensives. August 27 National Guard mobilized. status,pending further study for other possible April 6 Government purchases 18.37 acre September 16 242nd Coast Artillery of the uses. tract on North Hill. Connecticut National Guard assigned to the 1950 Government screens Fort H.G.Wright and June 168th Regiment,CAC,is formed from Harbor Defenses of Long Island Sound. decides"there is no further need for the prop- within the CDLIS.The 68th leaves Fort H.G. 1941 December 7 Harbor Defenses of Long erty." Wright on August 7,for service in France. Island Sound placed on full alert. June 30 Coast Artillery is abolished.Jet air- The regiment arrives too late to engage in craft,long-range missiles and nuclear weapons 1942 Fort H.G.Wright becomes major center for active combat. processing Coast Artillery troops for domes- render harbor defense by seacoast artillery 1920 (Circa)Hangar is constructed for observa- tic and overseas service. obsolete. tion balloons. April 6 Government leases Hill 90,at the 1958 August 15 Race Point Corporation buys fifty- 1921 Sub-aqueous sound ranging experiments east end of Fishers Island,also known as Hill six acre tract of Fort H.G.Wright by auction begin at Fort H.G.Wright. Watch,for fire-control stations and fire-con- for$350,000. trol radar. Vii ' I e , gra '1 1 US Military Histoy Institute The earliest known photograph of military presence on Fishers Island.July 1888. viii f' INTRODUCTION or the first 250 years of its modern history,Fishers Island had little began utilizing Fishers as a military training site, sending a rifle team military significance. Located just off the Connecticut coast at the from Fort Trumbull,New London,for target practice on the western tip eastern entrance to Long Island Sound,it was first settled in 1644 of the Island. In little more than a decade, the western tip would be by John Winthrop the Younger. The Island would remain in the Win- among the most heavily fortified sites on the US coast,protecting New throp family as a manor for over 200 years. Its relative isolation from York City and Connecticut's strategic ports.What follows is the story of human and four-footed predators,coupled with an abundance of fresh how and why a sleepy pond-dotted island was transformed into the water and land suitable for grazing,made it an ideal location for raising guardian of the Sound.It all begins with a happy battalion in the sum- livestock. Populated mostly by farmers tending the Winthrop stock mer of 1888. farm,the Island would remain largely unaffected by military concerns. p1Pg Mines of Peace There were,however,exceptions to the rule. In 1704, a signal beacon was erected atop Mount Prospect, a sandy On July 4, 1888, New London's newspaper, The Day, reported that bluff on the southern shore of Fishers Island,overlooking Block Island 200 soldiers camped at Fishers Island: Sound. Its purpose was to pro- A happier battalion of regular army men than now encamped on this Island vide advance warning to the cannot be found on the muster roll of Uncle Sam's army...It was 10:30 o'clock preacching enemy vessels.It was i city New London any alast evening when the United States ships Galena and Ossippee came to anchor ' Ithe first time the strategic im- off west harbor. The night was inky dark, but the sky was brilliant with myri- Adei ads of stars and the big flash light on Race rock winked and blinked at the portance of Fishers Island was Yankee tars as if to welcome them and the troops they escorted to the island. - recognized. During the Revolutionary The first contingent of troops bound for Fishers Island consisted of - _ War, its rich farms were tempt- four companies of artillery and one of infantry,drawn from the harbor ' ing targets for the marauding forts of New York City. The troops were to engage in three months of b,o or coy �e'c British fleet.Redcoats repeated- intensive target practice and skirmish firing in the field. USS Ossippee y s ly raided the Island for provi- The general consensus was that the soldiers had been cooped up and sions,stripping the Winthrop estate of sheep,cattle,poultry,corn,pota- cloistered for too long at their posts with no chance for vigorous out- toes,wood and hay.On July 5, 1779,the British sacked the Island,burn- door instruction and active field training. As part of its ongoing cam- ing its buildings and its crops.The next time Fishers Island appears in paign to encourage a more professional military, The New York Times military annals is as a footnote to one of the most infamous days in the agreed wholeheartedly with the notion of getting stale troops into the ' region's history. On September 6, 1781, a large British force invaded field: New London,burning down much of the city,and slaughtering many of t For the artillery arm, in these piping times of peace, habituation to open-air Fort Griswold's defenders after they had surrendered.The footnote indi- cates that at the time of the battle,Nathaniel Shaw,New London's great- camp life is not to be despised, since nearly all the troops are necessarily those est patriot and Revolutionary War leader,was awiy on a fishing expedi- who have entered service since the civil war and the artillery gets no employ- tion to Fishers Island. ment in Indian hostilities to accustom the men to real campaigning. Quly 9, At the close of the 19th century, a dramatic shift occurred. Fishers 1888) Island moved from the margins of the region's military history to the When the troops arrived,newspaper accounts repeatedly lauded the center of its strategic map.The first signs were small.In 1885,the Army suitability of the Fishers Island encampment,praising its proximity to ix Harper's New Mo„thy Mogozme,November 1885 Three steamers ply constantly between New London and the island. They are 1 crowded all day long with Yankees and representative people from Southern New England whose curiosity has been piqued by the interesting operations of the blue-clad soldiers and the showily dressed marines. There are 300 regulars ' ' ° ^+• now in camp here, and it is expected that the number will be swelled to over 600 by the additions from the marine battalions by the 1 st of August.Then will sY• take place the most interesting and extensive military and naval operations that have been seen on the Atlantic coast since the close of the civil war. (The New ItlR US6 roR 1:SITF:D vTAT,'A 8-1\'CD RIFLS dSD IMR'DY.R FOR SRLIRR nRcn:n RC\R. MITDSR ron iaarov SSGLIRII GLC York Times,July 22, 1888) 13-1\GII RVOOTII-DORS CG\. urban centers,varied terrain,and strategic location.The New York Times By mid-July, the Army and Navy had worked out a plan for a mock stated on July 2: "The undulating surface of the island,the several hills