Fort Pulaski

fort, Savannah, Georgia, United States

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July 13, 2026

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Fort Pulaski is a 19th-century masonry fort located on Cockspur Island in Georgia, near Savannah. It was built between 1829 and 1847 to defend the Savannah River. During the American Civil War, Confederate troops seized the fort before the Union captured it in 1862. This capture was significant because it marked the first use of rifled artillery, demonstrating that masonry forts were vulnerable. The bombardment led to the closure of Savannah's port to Confederate traffic. Today, Fort Pulaski is preserved as a National Monument.123

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Cockspur Island
…the need for coastal defense, Fort Pulaski (named for the U.S. colonial army officer Kazimierz Pulaski) was built (1829–47). Following its completion, the fort remained ungarrisoned until it was seized by Confederate troops in January 1861, just before the outbreak of the American Civil War. It was bombarded and captured…
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…the need for coastal defense, Fort Pulaski (named for the U.S. colonial army officer Kazimierz Pulaski) was built (1829–47). Following its completion, the fort remained ungarrisoned until it was seized by Confederate troops in January 1861, just before the outbreak of the American Civil War. It was bombarded and captured…
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military technology
Duration of early modern fortification
…by rifled Union artillery of Fort Pulaski, a supposedly impregnable Confederate fortification defending Savannah, Georgia, marked the beginning of a new chapter in the design of permanent fortifications.
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…by rifled Union artillery of Fort Pulaski, a supposedly impregnable Confederate fortification defending Savannah, Georgia, marked the beginning of a new chapter in the design of permanent fortifications.
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