Fort Pickens Once Again Accessible by Car

Historic Fort Pickens near Pensacola can once again be visited by automobile. The access road to the old fort is once again open to traffic.

The road was destroyed during Hurricane Ivan several years ago and further damaged during Hurricane Dennis a year later. It has taken the National Park Service years to work through the red tape, environmental, funding and other issues, but the access road finally reopened in late May.

Built during the antebellum era, Fort Pickens played a critical role during the Civil War. Like Fort Sumter, the massive brick fortress was held by the Union throughout the war, even though Confederate troops occupied nearby Fort Barrancas, Fort McRee and the Advanced Redoubt. Two fierce bombardments took place between Confederate and Union forces in 1861 and 1862 and the outer camps of Fort Pickens were the target of a major Southern attack during the Battle of Santa Rosa Island.

In later years the fort served as a prison for the famed Apache leader Geronimo and it remained a vital U.S. military installation until after World War II. Now part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, the fort is maintained by the National Park Service.

Fort Pickens is open daily from 8 a.m. until sunset and ranger tours are given each afternoon at 2 p.m. The visitor center at the fort is open from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. The entry fee to visit the fort and the Fort Pickens section of the national seashore is $8, which allows access for a full week.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortpickens1.

Battle of Santa Rosa Island, Florida

Although it was small when compared to later engagements such as Vicksburg, Chickamauga and Gettysburg, a fierce night battle in the dunes of Santa Rosa Island, Florida, was one of the first significant battles of the Civil War.

The battle resulted from a retaliatory strike ordered by General Braxton Bragg, then commanding the Army of Pensacola, after U.S. forces launched a boat attack on the Confederate privateer Judah at the Pensacola Navy Yard. Designating General Richard H. "Dick" Anderson to lead the strike, Bragg sent 1,100 men across Pensacola Bay on the night of October 8-9, 1861, with orders to destroy the camp of Billy Wilson's 6th New York Volunteers. Wilson and his men were camped east of Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island. Contrary to some reports of the time, Bragg never intended to capture the fort unless some unexpected opportunity developed.

The Confederates advanced through the darkness during the hours before dawn on October 9, 1861, in three columns. One moved along the Gulf beach, another moved down the bay beach and the third was ordered to advance down the center of the island as the force approached the camps.

In addition to Anderson, the Southern troops were led by officers including Patton Anderson, James R. Chalmers and John K. Jackson. All would become heroes of the Southern war effort.

The Confederates overran Wilson's camp, torching the tents and breaking Wilson's attempt to form his men. Severe damage was inflicted to the encampments and the Southern force began to withdraw as Union reinforcements poured out of the fort and rushed to the scene of the action. By the time the fighting ended, the Confederates had lost 18 killed, 39 wounded and 30 captured. The Union forces lost 14 killed, 29 wounded and 24 captured.

The site of the battle is now preserved within the Fort Pickens Area of Gulf Islands National Seashore, a National Park area near Pensacola. The main road providing access to Fort Pickens was destroyed by hurricane and is currently being repaired, so the only way to access the area is by water taxi from Pensacola or private boat. The road should reopen later this year.

To learn more about the battle and Fort Pickens, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/santarosa1.