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    The Military History of New Bedford
    The Military History of New Bedford
    The Military History of New Bedford
    Ebook148 pages29 minutes

    The Military History of New Bedford

    By Christopher McDonald

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    About this ebook

    This accurate and exciting pictorial history will acquaint the reader with the seacoast defense of New Bedford. Fortified since the 1700s, seacoast defenses provided important protection for the New Bedford area. By the time of the Civil War, a strong granite fortress was under construction to guard the seaward approaches to the harbor of New Bedford and, later, powerful long-range guns were installed to protect the seaport. In The Military History of New Bedford, great care has been taken to identify more than two hundred vintage photographs of the harbor defense systems at all the points of Buzzards Bay, coastal fortifications, and the observation and radar towers from the Cape Cod Canal to Westport. The book identifies and explains the long-abandoned granite and concrete monoliths of New Bedford. It touches upon Gen. Robert E. Lee's role in the construction of the granite fort at Clark's Point (Fort Taber) and describes the impact that Henry Martyn Robert had in the area by writing Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative Assemblies, later known as Robert's Rules of Order.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateSep 18, 2012
    ISBN9781439627563
    The Military History of New Bedford
    Author

    Christopher McDonald

    Name: Christopher McDonald<br>Previous Contributors: Matthew Woolsey

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      Book preview

      The Military History of New Bedford - Christopher McDonald

      Point.

      INTRODUCTION

      At the outbreak of the American Revolution, privateers used the Acushnet River as a launching platform from which sorties against English shipping were performed. During early September 1778, in consequence of these deeds, a large armed force of British troops landed upon Bedford (New Bedford) soil, and in the following hours, a small number of townsmen were shot, buildings were set afire, and goods on both sides of the river were destroyed. It was learned later that losses from this raid amounted to $500,000, a somber fact that convinced the citizens and merchants of Bedford that a defense system in conjunction with Fort Point (Fort Phoenix) was sorely required.

      It was not until after the War of 1812 that an early earthwork was reportedly established at Clark’s Point, a body of land jutting into Buzzards Bay, which commands all approaches into the harbor of Bedford. The earthwork mounted six obsolete muzzle-loading cannon and was located on a low-lying hill that overlooked the harbor approaches.

      As late as 1840, a board of engineers met and planned a general defense operation of the Atlantic coast, of which New Bedford was considered to be of great importance. During 1842, chief of engineers Colonel Totten stated, It (the earthwork) deserves no further expenditures, as this is a very important harbor. Grants were extremely slow, however, and by 1846, only the plans and elevations were projected for a fort at Clark’s Point.

      One

      THE CIVIL WAR

      In 1846, Congress authorized an appropriation of $56,000 for a fortification in New Bedford. Two sites were chosen: Clark’s Point and an island in the center of the harbor, called Egg Island. All that remained at Clark’s Point was a rudimentary earthwork fort erected during the War of 1812, shown in this image. Final plans for a massive stone fortress were completed in mid-December 1848. A board of engineers met in Boston and included Col. Sylvanus Thayer, Capt. Robert E. Lee, and Maj. Richard Delafield, later considered the Father of American Seacoast Artillery.

      This image shows a plan of a fort projected by the board to occupy Clark’s Point in New Bedford harbor, with ancillary works at Egg Island and Fort Point (Fort Phoenix). A three-tiered (level) work was projected with six lower-casemated quarters and seven upper-casemated quarters for officers, and the garrison with magazines, a central-balanced drawbridge in the gateway or sallyport (main entrance), and a moat.

      The military career of Gen. Robert E. Lee (1807—1870) began with his admission to the U.S. Military Academy. Commissioned as a lieutenant, he had the distinction of graduating second in his class, standing with the honor of not receiving any demerits while a cadet, which to this date has not been equaled. Assigned to the engineers, he helped with the construction of the St. Louis waterfront and coastal fortifications in Brunswick and Savannah. He also became involved in a seacoast

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