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Fort Pike

Elsaesser Fellowship 2019

Fort Pike

Fort Pike is a decommissioned 19th-century United States fort, named after Brigadier General Zebulon Pike. It was built following the War of 1812 to guard the Rigolets pass in Louisiana. After the War of 1812, the United States built the fort in 1819 to protect New Orleans and the Gulf Coast against British or other invasions of the United States.

Fort Pike Looking East over Rigolet Pass

Before Hurricane Katrina, the fort's brick-and-mortar structure was decaying. The 2005 storm surge exacerbated the problems. It temporarily completely submerged the entire fort and destroyed adjacent state park buildings. The site temporarily reopened in 2008, but, due to damage caused by Hurricane Gustav in early September 2008, the park was closed indefinitely. As of June 2009, the fort was open. It is undergoing extensive repairs and restoration work. After Hurricane Isaac in 2012, the fort was closed indefinitely pending repairs and debris cleanup. The fort was again temporarily re-opened to visitors following Hurricane Isaac, but closed again in February 2015 due to state budget cuts.

During the War of 1812, the still powerful British Navy, sailed up the Potomac River and, with little opposition, sacked Washington DC. This attack provided the US Government with the realization that the new nation was by all rights defenseless against any determined foe with respectable naval capabilities.

Following this conflict, US President James Madison (1751-1836) approved the design and implementation of the Third System of seacoast fortifications in 1816. Military leadership identified approximately 200 locations along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts as being in desperate need of fortification. New Orleans and its approaches were one of the first to receive the attention of the US Army's Corps of Engineers (A note that will become plainly evident when we visit Fort Proctor).

A bastion fort or trace italienne also sometimes referred to as a "Starfort" (a phrase improperly derived from French, literally meaning Italian outline), is a fortification in a style that evolved during the early modern period of gunpowder when the cannon came to dominate the battlefield. It was first seen in the mid-15th century in Italy. 

The design of the fort is normally a pentagon or hexagon with bastions at the corners of the walls. These outcroppings eliminated protected blind spots, called "dead zones", and allowed fire along the curtain from positions protected from direct fire. Many bastion forts also feature Cavaliers, which are raised secondary structures based entirely inside the primary structure. These can be seen in the UAS Images and video links below

There were many "starforts" as they were called built worldwide, in fact, Fort Wood, whose walls were repurposed as the base for "Lady Liberty" was a classic "starfort" design 

The statue of Liberty, Built atop Fort Wood

Fort Pike Eastern Battery Wall, Facing Rigolets Pass

Fort Pike Barracks

Fort Pike Primary Entrance

Fort Pike, South FAcing Battery Wall

A second angle of the view to the east over Rigolets Pass 

Interior Buildings and Barracks Looking West into Fort Pike's Courtyard

Primary Command structure, Fort Pike

Looking northeast into the courtyard

Western facing battery exterior wall

Overview of Fort Pike looking northwest into Lake Pontchartrain

Overview of Fort Pike looking north into Lake Pontchartrain

Raw Overflight Footage can be Viewed at: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGXeHk-9MsY 

Elsaesser Fellowship 2019 - Project Start

Family and Friends beside the 15" Rodman Cannon
in the North Bastion at Ft Massachusetts, Ship Island, Mississippi

I originally began developing this idea prior to Hurricane Katrina.  Conceived as an expedition to document the fortifications, lighthouses and historic properties along the US Gulf Coast, not so much out of fear for their loss, as I had never experienced such an event as "Katrina", but more so due to a keen interest in coastal history and how it helped to forge our nation.

Following Hurricane Katrina, and the destruction she wrought on our coast, my interest became more focused on preserving history as it was, for the future generations.  

One specific fortification, that has now been lost to history, completely destroyed by Katrina, was a gun emplacement in Lake Borgne on the Mississippi River approach to New Orleans. Built as a fortified two-story hexagonal tower guarding the entrance to Bayou Dupre from Lake Borgne, located in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. 

