Fort James Jackson: One of Savannah's Hidden Treasures

Fort James Jackson

Savannah is surrounded by forts and bases. Former forts consist of McAllister, Pulaski, Screven, Wayne and bases are Hunter Army Airfield and Fort Stewart. The battle for Ft. Pulaski as described in a previous blog demonstrated that the brick or walled fort was now inadequate to defend anything. And the current bases were born. But one of Savannah’s great forts is one I have not mentioned yet: Fort Jackson.

It is located on the Savannah River three miles east of Savannah. Built on the orders of President Thomas Jefferson in 1808. It was place where an earthen battery such as found at Fort McAllister was located. It was called, with I am sure with tongue squarely in cheek, “Mud Fort”. It was used for the first time in the War of 1812 to guard the Savannah River. It is also the longest standing fort in Georgia.

The Fort was named for Revolutionary war hero and Savannah politician James Jackson. Jackson was a British native who fought for the American cause and rose to the rank of colonel. He immigrated at age 15 to Savannah, Georgia. Jackson became well known as a duelist with a fiery temper. At the age of twenty-five he was the officer who was given the honor to accept the surrender of the British in Savannah at the close of the revolution. Jackson continued his work with the Georgia Militia and would even participate in the removal of the Creek Nation from Georgia.] Jackson would eventually rise to the rank of major general in 1792. He was later a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and Governor of Georgia.

The fort had two periods of expansion after the War of 1812. These took place well before the Civil War. During the Civil War local militia units occupied the fort. The fort’s significance increased when Fort Pulaski was lost to Union forces. It was the Confederacy’s headquarters for Savannah’s river defenses. In 1862, Fort Jackson was shelled from a ship captained by an escaped slave named Robert Smalls but eventually he moved on as he could not penetrate the walls of the fort. They would not abandon the fort until General Sherman finished his march to the Sea at Savannah. They evacuated before he entered the city so as not to be taken prisoners. Fittingly enough was that the last American soldiers to be stationed at Fort Jackson were members of the 55th Massachusetts, an African- American unit.
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With walled forts no longer used for defenses it would not be used again for military purposes. The fort was abandoned in 1905 and the state of Georgia reopened it in 1965 as a maritime museum. But the finances did not work out and the state decided to close the museum in 1975.
In 1976, the Coastal Heritage Society, was a fledgling organization approached the State who was going to sell the property. They asked if they could take over the property and run it as a historic site. The state of Georgia said ‘yes’ and it was renamed Old Fort Jackson. Today Old Fort Jackson is visited daily by people across the world. It offers free cannon and musket firings and is one of the many sites in Savannah to see.

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James Jackson

Old Tybee Island Railroad Depot now located at Fort Jackson Site