Fort Pike

Fort Pike is a decommissioned 19th century fort which formerly guarded the Rigolets pass in Louisiana. It is now within the city limits of New Orleans, and was long a tourist attraction. It was damaged by the Hurricane Katrina storm surge in 2005.

The fort was built in 1818 to guard against British reinvasion of the United States. It came under the control of the Louisiana Continental Guard in 1861, just weeks before Louisiana joined the Confederacy. The Union reclaimed the fort in 1862 while resident troops were engaged at the Battle of Vicksburg. [cite web
title=Fort Pike State Historic Site
work=Civil War Preservation Trust
url=http://www.civilwar.org/cwdt/CWDTBrowse.php?siteID=427
accessdate=2006-03-21] cite web
title=Civil War Military Sites
work=Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
url=http://www.crt.state.la.us/tourism/civilwar/milsites.htm
accessdate=2006-03-21]

The fort was abandoned in 1890, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.cite news
first=Paul
last=Purpura
url=http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-5/114292583690780.xml
title=Hurricane Katrina devastated Forts Jackson, St. Philip and Pike
work=Times-Picayune
pages=A-1, A-11
date=2006-03-21
accessdate=2006-03-21 ] Despite having changed hands multiple times in a history spanning at least two major wars, no cannon was ever fired in battle at Fort Pike.

Before Hurricane Katrina, the fort's brick-and-mortar structure was decaying. The storm surge exacerbated the problems, temporarily completely submerging the entire fort, and destroyed adjacent state park buildings. The site is scheduled to be reopened by the Louisiana State Parks Department in mid February 2008 [http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/01/historic_fort_pike_battles_bac.html] . [cite web
title=Status of Hurricane-Impacted Sites
work=Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
url=http://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/istatus.aspx
accessdate=2006-03-21]

It is also reported (via NPS signposts) that Seminole Indian prisoners were kept here after being captured, and before being sent further west.

ee also

* Fort Macomb

References

External links