invasion of Fishers Island.The North Atlantic Squadron,then holding its at no great distance from each other,the clumps of trees scattered about annual maneuvers at nearby Newport,Rhode Island,would engage the here and there, all tend to form strategical points of which advantage Army troops stationed on Fishers Island.This mock battle was predict- can be taken" The Day agreed that it was a perfect site for training,but ed to be of great benefit to both services. Army troops feverishly dug also prophetically recognized that"this portion of Long Island Sound is trenches and prepared defensive earthworks to impede the invasion of also of practical importance in its relation to the outer defences of New `enemy'sailors. York,so that the studies of it made by officers during the practice evo- Alas, the eagerly anticipated battle between Army and Navy forces lutions may bear important fruits"(July 3, 1888) was not to be.Just days before its scheduled start, the sham war was There were,however,some local concerns generated by the arrival of abruptly canceled.The reason?At the last minute,an Islander (either a all these soldiers. The Day assured its readers that"no difficulty is antic- member of the island-owning Fox family, or a tenant) made a claim to ipated in preserving the best discipline among the men. They cannot the government for $500 to cover potential damage to crops by the get away from the island without difficulty and although there is lager, invading naval forces.The Army balked and the Navy decided to sail etc.,on sale at the hotels it will not be furnished to others than guests away rather than pay. The New York Times was furious: of the hotels."(July 4, 1888) When Autumn maneuvers are to be conducted in Germany the fate of the crops To the astonishment of many, the military activity on Fishers Island is the last consideration,and if trampled down,appeals for damages are liberal- became a tourist attraction of grand proportions. The New York Times ly and promptly met. (July 25, 1888) reported that the arrival of the troops"...has completely revolutionized life in this hitherto quiet spot.The soldiers'visit promises to be a god- Relies on the Coast send to the Summer hotels and cottages which already flourish here. Thousands of people from the mainland, from Massachusetts, The Times was not the only public voice filled with concern about Connecticut and Rhode Island are poured into the romantic precincts Europe's military professionalism versus America's amateurism. Collec- about the camp daily, and the island steadily becomes more deserving tively,they portrayed a nation that was in prepared to meet any foreign of its patronymic,`The Coney Island of the East:"(July 22, 1888) threat. There was truth to their charge that the United States had It was considered a marvel that people could travel from as far away ignored its armed forces. The nation, exhausted by the Civil War, had as Springfield, Massachusetts, watch the military spectacle on Fishers shown little desire to maintain or fund a professional military. If need Island,and still return home to sleep in their own beds that same night. be,the argument went,citizen soldiers would rise as they always had in Modern steam trains carried these pioneer day-trippers to New London, the past.This neglect had taken its toll.The Navy consisted primarily of where ferries were waiting to take them to the Island: Civil War antiques,whose maneuvers were mockingly called displays of national weakness.The Army numbered only 25,000 men,scattered at X fiver 2O0P isolated posts, lacking basic supplies and modern weapons. was headed by Secretary of War William C.Endicott,and was known as Their plight was dramatized by accounts in military journals of artillery the Endicott Board.Its report,released in 1886,minced no words: troops parading about with muskets without access to any artillery save The coast fortifications, which in 1860 were not surpassed b thosef a reveille gun. p by oany country for efficiency...have, since the introduction of rifled ns Another focus of concern was the stat _ of heavy e of America's seacoast fortifi � `'Y cations,which had been an integral part of the nation's defenses since power and of armor plating in the navies of the world, become unable to cope with modern or iron or steel-clad ships of war; far less to prevent their e first national program of 1 4. p passage the 79 The architecture and a P P Fpm armament of P � the forts had evolved,but their mission had remained remarkably con- into ports destined for attack. stant.Their purpose is illustrated by the following summary of princi- It decried the nation's lack of spine: ples,first published by the Board of Engineers in 1816: It is impossible to understand the supineness which has kept this nation quiet 1.They must close all important harbors against an enemy,and secure them for — allowing its floating and shore defenses to become obsolete and effete — our merchant marine. without making an effort to keep progress with the age, while other nations, 2.They must deprive an enemy of all strong positions... besides constructing powerful navies have not considered themselves secure 3.They must cover the great cities from attack. without large expenditures for fortifications, including armored forts. 4. They must prevent...the great avenues of interior navigation from being blockaded at their entrance into the ocean. The Property at Stake 5.They must cover the coastwise and interior navigation,by closing the harbors. The Endicott Report laid bare the vulnerability of cities and seacoast 6.They must protect the great naval establishments. populations, warning that America's burgeoning metropolitan areas By the 188Os the latest generation of forts guarding n our nation's ons har_ were tempting targets for any potential enemy to bombard and plunder: born could perform none of these tasks easily.lY.Althou�many had been The property at stake exposed toe capture and destruction would amount built as recently as the 186Os,they were already obsolete.Their impos P to billions of dollars and the contributions in vertical walls of brick and masonry, , ons which could be levied b a hostile g nry,once an effective shield against Y the cannon ball, were no match for the high-velocity projectiles that fleet upon our sea-ports should be reckoned at hundreds of millions. could now be fired from naval guns. The harshest critics considered The Board predicted that future naval attacks would be directed these forts to be oversized targets that invited long-range bombardment against America's commercial ports,ships engaged in foreign trade,and and endangered the very cities and harbors they were supposed to merchant vessels operating along the coast. Echoing the principles of defend.America's once formidable forts had been reduced by advances 1816, it stressed that fortified harbors were needed to provide a safe in naval ordnance to "relics on the coast.' The prospect of national haven for these ships,and to protect naval stations,navy yards,military humiliation loomed large: depots,lines of communication and transportation centers.Strong forti- Today a million of men, armed with a profusion of every appliance of a mod- fications would also free the Navy to assume its proper place on the ern first-class army, and entrenched about New York City, could not protect it high seas.No self-respecting world power could afford to have its Navy from capture and destruction or contribution by even a second-rate naval tied to the coast in a purely defensive posture.Fortified harbors would power.