A Legacy in Brick and Stone: American Coast Defense Forts of the Third System, 1816-1867

by John R Weaver

Overview

A Legacy in Brick and Stone by John Weaver II

The definitive history of the American Third System of Fortifications that defended our coastline for more than half of century, these architectural wonders were built from 1816 through 1867 from Maine through the Florida Keys to New Orleans, with two forts in San Francisco Bay. Almost all of these 42 masonry forts still stand along our shores, and most are open to the public. A Legacy in Brick and Stone provides the background of these famous Civil War forts – why they were built where they are, who built them, and how they functioned – as well as descriptions of each fort. This revised and expanded edition has grown by over 100 pages, and over 400 new photographs and drawings have been included. The author, John Weaver II, a nationally known expert on masonry coastal fortifications, has invested over 30 years of research into A Legacy in Brick and Stone to produce the only full treatment of the magnificent American Third System of seacoast fortifications. This book is an important addition to the body of knowledge on American seacoast defenses and a must for any serious student of fortifications or the American Civil War.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781732391611
Publisher:	McGovern Publishing
Publication date:	06/30/2018
Pages:	342
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 1.06(d)

Table of Contents

• The Coastal Fortifications Board 1
• The Organization of the Board of Engineers 2
• The First Report of the Board of Engineers 5
• Evolution of the Board of Engineers 8
• The Fortifications Board through the Civil War 11
• The End of an Era 14
• Architecture 17
• Elements of Nineteenth Century Fortifications 17
• Integration of the Design 35
• Location of Third System Forts 40
• Sizes of Third System Forts 41
• Shapes of Third System Forts 42
• Other Structures 45
• Cannon at Third System Forts 48
• Manning the Forts 52
• Development 54
• The First Decade,1818-1827 54
• The Second Decade, 1828-1837 57
• The Third Decade, 1838-1847 59
• The Fourth Decade, 1848-1857 59
• The Final Years, 1858-1867 60
• Effectiveness 63
• Forts Monroe and Jefferson 63
• The Northern Frontier 72
• History .....72
• The Maine-New Hampshire Coast 83
• Boston Harbor 104
• New York City 136
• The Mid-Atlantic Coast 166
• The South Atlantic Coast 192
• The Florida Strait 215
• Pensacola Bay 226
• Mobile Bay 247
• New Orleans 258
• San Francisco Bay 284
• Appendixes 299