Fort Pickens

Fort Pickens is a famous U.S. military fort located on Santa Rosa Island in Pensacola, Florida. The Fort is named after a war hero in the revolutionary war called Andrew Pickens. Construction on the fort began in 1829 and was finished in 1834, and the fort remained active until 1947. Most of the fort was built using slave labor. Following the War of 1812, the U.S. chose to strengthen its primary ports, and hired a French engineer to design Fort Pickens. From 1886 to May of 1887, a famous Apache Indian chief called Geronimo was locked up in Fort Pickens, along with many of his warriors. Geronimo’s family, along with the families of his warriors, was being held captive at Fort Marion. Lieutenant Adam J Slemmer decided to use the fort during the American Civil War, knowing that it would be very useful. A small group of local men attempted to take the fort, but were fought off by Slemmer and his men. Many historians believe that these were the very first shots that the U.S. fired in the American Civil War. Following this incident, Slemmer destroyed a fort he used prior to the renovation of Fort Pickens called Fort McRee, and sent 80 troops to Fort Pickens to fight off the Confederates. Despite the constant threats, the Fort remained under Union control throughout the entire American Civil War. Hurricane Ivan was a threat to Fort Pickens in 2004, but the Fort held its ground and only suffered minor damages. Fort Pickens was a very valuable fort to the Union army throughout the Civil War, and also a very significant location for Indians being held captive.