— (Harpers New Monthly, November 1885) allow the Navy to roam,protecting America's increasingly far-flung com- mercial interests. In time of war the Navy had to be free to engage The Endicott Board enemy fleets far from its shores at locations of its own choosing. To counter Europe's domination in armament manufacture the Board In 1885,responding to entreaties from concerned civilians and high- recommended the immediate establishment of"proper plants for the ranking military officers,Congress authorized President Cleveland to ap- construction of modern guns," and encouraged the domestic produc- point a board to investigate the state of America's seacoast defenses.It tion of gun steel. It was considered imperative that the United States Xi Harpe's weekly,August 15, 1891 begin producing its own modern armament- Onee Inside the Race To properly defend America's harbors, the Endi- cott Board recommended the construction of per- The Endicott Report had confirmed the impor- manent fortifications in 27 ports,to be armed with + ; tance of improving New York City's defenses.On 677 high-powered guns and 824 modern mortars. * �� its priority list of the ports to be fortified, New Also included were torpedo boats,submarine mines York City ranked number one: "This important and floating batteries.It was an ambitious plan with ��� � � port must be fortified at both entrances in the a he price to of$126,377,800."Nothin less will �Ru` �' most thorough manner."The proposed armament 'P gg ? t" t M,� e+0. £.3. suffice even for a beginning,"the Board stressed. included modern guns, mortars, torpedo boats Congress responded with a yawn.America was at r9� �J and submarine mines. All weaponry was desig- peace and the lack of a perceived threat under- +� i a 3 =---_- - _ nated for existing harbor forts and fortification mined the arguments for the modernization of sites close to the Ci� '� =��_=j�a _ ty coast defenses.Geographic location also influenced ,lem I,,�, New York City was vulnerable to naval attack the degree of concern. A politician in Indiana was (� "' - ____ from two directions.Ships could approach from not likely to fear bombardment,nor approve funds -- f the Atlantic and get within bombardment range to fortify New York City. It would be four years f f`?: "` nc� of downtown at a point south of the Narrows, before even modest action was taken to implement �• %' � �n« aj%,�ti�; ty the channel between Brooklyn and Staten Island, the Board's recommendations. However, the � ; _,;' ........ °► which is currently spanned by the Verrazano �,�. �� , Endicott Report provided a rallying cry for its advo- ,- �a..s,�� Bridge. Or, hostile ships could steam into Long cates, and a blueprint for action. Ultimately, a new Island Sound from the east, going past Fishers system of fortifications would arise in the late Island through the Race, skirting the coastal 1890s and early 1900s, part of which would be a Bombarding New York City from cities of Connecticut, (themselves key targets fort on the western tip of Fishers Island. the sound and the Narrows. because of their armament industry), to arrive In the wake of the Report's release,the debate over our defenseless near the spot where the East River and the Sound meet.From that van- coast moved from obscure military journals to the front pages of tage point large sections of uptown could theoretically be bombarded. America's popular magazines and newspapers. There it would remain In August 1891,a new line of defense for NewYork City was proposed throughout the last years of the century,peaking in a frenzy triggered by by a Second Lieutenant named E.M. Weaver. Writing in The United the Spanish-American War.To rouse a largely indifferent Congress and an Service, a military journal,he stated: apathetic citizenry,advocates of coast defense published a flurry of arti- Every one, it is presumed, has noticed the oval outline of Long Island Sound; cles that dramatized the perilous vulnerability of target cities,especially how it is narrow at the extremities and widens in the middle. The thought is New York City, America's premier commercial port: naturally suggested that it might be possible to establish a line of defense at the A hostile fleet lying in the upper bay of New York would have within reach of eastern entrance to the sound. their guns about two billion dollars worth of destructible property in New York He argued that improving the inner line of fortifications, as the alone...But the effect produced by shells alone would be insignificant in com- Endicott Board had suggested,was nowhere near as effective as mount- parison with the sweeping destruction resulting from fire caused by their explo- ing an outer line of defense at the eastern entrance to the Sound.George sions. No fire department, however efficient, could check the progress of their parsons Lathrop popularized the idea in an 1891 Harper's Weekly article: flames...New York would be doomed... (journal of the Military Service Institution, December 1886) In the case of a foreign war,it is quite likely that our assailants would not strike their first blow at Sandy Hook or the Narrow.Their attack would probably be x# 1 i % made from the eastward through Long Island Sound, by way of the Race (off "�•* DEFENCE New London) and Gardiners Bay. An advance through the sheltered waters of the Sound would then be easy and secure, and at present we have no means of NEW LO"CON GOOTON XLH,IVU�y protecting the entrance to those waters. Once inside the Race, a hostile fleet s MMIC ,r could not only seize New London, and cut important lines of communication, but could destroy towns, cities, property, and material of immense value all SOUND along the Connecticut shore. Moreover,it could ravage the greater part of Long Island. Having gained a foothold on both sides of the great