On November 8, 1861, the name of the fort was changed by General Thomas W. Sherman's General Order #28 to Fort Welles, named for Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles.
Bu 1888, Fort Walker was abandoned, falling apart with parts washed away by the sea. The Federal government retained possession of the 902 acres of Coggins Point. It was reactivated during the Spanish-American War and World War I.
I was looking for the fort's armament when captured and having difficulty until I came across an article in the Nov. 30, 1861, Harper's Weekly which said the fort had thirteen 32-pdrs, two siege 12-inch guns, 2 rifled 8-inch Columbiads, one 10-inch Columbiad, two carronades and an 8-inch Columbiad. The article also reported that plenty of ammunition was found.
This would refute another source that said the Confederates withdrew with all but three guns out of service and ammunition about gone.
Now, I Know Something About the Fort. --Old B-Runner
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