Tower Dupre was built on the site of a Spanish gun emplacement from the late 1600's. Construction on Tower Dupre began in 1827 and was completed in 1830. The cannons were mounted and operational by 1833. Originally designed to mount 24 guns with a garrison of 50 troops, It was more typically crewed by a three-man detachment from Fort Macomb (To be discussed at a later time). The tower required constant maintenance because of its constant exposure to Gulf Coast storms and erosion. Eventually, the tower became completely surrounded by water. Similar in design to the image from the Civil War at Tybee Island Georgia

More images from the ruins of Tower Dupre will be forthcoming as weather permits. However currently as it sits the whole of the structure was reduced to ruins by Katrina.

Ruins of Tower Dupre

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Gearing up for the voyages, The S/V Wanderer, a 1980 Hunter H27 operating out of Bay St Louis Municipal Harbor.

No project undertaken on a sailing vessel can be documented properly without someone aloft.
While not the mast of a tall ship sometimes we need to go up for lighting and rigging.

Walker Harris rewiring the spreader lights of the S/V Wanderer.
The only nice day so far since the trip began.

While working inshore and near shallow obstructions, we were supported by a 29' SeaCat to operate UAS systems for imaging of the project.

So far weather has not been conducive to photography in the slightest. 
View from the Jourdan River, entering Bay St Louis en route to Lake Borgne

Washington Pier, West of Henderson Point, Bay St Louis, MS

Bay St Louis / West Henderson Point Ferry Landing

Washington Beach 3/16/19, Bay Stlouis, MS

Bayou LaCroix entering the Jourdan River

Bayou LaCroix entering the Jourdan River

Bayou LaCroix entering the Jourdan River

Bayou LaCroix entering the Jourdan River

A ghostly view of Bay Bridge in the foggy distance

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Much More To Come

12/11/2018     And so It begins!

Today, I was awarded the 2019 Elsaesser Fellowship from Sea Education Association. The project is summarized as follows:

I have had the opportunity to travel the world by sea. A rare chance to see the world as our ancestors have experienced it, from a perspective very few in today’s world get a chance to experience. I have seen the islands of the Pacific and the related fortifications and remnants of conflict around the world. I have explored the British, Dutch and French fortifications, residences and lighthouses of the Caribbean and even the fortifications, lighthouses and abandoned research stations and shipwrecks of the Southern Ocean.  Traveling the world gave me a unique vision of the maritime history of the world, but my own country, I have very little experience with. 

The Gulf Islands National Seashore tells a unique story of the coastal history of the United States. The annexation of the territories of the Gulf Coast in 1804, and Spain ceding its Florida territories to the United States in 1819. This set the stage for events, which have had a vast impact on American history.  It is with this great and interesting history in mind, that I am proposing a thorough and detailed expedition to thoroughly explore and document each of the islands, fortifications, and lighthouses along with the homes and buildings of historic significance.

My work in the Gulf of Mexico and especially in and around the Gulf Islands National Seashore has shown me the rich maritime history of our nation and the impacts on its growth.  My personal research into the history of our nation’s southern coast has shown how the opportunity of a new land, rich with resources, played (and still plays) a very important part of our heritage. Unfortunately, I have found very little literature concerning the fortifications from the Mississippi River Delta along to the panhandle of Florida. There are the occasional “wiki” pages about an abandoned lighthouse, or where a pirate crew may have made camp.  There are satellite images of abandoned fortifications (as below) in the many river approaches of the Mississippi Delta up to New Orleans. Many locations are not accessible to the public or in places that you can only find through meticulous searching of Army records. Some of the better-known fortifications such as Fort Massachusetts and Fort Morgan have been turned into active museums and give visitors a glimpse of the past, but many other facilities lie ignored without any record of disposition, overgrown and in various states of reclamation by nature.  It is these pieces of history that truly excite me.

Years ago, as a student at Sea Education Association at Woods Hole Massachusetts (SEA), I was greatly influenced by a member of the faculty by the name of Jim Millenger.  Mr. Millenger instilled into me a previously unrealized but deep-running interest of maritime history and literature that has followed with me to this day. Though my education and profession took me in a different direction, I always made time and took any opportunity to delve into the nautical history, archeology, and literature of the Gulf of Mexico region where I lived.