coastwise waterway, it would be able to establish bases of supply and of operation for land forces5°„ LONG 151AND without ever coming in range of the works at Fort Schuyler and Willets Point. �ALIANT RUCK These preliminary manoeuvres would in themselves inflict deadly damage on � rtf,0 Suffolk, Westchester, and to a greater degree on New York. Besides, with a strong fleet enjoying "the freedom of the Sound" so to speak, the enemy's R�� chance of forcing a passage by Willets Point and capturing the chief commer- ISLAND SOUND GAjIDIN EFS cial city of the Union would be increased enormously...These facts ought to be enough to prove that New York city needs an outer line of defence on the east q at the head of the Sound, by which the gates opening into the sound from the ti �A,�Ixr�d Atlantic Ocean could at any moment be closed effectually. e�w I Natural Bulwarks ` 1 "� MONTAUII P: Lathrop's proposed outer line of defense stretched from near Watch P Hill, RI, to the tip of Gardiners Island, NY, a distance of 27 miles.The A intervening islands of Plum, Great Gull, Little Gull and Fishers greatly r facilitated closing the gap. This defense line was further aided by the u ° J fact that of the five points of entry into the Sound most were unnaviga- Harper's weekly,November 14, 1891 ble to large battleships. The waters of the channel between Fishers Island and New London — Fishers Island Sound — were too shallow. The Greatest Advance in Artillery The passage between Race Rock and Fishers Island was also considered The geography was fortuitous, but what were the weapons that al- unsafe for major battleships.Another unnavigable channel lay between lowed military strategists to consider"locking the gate" of the Sound? Plum and Gull islands. Plum Gut, between Oyster Pond Point on Long They were a new generation of guns and mortars that emerged from the Island, and Plum Island, was too narrow and treacherous for vessels crucibles of the machine age in the decades that followed the Civil War. drawing over 15 feet of water.The most likely route into the Sound for A combination of technological advances in armament design,metallur- hostile vessels was the Race:the deep,swift-moving channel,three and gy,propellants and industrial machining allowed the creation of power- one half miles wide,divided by a shoal known as Valiant Rock. ful,long-range artillery that outmoded existing cannon. In Lathrop's words: "It would be difficult to find anywhere in the The new weapons were loaded through the breech(not the muzzle), world a position of such enormous importance, at the same time pro- manufactured of steel(not iron),rifled(not smooth bore),and used effi- vided by nature with such extraordinary and providential means of pro- cient slow-burning propellant(instead of explosive gunpowder).Rather tection.The islands are natural bulwarks,which have only to be suitably than firing ineffective cannonballs, the new weapons blasted high- furnished with cannon and men to become impregnable" impact,bullet-shaped projectiles out of long steel barrels.These barrels x#i S Harper's New Monthly Magazine,November 1885 , emplaced large cannon in widely dispersed batteries at strategic loca- tions outside the walls of vulnerable forts. In his book Seacoast Forti- fications of the United States, Dr.Lewis summarized the importance of this shift: This abortive program marked a distinct turning point in American fortifica- tion practice, for the technical and tactical concept on which it was based set a pA hi.l: pattern that was to characterize all future harbor defense undertakings in the OP.+-mill. hnn•,isinr.b. Lrinn^ulr. .lr ynuntlw WSS Ooa,We 1:❑,wanJw RJJS pnnnd<. 1:-1. Gan. :31nn L n. M1I-tm,Rnn. :I-Inn Gnn. IJO-,nn Fnu. "^' F """" ^N E°b" United States. Never again would forts be built in the storybook style as single j cour..n.nr<muas,ms or ennx,ns ann rs,n:n.rwrrs rawernus. structures housing large numbers of cannon. From this time on, a fort was a were rifled:the inner spiral grooves stabilized the projectiles in flight, piece of real estate occupied by a number of dispersed individual batteries. greatly increasing range and accuracy.Breech-loading enabled crews to load the massive weapons far more efficiently and with less danger. The new system of fortifications derived much of its strength not It was nothing less than a revolution in cannon design.In the words from thick walls of brick and masonry but from the relative invisibility of seacoast defense historian,Dr.Emanuel R.Lewis: of both its structure and armament.The modern gun batteries were The magnitude of the effect of this combination of developments can hardly be designed to blend into the surrounding natural landscape,camouflaging exaggerated, for together they represented the greatest advance to be made in the low-lying, reinforced concrete emplacements housing the new artillery between its invention in the fourteenth century and the appearance of weapons. the nuclear projectiles in the mid-twentieth. By the mid-1890s, two US Army officers, Adelbert R. Buffington and William Crozier,had perfected a gun carriage ideally suited for the mod- The consequences of this quantum leap for the defenses of the Long ern fortifications. Guns mounted on the Buffington-Crozier carriage Island Sound region were dramatic.When these new long-range guns were loaded and sighted in a lowered position with the parapet pro- were first mounted on foreign ships in the 1870s, the forts guarding viding protection from enemy fire.The gun came into view above the New London (forts Trumbull and Griswold)with their short-range can- parapet only for a few seconds at the moment of firing — the force of non, were rendered obsolete.To counter the threat to all its ports, recoil pushed it back down into the loading position.They became pop- America's arsenals began developing,testing and producing long-range ularly known as disappearing guns. seacoast guns. By the 1890s, these guns were ready for deployment. By 1896, the arguments of coast defense advocates had taken hold. With long-range artillery available,the military was now able to move The government was ready to proceed with fortifying New York's outer fortifications offshore to the island sites.For the first time it was possi- line of defense. Capt. Smith S.Leach,head of the New London District ble to guard the wide channels of the Sound and to properly protect the Office, Corps of Engineers, was ordered by the Chief of Engineers to strategic port of New London from long-range naval bombardment. prepare plans for the defense of the eastern entrance of Long Island A radically different type of fort emerged to house the new guns.The Sound,and to acquire all sites needed for modern fortifications. concept evolved out of a short-lived program in the early 1870s that Within months, the lighthouse reservation on Great Gull Island, the a r 0 w car r M S E — ,POWDER GNA RGE_. ew<ccw . r,RU moo" BANG SECTION THROUGH 12-INCH COAST DEFENCE GUN, SHOWING METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION. Scientific American Suppiement,)uly9, 1898 xiv Scientific American Supplement,July 9, 1898 OPINION ¢� A '' cations.War was formally declared on April 25, 1898. Although the Spanish ghost fleet would never appear on the horizon, ��y:- •. ��'' ���, its specter triggered a frenzied rush to complete the emplacements ►�?