"It was observed that ... a breach was made in the wall at the southeast angle, nearest the Tybee Island, and that before the fort surrendered this breach was wide enough to drive a four-horse team through."
— Brig. Gen. A.R. Lawton, Commander Georgia Coastal defenses
On Jan. 3, 1861, Col. Alexander Lawton led three militia units down the Savannah River and into Fort Pulaski, which at the time was garrisoned by one federal officer.
While the fort had not seen any action since its completion in 1847, Robert E. Lee and other engineers that had a hand in its construction believed it to be impregnable.
Following the federal navy’s rapid capture of Hilton Head Island’s two forts in November 1861, Gen. Lee ordered Georgia’s coastal defenses consolidated. Finding Tybee Island deserted, a Union landing party took control and raised the flag on Nov. 24.
With Tybee in Union hands, plans began for an assault on Fort Pulaski. Over the next several months, work was done to create batteries within range of the garrison, located just across Lazaretto Creek. Maj. Gen. Q.A. Gillmore said of this work, “No one except an eye-witness can form any but a faint conception of the Herculean labor by which mortars of 8½ tons’ weight and columbiads but a trifle lighter were moved in the dead of night over a narrow causeway, bordered by swamps on either side, and liable at any moment to be overturned and buried in the mud beyond reach.”
Life at the fort continued as usual. Though the Confederates were aware of movement on Tybee, they maintained a false sense of security by the surrounding 7½-foot thick solid brick walls.
Gen. Lee told garrison commander Col. Charles Olmstead “they will make it pretty warm for you here with shells, but they cannot breach your walls at that distance.”
With batteries in place, on April 10, 1862, Union forces began their bombardment with mortars and rifled cannon. By the next day, they had breached the southeast wall, exposing the northeast powder magazine. Feeling the situation hopeless, Col. Olmstead surrendered on the 11th after nearly 30 hours of bombardment.
The triumphant federal troops took control of the fort and effectively closed the Savannah River.