About this property
Fort Jackson is a historic masonry fort located 40 miles (64 km) up river from the mouth of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. It was constructed as a coastal defense of New Orleans, between 1822 and 1832, and it was a battle site during the American Civil War. It is a National Historic Landmark. It was damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and its condition is threatened. It is marked Battery Millar on some maps, for the Endicott era work built nearby it. Fort Jackson is situated approximately 70 miles (110 km) south of New Orleans on the western bank of the Mississippi, approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of Triumph, Louisiana. The older Fort St. Philip is located opposite of Fort Jackson on the eastern bank; this West Bank fort was constructed after the War of 1812 on the advice of Andrew Jackson, for whom it is named. The fort was occupied off and on for various military purposes from its completion until after World War I, when it served as a training station. It is now a National Historic Landmark and historical museum owned and operated by Plaquemines Parish. Fort Jackson was the site of the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip from April 16 to April 28, 1862, during the American Civil War. The Confederate-controlled fort was besieged for 12 days by the fleet of U.S. Navy Flag Officer David Farragut. Fort Jackson fell on April 28 after the Union fleet bombarded it and then sailed past its guns. A mutiny against the officers and conditions then occurred and the fort fell to the Union. Union forces then went on to capture New Orleans. Following the engagement, Fort Jackson was used as a Union prison. It was here that the French champagne magnate Charles Heidsieck was held for seven months on charges of spying. On December 9, 1863, an armed uprising by black soldiers in the 4th Corps D'Afrique Corps D'Afrique (redesignated the following year as the 76th United States Colored Troops United States Colored Troops) resulted in shots being fired but no casualties. Soldiers were incensed at low pay, suspected sex crimes committed by white officers on black female laundry workers near the fort, and the torturous disciplinary methods meted out by a Colonel Augustus Benedict, a white officer stationed at the fort.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Fort Jackson
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Questions about this property
When was Fort Jackson listed on the National Register?
Fort Jackson was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.
What type of historic resource is Fort Jackson?
Fort Jackson is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Fort Jackson a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Fort Jackson has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Fort Jackson?
The period of significance for Fort Jackson is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1822.
Can I research the history near Fort Jackson?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Fort Jackson will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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