`� •._ '' `' underway on Great Gull and Plum islands, and pushed forward the planned construction on Napatree Point,RI,and Gardiners Point,NY.It also put pressure on both parties involved with the land dispute on Fishers Island to settle matters promptly. .;. By May, the need for seacoast fortifications had become a national - Tp obsession.Fear and panic of grand proportions gripped the east coast. Rumors circulated widely that a fleet of Spanish warships was loose on the Atlantic, intent on attacking and bombarding American coastal - cities. In reality, a squadron under the command of Admiral Pascual Cervera had slipped away from the Cape Verde Islands on April 29,1898, bound for Cuba. For one month the whereabouts of this phantom -` - Spanish fleet remained a mystery that haunted coastal residents and tit- . WErGaIpG A 52 TON GUN UN=NX 150 TON GUN AT=x=WATER—T AGAEN . illated newspaper readers throughout the land. Sensational newspaper future site of Fort Michie, was transferred to the War Department. By coverage and official secrecy fueled the anxieties of a populace already March 1897,the recently promoted Major Leach had obtained a site on predisposed to see ghostly apparitions of Spanish invaders in every Plum Island, the future home of Fort Terry. On April 5, 1898, an aban- passing vessel.Swarthy Spanish spies were spotted lurking in the shad- doned lighthouse reservation on a small sandbar northwest of Gardiners ows of military installations. Prudent Boston businessmen sent their Island, the future site of Fort Tyler, was also taken over by the War securities inland to Worcester for safekeeping. Leases for Long Island Department.In July 1898,a tract of land on Napatree Point,near Watch house rentals included bombardment clauses.Perhaps the greatest mea- Hill,RI,was purchased.Fort Mansfield would arise at this location. sure of popular fear was that people skipped their seashore vacations. In September 1896,negotiations for the desired site on the western tip of Fishers Island had begun. But the government and the Island's Not a Summer Cottage Open principal owners,Edmund M.and Walton Ferguson,were soon locked in The summer business at Fishers Island is very backward this year and the open- a battle over the price of the land.Condemnation hearings to determine ing of the season promises to be delayed beyond that of former years. H.W. a fair price commenced in August 1897.For an extended essay on the Cardwell,purser of the Munnatawket, said this morning that not a summer cot- acquisition of the fort site on Fishers Island,please see"The Matter of tage was yet open on the island. Generally at this time of the year several cot- Proceedings to Acquire Land on Fishers Island"on page 208. tages have been opened. The Mansion House has a few guests, but they are Spanish-Ameriean War transients employed in making repairs on cottages about the island. (The Day, The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor on February 15, May 17, 1898) 1898,did more than shock the nation. As is often the case in politics, Just before war was declared,Major Leach had received orders to pre- single dramatic events trigger monumental shifts in policy. Previously pare a regional defense plan.But what scale of defense could be imple- recalcitrant politicians became instant converts to the cause of modern mented?The recently adopted defense plan for the entrance of Long seacoast defenses.The possibility of a marauding Spanish fleet cruising Island Sound relied on the new seacoast guns with their increased up and down our shores put more money in the coffers of coast defense range,power and accuracy.These guns were not yet in place.The pro- than years of campaigning by concerned advocates.In March,Congress posed chain of fortifications — stretching across the Sound from Napa- allocated $16,000,000 in emergency appropriations for seacoast fortifi- tree Point to Gardiners Point — was virtually useless in the Spanish cri- xv sis.The emplacement sites were either under construction,in blueprint To the Editor of The Day, stage or, in the case of Fishers Island,bogged down by condemnation After having read an article entitled "Sound is Safe," as a resident of Fishers hearings. With incomplete fortifications and no modern armament, Island I cannot refrain from giving a few facts in regard to the matter. Major Leach was forced to abandon any notion of blocking the entrance The article says there are defensive works and elaborate telephone signal service to the Sound,or preventing enemy run-bys.He proposed a strictly local system here,and fortifications were started three months ago.Now when a por- defense of strategic sites along the Connecticut coast.The great port of tion of an article is untrue we feel like investigating and asking the question, Is New York City would have to fend for itself. any portion of the article true? Nothing whatever has been done to fortify this The only heavy armament available in Major Leach's district consist- island, not a single gun placed here. The telephone wire is placed in position ed of obsolete smooth-bore cannon mounted (or stored on skids) at but not attached to a battery, and there is no signal corps here. forts Trumbull and Griswold, overlooking the Thames River. Major Without doubt the Race is one of the most important places in which mines Leach's plan called for stripping most cannon from Fort Griswold, re- should be placed, yet we are under the impression that none have been placed deploying some to Fort Trumbull and the rest to temporary batteries to there as yet. —Resident, Fishers Island. N.Y., May 17[1898] be erected with due haste.These batteries were to be positioned at for- ward points covering the strategic harbors of the vulnerable shoreline Major Leach never got the troops his improvised defense plan re- cities, Stonington, New London, New Haven and Bridgeport.It was an quired.The early warning system was erected,but no forces were pro- a emergency plan, useful only if no modern warships swept into Long vided to operate