Fort Clinch, Fernandina and the Civil War by Frank A. Ofeldt III

Author:Frank A. Ofeldt III [Ofeldt, Frank A. III]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781467145961
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing SC
Published: 2020-08-10T00:00:00+00:00

Fort Clinch was the first United States fort returned to federal control after being abandoned by the Confederates on March 3, 1862. Courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.

The women who were interviewed by the Council of Administration were offered the opportunity to work as company washwomen or laundresses and were hired by the soldiers for one dollar monthly to wash their uniforms; two to four women employed by each company. Some of the women who were serving as laundresses at Fort Clinch and at the post hospital in town were Louisa Hagan, Diana Kingsley and Jane Mitchell. Located just outside the fort, a tent and, later, a shed were utilized by the washwomen. Each washwoman received one ration daily and were limited to working only during daylight hours two to three days a week.

A tour of inspection that was conducted in December 1863 evaluated the defensive positions of Fernandina and Fort Clinch, including the following list of redoubts and batteries at Fernandina. Fort Clinch was listed as good but unfinished; it defended the approach from the ocean to the Amelia River, Cumberland River and Cumberland Sound. The types and quantities of guns at Fort Clinch included seven twenty-four-pounder siege guns, ten thirty-two-pounder siege guns, three eight-inch Columbiads, eight twenty-four-pounder howitzers flank defense and one six-inch rifle (rebel cannon). Battery Plaisted, which was located in Fernandina, defended the land approach and had two twenty-four-pounder siege guns. Battery Rich, which was in excellent condition and located in Fernandina, defended the west side of the river with one twenty-four-pounder siege gun. The railroad bridge battery, which was in excellent condition and located the near trestle bridge on the west side of Amelia Island had two thirty-two-pounders one eight-inch mortar. In addition to the permanent cannon positions, two ten-pounder parrot rifles were assigned to Fernandina, and a ten-pounder parrot gun and twenty-four-pounder field howitzer were located at Fort Clinch.

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