Fort Monroe Becomes Mighty Important to the Union

From the April 15th Daily Press (Va.)

Fort (also called Fortress) Monroe was the United States' largest-ever masonry fort, covering some 63 acres. Its deep-water wharf at Old Point Comfort was just a day's steam by boat from Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New York City, Charleston and Savannah; a very strategic place.

When Virginia seceded on April 17th, two regiments of Massachusetts arrived, pushing the fort's garrison to 320. They began preparing the fort for war and retraining its guns at the land instead of sea as an attack by Confederate forces was expected at any time.

And now, after all these years, the federal government is preparing to turn the fort over to the State of Virginia as a historical site.

Real Big Fort never held by the Confederates. --Old B-R'er