My work constantly takes me onto and around the Gulf Islands National Seashore where I provide small vessel operations support as well as educational outreach for the Northern Gulf Institute and Mississippi State University.  As part of my job, I build scientific marine and environmental curriculum for students, specifically along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and operate marine hydrographic and biological sampling in support of several state and federal research programs. 

The work I do allows me to see the beauty of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, but only from a scientific perspective.  The Gulf Islands National Seashore also tells a unique story of the coastal history of the United States. The annexation of the territories of coastal Mississippi in 1804, and Spain ceding its Florida territories to the United States in 1819 set the stage for events, which have had a vast impact on American history. Numerous historic fortifications stand as sentinels along the beaches and islands from Louisiana to Florida.  Lighthouses and their remains stand or have stood to protect shipping and seaman from treacherous shoals and currents. Historic homes and tales of pirates abound, including the stories and legends of Jean Lafitte and his impact on our very freedoms.

There are 21 primary fortifications and over 100 batteries and gun emplacements along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Additionally, there are over 30 standing lighthouses and numerous others lost or destroyed ranging along from the Louisiana coast To Cedar Key in Florida.

There are hundreds of historic coastal homes and historic points of interest for pirates and explorers including some of the oldest operating businesses in the U.S., such as Mary Mahoney’s Old French House, a French trading post which has been in operation since 1699.

Even the Pirate Jean Lafitte, a French pirate, and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico, and hero of the American War of 1812 was known to operate between Galveston and Biloxi and is represented in a number of establishments still operating in the New Orleans French Quarter. The legacy and legends of his treasure and exploits are still the stuff of legend to this day. The loss of one of Lafitte’s ships, the “L’Hirondelle” which burned and sank in Biloxi Bay, as well as bullets, gunflints and other relics including cannon and cutlasses which were recovered in the area near the “carved magnolia trees” on Lovers Lane in Old Town Biloxi, have driven many local legends of pirate treasure yet undiscovered.

It is with this great and interesting history in mind, that I am proposing a thorough and detailed expedition to thoroughly explore and document each of the islands, fortifications, and lighthouses along with the homes and buildings of historic significance from the water, from New Orleans, Louisiana to Cedar Key in Florida, from a sailing and hiking perspective. 

 

Above: Jonathan Harris, C-112, in the Gulf of Mexico

Jonathan Harris, C-112, is the winner of the 2019 Armin E. Elsaesser III Fellowship. Jonathan, a geologist, and former SEA crewmember, is an education and outreach coordinator at Mississippi State University. Harris was selected from a field of 13 applicants.

The title of the project is:

“Pirates, Blockades and Commerce: an expedition to explore the maritime history, fortifications, and lighthouses of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.” 

Angela, Barbara, Steve, Jonathan, and Madalyn worked the NGI-NOAA fisheries trawling activity table at the Celebrate the Gulf Marine Education Festival in Pass Christian on Saturday, April 7, 2018. The activity idea was borrowed from Chris Simoniello’s GCOOS  activity. Our activity consisted of having the kids: select a small or large mesh “net” for the trawl, pull the net through the container filled with animals, sorting the animals into groups, recording the counts on a field sheet, then transferring those counts to a cumulative bar graph representing the total counts for the day.

Over one hundred kids participated in our trawl activity! Approximately eighty children using the small mesh trawl net and the remaining using the large mesh trawl net. The idea of having large and small mesh results graphed separately is to show how the trends in types of animals caught changes with gear selection. This activity tells the story of how we study fisheries in the Gulf from the planning phase (gear selection) to pulling the trawl, sorting by type of organism, enumerating, and recording results, and  bringing those results back to the lab and creating visual products.

We received great feedback from members who planned the event and the kids seemed to really enjoy the hands-on activity. They seemed to enjoy comparing their catch to the others as well.

 

Go visit the video here: Sampling in the Gulf of Mexico offshore Pass Christian, MS