it.The mines proved a major inconvenience to local a Island Sound. On the eve of the 20th century, the Spanish crisis had shipping.Temporary batteries of smooth-bore cannon were ready by turned back the strategic clock, forcing Major Leach to resurrect the mid-May for service at Stonington,Bridgeport,and New Haven,but no armament and tactics of an earlier era. troops were at any time assigned,with the exception of those posted at the battery at Stonington. Not a Single Gun Placed In May,poorly armed detachments of the 1st Connecticut Volunteer Major Leach also devised a plan for a coastal chain of government sig- Infantry took station on Plum and Gull islands and paraded around the nal stations connected by telephone wire, creating a primitive distant- construction sites. A 4.7-inch rapid fire gun was ready for service on early-warning system that was capable of raising the alarm in the tradi- Plum Island but Major Leach stated that the volunteer troops "would tion,if not the style,of Paul Revere's famous ride. have been of little or no use had it been necessary to serve the guns." He picked Mount Prospect,Fishers Island,as the site of the first sig- On May 13,at the height of the Spanish-American crisis,he summed nal station in the chain.From this perch,observers could communicate up the deplorable condition of the defenses in a letter to the Adjutant with the front-line outlook on Block Island by heliograph,signal flags or General,Department of the East: flares.He arranged with Southern New England Bell to run telephone Emplacements are under construction at each place [Great Gull and Plum wires and poles to the tip of Race Point.From there the system was con- islands], and large forces of workmen are employed. They are mostly Italians, nected by cable to New London, where wires ran westerly until they and, aside from the doubtful propriety of utilizing them as a defensive force in reached Noroton Point,west of Norwalk, almost the full length of the case of attack, it is, in my opinion, very imprudent to place arms within their Connecticut coast. reach on the islands,as they are at best turbulent in disposition and wholly irre- Major Leach further suggested the removal or displacement of buoys, sponsible and unreliable.The works themselves are in an unfinished condition, bells and lightships in Fishers Island Sound —thus employing on water and could be damaged to a very large degree.There is no armament yet in either the familiar land-tactic of changing road signs to confound an invading place. force. In mid-May, he ordered the planting of a total of 89 submarine Spain was defeated on August 13, 1898, but America had dodged mines in New London Harbor and New Haven's waters. P bombardment: "Had the United States been at war with England oi According to the New York Sun, the Sound was now safe from any fleet.A Fishers Island resident disagreed,and wrote a letter to The Day. France, instead of having Spain to contend with, a fleet would havc :swepf through the narrow passage at the eastern end of Connecticut The problem was that the gov r�B.itT_1 u" and laid under contribution all points as far as Throgg's Neck"(The Day, ernment only owned half of Sil- ver Eel Pond. The Chief of Engi- March 20, 1899) , The war had been a wake-up call for the nation.It was now of utmost neers wanted to know:"Is it pos- ' urgency that all fortifications at the eastern entrance to the Sound be sible that the proposed dredging completed at the earliest possible date.The site on Fishers Island was will interfere with any use of the formally acquired three weeks after hostilities ended.Within months, pond which the adjoining own- the western tip of Fishers Island was transformed into a vast military ers by right enjoy?" construction site. Major Leach's response indi- cates that he believed salt water fishing to be equal to fresh: aim - National Archives Almost no eyewitness accounts of the construction of a fort on The status of the pond as regards to the joint ownership of the United States Fishers Island exist. During the war, reporters had illegally landed on and private parties has been carefully considered. No material will be taken Great Gull and Plum islands,and written what Major Leach considered from, or placed upon, a foot of ground not belonging to the United States; inaccurate and sensational stories.Consequently,reporters and photog- nothing will be done that can affect the private interests in the pond, except al raphers were denied access to the construction site on Fishers. Only that by opening it to the sea, its surface will rise and fall with the tide. Its nat- W one brief news story has been found: ural level is higher than average high tide, so that when opened to tidal flow,its to Work is not so far advanced on this great vantage point for defence as it is on surface will rarely, if ever, be higher than now, but generally lower. at the other islands. The place now teems with activity and industry. Buildings In December 1898,labor crews began preliminary cuts to open Silver cover its inhospitable wastes, smoke from engine furnaces rises through tall er Eel Pond.When the channel was fully dredged in February 1899, Ed- chimneys and deeply laden boats discharge their cargoes.There is utter official ae silence on the delicate subject of the precise location of the battery. (The Day, and Walton Ferguson suddenly owned part of a pond that rose :)n silence 201899) and fell with the tides. (The government acquired the eastern half of , ad Silver Eel in 1908.) " How strictly this policy of military secrecy was enforced is illustrated By June 1899,a breakwater jetty had been constructed to protect the ed by the fact that when an employee of a construction firm needed to cut,and a dock was built along the shore of Silver Eel.A short leg of a int photograph equipment at the fort site,the Major gave specific instruc- railroad system was installed that connected the new cove to the con- tions that the batteries under construction could not appear in the struction site for the 10- and 12-inch guns. Once the dock was built a background. steady stream of boats and steamers delivered phenomenal amounts of T1 lumber, m i , steel beams, and broken stone.The following details S, The Status of the Pond p p g from a bidding document illustrate the scale of the loads:"Large broken n Major Leach's first task was to create a landing dock for supplies.In a stone must be in pieces weighing not less than 250 lbs.,nor more than -it letter to the Chief of Engineers dated December 13, 1898,he stated: three tons each...The quantity required is 7,000 to 9,000 tons...The e- stone must be delivered alongside the Government piers on open-deck n, The