Visiting Fort Pulaski National Monument and Cockspur Island Lighthouse

Cockspur Isalnd — Savannah, Georgia

We were on our way to Florida for the month of December and stopped at Savannah, Georgia. Once there, we decided to take an extra day and explore Savannah and Tybee Island a little bit.

I wanted to see Fort Pulaski. There are four stamps and stickers to get here for the National Park Passport Book — Fort Pulaski National Monument, Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, and Cockspur Island Lighthouse.

In order to get there we had to drive through Savannah and out to Tybee Island. As we turned on the road to Cockspur Island and Fort Pulaski we saw they were filming a movie on Tybee Island. We heard that several movies have been filmed on Tybee Island.

The visitor center is at the end of the road where the parking lot is and then it is just a short walk to the fort. You can see the fort from the parking lot. This fort is one of the best preserved fortifications from the 19th century.

I don’t think I have ever crossed a real drawbridge before.

The fort was completed in 1847 to help protect the United States against foreign invasion. In 1860, when South Carolina seceded from the Union and set the Civil War in motion, the state of Georgia took over the fort. Confederate troops officially moved into the fort in February 1861.

On April 10, 1862, Union troops forced the surrender of the fort by constant bombardment of shells from Tybee Island, and within six weeks, Union troops completely repaired all damages in the walls and it was turned into a prison for Confederate soldiers. This is where the Immortal Six Hundred were held.

Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the fort was used as an Underground Railroad for slaves. Once slaves reached Cockspur Island and the fort, they were officially freed.

Walking through the fort, you can visit every room including Colonel Olmstead’s quarters where he officially surrendered to Union troops, the kitchen, the dining room, the chapel, and the prison rooms.

Walking through historical places where history occurred is an experience Rich and I both enjoy. We read most of the signs, but I always take pictures of them so I can read them again later and get information off of them for my articles.

In order to see Cockspur Lighthouse up close we took a Dolphin Boat tour. Yes, we saw lots of dolphins and enjoyed getting up close to them and the lighthouse.

The lighthouse is not accessible on Cockspur Island. It sets on a small islet just off the southern tip of the island. The only way to see it up close is by boat. Amazingly, this little tower escaped destruction in the battle at the fort. The beacon light could be seen for nine miles, but as vessels began routing into larger ports, in 1909, the light was officially shut off. It was given to the National Park Service in 1958. Friends of the lighthouse have worked to relight the little tower, and hope to open it to tours in the future.

More National Park/Monuments checked off the list.

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