necessity for the work arises from the fact that there is no landing of any scows of a capacity of not less than 200 tons each." This was just part er character on the Government Reservation,and none on the island at all,which of the stone necessary for two gun emplacements. is practicable to use for landing materials for the work. Cutting into Silver Eel Another report states that the excavation on the gun emplacements -d a Pond is proposed, because it is not only cheaper than to build a dock out into was"exceedingly difficult on account of the bowlders of all sizes,about I or the Sound, but affords a perfectly land-locked harbor in which vessels can lie 2,500 tons of good grout or large broken stone having been secured Lave and discharge in any weather. from the large bowlders found in the excavation" xvii The Lowest-Priced Men in the Trade Complaint has been filed at this office to the effect that the Federal 8 hour law Who was doing all the heavy lifting? Primarily Italian laborers from is being violated on the government work on the fortifications and buildings on Fishers Island, N.Y. It is alleged that the men are paid 30 cents per hour and New York City and Philadelphia. Many of the crews were transferred work 10 hours per day in violation of the Federal 8 hour law. Further it is from Plum and Gull islands after completion of the works there.They lived in tar paper shanties in an area known as"Little Italy,"located west charged the men are compelled to sleep in shanties and are charged $4.>0 per week board. of Silver Eel Cove (100 yards north of today's public tennis courts).The Italian labor crews were controlled by the `padronesI' much detested Major Leach responded: crew bosses with the power to hire and fire at will.It's difficult to get The carpenters on Fishers Island are paid by the day of eight hours each, the an objective portrait of workers'life at Fishers because they appear in rate of wages being $2.40 for such day. They work usually 10 hours, and for the files only when dramatic events had occurred:loss of life,crippling that work are paid for a day and a quarter. The market rate of wages in this accidents, law suits, drunken brawls, and the occasional rebellion.The locality, according to the best information I can obtain, is$2.25 to $2.50 a day laborers went on strike at least once during the construction of the of nine hours.These are not house carpenters or joiners, but the lowest-priced Fort.It was promptly crushed.However,enough evidence exists to sup- port the charge of Generose Gioia, a fired foreman: "These Italian men in the trade. padrones are veritable leeches.They grind the poor laborers and get the 1,000,000 square feet majority of their wages — if they protest they lose their places.' The Corps of Engineers had an agreement with the contractors to When construction began, ponds dotted the entire military reserva- supply laborers"as a commodity"to use Major Leach's phrase.Construc- tion.One of the largest was northwest of today's Ferry District parking tion work was supervised by government overseers, but that's where lot.Captain John Cree, Artillery Corps,wrote on June 8, 1901: their responsibility to the workers ended.The contractors were respon- There are on the reservation twenty stagnant ponds of fresh or brackish water, sible for setting daily rates and payment of wages and overtime.The having an estimated area of 1,000,000 square feet, and in addition to this, Major wanted no misunderstanding about this and asked the Italian about twenty or twenty-five acres of marsh, all of which furnishes breeding Consul General in New York to translate the following note to be post- places for hordes of mosquitoes, which interfere greatly with the comfort and ed throughout the construction sites:"All laborers on this work are to health of the garrison stationed here. I would request that steps be taken in understand that the United States assumes no responsibility for their regard to the filling in of the worst of these places. Some of them appear to be wages.The money due them is paid to the contractor for their payment." clean and not detrimental to health, others are foul and slimy and should cer- Not surprisingly, labor disputes arose on numerous occasions. On tainly be filled in before a permanent garrison is stationed at the post. April 12, 1899, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America asked the Secretary of War to intervene: One by one most of the ponds were filled in with tons of gravel and ii sand.Labor gangs also dumped more than 100,000 cubic yards of fill on :.. the swamp in the middle of the Parade Grounds.Both the land and the ' structures at the fort during construction would be unrecognizable to those familiar with the area today.Temporary buildings came and went with dizzying speed,many were razed,other were simply moved to new sites as the need arose. A frenzied assortment of work crews trans- formed the site.Large sections of the reservation were graded by dozens of horse teams hauling drag scrapers, crisscrossing the property,level- ing much of the undulating landscape.The western tip of Fishers Island was not always so flat. The Italian colony,Fort Terry,Plum Island. 1898. National Archives xviii �. Corps Of Eng. `- sneers overseers scurried about from one construction site to the next,supervising the monstrous excavations needed for the ._ r gun emplacements.A railroad track snaked along the edge of Silver Eel Cove and headed east behind what became Officers Row,terminating at the mortar pits,the future site of Battery Clinton. The Quartermaster Corps,responsible for building permanent struc- tures,began arriving in force in 1901.Among the first buildings erected were two large barracks on the Parade Grounds, six wooden officers quarters on Officers Row (five of which still stand), two non-commis- sioned officers quarters, the original hospital and hospital stewards quarters. With characteristic military precision,and labor gangs work- only known photo of Fort Wright NARA-Wolthom ing overtime,Fort H.G.Wright began to emerge from the chaos. under construction. 1902. The first troops, 2nd Company Coast Artillery, stationed at Fort population of natives and its several hundred terror-stricken summer Trumbull, arrived in February 1901. They numbered 29 enlisted men boarders"(The New York Times, September 2,1902)The marines quick- and two officers.Throughout the spring of 1902,the Fort prepared to ly captured the Army signaling post on Beacon Hill,`destroying'its flares, receive approximately 800 additional soldiers scheduled to arrive in late rockets, heliographs, and signal flags, as well as experimental wireless summer for war maneuvers. telegraphy equipment.After the local telegraph cable was`severed,'the We Sank Them A112 victory was total:Block Island belonged to the Navy. The primary assault on Fort H.G.Wright occurred on September 3, The first major test of Fort H.G.Wright came not from hostile fleets, 1902.Before dawn, Admiral Higginson steamed east,skirting the south- but from a simulated attack by US warships during the final phase of ern shore of Fishers Island. As soon as they rounded Wilderness Point, joint Army-Navy maneuvers in September 1902.These war games pitted the battleships opened fire. the new island forts against the US Navy's North Atlantic Squadron Two minutes later the land spit on which Fort H.G. Wright is located, sud- under the command of Admiral Francis Higginson.This `enemy' fleet denly broke into flame and smoke, and figuratively speaking, the water about consisted of sixteen warships,including four battleships. the attacking squadron broke into geysers where the shells struck, while the The key question to be answered during these maneuvers was: are impact of steel on armor Tates and the racks of shattered metal could be heard the coastal forts capable of stopping a hostile fleet from penetrating the P P c above the roar ofns.The splendid spectacle continued from 8 minutes after outer defenses without the support of the Navy? Major General Arthur 5 o'clock until 6:35 o'clock, and at that time Gen. Arthur MacArthur claimed MacArthur, temporarily assigned as Commander of the Department of P Y � P . that the invader, with his four splendid vessels, the Kearsar e, Massachusetts, the East,was in charge of all defending forces ensconced at coastal forts P S g . g Indiana, and Alabama, and all his men on board were swept from the face of throughout the region, including forts Wright, Rodman Adams Weth- P g , gthe sea. - (The New York Times Septembertember 4 1902 )Brill Greble, Mansfield Michie Terry and ler. �' The results of the mock battles were to be judged by umpires, as- Admiral Higginson disagreed.As far as he was concerned,Fort Wright signed to both ships and forts,and,in cases of dispute,determined by a had been reduced to"grout masses of shattered masonry and furrowed board of high-ranking officers from both branches of the service. earth°' The Army issued a statement that left no doubts,"We Sank them Elaborate rules were laid down to determine when a ship or fort was All!" The New York Times concluded: "As a general proposition the Put out of action or silenced.The difficulty of determining a`kill'amidst American who views this morning's battle will rest assured that if ever the chaos of a simulated battle would cause many disputes. a real hostile fleet seeks to destroy this country's metropolis it will find On September 1,Admiral Higginson captured Block Island in a deaf- in Fort H.G.Wright an obstacle of imposing dimensions" ening pre-dawn raid. Marines stormed ashore and seized the "thrifty — Pierce Rafferty xix I 1 I ri ;} V Fort H.G.Wright's flagpole: 100 feet tall.Circa 1911. 1 i + i fbJ"a 1 •i 1 10 A i w �y vM V t:CdL !tJal.C.P 1}JLhel. _ C4p}.H.M(_Furrar• �*ao A h1`C!et'.an Uin.Wrls? t Cad! S N.Mannih uure On April 4, 1900,the Fort on Fishers Island was named in honor of Major General Horatio G.Wright, US Volunteers,a distinguished commander in the Civil War.After service during the rebellion he rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the US Army Corps of Engineers,and served as Chief of Engineers from 1879 until his retirement in 1884. 2 I I I� IIIA b I 1- 4 Colonel Smith S.Leach,Corps of Engineers,USA.Date unknown. First as a captain,then as a major,Smith S.Leach was the supervising engineer in charge of the defenses of Long Island Sound from August 1,1896 to January 2, 1902.As head of the New London District office of the Corps of Engineers,he was responsible for proposing and designing the fortification sites,securing the land,and supervising the construction of the five forts that guarded the eastern entrance to Long Island Sound at the turn of the century. 4 t 1 7 S �4 'R N - OEEENJEJ OF THE EAJEEHN EN7NANCE OEL ONG/JL ANO ra"17- P ��t7Pased Loca f7Jyre�aNy,ament _ i I 13rrnrded f0/hG Chef of EnyiirerJ y9//l� / q --.r r e svrerj�- - A'E7JJ�%GCf OfI�/%JO%fSfB. . ,U. ""--✓L... 1 __.�.5/xel,/ ----- A /'En9ineers U S Array Geaero/ �Si/ir�y P/ars.---- - U//%/eo'Sfo%s En9igeer O%sce. NeivLonoen Cmn. National Archives Major Leach's first site map for heavy armament was submitted on March 19,1898.The land was acquired six months later in September 1898.Work on the emplacements began in December 1898.Please note the large ponds near the current location of the Ferry District parking lot, west of Silver Eel Pond.They were filled with dirt and gravel in the early 1900s. 5 CO/T/ON OFMAR.28,/92/. SER/AL NUMBER LONG /BEANO SOUND RE V/3/ONS FORT H. G. WRIGH T BATTER/ES7 \'� N / GL/Nro 4-12"M B(/rTERF/CLO 2-/2"D/s \ F/SKERS ISLAND,N.Y. BARLOW __-2-/0•• \ GENERAL MAP DurroN______.3 *HAM/LYON __2-6+ o /ha ar•o 1f/NARGY_- �� -2-6' 3poro/G/oyrom O/J M o Io bu usrd.n rw �0 See the Map'D/. --b."W,16-- HOF AN _2-,3•p -"' i �� HOPPOCK_ J P �� _:��••;'. �-/��� Lr L,s/.n.ny ch.,nb.r \- \ * A a ena O A AR - N>' S' ors. .� • j ��� �l�C I M. 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Is = I= 3• \ oldN.c./ese„°•sh, urTERFrclo__2-12 0is ISOFF/CE OFARTY-CNOR, I } OZA'0;,n,. /S.BANO QUARTERS. `• �>'wO� •i 23 rs 3 2 S ✓! 112 IT.SNOP. 1 is wow ♦ 5< 3 3 3 r dig N //!/s(i( ; rSo n,°yP.oeJ DurrON--------3-6", HAAYL7 �—e 3 3 + ° �o- \ v./N:�µ.�r NAM/ETON_____-2-6•• , le.wwr;oNSNeo. yJ� " r i . L� AMARCY_________Z-6" N.BOAr NO1/SC. /w IOO.GARAOC. "r /i I Mf�• 7 • I/0/.BANO3T/N0. (T Y •• • ®'•.•� Thi■\ \1 ® 1V •h `` `A� �fRHtAOOrFPMPFOMOmCAKeNn�_/-r_�e.m__- /02.F/RC HOUSE.. N /03NO3E HOUSE. /04. OIR. T 105 WARMI"SOLO/ERSOAS, C MS.CCAL OFF/CE. /07.5CALES. \ LD 2ov'-e3.d3"". fP?. 231 1 DUTY y/ /Oe.COAL SNEO. L� MARCY 110 �r . 11-H SHED. p -„ 1/O.O/LNOOSE. I I I/I.TEAM3TCR3 QRS. 112.CANrQNMGNr BLOO3. 113BALLOONNAN6AR. ^Jy 1p� , ..�� JouP>or . N 2j.QM.SGOM-57'.NOUSL. 22Q.M.SORCHOU3E. 23.Q.M,BARRACKS. .B u cr -- GMP 24Q,M.NE CRU. e • ^ 25.sTONE CRUSHER. 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QET. n 239 �I G2� I I g 57 .S/G NFI L T-307(�( SOFT Q/-i- ` I I GZ TNE.97'R,C 21 it 1 L_f 63 HOSP/7gL //2 NCO 0461.6 B �'s E �9Lt ' 7 PAST E"NG/NEEf?S 1!6 POST Hqs. PO ST MA P ,��0 726 T¢ ®OWL/NG q4k K-5 1/6 SPCC/RL SERV/CESS � FO TZT H. G. WRIGNT' 97 MOTOR POOL /Z6 6FSK6TBRLG COURTS NEW YO R K -96 CONfM/SSgR Y TJSS SCRLS: I"= 4p0, 20 pCT X48 /DO OR O IVR/VC4- J6 PROVOST HQ-5. DRAW N- N(• G ON Y O CIT-365 H L Ferguson Museum 1948 map of Fort Wright with number system that matches the numbered buildings referred to in captions. 207